Big Talk

Author, journalist, and war correspondent Doug Wissing is writing a biography of Hoosier Benjamin C. Evans, Jr., one of the most powerful men in Washington spanning the presidencies of Lyndon Johnson through Ronald Reagan. Before this project, Wissing spent several stints embedded with US Army combat soldiers in Afghanistan, experiences that resulted in two books, “Funding the Enemy” and “Hopeless …

He’s been embedded with US Army forces in Afghanistan numerous times. He’s climbed into the mountain regions of that country to get to know the Pashtun people. He’s written two books on what he calls our “failed war” in that southwest Asian land. He’s communed with mountain people in Tibet. And he’s studied the history of beer brewing in Indiana. …

Campus sexual assault and rape have been in the news the past few years. Colleges and universities have taken steps to address the problem. Some say those steps have trampled the due process rights of the accused. Amelia Lahn is a local attorney who practices criminal defense and family law. Much of her business comes from people accused of sexual …

He started out as a deejay at WFHB and went on to become host of the popular Friday afternoon music show, Soul Kitchen, on Bloomington’s NPR station, WFIU. Brother William, as he’s known around town, is a lawyer, a civic volunteer, a teacher, and an aspiring Episcopal deacon. His story reaches as far back as the days of race and …

Jeff Isaac is a noted and outspoken professor at Indiana University’s school of political science. He’s the past editor of the academic journal, Political Science, and has written countless articles for scholarly publications and numerous books. The road he took to academia was never straight. A kid growing up in Queens, New York City, he played stickball and did his …

Jeffrey C. Isaac is a noted observer of the American and the global political scenes. He’s been the editor of the respected journal, Political Science, has written numerous books, and his articles appear often in news magazines and academic publications. The Indiana University professor is outspoken, taking to social media on occasion to voice his displeasure with leaders and developments. …

She is the grande dame of Bloomington politics. Charlotte Zietlow jumped into the political fray nearly fifty years ago when she and a rag-tag band of newcomers took over City Hall in the 1971 election. Since then she’s pushed for programs and ordinances as both a City Council member and a Monroe County Commissioner. She tells the story of how …

Sue Rall performs acrobatics high above a stage as an aerial silks artist. She’s also a drag performer, appearing regularly at The Back Door in weekly shows. On this episode of Big Talk, Rall speaks with Michael Glab about her drag character and her earliest introduction to the drag scene.

She hangs from bolts of material and assumes positions testing the limits of both her artistic vision and her own body. The next night she may be seen performing as Jaimee Spangle, a glam rock star who doesn’t know yet that he’s washed up. Taking the stage as either an aerial silks acrobat or one of the hottest drag kings …

Newly-named state poet laureate Adrian Matejka says Bloomington is an almost magical, mystical fertile ground for creative writers. A professor in Indiana University’s English Department and a National Book Award finalist for his poetic biography of boxer Jack Johnson, The Big Smoke, Matejka assumed his post as Indiana’s bard ambassador this month. He joins Michael Glab to talk about his …