this is the first of a two part series featuring an interview with guest, Dr. Kate Lacey. Dr. Lacey is a professor of Media History and Theory in the School of Media, Arts, and Humanities at the University of Sussex. She convenes the university’s MA program in Media and Cultural Studies and has taught a range of courses across both the MA and BA programs. She also supervises students at both the MA and PhD level. Her work grows out of an interest in German history, and alongside the dozens of journal articles she’s published, she’s also authored two books of media history: the first is titled “Feminine Frequencies: Gender, German Radio and the Public Sphere, 1923-1945” (published by University of Michigan Press, 1996); and the second titled “Listening Publics: The Politics and Experience of Listening in the Media Age” (published by Polity Press: 2013). It’s this second book that forms the basis of the conversation you’ll hear in this episode.

during winter semester, 2024, Vincent Andrisani’s graduate level course “sound studies” read Dr. Lacey’s Listening Publics in its entirety. while working through the text, students took note of questions they’d ask her if presented with the opportunity to do so. this interview was conducted by Vincent Andrisani, and it makes use of questions generated by students of the course.

Part 2 of the interview can be heard in episode 70.