Berkowitz, Eric — Sex and Punishment Part Two

We continue our conversation about sexuality with Eric Berkowitz, author, journalist and lawyer.  His book, “Sex and Punishment: Four Thousand Years of Judging Desire” is a story of the struggle to regulate the most powerful engine of human behavior. This engine that drives the human species is substantially different in us than in other mammals. In our million years of evolution, physically and socially we have developed the ability to communicate ideas and the expected, if not “required” behaviors of women and men and children regarding sexual thought, expression and procreation. The history of these ever changing definitions and controls of this fundamental aspect of our lives are visited in this two part series of conversations with Eric Berkowitz, recorded in the Radio Curious studios on December 29, 2012.

Part One discusses the effect the topic of sex has on other people; the development of laws dealing with adultery and women as property; enjoyment of sex; and the way humans dress compared to other animals.

Part Two discusses the issues of young women having sexual relationships with considerably older men; the intention and effect of religion in relationship to sex; prostitution; and same sex intimacy.

The books Eric Berkowitz recommends are “Nemisis,” by Philip Roth, “Love and Exile: An Autobiographical Trilogy,” by Issac Bashevis Singer, and “Jerusalem: The Biography,” by Simon Sebag-Montefiore.

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Berkowitz, Eric — Sex and Punishment Part One

“Sex and Punishment: Four Thousand Years of Judging Desire” is a story of the struggle to regulate the most powerful engine of human behavior. This engine that drives the human species is substantially different in us than in other mammals. In our million years of evolution, physically and socially we have developed the ability to communicate ideas and the expected, if not “required” behaviors of women and men and children regarding sexual thought, expression and procreation. The history of these ever changing definitions and controls of this fundamental aspect of our lives are visited in this two part series of conversations with Eric Berkowitz, recorded in the Radio Curious studios on December 29, 2012.

Part One discusses the effect the topic of sex has on other people; the development of laws dealing with adultery and women as property; enjoyment of sex; and the way humans dress compared to other animals.

Part Two discusses the issues of young women having sexual relationships with considerably older men; the intention and effect of religion in relationship to sex; prostitution; and same sex intimacy.

The books Eric Berkowitz recommends are “Nemisis,” by Philip Roth, and “Love and Exile: An Autobiographical Trilogy,” by Issac Bashevis Singer.

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Kitchell, Mark — The Road to Ruin Is Paved — A Fierce Green Fire

The movie “A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle For a Living Planet”, produced and directed by our guest, Mark Kitchell tells the story of environmental activism – people trying to save the planet, their homes, the future.  In a chronicle of five decades of grassroots and global environmental movements, Kitchell explores how we arrived at the present world-wide crisis.  While exploring broader ideas and deeper meanings, A Fierce Green Fire brings together eras in the past 50 years from conservation to climate change.

The Mendocino Film Festival presents the world premier of A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle For a Living Planet, November 9, 10, and 11, in Ft. Bragg, Mendocino and Pt. Arena.  You may learn more at mendocinofilmfestival.org and afiercegreenfire.com

Mark Kitchell and I visited by phone from his office in San Francisco, California, on October 26, 2012.

The film Mark Kitchell recommends is “Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time.”  The book he recommends is “The Shock Doctrine:  The Rise of Disaster Capitalism,” by Naomi Klein.

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Wilkerson, Isabel — America’s Great Migration 1915-1970 Part Two

We continue our conversation with Pulitzer winner Isabel Wilkerson, author of “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration.”  In the years between 1915 and 1970 almost six million black American citizens from the south migrated to northern and western cities seeking freedom and a better life.

Wilkerson interviewed more than 1,000 people for her book. She is the first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize and is a recipient of the George Polk Award and a John Simon Guggenheim Fellow. Her parents were part of the great migration, journeying from Georgia and southern Virginia to Washington D.C.

In part 2 of our conversation, recorded from her home near Atlanta, Georgia, on September 28, 2012, Isabel Wilkerson describes the inspiration behind her narrative non-fiction story of the six million African-Americans who migrated from the south between 1915 and 1970.

