Podcast Parlor for Faculty and Staff

In her book Airplane Mode, an Irreverent History of Travel, Shahnaz Habib discusses “passport privilege.” How does our view and lived experience of travel impact our perception of who the world belongs to, and our expectations of how we, and others, move throughout the world?

This audio story was a 2024 Tribeca Festival selection. It “follows the stories of Pippa Ehrlich, the Director of My Octopus Teacher (available on Netflix) and Zolani Mahola aka ‘The One Who Sings’, a celebrated musician in her home country. When Pippa receives backlash against My Octopus Teacher over issues of race and privilege, and Zolani feels that she has lost a connection to her voice, the two friends go on a mission to untangle South Africans’ complex social and cultural relationships with the ocean. Bonded by a shared love of the Great African Seaforest, they take a deep dive into how Apartheid has severed connections to the sea, and examine how their disparate backgrounds have contributed to their own sense of watery belonging.

Interview with Mónica Guzmán, author of I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times. Guzmán shares the tools she uses to find common ground with her loved ones. She talks about why interacting with, and listening to, different points of view is critical work – and how through curiosity we can achieve the seemingly impossible task of understanding those we tend to think of as our enemy.

“Many Lakota people agree: It’s imperative to revitalize the Lakota language. But how exactly to do that is a matter of broader debate. Should Lakota be codified and standardized to make learning it easier? Or should the language stay as it always has been, defined by many different ways of writing and speaking? We explore this complex, multi-generational fight that’s been unfolding in the Lakota Nation, from Standing Rock to Pine Ridge.” Related links:
– Buried Secrets: America’s Indian Boarding Schools Part 1 
– Buried Secrets: America’s Indian Boarding Schools Part 2 
– Lakota Language Consortium
– Revitalizing Mapudungun: A Cooperative Effort

A discussion of Executive Order 14224, “Designating English as the Official Language of The United States” issued on 3/1/25. What does the order actually say, what does the order signal, and what impact might it have? EO 14224 not only designates English as the official language of the United States but also revokes Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency” issued by President Clinton on 8/11/00. Bonus content on the Irish language:
– Kneecap
– Kneecap’s influence grows support for Irish language in Belfast
– Irish language to be used in NI courts with repeal of 18th Century law
– Sinn Fein linguists fired ‘bullet’ into language of our politics

Youngmi Mayer, comedian and author of the new memoir I’m Laughing Because I’m Crying, talks with NPR producer Schuyler Swenson. They discuss the Korean comedic tradition, connections between biracial Koreans and Korean adoptees, and other intercultural perspectives about their experience as Korean Americans. Bonus episode: How Korean Culture Went Global

A conversation between two biracial cohosts about Halloween and cultural appropriation is a springboard to explore questions related to the costumes we choose for ourselves, and not just on October 31st. What is the intended (or unintended) outcome when we wear a particular costume? Outside of American celebrations of Halloween, when do we wear costumes? When do we choose to adopt a style of dress or physical presentation as a way to mask (or unmask) our true selves.

Hosts Matika Wilbur and Adrienne Keene sit down with Matika’s 13-year-old nephew to teach about the true history of European and Native contact. “Most of what we know about Thanksgiving is invented and packaged in easy-to-digest bites. This convenient story allows for the avoidance of discomfort for people with settler ancestries. The path to reconciliation starts with honest acknowledgement of our past, with open eyes…We can do that by learning to give thanks in a good way.”

Historian Dean Vuletic, author of Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest, discusses the long history of Eurovision, the multilingual, multinational television show that has been running for nearly seven decades. Vuletic recounts the many linguistic controversies that have plagued Eurovision and explores how this international event is much more than just a song contest. It is, in fact, an illustration of the complications that arise when language, politics, and popular culture intersect, and often clash.

Explore how intercultural themes show up in a conversation about urban planning, car-free streets, e-bike ordinances, local government, and efforts to persuade people to change their minds. Related articles:
– City of Santa Barbara Cracks Down on E-Bikes
– It Was No Easy Ride: Amsterdam’s Journey to Becoming a Cycling Icon
– A Twin Challenge Demands a New Approach: Tackling Climate Change and Threats to Our Republic
– From Emissions to Edens: Our Top 5 Car-Free Urban Transformations