WGTD's The Morning Show with Greg Berg: Recent Episodes
WGTD
Daily Episodes of the Morning Show with Greg Berg. One-of-a-kind interviews with locally and nationally-renowned authors, regional newsmakers, opinion leaders, educators, performers, athletes, and other intriguing members of the community. Presented by WGTD FM.
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From 2015: Linda Flashinski talks about her book "In what light there is," a collection of some of the essays she wrote for her column of the same name that was published for a number of years in the Racine Journal Times. Linda is known to many WGTD listeners as a very capable co-host of our weekend program "Education Matters" as well as a limited series titled "Heroes in our midst." For many years, she worked for the Racine Unified School District.
Best-selling author Larry Tye discusses his latest book "The Jazz Men: How Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Count Basie Transformed America."
From 2015- John Feinstein, author of "Where nobody knows your name: Life in the minor leagues of baseball."
Advice Columnist Amy Dickinson ("Ask Amy") is ending her column after a 21-year run. This archival interview was recorded back in 2005. Amy Dickinson's final column will be published on Sunday, June 30th.
This is the complete interview I recorded with Holly Stanfield last week in which we talked about her distinguished career with the Kenosha Unified School District - and her final KUSD production ("Between the Lines") which is performed Thursday and Friday of this week before the cast and crew take it to the International Thespian Festival.
From 2019 - Parker J. Palmer, author of "On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity and Getting Old."
Kailyn Palomares pays her monthly visit to the Morning Show with a conversation about the removal of the Horlick Dam. Joining her is Dave Giordano, executive director of Root-Pike WIN, and Monte Osterman, chair of the Racine County Land and Water Conservation Association.
We speak with Brian Mullgardt, professor of history at Millikin Univerisity, talks about his book "Wear some armor in your hair: Urban renewal and the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Lincoln Park." Professor Mullgardt is speaking to Adventures in Lifelong Learning tomorrow (Friday) afternoon at 2:00. More information can be found at uwp.edu.
We talk about Racine's Violent Crime Reduction Initiative with John Tate II, director of the Dept. of Community Safety .... Jessie Metoyer, deputy chief of the Racine Police Department .... and Maurice Horton, Racine County Violence Prevention Manager.
Jimmie James talks about his memoir "Playing from the Rough: A Personal Journey through America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses." James, an executive at Exxon who retired at the age of 58, undertook the challenge of playing the 100 greatest American golf courses as ranked by Golf Digest ... and to do so within one calendar year. The book is about much more than the golf courses; it's about the people he met as he came to reacquaint himself with America itself; it was also the experience of coming to terms with his own childhood, which was marked by severe poverty.
Boyce Upholt talks about his new book "The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi."
From 2014- Douglas Whynott, author of "The Sugar Season: A year in the life of Maple Syrup and one family's quest for the sweetest harvest."
From 2020 - An interview with three highly regarded high school choir directors in southeastern Wisconsin ... Elizabeth Steege from Case H.S. in Racine, Polly Amborn from Tremper H.S. in Kenosha, and Derek Machan from Waterford H.S. ...... talking about how each of them confronted the considerable challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic within the protocols and practices of their respective school districts. I am re-sharing this interesting interview because two of these three choral directors - Elizabeth Steege and Polly Amborn - are retiring.
Two interviews about dogs. Part 1- Jennifer Holland, author of "Dog Smart: Life-Changing Lessons in Canine Intelligence." Part 2- from 2004, the author of "How Dogs Think."
Dr. Art Cyr, a monthly visitor to the Morning Show, offers a commentary on D-Day on the 80th anniversary to the day of that momentous event.
We catch up with Barbara Brattin, who has been the director of the Kenosha Public Library for the past ten years. She is retiring on August 2nd. We talk about the ways in which libraries have changed over recent years - specific innovations that have come about at the KPL over the past decade - and the challenges that public libraries face. We also talk about the new children's library in Kenosha- which has its grand opening on July 13th.
Andrea Balis and Elizabeth Levy, co-authors of "Witch Hunt: The Cold War, Joe McCarthy, and the Red Scare." The book is actually designed for young readers but is likely to be interesting and illuminating for readers of any age.
We get an update about the Kenosha Community Foundation from executive director Amy Greil - with a special focus on the partnership between the KCF and ANVK, which is the philanthropic arm of the Kenosha Visiting Nurses Association. Joining Amy in the conversation is Linda Scott, CEO of ANVK, and Alex Berce, a border member of ANVK. (Berce oversees the operations of Good Value Pharmacy, a locally-owned pharmacy which has several locations in the Kenosha and Racine areas.)
We speak with best-selling author Greg Iles about his latest novel, "Southern Man." The book, set in the present day, presents a premise in which a tragic police shooting leads to a wave of violence across the country- which is exploited by an ambitious politician. The novelist draws extensively upon his own personal background in writing the book and in shaping the persona of the main character.
From 2017- Finn Murphy, author of "The Long Haul: A Trucker's Tales of Life on the Road."
From 2016- Debbie Clarke Moderow, author of "Fast into the Night: A Woman, Her Dogs, and their Journey North on the Iditarod Trail."
Long-time Sports Illustrated writer S. L. Price talks about his book "Heart of the Game: Life, Death and Mercy in Minor League America." (from 2009) This is probably my single favorite book about baseball.
Dr. Art Cyr joins us to talk about the 80th anniversary of D-Day, recent local elections in Britain (in which the conservative party suffered massive losses), U.S. Speaker Michael Johnson's decision to support U.S. aid to Ukraine, and JFK's narrow victory in the 1960 presidential primary in Wisconsin (the topic of Tuesday's Morning Show.) Dr. Cyr is a member of the faculty at Carthage College and a columnist whose work appears in newspapers across the country. He has been a monthly visitor to the Morning Show for more than twenty years.
Edson Melendez talks about Brew City Opera's production of Mozart's COSI FAN TUTTE which opens Thursday evening and runs this weekend only.
Dr. Arturo Casadevall discusses his fascinating book "What if Fungi Win?" Dr. Casadevall has been studying fungi for more than forty years. They are extraordinary organisms - remarkably diverse - and absolutely essential for human life. They also pose a grave threat to us with fungal diseases that affect both human beings as well as our food supply. Dr. Casadevall also talks about all that we still do not understand about fungi and the ways in which research has fallen short. "I want to help change the way we practice science," he says at one point.
B.J. Hollars discusses his book "Wisconsin for Kennedy: The Primary that Launched a President and Changed the Course of History." The book gives a careful account of the JFK's campaign in the 1960 Wisconsin presidential primary in which he eventually secured a narrow victory over Hubert Humphrey. The book includes portraits of some of the people who played very important roles in the campaign, including Jerry Bruno, a forklift operator from Kenosha (with a 9th grade education) who became one of the coordinators of the candidate's travel arrangements- and went on to serve a similar function in President Kennedy's administration. The book also examines the crucial role that Jackie Kennedy played in her husband's campaign.
For Memorial Day: Patrick K. O'Donnell talks about his remarkable book "The Unknowns: The Untold Story of America's Unknown Soldier and World War One's Most Decorated Heroes Who Brought Him Home." (We replay this interview on every Memorial Day.)
From 2010 - Thomas Childers, author of "Soldier from the War Returning: The Greatest Generation's Troubled Homecoming from World War Two." (in anticipation of the Memorial Day holiday.) This haunting and illuminating book examines the largely untold story of all of the soldiers from World War Two who returned home with physical, mental and physical trauma, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder- something not fully understood or appreciated at the time. Childers focuses in particular on the stories of three families - one of which was his own.
From 2014 - Ayelet Waldman talks about her riveting novel "Love and Treasure" - partly set in the immediate aftermath of World War Two - and also set seventy years later. It touches on the painful legacy of plundered treasures.
We speak with Matthew Matysik, Kaylee Annable, Betty Peterson and Dan Venne about the Racine Theater Guild's production of the Kander/Ebb musical CABARET. We play excerpts from a number of the songs that are part of the score.
Ann E. Burg talks about "Force of Nature: a novel of Rachel Carson." Carson was one of the most important environmentalists of the 20th century.
Part 1 - Christine Saxman, co-author of "Being White Today: A Road Map for a Positive Anti-Racist Life." Part 2 - (from 2005) Ellis Cose, author of "Bone to Pick: of Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Reparation, and Revenge."
Part one: Dr. Andrea Sankar, co-author of "Dying at Home: a Family Guide for Caregiving." Part two: (from the archives) Diane Rehm, author of "When my time comes: Conversations about whether those who are dying should have the right to determine when life ends." The book focuses primarily on the practice known as MAID- Medical Aid in Dying.
We speak with John Tate II, director of the department of community safety for the city of Racine. We talk about efforts that are underway to reduce violence and violent crime in Racine. Tate is a former president of the Racine Common Council and former chair of the Wisconsin Parole Board.
Dave Cole, general manger of WGTD, discusses the format and schedule changes for WGTD and Wisconsin Public Radio that go into effect today.
Best-selling author Tom Clavin talks about his newest book, "Throne of Grace: A Mountain Man, an Epic Adventure, and the Bloody Conquest of the American West." The book explores the beaver trade of the early 19th century as the American West was being explored- and it focuses in particular on a largely forgotten explorer by the name of Jedidiah Smith.
From 2014 - Margo Howard (writer and daughter of Ann Landers) talks about her entertaining memoir "Eat, Drink and Remarry."
From the summer of 2021, Carthage College's Adam Koening talks about what went behind the creation of a brand new way to do Commencement .... necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the impossibility of safely gathering for a conventional Commencement with thousands of people crowded together. Adam drew upon some of his professional experience before Carthage to conceive, design and execute a sort of individual procession for each graduate. Because this experience was so deeply enjoyed and appreciated, it has been retained even though a more conventional commencement gathering is now possible. (Carthage actually does both- a large gathering as well as the individual processional.) We're replaying this interview today to coincide with the first of two days of individual commencement processionals.\ at Carthage.
On Monday, May 20th, Wisconsin Public Radio is enacting a dramatic realignment of its two networks- and WGTD is going to be part of the network devoted almost exclusively to news and information. Consequently, classical music will no longer be heard over WGTD- which also means that I will no longer be hosting the Music Potpourri on occasional weekday mornings at 9. These changes are necessary and sensible, and I fully support them - but I also find myself grieving more than I expected I would. Consequently, I made a point of making the last two Music Potpourri programs especially meaningful, comprised entirely of special pieces of music that have meant a lot to me over the years - and I am sharing them in the podcast in part so that they might be archived. (NOTE: this change in format does not in any way alter The Morning Show. It will continue to be broadcast five days a week, and the podcast version of the program will be shared seven days a week.)
Tim Wendel talks about his newest historical novel, "Rebel Falls," which is set during the Civil War. Its central protagonist is a woman anxious to be part of the Union war effort - and ends up volunteering to be part of the Union's special forces looking to thwart a Confederate plot to prolong the war and avoid outright defeat.
When I was hired at WGTD in 1986, it was primarily to organize and host our classical music programming- which back then was considerable. My musical duties here at the station- which have gradually given way to other responsibilities over the years (chief among them being the Morning Show) - are about to end because of a format change that goes into effect on Monday, May 20th. (It reflects a necessary and logical format change at Wisconsin Public Radio, with which we are an affiliate.) Under the new format, we will be part of the WPR network that is devoted almost entirely to news/information/talk ..... and classical music will move to the other network. It's a change which I fully understand and embrace, but it still marks for me the end of an era - so I want to archive my last two Music Potpourri programs here on the podcast. (NOTE: The Morning Show remains unchanged in the new format.)
Kendall Victorine talks about the Four Seasons Garden Club - and their annual plant sale, which is coming up this Saturday at Harbor Market.
Law professor Joshua Douglas discusses his book "The Court versus The Voters: The Troubling Story of hos the Supreme Court has Undermined Voting Rights." Professor Douglas examines 9 U.S. Supreme Court rulings over the past half century that he believes have undermined voting rights to an alarming extent.
In honor of International Water Safety Day, we speak with Seth Weidman - associate athletic director at Carthage and an associate coach for the swimming and diving teams - and David Benjamin, director of The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, an advocacy organization in the Great Lakes region that tackles the issue of water safety in many different ways.
From 2017- Richard Kurin, co-author of "Hope Diamond: The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem."
Doug Instenes, managing and artistic director of the Racine Theater Guild, talks about the RTG's production of CABARET, which opens this weekend.
From 2009- Dr. Mark Sloan, author of "Birth Day: A Pediatrician Explores the Science, the History, and the Wonder of Childbirth."
From 2006 - for Mother's Day - Deborah Tannen, author of "You're wearing that? - Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation."
Jeff Pearlman, author orf "Gunslinger: The Remarkable, Improably, Iconic Life of Brett Favre." (from 2017)
Dr. William Kuhn (a former English professor at Carthage College) talks about his latest book, "Swimming with Lord Byron," which examines the life and career of this celebrated writer with particular focus on Lord Byron's colorful personal life and complicated sexual identity. (Lord Byron was something of a gay icon even during his lifetime- and very much since.)
For Kailyn Palomares's May visit to the Morning Show, she secured the participation of Alyssa Firkus, director of education for Lake County Forest Preserves, to talk about one of the most amazing creatures on earth - the cicada. 2024 is an extraordinary year for cicadas because of a very rare occurrence: the emergence of 17-year cicadas and 13-year cicadas in the same year- something that has not happened in more than 200 years.
Patrick K. O'Donnell discusses his latest book, "The Unvanquished: The Untold Story of Lincoln's Special Forces, the Manhunt for Mosby's Rangers, and the Shadow War that Forged America's Special Operations."
We hear about the Carthage theater department's latest verbatim theater project - "Terminal Exhale" - from faculty member Martin McClendon .... as well as from Michael Cotey, founder of the organization "Enough: Plays to end gun violence," which encourages young people to write their own plays addressing the issue of gun violence. "Terminal Exhale" is comprised of the actual testimony of various front line health care workers who have had to deal with gunshot victims and have witnessed the carnage on an ongoing basis. The play tells the story of what they have seen and experienced. There is a public reading of the play coming up at Carthage this Saturday, May 11th.
David Lockwood and Lawrence Kirby talk about new efforts underway to create a "walking school bus" in Kenosha for students at Brass Elementary. A walking school bus involves volunteers who help walk elementary students from their homes to school; it is known to be one of the most effective means to deal with school truancy.
Dr. Jame Ripley, director of instrumental activities at Carthage College, talks about Saturday night's concert that finishes out this special 150th anniversary year of bands at Carthage. The concert includes the world premiere of "Scene One: Fortitude," a piece commissioned for the occasion.
I'm happy to say that I won a first place award from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association this past weekend - Best Interview for a middle market music station - for this interview which I recorded with William Shatner.
ERika Lee, Christina Soontornvat, coauthors of "Made in Asian America: A History for Young People."
For Holocaust Remembrance Day- from 2002 ..... Alexandra Zapruder, author/editor of "Salvaged Pages," an extraordinary collection of young person's diaries from the Holocaust.
For Holocaust Remembrance Day- from 2016- Wendy Holden, author of a truly amazing book titled "Born Survivors" about three women imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp who manage to conceal their pregnancies from their captors, preserving the lives of their as yet-unborn children. An extraordinary story.
From 2003 - Todd Gitlin, author of "Letters to a young activist." (from a series of books called The Art of Mentoring.)
Jim Schatzman, founder and artistic director of the Choral Arts Society, talks about Carl Orff's dramatic cantata CARMINA BURANA, one of the most extraordinary and unique masterworks of 20th century choral music. The group will be performing the work on May 18th and 19th at UW-Parkside in collaboration with The Studio of Classical Dance Arts. The preview includes recorded excerpts from the work.
We preview Saturday night's concert by the Kenosha Symphony, "May the Fourth be with you." (Saturday is May 4th.) The program features a sampling of great movie music from films such as Star Wars, Batman, Amadeus, and Schindler's List. We have three interviews: with KSO board president Pete Rodriguez (who is also a member of the orchestra's french horn section) .... music director Dr. Robert Hasty, who will be conducting the concert .... and concertmaster Sascha Mandl, who will be featured in the exquisite violin solo from the film score 'Schindler's List.' This preview includes recorded excerpts from three of the works featured on Saturday evening's concert, which happens at Reuther High School Auditorium at 7:30.
Dr. Art Cyr offers his commentary on recent events in Africa, the Middle East, Turkey - offers thoughts on the Baltimore bridge collapse and the importance of infrastructure - and reflects on the complicated legacy of Richard Nixon. (This year marks the 50th anniversary of his resignation from office.)
(From 2020) - Howard Burman, author of "Mutt's Dream: Making the Mick," which tells the story of the incredibly close relationship between baseball superstar Mickey Mantle and his father, Elven "Mutt" Mantle, who did all he could do to secure for his son what he himself never had- a chance to play professional baseball and enjoy a far better life than he himself had lived. Among other things, the book explores the psychological and emotional cost of the pressure that young Mickey received from his father.
On the last day of Organ Donation Awareness Month, Wanda Brister, Professor of Voice at Florida State University, tells the story her health difficulties that ultimately led her to becoming a double lung recipient earlier this year. She also talks about the specific malady - Sarcoidosis - that attacked her lungs and necessitated the lung transplant. (April is also Sarcoidosis Awareness Month.)
Dr. Tracey Holloway is a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who also happens to be a mother. She is part of a new group called Science Moms, which is comprised of climatologists who are also mothers who want to spread the word about climate change.
Wisconsin leads the nation in falls that result in serious injury. We speak with two representatives of the Kenosha County Aging and Disability Resource Center: Paula Clark and Haleigh Couch, about their fall prevention program.
From 2018- Mark Ribowsky discusses his book "In the Name of the Father: Family, Football and the Manning Dynasty," in which he explores the legacy of Archie Manning and his sons Peyton and Eli; all three of them were celebrated NFL quarterbacks.
In memory of journalist Robert MacNeil, who passed away on April 12th at the age of 93, here is a 2003 Morning Show interview in which he talks about his fascinating and moving memoir "Looking for my Country: Finding myself in America."
We preview Saturday's open house at the 16th Street Studios in Racine- which is the artistic home of around 90 area artists. We're joined in this conversation by fiber/quilt artist Margaret Heller, potter/ceramic artist Robert Mayer, and live model Joseph Vignieri, all three of whom have studios at the 16th Studios. The address is 1405 16th Street and the event is Saturday from 10 to 4. We talk in this conversation not just about the open house but also about the artistic endeavors of these three artists.
We're presenting the audio from an event on April 18th that was organized by Carthage College's Business and Professional Coalition: "The Future of Higher Education in Wisconsin." Panelists were John Swallow, the president of Carthage, and Jay Rothman, president of the University of Wiscconsin System.
We preview Carthage's production of Maury Yeston's musical "Nine" with Neil Scharnick, stage director of the production, and two of the students in the cast: Chase Juster (Guido Contini) and Emily Halfman (Luisa.) The musical is based on the story told in Fellini's classic film 8 1/2 about a middle-aged Italian film director experiencing a wrenching creative and personal crisis that drives him into encounters with or recollections of the women who have been a significant part of his past.
We speak with Rachel Swartz from the theater faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside about their production of "Peter and the Star Catcher," which runs for the next two weekends on their main stage. The musical (and the novel upon which its based) seeks to expand on the familiar story of Peter Pan.
Malia Lazu, author of "From Intention to Impact: A Practical Guide to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion." This is perhaps the best book I have ever written on the much-discussed and controversial topic of DEI.
For Earth Day: Part One- Dallas Murphy, author of "To Follow the Water: Exploring the Ocean to Discover Climate, from the Gulf Stream to the Blue Beyond." Part Two- Simone Maloz talks about habitat restoration work being done in the Mississippi Delta in Louisiana.
From 2010 - Diana Jean Schemo discusses her book "Skies to Conquer: a Year inside the Airforce Academy."
Professor Tom Noer was a member of the history faculty at Carthage College for 46 years. He passed away on April 7th. In his memory, I want to re-share my final Morning Show interview with him, which was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this conversation, he talks about other health scares and epidemics in America's past.
David Coggins talks about his most recent book, "The Believer: A Year in the Fly-Fishing Life." Coggins has loved fly-fishing for most of his adult life, and this latest book chronicles some of his experiences with fly-fishing in places in locales all around the world. We follow this interview with an archival interview dating back to the days when Wikipedia was a relative newcomer to the internet. John Broughton wrote a book that amounted to a manual on how Wikipedia works.
Nate Stamper, director of theater at Case High School in Racine, is the guest director of the Racine Theater Guild's production of "Stargirl," based on the Jerry Spinelli novel of the same name, which explores important issues of conformity/non-conformity for young people. Filling out the program today is an archival interview with sportswriter and author John Feinstein in which he talks about one of his best-selling novels for young readers. "The Walk-On- May the best quarterback win."
I speak with Dayvin Hallmon, founder and director of the Black String Triage Ensemble in Milwaukee. This group of string musicians - during the summer months - will go to the site of gun violence or other civil unrest and will play music to try and bring comfort and healing to those directly impacted.
We are rebroadcasting this 2009 interview in memory of Dr. Tom Noer, a longtime and beloved memory of the Carthage faculty (he taught history there for 4 years) who passed away on April 7th. In this interview, Professor Noer talks about G. Mennen Williams, a highly unconventional political figure whom Professor Noer greatly admired. We also hear from Professor Noer on how he went about researching the life and career of Williams.
From 2007 - Benjamin Woolley discusses his book "Savage Kingdom: The true story of Jamestown, 1607, and the Settlement of America." 2007 marked the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown.
From 2015- Patrick McGilligan talks about his book "Young Orson: The years of luck and genius on the path to Citizen Kane." 2015 was the year of the renowned filmmaker's 100th birthday. Welles born in Kenosha, and the city welcomed a number of experts to its Welles Centennial Celebration; McGilligan was one of them.
Part 1 - Sy Montgomery talks about her latest book, "Secrets of the Octopus" (published by National Geographic.) Part 2- (from the archives) World-renowned chef Eric Ripert talks about two of his books: "Avec Ripert" and "On the Line."
Kailyn Palormares is naturalist and education manager for Hawthorn Hollow. With her is a colleague of hers, Emily Leonard, who is the resident ecologist there. We explore together the important topics of invasive species and habitat restoration.
Sarah Ashworth, director of Wisconsin Public Radio, talks about the changes in WPR's operation that were announced yesterday - and the impact of those changes on the listeners of WGTD. WPR's two networks are being renamed and realigned. WGTD will become part of WPR News. The changes go into effect on May 20th. (More information about the changes is available at wpr.org/new.)
Award-winning artist and illustrator Ed Steckley talks about his wide-ranging career, which has includes work for Mad Magazine and Saturday Night Live. He recently won a Reuben Award for Best in Book Illustration. We also talk about some of the ways in which the industry has dramatically changed in recent years thank to new technologies.
We speak with renowned Tony Award-winning lyricist Sir Tim Rice, whose setting of "From Here to Eternity" opens this Friday night at Milwaukee's Skylight Theatre and runs through early May. Sir Tim Rice's credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, The Lion King, Aida, Chess, and Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Rice's "From Here to Eternity" (with music by Stuart Brayson) premiered in 2013. Skylight's production is the show's midwest premiere.
From 2017 - Nancy Davies, a woman active in community theater in Southeastern Wisconsin, talks about her lifelong love of the circus and the experience of working with Ringling Brothers. The interview was recorded shortly after Ringling Bros. announced the shuttering of its "Greatest Show on Earth." (It remained dormant until last year when it was revived in a different format that does not utilize live animals.)
From 2010- Steven Solomon, author of "Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power, and Civilization." In his fascinating book, Solomon charts how the need to secure plentiful fresh water has helped shape the history of human civilization.
Best-selling author Keith O'Brien talks about his new book "Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose and the Last Glory Days of Baseball." The book chronicles Pete's blue collar roots, his improbable rise to greatness as one of baseball's greatest hitters, and the disastrous disintegration of his career due to his gambling addiction. (Pete Rose was banished from major league baseball for the rest of his life.) In part two, we go into the archives for a 2010 interview with Tim Wendel, author of "High Heat: The Secret History of the Fastball and the Improbable Search for the Fastest Pitcher of all time."
We learn all about the non-profit group Adventures in Lifelong Learning (A.L.L.) from president Shelly Underhill, past-president Karen Kempinen, and day trips co-chair Carole Kotese.
Just in time for the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th - we hear from David Baron, author of "American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World." The book focuses on the 1878 total solar eclipse that was visible in much of the United States. A trio of brilliant Americans (including a young Thomas Alva Edison and an extraordinary young astronomer named Maria Mitchell) raced to the Rocky Mountains to view the eclipse, gather information, and help elevate America's status in the eyes of the world's scientific community. Baron is himself an 'umbraphile,' which means he is an eclipse chaser; he traveled around the world to observe multiple total solar eclipses. The book was initially released in 2017; it has been re-released with a new afterword.
From the archives: Marta McDowell, author of "Emily Dickinson's Gardening Life: The Plants and Places that Inspired the Iconic Poet." [Today's Morning Show broadcast was with gardening expert Nina Koziol. That interview was shared in the podcast back on March 28th.]
From 2018 - Richard Ratay, author of "Don't make me pull over: an informal history of the family road trip."
25 years ago this year, Bert and John Jacobs ... two college-age brothers .... designed and sold their first t-shirts. They eventually founded the company Life is Good. In honor of that anniversary, here is an interview where they talk about the Life is Good book that they co-wrote.
From 2020- Matt Richtel, author of "An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System- A Tale in Four Lives."
Sneak Preview: One of the most prominent gardening experts/writers/teachers in the Chicago-area, Nina Koziol, is coming to Kenosha on Thursday evening, April 4th- in a program sponsored by the Four Seasons Garden Club. The interview is being broadcast on April 2nd, but we're sharing the interview today in podcast format since the event is coming up so soon.
This is a newly-recorded interview with Debbie Irving, looking back over the last ten years since the publication of her memoir "Waking Up White: and finding myself in the Story of Race."
From 2014 - Debbie Irving, author of "Waking up White: and finding myself in the Story of Race." The book is a remarkably honest memoir about Irving's realization (in adulthood) that she had harbored all kinds of racist attitudes that she never realized were there. The book also explores the reality of systemic racism. (Tomorrow, we'll have a newly-recorded interview with Irving in which she looks back over the past ten years.)
We preview the next American Experience documentary film - "The Cancer Detectives" - with co-directors/co-producers Amanda Pollak and Gene Tempest. The film talks about the most important breakthrough in early cancer detection among woman: the pap smear, named for Dr. George Papanicolaou. The film charts the circuitous route by which this became a well-established practice- and the various barriers and attitudes that had to be surmounted. The film also tells about the enormously important contributions made to the cause by Dr. Papanicolaou's wife Andromachi and others.
From 2017 - S.C. Gwynne, author of "The Perfect Pass: American Genius and the Revinvention of Football." The book is primarily the story of two football geniuses, Hal Mumme and Mike Leach, who helped revolutionize the game of football with a radical approach to the passing game that had never been seen before.
From 2020- Tom Clavin discusses his book "Wild Bill: The True Story of the American Frontier's First Gunfighter."
We catch up with Dr. Thomas Carr, director of the Carthage Institute of Paleontology, and Dr. Megan Seitz, who is the program's Preparator. We will revisit the history of the program, the way in which it has grown both in size and stature over the years, and the work that each of them does. We talk about plans for their next 'dinosaur dig' in Montana this summer. We also discuss a serious budgetary issue that threatens the very existence of the program. Last but not least - there is an amazing moment when I (Greg Berg) get to hold an actual dinosaur bone!
Sports journalist and podcaster Ann Liguori talks about her newest book, "Life on the Green: Lessons and Wisdom from Legends of Golf." In it, she shares some of the life lessons that some of the sport's greatest stars have learned through the course of their professional careers.
We introduce you to Aubrey Marquez, a junior at Park High School who is an apprentice at Delta Hawk, an exciting young engine company in Racine. We also speak with two Racine Unified School District employees who have worked with Aubrey - school counselor Jeffrey Wilkins and youth apprentice coordinator Mike Lynch - as well as two employees at Delta Hawk .... Lisa Booker, head of HR, and Aaron Nieto, lead engine technician. In Part Two, we hear from the author of the book "Wish I Could Be There: Notes from a Phobic Life."
From 2020- for Women's History Month- Lucinda Robb (granddaughter of Lyndon Baines Johnson) and Rebecca Boggs Roberts (daughter of Cokie Roberts) talk about their book "The Suffragist Playbook: Your Guide to Changing the World." The book examines some of the most important suffragists and how they managed to accomplish what they did- often against nearly insurmountable odds.
From 2003 - Malachy McCourt (younger brother of best-selling author Frank McCourt) discusses his book "The Claddagh Ring: Ireland's Cherished Symbol of Friendship, Loyalty and Love."
From 2005 - Dr. Stanley Coren, author of "How Dogs Think: What the world looks like to them and why they act the way they do." Also, Emily Yoffe, author of "What the Dog Did: Tales from a formerly reluctant dog owner."
Dr. Lynn Akey, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, pays her first visit to the Morning Show. She assumed her position at Parkside in January.
Kailyn Palomares has taken over from Nan Calvert in organizing monthly Morning Show programs around various topics related to the environment and the natural world. Today's program focuses primarily on Maple Sugaring as it takes place at Hawthorn Hollow, where Kailyn is Naturalist and Education Manager. With her today is Hawthorn Hollow's Executive Director, TJ Leveque.
We speak with director Steve Mattnor and actor Sean Collier about the lakeside players' production of "The 39 Steps," a comic parody of the classic 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name.
We preview the Carthage College theater department's production of Eric Overmyer's "On the Verge, or The Geography of Yearning" with Professor Herschel Kruger as well as two students involved in the production: assistant director/dramaturg Katie Layendecker and costume designer Ani Gebaur.
Best-selling author Tiffany Jewell talks about her most recent book "Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned In School." Growing up in Syracuse, NY as a biracial young woman whom the schools categorized as white, the author was in an uncommon position to witness the many and various ways in which the school district failed to properly serve most of its students of color.
Part 1 - We catch up with the spectacular musical duo of Mia X Ally (Mia is a superb violinist, Ally is a award-winning bagpiper) who will be performing in Milwaukee on Saint Patrick's Day. Part 2 - (from 2016) the late Indian chef Raghavan Iyer talks about his book "Smashed, Mashed, Boiled and Baked: A Celebration of Potatoes in 75 Recipes."
From a few years ago- three Carthage College faculty members: Wayne Thompson, Matt Borden, and Dimitri Shapovalov, talk about their respective experiences with bilingualism in the home- either as parents or growing up in a bilingual household.
From 2013- an exploration of the human voice with Elena Passarello, author of "Let me clear my throat."
Victoria Philips, author of "Martha Graham's Cold War: The Dance of American Diplomacy." The book explores some of the ways in which the renowned dancer and choreographer was utilized by the American government as a diplomatic tool at the height of the Cold War.
Russ Johnson, director of jazz studies at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, talks about Jazz Week 2024, which is next week. We also talk about the difference between playing jazz and classical trumpet.
From 2009- Suzan Colon talks about her book "Cherries in Winter: My family's recipe for hope in hard times."
We talk about KAFASI (Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services) and their many programs with Executive Director Ron Tatum and AmericCorps Senior Project Director Rebecca Stevens. We give special emphasis to Meals on Wheels. (Next week they are doing a special event to draw attention to this life-changing program.)
Alexander R. Brash, author of "A Whaler at Twilight: A true account of Whaling and Redemption in the South Pacific." Brash's great-great grandfather fell on hard times and took to drinking, and ultimately chose to join a whaling expedition in the 1840s. He wrote a detailed account of his experiences that was shown to Brash a few years ago. This book is based on that journal as well as on the author's extensive research into the whaling industry in this period of time.
For Women's History Month: From 2003, Queen Noor, Queen of Jordan from 1978 to 1999, talks about her book "Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life."
Part 1- Zane E. Asher, author of "Where the Children Take Us: How one family achieved the unimaginable." The book his Asher's tribute to her mother and how she managed to raise her children as an unwed mother, often amid staggeringly difficult circumstances. Part 2- Sam Maggs, author of "Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors and Trailblazers."
Lucas Peters talks about his Moon Guide "Grand European Journeys: 40 Unforgettable Trips by Road, Rail, Sea and More." Also, from the archives- Rick Steves talks about his guide for cruises around the Mediterranean Sea.
Part One: We speak with Brian Gill, Associate Professor of Theater Arts at the University of WIsconsin-Parkside, about their production of "When We Dead Awaken," the last play by Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen. Part Two: Singer Lynette Knapp Ryan talks about her cabaret program "I Wanna Fly," which is being presented under the auspices of Milwaukee Opera Theater.
Dr. James Ripley, director of instrumental activities at Carthage College, talks about the concert tomorrow night (Feb. 28th) that commemorates the first band concert at Carthage 150 years ago. Much of the repertoire from that first concert will be played - and the special guests of the concert, the Gaudete Brass Quintet, will play some of their selections on historic instruments from the period. We also talk about the history of bands at Carthage, the history of band tours at Carthage, and what it's like to perform in Siebert Chapel.
We discuss Alzheimer's Disease with two representatives of the Kenosha County Aging and Disability Resource Center: Paula Clark, programs supervisor, and Susan Johnson, dementia care specialist.
We are sharing some of our favorite Nan Calvert interviews from the past. (She recently stepped down after organizing monthly environmental Morning Show programs for the past 18 years.) This interview touches on one of Nan's most important environmental missions- educating the public about native plants. Her guest on this occasion was another native plants expert, Mieke And, talking about- among other things - edible native plants.
We are sharing memorable Nan Calvert interviews from the past. This interview from October 2022 was with John Zaborsky from the Wisconsin State Herbarium, talking about the Botanical Club of Wisconsin.
Dr. Colleen Palmer, Assistant Professor of Communication and Digital Media, talks about the field of public relations and how it has changed quite dramatically in recent years. She is going to be moderating an event at Carthage next Thursday, February 29th: "Business for a Better World," featuring representatives from three different companies that have earned the designation of B-Corp for being socially conscious businesses.
(from the archives) Jeffrey Makoff, co-author of "Get Off The Fence: 10+1 Steps to help you make that Big Decision."
Doug Instenes, managing and artistic director of the Racine Theater Guild, talks about their production of Sean Grennen's play "Now and Then," which opens this weekend. He is the director of the production.
Dr. Susan Partovi has devoted most of her professional life to providing medical care to people experiencing homelessness. Her memoir is titled "Renegade MD: A Doctor's Stories from the Streets."
We reconnect with best-selling novelist Steve Berry to talk about his latest thriller, "The Atlas Maneuver." The novel touches on a number of fascinating topics, including the widespread plundering of treasure during World War Two.
For President's Day: We speak with Pulitzer Prize winning writer Edward J. Larson about his book "Franklin and Washington: The Founding Partnership."
We are devoting the Saturday and Sunday editions of the podcast to some of our favorite episodes with Nan Calvert, who has co-hosted monthly environmental programs on the Morning Show for 18 years - but who has decided to hand over that responsibility to someone else. This is a conversation about one of the most amazing creatures on earth - the dragonfly - with Marla Garrison, one of the country's leading dragonfly experts.
Nan Calvert has been contributing interesting environmentally-themed Morning Shows on a monthly basis for the past eighteen years. She recently stepped away from that responsibility. In gratitude for her great contribution to the show, we are replaying some favorite Nan Calvert shows from the past. This one is about Lichens with Kathleen Thompson.
Aime Alley Card discusses her book "The Tigerbelles: Olympic Legends from Tennessee State." The book chronicles the spectacular women's track and field athletes from Tennessee State University .... including the legendary Wilma Rudolph .... who scored such a stunning success at the 1960 Olympic Games under the leadership of their coach, Ed Temple.
Dr. Art Cyr, from the faculty at Carthage College, joins us for the first time in 2024. The topics we discuss include Secretary of State Blinken's recent visit to Africa, Sweden's long-sought entry into NATO, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, and the most recent presidential election in Taiwan.
Rev. Darren Utley is the pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Racine, which is about to celebrate its 185th anniversary. Its long history includes a commendable commitment to abolition; the church was actually part of the Underground Railroad. The celebration kicks off this coming Sunday, February 18th.
We talk about the play "Wherever You've Been" with playwright (and Carthage alum) Caitlin Di Giacomo and stage director Adrianna Jones. The play concerns the disappearance of a homeless woman - and tackles such issues as how we view people contending with homelessness.
Five years ago this month (Feb. 2019) a fascinating exhibit opened at the Kenosha Public Museum titled "From Curiosity to Science." This interview was done shortly before the exhibit opened. The guests were Dan Joyce, who at the time was the museum's executive director, and Nancy Mathews, a longtime member of the museum staff who was largely responsible for the creation of this exhibit. Nancy was a frequent guest on the Morning Show over the years, and this interview is being replayed in her memory. (The exhibit was specifically mentioned in the interview that was broadcast today on the Morning Show, in which writer Ann Parson discusses her novel "The Birds of Dog."
NOTE: There was also a video Morning Show done in which I walked through the exhibit with Dan Joyce and Nancy Mathews. The video can be viewed via WGTD's Facebook page.
This is the link:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=search&v=2245400225678869
Ann B. Parson, author of "The Birds of Dog: An Historical Novel Based on Mostly True Events." The book is set in early 19th century Boston and delves into the fascinating world of museums- which in that period were reinventing themselves and rethinking their mission and their relationship with the natural world.
NOTE: During the interview, you will hear me make mention of a fascinating exhibit at the Kenosha Public Museum called "From Curiosity to Science." This link will take you to a Morning Show video tour of that exhibit:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=search&v=2245400225678869
From 2020- Steven K. Rogstad, author of "Lincoln Among the Badgers." The book explores the many and various connections that our 16th president had with the state of Wisconsin. Among other things, the book looks at the many statues of Lincoln that can be found around the state.
In gratitude for Nan Calvert's monthly contributions to the Morning Show for the past 18 years, here is a favorite- from March 2021 - concerning the Meachem Road Habitat Restoration Project. Nan's guest was Joe Pfeiffer from KCI Technologies.
In honor of Nan Calvert's 18 years as a contributor to the MS, we're rebroadcasting some favorite Nan programs from the past. This undated interview features Kevin Doyle, Rare Plant Botanist with the Wisconsin DNR.
Part One: An update on Holy Rosary's Sports Night with Grey Pawell and Tony Geliche. The event celebrates its 60th anniversary this year just as it is about to undergo some dramatic changes. Greg Pawell and Tony Geliche are co-chairs of the event. Part Two: From 2015- "Super Bowl Gold," a book that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl.
Nan Calvert welcomes to the program Dave Giordano (executive director) and Kristine Heuser (storm water consultant) for Root Pike WIN (Watershed Initiative) to talk about a couple of exciting projects, including one that involves a partnership with Microsoft. NOTE: Nan Calvert has been arranging for monthly environmentally-themed Morning Show interviews for the past 18 years. This is her final such interview as co-host. At the end of this interview, she introduces Kailyn Palomares- education manager at Hawthorn Hollow- who will be taking over. We plan to share some favorite Nan interviews from the past in the Saturday and Sunday podcasts for the next several weekends, in honor of and appreciation for the great contribution that Nan has made to the program over these many years.
From 2004 - Ron Clark, author of "The Excellent 11: Qualities Teachers and Parents Use to Motivate, Inspire and Educate Children."
Dr. Kathleen Corley talks about her book "The Magical Place We Call School: Creating a Safe Space for Learning and Happiness in a Challenging World." Dr. Corley has served as the first principal for four different public schools. She started out her career as an elementary music teacher.
Part 1 - David Anderson, music director of the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra, talks about recent and future projects with the ensemble (whose members are all volunteers.) The group has an Around The World gala fundraiser this weekend. Part 2- (from the archives) Joanne Lipman, author of "Strings Attached: One Tough Teacher and the Gift of Great Expectations."
Roger Moreano, founder and president of Bridges 4 Justice (and former staff member at Carthage College) talks about Racism. He will be facilitating a so-called Courageous Conversation about racism this Thursday evening at Kenosha's Civil War Museum. - -- The program finishes out with an excerpt from a 2014 interview with Debby Irving, author of a memoir called "Waking Up White- and finding myself in the story of race."
From the fall of 2022 - Kenosha's own John Hambrock and Ann Morse Hambrock discuss their comic strip "The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee" shortly after it received the highest award given to newspaper comic strips- the Silver Reuben from the National Cartoonists Society.
From 2017 - Marc Elliot discusses his biography "Charlton Heston: Hollywood's Last Icon."
From 2016- Howard Sounes talks about his book "27: A History of the 27 Club thru the lives of Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse." These six music superstars share something tragic in common- all six of them died at the age of 27.
We talk with Dr. James Ripley, director of instrumental activities at Carthage College, and five members of the Wind Orchestra that has just returned from its tour of Japan. The group plays its homecoming concert this Sunday afternoon, February 4th, 2:00 in Siebert Chapel. (Joining Dr. Ripley were Jack Kelley, Rosie Ehle, Ella Monk, Vinnie David and John Cargille.)
Simon Shuster, correspondent for Time magazine, talks about his new book "The Showman: Inside the invasion that shook the world and made a leader of Volodymyr Zelensky." Zelensky was an entertainer before his unlikely rise to power as the leader of Ukraine. Shuster was granted remarkable access to Zelensky and was actually on the ground in Ukraine when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. (This is the full interview. An abridged version of the interview aired on today's Morning Show broadcast.)
Mike Frontier and Mark Hertzberg talk about the proposed ice arena in Racine County and what it would mean for the community.
Rich Smith, managing artistic director of the Over Our Head Players in Racine, talks about the Snowdance 10-Minute Comedy Festival, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. It has been a blockbuster success, with hundreds and hundreds of submissions coming from writers all across the country. (As of this posting, there appear to be a few seats available for some of the March performances.)
Part One: Dr. Ritu Raju, the president of Gateway Technical College, pays her first visit to the Morning Show. Part Two: (from 2011) Activist-turned-author Erin Brockovich talks about her novel "Hot Water."
Julie Farnam, author of "Domestic Darkness: An Insider's Account of the January 6th Insurrection and the Future of Right-Wing Extrermism." Farnam was an intelligence office for the Capitol Police at the time of the insurrection- and her warnings of the likelihood of such an attack went largely unheeded.
From 2014- John Feinstein, author of "Where Nobody Knows your Name: Life in the minor leagues of baseball."
Part 1- Barney Saltzberg, author of a new children's book called "Arlo Needs Glasses." Part 2- (from 2007) Robert Kurson, author of "Crashing Through: A true story of risk, adventure, and the man who dared to see." It's the true story of a man blinded by an accident at the age of 3 who was offered the chance to have his vision restored with a revolutionary stem cell surgery. Part 3- (from 2024) David Shoemaker, author of "The Squared Circle: Life, Death and Professional Wrestling." We're replaying this because of a major motion picture, "The Iron Claw," which is in movie theaters right now. It tells the tragic true story of the Von Erich Family. (They figure prominently in Shoemaker's book.)
Dr. Elizabeth Brownson, Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, discusses the historic context of the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She is teaching a one-day course on the topic for Adventures in Lifelong Learning on February 8th.
From 2011- Ethan Trex, editor/co-author of "Mental Floss: The Book - The Greatest Lists in the History of Listory."
We talk about the proposed renovation of the ceremonial courtroom in the Kenosha County Courthouse with retired Circuit Court Judge Mary K. Wagner and Kenosha County Projects Manager Frank Martinelli. The once beautiful room was drastically altered in 1970 to accommodate much-needed air conditioning- and the proposed renovation will restore the room to its original splendor.
Dr. Keith Biddle is Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and the manager of Parkside's new Human Identification and Forensic Anthropolgy Lab- which, among other things, can do DNA extraction.
This is an interview recorded 8 years ago with singer and actor Bill Hayes.... who was a cast member on Sid Caesar's groundbreaking "Your Show of Shows" ..... sang a leading role in the original Broadway cast of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Me and Juliet" .... recorded the #1 song in the country in 1955 with "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" .... and was a part of the soap opera "Days of our lives" for more than fifty years. Mr. Hayes passed away on January 12th of this year at the age of 98. The interview also includes some comments from his wife, actress Susan Seaforth Hayes.
From 2002- Nan Mooney, author of "My Racing Heart: The Passionate World of Thoroughbreds and the Track."
From 2004- Walter Shapiro, author of 'One Car Caravan: On the road with the 2004 Democrats Before America Tunes In." The book examines what the leading Democratic contenders for their party's nomination for president were doing in the early months of the campaign - especially in the states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
We preview the next installment in the PBS documentary series American Experience. Peter Yost is writer, director and producer of "Nazi Town USA," which examines the phenomenon of fascist groups spring up all across America during the late 1920s and 1930s - culminating in a large rally at Madison Square Garden in1939 at which Nazi banners were brandished underneath a huge portrait of George Washington. What was drawing so many Americans to this kind of ideology?
Today is a murderous Morning Show. Part One: Michael Clickner talks about the Racine Theater Guild's production of "Dial M for Murder." Part Two, from the archives, is Gerald Koeppel talking his book "Not a Gentleman's Work: The Untold Story of a Gruesome Murder at Sea and the Long Road to Truth."
From 2010 - Best-selling author James Swanson talks about his book "Bloody Crimes: The Chase for Jefferson Davis and the Death Pageant for Lincoln's Corpse."
We conclude the conversation begun yesterday with Pat Sobkowski, who teaches law and political science at Marquette University. Our topic: the United States Supreme Court. In this portion of the interview, we discuss some of the especially significant cases that the court is expected to take up in the coming weeks and months.
Pat Sobkowski, who teaches law at Marquette University, talks about the U.S. Supreme Court- how it functions .... its current makeup .... and what some of its most significant decisions have been over the past year. (Tomorrow, in the concluding portion of the conversation, he'll talk about noteworthy cases they are expected to take up in the coming weeks and months.)
For Martin Luther King Day (from 2005) Kevin Boyle discusses his book "Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age." It tells the story of a black man named Ossian Sweet who was put on trial for murder when he accidentally killed a white man who was part of a mob that had entered Sweet's neighborhood. The title of the book is a phrase that Martin Luther King used in many of his speeches.
From 2017 - Alejandro Danois, author of "The Boys of Dunbar: A Story of Love, Hope, and Basketball." This is the story of an exceptionally fine high school basketball team in Baltimore, Maryland whose success was a tremendous inspiration to the entire city.
We highlight Carthage College's upcoming Symposium "From Canvas to Cosmos: Soviet Art, Solaris, Space Exploration, and the Science of Serene Spaces," which occurs January 18-20 .... with a variety of events free and open to the public. My guests: Leslie Brothers, Ryan Miller and Jojin Van Winkle from the art faculty - and Jean Quashnock from the physics and astronomy faculty. More information is available at: www.carthage.edu/arts/art-gallery/soviet-art-collection/symposium/
Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the program features a conversation about the detrimental effect of sodium chloride (salt) on the environment- and especially on our fresh water. Joining her is Laura Buska from Root Pike WIN. January 22-26 is Winter Salt Awareness Week.
Encore from 2023: Yohuru Williams, author of "Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, Black Freedom Fighter"
Encore from 2023: Jason Reid, author of "Rise of the Black Quarterback: What it means for America."
Encore: Luke Nichter, author of "The Year That Broke Politics." The year in question is 1968, one of the most tumultuous in our country's history. The book primarily focuses on that year's presidential race through the perspectives of incumbent president Lyndon Johnson, Vice president Hubert Humphrey, and the two most significant challengers to Humphrey- Richard Nixon and George Wallace.
This is an encore airing of my 2023 interview with celebrated war correspondent Jane Ferguson, author of "No Ordinary Assignment: a Memoir."
This is an encore airing of an interview that was recorded back in March of 2023, just ahead of William Shatner's visit to Milwaukee for a public screening of "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" at the Pabst Theater.
I believe this interview is from 2012. Artist Christian Patchell's book consists of reflections and drawings he did during a health ordeal when he was diagnosed with and treated for a form of tongue cancer.
From 2012, David Tolin discusses his book "Face Your Fears: A Proven Plan to Beat Anxiety, Panic, Phobias, and Obsessions." Dr. Tolin is a board certified clinical psychologist and founder and director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Institute of Living in Connecticut and a member of the faculty at the Yale University School of Medicine.
In an encore presentation of yet another favorite author interview from this past year- David Brooks discusses his book "How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen."
Encore: from 2023- Lena Andrew discusses her book "Valiant Women: The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War II." The book tells the story of the 350,000 American women who served in uniform during World War II in every branch of the military and in every combat theater ... and who played an essential role in the Allied victory.
Here's an encore presentation of one of our favorite author interviews from 2023: Sy Montgomery and Matt Patterson, co-authors of "Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell." This is a memoir of Montgomery and Patterson's experience working in turtle rescue. (Turtles are among the most endangered creatures on earth.)
This first week of 2024 is devoted to some of our favorite author interviews from last year. Jonathan Scott's new history of sound recording is titled "Into the Groove: The Story of Sound from Tin Foil to Vinyl."
We devote this first year of 2024 to some of our favorite author interviews from 2023. Today: J. Randy Taraborelli, author of "Jackie- Public, Private, Secret" - a fascinating new biography of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
We have been devoting the last few podcast episodes to replaying memorable 2023 Morning Show interviews with local guests. For this final episode of the year, I want to replay the Morning Show memorial tribute to Frank Germinaro that aired back in January, shortly after his death. Frank was a beloved member of the community - a highly-regarded educator, devoted family man, and wonderful entertainer and musician. This tribute included an archival interview with Frank and his wife Janet - as well as a newly recorded interview with Craig Gall, who counted Frank as one of his closest friends and most cherished mentors. The interview with Frank deals chiefly with his experience as a kidney transplant recipient- and how he defied all expectations and predictions by living as long and vibrantly as he did.
We are devoting the last podcast episodes of 2023 to noteworthy Morning Show interviews from the past year that featured local guests. This is a replay of a memorable Morning Show from late August that actually featured two interviews .... recorded twenty years apart ... with the same guest: Casey Holtz. 20 years ago this summer, Casey saved the life of a young boy who almost certainly would have drowned in Lake Michigan had Casey not gone into the water to save him. We managed to track Casey down earlier this year and recorded a follow up interview to see what he remembers about that dramatic event back in 2003.
We are devoting the last podcast episodes of 2023 to memorable interviews with local or state guests from earlier in the year. This conversation recorded back in May was the final Morning Show appearance of Dr. Deb Ford, who for the previous 13 years had served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
We are devoting the final podcast episodes of the year to noteworthy Morning Shows from 2023 that featured local or state guests. This is a memorable conversation I recorded back in August with public radio legend Jack Mitchell, one of the very first employees of NPR when that network was first created more than a half century ago. He went on to lead Wisconsin Public Radio for many years and helped shape the network and nurtured its spectacular growth over the course of a quarter century.
This week's podcasts are devoted to noteworthy 2023 Morning Show interviews that involved local or state guests. This show from March featured a spectacularly talented student-athlete from Kenosha, Joseph White, who is now a nursing student at Carthage. With him in the interview were three Carthage coaches: Seth Weidmann, Josh Henry and Greg Raimondi.
Among our most noteworthy Morning Show interviews from 2023: the 150th anniversary of the founding of Kemper Hall, a girls school in Kenosha that was an important fixture in the community for more than a century before its closure in the mid 1970s. Earlier this summer, three Kemper alumni joined us to talk about their experiences with the school and how this anniversary was celebrated.
From 2017 - Martha Brockenbrough, author of "Love, Santa: when you're ready to share the beautiful truth about Santa." This is a book about that moment when one might need to somehow confirm the suspicions in a youngster's mind that there might not actually be a Santa Claus.
From 2010 - Hugo and Carol Rizzoli, authors of "The House at Royal Oak: Starting Over and Rebuilding a Life, one room at a time." It's the story of a couple's efforts to refurbish a run-down country farmhouse and transform it into a bed and breakfast.
From 2009- Joanna Krotz, author of "The Guide to Intelligent Giving: Make a Difference in the World- and in your own life."
Margaret Grossi talks about the documentary film "The Boys of '36" which she directed and co-directed (with Mary Carillo.) It tells the story of the American rowing team that scored a stunning upset gold medal victory in the Berlin 1936 Olympics when they upset the heavily favored German team. The story is the basis for a new major motion picture titled "The Boys in the Boat" that opens on December 25th. The film is directed by George Clooney.
Dr. Catherine McCarthy, co-author of "Raising a Kid Who Can: Simple Strategies to Build a Lifetime of Adaptability and Emotional Strength."
Mitchell S. Jackson talks about his new book "Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion," in which he examines some of the bold fashion statements that have been made by various NBA stars over the years. The book includes an interesting discussion of how some of those fashion choices have challenged customary notions of what is masculine. The book is loaded with spectacular photographs.
From 2022, John Feinstein talks about his novel for young readers titled "Game Changers," part of his Bench Warmers series. It follows the exploits of two goodhearted and talented middle school athletes named Andi and Jeff. The first book in the series concerned soccer- This book focuses on basketball.
Matt Hranek, founder and editor of the men's lifestyle magazine "Wm Brown," has written a series of books including "A Man and his Watch" and "A Man and his Car." His latest, "A Man and his Kitchen," is an exceptionally beautiful and entertaining cookbook a guide to home entertaining.
Tenaya Darlington talks about her newest book "Madame Fromage's Adventures in Cheese: How to explore it, pair it and love it, from the creamiest brie to the funkiest blues." The book celebrates a variety of distinctive cheeses from around the world, explains the process by which it is made, introduces you to an array of people involved in cheese-making, and offers helpful advice on everything from pairing cheese with the right wine to tips on how to create wonderful and unique cheese boards.
From July of this year- Michelle Ferrari, talks about the American Experience documentary "Sandra Day O'Conner: The First," which looks at the life and legacy of the first woman to serve as a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. During her long tenure on the court (1981-2006) the Court dealt with a number of highly consequential and divisive cases- and often Justice O'Connor was the deciding vote. Ferrari was co-producer, director and writer for the film. Justice O'Connor passed away on December 1st at the age of 93. Her funeral is later today. (This film can be viewed free of charge at pbs.org.)
We introduce you to Sal Catanese and his sons Paul and David, who own and operate Legacy Inspection Group, which does home inspections in suburban Chicago. We talk with them about what home inspectors do- and how they do it - and what prospective buyers should be thinking about as they undertake this process.
Part 1 Alice Genevieve Tucholke, author of 'Merry and Hark: A Christmas Story," based on a true story- a small owl accidentally finds itself transported from the woods to the heart of a huge city- but is taken in by a loving soul.
Part 2: (from the archives) W. Bruce Cameron, author of "The Dogs of Christmas."
Part 3: Charles M. Cohen, expert on the works of Dr. Seuss, discusses the 2007 50th anniversary release of "The Grinch who stole Christmas."
From 2019 - Professor Charles T. Clotfelter talks about his book "Big-Time Sports in American Universities," which examines the place of high profile athletic teams at our major universities. Although Professor Clotfelter raises concerns, he comes to this as a sports fan and his approach to the topic is nuanced and thoughtful.
From 2007- a memorable conversation about Handel's MESSIAH with choral legend Weston Noble- who was conductor-in-residence at Carthage College that year and participated in in the 2007 Sing Along Messiah performance. Also in this conversation is Trevor Parker, who was the tenor soloist that year. This year's Messiah Sing Along is Sunday evening, Dec. 17th, 6 pm, at First United Methodist Church in Kenosha.
I speak with Craig Gall, music director of the Kenosha Pops Concert Band, about their Christmas concert on Saturday evening, December 16th, in Carthage's Siebert Chapel. This is the 20th anniversary of the group's first Christmas concert.
We speak with Jessica DeBoer about the upcoming Sing Along Messiah this Sunday evening, December 17th, 6 pm, at First United Methodist Church in Kenosha.
For Nan Calvert's final program of 2023, she brought to our studios Erin Houlihan and Ellie Barbeau, who are with the Humble Oak Folk School .... which operates under the auspices of the Humble Oak Outdoor Learning and Arts Collective in East Troy.
Part One: Clayton Szczech, author of 'A Field Guide to Tequila." Part Two: (from 2008) Frederick Kaufman, author of "A Short History of the American Stomach."
Dr. Rana Limbo is co-founder and director emerita of a program called Resolve Through Sharing, which has trained tens of thousands of health care professionals over the past 40+ years to work with patients who have experienced the heartbreak of stillbirth, miscarriage or the death of a child. The program was created at a time when such losses were not openly or effectively addressed. The program is part of the Gundersen Health System.
(from 2014) Professor Devin Brown talks about his book "Tolkien: How an obscure Oxford professor wrote The Hobbit and became the most beloved author of the 20th century."
From 2004- Amotz Asa-El discusses his book "The Diaspora and the Lost Tribes of Israel."
From 2016- Opera composer Jake Heggie. (Heggie's most -often performed opera, "Dead Man Walking," received its long-awaited Metropolitan Opera premiere this past fall. It was a triumph.
