Radio News
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Radio Talking Book Radio News January 2006 |
Current Edition: December 2006
Next Edition: January 2007
Previous News Editions: January 2006, February 2006, March 2006, April 2006, May 2006, June 2006, July 2006, August 2006, September 2006, October 2006, November 2006
Some Notes on this Month’s Books
A glance at this month’s books may tell you two things: there is a book that has a 2006 copyright, and there are two books about Benjamin Franklin. The book that has a 2006 copyright is The Fugitive Wife, by Minneapolis author Peter C. Brown. We were able to record a copy in advance because his wife, Ellen Brown, is an RTB volunteer. She said she had great fun recording the book.
The two books about Benjamin Franklin are A Great Improvisation and The Franklin Affair. They are very different from each other, but appear because this month marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin. Students of history can tell you how much gratitude we owe to this brilliant father of our country. Happy Birthday, Ben.
Books Available Through Faribault
All books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available through the Minnesota Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Faribault. Their phone is
1-800-722-0550 and hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you live outside of Minnesota, you may obtain copies of books by contacting your own state’s Network Library for the National Library Service.
Review old issues of Radio News on the Internet at http://www.mnssb.org/radionews/ .
Donate to the Communication Center
Donations to the Communication Center can be made by calling Development Director Angela Bodensteiner at 651-642-0445 or 1-800-652-9000. You may also go to the Development Director’s website at http://www.mncommunicationcenter.org/ or mail a contribution to the Communication Center at 2200 University Ave. W., Suite 240, Saint Paul, MN 55114-1840.
Chautauqua
Tuesday - Saturday 4 a.m.
Gunpowder, Alchemy, Bombards & Pyrotechnics
Nonfiction by Jack Kelly, 2004.
When the Chinese designed the first man-made explosion in the 10th century, it was to frighten evil spirits. But as word of it spread, it paved the way for Western exploration and the industrial revolution.
Read by Alvin Apple.
9 broadcasts. Began December 27.
Marriage, a History
Nonfiction by Stephanie Coontz, 2005.
Many people idealize a traditional marriage. But for most of our history, marriage was not based on love, but was devoted to wealth, power, and property. Picking a mate based on love would have been considered absurd.
Read by Barbara Struyk.
15 broadcasts. Begins January 9.
Last Child in the Woods
Nonfiction by Richard Louv, 2005.
Exposure to nature is essential for healthy child development, yet sending kids outside to play is difficult. Media has expanded our fears of traffic, strangers, and even mosquitoes.
Read by June Prange.
12 broadcasts. Begins January 30.
Past is Prologue
Monday - Friday 9 a.m.
The Bonus Army
Nonfiction by Paul Dickson and Thomas B. Allen, 2005. In 1932, in the midst of the Depression, 45,000 World War I vets descended on Washington D.C. to demand payment of a bonus that was promised eight years earlier for wartime service.
Read by Wally Vavrosky.
13 broadcasts. Began December 28.
A Great Improvisation
Nonfiction by Stacy Schiff, 2005.
Benjamin Franklin arrived in France in 1776 on a secret mission to gather support for the American Revolution. That he succeeded is one of the tributes to the abilities of this great man.
Read by James Keane.
25 broadcasts. Begins January 16.
Bookworm
Monday - Friday 11 a.m.
Finding Betty Crocker
Nonfiction by Susan Marks, 2005.
“Born” in 1921 in Minneapolis, Betty Crocker has grown into one of the most successful branding campaigns the world has ever known. At the height of her popularity in the 1940s, Betty Crocker received four to five thousand letters per day.
Read by Carolyn Light Bell.
5 broadcasts. Begins January 2.
Zorro
Fiction by Isabel Allende, 2005.
Diego de la Vega was the son of an aristocratic Spanish military man and landowner, but his mother was a Shoshone warrior. Feeling inner conflict of his heritage, Zorro fought for those who could not fight for themselves. V -
Read by Andrea Bell.
16 broadcasts. Begins January 9.
The Wonder Spot
Fiction by Melissa Bank, 2005.
Sophie is on a quest for her own identity: who she is, what she loves, whom she loves, and whom others should love. In an often disappointing world, Sophie needs to learn to listen to her own heart.
Read by Karen Wertz.
10 broadcasts. Begins January 31.
Potpourri
Monday - Friday 2 p.m.
You, the Owner’s Manual
Nonfiction by Michael F. Roizen, and Mehmet C. Oz, 2005. You may think you know a lot about the human body, but the reality is that most know very little about our anatomy.
Read by Art Nyhus.
13 broadcasts. Begins January 2.
Garlic and Sapphires
Nonfiction by Ruth Reichl, 2005.
Food critic Reichl finds one’s appearance affects expectations and appetites as well as the service one receives. L - Read by Audray Rees. 13 broadcasts. Begins January 19.
Choice Reading
Monday - Friday 4 p.m.
