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September 2005
Blood Types
Friday, September 30, 2005
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, and director Bennett Miller discuss their new film, "Capote." Then, E.L. Doctorow tells us about his new novel set during the Civil War: The March. And in our weekly Please Explain feature, we’ll take a look at how alcohol is made, and find out why it affects us the way it does.
Studying Struggle
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Lech Walesa, Nobel Peace Prize winner and former President of Poland, explains the role he played in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe. Then, Ruth Rendell talks about her latest mystery: Thirteen Steps Down. Neil Gaiman tells us about his latest projects: the movie "MirrorMask" and his novel Anansi Boys. And Anthony Shadid looks at how ordinary Iraqis cope with the chaos of war.
Parting the Waters
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
The Gulf Coast is reeling from a devastating hurricane season. And New York is doing its part to help. Today, we'll celebrate bayou culture with a one hour special featuring highlights from the New Yorker's hurricane relief benefit, "Parting the Waves." Then, Myla Goldberg, the author of Bee Season, tells us about her new novel, Wickett’s Remedy. Plus, Robert D. Kaplan looks at whether current military missions qualify the US as a bona fide imperialist power.
Forms and Functions
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Christopher Andrew tells us about his history of the KGB’s secret operations in the Third World during the Cold War. Next, David Bodanis celebrates the 100th anniversary of E=MC2 by explaining what the famous equation means. Then, Mario Livio explores the mathematical concept of symmetry in his latest book: The Equation That Couldn’t Be Solved. Finally, Kurt Vonnegut shares his first book since 1999, A Man Without a Country.
Personal Accounts
Monday, September 26, 2005
Kathy Gannon covered Afghanistan as an AP correspondent from 1986 to 2005. In I is for Infidel, she shares her account of the country’s history of occupation and war. Then, Nuala O'Faolain tells us about her biography of an infamous female con artist: The Story of Chicago May. Louise Erdrich shares her new novel, The Painted Drum. And Hilary Spurling looks at the life of Henri Matisse.
Days to Remember
Friday, September 23, 2005
Garrett Scott and Ian Olds spent the winter of 2004 filming a squad of American soldiers, among them Joseph Wood, in Fallujah. They join us to talk about the resulting documentary: “Occupation: Dreamland.” Then, Zadie Smith tells us about her new novel, On Beauty. Poet Sharon Olds explains why she’s protesting the National Book Festival. And, in today’s Please Explain feature, we’ll find out how memory works.
Life's Work
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Sir Alec Jeffreys is being honored with a Lasker Award for his discovery of DNA fingerprinting in 1984. He’ll tell us how he did it, and how it’s changed the way we think about identification. Then, we’ll talk to Ricky Gervais, the star of the hit BBC comedy "The Office." Finally, on today's Underreported feature, Sarah Chayes calls in live from Kandahar. Sunday's elections in Afghanistan went fairly smoothly, but the country remains very troubled.
The Tests of Time
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Word maven Patricia T. O’Conner helps us appreciate the art of speaking well. Then, Paul Clemens tells us why he’s stayed in Detroit despite the city’s deterioration. Next, MacKenzie Bezos tells us about her first novel, The Testing of Luther Albright. And filmmaker Norman Jewison (the director of “In The Heat of The Night” and “Moonstruck”) looks back on his life in the movies.
Self-Reflection
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Award-winning historian Garry Wills praises the work of Henry Adams, who wrote a mostly forgotten history of America from 1800 to 1816. He’ll tell us why he believes Adams's work may still have something to teach us about our past. Then, photographer Nathan Farb describes how he captures the beauty of the Adirondacks with photography. Essayist David Rakoff considers some of the tiresome annoyances of living the good life. And Alan Alda shares some of the things he’s learned throughout his career.
The Art of Living
Monday, September 19, 2005
We start today's show off with an open phones segment. How you approach abstract art? How does art effect the way you look at the world? Then, we'll continue the discussion with Michael Kimmelman, chief art critic of The New York Times. Next, J.R. Moehringer describes how a neighborhood bar helped him get through several important stages of his life. And Ron Powers takes an in-depth look at the life of Mark Twain.
Schools of Thought
Friday, September 16, 2005
65 million girls worldwide are out of school–24 million in sub-Saharan Africa alone. In most cases, poverty is to blame. Brooke Hutchinson and Lydia Wilbard explain why they believe getting girls into school is the most effective way to raise a country’s economic productivity and help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Next, Philip Gourevitch tells us about his new post as editor of the Paris Review. Then, we explore the mysteries of menopause in this week’s edition of our regular Please Explain feature. And finally, Writer/director Julian Fellowes and actor Tom Wilkinson discuss their new film, “Separate Lies.”
