Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Jeroen Van Bergeijk's hair raising road trip across the Sahara (My Mercedes is Not For Sale) reminded me of the time back in 1971 when I traveled with my first husband through the Tunisian desert in an old but trusty VW bug with a hired driver. This was the real Sahara and the dunes were huge blank mountains that rose up all around us on both sides. The little car's engine was full of sand that rattled around and around inside. There were two little girls way up high on the crest of one of the dunes, watching for the first sign of us as we drove into their village. The second they spied the car, they raced each other down the steep side of the dune and came right up to the car window, holding up their dolls for us to see. The dolls were wrapped in layers of dark red cloth scraps. They each had big breasts, but no faces, just like the little girls' Bedouin mothers. The bodies of the dolls stood out against the Sahara, but their blank faces blended right in. I still have both those dolls. I keep them on one of the shelves in my library bookcase. Here's a poem I wrote about them called "Bedouin..."
She climbed the far side of the dune,
a dot
above a curving line. Then
sudden as a shout she came running, the
small breath rattling like seeds in her lungs.
She held a doll in the car window,
a clutch of shreds begged
from her mother: coconut-hard breasts,
a bit of tin, a red
bandana. But my mind stopped at the face -
a featureless white patch she held
against the eyeless
Sahara - I watched it fade
drop back
empty
into Allah.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Aug 18-22 Programs
Hi Guys,
The truth is it's damn hard to program the show in the last half of August –- nothing happening, everybody on vacation, and the mattresses are on the march. But we've managed, nonetheless, to come up with a week’s worth of programs –- almost. For some strange reason, the Food Friday programs which are usually the easiest to book are drawing blanks lately. We'd love to have your suggestions on international cuisines, new food trends, great cooks, unusual cookbooks, memorable kitchen stories, characters, etc. Send your ideas to hereonearth@wpr.org, or post them on my blog, or on our new producers’ blog. And thank you!
Monday: WERN music host Lori Skelton fills in for me on Monday with a preview of the upcoming World Music Festival (UW-Madison, Sept. 12-14)
Tuesday: The last time John Nichols was on the show he made my jaw drop by suggesting that we do a program about What Bush Got Right. Lo and behold it shows up on the cover of this month’s Newsweek. John gives it a spin by talking about the ways in which Obama and McCain are each likely to follow in Bush’s footsteps.
Wednesday: Now this is a hairbrained idea: Buy a beat up Mercedes and drive it through the Sahara to see what you can get for it on the Third World used car market. But that’s exactly what an allegedly really smart Dutchman set out to do. It’s one of the strangest road trips you’ll ever hear about: From Amsterdam to Ouagadougou -- My Mercedes is (Not) For Sale by Jeroen Van Bergeik.
Thursday: Joe’s been working on a wrap-up program about the Olympics: Here’s the question for the week: Did the Beijing Olympics change your mind about China? How would you rate it as a PR campaign?
Friday: Help! Help! Calling all foodies! Our cupboard of food ideas is bare, and that’s a shame with all this glorious harvest produce pouring into the market.
I’ll be spending the weekend in Aspen, attending a memorial service for a very dear friend.
Adios,
Jean
The truth is it's damn hard to program the show in the last half of August –- nothing happening, everybody on vacation, and the mattresses are on the march. But we've managed, nonetheless, to come up with a week’s worth of programs –- almost. For some strange reason, the Food Friday programs which are usually the easiest to book are drawing blanks lately. We'd love to have your suggestions on international cuisines, new food trends, great cooks, unusual cookbooks, memorable kitchen stories, characters, etc. Send your ideas to hereonearth@wpr.org, or post them on my blog, or on our new producers’ blog. And thank you!
Monday: WERN music host Lori Skelton fills in for me on Monday with a preview of the upcoming World Music Festival (UW-Madison, Sept. 12-14)
Tuesday: The last time John Nichols was on the show he made my jaw drop by suggesting that we do a program about What Bush Got Right. Lo and behold it shows up on the cover of this month’s Newsweek. John gives it a spin by talking about the ways in which Obama and McCain are each likely to follow in Bush’s footsteps.
Wednesday: Now this is a hairbrained idea: Buy a beat up Mercedes and drive it through the Sahara to see what you can get for it on the Third World used car market. But that’s exactly what an allegedly really smart Dutchman set out to do. It’s one of the strangest road trips you’ll ever hear about: From Amsterdam to Ouagadougou -- My Mercedes is (Not) For Sale by Jeroen Van Bergeik.
Thursday: Joe’s been working on a wrap-up program about the Olympics: Here’s the question for the week: Did the Beijing Olympics change your mind about China? How would you rate it as a PR campaign?
Friday: Help! Help! Calling all foodies! Our cupboard of food ideas is bare, and that’s a shame with all this glorious harvest produce pouring into the market.
I’ll be spending the weekend in Aspen, attending a memorial service for a very dear friend.
Adios,
Jean
Friday, August 15, 2008
What Just Hit Us
Friday, August 15, 2008 (oh my goodness, it's the Feast of the Assumption!)
Okay, okay, I've been a lousy blogger. I admit it. But all that's about to change. It took two crackshot media consultants and a tw0-day workshop on social networking to get me to see the light. Sue Schardt and Mary McGrath arrived in Madison on Tuesday and hit the ground running and we're not exactly sure what just hit us. But here I am blogging about blogging, plus as of yesterday every member of the Here on Earth production team has a Facebook page, plus a page for the show, plus we've been Twittered, and just this morning Joe created a really spiffy Here on Earth - the Blog Without Borders complete with video. Check it out! All this in the span of three days!
Okay, okay, I've been a lousy blogger. I admit it. But all that's about to change. It took two crackshot media consultants and a tw0-day workshop on social networking to get me to see the light. Sue Schardt and Mary McGrath arrived in Madison on Tuesday and hit the ground running and we're not exactly sure what just hit us. But here I am blogging about blogging, plus as of yesterday every member of the Here on Earth production team has a Facebook page, plus a page for the show, plus we've been Twittered, and just this morning Joe created a really spiffy Here on Earth - the Blog Without Borders complete with video. Check it out! All this in the span of three days!
That's Sue of SchardtMEDIA to the right.
P.S. The purpose of all this is to get you guys to help us produce the show. I'm not kidding.
P.S. The purpose of all this is to get you guys to help us produce the show. I'm not kidding.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Aug 11-15 Programs
Dear Friends,
This will be an interesting week. The Here on Earth team is about to about to make the leap into cyberspace! On Wednesday and Thursday we’ll be attending a training seminar that will teach us how to use social networking and other new media tools (Twitter, Face Book, MySpace, etc.) to extend the reach of the program and build an interactive global community. Since I don’t really know anything about all this, we thought we’d start with a program about it on Monday. Lisa found an expert in Australia…
Monday: Mark Pesce, one of the early pioneers in virtual reality, is an expert on the future of technology and the author of The Human Network: Sharing, Knowledge and Power in the 21st Century.
Tuesday: I spent last weekend at the Harwood Institute for Public Innovators in the gorgeous Columbia River Gorge on the border of Washington and Oregon. There I met an extraordinary man -- Jerry White -- who lost his leg from a land mine explosion while camping in Israel 20 years ago. Now he’s the director of Survivorcorps, an organization that works to rehabilitate and empower people all over the world who are victims of the consequences of war. He’s a happy guy, and he loves his work. You may have seen him interviewed recently on Good Morning America.
Wednesday: While we’re in training this week, you’ve be enjoying listening to the incomparable Satish Kumar talk about his walks on the wild side.
Thursday: An American couple with six figure salaries chucks it all to sail into the Wild Blue Yonder and sends back Notes from Patagonia.
Friday: Any ideas? We could use a little help from our friends on a great mid-August food show. Send your suggestions to hereonearth@wpr.org.
And now, on to OutSourcifying!
Jean
This will be an interesting week. The Here on Earth team is about to about to make the leap into cyberspace! On Wednesday and Thursday we’ll be attending a training seminar that will teach us how to use social networking and other new media tools (Twitter, Face Book, MySpace, etc.) to extend the reach of the program and build an interactive global community. Since I don’t really know anything about all this, we thought we’d start with a program about it on Monday. Lisa found an expert in Australia…
Monday: Mark Pesce, one of the early pioneers in virtual reality, is an expert on the future of technology and the author of The Human Network: Sharing, Knowledge and Power in the 21st Century.
Tuesday: I spent last weekend at the Harwood Institute for Public Innovators in the gorgeous Columbia River Gorge on the border of Washington and Oregon. There I met an extraordinary man -- Jerry White -- who lost his leg from a land mine explosion while camping in Israel 20 years ago. Now he’s the director of Survivorcorps, an organization that works to rehabilitate and empower people all over the world who are victims of the consequences of war. He’s a happy guy, and he loves his work. You may have seen him interviewed recently on Good Morning America.
Wednesday: While we’re in training this week, you’ve be enjoying listening to the incomparable Satish Kumar talk about his walks on the wild side.
Thursday: An American couple with six figure salaries chucks it all to sail into the Wild Blue Yonder and sends back Notes from Patagonia.
Friday: Any ideas? We could use a little help from our friends on a great mid-August food show. Send your suggestions to hereonearth@wpr.org.
And now, on to OutSourcifying!
Jean
Friday, August 01, 2008
Aug 4-8 Programs
Dear Friends and Fans,
Monday: Remote Area Medical: Get ready for the wild and wooly world of Stan Brock, who was once seen wrestling an anaconda on ABC’s Wild Kingdom! Now he flies portable medical clinics and teams of volunteer doctors to set up portable medical clinics in third world countries including, and guess which country just joined his list – the United States! Next stop? Tennesee.
Tuesday: Capoeira! Five centuries ago, slaves from West Africa who ended up in Brazil practiced capoeira as a martial art, a game, and a way to keep their native cultures alive. Since then it’s been spreading like a fever through the forests of Brazil, and landing in places as distant as Berkeley, California and Madison, Wisconsin. But as capoeira gets farther and farther from home, is it still recognizable?
Wednesday: After decades of harassment, there are signs that transgender communities in India and Cuba are finally getting accepted. India has a transgendered TV talk show host, and in Cuba, gender reassignment surgeries are being routinely performed. Progress? You decide.
Thursday: Tuna! Richard Ellis, author of The Book of Sharks, introduces us to a fish that can weigh in at 1500 pounds and speed up to 55 miles per hour - an Atlantic northern bluefin can travel from New England to the Mediterranean, then turn around and swim back; one of the biggest, fastest, and most highly evolved marine animals now hovering on the brink of extinction. I once visited a tuna museum in Sardinia and marveled.
Friday: In honor of the start of the Beijing Olympics, we are working on a program about Chinese eating.
I’ll be spending the weekend on the Columbia River in Washington with fellows from Richard Harwood’s Institute for Public Innovation. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Jean
Monday: Remote Area Medical: Get ready for the wild and wooly world of Stan Brock, who was once seen wrestling an anaconda on ABC’s Wild Kingdom! Now he flies portable medical clinics and teams of volunteer doctors to set up portable medical clinics in third world countries including, and guess which country just joined his list – the United States! Next stop? Tennesee.
Tuesday: Capoeira! Five centuries ago, slaves from West Africa who ended up in Brazil practiced capoeira as a martial art, a game, and a way to keep their native cultures alive. Since then it’s been spreading like a fever through the forests of Brazil, and landing in places as distant as Berkeley, California and Madison, Wisconsin. But as capoeira gets farther and farther from home, is it still recognizable?
Wednesday: After decades of harassment, there are signs that transgender communities in India and Cuba are finally getting accepted. India has a transgendered TV talk show host, and in Cuba, gender reassignment surgeries are being routinely performed. Progress? You decide.
Thursday: Tuna! Richard Ellis, author of The Book of Sharks, introduces us to a fish that can weigh in at 1500 pounds and speed up to 55 miles per hour - an Atlantic northern bluefin can travel from New England to the Mediterranean, then turn around and swim back; one of the biggest, fastest, and most highly evolved marine animals now hovering on the brink of extinction. I once visited a tuna museum in Sardinia and marveled.
Friday: In honor of the start of the Beijing Olympics, we are working on a program about Chinese eating.
I’ll be spending the weekend on the Columbia River in Washington with fellows from Richard Harwood’s Institute for Public Innovation. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Jean
Friday, July 25, 2008
July 28 - Aug 1 Programs
Dear Friends,
We’re closing in on the last week in July – alas! The older we get, the faster summer flies by. But what better time to bring you a program about HOW TO COOK AT THE SOUTH POLE? (don’t miss this week’s Food Friday)
Also, if you happened to miss today’s program on The Natural Step: The Science of Sustainability, you’ll want to check it out. One of the best holistic systems approaches to sustainability I’ve come across. David Cook, the Chief Exec of TNS International, helped me understand how all our problems, from gas prices to lay-offs, are interconnected, and how initiatives as diverse as composting and rain gardens all contribute to the solution. We touched on so many things – from politics to business to government, weaving it all together.
Here’s the line-up for the coming week:
Monday: Barack Obama’s International Tour: Some are hailing it a global victory lap; others say it was a big mistake. John Nichols weighs in and we may have a journalist from Deutsche Welle joining us as well.
Tuesday: When Elizabeth Pisani is asked what she does for a living, she replies, “sex and drugs”. As an epidemiologist who has studied AIDS for the past fourteen years, she knows her stuff. Elizabeth Pisani joins us to talk about international AIDS prevention and her new book, The Wisdom of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels, and the Business of AIDS.
Wednesday: Books That Open the World: We had so much fun talking about great summer reads for kids, we thought why not do the same thing for grown-ups? So we invited NPR’s Alan Cheuse to join us with his list of new favorites.
Thursday: If you take a look at the U.S.’s first Olympics in St. Louis in 1904, you’ll find a lot of the same rhetoric being used in Beijing today. According to Susan Brownell, who has lifelong experience in Chinese sports as an athlete and anthropologist, the Chinese government is using the Olympics as a model to build a fair and powerful nation. Will the Olympics change China?
Friday: Cooking in the Coldest Place on Earth: Forget the cookbooks and the recipes, you have to be really creative to cook at the South Pole where ingredients take at least a week to thaw and foods like pasta turn to instant mush.
Good stuff, huh?
We’ve added a new occasional Thursday feature, by the way: The Here on Earth Mailbag, with content provided exclusively by you. Didn’t get a chance to be on the air? Send your comments to hereonearth@wpr.org or call 1-608-890-0269, and you get a second chance.
Jean
We’re closing in on the last week in July – alas! The older we get, the faster summer flies by. But what better time to bring you a program about HOW TO COOK AT THE SOUTH POLE? (don’t miss this week’s Food Friday)
Also, if you happened to miss today’s program on The Natural Step: The Science of Sustainability, you’ll want to check it out. One of the best holistic systems approaches to sustainability I’ve come across. David Cook, the Chief Exec of TNS International, helped me understand how all our problems, from gas prices to lay-offs, are interconnected, and how initiatives as diverse as composting and rain gardens all contribute to the solution. We touched on so many things – from politics to business to government, weaving it all together.
Here’s the line-up for the coming week:
Monday: Barack Obama’s International Tour: Some are hailing it a global victory lap; others say it was a big mistake. John Nichols weighs in and we may have a journalist from Deutsche Welle joining us as well.
Tuesday: When Elizabeth Pisani is asked what she does for a living, she replies, “sex and drugs”. As an epidemiologist who has studied AIDS for the past fourteen years, she knows her stuff. Elizabeth Pisani joins us to talk about international AIDS prevention and her new book, The Wisdom of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels, and the Business of AIDS.
Wednesday: Books That Open the World: We had so much fun talking about great summer reads for kids, we thought why not do the same thing for grown-ups? So we invited NPR’s Alan Cheuse to join us with his list of new favorites.
