Mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 31, at 7:00 p.m. CST!

We’re thrilled to announce that, in collaboration with our friends at KBIA, Alex will be talking to Ari Shapiro, co-host of NPR’s All Things Considered, about The Best Strangers in the World, his new memoir-in-essays which is also a love letter to journalism.

The beloved broadcaster takes us around the globe to reveal the stories behind narratives that are sometimes heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking, but always poignant. He details his time traveling on Air Force One with President Obama, or following the path of Syrian refugees fleeing war, or learning from those fighting for social justice both at home and abroad.

As the self-reinforcing bubbles we live in become more impenetrable, Shapiro keeps seeking ways to help people listen to one another; to find connection and commonality with those who may seem different; to remind us that, before religion, or nationality, or politics, we are all human. The Best Strangers in the World is a testament to one journalist’s passion for Considering All Things—and sharing what he finds with the rest of us.

This will be an online conversation - click here to watch on the KBIA News Facebook page! You do not need a Facebook account or be signed in to watch - the event is free and available to all.

Ari Shapiro is the award-winning cohost of NPR’s All Things Considered, the most listened-to radio news program in the United States. In addition to his reporting, Shapiro makes frequent appearances as a guest singer with the “little orchestra” Pink Martini. He created the original one-man show, Homeward, in 2016, and since 2019, has performed and toured the stage show Och and Oy with Tony Award–winner Alan Cumming. He lives in Washington, DC.