Host Marcia Franklin continues her conversation with Idaho-born playwright Samuel Hunter, focusing on the craft of playwriting, some of the actors he admires, and a new project he's working on that's not for the stage.

Hunter, a Moscow, ID native, is the recipient of a 2014 MacArthur Fellowship, known colloquially as the "Genius Grant." He also won an Obie Award in 2011.

Originally Aired: 10/16/2015

He's only 34, but has already won some of the most prestigious awards for creativity in the country. On this episode of Dialogue, Marcia Franklin interviews playwright and Moscow, ID native Samuel Hunter. Hunter is the recipient of a 2014 MacArthur Fellowship, known colloquially as the "Genius Grant." He also won an Obie Award in 2011.

Hunter talks about what it was like to win the MacArthur, and what he plans to do with the time and money it affords him to dedicate to his craft. He also discusses the evolution of his works, which have been performed all over the country, and the role of Idaho in his plays.

Originally Aired: 10/09/2015

On this edition of Dialogue, host Marcia Franklin talks with New York Times bestselling author Mark Kurlansky. Kurlansky, who is known for his "microhistories" of objects and events we often take for granted, will speak about some of his works, including "Salt: A World History," "Cod, A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World," "1968: The Year that Rocked the World," "The Basque History of the World," and "Non-Violence: 25 Lessons from the History of a Dangerous Idea."

Originally aired: 03/27/2008

Host Marcia Franklin talks with author Colum McCann about his books since their last conversation in 2011, which include "American Mother," "Apeirogon," and his most recent novel, "Twist." The two also discuss McCann's nonprofit, Narrative 4, which uses storytelling to bring youth from different backgrounds together. The conversation was taped at the 2025 Sun Valley Writers' Conference.

Host Marcia Franklin talks with author Wright Thompson about his book, "The Barn," which delves into the history of the barn in Mississippi where 14-year-old Emmett Till was tortured in 1955. The murder and subsequent trial accelerated the civil rights movement in America. The conversation was taped at the 2025 Sun Valley Writers' Conference.

Host Marcia Franklin talks with author Andre Dubus III about his work, which includes his bestselling novel, "House of Sand and Fog" and memoir, "Townie." The two also discuss his most recent books, "Ghost Dogs: On Killers and Kin," and "Such Kindness," as well as his thoughts on the digital world. The conversation was taped at the 2025 Sun Valley Writers' Conference.

Host Marcia Franklin talks with author Ocean Vuong about his work, which includes the bestselling novels, "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" and the recent "The Emperor of Gladness." Vuong, a professor at New York University, also discusses his love of photography and how it has influenced his writing. The conversation was taped at the 2025 Sun Valley Writers' Conference.

Marcia Franklin talks with Pulitzer Prize–winning author Stacy Schiff about her work, The Witches. The book examines the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, delving into what precipitated them, and the participants involved. Franklin talks with Schiff about why she wanted to write the book, the challenges involved and the legacy of the trials.

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Originally Aired: 10/29/2015

The interview is part of Dialogue's series "Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference" and was taped at the 2015 conference. Since 1995, the conference has been bringing together some of the world's most well-known and illuminating authors to discuss literature and life.