Join Michael in his conversation with DeMaurice Smith about his new book, Turf Wars, The Fight for the Soul of America’s Game which chronicles his 14-year tenure as the head of the National Football League Players Association.

DeMaurice Smith is the former executive director of the National Football League Players Association. Prior to the NFLPA, De was an assistant United States attorney, counsel to the US deputy attorney general, and a partner in major law firms. He is now a visiting professor of law at Pepperdine University.

This is Part 1.

Part 2 will be out soon!

Join Michael in his conversation with Alex Vernon about his new book Peace is a Shy Thing, The Life and Art of Tim O’Brien which chronicles the life and writings of Tim O’Brien best known for his beloved book The Things They Carried.

Alex is the M.E. and Ima Graves Peace Distinguished Professor of English at Hendrix College. Alex Vernon graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (the only literature major in his class of over a thousand), served in combat as a tank platoon leader in the Persian Gulf War, and earned a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. This is his eleventh book.

Alex Vernon

Join Michael in his conversation with Will Bardenwerper about his new book Homestand, Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America which tells the story of Will’s efforts to find the heart of Americana through the lens of minor league baseball.

Will has contributed to The New York Times, The Washington Post, Harper’s and other outlets and is the author of The Prisoner in His Palace: Saddam Hussein, His American Guards, and What History Leaves Unsaid. He served as an Airborne Ranger infantry officer in Iraq and was awarded a Bronze Star. Before working in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, he received a B.A. from Princeton and M.A. from Johns Hopkins University.