Who was Harry Houdini? We know him as a magician and escape artist. But did you know he was an aviator, a movie mogul, and a spy? We’ll spend this hour with William Kalush and Larry Sloman, co-authors of “The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America’s First Superhero” (Atria, 2006).
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Today is the 43rd anniversary of one of Dallas’ most infamous days – the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. We’ll talk this hour with a journalist who was on-duty that day. Eddie Barker was news director and anchor of KRLD-TV, Channel 4 and was prepared to cover Kennedy’s address at the Trade Mart. He became the first reporter to announce to America that Kennedy was dead. He writes about that day and his career as a journalist during an era that changed journalism forever in his new book “Eddie Barker’s Notebook: Stories that made the news (and some better ones that didn’t!)” (John M. Hardy Publishing, 2006). Eddie Barker hosts “The Talk of Paris” on KPLT 1490, Monday – Friday from 8-10am. Eddie Barker’s Notebook: Stories that made the news (and some better ones that didn’t!) (John M. Hardy Publishing, 2006)
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What does the future hold? Can we even plan for the future? Futurist Dr. James Canton examines ideas as diverse as radical life extension, a self-aware internet and the future of energy production in his new book “The Extreme Future: The Top Trends That Will Reshape the World for the Next 5, 10, and 20 years” (Dutton, 2006). Dr. Canton will join us for the hour. The Extreme Future: The Top Trends That Will Reshape the World for the Next 5, 10, and 20 years (Dutton, 2006)
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How long would you like to live? Have you made plans for your health care or will you depend on your family to help you through your final years. Tonight’s FRONTLINE program, “Living Old,” examines the fastest growing segment of America’s population – those over the age of 85 – and how the medical community is facing the challenge of caring for millions of elderly who are living longer and longer each year. We’ll spend this hour with one of the program’s producers Miri Navasky, and Dr. Craig Rubin, chair of Geriatrics at U.T. Southwestern Medical Center. FRONTLINE “Living Old,” airs at 9pm tonight on KERA 13.
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What do you know about pigeons? Pigeons have served as fertility symbols and symbols of peace. They’ve also served as important messengers for countries at war. So why are they vilified as “rats of the sky?” We’ll spend the hour with journalist Andrew D. Blechman who takes us from pigeon shoots to pigeon races; and from the quarters of Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Pigeon Handler to a radical pro-pigeon group in New York City in his new book “Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled Bird” (Grove Press, 2006). Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled Bird (Grove Press, 2006)
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Statistics show that of the foster care children in Texas, African-American children remain in the system longer than any other ethnic group. In the first part of the hour, we’ll talk with Jessica Dixon, Director of the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Child Advocacy Clinic at SMU’s Dedman School of Law, about the legal and social impact of disproportionality in child protection cases. In the second half of the hour, we’ll talk about the options for teens who age-out of foster care without being adopted with Betsy Krebs and Paul Pitcoff, co-founders of the Youth Advocacy Center and co-authors of the book “Beyond the Foster Care System: The Future for Teens” (Rutgers University Press, 2006). Beyond the Foster Care System: The Future for Teens (Rutgers University Press, 2006)
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There’s probably one in your freezer right now. And even if you’re not cooking one this week, chances are good that you’ll tuck in to a plate of turkey this Thanksgiving holiday. But what do we know of the history of the turkey – a bird that once competed with the bald eagle as America’s national symbol? We’ll spend this hour with food historian Andrew F. Smith, editor-in-chief of the “Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America,” and one of our favorite guests. Smith’s latest book is “The Turkey: An American Story” (University of Illinois Press, 2006). The Turkey: An American Story (University of Illinois Press, 2006)
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Can art change the world? Photographer Robert Glenn Ketchum thinks so. He’s used his career as a highly-respected color landscape photographer to build political support for cleaning up and protecting places of natural beauty and ecological importance. Ketchum’s current exhibit pairs his work with the work of another photographer who inspired him. It’s called “Regarding the Land: Robert Glenn Ketchum and the Legacy of Eliot Porter,” and it runs until January 7th at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth. We’ll spend this hour with Robert Glenn Ketchum.
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Are you a fan of the Rolling Stones? The world’s highest grossing touring act of 2006 hasn’t slowed down at all and they’ve been doing it since 1962. But what was it like when things were moving really fast for the Stones? Music writer Robert Greenfield was there in the summer of 1971 when they recorded their legendary double album. He’ll join us this hour to discuss “Exile on Main St.: A Season in Hell with the Rolling Stones” (Da Capo, 2006). Exile on Main St.: A Season in Hell with the Rolling Stones (Da Capo, 2006) “Exile” Tracks Played This Hour: “Rocks Off”, “Shake Your Hips”, “Tumbling Dice”, “Happy”
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Which scene or incident in American History would you have liked to witness first hand…Pre-Columbian Cahokia; Harpers Ferry; The Scopes Trial? We’ll spend this hour with Byron Hollinshead who has edited the new collection “I Wish I’d Been There: Twenty Historians Bring to Life Dramatic Events That Changed America” (Doubleday, 2006). I Wish I’d Been There: Twenty Historians Bring to Life Dramatic Events That Changed America (Doubleday, 2006)
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What can we expect from the newly nominated Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates? We’ll spend this hour with Texas Monthly Senior Executive Editor Paul Burka, who profiled Gates for the November issue of Texas Monthly. Can This Guy Save the Aggies? Robert Gates to the Rescue appears in the November issue of Texas Monthly Magazine.
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You hear her on Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! You’ve seen her on television. But what’s it like to be Paula Poundstone? Find out this hour as she joins us to discuss her career and her new book “There’s Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say” (Harmony Books, 2006), in which she profiles historical figures and tells her own story. There’s Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say (Harmony Books, 2006)
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