Public Radio Shows

This American Life is a fascinating radio documentary series about American life, people, and culture. Each show has a theme and several people contribute their stories. At turns insightful, surprising, ironic and lighthearted, the segments reflect many sides of the themes. There are several regular contributors. My personal favorite is writer and comedienne Sarah Vowell. She has quite an unusual voice which may be irritating, but her humor and great storytelling make her contributions always entertaining.

Here is a list of links to my favorite episodes:

Act V: Hamlet in Prison
A prison production of Hamlet brings new meaning and a raw authenticity to Shakespeare's play. Riveting.

The Cruelty of Children
From the NPR site: "One of David Sedaris's funniest stories, plus a story that's so disturbing - about kids being cruel to an adult for very understandable reasons - that years after it was broadcast, people still ask if it's true."

Superpowers
What superpower would you choose?

Fresh Air features very personal interviews with newsmakers, entertainers, cultural icons, and authors.

Here are my favorite episodes:

The Divine Miss M: Bette Midler
Theo Bleckmann (musician) Goes Back To Berlin Roots
Shakespeare Series 1: Rival Actors Sparked Fatal 'Shakespeare Riots'
Shakespeare Series 2: Who Wrote Shakespeare's Plays? Debate Goes On
Shakespeare Series 3: The Real Shakespeare? Evidence Points To Earl

A Prairie Home Companion is a long-running staple of public radio. Probably one of the most famous and successful shows. It has made writer and performer Garrison Keillor a minor celebrity.

This show harkens back to nostalgic years gone by, a tribute to the midwest America of Keillor's childhood. It is a true variety show with musical guests, the fake "News from Lake Wobegon" and skits with recurring characters, like "Guy Noir". He also tells stories and does some interviews with guests.

While some do not appreciate this homespun, old-fashioned humor, I find it warm and inviting. Keilor's voice and storytelling style are very low-key and relaxed. He lulls you into the cozy, sometimes strange, and always funny small-town world.

I know next to nothing about cars and am not particularly keen to learn. But
Car Talk, the call-in car advice show is as much a comedy act by the two hosts as it is helpful and informative about cars and mechanical problems. Tom and Ray (better known as Click and Clack the Tappet brothers) tease each other and poke fun at everything. They do usually offer some helpful advice along the way. There is also the challenge of the daily puzzler, a mind-twisting riddle or logic puzzle.

I taught an ESL class for international students at UMass Amherst for several quarters. My supervisor let me know that WFCR, which was located on the edge of campus, had a host who had taught in Japan for a while. He was very welcoming to groups of students coming to visit. I contacted him and took my class in for a tour. We had a great time. He introduced us to a few of the other hosts that did local shows there, explained how he prepared for and worked on his music show, and showed us their music library.

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