This is a conversation with Norgie Metzinger, the director of the Lakeside Players' production of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" which opened last weekend and runs for the next two weekends.
Georgia Hall and Pat Badger talk about Saturday night's Candlelight Christmas Concert at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Racine - a concert featuring Caritas, Mark Paffrath and the Choral Arts Society (among others.) We also briefly look back over the 30-year history of the Music & More series.
In one of three previews of holiday-themed offerings here in southeastern Wisconsin, we rebroadcast a conversation from earlier in the year with George Baumgardt, founder and artistic director of the Spirit of Racine Music Makers. They are presenting a free holiday concert on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 that will features the Kiwanis Youth Orchestra as special guests. The concert takes place at The Covenant at Murray Mansion.
We preview Saturday afternoon's concert by the Kenosha Symphony. We talk with Maestro Bob Hasty, the artistic director of the KSO- Board President Pete Rodriguez (who also plays french horn in the orchestra)- and Dr. Maggie Burk, whose Lincoln Chamber Singers from Carthage College are part of the program. Part 2- from the archives- how to teach children manners.
We talks about the Racine Theater Guild's production of Disney's "The Little Mermaid" with Doug Instenes, director of the production, and Kaylee Annable, who portrays the comic role of Scuttle. The production opened last December. Many of the principals are back for this second iteration of the production, which will be performed for the next two weekends.
Dr. Art Cyr, from the faculty at Carthage College, offers his thoughts on Henry Kissinger (who just passed away at the age of 100), JFK (who was assassinated sixty years ago this year), and Abraham Lincoln (who established Thanksgiving as a national holiday.) He also talks about the current state of affairs with the economy in China.
As something of a followup to last week's interview with David Brooks (author of "How to know a person") we are sharing an interview from 18 months ago with Ryan Jenkins and Steven Van Cohen, co-authors of "Connectable: How leaders can move teams from Isolated to All=In." The book explores some of the same concerns raised in Brooks' book but with an emphasis on the workplace.
From 2009 - James D. Stein talks about his book "How Math Explains the World: A Guide to the Power of Numbers from Car Repair to Modern Physics."
From 2011 - Niall Ferguson talks about the experience of interviewing Henry Kissinger for a National Geographic documentary. (The documentary was released on DVD.) Kissingers died this past week at the age of 100.
We talks with sports journalist Mike Richman about his book "George Allen: A Football Life." it's a sprawling and meticulously researched biography of one of the most successful head coaches in NFL history.
Part 1 - Dr. James Kinchen, director of choral activities at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, talks about this weekend's choral concert, which include a performance of "Ballad of the Brown King" by Margaret Bonds, with texts by Langston Hughes. Part 2- Brian Gill from the Theatre Arts faculty, talks about Steve Martin's play "Meteor Shower." It will be performed at Parkside over the next two weekends.
We discuss the Paranormal - and how we tend to think about and talk about Paranormal phenomena - with Steve Volk, author of "Fringe-ology: How I tried to explain the Unexplainable - and couldn't."
For part one, James Schatzman speaks as founder and artistic director of the Choral Arts Society of Southeastern Wisconsin and previews the group's 27th annual Lessons and Carols on Saturday evening. For part two, he speaks as director of Racine Vocational Ministries in anticipation of the group's annual recognition dinner on December 7th. RVM works primarily with people just released from prison to help them reconnect with the community, solidify their lives, and find employment.
Award-winning writer and columnist and writer David Brooks talks about his new book "How to know a person: The Art of seeing others deeply and being deeply seen." The book is a perceptive look at how disconnected from one another we tend to be - even with family members or friends - and what can be done to mitigate that.
From 2019- Acclaimed author Tim O'Brien ("The Things They Carried") writes with disarming candor and insight about the experience of becoming a father late in life and how joyous and meaningful it has been for him.
From 2013- Lori Hartwell, author of "Chronically Happy: Joyful Living in spite of Chronic Illness."
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Here is a fun interview that involves GREAT food. Gary Stamm, a frequent Morning Show guest over the years because of his many fine onstage performances, talks on this occasion about being a contestant on the Food Network program "Chopped."
Here is a special podcast presentation for the 60th anniversary of JFK's assassination. From 2003- Cathy Trost, author and editor of "President Kennedy has been shot: Experience the moment-to-moment account of the four days that changed America." The book includes a companion CD with audio recordings, many of which had never been heard by the public.
From 2010- Ellen Fitzgerald, author and editor of "Letters to Jackie: Condolences from a Grieving Nation." Fitzgerald was able to examine thousands of the letters and cards that Mrs. Kennedy received after her husband's assassination. Excerpts from 250 of them are part of this moving book. (An excerpt from this interview was part of today's Morning Show broadcast. This is the interview in its entirety.)
From 2007- Vincent Bugliosi discusses his book "Reclaiming History: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy." The book is widely regarded as the definitive analysis of the assassination and the many conspiracy theories that have sprung up in its wake.
In the book "More than we expected: Five Years with a Remarkable Child," David G. Robinson (who works for the New York Times) recounts what he and his wife experienced when one of their three sons was born with a serious congenital heart defect and lived only to the age of five. It is a captivating account of what this journey was like for them and their other two sons- and what they learned about life and love.
We preview Tuesday evening's "Sounds of Parkside" concert (7 pm in Frances Bedford Concert Hall) that will feature two ensembles: Parkside Range (directed by Ami Bouterse) and Parkside Mix, which is a brand new group (directed by Ayesu Lartey.)
Deanne Stillman, author of "American Confidential: Uncovering the Bizarre Story of Lee Harvey Oswald and His Mother." Stillman's explores some of the ways in which both Lee Harvey Oswald and his mother Marguerite both were driven by an insatiable hunger to achieve some sort of significance in a world that seemed to conspire against them at every turn.
From 2012 - Terry Hope Romero, author of "Vegan Eats World: 300 International Recipes for Savoring the Planet."
From 2016- Camille Perri discusses her novel "The Assistants," which follows the exploits of five different people trying to be a part of the world of Hollywood as assistants to celebrities. Perri herself was, for a time, the personal assistant to Rosanne Barr.
From 2018- Curt Smith, author of "The Presidents and the Pastime: The History of Baseball and the White House."
We speak with best-selling author Tom Clavin about his latest book: "The Last Outlaws: The Desperate Final Days of the Dalton Gang." Clavin has written several fascinating books about the Old West (including "Tombstone," "Dodge City," and "Wild Bill.") This one focuses on the waning days of the Old West and an infamous gang that was, in a sense, trying to hold on to an era that was about to vanish.
Nan Calvert's November guest on the program is Shannon David Foust from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh talking about a class of hers called "Connecting with Nature" that she is offering to the general public.
Author and investigative journalist Max Mitchell talks about his book "Among the Bros: A Fraternity Crime Story." He chronicles was unfolded on the campus of the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC with a particular fraternity that engaged in widespread drug-trafficking among other misdeeds. He also talks about the insular presence of fraternities on many college and university campuses.
Part one: Dr. Dhaval Desai, author of "Burning Out on the COVID Front Lines: A Doctor's Memoir of Fatherhood, Race and Perseverance in the Pandemic." Part two: from the archives- Dr. Randi Berg, in a conversation from November 2020 on what it was like to be a doctor for three small nursing homes in the midst of such a pandemic.
Rick Beyer, author of "The Ghost Army of World War Two: How one top-secret unit deceived the enemy with inflatable tanks, sound effects, and other audacious fakery."
For Veteran's Day: (2017) Andrew Carroll talks about his book "My Fellow Soldiers: General John Pershing and the Americans who helped win the Great War."
From earlier this year: Richard Hurowitz, author of "In the Garden of the Righteous: The heroes who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust." It was from the introduction to the book that I first learned about the young people who comprised The White Rose- whose story is the basis of my latest chamber opera, COURAGEOUS ROSE, which is performed for the first time tonight at Carthage College.
Max. S. Bennett, who has worked extensively in the field of A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), discusses his new book "A Brief History of Intelligence: Evolutions, A.I., and the Five Breakthroughs." Bennett contends that by better understanding how our own intelligence evolved and developed, we can in turn more wisely utilize and refine Artificial Intelligence.
Photographer David Alexander, renowned for helping to create some of the most iconic album covers and movie posters, talks about a collection of his photographs that has just been published titled "Pictures of Time."
Alvaro Garcia, who is director of orchestral activities at the University of Wisconsin Parkside, talks about this weekends concerts that are devoted to music from the Star Wars film franchise.
We speak with Rachel Swartz , a member of the theater faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, about the latest installment in their Fresh Ink Musical Workshop Series. "Burn- A Folk Musical" is performed this weekend. Professor Swartz is the director of the production.
This is a conversation about my brand new chamber opera "Courageous Rose: A Story of Student Resisters in the Time of Hitler." The two guests, Lily Lourigan and Adam Blackwood, are students at Carthage and members of the cast. The opera receives its world premiere this Saturday night at 7:30.
Shelley Fraser Mickle, author of "White House Wild Child: How Alice Roosevelt broke all the rules and won the hearts of America."
We discuss the organization Braver Angels, which seeks to foster De-Polarization in our country. Joining us is Cameron Swallow, Wisconsin Co-coordinator of Braver Angels, and Grant Pitts, a junior sociology major at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. The group is sponsoring a workshop at Parkside on November 14th called "Family and Politics."
From 2014 - David Shoemaker, author of "The Squared Circle: Life, Death and Professional Wrestling."
From 2017 - Bill Klein and Dr. Jennifer Arnold, stars of the TLC Reality Series "The Little Couple," which ran on the network for ten years beginning in 2009. They discuss their book "Think Big: Overcoming Obstacles with Optimism."
We learn about the Kenosha Community Foundation from Executive Director Amy Greil and KCF Board President Dave Gertsen, as well as Tom Clark, fund advisor and committee member of the CBK Grant - CBK standing for Creativity by Kids, which is hosted by the foundation.
(From 2018) - Eric David Dawson, author of "Putting Peace First: 7 Commitments to Change the World."
Katharine Keenan, Senior Director of Corporate/Foundation Relations at Carthage College and part of the Carthage Business and Professional Coalition, talks about the school's upcoming Sustainable Development Roundtable on November 9th.
We preview the next installment in Carthage College's noteworthy New Play Initiative: "The Genderless Play Experiment" by C. Quintana. We speak with the playwright, three members of the cast, and faculty member Martin McClendon, the scenic designer for the production which opens this weekend and runs the following weekend as well.
Dean Tolson, author of "Power Forward: My Journey from Illiterate NBA Player to a Magna cum laude Master's Degree."
Edsen Melendez, artistic director of Racine's Belle Ensemble, talks about the Vivaldi GLORIA, which the group will be performing this Friday evening, November 3rd, 6:30, in Frances Bedford Concert Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Judith Pearson talks about her new book "Crusade to Heal America: The Remarkable Life of Mary Lasker." She spent decades of her life relentlessly lobbying for the federal government to underwrite medical research. Her husband, Albert Lasker, was an advertising genius who gave her invaluable assistance and advice.
From 2004 - Best-selling author John Weisman talks about his thriller "Jack in the Box."
We dug deep into the Morning Show archives to find this interview recorded by Bill Guy, the original host of the Morning Show. It's a conversation with architect John Eifler about the work of the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright.
We preview two theatrical productions opening this weekend. Part 1: "Seasonal Allergies" at the Racine Theater Guild .... Part 2: "Blithe Spirit" at the Lakeside Players in Kenosha.
Part One: Don Pompei, co-author of "The Football 100," a book that presents a carefully crafted list of the 100 greatest players in NFL history - with illuminating portraits of each player. Part Two: (from 2008) Michael Rosenberg, author of "War as they knew it: Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and America in a Time of Unrest." The book is about these two legendary college football coaches and their programs during the tumult of the Viet Nam War.
In anticipation of UW-Parkside's upcoming Nonprofit Leadership Conference on Friday, November 17th, we speak with Debra Karp, Director of the Alan E. Guskin Center for Community and Business Engagement at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, and Beth Ridley, who is the keynote speaker for this year's event.
Dr. Art Cyr, from the faculty at Carthage College, pays his monthly visit to the program - offering his thoughts on the Hamas attack on Israelis in the Gaza Strip, an historic accord reached between the U.S. and Viet Nam, and the ongoing struggles of the Republicans in the House of Representatives to select a new Speaker to replace ousted Kevin McCarthy.
Ed Haddon's book is "The Modern Maverick: Why writing your own rules is better for you, your work, and the world." Haddon argues in his book that adhering to the tried-and-true or conventional way of doing things can be a trap that prevents us from realizing our full potential.
From 2004- Peter Smith, author of "Two of Us: The Story of a Father, a Son, and The Beatles." This memoir is the story of how Smith and his son became much closer to each other through their mutual love for the music of The Beatles.
From 2005- Michael Finkel talks about his riveting book "True Story: Murder, Memoir, and Mea Culpa." Finkel's was fired from New York Times Magazine in a very public and embarrassing professional reversal - and shortly thereafter, his identification was stolen by a fugitive wanted for murder. It's an incredible story that became a major motion picture of the same name in 2015.
Gail Merrifield Papp talks about her fascinating memoir "Public/Private: My Life with Joe Papp at the Public Theater." Joe Papp's remarkable theatrical career included creating free performances of Shakespeare in Central Park- and creating and running NYC's Public Theater, where groundbreaking works like "Hair" and "A Chorus Line" had their world premieres. Gail Papp was an indispensable assistant to her husband until his death in 1995.
For Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the Morning Show, she welcomed back Dr. Marissa Jablonski from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to talk about the enormous damage done to the environment by plastics- and what we can do to reduce our own usage of plastics in our daily lives- and what needs to be done in the realm of public policy and industrial practices to effectively confront the crisis.
Nadia Steinzor from the Environmental Integrity Project talks about their new report titled "The Aluminum Paradox" that outlines some of the environmental damage that is done in the way we currently produce aluminum, a material that - ironically - figures prominently in some alternative energies.
Michael D. Smith, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, discusses his new book "The Abundant University: Remaking Higher Education in the Digital World." Smith offers up some provocative ideas about how higher education should reevaluate its mission and priorities as we move further and further into the Digital Era.
The Choral Arts Society of Southeastern Wisconsin is performing Adrian Snell's "The Cry: A Requiem for the Lost Child" this Saturday night at 7 p.m. We speak with conductor James Schatzman, violinist Rebecca Engstrom, soprano soloist Talia Engstrom, and baritone soloist Leif Olsen. The performance will feature projected images of artwork by Ukrainian children.
We preview the next concert of the Kenosha Symphony (coming up this Saturday) with Maestro Robert Hasty, conductor and artistic director- Peter Rodriguez, president of the board and member of the horn section- and Desiree Ruhstrat, violin soloist for the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto.
From 2018 - Pulitzer Prize winning author Alvin E. Roth discusses his book "Who Gets What - and Why: The Economics of Matchmaking and Market Design."
(From 2021) In honor of UW-Parkside's production of "The Laramie Project," which is being performed this weekend and next weekend, we are sharing a MS conversation from the summer of 2021 about the Racine Theater Guild's virtual performance of "The Laramie Project," which concerns the murder of Matthew Shepard outside of Laramie, Wyoming - and the struggles of the people of Laramie to come to terms with that savage hate crime. It was 25 years ago on October 12th that Matthew Shepard died.
Investigative Reporter Irving Muchnick (Concussion, Inc. - "Wrestling Babylon") discusses his latest book, "Without Helmets or Shoulder Pads: The American Way of Death in Football Conditioning." The book examines the disturbing phenomenon of young football players dying during conditioning workouts. The book focuses on three such incidents, including one which occurred at Northwestern University.
From 2019 - Diana Butler Bass, author of "Grateful: The Subversive Practice of Giving Thanks." (The book has also been published with a different subtitle: "The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks.") The book is a lovely exploration of what true gratitude is and what sort of difference it can make in a person's life.
We preview Thursday night's choral concert at Carthage College which will feature the school's three large choral ensembles under the direction of Dr. Maggie Burk .... as well as a very special guest appearance by Stile Antico, one of the world's most renowned small vocal ensembles specializing in early music. In part two of today's program, we sample the exquisite singing of the group and hear from one of their members, bass James Arthur.
(From 2013) Christina Baker Kline talks about her poignant novel "Orphan Train,' which links a modern-day story of a teenage girl in foster care with someone from decades earlier who found a new home via the Christian Children Aid Society's so-called Orphan Train.
Fabrice Conte-Williamson, chair of the UW-Parkside theater department, talks about the school's production of THE LARAMIE PROJECT, a play created by the Verbatim Theater Company shortly after the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard outside of Laramie, Wyoming. 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of his murder. Professor Conte-Williamson is the director of this production, which will be performed over the next two weekends in the school's black box theater.
Part One - Daniel Dain discusses his book "A History of Boston," a meticulously researched and utterly engrossing chronicle of the surprisingly complicated history of one of America's most significant cities. Part Two- from the archives- John Feinstein talks about "The Walk-On," a novel for young readers concerning behind-the-scenes drama when a talented young high school football player moves to town and threatens to unseat the incumbent QB, who is the coach's son.
From 2014, Robert Simonson talks about his book "The Old Fashioned. The story of the world's first classic cocktail."
From 2011- a conversation about the complexity of political polling with Dr. David Wegge, who at the time was Professor of Political Science at St. Norbert College and extensively involved in the school's political polling activity.
Peter Cave, author of "How to think like a Philosopher: Scholars, Dreamers and Sages who can teach us how to live." Cave explores the legacy of thirty of history's most significant Philosophers (some of whom did not even call themselves philosophers.) This interview is uncut. An abridged version of it aired on the broadcast of the program.
Best-selling author Liz Wiseman discusses her book "Multipliers: How the best leaders make everyone smarter." Ms. Wiseman is one of the guest speakers who will be presenting at the upcoming Inspire Kenosha leadership event coming up on Friday, October 13th - sponsored by KABA (the Kenosha Area Business Alliance.) Listeners to this podcast can receive $30 off of their registration fee by using the promo code WGTD2023.
From 2010- Brothers Benjamin and Christopher Wagner talk about their film "Mr. Rogers and Me." The film can now be streamed on Amazon Prime Video and rented on Apple TV.
The latest book in National Geographic Kids' series Weird But True is titled "Weird but True! DISNEY- 300 Wonderful Facts to Celebrate the Magic of Disney." (2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of Walt Disney Studios.)
Brandon Torres, director of the Lakeside Players production of "Madagascar Jr.," which opens this weekend at the Rhode Center for the Arts in downtown Kenosha.
Psychologist Roy J. Eidelson is author of "Doing Harm: How the World's Largest Psychological Association Lost Its Way in the War on Terror." It is Eidelson's contention that the APA (of which he once was a member) partnered with the Bush administration in its so-called War on Terror that crossed moral and ethical lines.
Part 1 - Raven Jemison, Executive Vice President of Business Operations with the Milwaukee Bucks, and author of "More than Representation: The Cheat Codes to Own Your Seat at the Table," in which she chronicles her life as a queer black woman and the success she has had in professional sports administration. She is coming to Kenosha on Friday, October 13th as a guest speaker for a leadership event sponsored by KABA (Kenosha Area Business Alliance.) Part two: (from 2019) Rachel Simmons, author of "Enough As She Is: How to help girls move beyond impossible standards of success to live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives."
In honor of Carthage's homecoming, we're sharing Morning Show interview recorded back in 2018 with Dr. Richard Sjoerdsma, long-time member of the music faculty at Carthage. In the interview, he looks back over his life and career.
From 2004 or 2005 - Three Carthage Campus Organists: Dr. Michael Burkhart, who was campus organist (and director of choral activities as well) 2001-2007 ... and two of his predecessors: Marilyn Stulken and William Roth. Replayed in honor of Carthage's homecoming, which is this weekend.
Mark Griffin discusses "A Hundred or More Hidden Things: The Life and Films of Vincente Minnelli." Minnelli is widely regarded as one the most important and creative filmmakers of all time.
We preview Carthage College's production of Carrie: The Musical with Matthew Hougland, co-director of the production, and two members of the cast: Ellie Neybert (Carrie) and Dominic Luzwick (Tommy Ross.) The show is based on the Stephen King novel. The show's 1988 opening on Broadway is widely regarded as one of the biggest and costliest disasters in Broadway history- but the show was revised in 2012 and is much more highly regarded today. We will talk about the complicated history of the show, the considerable technical challenges which it poses, and what it has been like for the students to take on this show.
Part of the festivities for Carthage College's homecoming this weekend is a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the first band concert at Carthage (back in the days when the college was located in Carthage, Illinois.) Joining me today is Dr. James Ripley, current director of the bands at Carthage, and two of his predecessors: Dr. Woodrow Hodges and Dr. Ken Winkle. (All three will share the podium for the homecoming concert Saturday night which will include the participation of a Sesquicentennial Alumni Band.)
From 2009. the year of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday- Ronald C. White discusses his full-length biography of our 16th president: "A. Lincoln." Professor White, one of the country's most renowned Lincoln experts, is speaking at Carthage this Thursday evening at 7:30 to kick off the school's second Lincoln Symposium. This and the other events of the symposium are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is appreciated but not required. (The title refers to how Lincoln always signed his name.)
From 2006 - Ronald C. White, author of "Lincoln's Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural." In this book, Professor White offers fascinating and illuminating analysis of the speech our 16th president delivered at his second inauguration - and the supremely difficult challenge which this speech represented for Lincoln. Professor White is coming to Carthage to deliver the keynote address for the school's Lincoln Symposium this Thursday evening, 7:30 pm, in the Campbell Student Union. (The public is welcome; admission is free.)
As the popular TV game show JEOPARDY embarks on its 40th season, we rebroadcast a 2006 interview with past Jeopardy champion Bob Harris, author of "Prisoner of Trebekistan: A Decade in Jeopardy."
From 2018 - Elissa Brent Weissman, author of "Our Story Begins: Your favorite authors and illustrators share fun, inspiring and occasionally ridiculous things they wrote and drew as kids."
Writer Gaylon White discusses his most recent book, "Coach of a Lifetime: The Story of Lewis Cook Jr., Legendary High School Football Coach." White has been a powerful force for good in the lives of countless young men who have been a part of his football program in the small town of Crowley, Louisiana.
We talk with Michael Lombardi about his book "Football Done Right: Setting the record straight on the coaches, players, and history of the NFL." Lombardi draws upon his rich and varied experience (he has been a scout, coach and front office administrator in the NFL for more than three decades) to write with exceptional perceptiveness about some of the most significant and influential coaches and players in NFL history.
In a change from our published schedule, we're sharing an interview with Dr. Laura Gellott, UW-Parkside Professor Emeritus of History, talking about her book "Helen Perry Curtis and the European Trip of a Lifetime." As a young girl, Gellott read Helen Perry Curtis's classic book "Jean and Company, Unlimited," the story of a young American girl's first trip to Europe; the book was arguably one of the most beloved children's books of its day. Gellott's book is an illuminating biography of the author.
Best-selling author Sy Montgomery and award-winning illustrator Matt Patterson have collaborated on a beautiful and moving book titled "Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell." The book springs primarily from their experience volunteering for Turtle Rescue League, an organization devoted to rescuing turtles, nursing injured turtles back to health, and trying to safeguard their survival. We are told a great deal about this beautiful creatures, of which there are more than 300 varieties, and which constitute the single most endangered major animal group in the world.
John Eisenberg, author of "That First Season: How Vince Lombardi took the worst team in the NFL and set it on the Path to Glory." (From 2010)
Part one - We discuss the current production of Kenosha's Lakeside Players, Eric Simonson's play "Lombardi," which just opened their 50th season. We speak with the co-directors. Part two- A look back at Lombardi's first season as head coach of the Green Bay Packers with author John Eisenberg. This is an excerpt from a 2010 interview. The full interview will be offered up in a separate posting.
Dr. Avi Loeb, author of "Interstellar: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life and Our Future in the Stars." the longest-serving chair of Harvard's Astronomy department, discusses a theory that our solar system may have recently been visited by a piece of advanced alien technology from a distant solar system. His book also explores some of the provocative questions raised by such a possibility.
From 2017 - I speak with Robbin Legere Henderson about her grandmother, Matilda Rabinowitz, who made a huge difference for the better in the lives of many of her fellow immigrants - and wrote a memoir about her life called "Immigrant Girl, Radical Woman: A Memoir from the Early 20th Century." She wrote the memoir for her family, never intending or perhaps imagining that it would every be published and shared with the wider world.
From 2009- a serious conversation about Play with Dr. Stuart Brown, author of "Play: How it shapes the brain, opens in the imagination, and invigorates the soul." The book examines how and why human beings- along with many other creatures on earth- must play in order to be fully healthy and whole.
For this centennial year of Walt Disney Studios, we have two Disney-related interview. Part 1: Greg Glasgow and Kathryn Mayer, co-authors of "Disneyland on the Mountain: Walt, the Environmentalists, and the ski resort that never was." Part 2- (from the archives) "Bruce C. Steele, author of "One Day at Disney: Meet the people who make the magic across the globe."
For Nan Calvert's September visit to the Morning Show, we discuss the scourge of Light Pollution (excessive, unnecessary human-made illumination) and its detrimental effects on the environment and habitats, with Todd Burlet from Dark Sky International.
Dr. Josef Benson, Associate Professor of Literature and Languages at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, joins us to talk about the newest season of the university's Foreign Film Series. Fourteen films will be screened. The first one, an exquisite Belgian film titled "Close," is screened this week. (Screenings are Thursday nights, Friday nights, and two screenings on Saturdays and Sundays.) A season pass of just $30 allows you to see all 14 films (plus you're given 3 guest passes.)
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Douglas Blackmon discusses his film "The Harvest," which airs tonight on the PBS series American Experience. Blackmon was a first grader in the fall of 1970 when the U.S. Supreme Court forced the public schools of Mississippi to desegregate. Blackmon and his classmates were the first youngsters to experience desegregated public education in the small community of Leland, Mississippi.
From 2005: Pulitzer Prize winning writer Jim Dwyer talks about his extraordinary book "102 Minutes," which tells the story of the thousands of people who were in the Twin Towers on 9-11 and somehow managed to escape. In many cases, it's the story of ordinary civilians demonstrating incredible courage, tenacity and ingenuity - but also the story of simple luck determining who survived and who perished.
Part One- Jane Barbian president of the school board of the Racine Unified School District. We discuss various issues confronting the school district- and upcoming elections to fill two vacancies on the board. Part Two - to commemorate the anniversary of 9-11 - we'll replay a portion of my 2005 conversation with Jim Dwyer, co-author of "102 MInutes- The Untold Story of the fight to survive inside the Twin Towers." This is the remarkable story of the thousands of people who were inside the WTC that day who managed who survive.
From 2016- Brian Murphy discusses his book "81 Days Below Zero: The incredible survival story of a World War 2 pilot in Alaska's frozen wilderness." It's the story of the aftermath of a plane crash in Alaska in 1943. There were 5 aviators on board. 4 were killed. 1 of them, Leon Crane, a Philadelphia native with no wilderness experience, somehow managed to survive 81 days in the harshest conditions imaginable.
From the archives, Nan Calvert co-hosts a program that focuses on one of the most amazing creatures on earth - the Dragonfly. Our special guest is Marla Garrison, a biologist who lives and works in McHenry County, Illinois .... and who is an expert on Dragonflies and Damselflies.
(from 2017) Fern Schumer Chapman, author of "Like Finding My Twin." Her mother, a Holocaust survivor, made it to America with her childhood best friend- and then the two found themselves separated from one another. More than 70 years later, they finally were reunited, thanks to the help of some 8th graders doing a class project. It's an extraordinary but true story.
Dr. Art Cyr - from the faculty of Carthage College - offers his analysis of various issues and concerns. In this discussion, we begin by discussing a book recently featured on the MS, "Valiant Women," about the thousands of women in uniform who served our nation in World War II. Then we discuss unrest in various African nations, a new trade accord between Japan and South Korea, deepening ties between the US and Australia, and a look back at the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, our 17th president, who came within a single vote of being removed from office.
From 2009- One of my all-time favorite interviews on the topic of public school education. The book is "Why School: Reclaiming Education for All of us." Mike Rose was a professor at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.
Dr. Thomas Carr, director of Carthage College's paleontology program - Dr. Megan Seitz, preparator - and Andrew Goebel (and Carthage graduate), who has been hired as a new preparator.
From 2020- Marc Freeman, author of "Modern Family: The Untold Oral History of one of Television's Groundbreaking Sitcoms." Freeman was able to speak with every major participant in the show, including every cast member as well as the creators of the show and those who led the production team.
FRom 2004 - James A. Connor, author of "Kepler's Witch: An Astronomer's Discovery of Cosmic Order amid Religious War, Political Intrigue, and the Heresy Trial of His Mother." This is a biography of Johannes Kepler, a 16th century mathematician and astronomer sometimes called "the Protestant Galileo" who discovered the three basic laws of planetary motion.
From 2010: Former tennis pro Patrick McEnroe, author of 'Hardcourt Confidential: Tales from 20 Years in the Pro Tennis Trenches." McEnroe has gone on to be a much respected coach and commentator.
We speak with renowned children's book author Carmen Adra Deedy about her latest book, "Carina Felina," a fresh take on a Caribbean folk tale. We follow that with interview from the archives with the authors of "Big Nate" and "The Proudest Color."
Steven Procko's book "Captured Freedom" tells the true story of nine Union solders in the American Civil War who managed to escape from a Confederate prison camp, Camp Sorghum in Columbia, South Carolina, and journeyed more than 350 miles to freedom with the aid of sympathetic Southerners as well as some enslaved men and women that they encountered along the way.
From 2022 - Kate Colbert, author of "Commencement: The Beginning of a New Era in Higher Education." Colbert and her co-author spoke with over one hundred college and university presidents across the country for a comprehensive view of the extraordinary challenges confronting higher education and the ways in which these institutions are scrambling to remake themselves to meet these challenges.
From the archives (2010) - Dr. Ed Schmitt, Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, discusses his book "President of the Other America: Robert Kennedy and the Politics of Poverty." This interview serves as an interesting sequel to two different recent Morning Show interviews: yesterday's conversation with the co-author of "The Poverty of Place" and last week's conversation with the author of "The Year that Broke Politics," which examined the presidential race of 1968 in which Robert Kennedy played a significant role.
Kathryn J. Edin, co-author of "The Injustice of Place: Uncovering the Legacy of Poverty in America." Edin and a team of researchers studied those areas of the U.S. where poverty is most seriously entrenched and tried to sort out the reasons for it.
(from 2011) Byron Johnson, author of "More God, Less Crime: Why Faith Matters and How it could matter more."
Michael Schumacher discusses his latest book, "Too Much Sea For Their Decks: Shipwrecks of Minnesota's North and Isle Royale." The book chronicles some of the most dramatic shipwrecks to occur on Lake Superior - and the last section of the book focuses on three exceptionally savage storms in the region.
We revisit a dramatic event from the summer of 2003 when a then-college student named Casey Holtz saved a youngster (a complete stranger) from drowning in Lake Michigan. We also hear briefly from Holtz in the present-day. He is Dr. Casey Holtz, a clinical psychologist based in Milwaukee. We also hear from Seth Weidman, head swimming and diving coach at Carthage College, who performed a similar feat last summer at roughly the safe place at the Kenosha lakefront.
Mark E. Stille, author of "Leyte Gulf: A New History of the World's Largest Sea Battle." The Battle of Leyte Gulf occurred at a critical point in the Pacific Theater of the Second World War.
Jack Mitchell is a something of a legend in public radio. He was hired as National Public Radio's very first employee in 1970 and went on to serve as the first producer of NPR's All Things Considered. He later served as director of Wisconsin Public Radio for more than 20 years and presided over the network at a time of spectacular growth and expansion.
(2017) Marc Cushman, author of "Lost in Space: The Authorized Biography of a Classic Sci-Fi Series"
John Eisenberg, author of "The Streak: Lou Gehrig, Cal Ripken Jr., and Baseball's Most Historic Record." The subtitle refers to the record for most consecutive games played; Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive games, and his record remained unbroken for 56 years.
Grammy Award-winning guitarist Norman Brown is the headliner for this Saturday's Harbor Park Jazz Rhythm and Blues Festival.
We preview this Saturday's Harbor Park Jazz Rhythm and Blues Festival. Part One features Ardis Mahone-Mosley, co-chair of the event, and three participants in the popular Cooking Studio event that kicks off the festival. Teri Jacobson is the co-chair of the Cooking Studio. This year's event features a competition between Kenosha Police and Firefighters. Representing their respective sides are Jeff Weidner and Josh Kunz. Part Two features Tim Mahone, co-chair of the event, with two recipients of the Mahone CEO Scholarship- Benjamin Woods and Benjamin Wajerski.
Dr. Jonathan Shailor, Professor of Communications at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, talks about his 28 years teaching at Parkside .... as well as the groundbreaking work he has done with his Shakespeare in Prison Project. Professor Shailor was just given the UW System's highest teaching award.
Dr. Anna Ploszajski, author of "Handmade: A Scientist's Search for Meaning through Making." Dr. Ploszajski is a materials scientist, which means that she studies the properties of substances such as metals, plastic, glass, etc. In this book, she chronicles her encounters with various artisans who actually interact with materials to create things.
From 2007- Mara Gibbs, author of "Everybody Eats There: Inside the World's Legendary Restaurants"
From 2009- Seth Shostak, author of "Confessions of an Alien Hunter: A Scientist's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence." [the originally announced interview concerning a true story of a real life rescue at the Kenosha lake shore will be shared later]
Lydia Pyne, author of "Genuine Fakes: How Phony Things Teach us about Real Stuff." (from the archives)
For Nan Calvert's August visit to the Morning Show she arranged for a visit from Dr. Marisa Jablonski, executive director of Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, which is working on the crucial issue of fresh drinking water in an amazing array of ways.
Doug McIntyre talks about his intriguing and entertaining novel "Frank's Shadow." In it, the main character's father has died the same day that the famed singer Frank Sinatra dies - and the character realizes that he knows more about Frank Sinatra than he does about his own father- and seeks to discover who he was.
We talk with Doug Instenes about his thirty years with the Racine Theater Guild as well as his upcoming 100th production that he has directed there - "The Cemetery Club" - which, by complete coincidence, is also the very first play that he directed there.
Luke Nichter, author of 'The Year That Broke Politics: Collusion and Chaos in the Presidential Election of 1968." The book examines the presidential race of 1968 from the perspective of the four chief participants: Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Hubert Humphrey, and George Wallace.
In honor of the blockbuster film "Barbie" currently in theaters.... Part one: (2010) Robin Gerber, author of "Barbie and Ruth- The Story of the World's Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her." Part two: (2009) Jerry Oppenheimer, author of "Toy Monster- The Big, Bad World of Mattel."
Jayne Herring, coordinator of the Racine Art Guild's Starving Artists Fair, gives us a preview of this year's event ... which is this Sunday 9:00-4:00 on the grounds of the DeKoven Center. She also gives us a behind-the-scenes peek at all that has to take place to make an event like this happen.
This is a bit of buried treasure - a 1998 conversation that has not been heard since it originally aired 25 years ago. Then-news director Bill Guy, creator of The Morning Show, spoke to three well-known Kenoshans (Ray Forgianni, Bob Fuhrman and Don Jensen) about the re-publication of the 1925 Development Plan for the city of Kenosha - examining what parts of that ambitious plan saw fruition and which parts did not.
Lena Andrews discusses her new book "Valiant Women: The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War Two." It was General George Marshall who first recognized that the Americans could not possibly win World War Two without the active participation of women. The book examines the contributions made by the 350,000+ American women in uniform- and some of the resistance which they confronted.
From 2017 - Nora McInerny Purmont discusses her memoir "It's Okay to Laugh: (Crying is Cool, Too.)" Purmont was 27 years old when her boyfriend was diagnosed with a rare and serious form of brain cancer. They went ahead and got married and had a child together. The book focuses primarily on how much joy they tried to pack into the three years of marriage they were granted before Aaron's untimely death.
From 2000 - Dr. Daniel Miller, a member of the faculty at Carthage College. This interview was done shortly after he was given Carthage's Distinguished Teaching Award. (He is still teaching at Carthage and is now a Full Professor of Neuroscience and chair of that department.)
Part 1- Ryan Kane, athletic director at Carthage College, talks about the phenomenon of Hazing among college athletes. Part 2- Tim Brown, author of "The Tao of the Backup Catcher: Playing Baseball for the Love of the Game." The book discusses the unique role that backup catchers play on many MLB teams. The book focuses in particular on the experience of Eric Kratz, who tasted some unaccustomed glory during the Milwaukee Brewers' exciting postseason run in 2018.
Richard Vague, author of "The Paradox of Debt: a new path to Prosperity without Crisis." The book discusses both government and private debt - and the paradox that some debt is healthy and perhaps even necessary for economic well-being .... and how too much debt can do great harm.
Best-selling author J. Randy Taraborelli talks about his new book "Jackie: Public, Private, Secret," an illuminating portrait of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. In part two of the program, we replay a portion of a conversation with the author about an earlier book titled "Jackie, Janet and Lee: The Secret Lives of Janet Auchincloss and her daughters Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill."
We speak with Carolyn Friesch, executive director of the United Way of Kenosha County, about the good work in the community which they encourage. UW of KC is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
Diane Danvers Simmons is author of the memoir "My Mother Next Door." One week after the author's 16th birthday, her mother announced that she was leaving her ... and she ended up moving next door and living with several young college students. The book is a chronicle of how she tried to come to terms with this abandonment and managed to rebuild a relationship with her mother.
From 2009, Andrew Chaikin, author of "Voices from the Moon- Apollo Astronauts Describe Their Lunar Experiences."
From 2023- Joe Sutter, author of "747: Creating the World's First Jumbo Jet and other adventures from a life in aviation."
Dr. Art Cyr, from the faculty of Carthage College, offers thoughts on Russia's war with Ukraine, new tensions between North and South Korea and the disappearance of the young American soldier (from Racine) into North Korea, and the ongoing ramifications of the debt ceiling agreement.
Grant Blackwood, co-author (with Steve Berry) of "The 9th Man: a Luke Daniels Thriller."
Juna Gjata, author of "Food, we need to talk: The Science-based, Humor-laced Last word on Eating ,Diet and making peace with your body."
From 2005 - Mike Lupica talks about "Too Far," a novel for young readers, which focuses on the dangers of Hazing.
Award-winning war correspondent Jane Ferguson discusses her new book "No Ordinary Assignment: a Memoir." Ferguson's work has taken her to conflicts and disasters in Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine.
From the archives: Andrew Blechman, author of "Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird."
We preview the Racine Theater Guild's production of Jonathan Larsen's RENT, which opens tonight, with music director Rob Kroes and music director Mary Leigh Sturino.
Today's conversation is about new ways to farm that can be enormously restorative to both our soil and water. Nan Calvert's guests are Kirsten Jurcek from Glacierland Resource Conversation and Development - and Paul Maggio, who owns and operates Starry Nights Farm in Burlington- and is the leader of the Kenosha Regenerative Producers Group, talking about the benefits of regenerative farming practices (such as rotational grazing, no-till farming, and more.)
Jonathan Scott, author of "Into the Groove: The Story of Sound from Tin Foil to Vinyl." Plus a Podcast exclusive- a survey of some noteworthy early recordings.
Robert L. Harris, author of "Returning Light: 30 Years on the Island of Skellig Michael."
We catch up with Kristen Singer and Carly Mikula (who were on the program on June 14th) - talking about Carly's thrilling experience of singing in the Jimmys, an event in New York City featuring 96 exceptionally talented high school music theater students from all across the country. Carly ended up being named a semi-finalist.
From 2006- Vivian Goldman, author of "The Book of Exodus- The Making and Meaning of Bob Marley and the Wailers' Album of the Century." (The interview is followed by the title track from the album.)
From 2007 - Jane Stern and Michael Stern, co-authors of "Two for the Road: Our Love Affair with American Food." UPDATE: The Sterns divorced about a year after this interview was recorded- but they continue to write as a team.
In memory of Oscar and Tony Award-winning actor Alan Arkin, who died on June 29th at the age of 89, we replay a 2011 interview we recorded after the publication of "Alan Arkin- An Improved Life: A Memoir."
We preview this Saturday's Secret Garden Walk in Kenosha with Lynda Guttormsen Guy, past president and publicist for the Four Seasons Garden Club, and Tim Garland, owner of Garland Alliance (landscape architects/ sustainable land management) whose own home garden is part of this year's tour - and who designed the St. Matthew's Lakefront ElderGarten, which is a bonus offering on the tour.
Doannie Tran- co-author of "The Open System: Redesigning Education and Reigniting Democracy."
For a 4th of July Bonus, I am offering up an excerpts from my 2014 faculty voice recital at Carthage College. The program was fashioned to celebrate the 200th anniversary of our national anthem, but went on to include a number of patriotic favorites like "America," "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean," and "America the Beautiful" - along with a moving song by John Hay titled "When the boys come home." I enjoyed the assistance of some of my private voice students at the time: Mike Anderle, Max Dinan, Nick Huff, John Kryl, and Fletcher Paulsen.
From 2004- Larry Smith, author of "Beyond Glory: Medal of Honor Heroes in their own words."
Part One: Paola Cecchi-Demelgio, an attorney and data scientist associated with Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School for Government, weighs in on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last week that struck down Affirmative Action. Part Two: (from 2018) Margaret Wilkerson Sexton discusses her first novel, "A Kind of Freedom."
A podcast bonus- This is an episode from Music: A Closer Look, a series I did here at WGTD in the late 1980s during my first years at the station. This particular episode was devoted to the Operatic High Note.
From 2006 - Award-winning filmmaker Eric Daniel Metzger talks about his film "The Chances of the World Changing," which chronicles the experience of a man trying to save more than one thousand turtles that have unexpectedly come into his possession. The film can now be viewed free of charge on Youtube.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xm-HdQqceo
Part One- Christine Sauer from National Geographic talks about their new release "Why? The Human Body." Part Two- from 2005- Richard Rapport, author of "Nerve Endings: The Discovery of the Synapse." Part Three: from 2008- Atul Gewande, author of "Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance."
From 2003- Dr. Hugh Evans, author of "The Hidden Campaign: FDR's Health and the 1944 Election." The book is an examination of the horrific health woes with which President Franklin D. Roosevelt was contending as he undertook his unprecedented campaign for a fourth term as president - health woes that were largely unknown not only to the general public but to most in his own administration as well.
Part One: (from 2009) Dr. Jordan B. Metzl, author of "The Young Athlete: A Sports Doctor's Complete Guide for Parents." Part Two: (from 2002) Jim Platt, author of "Sports Immortals: Stories of Inspiration and Achievement." The author's father, Joel Platt, has amassed one of the most impressive personal collections of sports memorabilia in the world.
Postponed from last week: James Kwak, co-author (with Stephen B. Bright) of "The Fear of Too Much Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Persistence of Inequality in the Criminal Courts."
From 2007 - Kristin Espinasse, author of "Words in a French Life: Lessons in Love and Language from the South of France."
From the spring of 1999, entertainment legend Steve Allen (1921-2000) .... the creator of The Tonight Show, a prolific author and composer. He visited both Wingspread and Carthage College in the spring of 1999. This interview is not only special because of Mr. Allen - but also because it was one of the only interviews I conducted with my friend and WGTD colleague Bill Guy, the creator of the Morning Show. Sadly, Bill died just a few months after this interview was recorded.
Author Josh Haven discusses his newest novel, "The Siberia Job," a thriller set in Russia in the tumultuous period following the fall of the old Soviet Union.
Part One- Ariane Szu-Tu, co-editor of National Geographic's Kids Almanac 2024. Part Two- (from the archives) Trevor Corson, author of "The Secret Life of Lobsters: How Fishermen and Scientists are Unraveling the Mysteries of our Favorite Crustacean."
From 2006 - a conversation with Dr. Don Kummings (1940-2017), who for 36 years was a Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and one the country's leading authorities on Walt Whitman. The occasion of this conversation was the publication of Professor Kummings' fourth book about Whitman, A COMPANION TO WALT WHITMAN.
From the archives: Here is the interview I was privileged to do with Daniel Ellsberg back in 2010 shortly before the PBS telecast of the documentary film "The most dangerous man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers." (Mr. Ellsberg passed away on June 16th at the age of 92.)
Part one- Stanley Coren, author of "How Dogs Think: What the world looks like to them and why they act the way they do." Part two- Emily Yoffe, author of "What the dog did: Tales from a formerly reluctant dog owner."
For Father's Day..... Tim O'Brien discusses his memoir "Dad's Maybe Book," in which he talks about the experience of becoming a father quite late in life. The book was published- and the interview was recorded- in 2019.
An archival conversation about gender stereotypes in higher education with Dr. Sylvia Beyer, a longtime Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Kemper Center, executive director of Kemper Center - and Robin Ingrouille, Kemper's administrator.
From 2002- a brief interview with Erik Lindbergh, a grandson of Charles Lindbergh. The occasion of the interview was the 75th anniversary of Lindbergh's historic solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927 .... and the publication of a brand new book about him titled "Lindbergh: Flight's Enigmatic Hero," for which Erik wrote the forward.
Kostya Kennedy is one of the editors of "The Story of Baseball in 100 Photographs," which comes from Sports Illustrated. (from 2018)
This is an exploration of how the game of golf first established itself in America. Charles D. Burgess is author of "Golf Links: Chay Burgess, Francis Ouimet, and the Bringing of Golf to America." (Chay Burgess was the author's great grandfather.)
Kristen Singer, a music and theater teacher at Harborside Academy, and Carly Mikula, who just graduated from there, discuss their exciting experiences at the most recent Jerry Awards ... an event in Madison that brings together gifted musical theater students from across the state. A production Kristen directed earlier this year- "Chicago"- was honored with a place in the program - and Carly ended up being selected as the one singing actress who will represent Wisconsin in the upcoming Jimmy Awards in New York City. The conversation also includes an overview of how the whole musical theater season of KUSD is put together.
From 2002- Gus Russo, author of "The Outfit: The Role of Chicago's Underworld in the Shaping of Modern America." 'The Outfit' was the nickname of one of the most powerful organized crime cartels in Chicago. It exerted enormous influence over the city and beyond for half a century.
From 2003- Karen Bruckner, co-author of "The Anger Advantage: The Surprising Benefits of Anger and How it Can Change a Woman's Life."
From 2003- Eric Alterman, author of 'What Liberal Media: The Truth about Bias and the News."
From approximately 20 years ago- Paul Fleischman, author of "Seedfolks." This book was chosen as the focus of that year's Racine Reads project, in which readers of all ages and from all across the city were encouraged to read this heartwarming and inspiring book.
From 2002, Eric Klinenberg, author of "Heat Wave: a Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago." The book examines the devastating heat wave in the summer of 1995 in which Chicago saw temperatures as high as 106 degrees over the course of an entire week. It is estimated that 700 people died due to the oppressively hot weather. Klinenberg wanted to understand why the death rate was so high in certain neighborhoods and in certain sectors of the population.
For Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the Morning Show, we talk about two new projects by Root Pike WIN (the Root Pike Watershed Initiative Network) ... at Campbell Woods and Cliffside Park ... with Dave Giordano, executive director of Root Pike WIN.
Part One: (from 2005) Flint Whitlock, author of "Given Up for Dead: American POWs in the Nazi Concentration Camp at Berga." Part Two: Andrew Roberts, author of "Napoleon: A Life."
J. Richard Gott, co-author of "Sizing up the Universe: The Cosmos in Perspective," published by National Geographic.
Dr. James D. Stein, author of "How Math Explains the World: A Guide to the Power of Numbers, from Car Repairs to Modern Physics."
Alan B. Bernstein, co-author (with Peg Streep) of "Mastering the Art of Quitting: Why it matters in life, love and work."
From 2006- Allen Barra, author of "The last Coach: a life of Paul 'Bear' Bryant." Bryant, one of the most famous college football coaches in history, led the Alabama football program for a quarter of a century.
From 2002 - Dr. Sam Chell, now retired as a Professor of English at Carthage College, talks about a J-term course he taught about cult movies. He also discusses a radio program he had just begun hosting on WGTD - Saturday Night Bandstand.
From 1996 - Art Historian Clare Ford Dean - discussing (among other things) great Flemish painters as well as the art exhibit that inspired Modeste Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
Reid Forgrave, author of "Love, Zac: Small-Town Football and the Life and Death of an American Boy." The book tells the story lf Zac Easter, a young man from a small town in Iowa who suffered repeated head injuries that led to CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) - and eventually took his own life.
Poet and writer Ana Maria Caballeros talks about her book "A Petit Mal," which chronicles the experience of her family when her six year old son was diagnosed with autism.
George Baumgardt, founder and director of the Spirit of Racine Music Makers, talks about their upcoming concert on June 4th.
Dr. Debra Ford, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, looks back on her 14 years in the position. (She is about to become chancellor at the University of Indiana-Southeast.) Also with us is Scott Menke, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, who will serve as Interim Chancellor until a new chancellor is named.
Earl Swift, author of "The Big Roads: The Untold Story of the Engineers, Visionaries, and Trailblazers who created the American Superhighways."
(from the archives: for Memorial Day) Patrick K. O'Donnell, author of "The Unknowns: The Untold Story of America's Unknown Soldier and World War One's Most Decorated Heroes Who Brought Him Home."
This interview was recorded (I believe) back in 2003. Aaron Kohlmeier, who was a student at Carthage College at the timer, recounts the story of how he and several friends traveled to Detroit, Michigan in the hopes of auditioning for AMERICAN IDOL.
From 2003/2004- Eric Schlosser, author of "Reefer Madness: Sex, Drugs and Cheap Lbor in the American Black Market"
Postponed from last week: WGTD News Director Dave McGrath talks about his first novel, "24 Hours from Tulsa," which tells the fictitious backstory behind one of Gene Pitney's greatest hits. The book is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at pop music in the 1960s. Although the book is a work of fiction, it springs in large measure from Dave McGrath's working relationship with Gene Pitney over the course of many years. Pitney figures prominently in the novel.
We talk about the great work of Racine Vocational Ministry with Executive Director James Schatzman and Re-Entry Program Director Heather Bennett. The agency is celebrating its 20th anniversary and just placed its 5,000th worker. They work to help people who have been incarcerated to re-enter society and achieve success.
Dr. Ar Cyr, a member of the faculty at Carthage College, pays his monthly visit to the program to talk about a variety of issues, including recent elections in Great Britain, the most recent meeting of the G7, and what the looming crisis of the Debt Ceiling is all about.
We discuss Stephen Sondheim's SWEENEY TODD, which has just opened at the Racine Theater Guild and runs for the next two weekends. Doug Instenes is Managing and Artistic Director of the RTG and the stage director of this production. Davidson Kane portrays Sweeney.
Ahmed White, author of "Under the Iron Heel: The Wobblies and the Capitalist War on Radical Workers." The term 'Wobblies' in the subtitle refers to members of the I.W.W. - the Industrial Workers of the World - a radical union formed in 1905 that sought to overturn capitalism in order to eliminate the brutal working conditions of millions of U.S. factory workers in early 20th century America. The union was ultimately destroyed thanks to internal division as well as a concerted attack from government officials, law enforcement, and capitalist leaders.
Earlier this week, I spoke with the new athletic director at Carthage College, Ryan Kane. Today, we listen back to a 2001 interview with Bob Bonn, who was Carthage's athletic director for 26 years, from 1992 until 2018. Bonn passed away in the summer of 2020. It was under his leadership that athletics at Carthage expanded in some truly spectacular ways. He also oversaw the construction of the TARC.
From 2002 -
Dr. Bernard Golden, author of "Healthy Anger: How to help children and teens manage their anger."
From 2004- Greg Borowski, author of "First and Long: A black school, a white school, and their season of dreams." The book chronicles the complicated and difficult first season of the combined football team of Shorewood High School (a mostly white school in an affluent suburb) and Messmer High School (a mostly black school with many inner city students from low-income families.) A documentary film ("Messwood") that takes the story up to the present day is being screened Saturday evening at UW-Parkside.
S.L. Price, author of "Heart of the Game: Life, Death and Mercy in Minor League America"
Bonnie J. Ruff, author of "Beyond Birds and Bees: Bringing home to our kids a new message about love, sex and equality." Ruff, her husband and children moved from the US to the Netherlands and found themselves confronted by profoundly different attitudes about sexuality - and, in particular, different ideas about the best way to educate youngsters about matters related to sex and sexuality. Ruff's book explores this.
We preview Saturday evening's performance (the one-and-only performance) of the Kenosha Verbatim Project, the latest in a series of Verbatim Theater Projects from Carthage. This one deals with the aftermath of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in the summer of 2020. Joining us is Martin McClendon, Professor of Theater, along with two Carthage students intimately involved in the project: Rayven Craft and Katherine Layendecker.
From 2007 - Hope Edelman, author of "Motherless Mothers: How Losing a Mother Shapes the Parent You Become."
From 2011 - Andrew Pertman, author of "Adoption Nation: How the Adoption Revolution is Transforming our Families - and America."
From 2007, and in honor of Mother's Day: Lori Leibovich, author and editor of "Maybe Baby: 28 Writers tell the truth about Skepticism, Infertility, Baby Lust, Childlessness, Ambivalence, and how they made the biggest decision of their lives." (Because of time constraints, we could only broadcast an abridged version of the interview. Here it is in its entirety.)
Nan Calvert's May visit to the Morning Show features two representatives from Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum: TJ Leveque (executive director) and Kailyn Palomares (naturalist and education manager.) Hawthorn Hollow has expanded its acreage and a celebratory grand opening will be occurring on July 15th.
From 2015 - Simon Read, author of "Winston Churchill Reporting: Adventures of a Young War Correspondent."
Award-winning designer and best-selling author Manuel Lima, author of "The New Designer: Discarding Myths, Embracing Change."
From 2007(?) - Carlyn Berghoff, co-author with her mother Jan Berghoff of "The Berghoff Family Cookbook: From our Table to Yours, Celebrating a Century of Entertaining."
We preview the performances this Sunday and Monday evening at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside of the Abyssinian Mass by Wynton Marsalis. My guests: Dr. James Kinchen, director of choral activities at UW-Parkside, and Russ Johnson, director of jazz studies at Parkside. This upcoming performance will feature the combined choirs of Parkside in collaboration with the school's jazz ensemble.
Fifty years ago - to the day - jockey Ron Turcotte rode Secretariat to a triumphant victory in the Kentucky Derby - and within a few weeks, horse and jockey completed the Triple Crown, the first time that had been done in a quarter of a century. Curtis Stock's book "The Turcottes: The Remarkable Story of a Horse Racing Dynasty" tells the story of Ron Turcotte and four of his brothers who became successful jockeys as well.
Byron White worked for 35 years for Kenosha Human Development Services. He is about to receive an award from the Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone Fund.
George Ferencz, a retired music professor from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, discusses the extraordinary legacy of Robert Russell Bennett, who orchestrated more than three hundred Broadway shows over the course of a half century. Professor Ferencz edited "The Broadway Sound: The Autobiography and Selected Essays of Robert Russell Bennett."
We preview the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra's next concert, which is this Saturday evening. We speak with Robert Hasty, artistic director and conductor of the KSO, Pete Rodriguez, president of the board and member of the french horn section, and violinist Yang Liu. The end of the program includes excerpts from the three works being played on the concert: Beethoven's Egmont Overture, Bruch's Violin Concerto #1 and Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony.
We preview the University of Wisconsin-Parkside's production of "Spring Awakening," which opens tonight and runs for two performances.
Carthage music major Katiann Nelson talks about her experiences at Carthage over the last five years as a clarinetist, pianist and singer. She participates in her final opera workshop performances this weekend - portraying Constanze, the widow of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, in a presentation called "In Memory of Mozart: Celebrating the Operatic Legacy of a Singular Genius." After graduating from Carthage next month, she will pursue a masters degree in operatic performance at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
We preview Carthage College's production of the musical "Legally Blonde" with Matt Hougland, music director of the production (and director of Carthage's music theater program) and three students in the cast: Alexyn Cervantes, Caitlin Preuss, and Nicky Caldwell. The show is performed over the next two weekends.
From the archives (2015) : Simon Goodman, author of "The Orpheus Clock: The search for my family's art treasures stolen by the Nazis."
Renowned Brian Stokes Mitchell is featured in this interview from the Morning Show archives. He will be appearing this Friday night with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Mitchell starred in Broadway in Ragtime and in revivals of Man of La Mancha and Kiss me Kate. For the latter, he won a Tony Award in 2000.
Monnica Rose is International Director of Toastmasters International, a non-profit organization that has been helping people surmount their fears of public speaking for nearly a century. Ms. Rose will be the keynote speaker for the spring conference of Toastmasters District 35 that will take place at The Abbey in Lake Geneva on May 5th and 6th.
This is an interview that dates back more than ten years. (I was unable to determine the exact year.) It's with Dr. Benjamin Campbell, just before he came to UW-Parkside for a Science Night presentation on the connection between testosterone and risky behavior among adolescents.
