Dialogue with Marcia Franklin

For more than 25 years, Idaho Public Television host Marcia Franklin has recorded interviews with some of the world's most noted writers and thinkers for her series, "Dialogue." From historians to humorists, from politicians to pundits, from jurists to journalists, these illuminating "Conversations That Matter" help us better understand our world. Be sure to subscribe for the latest episode!

Andrea Elliott: Invisible Child 08/31/2025

Andrea Elliott: Invisible Child Conversations From the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference is back for a 16th season! In this episode, journalist Andrea Elliott joins host Marcia Franklin to talk about her book, Invisible Child, which won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. The book chronicles eight years in the life of Dasani Coates, a child in Brooklyn. Elliott shares what compelled her to spend that much time covering the story, and how Dasani’s life exemplifies the challenges of being poor in America. Elliott also discusses some of the ethical considerations involved in reporting this complex and personal story. Originally Aired: 12/22/2023 The interview is part of the series . Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36269030

Gov. Cecil Andrus and Chris Carlson: A Mutual Respect 08/24/2025

Gov. Cecil Andrus and Chris Carlson: A Mutual Respect Marcia Franklin talks with four-term Idaho Governor Cecil D. Andrus and one of his former press secretaries, Chris Carlson. Carlson has written a book about his experiences working for the governor entitled Idaho's Greatest Governor. The two discuss Andrus' personal and political philosophies, as well as what they consider the highlights of his career. The governor also weighs in on current political issues, such as the partisanship in Congress, President Obama's performance, the Occupy movement, wilderness designation and salmon recovery. Cecil Andrus, a Democrat, began his political career in 1960 as a state senator from Orofino, ID. After three terms in the statehouse, he lost his first election for governor in 1966, but won an unprecedented four terms in 1970, 1974, 1986 and 1990, a record which still stands. From 1977 to 1981, Andrus served as Secretary of the Interior under President Jimmy Carter, the first Idahoan to serve in a presidential cabinet. In that position, he was known for helping pass the Alaska Lands Act, which set aside more than 100 million acres of land in that state as wilderness, including the Arctic national Wildlife Refuge. In 1995, Andrus founded the Andrus Center for Public Policy at Boise State University. A Kellogg native and former reporter, Chris Carlson served as Andrus' press secretary for more than eight years, from 1972 to the end of Andrus' tenure at the Department of Interior. He served on the Northwest Power and Conservation Council and as government affairs director for Kaiser Aluminum. Andrus and Carlson also worked together at Gallatin Public Affairs, a research and lobbying group of which Carlson is a co-founder. He is retired and lives in north Idaho. Originally aired: 11/17/2011 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36268930

Musician Eilen Jewell: Queen of the Minor Key 08/17/2025

Musician Eilen Jewell: Queen of the Minor Key In a special one-hour Dialogue, Marcia Franklin interviews Boise singer/songwriter Eilen Jewell. Jewell, known colloquially as the 'Queen of the Minor Key,' has attracted international kudos and fans for her Americana-style music. She talks with Franklin about why she moved back to Idaho; where she grew up; how she defines and crafts her music; and what's next for her and The Eilen Jewell Band, which also includes her husband, drummer Jason Beek. The couple just welcomed baby daughter Mavis, named after the gospel singer Mavis Staples. Eilen and Jason are also in a gospel band, The Sacred Shakers. Jewell talks with Franklin about why she's attracted to gospel music and performs a song she wrote for her new daughter. This program was taped at AudioLab Recording Studios in Garden City and includes footage of Jewell and her band performing at the Sapphire Room at the Riverside Hotel, also in Garden City. One of the songs, "My Hometown," is about Boise. Originally aired: 12/26/2014 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36268840

Playwright Samuel Hunter: The Whale 08/10/2025

Playwright Samuel Hunter: The Whale Marcia Franklin talks with playwright Samuel D. Hunter about his work, including “The Whale,” which was adapted into a movie with Brendan Fraser, who won an Academy Award. The two also discuss the role of Idaho in his works, and the importance of the humanities. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36268805

