Reckon Interview

Bourbon may be America's most popular spirit, but was that always the case? Clay Risen joins the Reckon Interview to discuss his new book: "Bourbon: The Story of Kentucky Whiskey," and offers tips about tasting, rare finds and the best affordable (and findable) bottles of bourbon to grab as last minute gifts.

Learn more at www.clayrisen.com

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Adia Victoria's new album "A Southern Gothic" is one of the best records to emerge from the South in several years, deeply rooted in Southern sound and themes. Every song on the album feels like a short story, challenging and remaking the moonlight and magnolia staples of the Southern gothic. Victoria is also the host of the podcast Call & Response, which examines music through a Southern lens. She joins the Reckon Interview to discuss her work and her thoughts on the unfinished business of the South.

Learn more at: https://www.adiavictoria.com/

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Why is the South so obsessed with college football? It’s not a question most of us ever stop to think about. Football has just always been a constant. But this on the Reckon Interview, Ed Southern explains the roots of our football obsession.

In a conversation about his new book “Fight Songs: A Story of Love and Sports in a Complicated South,” Ed outlines how the rules of football and Southern culture evolved in tandem with each other, whether there is any truth to the legend about football being a way for Southerners to re-fight the Civil War, and how 2020 may have reshaped the future of college football. 

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On June 7, 1992 Stacy McCall, Suzie Streeter and Sherrill Levitt went to bed in a small town in the Ozarks. By the next morning, they had vanished without a trace. 30 years later, the mystery remains unsolved. Anne Roderique-Jones is creator and host of "The Springfield Three," a popular podcast examining the case of the disappearance of those three women and how it affected the community as a whole. Anne grew up in Springfield, Missouri, and was just 12 years old when these disappearances rocked her small town. She discusses what led her to revisit the story, the perils of getting too invested in solving a case, what she learned in the process, areas where the case went wrong, why we are all so obsessed with stories like these.

Subscribe to The Springfield Three here, or wherever you get your podcasts: https://apple.co/3nDbj3m

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The South has been hit hard over the last few decades by the opioid epidemic. 20 years ago, governments weren’t prepared. Police focused on shutting down marijuana growth, not the rapid spread of prescription drugs. Ground Zero for the spread of drugs like oxycontin may have been coal country in Eastern Kentucky. In his new book "Twilight in Hazard: An Appalachian Reckoning," Alan Maimon chronicles the spread of the opipoid epidemic, as well as environmental and economic disasters. The country seems obsessed with figuring out what Appalachia means for the rest of America. Maimon’s book may be the most authoritative examination of the subject out there.

Learn more at www.AlanMaimon.com

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From their Kentucky homes, Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers have helped tens of thousands of people process the past few years of national news and politics. Their podcast "Pantsuit Politics" offers audiences information and grace. They join the Reckon Interview to discuss ways in which the South shaped their outlook and approach to politics and the role Southern politicians play. They also discuss why it's important to maintain compassion during disagreements, even when it's hard.

Learn more about Pantsuit Politics at https://www.pantsuitpoliticsshow.com/.

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Figuring out your identity is hard. Figuring it out while going through sorority rush? That's even harder. In her hilarious new memoir, "The One You Want to Marry (And Other Identities I've Had)" Sophie Santos offers a story of self-discovery and of coming out. On the Reckon Interview, she discusses growing up in a military family and remaking herself with each move, what rush is really like, the aftermath of a tornado and, of course, coming out. Her new book is the one you'll want to read.

Learn more at www.sophiesantos.com

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In his new book "The State Must Provide," Adam Harris examines the systemic inequities baked into the American higher education system. In this episode, he joins the Reckon Interview to explain how America's colleges were created, the emotional toll on students trying to desegregate American colleges, the role of HBCUs, student loan debt and what the future may hold for colleges in the South.

Find his book and learn more about his work as a New America Fellow and with The Atlantic at https://harrisadam.com/

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Margaret Renkl's new book "Graceland, At Last" is a balm for anyone who has ever pushed back on Southern stereotypes. She has a true gift for finding unsung voices that push back on the stereotypes perpetuated by Southern politicians or national narratives. On the Reckon Interview, she offers lessons for making a better South day by day from your own backyard.

"Graceland, At Last" is available from Milkweed Editions at https://milkweed.org/.

If you like this episode, check out our earlier discussion with Margaret Renkl in season one.

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