Writers

John Kenneth Galbraith: Intellectual Journey: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom

John Kenneth Galbraith
1986

Economist John Kenneth Galbraith, in a conversation with host Harry Kreisler, looks back and reflects on the art of writing, U.S. policy toward the Third World during the Cold War, political leadership, and on his intellectual contributions.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/conversations/Galbraith/galbraith1.html

Key Words: Economists, Politics, U.S. Presidents, Writers, Cold War, Kennedy, Great Depression, Presidents, RIP

James Fallows: A Journalist's Craft

James Fallows
2000

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes journalist James Fallows for a discussion of his career, the ideas and events that shaped his thinking, and his perspective on his craft as a writer and author.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people/Fallows/fallows-con0.html

Key Words: Journalists, Writers

Hanan Ashrawi: A Palestinian Voice

Hanan Ashrawi
2000

Conversations host Harry Kreisler interview Hanan Ashlar for a discussion of Palestinian nationalism and finding a Palestinian voice as a writer and political leader.

Key Words: Palestine, Writers, Women Trailblazers

George Packer: The Unwinding

George Packer
2010

Harry Kreisler welcomes George Packer for a discussion of his new book, "The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America." Packer discusses his formative experiences, including forging his own political identity and coming to terms with the legacy of his progressive grandfather and his liberal father. He then recounts the influence of his mother on his writing and his odyssey—Peace Corps, construction, working with the homeless, and membership in the socialist party-- that led him to writing as a vocation. After sketching the skills and temperament of a writer, Packer describes the...

George Packer: Technology and Inequality

George Packer
2014

Conversations Host Harry Kreisler welcomes New Yorker staff writer George Packer for a discussion of the impact of Silicon Valley on society and politics. Topics covered include: the implications of technology for the status of the American worker, for American culture, and for economic inequality. Amazon and the consequences of its business model for the publishing industry are discussed. President Obama's response to the 2008 economic crisis is also analyzed.

Key Words: Writers, Journalists, Technology

Eva Hoffman: Between Memory and History: A Writer's Voice

Eva Hoffman
2000

On this edition of Conversations with History, UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler is joined by writer and editor Eva Hoffman. Their discussion covers writing, the dilemmas of displaced persons, and the challenge of reconciling history and memory.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people/Hoffman/hoffman-con0.html

Key Words: Writers, Refugees, Women Trailblazers

E. J. Dionne Jr : Ideas Matter in Politics

E. J. Dionne Jr.
2001

UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler and columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. talk about the Clinton legacy, widespread philosophical assumptions and the status of the middle class.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people/Dionne/dionne-con0.html

Key Words: Journalists, Politics, U.S. Presidents, Middle Class, Writers, Berkeley Graduate Lecturers

Conor Cruise O'Brien: The Power of Ideas

Conor Cruise O'Brien
2000

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Irish author, teacher, historian and statesman Conor Cruise O'Brien who helps us think about the past, understand the present, and thereby shape the future.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people/OBrien/obrien-con0.html

Key Words: Writers, Nationalism, Cosmopolitanism, RIP

Christopher Hitchens: A Dissenting Voice

Christopher Hitchens
2002

On this edition of Conversations with History, UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler talks with writer Christopher Hitchens about writing, dissent, and the challenge of taking on cultural icons.

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/conversations/Elberg/Hitchens/hitchens…

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/conversations/PubEd/research/onwriting…

Key Words:...

Wole Soyinka: Writing and Political Activism

Wole Soyinka
1998

On this edition of Conversations with History, UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler talks with Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka. In an extraordinarily prolific and rich body of work including plays, novels, poems, and essays, Professor Soyinka draws on both Yoruba and western culture to exquisitely weave a subtle understanding of the tragedy and comedy of the human condition. In this discussion, Soyinka talks about the craft of writing, his work in theatre arts, human rights, and his political activism.

KEYWORDS: Nobel Laureates, Nigeria, Political Activism, Political Prisoners,...