Bonus: Nashville Debates Data Centers

Jill Biden: Former First Lady and Author, 'View From the East Wing'

Former first lady Jill Biden's new book View From the East Wing [https://parnassusbooks.net/book/9781668222881] looks back at her time in the White House and her relationship with former President Joe Biden — including the infamous debate night where, she says, she thought her husband was having a stroke. Dr. Biden discussed her book with the Banner's Demetria Kalodimos in front of a live audience at Vanderbilt University's Langford Auditorium on June 8. This is a lightly edited recording of that conversation. Special thanks to Elyse Adler at Parnassus Books and Susan Grider at Vanderbilt University. Guest: Jill Biden, author, View From the East Wing Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Matt Wiltshire: Affordable Housing Investor

Even if everyone can't agree on what "affordable housing" means, one thing is for sure: Nashville needs more of it. Matt Wiltshire has been working on this problem for years (it was a big part of his campaign for mayor) and while he may not have all the answers, he has been part of one innovative solution: investing in housing that's affordable now and keeping it that way. The $30 million Pathway Housing Fund that Matt manages recently made a big acquisition: the Mayflower apartments in Hillsboro Village. In making the purchase, Matt discovered a web of personal connections that, in his words, make for "the most Nashville story ever." With his experience in both investment banking and city government, he's hoping that the story of Nashville doesn't begin and end with an economic boom pushing working people out of the city. Guest: , president, Pathway Housing Fund Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Lucas L. Johnson II: Author, 'Remembering Roots'

Few Tennesseans have had the cultural impact of Alex Haley, whose landmark 1976 book and subsequent television mini-series Roots: The Saga of an American Family captivated readers and viewers like few other works before or since. Even so, Roots was recently banned by a Knoxville school district (a decision that was subsequently reversed) despite being an official state book. In Revisiting Roots: How an American Classic Transformed the World, writer and former Associated Press reporter Lucas L. Johnson II marks the 50th anniversary of Haley's breakthrough epic with essays and interviews — including Levar Burton, who was not initally cast in the lead role — illuminating the enduring legacy of this landmark work. Guest: Lucas L. Johnson II, author, Revisiting Roots: How an American Classic Transformed the World Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Bonus: Nashville Debates Data Centers

reporters Steven Hale and Sarah Grace Taylor sit down to discuss data centers. Sarah Grace talks about her reporting on the data center planned for the Fisk University campus, which preceded the massive backlash to one planned next to the Nashville Zoo. They discuss the health and environmental concerns around data centers as well as why this issue has attracted much attention. Steven also asks about childhood zoo memories. Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Macon Kimbrough: Former Warehouse 28 Manager and LGBTQ Activist

A historical marker commemorating the storied dance club Warehouse 28 was unveiled two years ago this month. The Warehouse began as a gay disco but was an inclusive environment that served as a refuge and hangout for Nashville's LGBTQ community starting in 1978 until its doors closed for good in 1995. It was also the place where Nashville CARES got its start, working to fight the AIDS epidemic. Macon Kimbrough started hanging out at Warehouse 28, and with owners Steve Smith and Mike Wilson, he took a trip to Washington, D.C., in 1979 — 10 years after Stonewall — to march for gay rights. That began a political awakening, and when he got back to Nashville he started working at the Warehouse, eventually becoming a manager. It's a chapter of his life — and Nashville's history — he'll never forget. This episode was first broadcast in June 2024. Guest: Macon Kimbrough Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producers: Steve Haruch and Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]