Author of Live From the Campaign Trail: The Greatest Presidential Campaign Speeches of the 20th Century and How They Shaped Modern America, Cohen, a Senior Fellow at the American Security Program, writes and lectures on wide-ranging political and national security issues, including the war in Afghanistan, the ongoing militarization of American foreign policy.
Politics/Activism
Jeffrey Miron
In Libertarianism, from A to Z, acclaimed Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron leads audiences beyond the superficial tenets of libertarian thought – “Keep your government out of my bedroom and out of my wallet,” – and examines the movement’s controversial stances on prostitution and drug use, while exploring broader issues ranging from abortion to the war on terror.
Kayla Williams
Author of the memoir Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army, Williams, a former sergeant and Arabic linguist in a military intelligence unit of the 101st Airborne in Iraq, addresses the shifting role of women in society, the changing demands on today’s military, and the treatment/reintegration of veterans.
Tom Philpott
Co-founder of Maverick Farms, a center for sustainable-food education, and Food Editor at Grist.org, the country’s top environmental news site, Philpott’s biweekly “Victual Reality” column is the only regular food-politics column in the national media. Food & Wine named him one of “ten innovators” who will “continue to shape [America’s] culinary consciousness.”
Joan Garry
Former Executive Director of GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), Garry is widely recognized as one of the most vocal, passionate and effective civil rights leaders in America. She is a featured blogger at The Huffington Post, and frequently contributes commentary to major news publications and TV networks.
Brandon Friedman
Author of the acclaimed memoir, The War I Always Wanted, Friedman is currently Director of New Media at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He served from ’07-’09 as Vice Chairman of VoteVets.org and as editor of the blog VetVoice, and has worked extensively across all media platforms to communicate progressive defense and foreign policy strategies
Gustavo Arellano
Author of the bestselling book and nationally syndicated column ¡Ask a Mexican!, and Orange County: A Personal History, Arellano, also a contributing editor to the LA Times, addresses immigration, integration and the role of stereotypes in American society, and helps organizations to better connect with Latinos.