From 2008- Walter Hermanns, Daryle Sturino, and Jeff Barrow - the members of Syzygy, a team that won the Racine County Spelling Bee two years in a row. This interview was recorded right before they attempted to make it three in a row. (Note: They fell a little short, finishing in second place.) I (meaning Greg Berg) was actually a member of Syzygy when they won for the first time in 2006. Jeff Barrow took my place when I was unable to compete with them the next year.
From 2019 - Blake J. Harris, author of "The History of the Future: Oculus, Facebook, and the Revolution that swept Virtual Reality."
Dr. Art Cyr, from the faculty of Carthage College, offers his analysis of current events and issues.
From the archives: Catherine Blyth, author of "The Art of Conversation: A Guided Tour through a Neglected Pleasure."
Violinist Nina Fronjian, the current Howard Brown Artist-in-Residence at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside .... and Dr. Alvaro Garcia, director of orchestral activities at UW-Parkside. Ms. Fronjian performs the violin concerto by Alexander Glazunov on a concert at Parkside this Saturday afternoon at 3:00.
Indian chef and cookbook author Raghavan Iyer - one of the world's most renowned experts on curries - passed away on March 31st. This is a rebroadcast of an interview recorded with him back in 2016.
A look back at the 1960's sci-fi series "Lost in Space," in which a family of space explorers (the Robinsons) becomes lost in space due to a serious malfunction- and spend several years trying to find their way back to earth. Marc Cushman is best-known for a series of books he has written about another well-known series of the time, Star Trek.
Isabel Rivero-Vila won the award for Best Feature Documentary at the Cannes Independent Film Festival for her first feature-length documentary film "Afrykas and the Magic Box," a celebration of cinema and culture in Senegal. The film is being screened at Carthage College on Saturday evening, April 15th, 7:00 in the Campbell Student Union Auditorium; a Q&A with the filmmaker will follow. The event is free and open to the public.
Ronald C. Rosbottom, author of "Sudden Courage: Youth in France Confront the Germans, 1940-1945."
For her monthly visit to the Morning Show, Nan Calvert invited Brian Gunderson and John Holloway, two area farmers who are members of a farmer-led group called the Watershed Protection Committee of Racine County. The group seeks to foster better practices among area farmers for soil and water preservation.
We preview the Racine Theater Guild's production of "Stand and Deliver" with Edson Melendez, the director of the production. The show opens this Friday night and runs for just two weekends. The play and film are based on the true story of a high school math teacher, Jaime Escalante, who achieved amazing success at James A. Garfield High School in East Los Angeles.
We talk with writer Tracey Baptiste, who wrote a much-discussed piece for the New York Times a couple of years ago in response to widespread criticism of Disney for casting a young black actress as Ariel in their upcoming live action remake of The Little Mermaid. Baptiste's essay explained how mermaids show up in the folklore of all kinds of cultures all around the world. She has just written a new children's picture book titled 'Mermaid and Pirate."
From 2003 - Anthony Bozza, author of "Whatever you say I am: The Life and Times of Eminem."
Singer / songwriter Adele Bertei reflects on her very difficult and complicated childhood in her newest book "Twisted: An American Girl- a Memoir."
From 2017- Richard Kurin, author of "Hope Diamond: The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem."
From 2016- Victor Strecher, author of "Life on Purpose: How living for what matters most changes everything."
From 2019 - Ron Rapoport, author of "Let's Play Two: The Legend of Mr. Cub - The Life of Ernie Banks."
From 2010- Stefan Klein, author of "Leonardo's Legacy: How Da Vinci Reimagined the World."
William Kuhn talks about his first novel, "Mrs Queen Takes the Train," which imagines a remarkable day in which Queen Elizabeth II wanders off of the palace grounds by herself and experiences something of an adventure in the 'outside world.' The novel was published ten years ago, but is still doing well. It recently attracted its 1000th customer review on Amazon.
Best-selling author Tom Clavin discusses his latest book, "Follow me to Hell: McNelly's Texas Rangers and the Rise of Frontier Justice."
Maestro Pasqual Laurino, artistic director of the Racine Symphony, talks about their performance this Friday evening of Haydn's "Seven Last Words of Christ."
From 2019- Adam Waytz, author of "The Power of Human: How our shared humanity can help us create a better world."
I speak with Amanda Pollack, producer and director of the American Experience documentary film "The Sun Queen," which tells the story of Maria Telkes, a visionary in the field of solar energy. She faced many obstacles in her career - including resistance from many men in the field - but pressed on. The film airs Tuesday evening on PBS.
From 2011- Susannah Charleson, author of "Scent of the Missing: Love and Partnership with a Search and Rescue Dog."
(From 2017) - Sylvia Brown, author of "Grappling with Legacy: Rhode Island's Brown Family and the American Philanthropic Impulse." The Brown family was quite prominent and influential in early America - and their most notable ongoing legacy is Brown University. The book explores some of the complexities and controversies that are part of the family's history.
Patti McCracken, author of "The Angel Makers: Arsenic, a Midwife, and Modern History's Most Astonishing Murder Ring." The book tells the true and astounding story of what unfolded in a small village in Hungary in the years following World War One when a midwife came to the aid of abused women in the village by surreptitiously killing their abusive husbands by arsenic poisoning. The practice ultimately widened in scope.
From the archives (2004)- Richard Thieme, a former Episcopal priest turned technology commentator, talks about his book "Islands in the Clickstream," which features 144 essay from his column of the same name. Thieme offers remarkable insights on how technology continues to affect us and how we interact with one another and the world. Part two features an archival conversation about National Geographic's Great Nature Project.
Eli Merritt, author/editor of "How to Save Democracy: Advice and Inspiration from 95 World Leaders." More than 400 remarks from these 95 world leaders were gathered from the first annual Summit for Democracy.
We speak with Joseph White, a junior nursing major at Carthage College and proud alum of Indian Trails High School in Kenosha .... who recently won two national titles at the NCAA national indoor championships in Birmingham, Alabama - in the weight throw and shot put. Also joining us is Josh Henry (Carthage's head track & field and cross country coach), Greg Raimondi (director of strength & conditioning and the assistant coach who works directly with the throwers) and Seth Weidmann (Carthage's assistant athletic director and the school's much-decorated head swimming and diving coach.)
For Women's History Month- from the archives (2016) - Susan Quinn discusses her book "Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair that Shaped a First Lady." The book discusses the exceptionally close friendship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickock ("Hick"), who was a reporter for the Associated Press.
For women's history month, we are rerunning a podcast that was initially shared in the fall of 2019, shortly after the unexpected death of Jessye Norman, one of the most celebrated classical singers of her generation. The interview was done in 2014 after the publication of her memoir "Stand Up Straight and Sing." Part one of the podcast was shared yesterday.
For women's history month, we're rerunning a podcast that was initially shared in 2019, shortly after the unexpected death of Jessye Norman, one of the most celebrated singers of her generation. The interview was recorded in 2014, shortly after the publication of her memoir "Stand Up Straight and Sing."
Jack Rose and Sabrina Northern join us to talk about the good work of the Kenosha County chapter of NAMI (the National Alliance for Mental Illness)
Dr. Art Cyr, a monthly visitor to the Morning Show, offers his analysis of current events and concerns.
Carthage students Alexis Menendez, Grace Condit and Liam Carls talks about the second annual Sustainability Summit at Carthage on Saturday, April 1st at the Todd Wehr Center.
Evan Drellich, author of "Winning Fixes Everything: How Baseball's Brightest Minds Created Sports' Biggest Mess." Drellich is the sportswriter who broke the story of the Houston Astros' cheating scandal.
(for Women's History Month) Kate Fagan, author of "Hoop Muses: An Insider's Guide to Pop Culture and the (Women's) Game." The book celebrates the remarkably rich and interesting history of Women's Basketball.
Jim Padilla is the Dean of Carthage College's newly-formed School of Business and Economics, which is hosting a celebratory launch event on Wednesday, April 5th that will feature Kunal Kapoor, CEO of Morningstar, as keynote speaker.
In honor of Women's History Month, we share an archival interview from 1995 with Alice Parker, a much-beloved choral composer who was affiliated for many years with the Robert Shaw Chorale. I was privileged to record this interview with Alice Parker when she visited the campus of Carthage College for a week-long residency. You'll also hear a recording of a recent performance of her arrangement of "Hark! I Hear the Harps Eternal" sung by the Carthage Choir with their new conductor, Dr. Maggie Burk.
For Women's History Month (from 2003) - Madeleine Albright talks about her book "Madame Secretary: a Memoir." Ms. Albright served our country as its secretary of state from 1997 to 2001. She was the first woman ever to hold the post.
Part One: For Saint Patrick's Day- (from 2003) Thomas Maier, author of "The Kennedys: America's Emerald Kings: A Five-Generation History of the Ultimate Irish-Catholic Family." Part Two: (from 2005) Cindy Post Senning, co-author of "Emily Post's The Gift of Good Manners: a Parent's Guide to raising respectful, kind, considerate children."
Russ Johnson, Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, talks about the school's Jazz Week - and at the end of the program, you'll hear excerpts from recordings of some of the artists who will be featured this week. We also take some time to talk about Johnson's own career as a jazz trumpeter.
(from 2010) - For Women's History Month.... Adrian Goldsworthy, author of "Antony and Cleopatra."
Rebroadcast from late last year- Dennis Baron, author of "You Can't Always Say What You Want." The book is an examination of Free Speech and its limitations.
Kate Colbert, author of "Commencement: The Beginning of a New Era in Higher Education." The book springs from interviews done with 125 college and university presidents from across the country.
From 2015- John and Bert Jacobs talk about "Life is Good: The Book" which chronicles the creation of their apparel company and the spirit of optimism and gratitude with which they approach life and their work.
From 2018- Mark Ribowsky, author of "In the Name of the Father: Family, Football, and the Manning Dynasty." The book chronicles the football exploits of Archie Manning and his sons Peyton and Eli.
(from 2010) Donald P. Ryan, author of 'Beneath the Sands of Egypt: Adventures of an Unconventional Archaeologist.'
For Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the program, we speak with MaryLynn Conter Strack, Executive Director of the Racine Dominican Eco-Justice Center. Among other things, we talk about plans for the Eco-Justice Center to install solar-powered charging stations for electric vehicles.
This Morning Show Special is a follow-up to yesterday's interview with Dana Rubin, author of "Speaking While Female: 75 Extraordinary Speeches by American Women." Today, you will hear recorded excerpts from five of the speeches included in Rubin's book: speeches delivered by Katherine Hepburn, Barbara Jordan, Mary Fisher, Michele Obama and Oprah Winfrey, along with some of Rubin's thoughtfully written introductions to each.
Dana Rubin, author and editor of "Speaking While Female: 75 Extraordinary Speeches by American Women." The book presents the text for 75 speeches spanning several hundred years of American history. Each speech is preceded by a thoughtfully written introduction by Ms. Rubin. The American women represented range from Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Clara Barton and Helen Keller to Katherine Hepburn, Josephine Baker, Gloria Steinem, and Michele Obama.
Three interviews related to Star Trek: The Original Series. Part One: A newly recorded interview with William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk) - who comes to Milwaukee this Friday night to participate in a screening at the Pabst Theater of Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. Part Two: (from the archives) Walter Koenig, who portrayed Ensign Pavel Chekov on the original series. Part Three: Dorothy Fontana, who served for a time as the series' story editor and wrote several of its finest episodes, including "Tomorrow is Yesterday," "Charlie X," and "Journey to Babel."
From 2017 - Former highly-decorated NFL star Bruce Matthews, author of "Inside the NFL's First Family: My Life of Football, Faith and Family." Matthews played in the NFL for 19 seasons. One of several of his nephews who have played in the NFL is former Green Bay Packer linebacker Clay Matthews.
(From 2012) John Elder Robison, author of "Be Different: My Adventures with Asberger's and my advice for fellow Asbergians, Misfits, Families, and Teachers."
Dr. Carol Sabbar is Director of Library and Instructional Technology Services at Carthage College. Our conversation is both a response to and a continuation of the conversation on yesterday's program with Thomas Vartanian, author of "The Unhackable Internet."
Thomas Vartanian: "The Unhackable Internet: How Rebuilding Cyberspace can create Real Security and Prevent Financial Collapse."
(from 2014) for Women's History Month.... John Oller, author of "American Queen: The rise and fall of Kate Chase Sprague- Civil War Belle of the North and Gilded Age Woman of Scandal." At one point in her life, Kate Chase Sprague was by far the most famous woman in America.
From 2003 - Greg Tate, author of "Everything but the Burden: What White People are Taking from Black Culture"
Journalist Sharon Tubbs discusses her memoir "They Got Daddy: One Family's Reckoning with Racism and Faith." In the book, Tubbs recounts her efforts to uncover information about why her grandfather, a rural Alabama preacher named Israel Page, was brutally beaten by white supremacists (and nearly died) back in 1959. She also examines the ongoing affects of the attack on the family and subsequent generations.
Richard Hurowitz, author of "In the Garden of the Righteous: The Heroes Who Risked Their Lives to Save Jews During the Holocaust." The book recounts ten instances of people who courageously acted to save Jews who might have otherwise been killed by the Nazis.
(From 2013) Leonard Mlodinow, author of "Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior."
Today's podcast episode is the fourth time this month that we have re-shared a past interview with Dr. Yuri Maltsev, longtime Economics Professor at Carthage, who passed away in late January. This 2017 conversation touches on economic policies of the Trump administration. Professor Maltsev also talks about the continent of Africa and a trip he had just taken there with Carthage students.
(from 2015) for Black History Month: Christina Vella, author of "George Washington Carver: A Life." Carver was one of the most important scientists of the late 19th and early 20th century - and one of the most significant black scientists in history. He was a scientist, inventor, educator, and environmentalist.
We preview Carthage College's production of Sarah Gubbins' play "fml: How Carson McCullers Saved My Life," an engrossing play about a young person's search for identity and a sense of belonging. We speak with Herschel Kruger, chair of the theater faculty at Carthage, and Samantha Martinson, who has been brought in as guest director for the production.
From 2003 - Roanne Weisman, author of "Own Your Health: Choosing the Best from Alternative and Conventional Medicine."
We preview the Racine Theater Guild's production of Shawn Grennan's "The Tin Woman," a play that tells the story of a woman whose life has been saved by a heart transplant - but who is wrestling with terrible feelings of guilt that she is only alive because a young man has been killed in a car accident. It is only through meeting the donor's family - who are wrestling with their own pain - that she gains resolution. We speak with Doug Instenes, director of the production, and Katie Gleason, who plays the character of Joy, the heart recipient. (Katie also describes her real-life connection to some of the themes that are explored in the play.)
We preview Saturday afternoon's concert with conductor Bob Hasty, board president Pete Rodriguez, and french horn soloist Neil Kimel.
We preview the production of Lorraine Hansberry's classic play "Raisin in the Sun," which opens this weekend at the Rhode Center for the Arts in downtown Kenosha. We speak with Adrianna Jones, director of the production, and with two members of the cast: Vanetta Powell and Marquon D. Harris.
Mackenzi Lee talks about her latest novel for Marvel, "Winter Soldier," which focuses on the intriguing character of Bucky Barnes, Captain America's sidekick, and his origins.
Darmon Meader is the tenor with New York Voices, a fantastic vocal jazz quartet that is performing at Carthage College this Thursday evening as part of their Fine Arts Series.
From 2007 - Neal Thompson, author of 'Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR."
During the month of February, we are remembering Dr. Yuri Maltsev, long-time Professor of Economics at Carthage College, who passed away in late January at the age of 72. Every Saturday, the podcast will feature an archival interview with Professor Maltsev. This conversation was originally broadcast in August of 2015. It's a discussion about the chaotic state of affairs in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the highly corrupt activities of Russian Oligarchs.
My guest is Stephen Ives, writer and director of a documentary titled "Ruthless: The Secret History of Monopoly," which airs Monday night on the PBS series American Experience. The film explores the tangled history of the board game Monopoly and the fascinating story of one man's tireless efforts to uncover the truth about the woman who actually invented the game, despite what Parker Brothers said to the contrary.
From the archives: Allen Shawn, author of "Wish I Could Be There: Notes from a Phobic Life."
For Black History Month:
Yohuru Williams, author of "Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, Black Freedom Fighter."
Dr. Peter Dennee - with two members of the choir - Chloe Kroger and Danae Palmer - in a discussion about the Treble Chorale's recent European tour that took them to Prague, Munich, Salzburg as well as to some picturesque small towns.
One day after Super Bowl 57, we have excerpts from two football-themed interviews..... 1) Jason Reid, author of "Rise of the Black Quarterback." Super Bowl 57 was the first Super Bowl to feature two black starting quarterbacks. 2) Casey Sherman, author of "12: The inside story of Tom Brady's Fight for Redemption." The primary focus of the book is on the controversy known as 'Deflategate," the most difficult chapter in Brady's long career.
For Lincoln's Birthday (from 2008) - Phillip B. Kunhardt Jr., co-author of "Looking for Lincoln: The Making of an American Icon." The book actually begins in the spring of 1865 and the assassination of Lincoln- and ends with the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in 1922 - and traces the how the world came to terms with Lincoln and his extraordinary legacy.
Each Saturday in February, we are replaying memorable Morning Show conversations with the late Dr. Yuri Maltsev, long time Economics Professor at Carthage College, who passed away on January 25th. This 2018 conversation was primarily about Chernobyl. (Maltsev was living and working in Moscow at the time of the 1986 disaster.)
In anticipation of Sunday's Super Bowl: Part 1: From 2015, Austin Murphy (Sports Illustrated), author of "Super Bowl Gold: 50 Years of the Big Game." Part 2: Richard J. King, author of "Meeting Tom Brady: One Man's Quest for Truth, Enlightenment, and a Simple Game of Catch with the Patriots' Quarterback."
For Nan Calvert's February visit to the Morning Show, we talk about Native Plants (and the danger of invasive plants) with Regina Harders, president of the Root River Area Chapter of Wild Ones, and Joann Sustachek, coordinator of the group's native plant sale, which is currently underway.
From the archives, (2019) for Black History Month: Melba Pattillo Beals, one of the so-called Little Rock Nine .... the nine young black students who were the first blacks to attend Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Their dramatic entry into the school in the fall of 1957 was one of the most crucial events in the civil rights movement. In this interview, Beals discusses her memoir "March Forward, Girl: From Young Warrior to Little Rock Nine."
Part One: Chris Whipple talks about his much-discussed book "The Fight of his Life: Inside Joe Biden's White House." Part Two: Eric Schaeffer, founder and director of the Environmental Integrity Project, talks about his concerns regarding the effectiveness of the EPA (the Environmental Protection Agency.)
In memory of Dr. Yuri Maltsev, longtime Professor of Economics at Carthage College (who passed away on January 25th) we are sharing a number of archival Morning Show interviews with him during the month of February. This particular interview was recorded and initially broadcast in April of 2013. [His first-ever Morning Show interview, from 2001, was shared on Saturday February 4th. On subsequent Saturdays for the remainder of February, we will share more interviews with Professor Maltsev.]
From 2005- Robert Kurson, author of "Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans who risked everything to solve one of the last mysteries of World War II."
Through the month of February, we will devote one weekend segment of the Morning Show podcast to remembering Dr. Yuri Maltsev, Professor of Economics at Carthage College since 1991 and a frequent guest to the Morning Show - who passed away on January 25th at the age of 72. This is (I believe) the first of Professor Maltsev's visits to the program- dating from the fall of 2001.
From 2011- Patricia Bosworth, author of "Jane Fonda: The Private Life of a Private Woman." Fonda is one of the stars of a new film, "80 for Brady," which opens this weekend in movie theaters across the country.
We have a three-part series devoted to THE WIZARD OF OZ. 1) We preview the Lakeside Players's production that opens this weekend and runs for two additional weekends. 2) We play an excerpt from a 2005 interview with Meinhardt Raabe, who played the Coroner in the classic 1939 film. His memoir is titled "Memories of a Munchkin: An Illustrated Walk Down the Yellow Brick Road. 3) We play an excerpt from a conversation with Randall McLowry and Tracy Heather Stein about their documentary film "American Oz: The True Wizard Behind the Curtain," which aired on American Experience and can still be viewed on pbs.org.
Bob Delaney, author of 'Heroes are Human: Lessons in Resilience, Courage and Wisdom from the COVID Front Lines."
Dr. Art Cyr, from the faculty at Carthage College, joins us for his first monthly visit of 2023. Our conversation begins with a tribute to Dr. Cyr's longtime faculty colleague and friend Dr. Yuri Maltsev, who recently passed away. (We will be sharing recordings of a couple of Dr. Maltsev's Morning Show conversations this coming weekend.)
Jim Campbell, author of "Madoff Talks: Uncovering the untold story behind the most notorious ponzi scheme in history."
In a departure from our normal routine, here is an example of a program I did during my first years at WGTD .... "Music-A Closer Look," a 60-minute documentary series that I did when it was no longer possible for our station to carry the very popular program "Adventures in Good Music with Karl Haas." This particular installment of "Music-a Closer Look" was recorded and broadcast in the spring of 1991- and has not aired since!
From 2009- Edward McPherson, author of "The Backwash Squeeze and other Improbable Feats: a Newcomer's Journey into the World of Bridge."
From 2009- Kelly Corrigan, author of "The Middle Place," a memoir in which she talks about her struggle with cancer - a battle she fought concurrently with her father's own similar battle with the disease.
Sharon Price John, CEO of Build-a-Bear Workshop, talks about her book "Stories and Heart: Unlocking the power of Personal Stories to Create a Life You Love."
We catch up with Jack Rose, alderman of the 15th district in Kenosha, and board president for the Kenosha County of NAMI - the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
We preview this week's "Beauty in Expression" Visual and Performing Arts Symposium at Carthage College. Joining us is Dr. Corinne Ness, Dean of the Division of Arts and Humanities, and Dr. Jojin van Winkle, Assistant Professor of Art. One aspect of the symposium is an exhibit of Soviet-era artworks. There is also a public screening of a renowned documentary film from early in the Soviet era and a performance of the cello sonata by Shostakovich. All events are free.
This is the complete interview I recorded back in the spring of 2010 with Frank and Janet Germinaro, talking about the 40th anniversary of his kidney transplant. (Most of this interview was part of the broadcast of today's Morning Show. Today's Morning Show - which can be heard in a separate file - includes a conversation with Kenosha Pops conductor Craig Gall- and several excerpts featuring his singing and accordion playing.)
Today's program is a memorial tribute to Frank Germinaro, a beloved educator and musician here in Southeast Wisconsin who passed away this past Thursday at the age of 74. We begin with Kenosha Pops conductor Craig Gall talking about his friend and mentor. We then replay most of a memorable Morning Show conversation from 2010 with Frank and his wife Janet- talking about his kidney transplant from 40 years earlier. (At that point in time, it was exceedingly rare for a kidney transplant recipient to live that long.) That conversation will be available in its entirety in a separate file.
From 2005- Dr. Michael A . Babcock, author of "The Night Attila Died: Solving the Murder of Attila the Hun."
From 2010- Jeanne Fitzpatrick and Eileen Fitzpatrick, co-authors of "A Better Way of Dying: How to make the best choices at the end of life."
Part One: The Mayo Clinic's Dr. Holly Geyer discusses her book "Ending the Crisis," which chronicles the emergence of the opioid epidemic (the leading cause of deaths among American adults between the ages of 18 and 45) - and shares some thoughts on how we can best reverse these alarming trends. Part Two: Best-selling author Anthony Swofford ("Jarhead") talks about his book "Hotels, Hospitals and Jails: a Memoir" which is about his difficult relationship with his father.
We observe Wisconsin Salt Awareness Week with our good friend Nan Calvert along with Laura Buska, who is the manager of the Respect Our Waters program for the Root Pike Watershed Initiative Network. Next week is Wisconsin Salt Awareness Week, in which attention is drawn to the danger of salt to our fresh water supply.
From 2015- Richard Goldstein, author of "Another Little Piece of my Heart: My Life of Rock and Revolution in the 60's." Goldstein was one of the first music critics to write seriously and perceptively about the rock music of his generation. His book is also a vivid memoir of much of what he experienced on a personal level during those years.
Part 1- John Winn Miller, author of "The Hunt for the Peggy C: A World War II Maritime Thriller." Part 2 - (from 2002) - Philip Gerard, author of "Secret Soldiers: The Story of World War II's Heroic Army of Deception."
For Martin Luther King Day - from the archives (2014) - Todd S. Purdum, author of "An Idea Whose Time Has Come: Two Presidents, Two Parties, and the Battle for the Civil Rights Act of 1964."
From 2002 - H. Avery Chenoweth, author of "Art of War: Eyewitness U.S. Combat Art from the Revolution through the 20th Century."
From 2005 - Doris Christopher, the founder of Pampered Chef, talks about her book "The Pampered Chef: The Story of One of America's Most Beloved Companies"
Bob Glauber, author of "Guts and Genius: The Story of Three Unlikely Coaches who came to Dominate the NFL in the 1980s.) The coaches in question: Bill Walsh, Bill Parcells, and Joe Gibbs.
Stacy Riley, Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment at Gateway Technical College, talks about a new initiative at GTC to identify and reach out to so-called Stop-Out Students .... past students who for whatever reason did not finish whatever degree they were pursuing. We also talk about all that falls under the auspices of Student Services.
from the archives- Lea Burnam and Jeremy Bernard, who served as Social Secretary for the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, respectively, talk about their book "Treating People Well: The Extraordinary Power of Civility at Work and in Life."
We talk with photographer and activist Heidi Wagner about her Passions Project. It began ten years ago with her photographing senior citizens engaging with their passions. The current iteration of the project focuses on people from the LBGTQ+ community in Racine. The project is about to go on display in the library at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Part One: Holly Stanfield talks about Kenosha Unified's most recent musical theater production: "Trevor: The Musical." The title character is a high school student struggling to fit in and to understand who he is and his own sexuality. Part Two: from the archives, Tim Federle talks about "Better Nate than Ever," a book intended for young readers that tells the story of a high school student named Nate who loves music theater and dreams of performing in a Broadway production. Federle himself as a young man sang in two Broadway productions: "The Little Mermaid" and "Gypsy."
Katie Anderson Brower discusses her new book 'Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit and Glamour of an Icon."
From 2007 - Faith Heller Willinger, author of "Adventures of an Italian Food Lover: with recipes from 254 of my Very Best Friends."
From 2014: Lawrence Silver, the attorney for Samantha Geimer, author of "The Girl: A Life in the Shadow of Roman Polanski."
We finish out this week of repeats of notable 2022 author interviews with these three: 1) Cody Keenan, head speechwriter for former President Barack Obama, talking about his new book "Grace." 2) Steve Binder, producer of the historic Elvis Presley comeback TV special in 1968 (he has written a new book that takes us behind the scenes) and 3) Andy Saunders, talking about "Apollo Remastered: The Ultimate Photographic Record."
We have been rebroadcasting noteworthy author interviews that were recorded and initially broadcast in 2022. In this interview, Marshall Jon Fisher discusses his most recent book "17 & 0," which chronicles the perfect season of the Miami Dolphins 50 years after the fact. It remains the only time in NFL history that a team finished its season with nothing but victories up to and including the Super Bowl.
This week, we are sharing noteworthy author interviews that initially aired in 2022. Today, Susan Hartman discusses her book "City of Refugees: The Story of Three Newcomers who Breathed Life into a Dying American City." The city in question- Utica, New York. The author follows three refugees - from Somalia, Bosnia, and Iraq respectively - who each make a powerful impact on the struggling city that is their new home.
This week, we are sharing noteworthy author interviews from 2022 Morning Show programs. Today: Peter J. Boni, author of "Uprooted- Family Trauma, Unknown Origins, and the Secretive History of Artificial Insemination." Boni learned right before his 50th birthday that his birth was the result of artificial insemination which his parents had pursued in the mid 1940s. His book is both an exploration of his own personal story as well as the history of artificial insemination and how it has been viewed.
This week, we are repeating some of our most noteworthy author interviews from 2022. Today is an interview that initially aired in August 2022 with Jason Reid, author of "Rise of the Black Quarterback: What it means for America."
Replayed from September 2022- Dr. William Kuhn, a nationally-published author, former Carthage history professor and expert on British royalty offers his thoughts on the monarchy in the wake of the death of Queen Elisabeth II.
We are replaying memorable Morning Show interviews from 2022 - all tied to memorable occasions or events. This interview was with John and Ann Morse Hambrock after John's comic strip "The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee" won the highest award that can be given to a newspaper comic strip.
We are replaying memorable Morning Show interviews from earlier in the year- all tied to specific, special events or occasions. This interview is with the director of one of the world's most renowned vocal ensembles, Chanticleer, shortly before their concert at Carthage in late April.
We are replaying memorable Morning Show interviews from earlier in 2022. This interview celebrated the second consecutive national championship by Carthage College's men's volleyball team.
We are rebroadcasting noteworthy Morning Show interviews tied to specific and special events and occasions during the year. This is an interview done on the eve of the 10th anniversary celebration of the Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for the Arts and Humanities at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
One of the most notable Morning Show interviews aired in August of this year. It was (presumably) the final Morning Show appearance of outgoing Gateway Technical College Bryan Albrecht, who had made monthly visits to the Morning Show throughout his sixteen-plus years as GTC president.
This week, we are re-sharing memorable 2022 Morning Show interviews tied to specific events and occasions. This interview, which originally aired in late June, is about the 150th anniversary of Kemper Center.
from the archives - PJ Hamil talks about "The King Arthur Flour Company Christmas Cookie Companion"
From the archives (2007) - a special anniversary edition of Dr. Seuss's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
From 2018 - Hector McDonald, author of "Truth: How the many sides to every story shape our reality."
The Countess of Carnarvon (Fiona Carnarvon) talks about her latest book, "The Earl and the Pharoah: from the real Downton Abbey to the Discoveyry of Tutankhamun."
John Schlimm- "what would Gen-Z Do? : Everything you don't know about Gen-Z but Should."
Dennis Baron, author of "You can't always say what you want: The Paradox of Free Speech." (The book is not released until February 2023. This interview was recorded on December 9th.)
Bill Schutt: "Pump: A Natural History of the Heart." The book examines the human heart and how it functions, but also explores the heart of widely diverse creatures of the animal kingdom. It also traces the history of humankind's understanding (and misunderstanding) of the heart and its function.
From 2018- Leonard Mlodinow, author of "Elastic: Flexible Thinking in a Time of Change."
From 2018 - Dan Barry, author of "The Boys in the Bunkhouse: Servitude and Salvation in the Heartland."
We preview Sunday evening's Sing Along Messiah at Kenosha's First United Methodist Church (at the corner of Sheridan Road and 60th Street) - a much loved event that is back for the first time since 2019. In Part One, I speak with Jessica DeBoer, who coordinates the event. In Part Two, we share an archival interview from 2007 featuring choral legend Weston Noble, who conducted the choruses in that year's performance - as well as Trevor Parker, a Carthage graduate who was that year's tenor soloist - discussing the work.
For Nan Calvert's December visit to the Morning Show, we have John Holloway, chairman of the town of Paris, which is the site of a new and exciting solar farm.
Ken Wiele, a highly regarded high school band director from Kenosha Unified, has taken up nature photography in his retirement ... and has a beautiful book that collects some of his finest work and combines it with his mother's poetry has just been released in a second edition.
BONUS - Here is the complete and unedited interview with Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden, author of "Falling to Earth: an Apollo 15 Astronaut's Journey to the Moon." (An excerpt from this interview aired on today's Morning Show.)
Today's program commemorates the 50th anniversary of Apollo 17, which was on the moon fifty years ago this week- the last time that human beings walked on the moon. Part One: Andy Saunders talks about studying the massive frozen film archives at NASA and selecting 400+ images which he gathered into a massive and magnificent new book called "Apollo Remastered." Many of the images have never been seen by the public before. Part Two: an excerpt from "Falling to Earth," a memoir by Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden.
Buddy Levy - author of "Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk." It tells the story of an ill-conceived 1913 Arctic expedition that went catastrophically wrong.
From 2008 - Mac Montandon, author of "Jet Pack Dreams: One Man's Up and Down (but mostly down) Search for the Greatest Invention that Never Was."
From 2001- Neil Bernstein, author of 'How to keep your teenager out of trouble- and what to do if you can't."
We preview the Racine Theater Guild's production of THE LITTLE MERMAID, which opens tonight (Dec. 9) and runs for two weekends. We also talk with George Baumgardt, co-founder and director of the Spirit of Racine Music Makers, a group of vocalists and instrumentalists who are performing a Christmas concert on Sunday afternoon, December 11th, at 2:30 at The Convenant.
We highlight this weekend's concerts by the Kenosha Symphony (Saturday afternoon at 3) and the Kenosha Pops Concert Band (Saturday evening at 7.)
Part One (2017) - Craig Nelson, author of "Pearl Harbor: from Infamy to Glory." Part Two (2016) Brian Curtis, author of "Fields of Battle: Pearl Harbor, the Rose Bowl, and the Boys who went to war."
Robert P. Crease, author of "The Leak: Politics, Activists, and Loss of Trust at Brookhaven National Laboratory."
Dr. Thomas Carr, director of Carthage College's paleontology program, joins us along with two of his students - Nathan Cochran and Andy Huynh - to talk about the presentations that each of them made a month ago at the 82nd annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Toronto.
In honor of what would have been Weston Noble's 100th birthday this past Wednesday (Nov. 30th), here is an interview I was privileged to record with my beloved mentor back in the spring of 2008. (A short excerpt from this was replayed on the 30th.)
Yeva Skalietska, author of 'You Don't Know what War Is: The Diary of a Young Girl from Ukraine." Russia attacked Ukraine just days after Yeva celebrated her twelfth birthday. This book is based on a journal she began writing in the early weeks of the conflict. Also: Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Parker (2007) discusses her children's book "War is never a good idea" - and Crispin Glover talks about his series for young readers titled "Zeus the Mighty."
Dr, Art Cyr discusses the mid-term elections, Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter, President Lincoln and Thanksgiving Day, and more.
Steve Phillips- author of "How we win the Civil War: Securing a Multiracial Democracy and Ending White Supremacy for Good." It is the contention of Phillips that America is still fighting the Civil War - or at least struggling to come to terms with some of the central issues which led to the conflict and still leave us painfully divided.
Dr. Susan J. Noonan, author of 'Reconnecting after Isolation: Coping with Anxiety, Depression, Grief, PTSD and more." The book explores some of the ongoing consequences of enduring extended and unwanted social isolation, such as many of us experienced (and some are still experiencing) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On what would have been his 100th birthday, here is an excerpt from a 2007 Morning Show interview with choral music legend Weston Noble. (The entire interview will be shared on this coming Saturday's podcast.)
In the early 1990's, as the Soviet regime fell, folks at the Children's Television Workshop believed it was the ideal time to launch a Russian 'Sesame Street.' The person chosen to head up the project, TV producer and filmmaker Natasha Lance Rogoff, has written a memoir about the myriad challenges she and her colleagues faced in trying to create the show. Her book is "Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected, Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Moscow."
Robert J. Young, author of "Vagabond Pilot: a Journey of Discovery and Renewal." When Young experienced some very difficult personal and professional setbacks, he ended up undertaking a journey across America in his two-seater Two Niner Lima plane, reconnecting with old friends and finding some new ones along the way.
From 2009 - Andrei Cherny, author of "The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour."
This recording from the archives (from approximately eight years ago) is a conversation with Bill Jankovich, a retired business administration at Carthage College, talking about his exploits as a senior athlete in track and field.
As a Thanksgiving Weekend special, here is an example from Music-A Closer Look, a series I created, produced and hosted at WGTD shortly after I began work here in 1986. This episode of the program is dedicated to one of the most acclaimed and beloved classical singers of the 20th century, Leontyne Price.
As a Thanksgiving Day special, I'm replaying an episode from a program I did for WGTD back in the 1980's ..... Music:A Closer Look. This particular episode explores the history of the phonograph.
From the archives (2008) : Anthony Rudel, author of "Hello, Everybody! The Dawn of American Radio" - a fascinating chronicle of the earliest days of radio, a technology now easily taken for granted - but one which utterly transformed our country's cultural life when it first emerged in the early 20th century.
In honor of Jeopardy and the exciting Tournament of Champions that is currently underway, here is a Morning Show conversation that was recorded and initially broadcast back in January 2001 with a Kenosha man, Brian Lynch, who was a contestant on Jeopardy.
In honor of the game show Jeopardy and the exciting Tournament of Champions which is currently underway - we are offering up this memorable conversation with former Jeopardy champion Bob Harris, author of "Prisoner of Trebekistan: A Decade in Jeopardy." This interview was recorded and initially broadcast back in 2006.
We speak with Suzanne Phileggi Pawelski James Pawelski, the husband-and-wife authors of "Happy Together: Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Build Love that Lasts."
From the archives- 2018- Caroline Fraser discusses her award-winning book "Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder."
Part One: Public radio's Rebecca Sheir talks about her popular podcast "Circle Round," which shares folktales from all around the world. Several Circle Round children's picture books have now been published. Part Two: from 2018- Eric David Dawon, author of "Putting Peace First: 7 Commitments to Change the World," published by Viking Books for Young Readers,
Kyle Burton is with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau for Drinking Water and Groundwater.
Dr/ Jerald Mast, Professor of Political Science at Carthage College, offers analysis of last week's mid-term elections. A so-called Red Wave was widely expected but did not materialize. Why not?
Robert Stone, Writer-Director-Producer of the American Experience documentary "Taken Hostage," which airs tonight and Tuesday night on PBS. It chronicles the Iranian Hostage Crisis and examines what precipitated it.
From 2007 - Jake Halpern, author of "Fame Junkies: The Hidden Truths Behind America's Favorite Addiction."
From 1997, former WGTD News Director and Morning Show host/creator Bill Guy (who passed away in 1998) speaks with Dr. Gregory Mayer, Professor of Biology at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, about Dr. Mayer's appearance on the TV game show Jeopardy.
For Veteran's Day- (2017) - Daniel P. Bolger, author of 'Our Year of War: Two Brothers, Vietnam, and a Nation Divided."
Jim Pearlman talks about his newest book..... The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson. Jackson was one of the most spectacularly gifted athletes of the 20th century; he achieved notable success in both professional baseball and football.
Dr. James Kinchen, Director of Choral Activities at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, talks about the performance he will be conducting Saturday evening of Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, a fascinating work for piano, orchestra, chorus and soloists - and the intriguing story of its creation. This performance will features Dr. Kinchen's talented son, Alfred Jamal Kinchen, as the piano soloist.
From the archives: Dr. Sandra Moats, author of "Celebrating the Republic: Presidential Ceremony and Popular Sovereignty from Washington to Monroe." The book examines the nature of the U.S. Presidency through the terms of our first five presidents - and the role that ceremony played in shaping the public's understanding of the president and presidential authority.
Matthew Hougland, who is director of Carthage College's Music Theater Program, talks about their production of the groundbreaking musical HAIR. It is being performed in Siebert Chapel the next two weekends.
One week lake for Halloween, we rebroadcast our 2017 conversation with Kenosha-based author James Neibaur about his book "The Monster Movies of Universal Studios." The book explores such classic monster movies as Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, and The Invisible Man.
From 2014 - Bulent Atalay, author of "Math and the Mona Lisa: The Art and Science of Leonardo da Vinci."
From 2003 - "Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb: A Tour of Presidential Gravesites" by Douglas G. Brinkley.
Father Michael Calabria, a Friar who serves on the faculty of St. Bonaventure University - who is visiting Carthage College this week - talks about his great interest in Islam and Islamic Art and Architecture .... including the Taj Mahal.
Molly Fletcher became a sports agent in the highest levels of professional sports at a time when it was exceedingly rare for a woman to do so. Her list of clients included Hall of Fame pitcher Dave Smoltz. She is coming to speak at the campus of Carthage College on Monday, November 7th at 12 noon, for the Spotlight on Sports Series. (The event is free and open to the public - but you must register in order to attend. You can find info about registering for the event at Carthage.edu.)
Neil Scharnick, Associate Professor of Theater at Carthage College, talks about the latest play in their remarkable New Play Initiative ..... "Memento Mori." created in collarboation with West End School of the Arts in Killarney, Ireland. The play explores profound issues of life, death, and mortality. The title of the play is a well-known Latin phrase which means "remember that you must die." The play is performed the next two weekends at Carthage.
We talk about the Racine Theater Guild's current production, DROP DEAD by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Millmore, which opened last weekend and runs for two more weekends. I speak with Shawn Britten, the director of the production, and Ed Steckley, who portrays Victor Le Pewe, the ego-driven director of the play-within-the-play. (Some washed up actors are attempting to achieve a comeback with a murder-mystery play that unexpectedly becomes a real-life murder mystery.)
From 2010- Temple Grandin, author of "Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals"
Part One: Tyler Kepner, author of "The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series." Part Two: (from 2019) Dr. Jonathan Gelber, author of "Tiger Woods' Back and Tommy John's Elbow: Injuries and Tragedies that Transformed Careers, Sports, and Society."
For his monthly visit to the Morning Show, Dr. Art Cyr (from the faculty at Carthage College) discusses the short tenure of former British Prime Minister Liz Truss and the prospects of her successor, Rishi Sunak - the legacy of Harry S. Truman, who was honored a few weeks ago with a new statue in the U.S. Capitol - and the 60th anniversary this week of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
From 2010 - Sean Manning, author/editor of "Bound to Last: 30 Writers on Their Most Cherished Book." Thirty of Manning's writer/friends talks about what book they cherish above all others - especially the physical book itself as an artifact. (Where did they find it? Or was it given to them by someone else? Did it enter their lives at a particularly crucial point in time? What has the book meant to them ever since?)
Nicole London talks about the documentary films "Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom" and "Becoming Frederick Douglas."
Part One: Cody Keenan, head speechwriter for President Barack Obama, and author of "Grace." Part Two: P.M. Forni, author of "The Thinking Life: Thriving in the Age of Distraction."
From 2014 - Kenosha attorney Frank Parise talks about the experience he and his wife had of raising a son with Autism. (This interview was done to publicize the couple's annual benefit for Autism Awareness.)
From 2008- Rebecca Johnson (Vogue magazine) talks about her first novel: "And Sometimes Why."
For her October visit to the Morning Show, Nan Calvert's guest is John Zaborsky, president of the Botanical Club of Wisconsin. Zaborsky is a research associate at the Wisconsin State Herbarium in Madison.
John Hambrock and Anne Morse Hambrock talk about their comic strip "The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee" (which John writes and draws and Anne colors). It debuted in newspapers across the country in 2006 - and two weeks ago, it won the Silver Reuben for Newspaper Comic Strips from the National Cartoonists Society, which is essentially the 'Oscar' for newspaper comic strips.
Rachel Swartz, Assistant Professor of Theater Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, talks about their current production - "The Wolves" - that concerns the young women on a high school soccer team. After that, from the archives, a discussion about injuries in sports and recent breakthroughs in treatment with the author of "That's Gotta Hurt."
James Schatzman, founder and artistic director of the Choral Arts Society of Southeastern Wisconsin, talks about the group's 36th season - which opens this Saturday evening with a concert called "The Spirit Sings."
Yohuru Williams, author of "Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, Black Freedom Fighter." This new biography of Robinson looks beyond his impact on the baseball diamond to explore other ways in which he was a force for change.
From the archives: David Shoemaker, author of "The Squared Circle: Life, Death and Professional Wrestling"
Paul Sexton, author of "Charlie's Good Tonight: The Life, the Times, the Rolling Stones: The Authorized Biography of Charlie Watts." Watts was the principal drummer for the Rolling Stones for more than half a century.
The Carthage College Theater Department is about to present performances October 13,14 and 15 of "Frontline- a Verbatim Play," which tells the story of a half dozen front line health care works contending with the extraordinary challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Originally conceived as a pre-recorded virtual production seen over Zoom, it is presented now as a stage performance before a live audience. This is a rebroadcast of the interview done when the play was presented earlier this year. Martin McClendon is a professor of theater- and Melissa Schmidt was a student in the Verbatim Theater class that put this play together in the first place.
For the third and final time this week, we are focusing on Alzheimer's. This is an archival interview from 2017 I recorded with former Wisconsin governor Martin Schreiber, talking about his memoir "My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping and Surviving as an Alzheimer's Caregiver." The book chronicles what it was like for Schreiber to care for his beloved wife Elaine as she slowly succumbed to the ravages of Alzheimer's Disease. (She died earlier this year.)
From 2008 - Mary Ellen Geist, author of "Measure of the Heart: a Father's Alzheimer's, a Daughter's Return"
From 2003- David Shenk, author of "The Forgetting: Alzheimer's: Portrait of an Epidemic."
From the archives- Katherine Jackson Raymond, author of 'Carved in Sand: When Attention Fails, When Memory Fades in Mid-Life."
In honor of Carthage College's Fall Choral Concert, which is Sunday afternoon - we are replaying a conversation from several years ago that featured choral composer Jocelyn Hagen - along with Carthage music professor Dr. Peter Dennee - talking about a piece that Ms. Hagen was commissioned to write for Carthage's Christmas Festival. A work by Ms. Hagen ("To See the Sky") is being performed Sunday afternoon by the Carthage Choir under their new conductor, Dr. Maggie Burk.
Edson Melendez talks about this weekend's performances of the Belle Ensemble in a program titled "Sounds from Across the Street" that will feature choral compositions by six different local composers. The two performances are Friday night, October 7th, 6:30 at Holy Communion Lutheran Church in Racine - and Saturday evening, October 8th, 6:30 at First Lutheran Church in Janesville, WI.
Concert Pianist Joanne Polk (who is on the piano faculty at Manhattan School of Music) is playing a recital at Carthage College on Tuesday evening, October 11th, 7:30 p.m. in Siebert Chapel. The program will consist entirely of music by great women composers such as Amy Beach, Cecile Chamiade and Louise Ferrenc. This interview is interspersed with examples of Ms. Polk's piano playing.
Dr. Jason Karlawish (the University of Pennsylvania) is the author of "The Problem of Alzheimer's: How Science, Culture, and Politics Turned a Rare Disease into a Crisis and What we can do about it. " Dr. Karlawish gives a presentation of the same name at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Wednesday morning, October 12th, at 9 a.m. More information about this free event and how to register for it is available at uwp.edu/hhs.
We discuss Carthage College's production of Sophocles' ANTIGONE with Herschel Kruger (stage director), Maureen Chavez-Kruger (set director) and Kim Instenes (costume director.) The production runs for one more weekend, with performances this Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Carthage's Wartburg Auditorium.
Journalist Nora Neus is the co-author of "Muhammad Najem: War Reporter." In this book intended for young readers - published in graphic novel format - you are introduced to Muhammad, who as a young teenager braved the streets of his war-torn city in Syria to chronicle what it was like for young people to live in the midst of such senseless violence. Neus, who was with CNN at the time, took notice of young Muhammad's videos and helped share them with the wider world.
From the archives- with the recent death of Queen Elisabeth II and so much focus being put on the Royal Family, I thought it would be fun to replay this interview from the summer of 2021 about a novel in which we meet a woman with a rather unhealthy fixation on British Royalty and memorabilia related to them. The novelist's name is Kristin Contino.
Dr. Art Cyr, from the faculty at Carthage College, pays his monthly visit to the Morning Show to offer his thoughts on the late Queen Elisabeth II (focusing on her service to her nation during World War Two, when she was still Princess Elisabeth), recent public demonstrations in Iran, new tensions between North and South Korea, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Randall Balmer discusses his newest book "Passion Plays: How Religion Shaped Sports in North America."
Chancellor Debra Ford from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside talks about Parkside's robust enrollment numbers, campus renovation, and several significant awards which the university has recently received.
Elsa Sjunneson, who has to contend with profound blindness and deafness, discusses her book "Being Seen: One Deafblind Woman's Fight to End Ableism."
In honor of Carthage's homecoming weekend and its 175th anniversary, here is an excerpt from an interview with long time music faculty member and campus organist William Roth. In this conversation, the late Dr. Roth reminiscences about his part in overseeing the design and installation of the Casavant pipe organ in Siebert Chapel.
In honor of Carthage College's homecoming weekend - and its 175th anniversary - here is an excerpt from a 1997 interview with Dr. Alan Anderson, who served Carthage College for many decades, including a stint as temporary president of the school, and who was a proud Carthage graduate himself. In this excerpt, Dr. Anderson talks about the school's dramatic relocation from Carthage, Illinois to Kenosha, WI and why the move was necessary.
We preview Saturday night's Carthage Homecoming Concert with Dr. James Ripley, director of instrumental activities, Dr. Peter Dennee, coordinator of Music Education, and - in her Morning Show debut, Dr. Margaret (Maggie) Burk, Carthage's new director of choral activities and conductor of the Carthage Choir. The concert not only welcomes Dr. Burk - but also celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Treble Chorale and will feature a visit from Carthage alum and former Miss America Laura Kaeppler.
Dr. Josef Benson, Associate Professor of Literatures and Languages at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, talks about the current season of UW-P's Foreign Film Series. Professor Benson also pays tribute to Norm Cloutier, who recently stepped down after 39 years of coordinating the Foreign Film Series. (Cloutier and Benson collaborated in choosing the 14 films that comprise this current season.)
Doug Instenes discusses the current production at the Racine Theater Guild, an entertaining and thought-provoking comedy called "Native Gardens" by Karen Zacarias. The play is story of neighbors struggling to find common ground despite an array of social, racial, and political differences between them.
Kate Heartsfield talks about her newest book, "The Magus Conspiracy," which is written for the large and complex universe of The Assassin's Creed, one of the world's most popular video games. She talks about, among other things, the challenges of writing a book that must fit into the canon of an established reality.
Dr. William Kuhn, published author, former Carthage College history professor and expert on British royalty, talks about Queen Elisabeth II, her funeral, and about her son - who is now King Charles III - and her grandson, Prince William.
Pulitzer-Prize winning writer Buzz Bissinger talks about his latest book, "The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II."
From 2021 - Christopher Clarey, author of "The Master: The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer." We are replaying this interview because of the announcement earlier this week that Roger Federer is retiring from tennis.
From the archives: L. Jon Wertheim, author of "Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played." We are replaying this 2010 conversation because of the recent announcement that Federer is retiring."
Phil Allen Jr., author of "The Prophetic Lens: The Camera and Black Moral Agency from MLK to Darnella Frazier."
Part 1 - Dr. Thomas Carr and Dr. Megan Seitz talk about the Carthage College Paleontology program's most recent field exhibition in Montana.
Part 2 - A preview of the first movie in UW-Parkside's Foreign Film Series - which opens tonight.
Barbara Risman, author of "Where the Millennials Will Take Us: A New Generation Wrestles with the Gender Structure."
David Stashower, author of "American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Search for America's Jack the Ripper." The book discusses a terrifying series of unexplained and gruesome murders that occurred in Cleveland, Ohio in the mid 1930's - and the efforts of Eliot Ness, fresh off of bringing Al Capone to justice, to identify and apprehend the killer. This was one of America's first serial killers- at a time when that term had not yet been coined.
Stephen Guinan, author of "We are the Troopers: The Women of the Winningest Team in Pro Football History." The team in question, the Toledo Troopers, utterly dominated the National Women's Football League in the 1970s.
For 9-11 .... Jim Dwyer, co-author of "102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers."
Racine native Zachary Scot Johnson has been doing his Song a Day Project on Youtube for ten years. (Today is episode #3656.) He is back in Racine to headline a concert in honor of the anniversary: tonight (Sat., Sept. 10) 7:00 at First Presbyterian Church. In honor of his anniversary, here is the Morning Show interview I did with Zachary on the occasion of the 3000th edition of his Song a Day Project.
For Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the program, we learn all about orchids that are native to Wisconsin. Our guest is Brandon Corder, a graduate student in botany at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. (He was on the program several months ago to talk about mosses.) After that, we pay musical tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II (who died yesterday) by playing the stirring march written for her coronation in 1953, "Orb and Sceptre" by Sir William Walton.
Roseanne A. Brown, author of "Serva Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting," a new novel series for young readers.
Cheryl Hernandez, Ex. Director of the Kenosha Literacy Council - and Marsha Connet, SE Consultant for Wisconsin Literacy. Today is International Literacy Day.
Barbara Goldsmith discusses her book "Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie." Madame Curie, one of the most gifted and important scientists of her generation, was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, the first woman to win two Nobel Prizes, and the first man or woman to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields - physics and chemistry. Her research into radioactivity was groundbreaking.
This is a rebroadcast from November 2021 of a conversation about Chiwaukee Prairie, a 485-acre nature preserve in Pleasant Prairie. The three guests include Carthage biology professor Dana Garrigan, who will be giving a free public presentation about Chiwaukee Prairie this Thursday evening at Kenosha's Kemper Center.
For Labor Day - from 2004 - Mike Rose, author "The Mind at Work: Valuing the Intelligence of the American Worker." The book examines, among other things, the ways in which blue collar workers possess and utilize intelligence and creativity to an extent that is not always understood nor appreciated.
From 2008 - Phoebe Damrosch, author of "Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waitress." She was a waiter at the four-star restaurant Per Se during its first year of operation in 2004. (Per Se is still open for business.)
In a followup to yesterday's conversation with Joe Drape, author of "Our Boys," we speak with one of the young men who was a member of that extraordinary football team in Smith Center, Kansas - Marshall McCall, one of the team's four captains. (He is mentioned more than once in the Joe Drape interview and plays quite a prominent role in the book.) Both of these interviews were recorded back in 2010.
From 2010- New York Times reporter Joe Drape talks about his book Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen. Drape moved to the small town of Smith Center, Kansas to follow the exploits of the high school football team, which at the time was enjoying the longest winning streak in high school football. Ultimately, the Redmen won 79 games in a row ... and 5 consecutive state championships.
Jill Tietjen and Barbara Bridges, co-authors of "Hollywood: Her Story- An Illustrated History of Women and the Movies." The book talks about and celebrates the surprisingly prominent role that women played in the early years of the film industry.
Neil Swidey, author of "Trapped unthe Sea: One Engineering Marvel, Five Men, and a Disaster Ten Miles into the Darkness."
From 2021 - Stephen Kurczy, author of 'The Quiet Zone: Unraveling the Mystery of a Town Suspended in Silence."
From 2015, Ashlee Vance, author of 'Elon Musk: Tesla, Space X, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future."
From the summer of 2008 - Chester Biscardi, a Kenosha native who has gone on to great acclaim as a composer. Also part of the conversation: Dr. Richard Sjoerdsma, longtime music faculty member at Carthage and a good friend of Mr. Biscardi.
Marshall Jon Fisher, author of "Seventeen and Oh: Miami, 1972, and the NFL's only Perfect Season."
Part 1- Matthew Goodman, author of "The Sun and the Moon: The Remarkable True Account of Hoaxers, Showmen, Dueling Journalists and Lunar Man-Bats in 19th century New York." Part 2- Andrew Jampoler, author of "Sailors in the Holy Land: The 1848 American Expedition to the Dead Sea and the Search for Sodom and Gomorrah."
We talk about the intersection of science and art with Dr. Thomas Carr, director of the Carthage College Institute of Paleontology, and Matthew Warren Lee, an oil painter who is a professor at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. He has been both a volunteer and instructor with the program. His professional resume includes a memorable stint at a research station at the South Pole.
Jennifer Kozelou from the Kenosha Public Library - and the current poets laureate for Racine and Kenosha Counties, respectively: Debra Hall and Joseph Engel.
From 2015- Homer Hickam (best known for his memoir "Rocket Boys," which was adapted into the motion picture "October Skies .... and who went on to a major career with NASA) talks about his novel "Carrying Albert Home: The Somewhat True Story of a Man, his wife, and her Alligator." The man and woman mentioned in the book's subtitle were Homer Hickam's parents.
From 2007- Mark Kreidler discusses his book "Four Days to Glory: Wrestling with the Soul of the American Heartland." He follows the exploits of two gifted high school wrestlers in Iowa - both in pursuit of the state wrestling title for their respective weight divisions. It's one of the best sports books I have ever read.
David Maraniss discusses his book "Path Lit By Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe." Thorpe was one of the finest athletes of the 20th century, but he rose to prominence at a time when many doors were closed to Native Americans. This book chronicles every aspect of his eventful life - which was filled with tremendous triumphs as well as devastating setbacks.
For Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the program, we talk about landscaping with native plants. Our guest is Danielle Bell, who owns and operates a business called Native Roots that specializes in just that.
Jeff Bercovici, author of "Play On: The New Science of Elite Performance at any age." The book explores how scientific breakthroughs are helping elite athletes in a variety of sports sustain their excellence far beyond what once would have been possible.
We preview the 2022 Harborpark Jazz Rhythm & Blues Festival (coming up this Saturday, August 20th, at Celebration Place in downtown Kenosha) with Tim Mahone, Ardis Mahone, Teri Jacobsen, Jeff Weidner, and Sheronda Glass.
In recognition of Bryan Albrecht's upcoming retirement as president of Gateway Technical College, who just paid his final monthly visit to the program this past Thursday, here is an archival conversation that originally aired in May of 2020, which was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This interview was done via Zoom - and the two of us were joined by Patrick Booth, who was the guest speaker for GTC's upcoming commencement.
