Henry Giroux – American Nightmare: Facing the Challenge of Fascism

In this edition of Forthright Radio, originally broadcast on June 6, 2018, our guest is McMaster University Professor, Henry Giroux, who has been our guest numerous times over the years. His latest book, which just came out from City Lights Publishing, is American Nightmare: Facing the Challenge of Fascism. It is A far-ranging critique of the rise of authoritarianism and white nationalism in the US, and the consequences for democracy.

Henry A. Giroux currently holds the McMaster University Chair for Scholarship in the Public Interest. He is a prolific writer of books, sometimes more than one a year, and articles which appear in numerous online and print publications, as well as scholarly journals. His books include: AMERICA AT WAR WITH ITSELF; DISPOSABLE FUTURES: VIOLENCE IN THE AGE OF SPECTACLE; Hearts of Darkness: Torturing Children in the War on Terror (Paradigm, 2010); Zombie Politics and Culture in the Age of Casino Capitalism, THE VIOLENCE OF ORGANIZED FORGETTING and many, many others.

“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.” Hannah Arendt

Mark Gordon – AWAKENING IN TAOS

In this edition of Radio Goes to the Movies, Mark Gordon discusses how he came to make this biographical documentary of Mabel Dodge Luhan. It will be screening at the BZN International Film Festival on June 9 at the Ellen Theater at 6:15 p.m. He will be attending.

Born in Buffalo, New York, Mabel Dodge Luhan was a woman unique to her time. Her influence extended into the world of art, music, literature and activism for social change. In her late 30’s she traveled to Taos and was embraced the Taos Pueblo Indians in a way that seized the attention of the artistic and literary world.

It also the story of a great love between Mabel and Tony Luhan, with whom she organized to protect the ancestral lands and sacred sites of his people, the Tewa Indians of Taos Pueblo.

She lured progressive thinkers and artists, including D.H. Lawrence, Aldous Huxley, Willa Cather, Dorothy Brett, Ansel Adams, Georgia O’Keeffe and others to the remote town to attend her salons. Many of these visitors stayed for periods of time and several remained their entire lives. Mabel’s home and salons made an extraordinary contribution to the culture of Taos County and the State of New Mexico. She helped put Taos on the world map as a destination of distinctive beauty, a Mecca for artists.

James Redford – Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution

In this edition of Radio Goes to the Movies film maker, James Redford, discusses his film, Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution. It will be opening the BZN International Film Festival on June 7 in the Crawford Theater at the Emerson Center for Arts & Culture at 7pm, and he will be attending.

James Redford embarks on a colorful personal journey into the dawn of the clean energy era as it creates jobs, turns profits, and makes communities stronger and healthier across the US. Unlikely entrepreneurs in communities from Georgetown, TX to Buffalo, NY reveal pioneering clean energy solutions while James’ discovery of how clean energy works, and what it means at a personal level, becomes the audiences’ discovery too.

Reaching well beyond a great story of technology and innovation, “Happening” explores issues of human resilience, social justice, embracing the future, and finding hope for our survival.

On June 8, at 10a.m. in the Hager Auditorium of the Museum of the Rockies, he’ll be joining area luminaries in a discussion, Designing for a Clean Energy Revolution in Montana: Design & Construction Experts on the Leading Edge.

Lindsay Schack of Love Schack Architecture is one of the first certified designers in Montana for the Passive House Institute US. She is a licensed architect in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, an adjunct instructor at MSU’s School of Architecture and founding board member of Passive House Rocky Mountains.
Lindsey Love of Love Schack Architecture is an expert in natural materials and construction methods. She built her own hybrid straw bale home in Teton Valley, Idaho and strives to coordinate healthy, holistic design in high performance building assemblies.
Kyle MacVean of Harvest Solar is proud to get up and work for the sun every day. He’s worked in the solar industry for over 10 years and lived in an off-grid, straw-bale house for six years—an experience which has taught him to never take energy for granted.
Susan Bilo serves on the Montana Renewable Energy Association’s Board of Directors and heads Green Compass Sustainability Consulting where she teaches and advocates for natural resource conservation, energy and water efficiency, electric vehicles, and solar-powered net zero energy buildings.
Jaya Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D., LEED AP, teaches courses on Environmental Control Systems at the Montana State University School of Architecture and has over 15 years experience in building energy modeling, energy codes, and assessment of commercial and residential energy performance.

Christi Cooper: YOUTH V GOV

In this edition of Radio Goes to the Movies, we speak with Bozeman resident, Christi Cooper, about her years of work documenting the increasingly powerful movement of young people, who are challenging the U.S. Government and the fossil fuel industry for violation of their Constitutional rights under the Fifth Amendment to Life, Liberty and Property.

Her film, a work in progress, YOUTH V. GOV, screens at the BZN International Film Festival on June 9 at the Willson Auditorium at 7:45 p.m. Victoria Barrett, a 19-year-old college student from White Plains, NY, who is one of 21 youth plaintiffs suing the U.S. government in the landmark constitutional climate change lawsuit, will also be attending for a discussion afterwards.

In this groundbreaking civil rights lawsuit, guided by Julia Olson, their lead attorney, 21 American youth take the US government and the fossil fuel industry to court for creating a climate emergency that threatens the future of the youngest generations.

This is not the typical climate change film. YOUTH V GOV brings a new perspective not yet explored. And in the end, YOUTH V GOV will activate youth, millennials, and adults to engage as citizens and to lean heavily on the pillars of democracy that we rely on for the future of our country and the world.

Signe Taylor: IT’S CRIMINAL

In this edition of Radio Goes to the Movies, we interview Signe Taylor about her documentary, IT’S CRIMINAL. It will be screened at the BZN International Film Festival in the Hager Auditorium at the Museum of the Rockies on Saturday, June 9 at 2:45 pm. There will be a discussion afterwards with some of the women – both student & inmate – as well as Patti Hernandez and Signe Taylor.

In IT’S CRIMINAL, Signe documents Sophomore Dartmouth College students in Ivy Schweitzer’s Women and Gender Studies class, who interact with women inmates at the Sullivan County Correctional Facility.

With the astute guidance of Patti Hernandez, the students and the inmates discover their common humanity, learn empathy and work together to create and perform a play.

Jennifer Townsend: Catching Sight of Thelma & Louise

In in this edition of Radio Goes to the Movies, our guest is Jennifer Townsend. We speak about her film, CATCHING SIGHT OF THELMA AND LOUISE. It is screening at the BZN International Film Festival on Fri. June 8 | 2:15 PM Reynolds Auditorium | MSU Campus.

After first seeing the film in 1991, Jennifer Townsend’s life was changed forever. She wondered if others were also as affected by it. She created a survey, sought participants, got thoughtful replies, but left the project uncompleted for 2 decades.

CATCHING SIGHT OF THELMA AND LOUISE is the story of reconnecting and completing that project.

After the screening, there will be a discussion with Haven. Domestic violence has a long history of being seen as a private family matter, rather than the public health epidemic we know it is today. End the Silence, HAVEN’s survivor speakers’ bureau, shines a light on the darkness surrounding domestic and sexual violence. This group of empowered survivors is speaking publicly about their experiences with violence in order to educate others through the first person narrative. They are actively breaking the stigma around being a survivor and mobilizing our community to end domestic violence together.