Mike Duncan
American political history podcaster and author. His award winning series, “The History of Rome,” remains a legendary landmark in the history of podcasting.
Award-Winning Authors
Authors whose books are popular with 1st year reads, community reads, visiting writers programs!
Betsy Gaines Quammen
Author of American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God, and Public Lands in the West. Environmental historian and writer with a background in international conservation work, land issues, science denialism, and anti-government agitation in the American West.
Charles Johnson
National Book Award winner for Middle Passage, Dr. Charles Johnson writes captivating novels that address issues of being African-American in today’s U.S. society.
Angela Shelton
Be Your Own Hero! Angela Shelton shares heartwarming and hilarious real-life stories about moving from a life of child sexual abuse, rape and domestic violence hardships to activist, artist, performer, writer, and award-winning filmmaker.
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Your personal astrophysicist and host of the Emmy Award winning, COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey and StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson. Dr. Tyson’s passion for science communication changes the way we think about the universe.
David Quammen
Quammen’s science journalism creates a fascinating blend of exploration and storytelling. A National Book Award Finalist, he explains complicated science concepts to his audiences. Author of Breathless: The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus. Three-time winner of the National Magazine Award (the Ellie) and author of 15 books, Quammen is one of the world’s top nature and science writers.
Charles C. Mann
Offering valuable insights into the most significant events, from the European discovery of the Americas to the rise of the digital age, Charles Mann transforms our views of history. His book, The Wizard And The Prophet, asks the question “Can Earth support 10 billion people?”
Sandra Steingraber
An international anti-fracking activist & biologist who fights for environmental rights as a basic human right.
Robert Bullard
“Father of Environmental Justice,” & “One of 13 Environmental Leaders of the Century”. Dr. Robert Bullard is a leading voice on environmental racism, sustainable housing & human rights.
Daniel H. Wilson
Award-winning SciFi author of How to Survive a Robot Uprising, and AI & Robotics Expert, Wilson was selected to write, “The Andromeda Evolution” with the Michael Crichton estate, which marked the 50th anniversary of “The Andromeda Strain”.
Lilly Ledbetter
The inspiration behind the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. A bestselling author and activist, Ledbetter fights for pay equity and ignites change.
Daisy Hernández
Award winning author, Hernandez crosses the barriers between race, gender, and media representation. Her bold insight emphasizes disparities in today’s culture.
Richard Rodriguez
An award–winning, thought provoking writer, hailed by The Washington Post as “one of the most eloquent and probing public intellectuals in America”.
Rinku Sen
Rinku brings an innovative approach to complex race issues to help people take effective action toward racial equity through research, media, and practice.
Jeffery Renard Allen
Award winning American poet, essayist, short story writer, and novelist. Winner of the P.E.N. Discovery Prize and a Whiting Writer’s Award.
Spencer Overton
Author of Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression, President of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, and former Justice Department official.
Arn Chorn-Pond
Renowned human rights activist, musician and Cambodian genocide survivor. Inspiring change with incredible stories of hope, endurance, and survival through the power of music.
Lorene Cary
Powerful storyteller, educator, and social activist delivering autobiographical, historical, and fictional stories about issues surrounding race and class.