HOUR ONE
Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns is back with a new, majestic and sweeping, six-part, 12-hour documentary for PBS. “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” charts the history and current status of our country’s most treasured real estate. Bob talks with Burns and writer and co-producer Dayton Duncan about the ten years they spent on the project.
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series This I Believe, Bob talks with executive director Dan Gediman about the essay from television and film actress Julia Adams. Her career has spanned more than 50 years and began with a starring role in “Creature From the Black Lagoon.” Adams has co-starred with movie icons John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Charlton Heston and many others. More recently, she has appeared on TV shows “Lost” and “Cold Case.”
HOUR TWO
Bob first talked with Jill McCorkle at the beginning of her career. Now, they re-unite to discuss “Going Away Shoes,” her ninth book. It’s a collection of short stories that McCorkle describes as a litter she was nursing. The characters confront unhappy marriages, looming adulthood, and therapy – but McCorkle manages to inject a lot of humor into those dark subjects.
Chris Smither is a musician with a reputation for storytelling, weaving catchy melodies and intricate lyrics together. Smither mixes the blues with folk to create his recognizable style, and it’s one that has influenced other artists, like Bonnie Raitt and Emmylou Harris. Smither’s latest album is called “Time Stands Still,” and it includes his own songs and covers from Bob Dylan and Mark Knopfler. Bob talks with Smither about his long musical career and he performs a few of his songs in the studio.