After Words

Jon Else explored the lives of the scientists who worked on the atomic bombs, including the health impacts they experienced. He was interviewed by UC Berkeley Journalism Professor, Mark Danner at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco in September. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neuroscientist Darby Saxbe describes how men's brains change with fatherhood. She was interviewed by journalist, Matthew Yglesias at the Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C., in June of 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 21st century saga of San Francisco's rise and fall -- paralleled by the arrival of tech entrepreneurs who remade the city's culture, politics, and economy - as told by journalist Jonathan Weber. In 1990, he became the first "Silicon Valley" reporter for the Los Angeles Times and later coordinated Reuters' reporting on West Coast technology. He sat down with former New York Times Technology Reporter, John Markoff, at The Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California in San Francisco in June. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MIT Professor Thomas Levenson describes the history of vaccine skepticism. His book is titled, "A Pox on Fools - True Believers, Grifters, and Cynics Who Convinced Us to Reject Vaccines." He was interviewed by senior writer at Ars Technica, Jennifer Ouellette at the Politics & Prose Bookstore in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Pope argued for policies that he believes would improve the current welfare system in the United States. The Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., hosted this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Longtime ABC News war correspondent Martha Raddatz profiled American military service members and their families who have served in the 25 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. She was interviewed by San Francisco ABC7 News Anchor, Dan Ashley, at the Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California in May of 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Smalls told his story of becoming the co-founder of the Amazon Labor Union. He was interviewed by Journalist & Author Karen Attiah at the Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Technology reporter Joanna Stern describes the year she spent using artificial intelligence and robots in all aspects of her life. The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, provided this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Historian Molly Beer took a woman's-eye view of the revolutionary era through the life of Angelica Schuyler Church, Alexander Hamilton's sister-in-law. Thomas Jefferson's Monticello hosted this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jean Becker and Tom Collamore, former staffers to President George H.W. Bush and co-authors of Don't Tell the President, discuss the work done by advance teams for presidential events, including foreign trips, state visits, and campaign rallies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew Campbell penned a whodunit tale about plundered Cambodian art and antiquities, the international market for stolen goods, the sometimes unwitting participation of prominent museums, and the fight to return objects to their rightful places and owners. Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington, D.C., hosted this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maya Kornberg and Former U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) discussed congressional reform over the past 50 years and the forces that thwart those efforts. This event was hosted by the New York University John Brademas Center in Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neurosurgeon and medical journalist Sanjay Gupta discussed strategies for preventing and managing pain and promoting wellness. This event took place at the 2026 New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The John Locke Institute's Stephen Davies argued that the world is witnessing the emergence a permanent new form of "right-wing" politics. He spoke at the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reporter Aaron Davis argued the Trump administration has politicized the Justice Department. This was part of Maryland's 2026 Gaithersburg Book Festival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham told America's complicated story through the words of those who have shaped our national debates from 1619 into the early 21st century. To read highlights from those accounts, he was joined by Academy Award actor Ellen Burstyn and Stephen Lang, best known for his roles in the movie Gettysburg and the Avatar series. The Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College in New York hosted this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Atlantic Staff Writer Megan Garber argued that screens and social media have changed how we relate to each other. Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C., hosted this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hoover Institution's Eyck Freymann argues that the United States can deter a war with China by strengthening its defense of Taiwan. He spoke at the Hoover Institution in Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aziz Abu Sarah, a Palestinian whose brother was killed by the IDF, and Maoz Inon, an Israeli whose parents were killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023, talked about their friendship and efforts to figand I Historic Synagogue in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Electronic Frontier Foundation Executive Director Cindy Cohn recalled her career fighting for digital privacy. Harvard Book Store hosted this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) argued that elite universities in America have embraced a culture of antisemitism, leftist groupthink, and censorship. She spoke at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum in Yorba Linda, California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist Kevin Hazzard talked about Phoenix Air, a private, air ambulance service that transports patients with highly infectious diseases when governments refuse to get involved. This event was hosted by Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington, DC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A journalist looked at modern Russia through the eyes and experiences of its women. The 2026 San Antonio Book Festival hosted this program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Physician and anthropologist Khameer Kidia argues that Western mental health care treats the symptoms instead of the causes of mental illness. Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C., hosts this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PBS Newshour co-anchor Geoff Bennett talks about the history of Black comedy in America and its impact on culture and politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar talked about how the U.S. can revive its industrial base and win the defense technology race against America's adversaries. This event was hosted by the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Michael Pollan ("A World Appears") discussed the science of consciousness and the human experience with bestselling author Michael Lewis. This event took place at the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Judith Enck warned against the health and environmental impacts of plastic. Politics & Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C., hosted this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newsmax host John Bachman talked about the 1983 U.S. invasion of the island of Grenada and the overthrow of its People's Revolutionary Government. This event was hosted by The Right Book Club in Palm Beach, Florida. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Michael Kimmel discussed the first-generation Jewish American toymakers who manufactured now-famous children's toys, including the Teddy Bear and the Rubik's Cube. P&T Knitwear in New York hosts this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chuck Collins discussed his book Burned by Billionaires where he examines the impact of wealth concentration on society and politics. The event was hosted by Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed discussed his 2019 arrest and imprisonment in Russia and his decision to volunteer in war against the Russians in Ukraine after his release. This event was hosted by Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Robert Wachter examined the future of artificial intelligence being used in health care. The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco hosted this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biologist Beronda Montgomery explored the botanical knowledge developed by African Americans. Harvard Book Store hosted this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finance and Tech reporter David Morris reported on Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX. POWERHOUSE Arena in New York City hosted this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former FBI investigator Tim Carpenter recounted the true-life detective story spearheaded by the Bureau's Art Crime Team, which found itself on the trail of a thief who stole thousands of cultural artifacts -- and human remains -- from around the world. The Boswell Book Company in Milwaukee hosted this event Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, examined the relationship between civilian and military leadership in America going back to the country's founding. This event was hosted by AEI in Washington, D.C Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Fatsis describes his experience as a lexicographer in training at Merriam-Webster to learn how words are added to the dictionary. Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, MA, hosted this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does the son of a Presbyterian minister wind up winning a Pulitzer Prize for writing a wildly inaccurate newspaper column read by millions of people? That’s the question posed by humor columnist Dave Barry’s 2025 memoir titled, Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up. This week on C-SPAN's Afterwords podcast, a discussion on satire and humor with Dave Barry and novelist Carl Hiaasen. Hiaasen also has a new book titled Fever Beach. It’s a satirical crime novel, which he says was inspired by real events in Florida and the January 6th riot at the Capitol. That conversation between authors Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen, coming up in just a minute on AfterWords.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times Magazine staff writer Jonathan Mahler talked about the 1980s forces, events, and characters that defined and shaped New York City. His book features Donald Trump, Spike Lee, Rudy Giuliani , Ed Koch, and Al Sharpton - and highlights New York's experiences with homelessness, AIDS, racial tensions, and the crack epidemic. The Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College in New York City hosted this event Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Daily Wire's Ben Shapiro argued that the world is divided between those who want to defend Western civilization and those who want to undermine it. This event was hosted by the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Monsters We Make, journalist Rachel Corbett examines how power operates in the digital age, exploring the systems and incentives that shape online behavior and amplify harassment and abuse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Environmentalist Bill McKibben argued that solar and wind power offer the best path for addressing climate change. Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C., hosted this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

British journalist Piers Morgan argued that there has been a global rejection of "wokeism" and discussed what he thinks a post-woke world will be like. He spoke at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum in Yorba Linda, California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist Michelle Young discussed the history of Rose Valland, a female spy working for the French Resistance at the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris during World War II. This event was part of the 2025 History Book Festival in Lewes, Delaware. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author David Gelles discussed how Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard built his business, made a fortune, and then gave it all away. Books Passage Bookstore in Corte Madera, California, hosted this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times reporter Kenneth Vogel talked about the secret world of foreign lobbying in Washington, D.C., and the Americans involved in it, including Rudy Giuliani and Hunter Biden. This event was hosted by the Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty talked about her experiences covering Russia and Russian Presidents Gorbachev, Yeltsin, and Putin. She spoke at Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

University of Georgia professor emeritus George Selgin argued that many of FDR's New Deal programs were counterproductive and impeded recovery during the Great Depression. He spoke at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on After Words — Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd discusses her new book, Notorious, with CNN Chief Political Analyst David Axelrod. In the book, Dowd profiles some of the most talked-about figures from Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and American culture. Their conversation was recorded at the 2025 Printers Row Lit Fest in Chicago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices