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The Tower Record

The Tower Record is a podcast about post-9/11 politics, history, and culture, hosted by Kevin Conway and Sarah Szabo. New episodes every Tuesday.

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25 episodes
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Avg 1 hr 22 min
English

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#75
Today · 1 hr 8 min
Ep. 75 - The Clash of Civilizations: Geopolitics for Dummies
In 1996, Samuel P. Huntington published "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order," an influential book of geopolitical analysis that purported to identify a new post-Cold War global paradigm — the "clash of civilizations" thesis. The book both channeled and had an outsized influence on a certain school of political thinking, proving controversial for its portrayal of Islamic culture and Muslim-majority nations as being uniquely incompatible with western civilization. In this episode: pre-and-post-9/11 historical context and the central arguments of the book, broken down and riffed upon — and, could it be, decisively ripped apart?! You truly gotta have a triple-didge IQ to keep up with these two geniuses. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord Subscribe to TTR on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTowerRecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded October 17, 2026 in South Slope, Brooklyn.
#74
October 13 · 1 hr 25 min
Ep. 74 - 2 World Trade Center — Who Pays to Build a Building?
In this episode: TTR discusses the long, tortured, and ongoing story behind the building of 2 World Trade Center, the yet-to-be-completed skyscraper intended to inherit the original tower's name. Long in the planning but slow to actually be made, the reasons behind its protracted development are something only a New York-based expert of architecture could adequately explain. Fortunately, one of this show's hosts is exactly that. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord Subscribe to TTR on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTowerRecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded October 11, 2026 in South Slope, Brooklyn and Astoria, Queens.
October 6 · 1 hr 21 min
Ep. 73 - John Q.
TTR discusses "John Q.", the under-discussed and apparently critically-reviled 2002 American health care thriller starring Denzel Washington and directed by Nick Cassavetes. "Dog Day Afternoon" by way of M4A, it is somehow one of the most-watched movies of Sarah's youth. And despite being one of the more bang-on portraits of the outrageous nature of the American health care system, invoked by some in the media after Luigi did his thing, it feels like no one these days has ever seen it. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord Subscribe to TTR on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTowerRecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded September 3, 2026 in South Slope, Brooklyn.
#72
September 29 · 1 hr 4 min
Ep. 72 - Towers of Light
TTR discusses the Tribute in Light, the iconic art installation that commemorates 9/11 each year in downtown NYC. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord Subscribe to TTR on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTowerRecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded September 27, 2026 in South Slope, Brooklyn and Astoria, Queens.
#71
September 22 · 2 hr 16 min
Ep. 71 - The Trauma Response — PTSD After 9/11
After the events of 9/11, experts anticipated an epidemic of PTSD could soon sweep the United States. What actually happened was significantly more nuanced, in a way that helped shape the modern understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder. Health and science journalist Catherine Roberts joins TTR to explain. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord Subscribe to TTR on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTowerRecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded September 14, 2026 in Astoria, Queens.
#70
September 15 · 1 hr 7 min
Ep. 70 - 9/11: 25 Years Later
And we're all still here. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord Subscribe to TTR on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTowerRecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded September 14, 2026 in Astoria, Queens.
#69
September 8 · 1 hr 4 min
Ep. 69 - GTA: San Andreas
As part of the lead-up to the long awaited GTA VI, TTR discusses a high water mark of western culture, post-9/11 or otherwise: the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, one of the greatest video games of all time. Discussion of game design, cultural impact, and hot coffee awaits you within. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord Subscribe to TTR on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTowerRecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Intro/outro music: GTA San Andreas theme cover by SynthBiker Outro VO cred: brahkie - "normal san andreas review" Recorded September 3, 2026 in South Slope, Brooklyn.
#68
August 25 · 57 min
Ep. 68 - Lawrence Van Sertima and the Snakebite Flight
For Florida-based snake handler Lawrence Van Sertima, September 11, 2001 was a very bad day for a very unique reason. In this episode: the myths, misconceptions, and ultimately true story behind one of the only civilian flights allowed to take to the skies over North America after the attacks of 9/11. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded August 24, 2026 in South Slope, Brooklyn and Astoria, Queens.
#67
August 19 · 1 hr 47 min
Ep. 67 - Spider-Man 2
TTR discusses "Spider-Man 2," one of the most successful and era-defining movies of the 2000s. Long regarded as a classic of its genre, it has also long had a reputation for carrying a message of post-9/11 American solidarity. But how does it all hold up, 22 years divorced from context and 7 or so Spider-Mans later? Sorry for the Wednesday upload on this one :) Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded August 17, 2026 in Astoria, Queens.
