Wavemaker Conversations

Ben Sollee is a cellist/singer/songwriter whose music defies all categories. His unique sound, which you will hear during this conversation, is influenced by classical, bluegrass, and R&B, and was described by New York Times music critic Stephen Holden as "meticulous, fluent arrangements continually morph[ing] from one thing to another." Sollee loves to interact with audiences in small venues, which led to his "Ditch the Van" tours, where he straps his cello to his bike and pedals hundreds of miles from performance to performance.

Fellow Parents: May is the month of the inspired college commencement address. But many of us need inspiration for a different age. With college admissions mania bathing entire families with anxiety, I’m seeking commencement address wisdom for parents whose children will soon be heading to high school. My guest is Michael Thompson, a psychologist and author who has been embedded in the world of high-achieving schools and parents for several decades. Thompson is author of many must-reads including “The Pressured Child: Helping Your Child Find Success In School And Life.” That’s what he’s going to do for us, in this episode.

As the Supreme Court considers whether the Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry throughout the U.S., Schulder considers a different question. Is there something he and other heterosexual husbands and wives can learn from same-sex couples who already are married? Schulder explores dynamics unique to gay and lesbian couples -- including how they argue with one another, and how they talk about sex -- with guests Sam Garanzini, Executive Director of The Gay Couples Institute in California, and Deborah L. Hughes, President & CEO of the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House and American Baptist Minister. Hughes lived in the closet for many years, including the clergy closet, when gay and lesbian gatherings required communicating in code. Quite a journey to finding and marrying the woman she loves.

A Christian perspective on the sentencing phase of the trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Not the only Christian perspective, of course. But one uniquely articulated by Schulder's two guests, Mark Osler and Jeanne Bishop. Osler is author of the book "Jesus on Death Row: The Trial of Jesus and American Capital Punishment." Bishop is a Cook County public defender whose pregnant sister and brother-in-law were murdered in a Chicago suburb 25 years ago. Her new book is entitled: "Change of Heart: Justice, Mercy and Making Peace with My Sister's Killer."

Schulder speaks with The New Yorker's Evan Osnos. This week Osnos was named a 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist for his book "The Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth and Faith in the New China." Ambition in Mandarin means "wild heart." The wild hearts of China are driving that country's 24/7 economic growth. In his conversation with Michael in front of a live audience at last summer's Nantucket Book Festival, Osnos relays the stories of individual Chinese who have taken grit to a new level. Now, if you're worried about China, Osnos says his book may help you sleep better at night. Let's see.

Schulder speaks with The New Yorker's Evan Osnos. This week Osnos was named a 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist for his book "The Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth and Faith in the New China." Ambition in Mandarin means "wild heart." The wild hearts of China are driving that country's 24/7 economic growth. In his conversation with Michael in front of a live audience at last summer's Nantucket Book Festival, Osnos relays the stories of individual Chinese who have taken grit to a new level. Now, if you're worried about China, Osnos says his book may help you sleep better at night. Let's see.

One of America's most esteemed political reporters gives her first in-depth interview since leaving her position as CNN's Chief Political Correspondent. Candy shares with Michael her early impressions of the new campaign season as well as her personal experiences with Hillary, the Bushes, and other major political figures. And she reveals why she enjoyed covering losing candidates more than winning candidates. Of course, Candy Crowley's life has been about more than politics. And so is this Wavemaker Conversation.

This is the inside story of life at college fraternities and sororities. In the aftermath of a wave of scandals and the Rolling Stone debacle, Michael Schulder speaks with University of Kentucky Professor Alan DeSantis -- a veritable Fraternity Anthropologist. DeSantis wrote the book Inside Greek U. In addition to the good, he paints a picture of "breeding grounds" for dangerous ideas about gender, race and character. But he still roots for the success of “Greek” life and provides a model for fraternities and sororities to get their houses in order.

The man chosen to replace Jon Stewart on The Daily Show is more than the sum of his tweets. How much more? Joining Michael Schulder to discuss Trevor Noah and the challenges faced by all comedians is standup comic Pete Dominick, Host of the radio show Stand Up With Pete Dominick. Special features: excerpts from Dominick's interview of Noah two years ago and from Director David Paul Meyer's film "You Laugh But It's True," which documents Trevor Noah's struggle to get a one man show off the ground, just before his meteoric rise in the comedy world. How's THAT for timing?

My conversation with the only person qualified to use the Twitter handle @MathMeetsFball -- Baltimore Ravens' offensive lineman John Urschel. Urschel is getting major buzz this week after linebacker Chris Borland retired from the NFL to avoid the long-term health risks of football. Urschel weighed in on Derek Jeter's new website The Players' Tribune with a piece called "Why I Play Football." But that's not the question that drove me to call Urschel. What I set out to learn is how a man whose elementary school teachers considered him "mentally challenged" reached such a high level of achievement in sports AND academics. It was his mother. Once John Urschel gets started talking about his mother he has a a hard time stopping -- and it's hard to stop listening to the dramatic details.