Think Humanities

Host Bill Goodman is joined by distinguished scholar, professor of history, co-editor of the Kentucky African American Encyclopedia, and pastor, Dr. Gerald Smith. Dr. Smith provides thoughts and reflections honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and explains how King’s message of freedom and equality resonates in 2019. Dr. Smith uses an historical perspective to analyze the contemporary issues that Dr. King would address today.

Are you a genealogist or a Kentucky history buff? Have you ever wondered what life was like in your hometown during the Civil War? Natalie Smith of the Kentucky Historical Society is here to help us find out! Natalie served as an editorial assistant for the Civil War Governors of Kentucky project at KHS, which has published a collection of over 10,000 documents in an online archive readily available to all. Natalie provides an inside scoop on how documents are discovered, transcribed, annotated, verified, and published online. She serves as the Civics Education Coordinator for the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville. To learn more about the Civil War Governors of Kentucky and to access the archives, visit http://discovery.civilwargovernors.org/

Host Bill Goodman is joined by Michael Johnathon – a folk singer-songwriter, producer, author, playwright, and member of Kentucky Humanities’ Speakers Bureau. Johnathon is also the host of WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour, a live audience radio show with grassroots artists, airing on 500 public radio station, with over two million listeners each week. On today’s episode, Johnathon performs his song, “Front Porch” and discusses how the front porch, once the great pulpit for families and friends, provides a valuable opportunity for communities to converse and find common ground.

On today’s episode of THINK HUMANITIES, we are taking it back to the 2018 Kentucky Book Fair. Our special guests include celebrated Kentucky author, Wendell Berry; Assistant Dean of the Graduate School at UK, Dr. Morris Grubbs; and Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Dr. Jon Parrish Peede. Morris Grubbs moderates a thoughtful and timely conversation between Wendell Berry and Jon Peede regarding life, literature, the humanities, farming, and the shifting cultural landscapes of today.

In the last episode of our Kentucky Book Festival edition of THINK HUMANITIES, Bill Goodman is joined by Kentucky Humanities' own Brooke Raby and Julie Klier. Brooke and Julie provide an exclusive inside scoop into the numerous literary events that took place as part of the 1st annual Kentucky Book Festival, culminating in the 37th annual Kentucky Book Fair.

In this week's Kentucky Book Festival edition of Think Humanities, Host Bill Goodman is joined by special guest Dr. Jon Parrish Peede, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Chairman Peede discusses literature that has influenced him throughout his life, including works by Kentucky natives Robert Penn Warren and Wendell Berry. Chairman Peede will be in attendance at the Kentucky Book Fair on Nov. 17th at noon in conversation with celebrated Kentucky poet, author, and essayist, Wendell Berry.

Host Bill Goodman is joined by Kentucky author and musician, Tiffany Williams. A native of eastern Kentucky, Tiffany reflects on her Appalachian roots and discusses her early career as a teacher. Tiffany's passion for writing country music led her to Nashville, where she now lives. Tiffany will join Silas House and Jason Howard at the Kentucky Book Festival's Literary Luncheon on Tuesday, Nov. 13th. Tickets can be purchased at kyhumanities.org or by calling 859-257-5932.

Kentucky Book Festival director, Brooke Raby, is the host on this week's episode of THINK HUMANITIES. Brooke is joined by New York Times bestselling author Beck Dorey-Stein, author of "From the Corner of the Oval," the critically-acclaimed memoir of her unlikely tenure as a stenographer in the Obama White House. Spend your happy hour in discussion with Beck Dorey-Stein on Thursday, November 15th at 4 p.m. at The Mane on Main in Lexington. This special Cocktails and Conversation event is part of Kentucky Humanities' week-long Kentucky Book Festival. Tickets are required and can be purchased at kyhumanities.org or by calling 859-257-5932.

Host Bill Goodman is joined by Dr. Jonathan Coleman, who is the Curator and Assistant Director of the Mary Todd Lincoln House in Lexington. Dr. Coleman discusses the fascinating, controversial, and tragic life of Mrs. Lincoln. He also provides information about the upcoming Mary Todd Lincoln Bicentennial Symposium that will take place on Friday, November 2nd at the William T. Young Library on the University of Kentucky campus. Reserve your seat at this free event by visiting mtlhouse.org/symposium.

Host Bill Goodman is joined by two special guests with unique ties to the historic Choctaw Academy located in Scott County -- Georgetown ophthalmologist Dr. William “Chip” Richardson and Penn State historian, Dr. Christina Snyder. The Choctaw Academy was the first federal Indian school in America, educating over 600 Indian boys and men from 17 tribal nations between 1825 and 1848. Dr. William Richardson purchased farmland that included the remnants of the old Choctaw Academy and began plans for restoration in hopes of preserving it as an historic landmark. Historian Dr. Christina Snyder, author of "Great Crossings: Indians, Settlers, and Slaves in the Age of Jackson," discusses the history of the Choctaw Academy as the largest and most diverse Indian school in antebellum America.