Tom Paxton says folk music is lumber with the bark still on. His legendary career spans six decades of traditional music and topical songs. He says today's political climate presents an embarrassment of riches to the song writer. He hasn't penned a Trump song yet, but that will come.

Religious courts in the Middle East had historically banned women from adjudicating domestic and family matters - in both the Shari'a courts of Islam and the Rabbinic courts of Judaism -until Kholoud Al-Faqih, dares to challenge that history. With the support of a progressive Sheik, Kholoud becomes the first woman judge with her appointment to a Palestinian Shari'a court in the West Bank, bringing a subtle new perspective garnered from her early professional life working with battered women as an attorney in both the criminal and Shari'a courts.

Loved by generations worldwide, “Little Women” is a universal coming of age story. Set against the backdrop of the Civil War, the story follows sisters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March on their journey from childhood to adulthood. With the help of their mother, Marmee, and while their father is away at war, the girls navigate what it means to be a young woman: from sibling rivalry and first love, to loss and marriage.

“The Man Who Caught the Storm” is the saga of the greatest tornado chaser who ever lived: a tale of obsession and daring, and an extraordinary account of humanity’s high-stakes race to understand nature’s fiercest phenomenon.

There are many needs in our communities, and there are dedicated individuals and nonprofits working to meet those needs. They sometimes don’t get the recognition they deserve, and you may want to help but don’t know where and how. On Access Utah we’re inviting you to send us email or tweet to give you the opportunity to spotlight a nonprofit or individual doing good in your community.

Today, a conversation with Matthew Bowman about his book “Christian: The Politics of a Word in America.”

Historian Philip Dray joins us for the hour to talk about two of his books:

When Jackson Olsen graduated from college, he had every intention of going to law school and becoming a lawyer.

We have established an Access Utah tradition: On or near Earth Day each year we invite Utah writer Stephen Trimble and other guests to talk about the earth, the land, and the environment. Trimble suggested we focus on the Torrey House Press this year and specifically focus on their blog which is full of powerful posts written by young authors who are passionate about our beautiful planet. Stephen Trimble joins us for the hour along with writers Mishka Banuri, Brooke Larsen, Tim Glenn, and Forrest Cuch.

Wednesday’s Access Utah is a part of USU’s Year of the Arts. We’ll talk about Henry Purcell’s opera “Dido and Aeneas,” and related topics. Our guests will include conductor Nicholas Kraemer and Purcell scholar and Syracuse University professor Amanda Eubanks Winkler. And we’ll hear some music from the opera.