Wavemaker Conversations: A Podcast For The Insanely Curious

The 8th Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Fay Vincent, discusses the pivotal event in his life: the 4-story fall from his college dorm, which left him paralyzed for months from the chest down; his mother's advice, which guided him from life as a college football player to a life of the mind; & the factors that shaped his successes in law, business, and the pinnacle of the movie industry, where he made a fortune. All this before he became The Commish. Next episode - Vincent's behind the scenes account of the investigation into Pete Rose.

What was Ted Kennedy's first case as a young prosecutor? Why did he lose with so much evidence against the defendant? What advice did he get from his brother, John, when he prepared to enter politics? What did he learn from his maternal grandfather, a legendary Boston pol, that could help us all be more effective in our lives? And why was Ted Kennedy so good at building personal relationships in the Senate, even with those who despised his politics? Many answers emerge from the release of the Ted Kennedy Sessions -- the oral history project conducted by the University of Virginia's Miller Center. Schulder's guest, Miller Center Director of Presidential Studies, Barbara Perry, walks us through fascinating moments of 19 in-depth interviews that Senator Kennedy gave from 2005-2007. But first, the episode begins with one of the world's leading mediators, William Ury, weighing in on the massacre in Roseburg, Oregon.

Schulder speaks with 84 year old psychiatrist & best-selling author Irvin Yalom about the healing value of staring death in the face, increasing one's fulfillment through "rippling," falling in love v standing in love, humor, and, finally, the essential question: what is the more effective way to cope with existential anxiety: sex or writing? Cameo appearances from Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Carol Dweck.

Emergency field director for the International Rescue Committee on the Greek island of Lesvos, Kirk Day, gives Michael Schulder a first hand account of the quickly escalating refugee crisis in Europe. 20 minutes into their conversation Kirk has to cut their talk short to pursue an urgent opportunity to get 6-thousand refugees on 3 ferries.

A Fantasy Football episode with real life lessons. My guest is Joe Moglia - Head Coach of the Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers football team. Why Joe Moglia? Because after many years struggling to support a family on the small salary of an Assistant Coach, Moglia pivoted, into the business world, and became a hugely successful CEO. He knows how to pick winning teams. He knows how to identify character. The two are connected. Moglia's life story demonstrates how.

Andrew Revkin, of the NY Times Dot Earth blog, captures "the history of our love affair with fossil fuels" with a memorable performance of his song Liberated Carbon. As for breaking news, will President Obama's latest initiatives to battle global warming move the needle? Revkin shares his nuanced take informed by nearly 3 decades of his original reporting. Recorded live, by @NCTV18, before leaders of the Organization of Biological Field Stations, the "NASA of the Earth."

Meet three emerging literary stars. Three young authors, three highly acclaimed new books. All have insights for writers and for parents who would love their children to do more reading and writing. Justin St. Germain investigates the life, and violent death, of his mother in his memoir "Son of a Gun." LaShonda Katrice Barnett, historian & student of jazz, channels two path-breaking African-American women in the field of journalism for her novel "Jam on the Vine." Belinda McKeon shares her journey from growing up on a farm in Ireland to becoming the author of two highly acclaimed novels, "Solace" and "Tender," and is thankful the Nuns from her school showed up for her explicit reading.

Schulder speaks with Harper Lee biographer Charles Shields about the To Kill A Mockingbird - Go Set A Watchman saga. Shields, author of "Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee," relays captivating stories of Lee's life including her close friendship with childhood neighbor Truman Capote, her painful relationship with her mother, who suffered symptoms of bipolar disease, the real feelings about race and segregation of her father A.C. Lee, the inspiration for Atticus Finch and the challenge that English teachers now face as a result of the dark, new depiction of Atticus.

Michael speaks with best-selling historian Nathaniel Philbrick. Philbrick identified 14 year old boys at the center of two fascinating chapters in American history, including the sinking of the whale ship Essex in 1820 by a huge whale, a true story Herman Melville drew on for Moby Dick. Director Ron Howard has turned the dramatic tale of survival into a major movie, releasing in December. This episode, the back story, and more, live from the Nantucket Book Festival, is ideal listening for the whole family.

Michael speaks with former child soldier Ishmael Beah. His best-selling memoir, A Long Way Gone, led a New York Times book reviewer to wonder "how anyone comes through such unrelenting ghastliness and horror with his humanity and sanity intact." This conversation, at the Nantucket Book Festival, at times disturbing yet thoroughly uplifting, provides us with some answers.

