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!

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

Marion Blumenthal Lazan: Remembering the Holocaust 01/26/2025

Marion Blumenthal Lazan: Remembering the Holocaust Host Marcia Franklin talks with Holocaust survivor Marion Blumenthal Lazan about her experiences in several concentration camps, including Bergen-Belsen, and her life educating others about how to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again. Lazan is the co-author of a young adult book about her experiences called Four Perfect Pebbles, and is the subject of a documentary called Marion's Triumph. Originally Aired: 09/05/13 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35385170

Rep. John Lewis: Last of the Big Six 01/19/2025

Rep. John Lewis: Last of the Big Six Marcia Franklin talks with Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), the last of the so-called "Big Six" leaders of the African-American civil rights movement. Lewis was the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963 to 1966, and played a seminal role in some of the 56 most important activities of the movement, including the Freedom Rides, the march from Selma to Montgomery and the March on Washington (at which he was the youngest speaker). He became a United States Representative in 1986. During their conversation, Lewis and Franklin discussed his emotions on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act, the election of President Obama, what Lewis sees as current civil rights challenges, and his advice to the next generation. The two also discuss a trilogy of graphic novels called March that he and a staffer, Andrew Aydin, are writing. The series illustrates the congressman's life in the civil rights movement. The first book hit #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers List. Originally Aired: 11/14/2014 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. Marcia Franklin has interviewed speakers there since 2005. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35385140

Historian Robert Dallek: Hail to the Chief 01/12/2025

Historian Robert Dallek: Hail to the Chief Marcia Franklin interviews presidential historian Robert Dallek about the upcoming election and the qualities he believes are important in order to lead a country. Dallek, the author of more than a half dozen books, including a two-volume biography of President Lyndon Johnson, is a professor of history at Boston University. He is a frequent commentator on radio and television, and was the 2004 distinguished Idaho Humanities Council lecturer. Originally aired: 10/14/2004 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35224310

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss: Creating "Game of Thrones," Part Two 01/05/2025

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss: Creating "Game of Thrones," Part Two In part two of her interview with David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, co-creators of “Game of Thrones,” Marcia Franklin talks with the duo about the effect the program has had on Northern Ireland, where they film, the technological breakthroughs the production has achieved, what they’d like the legacy of the series to be, and their next project. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 11/11/2016 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/35224250

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss: Creating "Game of Thrones," Part One 12/29/2024

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss: Creating "Game of Thrones," Part One In part one of her interview with David Benioff & D. B. Weiss, co-creators of the immensely popular “Game of Thrones” television series, Marcia Franklin talks with the duo about why they wanted to create the series, what they think of criticism about its violence, how they work together, and how they’ve dealt with the fear of the unknown on such a complex project. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 11/4/2016 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/35224180

Writer Samantha Silva: Mr. Dickens and His Carol 12/22/2024

Writer Samantha Silva: Mr. Dickens and His Carol It's one of his most beloved tales, but was written in a hurry and under duress. On this holiday episode of Dialogue, Marcia Franklin talks with Boise writer Samantha Silva about "A Christmas Carol," penned by Charles Dickens in 1843. In her debut novel, "Mr. Dickens and His Carol," Silva melds fact with fiction to imagine how Dickens came up with the plot for his now-classic story. Of Silva's work, Pulitzer Prize-winner and Boise resident Anthony Doerr says, "It's as foggy and haunted and redemptive as the original; it's all heart, and I read it in a couple of ebullient, Christmassy gulps." Silva talks with Franklin about what drew her to Dickens, how she researched her book, why she thinks "A Christmas Carol" crystallizes Dickens' ethos, and why the story is still relevant. A graduate of Boise State University and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Silva is a screenwriter who has sold projects to Paramount, Universal, New Line Cinema, and TNT. A film version of her short story, "The Big Burn," won the One Potato Short Screenplay Competition at the 2017 Sun Valley Film Festival and will be released in 2018. Silva will also be writing another novel. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/35224030

Adam Johnson: The Meaning-Making Machine 12/15/2024

Adam Johnson: The Meaning-Making Machine Author Adam Johnson, who has won both a Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for his works, talks with host Marcia Franklin about his writing philosophy. The two also discuss his thoughts on North Korea, which he has visited and about which he wrote in The Orphan Master's Son. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 11/2/2018 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/34440955

Gretchen Morgenson: The Roots of the Financial Crisis 12/08/2024

Gretchen Morgenson: The Roots of the Financial Crisis Host Marcia Franklin talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gretchen Morgenson, then a financial editor and columnist at the New York Times who covered the country’s financial crisis since its inception. They discuss the federal government’s push to increase home ownership, which Morgenson sees as the underpinning of the financial collapse. The two also talk about various taxpayer-funded bailouts of companies such as AIG, and whether Morgenson sees any light at the end of the tunnel for the slumping economy. Before moving to The Wall Street Journal in November 2017, Morgenson was assistant business and financial editor at the New York Times since May 1998. Prior to that she was assistant managing editor at Forbes magazine. She was also the press secretary for the Forbes for President campaign. In 2002, she won a Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of Wall Street. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and visit the for more conversations that matter! Originally Aired: 09/10/2009 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/34323590

Playwright Samuel Hunter: The Whale 12/01/2024

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/34162480

Historian Tiya Miles: All That She Carried 11/24/2024

Historian 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. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/33671657

Journalist Clarissa Ward: On All Fronts 11/17/2024

Journalist Clarissa Ward: On All Fronts Marcia Franklin talks with Clarissa Ward, the chief international correspondent for CNN, about her start in the business, her assignments in some of the most dangerous parts of the world and the continuing need for journalistic ethics. The two also discuss her memoir, “On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist.” The conversation was taped at the 2024 Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/33671647

Rabbi Sharon Brous: The Amen Effect 11/10/2024

Rabbi Sharon Brous: The Amen Effect Marcia Franklin talks with Rabbi Sharon Brous of IKAR, a Jewish congregation in Los Angeles. The two discuss how the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel affected her and her congregants, Israel’s bombing of Gaza, increasing antisemitism, and a path forward to peace. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/33671472

Author Margaret Atwood: The Testaments 11/03/2024

Author Margaret Atwood: The Testaments Host Marcia Franklin talks with author Margaret Atwood about her work, which includes the bestselling novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale” and its sequel, “The Testaments.” Atwood also shares her thoughts on whether the United States could head towards totalitarianism. The conversation was recorded at the 2024 Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/33671387

Abraham Verghese: The Covenant of Water 10/27/2024

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/33305252

Hernan Diaz: Trust 10/20/2024

Hernan Diaz: Trust In this episode, Hernan Diaz joins Marcia Franklin to discuss his latest novel, Trust, which won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The intricately braided tale about characters in the world of high finance gives readers four different takes on the same story, playing with the idea of “truth.” Diaz explains why he constructed the novel using multiple voices, and what it was like to win the Pulitzer Prize. Originally Aired: 12/08/2023 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/33305142

David Grann: The Wager 10/13/2024

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/33305077

Andrea Elliott: Invisible Child 10/06/2024

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/33305027

Mohsin Hamid: The Last White Man 09/29/2024

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/33304832

Dialogue with Marcia Franklin

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