From the archives: NPR's Linda Holmes (host of "Pop Culture Happy Hour") talks about her first novel, "Evvie Drake Starts Over."
Gateway Technical College's Bryan Albrecht pays his final visit to the Morning Show to look back on his 19 years with GTC, the last 16 of which were as its president. Dr. Albrecht begins his well-earned retirement within a few weeks.
Dr. Jay Baruch, author of "Tornado of Life: a Doctor's Journey through Constraints and Creativity in the ER."
Replayed from earlier this year: Tripp MIckle, technology reporter for the New York Times, discusses his book AFTER SEVE: How Apple became a trillion-dollar company and lost its soul"
Keri Blakinger,, author of "Corrections in Ink: a Memoir." A highly-regarded journalist and prison reform activist, Blakinger brings a very personal passion to the cause; she herself was incarcerated for a time.
From 2018 - Reyna Grande discusses her memoir "A Dream Called Home" ( a sequel to "The Distance Between Us.")
From 2010 - Rachel Fershleiser, one of the editors of "It All Changed In An Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure." The Six-Word Memoir Project was created by SMITH Magazine (still in existence) which has gathered many thousands of six-word memoirs in which somebody seeks to summarize their life in six carefully chosen words. This book is one of their published collections of such memoirs. (Replayed by listener request)
Sportswriter Jason Reid discusses his book "Rise of the Black Quarterback: What it Means for America." He chronicles the slow emergence of black quarterbacks in the NFL and presents vivid portraits of an array of them, including the superstar black quarterbacks currently on the scene.
We preview the 2022 Racine Starving Artists Fair (Sunday, August 7th, 9-4 on the grounds of the DeKoven Center) with Jayne Herring, coordinator of the fair, and Jill Castillo, president of the Racine Art Guild.
Dr. Frank Egerton, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, talks about his book "GunCrazy America: A History and Critique of our Gun Culture."
Best-selling novelist discusses his latest novel, "Gods of Deception," which was inspired by the Alger Hiss Spy Trial in 1950.
From 2020- Ryan Swanson, author of "The Strenuous Life: Theodore Roosevelt and the Making of the American Athlete."
From the archives: Mary Norris, author of "Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen."
From the archives: Michael Takif, author of "A Complicated Man: The Life of Bill Clinton as told by those who know him."
We talk with 11-year-old Bellen Woodard about her project and children's book that are both called "More than Peach," which sprang from an encounter with a schoolmate who asked her to hand him a 'skin-colored crayon'- which made Bellen realize that she needed to say something about the wide range of beautiful skin colors that exist in the human family.
We talk with Betsy Ade ("The Voice") - of Betsy Ade and the Well-Known Strangers - about their upcoming performance this Saturday night with the Kenosha Symphony in a free open-air concert by the Petrifying Springs Biergarten
We speak with three young adults - Miriam Zouhri, Jared McLean and Zion Parrish - who have been working on an AmeriCorps team in Kenosha since mid July. We discuss what AmeriCorps is all about and what the experience has been like for them.
We talk about the second summer of the Kenosha Opera Festival with artistic director Nick Huff. Joining him are two of the young professional singers headlining the cast of Rossini's THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, which is being performed over the next two weekends. Heeseung Chae is portraying the title role of Figaro and Edith Grossman is Rosina.
From 2010 - Ellen Rogers, author of "Kasey to the Rescue: The Remarkable Story of a Monkey and a Miracle." After Ellen's son Ned was left paralyzed by a tragic car accident, the family was able to adopt a pet monkey that made an enormous difference for the better in Ned's life.
John Moyles talks about the work he does rescuing and relocating exotic animals (mostly aquatic animals.)
From the University of Wisconsin-Parkside: Dr. Peggy James, Dean of the College of Social Sciences and the School for Professional Studies- and Dr. Edward Schmitt, Associate Professor of History. They are both involved in UW-Parkside's Alternative Historical Narrative Summer Program, a 17-day experience for high school students and high school history teachers; it is designed to broaden the participants' understanding of our nation's own history and the players in it.
From the archives (2007) - Andrew Chaikin, author of "A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts."
From 2002 - Ronald Gross, author of "Socrates' Way: Seven Key to Using Your Mind to the Utmost."
Sportswriter Jeff Fletcher talks about his new book "Sho-Time: The Inside Story of Shohei Ohtani and the Greatest Baseball Season Ever Played." Ohtani is the first major league baseball player since Babe Ruth to succeed as both a pitcher and a hitter. In fact, he is the only player in major league history to be selected to the All-Star game as both a pitcher and a hitter.
From earlier this year- Concert pianist Jeremy Denk discusses his best-selling memoir "Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story in Music Lessons."
From the archives: Part One- David Rothenberg, author of 'Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound." Part Two: Ted Kerasote, author of "Pukka: the Pup after Merle."
From earlier this year- Dr. Mark Vonnegut discusses his memoir "The Heart of Caring: My Life in Pediatrics."
From the archives- interviews about two important Americans. Part One: Jean Edwards Smith, author of "Eisenhower in War and Peace." Part Two: Harlow Giles Unger, author of "Patrick Henry- Lion of Liberty."
From 2007 - David Yeadon, author of 'Seasons on Harris: a Year in Scotland's Outer Hebrides.'
From 2004- Barbara S. Peterson, author of "Blue Streak: Inside jetBlue, the Upstart that Rocked an Industry."
We preview the Racine Theater Guild's production of Stephen Sondheim's INTO THE WOODS with Rob Kroes, who is both the stage director and music director for the production, and Nick Cicerale, who portrays the dual role of the Narrator and Old Man. The production opens tonight and runs through July 31st.
Nan Calvert pays her monthly visit to the program. Her guest is Meikel And, who knows a great deal about edible plants, including edible native plants.
From earlier this year: Neal Thompson, author of "The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty"
I speak with award-winning illustrator Ed Steckley about his life and multi-faceted career.
From 2018 - Zak Dychtwald, author of "Young China: How the Restless Generation will change their country and the world." It's an intriguing look at how young adults in China will change - and to some extent are already beginning to change - their country.
Carole Douglis, co-author of "Climate Restoration: The Only Future that will Sustain the Human Race."
From the archives (2011) comes this interview with astronaut Al Worden, author of "Falling to Earth: an Apollo 15 Astronaut's Journey to the Moon."
From 2019- We replay our conversation with WGTD's own Dave McGrath (news director), talking about the interesting road trip he undertook in the summer of 2019 in which he essentially retraced the itinerary of the final concert tour of Buddy Holly sixty years earlier - a tour that ended in a tragic plane crash in rural Iowa.
Ray Scott, former NBA player and coach, talks about his memoir "The NBA in Black and White: The Memoir of a Trailblazing NBA Player and Coach." He was the first black coach to earn the NBA's Coach of the Year award.
We preview this Saturday's Secret Garden Walk (sponsored by the Four Seasons Garden Club) with past-president and publicity chair Lynda Guttormson Guy and Gateway Technical College horticulture instructor Courtney Greve.
Dr. Art Cyr, from the faculty at Carthage College, offers his analysis of current events and issues.
From the archives (2010): NPR's Scott Simon, long-time host of Weekend Edition, discusses his book "Baby, we were meant for each other: In Praise of Adoption."
In a sequel of sorts to the podcast bonus on June 14th - Flag Day - here is yet another carefully chosen array of noteworthy or interesting renditions of our national anthem - including Whitney Houston's iconic Super Bowl rendition ... several heartwarming instances in which athletes were called upon to do the anthem right before the game/match in which they were about to compete ... a couple of different renditions by small a capella vocal groups ... a cavalcade of superb opera singers .... and more.
Professor Mark Clague is our country's leading authority on the Star Spangled Banner. I spoke to him on June 14th (Flag Day) about his new book "O Say Can You Hear?- A Cultural Biography of the Star Spangled Banner." The interview on today's podcast was my first with Professor Clague, recorded back in 2014 when the country was celebrating the 200th anniversary of the writing of the Star Spangled Banner.
From 2010- Martin Sandler, author of "Resolute: The Epic Search for the Northwest Passage and John Franklin, and the Discovery of the Queen's Ghost Ship." (Note: of the thousands of Morning Show interviews I have done over the years, this interview is among my top ten favorites.)
On the brink of the Racine Concert Band's 100th season of music-making, we speak with its music director and conductor, Mark Eichner.
For the last day of Pride Month, Barbara Farrar joins us - Executive Director of the LGBT Center of Southeastern Wisconsin. (Although the interview as recorded back on the 22nd of June, before the Supreme Court had struck down Row vs. Wade, Farrar shares some thoughts on the possible impact of what the overturning of Roe vs. Wade might have on the LGBT community.
From 2017- Susan Stryker, the author of "Transgender History: The Roots of the Revolution."
Kemper Hall was a highly regarded all girl's school in Kenosha that was founded 150 years ago - and which operated for just over a century before closing in 1975. We speak with three alumni- Barb Axelson, Susan McMinn, and Anna McGuire - about the sesquicentennial celebration, and about what it was like to be a student at Kemper Hall.
1) Michael Johnston talks about his series for young readers titled "Confessions of a Dork Lord," the most recent installment of which is titled "Grave Danger." 2) Sonia Monzano from Sesame Street talks about "A Word Together." 3) From 2003, Jonathan Stroud, author of "The Bartimaeus Trilogy."
For a number of years, John Hambrock and Anne Morse Hambrock organized and coordinated the Kenosha Festival of Cartooning, in which a group of nationally syndicated cartoonists would come to Kenosha to talk about their work and the field of cartooning. Here is our conversation during the 2014 festival with: Lincoln Peirce (Big Nate), Rick Stromoski (Soup to Nuts), Jeff Keane (Family Circus), Terri Libenson (Pajama Diaries), and Scott Stantis (Prickly City.)
From 2012 - a conversation with Kenosha author Michael Schumacher about his book "The Wreck of the Carl D: A True Story of Loss, Survival, and Rescue at Sea." (The interview is slightly abridged from when it initially aired.)
From 2017- Susan Stryker, author of "Transgender History: The Roots of the Revolution."
Following up on yesterday's conversation about domestic violence, we speak with Suzi Schoenhoft, Executive Director of New Beginnings, an agency in Walworth County that works with victims of domestic abuse (and other victims of crime.)
Beverly Gooden, author of "Surviving: Why We Stay and How We Leave Abusive Relationships."
For GTC President Bryan Albrecht's monthly visit to the Morning Show, he is joined by Morna Foy, President of the Wisconsin Technical College System, and Megan Bahr, a recent Gateway graduate who is a member of the Wisconsin Technical College System Board.
From 2016- David France, author of "How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS."
For Father's Day (from 2011) - Dan Gediman, author/editor of "This I Believe: On Fatherhood."
For Father's Day - (from 2004) Peter Smith, author of "Two of Us: The Story of a Father, a Son, and the Beatles."
For Father's Day - (from 2018) David McGlynn (a faculty member at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI) talks about his book "One Day You'll Thank Me: Lessons from an Unexpected Fatherhood."
For Nan Calvert's June visit to the Morning Show, we speak with Steve Hopkins, who is with the water quality bureau of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
We talk about the good work of the HOPE Council for Alcohol and Other Drugs with executive director Michelle Sandberg and former executive director Guida Brown.
In conjunction with the interview with Mark Clague, author of "O Say Can You Hear? - A Cultural Biography of the Star Spangled Banner," I have assembled an array of recordings featuring some notable performances of our national anthem. These recordings/performances range from the 1905 recording by opera singer Emma Eames (the first known recording of the Star Spangled Banner) to Lady Gaga's performance of it for Joe Biden's presidential inauguration in 2021. Included is Jimi Hendrix's iconic performance from Woodstock, which helped inspire Professor Clague to do extensive research on the anthem and its history.
For Flag Day - Mark Clague, Associate Professor of Musicology and American Culture at the University of Michigan, discusses his new book "O Say Can You Hear? A Cultural Biography of the Star Spangled Banner."
For Pride Month - a 2018 conversation with C.N. Lester, author of "Trans Like Me: A Conversation for All of us."
From 2017 - Janell Rardon, author of "Overcoming Hurtful Words: Rewrite Your Own Story."
As the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee investigating the January 6th Capitol Riots holds nationally televised hearings, we turn to the archives and replay a conversation recorded back in January of 2021 - just days after the attack on the Capitol. The guest, Dr. Jerald Mast, is Professor of Political Science at Carthage College.
Dr. Ray Dorsey, one of the country's leading experts on Parkinson's Disease (the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world- and one of the leading causes of disability) discusses his new book "Ending Parkinson's Disease: A Prescription for Action."
The Kenosha Pops Concert Band is about to embark on its 100th anniversary season. We speak with their long time music director, Craig Gall, as well their newly-appointed assistant director, Kathy Ripley.
Best-selling author William Martin discusses his World War II thriller "December '41" - and why he is drawn to historical fiction. The novel is built around a sinister plot by a German spy to assassinate FDR as he is lighting the Washington DC Christmas Tree.
Dan Good, author of "Playing Through the Pain: Ken Caminiti and the Steroids Confession that Changed Baseball Forever." Caminiti was one of the first major league baseball players to confess to extensive steroid use.
From 2015- Mark Segal, author of "And then I Danced: Traveling the Road to LGBT Equality." (Unlike the version that was broadcast, this is the unabridged interview.)
From 2009 - Ian Stewart, author of "Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities."
From 2006- Lloyd Allen author of "Being Martha: The Inside Story of Martha Steward and Her Amazing Life."
E.C. Hanes (or Eldridge Hanes) is the author of "The Bus to Beulah," a suspense novel based on the unhappy reality of human trafficking.
Christopher Rosow discusses his latest novel, "Vital Deception," the fourth in his Ben Porter series. His first Ben Porter novel was a best-seller despite being self=published.
We preview this weekend's performances of Caryl Churchill's much-discussed play "Far Away," which is being presented by the Fleeing Artists Theater. Joining us will be Alex Metalsky, co-founder and artistic director of the Fleeing Artists Theater, and Mike Zimmerman, who is directing this production.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business at Carthage College, offers his analysis of current events and issues. He offers some thoughts on Memorial Day, Vladimir Putin's provocative statements about nuclear weapons, the prospect of Sweden and Finland joining NATO, President Biden's trip Asia, the recent school shooting in Texas, and the most recent elections in France and Great Britain.
Tripp MIckle, tech reporter for the New York Times, discusses his newest book, "After Steve: How Apple Became a Trillion-Dollar Company and Lost its Soul."
For Memorial Day- from 2018- Patrick O'Donnell, author of "The Unknowns: The Untold Story of America's Unknown Soldier and World War One's Most Decorated Heroes Who Brought Him Home."
From 2009- Thomas Childers, author of "Soldier from the War Returning," which talks about the often unacknowledged mental and emotional scars that soldiers often bore in silence upon returning home.
From 2005, we replay an interview with Katherine Newman, author of "Rampage: The Social Roots of School Shootings." The book details a Harvard study about mass school shootings and why the vast majority of them occur in small, largely idyllic communities.
Pulitzer Prize winning writer Matt Richtel (a science reporter for the New York Times) talks about his newest book "Inspired: Understanding Creativity: a Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul."
We talk about the Racine Theater Guild's production of MAMMA MIA with director Doug Instenes, choreographer Mary Leigh Sturino, and cast member Elise Sparks. The production opened last weekend and is scheduled to run for three more weekends.
Seth Weidmann, assistant athletic director and head men's swimming coach at Carthage College, talks about this work with Kenosha's Safety Around Water coalition. (May is Water Safety Month.)
John Fricke attended the Lyric Opera of Chicago (a performance of Puccini's TOSCA) back in 1971 when he was just 16 years old. Earlier this spring, he fulfilled a long-held dream by being cast as a supernumerary in a LOC production of TOSCA. In this interview, he describes the experience from his audition to his closing performance.
Samuel J. Redman, author of "The Museum: A Short History of Crisis and Resilience." The book examines how American museums have survived and been transformed by crises in our history such as World War One, the 1918 Flu Pandemic, World War Two, and 9-11.
From 2015: Christopher Doob, author of "The Anatomy of Competition in Sports: The Struggle for Success in Major U.S. Professional Leagues."
From 2017 - In honor of the 95th anniversary (to the day) of Charles Lindbergh's dramatic landing in Paris at the conclusion of his history-making transatlantic flight, we replay our conversation with Dan Hampton, author of "The Flight: Charles Lindbergh's Daring and Immortal 1927 Transatlantic Crossing."
Trevor Jung, Transit Manager for the City of Racine, talks about the city's move to convert one-quarter of its fleet of public buses to electric vehicles.
Brian Schoettler talks about the organ recital he will be playing at the Kemper Center Chapel on Saturday night. It's a fundraiser for a group of Kemper alumni who are hoping to underwrite some renovation work at Kemper, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.
Brandon Corder, who is pursuing his doctorate in botany at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, discusses Mosses and their place in the natural world.
Jori Lewis, author of "Slaves for Peanuts: A Story of Conquest, Liberation, and a Crop That Changed History."
From 2014- Bruce Meltzer, author of "I am Rosa Parks." This one of the first books in the author's acclaimed children book series titled "Ordinary People Change the World." There are now 31 books in the series, with profiles of notable people such as Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, Jackie Robinson, Helen Keller, Neil Armstrong, Jim Henson, Harriet Tubman, and Lucille Ball.
Keanon Lowe, author of "Hometown Victory: a Coach's Story of Football, Fate and Coming Home." Lowe was an assistant coach in the NFL - in his mid-twenties - when he decided to return to his hometown of Portland, Oregon and began coaching a struggling high school football team with a 23-game losing streak. He turned the team around- and then achieved unexpected fame when he thwarted a would-be mass shooter at the school.
From 2019 - Mark Beach, author of "The People's Team: An Illustrated History of the Green Bay Packers."
Best-selling author Dan Hampton talks about his latest book: "Valor: The Astonishing World War II Saga of One Man's Defiance and Indomitable Spirit." It's the true story of a U.S. Marine, Lieutenant William Harris, who was captured by the Japanese, escaped, and was captured again - but managed to survive.
In the wake of Carthage College's national championship in men's volleyball, we look back with the late Tim Rucks, longtime football coach, to the 2004 season when the football team advanced to the national championship game.
From 2006 - We talk about volunteering in the third world with Dr. Peter Emer (who operates Emer Eye Center in Kenosha) and Dr. Roger Lindberg, a former member of the biology faculty at Carthage College. Emer talks about providing eye care in the Dominican Republic - and Professor Lindberg talks about taking a group of Carthage students to offer medical care in rural Nicaragua.
Conductor John Mauceri discusses his new book "The War on Music: Reclaiming the 20th Century."
We preview the Racine Symphony's concert this Saturday night - the conclusion of their 90th anniversary season - with conductor Pasqual Laurino and concert pianist David Fung. On the program: the Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz and Piano Concerto #1 by Tchaikovksy.
Today was a very special day on the Morning Show. We had Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College, Debra Ford, Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, and John Swallow, the president of Carthage College, live in our studios. We discuss the close and affectionate relationship between the three of them and the rich spirit of collaboration and cooperation that exists between the three schools. With President Albrecht's impending retirement, this is very likely the final time that we will have these three distinguished guests on the Morning Show together.
Milwaukee-based labor activists Ellen Bravo and Larry Miller talk about their new book "Standing Up: Tales of Struggle," a collection of fictional short stories that are actually closely based on the activism in which they have engaged for almost half a century.
We celebrate Carthage College's second consecutive Division III National Championship in Men's Volleyball with head coach JW Kieckhefer and two stars from the current team: Matt Slivinski and Zachary Bulthuis.
From 2006 - Bria Simpson, author of "The Balanced Mom: Raising your kids without losing yourself."
From 2006- Lori Leibovich, author and editor of "Maybe Baby: 28 Writers Tell the Truth about Skepticism, Infertility, Baby Lust, Childlessness, Ambivalence, and How they made the biggest decision of their lives."
Dalen Instenes, a young man who grew up in Racine, talks about the year he just spent playing professional volleyball in Sweden.
We preview the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra's concert this Saturday night with conductor Robert Hasty and concert pianist Wael Farouk. The program consists of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto #1 and Brahms' Symphony #2.
Susan Hartman, author of "City of Refugees: The Story of Three Newcomers who Breathed Life into a Dying American Town."
In honor of the 200th birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted (the man who designed New York City's Central Park - as well as Milwaukee's lakeshore parks) - we rebroadcast this interview with Justin Martin, author of "Genius of Place: The life of Frederick Law Olmsted."
Rob Rapley is the director/producer/writer for "Flood in the Desert," an American Experience documentary that tells the story of the 233 mile-long aqua duct for transporting much-needed water to the Los Angeles area. It was opened amidst much fanfare. Sadly, the residents of LA had a mistaken sense of abundance of water, and their use skyrocketed. Eventually, a number of dams were built in the effort. The collapse of one of them, the St. Francis Dam, was one of the worst civil engineering disasters in our nation's history.
Emmy Award-winning director, producer and writer Steve Binder served as the director and producer for the 1968 TV special in which Elvis Presley was able to re-assert himself as a rock and roll icon after years of making a succession of largely forgettable movies. He has written a fascinating behind-the-scenes account of the program titled 'Elvis '68 Comeback: The Story Behind the Special."
From 2017, Youtube personality Colin Furze talks about his book "This book isn't safe!"
CNN International anchor Zain E. Asher talks about her memoir "Where the Children Take Us: How one family achieved the Unimaginable." The story revolves around how her widowed mother (who lost her husband in a tragic car accident) managed to hold the family together and raised her four children to become great successes. (Zain's siblings are a successful entrepreneur, a medical doctor, and an Oscar-nominated actor.) The story is also an immigration story because the family had emigrated from Nigeria to South London.
Dr. Yuri Maltsev, Professor of Economics at Carthage College, weighs in on the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Ali Noorani, author of "Crossing Borders: The Reconciliation of a Nation of Immigrants."
Sylvia Earle, one of the world's most renowned ocean explorers, discusses her magnificent new book "Ocean: A Global Odyssey," which has just been published by National Geographic.
From 2016-- Angelo E. Volandes, author of "The Conversation: A Revolutionary Plan for End of Life Care." The book was written to be a resource for families who might be struggling to have conversations about the end of life and what a given person's wishes might be for their own end of life in terms of the kind of care that they would receive.
From 2005 - Singer Judy Collins talks about her book "Morning, Noon and Night: Living the Creative Life"
We preview this weekend's Racine Theater Guild performances of "Akeelah and the Bee," which centers on a talented young woman preparing for the National Spelling Bee over the objections of her mother. Kara Ernst-Schalk is director of the production. Saniah Carter is in the cast. This production was just about to open in the spring of 2020 when the onset of the pandemic forced the performances to be postponed and ultimately cancelled. Most of the cast from two years ago is back as the production finally opens.
Tim Keeler, music director of Chanticleer, one of the finest vocal ensembles in the world. Chanticleer sings a concert at Carthage College this Friday, April 22nd.
Don Hurzeler talks about his latest book, "Suddenly Retired: a Road Map for What Comes Next."
Andrea Chamblee talks about finishing "The Capital of Basketball: a History of DC Area High School Hoops" by her late husband John McNamara.
From 2017 - Winnifred Reilly, author of "It Takes One to Tango: How I Rescued my Marriage with (almost) No Help from my Spouse - and How You Can, Too."
From 2003 - Richard Tofel, author of "A Legend in the Making: The New York Yankees in 1939."
Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the Morning Show features a wide-ranging conversation about Mushrooms. Nan's guest is Kathleen Thompson, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht joins us for his monthly visit. With him is Tatjana Bicanin, Executive Director of Building Our Future, a non-profit dedicated to improving our community through education.
Justine Cowan, author of 'The Secret Life of Dorothy Soames: a Memoir." Cowan had believed for most of her life that her mother was descended from Welsh royalty. It turns out that her mother grew up in London's infamous Foundling Hospital. Cowan embarked on an extraordinary journey to learn as much as she could about the circumstances under which her mother's mother brought her newborn daughter to the Foundling Hospital. The book is also examination of that institution's history and how it treated the illegitimate children entrusted into its care.
We speak with writer Sidik Fofana (Stories from the Tenants Downstairs) who is coming to Carthage next week as a Visiting Writer.
From 2016- Jeff Pearlman, author of "Gunslinger: The Remarkable, Improbable, Ironic Life of Brett Favre."
This 2018 conversation with Racine native Zachary Scot Johnson was done to celebrate the 3,000th episode of his "Song a Day" project on YouTube. We're sharing it again because Zach did his 3,500th episode earlier this past week. Zach performs a different song every day ... and many of these performances feature collaborations with other musicians. You'll hear an excerpt from his very first episode from September 2012 ... and you'll also hear his 3,500th episode in its entirety.
We're given a preview of Saturday night's concert at Carthage College that will feature the music of Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn. Dr. Ed Kawakami is Director of Choral Activities, and Dr. Dimitri Shapovalov is interim conductor of the Carthage Choir. They are serving as co-chairs of the music department. Saturday night's concert includes the Overture in C by Fanny Mendelssohn as well as Felix Mendelssohn's setting of Psalm 42 for choir and orchestra.
Maestro Pasqual Laurino, conductor and music director of the Racine Symphony Orchestra, discusses their concert coming up on Sunday afternoon, 3:00, in Memorial Hall in downtown Racine. The concert is titled "Remembrance" and culminates in a performance of Gabriel Faure's Requiem.
Evan Ross Katz talks about his book "Into Every Generation a Slayer is Born: How Buffy the Vampire Slayer Staked our Hearts." It's a look behind the scenes of one of the most popular, influential and groundbreaking television series in the last quarter century. The book also examines the enormous cloud of controversy that now surrounds the series' gifted creator, Joss Whedon.
Concert pianist Jeremy Denk, author of "Every Good Boy Does Fine: a Love Story in Music Lessons."
From 2010- Kathryn Allamong Jacob, author of "King of the Lobby: The Life and Times of Sam Ward, Man-About-Washington in the Gilded Age."
From 2009- an excerpt from an interview with Howard Behar, author of "It's not about the Coffee: Lessons on Putting People First from a Life at Starbucks." (Behar was founding president of Starbucks International, and served the company in other capacities as well.)
From 2007 - an interview with the late Ralph Houghton, who was the longtime coordinator of fine arts for the Kenosha Unified School District.
Waldo Mellon (the pen name of screenwriter Steve Adams) discusses his book "What's What and What to do about it: Answers you didn't know you wanted to Questions you didn't know you had."
Best-selling novelist Rebecca Serle discusses her latest book, "One Italian Summer: a Novel."
From 2021 - (for women's history month) Robin Gerber, author of "Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World's Most Famous Doll- and the Woman who created her."
From 2020 (for women's history month) Robert Weintraub, author of "The Divine Miss Marble: A Life of Tennis, Fame and Mystery." The book examines the life and legacy of Alice Marble, one of the greatest tennis players of the 20th century.
We discuss the new book "Bandits, Misfits and Superheroes: Whiteness and its Borderlands in American Comics and Graphic Novels" with its two authors: Josef Benson, associate professor of literatures and languages ... and Doug Singsen, associate professor of art history .... at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Ryan Jenkins and Steven Van Cohen discuss their book "Connectable: How Leaders can move teams from Isolated to All In." It's a very perceptive and illuminating book about loneliness in our modern world - and although the book focuses quite specifically on loneliness in the modern workplace, it has relevance far beyond the workplace.
From 2013- Tim Federle discusses his book "Better Nate than Ever," which tells the story of a 13-year-old boy whose passionate love of musical theater and his dreams to perform on Broadway puts him out of step with most of his peers. The book has recently been transformed into a film (written and directed by the author) which will premiere on Disney-Plus on April 1st.
In memory of former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, who died on March 23rd, here is our 2003 interview in which she talks about her newly-published memoir Madame Secretary.
A preview of the upcoming Sustainability Summit at Carthage College with Carol Sabbar (Director of Library and Instructional Technology Services) and four Carthage students - Zach Gibson, Alyssa Rodway, Alexis Menendez and Grace Condit - who have helped to put the event together. ALSO: a preview of this weekend's concert by the Belle City Brassworks with conductor Doug Johnson.
For Women's History Month: John Oller, author of "American Queen: The Rise and Fall of Kate Chase Sprague, Civil War 'Belle of the North' and Gilded Age Woman of Scandal." The daughter of Samuel Chase (a member of President Lincoln's cabinet), she was for a time the most famous woman in America - and one of the wealthiest and most influential - before her life was engulfed in a ruinous sex scandal.
Fifty years after passage of the groundbreaking Clean Water Act, Eric Schaeffer (executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project) talks about his organization's study of the Clean Water Act and what still needs to be done to reach the legislation's lofty goals.
Philosophy professor Andrew Fiala, author of "Tyranny from Plato to Trump: Fools, Sycophants and Citizens."
From 2005- Jeffrey Tayler, author of "Angry Wind: Through Muslim Black Africa by Truck, Bus, Boat and Camel."
From 2009- Renowned pastry chef and chocolatier Norman Love talks about his life in the kitchen and what it was like to be a guest on "Baking with Julia."
Nan Calvert with Jennifer Phillips-Vanderberg, Science Director of the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory.
Clayton Trutor, author of "Loserville: How Professional Sports Remade Atlanta - and How Atlantic Remade Professional Sports."
James Schatzman, founder-conductor/artistic director of the Choral Arts Society of Southeastern Wisconsin, talks about the group's 35-year history and the celebratory gala concert coming up this Saturday evening at Racine's First Presbyterian Church.
For Women's History Month, we are sharing a Morning Show that aired back in 2018, a few days after the death of singer Aretha Franklin. We begin with Meredith Ochs, author of "Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul: A Life in Photographs." After that, Dr. James Kinchen (Director of Choral Activities at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside) pays tribute to Ms. Franklin and her extraordinary career.
Russ Johnson, director of the jazz studies program at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, talks about the school's Jazz Week, which features an array of superb guest artists performing concerts each night this week.
We talk about the Racine Theatre Guild's production of "Clue: Onstage" with Doug Instenes, RTG's managing and artistic director, who is directing this production .... and Dan Martino, who plays the butler Wadsworth in the production. The show opens this Friday and runs through the first weekend in April.
From 2003 - Stephen Coonts talks about his book "Victory" which is comprised of short novels about World War Two by ten award-winning authors (including one by Coonts himself.)
From 2005- Brian Fugere, author of "Why Business People Speak Like Idiots: A Bullfighter's Guide." The subtitle refers to the importance of eliminating "bull" from the way business people communicate amongst themselves and to the public.
Part One: We preview Saturday night's concert by the Kenosha Symphony with Maestro Bob Hasty and concert pianist Winston Choi, who will be soloing with the orchestra in Gershwin's Concerto in F. Part Two: Rachel Swartz, from the theater faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, talks about their production of the award-winning play "Indecent" that opens this weekend.
Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht is joined by Lindsey Kosman, Gateway Student Life Coordinator ... Nicole Oberlin, District and Elk Horn Campus Ambassador .... and Taylor DeVincentis, Kenosha Campus Ambassador.
We speak with Seth Weidmann, Carthage's Assistant Athletic Director and Head Men's Swimming and Diving Coach .... and with senior Adam Moskus, one of Carthage's finest swimmers .... shortly after Carthage won its fifth consecutive CCIW (Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) Championship.
Susan Quinn talks about her book "Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair that Shaped a First Lady." The book examines the extraordinary relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and journalist Lorena Hickok, a relationship the lasted more than thirty years.
Thoughts about Diabetes from two experts at Harvard Medical School who have co-written a book titled "Conquer Your Diabetes" - Dr. Morton Abrahamson and Dr. Sanjiv Chopra.
From the archives (2010) - Ingrid Betancourt, author of "Even Silence has an End: My Six Years of Captivity in the Colombian Jungle." While running for the presidency of Colombia, Betancourt was kidnapped by one of Colombia's most brutal anti-government terrorist organizations, and held prisoner for six years. This memoir is her harrowing account of her ordeal.
From 2009- Jeff MacGregor, author of "Sunday Money: A Hot Lap Around America with NASCAR"
Professor Amir Hussain, renowned expert on Islam - in town for the 3rd Kenosha Interfaith Scholar-In-Residence program. He is chair and professor of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and author of MUSLIMS AND THE MAKING OF AMERICA. Also with us is Fatih Haprci, chair of the religion department at Carthage College.
David Mason, born and raised in Kenosha, is first chair viola for the Japan Philharmonic in Tokyo, Japan. He is back in town as the Howard Brown Artist in Residence at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. His performance this weekend with the UW-P Orchestra will be his first performance in Kenosha in fifteen years. Also participating in this interview is Alvaro Garcia, who is a professor of music and associate dean of the school or arts and humanities. Dr. Garcia was one of Mason's viola teachers.
(from the archives) Greg Tate, author of "Everything but the Burden: What White People are Taking from Black Culture."
Part 1: Melba Pattillo Beals, one of the so-called Little Rock Nine, talks about her book "March Forward, Girl: From Young Warrior to Little Rock Nine." Part 2: Jon Meacham talks about his book "His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope."
From 2007 - Alice Walker ("The Color Purple") talks about her children's book "Why War Is Never a Good Idea."
From 2013- Simon Garfield, author of "To the Letter: a Celebration of the Lost Art of Letter Writing."
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business at Carthage College, offers his analysis of current events- including Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Neal Thompson, author of "The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty." Thompson chronicles the story of the very first Kennedys - Patrick and Bridget - to make their way from Ireland to the United States in the late 1840s.
Dr. Mark Vonnegut, author of "The Heart of Caring: My Life in Pediatrics." Dr. Vonnegut, the son of renowned author Kurt Vonnegut, has been a pediatrician for forty years. He writes about some of his most memorable experiences and also offers up his concerns about the ways in which the medical field has changed over the last four decades.
Rosario Marin, former Treasurer of the United States, is speaking at Carthage College this Wednesday, February 24th.
From 2008: Vicki Myron, author of "Dewey: the Small Town Library Cat who Touched the World." It tells the true story of how Ms. Myron, the head of the public library in Spencer, Iowa found a tiny kitten abandoned in the library's drop box on a bitterly cold winter night - adopted it and made it the library cat, where it charmed library patrons until Dewey's death in 2006.
From 2017- Daniel Bolger, author of "Our Year at War: Two Brothers, Viet Nam, and a Nation Divided."
Music/Comedy Duo Bridge & Wolak (Michael Bridge and Kornel Wolak) are performing at Carthage College next Thursday evening, February 24th. Bridge is a virtuoso on the accordion (and also plays the digital accordion, which is one of the most versatile of all musical instruments.) Wolak is both a brilliant clarinetist and pianist.
For Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the program, she welcomes Kathleen Thompson, a doctoral Botany student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who has extensively studied Lichens and other related organisms.
From 2008- Elliot Jaspin, author of "Buried in the Bitter Waters: the Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America." (For Black History Month)
We preview tonight's American Experience documentary on PBS titled "The American Diplomat," which highlights the significance of three African Americans who served as ambassadors or otherwise were part of our country's foreign service at a time when the presence of blacks was severely limited. Leola Carzolai-Stewart is director of the film. Dr. Michael Krenn, Professor of History at Appalachian State University, is author of the book "Black Diplomacy: African-Americans and the State Department, 1945-1969."
For Valentine's Day - Lair Torrent, author of "The Practice of Love: Break Old Patterns, Rebuild Trust, and Create a Connection that Lasts."
From the archives: Achim Novak, author of "The Moment: a Practical Guide to Creating a Mindful Life in a Distracted World."
From 2009- in honor of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, Ronald C. White talks about his book "A. Lincoln: A Biography," which was written to commemorate Lincoln's 200th birthday.
We speak to two members of the Carthage faculty - Jeff Roberg and Maribel Morales - and three of the eighteen Carthage students who participated in their J-Term study trip to Peru .... Letitia Siers, Abigail Trch, and Serena Richardson.
GTC President Bryan Albrecht and Provost Zina Haywood have both announced their impending retirements. (Haywood steps down in September- Albrecht in November.) They look back on their many years at Gateway Technical College and discuss the many ways that the school has grown and changed.
We preview the Fleeing Artists Theater Company's production of "Failure: A Love Story," which opens this weekend at Kenosha's Rhode Center for the Arts, with director Alex Metalsky and cast members Denise Johnson and Rick Bingen.
We preview the Racine Theater Guild's production of "Guys on Ice" (opening this coming weekend) with director Doug Instenes and cast mates Dan Venne, Bob Benson and Tony Lazalde.
Carthage theater professor Martin McClendon talks about the new play FRONTLINE based on interviews done with six health care workers talking about the stresses of working during the pandemic. Also in the interview is a student, Melissa Schmidt, who was in the Verbatim Theater class that helped create the play.
Benjamin Gilmour, author of 'Paramedico: Around the World by Ambulance." Gilmour is an Australian paramedic who decided to experience life as a paramedic in countries around the world.
From the archives: (2000 or 2001)- Robert Hollingsworth, who at the time was manager of the Chrysler Automobile Plant in Kenosha. (The plant went dark in 2010 and was demolished in 2013. This interview takes us back to a day when automobile manufacturing was the dominant force in the Kenosha economy.)
From 2005: Figure Skater Megan Oster, from Kenosha, who won two bronze medals at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships .... one in the novice division, the other in the junior division. We replay this interview in honor of the Winter Olympics that are currently underway with so much attention focused on figure skating.
Justin Spizman, author of "Coach: The Greatest Teachers in Sports and their lessons for us all." Filling out the hour is an excerpt from my interview with L. Jon Wertheim, author of "Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played." The interview includes comment about Rafael Nadal's uncle, Antonio Nadal (his first tennis coach), who is one of the coaches profiled in Spizman's book.
BONUS: As UW-Parkside celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for the Arts & Humanities, we're replay the 2012 Morning Show that aired right before The Rita opened its doors to the public. I spoke with Dr. Dean Yonkh, then Interim Dean of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Lisa Kornetsky, then Chair of the Theatrical Arts Department, and Deborah Karp, Director of the Center for Community Partnerships.
We celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Rita (The Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for the Arts & Humanities) with Dr. Lesley Walker, Dean of the School of Arts & Humanities at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. At the end of the program is an excerpt from the Morning Show interview done ten years ago right before The Rita opened its doors to the public. Dr. Dean Yonhk, who was Dean at the time, shares a bit about what it took to make this long-held dream a reality.
Greg Brennecka, author of "Impact: How Rocks from Space Led to Life, Culture, and Donkey Kong." Brennecka has been studying meteorites for most of his professional life.
We preview the next film in the PBS series American Experience...... "Riveted: The History of Jeans." The film traces the history of blue jeans through the lens of our country's history- examining who has worn jeans at various points in time and why. The film airs on PBS next week.
Mark Zwonitzer, author of "The Statesman and the Storyteller: John Hay, Mark Twain and the Rise of American Imperialism."
Young poet Jacob Hunt bills himself as Otherpoet. The book "Shift" is a collection of his poems.
From 2005- Barry Becher and Edward Valenti, co-authors of "The Wisdom of Ginsu: Carve Yourself a Piece of the American Dream." Becher and Valenti help make Ginsu knives a retail phenomenon beginning in the late 1970's.
We speak with Trevor Jung, Transit Manager for the city of Racine. In 2019, he was elected to the Racine Common Council at the age of 23. We talk about his passion for public service as well as his uncommon personal story. (He was adopted from a Russian orphanage when he was two years old.)
For Holocaust Remembrance Day, here is an additional interview- from 2004- with Alexandra Zapruder, author and editor of "Salvaged Pages: Young Writers' Diaries of the Holocaust." The book is a collection of 15 diaries written by young people during the Holocaust... diaries like the Diary of Anne Franck, but not nearly so well known - and in many cases just as compelling.
For Holocaust Remembrance Day: Mina Miller, founder and artistic director of Music of Remembrance, a Seattle-based music organization that tells the story of the Holocaust and pays tribute to its victims through music. MOR involves itself both in live performances and recordings - and have commissioned an array of superb new works related to the Holocaust. They have also shared with the world a number of works that were actually created amidst the horror of the Holocaust, some even within the walls of concentration camps.
Part One: David S. Rudolf, author of "American Injustice: Inside Stories from the Underbelly of the Criminal Justice System." Part Two: Gene Hackman and Daniel Lenihan, co-authors of "Justice for None: a Novel."
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business at Carthage College, offers analysis of current events and issues.
R.D. Rosen, author of "A Buffalo in the House: the True Story of a Man, an Animal, and the American West."
(From 2018) In a followup to Tuesday's Morning Show, a rebroadcast of my conversation with Emily St. John Mandel (author of Station Eleven), I thought I would share an earlier conversation with three staffer members from the UW-Parkside Library who oversaw that year's Big Read Project. In this interview, they talk about why they selected "Station Eleven" for that year's Big Read- and we also learn something about all that a university library has to offer.
We speak with Dr. Anthony Barnhart, Associate Professor of Psychological Science at Carthage College, about the J-Term course he is currently teaching: "The Cognitive Science of Magic." Professor Barnhart is an accomplished magician, and to assist him with this course he has invited an array of his fellow magicians to speak to his class.
For her first monthly visit of 2022, Root Pike WIN's Nan Calvert welcomes her former colleague Allison Werner, who is now Executive Director of the River Alliance of Wisconsin, a non-profit that works to safeguard Wisconsin's water.
Peter J. Boni, author of "Uprooted: Family Trauma, Unknown Origins, and the Secretive History of Artificial Insemination." Shortly before his 50th birthday, Boni learned (quite by accident) that his birth was the result of artificial insemination. His book chronicles the history of artificial insemination as well as his own personal journey to come to grips with this unexpected revelation about his own origins.
From 2017- Emily St. John Mandel discusses her best-selling book "Station Eleven," which has just been adapted into a highly acclaimed ten-part miniseries on HBO Max. (The first episode debuted in mid-December; the tenth and final episode dropped last Thursday.) This interview was recorded while "Station Eleven" was the focus of that year's Big Read Project.
For Martin Luther King Day- Debby Irving discusses her book "Waking up White - and Finding Myself in the Story of Race"
From 2002 - Lynn Peril, author of "Pink Think: Becoming a Woman in Many Uneasy Lessons."
Katie Kowbel is the director of the Racine Theater Guild's production of the light-hearted musical "Nunsense," which opens tonight. The opening of the production had to be postponed from last Friday to tonight because of COVID.
For the first monthly visit of 2022 from Gateway Technical College president Bryan Albrecht, we discuss workforce development with Doug Bartz, director of the Kenosha County Job Center, and Beth Norris, operations manager for the Southeast Wisconsin Workforce System.
From 2015- Eric Greitens, author of "Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life."
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Michael Cottman talks about his latest book, "Segregated Skies: David Harris's Trailblazing Journey to Rise Above Racial Barriers." David Harris was the first African-American to become a pilot for a major airline.
Dr. Jonathan Shailor, Professor of Communications at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, talks about his ongoing and expanding work with inmates at the Racine County Correctional Facility.
Repeated from last week: Mark Bowden, author of "The Steal: The Attempt to Overturn the 2020 Election and the People Who Stopped It."
Creek Stewart is author of "The Disaster-Ready Home: a Step-by-Step Emergency Preparedness Manual for Sheltering in Place."
From 2004- Richard Thieme, author of "Islands in the Clickstream: Reflections on Life in a Virtual World." (In May of 2021, Thieme released a follow-up book titled "The Best of Islands in the Clickstream." Thieme has been writing his column on the affect of new technologies since the mid 1990s.
Joe Loizzo amd Elazar Eslan, co-authors of "Boundless Leadership: The Breakthrough Method to Realize your Vision, Empower Others, and Ignite Positive Change."
We are re-sharing our interview with J.R. Moehringer in which he talks about his memoir titled "The Tender Bar." The book was recently made into a major motion picture (directed by George Clooney and starring Ben Affleck) .... and the film begins streaming today (January 7th.)
Best-selling author Mark Bowden talks about "The Steal: The Attempt to Overturn the 2020 Election and the People who Stopped it." He co-wrote the book with Matthew Teague.
Writer Ravi Shankar (named after but no relation to the musician of the same name) talks about his book "Correctional: a Memoir." In it, he explores the experience of being the son of Indian immigrants, his struggles to sort out his sense of personal identity, and the misdeed that landed him in jail for a time. (He actually secured tenure while incarcerated.)
Wisconsin-born author Michael Perry talks about his book "Montaigne in Barn Boots: An Amateur Ambles Through Philosophy."
Donald Cohen, author of "The Privatization of Everything: How the Plunder of Public Goods Transformed America and How We Can Fight Back."
One of our favorite interviews from 2021- WGTD News Director Dave McGrath talks about his book "Gene Pitney: The Singer, the Songs, the Songwriters." McGrath worked with Gene Pitney for more than twenty years.
One of our favorite Morning Show interviews from 2021: Juliette Gay, author of "Catch us when we fall," a novel that confronts, among other things, the reality of alcoholism.
One of our favorite interviews of 2021- Former Oak Creek High School student-athlete Ben Kawczynski and his parents recount the thrilling experience of Ben winning the national high school wrestling championship at 285 pounds (he was unseeded entering the national tournament.) Update: Ben is now a freshman at the University of La Crosse and as of early December had a win-loss record of 9-1, with his only loss coming at the hands of the nation's #-2 ranked collegiate wrestler at 285 pounds.
One of our favorite interviews from 2021: Tim Halbach joins us from his office at the National Weather Service.
This is one of our favorite Morning Show interviews from 2021. (The interview previously posted was actually an earlier conversation. This is the interview that took place in March of this year, in which Professor Barnhart responds to the claims made by a previous Morning Show guest who wrote a book about handwriting analysis.)
One of our best Morning Show interviews from 2021: Dr. Anthony Barnhart, Associate Professor of Psychological Science at Carthage College. Professor Barnhart came on the Morning Show to refute some of the claims made by a previous Morning Show guest (the author of a book about handwriting analysis.) We also talked about one of Professor Barnhart's expertise as a magician.
One of our best Morning Shows from 2021- Dr. Sandra Moats discusses her most recent book, "Navigating Neutrality." This interview was conducted and recorded at a live event on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where Dr. Moats is a Professor of History.
One of our best Morning Show interviews of 2021: Former White Supremacists Jesse Morton and Tony McAleer, who spoke at an event at Carthage College called OUT OF HATRED.
One of our favorite interviews from 2021: Author Matthew Paul Turner talks about the experience of completing the final book by Rachel Held Evans, who died unexpectedly before she was able to finish "What is God Like?", a breathtakingly beautiful children's book.
This is a Christmas special that was conceived by WGTD volunteer Jean Evans back in the early 1990s. It has not aired in at least 20 years. It combines distinctive Christmas music and poetry.
One of our favorite Morning Show interviews from 2021: Rollo Dilworth, one of the country's most renowned choral composers, arrangers and conductors. He visited the campus of Carthage College this fall as the lead clinician for Carthage's Treble Chorale Festival.
In another favorite interview from 2021, I speak with best-selling author Tim O'Brien about his most recent book, "Dad's Maybe Book," a memoir in which he talks about the joys and challenges of becoming a father for the first time at the age of 56. O'Brien is probably best-known for his memoir "The Things They Carried" which recounts some of his experiences as a soldier in the Viet Nam War.
Here's another of our favorite Morning Show interviews from 2021: Fern Schumer Chapman, talking about her latest book- "Brothers, Sisters, Strangers: Sibling Estrangement and the Road to Reconciliation."
One of our favorite interviews from 2021: Olympian Jordan Windle and his father Jerry Windle spoke with us right before Jordan headed to Tokyo to represent the U.S. in the 10-meter platform diving event. Jerry adopted Jordan from an orphanage in Cambodia, and the two of them collaborated on a beautiful children's book titled "An Orphan No More."
One of our favorite Morning Show interviews from 2021: Composer Jim Stephenson talks about the honor of having one of his fanfares performed at the inauguration of President Joe Biden.
In this interview, two people who are referred to only as "J" and "D" speak openly and candidly about the experience of being foster parents.
Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College, hosts Lisa Just, president of Advocate Aurora SE Wisconsin, and Dr. Vicki Coyle, Dean for the School of Health at GTC.
For Nan Calvert's final visit to the Morning Show in 2021, she speaks to three women who have or have had some sort of affiliation with RootPikeWIN - and in two cases have gone on to do important environmental work with other entities.
First, we talk about the Choral Arts Society's upcoming Lessons and Carols performances this weekend (in Waterford Friday night and in Racine Sunday afternoon.) Then we talk about Jim's work with Racine Vocational Ministries, that seeks to help people recently released from prison find their way into the workforce. He also weighs in on what was said in last week's Morning Show interview with Jeffrey Kozemik, whose book "Untapped Talent" talks about the benefits of hiring the recently incarcerated.
Three interviews from the archives about food .... 1) baking advice from an instructor at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) ... 2) a celebration of soup .... and 3) a discussion about the potato.
Dr. Art Cyr, a monthly visitor to the program, pays his last appearance for 2021 by offering his analysis on: inflation, tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the recent deaths of Bob Dole and Colin Powell, and the retirement of German chancellor Angela Morkel.
From 2003 - Stacey De Broff, author of "Sign Me Up: The Parent's Guide to Sports Activities, Music Lessons, Dances Classes, and other Extracurriculars." (By the way, the website momcentral.com mentioned in the interview is still active.)
From 2008 - Tim Jeal, author of "Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer."
Part 1- a preview of the KSO's upcoming concert "Christmas with the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra" on Saturday, December 11th, at 3:00. Part 2- (from the archives) the creator and editor of Yes! magazine, Sarah van Gelder, talks about her book "The Revolution Where You Live: Stories from a 12,000-mile Journey Through a New America."
Valerie Tripp, best-selling author of books for young readers, talks about "Newton's Flaw," the latest in her wildly popular series "Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad." Izzy is a middle-schooler who loves science and uses science to solve various mysteries and challenges.
Jeffrey Korzenik, author of "Untapped Talent: How Second Chance Hiring works for your business and the community." In a time when more and more businesses are finding it increasingly difficult - if not impossible - to fill all of their job vacancies, Korzenik presents the case for hiring the formerly incarcerated - and offers suggestions on how best to engage in such 'second chance hiring.'
Jay Tunney, one of the sons of former heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney, talks about his book "The Prizefighter and the Playwright," which talks about Tunney's close friendship with George Bernard Shaw.
From 2005 - David Marcus, author of "What it takes to pull me through: 4 troubled teenagers and fourteen months that transformed them."
From 2007- Harvey Rachlin, author of "Scandals, Vandals and da Vincis: a Gallery of Remarkable Art Tales."
From 2010 - Robin Gerber, author of "Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World's Most Famous Doll and the Woman who created her."
Doug Instenes, managing and artistic director of the Racine Theater Guild, talks about the RTG's production of "A Christmas Story," with which the RTG's is finally opening its doors to the general public since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Part 1- Trista Piccola, Deputy Director of the Walworth County Department of Health and Human Services, gives a COVID update. Part 2- Allen Shawn, author of "Wish I Could Be There: Notes from a Phobic Life."
We discuss Carthage's Christmas Festival ... and UW-Parkside's performances of Handel's Messiah ... which are occurring this weekend. Dr. Peter Dennee is an Associate Professor of Music at Carthage and coordinator of the Christmas Festival. Dr. James Kinchen is coordinator of choral activities at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Part one: Brian Gill, Assistant Professor of Performance at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, talks about their production of "The Thanksgiving Play," a delightful satire about well-meaning political correctness. Part two: from the archives (2019) former UW-Parkside faculty member Lisa Kornetsky talks about Sarah Ruhl's play "Eurydice." The Metropolitan Opera's next HD simulcast (this Saturday) is of a brand new operatic version of Sarah Ruhl's play (she herself crafted the opera's libretto.)
Kara Cooney, author of "The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World." The book examines the legacy of five notable Egyptian pharaohs - and also seeks to explore how a given leader could attain that degree of power - and whether or not such a thing could still occur in the 21st century.
From 2005 - J.R. Noehringer talks about his best-selling book "The Tender Bar: a Memoir."
From 2001 - a conversation with Mike Lemens, Director of Engineering for the city of Kenosha- talking about city streets, how they are constructed, and how determinations are made about when and where road reconstruction occurs.
From the archives - sometime in the early 2000's - Erica Zager, a recruiter for the Peace Corps.
We talk with the author and illustrator of an amazing new children's picture book about the legendary Jimi Hendrix, titled "Song for Jimi."
Former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich discusses his latest book "Beyond Biden: Rebuilding the America We Love."
Analysis and reflection from Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business at Carthage College.
From 2003- an interview about the Wheels of Justice Tour and its so-called Peace Bus and its visit to the city of Racine.
From 2013- Lori Hartwell, author of "Chronically Happy: Joyful Living in spite of Chronic Illness."
Dr. Dana Garrigan, from the biology faculty at Carthage .... Pam Holy, president of the Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund .... Sharon Fandel, the Southeast Field Ecologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Professor Galligan's photo exhibit "Chiwaukee Prairie: a Photo Journal of Preservation" opens this weekend at the Kenosha Public Museum.
Dr. Lydia Kang, co-author of "Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World's Worst Diseases."
We preview the Fleeing Artists Theater Company's production of Athol Fugard's anti-apartheid play "Master Harold and the Boys," which opens this weekend.
Rollo Dilworth is one of the country's most renowned and prolific choral composers in the country. He is a guest of Carthage College for their fifth treble chorale festival - and his brand new setting of the 23 Psalm will receive its world premiere performance Wednesday afternoon at Carthage. Also in the interview is Dr. Peter Dennee from Carthage's music faculty, the creator and coordinator of the festival.
From 2005- Gary Pomeramtz, author of "Wilt 1962: The Night of 100 Points and the Dawning of a New Era." On March 2, 1962, in a now legendary game played in Hershey, PA, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points. That is still the unbeaten record for most points scored by a player in a single NBA game.
Marcus Thompson II, author of "Dynasties: The 10 Greatest-Of-All-Time Teams That Changed The NBA Forever."
From 2006 - David Quammen, author of "Monster of God: The Man-Easting Predator in the Jungles of History and the Mind."
My guest is a WGTD colleague, news director Dave McGrath - talking about his book "Gene Pitney: The Singer, The Songs, The Songwriters." McGrath worked closely with Pitney for more than twenty years.
UW-Parkside's Debra Karp previews next Wednesday's Nonprofit Leadership Conference - and we hear from Dr. Undraye Howard, who will be the keynote speaker for the event. This year's conference is focused on the importance of EDI - Equity, Diversity and Inclusion - in non-profits.
Tamara Winfrey Harris, author of "The Sisters are Alright: Changing the Broken Narrative of Black Women in America." Harris's 2015 book has just been re-released in an expanded second edition.
Best-selling author Tom Clavin discusses his latest book, "Lightning Down: A World War Ii Story of Survival." It recounts the story of more than 150 downed Allied pilots who were taken to a concentration camp rather than a P.O.W. camp- and how the vast majority managed to survive such brutal treatment.
Rita Hagen, executive director of Kenosha Hospice Alliance, talks about their "Ring and Remember" event on Thursday. Also with us is Sherrie Barch, author of "Heaven's Bell." She is coming to Kenosha on Wednesday at the invitation of Kenosha Hospice Alliance for a discussion and book signing. Both events are at Kemper Center's Founder's Hall at 5:00 - the book signing on Wednesday and Ring & Remember on Thursday.
Sean Riordan is Manager of Business Intelligence at Gateway Technical College. He discusses a report from EMSI titled "The Demographic Drought" which explores and explains the widespread and worsening labor market woes where so many employers across so many sectors of the economy are experiencing serious talent shortages.
From 2003 - Greta Van Susteren, author of "My turn at the bully pulpit: straight talk about the things that drive me nuts." At the time, she was a well-known host of her own program on Fox News.
We speak with Jesse Morton, a former recruiter for Al-Qaeda, and Tony McAleer, a former white supremacist. They made a presentation at Carthage College titled "Out of Hatred." They are both involved in outreach efforts to help people to leave hate groups and find their way back into the wider society.
We preview the PBS documentary "The Oratorio- with Martin Scorcese," which looks back at a dramatic concert that took place at the old St. Patrick's Cathedral in November of 1826 - believed to be the first occasion on which operatic-style singing was publicly performed in New York City. The concert was recently re-created, thanks to assistance from an Italian opera company.
We discuss the latest installment in Carthage's New Play Initiative, "Patience and Fortitude." We speak with its author, Arlene Hutton, and the guest director of the production, Mary Macdonald Kerr. The production opens this weekend. (It's the 13th work to emerge from the New Play Initiative, which began back in 2009.)
Marc Strauss, author of "One-Legged Mongoose: Secrets. Legacies and Coming of Age in 1950s New York."
Bryan Albrecht, the President of Gateway Technical College, is joined by his counterpart at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Chancellor Debbie Ford. Also in the interview is Zina Haywood, Executive Vice President and Provost of GTC, and Roger Ducoffe, Provost at UW-P. They are talking about an exciting new agreement between the two schools that has facilitated the creation of two brand new degrees.