Thursday: If you take a look at the U.S.’s first Olympics in St. Louis in 1904, you’ll find a lot of the same rhetoric being used in Beijing today. According to Susan Brownell, who has lifelong experience in Chinese sports as an athlete and anthropologist, the Chinese government is using the Olympics as a model to build a fair and powerful nation. Will the Olympics change China?
Friday: Cooking in the Coldest Place on Earth: Forget the cookbooks and the recipes, you have to be really creative to cook at the South Pole where ingredients take at least a week to thaw and foods like pasta turn to instant mush.
Good stuff, huh?
We’ve added a new occasional Thursday feature, by the way: The Here on Earth Mailbag, with content provided exclusively by you. Didn’t get a chance to be on the air? Send your comments to hereonearth@wpr.org or call 1-608-890-0269, and you get a second chance.
Jean
Friday, July 18, 2008
July 21-25 Programs
Salve, Amici!
Here’s what’s coming up this week on Here on Earth:
Monday: Samuel Johnson once said that patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. With Democrats and Republicans waging a war of words over which candidate is the true patriot, how do you weigh in? Join us for what promises to be a lively discussion about the nature of patriotism and its place in this year’s presidential election.
Tuesday: Imagine an American summer camp where no one speaks English and you can’t either. Welcome to the world of language camps, where traditional activities like canoeing and hiking are conducted completely in Spanish, Chinese, or even Arabic. We'll be joined by Donna Clementi of the Concordia Language Villages, and a new camp in the Fox Valleys of Wisconsin.
Wednesday: Life is good for Binti, a young girl living in Malawi. She has a role on a radio play and goes to a prestigious school. But when her father dies of AIDS and she’s sent to live with resentful relatives, Binti has to find a way to remake her life. You might recognize this plot from The Heaven Shop, the latest book from Canada’s award-winning children’s author, Deborah Ellis.
Thursday: “I don’t believe the solutions…will come from the left or the right…They will come from islands of people with integrity who want to do something.” So said the founder of The Natural Step, a program for sustainability based on the laws of thermodynamics that was founded by Swedish scientist Karl-Henrik Robert. Followers include Whistler, BC, IKEA, and groups in Eugene, Oregon, and Madison, Wisconsin.
Friday: In order to save an endangered species, you have to eat it! Or so says the coalition of groups behind Renewing America’s Food Traditions, a project committed to restoring the unique foods of North America as elements of living cultures and regional cuisines.
Think Woody: That’s all, Folks!
Jean
Here’s what’s coming up this week on Here on Earth:
Monday: Samuel Johnson once said that patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. With Democrats and Republicans waging a war of words over which candidate is the true patriot, how do you weigh in? Join us for what promises to be a lively discussion about the nature of patriotism and its place in this year’s presidential election.
Tuesday: Imagine an American summer camp where no one speaks English and you can’t either. Welcome to the world of language camps, where traditional activities like canoeing and hiking are conducted completely in Spanish, Chinese, or even Arabic. We'll be joined by Donna Clementi of the Concordia Language Villages, and a new camp in the Fox Valleys of Wisconsin.
Wednesday: Life is good for Binti, a young girl living in Malawi. She has a role on a radio play and goes to a prestigious school. But when her father dies of AIDS and she’s sent to live with resentful relatives, Binti has to find a way to remake her life. You might recognize this plot from The Heaven Shop, the latest book from Canada’s award-winning children’s author, Deborah Ellis.
Thursday: “I don’t believe the solutions…will come from the left or the right…They will come from islands of people with integrity who want to do something.” So said the founder of The Natural Step, a program for sustainability based on the laws of thermodynamics that was founded by Swedish scientist Karl-Henrik Robert. Followers include Whistler, BC, IKEA, and groups in Eugene, Oregon, and Madison, Wisconsin.
Friday: In order to save an endangered species, you have to eat it! Or so says the coalition of groups behind Renewing America’s Food Traditions, a project committed to restoring the unique foods of North America as elements of living cultures and regional cuisines.
Think Woody: That’s all, Folks!
Jean
Sunday, July 13, 2008
July 14-18 Programs
Dear Here-on-Earthians:
Here’s the line-up for next week:
Monday:When Africa Goes Pop: One of the rising movements in American indie-rock comes out of West Africa. Obscure recordings from the seventies are suddenly flying off the shelves, finding new fans in record stores and on-line. So why are white hipsters listening to old school African fun? If you like music, this will be a fun show to listen to (produced by Joe Hardtke, our musician/drummer/tech guy).
Tuesday: The ex-director of the Royal Geographical Society and expert on all matters Amazonian – John Hemming, author of Tree of Rivers: The Story of the Amazon, regales us with stories of the river’s amazing and tangled history. He knows whereof he speaks – this guy’s done it all: gotten hopelessly lost, contracted malaria, hacked trails through dense rainforest.
Wednesday: Kids Read: In this first post-Harry Potter summer, are you looking for good books for your children? We have some great recommendations. They’re not only fun, but also give young minds an early start on becoming a world citizen.
Thursday: Gregorian Chant Hits the Top of the British Pop Chart: In a quiet monastery deep in the Vienna woods a group of Benedictine monks have become pop stars since their album shot to #7 this spring. What prompted them to get into the music business? And what’s behind the sudden popularity of this ancient style of sacred chant?
Friday: How the California wine industry trumped France: In 1976, the wine world was stunned when red and white wines from unknown California vintners beat out established French wines in a blind tasting. Today, California and France stand at the forefront of a global interest in wine production and consumption. What has happened since the “Judgement of Paris?” Uncork a favorite bottle and listen in as guest host Lori Skelton and author George M. Taber explore the many pleasures to be found between Napa Valley and Bordeaux.
My Pick of Last Week: Thursday with Salman Rushdie; Friday with Adam Gollner and The Fruit Hunters. What’s your?
Thanks for listening and stay tuned!
Jean
Here’s the line-up for next week:
Monday:When Africa Goes Pop: One of the rising movements in American indie-rock comes out of West Africa. Obscure recordings from the seventies are suddenly flying off the shelves, finding new fans in record stores and on-line. So why are white hipsters listening to old school African fun? If you like music, this will be a fun show to listen to (produced by Joe Hardtke, our musician/drummer/tech guy).
Tuesday: The ex-director of the Royal Geographical Society and expert on all matters Amazonian – John Hemming, author of Tree of Rivers: The Story of the Amazon, regales us with stories of the river’s amazing and tangled history. He knows whereof he speaks – this guy’s done it all: gotten hopelessly lost, contracted malaria, hacked trails through dense rainforest.
Wednesday: Kids Read: In this first post-Harry Potter summer, are you looking for good books for your children? We have some great recommendations. They’re not only fun, but also give young minds an early start on becoming a world citizen.
Thursday: Gregorian Chant Hits the Top of the British Pop Chart: In a quiet monastery deep in the Vienna woods a group of Benedictine monks have become pop stars since their album shot to #7 this spring. What prompted them to get into the music business? And what’s behind the sudden popularity of this ancient style of sacred chant?
Friday: How the California wine industry trumped France: In 1976, the wine world was stunned when red and white wines from unknown California vintners beat out established French wines in a blind tasting. Today, California and France stand at the forefront of a global interest in wine production and consumption. What has happened since the “Judgement of Paris?” Uncork a favorite bottle and listen in as guest host Lori Skelton and author George M. Taber explore the many pleasures to be found between Napa Valley and Bordeaux.
My Pick of Last Week: Thursday with Salman Rushdie; Friday with Adam Gollner and The Fruit Hunters. What’s your?
Thanks for listening and stay tuned!
Jean
Sunday, July 06, 2008
July 7-11 Programs
Dear Here-on-Earthians,
Salman Rushdie is coming to Madison this week. He'll be giving a reading at Border's West on Friday at 7:00pm. But if you can't make it, you can talk with him directly Thursday at 3:00 on Here on Earth! Here's what else we've got in store for you this week:
Monday: Muhaja Babes: Meet the New Middle East -– Young, Sexy and Devout: veiled young women in the Middle East who combine traditional piety with a secular sensibility, wearing tight bluejeans with their headscarves, following pop stars and religious leaders with equal devotion. Guest: Allegra Stratton former BBC producer.
Tuesday: Human: The Science Behind What Makes Us Unique: According to Michael S. Gazzaniga -– one of the world's leading neuroscientists -– language, memory, emotion and perception determine the difference.
Wednesday: We're hoping to reschedule Guantanamo Bay Diary. We promised you this program last week but got it back on the docket. It was Google that got Mahvish Khan to Gitmo. Then a student of the University of Miami School of Law and native speaker of Pashto, Mahvish was the perfect candidate to work as a translator for Guantánamo Bay detainees. But she could never have anticipated the stories that she would hear on her trips down to Cuba.
Thursday is Salman Rushdie Day. His latest book is a historical novel that goes back and forth between 16th century Florence and the hedonistic Mughal capital of India. But we'll try to get him to talk about sex and Satan as well.
Friday: Ever tasted a cloudberry, an ice cream bean, or a peanut butter fruit? From the apple orchards of Washington to the forests of Bali and beyond, Adam Gollner, author of The Fruit Hunters, traveled the globe in search of its most delicious and exotic fruits.
Have a great week!
Jean
Salman Rushdie is coming to Madison this week. He'll be giving a reading at Border's West on Friday at 7:00pm. But if you can't make it, you can talk with him directly Thursday at 3:00 on Here on Earth! Here's what else we've got in store for you this week:
Monday: Muhaja Babes: Meet the New Middle East -– Young, Sexy and Devout: veiled young women in the Middle East who combine traditional piety with a secular sensibility, wearing tight bluejeans with their headscarves, following pop stars and religious leaders with equal devotion. Guest: Allegra Stratton former BBC producer.
Tuesday: Human: The Science Behind What Makes Us Unique: According to Michael S. Gazzaniga -– one of the world's leading neuroscientists -– language, memory, emotion and perception determine the difference.
Wednesday: We're hoping to reschedule Guantanamo Bay Diary. We promised you this program last week but got it back on the docket. It was Google that got Mahvish Khan to Gitmo. Then a student of the University of Miami School of Law and native speaker of Pashto, Mahvish was the perfect candidate to work as a translator for Guantánamo Bay detainees. But she could never have anticipated the stories that she would hear on her trips down to Cuba.
Thursday is Salman Rushdie Day. His latest book is a historical novel that goes back and forth between 16th century Florence and the hedonistic Mughal capital of India. But we'll try to get him to talk about sex and Satan as well.
Friday: Ever tasted a cloudberry, an ice cream bean, or a peanut butter fruit? From the apple orchards of Washington to the forests of Bali and beyond, Adam Gollner, author of The Fruit Hunters, traveled the globe in search of its most delicious and exotic fruits.
Have a great week!
Jean
Sunday, June 29, 2008
June 30 - July 4 Programs
Dear Hereonearthlings,
Jean is coming back on air on Monday. We have missed her because the office sounds too quiet without her presence and laughter. Here's what we have lined up for her next week:
Monday: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore: An Environmental Success Story. Since 1970 the lands and waters of Lake Superior's Apostle Islands have been protected by the federal government as the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, thanks to Gaylord Nelson, father of Earth Day. But thirty-five years ago, people said this could never happen.
Tuesday: Canada Apologizes to its Native Peoples for its Boarding School Policy, following Australia's example. So what about us?
Wednesday: Jean talks to Valzhyna Mort, a young Belarusian poet who is a rising star in the international poetry world.
Thursday: For an insider perspective on what goes on inside Gitmo, join us for: My Guantanamo Diary. An Afghan translator gets into Guantanamo and manages by stealth to record a number of candid interviews with Afghan detainees.
Friday: How has German "hamburg steak" evolved into hamburgers, an American icon? Jean and her guest trace how the hamburger has gone from a little-known, greasy-spoon treat sold at fairs and carnivals to a mass-produced mammoth that is almost omnipresent across the globe.
Last, some improvement on our website over the past two "quiet" weeks: First, I have created a RSS news feed to allow you to receive latest program update automatically from your news feed reader such as Bloglines. Second, there are so many ways to listen to our program (on-air, online, MP3, podcast, streaming) and to contact us (phone, email, IM, Facebook) that it could become confusing. Now a new "how to listen" and "contact" page should help you sort out your options. If you have other ideas on how to improve our web site, please send them in from our "Comments" web page. I would love to hear about them.
Thanks. Cheers.
Lisa Bu
Web Producer
Here on Earth: Radio Without Borders
Wisconsin Public Radio
Jean is coming back on air on Monday. We have missed her because the office sounds too quiet without her presence and laughter. Here's what we have lined up for her next week:
Monday: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore: An Environmental Success Story. Since 1970 the lands and waters of Lake Superior's Apostle Islands have been protected by the federal government as the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, thanks to Gaylord Nelson, father of Earth Day. But thirty-five years ago, people said this could never happen.
Tuesday: Canada Apologizes to its Native Peoples for its Boarding School Policy, following Australia's example. So what about us?
Wednesday: Jean talks to Valzhyna Mort, a young Belarusian poet who is a rising star in the international poetry world.
Thursday: For an insider perspective on what goes on inside Gitmo, join us for: My Guantanamo Diary. An Afghan translator gets into Guantanamo and manages by stealth to record a number of candid interviews with Afghan detainees.
Friday: How has German "hamburg steak" evolved into hamburgers, an American icon? Jean and her guest trace how the hamburger has gone from a little-known, greasy-spoon treat sold at fairs and carnivals to a mass-produced mammoth that is almost omnipresent across the globe.
Last, some improvement on our website over the past two "quiet" weeks: First, I have created a RSS news feed to allow you to receive latest program update automatically from your news feed reader such as Bloglines. Second, there are so many ways to listen to our program (on-air, online, MP3, podcast, streaming) and to contact us (phone, email, IM, Facebook) that it could become confusing. Now a new "how to listen" and "contact" page should help you sort out your options. If you have other ideas on how to improve our web site, please send them in from our "Comments" web page. I would love to hear about them.
Thanks. Cheers.
Lisa Bu
Web Producer
Here on Earth: Radio Without Borders
Wisconsin Public Radio
Saturday, June 14, 2008
June 16-27 Programs
Dear Friends,
Hail, and Farewell, at least for a couple of weeks while I’ll be on vacation with my family. Since love is lovelier the second time around, we hope you’ll enjoy listening to some of our best Here on Earth programs from the past year. We made our choices based in part on your comments and responses. I’ll be back in the saddle on Monday, June 30, starting with a program about the extraordinary transformation that Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands have undergone since being declared a national wilderness preserve.
WEEK ONE
WEEK TWO
Jean
Hail, and Farewell, at least for a couple of weeks while I’ll be on vacation with my family. Since love is lovelier the second time around, we hope you’ll enjoy listening to some of our best Here on Earth programs from the past year. We made our choices based in part on your comments and responses. I’ll be back in the saddle on Monday, June 30, starting with a program about the extraordinary transformation that Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands have undergone since being declared a national wilderness preserve.
WEEK ONE
- June 16th - (repeat from 4/23/07) – Is Peace A Dirty Word?
