Q & A, Hosted by Jay Nordlinger

About Q & A, Hosted by Jay Nordlinger

Jay Nordlinger is a journalist who writes about a range of subjects, including politics, foreign affairs, and the arts. He is the music critic of The New Criterion. He is a senior resident fellow at the Renew Democracy Initiative, and a contributor to its publication, The Next Move. His guests are from the worlds of politics and culture, talking about the most important issues of the day, and some pleasant trivialities as well. www.jaynordlinger.com (https://www.jaynordlinger.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Jay Nordlinger

Category

arts · news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 Mar 2015

Latest episode

17 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

1 of 543 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   17 Sept 2026

   Jeb Bush: Policy, Politics, Life

   Over the years, I have done several podcasts with Jeb Bush. They are always interesting and refreshing. For two terms, 1999 to 2007, he was the governor of Florida. Other governors looked to him for inspiration and advice. (I heard several of them say so, on the record and off.) After his governorship, he established his Foundation for Excellence in Education, otherwise known as “ExcelinEd (https://excelined.org/).” He is its chairman today. We begin our latest discussion with education policy. How did he get into the subject in the first place? I also want to know: Is there a federal role in education, or should it be strictly a state or local matter? How about the teachers’ unions? Are they villains? Jeb Bush is from old American families, on both sides. His first ancestor in America arrived in 1647. Some would call him a “Heritage American.” He thinks all of this is nonsense, as you can imagine. He has no use for nativism. (And he married an immigrant from Mexico.) We talk about immigration, and ICE. And about our $40 trillion debt. When it comes to foreign affairs, we talk about the Iran war, Ukraine, and Venezuela. We look back at the Republican presidential primaries in 2016—could anything have stopped the Trumpian wave? We talk about the Bush family. At the end, I ask Jeb whether he has anything else to say, anything else on his mind. Yes, he says: Don’t let social media get the better of us. Q&A is the podcast of this site, Onward and Upward. The site is supported by readers and listeners. To receive new articles and episodes—and to support the work of the writer and podcaster—become a free or paid subscriber. Many thanks to you. Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe (https://www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   14 Sept 2026

