Katie Stallard is the author of Dancing on Bones: History and Power in China, Russia, and North Korea, which was named political book of the year 2022 by the Financial Times, Sunday Times, and BBC History magazine. She was previously based in Russia and China as a foreign correspondent for Sky News, and is now Senior Editor, China and Global Affairs, at the New Statesman. She is also an endurance athlete.
In this show, we discuss:
The role of history in authoritarian regimes
Symbolism and power in military parades
Trump and authoritarian spectacles
The mechanics of narrative control
The disturbing trends in American history education
The courage of dissent in authoritarian regimes
Journalism in hostile environments
Lessons for American dissenters from running ultramarathons
The Rhyming Chaos podcast is produced by Jeremy Goldkorn and Maria Repnikova, and edited by Cadre Scripts. The theme music is Paper Boy, composed and performed on the guzheng by Wu Fei. Our closing music is Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 1, arranged and performed by Wu Fei. Our cover art is by Li Yunfei.
Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave us a review, and if you like what we’re doing, please take out a paid subscription at rhymingchaos.com.