John Happ, author of "The Navigation Case: Training, Flying and Fighting in the 1942-1945 New Guinea War." The book is a fascinating examination of a largely forgotten chapter in the story of the Pacific Theater during World War Two. Happ's father Len was a combat pilot who flew 64 combat missions. He later flew numerous missions for medical transport. Happ is giving a presentation at Carthage this Wednesday, November 3rd, at 5:00 in the Campbell Student Union Cinema.
From 2003- Les Krantz, author/editor of "Not till the Fat Lady Sings: The Most Dramatic Sports Finishes of All Time."
British music journalist Paul Sexton, author of "Prince: Portrait of an artist in memory and memorabilia."
Dr. Claude Clegg, author of "The Black President: Hope and Fury in the Age of Obama." Dr. Clegg is the Lyle V. Jones Distinguished Professor of African, African-America and Diaspora Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Richard Bjella, one of the country's most renowned choral conductors, is currently serving as Distinguished Conductor-in-Residence of the Carthage Choir. The ensemble's next performance is this coming Sunday afternoon at 2:00 as part of the college's Fall Choral Concert.
The impact of commercial fossil collection on the scientific study of T-Rex and other dinosaurs.
From 2005 - A preview of a Science Night presentation about the Costa Rican Rain Forest at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. The guests are Dr. Gregory Mayer, Professor of Biology at UW-Parkside - and Eric Hileman, who was with the Racine Zoological Society at the time. Hileman, a UW-Parkside graduate, is now a professor at Mississippi State University.
As a follow up to Thursday's Morning Show with Dr. Sandra Moats, Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, we are sharing a previous interview with Professor Moats from 2009 - this time talking about her book "Celebrating the Republic: Presidential Ceremony and Public Sovereignty from Washington to Monroe."
We preview the upcoming PBS documentary series "American Veteran" with consulting producer Kelly Kennedy (who is herself a veteran as well as a journalist.)
Dr. Sandra Moats, Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside ... author of "Navigating Neutrality: Early American Governance in the Turbulent Atlantic." This interview was recorded in front of a live audience at a book signing event in the UW-Parkside ballroom.
Pasqual Laurino, Music Director of the Racine Symphony, previews the RSO's upcoming Fall Masterworks Concert on October 30th titled "A Night in Venice," which will feature the music of several different Italian composers, including the great Antonio Vivaldi.
A preview of this weekend's performances of Neil Simon's THE ODD COUPLE by the Fleeing Artists Theatre Group at the Rhode Center for the Arts in downtown Kenosha.
Marta McDowell, the author of "Unearthing The Secret Garden: The Plants and Places that Inspired Frances Hodgson Burnett."
Dr. Josef Benson, Associate Professor of Literature and Languages at the University of Wisconsin Parkside, and co-coordinator of their Foreign Film Series.
From 2005 - Hugh Kennedy, author of "When Baghdad Ruled the World: The Rise and Fall of Islam's Greatest Dynasty."
In honor of Coming Out Day (which was this past Monday, October 11) ... we rebroadcast this 2005 interview with Robert Trachtenberg about his book "When I knew," a light-hearted yet poignant examination of when he (and others he interviewed) knew that they were gay.
Leonard Rubenstein, author of 'Perilous Medicine: The Struggle to Protect Health Care from the Violence of War."
Fabrice Conte-Williamson, who is a member of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside's theater faculty, discusses their production of Margaret Atwood's The Penelpiade that opens this weekend.
Nan Calvert's most recent monthly visit to the Morning Show features Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser talking about the Pike River Restoration Project. Also on hand is Dave Giordano, executive director of RootPikeWIN.
Dr. John Swallow, President of Carthage College. (Carthage's homecoming and family weekend festivities are this coming weekend.)
Brad Ricca, author of "True Raiders: The Untold Story of the 1909 Expedition to Find the Legendary Ark of the Covenant."
For many years, Obie Yadgar was most of the best-known 'voices' of classical music radio programs in the Midwest, with stints at both WFMR in Milwaukee and WNIB in Chicago. His book "Will's Music" was initially published in 2005. I am guessing that this interview was done around that time.
From the archives: this is Kenosha County Sheriff Dave Beth's earliest interview on the Morning Show, recorded shortly after he was first elected. (He has announced his intention to retire next year.)
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, we're rerunning this interview from 25 years ago with Karen Sawisak, author of "Smoldering City: Chicagoans and the Great Fire 1871-1874." The interview was conducted by Bill Guy, long-time news director at WGTD and the original host of The Morning Show. It originally aired on the 125th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire- and has never been re-aired until now.
David Zirin, author of "The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a knee, Changing the world." The book chronicles the experiences of an array of high school, collegiate and professional athletes who have followed the lead of quarterback Colin Kaepernick and taken a knee during the national anthem - sometimes at great personal cost.
Juliette Fay discusses her newest novel "Catch us when we fall," which centers on the themes of alcoholism and redemption.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business at Carthage College, offers analysis of current events and issues.
Opera composer Carlisle Floyd died this past Thursday at the age of 95. This interview with him dates back to 2012.
Dr. Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College, celebrates National Manufacturing Month with Carolyn Lee, Executive Director of The Manufacturing Institute in Washington DC.
Dr. Peter Dennee, from Carthage College's music department, talks about his sabbatical in Tanzania. He also shares information about this year's Christmas Festival. (Tickets for it go on sale tomorrow, October 1st.)
Sheila Modir and Jeffrey Kashou, co-authors of a new children's picture book titled "The Proudest Color," in which a young girl comes to appreciate who she is.
Part 1: a preview of a documentary about our 39th president, Jimmy Carter, airing this week on the PBS series "In their own words." Part 2: from the archives, a 2005 interview with former president Carter upon the publication of his book "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis."
A preview of the two-part American experience documentary "Citizen Hearst, " which chronicles the remarkable life and legacy of William Randolph Hearst.
From 2008- Aimee Liu, author of "Gaining: the truth about life after eating disorders."
From 2007 - Ron Saxen, author of "The Good Eater: The true story of one man's struggle with binge eating disorder."
Dr. Adam Levine, author of "The Great Upheaval: Higher Education's Past, Present, and Uncertain Future."
Dr. Thomas Carr, head of the Paleontology program at Carthage, and Dr. Meagan Seitz, who is the program's preparator, are joined by four Carthage students who accompanied them on a field expedition to rural Montana this past summer.
Dr. Brian A. Primack, author of "You are what you click: How being selective, positive, and creative can transform your social media experience." Dr. Primack suggests in this book that just as we need to be mindful of what we eat, we must be similarly mindful of our utilization of social media by constructing a 'technology diet.'
Conservative columnist George F. Will talks about his newest book (his 16th) - "American Happiness and Discontents: the Unruly Torrent: 2008-2020," a generous sampling of the columns he has written for the Washington Post over the past 12 years.
From 2007- Louis Cataldie, author of "Coroner's Journal: Forensics and the Art of Stalking Death."
From 2010 - Annie Murphy Paul, author of "The Cult of Personality: How Personality Tests are leading us to mis-educate our children, mismanage our companies, and misunderstand ourselves."
Rich Smith, Managing Artistic Director of the Over our Head Players in Racine, talks about their production of "Nixon's Nixon," which is performed for the next three weekends. The play is an imaginative depiction of the conversation between Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger the night before Nixon resigned the presidency. Smith both directs the play and portrays Nixon.
John Rhodehamel, author of "America's Original Sin: White Supremacy, John Wilkes Booth, and the Lincoln Assassination."
Dr. James Ripley, Professor of Music at Carthage College, previews the first band concert of the school year (coming up this Sunday afternoon) - and also talks about Carthage's ongoing efforts to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic. (Dr. Ripley sits on the school's COVID Coordination Committee which helps to shape the college's COVID policies and protocols.)
Adam Larson, seasonal park ranger at Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park in Dorchester County, Maryland, discusses the life and legacy of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. September is Underground Railroad Month.
Reid Forgrave, author of "Love, Zac: Small-Town Football and the Life and Death of an American Boy." Zac Easter was a young man who loved playing high school football. Unfortunately, he suffered a series of concussions that ultimately caused him to develop CTE (a serious brain disease) - and at the age o 24, he committed suicide. He left behind him a revealing journal and other written accounts of his experiences in the hopes that others might benefit from knowing his story.
From 2001 - Jan Sjogren, an officer with the Salvation Army (and the mother of Carthage alum Caleb Sjogren) talks about her experience of being in New York City after 9-11 and being part of the Salvation Army's relief efforts there.
From 2006 - Jim Dwyer, a reporter for the New York Times, and co-author of "102 Minutes: the Untold Story of the Fight to Survive inside the Twin Towers." The book explores many of the stories of the thousands of people who managed to escape the World Trade Center on 9-11. We are replaying this on the 20th anniversary of that tragic day.
We preview the next American Experience documentary .... a profile of Sandra Day O'Conner, the first woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. The film airs Monday night on PBS stations across the country, including channel 10 in Milwaukee.
A preview of the production of Shakespeare's Hamlet by the Fleeing Artists Theater Company, with performances Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and evening, and Sunday afternoon.
Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the program - Dave Giordano from Root Pike WIN and Benjamin Benninghoff from the Wisconsin DNR.
We speak with actor Robert Bathurst ("Downton Abbey"), who has just recorded the audiobook version of "The Madness of Crowds," the latest novel by best-selling author Louise Penny.
Roseanne Shales and Guida Brown talk about the Kenosha Women's Network and their upcoming 40th Anniversary Gala.
from 2019 - Matt Richtel, author of "An Elegant Defense: the Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives."
From 2013 - Don Snyder, author of "Walking with Jack: a father's Journey to becoming his son's caddie."
From 2003 - Rosemary Salomone, author of "Same, Different, Equal: Rethinking Single-Sex Schooling."
From the archives (late 1990s) - Jackie Drummer talks about the joys and challenges of working with gifted and talented students in the South Milwaukee school system.
From 2008- Tyler Gray, author of "The Hit Charade: Lou Pearlman, Boy Bands, and the Biggest Ponzi Scheme in U.S. History."
Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht pays his monthly visit to the program. With him are Ray Koukari, GTC's Dean of Manufacturing, Engineering, and Information Technology .... and Jeff Daniels, principal organizer of Tech Prize.
Edgar Villanueva, author of "Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance." Villanueva, a Native American, has worked for many years in the field of Philanthropy. In the book, he contends that many charitable foundations are founded on old attitudes and assumptions that tend to reinforce the divide between Have's and Have Not's .... between Us and Them. His book also offers thoughts on how to reshape the Philanthropy sector for the better.
From 2013 - Jennifer Holland, author of "Unlikely Loves: 43 Heartwarming True Stories from the Animal Kingdom." The book tells the true story of a number of instances in which animals of different species (e.g. a golden retriever and a cheetah) become unlikely, friendly companions.
Blythe Grossberg, author of a memoir titled "I left my homework in the Hamptons: What I learned teaching the children of the One Percent." For a number of years, Grossberg was a busy and highly-regarded tutor to the children of some of the wealthiest people living in Manhattan. Her book chronicles what it was like to enter the homes and lives of such families and work with these privileged children, many of whom were saddled with learning difficulties of one kind or another.
Ron Roy, author of the best-selling children's book series "A-Z Mysteries" ..... and Maggie McGuire, CEO of Pinna, an audio-first children's media company that produces a podcast version of the A-Z Mysteries.
From 2003- George Beahm, author of "The Essential J.R.R. Tolkien Sourcebook: a Fan's Guide to Middle Earth and Beyond."
From 2008 - Margo Hammond, author of "Between the Covers: the Book Babe's Guide to a Woman's Reading Pleasures."
Part One: Christopher Clarey, tennis correspondent for the New York Times, is the author of "The Master: The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer." Part Two: (from the archives) L. Jon Wertheim, from Sports Illustrated, is author of "Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played." The subtitle refers to the epic 5-set men's final at Wimbledon that Federer and Nadal waged in 2008.
Kelly Scroggins-Powell, co-founder and executive director of Racine Women for Racial Justice.
Yasmeen Abutaleb, who covers health policy for the Washington Post, is co-author of "Nightmare Scenario: Inside the Trump Administration's Response to the Pandemic that Changed History." Her co-author, Damian Paletta, is the economics editor for the Washington Post.
From 2013- Tim Federle talks about his novel for young readers "Better Nate than Never." 13-year-old Nate's biggest dream is to appear in a Broadway show. The author actually performed in the Broadway production of GYPSY starring Bernadette Peters.
Stephen Kurczy, author of 'The Quiet Zone: Unraveling the Mystery of a Town Suspended in Silence." Kurczy spent considerable time in Green Bank, West Virginia - a community where it is against the law to have WiFi or smart phones (because of a nearby radio observatory.) Kurczy wanted to investigate what it was like to live there- and whether or not the community was in fact the radio silence zone it was purported to be.
Dr. Art Cyr offers commentary on several different current issues and concerns, beginning with the situation in Afghanistan.
From 2008- Dallas Murphy, author of "To Follow the Water: Exploring the Ocean to Discover Climate."
From 1998 - Joya Zamora, Miss Kenosha 1998, takes us inside the experience of pageants. (Joya Zomara Santarelli still lives in Kenosha and now operates her own yoga studio.)
We preview Saturday's Harbor Park Jazz Rhythm and Blues Festival by speaking with saxophonist Marion Meadows and pianist Alex Bugnon, who have performed at the Festival in the past- but are sharing the stage at the Festival for the first time this year.
Carlo Nevicosi, Director of the Walworth County Department of Health and Human Services
This conversation was recorded and initially broadcast in late 2001, not long after the onset of Operation Enduring Freedom, a retaliatory strike on Afghanistan in the wake of 9-11. Dr. Yuri Maltsev, Professor of Economics at Carthage, brought to bear a wide-ranging expertise about the former Soviet Union and the nations surrounding it, including Afghanistan.
John Seager, President and CEO of Population Connection - a non-profit, non-partisan group that works for the goal of Population Stabilization.
Today is the monthly visit of Bryan Albrecht, president of Gateway Technical College. His special guest is Beth Ormseth, Acting Superintendent of the Kenosha Unified School District. She also serves on Gateway's Board of Trustees.
Liza Nash Taylor discusses her new novel "In All Good Faith," in which we follow the struggles and triumphs of two women caught in the throes of the Great Depression.
From 2003- Alex Berenson, author of "The Number: How the Drive for Quarterly Earnings Corrupted Wall Street and Corporate America."
Del Eisch led the Racine Concert Band from 1974 to 2001. This interview was done in 1998, which marked the 75th anniversary of the band and Del Eisch's 25th anniversary as its conductor. The Racine Concert Band's current season ends Sunday night (August 15th) with its 7 pm concert at the Racine Zoo's amphitheater.
Part one: Kostya Kennedy, editor of a book from Sports Illustrated, "The Story of Baseball: In One Hundred Photos." Part two: (from 2004) former major league baseball player Jim Brosnan, author of "The Long Season," widely regarded as one of the best books about baseball.
From 2008 - Matthew Goodman, author of "the Sun and the Moon: Hoaxers, Showmen and Lunar Man-Bats in 19th Century New York."
Michael Crockett and Hema Crockett, co-authors of "The Everyday Leader: 14 Marine Corps Traits to Unlock your Leadership DNA."
Jon Winkle, Executive Director of the Racine Symphony Orchestra, previews the RSO's next Lakeside Pops Concert (which is on August 27) and we play excerpts from some of the pieces that will be on the program that night.
Michelle Elman talks about her new book "The Joy of Being Selfish: Why you need boundaries and how to set them."
From 2003- Tom Coburn, author of "Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders into Insiders." Coburn, an MD, served three terms in the U.S. Congress, following his pledge that he would not become a career politician.
Tim Halbach, a meteorologist with the the National Weather Service's Milwaukee bureau, takes us behind the scenes of the NWS - and explains some of the challenges involved in tracking and predicting severe weather.
Julie K. Brown, author of "Perversion of Justice: the Jeffrey Epstein Story." Epstein, a Florida billionaire, was convicted in 2008 of procuring a child for prostitution, but given a shockingly lenient plea deal. Brown's investigative reporting led to a reopening of the case and to Epstein's re-arrest. Brown's series of articles for the Miami Herald have garnered her numerous journalism awards.
We preview the Kenosha Opera Festival's performances this weekend of Donizetti's comic opera "The Daughter of the Regiment." We speak with three members of the cast as well the conductor and the stage director.
Richard Cohen, author of 'By the Sword: A History of Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai, Swashbucklers, and Olympic Champions.'
Seth David Radwell, author of "American Schism: How the Two Enlightenments Hold the Secret to Healing our Nation." Radwell contends that the United States has been a sharply divided nation for most of its history, and the source of that division can be traced back to the Enlightenment.
From 2003 - Don van Natta, author of "First off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers and Cheaters from Taft to Bush."
From sometime in the mid to late 1990's- WGTD's Bill Guy talks with two area judges - Emily Mueller (from Racine) and Mary K. Wagner (from Kenosha) about the challenges and responsibilities of being a judge.
We speak with wrestler Ben Kaczynski, who just graduated from Oak Creek High School. Two weeks ago, he scored a thrilling triumph at the Junior Freestyle National Championships when he won first place in the 285-pound division by beating the nation's #1-ranked wrestler in the final. We also speak with his proud parents, Rob and Pam.
A preview of this Sunday's Starving Artists Fair- sponsored by the Racine Art Guild. This year's fair is being held on the ground of the DeKoven Center, 9:00-4:00.
Nan Calvert welcomes P.J. Liesch, who is director of the Insect Diagnostic Lab for the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Entomology. This is a conversation about the importance of insects in the natural world and what we can do with our lawns and gardens to attract beneficial insects.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business, offers thoughts on Cuba, China, Afghanistan, and the recent space exploits of Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Elon Musk.
Bruce Pegg, author of "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man: The Life and Hard Times of Chuck Berry." Pegg is featured in a PBS documentary about Chuck Berry that airs Tuesday evening.
From 2000- Actor and comedy writer Jerry Rannow, whose comedy writing career in Hollywood included work on such television programs as the Beverly Hillbillies, Welcome back, Kotter, and Love American Style.
From 2007, Kendall King and Alison Mackey, co-authors of "The Bilingual Edge: Why, When, and How to teach your child a second language."
We talk with Nick Huff and Kaila Bingen about the Kenosha Opera Festival and their performances this weekend- including a performance tonight (Friday) at 7:00 of my one act comic opera "Birds of a Feather: a Magic Flute Sequel" .... as well as a showcase concert for the six fellows of the KOF that will occur Saturday evening at the Kenosha Creative Space.
This special episode of the Morning Show is a walking tour of the Racine Zoo. It can also be experienced visually if you go to WGTD's Facebook page.
Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College, pays his monthly visit to the program. With him is Roger Tadajewski, Executive Director of the National Coalition of Certification Centers.
Roger Bennett, cohost of the program/podcast "Men in Blazers," talks about his memoir "Reborn in the USA: an Englishman's Love Letter to his Chosen Home." Bennett - born and raised in Liverpool, England - always thought of himself as 'an American trapped in an Englishman's body." He recently became an American citizen. After that comes an interview with Lucy Lethbridge, author of "Servants: a Downstairs History of Britain from the Nineteenth Century to Modern Times."
Doug Instenes and Joycelyn Fish preview the Racine Theater Guild's virtual production of "The Laramie Project," a play that was created after the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming. The production has involved the participation of almost one hundred people- a combination of RTG performers and members of the community that include the mayor, a local college president, a retired judge, local clergy, and more. The production is shared with the public this coming Friday.
From 2001 - Two Carthage College faculty members: Dr. Chris Renaud, Professor of Classics .... Dr. Dan Schowalter, Professor of Religion .... and two Carthage students: Elizabeth Hack and Jerry Monson ....discuss their memorable trip to Greece. This conversation underscores the vital importance of such trips, which were made pretty much impossible by the COVID-19 pandemic and which we hope will soon be possible again.
From 1998 - Kurt Chalgren, long-time staff member for KIDS from Wisconsin - and three of the students who were part of KIDS from Wisconsin that summer: Kristen Singer, Scott Weyrauch, and Will Ray. The current KIDS from Wisconsin perform at Kenosha's Pennoyer Park Bandshell next Saturday, July 24th, at 12 noon. (NOTE: Kristen is now a highly regarded teacher with Kenosha Unified, Will has gone on to sing on Broadway, and Scott lives and works in Florida as both a performer and educator.)
Kristin Contino discusses her novel "A House full of Windsor." The main characters are a mother and daughter, Debbie and Sarah. Debbie is a hoarder, with a house filled to the brim with memorabilia related to the Royal Family (especially Prince Charles and Princess Diana.) Sarah is a television personality who dispenses advice on all kinds of matters related to daily living. The book does a terrific job of helping us understand how and why someone can become a hoarder- and how challenging it is for their loved ones who want to help them.
J.B. McKinnon, author of "The Day the World Stops Shopping: How Ending Consumerism Saves the Environment and Ourselves."
Ariel Sabar, author of "Veritas: a Harvard Professor, a Con Man, and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife." The book is the true life chronicle of how a highly regarded Biblical scholar was taken in by a con man and deceived into believing in the authenticity of a ancient scroll fragment purportedly from an early Gnostic gospel rumored to confirm that Jesus was married.
Matthew Reed discusses his play "I Remember," which is being performed this coming weekend at Kenosha Rhode Center for the Arts.
We talk about the Fleeing Artists Theater's production of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, which takes place this weekend and the following weekend in the Lincoln Park Floral Gardens.
Best-selling author Earl Swift talks about his latest book: "Across the Airless Wilds: The Lunar Rover and the Triumph of the Final Moon Landings." The book explores the story behind the lunar rover, an essential part of Apollo 15, 16 and 17 that helped make those three missions far more significant than the previous missions to the moon.
From 2008: Brooks Hansen, author of "The Brotherhood of Joseph: a Father's Memoir of Infertility and Adoption in the 21st Century."
From 2017- Sportswriter John Feinstein talks about "The Legend's Club: Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Valvano, and an Epic College Basketball Rivalry."
Cynthia Fisher, founder of Patients Right Advocate, a non-profit that seeks greater transparency in the health care industry.
Trumpeter Tim Burke, born and raised in Racine, has an impressive resume that includes stints with the Stan Kenton Orchestra and Woody Herman's Thundering Herd- as well as extensive experience playing trumpet in a plethora of Broadway musical productions in Chicago. He returns to his hometown this Sunday night as soloist with the Racine Concert Band. (This is the unabridged interview- and also includes an additional bonus question at the end about Tim's participation in the upcoming national tour for "Frozen.")
Richard Lui, author of "Enough about Me: The Unexpected Power of Selflessness." Lui learned something about selflessness after having to care for his father as he struggled with Alzheimer's Disease.
We speak with Lynda Guttormsen Guy from the Four Seasons Garden Club about the organization's Secret Garden Walk, which is coming up this Saturday, July 10th. Five beautiful private gardens are on this year's tour.
We speak with documentarian Susan Froemke about her newest film, "Yannick: an Artist's Journey." The film is a beautiful and illuminating portrait of the Metropolitan Opera's young and dynamic music director Yannick Nezet-Seguin. The film draws on a remarkable treasure trove of archival materials, including home movies dating back to his early childhood, when his spectacular musical gifts were already very evident.
From 2006- Mark Updegrove discusses his book "Second Acts: Presidential Lives and Legacies after the White House."
From 2006- Kristin Henderson, author of "While They're at War: The True Story of American Families on the Homefront."
Tim Wilson- former trainer for the Milwaukee Bucks. During his 11-year tenure with the team, the Bucks made the NBA playoffs six times. Wilson is now strength and conditioning coach for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Men's Basketball Team. Before that, he was a trainer for the University of Oregon. (This interview is not specifically dated, but most likely dates sometime between 2005 and 2007.)
Bryan Hoch, author of "The Bronx Zoom: Inside the New York Yankees' Most Bizarre Season."
Scott Ryan talks about his book "Moonlighting: an Oral History," in which he examines the legacy of one of the most groundbreaking and influential programs in television history. He speaks with nearly every significant participant in the show - actors, writers, directors, and more - who collectively describe the offstage complications and 'drama' that became an increasingly significant complication in getting the show made and on the air.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business, offers his analysis of current events and issues.
Part One- from the archives (2012) AIDS activist Cleve Jones, who came up with the idea for the AIDS Quilt. Part Two- John Cunningham, chief executive of the National AIDS Memorial. This month marks the 40th anniversary of the first reported AIDS cases in the United States.
From the archives: Matt Logelin, author of "Two Kisses for Maddy: a Memoir of Love and Loss." Logelin's wife Liz died just hours after giving birth to their daughter Madeline. Logelin's book has been made into a Netflix film titled "Fatherhood" starring Kevin Hart. The book itself has also been re-released under this new title.
From 2002 - Richard Florida, author of "The Rise of the Creative Class - and how it's transforming work, leisure, community, and everyday life."
From 2009 - Sarah Milstein, co-author of "The Twitter Book." This book was published just three years after Twitter was launched, at a time with most of the public had little or no understanding of what Twitter was or represented.
Part 1: Jake Fischer, author of "Built to Lose: How the NBA's Tanking Era Changed the League Forever." Part 2: Matt Frazier and Robert Cheeke, co-authors of "The Plant-Based Athlete: a Game-Changing Approach to Peak Performance."
Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht's special guest is Noah Brown, President and CEO of the National Association of Community College Trustees.
Brennen Matthews, editor of ROUTE magazine, talks about the magazine's current issue and some of the fascinating things that can be seen and experienced along the most famous highway in America.
We speak with former Miss America Laura Kaeppler about the full-tuition scholarship for her alma mater (Carthage College) that she is underwriting. She recalls why she chose Carthage and shares some fond reminiscences.
We preview the upcoming Beachside Authorfest in Lake Geneva in early July. We speak with Rachel Strehlow, Head of Adult Services for the Lake Geneva Public Library, and Chris Brookes, who is with the Friends of the Lake Geneva Public Library and coordinator of the event.
Stef M. Shuster, author of "Trans Medicine: The Emergence and Practice of Treating Gender."
From 2006- In honor of Father's Day, the late Tim Russert (former host of Meet the Press) talk about his book "Wisdom of our Fathers." The book is a collection of excerpts from more than 60,000 letters and e-mails that he received after the publication of his book "Big Russ and Me," which celebrated the legacy of his own father and their incredibly close relationship.
From 2000- I'm in the guest chair, for a change, as then-GM Frank Falduto interviews me about the just-completed European Tour of the Carthage Choir. (I was the interim director of the Carthage Choir 1999-2001.) The choir visited Prague, Salzburg, Vienna and Paris.
In anticipation of Father's Day, we speak with Jordan Windle, one of the world's finest divers, who just earned a place on the USA's diving team in the 10-meter platform event at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics ... and his father, Jerry Windle, who adopted Jordan from an orphanage in Cambodia. (The two of them created a beautiful children's book titled "An Orphan No More.")
Nan Calvert pays her monthly visit to the program. With her is Matthew Collins, Director of Parks for the Kenosha County Division of Parks. The primary focus of the conversation is the work being done in Petrifying Springs.
We speak with writer Matthew Paul Turner about his career as a Christian writer- and his most recent picture book for children, "What is God Like?", in which he completed the work begun by best-selling author Rachel Held Evans before her untimely death at the age of 37. We also talk about Turner's experience of coming out as a gay man last summer.
Darby Fox, author of "Rethinking Your Teenager: Shifting from Control and Conflict to Structure and Nurture to Raise Accountable Young Adults."
Craig Gall talks about the return of the Kenosha Pops Concert Band to the Pennoyer Park Bandshell after a year's hiatus because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The band begins its 2021 summer season on Wednesday evening, June 16th, at 7:00.
Former New York Times reporter Robert M. Smith, author of 'Suppressed: Confessions of a former New York Times Correspondent." The book is a memoir of Smith's long career in journalism. It includes some outspoken criticism of how the New York Times covered former president Donald Trump. Smith's professional life included a stint in the administration of former president Jimmy Carter.
From 1999- This is my very first interview with one of my favorite frequent guests- Dr. Laura Gellott, longtime Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. The occasion of this interview was Professor Gellott receiving the Stella Gray Teaching Excellence Award.
From 1997 - Danny Newman, press agent for the Lyric Opera of Chicago from 1954 (the beginning of the company) until his retirement in 2001.
BONUS: In honor of the 95th birthday of composer Carlisle Floyd, we replay this 2012 interview that was recorded just before the Milwaukee Florentine presented Floyd's finest and most beloved opera, "Susannah."
Lauren Cochran, author of "The Ten: How and why we wear the fashion classics." She examines the history of such things as the trench coat, the mini-skirt, and the classic white t-shirt.
The Racine Symphony's Interim Executive Director Jon Winkle talks about this difficult year for musicians - and about the upcoming Lakeside Pops concert that the RSO will play later this month.
Dr. John Swallow, President of Carthage College, looks back at the challenges of the 2020-2021 school year and looks ahead at the year to come - and also talks about Carthage's decision to relinquish 'Redmen' in favor of 'Firebirds."
David M. Elcott, co-author of "Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy."
We speak with Melissa Kaprelian and CJ Rouse, mother and son, who both serve on the Racine City Council.
Curtis Wilkie, author of "When Evil Lived in Laurel: The 'White Knights' and the Murder of Vernon Dahmer." This is the story of an especially vicious chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, known as the White Knights - their murder of a voting rights activist named Vernon Dahmer - as well as the story of a white citizen in Laurel who was willing to become a member of the White Knights in order to serve as an undercover informant for the F.B.I.
(from 2019) Matt Richtel discusses his book "An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives."
From 2004 - just one of a number of interviews I recorded over the years with author Michael Craft (Johnson) when he lived in Kenosha. (He now lives in Palm Springs, FL and is still writing.)
Rocco Constantino, author of "Beyond Baseball's Color Barrier: The Story of African-Americans in Major League Baseball, Past, Present and Future."
We talked about Kenosha Harbor Marketplace with Andrea Forgianni, the new executive director of the market. Her father, the late Ray Forgianni, co-founded the market in 2003 and oversaw its operation until last year. He served Kenosha for many years as City Planner.
We get a COVID update from Carlo Nevicosi, Walworth County's Interim director of Public Health, including some interesting information on the vast contrast in vaccination rates throughout the county and what seems to be the primary factor at play.
Patrick O'Donnell discusses his latest book: "The Indispensables: the Diverse Soldier-Mariners who shaped the country, formed the navy, and rowed Washington across the Delaware." It explores the largely forgotten story of the Marblehead Regiment and the significant role that they played during the Revolutionary War.
Best-selling author Patrick O'Donnell discusses his moving book "The Unknowns: The Untold Story of America's Unknown Soldier and World War One's Most Dedicated Soldiers who Brought him Home." (from 2018)
From 2007 - Faith Heller Willinger, author of "Adventures of an Italian Food Lover- with Recipes from 254 of my Very Best Friends."
From 2000 - 15-year-old high school student Nicholas Galich talks about starting his own business - going into people's homes to assist them with their computers.
Jeremy Fuchs (Sports Illustrated) talks about his book "Total Olympics: Every Obscure, Hilarious, Dramatic and Inspiring Tale Worth Knowing."
Dr. Art Cyr from Carthage College joins us for his monthly visit to the program with analysis of current events and concerns such as current tensions between Israel and Hamas, recent elections in Great Britain, and President Joe Biden's first 100 days in office.
Lawrence J. Haas, author of "The Kennedys in the World: How Jack, Bobby and Ted remade America's Empire."
Michelle Miller-Adams, author of "The Path to Free College: In Pursuit of Access, Equity, and Prosperity."
Dr. Debra Ford, Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, looks back on a challenging academic year - and also recounts how UW-Parkside elected to celebrate commencement this year.
From 2005 - Peter Stark, author of "At the Mercy of the River: an exploration of the last African wilderness."
From 2005 - Cartoonist Wiley Miller talks about his award-winning comic strip NON SEQUITUR.
Leslie Ehm, author of "Swagger: Unleash everything you are and become everything you want."
From 2012, David Tolin, author of "Face Your Fears: a proven plan to beat Anxiety, Panic, Phobias and Obsessions."
For his monthly visit to the program, Gateway Technical College president Bryan Albrecht leads a discussion about GTC's upcoming commencement events this coming weekend, which include an innovative drive-thru component designed to keep people safe. He is joined by several guests, including provost Zina Hayward as well as J.J. Vega, GTC's newest Gateway Student Ambassador.
Larry Loftis, author of "The Princess Spy: The True Story of World War II Spy Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones."
Sarah Colt, director of the new American Experience documentary "Billy Graham," which examines the long life and career of one of the most influential Christian evangelists of the 20th century. One of the most interesting facets of the film is its exploration of how Graham helped draw conservative evangelicals into mainstream America and into more overt political influence.
From the archives: a conversation with award-winning school administrator Mary Beth Wynn on the role that a principal plays in an elementary school. At the time of this interview from 1996 or 1997, she was the principal at Schulte Elementary School in Sturtevant, which is part of the Racine Unified School District.
From 2009 - Nancy Peske, co-author of "Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The definitive handbook for helping your child with sensory-processing issues."
Ben Golliver was one of a small handful of reporters who were permitted to live and work within the so-called 'bubble' created by the NBA which allowed them to finish out their 2019-2020 season. His book is titled "Bubble Ball: Inside the NBA's Fight to save a season." The book includes a careful account of the dramatic moment during that season when the Milwaukee Bucks chose to boycott a game in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting in Kenosha.
For Nan Calvert's May visit to the Morning Show, we discuss storm water runoff with Samantha Katt from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
A preview of this Sunday afternoon's opera concert at Carthage - a collaboration between Carthage's Opera Workshop and the newly created Kenosha Opera Festival. We speak with Allison Hull, stage director for the production, and Nick Huff, Keely Futterer, and Steve Hobe, three of the singers involved. The program is also being shared virtually with elementary students on Friday.
Bill Kuhn, author of the best-selling book "Reading Jackie," returns to the Morning Show to talk about his latest book, "Jackie Stories," which gathers together the reminiscences and reflections of eight friends and/or colleagues of Jackie Kennedy Onassis with whom Kuhn spoke in researching his previous book.
Sean Manning, editor of "Bound to Last: Thirty Writers on their most cherished book." (Recorded and initially broadcast in 2010.)
In honor of Mother's Day- from 2015 - Dr. Wednesday Martin, author of "Stepmonster: a new look at why real stepmothers think, feel and act the way we do."
Rachel Swartz previews the production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's CINDERELLA, which is shared with the public this weekend. Swartz, coordinator of Music Theater at UW-Parkside, is the director of this production.
Edson Melendez talks about Brew City Opera's current project - an 8-part series called L'ultima Canzone that features the songs of Paolo Tosti.
Life Coach Andrea Schuermann explains what it means to be a Life Coach - AND what it means to have a Life Coach.
Adam Koenig, Carthage College's Director of Advancement and Alumni Programs, explains how he came up with the idea for Carthage's wonderfully innovative 2021 Commencement, which allowed the school's newest graduates to be honored in spectacular fashion but within the restrictions of pandemic protocols.
Part One: From 2001, Steve Meyerhoff from The Sporting News talks about his book "61: The Story of Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, and One Magical Summer." It was 60 years ago this summer (40 years before this book was written) that Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle so memorable chased after Babe Ruth's single season home run record. (Maris ultimately broke the record.) Part Two: From 2006. Comedian Bob Newhart.
Fern Schumer Chapman, author of "Brothers, Sisters, Strangers: Sibling Estrangement and the Road to Reconciliation."
To honor the 50th anniversary of NPR and All Things Considered, we replay this 2006 conversation with Lisa Phillips about her book Public Radio: Behind the Voices- a collection of interviews she conducted with a number of public radio luminaries at the time.
From 2007 - "Mr Bach Comes to Call," a DVD designed to introduce schoolchildren to Johann Sebastian Bach.
From 2002: Jim Fleming, one of the most indispensable voices on Wisconsin Public Radio until his retirement in 2014. Fleming did excellent work on both the Classical-News and Ideas Networks of WPR, but is especially appreciated for his work in creating and hosting the program "To the Best of our Knowledge."
Claudia Kalb, author of the new book "Spark: How Genius Ignites, from Child Prodigies to Late Bloomers." The book explores the life and legacy of 13 geniuses, ranging from Leonardo da Vinci to Grandma Moses to Yo-Yo Ma.
Andrew Dogan helps us preview the next concert of the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra on May 8th- a concert that will feature an array of masterworks for string orchestra. Dogan will be playing in the orchestra's viola section in the first half of the concert- for the second half, he will be on the podium as conductor.
Amy Hart and Sonia Hill, from the Walworth County Health and Human Services Dept, talk about the new program that funds mental health specialists to go on certain police calls in which their presence and participation is deemed beneficial. There are such liaisons stationed in both Delavan and Whitewater.
Kurt Davis, author of "Finding Soul: From Silicon Valley to Africa- a personal journey through twenty countries in Africa."
Michael Blanding, author of "North by Shakespeare: a Rogue Scholar's Quest for the Truth behind the Bard's Work." The book explores the work of self-taught scholar Dennis McCarthy, who is convinced that most of the plays attributed to William Shakespeare should be - at least in part - credited to Sir Thomas North.
Tom Clavin, co-author of "Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier."
From 2004- Joshua Green talks about an article he wrote on the phenomenon of celebrity endorsements of politicians. (The article was written shortly after Madonna announced her support for Wesley Clark's presidential campaign.)
From 2003- Dr. Woodrow Hodges, a long-time member of the Carthage College music faculty (now retired) talks about his faculty recital that featured SIX bassoonists!
From 2017- James Hart, author of a fascinating and illuminating memoir titled "Lucky Jim." He was married to singer Carly Simon for twenty years - and this book chronicles their rich but complicated relationship as well as Hart's own struggles with issues of addiction as well as troubles with coming to terms with his own sexual orientation.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business at Carthage, offers commentary on current issues and events. (Please note: this interview was recorded before the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial had been announced.)
From 2003- Greg Tate, author of "Everything but the Burden: what white people are taking from black culture."
From 2009: Allan M. Brandt, author of "The Cigarette Century: The Rise, Fall and Deadly Persistence of the Product that Defined America."
Part One - for National Poetry Month: Mark Eleveld, "The Spoken Word Revolution- (slam, hip hop, and the poetry of a new generation.) Part Two - Jeffrey Kripal, author of "Esalen: America and the Religion of No America." (from 2011)
From the archives, sometime in the early 2000's - Dr. Patricia Cleary (at the time on the faculty at UW-Parkside in the Geosciences department - now on the faculty at UW-Eau Claire teaching Chemistry and Biochemistry) talks about her summertime experience aboard an ocean-drilling vessel.
A preview of the next American Experience documentary, "American Oz: The True Wizard behind the Curtain." It explores the fascinating story of L. Frank Baum, who wrote "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and the many sequels that followed it.
We discuss the recent performance by Dr. Wael Farouk (from the music faculty at Carthage College) of three piano concertos by Sergei Rachmaninoff- in a single evening!
We preview this weekend's RSO concert with conductor Pasquale Laurino and Young Artist Competition winner Nolan Boerner, a cellist who is a sophomore at Prairie School.
Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College, leads a discussion on a new partnership between GTC and Haas Automation.
Judy Batalion discusses her new book "The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos." The book tells the largely forgotten story of young Jewish women in Poland who served varied and significant roles in the resistance movement.
1) The author of "Backable" 2) A preview of Gateway Technical College's EcoFest/Earth Day Celebration this coming weekend 3) Jason Fine, editor of "Cash," a tribute to Johnny Cash from the staff of Rolling Stone magazine.
From 2005- James A. Connor discusses his book "Kepler's Witch: An Astronomer's Discovery of Cosmic Order amid Religious War, Political Intrigue, and the Heresy Trial of his Mother."
From the early 2000's- George Eisman, author of "The Most Noble Diet: Food Selection and Ethics." The occasion of this interview was Eisman's visit to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Part 1- Dr. James Ripley, a member of the music faculty at Carthage College, previews Friday night's concert by the Carthage bands- and also talks about Carthage's decision to begin relaxing restrictions on who can attend on campus music performances. Part 2 - "Where the Birds Are," a guide to national parks and forests to which one can travel to see an amazing array of birds
Part 1- Renowned documentarian Ken Burns talks about his latest project, a marvelous documentary series devoted to Ernest Hemingway, one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Part 2- From 2007- Larry Elliot, author of "The Songs of Insects." The book includes a companion CD with recorded examples of insect songs.
National Wildlife Week with David Mizejewski, a naturalist with the National Wildlife Federation.
From 2007- Gary Geddes, author of "Kingdom of Ten Thousand Things: An Impossible Journey from Kabul to Chiapas."
From 2010: Temple Grandin talks about her book "Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals."
From 2009 - Philip Jenkins, author of "God's Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe's Religious Crisis."
From 2007- Tom Bissell, author of "The Father of All Things: A Marine, His Son, and the Legacy of Viet Nam."
L. Annette Binder discusses her remarkable new novel "The Vanishing Sky," which tells the story of a German family trying to hold everything together as their country disintegrates around them. Certain elements of the story are drawn from the real life experiences of her own father.
Part 1- Bonnie Blodgett, author of "Remembering Smell: a memoir of losing - and discovering - the primal sense." Part 2: Steven Phillips and Dana Parish, co-authors of "Chronic: The hidden cause of the autoimmune pandemic and how to get healthy again."
Dr. Stephanie Mitchell, Professor of History at Carthage College, and two Carthage students - Petula Walsh-Grant and Kiah Martin - discuss Governor Evers' proposal for undocumented immigrants in Wisconsin to be permitted to get drivers cards, a proposal which they support.
Part One- previewing the American Experience documentary "The Blinding of Isaac Woodard." Part Two- from 2005- former New York governor Mario Cuomo.
From 2005- Kathryn Robyn and Dawn Ritchie, co-authors of "The Emotional House: How Redesigning your home can change your life."
Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College, joins us for his monthly visit. The topic today is the Gateway Foundation and the support that they give to a wide range of GTC students.
Rabbi Dena Feingold and Rev. Kara Baylor talk about Thursday night's Courageous Conversation titled "Beyond Denial: Racism in Faith Communities."
Devin Gordon, author of "So Many Ways to Lose: The Amazin' True Story of the New York Mets." Gordon, a lifelong Mets fan, examines many facets of the ball club's history with a special focus on their many missteps over the years. Although the book is mostly light-hearted in tone, it also includes a serious discussion about issues like Racism.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business at Carthage College, offers his thoughts on several different current issues of concern - including the COVID relief package, the Biden administration's diplomatic efforts with China, and a look back 75 years to a famous moment in American diplomatic history, the so-called "Long Telegram."
From 2001 - We replay a conversation with Johanna Fielder, daughter of longtime Boston Pops conductor Arthur Fiedler, and a former press liaison for the Metropolitan Opera She talks about her book "Molto Agitato," a behind-the-scenes look at the Metropolitan Opera. We are replaying this conversation in the wake of the recent death of James Levine, the Met's longtime music director, whose legacy is now significantly tarnished by numerous allegations about serious personal misconduct. (At the time she wrote this book, she dismissed those allegations as groundless. Because she died in 2011, there is no way to know how or if she might have revised that assessment in light of more recent allegations and revelations.)
From 2009- Jeremy Bernstein, author of "Plutonium: a History of the World's Most Dangerous Element."
From the archives: a conversation about CPR and EMT training. One of the guests is a local policeman whose life had been saved by CPR.
Sander Flaum, former head of the AIS (American Institute for Stuttering) talks about his book "Stutter Steps: Proven Pathways to Speaking Confidently and Living Courageously."
A conversation about geology and volcanos with Jess Phoenix, author of "Ms. Adventure: My Wild Explorations in Science, Lava, and Life."
A discussion of the Meacham Road Restoration Project, which is restoring a 60-acre plot of land to its former state as a wetlands.
James Shapiro discusses his book "1599: a Year in the Life of William Shakespeare." The book explores one of the most eventful years of Shakespeare's career, during which he wrote four of his plays - including Hamlet.
From 2003 - Helaine Fendelman, author of "Price it yourself: The Definitive Down-to-earth Guide to Appraising Antiques and Collectibles in your Home, at Auctions, Estate Sales, Shops, and Yard Sales."
From 2007 - Mike Vaccaro, author of "1941- The Greatest Years in Sports: Two baseballs legends, two boxing champs, and the unstoppable thoroughbred who made history in the shadow of war."
Joyce Gregg explains how the AAUW's spring used book sale will be done within the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brian Alexander's book "The Hospital: Life, Death and Dollars in a small American town" chronicles the desperate efforts for the small hospital in Bryan, Ohio to remain independent and solvent. It's also an examination of what it means to be poor in rural America - as well as an exploration of the American health care system.
From the archives: Kelly Corrigan discusses her memoir "The Middle Place," which concerns - among other things - her bout with breast cancer.
Cameron Swallow talks about her work as a coordinator for the Wisconsin chapter of Braver Angels, an organization with the mission of helping Americans to be able to reach across idealogical or political divides to have beneficial dialogue.
From 2002 - James Billington, who was Librarian of Congress from 1987 until 2015. The occasion of this interview was when Billington came to Carthage to participate in the dedication of the Hedberg Library.
Larry Olmsted discusses his book "Fans: How watching sports makes us happier, healthier, and more understanding."
Best-selling biographer J. Randy Taraborelli discusses his latest book "Grace and Steel: Dorothy, Barbara, Laura and the Women of the Bush Dynasty." Taraborelli's book chronicles the fascinating lives of these impressive women.
From 2002 - Phillip Gerard, author of "Secret Soldiers: The Story of World War II's Heroic Army of Deception."
Dr. Richard Gunderman, a professor of Medical Humanities and Health Studies at Indiana University, discusses his new book "Contagion: Plagues, Pandemics and Cures from the Black Death to COVID-19."
Michelle Dresbold, author of "Sex, Lies and Handwriting: a top expert reveals the secrets hidden in your handwriting."
From 2009 comes this interview with P.J. O'Rourke, a well-known voice to many public radio listeners. In this conversation, we talk about "P.J. O'Rourke on 'The Wealth of Nations' - Books that changed the world," which concerns Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations," a 2-volume 900-page work that was published in 1776.
From 1999- a conversation with Greg Lyne, who at the time was on the staff of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America. Our conversation was actually about the American Boychoir, which Lyne had sung with when it was known as the Columbus Boychoir. (Sadly, the American Boychoir and its Boarding School ceased operations in 2017.) This interview preceded a performance by the American Boychoir at Carthage College.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business at Carthage College, offers his analysis of a variety of issues and concerns.
Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College, pays his monthly visit to the program. With him is Kim Greene, Executive Director of Advance CTE (Career and Technical Education.)
Joycelyn Fish, development director for the Racine Theater Guild, joins us to talk about the experiencing of participating in President Joe Biden's first town hall meeting (on February 16th in Milwaukee) - and of actually getting to pose a question to the president .... a question about student loan forgiveness that has generated a tremendous amount of discussion and debate.
We preview this Saturday's (virtual) concert by the Racine Symphony Orchestra with artistic director Pasquale Laurino and artist-in-residence Joshua Zajac, who will be soloist in Haydn's Cello Concerto in C major.
Acclaimed author Denene Milner talks about her new line of children's books, all of which feature families of color.
This was to have been a newly-recorded interview with best-selling author Tim O'Brien to talk about the documentary film "The War and Peace of Tim O'Brien," which is about to be released. Unfortunately, Mr. O'Brien had to cancel the interview at the last minute because of severe weather. We hope to record the interview sometime in the near future. In the meantime, here is this conversation recorded a couple of years ago about his most recent book: Dad's Maybe Book.
From 2007 - Craig Tufts discusses two books he co-authored for the National Wildlife Federation, their Field Guide to Birds of North America and their Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America.
From 2004: Dr. Ted Zeff, author of "The highly Sensitive Person's Survival Guide: Essential Skills for Living Well in an Overstimulating World."
Renowned college basketball coach Gary Waters talks about his book "10 Principles of a Character Coach." Waters is best-known for rebuilding several struggling basketball programs, including - most notably - the basketball program at Cleveland State University.
For Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the program, we speak with Cassandra Hoppe, who is a Project Engineer with Stormwater Solutions Engineering in Milwaukee. They help municipalities, businesses and homeowners come up with innovative ways to deal with stormwater runoff.
Greg Everett, well-known weight-lifting coach, talks about his new book "Tough," which explores what it means to be 'tough' and how one can foster that quality in healthy and productive ways.
A preview of the documentary film "Meltdown," an unconventional examination of the reality of global warming.
We get an update on the work of Hospice Alliance from Rita Hagen, Executive Director, and Jennifer Sytkowski, Bereavement Coordinator. 2021 marks the 40th anniversary of Hospice Alliance. The conversation includes an exploration of the challenges and complications that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented to Hospice Alliance.
Rob Rapley is writer/producer/director for the American Experience documentary film "Voice of Freedom" that airs tonight on Milwaukee PBS channel 10 and on PBS stations across the country. The film explores the story of the historic concert sung by African-American contralto Marian Anderson on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on April 9, 1939, after she was not allowed by the D.A.R. to sing a benefit concert in Constitution Hall because of her race.
From the archives: (2015) - Elyssa Friedland discusses her novel "Love and Miss Communication."
From 2007 - Jim Gorant (a writer with Sports Illustrated) talks about his book "Fanatic: Ten Things All Sports Fans Should Do Before They Die."
To celebrate the birthday of our 16th president, excerpts from three past Morning Shows about Abraham Lincoln. Part 1: Ronald C, White, author of "A. Lincoln: A Biography."
Joanne Samuel Goldblum and Colleen Shaddox, co-authors of "Broke in America: Seeing, Understanding and Ending U.S. Poverty."
From the archives - Racine's own Mark Hertzberg talks about two of the books he has written about architect and designer Frank Lloyd Wright and some of his designs found in the city of Racine.
Professor Marybeth Shinn, author of "In the Midst of Plenty: Homelessness and what to do about it."
From the archives- Stanley Nelson talks about his documentary film "Freedom Summer," which aired during the 26th season of the PBS series American Experience. The film explores the dramatic breakthroughs in civil rights that were made in the summer of 1964. The film can be viewed at pbs.org.
From the late 1990's comes this interview with Racine native Bob Kettelson, who was a renowned opera coach who worked at several of the world's most important opera houses, including the Paris Opera as well as La Scala in Milan, Italy. Kettelson passed away in 2008 at the age of 70.
From 2017- Dr. Wayne Thompson, Associate Professor of Sociology and Social Work at Carthage College, discusses Racism - what is it, what causes it, how is it playing out in America in the 21st century, and what do we do about it?
Public radio's Diane Rehm discusses her newest book, "When My Time Comes: Conversations about whether those who are dying should have the right to determine when life should end." The book is a thorough exploration into the practice of Medical Aid in Dying, which is currently allowed in eight states plus the District of Columbia.
A followup conversation with Richard Stein and Raymond Clarke from Gateway Technical College's Law Enforcement Training program. Stein is director of the program. Clark is an instructor in the Law Enforcement Academy and Chief of Police for the town of Delavan.
Best-selling author Meredith Hall ("Without a Map") discusses her new novel, "Beneficence," which explores how three members of a rural farm family struggle to endure a tragic loss.
Michelle Duster, great-granddaughter of civil rights activist Ida B. Wells, talks about her new book "Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B Wells."
From 2014: Alan Bernstein. author of "Mastering the Art of Quitting: Why it Matters in Life, Love and Work."
In memory of Dr. Charlotte Chell, Professor Emerita of Mathematics and Computer Science at Carthage College, we are replaying this Morning Show conversation dating back to the years when Professor Chell served on the board of directors of Wisconsin Public Radio, of which WGTD is an affiliate. Professor Chell was the first woman to serve as Wisconsin governor of the Mathematical Association of America, a recipient of the school's Distinguished Teaching Award, and in 2010 was given the Carthage Flame, the school's highest honor.
From 2002: David M. Skover, author of "The Trials of Lenny Bruce: The Fall and Rise of an American Icon."
Ann Bausum, author of "Ensnared in the Wolf's Lair: Inside the 1944 Plot to Kill Hitler and the Ghost Children of his Revenge." The book explores the story of those Germans who plotted for the assassination of Hitler (there were actually multiple plots) - and how Hitler's search of revenge went beyond the actual conspirators and included their spouses and children as well.
For Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht's first 2021 Morning Show visit, we meet Dr. Tammi Summers, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at GTC.
(from 2010) Tom Jokinen, author of "Curtains: Adventures of an Undertaker-in-training."
We reconnect with composer Jim Stephenson to talk about his "Fanfare for Democracy," which was given its world premiere at President's Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20th.
From the archives: Dr. Sam Chell (who for many years was a Professor English at Carthage College) discusses the peculiar fascinating of Cult Films.
From 2018- Anna Sabino, author of "Your Creative Career: Turn your passion into a fulfilling and financially rewarding lifestyle."
Fawn Germer, author of "Coming Back: How to win the job you want when you've lost the job you need." The book is focused on the challenge of people in mid or late career who find themselves displaced from employment and need to find ways to make themselves relevant and attractive in a tight job market.
Dr. Munish Batra, author of the thriller "Animal." Dr. Batra is a plastic surgeon, and we spend the first part of the interview talking about what plastic surgery is - and some of the public's misconceptions about it. Dr. Batra has long been concerned with animal cruelty. In his book, a vigilante has taken it upon himself to gain revenge on behalf of animals that have in one way or another been mistreated.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business at Carthage- and Director of the Carthage Center.
Best-selling author Laura Levitt talks about her book "The Objects that Remain," in which she explores the importance of physical objects that remain from traumas we have suffered ... be they traumas we have experienced individually or traumas suffered collectively (such as the Holocaust.)
Part One: Margot Lee Shetterly- author of "Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians who helped win the Space Race." - and Joylette Hylick, daughter of Katherine Johnson (whose story was told in Hidden Figures)- author of a children's book about her mother called "One Step Further." Part Two: Dr. Manning Marable, author of "The Great Wells of Democracy: The Meaning of Race in American Life."
From 2003- Frank DeFord, author of "An American Summer," a novel set in the summer of 1954 against the backdrop of the polio epidemic (a year before the announcement that Jonas Salk had overseen the development of a desperately-needed vaccine for the dreaded disease.)
From 2016 - a conversation recorded with acclaimed composer Libby Larsen when she visited Carthage College for a week as composer-in-residence.
Sarah Hays Coomer, author of "The Habit Trip: A Fill-in-the-blank Journey to a Life on Purpose." The book explores how habits are made and remade.
For Nan Calvert's first monthly visit to the Morning Show in 2021, she brings along Jason Meekma, executive director of Focus on Community, a non-profit agency in Racine that works for Substance Abuse Prevention- and is helping to implement a program called "Take Back Your Meds" that encourages and facilitates the safe disposal of unused medications.
From 2004- Award-winning journalist Joseph Treaster (New York Times) discusses "Paul Volcker: The Making of a Financial Legend." Volcker was a highly-regarded economist who served as chair of the Federal Reserve from 1979 until 1987. Volcker passed away in 2019.
From 2007 - "Carved in Sand: When Attention Fails and Memory Fades in Midlife" by Cathryn Jakobson Ramin. The author writes about something she herself experienced - significant and noticeable memory loss shortly after turning 40 - and chronicles her efforts to deal with the problem with an array of different strategies. She also talks about how memory functions for the typical person.
Dr. Jerald Mast, Professor of Political Science at Carthage College, offers analysis of the shocking events in our nation's capitol on January 6th - and shares thoughts on the challenges confronting the administration of incoming president Joe Biden.
From 2000 - a conversation with acclaimed novelist Jane Hamilton, author of "The Book of Ruth" and "A Map of the World."
From 2008- Joe Bageant talks about his book "Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War." Bageant shares thoughts on what it has been like as a liberal to live in an extremely conservative community in rural Virginia. This book is an illuminating look at the kind of lines along which America is so sharply divided today.
Timothy Caulfield, author of "Your Day, Your Way: The Fact and Fiction Behind Your Daily Decision."
Wte speak with Chana Gazit, director/producer of the documentary film "The Codebreaker" which airs next week on the PBS series American Experience. It tells the largely-unknown story of Elisabeth Friedman, a talented codebreaker who played a role in the United States' victory in both World War I and World War II. The government's files on her work were classified until very recently.
Ruby Warrington, author of "The Curious Sober Re-Set: Change the way you drink in 100 days or less." Warrington is credited with coining the term 'curious sober.' She advocates a more thoughtful attitude when it comes to how much a person drinks and why they drink.
From 2002 - Armand Nicholai, author of "The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life"
From 2004 - Dr. Ira Byock, author of "The Four Things That Matter Most: A Book About Living."
In an unprecedented Morning Show event, I speak with WGTD's full-time staff members: General Manager David Cole, News Director Dave McGrath, and Development Director Troy McDonald about our coverage of the two biggest stories of 2020 - the COVID-19 pandemic ..... and the Jacob Blake shooting and the demonstrations and riots that occurred in its wake.
