Playlist: Hold That Thought's Portfolio
Here you can find some of Hold That Thought's most-loved episodes, going back to 2013. If you like what you hear, be sure to check out our full archive.
Featured
Confronting the Middle Passage
From Hold That Thought | Part of the American Identities series | 11:31
Dr. Sowande' Mustakeem reveals the forgotten world of 18th century slave ships, sharing the story of one enslaved woman and discussing why it's so important for Americans to confront this foundational, brutal chapter of history.
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- Confronting the Middle Passage
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- Hold That Thought
In her forthcoming book Routes of Terror: Gender, Health and Power in the Eighteenth Century Middle Passage, assistant professor Sowande' Mustakeem reveals the forgotten world of 18th century slave ships. In today's podcast, she shares the story of one enslaved woman and discusses why it's so important for Americans to confront this foundational, brutal chapter of history. Mustakeem's research focuses particularly on the experiences of those most frequently left out of the history of the Middle Passage - women, children, the elderly, and the diseased.
Musical Mathematics
From Hold That Thought | Part of the People, Places, and Ideas to Explore series | 13:22
Math professor and musician David Wright reflects on both the artistry of mathematics and the mathematical structure of music.
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- Musical Mathematics
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- Hold That Thought
As a mathematician and a musician, professor David Wright believes in approaching the world both analytically and artistically. Back in 2002, he designed and began teaching "Mathematics & Music," an undergraduate course focused on the connections between these two abstract and beautiful fields of study. Wright, who serves as associate director of the musical group Ambassadors of Harmony in addition to chairing the mathematics department at Washington University in St. Louis, shares some concepts from the course and reflects on both the artistry of mathematics and the mathematical structure of music. Host and producer: Claire Navarro.
Who Should Sing "Ol' Man River"?
From Hold That Thought | Part of the American Identities series | 14:00
A musicologist on how this iconic American show tune has been shaped and reshaped over time.
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- Who Should Sing "Ol' Man River"?
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- Hold That Thought
In his upcoming book Who Should Sing 'Ol' Man River'?: The Life of an American Song , Todd Decker, associate professor of musicology at Washington University in St. Louis, reveals how one song has been shaped and reshaped over time. From Paul Robeson to Frank Sinatra - from the era of big bands to the civil rights movement - every performance of "Ol' Man River" has a political dimension involving the evolution of race relations in the United States. Whether performed as a dance ditty or a means of protest, the seemingly endless malleability of this 1927 Broadway tune provides a window onto the many ways that American music has been used to express both personal and cultural identity.
The Many Lives of Michelangelo
From Hold That Thought | 16:09
Painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and poet - how can one man be so many things? And what did he keep in his basement?
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- The Many Lives of Michelangelo
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- Hold That Thought
What can a single sheet of paper reveal about the complex life of an artistic genius like Michelangelo Buonarroti? William Wallace, an art historian and author of Michelangelo: The Artist, the Man, and his Times, reveals how documents - including one extremely rare document in Washington University's own library - provides a window into Michelangelo's life and art.
Moms at Work
From Hold That Thought | Part of the Inequality series | 16:30
A sociologist investigates how public policies affect family life in both Europe and the US and shares some of her findings on the laws and cultural attitudes that shape women's careers and lives.
- Playing
- Moms at Work
- From
- Hold That Thought
Sociologist Caitlyn Collins frequently remembers a familiar phrase from her childhood. Collins’ mom, a successful sales director, often said with a sigh: “If we were in Europe, this would be so much easier!” So, was Collins’ mom correct? Are the lives of working mothers that much easier in Europe? Collins now investigates how public policies affect family life in both Europe and the US. She shares some of her findings on the laws and cultural attitudes that shape women's careers and lives.
Creators and Copycats: The Business of Fashion in Guatemala
From Hold That Thought | Part of the Inequality series | 18:47
In an indigenous Mayan community in highland Guatemala, sociocultural anthropologist Kedron Thomas noticed a trend that led her to investigate intellectual property laws in Guatemala's fashion scene.
In an indigenous Mayan community in highland Guatemala, sociocultural anthropologist Kedron Thomas noticed a trend. Despite companies' increased efforts to protect their brands against "piracy," knock-off clothing fashion was everywhere. In her book Regulating Style: Intellectual Property Law and the Business of Fashion in Guatemala, Thomas takes a deep dive into this style scene. What do brands mean for the Maya people of Guatemala? What are the goals and effects of intellectual property laws in this context? Who is a fashion creator, and who is a copycat? And who gets to decide?
Creators and Copycats: The Business of Fashion in Guatemala
From Hold That Thought | Part of the Inequality series | 18:47
In an indigenous Mayan community in highland Guatemala, sociocultural anthropologist Kedron Thomas noticed a trend that led her to investigate intellectual property laws in Guatemala's fashion scene.
In an indigenous Mayan community in highland Guatemala, sociocultural anthropologist Kedron Thomas noticed a trend. Despite companies' increased efforts to protect their brands against "piracy," knock-off clothing fashion was everywhere. In her book Regulating Style: Intellectual Property Law and the Business of Fashion in Guatemala, Thomas takes a deep dive into this style scene. What do brands mean for the Maya people of Guatemala? What are the goals and effects of intellectual property laws in this context? Who is a fashion creator, and who is a copycat? And who gets to decide?