Weekend America Voices
John Moe
Recent Stories
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Letters: Purple Hearts, Barbies Forever and Air Taxis
Charlie Schroeder's piece about his father catching an air taxi from Culebra to Puerto Rico prompted some of you to say "air taxis?"
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Searching for Pig's Eye, Minn.
As the Republican Party gathers in St. Paul, Minn., few people following the convention will realize that "St. Paul" is not the city's original name. It was originally "Pig's Eye Landing" after French settler and bootlegger Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant, then later changed to the more pious and proper sounding "St. Paul." It's kind of like what happens to a city when a big event comes to town; things are tidied up and made to look sharp. But what about those old Pig's Eye elements to St. Paul?
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Instant Novel
When Nancy Janoson tells people what she does for a living, the answer is usually "jazz musician." But this weekend, it's "writer." She's a participant in the Three Day Novel Writing contest. For contestants like Nancy, this weekend is all about self-exile. The choices for things to do are limited to drinking pots of coffee, sleeping only long enough to keep your eyes from blurring, and writing until your hands cramp.
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Dread of Back to School
This is back to school weekend. For parents, it's a relief. But for students and many teachers, it can create a feeling of dread. Even kids who like school and teachers who love their jobs get this feeling of resentment, fear, even animosity at the prospect of returning. Many adults, long after graduating, also report that feeling of dread at the end of summer. It's a serious thing. We wanted to hear from folks who are going through it right now.
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This Weekend in 1968: Democratic National Convention
Forty years ago this weekend, the world watched as the Democratic National Convention in Chicago descended into chaos. Inside, the party splintered on the convention floor. Outside, the "Yippies" led a protest that not only had a lasting effect on politics, but also led to a revolution in protesting. Since then, public safety and control have radically transformed the institution of protest.
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Fun at the Cemetery
Maybe it's the kind of summer day in your part of the country that inspires you to pack a picnic and go listen to an outdoor concert. Or take in a nature walk. Where would you go? How about the cemetery? Historic cemeteries like Brooklyn's Green-Wood host live dance and music performances. Hollywood Forever in Los Angeles has been a popular site for movie showings.
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Letters: Share Your Harvest
We received a few scoldings from listeners for our story about backyard gardeners selling their extra produce to grocery stories and restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. We were reminded that food banks need your extra veggies. It turns out the food bank movement was launched on just this idea.
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To Choose a VP
Barack Obama and John McCain each have a big decision to make: who to pick for a running mate. There's a lot at stake: in a close election, the right running mate could tilt the balance. And with Al Gore and then Dick Cheney, the VP's office has become a powerful one.
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Homemade Ghost Rock
The Ann Arbor, Mich., band Nomo is on the road a lot. This weekend in Minneapolis, next weekend in Madison, Wisc., supporting their new album Ghost Rock. For Nomo, touring is no easy feat. There are up to eight musicians and an avalanche of equipment, including a bunch of instruments you've never seen before.
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The Crack of the Bat
It's been a surprising year in baseball. Perennial doormats the Tampa Bay Rays are in first place. A completely obscure player named Carlos Quentin leads the American League in home runs. Also surprising: way more broken bats are flying into the crowd and whapping people in the face.
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Sober Up and Fly Right
Sure, legal prohibition against alcohol might have official ended 75 years ago, but not everyone has given up the fight. The Prohibition Party has a split ticket this year between an actual dead man, and a man (alive) who says the return of prohibition could be the cure for society's ills.
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Did the "Devil" Make Them Lose?
The major league Tampa Bay Rays baseball team is wondering if a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. After a decade of finishing last in their division, the team is having a change of luck that mysteriously came right after a tweak of the team's name. John Moe investigates.
