Gov. Josh Shapiro emphasizes civic engagement in new memoir 'Where We Keep the Light'

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4.2 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 10 February 2026

⏱️ 9 minutes

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Summary

Gov. Josh Shapiro has plenty of dark experiences that he could recount in his new memoir, Where We Keep the Light. In his first term as Pennsylvania’s governor, he investigated abuse within the Catholic Church and was the victim of an arson attack in his own home. But as Shapiro eyes a second term in Pennsylvania, he says he’s choosing to focus on the light. In today’s episode Shapiro sits down with NPR’s Scott Detrow, and the two discuss the power of local civic engagement — including how small communities can produce big change.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Empire's book of the day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. In times of instability, when the news
0:08.8	cycle feels like an endless stream of bad, confusing, frustrating stories, it can be tempting to
0:14.8	tune it all out, to look away. And I get it. Listen, there's a reason why we feature as much
0:20.3	fiction as we do on the
0:21.7	podcast. But in today's interview, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Appiro says that it's times like
0:26.9	these when it's important to do the opposite, to lean in and engage in civic life. He's got a new
0:33.2	memoir out titled Where We Keep the Light. And if you're thinking, hey, wait, a rising politician
0:38.9	coming out with a book? Surely this points towards some future intentions, maybe towards a run for
0:44.7	higher office. Don't worry. NPR Scott Detrow asks him about just that after the break.
0:50.8	This message comes from Wise, the app for international people using money around the globe.
0:56.2	You can send, spend, and receive in up to 40 currencies with only a few simple taps.
1:01.6	Be smart, get Wise. Download the Wise app today or visit Wise.com. T's and Cs apply.
1:08.4	Not long after Josh and Lori Shapiro collapsed into bed on night one of their Passover
1:12.9	Seder at the Pennsylvania governor's residence last year, they heard a banging on their door
1:17.1	and shouting, fire.
1:18.7	Your initial reaction in that split second is make sure my wife and kids are safe.
1:24.5	Follow the directions of the police and the firefighters.
1:27.0	Standing outside the historic building in Harrisburg, watching it burn, the first term
1:31.2	Democrat says he naturally started wondering what had started the fire. To be honest with you,
1:35.6	in the first minutes, we assumed that there was a fire in the kitchen or some accident that led to this.
1:41.5	It wasn't until a few moments later where we learned that it was a targeted attack.
1:47.2	And my first reaction was, how do I explain this to my kids? This is the story that opens up Shapiro's
	...

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