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"When freedom's light goes out"
On risking the "brand" in brutal times, writing of right and wrong, and other lessons from the poet Wendell Berry.
Jan 26
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John Tessitore
2
1
2
Be True, Episode 115: An Immigrant Nation Inherits the World
A vision of a post-Trump future posing as an argument for linguistic diversity, educational inclusivity, and the recognition of heritage language…
Jan 25
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John Tessitore
1
1
15:18
There's gold in them thar hills!
The Greenland fiasco, the echoes of Manifest Destiny, and the indigenous people who are threatened whenever America decides to "improve" the land.
Jan 22
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John Tessitore
2
1
1
Be True, Episode 114: The Nonviolent Struggle Over Meaning
What a recently-discovered Hittite tablet says about the past, present, and future of the humanities and the embattled values of humanism for an America…
Jan 18
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John Tessitore
2
1
1
10:42
The Nonviolent Struggle Over Meaning
What a Hittite tablet says about the past, present, and future of humanism
Jan 14
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John Tessitore
4
2
1
October 2025
Be True, Bonus Episode: "An Evening with M. Poe"
To celebrate Halloween, John reads his poem "An Evening with M. Poe," a dramatic monologue and fictionalized episode in the gory, spooky life of Edgar…
Oct 31, 2025
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John Tessitore
1
2
2:13
Be True, Episode 113: We Hold These Truths
John reads the second half of The Declaration of Independence. He discusses the almost-unbelievable echoes of the American Revolution today, the genius…
Oct 5, 2025
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John Tessitore
3
4
2
12:48
September 2025
Be True, Episode 112: No Choice But to Trust Our Feet
John reads his poem “International Relations.” He discusses the virtues of reason, the scholarly method, the religion of humanism, what happens when the…
Sep 28, 2025
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John Tessitore
3
2
2
10:00
Be True, Episode 111: The City Will Be Following You
John reads "The City," a poem by C.P. Cavafy. He also discusses the universal immigrant experience, the inescapability of the past, and why we identify…
Sep 21, 2025
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John Tessitore
3
4
1
8:06
Sparing What's Left of Ourselves
Thinking about cities, and community, at a time when leadership of all kinds is shirking its responsibility
Sep 17, 2025
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John Tessitore
1
1
Be True, Episode 110: The Brawling Laughter of Youth
John reads “Chicago,” a poem by Carl Sandburg. He also discusses the changing fashions of American literature, and the dangers of cynicism, and…
Sep 14, 2025
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John Tessitore
2
1
1
8:10
Be True, Episode 109: None May Teach It Anything
John reads "There's a certain slant of light," a poem by Emily Dickinson. He also discusses the joy of experiencing poetry rather than explaining…
Sep 7, 2025
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John Tessitore
6
2
3
6:41
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