   More Statesmen, Please

   Maybe I could quote from my introduction: … our guest today is one of my favorites: Steven B. Smith, the scholar of political philosophy. He is a Chicagoan—not a North Shore kid but a gritty South Sider, who would earn his Ph.D. at the local school: the University of Chicago. Since 1984, he has taught at Yale, where he is the Alfred Cowles Professor of Political Science. He is the author of many books, including Modernity and Its Discontents (https://www.amazon.com/Modernity-Its-Discontents-Bourgeois-Machiavelli/dp/0300240236/ref=sr_1_3?crid=32G3JKJEWM8II&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uMKfdBpz9gdZaIu2DiS-p4t6BYdNPTUCQCEYgz_BwXPXd4yZBlPColiZ8AWyxfh1-z2Kpb1ANGkRpzotooiclf4-x76IRgqZfYdZDazMlGwrqo3QY7dEYvmMmLdcwV-EThoqh-3seiqc0bTrOMNtvGqMocQgMwNiUlMLOvn2dKeEFNjpVhf-ERoGGksyjzrVYQEVe3dVG5pM1FGF62QA6gAA0cpShAFO1TqMZbAASTA.z-YICK7tzJCXjqHkvHi9Eqm3Kbs8aVO2_u9m4Wjftz4&dib_tag=se&keywords=steven+b.+smith&qid=1789301334&sprefix=steven+b.+smith%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-3). Back in 2021, we talked (https://www.jaynordlinger.com/p/e334-an-american-chicago-born-steven-c8c) about his then new book Reclaiming Patriotism in an Age of Extremes (https://www.amazon.com/Reclaiming-Patriotism-Extremes-Steven-Smith/dp/0300254040/ref=sr_1_7?crid=32G3JKJEWM8II&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uMKfdBpz9gdZaIu2DiS-p4t6BYdNPTUCQCEYgz_BwXPXd4yZBlPColiZ8AWyxfh1-z2Kpb1ANGkRpzotooiclf4-x76IRgqZfYdZDazMlGwrqo3QY7dEYvmMmLdcwV-EThoqh-3seiqc0bTrOMNtvGqMocQgMwNiUlMLOvn2dKeEFNjpVhf-ERoGGksyjzrVYQEVe3dVG5pM1FGF62QA6gAA0cpShAFO1TqMZbAASTA.z-YICK7tzJCXjqHkvHi9Eqm3Kbs8aVO2_u9m4Wjftz4&dib_tag=se&keywords=steven+b.+smith&qid=1789301334&sprefix=steven+b.+smith%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-7). He has now written On Statesmanship (https://www.amazon.com/Statesmanship-Steven-B-Smith/dp/0300281749/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32G3JKJEWM8II&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uMKfdBpz9gdZaIu2DiS-p4t6BYdNPTUCQCEYgz_BwXPXd4yZBlPColiZ8AWyxfh1-z2Kpb1ANGkRpzotooiclf4-x76IRgqZfYdZDazMlGwrqo3QY7dEYvmMmLdcwV-EThoqh-3seiqc0bTrOMNtvGqMocQgMwNiUlMLOvn2dKeEFNjpVhf-ERoGGksyjzrVYQEVe3dVG5pM1FGF62QA6gAA0cpShAFO1TqMZbAASTA.z-YICK7tzJCXjqHkvHi9Eqm3Kbs8aVO2_u9m4Wjftz4&dib_tag=se&keywords=steven+b.+smith&qid=1789301334&sprefix=steven+b.+smith%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-1). It is a beautiful, learned book, which distills years of study and thinking. And raw human experience, I would say. For Professor Smith, I have many questions, starting with “What is statesmanship? Who is a statesman? Not just any politician or officeholder, right?” We talk about a range of particular statesmen, including Pericles, FDR, and Lee Kuan Yew. What was the impetus for this book? Why did Smith write it? I will abbreviate and paraphrase his answer: For two reasons, really. One is relevant to our public life, and the other is more relevant to academic life. Clearly, we are suffering from a dearth of great leaders—not just in America, but in many other places as well. In the last generation, there has been a rise of authoritarian leaders, but no rise on the other side: no rise of true statesmen. We have seen a slow degradation of our politics and our public life. This book is an attempt to say, great democracies need great leaders—and we have lost the language for it. We have lost sight of what the qualities for great leadership are. We barely know how to talk about it. On to academia: From the beginning, philosophers have discussed the concept of the statesman. The history of philosophy is replete with profound reflections on statesmanship. Think of Plato’s philosopher-king. And Machiavelli’s prince. And Rousseau’s lawgiver. And Weber’s thoughts on charisma, etc. That has all but disappeared from the academy. We think a lot about democracy, and the problems of democracy, but not very much about leaders in a democracy. If you think that democracies don’t require great leaders—think again. If there is one thing that keeps Steven Smith from despair, it’s this: you never know who will rise, and how. You never know who’s out there, to save the day—or at least to make the day better than it would have been. Who would ever have identified Lincoln? Yet “he both rose and mastered the occasion,” says Smith. He also talks about de Gaulle: Nobody had any idea who he was. He was a military officer, with no public visibility. When he spoke over the BBC from England, people didn’t even believe that that was a real name: “de Gaulle.” They thought it was made up. Yet through force of his personality and intellect, he created Free France and then the modern state. At the end of our Q&A, I bring up a mysterious and touchy subject: “American exceptionalism.” I have always believed in it, and counted on it, but my faith is waning. And I’m not even sure what it is. I will give Smith’s (excellent) answer—again, in my abbreviation and paraphrase: I’m a little bit hesitant to put it this way, but I’ll go ahead: I believe that, in many ways, “American exceptionalism” is our foundational myth. The Founders believed that they were creating something new and different. Hamilton said, We’re going to prove that a society doesn’t have to rely on accident and chance. It can be created through reflection and choice. This will be a different kind of society from others in the past. There’s an old joke. Someone asks a philosopher, “Do you believe in free will?” He answers, “Of course I do. I have no choice.” I feel a bit that way about American exceptionalism. Of course I believe in it—we have no choice. We have to regard ourselves as an exceptional people who are engaged in a mission that is a light unto the nations. We are a city on a hill … This is a long conversation—like a seminar—but I feel it is not long enough. You can learn a great deal from Steven Smith, without paying Yale tuition. And the price of the book, On Statesmanship (https://www.amazon.com/Statesmanship-Steven-B-Smith/dp/0300281749/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32G3JKJEWM8II&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uMKfdBpz9gdZaIu2DiS-p4t6BYdNPTUCQCEYgz_BwXPXd4yZBlPColiZ8AWyxfh1-z2Kpb1ANGkRpzotooiclf4-x76IRgqZfYdZDazMlGwrqo3QY7dEYvmMmLdcwV-EThoqh-3seiqc0bTrOMNtvGqMocQgMwNiUlMLOvn2dKeEFNjpVhf-ERoGGksyjzrVYQEVe3dVG5pM1FGF62QA6gAA0cpShAFO1TqMZbAASTA.z-YICK7tzJCXjqHkvHi9Eqm3Kbs8aVO2_u9m4Wjftz4&dib_tag=se&keywords=steven+b.+smith&qid=1789301334&sprefix=steven+b.+smith%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-1)? Worth every penny. Q&A is the podcast of this site, Onward and Upward. The site is supported by readers and listeners. To receive new articles and episodes—and to support the work of the writer and podcaster—become a free or paid subscriber. Many thanks to you. Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe (https://www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   8 Sept 2026

   Flicka: ‘Keep on Trekking’

