Great Podversations

About Great Podversations

Great Podversations features nationally-recognized writers in conversation. These candid discussions invite the listener to learn about literature, politics, history, economics, science, and culture through the voices of compelling authors and experts. NPR’s Robert Siegel introduces each pair of fascinating guests. Great Podversations is produced by the Kentucky Author Forum, and distributed by Louisville Public Media. For more information, please visit kentuckyauthorforum.com.

Publisher

Louisville Public Media

Category

arts · education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Sept 2013

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

2 of 97 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   9 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Kevin Wilson and Erin Keane

   Chief Content Officer of Salon.com, Erin Keane, interviews New York Times bestselling author Kevin Wilson about his novel "Run for the Hills," offering insights into family and hope.

2. 

   29 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Hampton Sides and Beto O'Rourke

   Former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke interviews New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides about his book "The Wide Wide Sea" and the complexities of the Age of Exploration.

3. 

   30 Jan 2026

   Maureen Dowd and Todd Purdum

   This conversation features Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times Opinion Columnist Maureen Dowd, interviewed by author and journalist Todd Purdum. They discuss Dowd’s book “Notorious: Portraits of Stars from Hollywood, Culture, Fashion and Tech” before a live audience at the Kentucky Author Forum. This conversation was recorded on December 1st, 2025, at the Kentucky Center in Louisville. Maureen Dowd is a columnist for The New York Times Opinion pages and a feature writer for The Times’s Styles and Arts & Leisure sections. Ms. Dowd won the Pulitzer Prize in 1999, has covered ten presidential campaigns, and served as White House correspondent during the first Bush administration and the Clinton administration. Her latest book, “Notorious: Portraits of Stars from Hollywood, Culture, Fashion and Tech,” is a captivating collection of her most compelling celebrity profiles. Todd Purdum is a veteran journalist and author who spent twenty-three years at The New York Times, covering politics from city hall to the White House, and served as the Los Angeles bureau chief. He was a senior writer at Politico and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. His most recent book, “Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television,” focuses on the trailblazer whose legacy continues to influence American culture.

Inside a recent episode

Kevin Wilson and Erin Keane

Published 9 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] And she gave me the yearling, which kind of changed my life a little bit. The first time I'd read a book where people kind of talked like how I talked. And so it was having this adult see you in a way that other the first time being seen by someone that's not your family. And it was really lovely. And my parents, who were deeply worried about me and scared of me sometimes, I think they never tried to stop me reading anything. I think in many ways they thought that there was so much weird, bad stuff in my head already that books could only help me. disperse or diffuse that. Do you know what I mean? […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

76 ratings

Spotify

4.8 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 35 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

37

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

85

Contact Great Podversations

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Great Podversations