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!

Wright Thompson: Remembering Emmett Till 11/16/2025

Wright Thompson: Remembering Emmett Till Host Marcia Franklin talks with author Wright Thompson about his book, “The Barn,” which delves into the history of the barn in Mississippi where 14-year-old Emmett Till was tortured in 1955. The murder and subsequent trial accelerated the civil rights movement in America. The conversation was taped at the . /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/38895275

Andre Dubus III: Ghost Dogs and Other Truths 11/09/2025

Andre Dubus III: Ghost Dogs and Other Truths Host Marcia Franklin talks with author Andre Dubus III about his work, which includes his bestselling novel, “House of Sand and Fog” and memoir, “Townie.” The two also discuss his most recent books, “Ghost Dogs: On Killers and Kin,” and “Such Kindness,” as well as his thoughts on the digital world. The conversation was taped at the . /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/38895150

Ocean Vuong: Staining the Reader 11/02/2025

Ocean Vuong: Staining the Reader Host Marcia Franklin talks with author Ocean Vuong about his work, which includes the bestselling novels, “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” and the recent “The Emperor of Gladness.” Vuong, a professor at New York University, also discusses his love of photography and how it has influenced his writing. The conversation was taped at the . /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/38895070

Stacy Schiff: The Legacy of the Salem Witch Trials 10/26/2025

Stacy Schiff: The Legacy of the Salem Witch Trials Marcia Franklin talks with Pulitzer Prize–winning author Stacy Schiff about her work, The Witches. The book examines the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, delving into what precipitated them, and the participants involved. Franklin talks with Schiff about why she wanted to write the book, the challenges involved and the legacy of the trials. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 10/29/2015 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/36269320

Jill Dougherty: Decoding Putin 10/19/2025

Jill Dougherty: Decoding Putin As Russia’s dominance on the international stage increases, along with its presence in the American presidential election, Dialogue host Marcia Franklin talks with journalist Jill Dougherty about Russian President Vladimir Putin. Dougherty, who reported for CNN for 30 years, most recently as its Foreign Affairs Correspondent, was also the network’s Moscow Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent. She left CNN in 2013 to get a Master’s degree in International Relations from Georgetown University and is now writing a book on Putin’s ‘soft power.’ At the time she spoke with Franklin, Dougherty was a Global Fellow at the Kennan Institute, a division of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. The two discuss what Dougherty means by ‘soft power,’ and some of the factors that drive President Putin’s persona and politics. Franklin also asks Dougherty about Putin’s involvement in the United States’ presidential election and what the next U.S. president should keep in mind when negotiating with Russia. Dougherty was in Boise in September 2016 to address the Boise Committee on Foreign Relations. Originally Aired: 09/30/2016 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36269300

Yascha Mounk: German, Jewish, American 10/12/2025

Yascha Mounk: German, Jewish, American Host Marcia Franklin talks with political scientist Yascha Mounk about identity, political divides and his outlook on America. Mounk is the author of several books, including “The People vs. Democracy,” “The Great Experiment,” and “Stranger in My Own Country.” Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 11/18/2022 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/36269275

Rabbi Sharon Brous: The Amen Effect 10/05/2025

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/36269230

Author Anthony Doerr: All the Light We Cannot See 09/28/2025

Author Anthony Doerr: All the Light We Cannot See Marcia Franklin talks with Idaho author Anthony Doerr about his bestselling novel, "All the Light We Cannot See," which took ten years to research and write. The book debuted at #10 on the New York Times' Best Sellers list and received glowing reviews around the country. It also won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2015 shortly after this interview. Franklin talks with Doerr, who lives in Boise, about his novel, which depicts the lives of two European children in World War II, children whose lives ultimately intersect in war-torn Saint Malo, France. The town was nearly destroyed by Allied forces at the end of the war. Doerr discusses the book's themes, which include the power of radio during that time period, and the moral choices faced by civilians during wartime. Doerr also talks about what kept him motivated during the decade-long writing process. Originally aired: 07/10/14 /episode/index/show/dialoguewriters/id/36269155

David Epstein: The Sports Gene 09/21/2025

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/36269105

Amy Waldman: Memorializing 9/11 09/14/2025

Amy Waldman: Memorializing 9/11 Amy Waldman, a former reporter for The New York Times, discusses her bestselling novel The Submission, which tells the fictional tale of Mohammad “Mo” Khan, a secular Muslim who wins a competition to design a memorial honoring the victims of a terrorist attack similar to 9/11. When the jury members discover who’ve they’ve selected, some try to change the result. But the decision is leaked to the press, resulting in outrage not over the selection of Khan, but over his entry, which includes a garden some think is an Islamic design to honor martyrs. The outcry is reminiscent of the 2010 controversy over Park51, a planned Islamic community center in New York City near the former Twin Towers. But Waldman had finished the first draft of her book before that story erupted. Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the for more conversations that matter. Originally Aired: 10/12/2012 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/36269085

Clarissa Ward: On All Fronts 09/07/2025

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/36269055

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

Dialogue with Marcia Franklin

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