From CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network, welcome to Stay Tuned. I’m Preet Bharara. Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Doris Kearns Goodwin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian and author. Goodwin’s illustrious career has taken her through the presidencies of Johnson, Kennedy, Roosevelt, and Lincoln, and the lives of those who orbited these great leaders. Her new book, “An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s,” explores that decade through the memories of her late husband, Dick Goodwin, a political advisor and speechwriter to Presidents JFK and LBJ.
Goodwin joins me to discuss uncovering a decade of personal and political history and how the lessons of the 1960s can help us navigate our current political moment.
The 1960s was a time of extreme political upheaval. Goodwin weaves together America’s past, present, and future. She reflects on how the decade felt like everything was falling apart—young people against old people, anti-war violence, and the peace movement. Yet, people felt they could make a difference. The most important illumination of the time was the idea that you could work together collectively to change things.
Goodwin’s new book is both history and personal biography, focusing on her late husband and his relationship to politics and various famous figures. Writing about the personal aspects was particularly challenging, especially because it meant so much to her husband, who had cancer during the process. It gave him a sense of purpose and excitement about every day they continued the project.
Exploring the 300 boxes her husband had kept throughout his life, they discovered new things about the 1960s. Goodwin was surprised by her husband’s relationship with Jackie Kennedy, his closeness to Lyndon Johnson despite turning against him on the war, and how women were treated in the early part of the decade. It was an exploration into a pivotal time in history that needs to be remembered.
Goodwin believes that while every time has its uniqueness, looking back at history shows that we’ve been through tough times before. The 1960s, with the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, felt like everything was falling apart. Yet, people felt they could make a difference. Tens of thousands joined the Peace Corps, fought for civil rights, and participated in the women’s and gay rights movements. The air was filled with a sense of possibility, especially for young people, and it’s that sense of power from the ground up that we need today.
Goodwin’s husband, Dick Goodwin, had an extraordinary career. He graduated first in his class from Harvard Law School, clerked for Justice Frankfurter, and discovered the corruption in the Quiz Show investigations. He then became a junior speechwriter for John Kennedy, worked on civil rights and Latin America, and was in the White House the night Kennedy’s body was brought back from Texas. He later became LBJ’s chief speechwriter, coining the Great Society phrase and working on significant speeches like the We Shall Overcome speech after Selma.
Despite the camps that existed between the Kennedy and Johnson teams, Dick Goodwin managed to bridge the gap. A telephone conversation between Johnson and Bill Moyers revealed Johnson’s desire for a speechwriter who could put “sex and rhythm and Churchillian phrases” into his speeches. Moyers suggested Dick Goodwin, and despite initial resistance, Johnson agreed.
Goodwin’s ability to navigate these political waters and his presence at defining moments of the 1960s made him a unique figure in American history. His work and the lessons from that tumultuous decade offer valuable insights for our current political moment.
Reflecting on the 1960s, Goodwin emphasizes the importance of collective action and the belief that people can make a difference. The decade was marked by significant social movements and a sense of possibility that we need to recapture today. By looking back at history, we can find hope and inspiration to navigate our current challenges.
Source: CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network
