KPFA - Letters and Politics
KPFA
Letters & Politics seeks to explore the history behind today’s major global and national news stories. Hosted by Mitch Jeserich.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 16, 2025 • 13min
Goodbye & Thank you
Today is Mitch Jeserich inal Letters & Politics show.
Thank you everyone for your amazing support throughout the years.
Stay in touch with Mitch via his podcast at Letters From Mitch.
or on Substack.
The post Goodbye & Thank you appeared first on KPFA.

Oct 15, 2025 • 14min
Citizenship in the Ancient Roman Empire
Guest: Edward J. Watts holds the Alkiviadis Vassiliadis Endowed Chair and is professor of history at the University of California, San Diego. He is the author and editor of several prize-winning books, including Mortal Republic and his latest, The Romans: A 2,000-Year History.
The post Citizenship in the Ancient Roman Empire appeared first on KPFA.

Oct 14, 2025 • 7min
Ed Roberts and the Fight for Disability Rights
Guest: Scot Danforth is the Jack H. and Paula A. Hassinger Chair in Education and Professor of Disability Studies at Chapman University. He is the author of several books including his latest, An Independent Man: Ed Roberts and the Fight for Disability Rights.
The post Ed Roberts and the Fight for Disability Rights appeared first on KPFA.

Oct 13, 2025 • 7min
A History of Indian Boarding Schools in America
Guest: Mary Annette Pember is a citizen of the Red Cliff Band of Wisconsin Ojibwe. She is currently national correspondent for ICT News, formerly Indian Country Today. She is the recipient of several awards for her journalism and is the author of Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools.
The post A History of Indian Boarding Schools in America appeared first on KPFA.

Oct 9, 2025 • 41min
Ilan Pappe on the Future of Israel and Palestine
Guest: Ilan Pappé is a professor of history at the University of Exeter in the UK and the director of the university’s European Centre for Palestine Studies. His books include The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, Ten Myths About Israel, A History of Modern Palestine, and his latest, Israel on the Brink: And the Eight Revolutions that Could Lead to Decolonization and Coexistence.
The post Ilan Pappe on the Future of Israel and Palestine appeared first on KPFA.

Oct 8, 2025 • 10min
Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo”
Guest: Deborah G. Plant is an African American and Africana Studies Independent Scholar, Writer, and Literary Critic specializing in the life and works of Zora Neale Hurston. She is editor of Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston and the author of Alice Walker: A Woman for Our Times, a philosophical biography.
The post Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” appeared first on KPFA.

Oct 7, 2025 • 8min
Analysis of the Current Political Landscape with John Nichols
Guest: John Nichols is the executive editor of The Nation magazine. He previously served as the magazine’s national affairs correspondent and Washington correspondent. He has written, co-written, or edited over a dozen books on topics ranging from histories of American socialism and the Democratic Party to analyses of US and global media systems. His latest, co-written with Senator Bernie Sanders, is the New York Times bestseller It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism.
The post Analysis of the Current Political Landscape with John Nichols appeared first on KPFA.

Oct 6, 2025 • 20min
Geomythology, Folklore, & the Environment
Guest: Adrienne Mayor is a research scholar in classics and the history of science at Stanford University. She is the author of many books, including The Poison King (a finalist for the National Book Award), The Amazons, and her latest, Mythopedia: A Brief Compendium of Natural History Lore. The book is illustrated by Michele M. Angel, an award-winning watercolorist, illustrator, and graphic designer.
The post Geomythology, Folklore, & the Environment appeared first on KPFA.

Oct 2, 2025 • 1h 24min
David Henry Thoreau: the Man Who Lived in Season
Guest: Laura Dassow Walls is the William P. and Hazel B. White Professor of English at the University of Notre Dame. She is the author of Henry David Thoreau: A Life, and her latest, The Daily Henry David Thoreau: A Year of Quotes from the Man Who Lived in Season.
The post David Henry Thoreau: the Man Who Lived in Season appeared first on KPFA.

Oct 1, 2025 • 5min
The Legendary Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America
Guest: Jeff Chang is an award-winning journalist and author who has written extensively on culture, politics, the arts and music. He is the author of the books Who We Be: The Colorization of America. We Gon’ Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation; Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation; and his latest, Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America.
The post The Legendary Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America appeared first on KPFA.


