Essays & Commentaries
Essays & Commentaries is a production of the WVTF News Department.
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Bedtime - 8.30.10
Many people have a hard time waking up and getting out of bed in the morning, but it's often the opposite for children. Their struggle is getting to sleep in the first place. WVTF Radio essayist Kerry Day shares her family's bedtime ritual.
ListenMeetings, Thumbs & Cardoons - 8.23.10
With summer vacation closing in, it's back to business for many people. Parents are shopping for school supplies, students are setting their alarms again and teachers are enduring an annual back-to-school ritual of their own. Here's Floyd County essayist and teacher, Jerry Sauter.
Raft ride - 8.16.10
One hot summer day, Ivy-based writer Erika Raskin, a dedicated homebody, agreed to a whitewater rafting trip with her family. Today she offers this cautionary tale.
ListenWakes - 8.10.10
Wakes are often a time to reflect and to mourn, but for WVTF radio essayist Fran Cannon Slayton, they can also be a time to celebrate the joys of a life well lived..
ListenBad Summer - 8.2.10
About this time of year, as summer vacations meander along, some parents start to lose it. Why? WVTF radio essayist Grace Maselli says summer break is not always what it's cracked up to be.
ListenWork Shirts & Chihuahua Services - 7.29.10
Like clumps of wildflowers, the American dream thrives along secondary roads. It is evident everywhere from yard sales to pints of just-picked berries heaped on card tables. As Floyd County essayist Jerry Sauter observes, people are trying to fill a need. Sometimes, it is a need they did not even know they had.
Peach Season - 7.26.10
Virginia boasts about 2000 acres of commercial peaches. This year, farmers say their crops are looking good, especially if you like them extra sweet. For essayist Meredith Dean of Floyd though, peach season keeps on passing her by.
Fireflies - 7.19.10
If you want to attract fireflies, the experts recommend cutting down or eliminating lawn chemicals and reducing extra lighting on your property. Lightning bugs, as they are sometimes called, are also attracted to low overhanging trees and tall grass that provide them with rest during the day. As we hear in his essay, writer Fred First in Floyd County hasn't had any problem at all attracting fireflies.
ListenNursing student's experience in compassion - 7.12.10
The University of Virginia School of Nursing holds a creative writing contest each year. It's an outlet for nursing students to reflect on their experiences with the program. One of this year's winning entries at the school comes from Brennan Collins from Richmond. In it, she reflects on what she has learned recently about the core of communication and the care of patients.
ListenWVTF Commentary: The Other Side of the Parkway - 7.6.10
You've likely heard some essays recently on WVTF that celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway. But in this commentary, Dan Smith, editor of Valley Business Front magazine in Roanoke, says there's another side to the Parkway's history and its future.
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