In this episode, we unravel the complex story of Alvin Ridley, the "Zenith Man," a television repairman from a small town in Georgia who was accused of murdering his wife in 1997. Despite his eccentric behavior and a town's suspicion, the truth behind his wife's death revealed a different narrative. Join Orlando Montoya and Peter Biello as they discuss the new book, Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom, written by McCracken Poston Jr., the lawyer who defended Alvin Ridley. This episode explores the unique life of Ridley, his struggles with autism, and the courtroom drama that ultimately led to his acquittal.
When a massive asteroid hurtles toward Earth, humanity braces for annihilation—but the end doesn’t come. In fact, it isn’t an asteroid but a three-mile-tall alien that drops down, seemingly dead, outside Little Springs, Nebraska. Dubbed “the giant,” its arrival transforms the red-state farm town into a top-secret government research site and major metropolitan area, flooded with soldiers, scientists, bureaucrats, spies, criminals, conspiracy theorists—and a murderer.
Utilizing more than two decades of meticulous research, fresh historical analysis, and compelling storytelling, Michael L. Thurmond rewrites the prehistory of abolitionism and adds an important new chapter to Georgia’s origin story. Can he change the hearts and minds of those who were taught Georgia history years ago? Can he change the hearts and minds of our hosts, Peter and Orlando? Listen and judge for yourself.
For generations, upwardly mobile white families have extracted opportunity from the nation’s heavily subsidized suburbs, then moved on before the bills for maintenance and repair came due, leaving the mostly Black and brown families who followed to clean up the ensuing mess. Peter and Orlando are joined by author Benjamin Herold to discover the vicious cycle undermining the dreams upon which American suburbia was built.
Michael Jordan's path to greatness was shaped by race, politics, and the consequences of fame. To become the most revered basketball player in America, it wasn't enough for Michael Jordan to merely excel on the court. He also had to become something he never intended: a hero. In this episode, Peter and Orlando delve into a conversation about His Airness with author and Georgia Tech professor, Johnny Smith.
The Allman Brothers Band's Brothers and Sisters is iconic. In this episode, Peter and Orlando discuss Alan Paul's deep dive into the time before and after 1973’s Brothers and Sisters. It was not only the band’s best-selling album, at over seven million copies sold, but it was also a powerfully influential release, both musically and culturally. And this book has converted one of the hosts into a fan.
Famed NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly comes to grips with the reality every parent faces: childhood has a definite expiration date. Peter and Orlando share their thoughts and opinions of Mary Louise Kelly's chronicle of her eldest child’s final year at home. Plus, we'll hear from Mary Louise herself.
Mary Louise Kelly: It. Goes. So. Fast. The Year of No Do-Overs
Sally Sierer Bethea was one of the first women in America to become a “riverkeeper”—a vocal defender of a specific waterway who holds polluters accountable. In Keeping the Chattahoochee, she tells stories that range from joyous and funny to frustrating—even alarming—to illustrate what it takes to save an endangered river. In this episode, Peter and Orlando discuss the Hooch, an important water source for so many people.
At the height of the John Birch Society’s activity in the 1960s, critics dismissed its members as a paranoid fringe. After all, “Birchers” believed that a vast communist conspiracy existed in America and posed an existential threat to Christianity, capitalism, and freedom. But as historian Matthew Dallek reveals, the Birch Society’s extremism remade American conservatism. After a discussion with Dallek, Peter and Orlando share some of their thoughts and insights on Birchers, a deeply researched account of the rise of extremism in the United States.
Some of the most popular music in the world has roots in Atlanta. In Rap Capital: An Atlanta Story, author Joe Coscarelli chronicles what it's like to be a rapper in Atlanta today and puts on spotlight on artists such as Migos and Lil Baby. After a discussion with Coscarelli, Peter and Orlando share some of their thoughts and insights on Rap Capital: An Atlanta Story.
Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo is the true story of two enslaved people from Macon, William and Ellen Craft, who escaped to freedom in 1848. Their escape was not at night or by the Underground Railroad but in plain sight. In this episode, Peter and Orlando break down this remarkable story.
What can the simple art of reading aloud do for student comprehension? Join us in conversation with Jordan Motsinger of Cobb County Schools to find out!