Think Humanities

Host Bill Goodman is joined by writer, filmmaker, and member of Kentucky Humanities Speakers Bureau, Jerry Deaton. A native of Long Creek, Kentucky, Deaton discusses his experience growing up in Breathitt County and the deep appreciation he developed for his eastern Kentucky roots. Deaton found himself still drawn to Breathitt County after retiring from the Legislative Research Commission where he...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by Dr. Michael Cairo, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Political Science at Transylvania University. Dr. Cairo discusses the relevance of Robert Penn Warren’s timeless and celebrated work, "All the King’s Men," in relation to today’s society. Dr. Cairo will serve as a moderator for a community discussion about journalism and politics during our upcomi...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by longtime educator and school administrator, Dr. Keen Babbage. Dr. Babbage reflects upon lessons learned from his 34 years working in Kentucky schools, and explains his optimism for the future of education. Dr. Babbage recently released two new books, "Four Vital Questions for High School Seniors" and "Four Vital Questions for Teachers and Principals." He is also a ne...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by Dr. Patrick Lewis, specialist in Civil War history and Director of the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition at the Kentucky Historical Society. Dr. Lewis is also a member of our Kentucky Humanities Speakers Bureau. On today’s episode, he discusses Ben Buckner and Helen Martin, a Kentucky couple that supported and aided opposite sides during the...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by filmmaker Tom Thurman of KET. Thurman’s latest documentary focuses on Kentucky's celebrated, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Robert Penn Warren. Thurman and KET will present a sneak preview of his documentary, "Robert Penn Warren: A Vision," on Sunday, September 9th at 2:00 PM at the Lexington Public Library's Farish Theatre. The full-length documentary will debut at...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by nationally recognized author Ada Limón. She is the author of five books of poetry, including "Bright Dead Things," which was a finalist for the 2015 National Book Award in Poetry, a finalist for the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, and was named one of the Top Ten Poetry Books of the Year by the New York Times. Having lived all across the country in Northern California,...

Host Bill Goodman had the pleasure of attending the 41st annual Writers' Workshop at the Hindman Settlement School. The Appalachian Writers' Workshop is Kentucky's premier writers' conference where both aspiring and seasoned writers gather in a creative environment to teach and refine their skills. While in Hindman, Bill had the opportunity to speak with Brent Hutchinson, Executive Director of the...

Blair Thomas Hess joins host Bill Goodman to discuss all things Kentucky bourbon. Hess is an author of "The State of Bourbon," which showcases the region’s first distilleries, local restaurants, hotels, parks, and adventures that every bourbon lover needs to experience. Her new book takes you across the state in a road trip experience to explore the history and heritage of bourbon in Kentucky.

