Bob Kustra
About Bob Kustra
Bob Kustra is the host of Reader's Corner, a weekly radio show that features lively conversations with some of the nation’s leading authors about issues and ideas that matter today.
Dr. Kustra stepped down as president of Boise State University in July 2018 after serving for 15 years at the helm of Boise State, the largest public university in Idaho. During his presidency, he led the university in a time of dynamic growth in student enrollment, graduate college and doctoral programs, new construction, fundraising and research. The creation of the College of Innovation and Design and ranking as a doctoral research university were notable achievements of his presidency.
With a long and distinguished career in public service in Illinois, Bob Kustra served two terms as Illinois lieutenant governor following 10 years in the legislature. He also chaired the Illinois Board of Higher Education, responsible for funding and oversight of the state’s nine public universities. Bob's background in radio includes four years as host of a talk show on WLS-AM in Chicago.
Dr. Kustra holds three degrees in Political Science, including a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, MA from Southern Illinois University and BA from Benedictine College, Atchison, Kansas.
In addition to hosting Readers Corner, Bob also writes a weekly column for the Idaho Statesman and serves on its editorial board.
About Boise State Public Radio
Boise State Public Radio is Idaho’s premiere connection to NPR news programming, classical music, and jazz. The station’s 18 transmitters and translators reach about one million listeners from Boise and Twin Falls to McCall and Sun Valley.
In the Treasure Valley, 91.5 FM is Boise State Public Radio News. Here, you’ll find NPR’s cornerstone programs like Morning Edition and All Things Considered , plus fan favorites like Fresh Air and This American Life. 91.5 FM is also home to local and regionally-produced in-depth news features and interviews.
This radio network has served the community for more than 40 years. With staff headquarters in Boise, the signals can be heard in parts of eastern Oregon, most of southern and central Idaho, and northern Nevada.
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Producer's Note: This is an encore edition of Reader's Corner. The episode originally aired in October 2022. An interview with Toya Wolfe, debut author of the novel, Last Summer on State Street. The book is a striking coming-of-age debut about friendship, community, and resilience, set in the housing projects of Chicago. -
An interview with Marcel Dirsus, author of How Tyrants Fall. The book is a deeply-researched examination of how dictators are overthrown, and what happens to nations in the aftermath. -
An interview with Brian Rosenwald, author of the book, Talk Radio's America. The book takes a close look at the infotainment format pioneered by Rush Limbaugh on AM radio, and the effect it had on the Republican party. -
Note: This is an encore edition of Reader's Corner. The episode originally aired in September 2022. An interview with Mark Follman, author of Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America. The book casts new light on the behind-the-scenes work being done to predict and prevent mass shootings. -
An interview with Rob Hart, author of the new novel, Assassins Anonymous. The book is a thrilling story of suspense, murder, and redemption, as a reformed hitman tries to stay on the straight and narrow while running for his life. -
An interview with Arlie Russell Hochschild, author of Stolen Pride. Set in Appalachia, the book takes a hard look at the “pride paradox” that has given the Right Wing’s appeals such resonance. -
Note: This is an encore presentation of Reader's Corner. The episode originally aired in September 2022.An interview with Edward H. Miller, author of A Conspiratorial Life: Robert Welch, the John Birch Society, and the Revolution of American Conservatism. In the book, Miller argues that Welch’s paranoid right-wing nativism, dismissed by thinkers like William F. Buckley, gradually moved from the fringe into mainstream conservatism. -
An interview with Melissa B. Jacoby, author of the new book, Unjust Debts. The book offers an incisive look at the hidden role of bankruptcy in perpetuating inequality in America. -
An interview with Amor Towles, bestselling author of the new book, Table for Two. The book is a collection of short fiction based in New York, along with a novella set in the Golden Age of Hollywood. -
Note: This is an encore episode of Reader's Corner. The episode originally aired in June 2022. An interview with David Gelles, author of The Man Who Broke Capitalism: How Jack Welch Gutted the Heartland and Crushed the Soul of Corporate America―and How to Undo His Legacy. In the book, Gelles profiles the man who ushered in a new, cutthroat era of American capitalism that continues to this day
