Yael Berda

Israeli Human Rights Attorney

Yael Berda is a young Israeli lawyer, born in New York and raised in Jerusalem.  At the age of 14, she became involved in a struggle to free her parents from debtors’ prison and the experience changed her life.  She has since become a leader of a non-violent movement for reconciliation and understanding among the Israel and Palestinian populations.

Yael Berda recommends "Fields of Protest," by Roca Ray.

Originally Broadcast: November 30, 2004

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Susan Crane

Blood on a Nuclear Submarine

Civil disobedience often precedes most social or political change.  The American political tradition has deep roots in civil disobedience.  The Boston Tea Party, the Underground Railroad of the Civil War period, the Suffrage Movement, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and the Vietnam War protests are well known examples.  Symbolic destruction of the tools of war is an act of civil disobedience currently carried out by religious and faith based war protesters.   Susan Crane, once a Peace Corps volunteer and a former Ukiah teacher, hammered on a nuclear submarine in Maine and then poured blood on it.  As a result, she was sentenced to two years in federal prison.  I met with her in the studios of Radio Curious at the end of February 1999, the day after she was released from prison.

Susan Crane recommends The Bible.

Originally Broadcast: March 9, 1999

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John Darnton

Who is Charles Darwin?

The Darwin Conspiracy

Who was Charles Darwin and what led him to describe what we now call “the theory of evolution?”  These curious questions are ones that I have been following since I was about ten years old.  In 1978 I had the good fortune of visiting the Galapagos Islands, 600 miles west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean.  Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Island in 1831 for month as part of a five-year voyage around the world.  There he saw birds and animals that helped him formulate some of his ideas about evolution he published “The Origin of the Species,” 22 years later in 1853.  And the world has not been the same since.  Now, at a time when concepts of evolution and natural selection are attacked certain from theological and political perspectives, a novel called  “The Darwin Conspiracy,” has been written by John Darnton, a writer and editor for the New York Times.  “The Darwin Conspiracy,” although fiction, is said by John Darton to be 90% accurate, and covers Darwin’s life and thinking before and after the publication of “The Origin of the Species.”  I spoke with John Darton from his home in New York City at the end of October 2005.  He began by describing who Charles Darwin was, in his time and place. 

  John Darnton recommends "Snow," by Orhan Pamuk.

Originally Broadcast: November 29, 2005

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Tovah Feldshuh

Golda's Balcony, The Story of Golda Meir

Golda's Balcony

William Gibson’s new play “Golda’s Balcony” is the story of Golda Meir, her life, her love, her work and it’s a significant part of the story of Israel.  This one-woman play is currently being performed by Tovah Feldshuh at the ACT Theatre in San Francisco, California until August 13.  Tovah Feldshuh plays the roles of Golda Meir and those of 38 other people who influenced Golda Meir’s life and her work and she holds the record for the longest running one-woman play on Broadway.  The opening performance of Golda’s Balcony in San Francisco created a palpable feeling of appreciation in the theater that evening and I highly recommend seeing it.  When Tovah Feldshuh and I spoke the next day about her work and Golda Meir, we began when I asked her how the audience affects what she is able to on stage.  For more information look at www.tovahfeldshuh.com and www.goldasbalcony.com.

Tovah Feldshuh recommends "Blink," by Malcolm Gladwell.

Originally Broadcast: August 2, 2005

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Ira Flatow

Science Changes

Present at the Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations on Science and Nature.

The chance to interview another interviewer is an opportunity I like to take.  A chance came on September 4, 2007, when I was able to visit with Ira Flatow, the host of “Science Friday,” a part of "Talk of the Nation," on NPR.   We talked about some of the ideas and concepts  in his book, “Present at the Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid and Controversial Conversations on Science and Nature.”  I think that after thirty-five years as a science journalist, Ira Flatow has seen enough to expect unexpected changes.  He refers to that at the close of the introduction to his book and writes:  “After watching science do its thing for a while, you realize knowledge is really a moving target. What we know today will probably be wrong tomorrow.  And science is that tool for discovery. When science tells us something, chances are that it will tell us something different a few years from now.”  And that’s where Ira Flatow and I began our conversation.  

www.iraflatow.com

Ira Flatow recommends "The World Without Us," by Alan Weisman.

