Welcome to our new series, Taken: Native Boarding Schools in America where we dive into the complex history of the United States Government's intervention of Indigenous tribes and culture. We’re going to go beyond the Trail of Tears and into the federally mandated programs that took Native children from their homes and placed them in boarding schools. It’s a history of erasure, dominance, violence, and trauma–some of it so concealed that the Department of the Interior is still investigating it today.

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, and KariMarisa Anton

Thank you to our guest K. Tsiannina Lomawaima and some of the music in this episode was composed by indigenous composer R. Carlos Nakai.

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Writer Ally Henny joins Sharon today to talk about Bruno. But in this context, Bruno–always around, but only talked about in hushed tones–is race. Ally and Sharon have a candid conversation about the pitfalls of Respectability Politics and how white people can do better when it comes to getting uncomfortable in conversations about race. Ally’s new book, I Won’t Shut Up: Finding Your Voice When the World Tries to Silence You, is a great place to start if you are looking to understand the ways in which racism persists in America today.

Special thanks to our guest, Ally Henny, for joining us today. You can preorder I Won’t Shut Up here!

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Guest: Ally Henny

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

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On today’s episode of Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon talks with author of the book Break It Up: Secession, Division, and the Secret History of America's Imperfect Union, Richard Kreitner. Richard and Sharon talk about the theme of division throughout American history. We may say we are one nation, united, but there have always been ideas, events, and people who have challenged that notion of unity and union, even back at the very start of the nation’s founding.

Special thanks to our guest, Richard Kreitner, for joining us today. You can purchase Break It Up here.

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Guest: Richard Kreitner

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

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On today’s episode of Here’s Where It gets Interesting, Sharon welcomes guest Dr. Kerry Sautner, the chief learning officer at the National Constitution Center. Kerry and Sharon talk about civic education, and how it can be a building block for a great democracy–but just as important as learning from our past is learning how to communicate and collaborate in the present. Join us to learn more about the National Constitution Center, and the value of civic friendships and access to America’s full history.

Special thanks to our guest, Dr. Kerry Sautner, for joining us today.

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Guest: Dr. Kerry Sautner

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

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Today on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon welcomes back David Rubenstein to talk about his new PBS series, Iconic America. The series takes a look at eight different American symbols, from Cowboys to the Hollywood sign. These recognizable pieces of America have surprising histories, and Sharon and David discuss how symbols evolve and take on new meaning over time.

Special thanks to our guest, David Rubenstein, for joining us today. Catch his new PBS series, Iconic America, streaming now. 

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Guest: David Rubenstein

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

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Sharon’s guest on today’s episode on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting is author Alexandra Robbins, the author of several New York Times bestsellers. Her newest book, The Teachers, goes behind the scenes to show readers what life is like for teachers in America. She follows three teachers through their trials and triumphs over the course of one school year. Learn about their challenges with being under-resourced and over-scrutinized while they try to make connections and safe learning environments in their classrooms.

Special thanks to our guest, Alexandra Robbins, for joining us today. Order your copy of The Teachers here.

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Guest: Alexandra Robbins

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

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Joining Sharon today is Colin Woodard, the director of the Nationhood Lab. Colin is an expert on the regional cultures that make up the United States, and while we tend to think of regional differences as disagreements about our political views, the cultural history goes much deeper than that. Colin has studied how these geographical regional divides pertain to gun violence in America, and his conclusions may surprise you.

Special thanks to our guest, Colin Woodard, for joining us today. Learn more about the Nationhood Lab through the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy at Salve Regina University.

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Guest: Colin Woodard

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

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Today on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon talks with Jonathan Eig, the author of the new Martin Luther King Jr. biography, King: A Life. Eig spent six full years researching and writing about King’s life. He shares countless moments and pieces of King’s story that get left out of the general image we have of the I Have a Dream preacher. He also argues that, through honoring the Civil Rights activist with a holiday and through flashy quotes and merch like mugs and tees, we lose sight of the real King and his radicalism.

Special thanks to our guest, Jonathan Eig, for joining us today. Find King: A Life here.

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Guest: Jonathan Eig

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

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On today’s episode of Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon talks with Yale professors and two of the authors behind Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most. Initially a class in Yale’s humanities program, Life Worth Living sought to find answers to the age-old philosophical question: what’s the meaning of life? The book brings the classroom lessons to a new audience, and Sharon talks to Volf and McAnnally-Linz about how to go beyond TikTok and Cheetos and find true fulfillment.

Special thanks to our guests, Miroslav Volf and Ryan McAnnally-Linz, for joining us today. Find Life Worth Living here.

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Guests: Miroslav Volf and Ryan McAnnally-Linz

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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To kick off a new season of guest interviews, Sharon sits down with the amazing Nedra Tawwab: bestselling author, relationship therapist, and boundaries expert. Nedra and Sharon talk about some of the key ideas Nedra shares in her latest book, Drama Free, and about how to navigate unhealthy family dynamics and relationships and move them into a healthier space. The change starts with us.

Special thanks to our guest, Nedra Tawwab for joining us today. Find Drama Free here.

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Guest: Nedra Tawwab

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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