How One Man Traded a Paperclip for a House

Guest: Kyle MacDonald, “the red paperclip guy,” and author, "One Red Paperclip: How to Trade a Red Paperclip for a House"

A game of "bigger or better" turned Kyle’s little red paperclip into a house. He shares his fun story, and also a message of hope and optimism for anyone who wants to improve his or her situation.

Robert Smalls, Unsung Civil War Hero

Guest: Douglas Egerton, Professor, History, Le Moyne College

Historian Douglas Egerton explores the legacy of one Civil War hero you probably haven’t heard of. Robert Smalls was an enslaved man who took over a Confederate ship, freed sixteen other enslaved people, and turned the Confederate ship over to the Union. Then he went on to have a fiery legislative career.

Mary Chesnut Diary

Guest: Catherine Clinton, Professor, American History, University of Texas at San Antonio, and editor, "Diary of Mary Chesnut"

Mary Chestnut was a Civil War diarist, a South Carolina belle from a prominent family. She was firmly committed to the South, but she was also a witty, highly educated feminist with no fondness for slavery. 

Dictionary Wars

Guest: Peter Martin, author, “The Dictionary Wars: The American Fight over the English Language”

The American Revolution fought to preserve our rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness--and also our right to cultural independence through our language. The untold battle over American language played out between lexicographers and the public, with the question of patriotism hanging over the whole debate, because in America, unlike in England, the dictionary was like the Bible.