Society & Culture
Fresh off of another successful peaceful transition of power in the U.S.—and despite attempts to the contrary two weeks earlier—Don and Amy enjoy the moments of joy that broke through the clouds in the form of President Joe Biden's inauguration, even as they acknowledge the problems that persist. The highlight of that event for many came from poet Amanda Gorman, whose words spoke of the messy and unfinished nature of this country. Their conversation also touches on the cult of QAnon, a new podcast where a man listens to women, growing up in the Bicentennial, and the two degrees of separation that connect them to the T.V. show "Glee." Additional resources: "The shock and awe of Donald Trump's final days" (Salon, by Heather Digby Parton, January 22, 2021) https://www.salon.com/2021/01/22/the-shock-and-awe-of-donald-trumps-final-days/?fbclid=IwAR1C3XVD28cUaL0Pkru37XNxPwtKzM3ZW1HjbMZ9WPVKIVqe-TLIFyBmGXw "QAnon believers are in disarray after Biden is inaugurated" (CNN Business, by Brian Fung and Karen Yurieff, January 21, 2021) https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/20/tech/qanon-believers-inauguration-reaction/index.html "How Stuart Watson became 'A Man Listening' to women" (WBUR, January 19, 2021) https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2021/01/19/stuart-watson-man-listening "Poet Amanda Gorman reads 'The Hill We Climb'" (YouTube, ABC News, January 20, 2021) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz4YuEvJ3y4 "READ: Transcript of Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem" (The Hill, January 20, 2021) https://thehill.com/homenews/news/535052-read-transcript-of-amanda-gormans-inaugural-poem "The Story of the 1975-1976 AMERICAN FREEDOM TRAIN" (by Larry Wines) https://www.freedomtrain.org/american-freedom-train-home.htm "Choir director earns Lifetime Achievement Award" (The Republic, by Brian Blair, June 3, 2016) http://www.therepublic.com/2016/06/04/a_salute_to_the_choirmaster/ "From 'Nip/Tuck' to High School 'Glee'" (NPR Fresh Air, by Terry Gross, May 15, 2009) https://www.npr.org/transcripts/104199257 "Chicago native uses real life for 'Glee' inspiration" (Chicago Tribune, September 9, 2009) https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2009-09-09-0909090178-story.html "Biden inheriting nonexistent coronavirus vaccine distribution plan and must start 'from scratch,' sources say" (CNN, by MJ Lee, January 21, 2021) https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/21/politics/biden-covid-vaccination-trump/index.html Buy "Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants on iTunes