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Artwork for KPFA - Against the Grain

KPFA - Against the Grain

KPFA
Capitalism
Neoliberalism
Social Justice
Palestine
Climate Change
Zionism
Israel
Lies My Teacher Told Me
Racism
Mental Health
Labor Movement
KPFA
Great Depression
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Education
United States
Donald Trump
California
Gig Economy
Socialism

Acclaimed program of ideas, in-depth analysis, and commentary on a variety of matters—political, economic, social, and cultural—important to progressive and radical thinking and activism. Against the Grain is produced and hosted by Sasha Lilley.

PublishesDailyEpisodes1000Founded21 years ago
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PoliticsNews

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Artwork for KPFA - Against the Grain

Latest Episodes

Why do poor, often sick, rural people vote for Republicans even after they slash funding for Medicaid and close rural hospitals? Michael Shepherd describes how conservative politicians and media have successfully built support for those cuts by claim... more

When we think of world makers, we’re unlikely to picture a flower. Yet flowers completely transformed our planet, giving us rain forests, altering coastlines, producing the food we eat, and enticing our pre-human ancestors to climb down from the tree... more

The struggle for labor across the color line has often been credited to white activists. However, as sociologist Cedric de Leon argues, the black labor movement, independently organized outside of the official union movement, propelled such efforts. ... more

Jessica Mitford revived muckraking journalism in the United States, shaping generations of investigative writers who followed her. She also lived a committed life on the left, despite her ultra-reactionary English upper class origins. Carla Kaplan ar... more

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Recent Guests

Michael Shepherd
Author of Rural Pain, Republican Gain, Assistant Professor of Public Health and Political Science, University of Michigan
University of Michigan
Episode: Why Do Rural Poor People Support the GOP?
David George Haskell
Biologist and author of How Flowers Made Our World
University/Author (discussed in episode)
Episode: Unlikely World Makers
Cedric de Leon
Sociologist and author
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Episode: The Black Labor Movement
Adrian Daub
Author of What Tech Calls Governing; JE. Wallace Sterling Professor in the Humanities at Stanford
Stanford University
Episode: Big Tech’s Worldview
Kojo Koram
Legal scholar, author of The Next Fix
Loughborough University
Episode: Profiting from Drug Legalization
Scott Kurashige
Historian and activist, author of American Peril: The Violent History of Anti-Asian Racism
James and Grace Lee Boggs Foundation
Episode: U.S. Capitalism, Empire, and Anti-Asian Violence
Sven Beckert
Historian, Professor of History at Harvard, author of Capitalism, a Global History
Harvard University
Episode: Beckert on Global Capitalism
Keramet Reiter
Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at UC Irvine
UC Irvine
Episode: Immigrant Detention and the “Worst of the Worst”
Joshua Page
Professor of Sociology, Law and Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
Episode: Immigrant Detention and the “Worst of the Worst”

Host

Sasha Lilley
Host of Against the Grain

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 256 ratings
  • Great Program

    I have been listening to Against The Grain for over a decade. Please keep up the great work. The topics covered by C.S. Song and Sasha Lilley are very informative and are needed more than ever, in these authoritarian times.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Hija de La Orisha
    United Statesa year ago
  • Excellent research and hosts

    Very thoughtful and informative! Sasha Lilley and CS Song are very adept at guiding the interviews forward. I almost always learn something that changes my knowledge of the world, even from the eps whose titles I am less interested in. My favorite was an interview with David Graeber.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    DostDevil
    United States5 years ago
  • Are there any herbs for ‘orange-man-bad’ syndrome??

