Radio Curious

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Lori Berenson is a 35-year-old woman from New York who has been in prison in Peru since 1996 for allegedly conspiring with Peruvian revolutionaries, known as MRTA, (Movimiento Revoluncionario Tupac Amaru). Lori Berenson was twice convicted in Peru, first by judges who shrouded themselves in hoods, and then again in a slightly more open proceeding. Her second trial still lacked adequate due process rights, as unanimously determined by the Costa Rica based Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. However, in a subsequent decision on appeal, handed down in December 2004, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, also based in Costa Rica, affirmed Lori’s 20-year prison sentence. In this program, Kristen Gardner, a friend and supporter of Lori Berenson since they first met at students in Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1983, discusses Lori, the person she is, and her case.

Kristen Gardiner recommends “Hope in the Dark,” by Rebecca Solnit.

Originally Broadcast: January 25, 2005

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The Last Pope

“The Last Pope,” by David Osborn, takes us inside the world of the Vatican and the American branch of the Catholic Church. Fictional relationships between the conservative and reform branches of the Catholic Church are revealed in a novel that combines character from both groups.

David Osborn recommends “Naked,” by David Sedaris, “Blindness,” by Jose Saramago, “Bel Canto,” by Ann Patchett & “Remembrance of Things Past,” by Marcel Proust.

Originally Broadcast: June 8, 2004

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This edition’s guest was Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA). We spoke about the access that the Democrats as the minority party have to the microphone in Congress. We also discussed the 9/11 Commission and its investigation, the Patriot Act, the then upcoming Democratic and Republican National conventions, and the election of 2004.

Rep. Sam Farr (D) recommends “Two Americas,” by Stanley Greenberg.

Originally Broadcast: April 13, 2004

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The Vagina Monologues

The Vagina Monologues, created and produced by Eve Ensler, tell the stories of women, their relationships, feelings, and, in some cases, abuse. In this edition of Radio Curious, we spoke with Eve Ensler about the origin of the the Vagina Monologues and the film, “Until the Violence Ends.”

Eve Ensler recommends “Bush in Babylon,” by Tariq Ali.

Originally Broadcast: January 27, 2004

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Our guest in this program is Congressman Mike Thompson, who represents Mendocino County in the House of Representatives. He expressed his frustration with the way the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives controls the House, in the first fully Republican government in the US since 1953.

Rep. Mike Thompson recommends “Fire,” by Sebastian Junger.

Originally Broadcast: November 18, 2003

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This episode was first broadcasted on November 25, 2003

The Lies of George W. Bush, Mastering the Politics of Deception
According to David Corn, the author of “The Lies of George W. Bush, Mastering the Politics of Deception,” all American Presidents have lied, but George W. Bush has relentlessly abused the truth. Corn, the Washington editor of The Nation, offers a scathing indictment of Bush, as he reveals and examines the deceptions at the heart of the Bush presidency.

David Corn recommends “Roscoe,” by William Kennedy & “All the King’s Men,” by Robert Penn Warren.

Originally Broadcast: November 25, 2003

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This episode was first broadcasted on October 7, 2003

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Plan B: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble
Our earth is in big trouble. The environment and our economy are in crisis. Essentially, we have created a bubble economy in which we are over-consuming the earth’s natural resources. In this program, we will visit with Lester R. Brown, the author of “Plan B: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble.” Lester Brown is the president of the Earth Policy Institute, a nonprofit interdisciplinary research organization based in Washington DC.

Originally Broadcast: October 7, 2003

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Originally Broadcast: February 13, 2012

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The exodus of approximately six million black people from the American South between 1915 and 1970 had a significant role in setting the stage of the civil rights movement of the early 1960s. Many of the children of those who left the south participated in desegregation efforts which included the Freedom Rides and lunch counter sit-ins. The Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965 which attempted to resolve employment discrimination and define voting rights, only changed the law. Many young blacks however did not see changes in their everyday life.

The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was born out of this disillusionment. Although infiltrated and feared by the F.B.I., the Black Panther Party pioneered social and community programs, including free medical clinics, free meals, and educational programs.

Our guest in this edition of Radio Curious is Columbia University Sociology and Gender Studies Professor Alondra Nelson, author of “Body and Soul: The Black Panther Party and the Fight Against Medical Discrimination.”

We visited by phone from her Office in New York City, on February 13, 2012 and began our conversation when I asked her to describe the Black Panther Party.

The book she recommends is “Crave Radiance: New and Selected Poems,” by Elizabeth Alexander.

Professor Nelson’s website is http://www.alondranelson.com.

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This interview’s guest was my old law school friend, Congressman Sam Farr, who represents Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. In this interview, we discussed the USA Patriot Act, the Freedom to Read Act of 2003, and the influence that the Democrats, the minority party, have in both houses of Congress.

Originally Broadcast: June 10, 2003

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