Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Cynthia Greenlee, Neil J. Young, and Nicole Hemmer, editors.
Created in 2015 by historians Natalia Mehlman Petrzela. Neil J. Young and Nicole Hemmer, Past Present is a weekly conversational podcast that turns hindsight into foresight. Going beyond Twitter hot takes and cable news sound bites, we think that every headline has a history – and every listener is a historian.
In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil debate Liz Smith and the history of gossip columns, whether interracial friendships are possible, and evangelical responses to Roy Moore’s pedophilia scandal.
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In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia debate the Democratic wins in the recent off-year elections, the doubling of Twitter’s character limit, and the release of a postage stamp based on Ezra Jack Keats’ The Snowy Day.
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In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate Kevin Spacey’s coming out amid charges of pedophilia, the 21st century company town, and the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
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In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate the declassification of the JFK files, Joni Mitchell, and our age of anxiety.
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In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the Girl Scouts in light of the Boy Scouts’ recent decision to admit girls, #MeToo activism, and how Michael Friedman’s recent death of HIV/AIDS helps us understand the illness in historical context.
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In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia debate alleged sexual predator Harvey Weinstein and the culture that enables him, the history of the pumpkin spice phenomenon, and the controversy over a Dove soap advertisement.
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In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil debate a fatal stabbing at a Bronx high school, the history of the romance novel and its critics, and the evolution of the game show genre.
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In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil debate the historical origins of Antifa, cultural appropriation, and the role of contract labor in an unequal society.
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In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil debate the White House's announcement to end DACA, the death of New Age guru and publisher Louise Hay, and the prospect of an all-female Lord of the Flies remake.
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On this week's Past Present podcast, Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, and Neil J. Young debate the natural and political implications of Hurricane Harvey, President Trump's pardon of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and the legacy of Princess Diana two decades after her death.
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On this week's Past Present podcast, Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, and Neil J. Young debate Trump's proposal for Afghanistan, plus-size clothing, and why swearing is on the rise.
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In this week's episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki debate lying about Vietnam, multi-level marketing companies, and the privatization of public roads.
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Public Seminar is a journal of ideas and debate published by the Public Seminar Publishing Initiative at The New School. Our free, nonprofit publication is made possible by the support of The New School and the generosity of our readers.
