MARYVILLE, Tenn. — On Feb. 7, the Maryville College community will have a chance to learn tips to build better relationships and communities when speaking about politics.
The hosts of "Pantsuit Politics," a podcast that was named one of Apple's Podcast's Best Podcasts of 2021 and which has more than 20 million downloads since starting in 2015, will speak at the Clayton Center for the Arts.
Their lecture, named "Building Relationships and Community Amidst Divison," will start a new lecture series at Maryville College. The hosts are Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers. Their podcast usually features both hosts discussing prominent stories in the news, such as the war in Ukraine and the overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision.
Both hosts usually speak at universities, businesses and civic organizations about improvising political dialogue. In one of their recent books, they discuss how context matters in political conversations and emphasize people consider the identity and experiences of the person they're talking with, as well as the specific political subject.
By being aware of the personal dynamic between a person and the people they're talking to, the hosts say in their book that they may have better political dialogues.
Dr. Bryan Coker, the president of Maryville College, will moderate a Q&A session following the hosts' presentation.