Voicing Struggles
Thursday, September 15, 2005
In last week’s Underreported feature we looked at the political and social struggles going on in Turkmenistan. This week, we’ll keep our focus on Central Asia with an update from Uzbekistan. Then, Salman Rushdie tells us about his ninth novel, Shalimar the Clown. And George McGovern reflects on his 1972 grassroots presidential campaign against incumbent Richard Nixon.
Under Review
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Alvin and Larry Ubell, the self-appointed “Gurus of How-To,” explore the intricacies of home repair. Then, Jill Lepore revisits a mostly forgotten plot to burn down New York City in the 18th century. Next, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jane Smiley tells us about how she reconnected to novels after suffering a bout of writers block in the wake of 9/11. And Barbara Ehrenreich tells us what she learned by going undercover into the world of white-collar job seekers.
Examining Our Makeup
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
The US was once a nation of farmers. Now, food growers make up only 2% of the population. We’ll look at how this trend away from small farms is changing the food we eat. Then, Jonathan Kozol tells us that apartheid in our public schools means that millions of black and Hispanic children attend schools where they represent 95 to 99 percent of the students. Finally, veteran broadcast news reporter Andrea Mitchell looks back at her impressive career in her memoir, Talking Back.
A Class Apart
Monday, September 12, 2005
We’ll start the show off with a look at what the rise of homeschooling means for education in America. Then, Brian Murphy shares his research on the craft and trade of Persian carpets. George Saunders tells us about his new novel, The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil. And Paul Reiser tells us about writing and starring in a new film: “The Thing About My Folks.”
Mapping the Future
Friday, September 09, 2005
As New Orleans struggles to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, some New Yorkers see a parallel to the destruction and tragedy of September 11th. Lawrence Vale from the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT joins us for a look at how cities rebuild after disaster. Next, we’ll talk to stage legend Marian Seldes about her current role in Terrence McNally’s new play. Then, Menachem Daum and Oren Rudavsky tell us about their documentary about religious tolerance after the Holocaust. And in today’s Please Explain feature, we’ll tackle the history and future of maps. We’ll find out how they’ve functioned in different societies, and how developments in cartography change the way we see the world.
Cutting Remarks
Thursday, September 08, 2005
In today’s Underreported feature, Filip Noubel from the Institute for War and Peace Reporting gives us an update on the political climate in Turkmenistan. Then, Alex Shuper tells us about his documentary about film editing: “Edge Codes.com.” Aimee Bender shares her new short story collection, Willful Creatures. And Charles Mann reconsiders the history of the Americas before Columbus in 1491.
Planning for the Future
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Nancy Soderberg briefs us on the upcoming UN World Summit, where heads of state are gathering to discuss how the UN can assert its relevance to world diplomacy. Then, Daniel Charles tells us about the rise and fall of Nobel laureate Fritz Haber. Tom Robbins describes a new collection of his short writings: Wild Ducks Flying Backwards. And economist George Ayittey shares his thoughts on how Africa can battle poverty with a new economic model.
Age-Old Questions
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Jon Eisenberg, Michael Schiavo’s lawyer, looks at the political issues that surround the moral debates about the right to die. Next, Jamie Oliver, a.k.a. “The Naked Chef,” describes his campaign to bring healthy food to schools. Librarian Chris Roberts explains the hidden meanings behind nursery rhymes. Finally, S.E. Hinton tells us about the new DVD release of the film adaptation of her classic young adult novel, “The Outsiders.”
Self-Expression
Monday, September 05, 2005
First Amendment activist Floyd Abrams discusses his 30-year battle to protect freedom of expression in America. Then, John Bailey re-examines a strange case from 19th century New Orleans in which the city's German community fought against a rich slave-owner in order to determine the identity of one young slave. We'll hear from Tim Guest about his unusual childhood growing up in various communes. And Bob Dole explains how his experiences in the military shaped the rest of his life.
Loves Lost
Friday, September 02, 2005
Comedian Robert Klein exposes the humorous side of his adolescent adventures in the Bronx in The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue. Next, Edward Dolnick tells us about attempts to track down an extremely valuable stolen painting: Edvard Munch’s The Scream. Then, we'll hear a selection from our Listen to This feature. Esther Cohen tells us about her new novel, Book Doctor. And Gene Wilder makes sense of the highs and lows of his life in his new memoir Kiss Me Like a Stranger.
A Change in Climate?
Thursday, September 01, 2005
The devastation of Hurricane Katrina is sparking debates about the relationships between hurricanes and global warming. We’ll ask a climatologist and an environmental historian about what impact climate change may be having on this year’s hurricane season. Then, Margaret Atwood tells us about a new compilation of her non-fiction works: Writing with Intent. Nest, we’ll talk to Loung Ung about her experiences growing up in America as a Cambodian refugee, while her sister was left behind. And we finish up the show with a selection from our Listen to This feature.
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