Radio Curious

French Seduction: An American’s Encounter with France, Her Father, and the Holocaust. In a passionate blend of autobiography and cultural history, love, sex and art collide with hatred, withering French xenophobia and death, Eunice Lipton, our guest in this edition of Radio Curious, describes her book, “French Seduction: An American’s Encounter with France, Her Father, and the Holocaust.” Lipton, who lives in Paris and New York received her Ph.D. in art history at New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts. I spoke with her from her home in New York City the last week of March 2007.  Because she describes painting as her favorite companions, we began when I asked her to tell us about her friends who she calls art. Eunice Lipton recommends “The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion,” by Ford Madox Ford.. Originally Broadcast: March 28, 2007 Click here to begin listening. (http://www.radio4all.net/pub/files/curious@radiocurious.org/1197-1-20070414-LIPTON_INTERVIEW_3-26-07.mp3)

River of Renewal, Myth & History in the Klamath Basin Since the last Ice Age ended about 12,000 years ago, human beings have traveled along the Klamath River and it tributaries in the northwest corner of California and the coast of southern Oregon.  Many people finding an abundance of food, have stayed. The main source of their food was salmon. The power of the myth of the salmon may derive from the fact that wild salmon spread out across the Pacific Northwest about the same time that human beings did, at the end of the last Ice Age. In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Steve Most, author of “River of Renewal, Myth & History in the Klamath Basin,” a book that tells the story of the history of the Klamath River and the people who have continuously lived there for the past 12,000 years. Steve Most is a playwright and documentary storyteller. Among many other works, he wrote the texts of the audio voices and videos for the permanent exhibit of the Washington State History Museum. In this interview recorded in mid-March 2007, I spoke with Steve Most from his home in Berkeley, California. We began our conversation when I asked him to give a perspective of the geological and human aspects of the Klamath River and its place in history. Stephen Most recommends the "Essays and Letters of Ralph Waldo Emerson." Originally Broadcast: March 21, 2007 Click here to begin listening. (http://www.radio4all.net/pub/files/curious@radiocurious.org/1197-1-20070331-MOST_WEB__INTERVIEW_3-16-07.mp3)

Born Into Brothels "Born into Brothels" received the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2005.  A tribute to the resiliency of childhood and the restorative power of art, "Born into Brothels" is a portrait of several unforgettable children who live in the red light district of Calcutta, where their mothers work as prostitutes.  The most stigmatized people in Calcutta's red light district however are not the prostitutes, but their children.  In the face of abject poverty, abuse, and despair, these kids have little possibility of escaping their mother's fate or for creating another type of life. In "Born into Brothels," directors Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman chronicle the amazing transformation of the children they come to know in the red light district.  Briski, a professional photographer, gives them lessons and cameras, igniting latent sparks of artistic genius that reside in these children who live in the most sordid and seemingly hopeless world. The photographs taken by the children are not merely examples of remarkable observation and talent; they reflect something much larger, morally encouraging, and even politically volatile: art as an immensely liberating and empowering force. Devoid of sentimentality, "Born into Brothels" defies the typical tear-stained tourist snapshot of the global underbelly.  Briski spends years with these kids and becomes part of their lives.  Their photographs are prisms into their souls, rather than anthropological curiosities or primitive imagery, and a true testimony of the power of the indelible creative spirit. You can learn about this film and Kids with Cameras at www.kids-with-cameras.org. I spoke with Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman in February 2005. Beginning the conversation first with Zana Briski, I asked her to explain what drew her to India before the concept of "Kids With Cameras" was even a dream. www.kids-with-cameras.org (http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/) Zana Briski recommends "Secret Life of Bees," by Sue Monk Kidd. Originally Broadcast: March 15, 2007 Click here to begin listening.

