Cottrell, Robin: The Work of Death Midwives

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Death is of the subject of this program. We all will experience it, hopefully without pain and with loved ones and friends near.

In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Robin Cottrell and Margy Henderson, of Ukiah, California, who describe their work as death midwives. This is part of their efforts with the Death Cafe, (www.deathcafe.com) an international group whose aim is to increase awareness of death and to help people make the most of their (finite) lives.

As death midwives, Robin and Margy of sing quiet A Capella to people in the end stages of life. When these two women visited the studios of Radio Curious on June 26, 2016, we began with a song.

The books Margy Henderson recommends are The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have, by Mark Napo, and The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery. The book Robin Cottrell recommends is West With the Night, by Beryl Markham.

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Farr, Sam: Rep. Sam Farr (D) at the Democratic Sit-In in Congress

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Welcome to this special edition of Radio Curious with Congressman Sam Farr. We spoke with Congressman while he and approximately 150 other Democratic members of Congress were participating in an unprecedented sit-in on the floor of the House of Representatives. The issue is gun control. These members of Congress are demanding that the Republican leadership of the House allow the a vote on gun control.

We visited by phone with Congressman Farr at midnight on June 23, 2016, from the floor of the House of Representatives. The Republican leadership of the House had turned off all the microphones as well as the live television from C-Span. The background noise you hear is from the activity and speeches going on while we visited. We asked Congressman Farr to describe the scene, the issue and what may occur as a result of this novel political action.

 

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Maestripier, Dario: The Primate Within Us

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We humans are a lot like the other primates on earth, but because we don’t associate with them, we often assume that our interpersonal behavior–how we make friends, work together, interact with strangers, relate to our spouse–is the product of our unique personalities and environment.

In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Dario Maestripieri, author of “Games Primate Play: An Undercover Investigation of the Evolution and Economics of Human Relationships.” He’s a professor Comparative Human Development, Evolutionary Biology, Neurobiology and Psychiatry, and Behavior Neuroscience at the University of Chicago.

Professor Maestripieri and I visited by phone from his office in Chicago, Illinois on April 16, 2012 and began with his description of the close relationship humans have with other primates.

The book Professor Dario Maestripieri recommends is “Auto-da-Fe,” by Elias Canetti.

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Clancy, Dr. Susan: Sexual Abuse of Children and the Catholic Church

This conversation discusses the myth of when and how trauma from child sexual abuse occurs. Our guest, Susan A. Clancy, Ph.D., and author of “The Trauma Myth:  The Truth About the Sexual Abuse of Children – and Its Aftermath” discusses how childhood sexual abuse abuse is perceived by the victim; the effects of denial, minimization and blame; and how this issue within the Catholic Church is not being resolved.

Dr. Susan A. Clancy is the Research Director of the Center for Women’s Advancement, Development and Leadership at the Central American Institute for Business Administration in Nicaragua.  This interview with Susan A. Clancy was recorded on April 12, 2010, from her home in Managua, Nicaragua.

The books Dr. Susan A. Clancy recommends are “Happiness: A History” by Darrin M. McMahon and “In The Woods,” by Tana French.

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Ley, David: The Myth of Sex Addiction Part Two

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Most people are familiar with sex. Some like it. Some like it a lot and seek to engage in sex more than others. Some people are inclined to think that the desire for “too much sex,” however much that may be, is due to a mental disorder.

In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with David J. Ley, Ph.D. the author of “The Myth of Sex Addiction.”

In this first of two conversations with Dr. Ley, the argument that “sex addiction” is a fraudulent concept is presented. In part two we discuss the evolutionary development of human sexuality and the many cultural approaches to sexual expression.

We spoke by phone from his office in Albuquerque, New Mexico on August 6, 2012, and began part two when I asked him to discuss human evolutionary development and sexual behavior.

The books Dr. David Ley recommend are “Nymphomania: A History,” by Carol Groneman, and “Is There Anything Good About Men?: How Cultures Flourish By Exploiting Men.”

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