Best Idaho Public Television Podcasts (2024)

1
Patricia Nelson Limerick: The Legacy of Conquest 29:01

3d ago29:01

29:01

Marcia Franklin talks with author Patricia Nelson Limerick about her books about the American West. Limerick shares her views that the West has been overly romanticized and that history has ignored the contributions of women and people of color in settling the West. Originally aired: 04/17/1997

1
Nathaniel Philbrick: A City, A Siege, A Revolution 29:04

10d ago29:04

29:04

Marcia Franklin talks with maritime writer and historian Nathaniel Philbrick, the speaker at the 2013 Idaho Humanities Council Distinguished Humanities Lecture. Philbrick is the author of numerous books, including most recently "Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution," which looks at the deadliest battle of the American Revolution and how it in…

1
Eliza Griswold: Amity and Prosperity 29:34

17d ago29:34

29:34

Journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Eliza Griswold talks with host Marcia Franklin about her book Amity and Prosperity, which investigates the effects of fracking in a southwestern Pennsylvania community. The two discuss how Griswold researched the book and the rural-urban divide in American politics. Griswold also talks about her forthcom…

1
Lois Leveen: A Spy in the Confederate White House 28:30

24d ago28:30

28:30

Dialogue host Marcia Franklin talks with historical novelist Lois Leveen about two of her works: The Secrets of Mary Bowser, about a former slave who was a spy in the Confederate White House, and Juliet's Nurse, which imagines the life of the nurse in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Franklin asks Leveen about how she researches her ideas and what s…

1
Eric Liu: Citizen Power 29:04

1M ago29:04

29:04

As the United States heads for what portends to be a raucous convention season, Dialogue host Marcia Franklin talks with Eric Liu, the founder of Citizen University in Seattle, about whether it’s even possible in a seemingly fractured society to have a civil discussion about politics. Liu, also the executive director of the Citizenship and American…

1
Richard Ford: Language, Love and Life in America 29:11

1M ago29:11

29:11

Marcia Franklin talks with author Richard Ford, who won a Pulitzer Prize for Independence Day, a book in his Frank Bascombe series, and who was nominated for a Pulitzer for his most recent book in the series Let Me Be Frank With You. Ford talks with Franklin about his themes, his writing style, his muse and his thoughts on race relations. Don’t for…

1
How does streaming work? 5:47

1M ago5:47

5:47

Lots of the shows and music that we consume travel over the internet as data before they get to our phones and tablets. Garrett and Evie learn all about streaming with David Starkey, a system performance engineer with Verizon Wireless. Kids have lots of questions about science. Hosts Evie and Garrett are here to help. On episodes of the Science Tre…

1
Kevin Powers: The Yellow Birds 29:12

2M ago29:12

29:12

Marcia Franklin interviews author Kevin Powers, a veteran of the war in Iraq. His first work, "The Yellow Birds," was a finalist for the National Book Award. The novel depicts the friendship between two American soldiers in Iraq trying to keep each other alive, and the emotional journey of one of them as he returns home. Powers, who was a speaker a…

1
Michael Lanza: How to Enjoy the Big Outside, Part Two 29:04

2M ago29:04

29:04

Marcia Franklin continues her conversation with Boise-based outdoor writer Michael Lanza, focusing on tips for hiking and camping, including some of the best gear and small essentials to pack. The two also talk about ways to keep safe in the backcountry. Lanza, the former Northwest editor for Backpacker magazine, has written three books about hikin…

1
Michael Lanza: How to Enjoy the Big Outside, Part One 29:05

2M ago29:05

29:05

Marcia Franklin talks with Idaho outdoor writer and photographer Michael Lanza about some of the best backcountry trips in our region. Lanza, the former Northwest editor for Backpacker magazine, has written three books about hiking, as well as many articles chronicling his worldwide adventures backpacking, climbing, skiing and paddling. “Before The…

1
Richard Blanco: How to Love a Country 29:12

2M ago29:12

29:12

Marcia Franklin talks with poet Richard Blanco, the first LatinX and gay inaugural poet. Blanco wrote a poem for President Obama’s second inaugural and read it at the ceremony. He discusses the process of writing the inaugural poem, “One Today,” how the piece reflected his life and his philosophy of writing, the themes of his work, and the power of…

