Wavemaker Conversations: A Podcast for the Insanely Curious

Ishmael Beah: Former Child Soldier

Michael speaks with former child soldier Ishmael Beah. His best-selling memoir, A Long Way Gone, led a New York Times book reviewer to wonder "how anyone comes through such unrelenting ghastliness and horror with his humanity and sanity intact." This conversation, at the Nantucket Book Festival, at times disturbing yet thoroughly uplifting, provides us with some answers.

Azar Nafisi

Schulder speaks with Azar Nafisi, Iranian-American author of the number one New York Times bestseller "Reading Lolita in Tehran" and "Republic of Imagination: America in 3 Books," in front of a live audience at this summer's Nantucket Book Festival. Nafisi insists that remaining in Iran after the Islamic Revolution and teaching the works of great western authors in ways the rulers of the Islamic Republic would consider subversive, was not an act of courage. Listen and judge for yourself.

Rosalynn Carter

Schulder speaks with former First Lady, Rosalynn Carter, for the National Women's Hall of Fame oral history project. Mrs. Carter shares stories from her active role in the women's rights movement, the resistance she encountered advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment, the backstory of the first federally funded National Women's Conference, the personal encounters that triggered her early advocacy of mental health coverage, the biggest disappointment in her life, her advice for young girls and boys, and her days growing up in Plains, Georgia. As you'll hear, Mrs. Carter's full immersion in the issues she cares most about continues, today, at the age of 87.

Stan Fischler: From Roller Skates to the Stanley Cup

In the run-up to the Stanley Cup finals, Schulder pays a visit to hockey maven Stan Fischler. When the 83 year old historian of hockey is not fighting city traffic on his bicycle, he is analyzing games for the MSG Networks and writing books on the sport -- the count is roughly 100. Fischler provides insights on speed versus power, the best players he's ever seen, and his own journey into the world of hockey, which began with a great disappointment, on a day in 1939, when he was 7 years old ...

Miles O'Brien on Science, Risk & Resilience

Miles O'Brien shares inside stories of his 15 years as CNN's science, space and aviation correspondent, his passion for piloting, how close he got to flying on a space shuttle, the unusual sequence of events that led to the amputation of his left arm, and the childhood roots of the resilience which led him to belay 12 feet beneath the surface of a glacier so soon after the accident. Miles and Michael spoke together on the island of Nantucket before a live audience of conservation leaders from the Organization of Biological Field Stations: "NASA of the Earth."

Introducing Ben Sollee: Kentucky Native

Ben Sollee is a cellist/singer/songwriter whose music defies all categories. His unique sound, which you will hear during this conversation, is influenced by classical, bluegrass, and R&B, and was described by New York Times music critic Stephen Holden as "meticulous, fluent arrangements continually morph[ing] from one thing to another." Sollee loves to interact with audiences in small venues, which led to his "Ditch the Van" tours, where he straps his cello to his bike and pedals hundreds of miles from performance to performance.

A Commencement Address For Parents of 8th Graders

Fellow Parents: May is the month of the inspired college commencement address. But many of us need inspiration for a different age. With college admissions mania bathing entire families with anxiety, I’m seeking commencement address wisdom for parents whose children will soon be heading to high school. My guest is Michael Thompson, a psychologist and author who has been embedded in the world of high-achieving schools and parents for several decades. Thompson is author of many must-reads including “The Pressured Child: Helping Your Child Find Success In School And Life.” That’s what he’s going to do for us, in this episode.

Same-Sex Marriage: What Can Straight Couples Learn From Gay & Lesbian Couples?

As the Supreme Court considers whether the Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry throughout the U.S., Schulder considers a different question. Is there something he and other heterosexual husbands and wives can learn from same-sex couples who already are married? Schulder explores dynamics unique to gay and lesbian couples -- including how they argue with one another, and how they talk about sex -- with guests Sam Garanzini, Executive Director of The Gay Couples Institute in California, and Deborah L. Hughes, President & CEO of the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House and American Baptist Minister. Hughes lived in the closet for many years, including the clergy closet, when gay and lesbian gatherings required communicating in code. Quite a journey to finding and marrying the woman she loves.

Jesus on Death Row

A Christian perspective on the sentencing phase of the trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Not the only Christian perspective, of course. But one uniquely articulated by Schulder's two guests, Mark Osler and Jeanne Bishop. Osler is author of the book "Jesus on Death Row: The Trial of Jesus and American Capital Punishment." Bishop is a Cook County public defender whose pregnant sister and brother-in-law were murdered in a Chicago suburb 25 years ago. Her new book is entitled: "Change of Heart: Justice, Mercy and Making Peace with My Sister's Killer."

China's Wild Hearts with Evan Osnos

Schulder speaks with The New Yorker's Evan Osnos. This week Osnos was named a 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist for his book "The Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth and Faith in the New China." Ambition in Mandarin means "wild heart." The wild hearts of China are driving that country's 24/7 economic growth. In his conversation with Michael in front of a live audience at last summer's Nantucket Book Festival, Osnos relays the stories of individual Chinese who have taken grit to a new level. Now, if you're worried about China, Osnos says his book may help you sleep better at night. Let's see.