Dialogue with Marcia Franklin

  Pulitzer Prize-winning Kiowa author N. Scott Momaday has died. In this interview from 1996, host Marcia Franklin talks with Momaday about his role in commentating on Native American culture in the recently released Ken Burns documentary 'The West.' Momaday also talks about how to find your voice as an author, as well as the relationship between Native Americans and American society. Originally aired: 09/25/1996

  Host Marcia Franklin talks with historian David Kennedy about Depression-era policies and whether they have parallels to the modern financial crisis. Kennedy, professor emeritus at Stanford University, is known for integrating both economic and cultural analyses in his works about particular historical eras, as he did in Freedom from Fear, a book about the Great Depression in the United States. That book won the Pulitzer Prize in 2000. Kennedy is also the author of several other books, including Over Here: The First World War and American Society, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1981. He and Franklin discuss the differences between the financial crises in the Great Depression and today, as well as issues that concern him including the growing gap he sees between civilian and military society. Kennedy also talks about the priorities for the Bill Lane Center for the American West, of which he was a co-director. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter!  Originally Aired: 12/23/2010

  Marcia Franklin interviews award-winning author and New York Times columnist Tim Egan. Egan, who was part of a team of New York Times reporters that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2001, has covered the American West for more than 20 years. He talks with Franklin about how the region is changing socially and politically. He also discusses the struggles of the Dust Bowl survivors of the 1930s, whose stories he chronicles in The Worst Hard Time. That work won a National Book Award in 2006. Originally aired: 11/23/2012

  Host Marcia Franklin talks with author Margaret Atwood about her work, which includes the bestselling novel, "The Handmaid's Tale" and its sequel, "The Testaments." Atwood also shares her thoughts on whether the United States could head towards totalitarianism. The conversation was recorded at the 2024 Sun Valley Writers' Conference.

It's one of his most beloved tales, but was written in a hurry and under duress. On this holiday episode of Dialogue, Marcia Franklin talks with Boise writer Samantha Silva about "A Christmas Carol," penned by Charles Dickens in 1843. In her debut novel, "Mr. Dickens and His Carol," Silva melds fact with fiction to imagine how Dickens came up with the plot for his now-classic story. Of Silva's work, Pulitzer Prize-winner and Boise resident Anthony Doerr says, "It's as foggy and haunted and redemptive as the original; it's all heart, and I read it in a couple of ebullient, Christmassy gulps." Silva talks with Franklin about what drew her to Dickens, how she researched her book, why she thinks "A Christmas Carol" crystallizes Dickens' ethos, and why the story is still relevant. A graduate of Boise State University and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Silva is a screenwriter who has sold projects to Paramount, Universal, New Line Cinema, and TNT. A film version of her short story, "The Big Burn," won the One Potato Short Screenplay Competition at the 2017 Sun Valley Film Festival and will be released in 2018. Silva will also be writing another novel.

Host Marcia Franklin continues her conversation with Idaho-born playwright Samuel Hunter, focusing on the craft of playwriting, some of the actors he admires, and a new project he's working on that's not for the stage. Hunter, a Moscow, ID native, is the recipient of a 2014 MacArthur Fellowship, known colloquially as the "Genius Grant." He also won an Obie Award in 2011. Originally Aired: 10/16/2015

He's only 34, but has already won some of the most prestigious awards for creativity in the country. On this episode of Dialogue, Marcia Franklin interviews playwright and Moscow, ID native Samuel Hunter. Hunter is the recipient of a 2014 MacArthur Fellowship, known colloquially as the "Genius Grant." He also won an Obie Award in 2011. Hunter talks about what it was like to win the MacArthur, and what he plans to do with the time and money it affords him to dedicate to his craft. He also discusses the evolution of his works, which have been performed all over the country, and the role of Idaho in his plays. Originally Aired: 10/09/2015

On this edition of Dialogue, host Marcia Franklin talks with New York Times bestselling author Mark Kurlansky. Kurlansky, who is known for his "microhistories" of objects and events we often take for granted, will speak about some of his works, including "Salt: A World History," "Cod, A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World," "1968: The Year that Rocked the World," "The Basque History of the World," and "Non-Violence: 25 Lessons from the History of a Dangerous Idea." Originally aired: 03/27/2008

Host Marcia Franklin talks with author Colum McCann about his books since their last conversation in 2011, which include "American Mother," "Apeirogon," and his most recent novel, "Twist." The two also discuss McCann's nonprofit, Narrative 4, which uses storytelling to bring youth from different backgrounds together. The conversation was taped at the 2025 Sun Valley Writers' Conference.

Host Marcia Franklin talks with author Wright Thompson about his book, "The Barn," which delves into the history of the barn in Mississippi where 14-year-old Emmett Till was tortured in 1955. The murder and subsequent trial accelerated the civil rights movement in America. The conversation was taped at the 2025 Sun Valley Writers' Conference.

