Harry Kreisler welcomes George Packer for a discussion of his new book, “The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America.”  Packer discusses his formative experiences, including forging his own political identity and coming to terms with the legacy of his progressive grandfather and his liberal father.  He then recounts the influence of his mother on his writing and his odyssey—Peace Corps, construction, working with the homeless, and membership in the socialist party-- that led him to writing as a vocation.  After sketching the skills and temperament of a writer, Packer describes the origins of his new book and its architecture.  He then discusses the two groups of men and women whose personal narratives his book explores and relates how their lives give insight into the unwinding of the American dream. The discussion offers a compelling portrait of the inner history of the new America defined by glaring inequality and the collapse of institutions. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 25519]

The Unwinding with George Packer - Conversations with History

UCTV programs take a closer look at the events, people and places that shaped the American experience from the history of early exploration through modern times.

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Personal Journals

History

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Poet, novelist and Native American scholar N. Scott Momaday has spent decades bringing his culture and the landscape alive through his writing.  He received a Pulitzer Prize for his first novel, "House Made of Dawn." His books include "The Way to Rainy Mountain," "In the Bear's House," "In the Presence of the Sun: Stories and Poems, 1961-1991," and "The Gourd Dancer." He is also the editor of various anthologies and collections centered on his Kiowa heritage. As part of the Writer's Symposium By the Sea, host Dean Nelson sat down with Momaday at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to talk about his life in literature. Series: "Writer's Symposium By The Sea" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38122]

A Conversation with N. Scott Momaday - Writer's Symposium by the Sea 2023

On March 4th, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Second Inaugural Address. He considered it his “greatest speech” and his “best effort." Join Academy Award-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss and best-selling Lincoln biographer Dr. Ronald C. White for a fascinating look at the Second Inaugural Address. Through a powerful, fascinating voyage of discovery, one comes away with a better understanding of where the country was in 1865 and Lincoln’s feeling towards the Civil War, the defeated Confederacy and, perhaps most importantly, American slavery. A century and a half later, as the U.S. faces a similar struggle over who we are as a people and a nation, Lincoln's speech still resonates. [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 38385]

Lincoln's Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural Address

In this program, Emily Lin, with the UC Merced Library, explains the process of digging into archives, including a look at how archives are created, where to look and what to expect to find, and strategies and possibilities for research.  Series: "Critically Human" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38279]

Digging into Local Archives: Approaches and Methods for Planning Research

The Kumeyaay are native inhabitants of San Diego and Imperial counties and Baja California, Mexico.  For thousands of years, the Kumeyaay people farmed the land and ocean, managed forest fires, manufactured pottery and basketry and engaged in commerce and trade.  Stan Rodriguez, Ed.D., executive director of the Kumeyaay Community College, talks about the deep physical and spiritual connection the Kumeyaay people have to the Earth.  Despite brutal religious, economic, political and social hardships under European rule, Kumeyaay culture and traditions continue in the region to this day. Series: "Triton Talks" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38071]

Triton Talks: The Kumeyaay Nation in San Diego

Beginning in the 1950s, the United States embarked on an elaborate program to study how LSD might be used to alter the behavior of an enemy. This collaboration between academia and government conducted astonishing studies with little regard for the ethics of experimentation. Joel E. Dimsdale, MD, describes how this research program evolved and shares stark examples of its impact on science and society.  Series: "Osher UC San Diego Distinguished Lecture Series" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Show ID: 37465]

The Unwinding with George Packer - Conversations with History

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