Radio Curious

In June, 2002 I overheard an American woman now living in Israel passionately describe her belief that teaching children to be suicide bombers is the worst form of child abuse imaginable. I invited Elana Radley Rosenman, an organizer of the Women’s Interfaith Encounter, a group of Muslim, Christian and Jewish women who meet regularly in Jerusalem, to be our guest on this edition of Radio Curious.

Elana Rozenman recommends “Yet a Stranger: Why Black Americans Still Don’t Feel at Home,” Debra Mathis.

Originally Broadcast: July 23, 2002

Click here to begin listening.

• » Comments (0)

Sam Farr is a member of Congress from Carmel, California, representing the central coast of California, as well as a former Peace Corps Volunteer, having served in Columbia from 1964 to 1966. He is one of a few former Peace Corps Volunteers to serve in Congress. At the time of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Peace Corps, in late June, 2002, Congressman Farr and Senator Dodd of Connecticut introduced legislation to increase the size of the Peace Corps.

Rep. Sam Farr (D) recommends “Coast Redwoods, a Natural and Cultural History,” by Sam Liden.

Originally Broadcast: July 16, 2002

Click here to begin listening.

• » Comments (0)

Zoya’s Story, An Afghan Woman’s Struggle for Freedom

Zoya, a member of the RAWA, the Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan, tells the story of her childhood, her parents and her parents’ disappearance. She describes the wrath that first the Russians, then the Taliban and then the Northern Alliance have brought to her country. Along with the suffering, she describes the hope and spirit carried in the hearts of the Afghan people.

Zoya recommends the collected speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr..

Originally Broadcast: June 18, 2002

Click here to begin listening.

Podcast: Download

• » Comments (0)

Earl Dixon is a veteran traveler, a veteran piano player, and he’s actually a veteran, too. An interesting story. Earl Dixon, the man on this show, traveled around the world, and has a lot of familiar stories to tell to those of us here in Mendocino County.

Originally Broadcast: June 11, 2002

Click here to begin listening.

• » Comments (0)

Taught to Believe the Unbelievable: A New Vision of Hope for Church and Society

Sister Jane Kelly has been a nun for over 55 years and for several years has tried to have a priest in her parish taken out of the ministry for child molestation and thievery. She is also the author of a book entitled, “Taught to Believe the Unbelievable: A New Vision of Hope for Church and Society,” which discusses the current crisis of sexual and fiscal abuse as an incredible opportunity for the Church.

Originally Broadcast: June 10, 2002

Click here to begin listening.

• » Comments (0)

Take Me With You: Around The World Journey to Invite a Stranger Home

Have you ever made friends with someone from a place where you visited as a traveler? Have you ever wondered what it would be like for that person to visit you in your home and your surroundings? Well, that is what Brad Newsham did. He is the author of “Take Me With You: A Round The World Journey to Invite a Stranger Home.”

Brad Newsham recommends “Dangerous Beauty,” by Mark Ross.

Originally Broadcast: May 7, 2002

Click here to begin listening.

• » Comments (0)

Love is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends

Tim Sanders, the author of a “Love is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends,” is the Chief Solutions Officer at yahoo.com. Knowledge, network and compassion are the themes of his book and the basis for what he believes will bring most success in business.

Tim Sanders recommends “The Third Wave,” by Alvin Toffler.

Originally Broadcast: April 9, 2002

Click here to begin listening.

Podcast: Download

• » Comments (0)

No Turning Back—The History of Feminism and the Future of Women

The place of women in the world and in the American society has changed in many aspects in the recent past.  Many people say this is due to the politics of feminism, and some inquire where it will lead.

I spoke with Professor Freedman by phone in April 2002 and asked her to talk about why feminism did not evolve as people evolved and civilization developed.

The books Professor Freedman recommends are “The Blind Assassin” by Margaret Atwood, and “The Vagina Monologues” by Eve Ensler.

Originally Broadcast: April 2, 2002

Click here to begin listening or on the media player below.

Podcast: Download

• » Comments (0)

Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word

Few words in the English language have caused so much pain, hurt and emotion as the N-word. It is arguably the most consequential social insult in American history. The long history of the pejorative use of the N-word has given it an unusual power that extends to the judicial system, literature and social settings.

Randall Kennedy, a professor of Law at Harvard University Law School, is the author of “Nigger-the Strange Career of a Troublesome Word.”  His book chronicles the history of this word, in an effort to diffuse and neutralize it.

At the end of his book he writes, “There is much to be gained by allowing people all backgrounds to yank the N-word away from white supremacists to subvert its ugliest denotation, and to convert the N-work from a negative into a positive appellation.”

I spoke with Professor Randall Kennedy in the winter of 2002 while he was in California and asked him to begin our conversation by explaining this conclusion.

The book Randall Kennedy recommends in “The Negro in the American Revolution,” by Benjamin Quarles, written in 1961.

Originally Broadcast: March 19, 2002

Click here to listen or on the media player below.

Podcast: Download

• » Comments (1)