   The only thing wrong, the only thing regrettable, about this podcast is that it’s out of proportion. What I mean is, Flicka, the legend, the giant, is in a little box and I’m in a bigger box. That’s the way the technology worked out. If I could reverse the boxes—believe me, I would. “Flicka” is Frederica von Stade, the great mezzo-soprano, and she is the subject of a new documentary: Flicka: A Love Letter (https://www.pbs.org/show/flicka-a-love-letter/). How does she feel about this? Well, there’s a certain amount of embarrassment, but basically pure joy. It was a wonderful experience. I was treated royally and spoiled incredibly, and it gave me a chance to look back. It was a wonderful, wonderful trip down Memory Lane, and I’m so grateful. (I have paraphrased—tightened—but only slightly.) Flicka is an octogenarian, but she is also, if I may, an eternal babe. She is always involved in projects of a charitable nature. On September 26, she will be giving a benefit concert in Fairfield, Iowa (https://fairfieldacc.com/event/frederica-von-stade/). In our Q&A—not our first and I hope not our last—we cover a range of issues. We talk a fair amount about repertoire: songs and operas. I say to her, Flicka, it occurs to me that you are a singer without specialty. You may be known for French songs and French opera roles, and for Mozart, but you have sung pretty much everything under the sun, song-wise and opera-wise. You have done Italian, French, German, English. Any Russian or Czech? Have you done those? Czech, yes, she answers, but Russian, no. Also: she has sung in Yiddish. Are there songs she would have liked to sing, but didn’t, or opera roles she would have liked to have, but didn’t? Any “omissions,” any “lacunae,” as Bill Buckley would say? No. I feel maybe a little bit arrogant saying so, but I feel that my life has been blessed by opportunity, and I’m grateful for every song I sang and every aria I sang. Every performance I did. I couldn’t want for more, I just couldn’t. It would be indecent, in my mind. She works with many young singers, at conservatories as far away as New Zealand (where her friend Kiri Te Kanawa, the soprano, lives). “I’m so glad that none of these kids were around when I was beginning,” says Flicka, “because I would never have had a job. They are out of this world.” But “I tremble for their future.” Why? Because there ain’t jobs. They are getting scarcer and scarcer, as the opera world and the recital world shrink and shrink. Some young singers are starting their own programs, their own series. There is a return to house concerts—music in the parlor. No matter what, “we have to keep on trekking,” says Flicka. I love this variation on “keep on trucking.” I hope always to remember “keep on trekking,” and to do it. Are there composers she feels especially close to? Composers who really speak to her? Yes, and one is a living composer, and, not only that, a friend of hers: Jake Heggie. Flicka also names Poulenc, famously (and accurately) described as “half rascal, half monk.” Frederica von Stade is one of the most recorded artists of our time. She has over a hundred of them—over a hundred recordings. Does she ever listen to them? No, she says (as I thought she would). She does not like to listen to her recordings. She’s apt to feel that her intention—her musical, emotional, or theatrical purpose—does not come through. It should be a consolation, I tell her, that she’s the only one who knows … Before Flicka rose to prominence, there was a triumvirate of great mezzo-sopranos (in my mind): Janet Baker, Christa Ludwig, and Marilyn Horne. Could she say something about each of them? She does indeed. She has sung with many famous singers—as famous as she. Can she give me the name of a singer, a colleague, who is underrated? Who should be a bigger deal than he or she is? Yes: Richard Stillwell, the American baritone. How about younger singers—singers now in their primes? Who stands out? Von Stade cites, among others, Sasha Cooke and Quinn Kelsey. The former is a mezzo-soprano from Texas and the latter is a baritone from Hawaii (yes, Hawaii, our 50th state). I can second those nominations if a second is needed, which it isn’t. At the end of our podcast, I give Flicka a little quiz: When did she first appear in Carnegie Hall? She whiffs the question (as I figured she would). (This woman is not self-absorbed.) The answer: February 1973, with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. In the new documentary, Jake Heggie says, “When Flicka walks into a room, it’s like your best friend just walked into the room—although you may be meeting her for the first time.” True, so true. Enjoy your friend Flicka. Q&A is the podcast of this site, Onward and Upward. The site is supported by readers and listeners. To receive new articles and episodes—and to support the work of the writer and podcaster—become a free or paid subscriber. Many thanks to you. Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe (https://www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Inside a recent episode

E274. The Essential Arthur Brooks

Published 5 Mar 2020 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Or it doesn't take 100 and lose to that and then have this be our Donald Trump. Because, you know, look, I have you get two beers into a conventional Democrat and they'll say the problem with Bernie Sanders is he's just like Donald Trump. They all say that privately, not publicly, and they don't want it. They don't want it, not just because they think it's going to lose, but because they don't think it's good for America. It's very easy for us on the center right to dismiss our friends on the left as unpatriotic or not wanting what's best for America. They do want what's best for America. They love our country just like we love our country. […]

Who has been a guest on Q & A, Hosted by Jay Nordlinger

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dottie Pepper
• Waad al-Kateab
• Ramesh Ponnuru
• Richard Brookhiser
• David Frum

Contact Q & A, Hosted by Jay Nordlinger

Guest appearances

Books guests

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

Questions about Q & A, Hosted by Jay Nordlinger