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Contemporary American Society Interviews --
Dr. Francis Adams
Are We Still Racists?
Alienable Rights: The Exclusion of African Americans in a White Man's Land, 1619 to 2000
“Alienable Rights: The Exclusion of African Americans in a White Man’s Land, 1619 to 2000” is a book in part written by Francis Adams, an independent scholar living in Los Angeles, California. The book posits that the drive for equal rights for black people in the United States has never had the support of the majority of America. Rather, racial progress has been made in brief historic bursts, lead by the committed militant minorities of abolitionists, radical republicans, and civil rights activists. In this program, we visit with Dr. Francis D. Adams. I asked him to explain the importance of the trial of James Somerset that took place in England in 1772.
Dr. Francis Adams recommends "Collapse," by Jared Diamond.
Originally Broadcast: January 29, 2005
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Changes in Segregation Since 1952
In May 1954, the United States Supreme Court, unanimously declared, ”segregation in public education is a denial of the equal protection of the law.” This is a two-part discussion about the aftermath of that decision. Our guest is Dr. Elizabeth Allen, a Professor of Nursing at the University of Michigan. As a high school student, Dr. Allen was one of the first African-American students to integrate West Virginia high schools in 1957.
Dr. Elizabeth Allen recommends "The Price of Loyalty," by David Suskind with former US Secretary of Treasury Paul O'Neil.
Originally Broadcast: May 4, 2004 & May 18, 2004
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Tom Allman
The Sheriff and Marijuana
Marijuana, some say, is on the lips of many people here in Mendocino County, California, and likely many other places throughout the world, to some with pleasure and to others with distaste. Nonetheless it doesn’t seem that marijuana will go away. Not withstanding federal laws prohibiting use and possession of marijuana, the people of the state of California adopted the Compassionate Use Act in 1996 and in November 2000, the voters of Mendocino County approved a resolution by a vote of 58% to 42% to decriminalize the personal use of marijuana. In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Tom Allman the Sheriff of Mendocino County to discuss the enforcement of the many conflicting marijuana laws. Estimates of the value of the crop produced in Mendocino County vary from five to ten billion dollars. We began when I asked the Sheriff to comment on this estimate.
Tom Allman recommends "The Hunt For Red Octobor," by Tom Clancy.
Originally Broadcast: June 19, 2007
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Dr. Richard Alston
The Economics of Party Politics
After the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention in 1992, Richard M. Alston, who was then chairman of the Economics Department at Webber State University in Ogden, Utah, sent a political survey to the delegates to that convention. This survey concerned the perceptions of convention delegates regarding economic issues in the United States. As a delegate to the Democratic National Convention I was sent one his surveys, and decided to ask Professor Alston for an interview. In our interview we discussed the survey and what information he hoped to ascertain with it as well as the role of economists in academic institutions in America. This program was originally broadcast in November of 1992, when Radio Curious was called Government, Politics and Ideas.
Originally Broadcast: November 30, 1992
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Bettina Aptheker
The Personal is the Political
Tapestries of Life: Women's Work, Women's Consciousness, and the Meaning of Daily Experience
Political intimacy is closely related to personal intimacy, just as social change is related to personal change. In 1997 Bettina Aptheker, the author of Tapestries of Life: Women’s Work, Women’s Consciousness, and the Meaning of Daily Experience, was a professor of women’s studies at the University of California at Santa Cruz, and a person who is clear and open about identifying herself as a lesbian. When we spoke in February of 1997, we explored the relationship of personal intimacy and political intimacy.
Bettina Aptheker recommends "Ceremony," by Leslie Marmon Philco.
Originally Broadcast: February 17, 1997
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John Arquilla
Networks and Netwars
The war that the United States has invoked in what is often called the "War On Terror" is unusual in many ways. One of those ways is that this war is being fought against a network that is spread out in many unsuspecting and obscure places. It is not being fought as many wars have been in the past, directly against another county. Dr. John Arquilla, is a professor of defense analysis and co-director of the justify on Terrorism at the Naval Post-Graduate School in Monterey, California. In this program we talk with Professor Arquilla about the fighting tactics employed by networks as opposed to countries, the threats they pose, and some of the war tactics used against these networks.
John Arquilla recommends "Kim," by Rudyard Kipling.
Originally Broadcast: June 21, 2005
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Anthony Arthur
Changing America: Upton Sinclair Style
Radical Innocent: Upton Sinclair
Since I was young I have been intrigued by the work of Upton Sinclair. I remember, as a boy hearing about Sinclair’s books and efforts to change the world. A close friend of my family was the writer for Sinclair’s campaign newspaper when he ran for governor of California in 1934 and, although that was long before I was born, the stories rolled during his later visits. Sinclair is perhaps best know for “The Jungle,” published in 1906 which openly revealed the inhumane conditions of the Chicago stockyards and how the meatpacking industry operated, resulting in the passage of the pure food and drug laws within months after publication of “The Jungle.” "Radical Innocent: Upton Sinclair,” is a biography written by retired professor Anthony Arthur, released in June 2006, 100 years after the publication “The Jungle,” and tells the story of Upton Sinclair’s life and work. Arthur weaves the strands of Sinclair’s contentious public career and his often-troubled private life, which Sinclair at times willingly revealed, into a compelling personal narrative. Anthony Arthur rates integrity as Sinclair’s greatest strength, and claims his eloquence in writing and speech along with his reputation for selflessness as the basis of a ground swell of support for Sinclair and his ideas. When I spoke with Anthony Arthur at the end of August 2006 from his home near Los Angeles, California, Professor Arthur began by describing what attracted him to study and write about Upton Sinclair.
Anthony Arthur recommends “Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph,” by T.E. Lawrence.
Originally Broadcast: September 6, 2006
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Christina Baldwin
Creating Community through Stories
Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives though the Power and Practice of Story
Story, the heart of language. Story moves us to love and hate and can motivate us to change the whole course of our life. Story can lift us beyond the borders of our individuality to imagine realities of other people, times and places, to empathize with other beings, and to extend our supposing far into the universe. Storytelling, both oral and written is the foundation of being human. In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Christina Baldwin, author of "Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives though the Power and Practice of Story." This is being done in Ukiah, California, with the idea of capturing "what is the story of Ukiah," as a part of "what is the story of Mendocino County, California," to be used in the development of the Ukiah Area Plan that is now under consideration by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors.
Christina Baldwin recommends "Turning To One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Our Hope for the Future," by Margaret J. Wheatley.
Originally Broadcast: April 17, 2006
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Benjamin Barber
Don't Buy It!
Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole
When we purchase and consume what we believe is necessary for our individual lives, do we obtain what we need or do we end up with what the forces of 21st century capitalism tell us we need? In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Benjamin Barber, author of “Consumed, How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole.” The concepts of dumbing down the consumer and the development of brand devotion in the early years of a person’s life are, among many other considerations, explored in this book. I spoke with Benjamin Barber from his home in New York City in early April 2007 and began our conversation by asking him to discuss how consumers are infantilized and targeted in way that there will never be enough shoppers.
Benjamin Barber recommends “The March,” by E.L. Doctorow..
Originally Broadcast: April 11, 2007
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Conversation with an Earth First! Leader
Until the mid-1990s, the Redwood Industry dominated much of North Coast economy. In the mid-1990s, due to a number of circumstances particularly involving Pacific Lumber Company and Charles Hurwitz, industry advocates collided with environmentalists in a final hurrah. Few figures among the environmentalists carry as much name-recognition and power as did Judi Bari. In this program, recorded in March of 1995 at the height of the conflict, Judi Bari and I discussed the position of Earth First!
Judi Bari recommends "J. Edgar Hoover," by Kurt Gentry.
Originally Broadcast: March 27, 1995
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Judi Bari
Conversation with Judi Bari
Judi Bari, our guest in this archive edition of Radio Curious, was one of the leading environmental activists on the North Coast in the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, notwithstanding that she was a victim of a car bombing in 1990 and severely injured. Presumably, the bomb was intended to stop her activities as a leader and organizer for Earth First!. The bomb that injured her exploded in May 1990 while she was driving in Oakland, California, took a tremendous toll on her physically and resulted in a lawsuit she brought against the FBI and the Oakland, California Police Department. In the weeks before this interview which was originally broadcast in November 1993, when Radio Curious was called Government, Politics and Ideas, Judi Bari obtained approximately 5,000 pages of FBI documents which she gathered as part of her lawsuit. We spoke about this information and about Judi’s background.
Judi Bari recommends “A Taste of Power: A Black Women’s Story,” by Elaine Brown.
Originally Broadcast: November 29, 1993
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Annie Barnes
Racism in America
Everyday Racism: A Book For All Americans
Racism has too long been a part of the American experience. The Civil War and the Constitutional amendments that followed, the Supreme Court decisions ordering the desegregation of schools, and the Civil Rights movements did not end racism in America. Annie S. Barnes, holds a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from the University of Virginia and is a retired Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Norfolk State University in Virginia. She is the author of “Everyday Racism, A Book for All Americans,” a book based on the racist experiences suffered by 146 black college students. Professor Barnes describes effects of racism on black people and what black people and white people can do to combat it.
Annie Barnes recommends "Driving While Black," by Kenneth Meeks.
Originally Broadcast: February 27, 2001
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Mary Catherine Bateson
Do We Really Know the People Around Us?
Full Circles, Overlapping Lives (Culture and Generation in Transition)
Do we really know the people around us? Our children? Our family? Our friends? Or are we strangers in our own community? Mary Catherine Bateson, the author of a book entitled, “Full Circles: Overlapping Lives, Culture and Generation in Transistion,” believes that we are strangers. She describes us as immigrants in time, rather than space.In this interview from the archives of Radio Curious, recorded in April 2000, we visit with Mary Catherine Bateson, the daughter of two distinguished anthropologists, Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson.
Mary Catherine Bateson recommends "Ithaca."
Originally Broadcast: April 17, 2000
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Robert Benton
The Human Stain
Director of The Human Stain
Robert Benton is the director of “The Human Stain,” which is based on the third novel of Philip Roth’s trilogy describing the turmoil of post-WWII America. It exposes the life of Coleman Silk, a Professor of Classics at a small New England College, an eminent Jewish intellectual and a devoted husband. Roth describes Silk as “ensnared by a history he hadn’t quite counted on.”
Originally Broadcast: November 1, 2003
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The Rights of Our Children
America's Future: Transition into the 21st Century
William Boyer, a Professor Emeritus and the former Chairman of the Department of Educational Foundations at the University of Hawaii, is the author of a book called “America’s Future: Transition into the 21st Century.” In this program, we discussed the rights of future generations, how to protect those rights, what they are, and what right we have to determine the rights of future generations. This program was originally broadcast in March of 1993, when Radio Curious was called Government, Politics and Ideas.
Originally Broadcast: March 30, 1993
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Jennifer Finney Boylan
A Man Becomes a Woman
She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders
“She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders,” by Jennifer Finney Boylan, is a book about a man who became a woman. For as long as he could remember, James Boylan felt he was in the wrong body. Spending his childhood playing ‘Girl Planet’ (where the air turned anyone who breathed into a girl) and in adolescent and young adult years dressing up in women’s clothing, James was convinced that the only thing that could save him was the love of the right woman. When he fell in love and got married, he threw out the women’s clothes and pledged his life to manhood. But being a loving husband, a responsible father, a respected professor, and an acclaimed writer couldn’t stop the feeling that he was, despite physical evidence to the contrary, a woman. With the unfailing support of his family, friends and several doctors, James became Jenny.
Jennifer Finney Boylan recommends "Huckleberry Finn," by Mark Twain.
