BackStory with the American History Guys

FAIN: TD-50058-09

Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (Charlottesville, VA 22903-4625)
Andrew H. Wyndham (Project Director: September 2008 to September 2010)

Development of 28 programs for a new series of one-hour radio programs with interviews, discussion, and special features providing historical perspective on a variety of contemporary issues and topics.

"BackStory with the American History Guys" is a prototype one-hour, weekly call-in radio program with interviews, discussion and special features. In development for national distribution by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH), "BackStory" is designed to provide perspective on the present, by connecting current circumstances with the broad range of U.S. history. Each week on the program, historians Ed Ayers, Brian Balogh, and Peter Onuf -- the genial, sometimes gregarious, and always thought-provoking hosts-grab a topic from the headlines and drill down into America's past. In support of "BackStory with the American History Guys," VFH is requesting an NEH Development Grant of $74,990. A development award will significantly enhance the humanities/analytical content of "BackStory," supporting the core academic-production team as they work in concert to research, set the groundwork for, and thoughtfully develop 28 new programs.