Past Forward: Conversations with American Experience

Past Forward: Conversations with American Experience was a live discussion series connecting the subjects of American Experience documentaries with historians, writers, and cultural commentators.

I contributed to the editorial development of the series by researching potential discussion topics, preparing program proposals, identifying prospective guests, and developing questions and discussion frameworks tied to upcoming documentary releases. Our discussions ranged from educational equity, to trans representation on TV, to consumer protection, to the vice presidential selection process, and much else.

I also coordinated approximately ten live-streamed programs involving around 25 guests, including activist and media personality Raquel Willis, historian and author Michael Kazin, and speaker and historian Jeremi Suri.

My responsibilities encompassed guest outreach, scheduling, contracts, appearance releases, talent communications, and coordination with technical production teams. I also worked with editorial colleagues and designers to prepare discussion materials and supporting visual assets.

The project required balancing editorial ambition with the practical demands of live production, including coordinating high-profile guests and managing competing schedules.