All posts by Francesca Rheannon

About Francesca Rheannon

Francesca Rheannon is an award-winning independent radio producer. In addition to hosting Writer's Voice, she's a freelance reporter for National Public Radio and its affiliates. Recipient of the prestigious Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Award for reporting on substance abuse issues for her news series, VOICES OF HIV, produced for 88.5 WFCR public radio in western Massachusetts. She is also finishing a book on Provence (PROVINCE OF THE HEART) and working on a memoir of her father, THE ARGONAUTS.

Web Extras

Greg Palast (full interview) on Court Victory in Georgia Voting Case

Investigative reporter Greg Palast recently won a groundbreaking judgement from a federal court judge in Georgia that promises to open up to public scrutiny the massive 2018 purge of the voter rolls conducted by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp when he was Georgia’s Secretary  of State — and his work with voter suppression impresario Kris Kobach to disenfranchise voters in other states, as well.

WV called Palast up for an in-depth look at that ruling, as well as voter suppression (or, as Palast calls it, “voter theft”) in other states. Continue reading

Podcast

Deborah Shaffer & Rachel Reichman on QUEEN OF HEARTS, plus Greg Palast on his court victory

We talk with filmmaker Deborah Shaffer and film editor Rachel Reichman about Queen Of Hearts, their wonderful documentary about the life and work of Audrey Flack.

Then we talk with investigative journalist Greg Palast about the important victory he just won in court to force the Governor of Georgia to release the details of a huge purge of mostly African American voters in the 2018 Georgia election. Continue reading

Podcast

Writers Voice: Isabella Tree, WILDING & Jeet Heer on Iowa and Beyond

This week’s episode gives us a sorely-needed message of hope. If we just simply let nature take its course, we can restore the Earth. We talk with Isabella Tree about her book Wilding – the Return of Nature to a British Farm. It’s out from Picador Press.

Then, we talk with Nation magazine contributor Jeet Heer about the Iowa caucus debacle, the progressive wing of the Democratic presidential campaign, and Michael Bloomberg, on its billionaire wing.

Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on twitter @WritersVoice. And if you are listening to our podcast, give us some love on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use. Continue reading

Podcast

Web Only Extra: Daniel Judt on Australia’s Wildfires

Remember the Australian wildfires? The ones that killed some one billion animals and torched millions of acres of land? Well, Australia is still in fire season, and, as late as yesterday, February 5, they were still going on. There’s a temporary reprieve, as Australia braces for torrential rainfall, but they will no doubt be back.

A few days ago, Francesca spoke by Skype with journalist Daniel Judt about his recent piece in the Nation, “Australia’s Devastating Wildfires Were Not Inevitable.” It is the second in a three-part series on climate by Judt; the first in the series is “In Senegal, Climate Change is Robbing Thousands of Their Homes.”

 

Podcast

Michael Klare, ALL HELL BREAKING LOOSE, Christian Parenti, Tropic Of Chaos & Review of new Hilary Davidson thriller

Michael Klare talks about his new book, All Hell Breaking Loose: The Pentagon’s Perspective On Climate Change.

Then we air a clip from our 2011 interview with Christian Parenti about his book, Tropic Of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence.

We also review a terrific new thriller from Hilary Davidson, Don’t Look Down.

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use!

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Podcast

Sara Matthiesen on Bernie’s Feminism & Helaine Olen on Joe Biden’s Record on Social Security

Critics have tried to tar Bernie Sanders with the brush of sexism, implied if not explicit. But gender studies scholar Sara Matthiesen says Bernie could be the first feminist president. We talk with her about her article in the Nation, “Bernie Could be America’s First Feminist President.”

Then, with all its importance to the lives of most Americans, Social Security doesn’t often make it into the headlines. That changed this week when the Sanders campaign charged that Joe Biden’s record on Social Security is flawed, suggesting it could weaken him against Trump in the general election. We spoke with Washington Post columnist Helaine Olen about her recent post, “Sanders is right: Biden is Vulnerable to Trump on Social Security.”

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or whatever podcast player you use!

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Podcast

Alyss Thomas, THE JOURNAL WRITER’S COMPANION & Gareth St. John Thomas, FINDING TRUE CONNECTIONS

We talk with Alyss Thomas about her guide to journaling: The Journal Writer’s Companion. Then, we check in with Thomas’ brother Gareth St. John Thomas about his terrific guide to learning and writing about a family member’s history. It’s called Finding True Connections.

