Weekend America

Routes to Recovery

This weekend, residents of New Orleans are still rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina. It's been two years since the Category Five storm and American Public Media's documentary unit, American Radio Works, takes listeners into the culture of New Orleans. The documentary is called "Routes to Recovery" and one of the hosts is Nick Spitzer, from the public radio show "America Routes."Weekend America Host Bill Radke talks with Spitzer about how culture is a vehicle to help New Orleans recover.

The Musicians' Village

The New Orleans apartment of bassist Michael Harris was destroyed two years ago in the floods following Hurricane Katrina. He was out of town when it happened, and he's basically been living out of a suitcase ever since. That is, up until last week, when he moved into the Musicians' Village. Harry Connick, Jr., Branford Marsalis, and Habitat for Humanity conceived of the Upper Ninth Ward housing complex as a way to keep New Orleans' rich musical tradition alive. We talk with Harris about how life in the village is shaping up.

A Meeting of Brothers

A few years ago, Laurie Stern wrote a documentary for American Radio Works about her family's visit to Guatemala. Stern went to visit her son Diego's biological family. After the documentary aired, unexpected events started to unfold. Producer Laurie Stern shares her story with Weekend America.

Weekend Soundtrack

Weekend Soundtrack: "Ying and Yang (The Flower Pot Man)"

What song says it's the weekend? We've been asking you what's playing on your iPod, CD player and tape decks when the weekend rolls around. Michael Langlois hears our show on WLRN in Miami, Fla. He explains why the Love and Rockets song "Ying and Yang (The Flower Pot Man)" reminds him of the weekend.

Tales from the Backyard Pool

As summer comes to a close, so will most public pools. For most, endless days spent swimming will end, but for the lucky ones with a pool in their backyard, the fun never stops. Dale Braiman of Haines City, Fla., tells us about the first time he took advantage of a privilege that only pool owners can enjoy. And Jane Bratton of Highland Heights, Ky., talks to us about what a backyard pool from her childhood still means to her.

Party On!

In 2002, hard rocker Andrew W.K. released his first record, "I Get Wet." It was a seemingly absurd endorsement of getting wasted. Nearly every song on the record had the word party in the title: "Party Hard,""Party 'til You Puke,""It's Time to Party," which was eventually used in a commercial for Coors. But these days Andrew isn't singing party anthems, he's giving motivational speeches. Josh Gleason reports.

America at War

Making Violins in the Midst of War

In the year-and-a-half that her husband was in Iraq, Korinthia Klein kept busy by building string instruments. Sarah Lemanczyk spent a Saturday in the busy life of this mother and artisan to bring us her story.

Back to Blacksburg

Virginia Tech is back in session after summer break. For some parents it's a time for anxious good-byes. Janet Spaventa's daughter is going back to school at Virginia Tech, and her son will be starting college in Atlanta. Weekend America spoke with Spaventa about what she's trying hard not to dwell on and how she's preparing herself for an almost empty nest.

Navigating in Nebraska

Two years ago, 166 Hurricane Katrina evacuees from New Orleans ended up in Omaha, Neb., and most of them have decided to stay. Building a new life is never easy, but it's especially difficult when you have to deal with various bureaucracies. Producer Lawrence Lanahan brings us a story about one man's mission to help himself by helping other evacuees get back on their feet.

Good News, Bad News, No News

Good News, Bad News, No News

Our panel of non-experts review the week's events in a parlor game to gauge what kind of week America had. This week, we have Hollywood writer, Dana Gould; "Savage Love" columnist Dan Savage; and Diana Abu-Jaber, author of the new book "Origin."

Hitting the Slopes, in Texas?

It's a hot summer day in Fort Worth, Tex., and you want to cool down. Why not go skiing? Entrepreneur Charlie Aaron says his resort will allow Texans to stay home and ski instead of traveling to Colorado or Utah. Weekend America host Desiree Cooper speaks with Aaron about his dream to open a year-round ski resort in Fort Worth.

Accordion Fest!

Just picture it: "Lady of Spain" played by a hundred-odd accordionists, many of them suited up in bizarre animal costumes. It's not a crazy dream, it's the Accordion Festival in Cotati, Calif. We're not sure why "Lady of Spain" sounds so good on the accordion, or why accordion players have a penchant for dressing up as psychedelic giraffes, but those will definitely be some questions we'll get answered during out visit.

Move Over MOMA

If you've walked around New York City, you may have come across some graffiti. But if you catch the number seven train to Queens, you'll travel by a building that's completely covered in it. It's called 5 Pointz. The gatekeepers are Jonathan Cohen, who paints under the name Meres and his assistant Anthony, also known as Dism. They take Weekend America on a tour of their aerosol art museum.

Summer Camp Reunion

Summer camp is a varied thing. There's the great, amazing times you'll remember for life. And then there are the not so great moments, that you'll also remember for life. This summer, independent producer Eric Molinsky had his camp reunion in Massachusetts. He realized that it was a lot easier acting like a kid than being one.