1
Biomimicry 7:41

2M ago7:41

7:41

Humans can learn a lot from the special skills that plants and animals have to help them in nature. Evie and Garret learn about the science of biomimicry and answer questions with some help from Dr. Vibhav Durgesh, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Idaho. Kids have lots of questions about science. Hosts Evie and Gar…

1
Jill Dougherty: Decoding Putin 29:05

2M ago29:05

29:05

As Russia’s dominance on the international stage increases, along with its presence in the American presidential election, Dialogue host Marcia Franklin talks with journalist Jill Dougherty about Russian President Vladimir Putin. Dougherty, who reported for CNN for 30 years, most recently as its Foreign Affairs Correspondent, was also the network’s…

1
Dave Barry: Idaho - A Whole Lotta Rocks! 28:58

3M ago28:58

28:58

Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry hams it up with host Marcia Franklin at the 2014 Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. The two talk about Barry’s various misadventures in the Gem State, including tree-climbing, snowmobiling and trout fishing—and what he thinks the new motto for Idaho should be. They also discuss Barry’s partnership with Ridley…

1
Robert MacNeil: Becoming an American 28:59

3M ago28:59

28:59

Marcia Franklin talks with Robert MacNeil, the veteran journalist, author, and former co-host of the NewsHour on PBS. MacNeil, who was born in Canada, talks about becoming an American, how the news profession changed over the course of his career, and his love for the English language. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the Dialogue website for m…

1
Justice Stephen Breyer: Active Liberty 29:54

3M ago29:54

29:54

In his book, Active Liberty: Interpreting Our Democratic Constitution, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer lays out his judicial philosophy, that judges should decide cases in a way that allows the public to maximize participation in government through what he calls "active liberty." Marcia Franklin talks with Justice Breyer about the precept…

1
Rabbits 7:48

3M ago7:48

7:48

Rabbits have large ears, but not only to help them hear better. Did you know those long ears also help spread heat and regulate their body temperature? Join hosts Evie and Garrett as they answer more student questions about rabbits with help from Washington State University Exotics Veterinarian Dr. Marcie Logsdon. Kids have lots of questions about …

1
Television & Streaming 9:55

4M ago9:55

9:55

Television, more often called TV, is that busy, colorful rectangle that brings information and entertainment from all over the world right into your living room. Hosts Evie and Garrett answer students' questions with Idaho Public Television engineers Craig Koster and Rich Van Genden. Kids have lots of questions about science. Hosts Evie and Garrett…

1
Isabel Wilkerson: The Warmth of Other Suns 29:15

5M ago29:15

29:15

Marcia Franklin interviews Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson about her book, The Warmth of Other Suns. The work, about the Great Migration of African-Americans from the south to other parts of the country, took Wilkerson 15 years to research and write. They discuss the reasons for the migration, its influence on the country, and ho…

1
Tayari Jones: An American Marriage 29:40

5M ago29:40

29:40

Novelist Tayari Jones describes the process of writing “An American Marriage,” a novel that chronicles the trajectory of a marriage when one of the spouses is wrongfully convicted of a crime. Jones talks with Marcia about the serendipity that led to the book’s characters, as well as how her writing is informed by the experiences of her parents, who…

1
Bob Edwards: The Birth of Broadcast Journalism 29:30

5M ago29:30

29:30

Bob Edwards, National Public Radio senior correspondent and longtime host of “Morning Edition,” has died. His sonorous voice has kept millions of NPR listeners company for decades. Edwards talked with Marcia Franklin in 2004 about his career and his book “Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism.” Originally aired: 07/22/2004…

1
N. Scott Momaday: The West 29:19

5M ago29:19

29:19

Pulitzer Prize-winning Kiowa author N. Scott Momaday has died. In this interview from 1996, host Marcia Franklin talks with Momaday about his role in commentating on Native American culture in the recently released Ken Burns documentary ‘The West.’ Momaday also talks about how to find your voice as an author, as well as the relationship between Nat…

1
Asteroids and Comets 7:06

5M ago7:06

7:06

Associate Professor Brian Jackson from Boise State University's physics department and NASA microgravity team leader at BSU Camille Eddy join Evie and Garrett to learn about asteroids and comets, from their impacts on Earth and the Moon to the far-flung reaches of our solar system. Kids have lots of questions about science. Hosts Evie and Garrett a…

1
David Epstein: The Sports Gene 29:02

6M ago29:02

29:02

Marcia Franklin talks with David Epstein, an award-winning sports journalist and author of the bestselling book The Sports Gene. It delves into the controversial research on what role genetics plays in the development of athletic talent. The book also takes on the so-called “10,000 Hour Rule,” which contends that 10,000 hours of practice can produc…

