Gwen Ifill
Air Date: 6/3/10
Broadcast journalist
Gwen Ifill fills two major roles at PBS: moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and as senior correspondent for the PBS NewsHour. That puts her at the center of political journalism in the US, with a close-up view of what’s happening in Washington. Ifill has gained her political knowledge by covering six presidential campaigns and moderating two vice presidential debates. Her best-selling book, The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama, was published last year.
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Anna Deavere Smith
Air Date: 5/27/10
Actress, author & playwright
Anna Deavere Smith’s work as an actress includes roles in theater, film and television. But she’s equally well known as the author of both plays and books. Her diverse body of work has won wide respect as well as a number of awards. Smith’s most recent play, “Let Me Down Easy,” focuses on medicine and health care.
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Andrew Doyle
Air Date: 5/20/10
Episcopal Bishop of Texas
Andrew Doyle, the Episcopal Bishop of Texas, oversees a diverse range of programs across the state, including churches, schools and many other programs. Doyle was elected to the position in May of 2008, at the age of 41, and chances are, he’s not quite what you expect. He blogs, creates podcasts and usually goes by Andy.
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Arianna Huffington
Air Date: 5/13/10
Author and commentator
Arianna Huffington plays many roles: author, columnist, former candidate for Governor of California, outspoken conservative turned outspoken liberal, and founder of the news website The Huffington Post. She joins us to weigh in on the latest in politics and media.
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Frank Deford
Air Date: 5/6/10
Sportswriter
Frank Deford is a sportswriter for the PBS set—someone who delivers smart commentary and some of the best sports journalism ever created. His career reaches back to the 1960s, when he wrote for Sports Illustrated under the legendary editor Andre Laguerre. But Deford’s writing reaches far beyond sports magazines, to a memoir, a novel and thirteen other books. Think you don’t care about sports? We think you’ll enjoy what Deford has to say.
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Jake Silverstein
Air Date: 4/29/10
Editor, Texas Monthly, and Author
Jake Silverstein joined Texas Monthly in 2006, and was named Editor in 2008. He arrived there by way of some interesting places: Zacatecas, Mexico, where he spent time as a Fulbright Scholar; Marfa, where he worked as a newspaper reporter; and UT’s Michener Center for Writers, where he earned an MFA. He joins us to talk about his not-so-new job and his very new book, Nothing Happened and Then It Did: A Chronicle in Fact and Fiction.
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Tim Matheson
Air Date: 4/22/10
Actor
No matter what your age, you probably know actor Tim Matheson from a role in an era-defining production. As a child, he worked on show including Leave It To Beaver, Father Knows Best and the cartoon hit Jonny Quest, where he voiced the title role. In the 1970s, he played the part of smooth-talking frat boy Eric “Otter” Stratton in Animal House. And he continues to act in a variety of projects with a wide range of roles, earning two Emmy nominations for his role as Vice President John Hoynes on The West Wing.
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Thomas Haden Church
Air Date: 4/15/10
Actor
Texas-born actor Thomas Haden Church has found success in Hollywood, but chooses to keep roots deep in his home state. He spent six seasons with a major role on the hit sitcom Wings, won an Oscar nomination for his part in Sideways and recently played the villain in Spider-Man 3. But Church enjoys a parallel career as a hands-on cattle rancher, complete with broken bones to show for it.
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Cecile Richards
Air Date: 4/8/10
President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Cecile Richards joined Planned Parenthood in 2006, after work that included organizing low-wage workers, founding the Texas Freedom Network and serving as deputy chief of staff for Nancy Pelosi. Richards is also known to many as the daughter of Governor Ann Richards, and worked side by side with her mother to elect Sarah Weddington to the Texas Legislature. We talk with her just after the new health care legislation is signed into law.
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Mark Halperin & John Heilemann
Air Date: 3/25/10
Authors & Political Commentators
John Heilemann and Mark Halperin know politics. And they share it with a wide audience through Heilemann’s work for New York Magazine and Halperin’s with TIME and the political blog The Page. They’ve joined to coauthor the best-selling book Game Change, which takes an in-depth look at the 2008 presidential election.
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David Brancaccio
Air Date: 3/4/10
Host, NOW on PBS
Public broadcasting fans have followed David Brancaccio from his time as host of NPR’s Marketplace to his current role hosting NOW on PBS. They look to him for in-depth coverage of a wide range of domestic and international issues. He joins us to talk about his work and the future of journalism.