    Extremely biased against Trump presidency. While there is some credible, unbiased, subjects discussed on this podcast, it fails to objectively evaluate the White House w/out selling the same old propaganda the left has been dishing for four years

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    whyareyouonlyonitunes
    United States6 years ago
  • KPFA, and public intellectualism, at its best

    Simply one of the finest scholarly radio shows in America. I’d been listening to Against the Grain on FM for more than a decade, and I’m so grateful that it’s now offered via podcast so I can easily listen to it on the east coast. You’d be hard pressed to find a more fascinating podcast hearing from the most innovative leftist intellectuals today.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Tkoshark
    United States6 years ago
  • Yo

    Yo chill on the ram das

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    yoooooooooootkrnn
    United States7 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Among the best for long-form, intellectually rigorous discussions with smart guests.
A must-listen for listeners who value analytical, non-mainstream perspectives.
Thoughtful, deeply researched interviews that change how listeners view the world.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#235
Hong Kong/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why Do Rural Poor People Support the GOP?
Q: Have data shown that demographics like race or urban-rural divides fully explain the shift, or are media and information channels the bigger driver?
Media ecosystems—local news deserts, conservative radio and social media networks—play a critical role by framing issues through a conservative or anti-establishment lens, which helps explain why voters double down on GOP alignment even when policies hurt them economically.
Why Do Rural Poor People Support the GOP?
Q: Who precisely are we talking about when we refer to rural voters and their attitudes—are there meaningful subgroups we should differentiate?
There are distinctions by race, class, and geography, but a consistent strain shows rural white voters shifting across income levels, with early movers being wealthier landowners and later including lower-income rural whites who align with the GOP due to concerns about culture, identity, and place.
Unlikely World Makers
Q: Well, I'd like to ask you more about the first one. So of course, you know, we're all aware of the ways that the beauty of flowers can attract insects, also the scent of flowers, and that as you were saying, what had been an adversarial relationship before actually then transforms insects into part of a cooperative web around the flower that benefits the flower and benefits the insects. Can you talk about roses and their place in this cooperative web?
Roses illustrate how flowers can be generalist in attracting a broad range of pollinators, with a big, welcoming bloom and a nectar-rich interior, while other flowers, like yucca or figs, require highly specialized pollinators; the aroma and chemistry of roses are broad enough to engage many insects, and humans have even bred roses to enhance aroma, demonstrating the spectrum from generalist to specialized plant–pollinator relationships.
Ancient Trees and Fossil Capitalism
Q: How has the modern, data-driven approach to dating ancient trees altered our perception of their age and significance?
It shifted from relational aging—linking a tree to temples, places, or historical events—to exact dating through dendrochronology, enabling precise climate reconstructions and broader scientific applications, though it also narrowed the cultural and spiritual dimensions that surrounded ancient trees.
Fund Drive Special: Unlikely World Makers
Q: What can listeners do in their own gardens to support biodiversity and reflect this ecological wisdom?
Plant native species to support local pollinators while recognizing that a garden with diverse species from other regions can also provide nectar, and advocate for broader habitat protection and strong biodiversity policies.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About KPFA - Against the Grain

What is KPFA - Against the Grain about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Analyses tend to center on power, policy, and culture through rigorous interviews with scholars, journalists, and activists. Topics span executive power, climate policy, anti-fascist organizing, muckraking journalism, gender and biology, health inequality, surveillance, and the historical roots of American imperialism. Episodes often blend historical context with contemporary critique, and frequently weave in fundraising or public-media advocacy. The show is notable for its deep-dive, long-form format and its ability to connect complex ideas to current political debates, making it a compelling listen for listeners who crave thoughtful, evidence-based discussion from a left-leaning perspective.

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Which podcasts are similar to KPFA - Against the Grain?

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1. Behind the News with Doug Henwood
2. The Red Nation Podcast
3. Jacobin Radio
4. The Dig
5. The Nation Podcasts

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KPFA - Against the Grain launched 21 years ago and published 1000 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on KPFA - Against the Grain?

Recent guests on KPFA - Against the Grain include:

1. Michael Shepherd
2. David George Haskell
3. Cedric de Leon
4. Adrian Daub
5. Kojo Koram
6. Scott Kurashige
7. Sven Beckert
8. Keramet Reiter

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