News About Podcasts and Broadcasts
I really enjoy being a guest on podcasts, especially those that are well done. I like the informal, conversational style, and I’m always pleased when a host has spent the time to know the subject well. During the summer, I had the pleasure of being a guest on two podcasts with great hosts.
A big thank you to Mike Allen, who runs the very fine “Amazing Tales About History” podcast, for interviewing me about the Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919, which I write about in my book, Dark Tide. It’s about 20 minutes long, and Mike does a great job with the flow, pace, and narration. You can listen here. It was fun being his guest – and I appreciate his kind comments at the end about Dark Tide and my other books! Enjoy and let me know what you think.
I also want to thank host Lee Stabert for inviting me to appear on her fine podcast, “Explain Boston to Me,“ to talk about my most recent book, The Great Abolitionist: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union. Lee is a transplant from Philadelphia who – as her podcast title suggests – is trying to learn as much about Boston as possible. And she’s doing a great job! Lee’s breezy, conversational style made this a fun experience for me. It’s about 50 minutes long (Lee introduces a few other items, too). You can listen here.
I was honored to be a guest on the History Channel’s “History This Week” podcast to discuss the caning of Charles Sumner, based on my books The Caning and The Great Abolitionist. The podcast dropped on May 22, the 169th anniversary of the event, which shocked the nation, left Charles Sumner seriously injured, and put the country inexorably on the road to Civil War. The podcast is about 42 minutes long, so it’s perfect to listen to on a drive, a walk, or a run! I think the History Channel team did an excellent job producing this, complete with music, sound effects, and a really strong narration by Sally Helm. My thanks also to executive producer Ben Dickstein for his thorough interview and many contributions! The link here is to YouTube, and the episode is also posted on Spotify and Apple, which you can find with a simple Google search. Enjoy!
This past winter I met with the crew of “The Curiosity Desk” of GBH News in Boston – the city’s public radio/television/digital platform – to shoot an episode on the Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 (my book, Dark Tide, tells the full story). We met at the site of the flood in Boston’s North End, which is now marked with a beautiful new interpretative plaque befitting the event. Well – it took awhile, but the episode launched on June 23 on GBH2 (live channel) and the GBH News YouTube channel. GBH tells me it’s almost 30 minutes long, and they explore the history of the North End, how the Great Molasses Flood occurred, and “whether it is truly possible to still smell the molasses more than 100 years later.” (spoiler alert – it isn’t – but I’m sure the episode will be great).
I was also interviewed about Dark Tide and the molasses flood by host James Gardner on the “Your History, Your Story” podcast. James did a great job setting the stage and asking insightful questions about the book and the writing process. The episode is about 50 minutes long. You can listen on: YouTube, Apple, or Spotify.
