Richard Paul

Contributor

Richard Paul is an independent radio producer and author based in Washington, DC. He has created award-winning audio stories and documentaries, as well as the book, We Could Not Fail: The First African Americans in the Space Program.

Richard started his career on Capitol Hill, as National Affairs Press Secretary for Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-AK) and Press Secretary for the Senate Subcommittee on Children, Families, Drugs And Alcohol. At night, he wrote and performed satirical political songs as a member of The Capitol Steps.

He jumped into radio at WAMU-FM in Washington, DC, working in the newsroom and producing The Diane Rehm Show and other programs over 14 years. He now runs rlpaulproductions, LLC.

Richard has won numerous awards for his audio stories, podcasts and documentaries. He is a contributor to PRI's Studio 360, a weekly program on pop culture, design and creativity. 

His recent book, We Could Not Fail: The First African Americans in the Space Program, chronicles how the space race and the civil rights movement came together to help reshape the American South. 

How Shakespeare ended up in the park

Shakespeare outside in the summer seems as natural as beaches or baseball. But first it had to overcome fears that it was demonic.

How Shakespeare ended up in the park
Conservator Ariel O’Connor uses X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to determine what metal alloy was used to construct the port engine of the Enterprise model

Boldly going where no TV prop has gone before

Boldly going where no TV prop has gone before

The Forgotten History of Conservative Folk Music

The Forgotten History of Conservative Folk Music
Five moons of Uranus

Why the moons of Uranus are named after characters in Shakespeare

Why the moons of Uranus are named after characters in Shakespeare
Singing makes use of our vocal folds, which are barely as big as a penny.

Here’s the science behind singing

Here’s the science behind singing
Conservator Ariel O’Connor uses X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to determine what metal alloy was used to construct the port engine of the Enterprise model

The Smithsonian gives the USS Enterprise an honored place in the Air and Space Museum

The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is full of relics from the age of flight. But it's also home to items from the future — props from the original Star Trek TV show.

The Smithsonian gives the USS Enterprise an honored place in the Air and Space Museum
Monday Night Football (ESPN)

​Classical music for bros: The origins of the NFL’s theme music

Fall is in the air, which means football is on the airwaves. And the games come with a distinct soundtrack, too.

​Classical music for bros: The origins of the NFL’s theme music
Globe Theatre

Two psychologists say they've identified a long-lost (and misattributed) work of Shakespeare's

How science and a computer algorithm identified a play that may have been written by William Shakespeare, but has long been attributed to Lewis Theobald.

Two psychologists say they've identified a long-lost (and misattributed) work of Shakespeare's
A selection of gospel records and album covers from the 1960s and '70s. Many gospel artists of this era used the B-sides of their 45s for civil rights anthems.

How the forgotten music of the civil rights movement was hiding in plain sight

In the ‘60s, black gospel musicians put their politicized music on the B-sides of their singles, in part because they feared political retribution. Many of the songs faded into obscurity, but one professor has made it his life’s mission to preserve that music before it's lost to history.

How the forgotten music of the civil rights movement was hiding in plain sight
Clyde Foster analyzing data for NASA

How JFK made NASA his secret weapon in the fight for civil rights in America

NASA's black engineers, mathematicians and technicians didn't just help American win the space race, they also played a key role in reshaping the American South.

How JFK made NASA his secret weapon in the fight for civil rights in America
Lomax plays guitar

In the field of folk music, Alan Lomax is a giant — if a flawed and controversial one

Alan Lomax is celebrated for incredible recordings that serve as touchstones for the field of folk music. But he is not universally praised — with some critics saying his methods, and even his collections, reinforced a segregated South and highlight offensively stereotypical aspects of African American culture.

In the field of folk music, Alan Lomax is a giant — if a flawed and controversial one
White Rabbit Red Rabbit play

This play from Iran is an actor’s nightmare

An Iranian playwright, without a passport and unable to leave his country, created a one-person play all about control and submission. Actors see the script for the first time on stage, as they start their first and only performance before a paying audience. The experience has spurred total panic in seasoned actors.

This play from Iran is an actor’s nightmare
The World

Music in Space

Music in Space
The World

Conservative Folk

1960s protest music wasn't only for championing left-wing causes. A segment of the folk movement came out in praise of Barry Goldwater and warned against the evils of communism. Richard Paul investigates the right side of folk music.

Conservative Folk