Jonathan Alter (2010)

Jonathan Alter is an author and commentator, who was at Newsweek for close to three decades. He has written several New York Times best-sellers about American presidents.

Robyn Hitchcock

English singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock of The Soft Boys talks about his long-standing career.

Robyn Hitchcock is one of England’s most enduring contemporary singer-songwriters. A surrealist poet, talented guitarist, cult artist and musician’s musician, Hitchcock is among alternative rock’s father figures. Since founding the art-rock band The Soft Boys in 1976, Robyn has recorded more than 20 albums and starred in “Storefront Hitchcock,” a concert film recorded in New York and directed by Jonathan Demme. 

Rolling Stone said about Hitchcock’s self-titled 2017 album, “A gifted melodist, Hitchcock nests engaging lyrics in some of the most bracing, rainbow-hued pop this side of “Revolver.” He wrests inspiration not from ordinary life but from extraordinary imaginings.” 

Terrence McNally

Terrence McNally was an award-winning playwright and LGBT(Q) activist whose far-ranging career spanned six decades. He won four Tony Awards for his plays “Love! Valour! Compassion!” and “Master Class” and his musical books for “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and “Ragtime.”

He was a recipient of the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and the Lucille Lortel Lifetime Achievement Award, and he was a 2018 inductee of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He wrote a number of TV scripts, including “Andre’s Mother,” for which he won an Emmy Award. He received two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Rockefeller Grant, four Drama Desk Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards, two Obie Awards and three Hull-Warriner Awards. In 1996, he was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. He was recognized with a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre at the 2019 Tony Awards and was the 2019 recipient of the Broadway League’s Distinguished Lifetime Service Award. 

McNally passed away in March of 2020.

 

Anna Palmer & Jake Sherman

Politico’s Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman discuss their book, “The Hill to Die On,” a look at the Capitol Hill battle for power.

Anna Palmer is a senior Washington correspondent for Politico. She covers Congress, politics and the business of Washington. Anna previously covered House leadership and lobbying as a staff writer for Roll Call. She got her start in Washington journalism as a lobbying business reporter for the industry newsletter Influence. She has also worked at Legal Times, where she covered the intersection of money and politics for the legal and lobbying industry, first as a staff writer and then as an editor.

Jake Sherman is a senior writer for Politico. He covers the House Republican majority. Since 2009, Jake has chronicled all of the major legislative battles on Capitol Hill and has also traveled the country to cover the battle for control of Congress. Before landing at Politico, Jake worked in the Washington bureaus of The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Together, Palmer and Sherman co-authored “The Hill to Die On,” an insider’s look at divided American politics.

Douglas Brinkley (2019)

Presidential historian and author Douglas Brinkley discusses his book “American Moonshot,” a chronicle of the turbulent 1960s and JFK’s audacious plan to put a man on the moon.

Douglas Brinkley is a highly regarded and best-selling author, CNN Presidential Historian, the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair.

Michael Beschloss

Presidential historian and author Michael Beschloss discusses his book “Presidents of War,” the state of U.S. democracy and writing history books that hold relevance in the modern era.

Michael Beschloss is a historian and author of numerous books on presidential history including The New York Times bestsellers “Presidential Courage” and “The Conquerors,” as well as two volumes on Lyndon Johnson’s White House tapes. His book “Presidents of War” chronicles the difficult decisions made by presidents from James Madison during the War of 1812 to present. Beschloss was also editor of the bestseller “Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy.” He is the NBC News Presidential Historian, a “PBS NewsHour” contributor and has received an Emmy and six honorary degrees. Beschloss lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and two sons.

Jeff Nichols

Jeff Nichols talks about his film “Loving,” race relations and his future projects.

Jeff Nichols is a writer and director whose past works include internationally acclaimed “Shotgun Stories,” “Take Shelter,” “Mud” and “Midnight Special.” His film, “Loving,” was released in 2016. It tells the story of the landmark U.S. civil rights case Loving v. Virginia.

Mike Love

Musician Mike Love talks about his latest memoir, the genesis of some of The Beach Boys songs and what’s next for his career.

Mike Love is a singer-songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys in 1961. His credits include such pop classics as “Good Vibrations,” “California Girls,” “I Get Around,” “Fun Fun Fun,” “Surfin’ USA” and “Kokomo.”  As part of the Beach Boys, he is a member of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and has received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His memoir, “Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy,” was released in 2016.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University, as well as Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. Dr. Gates is also an author, cultural critic and filmmaker. He has produced numerous series for PBS including “Looking for Lincoln,” “Many Rivers to Cross: The History of the African American People” and “Finding Your Roots,” many of which he also hosts. His documentary series “Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise” aired on PBS stations in 2016.

 

Cokie Roberts

Cokie Roberts was a best-selling author, a contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition and a Political Commentator for ABC News. She won numerous awards, including three Emmys, and was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame. Roberts passed away in 2019.

Overheard with Evan Smith Sponsors

Hill Co Partners

Made in Austin Sponsors

ABC Home and Commerical Services
Siete
Google
Austin Regional Clinic
RedLeaf