Originally Broadcast: September 30, 2003
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Richard Brodie
How Ideas Travel
The Virus of the Mind
The developing field of science called the science of memetics is based on evolution, studies memes: how they interact, replicate, and evolve. The biological definition of a meme is a basic unit of cultural transmission. The psychological definition of a meme is a unit of cultural heredity analogous to the gene, the internal representation of knowledge. A working definition of a meme is a unit of information in a mind whose existence influences events such that more copies of itself get created in other minds. “The Virus of the Mind” is a book devoted to the study of memetics and memes and was written by Richard Brodie, who also was a writer of the first version of Microsoft Word. He was our guest for this edition of Radio Curious that was originally broadcast in July of 1996. We began when I asked him what is the importance of studying memetics.
Richard Brodie recommends “The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition into the Forces of History” by Howard Bloom.
Originally Broadcast: July 31, 1996
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Joseph Brodsky
A Book of Poems Next to Every Bible
A Part of Speech, Less Than One, To Urania, Marbles, & Watermark
Joseph Brodsky, a winner of the Noble Prize, was the United States National Poet Laureate in 1991. Born in what was then Leningrad, Soviet Union, he grew up in a communal apartment, and was very active in language and literary pursuits. In 1963, a Leningrad newspaper denounced Brodsky, calling his poetry pornographic and anti-Soviet. He was interrogated and twice put in mental institutions. His papers were seized. He was arrested and indicted on the charge of parasitism. In a secret trial, he was called a “pseudo-poet in velveteen trousers,” who failed to fulfill his “constitutional duty to work honestly for the good of the motherland.” Yet no fault was found in the content of his poetry. One of the more interesting comments Joseph Brodsky made as a guest was that there should be a book of poetry in every hotel room, right next to the Bible. He said that he didn’t think that the telephone book would mind. Joseph Brodsky died on January 28th of 1996, a world-class poet.
Originally Broadcast: November 18, 1991
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Sylvia Brownrigg
Absent Tangible Memory
Metaphysical Touch
When someone dies, we have that person’s papers and things to look at and use to understand and create memories about the life that has left us. Sometimes, however, the person stays and the papers and tokens are lost, as in a fire. Then we have only memories without material objects to help enhance them. This juxtaposition is one of the themes in a novel entitled the “Metaphysical Touch,” by Syvia Brownrigg, an American author with roots in Mendocino County, a long experience in London, and currently living near San Francisco.
Sylvia Brownrigg recommends "Out of Sheer Rage," by Jeff Dyer.
Originally Broadcast: January 12, 2000
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An Intimate History of American Girls
The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls
Advertising has had a major effect on how we view our bodies and on our individual self-image. The history of how this advertising has come to affect American girls as they pass through menarche and adolescence is presented in a book called “The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls.” This book describes the historical roots of acute societal and psychological pressures that girls feel today. It shows how the female adolescent experience has changed since 1895. The author, Joan Jacobs Brumberg, is a Professor of History and Women’s Studies at Cornell University in New York. In this two-part program, I spoke Professor Brumberg in October of 1997 and asked her what drew her to write “The Body Project.”
Joan Jacobs Brumberg recommends “Learning to Bow,” by Bruce Feiler & “The Grass Link,” by May Vinchi.
Originally Broadcast: October 14, 1997 & October 21, 1997
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Peggy Bulger
The Story Corps
The American Folklife Preservation Act of 1976 directed the Library of Congress to gather stories and art of everyday people to reflect the identity of America, which is recognized as the core of family and community life. The thought is that by linking us to the past we are better able to develop our understanding of the present. The Story Corps is a current project of the American Folklife justify of the Library of Congress. Two air stream trailers, retrofitted with state of the art recording equipment, will visit towns and cities throughout the United States for about a year beginning in June 2005, to collect recordings of every day people interviewing each other about their lives. Anyone will be welcome to visit the Story Corps trailer that may be near where you live, by signing up on line at www.storycorps.net. Each participant receives a copy of the interview, and may donate a copy to the Library of Congress. This interview with Dr. Peggy Bulger, the Director of the American Folklife justify at the Library of Congress was recorded in her office at the Library of Congress on May 20, 2005. She began by reviewing the history of the American Folklife justify and the purpose of Story Corps project. You can locate the Story Corps on the internet at www.storycorps.net, and the Library of Congress at www.loc.gov.
www.storycorps.net and www.loc.gov
Peggy Bulger recommends "Ireland, A Novel" by Frank Delaney.
Originally Broadcast: May 31, 2005
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President Jimmy Carter
Life After the Presidency
The Virtues of Aging
Considering the alternatives, growing older is really not all that bad. The frame of mind that we develop and carry with us as we age controls much of how we feel and behave. James Earl Carter Jr., more often known as Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the US, is the author of a book called, “The Virtues of Aging.” President Carter’s book covers issues from Social Security and medical expenses to the importance of staying active and involved. I spoke with President Jimmy Carter by phone, in the fall of 1998, and I asked him what prompted him to write the book.
President Jimmy Carter recommends "The Age Wave: How the Most Important Trend of Our Time Can Change Your Future," by Ken Dychtwald.
Originally Broadcast: December 4, 1998
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Who is Ted Kaczynski?
Harvard and the Unabomber: The Education of an American Terrorist
"Harvard and the Unabomber: The Education of an American Terrorist” is a book by Alston Chase, former Chair of the Philosophy Department at Macalester University in Minnesota. After studying the life and experiences of Theodore Kaczynski, who came to be known as the Unabomber, Chase characterizes him as product of the post World War II angst. Our discussion on Kaczynski continued through two parts.
Alston Chase recommends "Pity of War," by Nile Furgeson.
Originally Broadcast: July 1, 2003 & July 8, 2003
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Laura Cheek
At Home in Glacier Bay
Some of the most studied glaciers in the world are found in Glacier Bay National Park located in southeastern Alaska. These expansive ice sheets cover approximately ten percent of the earth’s surface and hold eighty percent of the world’s fresh water, ninety-nine percent of which can be found in Greenland and Antarctica. Due to gravity’s pull, glaciers shape and scour the landscape moving land and vegetation great distances as they slowly slide downward toward the sea. This glacial movement has created rich farmland, vast deposits of gravel and sand, and concentrated valuable metals, depending on where they glaciers have traveled. Glaciers also create deep valleys and fjords, like the kind seen in Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. Laura Cheek was a national park ranger at Glacier Bay National Park in 1996 when this program was recorded. As part of her job, she boarded tour ships in Glacier Bay to discuss glaciers, what they’re like and how they’re formed.
Laura Cheek recommends "The Island Within," by Richard Nelson.
Originally Broadcast: August 14, 1996
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Dr. Gene D. Cohen
Do We Get Smarter As We Age
The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain
Do people over a certain age necessarily loose mental acuity? According to Dr. Gene Cohen, the answer is “no.” Dr. Cohen, a psychiatrist and gerontologist has determined that certain genes are activated by experience as we age, allowing our personalities to grow and change. The brain has reserves of strength and agility that compensate for the effects of aging on its other parts. Dr. Cohen has found that the information processing justify in the 60 to 80 year old brain achieves it's greatest density and reach. He explains these and other developing concepts in brain research in his book “The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain.” I spoke with Dr. Cohen in March 2006 from his office in the justify on Aging, Health & Humanities, in Washington D.C., where he is the director. We began our conversation with his description of the importance of the role of creativity.
Gene Cohen recommends "Tuesdays with Morrie: A Young Man, An Old Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson," by Mitch Albom.
Originally Broadcast: April 18, 2006
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Teaching Tolerance
Filtering People
Prejudices exist in almost every human context, but how do we overcome them and act without stereotypes? This program’s guest is Dr. Jim Cole, who lives in Ellingsburg, Washington and is a psychologist. We discussed diversity training – the process of becoming more aware of the prejudices we have. This program was originally broadcast in November of 1993, when Radio Curious was called Government, Politics and Ideas.
Dr. Jim Cole recommends books by Jane Lovelock.
Originally Broadcast: November 23, 1993
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Ted Conover
A Prison Guard's Story
New Jack: Guarding Sing-Sing
Have you ever wondered what it is like to work inside a prison? Well, Ted Conover, a non-fiction writer did, so he went to the New York Department of Corrections to ask if he could shadow a recruit at the New York State Corrections Academy. His request was quickly turned down. So, he decided to apply for a job as a prison officer, was accepted and attended the New York State Corrections Academy. As a result of his training, and working at Sing Sing prison in New York, he wrote “Newjack: Guarding at Sing Sing,” a book describing his experiences. This two-part program with Ted Conover was recorded in late June and early July 2001.
Ted Conover recommends “Crime and Punishment,” by by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and “Seek: Reports from the Edges of America & Beyond,” by Dennis Johnson.
Originally Broadcast: June 26, 2001 July 3, 2001
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David Corn
Does President Bush Lie?
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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Paul Coverdale
Peace Corps Priorities, 1991
This program’s guest is Paul Coverdale, at the time the Director of the Peace Corps, appointed by the first President Bush. He later became a Senator from Georgia. Our discussion concerned the nature of the Peace Corps and Coverdale’s role as the agency’s director.
Originally Broadcast: August 19, 1991
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Susan Crane
Blood on a Nuclear Submarine
Civil disobedience often precedes most social or political change. The American political tradition has deep roots in civil disobedience. The Boston Tea Party, the Underground Railroad of the Civil War period, the Suffrage Movement, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and the Vietnam War protests are well known examples. Symbolic destruction of the tools of war is an act of civil disobedience currently carried out by religious and faith based war protesters. Susan Crane, once a Peace Corps volunteer and a former Ukiah teacher, hammered on a nuclear submarine in Maine and then poured blood on it. As a result, she was sentenced to two years in federal prison. I met with her in the studios of Radio Curious at the end of February 1999, the day after she was released from prison.
Susan Crane recommends The Bible.
Originally Broadcast: March 9, 1999
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Catherine Crier
Are Lawyers Really That Bad?
The Case Against Lawyers
The control and influence lawyers have in American society has grown enormously in the past 75 years. The influence was foreseen in the 1830s by Alexis de Tocqueville and described in his book, “Democracy in America.” Catherine Crier discusses and critiques this influence in her book, “The Case Against Lawyers.” Crier, herself a former lawyer, district attorney, and judge is now a commentator on Court TV,
Catherine Crier recommends "Pigs at the Trough," by Arianna Huffington & "The Rule of Lawyers," by Walter Olson.
Originally Broadcast: March 18, 2003
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Dewey Crockett
Living Language Fossil
Tangier Island is a remote community in North America in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Located twelve miles across the water from Crissfield, Maryland, the closest larger community, Tangier Island for a long time was isolated and insular. Some have called it a language fossil because many people speak with an accent close to that of Elizabethan England. Dewey Crockett was born and grew up on the island. In 1995, when this program was recorded, he was a social studies teacher, a Methodist minister, the Mayor, and the undertaker for Tangier Island. I spoke with Dewey Crockett about Tangier Island, its history, and some of the issues of the time.
Dewey Crockett recommends "The Parson of the Island," by Adam Wallace.
Originally Broadcast: August 7, 1995
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Don Davis
A Story Teller at Work
Don Davis, a story-teller from Okracoke, North Carolina and joins us in this archive edition first broadcast in July 1993, when Radio Curious was called Government, Politics and Ideas. In our conversation, we discuss the role of story-telling in our modern technological society, the art and dance of story-telling in person and on tape, and story-telling workshops.
Originally Broadcast: July 19, 1993
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Kenneth C. Davis
Independence, Where Does It Come From?
Don't Know Much About History, Everything you Need to Know About American History But Never Learned
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security." These words may sound radical today, but in fact come from the Declaration of Independence drafted in 1776. In this edition of Radio Curious, broadcast during Independence Week of 2005 we talk with Kenneth C. Davis, author of "Don't Know Much about History," and review some of the issues of 1776 from our perspective now. This interview was recorded on July 2, 2005 with Kenneth C. Davis from his home in southern Vermont. He began by commenting on the role religion played the declaration of the Independence.