#66
August 11 · 1 hr 23 min
Ep. 66 - War All The Time
TTR discusses "War All The Time," the major label debut from New Jersey post-hardcore/emo band Thursday, which was released in September 2003 into a post-'90s, post-9/11 world that truly had begun to feel tainted by war, all of the time. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded August 2, 2026 in South Slope, Brooklyn.
#65
August 4 · 1 hr 8 min
Ep. 65 - Bin Laden's Mountain Fortress
Deep inside the White Mountains of Afghanistan, an immortal warlord waits inside his fortified castle for the enemy to attack — or so the press suggested, days before coalition troops actually got a look at what was really going down inside the caves of Tora Bora. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded August 2, 2026 in South Slope, Brooklyn.
#64
July 28 · 1 hr 25 min
Ep. 64 - Stuxnet
In the waning days of the decade 2000-2009, a computer worm that would come to be known as Stuxnet quietly emerged as the most complex and imposing piece of malware ever seen. Security technicians quickly determined that the worm displayed an alarming degree of sophistication, precision, and quality control in its design. What appeared at first to be a well-funded tool for espionage was slowly revealed to be a state-funded act of sabotage — a cyberweapon that had broken containment to wrap itself around the world. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded July 19, 2026 in Astoria, Queens.
#63
July 21 · 1 hr 13 min
Ep. 63 - 12 Strong Horse Soldiers vs. the Taliban (2018)
TTR discusses "12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers," starring Chris Hemsworth and directed by Nicolai Fuglsig. Is this film, which has perhaps the most scientifically average movie reviews in the history of the medium, actually a hidden gem? Is the story behind it, based on the book by Doug Stanton, worth telling? Who do you think wins, the centaurs or Al-Qaeda? All this and more will be answered with gusto in this sweaty summer sleepy-sode. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded July 19, 2026 in Astoria, Queens.
#62
July 14 · 1 hr 54 min
Ep. 62 - Minoru Yamasaki — Architect of the WTC
TTR again delves into the history of the Twin Towers, as Kevin discusses the life and work of Minoru Yamasaki, the architect who designed the original World Trade Center. Meanwhile, Sarah treads water and pretends to know what a building is. Audio note: Sarah used a different mic this time for the remote recording sesh and her audio sounds tinnier than usual. This ep is mostly Kevin anyway. As always, we apologize for the inconsistency and appreciate your generous patience — we are learning! Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded July 1, 2026 in NYC.
#61
July 7 · 1 hr 28 min
Ep. 61 - 4th of July, 2003
Kevin and Sarah compromise another vacation to spend time together rediscovering another strange post-9/11 day. Yes, someone starts running a leaf blower 30-odd minutes into this thing. We move inside 10 minutes later. Thank you for holding it down with us this holiday season. Content warning: We talk about the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case for about five minutes between 24:00 and 30:00. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded July 5, 2026, in Hampton Bays, NY.
#60
June 30 · 1 hr 59 min
Ep. 60 - The Great American — Lee Greenwood and "God Bless the U.S.A."
From the midway point of the Reagan years to the reign of Donald Trump, Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A." has been *the* modern anthem of American pride and patriotism. Inspired by LG's involvement in the Great American State Fair (and related proceedings from Freedom 250), TTR digs into the decades-long fixation on the track by the American right. Why this song? Who this man? And what the hell, in general? Every question answered in this fevered, deep-dive megasode. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded June 28, 2026 in Astoria, Queens.
#59
June 23 · 1 hr 4 min
Ep. 59 - Minority Report
The Spielberg two-fer continues and concludes with good-ass movie Minority Report, released in 2002, predicting the future and making it look easy. Also discussed — the short story by Philip K. Dick from which the movie is adapted. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded June 13, 2026 in South Slope, Brooklyn.
#58
June 16 · 1 hr 29 min
Ep. 58 - War of the Worlds (2005)
It's a Steven Spielberg extravaganza as TTR goes in on two very different post-9/11 movies from America's schmaltziest filmmaker. Next week is where we talk about the good movie; this week is the one that sucks ass. Plus! Disclosure Day discussion, as Sarah reveals she knows way too much about aliens. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded June 13, 2026 in South Slope, Brooklyn.
#57
June 9 · 1 hr 15 min
Ep. 57 - GTA: Vice City
TTR's "Grand Theft Auto" miniseries continues apace with a quick trip down to the southern tip of Florida, with an examination of another game that really set the tone of post-9/11 culture, especially as it pertains to the rise of 80s nostalgia. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded May 28, 2026 in Astoria, Queens.
#56
June 2 · 1 hr 42 min
Ep. 56 - Do Not Let the Hatred of a People Lead You to Injustice
"Islamophobia" feels too soft a term for the social and political hell that met Islam, Muslims, and anyone who "looked Muslim" in the decades, years, and even minutes following the attacks of September 11. The true depth of anti-Muslim brutality that the US unleashed upon itself and the world is still not widely understood to the extent that the topic requires; it remains deeply-rooted in the social, political, and legal fabric of the nation to this day. Follow The Tower Record everywhere: https://linktr.ee/thetowerrecord New episodes every Tuesday morning. Music by Rrrrrose Azerty. Recorded May 28, 2026 in Astoria, Queens.

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