Radio Curious

Why is it that Thanksgiving is celebrated almost exclusively in the United States and Canada. How has it been celebrated and how is it celebrated now? Professor Hugo Freund teaches Social and Behavioral Sciences at Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky and visits with us about the roots of Thanksgiving beginning in the 1600s, in what is now the north-eastern United States, through to it’s role as a gathering of friends and family without sectarian religious direction. The program was recorded in 2002 at the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association in New Orleans, Louisiana in the lobby of a rather noisy hotel. It was first broadcast in 2009 after most of the hotel’s background rumble could be electronically hushed. We began our conversation by discussing how the contemporary concept of Thanksgiving is acknowledged.

The book Hugo Freund recommends is “The Popes Against The Jews: The Vatican’s Role In The Rise Of Modern Anti-Semitism,” by David I. Kertzer.

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Consider spending time on death row and turning that experience into the drive to get a doctorate? In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Professor Rudolph Alexander Jr. Ph.D., author of “To Ascend Into The Shining World Again”. As a 17 year old student Rudolph Alexander found himself in a threatening situation in which he felt compelled to shoot another man. In his trial he felt he was badly misrepresented by his attorney and was convicted and sentenced to death by the electric chair in the State of Georgia. Following a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1968, Rudolph’s sentence was changed to life imprisonment. He was later granted trusty status, which aided him in securing parole in 1975. Rebounding from his ordeal, Alexander began college, earning four degrees, including a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Minnesota. Presently Alexander is a full Professor at Ohio State University.

We spoke with Rudolph Alexander from his home in Ohio on October 26, 2009 and began by asking him to reflect on the extremes he has experienced in his life.

The book recommended by Rudolph Alexander is “My Grandfather’s Son: A Memoir,” by Justice Clarence Thomas, of the United States Supreme Court.

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How can you reach 100 years leading a healthy and fulfilling life? Lillian Brown Vogel, Ph.D., reached 100 in September 2009 and  published her book “What’s My Secret,” a memoir looking across her life and imparting thoughts and ideas to those of us who would wish to lead a long and active life.

Lillian is the mother of Radio Curious host and producer Barry Vogel.  He remembers from his childhood hearing her get to the heart of most any matter with a few simple questions.  A skill which helped put him onto his own curious path in life. This conversation recorded on October 31,  2009, begins by inquiring what makes Lillian curious.

The book recommended by Lillian Brown Vogel, Ph.D., is “The Blue Tattoo: The Life Of Olive Oatman.”

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