Nov. 1-5 Programs

I’ll be in La Crosse on Thursday and Friday of this week, appearing at The Wine Guyz for an informal reading and book signing around 7:00pm on Thursday night, and then I have the honor of delivering the keynote at this year’s Women’s Fund Luncheon on Friday November 5th. I hope I’ll get to meet and greet many of you there.

Jean’s Pick of the Week (watch video): Living in a Global Age: Well, I have to be a chauvinist and say that even though it was a pain in the neck to prepare, and I don’t usually take orders from my guest, yesterday’s program with my son, Giancarlo, and his friend Bali (who were just at my house together last weekend) on Living in a Global Age was my favorite this week, although Ian Frazier’s conversation on Travels in Siberia came in a close second. The wonderful thing about Living in a Global Age was that, without intending it, the discussion about the decline of the nation-state tied together so many of the themes that recur on Here on Earth: world citizenship, international cooperation, universal values, and the rise of Islamophobia. It was an expansive hour with much to chew on. I hope you found it as stimulating as I did.

Note: Tuesday of this week marks the debut of our third official series on Inside Islam: Dialogues and Debates.

Monday: It’s the Day before Election Day – Let’s Lighten Up!: What figure or place in American history makes you feel warm and fuzzy about democracy? Illustrator and Israeli immigrant Maira Kalman set out, Alexis deToqueville style, to document democracy in America circa 2009. The result is an optimistic love letter to America that reminds us all of what we have to be proud of.

Tuesday: Muslims, Mosques, and American Identity: What goes on in mosques in America? Are mosques a part of the tradition of religious pluralism in America? Can a Muslim be an American? Islamic Studies luminary Akbar Ahmed traveled for a year around the country, visiting over a hundred mosques to find out how Muslims are living every day in America. We want to know about the mosques in your hometown, whether you’re a member of the Muslim community or not. What’s your experience? We’ll collect your responses at insideislam.wisc.edu or on our hotline: 1-877-GLOBE07 and use the best of them in the program.

Wednesday: Russia Rocks: What do you know about Russian rock music? Russia’s best known music critic and cultural commentator, Artemy Troitsky, gives us a tour of Russia’s Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, from the early influence of The Beatles to the development of Russian “Bard Rock,” to today’s subversive Russian rappers.

Thursday: Freelance Diplomacy: After 15 years in the British diplomatic corps, Carne Ross found himself disagreeing with UK policies that led to the Iraq War. Disenchanted with conventional diplomacy, he re-invented himself as a "freelance diplomat," and founded Independent Diplomats, a bold nonprofit organization advising populations that would otherwise not have a voice in international relations. How far would you go for what you believe in?

Friday: What’s Home without a Kitchen?: Food world personality Nigella Lawson’s new book is set in the heart of the home and is born of her own love affair with her favorite room in the house. She’ll share her thoughts on the well stocked pantry and how to reclaim the traditional rhythms of the kitchen.

Let us know how we’re doing. Call the hotline 24/7 with your comments: 1-877-GLOBE07. We love to hear from you!

Jean

Don’t forget to follow our Blog without Borders, where these updates will appear starting next week!