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How did your life collide with the headlines in 2007? What's your holiday performance story? |
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Remember the Cold
Yes, it's sweltering now. But just for kicks, try to think about the coldest you were on the coldest day of winter last year. Does that help any? In an effort to beat the heat, Barbara hears from listeners about a time that they remember it being freezing cold outside.
The Devil's Highway
Heat and death show up as main characters in Louis Urrea's book "The Devil's Highway: A True Story." Urrea writes about 26 men who were being smuggled across the Mexican border in 2001 when they got lost; more than half of them died in the oppressive heat. Barbara talks with Urrea about the tragic incident, and how to write about heat. Online resources:
Music Bridge: Around - Artist: Tom Verlaine
CD: Rings (Thrill Jockey)
Artist as Witness: Miguel Gandert
For nearly 30 years, photographer Miguel Gandert has been capturing images of life in his home state of New Mexico. One of his most recent projects took him to the town of Bernalillo, just North of Albuquerque, to photograph a community-wide Indo-Hispanic dance, which has been performed, without exception, every year for 313 years on August 9, 10 and 11. It celebrates the feast day of St. Lorenzo. Last year, independent producer Ben Shapiro went along with Gandert to see the festival through the photographer's lens. Online resources:
Music Bridge: The Sitcks - Artist: Burnt Friedman and Jaki Liebezeit
CD: Secret Rhtythms 2 (Nonplace)
World Music Pick: Ali Farka Toure
World music critic Anastasia Tsioulcas shares the new record from the Malian singer and guitarist Ali Farka Toure. Farka Toure passed away in March from bone cancer, but during his last few months he put out an album. It's called "Savane" and some critics say it's his best album ever. Heard:
The Hobo King
For 34 years, Todd Waters has been drifting. In 1972, he hopped his first train in Cheyenne, and fell in love with the feeling of freedom it gave him. Now, for part of each year, when he starts to get restless, Todd drops out and hops trains cross-country. Todd is a self-described hobo and he was crowned the "Hobo King" at the 2004 National Hobo Convention in Britt, Iowa. The convention dates back to 1900 and it celebrates the hobo spirit. Todd Waters will be attending this year's convention next week and Barbara spoke with him about life on the rails, when you have a family and kids back home in the suburbs. Online resources:
Riding the Rails
There's a new generation of kids who have taken to riding the rails. They don't do it out of necessity; they are hopping on trains for the thrill and adventure of the ride. Correspondent Sanden Totten visited some of these kids in a Minnesota train yard. Music Bridge: Große Verzögerung - Artist: Couch
CD: Figur 5 (Morr)
Weekend Weather
Weekend America's John Moe takes a look at the weather and Saturday happenings all across the country. » Event information Music Bridge: Beat Connection (Disco Dub Version) - Artist: lcd soundsystem
CD: DFA compilation #2 (DFA)
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
In his teens, Roland Kirk dreamed that he could play three horns at once. When he awoke, he practiced until he could do it. He also dreamed that he should add "Rahsaan" to his name, so he did. Rahsaan Roland Kirk is now well-known for his ability to play multiple horns at once and he is considered to be one of the most exciting saxophone soloists in jazz history. Kirk died at age 41 from a stroke. This Monday would have been his 70th birthday. Music writer and reporter Jack Marchbanks is a huge fan, and he talks with Barbara about Kirk's legacy. Online Resources:
Music Bridge: Theme of the Eulipions (Disco Dub Version) - Artist: Rahsaan Roland Kirk
CD: Simmer, Reduce, Garnish & Serve (Warner Bros)
Students for a Democratic Society Rides Again
Once upon a time, to be young was to be radical. In the 1960's, Students for a Democratic Society was one of the main organizing movements rallying against the Vietnam War, for civil rights, feminism and environmentalism. But it fell into chaos and disintegrated by 1972, leaving the controversial Weather Underground in its wake. This weekend, SDS will hold its first national convention in 37 years in Chicago. The group has been revived by a new generation of college and high school students and we'll tag along as they gather. Then, Barbara chats with a new member of SDS and the first president of the organization when it was established in 1960. Online resources:
Music Bridge: Hand and Mouth - Artist: Nomo
CD: New Tones (Ubiquity)
Dust Off Your "Revolver"
On November 11, 1965, the Beatles laid down the final track on "I'm Looking Through You," which would be the last song on their album "Rubber Soul." They left the recording studio and went on an extended vacation. When they reconvened the next year to record a new album, the rest and relaxation (and perhaps LSD) had transformed their sound. The result is "Revolver." We celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Revolver" and talk about how a little time off can spark a lot of creativity. Bill talks with Paul Ingles; he's a radio producer, a Beatles fan from way back and he has just made a new radio documentary to commemorate "Revolver's" birthday. Online resources:
World Music Pick: Ljova
Any classical musician will tell you the viola is the Rodney Dangerfield of musical instruments. It never gets any respect because it always plays second fiddle to the violin. World Music critic Anastasia Tsioulcas says that's about to change. Her favorite album of the month is "Vjola, The World on Four Strings," by a Russian-born musician named Ljova. Heard:
Time Out
The editor of Time Out Beirut and the editor of Time Out Tel Aviv met last spring, when the Beirut magazine had just launched. It was an instant friendship between the young men. But now Time Out Beirut is closed and the two haven't spoken since May. We get them together to talk about friendship and writing on opposite sides of a war. Online Resources:
Music Bridge: Five Star Group Travel - Artist: Root 70
CD: Heaps Dub (nonplace)
Letters from Last Week
Barbara reads letters from last week's show. Listeners reacted strongly to our story on Intelligent Design. They were also concerned about a woman who asked our Solomon Squad for advice when she found out her housekeeper was not legally allowed to work in the US. Online Resources:
Music Bridge: Aynotchesh Yererfu - Artist: The Budos Band
CD: The Budos Band (Daptone)
Weekend Weather
Weekend America's John Moe takes a look at the weather and Saturday happenings all across the country. » Event information Music Bridge: Beat Connection (Disco Dub Version) - Artist: lcd soundsystem
CD: DFA compilation #2 (DFA)
Bat Gates
Roy Powers has spent almost 40 years putting gates on caves all over the continent. The gates protect the bats inside from nosy spelunkers, or cavers. Around this time of year, as bat colonies return to their hibernation sites to rest, the gates are crucial. They allow the bats to come and go without being disturbed while they sleep. Roy is almost 70 years old and he's decided to call it quits this summer. But he says the gates will continue to go up. Independent producer Blake Farmer caught up with Roy in the hills of eastern Kentucky on one of his final projects. |
... on our December 15 broadcast:
» Weekend America
Enhanced Podcast: Skip back and forth through stories, see images on iTunes and on your iPod, all with better sound quality. » The Huckabee Mystique: See video of Mike Huckabee and Chuck Norris.
» Another Great Moment in Small Talk: Read how Charlie Schroeder became an unpopular "tool" because of Borat.
» Listener Letters: Renewable Christmas Trees: Read listeners' alternate endings to "Puff the Magic Dragon."
» Sign Up for the Weekend America weekly newsletter: Find out what's on the upcoming show, and listen to the most popular previous segments.
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From the July 5 broadcast
Auburn, N.Y.
Potosi, Wis.
Bruce, S.D.
Newport, Ore.
Fort Davis, Texas
Wailuku, Hawaii