Originally Broadcast: September 5, 2007

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Judith Freeman

A Deadly Trip West in 1857

Red Water

On September 11, 1857, a group of 120 emigrants en route to California was attacked and slaughtered by Mormon settlers and their Indian allies.  Twenty years later, John D. Lee, a Mormon and a participant in the massacre, was executed by a firing squad at the same spot and thus entered history as the scapegoat for all those responsible for what came to be known as the Mountain Meadow Massacre in southern Utah.  “Red Water,” by Judith Freeman, published in January 2002, is the story of the life of John D. Lee, as told by three of his nineteen wives.  Judith Freeman describes early Mormon belief, the sense of persecution felt by the Mormons, and the sisterhood of his wives in marriage.

Judith Freeman recommends "Why Did I Ever," by Mary Robinson.

Originally Broadcast: March 5, 2002

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Winifred Gallagher

In Good Times and in Bad

Working on God

Why are we the way we are?  How should life be lived?  When should we start living it that way and why?  “Working on God” is a new book by Winifred Gallagher, a science writer who lives in New York City.  When her early learning about Christianity was shaken by her college education, she asked, what if religion could be something else?  After writing books on how heredity and experience create the individual, and how our surroundings shape our thoughts and emotions, she has chosen to work on god.

Winnifred Gallagher recommends "Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time," by Marcus Borg.

Originally Broadcast: March 30, 1999

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Shefa Gold

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, is a time for reflection and renewal, a time to look inward to oneself and outward to one’s community.  At the time this program was recorded, in September 1995, Rabbi Shefa Gold was a rabbinical student in her last year of a six-year study program at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadephia, Pennsylvania, where she is studying to become a rabbi.  As part of her life, she travels to many communities in the US and other parts of the world to help Jewish communities celebrate the holidays.

Shefa Gold recommends Translation of the Psalms, by Steven Mitchell.

Originally Broadcast: September 25, 1995

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Paul R. Griffin

Sowing the Seeds of Racism

Seeds of Racism in the Soul of America

Racism, as a part of the American religious culture, can be traced to the religious concepts of some of the earliest European settlers in North America.  Professor Paul R. Griffin explores these roots in his book, “Seeds of Racism in the Soul of America,” linking the concepts in the Puritan belief system to long lasting racist effects.  He argues that racism is itself a religion in the United States and is closely related to America Christianity.  He claims that efforts to erase racism have failed because they have concentrated on its visible manifestations rather than its ideological character.

Paul R. Griffin recommends "The Rage of the Privileged Class," by Ellis Cose.

Originally Broadcast: March 1, 2001

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Steve Jones

Origin of Species Updated

Darwin's Ghost: The Origin of Species Updated

The Origin of the Species,” written by Charles Darwin, after his trip to the Galapagos Islands off of the northwest coast of South America, approximately 150 years ago, fundamentally changed, the understandings of how our species came to be.  Steve Jones, Professor of Genetics at University College in London, England, has written a sequel to Darwin’s book called “Darwin’s Ghost, the Origin of the Species Updated.

Steve Jones recommends “The Basque History of the World: The Story of a Nation,” by Mark Kurlansky and "The Book of Pi," author unkown.

Originally Broadcast: May 9, 2000 May 16, 2000

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Sister Jane Kelly

Errant Priests

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

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Professor Kristen Leslie

Strident Evanglical Themes at the U.S. Air Force Academy  

The series on evangelical Christianity at the United States Air Force Academy continues with Kristen Leslie, a professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at the Yale University Divinity School.  Professor Leslie was invited to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado to meet with the Academy chaplains and provide training in the counseling of female cadets who were victims of sexual assaults that had occurred at the Academy.  In the course of her visits in 2004 and 2005, Professor Leslie and the group of graduate students from the Yale Divinity School who accompanied her observed what she called “strident evangelical themes” at the Academy.  Professor Leslie testified before the Subcommittee on Military Personnel of the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Armed Services on June 28, 2005, at the Congressional hearing entitled “Religious Climate at the U.S. Air Force Academy,” and reported her observations of her visit that included:  the hanging of a banner containing an overtly Christian message by the football coach in the team locker room, an Air Force Academy commander leading a “challenge and response” cheer about Jesus in front of a group of cadets of mixed faith, distribution of flyers advertising religious events in the cadet dining hall and over the public address system, failure of the Air Force Academy to consider the religious practices of cadets of minority faiths when setting the cadet schedule, and public expressions of faith by senior staff and faculty members, in some cases in inappropriate venues such as classrooms.  Interviews with MeLinda Morton, the Air Force Academy Chaplain who resigned the end of July 2005, and Attorney Mikey Wienstein, a 1977 graduate of the Air Force Academy, both of whom are outspoken critics of the inaction on the part of the Air Force Academy leadership may be found here on the Radio Curious website.  The Harvard University Committee on the Study of Religion has a detailed report, with abundant links to other articles on this issue that may be found at www.pluralism.org.  Information about Professor Leslie’s testimony before Congress may be found at www.yale.edu/divinity/press.

