The Road to Now

Bob and Ben speak with Jon Waterlow about his new book It's Only a Joke Comrade! Humor, Trust and Everyday Life Under Stalin and the role humor plays in helping humans make sense of the world in even the darkest times. Jon also shares his take on humor's role in politics under Stalin and today, the process he went through to uncover these jokes, and how the artistic technique of crosshatching helps us understand what it was like to live under the Stalinist system. He also discusses his decision to forego publishing his book with an academic publisher and why he decided to leave a bright future in the academy to purse fulfillment elsewhere. Dr. Jonathan Waterlow received his Doctorate in History from the University of Oxford and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at St. Anthony's College (Oxford) and the University of Toronto. He is also the cohost of the Voices in the Dark podcast, which is available anywhere you get The Road to Now. This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher. Our intro also features Solomon Sawyer's world podcast debut. Solomon is Ben Sawyer's son. He is 3 years old. The Road to Now is part of the Osiris Podcast Network. For more on this episode and all others, visit our website: www.TheRoadToNow.com.

National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday, September 25th, and Bob and Ben are doing their part to get the word out. In this episode we speak with HeadCount Executive Director Andy Bernstein to talk about the work HeadCount has been doing to get people registered to vote, the importance of staying on top of local and national politics, and why your vote counts. Since 2004, HeadCount has registered more than half a million voters by working with bands (including The Avett Brothers) to use their concerts as a forum for reaching out to young voters. If you're not registered to vote, go to HeadCount.org and learn how to make sure your voice is heard in the 2018 elections and beyond! The Road to Now is part of the Osiris Podcast Network. For more on this an all other episodes, visit our website: www.TheRoadToNow.com.

This week we take a deep dive into the upcoming Midterm Elections with Editor and Publisher of The Cook Political Report, and NBC News political analyst, Charlie Cook. Since 1984 Charlie has been the preeminent election forecaster for politicians, pundits, and political junkies alike. This week Charlie joins Bob for a one on one interview and helps to bring a historical perspective to the current state of both the Democratic and Republican parties. The Road to Now is part of the Osiris Podcast Network. For more on this or any other episode of our website, check out our website: www.TheRoadToNow.com.

Veteran journalists Bill Plante & Olivier Knox join Bob & Ben for a conversation about the press and how journalism has changed in recent years. Bill Plante covered politics for CBS News from 1964 until 2016, and had a front row seat to some of the most significant events in the last half century, including the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. Olivier Knox is the President of the White House Correspondents Association and the Chief Washington Correspondent for SiriusXM, and has covered American politics for more than two decades. Their conversation covers the relationship between journalism and politics, the role of a free press in a democracy, and the responsibility that journalists have to the public. A special thanks to Halle Mayes, Michelle Soho, Sanjay Bhutiani and everyone at Glover Park Group for their help and generosity in hosting this conversation as a live event at their office on August 15, 2018. The Road to Now is part of the Osiris Podcast Network. For more on this and all our other episodes, visit our website: www.TheRoadToNow.com

"Make American Great Again" is not a precise slogan, but it did capture the sense of anxiety many Americans feel about work in the 21st century. The "gig economy," in which more and more American workers rely on multiple jobs, is certainly different from the job market just three generations ago, when employers offered the stability of life-long employment and the promise of a pension-funded retirement. In this episode, Bob and Ben speak with Cornell University's Louis Hyman about the origins of the so-called "good job" in the mid-20th century, and the forces that led us from there to what he calls the "second industrious revolution." He also explains how we might structure the economy of the 21st century in a way that offers the freedom of the gig economy without the insecurity that so many face under our current institutions. Dr. Louis Hyman is a historian of work and business at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, where he also directs the Institute for Workplace Studies in New York City. His book Temp: How American Work, American Business, and the American Dream Became Temporary (Viking) will be released on August 21, 2018. "Make American Great Again" is not a precise slogan, but it did capture the sense of anxiety many Americans feel about work in the 21st century. The "gig economy," in which more and more American workers rely on multiple jobs, is certainly different from the job market just three generations ago, when employers offered the stability of life-long employment and the promise of a pension-funded retirement. In this episode, Bob and Ben speak with Cornell University's Louis Hyman about the origins of the so-called "good job" in the mid-20th century, and the forces that led us from there to what he calls the "second industrious revolution." He also explains how we might structure the economy of the 21st century in a way that offers the freedom of the gig economy without the insecurity that so many face under our current institutions. Dr. Louis Hyman is a historian of work and business at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, where he also directs the Institute for Workplace Studies in New York City. His book Temp: How American Work, American Business, and the American Dream Became Temporary (Viking) will be released on August 21, 2018. The Road to Now is produced by Bob Crawford and Dr. Benjamin Sawyer. For more on this an all our other episodes, visit www.TheRoadToNow.com The Road to Now is part of the Osiris Podcast Network.

