Q & A, Hosted by Jay Nordlinger

That’s the title of one of William F. Buckley Jr.’s novels: “ Spytime.” Its subtitle is “The Undoing of James Jesus Angleton.” Jay asks his guest, H. Keith Melton, about Angleton – and about much else. Melton is one of the world’s foremost experts on espionage. He has amassed the greatest espionage collection. He is the author of many books, and is a founding director of the new International Spy... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Robert Kelly is known worldwide. He is the “BBC Dad,” the scholar whose children and wife burst into the room, delightfully, as he was giving an interview. Do you remember? It’s good that Kelly has a worldwide fame – because he knows as much about the Koreas, North and South, as anyone. With Jay, he runs through many of the most important issues. And he also relates what it’s like to be the “BBC... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Timothy Snyder is a historian of the Holocaust, Eastern Europe, and yet other matters. He is a professor at Yale and has many other affiliations. Among his books are “Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin” and “The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America.” Jay picks his brain on democracy, dictatorship, and other concerns of today (and always). An education. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Listeners to “Q&A” know Evan Mawarire already. He is Zimbabwe’s “freedom pastor,” a leader of the democratic opposition. He was a guest on this podcast two years ago: here. Jay wrote a piece about him, here. At the time, Pastor Evan was leading a movement against Robert Mugabe, the longtime dictator. Now Mugabe is gone – and Pastor Evan is still leading the struggle, as the government is as cruel... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

He has written many books, and many more columns. His latest book is “ The Conservative Sensibility.” In a way, George F. Will has been pointing toward this book his entire life. It is a summing up of what he has learned and what he believes. Jay talks with him about conservatism and myriad related things: libertarianism, nationalism, populism, and so on. A wonderful, fundamental conversation. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Loujain al-Hathloul is a Saudi political prisoner. She has campaigned for women’s rights: the right to drive; the right to live an independent life, without male guardianship; the right to be free of domestic abuse. In prison, she has been tortured. Her family stayed silent for eight months, thinking that was the right strategy. But then they decided to speak out. Loujain’s brother Walid is doing... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

From Jay Nordlinger’s introduction: “Three years ago, Thae Yong-ho defected to South Korea. At the time, he was North Korea’s deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom. He is one of the highest-ranking North Koreans ever to defect. To defect from North Korea is no light thing, to put it as mildly as possible. “I spoke to Thae Yong-ho at the Oslo Freedom Forum, the annual human-rights gathering held... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Zeid Raad al-Hussein is a Jordanian prince and a distinguished diplomat. He was U.N. high commissioner for human rights. Before that, he was his country’s ambassador to the U.N. and the United States. With Jay he talks about his life, the U.N., human rights, and dark places around the globe. An extraordinary interviewee. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Esther Htusan comes from Burma – or is it Myanmar? That is the first thing discussed in this “Q&A.” Esther Htusan is a journalist who has been forced out of her country. She reported on the persecution of the country’s minorities, especially the Rohingyas. She was part of an Associated Press team that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2016. The country is now led by one of the great democracy heroes of... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Mahan Esfahani is a musician, and an unusual one. He’s not a pianist, violinist, cellist, or even a tuba player: He is a harpsichordist. Jay talks with him about his life and his instrument. William F. Buckley Jr., a devotee of the harpsichord his entire life, would have loved this. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe