On the Other Hand

In this third & final part of our On The Other Hand podcast conversation with Elizabeth Henry-McKeever, Priest at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal church in Little Rock, we move from the pews into the public square — and into some of the thorniest questions Christians face today. What is the church's role in promoting the common good, and why does Elizabeth believe Christianity is actually most...

In this second part of our On The Other Hand podcast conversation with Elizabeth Henry-McKeever, Priest at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal church in Little Rock, we venture from the beehive to the pulpit — and find more in common between the two than you might expect. Elizabeth draws surprising parallels between her work as a beekeeper and the life of a Christian community: how a hive ca...

In this first part of a three-part conversation with the Reverend Elizabeth Henry-McKeever, Priest at St. Michael’s Episcopal church in Little Rock, Glen and April explore with Elizabeth the winding road that led her from high school healing prayers to ordination—with a detour through non-profit communications and fundraising along the way. Elizabeth reflects on what it means to create genui...

The headline version of Arkansas politics is division. The reality, according to AR Senators Clarke Tucker and Jonathan Dismang, is considerably more cooperative — it just happens behind the scenes. In Part 2, both senators describe how they navigate governors of either party (honesty about disagreements, focus on genuine overlap), why the appearance of dysfunction owes more to safe seats ...

In Part 2 or our conversation with Dr. Kevin Heifner, local physician, writer and community activist, Kevin opens up about what genuine bridge-building actually looks like from the inside. He's enthusiastic about Braver Angels and its contributions, but he's equally blunt about what doesn't work: "performative peacemaking" — the kind of conflict avoidance that mistakes niceness for progres...

In this first part of Glen and John’s interview with local physician, writer and community activist Dr. Kevin Heifner, we wondered: what does a nephrologist with 35 years of practice have to say about faith, politics, and the state of American civic life? Quite a lot, it turns out. Kevin talks about the community work that keeps him engaged beyond the exam room — and why the same eth...

In this third & final part of our interview with Robert Steinbuch, law professor and government transparency advocate, Glen and April explore several key issues with Rob. He outlines the tension between FOIA's essential role in exposing government behavior and the equally legitimate need to protect private citizens' personal information — and candidly addresses why ordinary people struggle to ...

In Part 2 of our three-part conversation with Robert Steinbuch - Law Professor at UA Little Rock and one of Arkansas's leading government transparency advocates - Rob takes Glen and April inside the real-world mechanics of the Freedom of Information Act. He recounts how his FOIA research on law school admissions and affirmative action sparked controversy at his own university, ultimately producing schol...

If you are following the controversy in Arkansas over defunding of PBS, this episode is a must for you! In the second half of our conversation with Gay White, former First Lady of Arkansas, April and Glen dig into why political discourse has grown so much more polarized — and who bears responsibility for turning it around. Gay shares what drew her to co-chair the Friends of Arkansas PBS initiative...

In this first part of Glen and April’s interview with Gay White, former First Lady of Arkansas, Gay discussed her early involvement in Arkansas politics, including working on David Pryor's Senate campaign in the early 1970s. She then shared her experiences when her husband Frank White, a banker, decided to run for governor against Bill Clinton in the early 1980s. Gay proudly noted Frank’s ability after being elected to ...

Check out part 3 of our conversation with April Chatham-Carpenter, new state coordinator for Braver Angels Arkansas, on our On The Other Hand podcast. Share with others who might find it of interest.

Summary: In this third and final part of our conversation with Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, April reflects on what gives her hope for Arkansas and the nation. She describes Brav...

Check out part 2 of our conversation with April Chatham-Carpenter, new state coordinator for Braver Angels Arkansas, on our On The Other Hand podcast. Share with others who may like it.

Summary: In this second part of our interview with Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, April discusses what she sees as Arkansas's most pressing divides — rural/urban, racial, economic, and fa...

Check out part 1 of our conversation with April Chatham-Carpenter, new state coordinator for Braver Angels Arkansas, on our On The Other Hand podcast. Share freely with others.

Summary: In this first part of our interview with Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, April shares her journey — from an aptitude test that launched a career in communication, to her discovery of Brave...

In part 2 of our conversation with Bob Estes, coordinator of Arkansas Peace Week, Bob gets practical—and personal—about what it really takes to bridge divides in Arkansas. He talks about why trust must come before persuasion, and he shares the surprisingly freeing impact of deleting Facebook from his phone. We also explore the deeper cultural and generational gaps shaping our state, why he’s hopeful ...

In this episode of On the Other Hand, Glen talks with Bob Estes, coordinator of Arkansas Peace Week and longtime advocate with the Arkansas Coalition for Peace and Justice, about what it really means to build a culture of peace in a deeply divided time. Bob reflects on the personal influences that shaped his commitment to fairness and equality, from mentors like Paul Wellstone and Woody Guthrie to his o...

In part 2 of their conversation with Jim Hudson, Secretary of Arkansas Dept of Finance & Administration, April and John explore how Jim leads his team in these polarized times, manages risk, integrates faith and integrity into public service, and finds hope amid division. Jim explores how leadership in government requires balancing experimentation with accountability, explaining how his team tests n...

On The Other Hand podcast co-host April Chatham-Carpenter and guest co-host John O’Brien have a conversation with Jim Hudson, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, where he oversees multiple divisions and works with a wide range of stakeholders. In Part 1 of the interview, Jim describes his leadership journey, values, and consultative approach to mission-driven public...