Weekend America

To Be a Socialist in America

A week from Sunday is the French where the conservative Nicolas Sarkozy is running against socialist Segolene Royal. And it's often said that "conservative" in France would probably considered liberal here in the U.S. Weekend America's John Moe wondered why high-profile socialist presidential candidates are so common in Europe, while he couldn't name one American off the top of his head.

A Soldier's Reading List During War

When Army Corporal Jon Dorsey was packing up before heading to Iraq, along with the equipment, he threw in something for himself: Plato's "Republic,""100 Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jack Kerouac's "On the Road." We were intrigued by his selection and asked Cpl. Dorsey to tell us about his reading list on the phone from Baghdad, Iraq.

Apocalypse When?

According to Pat Robertson, the apocalypse may be coming this Sunday. Yep, this Sunday. He based his prediction on biblical numerology, and complicated readings of US and mid-east history. And Robertson isn't the only one with an ear trained on the end of the world. Weekend America Reporter Krissy Clark tracked down several doomsday watchers to get their perspective, from the religious variety to a scientist who tracks asteroids to a man who thinks peak oil will bring on the end of the world as we know it.

What's Your Weekend Soundtrack?

We've been asking what's on your CD player or MP3 player or even tape deck on Saturday and Sunday. What songs say to you, it's the weekend? This week we hear from listener Amanda Stockham of O'Fallon, Ill., who talks about why "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson has special meaning for her.

Arielle Greenberg for National Poetry Month

Each weekend in April, Weekend America has been paying homage to National Poetry Month. Arielle Greenberg's poem was inspired by an independent film she heard about but never saw. Greenberg shares her poem "Stag Movie."

A Month of Poetic Controversy

When a group of people gets to have a month of their own, usually they're happy about it. But poets are a rebellious bunch, and not all of them are celebrating National Poetry Month in April. Their reasons vary. Some say the annual media fete for poetry trivializes an art form that takes time and attention and patience to appreciate. Some say NatPoMo ghettoizes poetry into a flavor-of-the-month pigeon-hole. But the Academy of American Poets, which launched Poetry Month 11 years ago, says it's a way of lending the genre some much-needed attention. Weekend America's Sean Cole is a poet and a reporter. We asked him to pit one side of himself against the other in this vicious poetry debate.

But I'm Not a Cheerleader

Independent Producer Lyn Millner isn't the cheerleading type. But in the interest of her devoted Weekend America listeners, she decided to pick up her pompoms and try out for the Miami Dolphins cheerleaders. Millner tells us all about it.

Heroes and Hero Myths

This week, Congressional testimony shed new light on the stories of Pfc. Jessica Lynch and Cpl. Pat Tillman. Often stories of heroes end up embellished with time and it sometimes turns into a myth. Weekend America Guest Host Alice Rhee asks Elizabeth Samet, an English professor at West Point, how stories of heroes have evolved with time.

Remembering the LA Riots

Fifteen years ago this weekend, South Los Angeles erupted with violence after four Los Angeles police officers were acquitted of beating black motorist, Rodney King. Weekend America's Pat Loeb revisits the neighborhood where the riots started to see how things have changed.

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. Weighing in this week is former "Simpsons" writer Dana Gould; Peter Krause, who played Nate Fisher on "Six Feet Under;" and Yale University English professor Amy Hungerford.

Ginsberg for National Poetry Month

In our last installment of poems celebrating National Poetry Month, we remember an icon of the Beat Generation: Allen Ginsberg. Hear Ginsberg read his poem "Hard Labor" in 1989 at Hofstra University in New York.

Pitcher Strikes out at Fenway

Last weekend at Fenway Park, Chase Wright, a pitcher for the Yankees gave up four home runs--a rarity in baseball and nothing to brag about. In 1963, Los Angeles Angel Paul Foytack did the same thing and remembers it well. Weekend America Host Bill Radke speaks with Paul Foytack about advice he can give to other pitchers out there who have had better days.

A Mariachi Life

At the 25th Annual International Mariachi Conference in Tucson, Ariz., no one will be playing the Mexican Hat Dance. Here mariachi music is not at all simple, and it's taken very seriously. Many of the attendees are young people, and their high-school ensembles are as large as chamber orchestras. In the last couple of decades, mariachi music has become a popular form of music education especially in the Southwest. Some professional mariachis, like Johnny Contreras, have given up a career on the road to teach full time. Weekend America's Julia Barton talks with Contreras about what makes mariachi music so special.

Symbols for the Dead

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs made news when it approved the pentagram, a symbol for Wicca, to be placed over a soldier's headstone. There are 39 other symbols that the department has approved. We were curious about Wicca and some other smaller faiths, so we asked a Wiccan Priest and Priestess, as well as a member of Baha'i, an ECKist, and a Humanist how they would eulogize a fallen soldier.