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Julián Castro
Air Date: 2/25/10
San Antonio Mayor
He’s the youngest mayor of a major US city, he took office with 56 percent of the vote in a nine-way race and he’s already nine years into a political career. Julián Castro grew up around San Antonio politics, at the side of a mother who was a major force in the Raza Unida movement. Now he and twin brother, Texas State Representative Joaquin Castro, are making San Antonio politics their own.
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Jon Meacham
Air Date: 2/18/10
Editor, Newsweek
Newsweek editor and Pulitzer prize-winning author Jon Meacham’s interests reach across a broad range of American culture. He’s written expertly about political history, foreign affairs, the Civil Rights movement and the role of religion in American history and contemporary society. And he’s the author of two award-winning political biographies.
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Augie Garrido
Air Date: 2/11/10
Baseball Coach, The University of Texas
Augie Garrido has more wins than any other baseball coach in NCAA history, taking his players to the College World Series twelve times and leading five national championship teams. The team starts this season with the top spot in a major preseason ranking.
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Morley Safer
Air Date: 1/28/10
Correspondent, 60 Minutes
Morley Safer began his 39th season with 60 Minutes in September 2009, a run that seems almost impossibly long until you learn that his work with CBS spans six decades. Learn more about his fascinating past, his run-in with LBJ and his new connection to Texas.
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Michael Williams
Air Date: 1/21/10
Commissioner, Railroad Commission of Texas
One year ago, Michael Williams announced his plan to run for the United States Senate. Williams is a staunch conservative who would become the lone African-American Republican in the Senate, and his campaign has gained attention nationwide. Join us to learn more about the candidate and his views.
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Buzz Aldrin
Air Date: 12/17/09
Astronaut
Just over forty years ago, Col. Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong became the first humans to set foot on the moon — a fact known to virtually anyone who hears his name. Fewer people know of his scientific contributions to space exploration, which include docking and rendezvous technology for spacecraft, innovation in underwater training for astronauts, a master plan for missions to Mars and ongoing leadership in human space exploration by the U.S.
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Jane Smiley
Air Date: 12/10/09
Author
Pulitzer-winning author Jane Smiley is known for her novels and essays about relationships, animals, politics and modern life. Now the acclaimed writer has created her first book for young readers. The Georges and the Jewels combines Smiley’s love of horses with her talent for storytelling, and if early reviews are any indication, young readers will soon join Smiley’s crowd of devoted fans.
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Richard Linklater
Air Date: 11/26/09
Director
It’s been eighteen years since Richard Linklater’s indie film Slacker brought fame to the director and a certain slice of Austin. Linklater followed that early success with many more, including Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise, The Newton Boys, A Scanner Darkly and Fast Food Nation. Linklater’s next project, Me and Orson Welles, hits theaters November 25.
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Taylor Branch
Air Date: 11/19/09
Historian & Author
Historian and author Taylor Branch earned a Pulitzer Prize for Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-63. But he’s becoming equally well-known for his latest book, based on eight years of secret conversations with President Bill Clinton during his time in office. His book based on those recordings, The Clinton Tapes, offers unprecedented insight into Clinton and his time in office.
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Madeleine Albright
Air Date: 11/12/09
Former Secretary of State
Madeleine K. Albright became the first woman to serve as Secretary of State when she was appointed in 1997. She’ll discuss the latest foreign policy issues as well as her recent book, Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box.
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Gail Collins
Air Date: 11/5/09
Columnist, The New York Times
Gail Collins writes a popular column for The New York Times and recently finished her fourth book, When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present. Her love of writing stretches back to childhood and led to her to her 2001 appointment as the first woman appointed editor of the Times’s editorial page.
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Francisco Cigarroa
Air Date: 10/29/09
Chancellor, The University of Texas System
Francisco Cigarroa became the 10th Chancellor of the UT System in February, overseeing one of the largest public university systems in the country. Cigarroa, a respected transplant and pediatric surgeon, served as president of the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio before his appointment. As Chancellor, he has responsibility for nine universities and six medical institutions across the state, with a combined operating budget of $11.5 billion.
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E. J. Dionne
Air Date: 10/8/09
Columnist, The Washington Post
For more than 15 years, E. J. Dionne has shared his opinions about politics, the media and the role of religion in public life with the The Washington Post’s readers. He also serves as a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, writes popular books about politics and frequently shares commentary with NPR, This Week and Meet the Press. Join us to learn more about the latest news from Washington, and the latest opinions from Dionne.
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