Why were eleven climbers killed on K2 on August 2, 2008? We’ll examine what happened that day with author and professional climber Freddie Wilkinson. He tells the tale in his new book “One Mountain Thousand Summits: The Untold Story of Tragedy and True Heroism on K2” (New American Library, 2010).
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Can natural disasters change history and influence politics? We’ll explore the impact of a 19th Century New York City event that claimed nearly 1300 lives and shaped early 20th Century America with historian Edward Kohn, author of “Hot Time in the Old Town: The Great Heat Wave of 1896 and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt” (Basic Books, 2010).
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How is our understanding of the universe evolving? We’ll discuss the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and what it means to astronomy this hour with science writer Ann Finkbeiner, author of the new book “A Grand and Bold Thing: An Extraordinary New Map of the Universe Ushering In A New Era of Discovery” (Free Press, 2010).
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How have things changed for American women in the 90 years since the passage of the 19th Amendment and how are women’s rights progressing in developing countries? We’ll talk this hour with Scherry Johnson, director of the UTD Teacher Development Center and Sandra Spencer, director of the UNT Women’s Studies Program.
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Who was Frank Lenz and what happened to him on his 1890s globe-circling bicycle trip? We’ll spend this hour with David V. Herlihy, bicycle authority and author of the new book “The Lost Cyclist: The Epic Tale of an American Adventurer and His Mysterious Disappearance” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010).
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What happened to the once positive opinion of the United States among the people of Arab countries? We’ll talk this hour with Rice University historian and Arab American Educational Foundation Chair of Arab Studies, Ussama Makdisi, author of “Faith Misplaced: The Broken Promise of U.S.-Arab Relations: 1820-2001” (Public Affairs, 2010).
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Where are stories born and how does a novelist create characters and experiences that ring true with reality? We’ll find out this hour with bestselling author John Irving, whose latest novel “Last Night in Twisted River” (Ballantine Books, 2010) is now out in paperback.
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Are students more likely to excel in a single-gender class environment? We’ll explore the advantages and adversities of the all-male or all-female classroom with Vivian Taylor, Principal of the Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, and Arnold E. Holtberg, Headmaster of St. Mark’s School of Texas. In the Art&Seek segment, we’ll visit Billings Productions in McKinney to learn about the art and science of creating giant dinosaurs.
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Where do ballet and global politics meet? We’ll find out this hour with Ben Stevenson, O.B.E. Now artistic director of Texas Ballet Theater, Stevenson’s work with the Houston Ballet and his experiences with Chinese dancer and defector Li Cunxin are featured in the new film “Mao’s Last Dancer” which opens in theaters on Friday, August 27th.
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What would motivate a super-star athlete to leave his career and join the military? We’ll explore the admirable honor of Pat Tillman this hour with acclaimed writer Jon Krakauer who cover’s Tillman’s life and the U.S. Military and Bush Administration cover-up of the truth about his death in book “Where Men Win Glory” (Anchor Books, Paperback, 2010).
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 133 million Americans – almost 1 out of every 2 adults – live with chronic illness. We’ll get a view from both sides of the experience this hour with Type I diabetes patient and Harvard Medical School professor Dr. Julian Seifter. His recent book on the subject is “After the Diagnosis: Transcending Chronic Illness” (Simon & Schuster, 2010).
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What’s the latest and greatest on food? We’ll cover everything from Bristol Bay, Alaska, home of the biggest wild salmon run to easy baking strategies and “weapons-grade ratatouille” this hour with Francis Lam, senior writer at Salon.com.
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