Melanie Kirkpatrick on Unveiling Thanksgiving's Hidden Heroines

Liberty and Leadership

Join Roger in this week's Liberty + Leadership Podcast as he speaks with author and seasoned journalist, Melanie Kirkpatrick. Roger and Melanie discuss her most recent book, "Lady Editor: Sarah Josepha Hale and the Making of the Modern American Woman." They explore the true meaning of Thanksgiving through her book “Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience," discussing the holiday's origins and the woman who played a critical role in the American Thanksgiving tradition. Additionally, they discuss Melanie's 2014 book, "Escape from North Korea: The Untold Story of Asia’s Underground Railroad," the current climate of censorship in China and her friendship with imprisoned journalist, Jimmy Lai.
Melanie Kirkpatrick is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, having previously worked for 30 years at The Wall Street Journal, rising from copy editor to opinion editor, member of the editorial board and deputy editor of the newspaper’s editorial pages. In addition to authoring several books, Melanie is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations; a trustee emerita of Princeton in Asia, an internship program in Asia for young graduates of American universities; a member of the Trollope Society; a member of the advisory board of the Human Freedom Program of the George W. Bush Institute; and a director of the America for Bulgaria Foundation. She was co-editor of several editions of the Index of Economic Freedom, published annually by the Journal and The Heritage Foundation.
Melanie received the 2001 Mary Morgan Hewett Award for Women in Journalism from the Friends of the East-West Center in Honolulu. The annual award recognizes a journalist who has demonstrated commitment. She received a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a master’s degree in English from the University of Toronto.
The Liberty + Leadership Podcast is hosted by TFAS president Roger Ream and produced by kglobal. This episode was recorded at Reason Magazine’s podcast studio. If you have a comment or question for the show, please drop us an email at [email protected].
To support TFAS and its mission, please visit TFAS.org/support.
Melanie’s Books:

• Lady Editor: Sarah Josepha Hale and the Making of the Modern American Woman
• Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience
• Escape from North Korea: The Untold Story of Asia's Underground Railroad
• Princeton-in-Asia, a century of service: Reminiscences and reflections

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Chapters

1. Melanie Kirkpatrick's Journalism and Books (00:00:00)

2. Traditions, Surprises, and Connecting to Thanksgiving (00:16:33)

3. Escape From North Korea (00:27:37)

4. Liberty and Leadership Podcast Request (00:38:35)