Radio News
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Radio Talking Book Radio News May 2008 |
Current Edition: June 2008
Previous News Editions: January 2008, February 2008, March 2008, April 2008, May 2008
January 2007, February 2007, March 2007, April 2007, May 2007, June 2007, July 2007, August 2007, September 2007, October 2007, November 2007, December 2007
January 2006, February 2006, March 2006, April 2006, May 2006, June 2006, July 2006, August 2006, September 2006, October 2006, November 2006, December 2006
New Digital Radios Purchased
The Communication Center at Minnesota State Services for the Blind (SSB), with the generous support of the Minnesota Community Foundation, is pleased to announce the next successful step in the 21st Century project, a project to make significant digital improvements in the Radio Talking Book (RTB) Network, and other infrastructure. SSB has completed the purchase of new digital radios, which will significantly improve the audio quality of RTB programming, and set the stage for other digital improvements in the future.
This purchase was made possible by assistance from the Minnesota Community Foundation and through contributions from loyal RTB listeners, the F. R. Bigelow Foundation, the Katherine B. Andersen Fund of the Saint Paul Foundation, the Mardag Foundation of the Saint Paul Foundation, the Bush Foundation, the Frey Family Fund, the Anna Heilmaier Foundation, the Rochester Area Foundation, Andersen Corporation, the Knight Foundation Donor Advised Fund of the Saint Paul Foundation and the HRK Foundation.
We expect delivery in the late Fall of 2008. We are sure the move from analog to digital radio signal will be one more step towards assuring that the Communication Center continues to provide the highest quality audio reading materials to those persons who are blind or visually impaired. Without the partnerships and generosity of our friends and supporters, this would not be possible. Thank you! - Chuk Hamilton, Director, State Services for the Blind
Books Available Through Faribault
All books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault. Their phone is 1-800-722-0550 and hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Their catalog is also online, and you can access it at the main website, http://education.state.mn.us and clicking on the link, or go to http://education.state.mn.us/mde/Learning_Support/MN_Braille_Talking_Book_Library/index
.html. 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 www.mnssb.org/radionews.
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Chautauqua
Tuesday - Saturday 4 a.m.
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The First Man-Made Man
Nonfiction by Pagan Kennedy, 2007.
Michael Dillon was the first person to undergo a sex change from female to male. During a time when plastic surgery and synthetic hormones were in their infancy, he pursued a course of action both socially unheard-of and life threatening. L -
Read by Arlan Dohrenburg.
8 broadcasts. Begins May 5.
On Royalty
Nonfiction by Jeremy Paxman, 2007.
How have kings and queens come to exercise their hold on our imaginations? In an era when divine right no longer prevails, this ancient institution struggles for meaning in a modern world.
Read by Wally Peters.
13 broadcasts. Begins May 15.
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Past is Prologue
Monday - Friday 9 a.m.
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Billy the Kid: the Endless Ride
Nonfiction by Michael Wallis, 2007.
Billy the Kid has been portrayed for over 125 years as one of the most savage killers in American folklore. But his legend was manu-factured to divert attention from larger societal corruption.
Read by Ray Christensen.
10 broadcasts. Began April 24.
Indian Summer
Nonfiction by Alex von Tunzelmann, 2007.
At midnight on August 15, 1947, 400 million people gained independence as India and Pakistan were born. But the transition was accompanied by waves of violence which had not been totally foreseen by the larger than life key players. V,L -
Read by Dan Sadoff.
18 broadcasts. Begins May 8.
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Bookworm
Monday - Friday 11 a.m.
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Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
Fiction by Laurie Viera Rigler, 2007
Jane Austen addict Courtney Stone wakes to find herself in the middle of a Jane Austen novel, in another woman’s body. Nothing has prepared her for 19th century England. S -
Read by Eleanor Berg.
10 broadcasts. Begins May 5.
Beware of Cat
Nonfiction by Vincent Wyckoff, 2007.
Letter carriers are sometimes the common thread connecting neighbors. On Wyckoff’s mail route, he sees the neighborhood change to a more diverse group of families.
Read by Hugh Jones.
5 broadcasts. Begins May 19.
Dog Years
Nonfiction by Mark Doty, 2007.
When Mark’s partner was dying, he and his black lab adopted a malnourished golden retriever in need of love. The two dogs became his intimate companions that helped him through his darkest days. Read by John Schmidt.
6 broadcasts. Begins May 26.
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Potpourri
Monday - Friday 2 p.m.
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Swallow the Ocean
Nonfiction by Laura M. Flynn, 2007.
As a girl, Laura thought her mother was perfect. But by the time Laura was eight, her mother had begun to slip into schizophrenia forcing Laura and her sisters to retreat to books and the imagination. L -
Read by Carol Lewis.
7 broadcasts. Begins May 1.
And I Haven’t Had a Bad Day Since
Nonfiction by Charles B. Rangel, 2007.
Raised on the streets of Harlem, Rangel has risen through the ranks of Congress. His last bad day was during the Korean War.
Read by Malcolm McLean.
15 broadcasts. Begins May 12.
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Choice Reading
Monday - Friday 4 p.m.
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Dreaming in Libro
Nonfiction by Louise Bernikow, 2007.
Louise was an independent woman who had little time for pets. Then she adopted a dog and her character changed. Officially, she rescued Libro; the reality was the other way around.
Read by Laura Rohlik.
6 broadcasts. Began April 28.
Beginner’s Greek
Fiction by James Collins, 2008.