- June 17th - (repeat from 1/29/08) – The Dead Beat: The Art of Obituaries
- June 18th - (repeat from 4/11/08) – Lila Downs’ Ranchero Music
- June 19th - (repeat from 6/21/07) – Poetry Circle of the Air: Maxine Kumin (featuring the Excrement Poem)
- June 20th - (repeat from 5/25/07) – How to Pick a Peach
WEEK TWO
- June 23rd - (repeat from 3/25/08) – Young America and the Middle East (featuring Jewish-American journalist Gideon Yago and Iranian-American Reza Aslan)
- June 24th - (repeat from 7/16/07) – The World Without Us
- June 25th - (repeat from 5/21/08) - Street Cries from Around the World (starring the ever-amazing Annie Zanzillotto)
- June 26th - (repeat from 8/23/07) – Edith Piaf and the Street Singers of Paris
- June 27th - (repeat from 3/21/08) – Yerba Mate
Jean
Saturday, June 07, 2008
June 9-13 Programs
Dear Friends,
Here’s what’s in the line-up for Here on Earth programs next week:
Monday: My Cousin the Saint: This is a new twist on geneology and the search for roots: Justin Catanoso was a typically lapsed American Catholic when he discovered that his late cousin was about to be canonized by Pope John Paul II. Now, you have to understand what drew me to this topic: I lost a long-standing debate with my husband over the issue of whether the Pope has the right to make saints when my position was completely compromised by, of all people, – the Pope himself! Plus, Justin happened to come from a family in Calabria, my paternal homeland.
Tuesday: In his new book, A Thousand Hills, Stephen Kinzer tells the astonishing story of how Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, seized power in his genocide-shattered country and brought about one of the most successful revolutions of the modern era. I hope he doesn’t leave out the role of the women.
Wednesday: Who Owns Antiquities? Should they be returned to the countries where they were found? Museum directors say no, but countries such as Italy, Greece, Turkey, and China are all clamoring for their return, and have passed laws against their future export. We’ll talk with James Cuno, director of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Thursday: One of New York City’s most venerable institutions, The Center for Traditional Music and Dance, just held a festival and put out a CD in honor of its 40th anniversary. Starting with Balkan immigrants in the Bronx, the Center now spans traditions from all over the globe, bringing age-old enemies side by side on the same stage. Talk about diversity!
Friday: What kind of diet reduces miles rather than calories? Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon’s 100-Mile Diet, which has taken off as a new way to think – and eat – locally. We’ll talk with Alisa about the challenge she and James set for themselves: to eat only food produced within 100 miles of their British Columbian apartment for one year. Can eating locally really help save the planet?
Sayonara,
Jean
Here’s what’s in the line-up for Here on Earth programs next week:
Monday: My Cousin the Saint: This is a new twist on geneology and the search for roots: Justin Catanoso was a typically lapsed American Catholic when he discovered that his late cousin was about to be canonized by Pope John Paul II. Now, you have to understand what drew me to this topic: I lost a long-standing debate with my husband over the issue of whether the Pope has the right to make saints when my position was completely compromised by, of all people, – the Pope himself! Plus, Justin happened to come from a family in Calabria, my paternal homeland.
Tuesday: In his new book, A Thousand Hills, Stephen Kinzer tells the astonishing story of how Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, seized power in his genocide-shattered country and brought about one of the most successful revolutions of the modern era. I hope he doesn’t leave out the role of the women.
Wednesday: Who Owns Antiquities? Should they be returned to the countries where they were found? Museum directors say no, but countries such as Italy, Greece, Turkey, and China are all clamoring for their return, and have passed laws against their future export. We’ll talk with James Cuno, director of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Thursday: One of New York City’s most venerable institutions, The Center for Traditional Music and Dance, just held a festival and put out a CD in honor of its 40th anniversary. Starting with Balkan immigrants in the Bronx, the Center now spans traditions from all over the globe, bringing age-old enemies side by side on the same stage. Talk about diversity!
Friday: What kind of diet reduces miles rather than calories? Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon’s 100-Mile Diet, which has taken off as a new way to think – and eat – locally. We’ll talk with Alisa about the challenge she and James set for themselves: to eat only food produced within 100 miles of their British Columbian apartment for one year. Can eating locally really help save the planet?
Sayonara,
Jean
Saturday, May 31, 2008
June 2-6 Programs
Hello Friends, Thursday has rolled around once again and it’s time to let you in on what the Here on Earth team has in store for you this coming week:
Monday: China’s Earthquake Generation: Our mission, as you know, is to deliver good news whenever we can, so we tend to stay shy of stories about natural disasters. But when we began hearing that in the aftermath of China’s earthquake, hundreds of students had lined up to donate blood and supplies while others went to the earthquake zone, traveling more than 1,000 miles to distribute aid, we knew we had a Here on Earth story.
Tuesday: Green Collar Jobs: What are they and where are they? John Foley, the director of SAGE, the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, joins us to talk about green economics.
Wednesday:Hardcore Zen: The story of a punk whose lifelong quest for truth led him through a path from the aggressive beats of hardcore punk music to the monster movie studios in Tokyo to a temple where he discovered Zen Buddhism. Brad Warner is a Zen monk, a musician, a filmmaker, and the author of Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies, and the Truth about Reality.
Thursday: We’ve heard that The Daily Show is where young Americans get their news. But is it the same in the UK? What about Australia? And should every news story be turned into a joke?
Friday: It’s not Valentine’s Day, but who cares? Any day is a good day to talk about Chocolate: Chocolatier Gail Ambrosius has been all over Central and Latin America, visiting cocoa growers. It’s a little like going to the vineyard before you make the wine.
It’s been a long week. I’m out’a here!
Jean
Monday: China’s Earthquake Generation: Our mission, as you know, is to deliver good news whenever we can, so we tend to stay shy of stories about natural disasters. But when we began hearing that in the aftermath of China’s earthquake, hundreds of students had lined up to donate blood and supplies while others went to the earthquake zone, traveling more than 1,000 miles to distribute aid, we knew we had a Here on Earth story.
Tuesday: Green Collar Jobs: What are they and where are they? John Foley, the director of SAGE, the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, joins us to talk about green economics.
Wednesday:Hardcore Zen: The story of a punk whose lifelong quest for truth led him through a path from the aggressive beats of hardcore punk music to the monster movie studios in Tokyo to a temple where he discovered Zen Buddhism. Brad Warner is a Zen monk, a musician, a filmmaker, and the author of Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies, and the Truth about Reality.
Thursday: We’ve heard that The Daily Show is where young Americans get their news. But is it the same in the UK? What about Australia? And should every news story be turned into a joke?
Friday: It’s not Valentine’s Day, but who cares? Any day is a good day to talk about Chocolate: Chocolatier Gail Ambrosius has been all over Central and Latin America, visiting cocoa growers. It’s a little like going to the vineyard before you make the wine.
It’s been a long week. I’m out’a here!
Jean
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Mafalda
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
You may have been surprised and delighted, as I was, to hear a promo for this Thursday's Here on Earth program broadcast in Spanish in a sweet little girl's voice. That was Constanza Serrani (a.k.a. Liborio - she changed her name), our student producer from Argentina who convinced us to do a program about Mafalda, the influential Argentine comic strip that features a six-year-old wunderkind famous for her witty political quips and ironic observations about life. The comic strip is intended for an adult audience, a little like Peanuts' Charlie Brown, and its popularity has spread throughout Europe and even into China. Isn't it about time we Americans were introduced? I hope you'll be listening tomorrow and let us know what you think.
Also, we're adding a new weekly feature to our programming: A Here on Earth Mailbag. Beginning next Monday, June 2, I'll be reading some listener comments from the previous week's programs. We figure it's one way to keep you listening through the end of the hour, and of letting you know that we really do read them and want more, more more!
You may have been surprised and delighted, as I was, to hear a promo for this Thursday's Here on Earth program broadcast in Spanish in a sweet little girl's voice. That was Constanza Serrani (a.k.a. Liborio - she changed her name), our student producer from Argentina who convinced us to do a program about Mafalda, the influential Argentine comic strip that features a six-year-old wunderkind famous for her witty political quips and ironic observations about life. The comic strip is intended for an adult audience, a little like Peanuts' Charlie Brown, and its popularity has spread throughout Europe and even into China. Isn't it about time we Americans were introduced? I hope you'll be listening tomorrow and let us know what you think.
Also, we're adding a new weekly feature to our programming: A Here on Earth Mailbag. Beginning next Monday, June 2, I'll be reading some listener comments from the previous week's programs. We figure it's one way to keep you listening through the end of the hour, and of letting you know that we really do read them and want more, more more!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Hi Everybody!
Here ‘s what’s coming up on Here on Earth the last week in May:
Monday, Memorial Day: Naples vs. the Nazis: we explore a long-kept secret left over from the last world war: how the Neapolitans fought a guerilla war against the Nazis during World War I, with John Domini, the author of a memoir in progress: Cooking the Octopus: Discovering Naples, My Father, and Myself.
Tuesday: The Garbage Warrior: Michael Reynolds builds houses out of garbage -- literally. He's the subject of The Garbage Warrior, a documentary about his adventures building what he calls "earthships", off-grid sustainable communities made out of beer cans, old tires, and plastic bottles. We'll talk with director, Oliver Hodge, and the Garbage Warrior himself.
Wednesday: American Universities Go Overseas: From Kuwait to Singapore, American universities are expanding. At Kean University, plans for a campus in China are underway. At the University of Washington, a program in Abu Dhabi teaches recent UAE graduates the skills they need to make it in the contemporary workforce. Guests: Kean University President Dawood Farahi; University of Washington program coordinator Marisa Nickle.
Thursday: Mafalda: a comic strip for adults from Argentina, it features a five-year-old girl named Mafalda who is deeply concerned about humanity, world peace, and the current state of society. Written and drawn by the Argentine cartoonist Quino, Mafalda is a huge hit all over Latin America, Europe, and elsewhere, with ambitions to take on the US next.
Friday: “All you need is love. And wine. And beer. And food”, that’s the motto for the next festival of food and music at the University of Gastronomical Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy, an institution dedicated exclusively to the study of food where nobody ever touches a pot.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend!
Jean
Here ‘s what’s coming up on Here on Earth the last week in May:
Monday, Memorial Day: Naples vs. the Nazis: we explore a long-kept secret left over from the last world war: how the Neapolitans fought a guerilla war against the Nazis during World War I, with John Domini, the author of a memoir in progress: Cooking the Octopus: Discovering Naples, My Father, and Myself.
Tuesday: The Garbage Warrior: Michael Reynolds builds houses out of garbage -- literally. He's the subject of The Garbage Warrior, a documentary about his adventures building what he calls "earthships", off-grid sustainable communities made out of beer cans, old tires, and plastic bottles. We'll talk with director, Oliver Hodge, and the Garbage Warrior himself.
Wednesday: American Universities Go Overseas: From Kuwait to Singapore, American universities are expanding. At Kean University, plans for a campus in China are underway. At the University of Washington, a program in Abu Dhabi teaches recent UAE graduates the skills they need to make it in the contemporary workforce. Guests: Kean University President Dawood Farahi; University of Washington program coordinator Marisa Nickle.
Thursday: Mafalda: a comic strip for adults from Argentina, it features a five-year-old girl named Mafalda who is deeply concerned about humanity, world peace, and the current state of society. Written and drawn by the Argentine cartoonist Quino, Mafalda is a huge hit all over Latin America, Europe, and elsewhere, with ambitions to take on the US next.
Friday: “All you need is love. And wine. And beer. And food”, that’s the motto for the next festival of food and music at the University of Gastronomical Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy, an institution dedicated exclusively to the study of food where nobody ever touches a pot.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend!
Jean
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Street Cries
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
I just did one of the best Here on Earth programs ever, thanks to the wizardry of poet/performance artist Annie Lanzilotto and her sidekick, singer/songwriter DePree. Street Cries! Who would have thought that a program about something as commonplace, raw, vulgar, and oh so not midwestern could evoke such a soulful response! We had some wonderful sound lined up from Annie's collection of street cries from all over the world to use in the program, but what callers spontaneously supplied was even better - a garbanzo seller from India, peanut and hot dog vendors at a ballgame, a Vietnamese fish vendor, even an Egyptian hawking cotton candy in Arabic - and so many callers recreating these soul cries right on the air! It was what God intended a talk show should be. The poet in me, the street hawker, rose to the occasion, and Joe Hardtke, our engineer, was just as thrilled. Now, why can't we do that more often? Any ideas?
I just did one of the best Here on Earth programs ever, thanks to the wizardry of poet/performance artist Annie Lanzilotto and her sidekick, singer/songwriter DePree. Street Cries! Who would have thought that a program about something as commonplace, raw, vulgar, and oh so not midwestern could evoke such a soulful response! We had some wonderful sound lined up from Annie's collection of street cries from all over the world to use in the program, but what callers spontaneously supplied was even better - a garbanzo seller from India, peanut and hot dog vendors at a ballgame, a Vietnamese fish vendor, even an Egyptian hawking cotton candy in Arabic - and so many callers recreating these soul cries right on the air! It was what God intended a talk show should be. The poet in me, the street hawker, rose to the occasion, and Joe Hardtke, our engineer, was just as thrilled. Now, why can't we do that more often? Any ideas?
Friday, May 16, 2008
May 19-23 Programs
Dear Here-on-Earthlings,
Here's what's coming up on Here on Earth:
Monday: Colin Tudge, a BBC commentator and the author of 14 books on farming, food, and ecology, argues in Feeding People is Easy, that we can solve the global food crisis by reverting to small farming practices.
Tuesday: Meet two heroic women who have transformed their war trauma into a force for truth and healing.
Wednesday: We are still working on it.
Thursday: People all over the world read and write science fiction. What do they have in common? Jean Feraca talks with a science fiction buff participating in this year's International Science Fiction Conference in Madison, Wisconsin.
Friday: Whad'a they have that we ain't got? Barry Levinson, the founder of the Mustard Museum in Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, reports on his recent mustard-tasting tour of Dijon, France.
Have a great weekend!
Jean
Here's what's coming up on Here on Earth:
Monday: Colin Tudge, a BBC commentator and the author of 14 books on farming, food, and ecology, argues in Feeding People is Easy, that we can solve the global food crisis by reverting to small farming practices.
Tuesday: Meet two heroic women who have transformed their war trauma into a force for truth and healing.
Wednesday: We are still working on it.
Thursday: People all over the world read and write science fiction. What do they have in common? Jean Feraca talks with a science fiction buff participating in this year's International Science Fiction Conference in Madison, Wisconsin.
Friday: Whad'a they have that we ain't got? Barry Levinson, the founder of the Mustard Museum in Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, reports on his recent mustard-tasting tour of Dijon, France.
Have a great weekend!
Jean
Friday, May 09, 2008
May 12-16 Programs
Dahlings, (And by the way, didn’t you love Neal Kernan’s take on Yiddish? Who knew?)
We have a stellar line-up stacked up for you this week – I’m almost sorry I won’t be here for most of it. I’ll be hosting Monday’s program on The Counterfeiters, then heading west for a romp in the California wine country. Veronica Rueckert will be lighting up the airwaves in my place.
Monday: If you haven’t yet seen this year’s Best Foreign Film, The Counterfeiters, you’ve missed a great film experience. It’s the story of a Jewish master counterfeiter who gets sent to Auschwitz where the Nazis force him to head up a counterfeiting operation to help them win the war. It’s based on a true story, and we’ll be talking with Lawrence Malkin who wrote the book behind the movie, Krueger’s Men. I think the movie might still playing at Sundance.
Tuesday: The Man Who Loved China. Simon Winchester, the bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman, brings to life the extraordinary story of Joseph Needham, the brilliant Cambridge scientist who unlocked the most closely held secrets of China, its long and astonishing history of invention and technology Here is a tale of what makes men, nations, and, indeed, mankind itself great—related by one of the world's inimitable storytellers.
Wednesday: When in Rome, do as the Romans. But what if you can't figure out what the Romans are doing? Wednesday we'll crack the code on international culture and tradition with the author of the book Going Dutch in Beijing.
