Biographer Kai Bird published The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter in 2021. Kai is a prolific author, most notably of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, which earned he and his co-author a Pulitzer Prize in 2006 and became a major motion picture in 2023. I got a chance to talk with Kai about the role he sees biographers playing in the formation of collective memory.

You can find Kai's book at: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/538942/the-outlier-by-kai-bird/

Many of the details of Carter's Presidency have been forgotten by the general public and some have even been intentionally mischaracterized by right-wing political operatives masquerading as journalists. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk with Dr. Kevin Kruse, one of the foremost experts on modern American political history. Kevin talks about how public perception of Carter has changed over time, and how Carter's conduct while in office has become the gold standard for presidential ethics in the modern era.

You can find a couple of Kevin's books at: https://uncpress.org/book/9781469642246/showbiz-politics/ and https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691246666/247-politics

The connection between Washington politics and Hollywood celebrity is often taken for granted today, but, historically speaking, it hasn't always been the case. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk with Dr. Kathryn Cramer Brownell. Katie talks about her research into the origins of what she calls "showbiz politics," and the surprising role that President Carter played in the creation of the 24 hour news cycle.

You can find Katie's books at: https://uncpress.org/book/9781469642246/showbiz-politics/ and https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691246666/247-politics