Think from KERA

Obsession, murder, dying, and a touch of humor: just some of the dark subjects we’ll touch on in this  Halloween special. Host Krys Boyd talks with a mortician, a journalist studying true crime, and an examination of women in horror films from a feminist’s lens.

Exotic perfumes, stoles of angora fur, a strand of delicate pearls, even simple mirrors: these are luxuries people have coveted for centuries … but they don’t come without a price. Writer and editor Katy Kelleher joins host Krys Boyd to pull back the curtain on the luxuries we long for, which she writes about in her Longreads series, “The Ugly History of Beautiful Things.”

Progress by definition is good, but it’s not without its downsides. Even major advancements – commercial travel, the internet, nuclear energy, etc. – can cause major problems in the hands of bad actors. Christopher Ryan joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how our ancestors might not have enjoyed some of the perks of the 21st Century, but they also didn’t have some of the worries that we do today. His new book is called “Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress.”

Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia with equality and enlightenment in mind. In reality, the citizens of the state didn’t share the same values. Alan Taylor, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how a school founded, in part, to end slavery ultimately preserved it. His new book is called “Thomas Jefferson’s Education.”

In a busy city, you expect noise. The sounds of planes, cars, sirens are all an expected part of daily life. But noise is now seeping into even the rural landscape, and tech is to blame. Bianca Bosker, contributing writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how sound is affecting our world, which she writes about in her recent article, “The End of Silence.”

The opioid crisis touches every corner of America. Kentucky, though, suffers particularly hard as the rate of opioid-related deaths in the state is double the national average. As Think broadcasts from Lexington, Kentucky, host Krys Boyd talks with experts about why Appalachia is one of the epicenters of the crisis – and what the medical community is doing about it. Joining us are Dr. Laura Fanucchi and epidemiologist April Young of the University of Kentucky’s Center on Drug and Alcohol Research.

Keah Brown is a smart, funny woman with an affinity for pop culture. She’s got a lot to offer – but throughout her life, so many people only see her as someone with cerebral palsy. The journalist and creator of #DisabledandCute joins guest host Courtney Collins to talk about how she moved beyond self-pity to become an advocate for people with disabilities. Her new book is called “The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love with Me.”

John Grisham’s characters are familiar by now: brilliant lawyers in over their heads with mysterious, dark forces hot on their heels. And we can’t get enough. Grisham joins guest host Courtney Collins to talk about his prolific pace of writing a book a year – and about the art of the legal thriller. His latest is called “The Guardians.”

Latin America is a diverse place, but there are common themes that have shaped the region over the last millennium. Marie Arana, literary director of the National Book Festival, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how exploitation, violence and religion have combined to make the region the place it is today. Her new book is called “Silver, Sword, and Stone: Three Crucibles in the Latin American Story.”

In the days following President Lincoln’s assassination, a secret and furious battle erupted to see which of his lieutenants would lead the country. Steve Walters and Erik Archilla, co-creators of a dramatic podcast about those chaotic days, join host Krys Boyd to talk about crafting a compelling modern drama from the annals of history. The show is called “1865.”