1
Ethan Watters: Found Families and Generational Change 28:59

6M ago28:59

28:59

Writer Ethan Watters joins Marcia Franklin to discuss the themes in his book, Urban Tribes, which looks at the ways in which young, unmarried Americans create their own sense of family. Ethan Watters has written about psychiatry and social psychology for 20 years. He has also taught writing at Berkeley, Stanford, and California College of the Arts.…

1
Rep. John Lewis: Last of the Big Six 45:52

6M ago45:52

45:52

Marcia Franklin talks with Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), the last of the so-called "Big Six" leaders of the African-American civil rights movement. Lewis was the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963 to 1966, and played a seminal role in some of the 56 most important activities of the movement, including the Freedom R…

1
Kurt Koontz: Walking ‘The Way’ 29:12

6M ago29:12

29:12

Marcia Franklin talks with Boise resident Kurt Koontz about his book, “A Million Steps,” which chronicles his journey along the Camino de Santiago trail in northern Spain. The 500-mile route, known colloquially as ‘The Way,’ was originally a trek made by Catholic pilgrims to the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, believed to be the burial place of S…

1
Garbage 8:50

6M ago8:50

8:50

Have you thrown something away today? If you are like most people, the answer would be “yes.” Where does it go? What can we do to decrease the amount of garbage we create? Science Trek Podcast hosts Evie and Garrett explore the science of garbage with City of Boise trash and recycling coordinator Megan Durrell and Ada County deputy solid waste coll…

1
Mohsin Hamid: The Last White Man 28:48

6M ago28:48

28:48

Conversations From the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference is back for a 16th season! In this episode, host Marcia Franklin speaks with writer Mohsin Hamid about his latest novel, The Last White Man. The story follows the transformation of a man who wakes up one day to find that his skin color has changed. Hamid, who often incorporates his own multicult…

1
Andrea Elliott: Invisible Child 28:48

7M ago28:48

28:48

Conversations From the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference is back for a 16th season! In this episode, journalist Andrea Elliott joins host Marcia Franklin to talk about her book, Invisible Child, which won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. The book chronicles eight years in the life of Dasani Coates, a child in Brooklyn. Elliott shares wh…

1
David Grann: The Wager 28:48

7M ago28:48

28:48

Conversations From the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference is back for a 16th season! In this episode, David Grann regales viewers with some of the amazing true stories surrounding the wreck of The Wager, a British ship that sank off the tip of South America in 1741. In his book The Wager, Grann uses rare primary source documents to reconstruct the harr…

1
Hernan Diaz: Trust 28:48

7M ago28:48

28:48

Conversations From the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference is back for a 16th season! In this episode, Hernan Diaz joins Marcia Franklin to discuss his latest novel, Trust, which won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The intricately braided tale about characters in the world of high finance gives readers four different takes on the same story, playin…

1
Abraham Verghese: The Covenant of Water 28:48

7M ago28:48

28:48

Conversations From the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference is back for a 16th season! In this episode, host Marcia Franklin talks with Dr. Abraham Verghese about his latest blockbuster novel, The Covenant of Water. The epic, which includes a mystery at its core, covers more than 70 years in the intertwined lives of families in the Indian state of Kerala…

1
Oceans 6:16

7M ago6:16

6:16

Oceans cover more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. Explore with Science Trek Podcast hosts Evie and Garrett Come and guest scientists David Wilkins and Walter Snyder from Boise State University’s geosciences department as they answer students’ question about what lies under the sea. Kids have lots of questions about science. Hosts Evie and G…

1
Susan Orlean: True Story 29:40

8M ago29:40

29:40

Longtime New Yorker writer and author Susan Orlean joins host Marcia Franklin for a lively chat about her writing style and her work, including hundreds of magazine articles, “The Library Book,” and an upcoming memoir. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 12/31/2021 The inte…

1
Naomi Shihab Nye: Making the Ordinary Extraordinary 29:11

8M ago29:11

29:11

Known for elevating the “ordinary” with her keen observations, including life in Latino and Arab communities, Palestinian-American poet Naomi Shihab Nye is the author or editor of more than 30 works of poetry, fiction and essays. Her books include Words Under the Words; Red Suitcase; Fuel; You and Yours; Never in a Hurry; Habibi; A-maze Me; Honeybe…

