August 25, 2007 (#76)- The Sibings Show

Epic, Painful, Long, Scary
Julie Kimberly- Producer, ABC

Epic, Painful, Long,Scary is the story of 19 year-old African Australian twins Vuli and Bheki. The twins hardly remember their mother and father who both died from AIDS-related illnesses when the boys were just toddlers. They were adopted by their parents’ friend Susanne who was with the family when the children were tested for the virus. As fate would have it, one of boys was found to be HIV Positive, the other perfectly healthy. In this documentary Vuli and Bheki share their fears, hopes and secrets about growing up together with this reality between them.

A Burden to be Well
Karen Brown- Reporter/Producer WCFR
Mary Beth Kirchner- Editor, American Radio Works

Much has been said and written about the siblings of children with chronic illness but far less has been  studied about the siblings of children  with severe mental illness. Siblings’ needs often go unmet despite their suffering in their own right – from trauma, guilt, grief and the burden of heavy responsibilities. They often feel ignored by the family, the health care providers, and society at large – since the ill sibling ends up with  most of the available attention.

Featured Music:

Doctor Rockit, "Lullaby for William", Childish Music (Staubgold, 2005)
Melodium, "Flacana 5", Flacana Flacana (Audio Dregs, 2006)
Yuichiro Fujimoto, "Small Mountain", Komorebi (Smalltown Supersound, 2004)

Extras:

August 18, 2007 (#75)- The Retirement Show

The Last Place: Diary of a Retirement Home
Joe Richman - Radio Diaries

The Presbyterian Homes in Evanston, Illinois is a sprawling campus of retirement accommodations that range from independent townhouses and apartments to buildings with full nursing care. Over 500 elderly residents live there, and take advantage of restaurant-like dining rooms, athletic facilities, and lush green walkways. Producer Joe Richman got to know some of the residents of the Presby Homes, as they're called, and gave them tape recorders to document their days and thoughts for his series American Diaries.

Whistle and Hum
David Greenberger - Duplex Planet

Whistle while you work, but once you retire...

Interview with David Greenberger

When David Greenberger graduated from college, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do next (really, who is?). Then he took a job as an activities director at the Duplex Nursing Home in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts-- where he unexpectedly found his life's work. He loved finding different ways to tell the stories of the elderly people he met. He started Duplex Planet Magazine in 1979 and has since produced a wide variety of stories, essays, and films on similar subjects. He believes that older people are far more than just a repository of their past. He's not really interested in their oral history; he's interested in their contemporary lives.

Break
David Greenberger - Duplex Planet

Thoughts about the inevitable losses of old age and the value of a positive perspective in life.

A Condition of the Heart
David Greenberger - Duplex Planet

Reflections on aging, the illness and death of a wife, decline, and then renewed social life by joining a retirement community.

Mom's Good Move, Part 2
Dan Collison - Producer

The family of a radio producer is a family who's used to talking into a microphone. So when independent producer Dan Collison's mother moved into a retirement home, he -- perhaps predictably -- recorded the whole thing. And five years later when she made another major transition, he was there for the sequel, reviewing (with his mom) how things have panned out over the past few years.

Secret to a Happy Retirement
David Greenberger - Duplex Planet

Lessons to help a husband be more independent in retirement, including how to use a George Foreman grill.

Featured Music

Yuichiro Fujimoto, "Little Sunset", Komorebi (Smalltown Supersound, 2004)
Yuichiro Fujimoto, "Joy", Komorebi (Smalltown Supersound, 2004)
Yuichiro Fujimoto, "Small Mountain" , Komorebi (Smalltown Supersound, 2004)

Extras:

Learn more about Duplex Planet!

Listen to more stories by Dan Collison.

More Radio Diaries from Joe Richman...

August 11, 2007 (#56)- The MBK Show
Originally Broadcast September 9 , 2006

Roof of Thunder
Mary Beth Kirchner- Independent Producer

John Hull was born sighted and underwent the slow inexorable loss of vision, until he became totally blind in his mid-forties. Through audio diaries and intimate scenes with his family, Hull takes us inside his world of blindness.

Interview with Mary Beth Kirchner

Gwen Macsai talks briefly to the pioneering radio producer about these two pieces from the early days of American long-form documentary production.

A Mind of Her Own
Mary Beth Kirchner- Independent Producer

The story of one family’s decade-long struggle with Alzheimer’s. Despite the fact that we know much more about the disease now than when this documentary was produced almost twenty years ago, it remains fresh, painting a very intimate portrait of what it means to live with this devastating illness.

Featured Music
Hauschka, "Fernpunkt,” The Prepared Piano (Karaoke Kalk, 2005)
Hauschka, “Where Were You,” The Prepared Piano (Karaoke Kalk, 2005)
Hauschka, “Kein Wort,” The Prepared Piano (Karaoke Kalk, 2005)
Hauschka, “Kreuzung,” The Prepared Piano (Karaoke Kalk, 2005)

Extras:

Hear another one of Mary Beth Kirchner's Soundprint documentaries "The Greying of the Convent" in our 2001 Audio Archive.

This week's featured musician Hauschka is coming to the Elastic performance space in Chicago on Sunday, September 24, 2006, along with another Re:sound/TCF favorite Alessandro Bosetti (of "African Feedback" fame). We're excited, you should be too.

August 4 , 2007 (#74)- The Lefty Show
Due to rights issues, we are unable to offer online audio for this program or to re-air it on Chicago Public Radio in the future. We wish we could!

On the Other Hand
Robin Ravlich- Producer, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Russell Stapleton- Producer/Engineer, Australian Broadcasting Corporation

We are supposed to put our right hand over our hearts when saying the pledge of allegiance, put our right hand into the air to solemnly swear in a court of law and put our right hand firmly in front of us to shake hands every time we meet someone.  So what about the poor lefty, cast aside by formal ceremonies, at a loss for a decent pair of scissors, with inky hands from having to drag their hand over the wet page of their writing? It’s a raw deal. But great art is borne of struggle, and lefty musicians in particular have made a striking impact on music, displaying great virtuosity and creative adaptations to their instruments which were designed in a right thinking, right handed world.

The New Pleasant Revolution
Tony Mendoza- Independent Producer
Michael Slaboch- Independent Producer

A bike messenger provides alternatives to horrible traffic horns. One of the 2007 TCF Dollar Storeys.

Featured Music

Battles, “Atlas,” Mirrored ( Warp Records, 2007)

Extras

Learn how you can be a part of our new ShortDoc project: Dollar Storeys.