Michael Lanza: How to Enjoy the Big Outside, Part Two 08/03/2025

Michael Lanza: How to Enjoy the Big Outside, Part Two Marcia Franklin continues her conversation with Boise-based outdoor writer Michael Lanza, focusing on tips for hiking and camping, including some of the best gear and small essentials to pack. The two also talk about ways to keep safe in the backcountry. Lanza, the former Northwest editor for Backpacker magazine, has written three books about hiking, as well as many articles chronicling his worldwide adventures hiking, climbing, skiing and paddling. “Before They’re Gone,” his book about his family’s adventures hiking through some of the national parks in America most threatened by climate change, won an honorable mention in the National Outdoor Book Awards. Lanza also runs the website thebigoutside.com, which was chosen by USA Today readers as one of the top 10 hiking and outdoors blogs. Originally aired: 08/07/2015 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36268755

Michael Lanza: How to Enjoy the Big Outside, Part One 07/27/2025

Michael Lanza: How to Enjoy the Big Outside, Part One Marcia Franklin talks with Idaho outdoor writer and photographer Michael Lanza about some of the best backcountry trips in our region. Lanza, the former Northwest editor for Backpacker magazine, has written three books about hiking, as well as many articles chronicling his worldwide adventures backpacking, climbing, skiing and paddling. “Before They’re Gone,” his book about his family’s adventures hiking through some of the national parks in America most threatened by climate change, won an honorable mention in the National Outdoor Book Awards. Franklin talks with him about why he wanted to write the book, and what it was like to backpack with his young children. Lanza also runs the website thebigoutside.com, which was chosen by USA Today readers as one of the top 10 hiking and outdoors blogs. Originally aired: 07/10/2015 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36268700

Ernest Hemingway: His Life and Work 07/20/2025

Ernest Hemingway: His Life and Work Ernest Hemingway spent the last years of his life in Ketchum, where he died in 1961. To commemorate his life and writing on the 100th anniversary of his birth, the Idaho Humanities Council in 1999 invited several noted Hemingway scholars to Sun Valley to work with Idaho teachers. Marcia Franklin talks with four scholars about Hemingway; the discussion includes his style, his personal life and the influence of Idaho on his work. Originally aired: 12/23/1999 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36268650

Dave Barry: Idaho - A Whole Lotta Rocks! 07/13/2025

Dave Barry: Idaho - A Whole Lotta Rocks! Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry hams it up with host Marcia Franklin at the 2014 Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. The two talk about Barry’s various misadventures in the Gem State, including tree-climbing, snowmobiling and trout fishing—and what he thinks the new motto for Idaho should be. They also discuss Barry’s partnership with Ridley Pearson on the Peter and the Starcatchers book series. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 11/21/2014 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36268595

Nathaniel Philbrick: A City, A Siege, A Revolution 07/06/2025

Nathaniel Philbrick: A City, A Siege, A Revolution Marcia Franklin talks with maritime writer and historian Nathaniel Philbrick, the speaker at the 2013 Idaho Humanities Council Distinguished Humanities Lecture. Philbrick is the author of numerous books, including most recently "Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution," which looks at the deadliest battle of the American Revolution and how it influenced the birth of our country. A sailor, Philbrick is also known for his book, "In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex," which introduced readers to the true story behind Herman Melville's Moby Dick. It won the National Book Award in 2001, and was the basis for an American Experience documentary on PBS in 2011. Originally aired: 10/18/2013 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36268525

Sarah Broom: The Yellow House 06/29/2025

Sarah Broom: The Yellow House Sarah Broom unpacks her National Book Award-winning memoir, “The Yellow House,” which chronicles the devastating effects that decades of neglect and bureaucratic amnesia have had on her childhood neighborhood of New Orleans East. The book also pays homage to the house she and her 11 siblings grew up in, which was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, but which lives on in Broom’s prose. Originally Aired: 12/24/21 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series, . Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36268455

Isabel Wilkerson: The Warmth of Other Suns 06/22/2025

Isabel Wilkerson: The Warmth of Other Suns Marcia Franklin interviews Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson about her book, The Warmth of Other Suns. The work, about the Great Migration of African-Americans from the south to other parts of the country, took Wilkerson 15 years to research and write. They discuss the reasons for the migration, its influence on the country, and how the book's success has affected Wilkerson. Originally Aired: 10/16/14 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36268410