Host Marcia Franklin talks with author Andre Dubus III about his work, which includes his bestselling novel, "House of Sand and Fog" and memoir, "Townie." The two also discuss his most recent books, "Ghost Dogs: On Killers and Kin," and "Such Kindness," as well as his thoughts on the digital world. The conversation was taped at the 2025 Sun Valley Writers' Conference.

Host Marcia Franklin talks with author Ocean Vuong about his work, which includes the bestselling novels, "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" and the recent "The Emperor of Gladness." Vuong, a professor at New York University, also discusses his love of photography and how it has influenced his writing. The conversation was taped at the 2025 Sun Valley Writers' Conference.

Marcia Franklin talks with Pulitzer Prize–winning author Stacy Schiff about her work, The Witches. The book examines the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, delving into what precipitated them, and the participants involved. Franklin talks with Schiff about why she wanted to write the book, the challenges involved and the legacy of the trials. Don't forget to subscribe, and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 10/29/2015 The interview is part of Dialogue's series "Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference" and was taped at the 2015 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world's most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.

As Russia's dominance on the international stage increases, along with its presence in the American presidential election, Dialogue host Marcia Franklin talks with journalist Jill Dougherty about Russian President Vladimir Putin. Dougherty, who reported for CNN for 30 years, most recently as its Foreign Affairs Correspondent, was also the network's Moscow Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent. She left CNN in 2013 to get a Master's degree in International Relations from Georgetown University and is now writing a book on Putin's 'soft power.' At the time she spoke with Franklin, Dougherty was a Global Fellow at the Kennan Institute, a division of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. The two discuss what Dougherty means by 'soft power,' and some of the factors that drive President Putin's persona and politics. Franklin also asks Dougherty about Putin's involvement in the United States' presidential election and what the next U.S. president should keep in mind when negotiating with Russia. Dougherty was in Boise in September 2016 to address the Boise Committee on Foreign Relations. Originally Aired: 09/30/2016

  Host Marcia Franklin talks with political scientist Yascha Mounk about identity, political divides and his outlook on America. Mounk is the author of several books, including "The People vs. Democracy," "The Great Experiment," and "Stranger in My Own Country." Don't forget to subscribe, and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 11/18/2022 The interview is part of Dialogue's series "Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference" and was taped at the 2022 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world's most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.

Marcia Franklin talks with Rabbi Sharon Brous of IKAR, a Jewish congregation in Los Angeles. The two discuss how the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel affected her and her congregants, Israel's bombing of Gaza, increasing antisemitism, and a path forward to peace.

Marcia Franklin talks with Idaho author Anthony Doerr about his bestselling novel, "All the Light We Cannot See," which took ten years to research and write. The book debuted at #10 on the New York Times' Best Sellers list and received glowing reviews around the country. It also won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2015 shortly after this interview. Franklin talks with Doerr, who lives in Boise, about his novel, which depicts the lives of two European children in World War II, children whose lives ultimately intersect in war-torn Saint Malo, France. The town was nearly destroyed by Allied forces at the end of the war. Doerr discusses the book's themes, which include the power of radio during that time period, and the moral choices faced by civilians during wartime. Doerr also talks about what kept him motivated during the decade-long writing process. Originally aired: 07/10/14

Marcia Franklin talks with David Epstein, an award-winning sports journalist and author of the bestselling book The Sports Gene. It delves into the controversial research on what role genetics plays in the development of athletic talent. The book also takes on the so-called "10,000 Hour Rule," which contends that 10,000 hours of practice can produce mastery in a field, including sports. Don't forget to subscribe, and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 10/24/2014 The interview is part of Dialogue's series "Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference" and was taped at the 2014 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world's most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.

Amy Waldman, a former reporter for The New York Times, discusses her bestselling novel The Submission, which tells the fictional tale of Mohammad "Mo" Khan, a secular Muslim who wins a competition to design a memorial honoring the victims of a terrorist attack similar to 9/11. When the jury members discover who've they've selected, some try to change the result. But the decision is leaked to the press, resulting in outrage not over the selection of Khan, but over his entry, which includes a garden some think is an Islamic design to honor martyrs. The outcry is reminiscent of the 2010 controversy over Park51, a planned Islamic community center in New York City near the former Twin Towers. But Waldman had finished the first draft of her book before that story erupted. Don't forget to subscribe, and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 10/12/2012 The interview is part of Dialogue's series "Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference" and was taped at the 2012 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world's most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.

Marcia Franklin talks with Clarissa Ward, the chief international correspondent for CNN, about her start in the business, her assignments in some of the most dangerous parts of the world and the continuing need for journalistic ethics. The two also discuss her memoir, "On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist." The conversation was taped at the 2024 Sun Valley Writers' Conference.