In this probing conversation, B+ digs into the intentions behind his project to reveal the rhythmic connections among people, cultures, and their creations, sharing stories of the record collector who shaped DJ Shadow’s sound, his close friendships with composers David Axelrod and Horace Tapscott, and more. We delve into the importance of politics in art, and how connecting the dots between social movements around the globe can help answer questions raised by provocative forms like...

In this charming exchange, Khalik Allah and Eli Reed share their experiences navigating rough neighborhoods, earning the trust of their subjects, learning from their mistakes, and developing a unique style that stands out in the digital age. We also talk about Khalik's work with the Wu-Tang Clan, his experience working as a filmmaker on Beyoncé's Lemonade, and more.

In this touching discussion, we talk with renowned birder and dyed-in-the-wool Texan Victor Emanuel and writer S. Kirk Walsh about the importance of taking the time to observe natural beauty, protect it, and the path Victor took from politics to a life of birding. We cover tips for a birding excursion, Victor's friendship with Laura Bush and the literary luminaries Peter Matthiessen and George Plimpton, as well as the most memorable rare bird sightings.

Where there is water, there is life. In this casual conversation, we cover the process of researching must-swim spots across Texas, the history of these significant sites, and the importance of being good stewards to our natural swimming holes. We also cover top 5 lists, key etiquette, and the best playlists for a good summer road trip.

What made Austin the city we know today? Eddie Wilson saw the Texas capital transform from a sleepy college town into a global purveyor of music culture, all while booking and housing seminal bands of the 1970s, serving Southern cuisine, and shilling a record-breaking amount of Lone Star beer. The story of the Armadillo World Headquarters includes rollicking tales of what Eddie calls, "a roller coaster of despair and wonder": trying to schedule anything with detail-averse Jerry Garcia,...

In this fascinating discussion, we explore the significance of a massive, conceptually complex piece of rock art that was painted by hunter gatherers within a week to two week period between 400 BC and 400 AD. We cover the graphic vocabulary that depicts the creation of time and the birth of the sun, how certain revelations came to the research team, and the importance of preserving these endangered murals. As the oldest known artistic expression in North America that portrays core concepts...

From a base camp darkroom in Vietnam to street photography in San Francisco to the political stage, this interview with Bob McNeely traces his life as a photographer and offers honest insight into Hillary’s personality and career, wrestling with both the promise of her capabilities and the problems of her political history. Hear how McNeely’s access ended abruptly in 1998 amidst scandal and how Hillary’s Senate race in 2000 foreshadowed her ability to be resilient and move on with her life.

A Pure Solar World explores how Sun Ra was a master of jazz composition, a pioneer in electronic music, a major African American poet, and an expansively free-thinking teacher. Author Paul Youngquist talks to us about the philosophy behind Sun Ra's space music, how audiences first responded to his music and his message, and why his work deserves more attention.

This enriching conversation unpacks how creating art is like raising a child, how not to suck as a creative person, and how pain should be part of becoming a healer. Hersh honors Vic, sharing her favorite memories from the road and explaining why she finally agreed to write Don’t Suck, Don’t Die. She emits so much wisdom, revealing how she learned to “crawl into” prose writing to add dimension to her music and not let "staying in the heavy" obscure hope. We also delve into the process of...

From the draisine to the latest carbon fiber frame, the bicycle has endured boom and bust to make a lasting impact on our lives. We talk with Margaret Guroff about how the bicycle helped to revolutionize urban infrastructure, technology, gender equality, mechanized aircraft, and more. Now that the middle class is returning to car-dominated cities, the bicycle’s future depends on getting populations other than hipsters to choose a bike over a polluting car. And what happens when self-driving...

Texas is very innovative in a lot of ways but also holds tight to its past and its traditions. Some Texan traditions are obvious, but others took some digging, like drawing on water dousing skills to find water during contemporary droughts. We ask Andrea Valdez what research she conducted to write an authoritative how-to manual on Texas life, how she feels about certain Texas stereotypes, and why engaging in these activities enhanced her sense of self.

Texas women have a uniquely global brand of strength, humor, and grace. We ask non-native Texan Sarah Bird what about the culture of friendly femininity won her over, what her mother taught her, iconic Texas women like Ladybird Johnson and Molly Ivins, and what it means to hunger for the companionship of other women.

This fascinating conversation illuminates the power, purpose, and imagery of Freemason societies in America from their origins in ancient Egyptian mystery schools to the Grand Lodge of Texas sending Buzz Aldrin to claim the moon as Texas Masonic Tranquility Lodge #2000. Adele and Webb talk about how these groups functioned in communities, how they were driven by immigrants seeking to preserve ancient traditions, and how their principles were communicated through ritualistic objects.

This moving conversation wrestles with two centuries of deeply ingrained racial tension born out of Southern plantation kitchens and the journey Toni Tipton-Martin embarked upon when she started one of the world’s largest private collections of African American cookbooks.

Ray Benson speaks honestly about utilizing his ADHD in his career, being Jewish in the music world, playing for the Klu Klux Klan, and the reality that becoming a successful musician has always been a hat trick.

The sociological study at the heart of Invisible in Austin seeks to correct stereotyping in similar studies that reduces people to “the drug dealer,” the single mother,” “the stripper.” The co-authors talk about tackling the politics of collaboration in academia, subjectivity, and intense debates on how to most effectively tell an individual's story.

Our conversation with Wendy Moore explores the difficulties, rewards, and impact of translation. She discusses what’s next for the CMES Modern Middle East Literatures in Translation series and how important it is to find cultural commonalities through translated literature.

The first African American member of Magnum Photos in conversation with UT Press about starting out as a hospital orderly in New Jersey to taking pictures of history in the making, encountering racial discrimination, and more. About the book: With over 250 images that span the astonishing range of his subjects and his evolution as a photographer, this is the first career retrospective of Eli Reed, one of America’s leading contemporary photojournalists and the first African American member of...

About the book: The award-winning author of The End of Country: Dispatches from the Frack Zone offers a lively, thought-provoking overview of climate change from the perspectives of people who are dealing with it on the ground.

Distinguished screenwriter Bill Wittliff talks about how he spun family-told mysteries into his engrossing first novel. About the book: Set in wild and woolly Texas and Mexico in the 1880s, this engrossing tale of a boy’s search for his missing Momma is as full of colorful characters, folk wit and wisdom, and unexpected turns of events as the great American quest novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. utpress.utexas.edu/index.php/books/witdev

Stephen Shames talks about his photoessay about a group of Bronx Boys in the 1970's.

Spotlighting three legends of American music—Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock, The Flatlanders recounts the band’s epic forty-year journey from a living room in Lubbock, Texas, to the release of their extraordinary long-lost demo, The Odessa Tapes.

This sophisticated, interdisciplinary study analyzes foundational concepts of deities and deity embodiments in Aztec religion to shed new light on the Aztec understanding of how spiritual beings take on form and agency in the material world. This podcast was generously funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's Latin American and Caribbean Arts & Culture Publication Initiative.