Marcia Franklin talks with four-term Idaho Governor Cecil D. Andrus and one of his former press secretaries, Chris Carlson. Carlson has written a book about his experiences working for the governor entitled Idaho's Greatest Governor.

The two discuss Andrus' personal and political philosophies, as well as what they consider the highlights of his career. The governor also weighs in on current political issues, such as the partisanship in Congress, President Obama's performance, the Occupy movement, wilderness designation and salmon recovery.

Cecil Andrus, a Democrat, began his political career in 1960 as a state senator from Orofino, ID. After three terms in the statehouse, he lost his first election for governor in 1966, but won an unprecedented four terms in 1970, 1974, 1986 and 1990, a record which still stands.

From 1977 to 1981, Andrus served as Secretary of the Interior under President Jimmy Carter, the first Idahoan to serve in a presidential cabinet. In that position, he was known for helping pass the Alaska Lands Act, which set aside more than 100 million acres of land in that state as wilderness, including the Arctic national Wildlife Refuge. In 1995, Andrus founded the Andrus Center for Public Policy at Boise State University.

A Kellogg native and former reporter, Chris Carlson served as Andrus' press secretary for more than eight years, from 1972 to the end of Andrus' tenure at the Department of Interior. He served on the Northwest Power and Conservation Council and as government affairs director
for Kaiser Aluminum. Andrus and Carlson also worked together at Gallatin Public Affairs, a research and lobbying group of which Carlson is a co-founder. He is retired and lives in north Idaho.

Originally aired: 11/17/2011

In a special one-hour Dialogue, Marcia Franklin interviews Boise singer/songwriter Eilen Jewell.

Jewell, known colloquially as the 'Queen of the Minor Key,' has attracted international kudos and fans for her Americana-style music. She talks with Franklin about why she moved back to Idaho; where she grew up; how she defines and crafts her music; and what's next for her and The Eilen Jewell Band, which also includes her husband, drummer Jason Beek.

The couple just welcomed baby daughter Mavis, named after the gospel singer Mavis Staples. Eilen and Jason are also in a gospel band, The Sacred Shakers. Jewell talks with Franklin about why she's attracted to gospel music and performs a song she wrote for her new daughter.

This program was taped at AudioLab Recording Studios in Garden City and includes footage of Jewell and her band performing at the Sapphire Room at the Riverside Hotel, also in Garden City. One of the songs, "My Hometown," is about Boise.

Originally aired: 12/26/2014

Marcia Franklin talks with playwright Samuel D. Hunter about his work, including “The Whale,” which was adapted into a movie with Brendan Fraser, who won an Academy Award. The two also discuss the role of Idaho in his works, and the importance of the humanities.

Marcia Franklin continues her conversation with Boise-based outdoor writer Michael Lanza,
focusing on tips for hiking and camping, including some of the best gear and small essentials to pack. The two also talk about ways to keep safe in the backcountry.

Lanza, the former Northwest editor for Backpacker magazine, has written three books about hiking, as well as many articles chronicling his worldwide adventures hiking, climbing, skiing and paddling.

“Before They’re Gone,” his book about his family’s adventures hiking through some of the national parks in America most threatened by climate change, won an honorable mention in the National Outdoor Book Awards.

Lanza also runs the website thebigoutside.com, which was chosen by USA Today readers as one of the top 10 hiking and outdoors blogs.

Originally aired: 08/07/2015

Marcia Franklin talks with Idaho outdoor writer and photographer Michael Lanza about some of the best backcountry trips in our region. Lanza, the former Northwest editor for Backpacker magazine, has written three books about hiking, as well as many articles chronicling his worldwide adventures backpacking, climbing, skiing and paddling.

“Before They’re Gone,” his book about his family’s adventures hiking through some of the national parks in America most threatened by climate change, won an honorable mention in the National Outdoor Book Awards. Franklin talks with him about why he wanted to write the book, and what it was like to backpack with his young children. Lanza also runs the website thebigoutside.com, which was chosen by USA Today readers as one of the top 10 hiking and outdoors blogs.

Originally aired: 07/10/2015

Ernest Hemingway spent the last years of his life in Ketchum, where he died in 1961. To commemorate his life and writing on the 100th anniversary of his birth, the Idaho Humanities Council in 1999 invited several noted Hemingway scholars to Sun Valley to work with Idaho teachers. Marcia Franklin talks with four scholars about Hemingway; the discussion includes his style, his personal life and the influence of Idaho on his work.

Originally aired: 12/23/1999

Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry hams it up with host Marcia Franklin at the 2014 Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. The two talk about Barry’s various misadventures in the Gem State, including tree-climbing, snowmobiling and trout fishing—and what he thinks the new motto for Idaho should be. They also discuss Barry’s partnership with Ridley Pearson on the Peter and the Starcatchers book series.

Don’t forget to subscribe, and visit the Dialogue website for more conversations that matter.

Originally Aired: 11/21/2014

The interview is part of Dialogue’s series “Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference” and was taped at the 2014 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world’s most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.

Marcia Franklin talks with maritime writer and historian Nathaniel Philbrick, the speaker at the 2013 Idaho Humanities Council Distinguished Humanities Lecture. Philbrick is the author of numerous books, including most recently "Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution," which looks at the deadliest battle of the American Revolution and how it influenced the birth of our
country.

A sailor, Philbrick is also known for his book, "In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex," which introduced readers to the true story behind Herman Melville's Moby Dick. It won the National Book Award in 2001, and was the basis for an American Experience documentary on PBS in 2011.

Originally aired: 10/18/2013