Bob Edwards Weekend Highlights – October 3-4, 2009
HOUR ONE
Journalist Allison Hoover-Bartlett became friends with a rare book dealer and John Charles Gilkey, the thief who stole from him. Bartlett’s book The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession ties all of their stories together, and offers a glimpse into the exclusive world of book collectors.
In this week’s installment of our ongoing series This I Believe, Bob talks with executive director Dan Gediman about the essay from William O. Douglas. He was an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1939 to 1975. As a boy, he hiked the Cascade Mountains near his home in Washington to strengthen legs weakened by polio. Douglas’ prolific career on the bench was marked by controversy and two attempts to impeach him.
HOUR TWO
Juan Gabriel Vasquez grew up in Colombia, was educated in his home country, and in Paris at the Sorbonne. The 36-year old writer has been translated in nine languages and now for the first time published in the United States. The Informers is a novel set in World War II Colombia and tells the story of a man who publicly betrays his son and how long buried family secrets come to light.
Mike Fay is an explorer and conservationist who specializes in long journeys. In 1999, he hiked 2,000 miles across the Congo River Basin to take an ecological census of the area. His latest journey was through the magnificent Redwood forests of the Pacific coast. Along the trek, Fay met loggers, environmentalists and ecologists who are developing “enlightened forestry.” Photographer Michael “Nick” Nichols accompanied Fay on the journey and their work is being showcased in October’s edition of National Geographic Magazine. The journey is also being featured in “Climbing Redwood Giants” on the National Geographic TV channel’s “Explorer” program.
Bob talks with entertainment critic David Kipen about new movies in theaters this weekend.
Dear Mr. Edwards,
Thanks so much for your usual great show! But I really have to say, as someone who grew up in Michigan, worked briefly for a GM plant in Lansing, is about the same age as Michael Moore, watched "Roger & Me" glued to the screen from start to finish, unable to believe that someone had nailed the auto industry so thorougly 20 YEARS before their complete crash – did Mr. Kipen have to give away the last line to his latest film?
Despite what many may think of him, Michael Moore is a hero to me. I suspect I will chuckle – and I know I will cry (because I always cry at his movies) when I see "Capitalism – A Love Story" – for what Michigan was, and for what it still is. There is nothing tougher than an autoworker, especially an out-of-work autoworker. You haven’t seen the last of us Michiganders, 15% unemployment or not.
Keep up the awesome work, Mr. Edwards. You are also a hero to me.
Kind Regards,
Meg from Michigan