From 2007 - John Lloyd, co-author of "The Book of General Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know is Wrong," a book about the many misassumptions we make about the world.
From 2005 - The Cat Fancier's Association Complete Cat Book, edited by Mordecai Siegal.
From 2007: with an editor from New Scientist magazine, we discuss "Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze? - and 114 Other Questions," a book which poses and then answers 115 intriguing and out-of-the-ordinary questions.
From the archives: Two interviews with Charles D. Cohen, the world's greatest expert on Theodore Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss. First is a 2004 conversation about his book "The Seuss, the Whole Seuss, and Nothing but the Seuss," which explores Geisel wide-ranging career. Second is a 2007 interview about the 50th anniversary edition of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
Here is the unabridged 2015 interview with Ray Forgianni, longtime Kenosha City Planner and Director of City Development, talking about Harbor Market, which he helped to create and sustain. Also part of the conversation is local artist Melanie Hovey, who worked closely with Ray in the formation of the market. We replayed a portion of this interview on today's Morning Show as a memorial tribute to Fogianni, who died earlier this fall due to complications from COVID-19.
Today's program is a memorial tribute to Ray Forgianni, who served Kenosha as City Planner and Director of City Development for more than thirty years, who died earlier this fall due to complications from COVID-19. Part One is a 1998 conversation led by then-WGTD News Director Bill Guy. He and Ray Forgianni discuss the plans for Harbor Park, which at that point was still in its final stages of planning. Part Two is an excerpt from a 2015 conversation about Harbor Market.
Today's program is a memorial tribute to the honorable Shirley Abrahamson, the first woman to serve as a justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court (1976-2019) - who also served as Chief Justice of the court from 1996 to 2015. We were privileged to welcome Justice Abrahamson into our radio studios on two occasions- in 2006 and 2009. This tribute includes excerpts from the interviews we recorded with her during those visits.
This is the unabridged interview recorded with retired Lutheran pastor Warren Williams, describing what it was like to contract COVID-19 and the life-threatening symptoms which he experienced. He also offers some thoughts on the plight of the homeless in Racine during the pandemic.
From 1998- a conversation that helps us to better understand the wide-ranging academic discipline of Geography. This interview was done when Professor Gober, a much-admired member of the geography faculty at Arizona State University, returned to her hometown of Kenosha, WI to accept an honorary doctorate from Carthage College. (Professor Gober recently retired from ASU.)
From 2004- "David Rosengarten Entertains: Fabulous Parties for Food Lovers" .... replayed in the hopes that one year from now, we'll be able to entertain family and friends as we once did.
We preview the next video offering of the Choral Arts Society, "On the Fifth Day of Christmas," which will be shared with the public on Tuesday, December 29th.
We preview the upcoming virtual production of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" by the Fleeing Artists Theater Company - a production that is being presented in memory of actor Phil Jaeger, who died earlier this fall.
For Nan Calvert's last monthly visit in 2020, we talk about salt pollution (a problem during the winter with the salting of our roads, driveways and sidewalks.) Her special guest is Allison Madison from Wisconsin Salt Wise, a group that advocates for more thoughtful use of salt in order to curb its harmful environmental effects.
THE SHOW MUST GO ON! Part 1: We preview this year's "Ye Olde English Christmas Feaste," KUSD's holiday-time madrigal feast, with Polly Amborn, John Choi, and Brian Lynch; They discuss the challenges of putting together a Virtual Feaste. Part 2: We hear about the Racine Theater Guild's latest Signature Spotlight Concert, "I'll be Home for Christmas," which becomes available to the public on Friday night.
TV writer Paul Robert Coyle has written an entertaining and enlightening memoir titled "Swords, Starships and Superheroes: From Star Trek to Xena to Hercules: a TV Writer's Life Scripting the Stories of Heroes," published by Jacob Brown. Coyle's resume includes such shows as "The Streets of San Francisco," "Jake and the Fat Man," "Crazy like a Fox," "Star Trek: Voyager," "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys," and "Xena: Princess Warrior."
Patricia Peyton, author of "Physical Intelligence: Harness your body's untapped intelligence to achieve more, stress less, and live more happily."
Dr. Allan Buchanan, author of "Our Moral Fate: Evolution and the Escape from Tribalism." The book explores why we are prone to engage in 'Us vs. Them' tribalism - and how we can transcend this.
From 2007- Teresa Riordan, author of "Inventing Beauty: a History of the Innovations that have made us Beautiful."
From 1997 comes this conversation with Dr. Irene Kraemer, who was a beloved and admired language professor and administrator for more than 30 years at Carthage College. (She passed away in 2004.) This interview touches on her own life story, her love of language, and her devotion to the Immersion model of teaching modern languages.
Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht pays his final monthly visit to the program. His guest is Jan Bray, who leads the Coalition for Career Development Center.
Dr. Eduardo Garcia-Novelli, chair of the music department at Carthage College, talks about this year's Christmas Festival, which will be shared (virtually) with the public tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30 and Sunday afternoon at 4:00.
From 2004 comes this still-timely conversation with therapist Amy Champeau about Depression - what it is and what can be done about it.
Liz Steege, Case H.S. in Racine- Polly Amborn, Tremper H.S. in Kenosha, Derek Machan, Waterford Union H.S. on doing choral music during COVID-19.
We speak with best-selling sportswriter John Feinstein about "Game Changers," his latest work of fiction intended for young readers. It focuses on two talented, dedicated high school athletes- a young woman and a young man- and what they do to try to address what they regard as serious problems on their respective basketball teams.
From 2017- We speak with Dr. David Geier, author of "That's Gotta Hurt: The Injuries that Changed Sports Forever."
From 2010: John Heilemann - co-author of "Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of the Lifetime."
Lucinda Robb is the granddaughter of Lady Bird Johnson. Rebecca Boggs Roberts is the is the daughter of Cokie Roberts. These lifelong friends have co-authored a book that celebrates the work of the extraordinary women who led the suffragist movement - and explores the many lessons that present-day activists can learn from these women.
From 2004- William Hitchcock, author of "The Struggle for Europe: The Turbulent History of a Divided Continent 1945 to the Present."
From 2013- We have some holiday fun with the editor of "The King Arthur Flower Cookie Companion: the Essential Cookie Cookbook."
This is the unabridged interview I recorded with Dr. Eduardo Garcia-Novelli, director of choral activities at Carthage College, on doing choral music safely during this COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the unabridged interview I recorded with Dr. James Kinchen, Director of Choral Activities at UW-Parkside, on how his choirs have sung safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We talk about the challenges of doing choral music safely during COVID-19 with two local collegiate choral directors: Dr. James Kinchen from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside .... and Dr. Eduardo Garcia-Novelli from Carthage College. Each of them is the director of choral activities at their respective schools.
We speak with Barry Jagoda, media consultant to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Jagoda's new memoir is titled "Journeys with Jimmy Carter- and Other Adventures in Media."
Jamie Thompson, author of "Standoff: Race, Policing and a Deadly Assault that Gripped a Nation." The book is a detailed chronicle and examination of a shocking event that occurred on a July night in 2016 in downtown Dallas when five Dallas police officers were shot and killed by a lone, troubled gunman at a Black Lives Matter demonstration.
Carlo Nevicosi, Deputy Director of the Walworth County Department of Health & Human Services, gives a COVID-19 update.
This is the monthly visit of Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business and Director of the Clausen Center.
From 2003 - One week after the anniversary of JFK's assassination, we replay this interview with Cathy Trost from the Newseum about the book "President Kennedy has been Shot: The Inside Story of the Murder of a President." The book chronicles the events of November 22, 1963- and includes a companion CD with dramatic audio from that shocking day, much of it never before shared with the public.
From 2006 - Sportswriter Rob Reischel talks about his book "Packers Essentials: Everything You Need to Know to be a Real Fan." Reischel explores some of the most fascinating facets of the Green Bay Packers, one of the most noteworthy franchises in NFL history.
Abraham Lincoln expert Steve Rogstad discusses his latest book "Lincoln Among the Badgers: Rediscovering Sites Associated with Abraham and Mary Lincoln in Wisconsin." In the book, Rogstad talks about various connections between the Lincolns and Wisconsin - the five visits that they made to the state (all separately; they never visited Wisconsin together) - and the many Lincoln statues in our state, including the statue found on the campus of Carthage College. We also hear about the circumstances under which President Lincoln made Thanksgiving a federal holiday.
Elke Scholz, author of "Anxiety Warrior," discusses what 'anxiety' is, the various forms it can take, and the means by which we can deal with our anxiety issues.
We catch up with professional musician Zachary Scot Johnson, originally from Racine but now living in the Twin Cities, who has just completed the 3000th segment of his Youtube project "Song A Day." We also talk about what the COVID-19 pandemic has meant for Zach and other professional musicians.
From 2007- On the anniversary of the assassination of J.F.K., we replay this conversation with Vincent Bugliosi about "Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy" in which he methodically takes apart the many conspiracy theories that have sprung up in the wake of the shooting. Bugliosi's many books include "Helter Skelter."
From 1998 comes this interview with Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, co-authors of "Seductions of Rice: a Cookbook." The book explores this astonishing varieties of rice found around the world and the array of things that can be done with rice.
This is my unabridged interview with Jody Stevenson, an R.N. with Mercy Clinic in West Des Moines, IA - and someone who contracted COVID-19.
This is my unabridged interview with Carthage College student Tim Wagner about having COVID-19 - and being asymptomatic.
This is my unabridged interview with Carthage College student Nick Renkosik talking about having COVID-19.
This is my unabridged interview with 66th Assembly District Representative Greta Neubauer.
We speak with four different people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 ..... State Representative Greta Neubauer from Racine ..... two Carthage College students, Nick Renkosik and Tim Wagner ..... and a Registered Nurse from Des Moines, IA, Jody Stevenson. Later today, the complete versions of each of these four interviews will be shared in podcast format.
Pulitzer Prize winning author Tim Weiner talks about his latest book, "The Folly and the Glory: America, Russia, and Political Warfare, 1945-2020."
We speak with Dr. Jeff Roberg, Professor of Political Science, and Dr. Jon Bruning, Associate Professor of Communications and Digital Media, about the 2020 Presidential Election. They are team-teaching a course at Carthage College called "Elections and Campaigns," a course which they teach every four years to coincide with our presidential elections. We'll also hear about Bruning's experience as a poll worker (he was a tabulator at one of the polling locations in Milwaukee.)
For the monthly visit of Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College, we speak with Neil Reddy, CEO of the MSSC (the Manufacturing Skill Standards Center.)
We catch up with John Hambrock, creator of the nationally syndicated comic strip "The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee," which has just begun its 15th year of syndication. Hambrock lives in Kenosha.
From 2009- Jennifer 8 Lee, author of "The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food."
From 2009: Seth Shostak, author of "Confessions of an Alien Hunter: A Scientist's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence."
The book is "Dalko: The Untold Story of Baseball's Fastest Pitcher." Steve Dalkowski (1939-2020) is widely regarded as the fastest pitcher in history - but unfortunately, he lacked control of his fastball and he never went beyond the minor leagues. His is a fascinating story of unrealized potential- and of how his story might have played out very differently had he come along at a different time. Dalkowski died earlier this year from COVID-19. Brian Vikander, one of three co-authors of "Dalko," is a nationally-recognized pitching coach.
For Nan Calvert's November visit to the Morning Show, we explore the work of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, which helps to facilitate the transformation of abandoned railroad lines into publicly accessible trails - and the statewide network of such trails known as the Route of the Badger. Our guest is Willie Karidis, who is project manager for the Route of the Badger.
We explore some of the realities of the COVID-19 Pandemic through the eyes of two of my family members: Dr. Randi Berg (my sister), a medical doctor with Gunderson, and Aidan Spencer-Berg, (my niece), who lives in Paris, France- which at the moment is under a state of Confinement because of the pandemic.
I speak with Laura Gellott, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, about her new book "Helen Perry Curtis and the European Trip of a Lifetime." Gellott's favorite book during her childhood was Ms. Curtis's "Jean & Co., Unlimited," which tells the story of a young American girl's first trip to Europe. Decades after first reading the book, Gellott was able to uncover the fascinating real life story of Helen Perry Curtis and chronicles that story in this book.
From 2018 - Lenora Chu, author of "Little Soldiers: An American Boy, A Chinese School, and the Global Race to Achieve."
From 2014 comes this interview with writer Margo Howard, daughter of Ann Landers - talking about her memoir "Eat, Drink and Remarry: Confessions of a Serial Wife."
From 2002 - Manning Marable discusses his book "The Great Wells of Democracy- Reconstructing Race and Politics in the 21st Century."
Brian Muraresku, author of "The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name."
Jennie Stephens is the author of "Diversifying Power: Why We Need Anti-Racist, Feminist Leadership on Climate and Energy."
We speak with Belinda Thielen, who is part of the Racine-Kenosha community of Quakers, about their participation in a nationwide project call Choose Democracy which is determined to safeguard the integrity of our democracy, Local Quakers engaged in a letter-writing campaign, reaching out to local officials and law enforcement leaders as part of this effort.
From 2004 - Robert Rubin, who served as Secretary of the Treasury during the Clinton administration, discusses his book "In an Uncertain World: Tough Choices from Wall Street to Washington."
Another interview from the archives for Election Day 2020: A 2003 conversation with Ace Collins about his book "Songs Sung Red, White & Blue: The Stories Behind America's Best-Loved Patriotic Songs."
On Election Day 2020, here is something fun from the Morning Show archives- a 2002 interview with Judith Martin, a k a Miss Manners, discussing her book "Star Spangled Manners: In Which Miss Manners Defends American Etiquette (for a change)."
Elizabeth Mitchell's book is "Lincoln's Lie: A True Civil War Caper Through Fake News, Wall Street, and the White House."
From 2013: Michael Schumacher talks about his book "Will Eisner: A Dreamer's Life in Comics," which chronicles the eventful life (1917-2005) and career of the man who is widely credited with creating the genre of the Graphic Novel.
From 2005- Jason DeParle talks about his book "American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare." The book is an illuminating look at what it's like to live in poverty - and how challenging it can be to "lift yourself up by your bootstraps" under such circumstances. Much of what is chronicled in the book took place in Milwaukee in the wake of sweeping welfare reform.
We speak with James Schatzman, Julia Suchy and Karel Suchy about the special video presentation, "RETRO," that the C.A.S. will be unveiling for the public tonight at 7:15 on the group's youtube channel. The video will highlight past performances of the C.A.S. featuring the music of two local composers, Tony Pavao and Karel Suchy. We'll also hear about some of the ways that the group is remaining active.
We speak with Holly Stanfield, who directs many of the music theater productions for Kenosha Unified. We find out how the district is proceeding with its theatrical productions during this time of COVID-19 and all of the restrictions that are in place.
Today, we hear from the two candidates for the U.S. First Congressional District - republican incumbent Bryan Steil and democratic challenger Roger Polack.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business, Director of the Clausen Center at Carthage College, pays his monthly visit to the program.
This is the unabridged interview I recorded with Walter Koenig, who portrayed Ensign Pavel Pavel Chekov on Star Trek: the Original Series and in the major motion pictures that it inspired. Koenig has written several books over the years. His most recent book is a far-reaching and illuminating memoir titled "Beaming Up and Getting Off: Life Before and Beyond Star Trek," published by Jacobs Brown Press.
From 2010 - "The Enough Moment: Fighting to end Africa's Worst Human Rights Crimes" with author John Prendergast.
Kenneth C. Davis discusses his newest book, "Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy." He chronicles the rise of five fascists - Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Mao Zedong, and Saddam Hussein - and explores what allowed them to gain the power that they did. Davis is well-known for "America's Hidden History" and "Don't Know Much About History."
From 2011 comes a conversation with Steven Pinker, author of the much-discussed book "The Better Angels of our Nature: Why Violence has Declined." Pinker contends in his book that - contrary to our common assumptions - the world is much less violent than it once was.
From 2017: Susan Stryker, author of "Transgender History: The Roots of Today's Revolution." October is LGBT History Month.
We speak with Luce Brett about her new book "PMSL: Or how I literally pissed myself laughing and survived the last taboo to tell the tale." Ms. Brett suffered an injury while giving birth to her first child - and became incontinent. Her book is a disarmingly honest- and often entertaining account of what it was like to contend with incontinence at the age of thirty.
Bryan Albrecht, president of Gateway Technical College- and Cheryl Carrier, CEO of Ford Next Generation Learning, which has partnerships with school districts across the country, including the Racine Unified School District.
Mary Frances Winters talks about his book "Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body and Spirit."
We have a quick follow up interview with Rick Riordan about his latest book, "The Tower of Nero." the fifth and final installment in his series "The Trials of Apollo."
Nan Calvert (from Root-Pike Watershed Initiative) has organized a conversation about the importance of wetlands and wetlands restoration. She' is joined by Dave Giordano, executive director of Root Pike WIN - as well as Joshua Brown from the Wisconsin DNR; Brown is coordinating the Meacham Road wetland project in Mount Pleasant.
Ben Loeterman is the director/producer/writer of "Walter Winchell: The Power of Gossip," the next episode in the PBS series American Masters. The film airs Tuesday night on PBS.
From 2005 - Robert Trachtenberg discusses his book "When I Knew," which gathers together the recollections of different people about when it was that they first believed themselves to be gay. The mood of the stories ranges from humorous to deeply poignant.
From 2007 comes this conversation with Diane Ackerman about "The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story," which recounts how the director of the Warsaw Zoo and his wife Antonina hid more than 300 Jews on the grounds of the zoo and assisted many of them in escaping to the countryside during World War II. The book was adapted into a major motion picture in 2017 that starred Jessica Chastain in the title role.
We speak with Rosemarie Day, one of the chief architects of Massachusetts' universal health care system, which served as a primary model for the Affordable Care Act. Her new book is titled "Marching Towards Coverage: How Women Can Lead the Fight for Universal Healthcare."
Tom Nagorski's remarkable book "Miracles on the Water" tells an inspiring stories of the men, women and children who managed to survive the harrowing experience of having their ship torpedoed and sunk by a Nazi U-Boat in the early days of World War II.
From 2003 comes this conversation with Michael K. Bohn, who was director of the Situation Room for the George H. W. Bush administration. His book is titled "Nerve Center: Inside the White House Situation Room."
From 2012 - Anthony Swofford, author of the best-selling book "Jarhead," talks about a later book, "Hotels, Hospitals and Jails: A Memoir," which chronicles the often turbulent relationship he had with his father.
We speak with Sarah Gorke and Becky Windberg, co-chairs of the 2nd annual Aspire Conference: Navigating a New World ... a virtual conference running Tuesday through Friday, October 13-16, originating from Carthage College's Aspire Center. This year, the conference is available to the general public and free of charge.
From 2011- Anne Fortier talks about her novel based on the character of Shakespeare's Juliet.
From 2004, an interview with Robin Lynn Williams talking about her debut novel, "The Assistants," which explores the experience of five different young people who have gone to Hollywood and become Personal Assistants to five different celebrities in the hopes that it might be the ticket for their own stardom. Williams draws upon her own real-life experience as a Personal Assistant in crafting this novel.
From 2007 - Peter Yarrow - of Peter, Paul and Mary - discusses his children's book "Puff the Magic Dragon." Yarrow is singing a benefit concert Friday night on behalf of Downtown Kenosha Incorporated, to help in the rebuilding of the uptown neighborhood. You can get more information about the concert by going to downtownkenosha.org.
Dr. Samuel Myers, co-editor of "Planetary Health: Protecting Nature to Protect Ourselves"
From 2017- Max Klau, author of "Race and Social Change: A Quest, a Study, a Call to Action."
From 2012- Marilyn Yalom discusses her book "How the French Invented Love: Nine Hundred Years of Passion and Romance."
Thea Keshavarzi, president of the Kenosha Symphony, talks about the concert that the KSO plans to perform this coming Saturday night at Kemper Center- and explains the precautions being taken to keep both the musicians and audience members safe.
This brief interview is with Sonia Monzano, well-known as Maria on television's Sesame Street, talking about her newest book, "A World Together," which celebrates diversity.
We speak with poet and writer Paige Towler, co-author of "Girls Can! Smash Stereotypes, Defy Expectations and Make History!"
For Mental Health Awareness Week, we speak with Jack Rose, president of the Kenosha County chapter of NAMI- the National Alliance for Mental Illness.
Darin Strauss's novel is titled "The Queen of Tuesday: A Lucille Ball Story." This intriguing book is a work of fiction but carefully based on the life and career of the legendary Lucille Ball - and on what she was experiencing both professionally and personally in the difficult years immediately preceding the launching of "I Love Lucy."
From 2005- David Baron discusses his book "The Beast in the Garden: The True Story of a Predator's Deadly Return to Suburban America." The book chronicles a situation in Boulder, Colorado in which cougars from the wild began entering residential neighborhoods in increasing numbers. The story is a cautionary tale of what can happen when humans continue to encroach on the habitat of animals like the cougar without regard for the consequences.
We talk about Volume Three of Marc Cushman's series "These are the Voyages: Gene Rodenberry and Star Trek in the 1970's." This volume focuses on Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which marked the celebrated franchise's debut on the big screen - a film that was enormously expensive and complicated - and about which opinion remains sharply divided.
From 2016 comes this conversation with Leonard Mlodinow, one of the world's most brilliant thinkers, and the author of "The Upright Thinkers: The Human Journey from Living in Trees to Understanding the Cosmos."
Nature writer Ted Williams's book to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day earlier this year is titled "Earth Almanac: A Year of Witnessing the Wild, from The Call of the Loon to the Journey of the Gray Whale."
This is my most recent interview with best-selling author Deborah Tannen, talking about her most recent book: a memoir titled "Finding My Father: His Century-Long Journey from World War One and My Quest to Follow."
Dr. Art Cyr- Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business and Director of the Clausen Center.
We get a COVID-19 update from Carlo Nevicosi, Deputy Director of the Walworth County Health Department.
Brad Balukjian, author of "The Wax Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Baseball's Afterlife." Balukjian, an avid baseball card collector when he was young, ordered a vintage pack of Topp's Baseball Cards and then crisscrossed the country in an attempt to connect with the dozen baseball players pictured on those particular cards.
From 1995 comes this interview with Alice Parker, one of America's most beloved and admired choral composers and arrangers - and a close collaborator with conductor Robert Shaw for many years. This interview was recorded during a visit that Parker paid to Carthage College as a guest artist. Her stay included the world premiere of a work commissioned for Carthage's campus organist at the time, Dr. Susan Klozbach.
From 2004- Edward Conlon's "Blue Blood," his remarkable book about New York City police officers.
Marc Cushman has written a new series of three books titled "These are the Voyages: Gene Rodenberry, Star Trek in the 1970's." These books focus on the years after Star Trek: the Original Series was cancelled by NBC. It was during the 1970's that the Star Trek phenomenon was truly born. This interview focuses in particular on the groundbreaking Star Trek conventions as well as Star Trek's return to television in the form of an award-winning animated series.
Valerie Tripp is one of the country's most successful and highly-regarded authors of fiction for young readers. (She has written many of the books in the American Girl series.) She has just begun a new series for National Geographic, and the first book is titled "Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad: Absolute Hero."
We talk with Jo Frost, well-known to millions as the Supernanny. Among other things, we talk about some of the special challenges that parents are facing during this time of COVID-19.
We begin with the mayor of Kenosha, John Antaramian, and talk about how the city is working through some difficult issues regarding racial justice and equality. After that, Emmy Award-winning talk show host Tamron Hall, who offers thoughts on how we can have difficult but fair conversations about race.
Todd D. Snyder, author of "Bundini: Don't Believe the Hype" - which tells the story of Drew "Bundini" Brown, the corner man for Muhammed Ali who coined many of his most colorful poetic phrases, including "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." 'Bundini' was in Ali's corner for the vast majority of his most important fights. Before working with Ali, Bundini was with Sugar Ray Robinson.
Best-selling author Lorene Cary discusses her new memoir "Ladysitting: My Year with Nana at the end of her century." Cary talks about the experience of taking in her 99-year-old grandmother. The book touches on many themes and issues, including aging, family, caregiving, and race.
How do we train people for the incredibly challenging work of law enforcement? And how has that training changed in light of concerns over incidents of police brutality? How are prospective police officers trained in matters such as use-of-force or how to de-escalate potentially dangerous situations. We speak today with Richard Stein, Director of Law Enforcement Training at Gateway Technical College, and Ray Clark, Police Chief for the Town of Delaven and a half-time instructor in Gateway's Law Enforcement Academy.
From 2009 - Nancy Garfinklel, co-author (with Andrea Israel) of the novel "The Recipe Club: a Tale of Food and Friendship."
In memory of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we are rerunning this 2018 interview with Bryant Johnson, author of "The RBG Workout." Johnson was Justice Ginsburg's personal trainer for twenty years.
From 2015 comes this conversation with Tina Seelig, author of "Insight Out: Get Your Ideas Out of your Head and Into the World."
In this portion of WGTD's Morning Show, we speak with Beth Bender and Pasquale Laurino from the Racine Symphony about the special project that the RSO has undertaken to record Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons .... and find out what it was like for the musicians to record these works while practicing physical distancing. (The RSO releases its performance of the Autumn concerto of the work on Saturday evening at 7:30.)
Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the Morning Show features Megan Severson, state director for Wisconsin Environment, an advocacy group for a variety of environmental issues and concerns.
From 2008- Atul Gawande, author of 'Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance," which gathers his thoughts on what it means to be a better doctor.
Here is a look back at a very different era in NFL history, the 1950's- and one of the most glamorous teams of that era, the Los Angeles Rams. Jim Hock's father was an offensive lineman for the team. Hock's book is titled "Father on the Line: a Memoir."
Bruce Boise talks about his book "Cold Comfort: One Man's Struggle to Stop the illegal marketing of powerful opioid drugs and save lives," in which he chronicles his career in the pharmaceutical industry and what prompted him to become a whistle-blower when he began to realize the scope and nature of the illegal activities of the company for which he was working.
Tom Miller is the author of "How I Learned English: 55 Accomplished Latinos Recall Lessons in Language and Life." This interview was recorded and initially broadcast back in 2007.
From 2011- A conversation with Mira Grant about her best-selling book "Deadline," the second book in her zombie series called "Newsflesh." As I state in the introduction, this book was an immense (pleasant) surprise to me. It's not the kind of book I would typically read- but I gave it a chance and loved it.
From 2009 comes this interview with Phoebe Damrosch, author of "Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waitress." Damrosch became the first captain at New York City's prestigious 4-star restaurant Per Se.
We speak with famed British photojournalist Stuart Roy Clarke about his new book "The Game," which is a celebration of the game of soccer as it is played, followed, and loved in Great Britain. (Clarke's co-author is John Williams.)
From 2004- Ellis Cose discusses his book "Bone to Pick: on Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Reparation and Revenge."
Dr. Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College, pays his monthly visit to the program. With him will be Mary Burgoon from Rockwell Automation, which has just established an exciting new partnership with GTC.
We speak with Tom Cooper, author of "Doing the Right Thing: 12 Portraits in Moral Courage." Cooper celebrates the ethical integrity and courage of twelve people in history - from Marie Curie to John F. Kennedy - who faced difficult situations and managed somehow to do what was right.
From 2009: something special for fans of Tabasco fans..... Jeffrey Rothfeder, author of "McIlhenny's Gold: How a Louisiana Family Built the Tabasco Empire."
In this bonus podcast, you'll hear my conversation with a talented young man named Nicholas Daly, born and raised in Kenosha and now a sophomore at the University of Michigan. He was recently named the grand prize winner of Playbill magazine's Search for a Star Contest, in which he triumphed over a field of 2,700 singers from across the country. In the interview, Nick also shares about the experience of participating in the protests in Kenosha following the shooting of Jacob Blake.
From 2014 comes an especially thought-provoking conversation about race and racism - and about the racist attitudes that many of us may be harboring without even knowing it. Debby Irving's book is titled "Waking Up White- and Finding Myself in the Story of Race."
From 2006- Gary Pomerantz, author of "Wilt, 1962: The Night of 100 Points and the Dawn of a new Era." The book showcases the night of March 2, 1962 when the legendary Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single NBA game- an accomplishment that has never been equaled - and (almost certainly) never will be.
This is the oldest interview in the Morning Show archives. This conversation dates back to 1987, in the days when WGTD was a free-standing affiliate of NPR - and responsible for doing its own fundraisers. In those days, nationally-known hosts from NPR would come to Kenosha to be part of our fundraisers. In 1987, we welcomed into our studios Bob Edwards, the original host of NPR's Morning Edition. Bill Guy was the original host of The Morning Show.
We talk with the co-creators of the new podcast Read More Plays, which drops its first episode on Monday, September 7th.
CBS News Journalist Wesley Lowery talks about coming to Kenosha to speak with the family of Jacob Blake- and to do the first interview with Raysean White, the man who took the video recording of the shooting of Jacob Blake and shared it with the world. The interview is part of the latest episode of "60 in 6," which streams on Quibi and is also available on Quibi's YouTube channel.
In her book "Prisoners of the Empire: Inside Japanese POW Camps," author Sarah Kovner explores why many Allied prisoners of the Japanese were treated so brutally while many others were treated quite humanely. Why the wide variance? And when it came to those situations where POW's were treated brutally, why was that the case? It turns out that some of the reasons are surprising.
Dr. Debra Ford, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, offers her thoughts on recent events in Kenosha ... UW-Parkside's ongoing efforts on anti-racism and inclusion .... and also talks about the school's efforts to open the fall semester with a combination of virtual and in-person learning as safely as possible during this time of COVID-19. (Today is the first day of fall classes at Parkside.)
Dr. John Swallow, the president of Carthage College, offers some thoughts on recent events in Kenosha- outlines Carthage's Anti-Racism Plan of Action - and also updates us on the school's plans for the fall semester and the precautions that are being taken to try and keep the students, staff and faculty safe from the threat of COVID-19. (Classes begin tomorrow, September 2nd, but entirely virtual.)
In the wake of recent events in Kenosha, we are replaying this conversation from earlier this year with Margaret L. Anderson, author of "Getting Smart About Race: An American Conversation." Among other things, Anderson's book explores some of the history of the very concept of race- some of the ways in which ideas and attitudes about race have been a complicating factor in our country's history- and some of the challenges tied up in talking about race.
We believe this interview from the archives dates back to 1997 or 1998. At the time of this interview, Marla Greenspan (now Marla Polley) worked in Carthage's Advising Center. (She left in the early 2000's but is now back at Carthage and teaching there.) Much has changed in the world - and in the world of education - since this interview was recorded, but some of the pressures and challenges remain the same. Because Marla shared such important and intriguing insights, and in her uniquely entertaining way, I decided to replay this interview as another college school year begins.
Dr. Michael Hansen is a member of the Political Science faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. In this conversation recorded on August 21st, Dr. Hansen talks about some of the intriguing research he is doing on the wide variation in how counties across Wisconsin share information with the public through their respective websites. Back in late April, he studied the sharing of COVID information county-by-county throughout the nation.
We discuss this week's turmoil in Kenosha with Jennifer Cobbina, Professor of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University, author of "Hands up! Don't Shoot! Why the Protests in Ferguson and Baltimore Matter, and How They Have Changed America."
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Science/ World Economy and Director of the Clausen Center at Carthage College.
Part One of today's program features Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Jon Meacham, talking about his newest book- "His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope." John Lewis, one of the most inspiring figures in the Civil Rights movement, died on July 17th. My conversation with Meacham was recorded on Tuesday with the city of Kenosha engulfed in unrest over the shooting of Jacob Blake.
Today is the monthly visit of Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College, who begins by weighing in on the turmoil in Kenosha over the last several days. His guest is Patrick Fennimore, director of facilities for the Kenosha Unified School District. They discuss the challenges being faced by KUSD as it prepares for the beginning of the fall semester - and how those preparations have had to change in the wake of the School Board's decision last week to shift from all-virtual to a hybrid of virtual and in-person learning.
Dr. Jerald Mast, Professor of Political Science at Carthage College, offers his analysis of the recently concluded Democratic National Convention- and gives his thoughts on what the republicans need to do with their convention this week.
On August 10th, the upper midwest was slammed by exceptionally severe thunderstorms, and much of Iowa was slashed by a Derecho- sometimes known as an inland hurricane - with straight line winds between 100 and 140 miles per hour. Cedar Rapids and the surrounding area was completel devastated. Peter Ylvisaker, who lives in nearby Marion, IA, gives an account of what it was like to experience the storm- and what has transpired in the wake of it. (600,000 Iowans lost power, and thousands of people are still without power two weeks later.)
From 2008- James M. Tabor, author of "Forever on the Mountain: The Truth Behind One of Mountaineering's Most Controversial and Mysterious Disasters." The book chronicles the doomed 1967 expedition on Alaska's Mount McKinley; only five of the twelve climbers survived.
From 2003 comes this interview with opera singer Shirley Verrett, talking about her book "I Never Walked Alone: The Autobiography of an American Singer." Verrett was one of the most compelling opera singers of her generation- and an African-American who came to prominence during the height of the Civil Rights movement. This is the first time that the entire interview is being shared without abridgment. Verrett died in 2010.
We reconnect with Star Trek expert Marc Cushman to get an overview of his three most recent books titled "These are the Voyages: Gene Rodenberry and Star Trek in the 70's." In these three volumes, Cushman chronicles the events that ensued in the wake of the cancellation of Star Trek: the Original Series in 1969- and the persistent efforts to resurrect the franchise.
Nan Calvert's monthly visit features an interview with Chris Litzau, Director of the Great Lakes Community Conservation Corp - as well as two of the crew supervisors who help carry out their important work in and around southeast Wisconsin. They also talk about a new Racine County project to improve storm water run-off in the area.
Part One: Dr. Uma Naidoo, author of "This is your brain on food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods that fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and more." Part Two: (from 2009) Richard Farrell, author of "What's Left of Us: a Memoir of Addiction."
Part One: Brad Ricca, author of "Olive the Lionheart: Lost Love, Imperial Spies, and One Woman's Journey into the Heart of Africa." In 1910, 30-year-old Olive MacLeod traveled over 3,000 miles through the heart of Africa to learn the fate of her fiance, explorer and naturalist Alexander Boyd. It's an amazing and true story. Part Two: (from 2018) Kristin Helms, author of "From Boardroom to Baby: A Roadmap for Career Women Transitioning to Stay-at-home Mom."
Our guest is Dr. Leslie Cameron, Professor of Psychology at Carthage College. She has done extensive research on the sense of smell for many years. This interview focuses on how one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19 is the loss of the sense of smell. Professor Cameron is helping to arrange widespread olfactory testing for students, faculty and staff at Carthage as one more means of screening for COVID as the school resumes in-person instruction.
From 2003- Father Dominic Grassi's talks about his book "Still Called: Why I Love Being a Priest." Update: Father Grassi recently retired from the priesthood and is now writing novels. Grassi spent the last quarter century of his ministry serving parishes on the north side of Chicago.
From 2010: "Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime."
Howard Furman examines the childhood and adolescence of baseball superstar Micky Mantle in "Mutt's Dream: Making the Mick."
We begin with Margaret Gesner and Jeffrey Langlieb from the Greater Racine County Health Department- and finish up with Carlo Nevicosi from the Walworth County Department of Health and Human Services .... for COVID-19 updates.
From 2006 comes this interview with Simon Houpt, author of "Museum of the Missing: a History of Art Theft."
Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave tells the story of being diagnosed with COVID-19.
Ellyn Lem discusses her new book "Gray Matters: Finding Meaning in the Stories of Later Life."
From 2009- Dr. Sandra Moats from the history faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside talks about her book "Celebrating the Republic: Presidential Ceremony and Popular Sovereignty from Washington to Monroe." The book examines the nature of the U.S. Presidency and how it was viewed by the American public through the tenure of our first five presidents.
We're turning the clock all the way back to 1989 - and to two interviews that appear to be the oldest Morning Show interviews preserved in our archives. The interviews are done by longtime WGTD News Director Bill Guy, who created the Morning Show. Part One is with longtime UPI columnist Georgie Anne Geyer. The second is with renowned television journalist Judy Woodruff, who has done exemplary work for both PBS and CNN.
Elizabeth Englander discusses her new book "25 Myths about Bullying and Cyberbullying."
Nick Huff and Kaila Bingen, board members of the newly-organized Kenosha Opera Festival, talk about how COVID upended their new company's plans for their first summer of operation - but also preview the virtual opera concert that the company will be streaming this Sunday, August 9th.
Dr. James Ripley, director of instrumental activities at Carthage, talks about the steep challenges that musicians have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as some of Carthage's preparations for in-person teaching/learning this fall. (He is a member of Carthage's COVID Coordination Committee.) He also summarizes the initial findings of an important study from the University of Colorado-Boulder that is specifically exploring what protocols can minimize the risk COVID transmission in band and choral rehearsals and lessons.
Part One: Melba Pattillo Beals, author of "March Forward, Girl: From Young Warrior to Little Rock Nine." In 1957, Beals was one of 9 African-American young people who were enrolled in the facially segregated Little Rock Central High School in the wake of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. Part Two: ABC's Dan Harris, author of "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: a 10% Happier How-To Book." Harris turned to meditation to help him through some anxiety issues; it worked for him, even though he was far from the typical practitioner of meditation.
Part One: Edward Goldberg, author of "Why Globalization Works: How Nationalist Trade Policies are Destroying our Country." Part Two: Dan P. McAdams, author of "The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump: a Psychological Reckoning." McAdams is a psychology professor at Northwestern University.
We speak with Dr. Gary Wood, Vice Provost at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, about the challenges he and others are confronting in preparing UW-Parkside for this upcoming fall semester. He is one of the people sorting out where in-person teaching can occur .... how physical distancing can be achieved in various spaces .... and what alterations in class schedules and offerings might have to be made to accommodate this complicated situation.
We are not certain exactly when this interview aired on WGTD. The best guess of one of the guests in the interview is that is occurred in 2003. The topic is Rosie the Riveter- a symbolic character representing the many women who worked in America's industrial factories during World War Two while so many men were off fighting. The occasion of this interview was a local screening of a documentary about such women. The three guests: Dr. Fran Kavenik, Jane Harrington Heide, and Joyce Hill Westerman. Ms. Westerman was an actual 'Rosie the Riveter.'
We have dusted off a 1998 interview that celebrates the Great American Pastime: Baseball. This is a conversation with Racine's own John Salvo, a fervent baseball fan, who talks about seeing games in every single major league ballpark across the country.
Both of today's interviews were recorded and initially broadcast in 2009. Part One: "The Design of Future Things" by Donald A. Norman. Part Two: "Keeping the Millennials." by Joanne Sujansky.
Part One: Guida Brown, Executive Director of the Hope Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse talks about her agency's work during the COVID-19 pandemic and what it is like to resume in-person services. Part Two: from the archives: actor Kevin Sorbo, who memorably portrayed Hercules on television, talks about his memoir "True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal - and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life."
Part One: Tiffany Cross, author of "Say it Louder: Black Voters, White Narratives, and Saving our Democracy." Part Two: from the archives- Jon Meacham, author of "Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power."
Analysis of current events and issues from Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business - and Director of the Clausen Center.
We speak with Thomas W. Jones, author of "From Willard Straight to Wall Street: a Memoir." Jones was one of 80 black students at Cornell University who occupied Willard Straight Hall for two days in 1969. Within a few years after his graduation from Cornell, Jones was well on his way to a successful career on Wall Street. His book explores the uncommon trajectory of his life.
Dr. Kevin Crosby is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Carthage College- and Director of the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium. (This interview was recorded in 2019 but was preempted by NPR coverage impeachment proceedings in Washington DC. )
From 2006 comes this conversation with Lisa Phillips, author of "Public Radio: Behind the Voices." It's an illuminating look at some of the most important people in the world of public radio at that time.
We spend most of the program with Lisa Boucher, author of "Raising the Bottom: Making Mindful Choices in a Drinking Culture." Boucher's mother was an alcoholic and she herself struggled with alcohol abuse until she quit drinking thirty years ago. We end the hour with Guida Brown, Executive Director of the Hope Council on Alcohol and other Drug Abuse, who offers her thoughts on the whole concept of "social drinking."
We get an update on how the University of Wisconsin-Parkside is continuing to cope with the complications and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Joining us is Dr. Deborah Ford, Chancellor of UW-Parkside, and Dr. Robert Ducoffe, the school's Provost.
From 2015 comes this interview with Laurence Steinberg, author of "Age of Opportunity: Lessons from the New Science of Adolescence." The book explores some of the new discoveries that have been made about the whole nature of adolescence and how the brain of the typical adolescent functions.
From the archives comes this 2005 interview with Joel Seidemann, author of "In the Interest of Justice: Great Opening and Closing Arguments of the Last 100 Years."
PBS is about to rebroadcast a two-part American Experience documentary titled "Clinton," an examination of the life and career of our 42nd President, William Jefferson Clinton. We speak with Barak Goodman, who was the film's director, producer and writer.
From 2002 comes this interview with Michela Wrong, author of "In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster of Mobutu's Congo." The book is a chronicle of the rise and fall of Mobutu Sese Seko, who was the highly corrupt president of Zaire for 32 years.
From the fall of 1998 comes this conversation with Dr. Sam Chell, a long-time member of the English faculty at Carthage College as well as an outstanding jazz pianist. Professor Chell eventually began hosting an extremely popular program on WGTD: "Saturday Night Bandstand." This particular conversation was recorded shortly before Carthage celebrated the 100th anniversary of Gershwin's birth with a gala concert that included a piano performance by Professor Chell.
For Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the Morning Show, she has brought with her Mabel Garrison, who is one of the country's leading experts on the Dragonfly - one of the most amazing insects found on earth. We explore just some of the things that make Dragonflies such incredible creatures.
Robert Weintraub's newest book is a meticulously researched biography of Alice Marble, one of the most important and influential tennis players of the 20th century - as well as a highly charismatic and somewhat mysterious figure. Weintraub's book is titled "The Divine Miss Marble: a Life of Tennis, Fame and Mystery."
For the monthly visit of Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College, we are joined with Jonathan Delagrave, Racine County Executive, and Dr. Eric Gallien, superintendent of the Racine Unified School District, to talk about the ongoing ramifications of COVID-19.
This interview is with Professor Khyati Joshi, author of "White Christian Privilege: The Illusion of Religious Equality in America." The book examines some of the ways in which many aspects of American life are formulated around the assumption that Christianity is our collective 'norm' - an assumption which often leads to discrimination against those of other faiths - or against those with no religious faith whatsoever.
Today, July 13th, 2020, marks the 25th anniversary (to the day) of the beginning of the worst heat wave in Chicago history, a human disaster that resulted in over 700 deaths in and around Chicago that were directly linked to the effects of the record-breaking heat that was experienced for an entire week. Erik Klinenberg's definitive book about the disaster is titled "Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago." This interview was recorded and initially broadcast back in 2002.
From the archives comes this 2017 interview with Heath Fogg Davis, author of "Beyond Trans: Does Gender Matter."
Best-selling author Gerald Koeppel talks about his most recent book, "Not a Gentleman's Work: The Untold Story of a Gruesome Murder at Sea and the Long Road to Truth."
Victoria Phillips is the author of "Martha Graham's Cold War: The Dance of American Diplomacy." Graham, one of the 20th century's most important and influential dancers and choreographers, undertook a number of international tours under the auspices of the U.S. State Department - some of them conducted at the height of the Cold War. The book explores why the State Department believed that Graham's modern dance could be a highly effective diplomatic tool in enhancing America's stature in the world.
From the archives: Rev. Todd Peperkorn, who used to serve a Lutheran-Missouri Synod congregation in Kenosha, talks about his own struggles with clinical depression- and about how depression is a common problem among many members of the clergy. His book is designed both to help the general public understand this and to help those clergy with such struggles to know how to seek help.
Kara Ernst Schalk and Rob Kroes talk about teaching summer theater classes at the Racine Theater Guild .... virtually ..... to children.
We speak with J. Chester Johnson, author of "Damaged Heritage: The Elaine Race Massacre and a Story of Reconciliation." The author's grandfather was one of the whites who participated in a horrific wave of killings in rural Arkansas in September of 1919 ... in which well more than 100 African Americans are believed to have been murdered. Part of Johnson's story is of how he was able to connect with Sheila Walker, a descendent of several of the blacks who were attacked in the Elaine Race Massacre- and build a beautiful friendship with her.
We explore Carthage College's plans for the fall semester with Dr. John Swallow, the president of Carthage, and Dr. David Timmerman, the provost of Carthage. We talk about what kinds of discussions have been taking place through every stage of COVID-19 - and also examine some of the most vexing challenges for a college or university that wants to resume in-person learning while keeping students, staff and faculty as safe as possible.
From 2013 comes this conversation with Susan Dunn, author of "1940: FDR, Wilkie, Lindbergh, Hitler- the Election amid the Storm."
For the Fourth of July, we listen back to a 2011 conversation with Harlow Giles Unger, talking about his book "Improbable Patriot: The Secret History of Monsieur de Beaumarchais, the French Playwright who Saved the American Revolution." Beaumarchais is perhaps best remembered for his groundbreaking plays that were the basis for the operas "The Marriage of Figaro" and "The Barber of Seville" - but as the book's subtitle suggests, this book focuses on Beaumarchais's crucial role in aiding the colonists in the Revolutionary War.
In memory of Carl Reiner, who passed away this past Monday at the age of 98, we are replaying my 2003 interview with the legendary entertainer.
We preview an extraordinary two-part American Experience documentary called "The Vote" - which explores the final decade of relentless activism that finally led to passage of the 19th amendment in which American women gained the right to vote. Our guest is Michelle Ferrari, who is writer, producer and director for the film. The documentary airs on July 6th and 7th on PBS stations across the country.
Performing Arts organizations across the globe are grappling to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic and the many ways in which it has changed our lives, both individually and collectively. We go behind the scenes of one such organization- the Racine Theater Guild- with Doug Instenes (Managing and Artistic Director) and Joycelyn Fish (Director of Marketing and Development) to see how the RTG came to the decisions it ultimately made on what to do with the end of the past season and the start of next season.
We look at the presidential race with Dr. Jerald Mast, Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Political Science Department at Carthage College.
Our guest is Steve Benen, a Digital Producer for The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. His book is titled "The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics." It is Benen's contention that the Republican Party, at least at the national level, no longer functions properly as a major political party, having largely abandoned the process of formulating public policy.
From 2007 comes this interview with Chip Heath, co-author of "Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Die and Others Survive."
We live in a world in which the internet is an indispensable part of daily life- and we effortlessly navigate the internet without giving it a second thought. But this interview from late 1998/early 1999 takes us back to a time when the internet was a very new and intimidating new frontier. Carol Sabbar, who was (and is still) a staff member for the Carthage College library, was asked to come on the program to explain what the internet was and how one could best explore it.
Our guest is Dr. John D, Feerick, former dean of the Fordham School of Law - and one of the primary authors of the 25th amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which specifies the line of succession in the event that the president is disabled. His book is titled "That Farther Shore: A Memoir of Irish Roots and American Promise."
Part Two: We speak with Stephen Rebello, author of "Dolls! Dolls! Dolls! Deep Inside Valley of the Dolls- the Most Beloved Bad Book and Movie of all Time."
We hear about four virtual performances this weekend of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" by the Fleeing Artists Theater in Kenosha. We speak with Alex Metalsky, the director of the production- and with three of the actors: Kaila Bingen, who is part of the Rose cast (all actors from Southeastern Wisconsin and Northeastern Illinois) and Kayla Ryan Walsh and Gloria Huang from the Globe cast (whose actors are from all over- Kayla is from Bend, Oregon and Gloria is from Vancouver, Canada.)
Part 3- This 2012 conversation is with Charles Ogletree, author of "The Presumption of Guilt: The Arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Race, Class, and Crime in America."
Part 2- Broadcast journalist Soledad O'Brien previews the documentary "Outbreak: the First Response," a look at how the city of Seattle tried to cope with COVID-19 as the United States' first hotspot. O'Brien was already in Seattle making another documentary when the crisis hit. The film airs tonight on Milwaukee's WISN, channel 12.
We get an update from Cory Mason, the mayor of Racine- a city which continues to be hard hit by COVID-19.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business, offers his analysis of current events.
Best-selling author Larry Tye talks about his latest book, "Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy." Tye was given access to an enormous wealth of documents that have never been available to previous authors and researchers. This has allowed him to craft an exceptionally vivid and fresh portrait of one of our country's most infamous politicians.
For Father's Day. From 2012, Matt Logelin talks about his book "Two Kisses for Maddy: a Memoir of Loss and Love."
From 2007- Phillip Lerman talks about his book "Dadditude: How a Real Man Became a Real Dad."
E. Dolores Johnson was born in the mid 1940's to a mother who a white and a father who was black. This was at a time when inter-racial marriage was illegal in many states in the country- and even in places where it was legally permitted, it was widely frowned up by blacks and whites alike. Johnson's memoir explores both the experience of her parents as well as her own experiences as a mixed race woman.
We talk about the current state of the U.S. economy with Dr. Ron Cronovich, Professor of Economics at Carthage College. We also talk about one of the primary areas of focus within his academic discipline: Poverty.
We talk about one of the most discussed, influential, and honored television programs over the last decade - Modern Family. Marc Freeman's new book is titled "Modern Family: The Untold Oral History of One of Television's Groundbreaking Sitcoms."
From 2008 comes this interview with best-selling author Julius Lester, talking about "Let's Talk About Race" - which is intended in part for young readers but also as an aid to parents and other concerned adults wanting to talk with young people about complicated issues related to race and racial identity.
Siketu Mehta's book is titled "This Land is Our Land: An Immigrant's Manifesto." The book examines how many of the major Western countries have preyed upon poorer nations in a host of ways, which is why so many of the people of those small and poor nations are now desperate to find better lives elsewhere. Mehta also examines many ways in which immigrants are vitally important contributors to America's culture and economy.
Rev. Tim Larson shares his experience of contracting COVID-19 (as did his wife and daughter.)
From 2004- Milwaukee-based writer Greg Borowski discusses his book "First and Long: A Black School, A White School, and Their Season of Dreams." It's an illuminating account of the difficulties that ensue when two football programs - from dramatically contrasting high schools - are consolidated.
Howard Means draws upon his expertise as a journalist and competitive swimmer to write "Splash! 10,000 Years of Swimming."
For Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the program, we speak with Mary Ann Feist, curator of the Wisconsin State Herbarium.
Part One: PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk talks about her newest book, "Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries about Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion." Part Two: Soman Chainani talks about the final book in his series called "The School for Good and Evil." Part Three: Tom Angelberger talks about adapting the character of Geronimo Stilton into a graphic novel.
Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College, pays his monthly visit to the Morning Show. Joining him is Ray Koukari, Dean of Manufacturing, Engineering and IT at GTC, and local entrepreneur Jeff Daniel.
Brian Dumaine is a contributing editor at Fortune magazine. His newest book is titled "Bezonomics: How Amazon is Changing our Lives and Waht the World's Best Companies are Learning From It." It examines the story of Amazon creator and CEO Jeff Bezos, who is now the richest man in the world - and discusses some of the unconventional ways in which Amazon functions.
From 2009: David Blight, author of "A Slave No More: Two Men who escaped to freedom= including their own narrations of emancipation."
From 2006: Sgt. Daniel Hendrex, author of "A Soldier's Promise: The Heroic True Story of an American Soldier and an Iraqi Boy."
We speak with Angela Downs, co-owner of Chit Chaat, an Indian-Pakistani restaurant in downtown Racine .... Steve Torcaso, the manager of the Italian-American Club in Kenosha .... and Tim and Kathy Dinan, co-owners of Bill's Corner Club, a small bar in Kenosha, to find out how they have contended with the challenges of COVID-19.
Dr. Thomas Carr, Associate Professor of Biology and Director of the Paleontology Program at Carthage College, talks about the publication of his groundbreaking work on the growth of Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Zachary Moore, the choral director at Waukesha West High School, talks about the virtual choir he created with the collaboration of 1,403 young singers from across the state of Wisconsin .... singing his piece "I have had Singing."
From 2013: Lucy Bethbridge's book is "Servants: A Downstairs History of Britain from the 19th Century to Modern Times."
Kate Anderson Brower's new book is "Team of Five: The President's Club in the Age of Trump." She explores what it means to be an ex-U.S. President and how different ex-presidents have tried to find meaning and purpose after relinquishing the presidency. Her book also examines the close friendships that have sprung up between certain ex-presidents, often surmounting differences of philosophy, personality or political affiliation. She also talks about President Trump's antagonistic rhetoric when it comes to his predecessors.
Economist Howard Steven Friedman's new book is "Ultimate Price: The Value We Place on Life."
From 2003 comes this interview with Alex Wellen, author of "Barman: Ping Pong, Pathos, and Passing the Bar." In this entertaining memoir, Wellen recounts much of what he experienced as he struggled to pass the bar exam.
From 2002 comes this interview with Milwaukee writer Tom Kertscher, talking about his book "Cracked Sidewalks and French Pastry: The Wit and Wisdom of Al McGuire." McGuire, a veteran of the NBA, was a beloved coach at Marquette University for many years as well as a much admired basketball commentator.
We reconnect with three area clergy with whom we spoke before Easter: Father Ricardo Martin, Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Racine .... Pastor Susan Patterson-Sumwalt, First United Methodist Church in Kenosha ..... Rev. Brad Brown, North Cape Lutheran Church in Raymond.
Chad Seales discusses his new book "Religion Around Bono: Evangelical Enchantment and Neoliberal Capitalism."
Alex Metalsky and Kyle David Perry from Fleeing Artists Theater talk about several virtual productions that they have planned for the summer, including virtual performances of a new play called "Built of Ivory," the winner of the group's 2018 playwriting contest. The production opens this weekend.
We speak with Sam Sacket, a recent graduate from Gateway Technical College's nursing program, to learn what it was like for him to finish up his schooling within the constraints of COVID-19 - and what it feels like to become a nurse during this public health crisis.
Bonus podcast: From 2010, Mary Roach talks about her entertaining book "Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void," which explores some of the most interesting issues and challenges involved with putting human beings into outer space.
We talk with Helen Sampson, Quality Coordinator for the Kenosha County Agin and Disability Resource Center, about how the agency has managed to continue offering its many services despite the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis. She also talks about the grocery shopping service that they have begun offering to vulnerable seniors without access to normal online shopping options.
For Memorial Day, this is a 2009 conversation with Thomas Childers, author of "Soldier from the War Returning: The Greatest Generation's Troubled Homecoming from World War Two." This book examines some of the lasting emotional and psychological scars suffered by World War II veterans- scars that were not fully understood and appreciated at the time.
From 2009 comes this conversation with Alan Sepinwall, co-author of "TV: The Book: Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time."
In a follow up to yesterday's Morning Show, which concerned the AIDS epidemic, we share a Morning Show interview from 1996 that previews a production at Carthage of Larry Kramer's powerful play "The Normal Heart." One of the students in the interview, Neil Scharnick, a freshman at the time, is now a member of the theater faculty at Carthage. Part two of the program is an interview with a representative of the Southeast Wisconsin AIDS Project. (The performances at Carthage were done to benefit the SE Wisconsin AIDS Project.)
From the archives from this 2017 interview with David France, co-author of "How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS." This is one of a number of past Morning Show interviews we have rebroadcast during COVID-19 in which we examine public health crises from our own history.
Our guest is Dr. George Archibald, co-founded of the International Crane Foundation, which has been working since 1973 to safeguard endangered cranes both here and abroad. His book is titled "My Life With Cranes: A Collection of Stories." Dr. Archibald's work has taken him to Russia, China, Australian, Afghanistan, and even the Demilitarized Zone of the Korean peninsula.
Karen Brunssen is the national president of NATS, the National Association of Teachers of Singing. We talk with her about her distinguished career as a singer and voice teacher - but also talk about the findings of a much-discussed webinar co-sponsored by NATS that suggested that group singing is a high-risk activity during COVID-19.
Scott Turow is perhaps the leading author of Legal Thrillers over the last several decades. (His first was the 1987 bestseller "Presumed Innocent.") He is also an attorney. "The Last Trial" is his most recent book.
The mayor of Kenosha, John Antaramian, gives an update on how the city is coping with COVID-19. The interview was recorded Monday morning, May 18th.
Rescheduled from this past Friday: Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the program features Kevin Doyle, a Rare Plants Botanist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, talking about Endangered Plants.
From 2007 comes this surprise-packed interview with Steven Landsburg, author of "More Sex is Safer Sex: The Unconventional Wisdom of Economics." In this entertaining book, Landsburg explores some of the amazing conclusions that can be drawn when simple principles of economics are applied to complicated social issues and questions.
From 2007 comes this interview with Mara Gibbs, co-author of "Everybody Eats There: Inside the World's Legendary Restaurants."
For Part One: Marlo Thomas & Phil Donahue talk about their new book "What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with us the Secrets to a Happy Life." Thomas and Donahue are about to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. Part Two: Martin Rooney, a celebrated athlete and coach, talks about his new book "Coach to Coach: An Empowering Story about How to be a Great Leader." He reminds us that all of us, in one way or another, are coaches whenever somebody else entrusts us to help them with some aspect of their life.
