Search results for

Robert talks with Jacob Weisberg, Chief Political Correspondent for the online magazine, Slate, about two political ads that are dry, side-by-side comparisons of the candidates' tax and spending plans. Weisberg says that this is a carry over from the Democratic convention, when Al Gore was seen to have succeeded by sticking with policy. Two other ads -- more elaborately produced with musical scores -- aim to leave the impression that their candidate is warm and inclusive while the other candidate's policies are exclusionary. (6:30) Slate magazine can be found on-line at http://slate.msn.com

Ninety years after a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York killed 146 workers, host Lisa Simeone talks with Dana Walden, the granddaughter of one survivor of the fire. Rose Freedman was the oldest living survivor of the fire until her death in Februrary. We hear clips of Freedman from a documentary series, The Living Century, which aired on PBS stations in December and January. More information about the documentary and Freedman can be found at http://www.thelivingcentury.com or http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire.

News of possible book banning in South Africa makes commentator Mark Mathabane remember a time when he was willing to risk his life to save Shakespeare. At the time, 1976, it was blacks who believed Shakespeare represented the worst of Bantu education and set fire to the library in his town. Mathabane fought to rescue the works of Shakespeare, and overheard the white soldiers mock the idea that blacks should be given the chance to learn at all. (3:45) Mark Mathabane's latest book is Miriam's Song, published by Simon and Shuster, 2000, www.mathabane.com.

What exactly are stock options? How far does the market have to fall before it's a "crash?" If WorldCom has been de-listed, why is my MCI long distance still working? And what does it mean to be de-listed, anyway? Now's your chance to get some answers -- call All Things Considered at 202-898-2395 with your question.

Director, co-writer Stacy Peralta of the documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys. The film is about the community of skateboarders in California in the 1970s who originated extreme skateboarding. They did so in rundown urban beach neighborhood near Santa Monica and Venice called Dogtown. They became international stars. Peralta was one of the Z-boys and is considered one of the founding fathers of modern skateboarding. The film won the Audience Award and Directors Award at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. Theres also a companion book, Dogtown The Legend of the Z-Boys (Burning Flags Press). Their website is www.zboys.com.

Singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey started out singing in public places for change. He's gone on to make several albums, but for his most recent outing, he returned to the Boston subway to record a series of cover songs by the likes of Elvis Costello, Los Lobos and Bob Dylan. For Weekend Edition Sunday, Liane Hansen talks with Mulvey during a visit to the Davis Street T stop where the album was recorded. (Ten Thousand Mornings is on Signature Sounds, catalog #1274. For more information, visit www.petermulvey.com.)

This past week marked the 59th anniversary of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, the event that ushered the U.S. into World War Two. The day after the bombing, the Library of Congress sent archivists out onto the streets of Washington, D.C., to record people's reactions to the event. As part of our American Talker series, we present a sampling of that historic tape. (3:00)For more information on the American Talker series from Sound Portraits Productions and City Lore in New York, visit their website at http://www.soundportraits.com.

Robert talks to Frank Abe, producer, director and writer of Conscience and the Constitution, about the documentary, which premieres tonight on PBS. The film tells the story of Japanese-American men, who were first interned with their families during World War Two, then drafted by the U.S. Army. In 1944, men who refused to serve while their families were interned, tried, convicted, and sentenced to serve time in a federal penitentiary. In December of 1947, President Truman pardoned the resistors, but, after leaving prison, they were ostracized by the Japanese-American community at large. (5:45) Visit http://www.resisters.com for more information.

Violinist Christian Tetzlaff is one of the outstanding artists of his generation. The 34 year old is a soloist with orchestras worldwide. But he doesn't play one of the fine old violins from the 1600's or 1700's, but rather a brand new one - made in 1999 in Germany by Peter Greiner. Tetzlaff talks to Liane and demonstrates his new instrument's sound by playing Bach. (10:00) (Learn more about Tetzlaff at http://www.lachapelleroyale.com/bios/bioTetzlaff.html

Liane Hansen talks to Eliza Gilkyson about her new CD, Lost and Found. Gilkyson has spent 30 years in the music business, and the CD reflects her long experience as a songwriter. There is a song written for her father, who was also a songwriter, and the album closes with a hymn-like piece, "Riverside," that reflects the turn of the millennium and Sept. 11. (7:30) The CD is on Red House Records. Catalog # RHR CD 162. See http://www.elizagilkyson.com/.