Thursday: A Feminist Version of the Qur’an? The Qur'an is said to be untranslatable, and has so far been the domain of male translators. This hour we'll meet the woman who's tackling the Qur'an with a translation highlighting messages of inclusiveness and tolerance. (The Sublime Qur'an translated by Laleh Bakhtiar, a celebrated scholar of Sufism, a writer, translator, and the only woman to have translated The Qur'an.)
Friday: Remember Paris by Pastry? It was one of our favorite programs last spring, worthy, we thought, of another go. Sink your teeth into the sweets of Paris patisseries as we follow a metro stop guide to pastry shops and the deliciousness of April in Paris with Joyce Slayton Mitchell.
And yes, how sweet it is, this Mother’s Day stuff, these apple blossoms and lilacs, this chardonnay…
See ya…
Jean
We have a stellar line-up stacked up for you this week – I’m almost sorry I won’t be here for most of it. I’ll be hosting Monday’s program on The Counterfeiters, then heading west for a romp in the California wine country. Veronica Rueckert will be lighting up the airwaves in my place.
Monday: If you haven’t yet seen this year’s Best Foreign Film, The Counterfeiters, you’ve missed a great film experience. It’s the story of a Jewish master counterfeiter who gets sent to Auschwitz where the Nazis force him to head up a counterfeiting operation to help them win the war. It’s based on a true story, and we’ll be talking with Lawrence Malkin who wrote the book behind the movie, Krueger’s Men. I think the movie might still playing at Sundance.
Tuesday: The Man Who Loved China. Simon Winchester, the bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman, brings to life the extraordinary story of Joseph Needham, the brilliant Cambridge scientist who unlocked the most closely held secrets of China, its long and astonishing history of invention and technology Here is a tale of what makes men, nations, and, indeed, mankind itself great—related by one of the world's inimitable storytellers.
Wednesday: When in Rome, do as the Romans. But what if you can't figure out what the Romans are doing? Wednesday we'll crack the code on international culture and tradition with the author of the book Going Dutch in Beijing.
Thursday: A Feminist Version of the Qur’an? The Qur'an is said to be untranslatable, and has so far been the domain of male translators. This hour we'll meet the woman who's tackling the Qur'an with a translation highlighting messages of inclusiveness and tolerance. (The Sublime Qur'an translated by Laleh Bakhtiar, a celebrated scholar of Sufism, a writer, translator, and the only woman to have translated The Qur'an.)
Friday: Remember Paris by Pastry? It was one of our favorite programs last spring, worthy, we thought, of another go. Sink your teeth into the sweets of Paris patisseries as we follow a metro stop guide to pastry shops and the deliciousness of April in Paris with Joyce Slayton Mitchell.
And yes, how sweet it is, this Mother’s Day stuff, these apple blossoms and lilacs, this chardonnay…
See ya…
Jean
Sunday, May 04, 2008
May 5-9 Programs
Hi Folks!
First off, I apologize for not getting the bulletin out last week, but I hope you enjoyed our live remote from Conserve School up in Land o’ Lakes last Wednesday as much as I did. I was sick as a dog, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Glorious setting in the north woods, great kids that make you feel like there’s hope for the world after all, and amazing teachers like Jeff Rennicke whose story about how he teaches Jack London’s “How to Start a Fire,” was worth the five hour trip.
Here’s what’s in the mix for this coming week:
Monday: Bananas! Have you ever wondered why bananas are so cheap? Since I married a man who grew up in Venezuela, my banana consciousness has been raised, and we’ve both been waiting a long time for a book like Peter Chapman’s Bananas: How the United Fruit Company Shaped the World. It’s an expose of one of the world’s most controversial multinational corporations.
Tuesday: The Story of Yiddish: a gutter language, and an unlikely survivor of the ages, not unlike the Jews themselves, told by Neal Karlen, staff writer for Newsweek and Rolling Stone and a contributor to the New York Times.
Wednesday: 27 Gumballs: an entrepreneurial microfinance scheme created by a group of clever Stanford students who are turning gumballs into cash for the working poor.
Thursday: John Nichols weighs in on the global food crisis.
Friday: What am I eating.com? When I was in China a few years ago I met a delightful English woman named Suzy Oakes, a world traveler who has eaten the most amazing things all over the world, and created a website to catalog them with 61,000 entries in 256 languages, including Black Foot!
Oh yes, and thank you so much for supporting WPR!
Jean
First off, I apologize for not getting the bulletin out last week, but I hope you enjoyed our live remote from Conserve School up in Land o’ Lakes last Wednesday as much as I did. I was sick as a dog, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Glorious setting in the north woods, great kids that make you feel like there’s hope for the world after all, and amazing teachers like Jeff Rennicke whose story about how he teaches Jack London’s “How to Start a Fire,” was worth the five hour trip.
Here’s what’s in the mix for this coming week:
Monday: Bananas! Have you ever wondered why bananas are so cheap? Since I married a man who grew up in Venezuela, my banana consciousness has been raised, and we’ve both been waiting a long time for a book like Peter Chapman’s Bananas: How the United Fruit Company Shaped the World. It’s an expose of one of the world’s most controversial multinational corporations.
Tuesday: The Story of Yiddish: a gutter language, and an unlikely survivor of the ages, not unlike the Jews themselves, told by Neal Karlen, staff writer for Newsweek and Rolling Stone and a contributor to the New York Times.
Wednesday: 27 Gumballs: an entrepreneurial microfinance scheme created by a group of clever Stanford students who are turning gumballs into cash for the working poor.
Thursday: John Nichols weighs in on the global food crisis.
Friday: What am I eating.com? When I was in China a few years ago I met a delightful English woman named Suzy Oakes, a world traveler who has eaten the most amazing things all over the world, and created a website to catalog them with 61,000 entries in 256 languages, including Black Foot!
Oh yes, and thank you so much for supporting WPR!
Jean
Friday, April 18, 2008
April 18-25 Programs
Hello Here-on-Earthlings!
I’m heading north again this weekend. Randall Davidson and I will be at the Aaron Bohrod Gallery at UW-Fox Valley for a reception and reading this Friday as part of the Fox Valley Literary Festival. Then it’s off to our studios in Green Bay to do a Here on Earth program on sturgeon caviar, and after that I head south again to Wisconsin Rapids to read on Saturday at the Prairie Chicken Festival, although I’ve never written anything about prairie chickens.
Here’s what’s coming up this week on Here on Earth:
Monday: Chasing the Olympic Torch: 37 arrested in London, chaos in Paris, and Free Tibet banners flying from the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s been a wild ride for the Olympic Torch, and it’s far from over. Should we boycott the games? Joe says this one promises to be “a firecracker.”
Tuesday: Maronite, Coptic, Armenian Orthodox: As we head into Holy Week in the Eastern Orthodox Church, we sample some of the riches of the Eastern Christian liturgies with Andrew Krivak, a former Jesuit, and the author of A Long Retreat.
Wednesday: Here on Earth travels north to celebrate Earth Day at Conserve School in Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin. Our theme: Growing Up Wild: Connecting Kids with the Great Outdoors.
Thursday: The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama: In an age of irony and irreverence, we still have a desire to believe. No one taps into our longing more than the Dalai Lama. Celebrated travel writer Pico Iyer talks about why the Dalai Lama matters and what lies ahead for the spiritual leader, globe trotter and simple monk.
Friday: Did you ever pull up a weed from your garden and think "Hey, that looks good enough to eat!" From dandelions to chickweed to grape leaves, learn how to forage the roadsides and fields with Wildman Steve Brill, America's Best-Known Forager.
I’m out a here!
Jean
I’m heading north again this weekend. Randall Davidson and I will be at the Aaron Bohrod Gallery at UW-Fox Valley for a reception and reading this Friday as part of the Fox Valley Literary Festival. Then it’s off to our studios in Green Bay to do a Here on Earth program on sturgeon caviar, and after that I head south again to Wisconsin Rapids to read on Saturday at the Prairie Chicken Festival, although I’ve never written anything about prairie chickens.
Here’s what’s coming up this week on Here on Earth:
Monday: Chasing the Olympic Torch: 37 arrested in London, chaos in Paris, and Free Tibet banners flying from the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s been a wild ride for the Olympic Torch, and it’s far from over. Should we boycott the games? Joe says this one promises to be “a firecracker.”
Tuesday: Maronite, Coptic, Armenian Orthodox: As we head into Holy Week in the Eastern Orthodox Church, we sample some of the riches of the Eastern Christian liturgies with Andrew Krivak, a former Jesuit, and the author of A Long Retreat.
Wednesday: Here on Earth travels north to celebrate Earth Day at Conserve School in Land O’ Lakes, Wisconsin. Our theme: Growing Up Wild: Connecting Kids with the Great Outdoors.
Thursday: The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama: In an age of irony and irreverence, we still have a desire to believe. No one taps into our longing more than the Dalai Lama. Celebrated travel writer Pico Iyer talks about why the Dalai Lama matters and what lies ahead for the spiritual leader, globe trotter and simple monk.
Friday: Did you ever pull up a weed from your garden and think "Hey, that looks good enough to eat!" From dandelions to chickweed to grape leaves, learn how to forage the roadsides and fields with Wildman Steve Brill, America's Best-Known Forager.
I’m out a here!
Jean
Friday, April 11, 2008
April 14-17 Programs
Cari Amici!
Here’s what’s coming up on Here on Earth:
Monday: Israel’s Dilemma in Palestine and the One State Solution: For an unflinching analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with an equally bold and unflinching solution, join me with London-based Palestinian physician, Dr. Ghadi Karmi, a 1948 refugee from Jerusalem, the author of Married to Another Man: Israel’s Dilemma in Palestine.
Tuesday: For a whale of a story, we take a look at the international whaling industry: Who hunts them? Who eats them? How many are left?
Wednesday: You don’t have to become a monk to live like one. The BBC recently broadcast a television special that chronicled the adventure of a group of laymen who set out to live the monastic life.
Thursday: Many of us were captivated by the images of three protestors who crawled up the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco this week in support of a Free Tibet. We’re in touch with the organization that sponsored them, and hope to follow up on the waves of protests that are plaguing the Olympic Torch on its journey from Athens to Beijing.
Friday: I’ll be in Green Bay today with colleague and fellow writer Randall Davidson to take part in the first annual Fox Cities Literary Festival. We’ll be in Menasha at the Aaron Bohrad Gallery for a reception and readings. After that, I’ll be whisked away to our studios in Green Bay to host a Friday Here on Earth food program about Caviar. Would you know what to do with 50 pounds of sturgeon eggs? Betsy Krizenesky does!
Have a great weekend!
Jean
Here’s what’s coming up on Here on Earth:
Monday: Israel’s Dilemma in Palestine and the One State Solution: For an unflinching analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with an equally bold and unflinching solution, join me with London-based Palestinian physician, Dr. Ghadi Karmi, a 1948 refugee from Jerusalem, the author of Married to Another Man: Israel’s Dilemma in Palestine.
Tuesday: For a whale of a story, we take a look at the international whaling industry: Who hunts them? Who eats them? How many are left?
Wednesday: You don’t have to become a monk to live like one. The BBC recently broadcast a television special that chronicled the adventure of a group of laymen who set out to live the monastic life.
Thursday: Many of us were captivated by the images of three protestors who crawled up the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco this week in support of a Free Tibet. We’re in touch with the organization that sponsored them, and hope to follow up on the waves of protests that are plaguing the Olympic Torch on its journey from Athens to Beijing.
Friday: I’ll be in Green Bay today with colleague and fellow writer Randall Davidson to take part in the first annual Fox Cities Literary Festival. We’ll be in Menasha at the Aaron Bohrad Gallery for a reception and readings. After that, I’ll be whisked away to our studios in Green Bay to host a Friday Here on Earth food program about Caviar. Would you know what to do with 50 pounds of sturgeon eggs? Betsy Krizenesky does!
Have a great weekend!
Jean
Friday, April 04, 2008
Ciao Amici!
Without intending it, we have lined up an almost completely Hispanic week on Here on Earth, with the exception of one Australian theologian!
Here’s how it shakes out:
Monday: Fermat’s Room: A scary Spanish film featured in this weekend’s Wisconsin Film Festival, and this year’s choice for World Cinema Day, Fermat’s Room has an intriguing premise straight out of The Pit and the Pendulum: 4 mathematicians locked in a shrinking red room that will crush them to death if they don’t solve the problem! Talk about pressure!
Tuesday: Juan Felipe Herrera, a multi-talented writer/performer whose many works focus on the politics of immigration and identity issues in the Latino community. His latest book is 187 Reasons Mexicanos Can’t Cross the Border.
Wednesday: Isabel Allende talks about her latest memoir, The Sum of Our Days, a passionate and inspiring look at the life of the Allende family held together by the resolute matriarch – Isabel herself - after the tragic loss of Paula, her daughter.
Thursday: Michael Morwood, the controversial Christian theologian, author of Is Jesus God and Tomorrow’s Catholic is in the midst of a rare US tour. We’ll catch him as he flies by.
Friday: We break stride with our Food Friday tradition today to welcome the star of the 2005 Madison World Music Festival, Lila Downs, back to Madison. The daughter of a Mixtec cabaret singer, Downs has been touring internationally performing native Mesoamerican music in Mixtec, Zapotec and Maya. She was featured in the movie Frida. You’ll love her if you don’t already.
What a week! You come too and make it really special.
Jean
Without intending it, we have lined up an almost completely Hispanic week on Here on Earth, with the exception of one Australian theologian!
Here’s how it shakes out:
Monday: Fermat’s Room: A scary Spanish film featured in this weekend’s Wisconsin Film Festival, and this year’s choice for World Cinema Day, Fermat’s Room has an intriguing premise straight out of The Pit and the Pendulum: 4 mathematicians locked in a shrinking red room that will crush them to death if they don’t solve the problem! Talk about pressure!
Tuesday: Juan Felipe Herrera, a multi-talented writer/performer whose many works focus on the politics of immigration and identity issues in the Latino community. His latest book is 187 Reasons Mexicanos Can’t Cross the Border.
Wednesday: Isabel Allende talks about her latest memoir, The Sum of Our Days, a passionate and inspiring look at the life of the Allende family held together by the resolute matriarch – Isabel herself - after the tragic loss of Paula, her daughter.
Thursday: Michael Morwood, the controversial Christian theologian, author of Is Jesus God and Tomorrow’s Catholic is in the midst of a rare US tour. We’ll catch him as he flies by.
Friday: We break stride with our Food Friday tradition today to welcome the star of the 2005 Madison World Music Festival, Lila Downs, back to Madison. The daughter of a Mixtec cabaret singer, Downs has been touring internationally performing native Mesoamerican music in Mixtec, Zapotec and Maya. She was featured in the movie Frida. You’ll love her if you don’t already.
What a week! You come too and make it really special.
Jean
Sunday, March 30, 2008
March 31-April 4 Programs
Dear Here-on-Earthlings,
Before launching into the line-up for next week, I just want to thank all of you who've been calling in to make our programming come alive this week. I particularly enjoyed your contributions to Thursday’s conversation "Against Happiness" and "Tastes Like Cuba," Friday’s food show.
We’ll start next week with two programs about education:
Monday: They listen to heavy metal, don’t have much homework, dye their hair and waste hours online, so…..American educators are trying to figure out What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart?
Tuesday: A Sustainable Education: Parker Palmer says American higher education gives people the skills to manipulate the world but very little in the way of self-knowledge. We’ve teamed him up with the director of the Schumacher School in the UK where people attend seminars in ecological and spirituality.
Wednesday: In progress: We’re working with the BBC on a program about the Tibetan struggle for independence.
Thursday: Isabel Allende joins us to talk about her latest book, The Sum of Our Days, a sequel to her elegiac memoir about her daughter, Paula. “We lived as a tribe, Chilean style; we were almost always together” she tells us, writing about her close-knit family.