We speak with two theater professors at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside .... Jody Sekas, Brian Gill .... and with two Parkside theater majors, Lynsey Gallagher and Alex Grey .... to find out how one teaches courses like Scene Painting, Acting or Stage Combat in the virtual/on-line environment necessitated by the COVID-19 crisis.
Part one of today's program is with Cory Mason, the mayor of Racine, with a COVID-19 update. (Statistics are showing Racine to be a serious hotspot for COVID-19 cases- and as with other metropolitan areas, the black and hispanic sectors of the community are especially hard hit. We explore some of the reasons why.) Part two features Beth Dugan, chair of the division for Hospitality Management at Gateway Technical College, Dave Blank from Real Racine, and Kathy Seeburg from Visit Walworth County, on what is next for the hard-hit hospitality sector in SE Wisconsin.)
Our guests are three members of the art faculty at Carthage College - Kimberly Greene, Ryan Miller, and Jojin Van Winkle - talking about how they are managing to teaching courses like Sculpture, Drawing, Photography, Painting, and the like.
We reconnect with best-selling author Fern Schumer Chapman to talk about the pain being experienced by many grandparents right now, prevented by the COVID-19 crisis from being able to see their grandchildren due to social distancing. Chapman has written a new children's book designed not only to give voice to that sadness, but also to help explain to youngsters why they can't be with their grandparents right now.
From 2008 comes this interview with Hope Edelman, author of "Motherless Mothers: How Losing a Mother Shapes the Parent You Become." This book is an endlessly fascinating exploration of what it means to be a loving mother - and how the losses experienced in one's life can often be a powerful force for growth.
From 2004 comes a memorable conversation with John Grogan, author of the blockbuster bestseller "Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog."
We speak with Dr. Kevin Crosby, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Carthage- and three students (Celestine Ananda, Taylor Paterson, Cassi Bossong) who are among the Carthage students who have earned prestigious grants and awards through NASA, MIT, and the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium.)
Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht pays his monthly visit to the program - and is joined by Patrick Booth, President and CEO of CCB Technology. Mr. Booth will be presenting the keynote address at GTC's upcoming graduation ceremony (which will be a virtual, online event due to the COVID-19 Crisis.)
From 2006 comes this interview with Frank Snowden, author of "The Conquest of Malaria: 1900-1962."
Part One: Natasha Gregson Wagner offers thoughts on her mother, actress Natalie Wood. "Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind," a documentary about her life and career, premieres tonight on HBO. Part Two: Sci-fi editor Ann Van der Meer. Part Three: from the archives- Ann Picoult.
Pawan Dhingra talks about why more and more families- and especially families of Indian and Asian descent- have parents insisting that their children engage in extensive extra-curricular educational activities, even when those students are doing very well in outstanding schools. What is the motivation of these parents? And are there potential harms to this? Dhingra's book is titled "Hyper Education: Why Good Schools, Good Grades and Good Behavior are Not Enough."
From 2008 comes this interview with Jonathan Kozol, author of "Letters to a Young Teacher," which offers some illuminating and inspiring observations on what it means to be a good teacher - and what a deeply gratifying profession it can be. This book is part of a series of books inspired by Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet from early in the 20th century. (Other books include Letters to a Young Doctor .... to a Young Activist ... and many more.)
From 2008 comes an interview with Frank Vizard, from Popular Mechanics, talking about this book "Why a Curveball Curves: the Incredible Science of Sports." The book explores the role that physics plays in athletic endeavor.
Author Benjamin Teitelbaum tries to step inside the mind of Steve Bannon (one of Donald Trump's most important advisors for a time) to explore Bannon's world view as it relates to a school of thought known as "Traditionalism," which centers around a grave distrust of globalism. Teitelbaum's book is titled "War for Eternity: Inside Steve Bannon's Far Right Circle of Global Power Brokers."
We get updates on how two of our local institutions of higher learning are coping with the COVID-19 Crisis. Part One: Dr. Debbie Ford, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Part Two: Dr. John Swallow, the President of Carthage College.
This interview with actor Anthony Edwards (E.R., Top Gun, Fast times at Ridgemont High) is about the film "The Tricky Part," for which he served as Executive Producer. The film is based on the highly acclaimed memoir and play of the same name, exploring the topic of sexual assault of men. Edwards, who himself was sexually abused when he was a young teenager, is board chairman for the non-profit 1 in 6, which has arranged for the free streaming of the film tonight (Tuesday) at 7 pm CDT on Youtube, Facebook, or on the 1 in 6 website. (1 in 6 refers to the fact that studies who that at least 1 in 6 men have been the subject of sexual abuse or assault.)
Hospice Alliance continues to offer its important services during COVID-19. We speak with Rita Hagen, Executive Director of Hospice Alliance, and Jennifer Sytkowski, Bereavement Coordinator. We learn about the steps Hospice Alliance has taken to keep both their own staff as well as their patients/clients as safe as possible during this time of Social Distancing.
Dr. Art Cyr pays his monthly visit to the Morning Show - this time via Zoom - to offer his analysis of current events and issues. Although issues related to COVID-19 dominate our conversation, we also talk about a political change in Great Britain, the effect of falling oil prices on the economy of Russia, and the latest from NATO.
Local film expert and historian James Neibaur, a frequent Morning Show guest and the author of 25 books about movies, offers some recommendations on interesting films to watch during this time of social distancing due to COVID-19.
Dr. Sarah Pina, a member of the Spanish faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, joins us to talk about what it has been like for her to shift her teaching to a virtual format. Also with us is a UW-Parkside freshman pre-med student, Gabby Richardson, who is also a Spanish minor, to talk about what it has been like to be on the receiving end of such teaching.
From 2003 comes this interview with a Racine school teacher named Joe Kane, talking about his memorable experience as a contestant on the game show "Who wants to be a Millionaire," which has recently returned to ABC's prime time schedule.
This 2006 interview is with Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro, author of "1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare." Shapiro chronicles this single (and quite significant) year in Shakespeare's with an astounding amount of detail.
Two new author interviews today: Part One: Tom Clavin, author of "Tombstone: the Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday, and the Vendetta Ride from Hell." Part Two: Ed Ruggero, author of "Blame the Dead."
This is a monthly visit of Gateway Technical College president Bryan Albrecht. He is joined by Zina Haywood, Executive Vice President and Provost - and Dr. Victoria Hulback, Dean of Health Sciences at GTC, to explore how the school has made the transition into On-Line teaching - and what might be ahead.
Dr. Jonathan Shailor, Professor of Communications at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, talks about an amazing project he helped create in which he and 17 colleagues from the Shakespeare in Prisons Network ... all across the country ... presented an on-line performance of Shakespeare's play "Coriolanus" - a play astonishingly timely for this COVID-19 crisis. (Shakespeare wrote this play while England was suffering from a frightening plague which, among other things, forced the temporary closure of theaters.)
Part One- Guida Brown, executive director of the Hope Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs. Part Two- Michael Mahoney, Director of Chicago Services for Hazelden/Betty Ford. We explore some of the special challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis to people struggling with additions and/or on the road to recovery.
Part One: Dr. Thomas Noer, Valor Distinguished Professor of Humanities and Professor of History at Carthage College, looks back at some of the most serious and significant epidemics in American history. Part Two: Joy Cho talks about her most recent books- and shares some suggestions on how we can support small businesses that are struggling during the COVID-19 Crisis.
From the archives comes an interview with American baritone Nathan Gunn, who has sung on most of the major opera stages of the world, including the Metropolitan Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. (He starred in the Met's first HD simulcast - of Mozart's The Magic Flute.) The occasion of this interview was his appearance with the Milwaukee Symphony of Britten's War Requiem.
From 2004 comes this conversation with Robert Sullivan, author of "Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants." One comes away from this book with a deep appreciation for how amazing rats are.
Dr. Peter Dennee, a member of the music faculty at Carthage College, shares the story of earning a Fulbright Grant to work and do research in the nation of Tanzania next year. He describes the arduous application process and the kind of work he is hoping to do in Tanzania.
Today we present a second round of interviews with Gateway Technical College instructors sharing about what it is like to be teaching online. Our guests are: Pat Hoppe (electrical engineering), Maryanne Kuiper & Helene Stacy (nursing), Tedd Lupella (surgical technology), and Rich Malloy (adult high school.)
Psychotherapist Amy Champeau returns to the Morning Show to offer some thoughts on how we can weather the COVID-19 crisis in a way that best preserves our mental and emotional well-being. She also honestly shares about her own difficulties with anxiety and how that has helped her to be able to help others deal with their anxiety issues.
Long-time UW-Parkside history professor John Buenker passed away earlier this month. He was a frequent and much-admired Morning Show guest. This is a rebroadcast of a visit he paid to the Morning Show in early 2001. He offered thoughts on the very close and controversial victory of George W. Bush over Al Gore - and what was likely to be ahead in the then-new Bush presidency. We hope to share other archival interviews with Professor Buenker in the coming weeks and months.
Steve Allen, one of the legendary figures in entertainment history, was the original host of The Tonight Show (the first late-night talk show) and a prolific composer and author as well as a popular game show host and participant. He came to Carthage College during the first week of March 1999 as a Johnson Distinguished Visitor. This is one of the only instances in which I co-hosted a Morning Show interview with long-time WGTD news director Bill Guy, who created the program and was its primary host before his death a few months after this interview aired.
From 2006 comes this interview with W.K. Stratton, author of "Chasing the Rodeo: On Wild Rides and Big Dreams, Broken Hearts and Broken Bones, and One Man's Search for the West." It's fascinating look behind the scenes of the modern rodeo.
From 2008 comes this conversation with Ann Vileisis, author of "Kitchen Literacy: How We Lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes From and Why We Need to Get it Back."
In honor of National Wildlife Week. Part One: David Mizejewski, a naturalist with the National Wildlife Federation. Part Two: Nan Calvert, from Root Pike WIN, and Rick Fare, an avid birdwatcher who is active with the local chapter of the Hoy Audubon Nature Club.
Four instructors at Gateway Technical College talk about what it is like to teach online during the COVID-19 crisis .... in programs ranging from Nursing to Welding.
We reached out to four members of the clergy in southeastern Wisconsin to find out how their respective congregations or parishes are functioning during COVID-19: Father Ricardo Martin, Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Racine .... Rev. Bradley Brown, North Cape Lutheran Church in Raymond ..... Rev. Susan Patterson-Sumwalt, First United Methodist Church in Kenosha .... and Rev. Levi Ketelson, pastor of the Burlington campus of Journey Church.
From 2010 comes this conversation with Bruce Feiler, author of the best-selling book "The Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness, and the Men Who Could Be Me," which NBC has adapted into a new drama series airing Tuesday evenings. When Feiler was diagnosed with life-threatening cancer, he approached several of his closest friends and asked if they would be willing to step in as surrogate fathers for his daughters. His beautiful book chronicles what is was like for him to assemble this 'council of dads.'
Part One- Dr. Ed Kawakami, chair of the Academic Senate at Carthage College, talks about how the faculty wrestled with the question of what to do about grading during the COVID-19 Crisis. Should letter grades still be given? Should the school switch to pass/fail? Should a mix of options be offered? Part Two- Jolene Hart, author of "Ignite Your Light," offers some suggestions on how people can remain happy and mentally healthy during the COVID-19 Crisis.
From 2006-- Franz Wisner, author of "Honeymoon with my Brother: a Memoir." When Wisner's fiancee breaks off their engagement, Franz decides to go on his scheduled honeymoon anyway ... but with his brother.
From 2008- Michael Joseph Gross talks about his book "Starstruck: When a Fan gets Close to Fame." Please note that the book was published and the interview conducted a year before singer Michael Jackson's unexpected death at the age of 50.
From 2017 comes this conversation with Meta Wagner, author of "What's Your Creative Type: Harnessing the Power of Your Artistic Personality."
From the archives comes this 2009 conversation with Dr. Mardy Grothe, author of "I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like: a Comprehensive Compilation of History's Greatest Analogies, Metaphors and Similes."
From the archives comes this 2005 conversation with Dan Koeppel, author of "To See Every Bird on Earth: a Father, a Son, and a Lifelong Obsession." This book examines birdwatching at its most elite level, when people will travel the globe in order to see literally thousands of different species of birds in the wild.
We spend most of the program looking back at the terrifying Polio Epidemic of the late 1940s and early 1950s. We begin by previewing the American Experience documentary "The Polio Crusade," which is being rebroadcast Tuesday night on PBS. After that, you'll hear an interview with David Oshinsky, author of "Polio: An American Story," which served as valuable source material for the film. The hour finishes out with a brief 2003 interview with former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, talking about her memoir "Madame Secretary."
We begin with a newly-recorded interview with Dr. Beth Rush, a neuropsychologist with the Mayo Clinic, who offers some advice to people on how to maintain their mental and emotional health during the COVID-19 crisis. After that is a 2008 interview with food writer Frederick Kaufman, author of "A Short History of the American Stomach."
From the archives comes this 2008 interview with Beth Lisick, who takes an amusing look at the self-help movement in her book "Helping Me Help Myself: One Skeptic, Ten Self-Help Gurus, and a Year on the Brink of the Comfort Zone."
From the archives comes this 2008 interview with Mark Kreidler, author of "6 Good Innings: How one small town became a Little League Giant." Kreidler explored a spectacular Little League program in a small community in New Jersey in order to determine what was behind their exceptional success.
This interview was recorded one week ago with Hope Jahren, a writer and teacher who is one of the most compelling voices on the topic of Climate Change. Her new book is "The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here." The book spells out the most significant ways in which our planet has changed drastically over the last 50 years- and how those changes are inter-related. We open the interview by talking briefly about what life is like in Norway (where Jahren lives) during this COVID-19 Crisis.
I hope you will derive some listening pleasure and diversion from this conversation with Bob Hurst, one of the editors of a new edition of "The Autobiography of Mark Twain."
Even in the midst of this COVID-19 Crisis, we still can seek Happiness. Ginny Sassaman has studied and written about happiness for many years. Her latest book is titled "Preaching Happiness: Creating a Just and Joyful World."
As we hunker down during this COVID-19 Crisis, many of us are turning more and more to books. From 2010 comes this interview with Sean Manning, editor of a marvelous book titled "Bound to Last: 30 Writers on Their Most Cherished Book." In this fascinating and moving volume, 30 different writers each talk about the book that means the most to them. It is one of my all-time favorite interviews about books themselves and their place in our lives.
Amy Shira Teitel, who has written extensively on topics related to space and space travel, discusses her new book "Fighting for Space: Two Pilots and their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight." The book chronicles the careers of two extraordinary female pilots, Jackie Cochran (1906-1980) and Jerrie Cobb (1931-2019) and, in particular, how they became adversaries when it came to the fight in the early 1960's to persuade NASA to include women in its astronaut program.
For a fun distraction, today's podcast shares an archival interview (we're not sure of its original broadcast) with a Carthage professor named Jon Bruning- talking about the animated series "The Simpsons." What prompted the interview was when Professor Bruning taught a short course about The Simpsons for Carthage's Alumni College some years ago.
Earlier this week, we aired a new interview with Neal Bascomb about his latest book, "Faster." Today's podcast is a 2004 interview with Bascomb about his book "The Perfect Mile: 3 Athletes, 1 Goal, and 4 Minutes to Achieve It." The book was published to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the world's first 4-minute mile, which was run by Englishman Roger Bannister.
Today's Morning Show features newly-recorded interviews with 1) Bryan Albrecht, president of Gateway Technical College ... 2) John Swallow, president of Carthage College, ... and 3) Debbie Ford, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, talking about how their respective schools have had to respond to the COVID-19 Crisis.
From 2005- We replay a conversation with best-selling author John M. Barry about his book "The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History." Barry's book is widely-regarded as the definitive account of the horrific influenza pandemic of 1918.
Best-selling author Neal Bascomb discusses his latest book, "Faster: How a Jewish Driver, an American Heiress, and a Legendary Car Beat Hitler's Best." The book explores the enormous interest surrounding car racing in Europe in the 1930's - Hitler's interest in having Germany become the dominant force in car racing - and how his wishes were thwarted in a dramatic race in 1938. The story, now largely forgotten, bears some resemblance to the better-known story of track star Jesse Owens and his triumph at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
This is a discussion of the Racine Unified School District Referendum that will be on the ballot on April 7th. Brian O'Connell and Mike Frontier are from the School Board, and Shannon Gordon is the Chief of Operations for the school district.
Dr, Temple Burling, Associate Professor of Biology and Physics at Carthage College, chronicles his recent experience with the COVID-19 scare. In early March, he was in the UK and Belgium on a research trip that he was forced to cut short when President Trump announced the travel ban. He describes what he saw and experienced once he landed at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and what it is like for him to be in precautionary self-quarantine.
The day before the birthday of Jerry Lewis, we replay a 2005 conversation with James Kaplan, who assisted Jerry Lewis in the writing of his memoir "Dean & Me: a Love Story," which chronicles the memorable partnership between Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin.
From 2004- a conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Anna Quindlen about her best-selling book "Loud and Clear."
Jill Tietjen and Barbara Bridges are the co-authors of "Hollywood: Her Story- An Illustrated History of Women and the Movies." The book explores, among other things, the remarkably rich role that women played in movie-making during the Silent Era.
Nan Calvert's monthly visit is a look at stormwater runoff and an innovative means of dealing with it that's called Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance.
Part 1: Russell Johnson, director of UW-Parkside's Jazz Studies program, previews their Jazz Week (coming up next week.) Part 2: Steve Mussenden from the Racine Literacy Council talks about their upcoming fundraiser. Part 3: Dr. Mike Picco, from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL, talks about Colo-Rectal Cancer. Part 4: a CNA study on why the U.S. military is facing escalating challenges with their recruitment efforts.
Noe Alvarez's book is titled "Spirit Run- a 6,000 Mile Marathon through North America's Stolen Lands." This is Alvarez's illuminating chronicle of his experience of joining other indigenous runners in something called "Peace and Dignity Journeys" which took them all of the way from British Columbia all the way to the border between Mexico and Guatemala.
Best-selling author James Brown talks about his most recent book, "Apology to a Young Addict- a Memoir." The book touches on Brown's own history of addiction and his road to sobriety as well as the work he has done with other addicts in recent years.
From 2008 comes a remarkable conversation with Brooks Hansen, author of "The Brotherhood of Joseph: a Memoir of Infertility and Adoption in the 21st Century."
From 2008 comes this wide--ranging interview with Larry Olmsted, author of "Getting into Guinness: One Man's Longest, Fastest, Highest Journey Inside the World's Most Famous Record Book."
Part One is a preview of the newest production of Kenosha's Lakeside Players: a crazy theatrical spoof called "Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf." Part Two features UW-Parkside orchestral conductor Alvaro Garcia as well as Kenosha's own Rachel Velvikis, a marvelous french horn player, who has been at Parkside all week as the Howard Brown Artist-in-Residence. She will be soloist with the UW-P orchestra tomorrow night.
We speak with Anne Kim, author of "Abandoned: America's Lost Youth and the Crisis of Disconnection."
Carthage College's Erik Johnson, Assistant Professor of Economics, talks about the state of trade between the United States and China.
We're given a demonstration of an extraordinary bit of technology called the Anatomage Table 6, which is used by Gateway Technical College's health sciences students. It is essentially a 'virtual cadaver,' allowing students to see into the human body in a way never possible before.
From 2018 comes a conversation with Erik Weihenmayer, author of "No Barriers: a Blind Man's Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon." The author has an incredible array of accomplishments to his credit, such as climbing Mount Everest.
We talk about the good work of the Racine County Food Bank - and about their upcoming "Thoughts for Food" fundraiser.
From the archives comes this 2008 interview with best-selling author Clive Cussler, who died on February 24th at the age of 88. Also participating in the interview is his son Dirk, with whom he collaborated on several books.
We revisit the triumphant state championship of the 1997-1998 Park High School Science Olympiad Team - an impressive victory which qualified them to compete in the National Science Olympiad. This archival interview features their faculty advisor, Barb Salvo - and three of the students on the team: Nick Barootian, Amanda Schneider, and Jeremiah James, talking about their improbable victory over schools from much wealthier schools - as well as the various events that comprised the Science Olympiad.
There is a year-long project underway in the city of Racine titled "Opening our Hearts and Minds to End Racism." We speak to three of its principal organizers: Sister Ann Pratt, Co-Director of the Dominican Center for Justice Resources .... Carl Fields from Racine Interfaith Coalition .... and James Schatzman from Racine Vocational Ministries.
Dr. Jerald Mast, Professor of Political Science at Carthage College, offers his analysis of the contenders for the Democratic nomination for president.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business, offers his analysis of current events and issues.
Elliot Jaspin discusses his troubling book "Buried in the Bitter Waters: The Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America." It recounts the horrifying reality that certain American communities - and even entire counties - were systematically rid of their black residents. (from 2007)
This month, actor Bill Hayes celebrates the 50th anniversary of his debut on the soap opera "Days of our Lives." It's in honor of that milestone that we're sharing this 2015 interview in which Hayes talks about his wide-ranging career, which included many performances on Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows," as well as a starring role on Broadway in Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Me and Juliet." Towards the end of the interview, Hayes is joined by his wife (and Days of our Lives co-star) Susan Seaforth Hayes.
Today's podcast honors the amazingly talented and versatile Marni Nixon on what would be her 90th birthday. This interview was recorded back in 2006 after the publication of her memoir "I Could Have Sung All Night." Marni Nixon is best-known for the off-screen singing she did for such films as The King and I, West Side Story, and My Fair Lady. Marni Nixon died in 2016.
Part One, for Black History Month, features Joe Drape talking about his book "Black Maestro: The Epic Life of an American Legend," which chronicles the life and career of Jimmy Winkfield, a talented jockey from the late 19th century - who also happened to be black. Part Two is a preview of this weekend's concert by the Lake County Symphony Orchestra. We speak with conductor Ron Arden as well as with the group's composer-in-residence, Charles Brown, about his brand new work "Poem for American Acrimony," which receives its world premiere Saturday night.
Margaret L. Andersen, a Professor Emerita at the University of Delaware, has written extensively on issues of Race and Racism for many years. Her most recent book is titled "Getting Smart About Race: An American Conversation."
We speak with Andrew Gavin, UW-Parkside athletic director, who was recently given a 40 under 40 award from Milwaukee Business Journal as an outstanding young professional - and Robyn Elliot, one of his graduate assistants.
From the archives comes this 2007 interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Alice Walker ("The Color Purple"), talking about her children's book "Why War is never a good idea."
Eileen Rivers, a military veteran who nows works for USA Today, is the author of "Beyond the Call: Three Women on the Front Lines of Afghanistan." She comes to Carthage this Saturday evening to be present for the performance of "Fighting for Home: stories of Women Who Serve" and to sign copies of her book, which will be for sale.
For President's Day- Pulitzer Prize winning writer Edward J. Larson, author of "Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership." The book explores the relationship between Benjamin Franklin and George Washington over the course of four decades.
From 2003- Best-selling author Po Bronson talks about his book "What Should I Do With My Life: The True Story of People who Answered the Ultimate Question."
From 2011: an interview with renowned engineer Joe Sutter, author of "747: Creating the World's First Jumbo Jet- and Other Adventures from a Life in Aviation."
Carthage College is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Women and Gender Studies program with a special event on Tuesday, Feb. 18th. The program begins with a portion of an archival interview with Professor Pamela Smiley, who helped to create the program. Second is a conversation with writer and speaker Zahira Kelly-Cabrera, who is speaking at the event on February 18th. This program ends with more archival material- this time from retired art professor Carolyn Hudson, who was one of the first faculty members to teach in the program.
Nan Calvert's guest is E. Shedden Farley, with the Farley Center for Peace, Justice and Sustainability in Verona, WI. The 25th acres of their Natural Path Sanctuary has been platted as natural burial grounds. We talk about what Natural Burial or Green Burial is.
On Lincoln's Birthday, a treat from the past- this is a Morning Show conversation recorded back in the mid 1990's by long-time WGTD news director Bill Guy, the original host of The Morning Show - talking with a local Abraham Lincoln expert named Steve Rogstad.
For Black History Month- a conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Isabel Wilkerson about her book "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration." It tells the story of the massive migration of Southern blacks into other parts of the U.S. over the course of decades, which dramatically reshaped our nation.
Kenosha author Michael Schumacher joins us to talk about the book he has just edited: Allen Ginsberg- South American Journals- January-July 1960.
For Black History Month, here is an archival interview with the great American bass-baritone William Warfield, who is best known to the American public for his memorable appearance as Joe in the 1951 MGM film "Showboat" - and for his historic performances as Porgy opposite the Bess of Leontyne Price. After the end of his singing career, he was a distinguished voice teacher at Northwestern University. This interview was recorded sometime in the late 1990's.
Stephan Pastis (creator of the award-winning comic strip "Pearls before Swine") talks about his wildly popular and hilariously entertaining Timmy Failure books. The first one, "Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made," has been made into a film by Disney, and it premieres this weekend on Disney+. The Timmy Failure books are intended for young readers.
A preview of the Lakeside Players' production of "Little Shop of Horrors" with Joe Cardamone, Katie Gray, and Halie Hutchison. Their production opens tonight.
From the archives comes this interview from 2007 with ESPN's Cal Fussman, author of "After Jackie: Pride, Prejudice and Baseball's Forgotten Heroes: An Oral History." The book tells the largely untold story of the black major league baseball players who immediately followed in the footsteps of Jackie Robinson and who had to confront challenges every bit as difficult as those faced by Robinson.
Today's Morning Show features the monthly visit of Bryan Albrecht, president of Gateway Technical College. Joining him is Ray Koukari, Dean of Manufacturing, Engineering and IT at GTC, and Jeff Daniel, CEO of an exciting new start up company called Blue Flux Power .... and one of the primary organizers of an exciting competition called Tech Prize that will take place this summer in Racine.
In this bonus podcast edition of the Morning Show, here is an interview with my sister, Randi Berg, who was the precinct captain for Pete Buttigieg in Decorah, IA and shares her account of what happened Monday night.
Renowned anti-racism activist Tim Wise is giving a talk at Carthage College tonight at 7. His presentation is titled "Great White Hoax: Challenging Racism and Denial in the Age of Trump." Also in the interview- Dr. William Miller, Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice and Co-Director of the school's Equity and Inclusion Committee.
(from 2009) William J. Bernstein, author of "The Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World."
From the archives (2008): a conversation with Raghavan Iyer, author of "660 Curries: The Gateway to Indian Cooking."
From 2001 comes this interview with John H. Richardson, author of "In the Little World: a True Story of Dwarfs, Love and Trouble." Richardson was a writer for Esquire magazine when he attended a convention of so-called Little People and decided to learn more. Our interview includes a frank examination of the bitter criticism that was directed at Richardson after his original article was published.
Irish writer Roisin Meaney talks about her novel "Semi-Sweet: A Novel of Love and Cupcakes." (from 2011)
Dr. Jerald Mast, Professor of Political Science at Carthage College, offers his thoughts on the impeachment trial currently underway- what has transpired thus far, and what could happen from here.
From 2007 comes an interview that takes us inside the mind of engineers. Andrew Burroughs' fascinating book is titled "Everyday Engineering: How Engineers See."
Australian french horn virtuoso Barry Tuckwell died earlier this month at the age of 88. This is a portion of a Morning Show interview that I was privileged to record with Mr. Tuckwell back in 1990 when he came to Kenosha to appear with the Kenosha Symphony as part of the group's 50th anniversary season. Side note: this was one of the very first occasions on which I did a Morning Show interview, and the earliest Morning Show interview of mine that is preserved.
This is a 2012 interview with Wisconsin author Michael Perry, talking about his delightful memoir "Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs & Parenting." In this book, he recounts his experience of becoming a father at the same time that he and his wife began raising pigs and poultry on their small farm.
From 2013 comes a conversation with writer Rachel Simon, author of "Riding the Bus with my Sister: A True Life Journey." Rachel's sister Beth is developmentally disabled, and for years has spent a great deal of time riding the city buses of her community - striking up friendships with various bus drivers. Rachel Simon's book recounts her experience of accompanying Beth on these bus rides over the course of several months. It ended up bringing the two sisters much closer together.
Our guests are Dr. James Ripley, director of instrumental activities at Carthage, and four members of the Carthage Wind Orchestra- Mariah Honeck, Tim Wagner, Katiann Nelson, and Maile Riedl, talking about their recent trip to Japan. The group's homecoming concert is this Sunday afternoon, January 26th, 2:00 in Siebert Chapel.
This interview is the first 2020 monthly Morning Show visit from Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College. With him is William Martin, Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Racine. We talk about what that title entails- and about what it means for the city of Racine to be designated as a Smart City.
This interview is with Martin Fletcher, a highly-regarded journalist for NBC, talking about his novel "The War Reporter," which helps us understand the harrowing challenges and dangers that confront war reporters.
Therapist Nisha Zenoff's son Victor was killed in a hiking accident when he was just 17 years old. She has drawn upon that tragedy as well as the experience of working with hundreds of bereaved parents over the years to write her book "The Unspeakable Loss: How do you live when a child dies." This interview was recorded in 2017.
Dominique Pritchett grew up in Waukegan, IL and Kenosha, WI amidst serious poverty - and even experienced periods of homelessness. And because of her (single) mother's difficulties, Dominique was sometimes the de facto parent of the family. But she surmounted all of those challenges to graduate from Bradford High and Carthage College - and will soon be certified as a psychologist. She hopes to open up a private practice in Kenosha. She speaks at the Civil War Museum Tuesday night as part of their Courageous Conversations series.
From 2008 comes this interview with best-selling author Mark Bowden about his book "Guests of the Ayatollah: The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam." It is an illuminating examination of the Iranian Hostage Crisis.
Sena Jeter Naslund's novel "Abundance" is based on the remarkable life of one of history's most famous - and most misunderstood - women . . . Marie Antoinette. She was France's last queen - before the French Revolution led to the dissolution of the French monarchy. She was executed (by guillotine) in 1792.
Best-selling author Jacqueline Tobin discusses her book "From Midnight to Dawn: The last tracks of the Underground Railroad." In this book, she chronicles what was the last leg of a very long journey for those American slaves whose escape from captivity ultimately led them to Canada. This interview was recorded back in 2008.
From several years ago comes an interview with Racine author Carol Gianforte talking about her memoir titled "My Heart Leads Me Home: A Daughter's Memoir." Many of the stories she shares in this book were previously published in the Racine Journal-Times.
We speak with Nate Stamper, guest director of the Racine Theater Guild's production of Ernest Thompson's play "On Golden Pond."
Dr. Art Cyr pays his monthly visit to the program to offer his analysis of current events. He is the Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business at Carthage College . . . and director of Carthage's Clausen Center.
BONUS- From 2012 comes this interview with Mark Bowden about his book "The Finish: The Killing of Osama bin Laden," which has become timely because of recent U.S. action in Iran.
Fern Pessin is the author of "I'll Be Right There: A Guidebook for Adults Caring for their Aging Parents."
From 2009 comes this interview with Todd Gray, who was Michael Jackson's personal photographer for almost a decade ... in the years just before the release of Jackson's album "Thriller." So these are images from the years before Jackson became a superstar. This book is a collection of many of the photographs taken by Gray - and the majority of them had not been shared with the public before the publication of this book.
From 2004- a conversation with best-selling author Caroline Alexander about her book "The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty," which many regard as the definitive account of this famous incident.
Nick Barootian, artistic director of Racine's Belle Ensemble, talks about the group's production of Gian Carlo Menotti's beloved Christmas opera "Amahl and the Night Visitors," which will be performed tonight (Friday) at the DeKoven Center in their Great Hall. n
This program was guest-hosted by WGTD's Troy McDonald. It featured Nan Calvert in her monthly environmental segment - and the guest was Dr. Doug Tallemy from the faculty at the University of Delaware, who one of the country's leading experts on native landscapes. The address of his website is bringingnaturehome.net.
Emma Swain is a senior English and Music Theater major at Carthage College. Her play "Wire Taps" has been selected to receive a public reading at the Region III Kennedy Center College Music Theater Festival in Madison this weekend. The play, something of a coming out story, consists entirely of phone calls, emails, and text messages .... and Emma has written the play without any gender-specific pronouns.
Stefan Klein's book is titled "Leonardo's Legacy: How da Vinci Re-imagined the World." This interview was originally broadcast in 2010.
Broadcast journalist Mary Ellen Geist stepped away from her professional career to return home and care for her father as he contended with the ravages of Alzheimer's Disease. Her memoir about that experience is titled "Measure of the Heart." This is the full interview. (An abridged version was heard in today's Morning Show broadcast.) This interview was recorded in 2009.
From the summer of 2018 comes a conversation with Anneka Barrow, a young woman from Racine, talking about the time she spent working with refugees in the heart of Mexico (refugees fleeing from various parts of Central and South America, many of them hoping to eventually end up in the United States.) She was working in Mexico under the auspices of Young Adults in Global Mission, which is an outreach organization of the ELCA (the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.)
Susan Quinn discusses her book "Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair that Shaped a First Lady." The title refers to first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and journalist Lorena Hickok and the very intimate relationship that they shared for many years.
From 2004- Jay Boninsinga's book is "The Sinking of the Eastland: America's Forgotten Tragedy." On July 15, 1915, a boat sank in the heart of Chicago- on the Chicago River- killing 840 people.
Seth Shulman's book is "The Telephone Gambit: Chasing Alexander Graham Bell's Secret." The 'secret' mentioned in the book's subtitle is the fact that Bell does not deserve sole credit for 'his' famous invention. The book chronicles the complex story of all of the people besides Bell who had a hand in the creation of the telephone.
From 2003- Renowned activist Todd Gitlin dispenses advice to a new generation of activists in "Letter to a Young Activist," which is part of the well0-known book series "The Art of Mentoring."
From 2010- Renowned chef Eric Ripert, author of "Avec Eric: A Culinary Journey with Eric Ripert." This book was written as a companion to a new series for the Food Network in which Ripert explored foods and culinary practices and traditions throughout the world.
From 2010 comes this interview with Suzon Colon, author of "Cherries in Winter: My Family's Recipe for Hope in Hard Times."
From 2015, a conversation with Andrew Roberts, author of "Napoleon: A Life," one of the most highly praised accounts of the life of Napoleon Bonaparte.
From 2006 - Chris Ballard talks about his book "The Butterfly Hunter: Adventures of People who Found their True Calling Way Off the Beaten Path."
From the Archives: Acclaimed journalist Bill Moyers discusses his book "Moyers on America: A Journalist and His Times." This interview was recorded in 2004.
From the archives: Charles Cohen discusses the 50th anniversary edition of Dr. Seuss's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
From the archives: Aachim Novak's book is "The Moment: A Practical Guide to Creating a Mindful Life in a Distracted World."
Part One: Buddy Levy, author of "Labyrinth of Ice: The Triumphant and Tragic Greely Polar Expedition." The Greely expedition of 1881 sought to reach farther north than any human beings had reached up to that time. Part Two: Crispin Boyer, author of "Zeus the Mighty: The Quest for the Golden Fleas." This is part of a new series of books from National Geographic designed to introduce young readers to Greek mythology.
This 2009 conversation is with Valerie Laken, a former writer-in-residence at Carthage College, talking about her first published novel, "Dream House." We spend a fair amount of the interview talking about the craft of creative writing and the challenge of helping young writers to improve their writing.
Stephen Dando-Collins is the author of "Tycoon's War: How Cornelius Vanderbilt Invaded a Country to Overthrow America's Most Famous Military Adventurer." This interview originally aired in 2009.
Three authors are interviewed: Part One- Martin Sandler, author of "1919: The year that changed America." Part Two- David Baldacci, author of "A Minute to Midnight." Part Three- Eleanor Cripps, author of "The Countess Choir Woman."
For Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht's monthly visit to the program, we speak with Kelvin Alfaro, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Campus Compact, a consortium of 25 colleges and universities from around the state that seek to foster opportunities for their students to engage in service learning in their respective communities.
Doug Instenes, artistic director of the Racine Theater Guild, talks about the RTG's amazing production of "The Wizard of Oz" - which was completely sold out several days before its opening night performance. Following the interview is a musical bonus: the original concert suite of composer Harold Arlen, which was specially composed and performed for the official premiere of the film in 1939; the suite's score lay lost and forgotten for decades until it was uncovered by conductor John Mauceri and recorded for a CD titled "Hollywood Dreams."
Part One of today's Morning Show is a preview of the intriguing production of Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol" by Kenosha's Fleeing Artists Theater, in which a cast of 8 actors will portray 45 different roles. Part Two is a conversation with Fern Pessin, author of "I'll Be Right There: A Guidebook for Adults Caring for their Aging Parents."
From 2008 comes this conversation with Michael Gates Gill, author of 'How Starbucks Saved My Lie: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everybody Else." In the book, he recounts the experience of losing his job at a high-profile advertising firm - and how he rebuilt his life by getting a humble new joy at Starbucks.
This 2005 interview is with Bob Gleeson, author of "What Healthy People Know - the the 7 Things They Do to Stay Healthy and Live Long."
We preview Sunday evening's Sing Along Messiah performance at First United Methodist Church in Kenosha with Jessica DeBoer, coordinator of the Fine Arts at First series. After that, we preview Saturday afternoon's concert by the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra. We finish with a reminder about the Kenosha Pops Concert Band's Saturday night Christmas concert.
For Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the program, she welcomes three scientists from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to talk about the effects of climate change in Wisconsin- with a special focus on how climate change is worsening the problem of invasive species.
Tobin Smith, a 14-year Fox News contributor and guest anchor, talks about his newly published book titled "Foxocracy: Inside the Network's Playbook of Tribal Warfare." This is the complete interview, including material that was not part of the broadcast edition of the program because of time constraints.
Leonard Mlodinow talks about "The Grand Design," which he co-authored with the late Stephen Hawking. The book is a fascinating examination of the nature of the universe and how the universe may have come into being.
From the archives- Historian Jon Meacham talks about his book "Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power," an interview that originally aired on President's Day in 2014.
From the archives: Dr. Joseph Burgo, author of "The Narcissist You Know: Defending Yourself Against Extreme Narcissists in an All-About-Me Age."
In memory of Star Trek writer D.C. Fontana, who died on December 2nd, here is a conversation recorded back in 2016 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the premiere of the first episode of Star Trek: The Original Series.
Four interviews highlight some interesting books for sale- including one that charts one day in the life of the Disney Corporation - both here and around the world. Also, a look at how National Geographic is celebrating Women in this calendar year. And a look at new books from DK Publishing.
UW-Parkside theater professor Jennifer Sassaman talks about the school's production of the play "Silent Sky," which is inspired by the real life story of 19th century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt. The production's final performances are this weekend.
A former official with the U.S. Forest Service explains the practice of 'roadless forests' as a means for protecting our forests .... and how that policy may be undermined by the Trump administration. Part two, from the archives, is a 2009 interview with Larry Winget, the author of "Your Kids Are Your Own Fault: A Guide for Raising Responsible, Productive Adults."
Carthage College's Dr. Art Cyr offers his analysis of current events for the last time in 2019.
Sportwriter Curt Sampson's newest book is called "Roaring Back: The Fall and Rise of Tiger Woods." Many have called Woods's comeback is the greatest comeback in professional sports history.
From 2005 comes this conversation with Trevor Corson, author of "The Secret Life of Lobsters: How Fishermen and Scientists are Unraveling the Mysteries of our Favorite Crustacean."
Richard Ratay talks about his book "Don't Make Me Pull Over: An Informal History of the Family Road Trip."
Sportswriter John Eisenberg talks about his most recent book, "The Streak: Lou Gehrig, Cal Ripken Jr., and Baseball's Most Historic Record." The book explores Gehrig's long-standing record for most consecutive games played in major league baseball- a streak eventually ended when Gehrig began to experience the first symptoms of ALS. It also explores other attempts at breaking the record before Ripken managed to do so.
For Thanksgiving, we're sharing an interview with Gina LaRoche and Jennifer Cohen, co-authors of "The 7 Laws of Enough: Cultivating a Life of Sustainable Abundance." The book is written to help all of us find deeper appreciation for what we have.
Marta McDowell's "Emily Dickinson's Gardening Life: The Plants and Places that Inspired the Iconic Poet" sheds illuminating life on an important facet of poet Emily Dickinson's life- her love of gardening. McDowell was the first gardener-in-residence at the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Part One is a preview of the Racine Symphony's upcoming holiday concert on Dec. 6th with general manager Beth Bender. Part Two is a preview of the performances at UW-Parkside of J.S. Bach's "Magnificat" on Dec. 7th and 8th.
Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht introduces us to the newest member of the GTC Board of Trustees, Zaida Hernandez-Irrison, who shares her own story of how being a student at Gateway changed her life forever.
From the archives comes this 2009 interview with Chris Anderson, author of "Free: The Future of a Radical Price." The book explores how our notions of what has value .... and how much value .... and what we should be willing to pay for .... has been so radically altered in recent years.
In honor of the opening of the new movie about Fred Rogers, this is a rebroadcast of my 2007 interview with Tim Madigan, author of "I'm Proud of You; My Friendship with Fred Rogers."
We preview two big events at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside this weekend: a UW-Parkside Orchestra concert featuring music from the Star Wars movies .... and the opening of a play by Lauren Gunderson titled "Silent Sky" that is based on the extraordinary life and accomplishments of three female astronomers from the turn of the last century.
This is a 2009 conversation with writer and historian James Perry, author of "Touched With Fire: Five Presidents and the Civil War Battles that Made Them." This book examines the Civil War battlefield experiences of five men - Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Benjamin Harrison and William McKinley - who would each go on to be elected President of the United States.
From the archives comes this conversation withElaine Khosrova, author of "Butter: A Rich History."
This 2007 conversation is with David Standish, the author of a fascinating book titled "Hollow Earth: The Long and Curious History of Imagining Strange Lands, Fantastical Creatures, Advanced Civilizations, and Marvelous Machines Below the Earth's Surface." The book examines the many and various ways in which human beings through the generations have been drawn to the notion that our planet is actually hollow, and that its central cavity holds all kinds of wonders - and perhaps terrors as well.
To celebrate National Community Foundations Week, we speak with Robert Schneider from the Kenosha Community Foundation and Liz Powell from the Racine Community Foundation.
From 2016: Kostya Kennedy's book is "Lasting Impact: One Team, One Season. What Happens When Our Sons Play Football."
From the archives: Howard Sounes, author of "Fab: The Intimate Life of Paul McCartney."
From the archives comes this 2006 interview with Margaret George, who has written an array of fictional biographies of such historical figures as Henry VIII, Cleopatra, and Nero. This particular conversation centers on her book "Helen of Troy: A Novel."
Nan Calvert's monthly environmental program is a conversation about the miracle of SOIL and the importance of preserving it. Joining her are Jamie Patton, a soil expert with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Dave Giordano, Executive Director of the Root Pike Watershed Initiative.
Cornelius Bond's newly-published biography is titled "T. Rowe Price: The Man, The Company, and the Investment Philosophy."
From the archives comes Bernard Cornwall's "Waterloo: The History of 4 Days, 3 Armies and 3 Battles."
Journalist John McNamara was one of five employees of the Annapolis Capital Gazette who was gunned down by a mass shooter. His widow, Andrea Chamblee, has finished the book that he was working on at the time of his death: "The Capital of Basketball: A History of DC Area High School Hoops." The book examines the rich history of basketball in our nation's capital, going all the way back to 1900.
On this Veteran's Day, we speak with Mark Jacob, co-author of "Aftershock: The Human Toll of War- Haunting World War II Images by America's Soldier Photographers." The book contains 250 images taken by photographers of the U.S. Signal Corps of the U.S. Army during 1945, the last year of World War II. Jacob and his co-authors looked through more than 100,000 images housed in the National Archives before choosing these particular images to include in the book. Most of these photographs have never before been published.
Part One features a conversation with Kristen Ann Ware, a former cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins. Her story helped inspire the new play "The Handbook" that just had its world premiere at Carthage College. In Part Two, Dr. Edward Kawakami, director of the Carthage Philharmonic, previews the group's upcoming concert that will feature music by three women composers.
From the archives comes this 2014 interview with Dan Epstein, author of "Stars & Strikes: Baseball and America in the Bicentennial Summer of '76."
From the archives comes this 2009 interview with David Vann, author of "Legend of a Suicide," which is comprised of five stories set in the beautiful but forbidding vistas of Alaska.
We speak about the 4th Annual Vet Night of the Arts, coming up Monday evening, November 11th at Carthage College, with Dr. Martin McClendon, Associate Professor of Theater .... Robert Stevens, community activist and a faithful supporter of the event .... and Josh Beadle and Jordan Wilson from Three Brothers Theater in Waukegan, IL, which is about to present the play "Afghanistan/Wisconsin" by Carthage grad Laurel McKenzie. That play helped inspire the creation of Carthage's Vet Night of the Arts.
Mikhal Deker's father was one of hundreds of Jewish children in Poland who managed to escape death by finding their way to Tehran, Iran - where they were welcomed and kept safe. She was able to retrace his 3,000 mile journey and write about it in her book 'Tehran Children: A Holocaust Refugee Odyssey.'
We speak with Barry Levine and Monique El-Faizy, co-authors of a much-discussed new book titled "All the President's Women: Donald Trump and the Making of a Predator."
We're joined by Dr. Thomas Carr, director of the Paleontology Department at Carthage College- and four of his Paleontology students. Several weeks ago, they traveled to Brisbane, Australia to participate in the 79th annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. The four students presented posters that focused on the lifespan growth and development of giant marine lizards, herbivorous long-necked dinosaurs, and wooly mammoths. The students are Adam Larson, Amelia Zietlow, Brady Holbach, and Douglas Stefanski.
This is a 2018 interview with Finn Murphy, author of "The Long Haul: A Trucker's Tales of Life on the Road." Murphy writes about the many interesting experiences he has had as a long-haul trucker moving people's possessions across thousands of miles over the last several decades.
From the archives comes this 2010 interview with Diana Jean Schemo, author of "Skies to Conquer: A Year Inside the Air Force Academy."
We preview the upcoming Non-Profit Leadership Conference at UW-Parkside on November 8th. Parkside's Debra Karp, the coordinator of the event, joins us- along with Kate Robinson, whose film "Failing Forward" will be screened and discussed at the conference. She offers thoughts on the ways in which non-profits can most effectively use data to improve their success.
More than a third of the teams in the NFL have been sued by one or more of their cheerleaders out of concerns about mistreatment and disrespect. We are previewing Laura Schellhardt's play "The Handbook," a commission from the Carthage theater department, which opens this weekend - and also talking about Yu Gu's documentary film "Women's Work: The NFL's Cheerleader Problem."
We speak with Nancy Tate, co-chair of the 2020 Women's Vote Centennial Initiative and a past executive director of the League of Women Voters of the United States. She is coming to Carthage as a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow -and will appear on Tuesday the 29th at 6 p.m. in a public interview with Carthage faculty member Dr. Stephanie Mitchell. In this conversation, we talk about the long struggle for women to secure the right to vote, a right which was finally and completely granted by the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920.
We talk about climate change with Dr. Ankur Desai, Reid Bryan Professor of Climate, People and Environment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is speaking this coming weekend at the 5th annual Alumni and Community Celebration for the CNHS - the College of Natural and Health Sciences. The event is a major fundraiser for their scholarship program.
This 2014 interview is with Alan Bernstein, author of "Mastering the Art of Quitting: Why it Matters in Life, Love and Work." This book invites us to rethink the assumption that most of us make that it's always a mistake to quit. It suggests that Quitting is sometimes the best thing we can do.
This 2014 interview is with Dr. Allen Frances, author of "Saving Normal: An Insider's Revolt Against Out-of-Control Psychiatric Diagnosis, DSM-5, Big Pharma, and the Medicalization of Ordinary Life." It is the contention of Dr. Frances that far too many people nowadays are diagnosed with various "disorders" because of behavior that once would have been regarded as normal.
William Schaberg, a historian and rare books dealer, has written a book titled "Writing the Big Book: The Creation of A.A." It's a thorough and illuminating chronicle of the process by which Bill Wilson wrote the book that spelled out the tenets of Alcoholics Anonymous. The book was published 80 years ago in 1939.
Nan Calvert's monthly Morning Show visit features P.J. Liesch, an Etymologist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, talking about the various means by which insects in Wisconsin manage to survive Wisconsin winters.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business, pays his monthly visit to the program to offer his thoughts on current events and issues.
Jerome O'Connor's book is "The Hidden Places of World War II: The Extraordinary Sites where History was made during the War that Saved Civilization." The author discusses places like Winston Churchill's war room - or Bletchley Park, where some of the most critical code-breaking work took place (as chronicled in the major motion picture "The Imitation Game."
Matt Thome, a 2017 Carthage grad, talks about the work he does as a staff member for the Sacramento Kings - and some of the other work he has done in professional sports since graduating from Carthage. He was back in the area as a guest panelist for the school's first Aspire Conference.
From the archives comes this 2015 interview with sportswriter John Feinstein in which he talks about a book for young readers titled "The Walk On" that recounts the spirited rivalry between high school athletes vying to be their team's starting quarterback.
From 2009 comes this interview with John Eisenberg, author of "That First Season: How Vince Lombardi took the Worst Team in the NFL and Set It on the Path to Glory." We're sharing this interview in today's podcast as a follow up to the interview from this past Thursday with Mark Beech, author of "The People's Team," written in honor of the Packers's 100th anniversary.
Jessica DeBoer, coordinator of the Fine Arts at First series at First United Methodist Church in Kenosha, gives a preview of the 15th FAAF series, which begins this Sunday afternoon at 3:00 with a performance by Duo Diorama.
In honor of the team's 100th anniversary, Mark Beech has written "The People's Team: An Illustrated History of the Green Bay Packers."
Best-selling author Tim O'Brien is best known for books like "The Things They Carried" or "In the Lake of the Woods" - books which stemmed at least in part from his experiences as a soldier in Viet Nam. His latest book, "Dad's Maybe Book," is quite different. It chronicles what it has been like for him to be a father- something that for many years he had been determined NOT to be - and in particular, what it was like for him to first become a father at the age of 58.
Part Two of today's Morning Show is a conversation with Jan Stocklassa, author of "The Man Who Played with Fire: Stieg Larsson's Lost Files and the Hunt for an Assassin." Larsson, author of the blockbuster bestseller "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," was obsessed for many years with the officially unsolved 1986 assassination of Swedish prime minister Olof Palme. Stocklassa's book chronicles Larsson's attempts to solve the mystery.
Part One of today's program is a preview of the 33rd season of the Choral Arts Society of Southeastern Wisconsin, which begins with a concert this Saturday night- a program consisting of choral settings of great poetry and other works of literature. The guest is James Schatzman, founder and artistic director of the Choral Arts Society.
In this program, we introduce you to a gifted and award-winning painter named Dan Simoneau, who has an exhibit of his work opening soon at the Blue Moon Gallery in Grayslake, IL.
From the Morning Show archives comes this 2016 conversation with Ellen Fitzpatrick, author of "The Highest Glass Ceiling: Women's Quest for the American Presidency." The book tells the story of three different women - Victoria Woodhull, Margaret Chase Smith and Shirley Chisholm - who pursued the presidency. The book was published several months before Hillary Clinton became the democratic party's presidential nominee.
In honor of Carthage College's homecoming, we are rebroadcasting a portion of a 1997 interview with Alan Anderson, a 1950 Carthage graduate who went on to serve his alma mater in a number of capacities over the course of more than 35 years- including Acting President in 1986-1987. This interview was recorded as Carthage celebrated its 150th anniversary.
Dr. Jerry Mast, Associate Professor of Political Science at Carthage, discusses the impeachment inquiry into President Trump's dealings with Ukraine.
Barb Farrar, executive director of the LGBT Center of S.E. Wisconsin - They are celebrating their tenth year of existence.
This is a conversation with renowned cellist Julian Schwarz, who is soloing this Saturday evening with the Kenosha Symphony in the concert that kicks off the KSO's 80th anniversary season. Schwarz is the son of Gerard Schwarz, longtime conductor and music director of the Seattle Symphony.
My guests are Dr. John Swallow, the President of Carthage College- and Cameron Swallow, Carthage First Lady- who talk about Carthage's Homecoming this coming weekend, which includes a Friday night celebration of 150 years of Women at Carthage. (This school year marks the 150th anniversary of when women first began studying at Carthage.)
Today's Morning Show begins with a short conversation with Rick Riordan, one of the most wildly popular authors of fiction for young people. He is perhaps best known for his first book series, "Percy Jackson & the Olympians," whose titular protagonist was an adolescent dealing with Dyslexia and ADHD, like Riordan's son Haley. In part two, I speak to my sister- Randi Berg, a doctor who practices medicine in Harmony, MN- whose son Kaj (my nephew) deals with Dyslexia & ADHD, and who fell in love with reading thanks to the Percy Jackson books.
For his monthly visit to the program, Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht celebrates October as National Manufacturing Month by talking about some of the ways that the manufacturing sector has most dramatically changed over the last few years- and how new technology has completely transformed the kind of work that the typical worker is called upon to do in manufacturing today. Joining President Albrecht is Matt Janison, Vice President for Business and Workforce Solutions, and Stacy Riley, Vice President for Student Services & Enrollment Management.
This is part two of the Jessye Norman Morning Show that was recorded and originally broadcast back in 2014 after the release of her memoir "Stand Up Straight and Sing." Jessye Norman died on September 30, 2019 at the age of 74. Her celebrated career took her to nearly every major concert hall and opera house in the world- and she sang at two presidential inaugurations, the opening ceremony of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Paris's 200th anniversary commemoration of the French Revolution, and the funeral of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
This is part one of a two-part Morning Show that was recorded and originally broadcast in 2014 shortly after the release of Jessye Norman's memoir "Stand Up Straight and Sing." Jessye Norman was one of the most renowned singers of her time. She died on September 30, 2019 at the age of 74.
The interview is with Meaghan Heinrich, the artist-in-residence for the Racine Symphony for their 2019-2020 season. She will be offering a pre-concert presentation at the RSO's season-opening concert on Sunday afternoon, October 6th, at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Part one features Jack Rose, a board member for the Kenosha County chapter of NAMI - the National Alliance On Mental Illness. Part two is a portion of a 2017 conversation with comedic pianist Jason Lyle Black, who is performing at Carthage on October 8th.
In part one, we preview Carthage's production of "A Doll's House- Part Two" - a thought-provoking contemporary sequel to Ibsen's renowned and controversial masterpiece. The guests are Herschel Kruger, Professor of Theater, and three students involved in the production: Lydia Haasl, Giovanni Bahena, and Latora Lezotte. Part two is a preview of the Thursday night concert at Carthage by the exciting vocal quartet Women of the World. WGTD's Troy McDonald speaks with Giorgia Renosta, one member of the group.
Our guest is a well-known Russian economist, Pavel Usanov - speaking on, among other things, the current state of affairs in Russia - and what the policies of Vladimir Putin have done to the Russian economy. He is joined in the studio by two members of the Carthage faculty: Dr. Yuri Maltsev and Dr. Art Cyr.
Today is the monthly visit of Gateway Technical College president Bryan Albrecht. Our special guest is Celeste Carter with the National Science Foundation.
This is an interview with author James Swanson about his 2010 best-seller "Bloody Crimes: The Chase for Jefferson Davis and the Death Pageant for Lincoln's Corpse." The book dramatically chronicles two parallel stories that unfolded in the wake of the Confederacy's surrender and Lincoln's assassination - Confederate President Jefferson Davis's desperate attempt to evade capture - and the unprecedented outpouring of grief that swept across the country as the body of Lincoln was transported from Washington DC to Springfield, IL by train. This is an amazing book.
Jane Bryant Quinn is one of the country's leading commentators on personal finance and financial planning. This 2017 concerns her best-selling book "How to Make Your Money Last: The Indispensable Retirement Guide."
Clive D. L. Wynne's book is "Dog is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You." Wynne is the founding director of the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University. He has been studying the nature of the connection between dogs and human beings and what the nature of that connection is. Can is be properly described as Love? He says yes! This podcast version of the Morning Show features the interview in its unedited entirety - about twelve minutes longer than the abridged version that was broadcast over the air.
Today is the monthly visit of Nan Calvert - and her guest is Dawn Demuyt, manager of the Eco-Justice Center's Farm Youth Corps, in which the large and organically-grown vegetable garden of the Eco-Justice Center is tended by young people from the city of Racine who learn where our food comes from and all about sustainable practices in growing food. The program just completed its fifth year.
We begin with Ian Livingstone, a British game enthusiast with over 1,000 board games in his personal collection. His new book is titled "Board Games in 100 Moves: 8,000 Years of Play." The second interview, from the archives, is titled "Hot Hands, Draft Hype, and DiMaggio's Streak: Debunking Sports Myths." The book seeks to dispel the misunderstandings that we tend to have about certain sports accomplishments.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business at Carthage College- and director of the Clausen Center - discusses an array of current events and issues .... including Brexit and the British Supreme Court's unanimous ruling against Prime Minister Boris Johnson's move to suspend Parliament .... the recent resignation of National Security Advisor John Bolton .... and escalating tensions between Japan and South Korea.