Kenneth C. Davis recommends “Diane Arbus, A Biography” by Patricia Bosworth.
Originally Broadcast: July 5, 2005
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Is it Safe to Say … ?
Blue Streak: Swearing, Free Speech and Sexual Harassment
Certain words, said at the wrong time or place, may get a person into a heap of trouble. The laws surrounding freedom of speech do not permit us, for example, to shout out “fire” in a theater or advocate the immediate and violent overthrow of the government. There are also limits on the time and place where a person can use swear words or language with sexual innuendos or suggestions. Richard Dooling, an attorney and writer living in Nebraska, joined us in June of 1997 to talk about his book, entitled, “Blue Streak: Swearing, Free Speech and Sexual Harassment.”
Richard Dooling recommends "Emotional Brain," by Joseph La Due.
Originally Broadcast: June 4, 1997
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Peace Corps, Peru, 1962-1964
The Mourning of Angles
The life of Lydia Schaefer is a composite fictional story of a 22 year-old woman who served in the Peace Corps in Peru from 1962 to 1964. Patricia Taylor Edmisten, a former Peace Corps Volunteer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, tells Lydia’s story in her book, “The Mourning of Angles,” based in part on her experiences in the Peace Corps in Peru during those years.
Patricia Edmistin recommends "The Accidental Pope," by Raymond Flynn & Robin Moore.
Originally Broadcast: November 15, 2002
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Meet the Author of the Vagina Monologues
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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Dr. Ron Epstein
Genetically Modified Food
Genetically engineered food products are an issue that concerns many. In more recent years, Mendocino County has gone so far as to pass a resolution legally prohibiting their growth in the county. My guest in this program, recorded in the late summer of 1995, is Ron Epstein, a philosophy professor at both the Buddhist University in Talmage, CA and San Francisco State University. He has given considerable consideration to the problems of genetic engineering of the plants and vegetables that we eat.
Dr. Ron Epstein recommends "Algeny," by Jeremy Rifkin.
Originally Broadcast: September 18, 1995
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Dr. Ron Epstein
Genetically Modified Food, Part Two
Not so long ago in human history, wars were fought with sticks, slings and rocks. Now, with the ability to modify the DNA of disease causing organisms, war is very different. Evidence is appearing that genetically engineered war has, in fact, been used in our world. With this program, Radio Curious will begin a series of discussions on environmental and social effects of genetically engineered war. This program’s guest is Dr. Ron Epstein, a research professor at the Institute of World Religions in Berkeley, California, and a lecturer in the Philosophy Department at San Francisco State University in San Francisco, California. We discussed the scientific and ethical dangers of genetic engineering.
Dr. Ron Epstein recommends "The Cobra Event," by Richard Preston & "Biotech Century," by Jeremy Rifkin.
Originally Broadcast: September 4, 1998
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Rep. Sam Farr (D)
A Visit with Congressman Sam Farr, July 2002
Sam Farr is a member of Congress from Carmel, California, representing the central coast of California, as well as a former Peace Corps Volunteer, having served in Columbia from 1964 to 1966. He is one of a few former Peace Corps Volunteers to serve in Congress. At the time of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Peace Corps, in late June, 2002, Congressman Farr and Senator Dodd of Connecticut introduced legislation to increase the size of the Peace Corps.
Rep. Sam Farr (D) recommends "Coast Redwoods, a Natural and Cultural History," by Sam Liden.
Originally Broadcast: July 16, 2002
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Rep. Sam Farr (D)
A Visit with Congressman Sam Farr, June 2003
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.
Rep. Sam Farr (D) recommends .
Originally Broadcast: June 10, 2003
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Rep. Sam Farr (D)
A Visit with Congressman Sam Farr, April 2004
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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Rep. Sam Farr (D)
A Visit with Congressman Sam Farr, July 2004
Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA), who has appeared on the program several times before, discussed the elections of 2004.
Rep. Sam Farr (D) recommends "Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver," by Scott Strossel.
Originally Broadcast: July 20, 2004
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Mark Feeney
Nixon at the Movies
Nixon at the Movies, A Book About Belief
Richard Nixon, and the movies he watched while he was president... On his third night in office, January 22, 1969 Nixon saw The Shoes of the Fisherman in the White House movie theater. From then until August 1973, when he resigned the presidency Nixon watched over 500 movies in the White House, at Camp David, and other places he frequented. This is an average of 2½ movies per week during his presidency. The book, Nixon at the Movies, A Book About Belief, by Boston Globe journalist Mark Feeney examines the role movies played in forming Nixon’s character and career, and the role Nixon played in the development of American film. Ronald Reagan may have been the first movie star president, but Feeney argues that Nixon was the first true cinematic president. In this program, recorded in January 2005, Mark Feeney begins by commenting on the effect that the 500 plus movies that Nixon watched had on him and his presidency.
Mark Feeney recommends "The Whole Equation," by David Thompson.
Originally Broadcast: February 22, 2005
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Charles Ferguson
Will This War Ever End?
The Endless War
“The Endless War,” a movie released in late July 2007, written, directed and produced by Charles Ferguson, depicts the blunders and ill-prepared manner in which the United States initiated and carried out the war against Iraq. This full-length feature film juxtaposes the statements and actions of the Washington leadership of the war, which at the outset failed to include President Bush, the Commander-in-Chief, with the leadership’s actions and grievous consequences that followed. Charles Ferguson holds a Ph.D. in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has extensive experience in foreign policy analysis and lives and works in the San Francisco Bay area. When I spoke with him on July 20, 2007 we began with his explanation how the war and the occupation of Iraq were shaped by an extremely small group of people IN Washington D.C., with limited foreign policy and post war occupation experience.
Charles Ferguson recommends "The Lives of Others," a movie about life in East German under the communist regiem.
Originally Broadcast: July 25, 2007
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Edward Fiske
The College Admissions Process
The Fiske Guide to Colleges
Edward B. Fiske, the education editor at the New York Times, is the author of “The Fiske Guide of Colleges.” His book attempts to demystify the college application process and provide strategies to choose where and how to apply for a course of higher education.
Edward Fiske recommends "The Ladies Number One Detective Agency," by Andrew McCall Smith & "The Cairo House," by Samia Sarageldin.
Originally Broadcast: September 16, 2003
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Mel Fiske
Radical Reporter
Radical: A Memoir of Wars, Communists & Work
Political philosophy and one’s education, both formal and informal, can lead a person on unimagined paths that are woven into stories in that person’s life. The book, “Radical: A Memoir of Wars, Communists & Work,” was written by Mel Fiske, our guest in this edition of Radio Curious. Mel was radicalized after a 15,000 mile journey across America during the Depression. That trip opened his eyes to a life he never knew existed growing up in New York City.
Mel Fiske recommends “Bayou Farewell,” by Mike Tidwell.
Originally Broadcast: January 17, 2006
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Ira Flatow
Science Changes
Present at the Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations on Science and Nature.
The chance to interview another interviewer is an opportunity I like to take. A chance came on September 4, 2007, when I was able to visit with Ira Flatow, the host of “Science Friday,” a part of "Talk of the Nation," on NPR. We talked about some of the ideas and concepts in his book, “Present at the Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations on Science and Nature.” I think that after thirty-five years as a science journalist, Ira Flatow has seen enough to expect unexpected changes. He refers to that at the close of the introduction to his book and writes: “After watching science do its thing for a while, you realize knowledge is really a moving target. What we know today will probably be wrong tomorrow. And science is that tool for discovery. When science tells us something, chances are that it will tell us something different a few years from now.” And that’s where Ira Flatow and I began our conversation.
www.iraflatow.com
Ira Flatow recommends "The World Without Us," by Alan Weisman.
Originally Broadcast: September 5, 2007
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Nicols Fox
Watch What You Eat
Spoiled: The Dangerous Truth About a Food Chain That Has Gone Wild
In this Halloween, 1997, edition of Radio Curious, I spoke with Nicols Fox, the journalist who has written a terribly scary book called “Spoiled: The Dangerous Truth About a Food Chain That Has Gone Wild.” It’s truly disgusting; all those little microbes that will make you retch and die. The food you prepare at home can poison you; when you eat at a restaurant, the food they serve you can make you retch.
Nicols Fox recommends "Water," by Alice Atwater.
Originally Broadcast: October 31, 1997
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Terry Francke
The People's Right to Know
Legal Notebook: How to Keep Open Meetings Open and Public Meetings Public
The right of the public to know how our government acts is basic to our American system of democracy. Most states and the federal government have enacted laws requiring public meetings to be open, with minimal secrecy provisions. There are also laws guaranteeing access to public records kept and maintained by the government. The California First Amendment Coalition recently published a book called, “Legal Notebook: How to Keep Open Meetings Open and Public Meetings Public.” Terry Francke is an attorney who is the general counsel for the California First Amendment Coalition and author of this book.
Terry Francke recommends "Who Killed Homer? The Demise of Classical Education and the Recovery of Greek Wisdom," by Victor Davis Hanson & John Heath.
Originally Broadcast: October 16, 1998
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Joelle Fraser
Growing up Hippy
The Territory of Men
"The Territory of Men” is an intimate self-expose written by Joelle Fraser, a former Mendocino Community College English teacher. Written as a series of short episodes and adventures, Joelle shares the life of a woman who was raised in the hippie life of the 70s, and now is an accomplished writer and teacher.
Joelle Fraser recommends "Last Stand," by Richard Manning.
Originally Broadcast: July 30, 2002
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Estelle Freedman
The History of Feminism
No Turning Back—The History of Feminism and the Future of Women
Estelle B. Freedman, a Professor of History at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, specializing in feminism, is the author of “No Turning Back—The History of Feminism and the Future of Women.” She addresses many of the issues in her book in this edition of Radio Curious.
Estelle Freedman recommends "The Blind Assassin," by Margaret Atwood & "The Vagina Monologues," by Eve Ensler.
Originally Broadcast: April 2, 2002
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Nestle J. Frobish
Fair Play For Frogs, Part 1
Frogs play an important role in ecology of the world and are their occasional demise is sometimes noted as an impending ecological disaster. In 1961, a newly elected member of the California State Assembly, Jerome R. Waldie, introduced a bill that read in full, “frogs may be taken using slingshot.” Little did he know that this bill would plague him through out his political career in the California Legislature, in the United States Congress, and as a candidate for governor of California. Our guest is Nestle J. Frobish, the Chair-Creature of the World Wide Fair Play for Frogs Committee, an organization founded in Berkeley, California soon after what became to be known as the “frog murder bill.” “Fair Play for Frogs, The Waldie – Frobish Papers,” the collected correspondence between Nestle J. Frobish and former Congressman Jerome R. Waldie was published as political spoof in 1977. Around that time some misinformed people, including Congressman Waldie accused me of being Nestle J. Frobish, something I am not now, nor ever have been. I spoke with Nestle J. Frobish by phone while he was lurking near a pond at Frog Central in northern Vermont on May 21, 2007, so this rather preposterous story could be told. Jerome Waldie is also a guest and his interview may be found on this web-site.
Nestle J. Frobish recommends "State of Denial" by Bob Woodward.
Originally Broadcast: May 21, 2007
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You Can't Hide
Spy World: Inside the Canadian and American Intelligence Establishments
The fact that governments spy on each other is no secret. The fact that they also collect data about lives of millions of innocent citizens worldewide may be unknown to many people. Mike Frost, the author of “Spy World: Inside the Canadian and American Intelligence Establishments,” worked as a spy for over 30 years. Mike traveled worldwide, setting up devices to intercept what were thought to be secret international communications. Mike Frost has since retired as a spy and has many thoughts and considerations about his former job. Our discussion led to a two-part program, originally broadcast in April of 1999.