Ed Reinhart is an old friend and a wonderful piano player. Almost five years ago Ed changed the direction of his life by setting out on an adventure to western Europe. He now lives in northern Italy in the summer months and in Virigina during the other times of the year. Ed has deep roots in Mendocino County and returns here often. I heard him play during his current visit to Ukiah and invited him to visit the studios of Radio Curious again and give us an update on his life and thoughts since we last spoke shortly before he left on his adventure. Ed Rinehart recommends "A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East," by Tiziano Terzani. Originally Broadcast: January 14, 2007 Click here to begin listening. (http://www.radio4all.net/pub/files/curious@radiocurious.org/1197-1-20070114-ED_REINHART_INTERVIEW_1-14-07.mp3)

Revolutionary Heart, The Life of Clarina Nichols and the Pioneering Crusade for Women's Rights The life of Clarina Nichols and her work in the early women's rights movement of the United States has been greatly overlooked. As one of the country’s first female newspaper editors and stump speakers, Clarina Nichols spoke out for temperance, abolition and women's rights at a time when doing so could get a woman killed. Unlike other activists, she personally experienced some of the cruelest sufferings that a married woman of her day could know. In her pursuit for justice she traveled westward facing all of the challenges of being a single mother and a women's rights activist of her day with good humor and resourcefulness. Clarina Nichols was portrayed by Diane Eickhoff in this Chautauquan style interview.  We began when I asked Clarina about her childhood. http://clarinanichols.googlepages.com/home (http://clarinanichols.googlepages.com/home) Clarina Nichols recommends "The Sexes Throughout Nature (Pioneers of the woman's movement)," by Antoinette Louisa Brown Blackwell. Originally Broadcast: January 13, 2007 Click here to begin listening. (http://www.radio4all.net/pub/files/curious@radiocurious.org/1197-1-20070114-NICHOLS_-_EICKHOFF_INTERVIEW_1-13-07.mp3)

The Oregon Caves, located about 70 miles northeast of Crescent City, California in the Oregon Caves National Monument, are a place full of interest, mystery, and history. The caves were located in 1874 when Elijah Davidson chased his dog into the what appeared to be a hole in the earth. The Oregon Caves are unique, possibly due to the fact that it is one of the few cave systems located on tectonically active ground, known as a subduction zone.  This uniqueness may also be due to the fact an old growth Douglas Fir forest grows directly above the caves, or the fact that they were created from what used to be a tropical reef that was pushed about 12 miles below the surface of the earth and then brought back up to its current location, and is still rising.  I visited the Oregon Caves in 2006 and spoke with Roger Brandt, the manager of visitor services and education of the Oregon Caves in the summer of 2006.  We began when I asked him about the Oregon Caves and what they represent. Roger Brandt recommends “Golden Days and Pioneer Ways,” by Ruth Phefferle. This program was originally broadcast on February 21, 2007. Click here to begin listening. (http://www.radio4all.net/pub/files/curious@radiocurious.org/1197-1-20070320-BRANDT_ROGER_6-28-06.mp3)

After District Attorney Norm Vroman died in September, 2006, and his name could not removed from the ballot, Keith Faulder, the interim DA appointed by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, sued the County seeking to void the November 8, 2006 general election for DA and to require that a special election be held. Former Deputy District Attorney Meredith Lintott received the most votes in the June primary election and was also on the November, 2006, ballot along with Vroman. The California Court of Appeals upheld Faulder's claim which Lintott and the County appealed to the California Supreme Court. This edition of Radio Curious discusses the history and status of this unique case in interviews with Faulder and Steve Antler, Lintott's attorney. Keith Faulder recommends, "Theodore Rex," by Edmund Morris. Steven Antler recommends, "October 1964," by David Halberstram. Originally Broadcast: November 29, 2006 Click here to begin listening. (http://www.radio4all.net/pub/archive2/07.01.07/curious@radiocurious.org/1197-1-20061126-FAULDER__11-11-06____ANTLER__11-27-06__INTERVIEW.mp3)

This Is Your Brain On Music: The Science of a Human Obsession The understanding of how we humans experience music and why it plays a unique role in our lives is this topic of two interviews with Dr. Daniel Levitin, author of, “This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession,” recorded from his home in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in late October 2006. Professor Levitin runs the Laboratory for Musical Perception, Cognition and Expertise at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He asserts that our brains are hardwired for music and therefore we are all more musically equipped than we think, and that music is an obsession at the heart of human nature, perhaps even more fundamental to our species than language. Professor Levitin believes that the music we end up liking meets our expectations of what we anticipate hearing, just enough of the time that we feel rewarded, and the music that we like also violates those expectations just enough of the time that we’re intrigued. In the first interview Dr. Levitin begins by describing how the human brain learns to distinguish between music and language. The second interview begins with a discussion of what happens when people listen to music they like. www.yourbrainonmusic.com (http://www.yourbrainonmusic.com/) Dr. Daniel J. Levitin recommends, "Another Day in the Frontal Lobe," by Katrina Firlik, and, "The Human Stain," by Philip Roth. Originally Broadcast: November 1, 2006 November 8, 2006 Click here to begin listening to Part One. (http://www.radio4all.net/pub/archive2/07.01.07/curious@radiocurious.org/1197-1-20061105-LEVITIN_INTERVIEW___1_10-22-60.mp3) Click here to begin listening to Part Two. (http://www.radio4all.net/pub/archive2/07.01.07/curious@radiocurious.org/1197-2-20061105-LEVITIN_INTERVIEW___2_10-22-60.mp3)

