Programs for the Week of 4/4

This Wednesday is a special day for WPR: We’re calling it One Day Wednesday, a heroic attempt to raise all the cash that usually consumes a whole week in a single day. It’s a win/win – you get less on-air fundraising and we get to do what God intended us to do – make radio worthy of your ears – and dollars. To donate now, click here.

Jean’s Pick of the Week (watch video): The Meaning of Mary Magdalene: I got a little lost in the middle of reading Cynthia Bourgeault’s book, The Meaning of Mary Magdalene, but she was clear as a bell on the radio. It was very surprising to me, and to her as well, I’m sure, that so many callers were completely comfortable with the idea that Jesus and Mary Magdalene might have had an intimate relationship. Fully human? Fully divine? Are Christians finally freeing themselves from the mind shackles of the Church Fathers in their rejection of the body, their marginalization of women, and their obsession with celibacy? And if so, what balm for the wound.

Monday: After the Dalai Lama: In March of this year, the Dalai Lama announced that he was looking for a successor who could take over his political duties as head of Tibet’s government in exile. In May, Tibetan representatives will meet to discuss the Dalai Lama’s proposal of political retirement. We’ll discuss the future of the Dalai Lama and of Tibet with Tim Johnson, author of Tragedy in Crimson: How the Dalai Lama Conquered the World but Lost the Battle with China

Tuesday: The Ride of Your Life: It’s time to get your bicycles out of the basement! Whether you’re crazy about bikes or just appreciate a leisurely ride, you’ll fall in love with Robert Penn’s story, who once circled the globe on a bike, then traveled to different countries to find the perfect parts for the bike to grow old with. In his book It’s All About the Bike: The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels, he explains how the bike has changed our world in the past and how it just might change our future.

Wednesday: Join The Club: Pulitzer Prize winner, Tina Rosenberg, joins us on One Day Wednesday to talk about her new book on the positive power of peer pressure. That’s right, she says that the influence you were told to ignore as a teenager is the same force that, when harnessed, can overthrow dictators and make teens demand safe sex!

Thursday: Inside Islam: I Speak for Myself: The media have plenty to say about Muslim women, but the day's headlines rarely reflect the lives of the majority of Muslim women. And even less commonly do we hear the voices of Muslim women themselves. This week, Madison welcomes women writers behind a new collection of essays seeking to fill this void, I Speak For Myself: American Women on Being Muslim.

As always, you can comment before, during or after the show at the Inside Islam blog.

Friday: Tender: Revered British food writer Nigel Slater’s encyclopedic take on his vegetable garden arrives on the American side of the Atlantic just in time to inspire your plans for this year’s vegetable patch! Lori Skelton sits in as we nibble everything green, from Asparagus to Fava Beans to Zucchini.

No beans about it!

Jean

Programs for the Week of 4/25

Here on Earth wins a Gabriel Award for "Inside Islam: Muslims, Mosques, and American Identity"

Jean’s Pick of the Week: The Paper Garden: Molly Peacock’s perennial effervescence was well-placed in her enthusiasm for the extraordinary achievement of Mary Delaney, the 18th century British aristocrat who began her life’s work as an artist at the age of 72 when she invented mixed -media collage. As a poet turned biographer, Molly seized on Delaney’s gorgeous, botanically correct, cut-paper flowers as a metaphor, stitching and layering Mary’s story with the same patient craftsmanship for which Delaney is famous. A really fun program, and an inspiring one.

Monday: The Meaning of Mary Magdalene: Why so much interest in MM lately? Is it an attempt to subvert the patriarchy? Among the several new studies of Mary Magdalene that started with the fanciful romance of The Da Vinci Code, Cynthia Bourgeault's book stands out. "To reclaim Mary Magdalene is to reclaim Christianity," she asserts.

Tuesday: Gandhi, Great Soul: Amidst political revolution—non-violent and violent—a new biography of Mahatma Gandhi hits the shelves. Has India idolized the man without fully embracing his teachings? What can we learn from this non-violent leader"s successes and disappointments? Pulitzer Prize winner Joseph Lelyveld joins us to talk about his new book.

Wednesday: TBA:

Thursday: Rilke's Poetry: Together with Rumi, Rainer Maria Rilke is among America's most prized poets. His connection to nature permeates his work, and his idea of the relationship between the human and the divine as being one of mutual need still inspires spiritual seekers of all walks of life. We'll be joined by Rilke translators Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy, both luminary poets and spiritual teachers in their own right.

Friday: Aromas of Aleppo: I've just returned from a trip to Aleppo where my husband's grandparents once lived as part of a vibrant Syrian Jewish community. Having eaten sumptuously while there, I naturally wanted to bring to our listeners an awareness of the wonders of Syrian cuisine. I remembered a wonderful cookbook that my sister-in-law once gave me – Aromas of Aleppo by Poopa Dweck, a beautiful blonde first generation Syrian–Jewish American, who has devoted much of her life to preserving and celebrating her community's centuries–old legacy.

I will be celebrating Passover and Easter with family in New York this weekend, and wishing you the blessings of this glorious season,

Jean

Programs for the Week of April 18

In spite of the fact that I’ve been under the influence of jet lag since returning from the Middle East last Friday, I think we’ve had a strong run of programs since Monday when we began with the Triangle Shirt Factory Fire. Parazit, Iran’s Daily Show was another star, but in terms of sheer vitality, wit, literary genius and Here on Earth values, nothing beats Wednesday's remote broadcast from the Fox Cities Book Festival with the inimitable Luis Alberto Urrea, regaling us with stories, both hair raising and hilarious, of life on the Tijuana border.