1
Tim O'Brien: The Things We Carry 29:27

8M ago29:27

29:27

Host Marcia Franklin interviews one of the most esteemed writers of the Vietnam War era, Tim O’Brien. O’Brien, who served as an infantryman from 1969 to 1970, wrote a memoir in 1972 called “If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home.” It received excellent reviews, and in 1978, O’Brien won the National Book Award for “Going After Cacciat…

1
Anthony Doerr: Cloud Cuckoo Land 40:04

8M ago40:04

40:04

Host Marcia Franklin talks in-depth with author Anthony Doerr about his newest book, “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” and the Netflix adaptation of “All the Light We Cannot See,” his 2014 novel that won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. “Mr. Doerr’s been on Dialogue more times than any other author,” says Franklin. “But still, it had been eight years since we’d …

1
Mammoths 6:29

8M ago6:29

6:29

Mammoths are ancient cousins of modern elephants, and learning about mammoths is a good way to understand what the world was like more than 10 thousand years ago. Science Trek Podcast hosts Garrett and Evie join paleontologists Christopher Hill and Susanne Miller to answer students’ questions about Mammoths. Kids have lots of questions about scienc…

1
Stacy Schiff: The Legacy of the Salem Witch Trials 29:12

9M ago29:12

29:12

Marcia Franklin talks with Pulitzer Prize–winning author Stacy Schiff about her work, The Witches. The book examines the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, delving into what precipitated them, and the participants involved. Franklin talks with Schiff about why she wanted to write the book, the challenges involved and the legacy of the trials. Don’t forget…

1
Gretel Ehrlich: The Solace of Open Spaces 28:57

9M ago28:57

28:57

Marcia Franklin talks with author Gretel Ehrlich about her works and passions. Perhaps best known for her memoirs about the American West, including The Solace of Open Spaces, Ehrlich has also spent extensive time in the Arctic, writing about the effects of climate change on the wildlife and culture there. Franklin talks to her about that issue, he…

1
Heather Rae & Russ Friedenberg: Filmmaking in Idaho 29:35

9M ago29:35

29:35

Marcia Franklin talks with Idaho filmmakers Heather Rae and Russell Friedenberg. The two produced and wrote “Trudell,” a documentary about Native American poet and activist John Trudell. The documentary aired on Idaho Public Television as part of the “Independent Lens” series. Rae and Friedenberg discuss their film, which premiered at Sundance and …

1
Blood 5:57

9M ago5:57

5:57

Blood is necessary for life. It is an essential part of your circulatory system. Dr. Alicia Lachiondo and Dr. Roger Turcotte join Science Trek Podcast hosts Evie and Garrett to answer students’ questions about blood, what it’s made of and how it keeps you healthy. Kids have lots of questions about science. Hosts Evie and Garrett are here to help. O…

1
Andrew Solomon: The Secret We Share 29:09

9M ago29:09

29:09

Author and professor Andrew Solomon relates how he went from being a bullied child suffering from depression to an award-winning journalist traveling the world. Solomon’s 2001 book, The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, won the National Book Award for Nonfiction. He has delivered popular TED Talks on culture and psychology. Don’t forget to sub…

1
Amy Waldman: Memorializing 9/11 28:58

10M ago28:58

28:58

Amy Waldman, a former reporter for The New York Times, discusses her bestselling novel The Submission, which tells the fictional tale of Mohammad “Mo” Khan, a secular Muslim who wins a competition to design a memorial honoring the victims of a terrorist attack similar to 9/11. When the jury members discover who’ve they’ve selected, some try to chan…

1
Steve Coll: Journalism Under Fire 29:03

10M ago29:03

29:03

Journalist Steve Coll talks with Marcia Franklin about his latest book, Directorate S, a follow-up to his Pulitzer Prize-winning book Ghost Wars. He discusses why he wanted to write the book and what he learned — including about Idahoan Bowe Bergdahl, who was imprisoned by the Taliban. Coll, who is also the dean of the Columbia University School of…

1
Light and Color 6:12

10M ago6:12

6:12

Light is energy. It illuminates and colors our world, but there is more to light and color than the eye can see. Science Trek Podcast hosts Garrett and Evie join with Kathryn Devine, professor of physics at the College of Idaho and Henry Charlier, professor of physics at Boise State University to answer students’ questions. Kids have lots of questi…

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