Think Humanities

Think Humanities

Kentucky Humanities is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, D.C. The Council is supported by the National Endowment and by private contributions. We are not a state agency, and we receive no state funds, but we are proud partners with Kentucky's cultural, heritage, arts, and tourism agencies. Why are we Telling Kentucky's Story? More than just history, by Kentucky's story we mean Kentucky's writers, inventors, judges, musicians, architects, doctors – in short, the contributions from every walk of life to the quality of life in Kentucky. We recognize a need to build civic engagement as well as literacy, and we want to involve all ages and all places from Pine Knot to Princeton. Everyone has a story to tell, and everyone can learn from the stories of others. These stories, taken together, are the stories of our communities, our counties, our regions, and our unique Kentucky culture and heritage. They are the basis of our pride and the basic premise of community. What are the Humanities? Humanity in all its forms. The humanities are the values by which we live, the ideas that organize our thinking, and all of the ways we communicate with each other. The humanities include the ways of knowing found in the academic disciplines of history, literature, and philosophy, as well as anthropology, sociology and psychology. But they encompass much more: religion, culture, the origins of Bluegrass music, the archaeology of landfills, Kentuckians' love for their counties, what they teach their children, why they make burgoo. All these things are the humanities.

Episodes

February 28, 2024 42 mins
Today on the final episode of THINK HUMANITIES, host Bill Goodman talks with Libby Falk Jones about her life and work as a poet, writer, photographer, teacher, and more. Listen through the end for a special farewell from Bill Goodman as we wrap up 7 years of podcasts together. THINK HUMANITIES is made possible by generous support from the Spalding University Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Graduate School of Writing.
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Former Kentucky Poet Laureate Crystal Wilkinson joins guest host Lynnell Edwards from Spalding University for today's episode of THINK HUMANITIES to talk about her new culinary memoir "Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts," which is out now from Clarkson Potter/Penguin Random House. Crystal talks about the relationship between food and family as recipes are passed down over the generations, how they celebrated holidays during the pand...
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January 24, 2024 38 mins
Climate change is one of the most controversial and polarizing scientific topics in the public sphere. Today on THINK HUMANITES, Dr. Lauren E. Cagle shares how to have a civil and productive conversation about this tricky topic. THINK HUMANITIES is made possible by generous support from the Spalding University Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Graduate School of Writing.
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Derrick Ramsey is perhaps best known as as a star University of Kentucky and Oakland Las Vegas Raiders quarterback, but he also served in two Kentucky administrations under Governors Ernie Fletcher and Matt Bevin. And now he's written a memoir with Dr. John Huang entitled "They Call Me Mr. Secretary: Through the Lens of a Winner." Derrick joins Bill Goodman for THINK HUMANITIES to share a bit about his life as a football star and ...
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With hate-motivated violence seemingly all around us, Kentucky Humanities is working to help educators combat hate-motivated violence promote civic engagement, social cohesion, and cross-cultural understanding in their classrooms. Today on the podcast, Mariama J. Lockington joins Kathleen Pool and host Bill Goodman to preview the the "Safe Students, Empowered Educators" workshop, which is coming up on February 3rd in Lexington and ...
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December 13, 2023 43 mins
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Cara Fitzpatrick recently sat down to talk with Dr. Terry Brooks of Kentucky Youth Advocates and Bill Goodman of Kentucky Humanities for the THINK HUMANITIES podcast. Cara talks about her new book, "The Death of Public School," and what the future of education looks like in America on this week's episode. "The Death of Public School: How Conservatives Won the War Over Education in America" is out n...
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December 6, 2023 30 mins
It often feels like the news and media is full of violence and hate. How do we combat hate to prevent tragedies in the communities around us? Bill Goodman, host of THINK HUMANITIES talks with Raleigh Kincaid, a LMFT, about the role of therapy, listening, and empathy in healing hate. THINK HUMANITIES is made possible by generous support from the Spalding University Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Graduate School of Writing.
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November 29, 2023 34 mins
Richard Taylor, former Kentucky Poet Laureate, is back in the THINK HUMANITIES studio to talk about his new memoir, "Fathers." Richard talks to host Bill Goodman about interconnections between fathers and father figures in his life and his family, from the Civil War through the present. THINK HUMANITIES is made possible by generous support from the Spalding University Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Graduate School of Writing.
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November 14, 2023 114 mins
