It seems logical: if you don't have enough education your economic prospects will be diminished, while those who have a lot are able to succeed in our purportedly knowledge-based economy.  But what if that's only partially accurate? John Marsh posits that economic inequality and poverty are not causally connected to differing levels of education. He argues that we need to reject the appealing notion of education as a cure-all and look deeper at class power and structural inequality.

According to Eric Stanley, brutal murders of LGBT people, many of which involve the mutilation or dismemberment of the victim's body, are not aberrations and should not be dismissed as the products of individual pathology. Instead, Stanley argues, these forms of violence are central to the reproduction of liberal democracy in the US. (Encore presentation; access the audio here.)

Testing, grades, homework, learning by rote: these are the foundations of our conventional educational system -- and Alfie Kohn argues that they are as good as worthless. The maverick education critic discusses the deep-seated problems with traditional schooling and explores the alternative approach of progressive education. He also talks about the pitfalls of competition and national rankings.

For nearly six decades, writers from near and far have come to read their work and, in many cases, expound on social issues at events sponsored by the Poetry Center at San Francisco State University. Steve Dickison, the center's director, selected for this program audio highlights of James Baldwin, Robert Duncan, Jessica Hagedorn, Langston Hughes, Audre Lorde, Margaret Randall, and Tomas Transtromer. Dickison also provides commentary and analysis.

In this holiday season, many of us become particularly aware of the amount of products -- whether toys or food -- bought and then ultimately discarded. Could we significantly address global warming by simply not growing the 50% of food that ends up in the trash? Does garbage have a hidden subversive potential? Award-winning writer China Miéville discusses garbage, capitalism, and art. Critic and historian Tristram Stuart talks about food waste.

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