Mike Frost recommends the movie, October Sky.
Originally Broadcast: April 6, 1999 & April 13, 1999
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How Prison Affected One Man's Life
A Hole In My Life
Have you ever been incarcerated? Locked in a prison cell for a number of years? That is what happened to Jack Gantos for being a crew member on a boat that smuggled a ton of hashish from St. Croix, in the Virgin Islands, to New York City. He survived prison and became a college writing teacher. His book, “A Hole In My Life,” tells the story of what happened the summer of 1971, his court experience, what happened in prison, and how the ordeal changed his life.
Jack Gantos recommends "The Locked Room," by Paul Oster & "Notice," by Heather Love.
Originally Broadcast: December 28, 2004
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Deborah Koons Garcia
The Future of Food
The director of, The Future of Food
“The Future of Food,” a film written and produced by Deborah Koons Garcia, discusses our food’s conflicting relationship with both mass agri-business and local agriculture. Our discussion was conducted in the context of the passage of Mendocino County’s Measure H, banning growth of GMOs in the county.
Deborah Koons Garcia recommends "Women's Diaries fo the Westward Journey," edited by Lillian Schlissel.
Originally Broadcast: April 25, 2004
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Kristen Gardiner
Report on Lori Berenson
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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Richard Gardiner
The Mix of Psychiatry and the Psyche
This program is a two-part series with Dr. Richard Gardner, a practicing psychiatrist in Ukiah, California. We discuss what do psychiatrist do, and what don’t psychiatrist do? What is the psyche? What is crazy? What are the causes of mental dysfunction? What medicines were available to assist people with mental health problems, and other resources that were available in 1997 when this program was recorded.
Richard Gardiner recommends “How Good People Make Tough Choices,” by Rushworth M. Kidder and “The Cider House Rules,” by John Irving.
Originally Broadcast: September 30, 1997 October 3, 1997
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Leonard Garment
Crazy Rhythm: My Journey from Brooklyn, Jazz, and Wall Street to Nixon’s White House, Watergate, and Beyond…,
Some people’s memories of President Richard Nixon are negative due to his role in escalating the Vietnam War, the student demonstrations at Kent State University, and Nixon’s ultimate downfall in Watergate. But who was the man? And how could another individual get close to him? “Crazy Rhythm: My Journey from Brooklyn, Jazz, and Wall Street to Nixon’s White House, Watergate, and Beyond…,” is a story written by a complex person very close to Richard Nixon. Attorney Leonard Garment was born to immigrant Jewish parents in New York in 1924. Playing music, especially saxophone jazz, he grew up in Brooklyn. As a good student and, with what he describes, “an ambition to run things,” Garment finished law school in his early twenties and began working for a major Wall Street law firm. Even though at times he characterized himself as a liberal Democrat, Garment became a close friend and law partner with Richard Nixon and later became the attorney for, and the counsel to, President Richard Nixon, during the time Nixon was embroiled in the throws of Watergate. This interview was originally broadcast in May of 1997.
Leonard Garment recommends “American Pastoral,” by Philip Roth.
Originally Broadcast: May 16, 1997
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Kevin Z. Golden
Lawsuit to Ban Genetically Modified Alfalfa
The consequences of growing genetically modified alfalfa were deteremined by the United States District Court in San Francisco, California to be so uncertain and so potentially dangerous that they were outlawed nation-wide in litigation brought by the Center for Food Safety based in San Francisco. In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Attorney Kevin Zelig Golden, who, along with others from the Center for Food Safety, litigated this landmark case which banned the planting of genetically modified alfalfa as of May 3, 2007.
Kevin Z. Golden recommends "Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals," by Michael Pollan.
Originally Broadcast: May 7, 2007
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Paul Goldstein
The Artist's Right of Ownership
Errors and Omissions
Who owns the rights to a play, a song, or a work of art? How important and fragile is the authorship? These and other issues of intellectual property rights begin to be revealed in “Errors and Omissions,” a novel by Stanford Law Professor Paul Goldstein. “Errors and Omissions” follows the story of Michael Seeley as he locates a World War Two era Polish refugee who is the author of a screenplay that has the potential to make a huge amount of money not only from the movie rights, but also from the sale of associated paraphernalia. Goldstein, who began writing fiction at the age of twelve, hopes now, fifty years later that readers of his first full length novel will carry away the sense of the fragility of authorship, when an artist creates a work out of thin air. I spoke with Paul Goldstein from his office at Stanford University and began when by asking him to define intellectual property.
Paul Goldstein recommends "Aspects of the Novel," by E.M. Forster.
Originally Broadcast: August 9, 2006
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Lucy Grealy
What is Ugly
The Autobiography of a Face
Lucy Grealy, a victim of Ewing’s Sarcoma, beginning when was nine years old suffered from a cancer of the jaw that is 90% fatal in the first few years. In Lucy’s case, it was not fatal. Rather it brought about many intense and emotional experiences that most of us could not imagine. She had a large part of her lower jaw removed when she was about nine and half and for two and a half years had weekly chemotherapy treatments. Throughout her teenage years, she had multiple surgeries to reshape her jaw. Her book, “Autobiography of a Face,” reveals her experiences, her mistaken conflation of beauty and love, and what she learned about emotions, both her own and other people’s.
Lucy Grealy recommends “100 Years of Solitude,” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Originally Broadcast: December 5, 1994
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Was this a Cause of the 9/11 Attacks?
The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration and 9/11
The forces behind the disasters of September 11, 2001 are said to be unclear and undefined, notwithstanding the Official Report of the 9/11 Commission. David Ray Griffin, a Professor Emeritus from the Claremont School of Theology, and the author of “The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration and 9/11,” casts doubt on the official version, as well as the role of the Bush Administration. In a two-part interview, we discussed these issues.
Dr. David Ray Griffin recommends "Cover Up," by Paul Lance & "The Terror Timeline, Year by Year, Day by Day, Minute by Minute: A Comprehensive Chronicle of the Road to 9/11 and America's Response," by Paul Thompson.
Originally Broadcast: October 5, 2004 & October 12, 2004
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Paul R. Griffin
Sowing the Seeds of Racism
Seeds of Racism in the Soul of America
Racism, as a part of the American religious culture, can be traced to the religious concepts of some of the earliest European settlers in North America. Professor Paul R. Griffin explores these roots in his book, “Seeds of Racism in the Soul of America,” linking the concepts in the Puritan belief system to long lasting racist effects. He argues that racism is itself a religion in the United States and is closely related to America Christianity. He claims that efforts to erase racism have failed because they have concentrated on its visible manifestations rather than its ideological character.
Paul R. Griffin recommends "The Rage of the Privileged Class," by Ellis Cose.
Originally Broadcast: March 1, 2001
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Fresh Air
If you like interview programs perhaps you have listened to Fresh Air, produced in Philadelphia and broadcast regularly on this and other public radio stations, and hosted by a woman named Terry Gross, our guest on this edition of Radio Curious. I wanted to know who she is, and what she does to prepare for and create Fresh Air. I spoke with her by phone from her home, near Philadelphia, and asked her how she does it, how does she put together so many interesting programs so frequently.
Terry Gross recommends "Self-Consciousness: Memoirs," by John Updike & "U and I," by Nicholson Baker.
Originally Broadcast: March 7, 1994
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Richard Grossman
Corporate Responsibility
In this program, we discussed the influence that the 1,000 largest corporations in the world have on the American society and culture as well as worldwide society and culture. Richard Grossman is the Director of the Program on Corporations, Law, and Democracy, based in Cambridge, MA. When I spoke with Richard Grossman by phone from his home in Provincetown, MA, I began by asking what, in his opinion, these corporations are doing that they should not do.
Richard Grossman recommends books by Alexander Mikeljohn.
Originally Broadcast: March 27, 1996
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Michael Gurian
Let Boys Be Boys
The Wonder of Boys & A Fine Young Man
Boys do not have an easy time growing up and maturing in our complex world these days. The same standard of behavior is frequently expected of boys and girls, often without recognizing the special and different needs of boys. Testosterone is a prime mover in the shaping of boys' behavior resulting in their special and different needs. This is a two-part program from the archives of Radio Curious with Michael Gurian, the author of a 1997 book entitled, “The Wonder of Boys: What Parents, Mentors and Educators Can Do To Shape Boys Into Exceptional Men.” I spoke with Michael Gurian in January of 1998 from his home in Spokane, Washington.
Michael Gurian recommends "Sex on the Brain," by Deborah Blum & "Beyond the Birds and the Bees," Beverly Engle.
Originally Broadcast: January 23, 1998 & January 30, 1998
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Michael Gurian
A Look at The Wonder of Boys, Ten Years Later
The Wonder of Boys, 10th Anniversary Edition
We explored the difficulties that boys have growing in American society ten years in a two part interview with Michael Gurian, author of “The Wonder of Boys: What Parents, Mentors and Educators can do to Shape Boys into Exceptional Men.” A tenth anniversary edition of “The Wonder of Boys” was released in 2006, and I spoke with Michael Gurian about his ideas and thoughts of what has occurred in the past ten years in relation to boys. The trend setting pressures of commercial advertising control the content distributed to boys and often are able to overwhelm the job of the parents to nurture to social development of children. In this interview with Michael Gurian who lives in Spokane Washington and recorded in mid-October 2006, we discuss the effects of media on the developing boy; content of what boys listen to when they have earphones on; the substitution of what comes from the earphones for what a boy would get in a relationship with parents, grandparents, or other meaningful people in a boys life.
www.gurianinstitute.com
Michael Gurian recommends “The Collected Poems of Mary Oliver” by Mary Oliver..
Originally Broadcast: October 10, 2006
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Jonathan Harr
Toxic Water, A Book
A Civil Action
Woburn, MA, is a small, blue-collar community just north and west of Boston. In the 1970s, some children in Woburn, MA, became sick and died from childhood leukemia. Some adults in that town developed rare forms of cancer. All of these people live very close to each other. Their illnesses were traced to two contaminated water wells that provided the water to their homes for drinking and bathing. As a result, one of the most complicated personal injury lawsuits was tried in the US Federal District Court in Boston. In this program of Radio Curious, I spoke with author Jonathan Harr, who wrote “A Civil Action,” the horrendous story of the people who became sick and the subsequent trial.
Jonathan Harr recommends any books by Charles Dickens.
Originally Broadcast: November 22, 1995
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Jonathan Harr
Toxic Water, A Movie
A Civil Action
Water, a necessary element to our survival is expected to be pure, safe and clean when it comes into our home. When it is polluted, the results can be extreme. The people in the town of Woburn, Massachusetts, just west of Boston, had an unusually high rate of cancer in the early 1970s. The town’s water was contaminated with industrial pollutants. Several children and adults became very sick and some died. Their families sued the polluters in the U.S. Federal Court. Jonathan Harr, a non-fiction writer, followed the process and wrote a book telling the story of what happened. He called it, "A Civil Action." A movie, also called “A Civil Action,” was based on the book and released at the end of 1998. I spoke by phone with Jonathan Harr, from his home in Massachusetts, a month after the movie was released and asked him how he was able to capture what occurred and create “A Civil Action.”
Originally Broadcast: February 2, 1999
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Dr. Dolores Hayden
From City to Suburb
Building Suburbia: Green Fields and Urban Growth, 1820 to 2000
The development and the expansion of homes, where they are and why they came to be in the places they are, are issues of particular importance to Dolores Hayden, Professor of Architecture and Urbanism and American Studies at Yale University. Her book, “Building Suburbia: Green Fields and Urban Growth, 1820 to 2000,” explores the design and development of the suburbs and suburbia’s relevance in American history.