Today on THINK HUMANITIES, we're getting excited for Gurney Fest, a celebration of Kentucky Writer Gurney Norman in Lexington! Listen to Bill Goodman talk to Dr. Morris Grubbs who will be talking about Gurney as a master of short story writing. In the second half of the episode hear a 2021 conversation between Bill and Gurney. Gurney Fest is hosted by the UK College of Arts & Sciences and the University of Kentucky English Departm...
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Many Kentuckians are unaware of the history of Simmons College in Louisville or that Simmons is one of only two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Kentucky. Rev. Chris Caldwell, a member of the Kentucky Humanities Speakers Bureau, joins Bill Goodman on THINK HUMANITIES to tell us more about Simmons College. For more information about bringing Rev. Caldwell to your community through the Speakers Bureau, visit k...
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Book banning has reached new heights in recent months and years. Join the THINK HUMANITIES podcast to hear a discussion about how book bans have been affecting Kentuckians with Wayne Onkst and Tammy Blackwell, both long-time Kentucky librarians. THINK HUMANITIES is made possible by generous support from the Spalding University Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Graduate School of Writing.
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October 25, 2023 39 mins
THINK HUMANITIES is back with a special episode hosted by Spalding's Lynnell Edwards. Today, she talks to poet, author, and editor Lesléa Newman about "October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard" and how poetry is needed in our current time. THINK HUMANITIES is made possible by Spalding University's Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Graduate School of Writing.
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October 18, 2023 8 mins
It's Kentucky Book Festival Week. Come on our to meet lots of fantastic authors and find a new favorite book! Get excited by listening to this short interview by EKU's Tom Martin with author J.R. Ward who will be at the Kentucky Book Festival on Saturday, October 21st. For more information, visit kybookfestival.org. THINK HUMANITIES is made possible by generous support from the Spalding University Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Gr...
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It's almost Kentucky Book Festival time! Get excited by listening to THINK HUMANITIES' Bill Goodman talk to KBF Director Katerina Stoykova and KBF Event Producer Julie Klier about the fantastic lineup and events planned for October 21st. For a full schedule of Kentucky Book Festival events, visit kybookfestival.org THINK HUMANITIES is made possible by generous support from the Spalding University Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Gra...
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Former Kentucky Governor Paul E. Patton joins Bill Goodman on THINK HUMANITIES to discuss his upcoming book coauthored with Jeffrey S. Suchanek entitled "The Coal Miner Who Became Governor." Patton will be at this year's Kentucky Book Festival on October 21st at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington, Kentucky. For more information, visit kybookfestival.org THINK HUMANITIES is made possible by generous support from the Spalding Un...
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John Winn Miller, award winning investigative journalist and novelist, joins Bill Goodman on THINK HUMANITIES to talk about his latest book, "The Hunt for the Peggy C," a World War II maritime thriller. Miller will be at the 42nd Kentucky Book Festival on October 21st at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington. For more information, visit kybookfestival.org. THINK HUMANITIES is made possibly by generous support from the Spalding Un...
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This week on THINK HUMANITIES we're discussing African American history. First up is Dr. Eric Jackson, Professor of History at Northern Kentucky University, who talks about the impact of African American Studies programs around the nation. On the back half of the program, Bill Goodman talks to Amrita Chakrabarti Myers, Professor of History at Indiana University Bloomington about her new book "The Vice President’s Black Wife." Dr. ...
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September 6, 2023 47 mins
The Kentucky Book Festival is just over a month away, and we're very excited to introduce you to some authors you can meet there on October 21st! Today's special guest on THINK HUMANITIES is Patricia Hudson, the author of a new historical fiction entitled "Traces," which tells the story of the Boone women. Patricia talks about her research process and how she has brought the Boone women to life in her novel. The Kentucky Book Fest...
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The past few years have been hard on museums in Kentucky. Today on THINK HUMANITIES, we hear from Wathetta Buford with the African American Museum of Bowling Green and Mandy Higgins of the Lexington History Museum to hear about their renovations and new exhibits. THINK HUMANITIES is made possible by generous support from the Spalding University Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Graduate School of Writing.
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The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution is one of the oldest lineage societies in the US, and is headquartered in Louisville. Director Todd Bale joins THINK HUMANITIES to talk about the important work that NSSAR does. THINK HUMANITIES is made possible by generous support from the Spalding University Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Graduate School of Writing.
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