Steve Scher

Many books have been written about Thomas Jefferson. The latest, by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham, seeks in part to rehabilitate Jefferson’s legacy, reinstating him as a consummate politician and an idealist for human liberty, even as he fell short in ending one of America's greatest injustices. How did Jefferson see his role in the evolving American idea? Jon Meacham joins us to talk about "Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power."

The US military and its allies are drawing up plans to leave Afghanistan by 2014, but it will be some time before the nation is truly independent. Peace in Afghanistan has been interspersed with foreign invasion for centuries, from the Mongol Empire to today’s war. We talk with writer Tamim Ansary about his new book, “Game Without Rules: The Often Interrupted History of Afghanistan,” and what Afghan independence might look like in the future.

Constructed languages, or "conlangs," are the made-up tongues that bring the worlds of "Avatar,"  "Lord of the Rings" and "Star Trek" to life. We talk with linguist David J. Peterson, creator of the Dothraki language for HBO's "Game of Thrones," about what goes into creating a language from scratch.

Vancouver Sun political correspondent Vaughn Palmer brings us the latest news from Canada. Film critic Robert Horton surveys the new crop of Thanksgiving movie releases (including a remake of 1984's "Red Dawn"). Geekwire’s Todd Bishop reviews e-readers and tablets with the holiday shopping season in mind.

Prayer takes many forms. Some are ritual, others informal. For generations, religious parishioners have wondered if there is a right way to pray. Writer Anne Lamott ("Some Assembly Required," "Plan B," "Traveling Mercies") believes that prayer comes in three essential types: help, thanks and wow. She joins us to talk about how these simple prayers guide her life.

The weather just keeps getting wetter. Is your garden ready for winter? Willi Galloway and Debra Prinzing join us to answer your gardening questions.  Call us at 206.543.5869 or write to weekday@kuow.org.

Soon family and friends will gather, feasts will be prepared and memories will be made. Some from everything going right, some from things going comically wrong. Touching moments. Traditions. Mortifying mistakes. Put yourself in a festive mood and share your stories of Thanksgiving with us at 206.543.5869 or weekday@kuow.org.

The biggest holiday feast of the year for many is just days away. Are you prepared for Thanksgiving? If you have questions or your menu could use some last-minute help, here's a chance for expert advice. Chefs Kerry Sear and Kenyetta Carter join us with cooking tips, tricks and recipes. Call us at 206.543.5869 or write weekday@kuow.org.

Also this hour: The sweeping destruction of Superstorm Sandy reminded us how quickly natural disasters can change lives. A new film by Ken Burns on PBS looks at the example of the Dust Bowl, "the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history." Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tim Egan (“The Worst Hard Time”) joins us to reflect on the lessons of the Dust Bowl. Also, we dig into the numbers of how Washington state funds education with Marguerite Roza of the Center for Reinventing Public Education.

Sound recordist Martyn Stewart says he started working for Mother Nature at an early age, “fighting for the planet and her critters.” Stewart has captured the sounds and plights of animals around the world for more than 150 films, documenting everything from fox hunts in the UK to dolphin slaughters in Japan. His latest film is “Dawn to Death: The Dolphins of Taiji.”

Also this hour: we sift the details of the Hostess bankruptcy with Fortune magazine's David Kaplan and talk with veteran broadcaster Bryan Johnson, who retired from Seattle’s KOMO 4 earlier this month after 53 years with the station.

Two-time Grammy Award-winning musician, composer and vocalist Taj Mahal is celebrating four decades in American blues and roots with a new album, "Maestro." He joins us in the studio to talk about his musical life and legacy ahead of a run of shows with the Taj Mahal Trio starting tonight at Seattle's Jazz Alley.