Dr. Dolores Hayden recommends "A Consumer's Republic," by Liz Cohen.
Originally Broadcast: November 21, 2003
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Dr. Jane M. Healy
Children Versus Television
Endangered Minds & Failure to Connect
It used to be that children would play with objects, be told or read stories, or perhaps listen to the radio during a significant portion of their early years. With the advent of television, videos and computers, that tactile and oral world is often left behind. Children who are frequently exposed to television, videos and computer games in the first seven years of life have been found to develop pathways in the brain that later are significantly deficient in reading, studying and socialization skills. Dr. Jane M Healy is an educational psychologist with expertise in developmental psychology, and specialist in the brain development of young children. Her recent books, “Endangered Minds,” and “Failure to Connect,” discuss how television, videos and computers affect the minds of children.
Dr. Jane M. Healy recommends "The Goddess in Older Women," by Jean Bolden.
Originally Broadcast: May 9, 2001
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A Peace Corps Volunteer in China
River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze
Imagine arriving by boat in a rural town of 150,000 people where two rivers join in central China. Imagine being one of the first two Americans to live there in 50 years, and speaking very little Chinese. That is experience of Peter Hessler, the author of “River Town.”
Peter Hessler recommends "This Boy's Life," by Tobias Wolf.
Originally Broadcast: August 1, 2002
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Thomas Hine
I Want That! How We All Became Shoppers: A Cultural History
“I Want That! How We All Became Shoppers: A Cultural History” is the title of a new book by Thomas Hine. In this book he discusses why we want objects and how they change us. He looks at early forms of trading, and proceeds through the history of materialism.
Thomas Hine recommends "Refinement of America," by Richard Bushman.
Originally Broadcast: December 17, 2002
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Holly Hollenbeck
Sex Lives of Wives
Sex Lives of Wives: Reigniting the Passion, True Confessions and Provocative Advise from Real Women
How to ignite sexual passion from a woman’s perspective is the topic of this edition of Radio Curious as we talk with Holly Hollenbeck, a former attorney from Omaha, Nebraska. Holly Hollenbeck is the author of “Sex Lives of Wives, Reigniting the Passion, True Confessions and Provocative Advice from Real Women.” She says her book is not so much directed at how to please your mate, but how to please yourself by pleasing your mate. Take a look at www.passionseekers.com, her website devoted to helping women find passion and inspiration in their long-term relationships. I spoke with Holly Hollenbeck from her home in Nebraska in mid September 2006, and asked her to describe what motivated to write “Sex Lives of Wives.”
Holly Hollenbeck recommends "Adults Only Travel: The Ultimate Guide to Romantic and Erotic Destination," by David West and Louis James.
Originally Broadcast: September 20, 2006
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Corporate Greed
Pigs at the Trough, How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption Are Undermining America
Arianna Huffington, a political columnist and commentator with a conservative background, is the author of “Pigs at the Trough, How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption Are Undermining America.” Her book discusses alliances between corporate executive officers, politicians, lobbyists and bankers in disregard for office and factory workers.
Arianna Huffington recommends "Wealth and Commonwealth, Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes," by Chuck Collins.
Originally Broadcast: February 18, 2003
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Errant Priests
Taught to Believe the Unbelievable: A New Vision of Hope for Church and Society
Sister Jane Kelly has been a nun for over 55 years and for several years has tried to have a priest in her parish taken out of the ministry for child molestation and thievery. She is also the author of a book entitled, “Taught to Believe the Unbelievable: A New Vision of Hope for Church and Society,” which discusses the current crisis of sexual and fiscal abuse as an incredible opportunity for the Church.
Originally Broadcast: June 10, 2002
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Randall Kennedy
Can You Say This Word?
Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word
Few words in the English language have caused so much pain, hurt and emotion as the N-word. Randall Kennedy, a professor of Law at Harvard University, has written a book to chronicle the history of this word and to diffuse and neutralize it. His book is sub-titled, “The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word.”
Randall Kennedy recommends "The Negro in the American Revolution," by Benjamin Quarles.
Originally Broadcast: March 19, 2002
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Randall Kennedy
Black and White
Interracial Intimacies: Sex, Marriage, Identity, and Adoption
“Interracial Intimacies: Sex, Marriage, Identity, and Adoption,” is a book written by Randall Kennedy, a Harvard University Law School Professor. He takes an in-depth look at the issue of black and white relationships set against the ever-changing social mores and laws of this country.
Randall Kennedy recommends "The Biography of Walter White," by Robert Janken.
Originally Broadcast: April 15, 2003
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Lynda Koolish, Ph.D.
African American Writers
African American Writers: Portraits and Visions
The voice of a writer can be heard in words, and sometimes seen in the writer’s face. It is unusual to find both in a book in which the creator is both the author and the photographer. Lynda Koolish, our guest on this archive edition of Radio Curious, is a professor of African American literature at San Diego State University and an accomplished photographer. She is the author of a book entitled “African American Writers: Portraits and Visions” in which she reveals the visage of 59 African American writers along with a thumbnail biography and summation of each writer’s vision.
Lynda Koolish, Ph.D. recommends "Dien Cai Dau" and "Neon Vernacular" by Yusef Komunyakaa.
Originally Broadcast: February 19, 2002
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Niilo Koponen, Ph.D.
North To Alaska
People who crave space, freedom, adventure, and opportunities have long been attracted to Alaska. In June of 1996 I spoke with Niilo Kopanan, the son of Finnish immigrants who grew up in New York City and moved to a mountain ridge near Fairbanks, Alaska in 1952. At that time, land there was still open for homesteading. He located his 160 acres and filed a homestead on the ridge where he still lives. After several years there, in the mid 1950s, he returned to the lower 48 states to earn a Ph.D. Yet the magnet of Alaska pulled him back where he became a university professor and a member of the Alaska legislature, and he’s been there ever since.
Niilo Koponen, Ph.D. recommends “The life story of Elizabeth Morgan” by Ernest Morgan.
Originally Broadcast: June 18, 1996
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When People Can't Be Who They Are
Passing: When People Can’t Be Who They Are
“Passing: When People Can’t Be Who They Are,” was written by Brooke Kroeger, an Associate Professor of Journalism at New York University. Her book reveals why many ‘passers’ today are people of good heart and purpose whose decision to pass is an attempt to bypass injustice and to be more truly themselves.
Brooke Kroeger recommends "Middlesex," Jeffrey Eugendies, "Amerca's Women," by Gail Collings & "They Marched Intro Sunlight," by David Marinis.
Originally Broadcast: February 17, 2004
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Sam La Budde
Getting Dolphins Out of Tuna Nets
My guest in this program is Sam La Budde, a catalyst, if not the catalyst, in getting dolphins out of tuna nets. He has been an activist with the Earth Island Institute and a number of other organizations. In this conversation, we discussed the history of the dolphins, endangered species in Taiwan, and a potential economic boycott of redwood lumber. This program was originally broadcast in September of 1992, when Radio Curious was called Government, Politics and Ideas.
Originally Broadcast: September 14, 1992
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Marc Lappe
Roadside Spraying, For Better or Worse
Break Out
Spraying of herbicides to kill weeds and/or plants that are considered by some to be pests is a phenomenon of the 20th century. These sprays, in many cases, pollute the water we use in our homes; they destroy and sometimes permanently alter not only the growth cycle of what we are intending to kill, but also other plants, animals, and sometimes people. Dr. Marc Lappe was a widely recognized Ph.D. toxicologist who has studied the effects of the use of the sprays. He was the founder and a director of The justify for Ethics and Toxics, located in Gualala, California. He was also the former director of the California State Hazard Evaluation System. He’s been a fellow at the Hastings justify for the Study of Bioethics in New York, published 112 articles and eleven books on the subject of toxicology. Dr. Marc Lappe died in May, 2005.
www.cetos.org
Marc Lappe recommends "Break Out, " by Dr. Marc Lappe.
Originally Broadcast: February 5, 1997
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Professor Kristen Leslie
Strident Evanglical Themes at the U.S. Air Force Academy
The series on evangelical Christianity at the United States Air Force Academy continues with Kristen Leslie, a professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at the Yale University Divinity School. Professor Leslie was invited to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado to meet with the Academy chaplains and provide training in the counseling of female cadets who were victims of sexual assaults that had occurred at the Academy. In the course of her visits in 2004 and 2005, Professor Leslie and the group of graduate students from the Yale Divinity School who accompanied her observed what she called “strident evangelical themes” at the Academy. Professor Leslie testified before the Subcommittee on Military Personnel of the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Armed Services on June 28, 2005, at the Congressional hearing entitled “Religious Climate at the U.S. Air Force Academy,” and reported her observations of her visit that included: the hanging of a banner containing an overtly Christian message by the football coach in the team locker room, an Air Force Academy commander leading a “challenge and response” cheer about Jesus in front of a group of cadets of mixed faith, distribution of flyers advertising religious events in the cadet dining hall and over the public address system, failure of the Air Force Academy to consider the religious practices of cadets of minority faiths when setting the cadet schedule, and public expressions of faith by senior staff and faculty members, in some cases in inappropriate venues such as classrooms. Interviews with MeLinda Morton, the Air Force Academy Chaplain who resigned the end of July 2005, and Attorney Mikey Wienstein, a 1977 graduate of the Air Force Academy, both of whom are outspoken critics of the inaction on the part of the Air Force Academy leadership may be found here on the Radio Curious website. The Harvard University Committee on the Study of Religion has a detailed report, with abundant links to other articles on this issue that may be found at www.pluralism.org. Information about Professor Leslie’s testimony before Congress may be found at www.yale.edu/divinity/press.
Professor Kristen Leslie recommends "Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader," by Ann Fadiman.
Originally Broadcast: August 30, 2005
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Daniel Lev
A Story of Chanukah
Every year on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, which falls four days before the new moon closest to the winter solstice, the eight day holiday of Chanukah, celebrated worldwide, begins. Before the days of radio and television a person called a magid traveled from town to town, visiting Jewish people and Jewish families. Daniel Lev is a modern day magid who sometimes visits Ukiah and Willits to teach and pass along Jewish tradition through stories, songs, and spiritual practice. This program was originally broadcast in December 1996, and joined these archives the day Daniel Lev became a rabbi in 2005.
Daniel Lev recommends the Torah.
Originally Broadcast: December 14, 1996
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Suzanne Braun Levine
What Will She Do Next?
Inventing the Rest of Our Lives: Women in Second Adulthood
Recent research of how the human brain works seems to indicate that at midlife women start to see the world differently. Approximately 37 million American women now entering their fifties and sixties having fulfilled the prescribed roles of daughter, wife, mother, employee and are not ready to retire. They want to experience more. Suzanne Braun Levine, our guest in this edition of Radio Curious has been reporting on the lives of women like herself and is the author of “Inventing the Rest of Our Lives: Women in Second Adulthood." She begins by discussing recent brain research and anthropological findings relative to women in their fifties and sixties.
Suzanne Braun Levine recommends "Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I’ve Learned," by Alan Alda.
Originally Broadcast: March 7, 2006
www.suzannebraunlevine.com
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Eunice Lipton
Seduced by France
French Seduction: An American’s Encounter with France, Her Father, and the Holocaust.
In a passionate blend of autobiography and cultural history, love, sex and art collide with hatred, withering French xenophobia and death, author Eunice Lipton, our guest in this edition of Radio Curious, describes her book “French Seduction: An American’s Encounter with France, Her Father, and the Holocaust.” Lipton, who lives in Paris and New York received her Ph.D. in art history at New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts. I spoke with her from her home in New York City the last week of March 2007 and asked her to tell us about her friends who she calls art since she describes paintings as her favorite companions.
