The Commons in Conversation

Author: Chronicle of Philanthropy

What can nonprofits and philanthropy do to bring Americans together and strengthen fractured communities? The Commons in Conversation gets answers in interviews with advocates, leaders, and thinkers, including philanthropist Reid Hoffman, author Barbara Kingsolver, and democracy scholar and nonprofit leader Danielle Allen. Join Chronicle of Philanthropy editors and writers as we explore solutions to division in America across lines of politics, race, class, gender, and more.This podcast is produced by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, an independent news outlet covering the 4 trillion world of nonprofits and grant making.
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Language: en-us

Genres: Business, Non-Profit

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Barbara Kingsolver: How Did Urban and Rural America Become Enemies?
Episode 2
Tuesday, 8 July, 2025

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Barbara Kingsolver frequently writes and talks about the origins of — and cure for — what she calls "urban-rural antipathy." Her most recent novel, Demon Copperhead, aims to dismantle stereotypes of her native Appalachia that she says infect politics and contribute to a mutual loathing between urban and rural Americans. Kingsolver joins Chronicle of Philanthropy deputy opinion editor Nandita Raghuram for a conversation about her writing and philanthropy's role in rural parts of the country. She also shares a bit about Higher Ground, a home she and her husband established for women recovering from addiction.Visit The Commons, a Chronicle special project exploring how Americans can come together, strengthen communities, and repair our torn social fabric. And sign up for our weekly newsletter.Watch this interview on the Chronicle's YouTube channel. Go DeeperRead an excerpt from Demon Copperhead.Read a New York Times story about the home that Kingsolver and her husband established for women recovering from addiction.Listen to a 2023 interview with Kingsolver about Demon Copperhead as "the great Appalachian novel."