The Song of Hannah, A Biblical Novel of Love, Temptation, and the Making of A Prophet Eva Etzioni-Halevy, a retired professor of sociology at Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv, Israel, is the author of, “The Song of Hannah, A Biblical Novel of Love, Temptation, and the Making of A Prophet,” and the guest in this edition of Radio Curious. The story takes place in Judea in the eleventh century B.C. when few people were literate. In this interview with Eva Etzioni-Halevy, recorded from her home in Tel Aviv, Israel, in late September 2006, she describes her interpretation of Hannah’s life, loves and leadership, and her impressions of Israel several weeks after the summer 2006 war with Lebanon. We began when I asked her to describe who Hannah was. www.evaetzioni-halevy.com (http://www.evaetzioni-halevy.com/) Dr. Eva Etzioni-Halevy recommends, "Walking the Bible," by Bruce Feiler. Originally Broadcast: September 27, 2006 Click here to begin listening. (http://www.radio4all.net/pub/archive2/07.01.07/curious@radiocurious.org/1197-1-20060928-ETZIONI-HALEVY_INTERVIEW_final.mp3)

Sex Lives of Wives: Reigniting the Passion, True Confessions and Provocative Advise from Real Women How to ignite sexual passion from a woman’s perspective is the topic of this edition of Radio Curious, as we talk with Holly Hollenbeck, a former attorney from Omaha, Nebraska, and author of, “Sex Lives of Wives, Reigniting the Passion, True Confessions and Provocative Advice from Real Women.” Holly Hollenbeck says her book is not so much directed at how to please your mate, but how to please yourself by pleasing your mate. Take a look at www.passionseekers.com (http://www.passionseekers.com/), her website devoted to helping women find passion and inspiration in their long-term relationships. I spoke with Holly Hollenbeck from her home in Nebraska, in mid September 2006, and asked her to describe what motivated her to write, “Sex Lives of Wives.” Holly Hollenbeck recommends, "Adults Only Travel: The Ultimate Guide to Romantic and Erotic Destination," by David West and Louis James. Originally Broadcast: September 20, 2006 Click here to begin listening. (http://www.radio4all.net/pub/archive2/07.01.07/curious@radiocurious.org/1197-1-20060919-HOLLENBECK_INTERVIEW_EDITED.mp3)

Radical Innocent: Upton Sinclair Since I was young, I have been intrigued by the work of Upton Sinclair. I remember as a boy hearing about Sinclair’s books and efforts to change the world. A close friend of my family was the writer for Sinclair’s campaign newspaper, when he ran for governor of California in 1934 and, although that was long before I was born, the stories rolled during his later visits. Sinclair is perhaps best know for, “The Jungle,” published in 1906, which openly revealed the inhumane conditions of the Chicago stockyards and how the meatpacking industry operated, resulting in the passage of the pure food and drug laws within months after the books publication. "Radical Innocent: Upton Sinclair,” is a biography written by retired professor Anthony Arthur, released in June 2006, 100 years after the publication of, “The Jungle,” and tells the story of Upton Sinclair’s life and work. Arthur weaves the strands of Sinclair’s contentious public career and his often-troubled private life, which Sinclair at times willingly revealed, into a compelling personal narrative.  Anthony Arthur rates integrity as Sinclair’s greatest strength, and claims his eloquence in writing and speech, along with his reputation for selflessness as the basis of a ground swell of support for Sinclair and his ideas. When I spoke with Professor Anthony Arthur at the end of August 2006, from his home near Los Angeles, California, he began by describing what attracted him to study and write about Upton Sinclair. Anthony Arthur recommends, “Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph,” by T.E. Lawrence. Originally Broadcast: September 6, 2006 Click here to begin listening.