Eunice Lipton recommends “The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion,” by Ford Madox Ford..
Originally Broadcast: March 28, 2007
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Juries: Fair or Corruptible
The Hidden Jury, and Other Tactics Lawyers Use to Win
What happens when a guilty person is acquitted of crime? Or worse, when an innocent person is convicted of a crime? This injustice can sometimes be prevented with the help of jury consultants, people who assist lawyers in picking juries in all types of trials, not just criminal trials. Paul Lisnik, the author of “The Hidden Jury and Other Tactics Lawyers Use to Win” is an attorney, jury consultant and journalist, who advised and assisted in the O.J. Simpson other trials. He debunks the myth that juries are fair and impartial; that if someone commits a crime, they get convicted; that only guilty people are ultimately put to death; and that only the wealthy or famous can afford a trial consultant. In this interview recorded in March 2005 Paul Lisnik begin with his interpretation of the jury system.
Paul M. Lisnik recommends “Bush World, Enter At Your Own Risk” by Marueen Doud.
Originally Broadcast: June 28, 2005
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Eric Liu
The Benefits of Mentoring
Guiding Lights: The People Who Lead Us Toward Our Purpose in Life
Every one of us, in every social role that we play, is a teacher and a mentor. Who has influenced us, and how we pass that influence along is a question that goes to the heart of both learning and mentoring. The concepts of mentoring are set out in the book “Guiding Lights: The People Who Lead Us Toward Our Purpose in Life,” by Eric Liu. In this interview, recorded n February 2005, Eric Liu discusses his experiences a mentor, a mentee, and an observer of both. For more information see www.ericliu.com.
www.ericliu.com
Eric Liu recommends "All the King's Men," by Robert Penn Warren.
Originally Broadcast: February 15, 2005
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Gregorio Luke
Mexican Culture in the United States
The governments of most countries in the world send an ambassador to other countries to talk about and promote what their country is like and carry on political affairs between the two countries. These ambassadors often have assistants that are called “cultural attaches”. They present the culture, the folklore and the history from the country where they’re from and the country where they are. In this program from the archives of Radio Curious, recorded in 1997, we visit with Gregorio Luke, who then was the counsel for cultural affairs for Mexico. He spent 8 ½ years in Washington DC, and at the time this program was recorded he had been working at the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles for eighteen months.
Gregorio Luke recommends "The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh," by Vincent Van Gogh.
Originally Broadcast: November 7, 1997
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George Mann & Julius Margolin
Union Folk Songs
Julius Margolin and George Mann, two men separated in age by almost 46 years, are what might be called traveling troubadours. They carry the message of working people in song and spirit, bringing a wealth of union history wherever they go.
George Mann recommends "Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee," by Dee Brown. Julain Margolin recommends books authored by Michael Moore.
Originally Broadcast: May 6, 2003
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Martha McCabe
Culture and Racism
Praise At Midnight
Life, culture and racism are the topics of this edition of Radio Curious, in conversation with attorney/novelist Martha McCabe, author of "Praise at Midnight." Martha McCabe worked as a civil rights and criminal trial lawyer in deep east Texas from 1974 to 1985. Her goal was to pour the raw material from her personal experiences as a lawyer into her story. The deeper level into which she fell during the ten year period it took her to complete “Praise at Midnight,” was the importance of consciousness and self awareness in avoiding the projection of one's own dark side on to other people and then killing them. She applies this to both local and international levels in her considerations. She and I have been associates, good friends and colleagues since 1969 when we met at the University of Santa Clara where I was a law student. When I spoke with Martha McCabe from her home in San Antonio, Texas on July 29, 2006, we began with her description of the culture of deep east Texas at the time she was living there, 1974 to 1985.
Martha McCabe recommends “Reading Lolita in Teheran” by Azar Nafisi and “Caballero: A Historical Novel” by Jovita Gonzalez and Eve Raleigh.
Originally Broadcast: August 2, 2006
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Scott McCloud
The Invisible Art
Understanding Comics, A Rather Colorful Display: The Invisible Art
Comics have come to hold quite an important place in contemporary society. Satire, particularly political commentary, is perhaps closest to its essence when expressed in the visual comic. However, it also can be argued that comics have played a far greater role in the history of humanity, tracing back to all images depicting a sequential number of actions. My guest in this program is Scott McCloud, author of “Understanding Comics, A Rather Colorful Display: The Invisible Art,” a book about the history of comics.
Scott McCloud recommends "Jar of Fools," by Jason Lutes.
Originally Broadcast: August 27, 1994
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The Slow Food Movement
How can we assure ourselves that the food we eat is safe, nutritious and energy-efficient? If we are what we eat, we ought to know what we will become. That may be the concept underlying what is coming to be known as the slow food movement. Glenn McGourty is the wine growing and plant science advisor for the University of California Cooperative Extension for Lake and Mendocino Counties in Northern California.
Glenn McGourty recommends "The Origins and Ancient History of Wine," by Patrick McGovern.
Originally Broadcast: January 4, 2005
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Dr. Steven Miles
A Blind Eye to Torture
Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity, and the War on Terror
The silence of doctors, nurses and medics during the physical abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan and the information provided by physicians and psychologists to determine how much and what kind of mistreatment could be delivered to prisoners during interrogation is the topic of this edition of Radio Curious. Our guest is Dr. Steven Miles is the author of “Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity and the War On Terror,” a book based in part on eyewitness accounts of actual victims of prison abuse and more than thirty-five thousand pages of documents, autopsy reports and medical records. Dr. Miles is a professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School and its justify for Bioethics. He is a recognized expert in medical ethics, human rights and international health care. This interview with Dr. Steven Miles was recorded in mid-July 2006 from his office in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We begin when I asked him about his motivation to write a book about the treatment people who are disarmed and imprisoned.
Steven Dr. Miles recommends “Bury The Chains: Profits and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire’s Slaves,” by Adam Hochchild.
Originally Broadcast: July 20, 2006
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Dr. Abraham Morgantaler
Viagra: Is it for You?
The Viagra Myth: The Surprising Impact on Love and Relationships
Viagra, a drug with infinite name recognition and touted benefits, is, as we know, pervasively advertised on television and the Internet. But what is the truth and what is the fiction about this drug. These and other questions about increasing expectations of sexual performance and pleasure are answered by Dr. Abraham Morgantaler, an associate clinical professor at Harvard Medical School and the author of “The Viagra Myth: The Surprising Impact on Love and Relationships.”
Dr. Abraham Morgantaler recommends "Why I Can't Get Through To You," by Terrance Real.
Originally Broadcast: March 23, 2004
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Edmund Morris
Who was Ronald Reagan? One Opinion
Dutch, A Memoir of Ronald Reagan
A President of the United States is frequently a biographer’s subject who usually acts with second-hand information and without explicit authority from the President, himself. In 1985, Edmund Morris, who was born in Kenya and educated in South Africa, was authorized and appointed by Ronald Reagan to be the official biographer for the 40th President of the United States. Morris, who characterizes Reagan as a man difficult to truly know, had unprecedented access to President Reagan both in and out of the White House. He met regularly with Reagan and reviewed Reagan’s daily handwritten White House journal as well as Reagan’s earlier writings. Morris’ 1999 book, entitled “Dutch, A Memoir of Ronald Reagan,” is narrated by a fictional character, quite uncommon in most biographical interpretations, and tells the story of President Reagan.
Edmund Morris recommends "Guard of Honor" by James Gould Cozzens.
Originally Broadcast: November 30, 1999
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Rev. MeLinda Morton
Evangelical Proselytization at the United States Air Force Academy
This program with MeLinda Morton, a Lutheran minister who resigned from active duty as a chaplain at the United States Air Force Academy effective July 31, 2005, continues our series on evangelical proselytization within the United States Air Force and at the United States Air Force Academy in Coloradio Springs, Colorado. This interview was recorded on August 19, 2005, and begins with Rev. Morton describing her duties as a pastoral chaplain to the cadets at the Air Force Academy and the issues that led up to her resignation. If you are interested in this topic, please listen to interview with Mikey Weinstein, an Air Force Academy graduate and a former attorney in the Reagan White House.
Rev. MeLinda Morton recommends “No Future, Queer Theory and the Death Drive,” by Lee Edelman.
Originally Broadcast: August 23, 2005
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Stephen Most
The Klamath River
River of Renewal, Myth & History in the Klamath Basin
Since the last Ice Age ended about 12,000 years ago, human beings have traveled along the Klamath River and it tributaries in the northwest corner of California and extending into southern Oregon. Many people finding an abundance of food, have stayed. The main source of their food was salmon. The power of the myth of the salmon may derive from the fact that wild salmon spread out across the Pacific Northwest about the same time that human beings did, at the end of the last Ice Age. In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Steve Most, author of “River of Renewal, Myth & History in the Klamath Basin,” a book that tells the story of the history of the Klamath River and the people who have continuously lived there for the past 12,000 years. Steve Most is a playwright and documentary storyteller who lives the San Francisco Bay Area. Among many other works, he wrote the texts, audio voices and videos for the permanent exhibit of the Washington State History Museum. In this interview recorded in mid-March 2007, I spoke with Steve Most from his home in Berkeley, California. We began our conversation when I asked him to give a perspective of the geological and human aspects of the Klamath River and its place in history.
Stephen Most recommends Essays and Letters of Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Originally Broadcast: March 21, 2007
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Gordon Neufeld
Hold On to Your Kids
Hold On to Your Kids, Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers
The economic and cultural changes that have occurred in North American society in the past fifty or so years have resulted in today’s children looking to and associating with their peers instead of their parents, for direction, for a sense of right and wrong and for values, identity and codes of behavior. This peer orientation works to undermine family cohesion. It interferes with healthy development and fosters a sexualized youth culture in which children lose their individuality and tend to become conformist, desensitized and alienated. These concepts and what to do about them to develop strong families and emotionally healthy children are explained in “Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers, “ by Gordon Neufeld, Ph.D. and Gabor Mate, M.D. When I spoke with Dr. Gordon Neufeld from his home in Vancouver, British Columbia we began our conversation with a discussion of the importance of the development of an attachment between the adult caregiver and the child, beginning at infancy.
www.GordonNeufeld.com
Gordon Neufeld recommends “The Anatomy of Dependence,” Takeo Doi.
Originally Broadcast: October 25, 2005
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A Taxi Across America
Take Me With You: Around The World Journey to Invite a Stranger Home
Have you ever made friends with someone from a place where you visited as a traveler? Have you ever wondered what it would be like for that person to visit you in your home and your surroundings? Well, that is what Brad Newsham did. He is the author of “Take Me With You: A Round The World Journey to Invite a Stranger Home.”
Brad Newsham recommends "Dangerous Beauty," by Mark Ross.
Originally Broadcast: May 7, 2002
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Sherwin Nuland
What Is It About Our Species That Allows Us to Learn So Much About Ourselves
The Wisdom of the Body
From developmental perspectives, both in individuals and in mankind as a whole, the brain, language, and civilization have separated our species from the rest of the animal kingdom. In May of 1997, I discussed these issues with Sherwin Nuland, a professor of Medical History at Yale University Medical School and author of many books, including Wisdom of the Body.
Sherwin Nuland recommends “The Meaning of Yiddish,” by Benjamin Harshav.
Originally Broadcast: May 21, 1997
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Frank Pacino
Life in the Marine Corps
When recruiters from the Armed Forces of the United States seek out volunteers, they often portray military life to be a great adventure. They talk of schooling, travel and excitement. Sometimes that is not the case. In this edition of Radio Curious, we visit Sgt. Frank Pacino, who spent his early life in Covelo, California and then moved to Ukiah, California. Frank Pacino was recruited into the Marine Corps in early 2001 and is now a Sergeant. He was one of the first troops to go into Iraq in 2002, where he spent approximately six months. He was returned to Iraq in 2004 for a year.
