331 episodes

Each week scholars explore the worlds of literature, science, the arts, politics, history, religion, and business through lively discussion with host Sarah McConnell. From the controversies over slave reparations and global warming, to the unique worlds of comic books and wine-making, With Good Reason is always surprising, challenging and fun!

With Good Reason Virginia Humanities

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.8 • 42 Ratings

Each week scholars explore the worlds of literature, science, the arts, politics, history, religion, and business through lively discussion with host Sarah McConnell. From the controversies over slave reparations and global warming, to the unique worlds of comic books and wine-making, With Good Reason is always surprising, challenging and fun!

    Spring Break

    Spring Break

    About 80% of Americans have visited Disney World in Florida. Marc Williams says that Disney World has both shaped and been shaped by American identity. And: Anita Zatori sees an increase in young people choosing vacation destinations not to be there, but to create content of themselves being there.

    Later in the show: From guiding tours in Bangkok to operating a Thai restaurant in Sydney, Australia, Cherry Brewer knows all about tourism. She's bringing her expertise to the university’s new hospitality and tourism management curriculum. Plus: After being singled out in a group of peers while traveling abroad, Shaniel Bernard Simpson began wondering what solo women travelers were experiencing.

    • 52 min
    United We Stand: Telling Our Story

    United We Stand: Telling Our Story

    Enya Cid moved from Mexico to the U.S. as a three year old. She says this country is her home, but her right to stay here never feels certain. In 2022, Enya joined other first generation immigrants in a writing workshop hosted by the publisher Restless Books and Arlington, Virginia’s Dream Project. Enya shares her story along with Nataly Montano, who immigrated to the U.S. from Bolivia. Their teacher, playwright Isaiah Stavchansky, explains how the writing workshop empowers immigrants as Americans.

    Later in the show: Workshop participants Karen Vallejos Corrales, Cecilia Morales, and Hareth Andrade Ayala share their stories of immigrating to this country and read some of their written work.

    • 52 min
    Mere Difference

    Mere Difference

    Living with a disability can be hard. But it doesn’t have to lead to a life less lived. Elizabeth Barnes says her own diagnosis made her confront the reality of finding the unexpected joys in disability. And: Many parents of young deaf children don’t have access to learn sign language. Carrie Humphrey and Colin Wells say this can put deaf kids at a disadvantage and delay their development. Carrie and Colin both work as full-time faculty in the American Sign Language and Interpreter Education program at Reynolds Community College. Carrie was named an Outstanding Faculty member by The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

    Later in the show: In 2007, Susan Ghiaciuc was diagnosed with MS. After she told her university employer, she was promptly greeted with a mound of paperwork and probing questions. Now she’s working to help improve the disclosure process for professors across Virginia. Plus: Traditional ways of teaching don't always work for every student. That’s what prompted Laurie Cubbison to look for alternatives. She says Universal Design for Learning better serves students with a diverse array of learning needs.

    • 52 min
    REPLAY: Life Without Boundaries

    REPLAY: Life Without Boundaries

    19th and 20th century poet, Alice Meynell–a.k.a. “the penciling mama”--described motherhood as “life without boundaries.” Cristina Richieri Griffin discusses the Victorian mother of eight’s complicated feelings on mothering. And: The 2003 Haitian novel, The Infamous Rosalie, tells the stories of generations of women who are enslaved on a plantation. Ima Hicks explores how for these women, mothering was a particularly complicated act.

    Later in the show: Camilla Morrison believes that a costume design can explore existential ideas like what it means to be a woman and how women grapple with motherhood. Plus: In recent years, experiences of postpartum depression that used to be whispered about are now shouted on tik tok and instagram. Marion Young has studied maternal depression and shares one way it changes how mothers parent.

    • 52 min
    Selfish

    Selfish

    Imagine if everyday you went to work and pretended to be someone else. That’s life for professional actors. Robyn Berg says self care is essential for acting professionals to stay themselves while pretending to be other people. And: Self care can get conflated with selfishness. Peter Thaxter started thinking about that after a student interviewed him about selfishness. Now, he’s clear on why self care and selfishness are not the same.

    Later in the show: Our childhood affects who we become. And Adrian Bravo has found that in seven countries, childhood trauma has nurtured alcohol dependency in adulthood. Plus: All sexes deal with PTSD. But Timothy Jarome has found that a certain protein in women’s brain makes them experience PTSD differently.

    • 52 min
    Let's Talk About Love, Baby

    Let's Talk About Love, Baby

    Valentine’s Day today means candy hearts and stuffed bears. But Kat Tracy says the origins of the holiday are far from cute and fuzzy–and they don’t have a whole lot to do with St. Valentine. And: A safe and secure relationship seems like an obvious goal, but it’s surprisingly hard to achieve. Amber Pope shares how attachment theory and strong support networks can help people thrive in a safe and secure partnership.

    Later in the show: A thriving intimate relationship starts long before the meet-cute. Dayna Henry says early, comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education makes for happier, healthier relationships later in life. Plus: True love – is it in the head or the heart? Or the gut? No, this is not about your microbiome determining your love life. Instead, Lindsey Hicks wants to talk about what our gut reactions say about how our relationships are really going.

    • 52 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
42 Ratings

42 Ratings

jaypine ,

Gems From the Dessert

With Good Reason finds amazing guests with knowledge, topics and opinions outside of those knocked back and forth by the usual talking heads. With Good Reason combs the desert for gems; people who should be on air but would be otherwise hidden in the sand: Mona Ternus, a veteran of several wars, nurse, and researcher explains how mothers who deploy to war can mitigate the effects on their families. Historian Cindy Wilkey recounts the adventures of the Wright Brothers from the perspective of their sister Katherine, who happenned to be their business manager. Stage and film fight director Greg Lloyd explains that the key to staging a fight scene is in the acting (or "selling") of the vicitm. Unexpected, unique insights.

lrnthedobro ,

conversations for the curious

i've been listening to this show for years! it covers such a wide range of subjects - you never know what you might hear about next but it's always fascinating. the host does a great job of asking the questions i want to hear answered most. great listening. keep up the good work!

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