Friday: To celebrate the start of National Poetry Month, we’ll mix in a little poetry with our Friday food program this week: Jewish-American poet Barbara Goldberg just won the Felix Pollak Award for her latest collection, The Royal Baker’s Daughter. Her poems read like “A Gourmand’s Prayer” – dumplings, head-cheese, pickled beets, mutton and leeks - all this food and I’m starving.
I’m heading north this weekend. I’ll be reading from I Hear Voices and signing books at The Loft in Green Bay at 6:00 on Saturday, and at LaDeDa Books in Manitowoc at 2:00 on Sunday. I’m hoping I’ll see some of you there!
Jean
Before launching into the line-up for next week, I just want to thank all of you who've been calling in to make our programming come alive this week. I particularly enjoyed your contributions to Thursday’s conversation "Against Happiness" and "Tastes Like Cuba," Friday’s food show.
We’ll start next week with two programs about education:
Monday: They listen to heavy metal, don’t have much homework, dye their hair and waste hours online, so…..American educators are trying to figure out What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart?
Tuesday: A Sustainable Education: Parker Palmer says American higher education gives people the skills to manipulate the world but very little in the way of self-knowledge. We’ve teamed him up with the director of the Schumacher School in the UK where people attend seminars in ecological and spirituality.
Wednesday: In progress: We’re working with the BBC on a program about the Tibetan struggle for independence.
Thursday: Isabel Allende joins us to talk about her latest book, The Sum of Our Days, a sequel to her elegiac memoir about her daughter, Paula. “We lived as a tribe, Chilean style; we were almost always together” she tells us, writing about her close-knit family.
Friday: To celebrate the start of National Poetry Month, we’ll mix in a little poetry with our Friday food program this week: Jewish-American poet Barbara Goldberg just won the Felix Pollak Award for her latest collection, The Royal Baker’s Daughter. Her poems read like “A Gourmand’s Prayer” – dumplings, head-cheese, pickled beets, mutton and leeks - all this food and I’m starving.
I’m heading north this weekend. I’ll be reading from I Hear Voices and signing books at The Loft in Green Bay at 6:00 on Saturday, and at LaDeDa Books in Manitowoc at 2:00 on Sunday. I’m hoping I’ll see some of you there!
Jean
Friday, March 21, 2008
March 24-28 Programs
Happy Spring Here-on-Earthlings!
I’m happy to be back in the radio saddle after hiking the deserts of Death Valley and performing with No. #2 son Dominick at The Strand in New York City.
Here’s what to look forward to next week:
Monday: Want to know how to live longer? A longevity study pinpoints three isolated communities – in Okinawa, Sardinia, and Linda Loma, California – that seem to have figured it out.
Tuesday: An Iranian and a Jew get together to talk about Middle East politics, religion and society. Reza Aslan, a young Iranian American fiction writer with degrees in Religious Studies, has been traveling with Gideon Yago, his Jewish counterpart. The two are part of this year’s UW Distinguished Lecture Series.
Wednesday: Direct from Kazakhstan: Roksonaki! Kazakhstan’s most experimental folk-rock band. We’ll hear the band play live and talk with director Ruslan Kara, who pioneered arrangements that combine ancient Kazakh instrumentation with contemporary rock and jazz.
Thursday: Sick of all these insufferable exhortations on how to be happy, happy, happy? You’ll find what Eric Wilson has to say about the American obsession with the pursuit of happiness refreshing. He’s the author of Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy.
Friday: Tastes Like Cuba: Esteemed playwright Eduardo Machado tells his life story – from his childhood in Cuba during the revolution to his life in America – through the culinary memories of his homeland. Kudos to Carmen Jackson who worked her charms to get Machado on Here on Earth.
Thanks for lending your ears!
Jean
I’m happy to be back in the radio saddle after hiking the deserts of Death Valley and performing with No. #2 son Dominick at The Strand in New York City.
Here’s what to look forward to next week:
Monday: Want to know how to live longer? A longevity study pinpoints three isolated communities – in Okinawa, Sardinia, and Linda Loma, California – that seem to have figured it out.
Tuesday: An Iranian and a Jew get together to talk about Middle East politics, religion and society. Reza Aslan, a young Iranian American fiction writer with degrees in Religious Studies, has been traveling with Gideon Yago, his Jewish counterpart. The two are part of this year’s UW Distinguished Lecture Series.
Wednesday: Direct from Kazakhstan: Roksonaki! Kazakhstan’s most experimental folk-rock band. We’ll hear the band play live and talk with director Ruslan Kara, who pioneered arrangements that combine ancient Kazakh instrumentation with contemporary rock and jazz.
Thursday: Sick of all these insufferable exhortations on how to be happy, happy, happy? You’ll find what Eric Wilson has to say about the American obsession with the pursuit of happiness refreshing. He’s the author of Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy.
Friday: Tastes Like Cuba: Esteemed playwright Eduardo Machado tells his life story – from his childhood in Cuba during the revolution to his life in America – through the culinary memories of his homeland. Kudos to Carmen Jackson who worked her charms to get Machado on Here on Earth.
Thanks for lending your ears!
Jean
Friday, March 14, 2008
March 17-21 Programs
Hi, all!
Thank goodness the spring is in the air. And thank goodness Jean is coming back from vacation on Monday. Sorry that we had to shuffle and cancel some programs this week. Next week should be much smoother.
Monday: Robert Gard, the founder and director of the Wisconsin Idea Theater, published a seminal work called "Grassroots Theater" which has just been translated into Japanese. Jean Feraca will talk with the translator and find out why community development through the arts is suddenly such a hot topic in
Tuesday: You think you know what’s in the Bible? Think again! In a re-configured Manga Bible, Jesus has come as a Samurai.
Wednesday: Here on Earth celebrates Persian New Year with a program about Shiraz: Ancient City of Wine and Song.
Thursday: March 30 is Vincent Van Gogh's birthday. He was named after an older brother, and infant who died. The haunting story of being named for the other, dead brother, is the subject of a beautiful, rich poem by Northern Irish poet Kate Newman. Jean Feraca and Molly Peacock will discuss the Van Gogh poem and others that have a quality of spring light, the light of the equinox.
Friday: Jean Feraca and her guests discuss why yerba mate, an ancient tea-like beverage consumed mainly in
Have a great weekend!
--Lisa Bu
Web Producer
Here on Earth
Friday, March 07, 2008
March 10-14 Programs
Dear Hereonearthlings (Better!),
I'm on vacation this week, leaving the program in the capable reins of Lori Skelton and Veronica Rueckert.
Monday: Psycho-Spiritual Healing: Once you have faced a physical trauma, how do you mend the mind and the spirit? Dr. Charika Marasinghe of
Tuesday: For the last two millennia human beings have fought the most over religions. And the winner is ...? According to the guest this hour, historians may one day look back on the next few decades, not as yet another era when religious conflicts enveloped countries and blew apart established societies, but as the era when secularization took over the world.
Wednesday: We’re trying to book Eric Wilson, author of "Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy," or the writer/director of “
Thursday: A writer uses her favorite examples from languages dead, difficult, and just plain made-up to reveal how language study is the ticket to traveling the world without leaving the comforts of home.
Friday: A native Parisian and passionate explorer of the city’s food scene, Clotilde Dusoulier takes us on a mouthwatering tour of the best restaurants, markets, and shops in
Have a good one!
Jean
Monday, March 03, 2008
March 3-7 Programs
Dear Friends,
It's March! Matso Marzo is how they say it in Italy -– Crazy March. But freakishishness in the weather is fine with me as long as we get some puddles. Speaking of crazy, you might be tempted to think we've gone off the deep end by starting this week with Toilet Talk, but…
Monday: Green urinals, unisex toilets, toilets shaped like soccer balls, fireflies and a baby grand piano. We even found a $4.8 million dollar toilet covered in gold in Hong Kong. Move over Kohler! The Restroom Revolution is coming from "The Far East."
Tuesday: Olympic Athletes Muscle in on Darfur: Getting ready for this summer's Olympics in Beijing, Olympic athletes have been pressuring China to influence the government of Sudan to halt the genocide in Darfur, and it seems to be working. We'll talk with American speedskater Joey Cheek, the founder of "Team Darfur," and Jerry Fowler, chief of "Save Darfur."
Wednesday: "Taxi to the Dark Side," a film about American torture, just won this year's Oscar for Best Documentary. We'll talk with Alfred McCoy (A Question of Torture) who served as a consultant to the film, and Marnia Lazreg (Torture and the Twilight of Empire), who traces the roots of the Bush administration's use of psychological torture back to the Algerian War.
Thursday: Is sailing around the world high on your Bucket List? Beth Leonard, author of Blue Horizons, which just won the 2007 National Outdoor Book Award, shares insights that have come from a deeply felt and fully-lived life circumnavigating the globe on a sailboat, not just once, but twice. She joins us from Patagonia!
Friday: Tapas, Mezze, Sushi. Is "gnoshing" our way through dinner about to displace the great American entrée? How other dining traditions are influencing the way restaurants plan our meals. Join us for a food fight, when Caryl Owens makes her debut hosting this Foodie Friday on Here on Earth.
With the blessings of the gods, I'll be on vacation by the end of the week.
Have a good one!
Jean
It's March! Matso Marzo is how they say it in Italy -– Crazy March. But freakishishness in the weather is fine with me as long as we get some puddles. Speaking of crazy, you might be tempted to think we've gone off the deep end by starting this week with Toilet Talk, but…
Monday: Green urinals, unisex toilets, toilets shaped like soccer balls, fireflies and a baby grand piano. We even found a $4.8 million dollar toilet covered in gold in Hong Kong. Move over Kohler! The Restroom Revolution is coming from "The Far East."
Tuesday: Olympic Athletes Muscle in on Darfur: Getting ready for this summer's Olympics in Beijing, Olympic athletes have been pressuring China to influence the government of Sudan to halt the genocide in Darfur, and it seems to be working. We'll talk with American speedskater Joey Cheek, the founder of "Team Darfur," and Jerry Fowler, chief of "Save Darfur."
Wednesday: "Taxi to the Dark Side," a film about American torture, just won this year's Oscar for Best Documentary. We'll talk with Alfred McCoy (A Question of Torture) who served as a consultant to the film, and Marnia Lazreg (Torture and the Twilight of Empire), who traces the roots of the Bush administration's use of psychological torture back to the Algerian War.
Thursday: Is sailing around the world high on your Bucket List? Beth Leonard, author of Blue Horizons, which just won the 2007 National Outdoor Book Award, shares insights that have come from a deeply felt and fully-lived life circumnavigating the globe on a sailboat, not just once, but twice. She joins us from Patagonia!
Friday: Tapas, Mezze, Sushi. Is "gnoshing" our way through dinner about to displace the great American entrée? How other dining traditions are influencing the way restaurants plan our meals. Join us for a food fight, when Caryl Owens makes her debut hosting this Foodie Friday on Here on Earth.
With the blessings of the gods, I'll be on vacation by the end of the week.
Have a good one!
Jean
Friday, February 29, 2008
The Dancer and the Thief
Friday, February 29, 2008
My "Pick of the Week" goes to Thursday's program with Chilean novelist, Antonio Skarmeta. Every time I started getting academic, using words like "feminist," or raising questions like, "So you reminded Chileans of who they really are" - he always responded by bringing the conversation back to earth, saying "No, not so pretentious..." or "That's too intellectual for me..." He reminded me in this way of Fellini who used to throw his hands up in the air in exasperation at critics and journalists who were forever asking him about "the meaning" of his work.
There are great characters in The Dancer and the Thief, and what I liked best was the way Skarmeta expressed real delight in following his them around Santiago, discovering the surprises life throws at them and what they will do next, exactly the same joy that he grants his reader. It made me realize that a novel is something that is truly alive, that it unfolds as it's being written, unpredictably, just like life. My favorite moment in the program was when he became semi-convulsed remembering the chapter wherein Angel quizzes Victoria on her exam questions while making love to her.
The only thing that bothers me is that, almost invariably, when I host programs that are based on newly translated novels like The Dancer and the Thief which hardly anybody has ever heard of, nobody calls. So, is there any way to remedy that? It's wonderful to share the joy of discovering and introducing listeners to new literature from other countries, but I can't help feeling that a talk show that fails to attract callers is a failed talk show. Any comments, or ideas?
My "Pick of the Week" goes to Thursday's program with Chilean novelist, Antonio Skarmeta. Every time I started getting academic, using words like "feminist," or raising questions like, "So you reminded Chileans of who they really are" - he always responded by bringing the conversation back to earth, saying "No, not so pretentious..." or "That's too intellectual for me..." He reminded me in this way of Fellini who used to throw his hands up in the air in exasperation at critics and journalists who were forever asking him about "the meaning" of his work.
There are great characters in The Dancer and the Thief, and what I liked best was the way Skarmeta expressed real delight in following his them around Santiago, discovering the surprises life throws at them and what they will do next, exactly the same joy that he grants his reader. It made me realize that a novel is something that is truly alive, that it unfolds as it's being written, unpredictably, just like life. My favorite moment in the program was when he became semi-convulsed remembering the chapter wherein Angel quizzes Victoria on her exam questions while making love to her.
The only thing that bothers me is that, almost invariably, when I host programs that are based on newly translated novels like The Dancer and the Thief which hardly anybody has ever heard of, nobody calls. So, is there any way to remedy that? It's wonderful to share the joy of discovering and introducing listeners to new literature from other countries, but I can't help feeling that a talk show that fails to attract callers is a failed talk show. Any comments, or ideas?
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Feb 25-29 Programs
Dear Friends,
Just in case you noticed, Here on Earth's entire schedule for last week got scotched or scrambled, all except for Wednesday's program about the Turkish Ban on Head Scarves. We'll hope for better luck this week:
Monday: Ever wonder what it's like to fly the friendly skies over Africa and India? We'll get the skinny from Patrick Smith, who writes a wonderful column, "Ask the Pilot," for Salon.com.
Tuesday: If you're against hope, don't listen to this program! We'll talk with seasoned reporter John Parker who actually wrote an article called "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for The Economist, detailing the evidence indicating that the world, unexpectedly, is becoming a prosperous and more peaceful place.
Wednesday: Jesus as a Samurai? The Bible re-configured as a Japanese cartoon.
Thursday: I recently spent a delightful Sunday during one of the worst storms of the season buried in The Dancer and the Thief, a bestselling new novel by the great Chilean writer, Antonio Skarmeta, who gave us Il Postino. The plot is set in post-Pinochet's Santiago and revolves around a cast of underworld characters who alternately horrify and charm you.
Friday: The Fortune Cookie Chronicles. You thought fortune cookies were Chinese, right? Think again.
I'm off to Philadelphia for a family reunion this weekend. But I'm sorry I'll miss seeing you at the Open House on Sunday.
Jean
Just in case you noticed, Here on Earth's entire schedule for last week got scotched or scrambled, all except for Wednesday's program about the Turkish Ban on Head Scarves. We'll hope for better luck this week:
Monday: Ever wonder what it's like to fly the friendly skies over Africa and India? We'll get the skinny from Patrick Smith, who writes a wonderful column, "Ask the Pilot," for Salon.com.
Tuesday: If you're against hope, don't listen to this program! We'll talk with seasoned reporter John Parker who actually wrote an article called "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for The Economist, detailing the evidence indicating that the world, unexpectedly, is becoming a prosperous and more peaceful place.
Wednesday: Jesus as a Samurai? The Bible re-configured as a Japanese cartoon.
