Great Podversations

Joe Nocera at the University of Louisville Kentucky Author Forum on April 18, 2016. Interviewed by Buzz Bissinger.

Diane Rehm interviewed by Ann Patchett at the University of Louisville Kentucky Author Forum on March 23, 2016.

For decades, E.J. Dionne has been one of the most prominent journalists and left-leaning political commentators in the U.S. The Washington Post columnist and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution is known not only for his sharp defenses of liberalism, but also for a deep curiosity about the other side of the political aisle. His latest book is called “Why the Right Went Wrong: Conservatism from Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond.” He was interviewed about the book on Feb. 24, 2016 at the University of Louisville Kentucky Author Forum. The interviewer was journalist James Fallows, a national correspondent for The Atlantic.

The Avenue of Mysteries: John Irving at Kentucky Author Forum 11/10/15 by Kentucky Author Forum

David Boies is a distinguished American trial lawyer who has litigated some of the highest profile cases in recent history. His recent book, "Redeeming the Dream: The Case for Marriage Equality," offers a dramatic and up-close account of his arguments, and ultimate triumph, in the landmark Supreme Court case which struck down Proposition 8, reinstating the freedom to marry for gays and lesbians in California. In this University of Louisville Kentucky Author Forum event dated 3/24/15, Boies was interviewed by Jeffrey Toobin, legal journalist, staff writer for The New Yorker, senior analyst for CNN, and author of "The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court."

Operatic singer Jessye Norman interviewed at the Kentucky Author Forum on Nov. 17, 2014, following publication of her memoir, "Stand Up Straight and Sing!" The interviewer is Gloria Steinem, writer, lecturer, editor, feminist activist, and co-founder of Ms. magazine.

Timothy Geithner discusses his book "Stress Test" at the Kentucky Author Forum on 11/3/14.

Philippe de Montebello: Rendez-vous with Art by Kentucky Author Forum

In 1982, Sister Helen Prejean became the spiritual advisor to Patrick Sonnier, a convicted killer of two teenagers, who was sentenced to die in the electric chair of Louisiana’s Angola State Prison. In the months before Sonnier’s death, the Roman Catholic nun came to know the convicted felon, the families of his victims, and the men whose job it was to execute him. Out of Sister Prejean’s experiences came the #1 national bestseller Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Dead Man Walking. In celebration, the book has been re-released with a new preface by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and new afterwords by the author, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins. Sister Prejean visited the WFPL studios while in town to speak at the Louisville Free Public Library.

In "Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked," Chris Matthews offers a personal history of a time when two great political opponents - President Ronald Reagan and Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill - served together for the benefit of the country. Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s “Hardball,” served as a top aide to Speaker O’Neill. At this Kentucky Author Forum, Matthews was interviewed by E. J. Dionne, Jr., senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and syndicated columnist for The Washington Post.