Baker Towers
Fiction by Jennifer Haigh, 2005.
Raised during wartime in the mining town of Bakerton, the five Novak children experience life very differently.
Read by Karen Wertz.
9 broadcasts. Began December 26.
The Confessions of Max Tivoli
Fiction by Andrew Sean Greer, 2004.
Born with the appearance of an elderly man, Max grows older mentally, but his body appears to grow younger every year. L -
Read by Scott Brush.
13 broadcasts. Begins January 9.
The Icarus Girl
Fiction by Helen Oyeyemi, 2005.
Half-Nigerian, half-English Jess Harrison has a powerful imagination. When her parents take her to Nigeria, she meets TillyTilly and it changes her life. L -
Read by Laura Rohlik.
12 broadcasts. Begins January 26.
PM Report
Monday - Friday 8 p.m.
Dying to Win
Nonfiction by Robert A. Pape, 2005.
Suicide terrorism is increasing around the world. Pape says terrorists have learned that governments will make concessions.
Read by Leila Poullada.
11 broadcasts. Begins January 2.
History on Trial
Nonfiction by Deborah E. Lipstadt, 2005.
Lipstadt published a history of the Holocaust denial movement, in which she called David Irving one of the most dangerous of its spokespersons. For that, she was sued for libel.
Read by Madeline Hamermesh.
15 broadcasts. Begins January 17.
Night Journey
Monday - Friday 9 p.m.
Missing Persons
Fiction by Stephen White, 2005.
Alan Gregory is chasing down clues to solve the murder of his friend and fellow therapist. V,L,S -
Read by John Marsicano.
12 broadcasts. Began December 26.
Fleshmarket Alley
Fiction by Ian Rankin, 2005.
In the area known as Fleshmarket Alley, the bones of a woman and child are found in the remodeling of a bar. L -
Read by Bert Gardner.
14 broadcasts. Begins January 11.
The Franklin Affair
Fiction by Jim Lehrer, 2005.
R Taylor is left with secret knowledge that would completely alter the fabric of American history. L -
Read by Diane Ladenson.
7 broadcasts. Begins January 31.
Off the Shelf
Monday - Friday 10 p.m.
The Fugitive Wife
Fiction by Peter C. Brown, 2006.
The year is 1900. Fleeing a stormy marriage, Essie, a Midwestern farm girl, joins up with prospectors bound for Nome, where the golden sands teem with dreamers, schemers, and high rollers. L,S -
Read by Ellen Brown.
13 broadcasts. Begins January 2.
Small Island
Fiction by Andrea Levy, 2005.
Hortense arrives in London from Jamaica in 1948; her husband Gilbert returns from the war expecting hero status, but finds, as a black man, he is still second class. V,L,S -
Read by Judith Johannessen.
17 broadcasts. Begins January 19.
Evening Odyssey
Monday - Friday 11 p.m.
Small Mediums at Large
Nonfiction by Terry Iacuzzo, 2004.
Coming from a family of psychics, Terry tried to ground herself against experiences of past, present, and future. As an adult, she is one of the country’s most sought-after psychics. L,S -
Read by Mickey Young.
15 broadcasts. Began December 21.
No Country for Old Men
Fiction by Cormac McCarthy, 2005.
Near the Texas/Mexico border, Llewelyn Moss finds men dead, a load of heroin, and $2 million in cash. It is only after more murders, the law takes the deaths seriously. V,L -
Read by Ray Christensen.
8 broadcasts. Begins January 11.
The Trudeau Vector
Fiction by Juris Jurjevics, 2005.
As winter approaches in the Arctic Circle, three scientists are found dead on the ice - cause of death unknown. L - Read by Eric Thornton. 15 broadcasts. Begins January 23.
Good Night Owl
Monday - Friday at midnight
Kafka on the Shore
Fiction by Haruki Murakami, 2005.
Kafka Tamura runs away from home either to escape an oedipal prophecy, or to search for his missing mother and sister. With Nakata, he sets off on his odyssey. V,L,S -
Read by Arlan Dohrenburg.
24 broadcasts. Began December 6.
Pretty Birds
Fiction by Scott Simon, 2005.
In 1992, Irena is a star on her Sarajevo high school basketball team. But while she lives a typical teen’s life, her city becomes a battleground. Soon her family flees for safety and she becomes a sniper. L,S -
Read by Fred Lyon.
18 broadcasts. Begins January 9.
After Midnight
Tuesday - Saturday at 1 a.m.
Shadowmarch, Volume One
Fiction by Tad Williams, 2004.
For centuries, the Eddon family has ruled and protected Southmarch against the inhuman Qar. Now the Qar are threatening the border, and Southmarch is being protected by two young, inexperienced children of the king. V -
Read by David Tofteland.
31 broadcasts. Began December 26.
Abbreviation Code:
V - violence, L - rough language, S - sexual situation