Thursday: I recently spent a delightful Sunday during one of the worst storms of the season buried in The Dancer and the Thief, a bestselling new novel by the great Chilean writer, Antonio Skarmeta, who gave us Il Postino. The plot is set in post-Pinochet's Santiago and revolves around a cast of underworld characters who alternately horrify and charm you.
Friday: The Fortune Cookie Chronicles. You thought fortune cookies were Chinese, right? Think again.
I'm off to Philadelphia for a family reunion this weekend. But I'm sorry I'll miss seeing you at the Open House on Sunday.
Jean
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Feb 18-22 Shows
Dear Hereonearthians,
Salve! And yes, thank God it's over. Thank you all for your support, and let's all look forward to Here on Earth the way God intended it.
Monday: Joe Hardtke scored a big one for us in getting Iranian exile Marjane Satrapi to join us at the start of her American tour to talk about the huge success of Persepolis, her graphic novel, now an animated film (currently at Sundance in Madison) nominated for Best Animated Feature at this year's Academy Awards. (Feb. 24)
Tuesday: We've just learned that Steven Spielberg is boycotting this year's Olympic Games in support of Darfur and to protest China's support of the government of Sudan. We think it might be the start of a boycott movement and we're working to find the right guests. Any ideas out there?
Wednesday: Turkish Head Scarves. Many Turkish women are devout Muslims who are clamoring for the right to wear their head scarves in public buildings, a practice Turkey's traditionally secular government disallows. (It's the reverse of what you'd expect) Will the new Islamist government reverse the law? And does this portend a swing to Islamic conservatism for secular Turkey?
Thursday: Latin America: The Forgotten Continent. Michael Reid argues in his book that in spite of Latin America's struggles to create fairer communities, making it one of the world's most prosperous laboratories for democracy, it remains The Forgotten Continent.
Friday: What is the origin of the fortune cookie? Los Angeles and San Francisco both lay claim to it. Chinese and Japanese restaurants both offer them. But is it only American after all? This hour we crack open the fortune cookie.
We need each other to get through February. Please stay plugged in, and check out my blog entry, "Broccoli Rape for Breakfast."
Jean
Salve! And yes, thank God it's over. Thank you all for your support, and let's all look forward to Here on Earth the way God intended it.
Monday: Joe Hardtke scored a big one for us in getting Iranian exile Marjane Satrapi to join us at the start of her American tour to talk about the huge success of Persepolis, her graphic novel, now an animated film (currently at Sundance in Madison) nominated for Best Animated Feature at this year's Academy Awards. (Feb. 24)
Tuesday: We've just learned that Steven Spielberg is boycotting this year's Olympic Games in support of Darfur and to protest China's support of the government of Sudan. We think it might be the start of a boycott movement and we're working to find the right guests. Any ideas out there?
Wednesday: Turkish Head Scarves. Many Turkish women are devout Muslims who are clamoring for the right to wear their head scarves in public buildings, a practice Turkey's traditionally secular government disallows. (It's the reverse of what you'd expect) Will the new Islamist government reverse the law? And does this portend a swing to Islamic conservatism for secular Turkey?
Thursday: Latin America: The Forgotten Continent. Michael Reid argues in his book that in spite of Latin America's struggles to create fairer communities, making it one of the world's most prosperous laboratories for democracy, it remains The Forgotten Continent.
Friday: What is the origin of the fortune cookie? Los Angeles and San Francisco both lay claim to it. Chinese and Japanese restaurants both offer them. But is it only American after all? This hour we crack open the fortune cookie.
We need each other to get through February. Please stay plugged in, and check out my blog entry, "Broccoli Rape for Breakfast."
Jean
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Broccoli di Rape for Breakfast
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
We Italian Americans have a special fondness for broccoli di rape, a bitter green vegetable that, like arugula, has started showing up regularly in some American supermarkets in the last several years. Who eats it besides us, I wonder? It is one of those foods, like rice to the Japanese, or lutefisk to the Norwegians, that carries identity. We take a perverse delight in relishing it, because we think it belongs to us and to nobody else. There are jokes about it, because it induces fatulence; and there is even a poem written about it by an Italian American woman named Rosella I met the last time I was in New York. She has perfected the art of steaming it with olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and caramelized onions.
So I had it for breakfast this morning, thinking of Rosella, who makes it better than I do. There was a bunch of it, and not much else in the refrigerator, and it had started to turn yellow. Wasting a bunch of broccoli di rabe is a sin for an Italian American, and I'm trying to avoid sinning during Lent.
So I stood there at the kitchen counter and ate the whole thing with my hands right out of the pot, stripping the delicate leaves from the limp green stems, relishing the oil as it annointed my lips and mouth, enjoying the sting of the hot pepper flakes, and the crunch of the fibers between my teeth. I thought of Annie Lanzilotto and her search in downtown New York for a lunch that "would honor her ancestors."I thought too of St Teresa of Avila who said, when she was caught wolfing down roasted quails all by herself in the convent's refectory, without apology,"When I pray, I pray, and when I eat quail, I eat quail." Later in the morning as the bitter taste kept coming back to me, I remembered these lines from a poem by Stephen Crane, ..."ah, it is good, because it is bitter, and because it is my heart."
I am not in the habit of eating broccoli di rape for breakfast. Why did I do so this morning? Because I suffer from the winter cold and I needed something to kick my heart up, to assert my identity, my ancestry, my perverse lineage. And it worked.
We Italian Americans have a special fondness for broccoli di rape, a bitter green vegetable that, like arugula, has started showing up regularly in some American supermarkets in the last several years. Who eats it besides us, I wonder? It is one of those foods, like rice to the Japanese, or lutefisk to the Norwegians, that carries identity. We take a perverse delight in relishing it, because we think it belongs to us and to nobody else. There are jokes about it, because it induces fatulence; and there is even a poem written about it by an Italian American woman named Rosella I met the last time I was in New York. She has perfected the art of steaming it with olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and caramelized onions.
So I had it for breakfast this morning, thinking of Rosella, who makes it better than I do. There was a bunch of it, and not much else in the refrigerator, and it had started to turn yellow. Wasting a bunch of broccoli di rabe is a sin for an Italian American, and I'm trying to avoid sinning during Lent.
So I stood there at the kitchen counter and ate the whole thing with my hands right out of the pot, stripping the delicate leaves from the limp green stems, relishing the oil as it annointed my lips and mouth, enjoying the sting of the hot pepper flakes, and the crunch of the fibers between my teeth. I thought of Annie Lanzilotto and her search in downtown New York for a lunch that "would honor her ancestors."I thought too of St Teresa of Avila who said, when she was caught wolfing down roasted quails all by herself in the convent's refectory, without apology,"When I pray, I pray, and when I eat quail, I eat quail." Later in the morning as the bitter taste kept coming back to me, I remembered these lines from a poem by Stephen Crane, ..."ah, it is good, because it is bitter, and because it is my heart."
I am not in the habit of eating broccoli di rape for breakfast. Why did I do so this morning? Because I suffer from the winter cold and I needed something to kick my heart up, to assert my identity, my ancestry, my perverse lineage. And it worked.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Feb 11-15 Programs
Dear Friends,
It’s always a challenge to come up with programming that represents us at our best and is likely to inspire your support during pledge drives. If you have ay suggestions for future drives, we’d love to hear from you. Please send your ideas to hereonearth@wpr.org.
Here’s what’s coming up:
Monday: It’s the Bob and John Show: John Nichols and Bob McChesney team up to talk about how the 2008 presidential race is being covered in international media, and which presidential candidate is most likely to restore our tarnished image.
Tuesday: Just in time for the Wisconsin Primary, the editors of The Rough Guide have come up with a new, totally updated Rough Guide to Climate Change that includes an expanded “What You Can Do” section and profiles of each candidate’s position on global warming. We’ll gladly send you a copy in return for a modest pledge of support.
Wednesday: Where in the World is Stephanie? We catch up with Stephanie Griest, our ever-ebullient wandering modern nomad just as she returns from a trip to
Thursday: For a special Valentine’s Day program, what could be better than a bouquet of some of the world’s best love poems.
Friday: Hot Plants for Hot Pants! Find out if there really is such a thing as a Spanish fly when we talk with an ethnobotanist whose specialty is aphrodisiacs.
Pray for us!
Jean
Friday, February 01, 2008
With The Wine Guyz
Friday, February 1, 2008
I had a terrific time in La Crosse last weekend. First off, meeting Cajun Tim Hall was worth the trip in itself. Accomplished cook, raconteur, and all around great guy, Tim was born in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana and knows the bayous and by-ways of his native state like a muskrat knows his swamp, which would have been obvious to anyone who was listening to Here on Earth last Friday. Tim and his wife Carol showed off their southern hospitality on Friday night, serving us a marvelous Cajun meal. My my, but that chicken and andouille sausage was out of this world - so lip-smacking I had to have two helpings. And that was only the second course.
Tim was such a big hit we invited him to come back again this Friday when we'll be featuring his cookbook, Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez, and DVD as a pledge premium. And he's also agreed to host a WPR Cajun Barbeque which will be held at Larry Meillor's bayou in June.
Saturday noon I arrived at The Wine Guyz, which is right across from The Pump House in La Crosse and adjacent to Piggy's, following the weekend's theme. The Wine Guyz turned out to be the perfect place for me to read from "Get Thee to a Winery," the third chapter in my book, I Hear Voices, which flips back and forth between the time I spent in St. Benedict's Monastery and the California wine country. Dan, the owner of The Wine Guyz, another perfect host, handed me a glass of Writer's Block zinfandel halfway through the reading which added immeasureably to the whole gestalt. The best thing was, everybody there seemed to enjoy themselves quite as much as I did!
There will be more readings coming up at various venues throughout the state in the next several months. Look for postings on our website.
I had a terrific time in La Crosse last weekend. First off, meeting Cajun Tim Hall was worth the trip in itself. Accomplished cook, raconteur, and all around great guy, Tim was born in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana and knows the bayous and by-ways of his native state like a muskrat knows his swamp, which would have been obvious to anyone who was listening to Here on Earth last Friday. Tim and his wife Carol showed off their southern hospitality on Friday night, serving us a marvelous Cajun meal. My my, but that chicken and andouille sausage was out of this world - so lip-smacking I had to have two helpings. And that was only the second course.
Tim was such a big hit we invited him to come back again this Friday when we'll be featuring his cookbook, Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez, and DVD as a pledge premium. And he's also agreed to host a WPR Cajun Barbeque which will be held at Larry Meillor's bayou in June.
Saturday noon I arrived at The Wine Guyz, which is right across from The Pump House in La Crosse and adjacent to Piggy's, following the weekend's theme. The Wine Guyz turned out to be the perfect place for me to read from "Get Thee to a Winery," the third chapter in my book, I Hear Voices, which flips back and forth between the time I spent in St. Benedict's Monastery and the California wine country. Dan, the owner of The Wine Guyz, another perfect host, handed me a glass of Writer's Block zinfandel halfway through the reading which added immeasureably to the whole gestalt. The best thing was, everybody there seemed to enjoy themselves quite as much as I did! 
There will be more readings coming up at various venues throughout the state in the next several months. Look for postings on our website.Friday, January 25, 2008
Jan 28 - Feb 1 Programs
Dear Here-on-Earthians,
We need each other in this cold weather more than ever, don't we? We've put some extra care into planning this week's programs. Here goes:
Monday: Temple Grandin is considered one of the world's top animal behavior experts. She attributes her understanding of animals in part to her autism, which enables her to "think like an animal." She joins us to talk about her latest book, Animals in Translation.
Tuesday: The Art of the Obit: Two writers of obituaries, one British, one American, team up to tell us what obituaries say about our cultural differences.
Wednesday: Genesis Farm: If the names Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme mean anything to you, you'll relish this opportunity to talk with the founder of Genesis Farm, an Ecological Learning Center located in New Jersey.
Thursday: What happens to our cast-off computers and cell phones? Find out when we talk with Chris Carroll, the author of an article on High-Tech Trash in this month's issue of National Geographic that examines the environmental and health impacts of discarded electronics dumped on places like New Delhi.
Friday: Delizia! Okay, it's not just another excuse for Feraca to talk about Italian food. Think epic history. Think why Mussolini loved risotto, how early pizzas were disgusting , and how pasta really got to Italy. Could an Englishman appointed Commendatore by no less than the president of the Italian Republic not be worth listening to? Join me with John Dickie who doesn't just know about Italian food; he also wrote Cosa Nostra, hailed in Italy as the best book about the Mafia ever written. (Do I sound defensive?)
Tune in, stay warm, and come see me at The Wine Guyz in La Crosse this Saturday, if you can. I'll be reading at noon from Chapter #3, "Get Thee to a Winery," from my memoir, I Hear Voices.
Jean
We need each other in this cold weather more than ever, don't we? We've put some extra care into planning this week's programs. Here goes:
Monday: Temple Grandin is considered one of the world's top animal behavior experts. She attributes her understanding of animals in part to her autism, which enables her to "think like an animal." She joins us to talk about her latest book, Animals in Translation.
Tuesday: The Art of the Obit: Two writers of obituaries, one British, one American, team up to tell us what obituaries say about our cultural differences.
Wednesday: Genesis Farm: If the names Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme mean anything to you, you'll relish this opportunity to talk with the founder of Genesis Farm, an Ecological Learning Center located in New Jersey.
Thursday: What happens to our cast-off computers and cell phones? Find out when we talk with Chris Carroll, the author of an article on High-Tech Trash in this month's issue of National Geographic that examines the environmental and health impacts of discarded electronics dumped on places like New Delhi.
Friday: Delizia! Okay, it's not just another excuse for Feraca to talk about Italian food. Think epic history. Think why Mussolini loved risotto, how early pizzas were disgusting , and how pasta really got to Italy. Could an Englishman appointed Commendatore by no less than the president of the Italian Republic not be worth listening to? Join me with John Dickie who doesn't just know about Italian food; he also wrote Cosa Nostra, hailed in Italy as the best book about the Mafia ever written. (Do I sound defensive?)
Tune in, stay warm, and come see me at The Wine Guyz in La Crosse this Saturday, if you can. I'll be reading at noon from Chapter #3, "Get Thee to a Winery," from my memoir, I Hear Voices.
Jean
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Jan 21-25 Programs
Cari Amici!
(Somehow that sounds better than "Dear Friends," which is usually the way fundraising letters begin).
This week on Here on Earth begins fittingly enough with a tribute to that great American, Martin Luther King, Jr., but I think we've found an unusual way in…
Monday: Join us with the co-founders of Atlanta's International Community School, inspired by the vision of MLK, where American students learn together with immigrants and refugees from 40 countries.
Tuesday: The International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, a group of women working to preserve their collective tribal wisdom and pass it on to the next generation before it's all lost. We'll meet two Council members and talk with a journalist whose work has made them famous.
Wednesday: Now here's a twist: Searching for Nebraska in France? Kent Cowgill wrote a book called Back in Time, an account of his nostalgic journey through the countryside of France in search of the rural life and culture of his own native Nebraska. Guess what? He found it!
Thursday: Satish Kumar, the editor of Resurgence Magazine and a great spiritual thinker, is the subject of a BBC4 special broadcast, Earth Pilgrim. He joins us from England to talk about reverential ecology.
Friday: Live from La Crosse, Wisconsin, Join us for special "Food Friday" edition of Here on Earth when I'll be joined by Tim Hall, Cajun chef and Louisiana transplant who will deliver a real Mardi Gras feast, I guarantee!
Lend us your ears, and may the Packers win!
Jean
(Somehow that sounds better than "Dear Friends," which is usually the way fundraising letters begin).
This week on Here on Earth begins fittingly enough with a tribute to that great American, Martin Luther King, Jr., but I think we've found an unusual way in…
Monday: Join us with the co-founders of Atlanta's International Community School, inspired by the vision of MLK, where American students learn together with immigrants and refugees from 40 countries.
