March 1-5 Programs

Jean’s Pick of the Week: Crazy Like Us: Not only did Ethan Watters critique of our mental health industry and its exports provoke an interesting on-air discussion, it also stimulated our very first simultaneous live Facebook chat –- how cool is that?



Our February membership Drive will be in full swing by Monday, March 1, and since Here on Earth has been granted a selective reprieve from active pitching, we hope that our programming line-up for the week ahead will serve both to satisfy and soothe. (Look for The Return of the Craft Series.) Have mercy on the loyal WPR listener, we heard you say.

Monday: Charles Dickens: This new biography by Michael Slater, Emeritus Professor of Victorian Literature at the University of London, has been named a Best Book of 2009. Although there are not many mysteries about Dickens’ life, you may not really know him until you hit Hard Times.

Tuesday: Solastalgia? Australian philosopher Glenn Albrecht has coined a new term - solastalgia – for the feeling of loss we experience when the environment we live in undergoes drastic change. We’ll talk with him and with ecological artist Aviva Rahmani about what it takes to keep our environment healthy.

Wednesday: Negotiating with the Taliban? What about the War? At a recent conference in London, broad international support was expressed for the reintegration of Taliban fighters into Afghan society and President Karzai has already opened the door to those who would lay down their weapons. Is it time to negotiate with the Taliban? We’ll talk to two experts about the non-military solution in Afghanistan.

Thursday: Craft Series returns: The handmade garments from Alabama Chanin are “grown-to sewn” in the U.S.A, but if you ask Natalie Chanin what her company is all about, she’ll say it’s about something bigger than sustainable fashion. That’s why she holds workshops, collects histories, and why her new book contains a recipe for deviled eggs.

Food Friday: Hunger in Wisconsin: You’ll be surprised to learn about how it’s escalating, and how easy it is to help. We’ll talk with the CEO of Second Harvest and Helen Hazelmare of the Goodman Center.

It’s nearly March. In Italy, the Italians call it Matzo Marzo –- Crazy March. Thanks for helping me get through a rather beautiful winter. It only took me 26 years to appreciate it!

Jean