The Arik Korman Show

Cody Keenan, President Obama's chief speechwriter, talks about Barack Obama as a leader, how we can engage our kids in the political process so they'll feel empowered, and how to write a great speech. Cody's new book is Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America.

Nonfiction writer E.B. Bartels discusses why we bring pets into our homes despite knowing that most of them won't live long, whether grief over losing a pet is a first-world problem, and why we get so intensely sad when a pet dies. E.B.'s new book is Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter.

Former NPR Education Correspondent Anya Kamenetz discusses the impacts of keeping students out of school as long as we did during the COVID pandemic, why this past school year was so challenging for students and educators, and why it's so important for schools to prioritize relationships and social-emotional well-being moving forward. Anya's new book is The Stolen Year: How COVID Changed Children’s Lives, and Where We Go Now.

Nate Bowling, a past Washington state Teacher of the Year and National Teacher of the Year Finalist, discusses whether there's a way to bring our country together, whether we should prosecute former president Trump, and why it's so important to participate in state and local elections. Follow Nate on Twitter @nate_bowling

Vanity Fair contributing editor and bestselling author Sloane Crosley discusses when the right time is to let go of relationships, whether it's possible to be happy in the age of social media and screens without shutting them off completely, and how living in New York City can feel like living in a small town. Sloane's new novel is Cult Classic.

Economic historian Leticia Arroyo Abad, Professor of Economics at City University of New York - Queens College, discusses whether the Federal Reserve is doing the right thing by raising interest rates so quickly, how other countries managed inflation, and what might happen if interest rates keep going up.

Maggie Hedges, the owner, winegrower, and winemaker of Domaine Magdalena and President of the Red Mountain American Viticultural Area Alliance, discusses what makes Red Mountain wine unique, how to introduce our kids to wine in a way that's socially acceptable, and what the future looks like for women in the wine industry.

Italian history professor Silvia Ferrara discusses how written language came to be invented in different parts of the world and at different times, the downsides of written language, and what the future of written language could look like. Professor Ferrara's new book is The Greatest Invention: A History of the World in Nine Mysterious Scripts.

Author and international journalist Putsata Reang talks about layers and levels of war, what it was like growing up in rural Oregon as a person from Cambodia, and how Putsata got over the idea that she owed her mother for saving her life. Putsata's debut memoir is Ma and Me.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, internationally acclaimed historian, speaker, and political commentator for CNN and The Washington Post, discusses whether the strongman style of rule is becoming more prevalent around the world, whether strongmen have been intentional about the ways they chip away at democracy, and what happens when strongmen feel like their power is eroding. Professor Ben-Ghiat's latest book is Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present.