Playwright Sarah Ruhl reads Max Ritvo‘s poem “Refuge for Sarah” from her book, Letters From Max: A Book of Friendship, and talks with Carrie Fountain about their relationship, his poetry, and the value of empathy and friendship today.
José Olivarez
Poet José Olivarez reads his poem, “Getting Ready to Say I Love You to My Dad, It Rains,” from his new book Citizen Illegal, and talks with poet and novelist Carrie Fountain about family, immigration, and the stories he wants to share through his poetry.
Leadership and Being Liked
If you’re in a leadership position you know you have to make some difficult decisions. Some of those decisions might put you in the doghouse for a while, but if you are motivated by the good of the group as opposed to the need to be liked, things tend to work out better.
In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of leadership and being liked.
Carrie Fountain Remembers Poet Tony Hoagland
Tony Hoagland was an American poet who passed away on October 23, 2018. On this episode of This is Just To Say poet and novelist Carrie Fountain reads his poem “Disappointment” and talks with KUT’s Rebecca McInroy about Hoagland’s life and legacy.
Thanksgiving (Rebroadcast)
For many of us, Thanksgiving means spending time with our families and carrying out traditions that we’ve practiced for years.
While it can be very stressful, messy, and challenging to spend time with family members you don’t see very often, it can also be a beautiful time of re-centering.
Traditions serve a psychological function. By repeating the same traditional activity with the same group of people over the years, we construct a chronological record of who we’ve been before – and who we are now. It’s a hidden way of staying in touch with the consistent elements of our identities, and it allows us to track ourselves as we develop and change.
Traditions give us an opportunity to become psychologically close to the person that we used to be in childhood, or adolescence – or even as recently as last year. And that’s something to be thankful for.
As always, Drs. Bob Duke and Art Markman are carving it up.
Literature, Poetry, Activism, and Immigration
Listen back as KUT’s Rebecca McInroy talks with novelist Natalia Sylvester, poet Emmy Pérez, and activist Maria Oliveira, about the power of sharing stories, how poetry can unite, and the links between vintage clothing and resistance.
Carrie Fountain Reads W.S. Merwin
Poet and novelist Carrie Fountain reads W.S. Merwin‘s poem “Thanks” and talks with producer KUT’s Rebecca McInroy about how complicated it is to feel and show gratitude in a complex and troubled world.
Status
Status is a double-edged sword. On the one hand having status can give you access to opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise have, and on the other losing it can be very hard to deal with psychologically.
On this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of status.
Erika Meitner
Poet Erika Meitner reads her poem “I’ll Remember You As You Were, Not As You’ll Become,” and talks with poet and novelist Carrie Fountain about working in documentary film, coming to poetry, and what it means to her to write “political poetry” today.
Data (Amended)
Humans are not rational beings, and when it comes to data this is blindingly evident. On this episode of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about data and the brain.
Solidarity (Ep. 35)
The Secret Ingredient is “Solidarity.” Listen back as Raj Patel, Tom Philpott and Rebeca McInroy talk with organizers Hodaliz Borrayes, Diana Sierra, and Andrea Schmid from The Pioneer Vally Workers Center, about their profound backgrounds and how they come together to educate, inform, and support immigrant workers.
Greed (Rebroadcast)
Is greed good? Is greed a human instinct? Why are some people inclined to hoard?
For some individuals, greed and selfishness are much more commonly displayed than generosity. So, it might be fair to say greed feels more natural for some. On the other hand, most might say they favor unselfishness.
In this installment of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss whether greed is instinctual or not.
Naomi Shihab Nye
In this edition of This Is Just To Say, poet and novelist Carrie Fountain talks with Palestinian-American poet Naomi Shihab Nye about her writing practice, her role as a teacher and mentor, and about her new book, Voices in the Air: Poems for Listeners.
Sugar And The Brain (Rebroadcast)
Why is it hard to have just one of those delicious slices of pound cake over the holidays? Well, it turns out it has less to do with the creamy butter and more to do with the way our brains react to those sweet white grains of sugar.
In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke discuss the ways our brains respond to sugar.
Lisa Olstein
Poet and novelist Carrie Fountain talks with poet Lisa Olstein about trusting her writing process, her roots as a poet, and about her haunting and beautiful poem “This Is Our American America Here Is Our Son.”
Metaphors and Framing Discourse
Many times we use metaphors not only to illustrate what we are talking about but also to denote that we belong in a certain group. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of metaphors and framing discourse.
Understanding China Today
Listen back as KUT’s Rebecca McInroy along with David J. Firestein, the executive director of The University of Texas at Austin’s China Public Policy Center, economist James K. Galbraith, and Professor of Media Studies Dr. Wenhong Chen talk about China, the myth vs. the reality, lessons from China’s digital media policy, and decoding the “Trade-War.”
Scooter Culture
We might fancy ourselves as responsible, socially conscious people, but when new technologies such as communal scooters are introduced into our environments all that can easily fly out the window.
In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of scooter culture in Austin.
Ada Limón
Poet Ada Limón talks with poet and novelist Carrie Fountain about her new book “The Carrying,” and what it means to write intimately as a woman. We also hear from her snoring wonderdog Lily Bean.
Journalism and The Middle East
Join KUT’s Rebecca McInroy along with Lawrence Wright, staff writer for The New Yorker and author of “The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11,” and Jamal Khashoggi of The Washington Post, to talk about how identities, relationships, imaginations, and policies are shaped and understood through various media lenses, to illuminate what truths are hidden by the facts.
Special thanks for making this even possible go to The University of Texas Department of Middle Eastern Studies and Karin Wilkins.