Abraham Verghese: The Covenant of Water 06/08/2025

Abraham Verghese: The Covenant of Water In this episode, host Marcia Franklin talks with Dr. Abraham Verghese about his latest blockbuster novel, The Covenant of Water. The epic, which includes a mystery at its core, covers more than 70 years in the intertwined lives of families in the Indian state of Kerala. Verghese discusses the ties the story has to his own family history and shares his joy of writing. Originally Aired: 12/01/2023 The interview is part of the series Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36268260

Emily Ruskovich: Idaho as Inspiration 06/01/2025

Emily Ruskovich: Idaho as Inspiration Marcia Franklin talks with Emily Ruskovich, the author of Idaho: A Novel. In 2019, the novel won the Dublin Literary Award, worth more than $100,000. Ruskovich reflects on what it has been like to win the award. The two also discuss the plot of Idaho, whose setting is based on the landscape of Ruskovich’s childhood in northern Idaho. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 11/1/2019 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36268060

Mohsin Hamid: The Last White Man 05/25/2025

Mohsin Hamid: The Last White Man In this episode, host Marcia Franklin speaks with writer Mohsin Hamid about his latest novel, The Last White Man. The story follows the transformation of a man who wakes up one day to find that his skin color has changed. Hamid, who often incorporates his own multicultural background into his work, talks with Franklin about how his life changed after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and how he aims with his writing to “imagine the world into a better place.” Originally Aired: 12/29/2023 The interview is part of the series . Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36267975

David Grann: The Wager 05/18/2025

David Grann: The Wager In this episode, David Grann regales viewers with some of the amazing true stories surrounding the wreck of The Wager, a British ship that sank off the tip of South America in 1741. In his book The Wager, Grann uses rare primary source documents to reconstruct the harrowing experiences of the ship’s castaways and shows how the aftermath of the saga is still relevant today. The book will be adapted into a film directed by Martin Scorsese, as was another of Grann’s bestsellers, Killers of the Flower Moon. Originally Aired: 12/15/2023 The interview is part of the series . Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36227210

Heather Rae & Russ Friedenberg: Filmmaking in Idaho 05/11/2025

Heather Rae & Russ Friedenberg: Filmmaking in Idaho Marcia Franklin talks with Idaho filmmakers Heather Rae and Russell Friedenberg. The two produced and wrote “Trudell,” a documentary about Native American poet and activist John Trudell. The documentary aired on Idaho Public Television as part of the “Independent Lens” series. Rae and Friedenberg discuss their film, which premiered at Sundance and has been screened around the world. They also talk about their upcoming works, the state of documentary filmmaking, and their plans to buy a building in Boise that will be a filmmaking center. Originally aired: 06/22/2006 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36227175

Michael Hoffman: Shakespeare on Screen 05/04/2025

Michael Hoffman: Shakespeare on Screen Marcia Franklin talks with Idaho filmmaker Michael Hoffman about the inspiration for his movies, including Promised Land, One Fine Day, A Midsummer's Night Dream, and Restoration, which won two Academy Awards. The two also discuss his work with the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, which he co-founded, and how growing up in Idaho and going to Boise State University influenced his work. Originally aired: 03/11/1999 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35816130

Eric Rasmussen: Shakespeare's First Folio 04/27/2025

Eric Rasmussen: Shakespeare's First Folio As part of the events in 2016 surrounding the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, Dialogue host Marcia Franklin talks with Professor Eric Rasmussen of the University of Nevada, Reno. Rasmussen, the chair of the English department at UNR, is a pre-eminent Shakespeare scholar and an expert on the First Folio, which was published in 1623 and includes almost all of the Bard of Avon’s plays. Rasmussen, also the author of a 1000-page catalog called The Shakespeare First Folio, worked with a team to locate 232 surviving copies of the First Folio, 72 more than were originally thought to exist. An estimated 800 were originally printed. There are now 235 known copies. The group went on to painstakingly document the condition of every page of as many copies as it could examine. Rasmussen is also the author of The Shakespeare Thefts: In Search of the First Folios, in which he includes some of the more colorful stories surrounding the various copies of the 900-plus page book, both ones that have been found and those that are still missing. Franklin talks with the professor about his interest in the First Folio, how he authenticates the new copies he finds, some of the unique aspects of the books, what he’s learned studying them, and what he thinks about the various authorship theories regarding Shakespeare’s works. The interview took place at the Humanities Institute at Boise State University, one of 52 locations in the United States chosen by the Folger Shakespeare Library to display the First Folio in 2016. Originally Aired: 09/09/2016 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35816090