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on twitter @WritersVoice. And if you are listening to our podcast, give us some love on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use.

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Podcast

An Hour With WWII Spymaster Fiction Master Alan Furst

Today, we talk with spy fiction writer Alan Furst about his latest book, Under Occupation. Then we air excerpts from interviews we did with him about his previous novels, Spies of the Balkans and The Foreign Correspondent.

We also play a recording of a poem by the Greek poet C.P. Cavafy, Waiting for the Barbarians, translated from the Greek by Edmund Keeley.

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on twitter @WritersVoice. And if you are listening to our podcast, give us some love on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use.

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Podcast

New Year’s Looks Back: William Greider, Harold Bloom, Peter Yarrow, Rev. William Barber

Episode #573

We remember two authors we interviewed in years past who died in 2019. First, we re-play our 2009 interview with William Greider about his book, Come Home America. Greider passed away on Christmas Day 2019. We also hear from my 2011 interview with Harold Bloom, who also passed away in 2019.

Then, we dip into Francesca’s audio archive for an interview she did with Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary in 2017 at an event honoring the Reverend Dr. William Barber — and we hear from Barber, as well, talking about his Poor People’s Campaign.

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or whatever podcatcher you use!

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Podcast

Writer’s Voice Ten Best of 2019

Episode #572

It’s that time of year when media folks look back and try to pick out the Ten Best of whatever we produced or reviewed this year. You might as well gather them all up in a hat and toss the contents against the wall, we loved all our darlings so much.

But there were some standouts and so we winnowed down the list of about twenty to ten and then picked four to air excerpts from. Then we list the remaining six below.

Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on twitter @WritersVoice. And if you are listening to our podcast, give us some love on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use.

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Podcast

Nathan Robinson, WHY YOU SHOULD BE A SOCIALIST & Michael Klare

We talk with Current Affairs editor Nathan J. Robinson about his new book, Why You Should Be A Socialist: A Primer On Democratic Socialism For Those Who Are Extremely Skeptical Of It.

Then, energy and conflict analyst Michael Klare tells us how the US military will have to change in the face of the climate catastrophe. His recent article in the Nation is “When the Climate Replaces Our Forever Wars.”

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use!

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Podcast

Richard Louv, OUR WILD CALLING & Carl Safina, BEYOND WORDS

We talk with Richard Louv, author of Last Child In The Woods, about his new book, OUR WILD CALLING: How Connecting with Animals Can Transform Our Lives”•and Save Theirs.

Then, we play an excerpt from our 2015 interview with Carl Safina about his book BEYOND WORDS, What Animals Think and Feel.

Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on twitter @WritersVoice. And if you’re listening to our podcast, give us some love on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use.

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Podcast

Writers Voice: David Silverman, THIS LAND IS THEIR LAND & Native American scholar Marge Bruchac

We talk with historian David Silverman about his book This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving.

Then, we continue our Thanksgiving week tradition of hearing Native American storyteller and ethnohistorian Marge Bruchac talk about Thanksgiving from the Native point of view — and her re-telling of the Story of Corn.

Please make sure to like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on twitter at WritersVoice. And if you are listening to our podcast, give us some love on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use.

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Podcast

Mimi Lemay, What We Will Become & Senator Sherrod Brown, Desk 88

We talk with Mimi Lemay about her powerful memoir of a family with a transgender child, What We Will Become: A Mother, a Son, and a Journey of Transformation.

Then, we welcome a special guest to our show, Senator Sherrod Brown. He’ll tell us about his new book, Desk 88: Eight Progressive Senators Who Changed America. It’s a celebration of eight former progressive senators who sat at the desk he occupies in the Senate.

Please make sure to like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice.

And if you’re listening to our podcast, give us some love on iTunes or whichever podcast app you use.

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Podcast

Paul Theroux, ON THE PLAIN OF SNAKES

We spend the hour with legendary travel writer and novelist Paul Theroux, talking about his latest book, ON THE PLAIN OF SNAKES: A Mexican Journey. We also hear a poem by the renowned Mexican poet Javier Sicilia.

Our conversation with Paul Theroux takes us from the US border to the jungles of Chiapas, as Theroux tells us about the resilience of the Mexican people in the face of violence and bad government, the preservation of ancient traditions by the poorest communities and the inspiring rebellion in the south by the Zapatistas, who have created their own liberated territory.

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