Off the Page: A Columbia University Press Podcast

New Books Network

China

Climate Change

Maldives

Stream Restoration

Yoga

Indian Ocean

Community Engagement

United States

Zheng He

Democracy

South Korea

Environmental Justice

Watershed Management

French India

Colonialism

Cowrie Shells

Southeast Asia

Civic Activism

Beaver Dams

Regenerative Stream Conveyance

Interviews with Columbia University Press authors.

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Publishes	Twice weekly	Episodes	484	Founded	4 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	BooksHistoryArts

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Latest Episodes

Nicholas Freudenberg, "Fighting for New York: Activism for Health and Social Justice Since The 1960s" (Columbia UP, 2026)

Today I'm speaking with Nicholas Freudenberg, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Public Health at the CUNY School of Public Health. We are discussing his book, Fighting for New York: Activism for Health and Social Justice Since the 1960s (Columbia U... more

7 Jul 2026 • 56 min

Natalia Rogach Alexander, "Growing People: The Enduring Legacy of John Dewey" (Columbia UP, 2025)

John Dewey is among history’s most celebrated thinkers on democracy and

education, yet he has often been underappreciated and misunderstood as a philosopher. This book paints a fresh portrait of Dewey as not only a reformer of schooling but also a p... more

10 Jun 2026 • 51 min

Thomas Doherty, "How Film Became History: The Rise of the Archival Documentary in 1930s America" (Columbia UP, 2026)

By the 1930s, filmmakers had access to a backlog of footage from nearly forty years of motion pictures, allowing them to create a new kind of film stitched together from the raw material of older films. At around the same time, the transition to sync... more

20 May 2026 • 38 min

Ayşehan Jülide Etem, "Film Diplomacy: A Media History of Turkey-US Relations" (Columbia UP, 2026)

Film Diplomacy: A Media History of Turkey-US Relations (Columbia UP, 2026) offers a powerful new account of how film shaped international relations and national identity. Drawing on previously unexamined and recently declassified archives in Turkey a... more

16 May 2026 • 55 min

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Recent Guests

Tom Doherty

Professor of American studies, Brandeis University; author of the book being discussed

Brandeis University

Episode: Thomas Doherty, "How Film Became History: The Rise of the Archival Documentary in 1930s America" (Columbia UP, 2026)

Jülide Etem

Professor of cinema and media studies; author of Film Diplomacy, A Media History of Turkey-US Relations

University of Virginia

Episode: Ayşehan Jülide Etem, "Film Diplomacy: A Media History of Turkey-US Relations" (Columbia UP, 2026)

Shameem Black

Author of Flexible India, Yoga's Cultural and Political Tensions

Australian National University

Episode: Shameem Black, "Flexible India: Yoga's Cultural and Political Tensions" (Columbia UP, 2023)

Yingyi Ma

Professor of Sociology at Syracuse University, author of Ambitious and Anxious

Syracuse University / Columbia University Press

Episode: Yingyi Ma, "Ambitious and Anxious: How Chinese College Students Succeed and Struggle in American Higher Education" (Columbia UP, 2020)

Ainehi Edoro

Author of Forest Imaginaries, Assistant Professor of English and African Cultural Studies

University of Wisconsin–Madison

Episode: Ainehi Edoro, "Forest Imaginaries: How African Novels Think" (Columbia UP, 2026)

Dr. Zheng Liu

Author of Cultural Mavericks, Lecturer in Innovation Management

University of Bristol Business School

Episode: Zheng Liu, "Cultural Mavericks: The Business and Politics of Independent Bookselling in China" (Columbia UP, 2026)

Karima Moyer-Nocchi

Professor of culinary history

University of Siena; author of The Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese

Episode: Karima Moyer-Nocchi, "The Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese: From Ancient Rome to Modern America" (Columbia UP, 2026)

AJ Bauer

Author, Making the Liberal Media, How Conservatives Built a Movement Against the Press

Columbia University Press / University of Alabama

Episode: A.J. Bauer, "Making the Liberal Media: How Conservatives Built a Movement Against The Press" (Columbia UP, 2026)

Dr. Renny Thomas

Co-editor of Decolonial Keywords: South Asian Thoughts and Attitudes

Columbia University Press

Episode: Renny Thomas and Sasanka Perera, "Decolonial Keywords: South Asian Thoughts and Attitudes" (Columbia UP, 2025)

Host

Miranda Melcher

Host of the episode, conducting the interview; introduces guests and guides the conversation

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Apple Podcasts	#39	Denmark/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts	#120	Denmark/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

David J. Helfand, "The Universal Timekeepers: Reconstructing History Atom by Atom" (Columbia UP, 2023)

Q: What is the significance of neutron stars in creating heavy elements?

Neutron-star mergers are now understood as major sites for producing heavy elements beyond iron, with gravitational waves and gamma-ray bursts providing observational evidence that ties stellar explosions to the chemical makeup of the universe.

David J. Helfand, "The Universal Timekeepers: Reconstructing History Atom by Atom" (Columbia UP, 2023)

Q: How do radioactive decay rates function as universal clocks?

Decay rates are random at the level of individual nuclei but statistically predictable across large samples, providing a reliable measure of time since formation through half-lives and isotope ratios, across contexts from archaeology to cosmology.

David J. Helfand, "The Universal Timekeepers: Reconstructing History Atom by Atom" (Columbia UP, 2023)

Q: Why did you choose to write about atoms as a way to understand history?

Because atoms and isotopes act as natural clocks and fingerprints, letting us date artifacts, reconstruct ancient diets, map climate changes, and trace cosmic events, which together reveal a cohesive narrative about our origins and history.

Eli Zaretsky, “Political Freud: A History” (Columbia UP, 2015)

Q: What are the two meanings of political Freud, and how do they differ in their implications for social movements?

The first meaning shows how oppressed groups used Freudian ideas to understand oppression's psychic costs; the second emphasizes that psychoanalysis itself is historically and culturally situated, evolving with its time's politics.

Eli Zaretsky, “Political Freud: A History” (Columbia UP, 2015)

Q: Why does you start with the nexus of capitalism and psychoanalysis, and how do you frame their interaction at the turn of the century?

The discussion frames capitalism as a social system with culture and psychology, not merely an economic structure, and explains how Freud and psychoanalysis entered this context to shape modern life.

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What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show features in-depth conversations with authors and scholars who probe the cultural, historical, and social significance of books across a range of disciplines. Episodes frequently center on how ideas travel, how institutions shape knowledge, and how historical moments echo in contemporary culture—covering topics from archival film and film diplomacy to gender, race, and religion in global contexts. A notable strength is the scholarly yet accessible approach, often weaving archival anecdotes, methodological notes, and broader implications for policy, education, and public discourse. The format repeatedly pairs a host with a guest who is an established academic or author, yielding thoughtful explorations that appeal to listeners who v... more

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2. The Daily

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this podcast launched 4 years ago and published 484 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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Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Tom Doherty
2. Jülide Etem
3. Shameem Black
4. Yingyi Ma
5. Ainehi Edoro
6. Dr. Zheng Liu
7. Karima Moyer-Nocchi
8. AJ Bauer

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