Professor Kristen Leslie recommends "Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader," by Ann Fadiman.

Originally Broadcast: August 30, 2005

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Daniel Lev

A Story of Chanukah

Every year on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, which falls four days before the new moon closest to the winter solstice, the eight day holiday of Chanukah, celebrated worldwide, begins.  Before the days of radio and television a person called a magid traveled from town to town, visiting Jewish people and Jewish families.  Daniel Lev is a modern day magid who sometimes visits Ukiah and Willits to teach and pass along Jewish tradition through stories, songs, and spiritual practice.  This program was originally broadcast in December 1996, and joined these archives the day Daniel Lev became a rabbi in 2005.

Daniel Lev recommends the Torah.

Originally Broadcast: December 14, 1996

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Rabbi Naomi Levy

Healing Through Prayer

To Begin Again, the Journey Toward Comfort Strength and Faith in Difficult Times

What is prayer, how is it done, and what good does it do?  The ability to mourn and grieve is one of the many things that distinguish humans from other animals, as is the ability to pray, or consciously not pray.  When life is good, people often pray less than when times are tough and tough times occasionally visit all of us, with or without prayer.  Rabbi Naomi Levy is the author of “To Begin Again, the Journey Toward Comfort Strength and Faith in Difficult Times.”

Rabbi Naomi Levy recommends "The God of Smal Things," by Arandati Roy.

Originally Broadcast: December 7, 1999

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Juan Martinez

Shamanism in the Ecuadorian Jungle

Concepts of reality have many levels, some of which are gained by fasting and/or the use of certain plants that allow a person to view the past, present and/or the future. This is especially true for cultures that cherish and practice oral traditions and which thrive in parts of the world which have an abundance of flora and fauna, like those located in the Amazon basin of South America. The knowledge of the use and effects of these various plants in the Ecuadorian portion of the Amazon basin is held by persons known as Shamans. Dr. Juan Martinez, our guest in this edition of Radio Curious, is a professor of History and Anthropology at the University of Cuenca, in Cuenca, Ecuador. He has studied, written and lectured about the Shamanistic practices in the Ecuadorian jungle and the medicinal and spiritual effects of the plants native to the western portion of the Amazon basin. I spoke with Professor Juan Martinez in his office in Cuenca, Ecuador on November 17, 2005. He began our conversation by describing relationship of the people of Ecuadorian jungle to their worlds, the spiritual world, and the world in which they live on a daily basis.

Juan Martinez recommends "Amazon Worlds," published by Sinchi Sancha.

Originally Broadcast: December 5,2005

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Rev. MeLinda Morton

Evangelical Proselytization at the United States Air Force Academy

This program with MeLinda Morton, a Lutheran minister who resigned from active duty as a chaplain at the United States Air Force Academy effective July 31, 2005, continues our series on evangelical proselytization within the United States Air Force and at the United States Air Force Academy in Coloradio Springs, Colorado.  This interview was recorded on August 19, 2005, and begins with Rev. Morton describing her duties as a pastoral chaplain to the cadets at the Air Force Academy and the issues that led up to her resignation. If you are interested in this topic, please listen to interview with Mikey Weinstein, an Air Force Academy graduate and a former attorney in the Reagan White House.

Rev. MeLinda Morton recommends “No Future, Queer Theory and the Death Drive,” by Lee Edelman.

Originally Broadcast: August 23, 2005

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David Osborn

Papal Politics & The Election of a New Pope

The Last Pope

“The Last Pope,” by David Osborn, takes us inside the world of the Vatican and the American branch of the Catholic Church.  Fictional relationships between the conservative and reform branches of the Catholic Church are revealed in a novel that combines character from both groups.