Strobe Talbott: Global Governance and Climate Change 04/20/2025

Strobe Talbott: Global Governance and Climate Change Host Marcia Franklin talks with Strobe Talbott, a former journalist and diplomat who was the president of the Brookings Institution from 2002 to 2017. Talbott, who wrote for Time magazine for more than 20 years, has also penned a dozen books. Franklin and Talbott talk about his passion for the subject of global warming, and whether the issue is still on the political radar for politicians and the public. His book, Fast Forward: Ethics and Politics in the Age of Global Warming, suggests political and societal solutions for reversing climate change. The two also discuss his views on global governance, about which he writes in The Great Experiment: The Story of Ancient Empires, Modern States, and the Quest for a Global Nation. Talbott also sits on North American Executive Committee of the Trilateral Commission. The two discuss some Americans’ fears of a "One World government." Talbott, who was Deputy Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton, specialized in working with the new independent states of the Soviet Union. He talks with Franklin about a scandal in which Russian spies were found to have been living in the United States for many years. The two also discuss Brookings Mountain West, an offshoot of the Brookings Institution in Las Vegas, which examines public policy issues pertaining to the Intermountain West. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and visit the for more conversations that matter! Originally Aired: 12/16/2010 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series, . Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35816080

Annette Gordon-Reed: Sally Hemings of Monticello 04/13/2025

Annette Gordon-Reed: Sally Hemings of Monticello Host Marcia Franklin sits down with historian and law professor Annette Gordon-Reed about her book, The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family. The book, which won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, explores the complex bonds between President Thomas Jefferson and one of his slave families, the Hemingses. Using primary source documents, as well as second-hand accounts, Gordon-Reed tries to piece together the relationship between Jefferson and Sally Hemings, with whom most historians now believe he had as many as seven children. Hemings, a slave at Monticello, was also the half-sister of Jefferson's wife, Martha, who died when Jefferson was 39. A professor at Rutgers University and the New York College of Law at the time of the interview, Gordon-Reed is currently the Charles Warren Professor of American Legal History at Harvard Law School and Professor of History in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and visit the for more conversations that matter! Originally Aired: 12/03/2009 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series, "Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference," and was . Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35816065

Lois Leveen: A Spy in the Confederate White House 04/06/2025

Lois Leveen: A Spy in the Confederate White House Dialogue host Marcia Franklin talks with historical novelist Lois Leveen about two of her works: The Secrets of Mary Bowser, about a former slave who was a spy in the Confederate White House, and Juliet's Nurse, which imagines the life of the nurse in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Franklin asks Leveen about how she researches her ideas and what she hopes readers will glean from her works. Originally Aired: 02/13/15 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35816030

Ken & Betty Rodgers: The Making of Bravo! 03/30/2025

Ken & Betty Rodgers: The Making of Bravo! Marcia Franklin continues her conversation with Ken and Betty Rodgers about their documentary, "Bravo! Common Men, Uncommon Valor," which chronicles the experiences of the member of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Marines in the Siege of Khe Sanh in Vietnam. She focuses on how the couple produced the film. She also talks with Steve Wiese, a veteran of Khe Sanh who is in the documentary. Originally aired: 11/08/2013 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35816020

