To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Explore the ethical implications of land ownership and the Land Back movement. Learn about living sustainable lifestyles on homesteads, the back-to-the-land movement, and the complexities of self-reliance. Reflect on raising and slaughtering animals for food and the moral complexities involved. Delve into the concept of shame, motherhood, and nature. Discuss land ownership, concepts of trespass, and the theft and destruction of Indigenous land and communities. Discover an indigenous perspective on land and hope for restoration.

This podcast discusses the rise of radical politics and movements against various issues like racial violence and climate change, all of which may be seen as rebellions against capitalism. It explores the interconnectedness of these crises and their opposition to capitalism, advocating for the overthrow of the system. Personal experiences, the urgency of crisis, and the need for radicalism are also discussed, along with the complexities of capitalism, feminism, and making radical change.

We've always told ghost stories, huddling around campfires, scaring ourselves silly. Today there’s a new venue for spooky stories – YouTube, where creators are turning cobwebby VHS video tapes and other relics of the early internet into a new genre – analog horror. In this hour, we celebrate weird fiction in all its forms, going back to the original eldritch being himself, H.P. Lovecraft. Original Air Date: October 28, 2023 Interviews In This Hour: When dreams escape sleep: the analog horror of 'Somnium DreamViewer' — Kelly Link on 'Pretty Monsters' — The Ecology of Noise in Lovecraft's Fiction — The Magickal Realism and Continuing Influence of H.P. Lovecraft Here's the original broadcast from 2015 that featured more on Lovecraft, including reckoning with his racist views.  Guests: Holly Fernwright, Kelly Link, Dean Lockwood, Erik Davis Check out our previous episode on H.P. Lovecraft. Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast. Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.

Explore the ethical concerns and potential for exploitation and cultural appropriation in the psychedelic industry. Learn about the tragic story of Maria Sabina and the impact of the hippie movement on indigenous communities in Mexico. Discover the importance of reclaiming indigeneity, healing trauma, and reconnecting with indigenous roots. Discuss the historical exploitation of indigenous communities by the pharmaceutical industry and the ethical concerns surrounding bioprospecting and biocolonialism.

Jim Thorpe, one of the greatest athletes ever, is celebrated by a new generation of Native Americans. Topics discussed include Thorpe's extraordinary career, unfair treatment and victimization, fight against derogatory team names, repatriation battle for his remains, and his remarkable history and perseverance. Indigenous excellence and resilience are highlighted through the album 'The Story of Jim Thorpe' and Native American perspectives.

Wakanda is a very American version of an idealized African future. So how do African science fiction writers tell stories about their own imagined future? In this hour, produced in partnership with the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes (CHCI), we explore Africanfuturism and beyond. Original Air Date: December 10, 2022 Interviews In This Hour: Deconstructing 'Black Panther': African Scholars Respond to the Hollywood Blockbuster — 'Africanfuturism' and dreaming of bigger, bolder African futures — How Marlon James Created His African 'Game of Thrones' Guests: Mshai Mwangola, Nnedi Okorafor, Ainehi Edoro, Marlon James Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast. Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.

Explore body positivity and the concept of body neutrality. Discover the importance of bodily autonomy and agency. Delve into embodied activism, understanding the relationship between anger and violence, and cultivating awareness for pleasure. Learn about disability rights protests and the challenges of implementing accessibility laws.

Before family photos, or school pictures or Instagram, there were hand-drawn and painted portraits. Throughout the ages, portrait artists have captured expressions and personalities on canvas or paper, and those who view the picture interpret this “likeness” in their own way. We talk with a philosopher, a musician and a novelist about the role of portraits through history, and how we see ourselves —and others — through these deeply personal images. Original Air Date: September 23, 2023 Interviews In This Hour: Re-envisioning history: A journey through Black portraiture — The painting tells a story: 'The Marriage Portrait' author on love, loss and layers of meaning in the Italian Renaissance — Portraits of perfection: Discovering Frans Hals' legacy in Haarlem Guests: Peter Brathwaite, Maggie O'Farrell, Steven Nadler, Thijs Gerbrandy, Norbert Middelkoop Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast. Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.

Explore the changing perception of David Foster Wallace and the challenges of interpreting his work today. Reflect on our relationship with fun and entertainment and the need for reevaluation. Discuss the influence of the commercial world on writing and art. Delve into the life and struggles of David Foster Wallace, including his battles with depression. Remember the bravery and efforts of a recently passed individual.

How we live is indelibly intertwined with the care and empathy we give to each other. What if we put care into helping Americans find homes and build dwellings, into keeping their bodies and minds sound, and finding meaningful and well-paid work? In this three part series, "To The Best Of Our Knowledge" and the Economic Hardship Reporting Project bring you real life stories about economic struggle in our time, as well as ideas for solutions. In this final part of our series, we’re talking about work — about the right to meaningful work, the search for jobs that pay enough to live, and what happens to people who look for work while also having a disability that’s invisible to most. Original Air Date: November 19, 2022 Interviews In This Hour: Do they need to know that I'm blind? — The work of care is vital. Why don't we pay like it is? — A sonnet for a lineworker — Barbara Ehrenreich on writing the American labor story Guests: Andrea Dobynes Wagner, Angela Garbes, Rodrigo Toscano, Barbara Ehrenreich Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast. Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.