Walking Tractor And Other Tales of Old Anderson Valley Stories of the days that no longer exist in rural areas tell us how things were, how people worked, lived and played, and bring to life conditions that most of us never knew existed. “Walking Tractor and Other Tales of Old Anderson Valley," is a collection of stories written by Bruce Patterson, who lives in Philo, a rather small community in rural Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, California. The introduction to, “Walking Tractor,” quotes Ernest Hemmingway as saying, “You can only write about what you know,” something that is verified in the stories of Bruce Patterson, who is known to his friends as Pat. I met with Pat in the studio of Radio Curious, in the last week of August, 2006 to learn about his life, his stories and the man he is. www.4mules.com Originally Broadcast: August 30, 2006 Click here to begin listening. (http://www.radio4all.net/pub/archive2/07.01.07/curious@radiocurious.org/1197-1-20060828-PATTERSON__INTERVIEW_8-28-06.mp3)

Errors and Omissions Who owns the rights to a play, a song, or a work of art? How important and fragile is the authorship? These and other issues of intellectual property rights begin to be revealed in,  “Errors and Omissions,” a novel by Stanford Law Professor, Paul Goldstein. “Errors and Omissions,” follows the story of Michael Seeley as he locates a World War Two era Polish refugee who is the author of a screenplay that has the potential to make a huge amount of money not only from the movie rights, but also from the sale of associated paraphernalia. Goldstein, who began writing fiction at the age of twelve, hopes now, fifty years later that readers of his first full length novel will carry away the sense of the fragility of authorship, when an artist creates a work out of thin air. I spoke with Paul Goldstein from his office at Stanford University and began by asking him to define intellectual property. Paul Goldstein recommends, "Aspects of the Novel," by E.M. Forster. Originally Broadcast: August 9, 2006 Click here to begin listening. (http://www.radio4all.net/pub/archive2/07.01.07/curious@radiocurious.org/1197-1-20060808-GOLDSTEIN_INTERVIEW_8-2-06.mp3)

Praise At Midnight Life, culture and racism are the topics of this edition of Radio Curious, in conversation with attorney/novelist Martha McCabe, author of, "Praise at Midnight."  Martha McCabe worked as a civil rights and criminal trial lawyer in deep east Texas from 1974 to 1985.  Her goal was to pour the raw material from her personal experiences as a lawyer into her story.  The deeper level into which she fell during the ten year period it took her to complete, “Praise at Midnight,” was the importance of consciousness and self awareness in avoiding the projection of one's own dark side on to other people and then killing them.  She applies this to both local and international levels in her considerations.  She and I have been associates, good friends and colleagues since 1969 when we met at the University of Santa Clara where I was a law student.  When I spoke with Martha McCabe from her home in San Antonio, Texas on July 29, 2006, we began with her description of the culture of deep east Texas at the time she was living there, 1974 to 1985. Martha McCabe recommends, “Reading Lolita in Teheran,” by Azar Nafisi and, “Caballero: A Historical Novel,” by Jovita Gonzalez and Eve Raleigh. Originally Broadcast: August 2, 2006 Click here to begin listening. (http://www.radio4all.net/pub/archive2/07.01.07/curious@radiocurious.org/1197-1-20060802-MARTHA_McCABE_Interview_7-29-06.mp3)

Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity, and the War on Terror The silence of doctors, nurses and medics during the physical abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan and the information provided by physicians and psychologists to determine how much and what kind of mistreatment could be delivered to prisoners during interrogation is the topic of this edition of Radio Curious. Our guest is Dr. Steven Miles, author of, “Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity and the War On Terror,” a book based in-part on eyewitness accounts of actual victims of prison abuse and more than thirty-five thousand pages of documents, autopsy reports and medical records. Dr. Miles is a professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School and its Center for Bioethics. He is a recognized expert in medical ethics, human rights and international health care. This interview with Dr. Steven Miles was recorded in mid-July 2006, from his office in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We begin when I asked him about his motivation to write a book about the treatment of people who are disarmed and imprisoned. Steven Dr. Miles recommends, “Bury The Chains: Profits and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire’s Slaves,” by Adam Hochchild. Originally Broadcast: July 20, 2006 Click here to begin listening. (http://www.radio4all.net/pub/archive2/07.01.07/curious@radiocurious.org/1197-1-20060725-MILES_INTERVIEW_7-20-06.mp3)