Frank Pacino recommends "Bush At War," by Bob Woodward.
Originally Broadcast: May 17, 2005
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Bruce Patterson
Old Time Tales of Anderson Valley
Walking Tractor And Other Tales of Old Anderson Valley
Stories of the days that no longer exist in rural areas tell us how things were, how people worked lived and played, and bring to life conditions that most of us never knew existed. “Walking Tractor and Other Tales of Old Anderson Valley, “ is a collection of stories written by Bruce Patterson, who lives in Philo, a rather small community in rural Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, California. The introduction to “Walking Tractor,” quotes Ernest Hemmingway as saying “You can only write about what you know,” something that is verified in the stories of Bruce Patterson, who is know to his friends as Pat. I met with Pat in the studio of Radio Curious, in the last week of August, 2006 to learn about his life, his stories and the man he is.
www.4mules.com
Originally Broadcast: August 30, 2006
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John Pinches
All Politics is Local Including Marijuana
The concept that all politics is local is shown in this interview with Mendocino County Supervisor John Pinches in our August 7, 2007 interview on growing, use and "legalization" of marijuana.
Originally Broadcast: August 7, 2007
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Neil Proto
Law As A Tool For Social Change
To A High Court: The Tumult and Choices that Led to United States v. SCRAP.”
Law a tool for social change is the subject of this edition of Radio Curious, and it’s also reason why I decided to be an attorney. Neil Proto, now a veteran Washington D.C. attorney, was a law student in the early 1970s in Washington D.C. and one of several law students in a group called SCRAP (Student’s Challenging Regulatory Agency Procedures) which sued the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States and the nation’s railroads for what they believed was a violation of the NEPA, the National Environmental Protection Act. The regulations, which they successfully challenged, discouraged the movement of materials that could be recycled and encouraged the movement of raw materials. The Federal court issued an injunction, ordered an environmental impact report be prepared and in the end the regulations were overturned. The story is told in Neil Proto’s book, “To A High Court: The Tumult and Choices that Led to United States v. SCRAP.” For the past 35 years, Neil Proto has been practicing and teaching law in the Nation’s capital. In this conversation, recorded in early February, 2006, we discuss the SCRPA lawsuit, importance of citizen involvement in the use of the law as a tool for social change and how court rulings in recent decades have made this involvement more difficult.
Neil Proto recommends “The Prince of Our Disorder: The Life of T.E. Lawrence,” by John E. Mack..
Originally Broadcast: February 14, 2006
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Dr. Clotaire Rapaille
Understanding Our Collective Unconscious
The Culture Code, An Ingenious Way to Understand Why People Around The World Live and Buy As They Do
The collective unconscious may be defined as a cultural code, a set of imprinted concepts that control how members of different societies live. Dr. Clotaire Rapaille, a French born psychologist brings together the concepts of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud in his development of the collective unconscious in the book, “The Culture Code, An Ingenious Way to Understand Why People Around The World Live and Buy As They Do.” Dr. Rapaille thrives on new ideas, which is part of the reason he chose to become American. We visited by phone from his home in New York State the last week of June 2006, and asked him to describe the development of his ideas.
www.archetypediscoveriesworldwide.com
Dr. Clotaire Rapaille recommends "The DiVinci Code," by Dan Brown and "Straight From The Gut," by Jack Welsh.
Originally Broadcast: June 28, 2006 and July 5, 2006
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Charles Reich
A Non-Marxist View of Material Capitalism
The Greening of America & Opposing the System
The market economy often seems to have many inherent problems. Indeed, a Marxist historical view presupposes that the fundamental contradictions of capitalism will inevitably lead to socialism. Far from this extreme, Charles Reich, author of “The Greening of America” and, more recently, “Opposing the System,” believes that individuals must be nonetheless confronted with these contradictions and the human conditions created by material capitalism.
Charles Reich recommends "The Poetry of Colleridge," by Charles R. Woodring.
Originally Broadcast: November 4, 1996
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Liberals v. Neo-Cons
Reason, Why Liberals Will Win the Battle for America
Looking back at the history of our nation, certain political trends can show swings from one political view to another. In an election year, we often take a political position in favor of how we each think our government ought to be run. Robert B. Reich, a former Secretary of Labor under the first Clinton administration and now a professor at Brandeis University and the University of California at Berkeley, is the author of “Reason, Why Liberals Will Win the Battle for America.”
Originally Broadcast: July 13, 2004
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Ken Rockwell
A View Through the Lens: Photography and the Internet
With the help of a camera, especially a digital camera, and the internet we may now see portions of what other people have seen and sent our way or perhaps have made public. Sometime soon I hope to present some visual images I think special in addition to the sound images you can hear here on the Radio Curious website. In preparation for creating those images I found my way to an intriguing photography website called www.kenrockwell.com. This website has many references about cameras, how to choose and use them, and it also tells the story of a man who freely shares his knowledge and skills about photography. After reading his website I invited Ken Rockwell to join us for a conversation about photography, cameras, websites and the use of the internet. Ken Rockwell and I visited by phone in early May, 2006, from his home near San Diego, California. For him, good photography narrows down to seeing better which he describes to be more of a feeling than an actual momentary vision.
www.kenrockwell.com
Ken Rockwell recommends "Ten-Thousand Miles of America," by Richard A. Suleski, Jr..
Originally Broadcast: May 9, 2006
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How to be a Whistleblower
The Art of Anonymous Activism: Serving the Public While Surviving Public Service
“The Art of Anonymous Activism: Serving the Public While Surviving Public Service” is a short book published by three public interest organizations based in Washington DC: POGO, the Project on Government Oversight (www.pogo.org), GAP, the Government Accountability Project (www.whistleblower.org), and PEER, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (www.peer.org). Jeff Ruch is the executive director of PEER and the book’s co-editor.
Originally Broadcast: January 20, 2003
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Tim Sanders
A Silicon Valley 'Secret' of Success
Love is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends
Tim Sanders, the author of a “Love is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends,” is the Chief Solutions Officer at yahoo.com. Knowledge, network and compassion are the themes of his book and the basis for what he believes will bring most success in business.
Tim Sanders recommends "The Third Wave," by Alvin Toffler.
Originally Broadcast: April 9, 2002
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Do You Really Want to Eat That?
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
Eric Schlosser, the author of “Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal,” writes that it is not only what is served for human consumption that plagues the country, but the art of mass marketing to children – through organized promotions and ads in school buses, hallways and even bathroom stalls – that has serious side effects in society.
Eric Schlosser recommends "New Jack," by Ted Conover.
Originally Broadcast: August 1, 2002
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Juliet Schor
Selling (to) Our Children
Born To Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture
In the past 50 years, the advent of television as a medium for advertising has had significant effects on the buying habits of everyone, and especially on children. MRI scans on the brain, and the development of neuro-marketing are used to determine more receptive ways to market a myriad of products to all of us. Studies that follow the behavior of children show that the more involved a child is in the consumer culture, the more likelihood that the child will be depressed, be more anxious, have frequent headaches and/or stomach aches. And, the most heavily advertised products are more likely to be addictive to the users of those products. “Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and New Consumer Culture” by Professor Juliet Schor, of Boston College, presents a detailed discussion of these changes in the commercialized market place that is brought into almost every home and school.
Juliet Schor recommends "For Her Own Good," by Barbara Ehreneich and Diedre English.
Originally Broadcast: December 14, 2004
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Evan Schwartz
The Inventor's Juice
Juice, The Creative Fuel That Drives World-class Inventors
Albert Einstein suggests: “To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old questions from anew angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance.”
Thomas Edison suggests: “The inventor has a logical mind that sees analogies.”
And Winston Churchill comments: “Success consists of going from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm.”
The mind of an inventor works differently than the mind of a non-inventor. What inspires the inventive mind? What is different in the way an inventive mind perceives the world that is different from other minds? What is the role of the role of invention in our society? In this interview, recorded in January 2005, Evan Schwartz, author of “Juice, The Creative Fuel That Drives World-Class Inventors” discusses inventing and inventions. According to Evan Schwartz, the creative energy of inventors, their “juice” gets applied to problems, products, companies and markers through the use of creativity patterns. Invention is a set of strategic thinking strategies that can be learned, taught and practiced, just as with other skills, like cooking, acting or sailing. He began our conversation by describing what differentiates an inventive mind from other types of minds.
www.gotjuice.org
Evan Schwartz recommends "Chronicles Volume One," by Bob Dyland.
Originally Broadcast: January 3, 2006
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Pete Seeger
Thoughts from a Troubador: An Interview with Pete Seeger
This archive edition of Radio Curious was originally recorded and broadcast in January of 1992 when Radio Curious was called “Government, Politics and Ideas.” Our guest is Pete Seeger, a folk musician and a very special person in the lives of many people around the world. He brings songs of hope, peace, justice and equality wherever he goes. He was an inspiration to me when I first learned to play the 5-string banjo and when I took lessons from him, in what seems both long and ago and, just yesterday. We began our conversation when I asked him what he meant when he said “the world is in a state of uncertainty.”
Originally Broadcast: January 20, 1992
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An Experiment in Successful Community Mediation
Stockton, CA, has been called the most diverse community in the world. Fourteen distinct and primary languages are spoken in the Stockton area elementary schools. This enormous cultural diversity has, in the past, resulted in automatic rifle fire at a Stockton elementary school. Scott Spears, a young man who grew up in Ukiah, currently works at the Stockton mediation justify as a trainer and program developer in the schools and as a mediator in the Stockton community.
Originally Broadcast: April 16, 1997
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Litigation to Save Old Growth Redwoods
The California law prohibiting unfair business practices is the basis for the 2003 lawsuit brought against the Pacific Lumber Company by the People of the State of California. This case was brought when the Humboldt County, California, District Attorney alleged that Pacific Lumber provided inaccurate information to the California Department of Forestry as the basis for a timber harvest plan which would preserve certain old growth redwood trees in “The Headwaters” forest. Tim Stoen is the Assistant District Attorney in Humboldt County and the lead attorney representing the People of the State of California in this case.
Tim Stoen recommends "John Adams and the American Revolution" & "The Lion and the Throne," by Catherine Drinker Bowen.
Originally Broadcast: September 23, 2003
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Wesley Swearingen
Illegal FBI Break-Ins, Told By a Former Agent
FBI Secrets: An Agent's Expose
Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation have a history of illegal break-ins to homes and offices and conducting wiretaps without a search warrant. In the years when J. Edgar Hoover was the Director of the FBI, these warrantless break-ins came to be known as “black-bag jobs”. This archive edition of Radio Curious is a December 1995 interview with Wesley Swearingen a former FBI agent who in 1995 wrote a book called FBI Secrets: An Agent’s Expose. His book describes some of the “black-bag” warrantless searches in which he was involved, and his opinion of those activities. He ends his book by saying that the Hoover era will continue to haunt the FBI because Hoover knowingly undermined the United States Constitution. When I spoke with Wesley Swearingen I asked him what he meant by that.
Wesley Swearingen recommends "Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover," by Anthony Summers.
Originally Broadcast: December 20, 1995
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Rep. Mike Thompson (D)
Interview with Congressman Mike Thompson
Each of the 435 members of the House of Representatives in the United States Congress represents approximately 680,000 people, and is elected every two years. Mike Thompson is in his 4th term representing California’s 1st Congressional District that includes the northwest coast of California. Congressman Thompson visited the studios of Radio Curious on February 22, 2005 and we discuss many topics beginning with a question posed to me earlier that day: “When will the Democrats get their act together…”
Rep. Mike Thompson (D) recommends “Don’t Think of an Elephant, Know your Values and Frame the Debate—An Essential Guide for Progressives,: by George Lakoff; “What’s the Matter With Kansas, How Conservatives Won the Heart of America,” by Thomas Hart; and “Charlie Wilson’s War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History,” by George Crile.
