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