Schulder speaks with Azar Nafisi, Iranian-American author of the number one New York Times bestseller "Reading Lolita in Tehran" and "Republic of Imagination: America in 3 Books," in front of a live audience at this summer's Nantucket Book Festival. Nafisi insists that remaining in Iran after the Islamic Revolution and teaching the works of great western authors in ways the rulers of the Islamic Republic would consider subversive, was not an act of courage. Listen and judge for yourself.

Schulder speaks with former First Lady, Rosalynn Carter, for the National Women's Hall of Fame oral history project. Mrs. Carter shares stories from her active role in the women's rights movement, the resistance she encountered advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment, the backstory of the first federally funded National Women's Conference, the personal encounters that triggered her early advocacy of mental health coverage, the biggest disappointment in her life, her advice for young girls and boys, and her days growing up in Plains, Georgia. As you'll hear, Mrs. Carter's full immersion in the issues she cares most about continues, today, at the age of 87.

In the run-up to the Stanley Cup finals, Schulder pays a visit to hockey maven Stan Fischler. When the 83 year old historian of hockey is not fighting city traffic on his bicycle, he is analyzing games for the MSG Networks and writing books on the sport -- the count is roughly 100. Fischler provides insights on speed versus power, the best players he's ever seen, and his own journey into the world of hockey, which began with a great disappointment, on a day in 1939, when he was 7 years old ...

Miles O'Brien shares inside stories of his 15 years as CNN's science, space and aviation correspondent, his passion for piloting, how close he got to flying on a space shuttle, the unusual sequence of events that led to the amputation of his left arm, and the childhood roots of the resilience which led him to belay 12 feet beneath the surface of a glacier so soon after the accident. Miles and Michael spoke together on the island of Nantucket before a live audience of conservation leaders from the Organization of Biological Field Stations: "NASA of the Earth."

Ben Sollee is a cellist/singer/songwriter whose music defies all categories. His unique sound, which you will hear during this conversation, is influenced by classical, bluegrass, and R&B, and was described by New York Times music critic Stephen Holden as "meticulous, fluent arrangements continually morph[ing] from one thing to another." Sollee loves to interact with audiences in small venues, which led to his "Ditch the Van" tours, where he straps his cello to his bike and pedals hundreds of miles from performance to performance.

Fellow Parents: May is the month of the inspired college commencement address. But many of us need inspiration for a different age. With college admissions mania bathing entire families with anxiety, I’m seeking commencement address wisdom for parents whose children will soon be heading to high school. My guest is Michael Thompson, a psychologist and author who has been embedded in the world of high-achieving schools and parents for several decades. Thompson is author of many must-reads including “The Pressured Child: Helping Your Child Find Success In School And Life.” That’s what he’s going to do for us, in this episode.

As the Supreme Court considers whether the Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry throughout the U.S., Schulder considers a different question. Is there something he and other heterosexual husbands and wives can learn from same-sex couples who already are married? Schulder explores dynamics unique to gay and lesbian couples -- including how they argue with one another, and how they talk about sex -- with guests Sam Garanzini, Executive Director of The Gay Couples Institute in California, and Deborah L. Hughes, President & CEO of the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House and American Baptist Minister. Hughes lived in the closet for many years, including the clergy closet, when gay and lesbian gatherings required communicating in code. Quite a journey to finding and marrying the woman she loves.

A Christian perspective on the sentencing phase of the trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Not the only Christian perspective, of course. But one uniquely articulated by Schulder's two guests, Mark Osler and Jeanne Bishop. Osler is author of the book "Jesus on Death Row: The Trial of Jesus and American Capital Punishment." Bishop is a Cook County public defender whose pregnant sister and brother-in-law were murdered in a Chicago suburb 25 years ago. Her new book is entitled: "Change of Heart: Justice, Mercy and Making Peace with My Sister's Killer."

Schulder speaks with The New Yorker's Evan Osnos. This week Osnos was named a 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist for his book "The Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth and Faith in the New China." Ambition in Mandarin means "wild heart." The wild hearts of China are driving that country's 24/7 economic growth. In his conversation with Michael in front of a live audience at last summer's Nantucket Book Festival, Osnos relays the stories of individual Chinese who have taken grit to a new level. Now, if you're worried about China, Osnos says his book may help you sleep better at night. Let's see.

One of America's most esteemed political reporters gives her first in-depth interview since leaving her position as CNN's Chief Political Correspondent. Candy shares with Michael her early impressions of the new campaign season as well as her personal experiences with Hillary, the Bushes, and other major political figures. And she reveals why she enjoyed covering losing candidates more than winning candidates. Of course, Candy Crowley's life has been about more than politics. And so is this Wavemaker Conversation.