On this week’s 51%, we explore our archives and hear the extraordinary stories of two women — a dancer who spent 40 years touring internationally on behalf of U.S. presidents, and a pioneering journalist in the 1930s and 40s.
In the book “Martha Graham’s Cold War: The Dance of American Diplomacy,” historian Victoria Phillips illuminates the dance icon’s four-decade reign as the country’s premiere cultural ambassador. Graham toured on behalf of every seated American president from Dwight Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan. Phillips, a one-time student of Graham’s, spoke with 51%’s Allison Dunne in September 2020 about why she wrote the book.
“Martha Graham’s Cold War: The Dance of American Diplomacy” is published by Oxford University Press. You can hear the full interview on episode #1626.
In the book “Washington’s Golden Age: Hope Ridings Miller, the Society Beat, and the Rise of Women Journalists” Albany Times Union reporter, critic and author Joseph Dalton, also a WAMC contributor, chronicles the life of this pioneering woman journalist who covered the powerful vortex of politics, diplomacy and society during a career that stretched from FDR to LBJ. After joining the Post staff, she was the only woman on the city desk. Later she had a nationally syndicated column. For ten years she edited Diplomat Magazine and then wrote three books about Washington life. And, Joseph Dalton is her cousin. 51%’s Joe Donahue spoke with Dalton in 2019.
“Washington’s Golden Age: Hope Ridings Miller, the Society Beat, and the Rise of Women Journalists” is published by Rowman & Littlefield. You can hear the full interview on episode #1537.
Thanks for joining us for this week’s 51%. I’m your guest host Elizabeth Hill. Thanks to Ian Pickus and Tina Renick for production assistance. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock.
Our theme music is “Lolita” by Albany-based artist Girl Blue. 51% is a national production of Northeast Public Radio. If you’d like to hear this episode again or share it with your friends, sign up for our podcast or visit wamc.org. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @51PercentRadio.