Tuesday: The International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, a group of women working to preserve their collective tribal wisdom and pass it on to the next generation before it's all lost. We'll meet two Council members and talk with a journalist whose work has made them famous.
Wednesday: Now here's a twist: Searching for Nebraska in France? Kent Cowgill wrote a book called Back in Time, an account of his nostalgic journey through the countryside of France in search of the rural life and culture of his own native Nebraska. Guess what? He found it!
Thursday: Satish Kumar, the editor of Resurgence Magazine and a great spiritual thinker, is the subject of a BBC4 special broadcast, Earth Pilgrim. He joins us from England to talk about reverential ecology.
Friday: Live from La Crosse, Wisconsin, Join us for special "Food Friday" edition of Here on Earth when I'll be joined by Tim Hall, Cajun chef and Louisiana transplant who will deliver a real Mardi Gras feast, I guarantee!
Lend us your ears, and may the Packers win!
Jean
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Jan 7-11 Programs
Dear Friends of Here on Earth,
Have you seen Charlie Wilson's War yet? The movie tells the true story of a Texas Congressman who funded a covert war against the Soviets in Afghanistan. We'll be talking about it on Monday's show with the director of the nation's only Afghanistan Studies Institute, and Martin Frost, Charlie Wilson's Congressional peer from Texas.
Tuesday: Northern Ireland: The Latest Tourism Destination! Belfast is in the process of turning its violent history into a tourism attraction. We'll be talking with a columnist for the Boston Globe who's been covering Northern Ireland for 20 years – the sites of bomb blasts and killings are now opportunities for tourist dollars.
Wednesday: Songs of the Holocaust: We're working on a program with recording artist Anne-Sofie von Otter who just released an album of songs from the Terezin concentration camp.
Thursday: As India accelerates its rapid modernization, we take some time to remember that its mythic past is still alive and well in a country where disciples of Lord Shiva still walk barefoot, and dreadlocked holy men speed around on bicycles. Tales from Mythic India told by poet and playwright Kamla Kapur, author of Ganesha Goes to Lunch.
Friday: The program on Japanese food we promised you last week with tips on how to stay slim and healthy in the new year.
I'll be with you on Monday, Veronica will be filling in for me the rest of the week. Don't touch that dial!
All best wishes for the New Year,
Jean
Have you seen Charlie Wilson's War yet? The movie tells the true story of a Texas Congressman who funded a covert war against the Soviets in Afghanistan. We'll be talking about it on Monday's show with the director of the nation's only Afghanistan Studies Institute, and Martin Frost, Charlie Wilson's Congressional peer from Texas.
Tuesday: Northern Ireland: The Latest Tourism Destination! Belfast is in the process of turning its violent history into a tourism attraction. We'll be talking with a columnist for the Boston Globe who's been covering Northern Ireland for 20 years – the sites of bomb blasts and killings are now opportunities for tourist dollars.
Wednesday: Songs of the Holocaust: We're working on a program with recording artist Anne-Sofie von Otter who just released an album of songs from the Terezin concentration camp.
Thursday: As India accelerates its rapid modernization, we take some time to remember that its mythic past is still alive and well in a country where disciples of Lord Shiva still walk barefoot, and dreadlocked holy men speed around on bicycles. Tales from Mythic India told by poet and playwright Kamla Kapur, author of Ganesha Goes to Lunch.
Friday: The program on Japanese food we promised you last week with tips on how to stay slim and healthy in the new year.
I'll be with you on Monday, Veronica will be filling in for me the rest of the week. Don't touch that dial!
All best wishes for the New Year,
Jean
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Dec 24-28 Programs
Dear Friends,
I hope you enjoyed our week of holiday programming as much as we enjoyed producing it. As one faithful listener pointed out, last Friday's program about Primo Levi (Last Christmas of the War) - which left everybody in tears including gentilissimo Ernesto Livorni, my guest who actually slapped himself when he started to cry – was reminiscent of the Thanksgiving Day programs I used to do with Connie Kilmark when we asked listeners to tell us about the best gift they ever gave, or received. Powerful stuff. My favorite kind of radio.
Anyway, because we had such a favorable response to The Christmas Package (Dec. 15), we've decided to repeat it on Christmas Day. We're also repeating our program about the Evolution of Santa Claus (Dec. 18) on Christmas Eve. So here's how the week looks on paper:
Monday: The Evolution of Santa Claus, from his origins in ancient Turkey to Jolly Old St. Nick
Tuesday: The Christmas Package: an unforgettable story told by an Italian Jew who gets a Christmas package from home delivered to him in Auschwitza month before the end of the war.
Wednesday: Back to the Bonobos with the great Swiss biologist Frans De Waal, author of The Inner Ape, who insists we got it all wrong by claiming chimpanzees as our evolutionary ancestors instead of the peace-loving bonobos, the hippies primates who make love instead of war.
Thursday: In 1969, young Kirin Narayan's older brother, Rahoul, announced that he was quitting school and leaving home to seek enlightenment with a guru. Another familiar motif from the sixties, and a link to our evolutionary past, explored with Indian anthropologist, Kirin Narayan, author of the memoir, My Family and Other Saints.
Friday: Just when you're sick of the whole idea of food: delicious and healthful slimming secrets from the author of Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat.
Merry Christmas! And to all a Good Night!
Jean
I hope you enjoyed our week of holiday programming as much as we enjoyed producing it. As one faithful listener pointed out, last Friday's program about Primo Levi (Last Christmas of the War) - which left everybody in tears including gentilissimo Ernesto Livorni, my guest who actually slapped himself when he started to cry – was reminiscent of the Thanksgiving Day programs I used to do with Connie Kilmark when we asked listeners to tell us about the best gift they ever gave, or received. Powerful stuff. My favorite kind of radio.
Anyway, because we had such a favorable response to The Christmas Package (Dec. 15), we've decided to repeat it on Christmas Day. We're also repeating our program about the Evolution of Santa Claus (Dec. 18) on Christmas Eve. So here's how the week looks on paper:
Monday: The Evolution of Santa Claus, from his origins in ancient Turkey to Jolly Old St. Nick
Tuesday: The Christmas Package: an unforgettable story told by an Italian Jew who gets a Christmas package from home delivered to him in Auschwitza month before the end of the war.
Wednesday: Back to the Bonobos with the great Swiss biologist Frans De Waal, author of The Inner Ape, who insists we got it all wrong by claiming chimpanzees as our evolutionary ancestors instead of the peace-loving bonobos, the hippies primates who make love instead of war.
Thursday: In 1969, young Kirin Narayan's older brother, Rahoul, announced that he was quitting school and leaving home to seek enlightenment with a guru. Another familiar motif from the sixties, and a link to our evolutionary past, explored with Indian anthropologist, Kirin Narayan, author of the memoir, My Family and Other Saints.
Friday: Just when you're sick of the whole idea of food: delicious and healthful slimming secrets from the author of Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat.
Merry Christmas! And to all a Good Night!
Jean
Friday, December 21, 2007
Jean in The Big Apple
Friday, December 21, 2007
I can't let this year slide away without giving an account of my magical four days in The Big Apple. On Tuesday night, December 11, I gave a reading from my memoir, I Hear Voices, at the Borders bookstore on Park Ave. and 57th Street. For those of you who may not know New York, that's considered a pretty swanky part of town, right next to Bloomingdale's in the heart of the toney upper eastside. It's also a part of the city that holds special resonance for me since my Uncle Dominick's office used to be just off 58th St., and my great-grandfather actually helped build the German section of the city known as Yorktown. What a thrill - to find my book displayed in the window facing 57th St.!
Anyway, in spite of all my apprehensions and actual nightmares that nobody would show up, over 100 people were there! - quadruple the crowd that the store usually draws. Borders had to keep adding more and more chairs and finally put a second sound system in the back of the room so that everybody could hear.
Much like the launch of the book back in October at our own Borders on University Ave. in Madison, I felt once again, looking out at the crowd and recognizing so many people from so many different decades and sectors of my life, that I had died and gone to heaven. Stomping around in my new boots and embroidered black velveteen coat that my husband says makes me look like one of the founding fathers (not exactly the look I was striving for!), I read for over an hour and had to be cut off by the management when the Q@A went on a little too long.
I spotted old friends in the crowd: Mariana, my Cuban roommate from college in the crowd; Mara, my best friend from fifth grade, and new friends too, like Annie Lanzillotto. Jacki Lyden was there, all the way in the back, looking exceedingly glamorous in a sweater with a full yoke of white fur; Diane Ackerman came too, all the way from Ithaca. My friend Melanie's father was among the first to arrive, displaying his birth certificate to prove that he really is 96 years old; my son Giancarlo sent four of his friends; my husband made sure there were a few scientists in the crowd, and Dominick, my son, the artist, looking lushly Byronic in a black velvet jacket, leaned back in his chair in the front row, his eyes closed, drinking in my words. I tell you, it was the thrill of a lifetime. And we sold a lot of books too.
I can't let this year slide away without giving an account of my magical four days in The Big Apple. On Tuesday night, December 11, I gave a reading from my memoir, I Hear Voices, at the Borders bookstore on Park Ave. and 57th Street. For those of you who may not know New York, that's considered a pretty swanky part of town, right next to Bloomingdale's in the heart of the toney upper eastside. It's also a part of the city that holds special resonance for me since my Uncle Dominick's office used to be just off 58th St., and my great-grandfather actually helped build the German section of the city known as Yorktown. What a thrill - to find my book displayed in the window facing 57th St.!
Anyway, in spite of all my apprehensions and actual nightmares that nobody would show up, over 100 people were there! - quadruple the crowd that the store usually draws. Borders had to keep adding more and more chairs and finally put a second sound system in the back of the room so that everybody could hear.
Much like the launch of the book back in October at our own Borders on University Ave. in Madison, I felt once again, looking out at the crowd and recognizing so many people from so many different decades and sectors of my life, that I had died and gone to heaven. Stomping around in my new boots and embroidered black velveteen coat that my husband says makes me look like one of the founding fathers (not exactly the look I was striving for!), I read for over an hour and had to be cut off by the management when the Q@A went on a little too long.
I spotted old friends in the crowd: Mariana, my Cuban roommate from college in the crowd; Mara, my best friend from fifth grade, and new friends too, like Annie Lanzillotto. Jacki Lyden was there, all the way in the back, looking exceedingly glamorous in a sweater with a full yoke of white fur; Diane Ackerman came too, all the way from Ithaca. My friend Melanie's father was among the first to arrive, displaying his birth certificate to prove that he really is 96 years old; my son Giancarlo sent four of his friends; my husband made sure there were a few scientists in the crowd, and Dominick, my son, the artist, looking lushly Byronic in a black velvet jacket, leaned back in his chair in the front row, his eyes closed, drinking in my words. I tell you, it was the thrill of a lifetime. And we sold a lot of books too.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Dec 17-21 Programs
Dear Friends,
We've decided to go for broke this week and test your tolerance by lining up a whole week's worth of Christmas programming! Don't touch that dial! We have a hunch you're really going to like it.
Monday: Navan, the singular a cappella group starring the polyglotton-ous Sheila Shigley, joins us to celebrate Celtic songs of the season: (sung in the original languages) mostly hair-raising, sometimes jazzy, mysterious songs that give fascinating insights into the pagan underpinnings of Yuletide.
Tuesday: The evolution of the modern-day Santa from its origins in Turkey (!), to Holland where Santa arrives with a boatload of Negroes who beat you up with sticks if you're bad (and nobody thinks it's racist), to The Miracle on Forty-Second Street. Now how could you not like a program like that?
Wednesday: Theologians John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg have teamed up again to give us a brand new and controversial interpretation of The First Christmas.
Thursday: Get ready for the Winter Solstice Poetry Circle of the Air with Molly Peacock. Molly has chosen a set of sonnets poet Marilyn Hacker wrote while undergoing surgery for breast cancer during the holidays, an irony all too commonplace. Look for the poems on our website and bring a solstice poem of your own choosing to the circle.
Friday: Wisconsin-born/Paris-based chef Patricia Wells joins us to give a French twist to the Christmas feast.
Have a great weekend. I'm outa here.
Jean
We've decided to go for broke this week and test your tolerance by lining up a whole week's worth of Christmas programming! Don't touch that dial! We have a hunch you're really going to like it.
Monday: Navan, the singular a cappella group starring the polyglotton-ous Sheila Shigley, joins us to celebrate Celtic songs of the season: (sung in the original languages) mostly hair-raising, sometimes jazzy, mysterious songs that give fascinating insights into the pagan underpinnings of Yuletide.
Tuesday: The evolution of the modern-day Santa from its origins in Turkey (!), to Holland where Santa arrives with a boatload of Negroes who beat you up with sticks if you're bad (and nobody thinks it's racist), to The Miracle on Forty-Second Street. Now how could you not like a program like that?
Wednesday: Theologians John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg have teamed up again to give us a brand new and controversial interpretation of The First Christmas.
Thursday: Get ready for the Winter Solstice Poetry Circle of the Air with Molly Peacock. Molly has chosen a set of sonnets poet Marilyn Hacker wrote while undergoing surgery for breast cancer during the holidays, an irony all too commonplace. Look for the poems on our website and bring a solstice poem of your own choosing to the circle.
Friday: Wisconsin-born/Paris-based chef Patricia Wells joins us to give a French twist to the Christmas feast.
Have a great weekend. I'm outa here.
Jean
Friday, December 07, 2007
Dec 10-14 Programs
Hi Folks,
I'm headed for The Big Apple this week to give a reading from I Hear Voices at the Border's on 57th St. in mid-town Manhattan on Tuesday. Whoop-de-doo! Hopefully, more than five people will show up. I've worked so hard to drum up a crowd, I've even invited my best friend's brother from high school!. In my absence, Lori Skelton will be hosting the show to kick off the week and she's come up with a couple of dandy topics:
Monday: Lori Skelton talks with James Devita, APT actor and author of the recent novel "The Silenced," and Deborah Ellis, award-winning author of children's books, about contemporary literary role models for young girls and the challenge of crafting an identity when the world around you is far from stable.
Tuesday: Lori Skelton and guests discuss Winter Solstice celebrations, through time and across cultures.
Wednesday: Curious about what international students think of America? We'll talk with four winners of a UW international student essay contest representing four continents.
Thursday: The Paradox of the Ganga: India's Most Sacred River and its Pollutants, a journey narrated by a British documentarian.
Friday: (My Pick of the Week) The great Italian humanist, Primo Levi, much to his surprise, received a package of goodies for Christmas while he was in Auschwitz. Poet Ernesto Livorni of the Italian Department, UW-Madison, reads and discusses Levi's essay, "Christmas in Auschwitz." You'll love it!
Wish me luck!
Jean
I'm headed for The Big Apple this week to give a reading from I Hear Voices at the Border's on 57th St. in mid-town Manhattan on Tuesday. Whoop-de-doo! Hopefully, more than five people will show up. I've worked so hard to drum up a crowd, I've even invited my best friend's brother from high school!. In my absence, Lori Skelton will be hosting the show to kick off the week and she's come up with a couple of dandy topics:
Monday: Lori Skelton talks with James Devita, APT actor and author of the recent novel "The Silenced," and Deborah Ellis, award-winning author of children's books, about contemporary literary role models for young girls and the challenge of crafting an identity when the world around you is far from stable.
Tuesday: Lori Skelton and guests discuss Winter Solstice celebrations, through time and across cultures.
Wednesday: Curious about what international students think of America? We'll talk with four winners of a UW international student essay contest representing four continents.