Ken & Betty Rogers: Bravo! 03/23/2025

Ken & Betty Rogers: Bravo! Marcia Franklin talks with Ken and Betty Rodgers, residents of Eagle, ID, who have produced a documentary called "Bravo! Common Men, Uncommon Valor," about the 1968 siege of Khe Sanh in Vietnam. Ken Rodgers is a former Marine Lance Corporal and a veteran of Khe Sanh. He and his wife Betty are joined by Steve Wiese, a former Marine Corporal who is also a veteran of Khe Sanh and lives in California. Both Rodgers and Wiese were members of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment, which fought at Khe Sanh in what would become the longest siege of the Vietnam War, and which would end in a stalemate. In the film Bravo!, Rodgers, Wiese and 13 other former Marines describe their experiences in combat and how those experiences have continued to affect their lives. Franklin asks the Rodgers' about why they wanted to produce the documentary and what they hope viewers will learn from it. Franklin also talks with Wiese about his experiences at Khe Sanh, and what has helped him overcome the traumas he experienced. Originally aired: 11/08/2013 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35815985

Tiya Miles: All That She Carried 03/16/2025

Tiya Miles: All That She Carried Marcia Franklin talks with historian Tiya Miles about her book, “All That She Carried,” which won the National Book Award. It tells the story of “Ashley’s sack,” a bag given to an enslaved girl by her mother in the 1850s. The two discuss how a material object can bring untold history alive, and also talk about Miles’ book, “Night Flyer,” which looks at the effect of the outdoors on Harriet Tubman. Originally aired: 11/01/2024 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series “Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference” and was taped . Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35815935

Gov. Phil Batt: "A Lucky Man" 03/09/2025

Gov. Phil Batt: "A Lucky Man" Marcia Franklin talks with former Idaho Governor Phil Batt about his life and legacy. Originally aired: 01/2027/2000 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35385335

Tom Ikeda: Public History, Hidden Stories 03/02/2025

Tom Ikeda: Public History, Hidden Stories Tom Ikeda, who provided critical research for Daniel James Brown’s book “Facing the Mountain,” discusses his Seattle-based non-profit, Densho. It preserves the stories of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II. Ikeda’s parents and grandparents were imprisoned in the Minidoka camp in Idaho. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 12/10/2021 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35385300

Daniel James Brown: Facing the Mountain 02/23/2025

Daniel James Brown: Facing the Mountain Daniel James Brown, the best-selling author of “The Boys in the Boat,” talks about his newest book, “Facing the Mountain,” which honors the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated unit of Japanese-Americans who fought in World War II despite the fact that many of their families were incarcerated in the United States simply for being of Japanese descent. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 12/3/2021 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35385280

Jon Meacham: Presidential Character 02/16/2025

Jon Meacham: Presidential Character In the lead-up to the November 2016 elections, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham joined Dialogue host Marcia Franklin to talk about presidential character. Meacham talks with Franklin about the qualities he believes are essential to being a successful president, and the unique nature of the 2016 presidential race. An executive editor at Random House, Meacham is well-known for his appearances on political discussion programs. He started his journalistic career at the Chattanooga Times and rose to become the editor of Newsweek. Meacham was the speaker at the Idaho Humanities Council’s 2016 Distinguished Humanities Lecture in Boise. Meacham’s latest book is His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope with an afterword by John Lewis. His 2015 book Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush was a #1 New York Times bestseller. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 2009 for his book American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House. He’s also the author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship, and American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers and the Making of a Nation. Originally Aired: 10/20/2016 Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and visit the for more conversations that matter! /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35385260

David Epstein: The Sports Gene 02/09/2025

David Epstein: The Sports Gene Marcia Franklin talks with David Epstein, an award-winning sports journalist and author of the bestselling book The Sports Gene. It delves into the controversial research on what role genetics plays in the development of athletic talent. The book also takes on the so-called “10,000 Hour Rule,” which contends that 10,000 hours of practice can produce mastery in a field, including sports. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 10/24/2014 The interview is part of Dialogue’s series Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35385220

Poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko: Politics and Love 02/02/2025

Poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko: Politics and Love For decades, Russian poets have preserved both the suffering and the joy of their people - but for their honesty, some writers paid with their lives. World-renowned Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko talks with host Marcia Franklin about his life and work. Originally aired: 05/27/1999 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35385195

Dialogue with Marcia Franklin

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