Originally Broadcast: February 22, 2005
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A Visit with Congressman Mike Thompson, November 2003
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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Joshua Tickell
Biodiesel: An Oil-less Fuel
From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank: The Complete Guide to Using Vegetable Oil as an Alternative Fuel
Biodiesel, an alternative to the dwindling supply of fossil fuels, is created from processed vegetable oil and is available anywhere vegetable oil is grown or used. Joshua Tickell is the author of “From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank: The Complete Guide to Using Vegetable Oil as an Alternative Fuel." In this program, he shared his ideas on the topic.
Joshua Tickell recommends "Connections," by James Burke.
Originally Broadcast: July 22, 2003
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Mike Tidwell
Destruction of Louisiana
Bayou Farewell, The Rich Life and Tragic Death of Louisiana's Cajun Coast
It is now known that the destruction to southern Louisiana that occurred as a result of hurricane Katrina in August 2005 was anticipated by some and should have been anticipated by others. In this interview recorded in April 2003, and first broadcast in February 2006, our guest Mike Tidwell, is the author of "Bayou Farewell: The Rich Life and Tragic Death of Coastal Louisiana." Tidwell describes how that vast marshland of coastal Louisiana, home to millions of migratory birds and the source of one-third of America’s seafood, is literally washing out to sea. The bayou region, 6000 square miles in size, remains the fastest disappearing landmass on earth. An acre of solid ground turns to water every 20 minutes. An area the size of Manhattan Island washes away every ten months.
Mike Tidwell recommends "Oil Notes," by Rick Bass.
Originally Broadcast: February 28, 2006
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Donald Trone
Fiduciary Responsibility
Though some people dislike the idea, money has become an important and complex aspect of life. Many choose to invest in stocks and mutual funds, hoping for financial growth with and without guidance from a knowledgeable advisor. With five million people responsible for the financial interests of others, there is very little regulation or control of what they do, or how they do it. Donald B. Trone is President of the Foundation for Fiduciary Studies, a nonprofit organization established to develop and promote the practices that define a prudent process for investment fiduciaries, a person who is responsible for the money or assets of others. Donald B. Trone will discuss the practical and regulatory environment that defines the roles and responsibilities of investment fiduciaries, and how one should be chosen to work for you. The program begins with Trone explaining what a fiduciary is. You may visit the website of the Foundation for Fiduciary Studies at www.fi360.com. The edition of Radio Curious was produced with the support of the National Press Foundation, www.nationalpress.org.
Donald Trone recommends "A Survey of the New Testament," by Robert H. Gundry.
Originally Broadcast: June 14, 2005
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Maggie Watson
Barry Vogel, Esq.
Make It Easier For Your Loved Ones When You Die
A Graceful Farewell: Putting Your Affairs in Order
Putting your affairs in order before you die is the topic of this edition Radio Curious. Our guest is Maggie Watson, a professional organizer who lives on the Mendocino Coast in northern California. She is the author of “A Graceful Farewell: Putting Your Affairs in Order,” a collection of ideas and forms that make it easy to list what you own and where everything is. In the course of our conversation Maggie Watson turned the microphones and began to ask me about estate planning, the documents which are useful for everyone to have and the differences between a will and a trust. In my day job I am an attorney in Ukiah, California and devote a portion of my practice to estate planning. Maggie Watson and I met in the studios of Radio Curious in early December 2006.
www.agracefulfarewell.com
Maggie Watson recommends “Millionth Circle: How to Change Ourselves and the World – The Essential Guide to Women’s Circles,” by Jean Shinoda Bolend. Barry Vogel recommends “Jacobson’s Organ and The Remarkable Nature of Smell,” by Lyall Watson.
Originally Broadcast: December 6, 2006
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Jim Wattenburger
Who Should Control Rural Growth, Corporations or Citizens?
Should a shopping mall and a large residential development occur adjacent to the city of Ukiah, California? The city and many people fear this develoment will result in the loss of a unique, rural small town in northern California. Mendocino County Supervisor Jim Wattenburger discusses his position in support of these projects, and the legalization of marijuana in two programs recorded September 23, 2007.
Jim Wattenburger recommends "Undaunted Courage," by Stephen A. Ambrose.
Originally Broadcast: September 26, 2007 October 3, 2007
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Jonathan Weiner
Genetic Control
Time, Love, Memory: A Great Biologist and His Quest for the Origins of Behavior
How much of our personalities are truly within our control? What is currently known about how the genes we inherit affect our behavior? The science that studies these questions is now called molecular biology. Looking at life from the genes up, molecular biology has given us insight into the hard links between genes and behavior. Seymour Benzer, a pioneer scientist who studied the genetics of fruit flies, is the hero of a book called “Time, Love, Memory: A Great Biologist and His Quest for the Origins of Behavior," by Jonathan Weiner. Weiner, who won the Pulitzer prize in 1995 for his work on the finches of the Galapagos Islands, provides a current analysis of Benzer’s genetic studies and raises questions about molecular biology the 21st century.
Jonathan Weiner recommends “The Missing Moment,” by Robert Pollack.
Originally Broadcast: May 26, 1999
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Mikey Weinstein
Evangelical Christianity and the United States Air Force Academy
There are concerns that evangelical Christianity is close to being officially sanctioned at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as well as within other areas of the United States’ military forces. In this edition of Radio Curious we visit some of these issues with Mikey Weinstein, a graduate of Air Force Academy, a businessman and former attorney in the Reagan White House. He describes how evangelical Christianity appears to have become the standard within the United States Air Force Academy that trains future leaders of the U.S. Air Force. At the beginning of an Air Force career each new cadet, among many other things, takes an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States. These cadets are led by Brig. Gen. Johnny A Weida, the current USAF Academy Commandant of Cadets. On the official Air Force website, under character development, Brig. Gen. Weida is quoted as saying, "Our primary emphasis is to ensure every graduate has the character, honor, integrity, sense of service and excellence required of a second lieutenant in the world's greatest Air and Space force." On July 29, 2005, the name of Brig Gen Weida, the number two officer of the Air Force Academy, was deleted from a list of Air Force generals to be promoted, shortly before the Senate voted on those promotions. An April 28, 2005 report by American United for Separation of Church and State accused Brig Gen Weida of proselytizing to the cadets and specifically endorsing evangelical Christianity at the Academy. It is suggested that this may be a reason why he was not promoted. This interview with Mikey Weinstein, who worked as Assistant General Counsel in the Reagan White House Office of Administration, was recorded by telephone from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on August 3, 2005.
Mikey Weinstein recommends "The Sins of Scripture." by John Shelby Spong.
Originally Broadcast: August 9, 2005
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Philip Weiss
Cover-up of a Peace Corps Murder
American Taboo, A Murder in Peace Corps
In this edition of Radio Curious, we take a look at murder and getting away with murder. In the small island kingdom of Tonga, an American Peace Corps Volunteer murdered another American Peace Corps volunteer in October 1976. “American Taboo, A Murder in Peace Corps,” by Philip Weiss, is a detailed story about the murder, how and why it happened, the legend that developed, the subsequent cover-up, and an interview with the murderer.
Philip Weiss recommends "McArthur and Southerland, The Good Years," & "McArthur and Southerland, The Bitter Years," both by Paul P. Rogers
Originally Broadcast: June 29, 2003
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David Wexler, Ph.D.
Depression in Men
Is He Depressed or What? What to Do When the Man You Love is Irritable, Moody, and Withdrawn
Depression often sets off different behaviors, sometimes recognized by others and not by the depressed person. Depression in men is the topic of this edition of Radio Curious, as we talk with David B. Wexler, Ph.D, who is the author of “Is He Depressed or What? What to Do When the Man you Love is Irritable, Moody and Withdrawn.” Dr. Wexler, a clinical psychologist, discusses how to recognize when you or someone you love is depressed, how to talk about in respectful and successful ways, while taking care of yourself. When I spoke with Dr. Wexler from his home in San Diego, California, we began by discussing different categories of depression and how the symptoms of depression in men are different from depression in women.
David Wexler, Ph.D. recommends "Dharma Punx," by Noah Levine.
Originally Broadcast: March 14, 2006
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Ron Whitehead & Sarah Elizabeth
Beat Poets of Kentucky
What is poetry and song? Perhaps we’ll find out in this program, with guests Ron Whitehead and Sarah Elizabeth from Campbellsville, Kentucky. They visited the studios of Radio Curious in May of 2004. You can learn more about Ron Whitehead and Sarah Elizabeth at their website, www.tappingmyownphone.com.
Ron Whitehead & Sarah Elizabeth recommend "Red Dust," by Mai Jong & "Devil's Dream," by Lee Smith.
Originally Broadcast: September 28, 2004
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Mikey Weinstein
Update on Evangelism at the U.S. Air Force Academy
The concerns that evangelical Christianity continues to be proselytized at the United States Air Force Academy, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, have not lessened since our August 9, 2005 interview with Air Force Academy graduate Attorney Mikey Weinstein. Mikey Weinstein, of Albuquerque, New Mexico is a former Assistant General Counsel in the Reagan White House and former General Counsel for H. Ross Perot. In October 2005, Weinstein sued the United States Air Force in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, alleging violations of the Establishment clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution because of the evangelical proselytization at the Air Force Academy. Details may be found in the first interview with Attorney Weinstein, and the subsequent interviews with Reverend MeLinda Morton and Professor Kristen Leslie at www.radiocurious.org. In this interview, recorded on December 11, 2005, Attorney Weinstein discusses the current status of the litigation; the “Officers’ Christian Fellowship” located at many of the 702 United States Military bases in 132 different counties around the world; what he believes to be the religious efforts and goals of some evangelical Christians; and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a non-profit corporation he is organizing.
Mikey Weinstein recommends “Constantine’s Sword, The Church and the Jews, A History,” by James Carroll,.
Originally Broadcast: December 13, 2005
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Peter C. Whybrow
The Conflict Between Our Biological Heritage and the Speed of Our Lives
American Mania, When More is Not Enough
Not so long ago before the common use of devices operated by electricity our lives were generally much more calm. And as humans we have a biological a heritage of being are curiosity driver, reward seeking and harm avoiding creatures. The conflict that has evolved between our biological heritage and the demand driven economy in the United States is the essence of a book entitled “American Mania, When More is Not Enough.” Dr. Peter C. Whybrow, author of “American Mania” is our guest on this edition of Radio Curious. He is a professor of psychiatry and bio-behavioral science, and director of the Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California at Los Angeles. In this interview, recorded mid-February 2005, Dr. Whybrow discusses this conflict, and its consequences.
Peter C. Whybrow recommends “In Praise of Slowness,” by Carl Honore.
Originally Broadcast: February 12, 2005
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Bill Zacha
Developing an Artist Colony in the Village of Mendocino, California
Bill Zacha, the leading force behind the creation of the Mendocino Art justify was a person with vision and moxie and one who made a dream come true. In August 1957, Bill Zacha, was a young married teacher and lived near San Francisco. On a short trip to the village of Mendocino with his wife Jenny and friends, Bill not only saw the beauty of the Mendocino coast, but the opportunity to act swiftly to purchase what is now the Mendocino Art justify and keep that property out of the hands of those who envisioned creating a trailer park there. Since its inception, the Mendocino Arts justify has featured artists, teachers, and students from all over the world. Bill Zacha, who was often called Mr. Mendocino, died on March 18th 1998.
Bill Zacha recommends "Love in the Time of Cholera," by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Originally Broadcast: March 27, 1998
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