Peter believes in romance and love. So when he meets the woman of his dreams on a plane trip, he believes his prayers have been answered. She gives him her name and number and invites him to call. Then he loses the paper. L,S -
Read by Bonita Sindelir.
16 broadcasts. Begins May 6.
When We Get There
Fiction by Shauna Seliy, 2007.
Lucas’ father died in a coal-mine blast. Now 13, Lucas goes in search of his mother who has left. His world is comprised of old-world elders and extended family members in his close-knit ethnic community. L -
Read by Jodi Furness.
8 broadcasts. Begins May 28.
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PM Report
Monday - Friday 8 p.m.
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Deep Economy
Nonfiction by Bill McKibben, 2007.
For the first time in human history, “more” is no longer synonymous with “better;” for many, they have become opposites. We need to move beyond “growth” as the paramount economic ideal and pursue prosperity in a more local direction.
Read by Doug Hartford.
10 broadcasts. Began April 23.
Oath Betrayed
Nonfiction by Steven H. Miles, 2006.
When military personnel were proven to be torturing inmates at U.S. military prisons, some asked where the doctors were. They were not only silent; they had helped determine how much mistreatment could be delivered. L -
Read by Fred Lyon.
8 broadcasts. Begins May 7.
American Crescent
Nonfiction by Imam Hassan Qazwini, 2007.
Qazwini believes Islam is good for America. He says those who destroyed the World Trade Center had hijacked Islam and most Muslims were appalled by their actions. Islam is a faith of peace and diversity. Read by Leila Poullada.
10 broadcasts. Begins May 19.
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Night Journey
Monday - Friday 9 p.m.
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Interred with Their Bones
Fiction by Jennifer Lee Carrell, 2007.
Before a production of Hamlet, Shakespeare scholar Kate Stanley is told of a new discovery. Before it is revealed, the theater is burned and a body found. L -
Read by Nancy Felknor.
16 broadcasts. Began April 18.
Lean Mean Thirteen
Fiction by Janet Evanovich, 2007.
Stephanie Plum is a suspect in her former husband’s disappearance. It doesn’t matter how innocent she is; she was seen hurting him in front of the entire office. L -
Read by Judy McGuigan.
9 broadcasts. Begins May 6.
Dead Heat
Fiction by Dick Francis and Felix Francis, 2007. Max is a rising culinary star, but he takes hits to his reputation. First, guests at one of his events get food poisoning. Second, a bomb blast kills some staff and guests at a luncheon. How can he restore his name?
Read by Dan Kuechenmeister.
11 broadcasts. Begins May 19.
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Off the Shelf
Monday - Friday 10 p.m.
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The Indian Clerk
Fiction by David Leavitt, 2007.
In 1913, mathematician G.H. Hardy received a letter from an Indian claiming to be on the brink of solving the most important mathematical problem of all time.
Read by John Schmidt.
17 broadcasts. Began April 28.
Angelica
Fiction by Arthur Phillips, 2007.
In the Barton household in the 1880s, a sexual spectre is appearing - hovering over the daughter in her sleep and terrorizing the mother. A spiritualist is summoned to cleanse the house, but the complexities only multiply. L -
Read by Mary Davies.
13 broadcasts. Begins May 21.
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Evening Odyssey
Monday - Friday 11 p.m.
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The Big Girls
Fiction by Susanna Moore, 2007.
Dr. Louise Forrest, a recently divorced mother of an eight-year-old, was trained for a Park Avenue practice but has chosen to take the position as chief of psychiatry at Sloatsburg women’s prison. There, she meets Helen, serving a life sentence for the murder of her children. L -
Read by Jennifer O’Brien.
6 broadcasts. Begins May 5.
The Yiddish Policemen’s Union
Fiction by Michael Chabon, 2007.
The Jewish District of Sitka is coming under Alaskan control. But homicide detective Meyer Landsman has his own troubles: his life is a shambles, his marriage a wreck, his career a disaster. But he sees a way to redeem himself. L -
Read by Carolyn Light Bell.
14 broadcasts. Begins May 13.
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Good Night Owl
Monday - Friday midnight
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The Spanish Bow
Fiction by Andromeda Roman-Lax, 2007.
Feliu, studying cello, meets piano prodigy Justo and begins a lifelong friendship and rivalry. They clash over women, politics, and everything else.
Read by Laura Rohlik.
22 broadcasts. Began April 21.
The Testament of Gideon Mack
Fiction by James Robertson, 2007.
Gideon is a small-town Scottish minister. When he falls into a river, he is presumed drowned. But he resurfaces three days later claiming he was rescued by the Devil. L -
Read by Charlie Boone.
16 broadcasts. Begins May 21.
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After Midnight
Tuesday - Saturday 1 a.m.
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Peony in Love
Fiction by Lisa See, 2007.
Peony watches an opera with other women from behind a screen. When she sees an elegant handsome man, she is overcome with emotion.
Read by Sue McDonald.
13 broadcasts. Began April 21.
Hunter’s Run
Fiction by George R.R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, Daniel Abraham, 2008. On the planet São Paulo, Ramón commits a murder, escapes to the wilderness, and battles for freedom from a race of aliens. V,L -
Read by Del Adamson.
10 broadcasts. Begins May 8.
Eclipse
Fiction by Stephenie Meyer, 2007.
Bella is forced to choose between love for Edward and friendship with Jacob, knowing her decision may ignite the struggle between vampire and werewolf.
Read by Mary Ellen Morris.
19 broadcasts. Begins May 22.
Abbreviations: V - violence, L - offensive, language, S - sexual situations