fiction/non/fiction S3 Ep. 22: The Unpopular Tale of Populism: Thomas Frank on the Real History of an American Mass Movement
In this special live episode of Fiction/Non/Fiction, political commentator and historian Thomas Frank joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss his newest book, The People, No: A Brief History of Anti-Populism. Presented by the Kansas City Public Library and Rainy Day Books, this conversation delves into the complicated history of populism, as Frank argues that the Trump administration and right-wing authoritarian governments in Hungary and Brazil — characterized by many as examples of populist movements — are in fact anything but.
To hear the full episode, subscribe to the Fiction/Non/Fiction podcast through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. And check out video excerpts from our interviews at Fiction/Non/Fiction’s YouTube Channel.
This podcast is produced by Andrea Tudhope.
Guests:
Selected readings for the episode:
- The People, No: A Brief History of Anti-Populism
- Listen, Liberal
- What’s the Matter with Kansas?
- The Conquest of Cool
- Rendezvous with Oblivion: Reports from a Sinking Society
- The Wrecking Crew
- Pity the Billionaire
- Commodify Your Dissent
- One Market Under God
- The Return of Socialism in America? Dana Goldstein and Thomas Frank on Season 1, Episode 17 of the Fiction/Non/Fiction podcast
Others:
- “How Americans Politics Went Insane” by Jonathan Rauch
- “It’s Time for the Elites to Rise Up Against the Ignorant Masses” by James Traub
- “How Long, Not Long” Speech by Martin Luther King Jr.
- Fiction/Non/Fiction Interview with James Traub
- “The Fight Over the Future of the Democratic Party” by James Traub
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