In honor of the city of New Orleans and its citizens twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, we replay this interview with Jason Berry, author of "City of a Million Dreams: A History of New Orleans at Year 300." The book was originally published in 2018. A documentary film of the same name has been created that is expected to be made available through streaming in the next few months.

Hurricane Katrina unleashed its savage fury 20 years ago this weekend. This is a rebroadcast of a conversation with Christopher Cooper in which he talks about his book "Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of Homeland Security."

Earlier this year marked the 50th anniversary of the final withdrawal of American troops from South Vietnam, amid a scene in Saigon that could only be described as desperate and chaotic. We begin with Tom Clavin, co-author of "Last Men Out: The True Story of America's Heroic Final Hours in Vietnam." After that comes a portion of a conversation with Lewis Sorley in which he talks about his book "A Better War: The Unexamined Victories and Final Tragedy of America's Last Years in Vietnam." The book was originally published in 1999, and has been re-released in several different editions over the years. Sorley passed away on September 25, 2024 at the age of 90.)

We talk with Kevin Ervin, current co-owner of Frank's Diner, one of the best-known landmarks in downtown Kenosha- which is about to celebrate its 99th anniversary on September 13th. Ervin shares the story of how the diner was built (from a kit) 100 years ago- what prevented them from opening for an entire year- and what it means to take ownership of such a beloved institution.

We speak with Todd Kapp, CEO and Founder of Kivi Bio, which is one of the tenants of the Kenosha Innovation Center. We talk about - among other things - what the field of biotechnology entails and what Kivi Bio is doing to help others launch their own biotechnology ventures.

From 2023- Gail Merrifield Papp, author of "Public/Privater: My Life with Joe Papp at The Public Theater." The author's husband, Joe Papp, was an important theatrical impresario who founded The Public Theater as an outgrowth of The Shakespeare Workshop. The Public Theater's most noteworthy productions over the years have included "Hair," "A Chorus Line," and "Hamilton." PBS is now streaming a marvelous American Masters documentary titled "Joe Papp in Five Acts."

From 2008- Joseph M. Marshall, author of "The Day the World Ended at Little Bighorn: A Lakota History." In this intriguing book, the author presents how the Lakota people see that moment in American history that has come to be thought of as Custer's Last Stand.

From 2004 - A conversation with author Suzi Parker about her irreverent book "Sex in the South: Unbuckling the Bible Belt," in which she - herself a southerner - examines some of the interesting attitudes about sex and sexuality that she has encountered over the years.

On the eve of a new school year, we speak with Dr. Lynn Akey, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. We talk about the dramatic reorganization of the school in the hopes of allowing it to offer more cost-effectively ..... new offerings from the school .... and the challenging environment within which the school is still managing to flourish.

Nicole Terrizzi discusses her book "Learning in Free Fall: A Testimony of Mental Health, Poverty and Race in American Education." The book is a memoir of her experience as a young teacher in a struggling inner city school.