

After Words
C-SPAN
C-SPAN brings together best-selling nonfiction authors and influential interviewers for wide-ranging, hour- long conversations. Find this podcast every Saturday after 10 pm ET. From C-SPAN, the network that brings you "Lectures in History" and "Q&A" podcasts.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 7, 2025 • 1h 5min
Heath Hardage Lee, "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon"
Historian Heath Hardage Lee, author of The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon, talked about the life and times of the former first lady (1969-74). She said that Pat Nixon, who was voted "Most Admired Woman in the World" in 1972, was largely mis-portrayed by the press
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Aug 31, 2025 • 1h 4min
Kathleen deLaski, "Who Needs College Anymore?"
Kathleen deLaski, founder of Education Design Lab and author of 'Who Needs College Anymore?', advocates for transforming higher education. She discusses the urgent need for change amidst soaring costs and low graduation rates. DeLaski highlights alternative pathways like bootcamps and apprenticeships as viable options. The conversation touches on the rise of AI in education, the evolving job market, and how community colleges are adapting to meet diverse needs. She calls for a reevaluation of success definitions in today’s workforce.

Aug 24, 2025 • 1h 4min
Michael Grynbaum, "Empire of the Elite"
Ashley Parker, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and staff writer at The Atlantic, joins Michael Grynbaum, a New York Times correspondent, to explore the opulent world of the Condé Nast publishing empire. They dissect its role in defining America's cultural elite, especially through key figures like Anna Wintour and Tina Brown. The conversation is laced with humorous anecdotes from the chaotic magazine world and the complexities of media gatekeeping. They also discuss the evolving power dynamics and its lasting impact on fashion and lifestyle journalism.

Aug 17, 2025 • 1h
Isabel Allende, "My Name Is Emilia del Valle"
Isabel Allende spoke about identity & resilience in her historical novel set in the 19th century against a backdrop of civil war breaking out in Chile. The Sixth and I Synagogue in Washington, D.C., hosted this event.
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Aug 10, 2025 • 1h 3min
Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager & Isaac Arnsdorf, "2024"
This conversation was a behind-the-scenes account of the 2024 presidential election that sent Donald Trump back to the White House for a second, non-consecutive term -- only the second president other than Grover Cleveland to achieve that distinction, and after a litany of criminal and civil investigations and two assassination attempts.
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Aug 3, 2025 • 1h 3min
"Framed," John Grisham and Jim McCloskey
Bestselling author John Grisham and co-author Jim McCloskey wrote about the challenges of exonerating a person who is wrongfully convicted. Princeton Library, Centurion, and Labyrinth Books in Princeton, New Jersey, sponsored this event.
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Jul 27, 2025 • 1h 12min
Patrick McGee, "Apple in China"
Financial Times San Francisco Correspondent Patrick McGee examined Apple's relationship with China and the impact of locating so many factories there. The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco hosted this event.
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Jul 20, 2025 • 1h 11min
Bill Clinton and James Patterson, "First Gentleman"
Former President Bill Clinton talked with his co-author James Patterson about their latest novel: A mystery in the White House that leads to the first gentleman on trial for murder. Politics and Prose Bookstore hosted this event at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C
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Jul 13, 2025 • 1h 10min
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, "Far From Home.."
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) told her own political story in Far From Home. She was first elected in 2001 and has served in the Senate since 2002. Her book covers a career ranging from the emergence of the tea party movement to President Trump's second election. Politics and Prose bookstore hosted this event at the Sixth and I cultural center in Washington, D.C.
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Jul 6, 2025 • 1h 10min
José Andrés , "Change the Recipe"
Chef José Andrés talked about the life lessons he's learned through the work he does with the World Central Kitchen, an organization that feeds people in conflict and disaster zones around the world. He spoke at George Washington University's Lisner Hall
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