Thursday: The Paradox of the Ganga: India's Most Sacred River and its Pollutants, a journey narrated by a British documentarian.
Friday: (My Pick of the Week) The great Italian humanist, Primo Levi, much to his surprise, received a package of goodies for Christmas while he was in Auschwitz. Poet Ernesto Livorni of the Italian Department, UW-Madison, reads and discusses Levi's essay, "Christmas in Auschwitz." You'll love it!
Wish me luck!
Jean
Friday, November 30, 2007
Dec 3-7 Programs
Dear Friends,
We have an unusually political line-up to kick off the month of December:
Monday: The UN gets a report card on its Declaration of Human Rights created in 1948, almost 60 years ago. We'll talk with members of Wisconsin's Governor's Commission on the UN, the only body of its kind in the US.
Tuesday: Do scientists play God? Turns out, that depends on your religion. We'll talk with Lee Silver, the author of Challenging Nature: The Clash Between Biotechnology and Spirituality, About the East/West Scientific Divide..
Wednesday: Beyond Caudillo: How Michelle Bachelet is changing the legacy of August Pinochet in Chile.
Thursday: At long last, we catch up with Jonathan Groubert and his new program from Radio Netherlands. This week's edition is, appropriately enough, about Overconsumption.
Friday: Spice: Want to know what it took to get those pumpkin pie spices into your Thanksgiving feast? Join us with the author of The Taste of Conquest: The Three Legendary Cities: Venice, Lisbon, and Amsterdam: how their single-minded pursuit of spice helped create the Western diet and set in motion the first great wave of globalization.
Hope you'll be listening and calling!
Jean
We have an unusually political line-up to kick off the month of December:
Monday: The UN gets a report card on its Declaration of Human Rights created in 1948, almost 60 years ago. We'll talk with members of Wisconsin's Governor's Commission on the UN, the only body of its kind in the US.
Tuesday: Do scientists play God? Turns out, that depends on your religion. We'll talk with Lee Silver, the author of Challenging Nature: The Clash Between Biotechnology and Spirituality, About the East/West Scientific Divide..
Wednesday: Beyond Caudillo: How Michelle Bachelet is changing the legacy of August Pinochet in Chile.
Thursday: At long last, we catch up with Jonathan Groubert and his new program from Radio Netherlands. This week's edition is, appropriately enough, about Overconsumption.
Friday: Spice: Want to know what it took to get those pumpkin pie spices into your Thanksgiving feast? Join us with the author of The Taste of Conquest: The Three Legendary Cities: Venice, Lisbon, and Amsterdam: how their single-minded pursuit of spice helped create the Western diet and set in motion the first great wave of globalization.
Hope you'll be listening and calling!
Jean
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Nov 26-30 Programs
Hi Here-on-Earthians,
Question of the Week: Have we dropped the ball in Afghanistan? (See Wednesday's program with former NPR foreign correspondent Sarah Chayes).
Happy Thanksgiving to all, and here's what we have to look forward to when we groan our way back to work on Monday:
Monday: How do you measure the distance from an African village to an American city?: We'll talk with Anne Makepeace, the maker of Rain in a Dry Land, a POV documentary about the challenges faced by Somali refugees confronting racism, poverty, and 21st century culture shock.
Tuesday: Beyond Caudillo: We're working on a program about Chile's woman president, Michelle Bachelet, who is taking her country beyond the legacy of Pinochet.
Wednesday: Once again, we catch up with our gal in Afghanistan, the redoubtable Sarah Chayes who has been helping Afghani entrepreneurs to develop a soap and body-oil business while they all dodge the Taliban's bullets. Have we dropped the ball in Afghanistan? Let us know what you think by sending a message to hereonearth@wpr.org and posting it on my blog at www.hereonearth.org.
Thursday: The Seed Bank: It's a project ongoing in Norway to preserve all the seeds on earth in case of catastrophe.
Friday: Space Food: in the future we may all be eating what the astronauts eat. God forbid.
I hope you can join us, and I mean that in more ways than one. We are in the process of developing a more interactive production process, hoping to solicit your input on issues we tackle in advance of the broadcast so you can play a more active role in helping to shape the program. The first step is in introducing The Question of the Week. See Sarah Chayes' article, “Scents and Sensibility,” in the November issue of Atlantic Monthly for more background on what's going on in Afghanistan.
Enjoy your turkey!
Best,
Jean
Question of the Week: Have we dropped the ball in Afghanistan? (See Wednesday's program with former NPR foreign correspondent Sarah Chayes).
Happy Thanksgiving to all, and here's what we have to look forward to when we groan our way back to work on Monday:
Monday: How do you measure the distance from an African village to an American city?: We'll talk with Anne Makepeace, the maker of Rain in a Dry Land, a POV documentary about the challenges faced by Somali refugees confronting racism, poverty, and 21st century culture shock.
Tuesday: Beyond Caudillo: We're working on a program about Chile's woman president, Michelle Bachelet, who is taking her country beyond the legacy of Pinochet.
Wednesday: Once again, we catch up with our gal in Afghanistan, the redoubtable Sarah Chayes who has been helping Afghani entrepreneurs to develop a soap and body-oil business while they all dodge the Taliban's bullets. Have we dropped the ball in Afghanistan? Let us know what you think by sending a message to hereonearth@wpr.org and posting it on my blog at www.hereonearth.org.
Thursday: The Seed Bank: It's a project ongoing in Norway to preserve all the seeds on earth in case of catastrophe.
Friday: Space Food: in the future we may all be eating what the astronauts eat. God forbid.
I hope you can join us, and I mean that in more ways than one. We are in the process of developing a more interactive production process, hoping to solicit your input on issues we tackle in advance of the broadcast so you can play a more active role in helping to shape the program. The first step is in introducing The Question of the Week. See Sarah Chayes' article, “Scents and Sensibility,” in the November issue of Atlantic Monthly for more background on what's going on in Afghanistan.
Enjoy your turkey!
Best,
Jean
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Nov 19-23 Programs
Hello Everyone!
This will be a short week for us since the crew is taking off for a long Thanksgiving weekend.
Here's what's coming up:
Monday: Words Without Borders, the online magazine for literature in translation, is hosting a big event in Soho called "Tales from the Global Village." We'll talk with some of the featured writers from the University of Iowa's International Writing Program.
Tuesday: Radio wizard David Isay, the creator of StoryCorps, joins us to talk about Listening as an Act of Love, and to share his favorite StoryCorps moments.
Wednesday: It's the season of charitable giving, but with so many choices and so many worthy causes, how do you decide which one to pick? For the Charity Navigator and the Alternative Gift Guru, join us for this program on Internet Philanthropy.
Jean
This will be a short week for us since the crew is taking off for a long Thanksgiving weekend.
Here's what's coming up:
Monday: Words Without Borders, the online magazine for literature in translation, is hosting a big event in Soho called "Tales from the Global Village." We'll talk with some of the featured writers from the University of Iowa's International Writing Program.
Tuesday: Radio wizard David Isay, the creator of StoryCorps, joins us to talk about Listening as an Act of Love, and to share his favorite StoryCorps moments.
Wednesday: It's the season of charitable giving, but with so many choices and so many worthy causes, how do you decide which one to pick? For the Charity Navigator and the Alternative Gift Guru, join us for this program on Internet Philanthropy.
Jean
Friday, November 16, 2007
So What Did You Think of Annie?
Friday, November 16, 2007
I met Annie Lanzillotto in Denver a few weeks ago at the AIHA Conference- the American Italian Historical Association. Like Robert DiNero, Al Pacino, Jake La Motta and Anne Bancroft (who grew up on her block), she's a pure child of the Italian-American Bronx. Raw and red-blooded, Annie has the courage and the heart of a lion. And she looks like one too. She wears a long tan leather coat and an Artful Dodger hat. She sometimes goes by the name of Rachele Coraggio. She even had a dream recently in which her father appeared to her and told her that the 'L' in Lanzillotto is for 'lion."
She was sitting in the front row, her big frame slouched in the seat right in front of me, at one of the panels. Then when she got up, turned around and started performing her monologues with names like " The Abandoned Lasagne," "Saving My Grandmother's Leg," "How to Cook a Heart," and " The Iceman Cometh," I knew right away that here was my blood sister, my grandmother, Commara Celestina, my mother, and my brother Stephen all rolled into one. Annie's tongue is bathed in red wine; her heart is full of Barese viagra, and she has the sweet smug smile of a lioness. She's pure gold. I love her.
Now, tell me. Because I need to know. Do you love her too? If you didn't hear the Food Friday program today, listen tonight at 9:00, or listen to the archived program when it gets posted in a few days. I need to know!
Thanks,
Jean
I met Annie Lanzillotto in Denver a few weeks ago at the AIHA Conference- the American Italian Historical Association. Like Robert DiNero, Al Pacino, Jake La Motta and Anne Bancroft (who grew up on her block), she's a pure child of the Italian-American Bronx. Raw and red-blooded, Annie has the courage and the heart of a lion. And she looks like one too. She wears a long tan leather coat and an Artful Dodger hat. She sometimes goes by the name of Rachele Coraggio. She even had a dream recently in which her father appeared to her and told her that the 'L' in Lanzillotto is for 'lion."
She was sitting in the front row, her big frame slouched in the seat right in front of me, at one of the panels. Then when she got up, turned around and started performing her monologues with names like " The Abandoned Lasagne," "Saving My Grandmother's Leg," "How to Cook a Heart," and " The Iceman Cometh," I knew right away that here was my blood sister, my grandmother, Commara Celestina, my mother, and my brother Stephen all rolled into one. Annie's tongue is bathed in red wine; her heart is full of Barese viagra, and she has the sweet smug smile of a lioness. She's pure gold. I love her.
Now, tell me. Because I need to know. Do you love her too? If you didn't hear the Food Friday program today, listen tonight at 9:00, or listen to the archived program when it gets posted in a few days. I need to know!
Thanks,
Jean
Friday, November 09, 2007
Nov 12-16 Programs
Wow! Will Shortz, Leonard Nimoy, and a radioactive food fighter from the Bronx. Brace yourselves for a banner week on Here on Earth!
Monday: Suduko: It's a cross-number puzzle from Japan that's conquered the world. Never heard of it? Neither had I. But not to worry -- Will Shortz will set us straight.
Tuesday: Cuba Confidential
Wednesday: Leonard Nimoy, a.k.a. Mr. Spock from Star Trek, is actually an accomplished photographer who's turned his considerable talent to an unusual topic – Fat Babes!
Thursday: How is the 2008 presidential race stacking up in the eyes of the rest of the world? Can we shake the Cowboy image? Is there a post-militant America in our future? John Nichols weighs in.
Friday: Don't miss this show! I was in Denver last weekend at the American Italian Historical Association's conference where I met Annie Rachele Lanzillotto – I call her Lancelot. Annie is a brilliant, incredibly funny performance artist who does side-splitting monologues about growing up Italian-American in the Bronx. The focus, of course, is on food: Join us for "The Abandoned Lasagne," "Never Leave Home Without a Frittata," and "How to Cook a Heart."
Gotta go.
Jean
Monday: Suduko: It's a cross-number puzzle from Japan that's conquered the world. Never heard of it? Neither had I. But not to worry -- Will Shortz will set us straight.
Tuesday: Cuba Confidential
Wednesday: Leonard Nimoy, a.k.a. Mr. Spock from Star Trek, is actually an accomplished photographer who's turned his considerable talent to an unusual topic – Fat Babes!
Thursday: How is the 2008 presidential race stacking up in the eyes of the rest of the world? Can we shake the Cowboy image? Is there a post-militant America in our future? John Nichols weighs in.
Friday: Don't miss this show! I was in Denver last weekend at the American Italian Historical Association's conference where I met Annie Rachele Lanzillotto – I call her Lancelot. Annie is a brilliant, incredibly funny performance artist who does side-splitting monologues about growing up Italian-American in the Bronx. The focus, of course, is on food: Join us for "The Abandoned Lasagne," "Never Leave Home Without a Frittata," and "How to Cook a Heart."
Gotta go.
Jean
Friday, November 02, 2007
Hello Friend,
Here’s what’s in store for Here on Earth listening the first week in November:
Monday: one of the most powerful activist voices of the 20th century: Francis Moore Lappe gives us a sneak preview of her Monday night presentation at the Barrymore Theater in Madison when she’ll be talking about her visionary new blueprint for how to revitalize our democracy: Getting a Grip.
Tuesday: Is a solar house in your future? We talk with the leaders of two of America's most innovative solar housing programs, and with an engineer from Montreal, all of whom took part in the Solar Decathlon, a worldwide contest to find the best new solar housing designs. Guests: (1)Stephen Lee, Carnegie Mellon University; (2)Pliny Fisk, Texas A & M University; (3)Nicolas Fiolin, Bell Canada
Wednesday: We read about an 84 year old anthropologist in Egypt who’s been making great strides in ending the practice of FGM: female genital mutilation, which is so widespread it’s almost universal among Egyptian women. Our redoubtable Chinese producer, Lisa Bu, persisted until she made contact and talked her into doing a show with us.
Thursday: A new look at an ancient practice: Green Funerals. The green funeral movement started in Europe, and now it's taking root in the U.S. Since January, six "green burial grounds," natural areas reserved for burials in simple coffins, without embalming, have opened in the U.S., as more and more people opt for a more natural, and less expensive, burial ritual. Guests: (1) Joe Sehee, director, Green Burial Council; (2) Mark Harris, Author, "Grave Matters: A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry"
Food Friday: When The Cheese Stands Alone: find out how to navigate a European-style cheese counter with confidence and learn about fascinating new "live" cheeses and exciting artisanal offerings. Guests: (1) Laura Werlin, author of "Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials" (2) TBA from Fromagination (www.fromagination.com)
I’ll be spending this weekend in Denver as a participant in the American Italian Historical Association’s meeting, reading from I Hear Voices.
Thanks for listening!
Jean
Here’s what’s in store for Here on Earth listening the first week in November:
Monday: one of the most powerful activist voices of the 20th century: Francis Moore Lappe gives us a sneak preview of her Monday night presentation at the Barrymore Theater in Madison when she’ll be talking about her visionary new blueprint for how to revitalize our democracy: Getting a Grip.
Tuesday: Is a solar house in your future? We talk with the leaders of two of America's most innovative solar housing programs, and with an engineer from Montreal, all of whom took part in the Solar Decathlon, a worldwide contest to find the best new solar housing designs. Guests: (1)Stephen Lee, Carnegie Mellon University; (2)Pliny Fisk, Texas A & M University; (3)Nicolas Fiolin, Bell Canada
Wednesday: We read about an 84 year old anthropologist in Egypt who’s been making great strides in ending the practice of FGM: female genital mutilation, which is so widespread it’s almost universal among Egyptian women. Our redoubtable Chinese producer, Lisa Bu, persisted until she made contact and talked her into doing a show with us.
Thursday: A new look at an ancient practice: Green Funerals. The green funeral movement started in Europe, and now it's taking root in the U.S. Since January, six "green burial grounds," natural areas reserved for burials in simple coffins, without embalming, have opened in the U.S., as more and more people opt for a more natural, and less expensive, burial ritual. Guests: (1) Joe Sehee, director, Green Burial Council; (2) Mark Harris, Author, "Grave Matters: A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry"
Food Friday: When The Cheese Stands Alone: find out how to navigate a European-style cheese counter with confidence and learn about fascinating new "live" cheeses and exciting artisanal offerings. Guests: (1) Laura Werlin, author of "Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials" (2) TBA from Fromagination (www.fromagination.com)
I’ll be spending this weekend in Denver as a participant in the American Italian Historical Association’s meeting, reading from I Hear Voices.
Thanks for listening!
Jean
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