Protestor Michael Morill is the organizer of Unity 2000 a coalition of groups which is staging a rally on Sunday, July 31st, to cover a range of issues. Morill and his organization sued the city to obtain a permit to protest. Also Amy Kwasnicki is a member of the Philadelphia Direct Action Group which is coordinating three days of protests and civil disobedience during the convention. The group was not given a permit to protest.
Music critic Milo MIiles reviews new albums by two Latin artists: “Make Up for Lost Time” (High tone) by Little Willie G. and “Nava” (Ryko latin label) the debut album by Nava.
Staff writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer Thomas Ginsberg. He’s been covering how the city is preparing for the advent of protests during the Republican National Convention.
The Republican National Convention convenes in Philadelphia in a week. A talk with Frank Punzo, Sales Manager for Verizon Communications which is the official local telecommunications provider for the convention. Punzo is responsible for providing the infrastructure that supports telephone service, video conferencing, internet access and video streaming.
The 1957 musical “The Music Man” by Meredith Wilson is currently being revived on Broadway. A talk with two of the stars: Craig Bierko who plays the lead role of traveling salesman and conman Harold Hill originated by Robert Preston. This is Bierko’s first Broadway show. Also co-star Rebecca Luker who plays Marian the Librarian, the role originated by Barbara Cook. This is LUKER’s fourth Broadway role.
Singer-songwriter Shelby Lynne. We will listen to her songs and talk to Lynne in studio. Her new CD, “I Am Shelby Lynne” (Universal/Island) is part country and part soul. This is the 6th album for this Alabama-born singer, but it is the first album in which Lynne writes most of the songs. Her other albums were products of the Nashville country music scene. With this new album, Lynne has won over critics and fans alike. Lynne is currently touring the US.
Veteran smokejumper Murray Taylor. He’s been fighting forest fires for over 35 years, is the oldest active smokejumper and the oldest to ever do the job. He’s written a new memoir about his experiences “Jumping Fire: A Smokejumper’s Memoir of Fighting Wildfire.” (Harcourt Inc.)
Writer Joyce Johnson, talks about her relationship to Beat icon Jack Kerouac, and her new book, “Door Wide Open: A Beat Love Affair in letters” (Viking). In 1957, Johnson started a relationship with the then little-known writer Kerouac. 9 months later, Kerouac’s Beat classic “On the Road” was published. Johnson will talk about her two-year, tumultuous love affair with Kerouac, how the publication of “On the Road” changed Kerouac, and she’ll talk about what it was like being young and female and part of the Manhattan bohemian scene.
Husband and wife song writing team, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, the duo responsible for such songs as “You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling,” “On Broadway,” “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” “Here You Come Again,” “Don’t Know Much,” and more. The two met when they were both working in the famous songwriting landmark, the Brill Building— Mann as a composer and Weil as a lyricist. The two have been writing ever since. In edition to their many pop hits, Mann and Weil have also written songs for films.
We talk about the current state of prescription drugs with Doctor Michael Winniford and Doctor Peter Ubel (‘U’-bil). Dr. Winniford is a cardiologist, professor of Medicine at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, and director of the University’s Heart Care Center. Dr. Ubel is assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, and is also on the faculty of the University’s Center for Bioethics. The two doctors will talk about the high cost of prescription drugs, and the problems associated with that cost.
Wayne Barrett, author of the book, “Rudy!: An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Giuliani” (Basic Books). Rudolph Giuliani, the mayor of New York City, recently dropped out of the highly visible New York Senate race, after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The Mayor is a controversial figure; some think of him as a savior who has cleaned up Manhattan’s streets, while others see him as a turn around artist and brut. Barrett's book traces Guiliani’s life and career—from college student to U.S. attorney, to mayor of New York City and possible senate candidate.
Yugoslavian-born writer Aleksander Hemon. Hemon was born in Sarajevo in 1964. While in his early 20s, he came to the United States as a tourist. On the day he was supposed to return to Sarajevo, his home city came under siege. He was forced to stay in the US. Hemon then began working on his English and now writes in English, even though it is not his first language. His first book is a collection of stories called “The Question of Bruno” (Nan A. Talese/ Doubleday).
With all the hype surrounding new advances in information technology, what is truth and what is fiction? Paul Duguid (DO-good), co-author of “The Social Life of Information,” (Harvard Business School Press) helps us answer that question. Duguid is a Research Associate in Social and Cultural Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and consultant at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center.
Cartoonist Ben Katchor, creator of the weekly comic strip, Julius Knipl (ka-NIP-le), Real Estate Photographer. Through his comic strips, Katchor has been an astute and witty commentator on New York in particular and urban life in general. His new book, “Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer: the Beauty Supply District” (Pantheon), is a novel that incorporates some of his single-page strips from the last few years. Katchor has been syndicated in alternative newspapers and magazines since 1988.