David Osborn recommends "Naked," by David Sedaris, "Blindness," by Jose Saramago, "Bel Canto," by Ann Patchett & "Remembrance of Things Past," by Marcel Proust.

Originally Broadcast: June 8, 2004

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Chaim Potok

Escaping Communism

The Gates of November

Chaim Potok, the author of “The Chosen,” “The Gift of Asher Lev,” “Divida’s Heart,” and many other novels, chronicled the life of a Russian Jewish family in the non-fictions story, “The Gates of November.”  This true story of the Slapeck family, Solomon Slapek, his son Valodya, and daughter-in-law Masha, spans 100 years.  Beginning with Solomon’s childhood at turn of the 20th century, his escape to America and return to Russia, it eventually describes Valodya and Masha’s life after they apply for an exit visa to leave Russia in 1968, in order to emigrate to Israel.  Chaim Potok died July 23, 2002, at his suburban Philadelphia home of brain cancer at the age of 73.

Chaim Potok recommends "The English Patient," by Michael Ondaatje.

Originally Broadcast: January 8, 1997

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Elana Rozenman

Jewish, Muslim & Christian Understanding

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

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Marta Morena Vega

One Religion People Forced to Migrate Brought to the Americas

The Altar of My Soul

Religious beliefs normally follow people as they migrate, including people who are forced to migrate.  The people forced to migrate to the western Hemisphere during the slave-trading period carried their beliefs and belief systems to the diaspora of their new world.  The Santeria religion, also know as Lucumí, is a belief system that originated in Africa later brought to the Americas and is still practiced in widely separated communities of the western hemisphere.  Marta Moreno Vega, a Santeria Priestess, and university professor in New York City is the author of “The Alter of My Soul.”  Her book is a story of the Santeria or Lucumí religion, its traditions, how they were brought from Africa and are practiced now.  I spoke with Marta Moreno Vega by phone in November of 2000, and we began when I asked her to tell us about the Santeria religion and how it differs from other religions.

Marta Morena Vega recommends “Face of The Gods: Art and Altars of Africa and the African Americans,” by Robert F. Thompson.

Originally Broadcast: November 7, 2000

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Mikey Weinstein

Evangelical Christianity and the United States Air Force Academy

There are concerns that evangelical Christianity is close to being officially sanctioned at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as well as within other areas of the United States’ military forces.  In this edition of Radio Curious we visit some of these issues with Mikey Weinstein, a graduate of Air Force Academy, a businessman and former attorney in the Reagan White House.  He describes how evangelical Christianity appears to have become the standard within the United States Air Force Academy that trains future leaders of the U.S. Air Force.  At the beginning of an Air Force career each new cadet, among many other things, takes an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States.  These cadets are led by Brig.  Gen. Johnny A Weida, the current USAF Academy Commandant of Cadets.  On the official Air Force website, under character development, Brig. Gen. Weida is quoted as saying, "Our primary emphasis is to ensure every graduate has the character, honor, integrity, sense of service and excellence required of a second lieutenant in the world's greatest Air and Space force."  On July 29, 2005, the name of Brig Gen Weida, the number two officer of the Air Force Academy, was deleted from a list of Air Force generals to be promoted, shortly before the Senate voted on those promotions.  An April 28, 2005 report by American United for Separation of Church and State accused Brig Gen Weida of proselytizing to the cadets and specifically endorsing evangelical Christianity at the Academy.  It is suggested that this may be a reason why he was not promoted. This interview with Mikey Weinstein, who worked as Assistant General Counsel in the Reagan White House Office of Administration, was recorded by telephone from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on August 3, 2005. 

Mikey Weinstein recommends "The Sins of Scripture." by John Shelby Spong.

Originally Broadcast: August 9, 2005

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Richard Zimler

The Pogroms of Portugal, 1506

Last Kabbalist of Lisbon

In the early part of the 1500s in the Iberian Peninsula, which comprises Spain and Portugal, people who were not followers of the Roman Catholic faith were expelled, required to convert to Catholicism or killed.   At that time, there was a sizeable Jewish population living in those two countries, especially in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.  The “Last Kabbalist of Lisbon,” written by Richard Zimler, an American living in Porto, Portugal, is a story about what happened to the Jews of Portugal.

Richard Zimler recommends "The Assault on Truth," by Jeffrey Masson.

Originally Broadcast: August 15, 2004

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