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After Words

C-SPAN
Donald Trump
China
Mental Health
Democracy
Ukraine
Russia
Social Media
Elon Musk
Nuclear War
American Dream
Feminism
United States
Resilience
Barbara Walters
Project 2025
Critical Race Theory
CIA
Immigration
Climate Change
America

Best-selling nonfiction authors in in-depth conversations about their books, ideas, and the issues shaping today’s world. New episodes drop every Saturday after 10 pm ET. From C-SPAN, the network that also brings you the Lectures in History and Q&A podcasts.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes390Founded21 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsBooksArtsPolitics

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Artwork for After Words

Latest Episodes

Electronic Frontier Foundation Executive Director Cindy Cohn recalled her career fighting for digital privacy. Harvard Book Store hosted this event.

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Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) argued that elite universities in America have embraced a culture of antisemitism, leftist groupthink, and censorship. She spoke at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum in Yorba Linda, California.

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YouTube

Journalist Kevin Hazzard talked about Phoenix Air, a private, air ambulance service that transports patients with highly infectious diseases when governments refuse to get involved. This event was hosted by Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington,... more

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A journalist looked at modern Russia through the eyes and experiences of its women. The 2026 San Antonio Book Festival hosted this program.

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Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Elise Stefanik
Republican New York Congresswoman
U.S. Congress
Episode: "Poisoned Ivies" with R-NY Rep. Elise Stefanik
Kevin Hazzard
Author of No One's Coming, The Rogue Heroes Our Government Turns To When There's Nowhere Else to Turn
Author
Episode: The Pilots who Evacuated Ebola Patients in 2014
Dr. Robert Holman
Infectious disease specialist featured in the interview
Washington, DC (institution not specified in transcript)
Episode: The Pilots who Evacuated Ebola Patients in 2014
Julia Yaffe
Russian-born American journalist and author
Author of Motherland, A Feminist History of Modern Russia, From Revolution to Autocracy
Episode: Modern Russian History through the Experiences of its Women
Khameer Kidia
Physician and medical anthropologist
Harvard Medical School; University of Zimbabwe
Episode: Reimagining Western Mental Health Care
Daryl Bell
Actor on A Different World, key interview subject
A Different World cast
Episode: The 1990s Golden Era of Black Sitcoms
Shyam Sankar
Chief Technology Officer, Palantir
Palantir
Episode: Palantir's CTO on Rebuilding the American Industrial Base
Michael Pollan
Author of A World Appears and How to Change Your Mind
Author
Episode: What is conciousness? with Michael Pollan
Judith Enck
Author, The Problem with Plastic; former EPA Regional Administrator
Beyond Plastics / The book author
Episode: The Problem with Plastic

Host

Ben
Host of the episode (on-stage interviewer)

Reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars from 268 ratings
  • Trash

    They have insurrectionist , Qanoners , and maga scum on their show. . It’s true garbage

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Murphy Tim
    United States7 months ago
  • Omar El Akkad’s book

    Hamas broke the ceasefire by its surprise attack pogrom killing 1,200 and taking 200 hostages. Iran & Hamas’ mission is the destruction of Israel and the US/West. How should Israel and the US have acted?

    Mr. El Akkad, should blame Hamas for building its military around civilian infrastructure, using civilians as human shields. The Hamas Gaza medical ministry does not differentiate Hamas fighters from civilians. Hamas uses civilian deaths as propaganda against Israel.

    Why haven’t Arab governme... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    another RJF
    United Statesa year ago
  • Immigration

    It’s not anti-immigration, we are just about all Legal immigrants to the US.

    It’s anti-Illegal immigration.

    People can come to the US, but they have to do it legally, with skills, ready to work, pay taxes, assimilate & become US citizens.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    another RJF
    United States2 years ago
  • Dei

    Woke trash now. Sad.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Rogan is Trash
    United States2 years ago
  • Matilka Wilbur and the 562 project

    Matika knows all the leftist woke ideology but doesn’t seem to know anything about Native American culture

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    This Ken
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the guest-driven format and rigorous questions, especially around complex topics.
Critiques focus on host pacing or interruptions in a few episodes.
Some reviews note a perceived ideological bias in certain episodes.
Positive marks often go to the breadth of guest expertise and depth of discussion.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#136
Finland/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

"Poisoned Ivies" with R-NY Rep. Elise Stefanik
Q: What concrete reforms do you advocate for higher education?
Cap foreign funding to ensure transparency, prioritize American students, and restore academic rigor through a more diverse ideological faculty landscape and a strong civics education focus.
"Poisoned Ivies" with R-NY Rep. Elise Stefanik
Q: What surprised you most about the reaction to the hearing?
The most surprising part was the silence and the lack of media coverage in the room, followed by the inadvertent admission from university presidents that context could influence conduct, which underscored deeper governance failures.
The Pilots who Evacuated Ebola Patients in 2014
Q: How did the decision to evacuate American patients shape the broader Ebola response?
The decision highlighted a paradox: evacuating Western patients benefited learning and treatment protocols globally while raising complex ethical and logistical questions about care balance between foreign patients and local populations, underscored by the teams' insistence on rigorous infection control and cross-border collaboration.
The Pilots who Evacuated Ebola Patients in 2014
Q: What kind of crazy are the Phoenix Air crew?
Hazzard explains that the crew's audacious willingness to undertake impossible missions—like transporting people and even hazardous cargo with specialized containment—signals a rare blend of technical genius, fearlessness, and a deep commitment to saving lives, which he uses to frame the book's narrative.
What is conciousness? with Michael Pollan
Q: Do plants have consciousness?
Pollan argues that plants exhibit sentience and complex behavioral responses, suggesting a form of consciousness that is different from animal or human consciousness, rooted more in biochemical processes than brain-based thinking.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About After Words

What is After Words about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A long-running interview program features in-depth conversations with best-selling nonfiction authors and experts, focusing on their books, ideas, and the issues shaping today's world. Episodes span topics from geopolitics and public policy to science, technology, and culture, often pairing a strong authorial voice with informed hosts who guide the discussion. Noteworthy is the mix of historical, policy, and contemporary topics, plus a format that centers rigorous questions and reflective storytelling, making it a solid choice for listeners who want thoughtful, book-driven explorations of complex topics.

Where can I find podcast stats for After Words?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for After Words. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to After Words and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does After Words get?

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What are the audience demographics for After Words?

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How many subscribers and views does After Words have?

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Which podcasts are similar to After Words?

These podcasts share a similar audience with After Words:

1. Booknotes+
2. Lectures in History
3. Q&A
4. For the Ages: A History Podcast
5. Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

How many episodes of After Words are there?

After Words launched 21 years ago and published 390 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact After Words?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for After Words?

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What guests have appeared on After Words?

Recent guests on After Words include:

1. Elise Stefanik
2. Kevin Hazzard
3. Dr. Robert Holman
4. Julia Yaffe
5. Khameer Kidia
6. Daryl Bell
7. Shyam Sankar
8. Michael Pollan

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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