The books Isabel Wilkerson recommends are “The Ark of Justice,” by Kevin Boyle and “The Optimist’s Daughter,” by Eudora Welty.

Part one of our interview with Isabel Wilkerson is here.

Click here to listen to part two or on the media player below.

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Wilkerson, Isabel — America’s Great Migration: 1915-1970 Part One

In the years between 1915 and 1970 almost six million black American citizens from the south migrated to northern and western cities seeking freedom and a better life. Our guest is Pulitzer Prize winner, Isabel Wilkerson author of “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration.” Her book tells the untold experiences of the African-Americans who fled the south over three generations.

Wilkerson interviewed more than 1,000 people for her book. She is the first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize and is a recipient of the George Polk Award and a John Simon Guggenheim Fellow. Her parents were part of the great migration, journeying from Georgia and southern Virginia to Washington D.C.

In the first of two interviews recorded from Isabel Wilkerson’s home near Atlanta, Georgia, on September 28, 2012, she begins with a description of the “biggest untold story of the 20th century.”

The book Isabel Wilkerson recommends is “The Ark of Justice,” by Kevin Boyle.

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Vedantam, Shankar — Have You Found Your Hidden Brain? Part Two

Radio Curious brings you part two of a conversation about the subconscious mind with Shankar Vedantam, author of “The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars, and Save Our Lives.”  His book encourages us to be aware of how our unconscious mind is capable of controlling our decision making capabilities.  In part two, we examine what compels suicide bombers of the early 21st century to take their own lives and those of others. And are we, in fact, all susceptible to these ideas?  Shankar Vedantam is a national correspondent and columnist for The Washington Post and 2009-10 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.

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Vedantam, Shankar — Have You Found Your Hidden Brain? Part One

Radio Curious brings you a conversation about the subconscious mind with Shankar Vedantam,
author of “The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars, and Save Our Lives.” His book encourages us to be aware of how our unconscious mind is capable of controlling our decision making capabilities. Shankar Vedantam is a national correspondent and columnist for The Washington Post and 2009-10 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.

Click here to visit and listen to our archived program or click on the media player below.

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Miles, Dr. Steven — A Blind Eye to Torture

Radio Curious brings you an interview about torture from our archives in 2006.  Our guest is Dr. Steven Miles, author of “Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity and the War On Terror,” a book based in part on eyewitness accounts of actual victims of prison abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan and more than thirty-five thousand pages of documents, autopsy reports and medical records.
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Graham, Frank Ph.D. — The Compromise of the California State Parks

The history and current status of the California State Park System, as in “how’d we get here and what’s gone wrong,” is the topic of this edition of Radio Curious.

Efforts to close our state parks and transfer their management private corporate control continue to occur in California.  We visit with Franklin Graham, Ph.D. who describes how the California public trust to protect our parks has been bureaucratically compromised.

This program, recorded in the Radio Curious studios on August 20, 2012, began with Mr. Graham’s description how our state parks were established.

The book Frank Graham recommends is “West of the Thirties:  Discoveries Among the Navajo and Hope,” by Edward T. Hall.

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Johnston, Lyla — Balas Son: Sacred Sites of the Winnemem Wintu

The Winnemen Wintu people of California, having lived near Mount Shasta, along a tributary of the McCloud River for over 10,000 years celebrate the Balas Chonas, or Puberty Ceremony when girls mature into women.  The ceremony, celebrated on July 3, 2012 was extraordinary, when Balas Chonas was held for the next Winnemem Wintu chief and spiritual leader. However, the Balas Chonas ceremonies may come to an end, if the United States government continues with a plan to raise Shasta Dam and flood out most of the tribes remaining sacred sites.

Our guest is Lyla Johnston, currently a student of Race and Ethnicity at Stanford University who is documenting the culture and sacred sites of the Winnemem Wintu.

Christina Aanestad the Assistant Producer of Radio Curious visited with Lyla Johnston at the July 3rd, 2012 Balas Chonas. They began their conversation when Christina asked Lyla how many sacred sites the Winnemem Wintu have along the McCloud River.

The book Lyla Johnston recommends is “The Red Tent,” by Anita Diamont.

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