This weekend marks the third annual WIT: Words, Ideas, and Thinkers Literary Festival, a brilliant celebration of books, brains, and Berkshire Brahmins. Held at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox September 27 through 29, this year’s theme is “The Power of Words: Why Writers Matter.”
The MSNBC host of “The Rachel Maddow Show” (TRMS) joins playwright Tony Kushner for a Saturday morning discussion about the American democratic experiment. They will also talk about their collaboration adapting her podcast “Ultra” for Steven Spielberg.
If you guessed that I have already signed up for the livestream at 10 a.m., you are correct. Huge thanks to the Authors Guild Foundation and Community Television for the Southern Berkshires for doing this!
Of course, words matter so much to Rachel Maddow that her early career in radio turned into four best-selling books. But that is not all: TRMS is appointment TV for me every Monday at 9 p.m.
Indeed, were it not for Rachel Maddow, Woman on the Verge would be woman metaphorically over the cliff.
Fortunately, Maddow’s media empire is growing. She went from a nightly broadcast on MSNBC to a weekly one so that she could work on podcasting. And sure enough, she nailed this, too.
Before “Ultra” there was “Bag Man,” her inaugural podcast. The latter told the riveting story of former Vice President Spiro Agnew’s political scandal, which led to his 1973 resignation. But Agnew’s wrongdoing was eclipsed by former President Richard Nixon’s Watergate scandal, which resulted in his resignation a year later, too.
As a historian, Rachel Maddow possesses an impressive knack for storytelling when current events simply seem like deja vu all over again. This is especially true of her latest podcast, “Ultra,” about another nearly forgotten tale of an American demagogue.
And while words do not often fail me, I am in complete awe of Maddow’s latest media endeavor: film production. As fans surely know, “From Russia with Lev” premiered on MSNBC last Friday night. Maddow is one of four executive producers.
Remember this guy?
Directed by Billy Corben, “From Russia with Lev” should be enough to help undecided voters make the right choice already. Either way, Rachel Maddow knows what she is talking about. This is true because she is a reader, a writer, and a thinker.
The fact that her media empire is growing gives me hope for the near future (Saturday morning) and six weeks from now (the day after the election).
I pray the American democratic experiment will survive. And I trust Maddow will continue to shine bright as voters decide between now and then.
Finally, congratulations to the entire WIT Literary Festival team. You light up my life!