Ben talks with Sociologist Pat Reilly, whose research examines the organization and economics of stand up comedy in Los Angeles. Pat explains what makes stand up a unique form of entertainment, the ways stand up has changed since it began, and how comics deal with issues such as joke theft. Ben and Pat also talk about their own experiences as stand up comics, and the challenges of joining, being part of, and leaving a comedy scene. Pat Reilly is Visiting Assistant Professor in the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine and cohost of The Goods from the Woods comedy podcast. You can hear Ben Sawyer's appearance on The Goods from the Woods in episode #203 "Redneck Pompeii." The Road to Now is part of the Osiris Podcast Network. You can learn more about this episode and others at our website: www.TheRoadToNow.com

Bob & Ben speak with Syracuse University's Dr. David Bennett to learn more about the history of nativism in the United States. Dr. Bennett discusses his book The Party of Fear: From Nativist Movements to the New Right in American History (Penguin, 1995, 2nd ed.), and how that book might look if a new edition were published today. The Road to Now is a member of the Osiris Podcast Network. For more on this episode and all others, check out our website: www.TheRoadToNow.com

A lot has changed since the first episode of The Road to Now launched in May 2016, so Bob and Ben decided to spend some time reflecting on the podcast, the state of politics, and what they've learned about history. Bob explains what he thinks most people get wrong about history and the way that hosting RTN and beginning graduate studies have changed his relationship to history, Ben gives his insight on the current state of the US-Russian relationship and why he thinks nostalgia is a big part of the problem in today's politics, and both say thank you to everyone for helping us turn an idea into a successful podcast. We are grateful for your support, and look forward to then next hundred episodes! The Road to Now is part of the Osiris Podcast Network. For more on this and all other episodes of our podcast, visit our website: TheRoadToNow.com The Road to Now is produced and hosted by Bob Crawford of The Avett Brothers and Dr. Benjamin Sawyer of Middle Tennessee State University.

RTN Theology now is now on its own podcast feed! Subscribe anywhere you get The Road to Now for RTN Theology episodes 12-19 and more! In this episode of RTN Theology, Bob talks to Fuller Theological Seminary Assistant Professor Kutter Callaway about his new book, Breaking the Marriage Idol: Reconstructing Our Cultural and Spiritual Norms (InterVarsity Press, 2018) and the need to change the existing perceptions of single life and marriage in the church. They also discuss theology, the arts, and the Paul Schrader film, First Reformed. The Road to Now is Part of the Osiris Podcast Network. For more on The Road to Now, visit our website: www.TheRoadToNow.com

Last fall, our good friend and fellow podcaster Bruce Carlson invited Ben to join him for a conversation about Elvis Presley and his impact on American society. During the conversation, Bob told an epic story about his Elvis Presley t-shirt that has never been told on The Road to Now.....until now (and Ben thinks it's one of the best stories Bob's ever told)! We'll be back next week with an all-new RTN Theology! This episode originally aired on My History Can Beat Up Your Politics on August 15, 2017. If you like The Road to Now, we highly recommend you check it out! The Road to Now is a member of the Osiris Podcast Network. For more on The Road to Now, check out our website: www.TheRoadToNow.com