This Morning Show interview dates back to the mid 1990's. WGTD's Bill Guy interviews then-Carthage College baseball coach Augie Schmidt. We are rerunning this interview as a memorial tribute to Bill Guy, who created the Morning Show and was the program's original host. This past Friday marked the 20th anniversary of Bill's untimely death on September 20, 1999.
Today's podcast consists of the The Morning Show - in its entirety, exactly as it aired - from September 20, 1999 - which was the morning that we learned of the death of our longtime and beloved colleague Bill Guy, who had worked for WGTD for 21 years and whose legacy included the creation of "The Morning Show." I talk about the Art of the Interview with writer Michael Schumacher, who was a frequent guest during Bill's tenure as M.S. host. At the end, you'll also hear a tribute from the late Frank Falduto, who was WGTD's general manager at the time.
Our guest, Robert Haggarty Jr., volunteers for an advocacy non-profit called Raise the Voices that seeks to raise awareness of key human rights issues. Haggarty leads a group that is advocating on behalf of more than a million minority Muslims in China - the Uyghur - who are being held in 're-education camps' that are clearly designed to stamp out the culture and language of the Uyghur.
Today's Morning Show opened with a brief tribute to long-time WGTD News Director Bill Guy, who died twenty years ago today. This tribute featured the the first five minutes of the Morning Show we aired back on September 20, 1999. That interview, which featured Kenosha-based author Michael Schumacher, can be heard in its entirety on tomorrow's podcast .... and an interview conducted by Bill Guy himself will be shared on Sunday's podcast. Bill died at the age of 50 after a courageous battle with cancer.
This is a conversation with Lisa Kornetsky, guest director of the Racine Theater Guild's production of Neil Simon's brilliant play "Lost in Yonkers." The production opened this past Friday and runs the next two weekends.
Part One of today's Morning Show featured an exciting young tenor named Nick Huff, a Carthage graduate from 2015, who is singing a recital at Kenosha's Creative Space Friday night. He talks about his experience at both Carthage and Eastman, as well as the thrill of being part of two world premieres. Part two is with Tommy Novak, a member of the music theater faculty at Carthage, talking about how the actors in a 2010 Carthage production of the comedy "Room Service" are reuniting at Carthage for a staged reading of the play this Saturday night.
This is an illuminating and inspiring conversation about the importance of helping people who have recently been incarcerated to find employment and build new lives for themselves. Our guests are Patricia Hansen, Racine DA ...... Jim Schatzman, Executive Director of Racine-Kenosha Vocational Ministries .... and Karl McNeil, who was incarcerated for drug offenses back in the late 1990's but who has become an important contributor to his community since his release from prison.
Peter Steiner, whose cartoons have appeared in New Yorker magazine over the last several decades, is also an accomplished novelist. His latest novel, "The Good Cop," is set in Munich, Germany during the tumultuous years between the world wars that saw the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazism.
This conversation from 2007 is with sportswriter Bill Plaschke, talking about his best-selling book "Tommy LaSorda: I live for this! - Baseball's Last True Believer." LaSorda is one of the most renowned managers in the history of major league baseball- and he was associated with the Brooklyn/L.A. Dodgers in various capacities for more than sixty years. As of this moment, he is the oldest living member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In an interview recorded back in 2008, acclaimed journalist Robert MacNeil talks about his memoir "Looking for my Country: Finding Myself in America." MacNeil co-anchored the MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour on PBS for many years and covered many important news event over his long career, including the assassination of JFK. (MacNeil was in Dallas that day.) MacNeil (who was born and raised in Canada) also talks at one point about the relationship between Canada and the U.S.
Rachel DeWoskin's fascinating novel "Repeat After Me" is based at least in part on the author's real-life experience of teaching English in the nation of China.
We speak with Stu Maddox, the director and producer of a documentary called "Gen Silent," that explores some of the difficulties confronted by many elderly people who are in the gay community - especially those who need to go into long term care facilities and who might feel compelled to go back into the closet for fear of how they might be viewed and treated. The film is going to be screened on Thursday, September 19th at 5:30 on the Racine campus of Gateway Technical College.
Gwendolyn Bounds was living in New York City at the time of 9-11 .... and found herself displaced from her home. Her memoir "Little Chapel on the River" chronicles what it was like for her to try and make a new home for herself in a small community in upper state New York .... and the pub that was a center of her new community.
Our guest is Dr. James Ripley, director of instrumental activities and conductor of bands at Carthage College. We talk with him about the upcoming patio concert on September 22nd as well as several exciting commissions that will be premiered later in the year in honor of the 150th anniversary of when women first began studying at Carthage.
We are previewing the one-woman play "Intrusion," which explores the issue of sexual violence through the perspective of eight different characters. The play is being performed at Carthage College Tuesday night, September 10th. Part one is with Ellen Hauser, director of the Gender & Women's Studies program, which is sponsoring the performance. Part two is with the actress who wrote and performs "Intrusion" - Qurrat Ann Kadwani.
This is a preview of the American Experience documentary "The Film" - an illuminating examination of the famous feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys, a bloody feud that captured headlines around the country. The film traces the origins of the feud, which emerged at least in part by how the region of Appalachia was turned upside down by our country's rapid industrialization. This interview is with the director and producer of the film, Randall MacLowry. The film airs on PBS on Tuesday night- and then will be available at pbs.org.
A look behind the scenes of "Belle City," a magazine devoted to the city of Racine. We speak with editor and co-publisher Katie Matteson. We also talk about some of her other experiences in publishing.
Ryan Swanson's book is titled "The Strenuous Life: Theodore Roosevelt and the Making of the American Athlete." The book explores how important athletic endeavor was to TR - and also chronicles all that he did as president to make athletics a more central element of American culture in that era.
Benjamin Runkle's book is 'Generals in the Making: How Marshall, Eisenhower, Patton and their Peers Became the Commanders Who Won World War II." The book focuses on the experiences of these generals (plus Douglas MacArthur and others) between the end of World War I and the start of World War II and examines the events and experiences that helped shape them into the important leaders they eventually became. After that comes an excerpt from my 2013 conversation with Gene Edward Smith, author of "Eisenhower: In War and Peace."
This interview from 2006 is with Bob Harris, a 5-time Jeopardy champion (back in the days when that was the longest that a person could compete on the show.) His book about the popular game show is titled "Prisoner of Trebekistan: A Decade in Jeopardy." We're sharing this interview as Alex Trebek (battling pancreatic cancer) is beginning his 36th season as the host of Jeopardy.
This interview with best-selling author Buzz Bissinger was recorded in 2015 at the time of the publication of the 25th anniversary edition of "Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Dream, and a Team." Bissinger's book chronicled a season of the high school football team in Odessa, Texas, a community where football is followed with ferocious intensity.
Joan Wickersham's lost her father to suicide. "The Suicide Index: Putting my Father's Death in Order" is a very thoughtful examination of that heartbreaking event and Wickersham's attempt to understand it. We're playing this just ahead of the 10th annual Labor of Love Music Festival tomorrow (September 1st) in New Munster... a fundraiser for Just Live, a local non-profit organization that is working to draw attention to the issue of suicide and supporting organizations and agencies working on suicide prevention. This interview was recorded in 2008.
Ronald C. Rosbottom's book is "Sudden Courage: Youth in France Confront the Germans, 1940-1945." It explores the many and varied ways in which young adults in France were part of the Resistance against the Nazis occupying their country.
We speak with mandolin player Erik Berry, a charter member of the outstanding bluegrass band Trampled By Turtles. The group is headlining this Sunday's Labor of Love Music Festival in New Munster. In this interview, we explore Berry's career- the history of TBT- and even hear the story of how Berry came up with the group's fantastic name. In part two, Susan Tatsui D'Arcy talks about Project Merit, a program she created more than twenty years ago that helps high school students create meaningful community projects.
In this interview, Doug and Kim Instenes talk about their recent visit to the Fringe Festival in Edinburg, Scotland- the largest theatrical festival in the world- and some of what they saw and experienced there. We also talk with Kim about the honor she received back in the spring when she was named Distinguished Teacher of the Year at Carthage, where she is Associate Professor of Theater and heads up the costume department. Her husband Doug is director of the Racine Theater Guild.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business at Carthage College, pays his monthly visit to the program to offer his analysis of current events and issues. Topics in today's discussion include the so-called Trade War with China, new tensions with Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland, the fires in the Amazon Rain Forest, and the importance of discretion in intelligence work.
David Vann, author of “ Legend of a Suicide.” Although a work of fiction, the novel draws heavily upon Vann’s real-life experience of losing his own father to suicide.
From 2007 comes an interview I recorded with Susan Clancy, author of a fascinating book titled "Abducted: How People come to believe that they were kidnapped by aliens." Clancy, a Harvard University research fellow at the time she wrote this book, chronicles how her interest in "false memory formation" led her to explore what might be behind the earnest claims of hundreds (if not thousands) of Americans that they have been kidnapped by extraterrestrials and subjected to various experiments. This is a truly remarkable book. I'm grateful I was able to speak with her.
From 2015 comes a conversation with Neil Swidey, author of "Trapped under the Sea: One Engineering Marvel, 5 Men, and a Disaster 10 Miles into the Darkness." It chronicles the efforts in Boston to construct a huge tunnel beneath Boston Harbor that would allow the city to discharge waste well out to sea rather than directly into the harbor. It was an engineering project of enormous complexity- and, regrettably, it resulted in the deaths of two of the five divers involved in the most dangerous phase of the construction.
We speak with three representatives of the non-profit Just Live, which for the past ten years has been working on the important issue of Suicide Prevention. Their major fundraiser of the year, the Labor of Love Music Festival, is coming up on Sunday, September 1st.
This 2010 conversation is with NPR's Scott Simon (host of Weekend Edition) talking about his memoir "Baby, we were meant for each other: in Praise of Adoption." The book is a chronicle of the experience which Simon and his wife had in adopting two beautiful baby girls from China.
My guest is Rayna R. Andrews, who calls herself a public health ambassador advocating for more people to seek out- and have access to- good, healthy food. To help reach young people, she has written a children's book titled "Alex McGreen and the Tale of the Mysterious Kale." Also on hand for this interview is Dr. Howard Moon, a former administrator for the Kenosha Unified School District, who heard Ms. Andrews speak and suggested that she be invited to the Morning Show. More information about her work can be found at healthyfoodmovement.com.
Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht is joined by Clare Anderson, V.P. with CORD, the Center for Occupational Research and Development in Waco, Texas - for a conversation about the Future of Work.
From 2014 comes this interview with former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch, author of "Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public School." In her book, she spells out her grave concerns about the many ways in which public education in America has been reshaped along industrial models.
From the archives comes this 2009 interview with sportswriter Tim Wendel, author of "High Heat: The Secret History of the Fastball and the Improbable Search for the Fastest Pitcher of all time."
For the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, which unfolded August 15-18, 1969 (but which was supposed to finish on August 17th), I am replaying my 2009 interview with Mike Evans, co-editor of the book that many regard as the definitive account of this important moment in our history. It is titled "Woodstock: 3 Days that Rocked the World." The book was created in cooperation with the Museum at Bethel Woods, NY- located very close to the site where Woodstock took place - to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Woodstock.
Today's Morning Show features conversations with two women - Susie Burns from Dallas, TX and Lynn VanEimeren from Racine, WI - who tell their respective stories about attending Woodstock fifty years ago.
Ted Howard's book "The Making of a Democratic Economy: Building Prosperity for the Many, not just the Few," spells out his idea of the ideal American economy - which rejects both capitalism and socialism in favor of a third model. In part two, we draw from the archives for a conversation with Sarah Van Gelder, founder of the non-profit magazine Yes! - and author of "The Revolution Where You Live." In this book, she talks about the many people she has met across the country who are changing the world by working for change where they live.
My guests on today's program are WGTD News Director Dave McGrath and his wife, Guida Brown, Executive Director of the HOPE Council. They recently undertook a long trip in which they visited all of the stops on the final concert tour of rock & roll legend Buddy Holly - a tour which ended tragically when Buddy Holly ("Peggy Sue") , Ritchie Valens ("La Bamba"), and the 'Big Bopper' were killed in a plane crash outside of Clear Lake, IA. That ill-fated tour happened 60 years ago.
We preview the 2019 Harbor Park Jazz Rhythm & Blues Festival - which this year celebrates its 15th anniversary. We hear from saxophonist Paul Taylor, who is headlining the Festival this year ... from Tim and Ardis Mahone, who helped create this event in memory of their parents - Teri Jacobsen, Kenosha County Treasurer, who is also the co-chair of the Cooking Studio (another fun element to the festival) - and Kenosha firefighter Jeff Weidner, who is one of the chefs participating in the event.
Today's program features a conversation with sportswriter and historian Gaylon H. White, whose newest book is a revelatory examination of the heyday of minor league baseball in America. It is titled "Left on Base in the Bush Leagues: Legends, Near Greats and Unknowns in the Minors."
This interview from back in 2009 is with Norman Love, who was a friend of Julia Child and appeared with her on her final television series, "Baking with Julia." This interview was done shortly after the release of the popular film "Julie & Julia."
Documentarian D.A. Pennebaker died on August 1, 2019. He was one of the pioneers of the Direct Cinema/Cinema Verite style of making documentaries. This 2009 conversation was done with him and his wife Chris Hegedus (also a filmmaker) before the PBS premiere of their film "Kinds of Pastry."
We talk about a spectacular exhibition of Latin American art that is about to open at the Kenosha Creative Space in downtown Kenosha. We speak with Francisco Loyola, executive director - Margaret Heller, project director for the exhibit - and Lorna Baird, whose family has offered up the 31 pieces of art from their own personal collections. Lorna's father, Tom Baird, was instrumental in the initial commissioning of these works from some of the finest Latin American artist of the day.
For Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the program, we talk about a project in Southeastern Wisconsin to help restore the declining population of the Rusty Patched Bumblebee, one of our most important native pollinators. Guests include Jessica Orlofski, Assistant Professor of Biology at UW-Parkside, and Dave Giordano and Chelsea Snowden-Smith from the Root Pike Watershed Initiative Network. We discuss the difference between bumblebees and honeybees, why we are losing bumblebees at such an alarming rate, and what we can do to help bumblebees to flourish.
We talk about Hospice care with two guests: Rita Hagen, executive director of Hospice Alliance of Kenosha- and Kimberly Paul, a nationally--known advocate for hospice care- author of "Bridging the Gap: Lessons Learned from the Dying" - who is on a nationwide speaking tour titled "Live Well-Die Well."
Today's Morning Show is dedicated to Woodstock, which happened fifty years ago this month. Part one is a conversation with Jamila Ephron, co-director of the American Experience documentary "Woodstock: Three Days that Defined a Generation" that premieres Tuesday night on PBS. We follow that up with a conversation with Dave Jones, who was one of the 400,000 people who made their way to the countryside outside of Bethel, NY to attend the festival. He offers his reminiscences.
This is a newly-recorded interview with Tony Award-winning singer and actor Brian Stokes Mitchell, who performs on Saturday evening, August 10th, with the Chicago Philharmonic in the Music by the Lake series at George Williams College in Williams Bay, on the shores of beautiful Lake Geneva.
This 2006 interview is among my very favorites. It's with Edwin John Wintle, author of "Breakfast with Tiffany: An Uncle's Memoir." The name Tiffany in the title refers to the author's troubled niece, who ended up coming to live with her Uncle Ed while she was in high school. The book is a honest and illuminating chronicle of their relationship and how that relationship - which had always been close and affectionate - was challenged when she came to live with him.
This interview with Tony Award-winning singer Brian Stokes Mitchell was recorded back in 2010, before his first appearance on the Music by the Lake series in Lake Geneva. He is back for a concert in Lake Geneva on Saturday evening, August 10th! (A new interview with Brian Stokes Mitchell that I recently recorded will air on Monday morning - and will drop as a podcast later that day.)
Our guests are Debbie Ford, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside ... and David Brukardt, Interim Vice-President of Corporate Relations for the UW System .... talk about the presentation that they made at the University Industry Innovation Network conference in Helsinki, Finland earlier this summer.
Linda Holmes is a pop culture correspondent for National Public Radio- and the host of the popular podcast "Pop Culture Happy Hour." She has just published her first novel - titled "Evvie Drake Starts Over" - and it has earned rave reviews.
The summer of 2019 is the 40th summer that the American Players Theater have presented first-rate open-air live theater performances in Spring Green, WI. We speak with Brenda DaVita, artistic director of APT, who has been with them for 25 years.
In anticipation of this weekend's Relay for Life in Kenosha - a benefit for the American Cancer Society - we hear the stories of three cancer survivors: Michelle Jenewein, Christina Spears, and Kathy Vescova. We also speak with Matthew Elmer, Sr. Community Development Manager for the American Cancer Society.
Cameron Swallow, First Lady of Carthage College, returns to the Morning Show to talk about the organization Better Angels, which seeks to facilitate civil and meaningful dialogue between political conservatives ('reds') and liberals ('blues.') A documentary film about Better Angels is being screened this Thursday at the Southwest Public Library in Kenosha- and there will also be a screening in Union Grove on Monday. Both screenings are free and open to the public.
On the 90th birthday of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, we replay this conversation with best-selling biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli in which he talks about his book "Jackie, Janet, Lee: The Secret Lives of Janet Auchincloss and her daughters Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill."
From the archives comes this fascinating look at the exploits of two outstanding high school wrestlers in Iowa- each of whom is hoping to win his fourth straight state championship title - an extraordinarily difficult achievement. Mark Kreidler's marvelous book is titled "Four Days to Glory: Wrestling with the Soul of the American Heartland."
This is a preview of two big events occurring in Kenosha over the first weekend in August- the Tall Ships Festival and the Pike River Rendezvous. My guests are Kris Kochman, Community liaison for the City of Kenosha (and coordinator of major events for the City of Kenosha) and Nancy Mathews, who recently retired from the Kenosha Public Museum but happily agreed to help coordinate this year's 22nd Pike River Rendezvous, which is a large-scale re-enactment of life in Wisconsin at the height of the fur trade industry (1650-1850.)
The Carthage Choir scored an impressive (and fairly rare) double-decker victory at this summer's Spittal Choral Competition in Austria - in which ten choirs from ten different nations compete with one another. The Carthage Choir ended up finishing in first place in both the Folk Music category and the Classical category. Chronicling that experience are Dr. Eduardo Garcia-Novelli, conductor of the Carthage Choir - and three members of the choir: Elena Cressy (choir president,) Christopher Wojciechowicz (vice president) and London Roysden.
In the summer of 1995, the city of Chicago was besieged by a horrific heat wave that saw temperatures of 106 degrees and a heat index of 126 degrees - and by the time it was done, 700 people were believed to have perished due to the heat. NYU Sociology Professor Eric Klinenberg (who was born and raised in Chicago) wanted to know why so many people died- and why particular neighborhoods and particular sectors of the population suffered exceptionally high death rates. His 2002 book is titled "Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago."
We talk about the play "Boswell" with its playwright, Marie Kohler, and three people involved in the production of the play that is being performed at UW-Parkside this weekend before being taken to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland- one of the most important theatrical festivals in the world.
Carthage College Associate Professor of Education Jackie Easley offers some intriguing ideas on how to keep children reading through the summer months.
This memorable interview was done in the studios of WGTD back in 2000 when Sergei Khrushchev, the son of Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, visited the campus of Carthage College. Not long before his visit, he had written a book about his father titled "Nikita Khrushchev and the Creation of a Super Power." Sergei Khrushchev had a hand in the Soviet space program and knew many of its principal players. Sergei Khrushchev is a featured guest in the new American Experience documentary "Chasing The Moon."
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon - which occurred 50 years ago today - we replay two interviews that were originally recorded in 2009 for the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11. Part One is Craig Nelson, author of "Rocket Man: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon." Part Two is Andrew Chaikin, author of "Voices from the Moon: Apollo Astronauts Describe their Lunar Experiences."
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon, Carthage College professor Dr. Art Cyr offers his reflections on the importance of Apollo 11 and the entire American space program, both then and now. The interview begins with analysis of recent events in Great Britain, Turkey, and Hong Kong. Dr. Cyr is Director of the Clausen Center and is Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business. Professor Cyr is a monthly visitor to the Morning Show.
This is the monthly visit of Gateway Technical College president Bryan Albrecht. His guest is Dr. Casey Sacks, Deputy Assistantship Secretary for Community Colleges in the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education for the U.S. Department of Education. The two of them were part of an American delegation that visited Switzerland to examine the ways in which they handle apprenticeships in higher education.
This 2011 conversation is with Patricia Bosworth, author of "Jane Fonda: The Private Life of a Public Woman." Ms. Fonda is going strong at the age of 80, co-starring in the popular series "Grace and Frankie" with Lily Tomlin. She is among the most gifted, ambitious and controversial artists of her era.
This is a conversation about comedic improvisation (think about the TV show "Whose Line is it Anyway?" or Comedy Sportz) - its joys and its challenges - with three participants in the Over Our Head Players' improv event that's coming up over the next two weekends at the Sixth Street Theater. Kristen Altoff, who teaches improv, has organized the event- A.J. Laird and Malissa Zeien are two of the six actors who will be onstage. We talk about what it takes to do comedy improv well.
Allen Salkin is co-author of "The Method to the Madness: Donald Trump's Ascent as told by those how were hired, fired, inspired- and inaugurated." This book chronicles the years 2000-2015, the fifteen years before Donald Trump officially declared himself a candidate for U.S. President- a period of time during which Mr. Trump repeatedly explored the possibility of pursuing the presidency. The co-authors spoke to more than one hundred people associated with Mr. Trump, including insiders like Steve Bannon and Roger Stone as well as others like Katie Couric and Jessie Ventura.
This conversation is with Bert and John Jacobs, the co-founders of the apparel company Life Is Good .... and the co-authors of "Life is Good: The Book."
Chris Ballard's book is titled "The Butterfly Hunter: Adventures of People who found their calling way off the beaten path."
From the archives comes one of my all-time favorite interviews. It's with sportswriter S. L. Price and his book "Heart of the Game: Life, Death, and Mercy in Minor League America." The book is about a much-admired minor league baseball player who was tragically killed when he was hit in the head by a line drive. But beyond that, the book is also about the world of minor league baseball as a whole and both the joys and the stresses that its players experience.
For Nan Calvert's monthly environmental program, we talk about the Zero Waste Initiative in Racine - which is a proposal that goes before the Racine Common Council on Tuesday. 'Zero Waste' initiatives have sprung up in cities and communities across the country. In this conversation, we explore the many ways in which we generate far more waste than we need to- the difficulties that communities face when their landfills reach capacity- and what we can do as citizens and consumers to combat the problem.
Part one of today's program is a preview of the Four Seasons Garden Club's annual Secret Garden Walk - in which people can walk through seven local gardens that are normally private residential gardens. This year's tour also includes the Chiwaukee Prairie. Part two preview's the performances occurring this weekend and the following weekend by Fleeing Artists Theater of William Shakespeare's most violent play, "Titus Andronicus."
Alexander Garvin is the author of "The Heart of the City: Creating Vibrant Downtowns for the New Century." His book examines some of the most impressive success stories with downtowns- such as New York City, Chicago, Houston, etc.- and also looks at downtowns such as Detroit and St. Louis that are struggling. Garvin teaches at Yale.
This interview explores the principle of Religious Liberty - the notion that people should be free to believe what they believe - and how Religious Liberty for Muslims is being challenged in Modern America. Asma T. Uddin is a Muslim and an attorney who works on cases involving Religious Liberty. Her new book is titled "When Islam is not a Religion: Inside America's Fight for Religious Freedom." The book is both only a wide-ranging examination of the issue as well as a very personal chronicle of what the author herself has experienced as a Muslim living in America.
This interview from 2010 was recorded to commemorate an important anniversary for a beloved local educator and musician named Frank Germinaro - the 40th anniversary of his first kidney transplant. Frank and his wife Janet came on the Morning Show to talk about their journey and about this extraordinary milestone.
This interview is with John Sullivan, author of "7 Dirty Words: The Life and Crimes of George Carlin." This 2010 biography chronicles the career and explores the extraordinary influence of one of the most innovative comedians of his time.
Part One of today's podcast is an interview with Adam Waytz, author of "The Power of Human: How our Shared Humanity can Help us Create a Better World." Waytz explores (among other things) how human beings can flourish in a world that is increasingly automated. Part Two has Allen Shawn talking about his memoir "Wish I Could Be There: Notes from a Phobic Life," in which the author recounts how his life has been riddled with many and various phobias and the ways in which he has worked to contend with those phobias.
Etiquette author Judith Martin (a.k.a. Miss Manners) discusses her book "Star Spangled Manners: In Which Miss Manners Defends American Etiquette (For a Change.)" It is the contention of the author that American manners are often unfairly criticized, when in fact America deserves credit for its laudable innovations. There is a small flaw in the audio file at the very end of the interview. My apologies.
This interview is a preview of a superb three-part documentary titled "Chasing the Moon" that airs next week (July 8, 9 and 10) on the PBS series American Experience to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon. My guest is Robert Stone, an Academy Award nominee, who both directed and produced the film. Stone calls this the biggest undertaking of his career - and 25 years in the making.
Best-selling author's Peter Stark examines George Washington as a young adult in his illuminating book "Young Washington: How Wilderness and War Forged America's Founding Father."
David E. Drew's book is titled "Stem the Tide: Reforming Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education in America." It is Professor Drew's contention that the United States is falling behind our global competitors when it comes to educating our young people in the so-called S.T.E.M. fields.
This interview is with best-selling author Jon Meachem, talking about his book "Franklin and Winston," which explores the out-of-the-ordinary friendship between two of the most important figures of the mid-20th century: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
This interview from 1998 is with Dr. John Windh, the longtime director of the Carthage Choir. It was recorded shortly after the completion of a European choir tour by a group comprised of alumni from the Carthage Choir. (Yours truly came along as the spouse of a Carthage Choir alum.) The tour went to Salzburg, Vienna, Prague and Venice. I'm sharing this podcast episode because the current Carthage Choir is about to depart on a tour of Austria.
Paul Beston is the author of "The Boxing Kings: When American Heavyweights Ruled the World." Beston looks at the careers of such boxing legends as Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Cassius Clay, Joe Frazier and Evander Holyfield.
Oscar-winning actor Alan Arkin talks about his memoir "Alan Arkin: An Improvised Life."
Part One: Ron Pyle talks about his book "First to the Moon: an Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Experience." The book is enriched by many photographs that have never been published or shared with the public. Part Two: Martin Rosenberg discusses his book "War as they knew it: Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and America in a Time of Unrest." The book explores two of college football's most noteworthy coaches and how their respective programs functioned during the height of the Viet Nam War.
This interview is with Nicholas Carr, author of "The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to our Brains." The book not only discusses the effects of the internet but also looks at other technological breakthroughs in human history (such as the printing press) and how those innovations affected human beings and how they thought about and processed all that they experienced.
From the archives comes this interview with Gerald Koeppel, author of "Bond of Union: Building the Erie Canal and the American Empire." It explores the fascinating story of why and how the Erie Canal was conceived, designed and constructed- and the powerful effect it had on our young nation.
This 2002 interview is with Richard Blow, who worked closely with John F. Kennedy Jr. on George magazine. His memoir is titled "American Son: A Portrait of John F. Kennedy Jr." This interview is being offered up in light of this past Thursday's interview with J. Randy Tarborelli, whose latest book is called "The Kennedy Heirs," which examines that generation of the Kennedy family that includes JFK Jr.
Today's podcast is a follow-up to Thursday's interview with the author of "The Kennedy Heirs," which tells the complicated story of the third generation of the Kennedy family (the children of JFK, RFK and their siblings.) Today's podcast guests are both daughters of Robert F. Kennedy. Part one is a 2004 conversation (in-studio) with Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the oldest daughter of RFK. Part two is a phone interview with Kerry Kennedy about her book "Ripples of Hope," which features the reflections of a number of different public figures who were inspired by RFK.
Dr. Art Cyr pays his monthly visit to the program to offer his analysis of current events and issues. In this interview, he talks about Brexit, U.S. tensions with Iran, demonstrations in Hong Kong, the founder of Foxconn's announcement about seeking the presidency of Taiwan, and the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Dr. Cyr is the Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business and Director of the Clausen Center at Carthage College.
Best-selling author J. Randy Taraborrelli has written four book about the Kennedy family. The most recent is focused on the so-called Third Generation - the grandchildren of Joe and Rose Kennedy (John F. Kennedy Jr., Caroline Kennedy, Maria Shriver, and their many cousins.) The book is titled "The Kennedy Heirs: John, Caroline, and the New Generation- a Legacy of Tragedy and Triumph."
This interview concerns a musical called "The Scottsboro Boys," one of the last collaborations of Kander & Ebb, best known for their shows "Cabaret" and "Chicago." The Scottsboro Boys is based on the heartbreaking true story of 9 young African-Americans who were unjustly accused of raping a white woman back in the 1930's. Kenosha Unified mounted a superb production of the show that will be taken to the International Thespian Festival. I speak with Holly Stanfield, coordinator of KUSD's music theater program, and two members of the cast: Ben Woods and Nick Daly.
Journalist Mark Segal's came of age during the earliest days of the gay rights movement. His illuminating and moving memoir is titled "And then I Danced: Traveling the Road to LGBT Equality."
Our guest, Josh Howard, is the director of a fascinating documentary that airs tomorrow (Tuesday) night on PBS called "The Lavender Scare." The title refers to a troubling chapter in our history that was touched off by an executive order by newly-elected president Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953 that called for the firing of all known gay men and women employed by the Federal government. (The rationale was that such persons might be vulnerable to blackmail by entities wishing ill on the United States.) The few brave souls who dared to challenge this helped give birth to the gay rights movement.
This 2011 interview is with Dan Gediman, who is well-known to many public radio listeners for the series This I Believe. "This I Believe: On Fatherhood" features a wide array of first-person essays that reflect on many different facets of the experience of being a father.
Barbara Risman's book "Where the Millennials will take us: a New Generation Wrestles with the Gender Structure" examines the way in which millennials regard the matters of gender and gender identity very differently from previous generations.
Writer and journalist Jared Yates Sexton attracted an enormous amount of attention with the publication of a New York Times op-ed piece titled "Donald Trump's Toxic Masculinity." His book "The Man They Wanted Me to Be: Toxic Masculinity and a Crisis of our Own Making" is a follow-up to that piece. Sexton believes that far too many American men (including himself) are caught in an ultimately self-destructive trap in which they try to live up to certain ideals of masculinity that are in fact unattainable and create stresses that can lead to abuse, addiction, violence, and mental and emotional disorders.
This interview is with two remarkably gifted and successful writers, Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman, who also happen to be husband and wife. The occasion of this interview in 2009 was the publication of Chabon's memoir "Manhood for Amateurs: the Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father and Son." We also talk about Waldman's book "Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities and Occasional Moments of Grace."
We hear from Richard Goldstein, an important music critic from the late 1960's and early 70's whose memoir is titled "Another Little Piece of my Heart: My life of rock and revolution in the 60's." He writes of his encounters with such legends as Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin.
Nan Calvert (from Root Pike WIN) pays her monthly visit to the program. She is joined by two representatives of Clean Wisconsin, who talk about their current project- seeking the banning of PAH (a highly toxic substance that is found in some commonly used driveway sealants) in the state of Wisconsin.
This interview was broadcast on Thursday, June 6th- exactly 75 years after D-Day. Jean Edward Smith's book is titled "Eisenhower in War and Peace." It is a thoroughly researched biography of the full life and legacy of Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was arguably among the most influential men of the twentieth century. It was under his leadership that Allied forces launched their D-Day attack on the beaches of Normandy.
In celebration of the recent 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, we are rebroadcasting this Morning Show interview from the summer of 2018 in which a number of scholars from around the western hemisphere talk about the struggle for women's suffrage in both North and South America. These scholars were gathered at Carthage College for a symposium titled "Women's Suffrage in the Americas" under the auspices of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
This Morning Show interview actually dates back to the spring of 1997. The interview is conducted by Bill Guy, long-time News Director at WGTD and the creator of the Morning Show. At the time of this interview, Bill and I were sharing hosting duties for the Morning Show. This is a highly revealing behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to compete on "Jeopardy," a game show that has been very much in the news recently because of the impressive winning streak of James Holzhauer (which recently came to an end.) Professor Mayer is a Biology Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Bill Guy passed away in 1998 at the age of 50. I still miss him.
Anthropologist Martin Schoenhals spells out his own notion of Utopia - the way he would reshape the world and how we live in it. It's a highly provocative book which is likely to encourage the reader to consider such questions as What Is Most Important To Me? ..... How Were Human Beings Meant to Live? ..... and What Will Allow Planet Earth and The Human Race to Survive?
This is an interview with New York Times deputy sports editor Matthew Futterman, whose most recent book is titled "Running to the Edge: A Band of Misfits and the Guru who Unlocked the Secrets of Speed." The book follows the exploits of legendary track and field coach Bob Larsen.
This is a conversation with novelist Rachel DeWoskin that first aired in 2009. It concerns her novel "Repeat after Me," which is inspired at least in part by her own experiences of living and working in China.
This fascinating book examines the environmental perils of our age through the eyes of a philosophy professor. Dr. Roger Gottlieb, who is a member of the faculty at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, poses very intriguing questions about what our relationship with the natural world around us needs to be.
Three college presidents converged in WGTD's studios for today's Morning Show. Bryan Albrecht, President of Gateway Technical College .... Debra Ford, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside .... and John Swallow, President of Carthage College. They are part of a new consortium of 18 leaders of higher learning in Southeastern Wisconsin. HERA (The Higher Education Regional Alliance) has been organized to allow these 18 colleges and universities to work together in new and exciting ways.
Tomorrow (Monday, June 3) marks the 50th anniversary of the night that "Turnabout Intruder," the last episode of the original Star Trek series, aired on NBC. In honor of that anniversary, we're re-airing this interview with Marc Cushman in which he talks about the third volume of his book series "These are the Voyages," which explores each and every episode of Star Trek in thorough detail. Volume 3 examines Star Trek's third and final season.
Paul Lockhart is the author of "The Drillmaster of Valley Forge: The Baron de Steuben and the Making of the American Army."
Kenosha is home to the Washington Park Velodrome, the nation's oldest continuously operating velodrome for competitive track cycling. On the program, you'll meet Mike Riva, one of the coach's of the Kenosha Velosport Team - and two of the finest athletes on his team, Carter Kasianowicz and Mia Scarlato. Mia's mother, Jennifer Scarlato, contributes the perspective of the parents and other family members who support the athletes in all kinds of ways. Carter and Mia will be competing at Nationals in early July.
My guest, Shannon Watts, is the founder of Moms Demand Action .... and the author of "Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World." In the wake of the horrifying shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Watts posted a call to action on her Facebook page- and six million mothers across the country have joined her in working for sensible gun control.
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel Ralph Peters is now a New York Times bestselling author who is best known for his historically-based novels. His most recent is "Darkness at Chancellorsville: A Novel of Stonewall Jackson's Triumph and Tragedy."
My guest, Nolan Gasser, was the first musicologist hired by the creators of Pandora Radio- and the chief architect of the so-called Music Genome Project. His book is titled "Why You Like It: The Science & Culture of Musical Taste."
For Memorial Day: Patrick K. O'Donnell, author of "The Unknown: The Untold Story of America's Unknown Soldier and World War I's Most Decorated Heroes who Brought him Home."
After living and working in China, Zak Dychtwald wrote "Young China: How the Restless Generation will Change their Country and the World." By 'restless generation,' Dychtwald is referring to China's young adults in their twenties.
This interview from 2005 is with Peter Steinhart, author of "The Undressed Art: Why We Draw." In a follow up conversation, I get a reaction to the book from Dr. David Holmes, a Professor of Art at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside at the time. (Professor Holmes passed away in 2014.)
We have a conversation about - among other things - why there have been so few women in the field of computer science and whether or not that situation is beginning to change.
Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers are friends- but also at odds politically. (One of them is a Democrat; the other is a Republican.) They co-host a popular podcast called "Pantsuit Politics" and their new book is titled "I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening) - A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations." They want this book to help all of us be better at talking about politics with those who disagree with us.
This is a conversation about the Gateway Promise, a program which allows deserving and qualified Gateway students to have what is essentially a tuition-free Gateway education. The Gateway Promise program provides funds that bridge the gap between the amount of financial aid a student has received and the full cost of tuition. We speak with Jennifer Charpentier, director of the Gateway Foundation, two counselors in the Gateway Promise program, and a Gateway student who has been a recipient of Gateway Promise funds.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business, is a monthly visitor to the Morning Show. In today's interview, we discuss the so-called U.S.-China Trade War .... as well as recent summits involving the leaders of the U.S. & South Korea at one and the leaders of Russia & South Korea at the other. Also an update on recent events in Indonesia - and some thoughts on Immigration.
Mitchell Zuckoff was a reporter for the Boston Globe on 9-11. His meticulously-researched and beautifully-written book about the events of that terrible day is titled "Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11."
Jim Dwyer, a reporter for the New York Times, was co-author of "102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers." This book, published in 2005, examines how thousands of people on 9-11 were able to escape the Twin Towers on that terrible morning before the Towers ultimately fell.
Ralph Houghton was the coordinator of Fine Arts for the Kenosha public schools for many years. Saturday night, May 18th, at 7:00 there is a free concert at Reuther High School Auditorium, which is being renamed the Ralph J. Houghton Performance Center. There will be performances by the KUSD Madrigal Singers, the Golden Strings, and the Kenosha Alumni Band with Ralph's son Steve (a superb professional percussionist) as a special guest. We are replaying this interview with Ralph Houghton from many years ago in tribute to this great champion of the arts in Kenosha.
Joshua A. Douglas, a professor at the University of Kentucky College of Law, examines efforts across the country to expand the voting rolls such as lowering the minimum voting age or extending the right to vote to felons ... as well as efforts to remove barriers that can discourage or prevent people from exercising their right to vote. His book is titled "Vote for Us: How to Take Back our Elections and Change the Future of Voting."
We are discussing Aerial Arts, in which a person is suspended above the floor or ground- sometimes a large distance off of the ground - by silken hammocks and/or silken strips which they hold on to and with which they can assume various positions. It can be done as dance, for therapy, and even for Yoga. We speak to two instructors at the Spiral Space Yoga Gallery where aerial arts are taught. (They are presenting a showcase of their students on Friday night, May 17th, at The Branch- 1501 Washington Ave. in Racine. The event is a fundraiser.)
In Part One, we find out about an exciting exchange program called "Two Worlds-One Art" involving choral singers from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Jianghan University in Wuhan, China. In Part Two, we meet composer Dana Wilson; a new piece by Dr. Wilson will be premiered this weekend by the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra.
May is Mental Illness Awareness Month. Part One is with Lisa Zanin, co-president of the Kenosha County chapter of NAMI- the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Part two is a portion of a 2005 conversation with Paul Raeburn, author of "Acquainted with the Night." Raeburn, a former writer for Business Week, writes about his son's and daughter's respective struggles with mental illness.
Kenosha's own Betsy Ade returns to the Morning Show to tell us more about what it was like to be a contestant on NBC's "The Voice." (She was recently eliminated.) She takes us behind the scenes to describe what it was like to be coached by the show's celebrity judges, how the songs she sang for the series were chosen, what kind of relationship she had with her fellow contestants, and much more.
From 2007 comes an interview with best-selling author Joe Drape and a book called "Black Maestro: The Epic Life of an American Legend." It tells the story of Jimmy Winkfield, the last of the great African-American horse jockeys.
From 2008 comes a memorable interview with Mort Zachter, author of a book called Dough: A Memoir. It's the true story of Mort's two uncles (who never married), the day-old baked goods shop that they ran for all of their lives, and the rather odd way that they chose to live their lives. It is a very intriguing and entertaining book.
This is the monthly visit of Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College. His guest is Terry Crocker, CEO of BRP - which makes boats. Much of this conversation focuses on the technological advancements that have been made in boating, somewhat similar to what we have seen in automobiles over the last few years. Mr. Crocker will be the speaker at Gateway's commencement exercises next week.
In Part One, we talk about this weekend's concert by the Choral Arts Society that will be devoted to music of the Beatles. Our guests include artistic director Jim Schatzman and guest musician Mark Paffrath. In Part Two, we share a 2004 interview from the Morning Show archives with Tony Barrow, long-time manager of the Beatles. The occasion for our conversation was the publication of the book "Paul McCartney: Then and Now," which Barrow co-wrote.
David A. Salomon's book is titled 'The Seven Deadly Sins: How Sin Influenced the West from the Middle Ages to the Modern Era."
I am often asked what interview is my favorite among the thousands that I have done over the past twenty years as host of "The Morning Show." This is it. Alexandra Zapruder's book "Salvaged Pages: Young Writers' Diaries of the Holocaust" is a collection of diaries written by young people during the Holocaust. These would be diaries somewhat similar to the famous diary of Anne Frank. Ms. Zapruder's book was initially published in 2002. It was re-released in a second edition several years ago- and there is also a multi-media edition available. I am sharing this interview because of Holocaust Remembrance Day, which was this past Thursday. We Must Never Forget.
Robert Trachtenberg's book "When I Knew" collects the stories of about 100 different gay people who answer the question "When did I know that I was gay?" Some of the stories shared are hilarious- while others are quite poignant.
We introduce you to Noah Mercadillo, a sophomore at Tremper High School in Kenosha, who has won first place in both the Kenosha Symphony and Racine Symphony youth auditions. He performs the opening movement of the Haydn Cello Concerto in C major with the RSO this Saturday evening. (At one point during the interview, Noah plays his cello.) In part two, we hear from RSO artistic director Pasqual Laurino, who will conduct Saturday evening's concert.
Anne Morse Hambrock is a well-known local harpist, harp teacher, and composer - but today we talk about her work as a writer and artist as expressed in her new book "Conversations with the Infinite." We also talk about the Holocaust Remembrance Day event at the Kenosha Public Museum (for which Anne will be playing harp) which will feature a talk by Holocaust survivor Nathan Taffel. We finish out the program by replaying a Morning Show conversation with him recorded back in 2008.
In part one, Brian Gill (from the theater faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside) discusses "Love's Labours Lost," an early comedy by William Shakespeare that UW-Parkside will present over the next two weekends. In part two, we meet Susan Dreyfus, president of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, who is the keynote speaker at this Friday's Non-Profit Breakfast at UW-Parkside "Celebrating 50 Years of Powerful Partnerships."
My guest is Penny Farmer, author of "Dead in the Water: My 40-year search for my Brother's Killer."
Carthage College's First Lady, Cameron Swallow, talks about her involvement in an organization called Better Angels, which seeks to help people from both sides of the political aisle - 'reds' and 'blues' - to be able to speak more respectfully with one another and be able to develop appreciation for and understanding of each other. Better Angels has a skills workshop coming up this Saturday morning, May 5th. In our conversation, Cameron Swallow shares what it is like to be part of a politically divided family.
Robin Gerber's 2010 book is "Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World's Most Famous Doll and the Woman who Created Her." The book chronicles the story of the Barbie Doll.
This is a 2002 interview with Peter Howe, author of "Shooting Under Fire: the World of the War Photographer."
Dr. Jerald Mast, Associate Professor of Political Science at Carthage College, talks about Climate Change - sketching the history of how long various scientists have been voicing concern about climate change, outlining when it began to be discussed by politicians, and how the issue is being approached today in this highly polarized political landscape in which we currently find ourselves. He also talks about the large field of Democratic candidates for president and how central the issue of climate change is likely to be in the 2020 presidential race.
This is a conversation about the intriguing Kander & Ebb musical "Flora the Red Menace," which served as Liza Minelli's Broadway debut (for which she won a Tony Award) when it opened back in 1965 ... but which has not been nearly as well-known nor as often performed as Kander & Ebb's two biggest hits, "Cabaret" and "Chicago." I speak with Neil Scharnick, Molly Kampfer and Cassidy Skorija about Carthage College's production of the show, which opens this weekend. Neil is the director- Molly and Cassidy, two senior music theater majors at Carthage, are in the cast.
This is the monthly visit of Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College. We are talking about the concept of "Smart Cities" and how that has played out in a competition sponsored by FoxConn. The program actually begins with Racine mayor Cory Mason. We also talk with two individuals who were second round winners in the competition- one a Gateway horticulture instructor and the other a Gateway student in the construction management program.
In an interview from 2003, we hear Simon Winchester talk about his book "The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary.) The OED, which took more than 70 years to assemble (with the help of hundreds of volunteers) was intended to be the world's first completely comprehensive dictionary, encompassing every single word of the English language (both past and present.)
We begin with Timothy Jay Smith and his novel "The Fourth Courier," which is set in Poland in the early 1990's, when that nation was moving from communism to capitalism but experiencing much tumult in the process. We finish with a 2011 interview with Erin Morgenstern, whose debut novel "The Night Circus" was a blockbuster bestseller.
Elissa Brent Weissman is the editor of "Our Story Begins: Your Favorite Authors and Illustrators share Fun, Inspiring and Occasionally Ridiculous Things They Wrote and Drew as Kids."
Entertainment writer James Neibaur has written fascinating books about a wide array of film-related topics. In this interview, we discuss his book "The W.C. Fields Films."
Martin Puchner's book is "The Written World: The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, Civilization." Puchner examines the critical role that language- and particularly written language- has played in human development and in human history.
KAFASI stands for the Kenosha Aging and Family Services Inc., a non-profit agency that offers an array of 16 different services through its professional staff and a not-so-small army of 600+ volunteers. The agency is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Their services include Meals on Wheels, Transportation Assistance, Daybreak Respite Services (that helps caregivers caring for people with dementia) and other offerings for the elderly- as well as Parenting Classes, Anger Management Seminars, Family Restoration and much, much more.
Today's Morning Show is a special treat- a walking tour through the Kenosha Public Museum's spectacular new exhibit "From Curiosity to Science" with KPM executive director Dan Joyce and retired Director of Interpretation Nancy Matthews (who had a major hand in the mounting of the exhibit.) The exhibit demonstrates how the so-called Curiosity Cabinets and Curiosity Rooms of the 16th and 17th centuries helped pave the way for the emergence of modern science. In a special treat, the hour ends with a 2006 interview with Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computers, talking about his much-discussed memoir "iWoz."
This is a conversation with best-selling author Earl Swift, whose latest book is titled "Chesapeake Requiem: A Year with the Water Men of Vanishing Tangier Island." This small island - located in the middle of some of the richest fishing waters in the world - is being rapidly engulfed by rising sea levels. Swift got to know some of the hearty souls who still live there.
Frederic Law Olmsted is the gifted American who was responsible for designing New York City's Central Park as well as significant and beautiful parks across the country. Justin Martin's illuminating book about him is titled "Genius of Place: The Life of Frederic Law Olmsted."
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Mark Obmascik's newest book is "The Storm on our Shores: One Island, Two Soldiers, and the Forgotten Battle of World War Two." The island in question was Attu, one of the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska - and Japan's takeover of this remote island was the first time a foreign power had seized American territory since the War of 1812. The book examines the island, Japan's invasion, and America's retaking of the island- coupled with the personal stories of two men caught on opposite sides of the conflict: an American soldier and a Japanese medical doctor.
This interview is with Jacqueline Novogratz, author of "The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World." She is the founder and CEO of the Acumen Fund, a non-profit global venture fund that takes an entrepreneurial approach to solving the problems of poverty in Third World countries.
This is an interview from 2010 with comedy legend Carl Reiner. The occasion of this conversation was the publication of Reiner's children's book "Tell me a Scary Story .... but Not Too Scary!" But the conversation covers every facet of Reiner's amazing career in show business.
We celebrate the 150th anniversary of PEO - the Philanthropic Education Organization - which began inauspiciously in 1869 with seven women in Mount Pleasant, Iowa who wanted to help other interested women gain the educational opportunities that they themselves had experienced. PEO has grown to become an organization with 6,000 chapters across the United States.
Nan Calvert co-hosts a thorough discussion about Biochar, which is actually an ancient process receiving new attention in which biomass (wood based waste) is converted by heat into a material that resembles charcoal but which has properties that allow it to dramatically improve soil, enhance crop yield, and even have a positive effect on reducing global warming. The special guest for this program is Tom Marrero, co-owner of Wakefield Biochar.
Dr. Art Cyr, Clausen Distinguished Professor of Political Economy and World Business and Director of the Clausen Center at Carthage College, pays his monthly visit to the program to offer his analysis on a number of current events and issues, including Brexit, the Mueller Report, the recent mayoral election in Chicago, and more.
Dr. Mark Petering, Associate Professor of Music at Carthage College, talks about his career as a composer- and about his newest work "Cityscape," which receives its world premiere this Saturday night in a performance by the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra.
Psychologist Laurie Helgoe's new book is called "Fragile Bully: Understanding our Destructive Affair with Narcissism in the Age of Trump." In her book, Dr. Helgoe explains how narcissism can be manifested in many different ways- how all of us have some degree of narcissism in our personalities, and how at least a little bit of narcissism is a healthy and necessary thing- and the many ways in which narcissism can become a terrible problem. She even explores the notion of Collective Narcissism, in which narcissistic tendencies are not just felt and expressed by individuals- but also by large groups of people.
Madeleine May Kunin served the state of Vermont for three terms as governor and was the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland during the Clinton administration. Her newest book is titled "Coming of Age: My Journey to the Eighties."
Steven Solomon's book "Water: the Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power, and Civilization" examines the crucial role that access to water has played in the rise, fall and ongoing fortunes of civilizations and cultures through history, from Ancient Egypt to Ancient China - and how rising concerns about the world's clean water supply are raising vexing political and social questions all around the world. This interview was recorded in 2009. Solomon has written for Forbes, Esquire and Business Week and has been a commentator for NPR's Marketplace.
From the archives comes an interview recorded in 2005 with Bob Cowser, an English professor at St. Lawrence University who also loves football - and returned to the game in middle age. His book about that experience is titled "Dream Season: A Professor Joins America's Oldest Semi-Pro Football Team." The book is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at semi-professional football, which fields hundreds of teams across the country.
Steven Brill's provocative book "Tailspin: The People and Forces Behind America's 50-Year Fall and Those Fighting to Reverse it" paints a picture of the United States in decline and divided not by left and right but rather by the protected and unprotected. He also argues that certain shifts in American society in the 1960's have led to a deeply entrenched new aristocracy.
Part One is a conversation about the Racine Heritage Museum and all that they offer- and about their upcoming fundraiser event called "Swing into Spring." Part Two features Dr. James Kinchen, director of choral activities at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, talking about performances coming up on the next two Monday evenings - Schubert's Mass in G on April 8th and Faure's Requiem on April 15th.
This is an interview with Pulitzer-Prize winning writer Matt Richtel, author of "An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Take in Four Lives." The book explores the nearly miraculous capacity of our body's immune system to ward off all sorts of threats - but also how difficult life can be when the immune system, in one way or another, goes awry.
My guest is Christy Wopat, author of a disarmingly honest and open memoir titled "Almost a Mother: Love, loss, and finding your people when your baby dies." She and her husband experienced the heartache of giving birth to premature twins that both died very shortly thereafter. She chronicles her struggles to emerge from such a deep sorrow. Wopat also writes a blog called "Um, You Guys."
Astronaut Al Worden was the command pilot for Apollo 15, which went to the moon in 1971. His fascinating memoir is titled "Falling to Earth: An Apollo 15 Astronaut's Journey to the Moon."
Natalie Kelly, a professional translator, talks about her work and about the intricacies of language in her book "Found in Translation: How Language Shapes our Lives and Transforms the World."
Award-winning sports writer and NPR contributor Ron Rapoport talks about his new book "Let's Play Two: The Legend of Mr. Cub, the Life of Ernie Banks." Banks played his entire major league career for the Chicago Cubs and was one of the most beloved yet misunderstood players in Cubs history.
This conversation was recorded with baseball player Ransom Jackson back in 2016 after the publication of his memoir "Handsome Ransom Jackson: Accidental Big Leaguer." Mr. Jackson passed away on March 20th, so we are replaying this interview in his memory. His memoir includes a plethora of wonderful stories about the great players he played with and played against- including the immortal Jackie Robinson.
Kurt Chalgren, a choral music legend, died this past Friday. In his memory, we replay two interviews with him- one from 1996 in which he talks about Kids from Wisconsin. In the other, from 2014 (his last visit to the Morning Show), he remembers creating Ye Olde English Christmas Feaste 40 years earlier.
Part One features Dr. Wael Farouk, director of keyboard studies at Carthage, previewing this week's Lakeside Piano Festival. Part Two is a discussion of Carthage's current theatrical production, "Marie Antoinette," with director Herschel Kruger and two students involved in the production.
Part 1 is a preview of the Kenosha Public Museum's upcoming Harry Potter-themed fundraiser known as Wizardpalooza. Part 2 is Dr. Rahuldeep Gill, a faculty member from California Lutheran University, who comes to Carthage Wednesday evening to give a talk about diversity titled "Beyond Tolerance."
Tim Madigan enjoyed a very close friendship with Fred Rogers for a number of years. His book "I'm Proud of You" is all about that friendship and what it meant to the author.
David Lipsky's remarkable book "Absolutely American: 4 Years at West Point" chronicles what he saw and experienced in four years as an observer at West Point Military Academy.
In his book "Race & Social Change: a Quest, a Study, a Call to Action," Max Klau explores how society has achieved breakthroughs towards greater racial justice in the past - and what is necessary in order for that progress to continue. Klau not only writes about society as a whole through the sweep of recent history, but also writes about his own personal journey in his understanding of race and racial justice.
Part One is a conversation with concert pianist Jorge Federico Osorio, who is playing a guest recital at Carthage this coming Tuesday evening as part of the Lakeside Piano Festival. Part Two, from the archives, is with the author of a new biography about Napoleon Bonaparte.
My guests are Carol Sabbar, Director of Library and Instructional Technology Services at Carthage College- and Mia Bennett, who is her Green Technology Assistant. They talk about some of the initiatives they have championed to help the school as well as its students and staff live and work in 'greener,' more sustainable ways.
This is the monthly visit of Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College. He is joined by Ann Westrich from the Wisconsin Technical College System State Board- and Katie Graft, GTC's Assistant Director for College Access Partnerships. This conversation is about how high school students can take certain courses that count both as high school and college credits.
Betsy Ade, a contestant on TV's "The Voice" - a substitute teacher and musician from Kenosha.
David Laskin's extraordinary book "The Children's Blizzard" chronicles the story of a monstrous blizzard that struck the midwest on January 12, 1888 and killed hundreds of people - including many children who were caught in the storm while trying to make their way home from school. The book is epic in its scope yet also deeply personal.
This conversation is with Greg Miller, a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist for the Washington Post, and author of "The Apprentice: Trump, Russia, and the Subversion of American Democracy."
Attorney Jonathan D. Karmel's book "Dying to Work: Death and Injury in the American Workplace" examines the problem of workplace injury and death - not only in our modern day but in a longer historical context.
Nan Calvert pays her monthly visit to the Morning Show to talk about a topic related to the environment. Her guest is Abbe Ford, Manager of Community Relations and Communications at Gateway Technical College. EcoFest occurs on GTC's Racine campus on March 16th.
The Misa Tango is a spectacular choral setting of the Latin Mass but composed in the style of the tango. We speak with Argentinian composer Martin Palmeri... Daniel Binelli, who is one of the world's finest virtuosos on the Argentinian instrument known as the Bandoneon .... and with Dr. Eduardo Garcia-Novelli (also Argentinian) whose Milwaukee Master Singers will perform the work this weekend.
Paul Cortese, a distinguished professional violist who has lived in Barcelona for the last several decades, is back in his hometown of Kenosha for his first performance here since 2005. He performs with the UW-Parkside orchestra this Saturday night. The interview also includes the Parkside orchestra conductor, Alvaro Garcia.
Best-selling author Tom Clavin ("Last Men Out," "Dodge City") explores the amazing life of Wild Bill Hickok .... and does his best to separate fact from fiction, which is no small feat when one is talking about this kind of larger-than-life figure who lived in the 19th century. The book is titled "Wild Bill: The True Story of the American Frontier's First Gunfighter."
Carthage's Mock Trial team has earned impressive success even when competing with teams from much larger colleges and universities. The interview features local attorney and Carthage professor Michael Phegley, who coaches the team, and Maham Ali and Joshua Kundert, who are the team's student captains. Also on hand is Dr. Art Cyr, director of the Clausen Center, which sponsors and supports the team.
Dave Cullen's riveting book "Parkland: Birth of a Movement" chronicles the impressive efforts of a small group of students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to change the national conversation about gun control in the wake of the shooting on Feb. 14, 2018 that left 14 of their school mates dead (along with three staff members.) Cullen wrote one of the most definitive books about Columbine, the first high-profile mass shooting at a U.S. school 19 years earlier.