June 21 - 25 Programs

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Jean’s Pick of the Week: The Rap Guide To Evolution: How can you not like a guy who starts off planting trees with his family in Vancouver, morphs into studying medieval English literature and ends up creating a rap version of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, and from there, the ultimate Rap Guide to Evolution. Hurrah for Baba Brinkman, and thanks to my husband for encouraging more programs based on science!



I’m spending the weekend in Door County and Washington Island, leaving Food Friday in Lori Skelton’s capable hands, but I wouldn’t miss talking with Bobby McFerrin on Monday for the world. You come too!

Monday: Bobby McFerrin: To some, Ten-Time Grammy-winner Bobby McFerrin will always be the guy who sang “Don’t Worry Be Happy”. But Bobby McFerrin’s work just can’t be reduced to one song. Throughout his inspiring career, he’s been pushing the frontiers of vocal music and collaborating with artists from all kinds of backgrounds. He joins us to talk about his new album VOCAbuLarieS, his life’s work, and his gift of bringing the world together through music.

Tuesday: Middle Eastern Women Get Political: About 20 young women from 10 Middle Eastern countries are gathering this month in Madison to sharpen their political skills at the National Democratic Institute or NDI. Among them is a young woman from Egypt, the founder of a new political party for the advancement of women’s rights. We’ll meet Sally El Baz and find out what her Reform and Development Party is all about.

Wednesday: God is Not One: Are we so afraid of conflict that we’ve become unable to disagree? Religion Scholar Stephen Prothero thinks it’s time we accept the fact that the world’s eight largest religions are not all eight sides of the same coin; on the most basic questions, like “How many gods are there?”, they can be completely contradictory. Can we learn to appreciate our differences while sticking to our own beliefs?

Thursday: LGBT Rights Groups Around the World: June is Gay Pride Month and major cities across the United States are celebrating with parades and festivals next weekend. We’re working on a show that will showcase stories and successes of LGBT rights groups around the world.

Friday: Spoon Fed: New York Times food writer, Kim Severson, joins us to talk about her new confessional food memoir, Spoon Fed: How Eight Cooks Saved My Life. In it she documents food goddesses—from Alice Waters to Marcella Hazan—who helped her gain the confidence to overcome alcoholism while taking her career from Alaska to New York City.

Happy Father’s Day to all you fathers! Here’s a tip: Never say to a daughter with acne, “Don’t worry, Jeannie, looks aren’t everything.” In spite of your good intentions, It might set her back by a few centuries.

Jean