Braver Angels president David Blankenhorn discusses with Laura Flanders our belief that there’s still value in talking, and the ways we do it that actually seem to bring people together.
‘It absolutely changed my life’: How a conflict-ridden ‘dirtball’ became a legendary bridge builder
09/02/2026
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Growing up in the eighties, his family moved all around the Midwest as his parents chased down steady, blue-collar work: factory jobs, construction, truck driving, whatever could pay the bills. “We were always poor,” Wilk said. And whether they were in Iowa, South Dakota, Colorado, or Minnesota, he often found himself on the outs. “It didn’t matter which side of the tracks we were on,” he said. “It was always the wrong side of the tracks.”