Host Bill Goodman is joined by local actor David Hurt. A native of Mercer County, David developed a passion for history and nature while exploring sites such as Shaker Village and Old Fort Harrod during his childhood. These interests led him to later portray Kentucky Chautauqua characters John C.C. Mayo, Lilley Cornett, and Grandpa Jones. Before Chautauqua, David earned a degree in theatre from Il...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by Dr. Stephen McBride, an historical archaeologist who serves as the Director of Interpretation and Archaeology at the Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park in Jessamine County. In 1863, Camp Nelson began as an army supply depot, training camp, and hospital facility. By 1864, it became the state’s largest recruiting and training center for African American soldiers and w...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by author, graphic designer, and member of Kentucky Humanities Speakers Bureau, Gary Cieradkowski. A native of New Jersey, Gary has worked for advertising firms all over the country. He now resides in Northern Kentucky and has his own graphic design studio. His interest in baseball history and his artistic ability led him to design baseball cards that landed him feature...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by Dr. George Herring, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Herring retired from UK after thirty-six years, including three terms as chair of the Department of History. He specializes in the history of U.S. foreign relations and is an expert on the Vietnam War. Dr. Herring is also a member of our Kentucky Humanities Speakers Bureau. On today’...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by local bookstore owner, Jay McCoy. Brier Books is located in Lexington but also provides a number of pop-up shops throughout the state. Jay shares with us the latest summer reads by Kentucky authors, including works by Silas House, Hannah Pittard, Tiffany Reisz, and Andrew Shaffer. To purchase books, sign up for workshops, and learn about upcoming events, you can visi...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by Juanita White – researcher, scriptwriter, and member of Kentucky Humanities Speakers Bureau. Juanita is a former educator and curriculum specialist from Louisville. After retiring from the school district, she began working at the Farmington Historic Home. Juanita discusses the history of Farmington as the home of James Speed, who served as the Attorney General to Ab...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by Jeff Worley – a Kentucky poet, former professor of English, and research magazine editor. Worley taught American literature in Germany for eight years through the University of Maryland’s European Division and later became an assistant professor of English at Penn State Altoona. After moving to Lexington, Worley joined the staff of Odyssey, the University of Kentucky...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by historian and retired University of Kentucky administrator David Bettez. Dr. Bettez formerly served as the director of UK’s Office of International Affairs. A specialist of World War I history, Dr. Bettez explains Kentucky’s response to the war. You can learn more about this topic in his book, "Kentucky and the Great War: World War I on the Home Front." Bettez also d...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by Dr. Michael Benson, President of Eastern Kentucky University. President Benson provides a thoughtful analysis of the current state of higher education in America, which you can read more about this fall in his new book, "College for the Commonwealth: A Case for Higher Education in American Democracy." President Benson urges the importance of investing in higher educa...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by author, former attorney, and Episcopal priest Laurie Brock. Laurie serves at St. Michael the Archangel in Lexington and volunteers as a crisis chaplain with the Lexington Police Department. On today’s episode of THINK HUMANITIES, Laurie shares a passage from her new book, "Horses Speak of God: How Horses Can Teach Us to Listen and Be Transformed," and discusses how s...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by former Kentucky Humanities Executive Director Dr. Virginia Carter. The duo discuss her 25-year tenure with Kentucky Humanities and her work to bring unique humanities programs to the Commonwealth including Kentucky Chautauqua®; PRIME TIME Family Reading Time®; Kentucky Humanities magazine; and Our Lincoln: Kentucky’s Gift to the Nation, performed for a national audie...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by Kentucky author Crystal Wilkinson. Crystal shares her early life growing up in Indian Creek, Kentucky, where her grandmother instilled in her a lifelong love of reading and writing. Wilkinson discovered her talent for writing at a young age, having written her first op-ed when she was only twelve. A critically acclaimed author, Wilkinson has written numerous award-wi...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by Danielle Clore, founder and Executive Director of Kentucky Nonprofit Network (KNN). KNN serves as Kentucky’s state association of nonprofits. It provides resources, education, and a unified public policy voice for nonprofits. Danielle discusses their major upcoming philanthropy event, Kentucky Gives Day, set for May 22nd. This is a 24-hour online fundraising marathon...

Host Bill Goodman welcomes U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith to Kentucky as part of her National Project Rural Tour of America. Bill is also joined by Robert Casper, who heads the Poetry & Literature Division of the Center for the Book of the Library of Congress. Tracy and Robert reflect on their visits to Bowling Green, Glasgow, and New Haven, and describe their appreciation for the Kentuckians w...

Bill Goodman visited Guthrie, Kentucky to deliver a special announcement introducing Kentucky Humanities’ new statewide literacy initiative, Kentucky Reads: All The King’s Men. The project will use Robert Penn Warren’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel to guide a statewide conversation on contemporary populism and political discourse, and their relationship to journalism. Bill was joined in this announ...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by actress, director, writer, and teacher, Janet Scott. Janet is a veteran actress, having portrayed two acts for Kentucky Chautauqua in addition to numerous roles for stage, television, and film during her thirty-year professional career in New York City. She channeled her appreciation for her hometown of Shaker Heights, Ohio when she portrayed "Mary Settles: The Last...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by historian Dr. William Ellis. He is the author of several books, including "A History of Education in Kentucky," "The Kentucky River," and "A History of Eastern Kentucky University." Dr. Ellis provides a thoughtful discussion of the history, funding, and future of education in Kentucky. In addition, Dr. Ellis details his latest book, "Irvin S. Cobb: The Rise and Fall...