Jean’s Pick of the Week (watch video): A Life on the Border: Live from Menasha: Here on Earth will be broadcasting live from the Fox Cities Book Festival! We will talk with the acclaimed Mexican-American writer Luis Alberto Urrea who says that the border between Mexico and the United States goes right through his heart. You can join us live at the UW Fox Valley Student Union in Menasha. Both Jean and Luis will stay on for a book signing after the event. We look forward to seeing you there!

Monday: The Paper Garden: Mary Delany was seventy-two years old when she noticed a petal drop from a geranium. In a flash, she picked up her scissors and cut out a paper replica of the petal, inventing the art of collage. Now nearly a thousand of her cut-paper collages, known as Flora Delanica, are housed in the British Museum. Molly Peacock has written a biography of Mary Delaney as only a poet could.

Tuesday: Syria: The Other Side of the Mirror: The protests in Syria are making our daily news, and the entire world is watching as Bashar al-Assad is trying to mollify the protesters. But does the image we get in the news correspond with the real Syria? What aspects of this country do we never hear about in the news? And what does that say about us?

Wednesday: Arrival City: Look around: the largest migration in human history is under way. For the first time ever, more people are living in cities than in rural areas. Many of these migrants first live in slums at the outskirts of cities. But these "arrival cities" are not just places of misery. They are also the location of amazing innovation, successful community-owned businesses, and upward mobility.

Thursday: The Optimist’s Tour of our Ecological Future: The Optimist is back! Healthcare tailored to genetic profiles, machines that pull carbon dioxide out of the air, what's next? Writer Mark Stevenson set out to answer that question by talking with scientists and philosophers around the world who are thinking deep into the future. As we invite Mark back to our program on Earth Day, we’ll focus on questions about the future of Planet Earth.

Friday: The Chocolate Chasers (Encore): Dan Pearson was working in Peru with his stepson Brian Horsley when they stumbled on a species of cocoa long thought extinct. Even better, the trees had mutated to produce highly prized white beans! Following their discovery, Dan and Brian partnered with local farmers and the world’s top chocolate experts to produce the next big thing in chocolate — Fortunato No.4 — debuting at food expos this month. Rebroadcast from January 21, 2011

Happy Passover, Happy Spring, Happy Holy Week!

Jean

Programs for the week of April 11

Jean returns this week for a great line up. We're especially excited for our live broadcast in Menasha at the Fox Cities Book Festival! We hope you'll join us.

Monday: Remembering the Triangle Factory Fire: 2011 marks the one hundred year anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City. Hardly anyone knows what a shirtwaist is anymore, but we’re all familiar with the panic bars and lit signs above exit doors, two regulations fought for by the New York community and labor unions after the fire.

Wednesday: A Life on the Border: Live from Menasha: Here on Earth will be broadcasting live from the Fox Cities Book Festival! We will talk with the acclaimed Mexican-American writer Luis Alberto Urrea who says that the border between Mexico and the United States goes right through his heart. You can join us live at the UW Fox Valley Student Union in Menasha. Both Jean and Luis will stay on for a book signing after the event. We look forward to seeing you there!

Thursday: Nepal’s Road to Democracy: Twenty years after their revolution and five years after the end of a decade long civil war, Nepalese are still struggling to bring democracy to Nepal. Recent college graduate Subhash Ghimire isn’t giving up. Through education and community projects, he’s leading his generation and Nepal into a brighter future. He joins us with writer Jeff Greenwald who covered the 1990 revolution.

Friday: Chasing Chiles: The chili pepper has transformed cuisines around the world since it was first brought from the “New World.” As farmers began growing chiles in more and more places, the plants changed and adapted, creating new varieties. Our guests celebrate and fight to preserve the world’s diverse peppers.

Carly, Producer

Programs for the Week of 4/4

We're looking ahead to a week of great shows as Veronica and Lori step in while Jean continues her travels in the Middle East and North Africa (at least, we think that's where she ended up!).

Monday: The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 1996, womens' lives changed overnight as they were forced into their homes. Yet Afghan women didn’t give up. Journalist Gayle Tzemach Lemmon tells us the story of a young woman who became an entrepreneur and whose business created jobs and hope for many women in her neighborhood during the Taliban years.

Tuesday: Teachers Around The World: American teachers are called everything from lazy to hardworking. Either way, we all depend on the quality of their work. While Wisconsin teachers made themselves heard protesting Gov. Walker's budget repair bill, other countries have their own conversations about the worth of teachers’ work. What lessons can we learn by looking at teachers abroad?

Wednesday: Unhitched: Love and Family Around the World: What makes a "family"? People answer this question in diverse ways around the world. Family researcher Judith Stacey joins us to discuss unique family forms from America, South Africa, and China, including polygamous households and a community that has no marriage at all.

Thursday: An Army of Phantoms: How did Hollywood impact your experience of the Cold War? We take a trek back to the early days of the Cold War with film historian and critic Jim Hoberman to examine how anxieties about communism made it onto the big screen and, then, straight into our heads.

Friday: The D.I.Y. Kitchen: In her recent feature in the New York Times, Julia Moskin details easy projects for an afternoon in the kitchen. It's a do-it-yourself starter kit for everyone. Join us as we learn to make North African preserved lemons, Chinese Chili Oil, and Crème Fraîche!

Here on Earth Producer, Carly