We love introducing you to meaningful conversations and powerful ideas, and today, we're thrilled to bring you something a little different — a bonus episode from our friends at the Mission Forward podcast. If you haven’t tuned in yet, Mission Forward is all about the people and stories driving social change, and we think you’ll find a lot to love.

In this special episode, host Carrie Fox sits down with Leonard Burton to explore his powerful journey from a Detroit stage play to national leadership in justice, tracing the mentors, moments, and moral clarity that shaped his vision for a more equitable future. It’s a conversation packed with insight, strategy, and heart — just the kind of content we know you value. So settle in and enjoy this special episode of Mission Forward.

Why are urban and rural America so at odds?

Author Barbara Kingsolver has answers as she joins the second episode of our sister podcast from the Chronicle of Philanthropy: The Commons in Conversation.

The Pulitzer Prize winner 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 talks with Chronicle of Philanthropy deputy opinion editor Nandita Raghuram 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 Deeper

• Read 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."

We're excited to introduce you to the Chronicle of Philanthropy's latest podcast, The Commons in Conversation — a new show that explores how nonprofits and philanthropy can bring Americans together and strengthen fractured communities.

The Commons in Conversation uncovers solutions in interviews with advocates, leaders, and thinkers, including philanthropist Reid Hoffman, author Barbara Kingsolver, and democracy scholar and nonprofit leader Danielle Allen. Join Chronicle editors and writers as we bridge divides across lines of politics, race, class, gender, and more.

The first season kicks off with an urgent question: How can we reverse the trend of declining trust in institutions? Philanthropist and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman is looking for answers with a $10 million open call for organizations working to build faith in government, the media, public health, universities, and more.

In this episode, Hoffman joins Chronicle editor-in-chief Andrew Simon and Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change, to talk about Hoffman's competition and how philanthropy can help restore trust.

Make sure to subscribe to The Commons in Conversation in your podcast app so you don't miss an episode.