The Bob Edwards Show, July 29 – August 2, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013: In her U.S. fiction debut, Irish writer Aifric Campbell turns to a subject she knows well: London’s financial world. Campbell spent 13 years at Morgan Stanley, becoming the first female managing director on the London trading floor. Her book, On The Floor, is a fictionalized account of her previous career. Then, Mark Leibovich is a long-time reporter for the New York Times and before that The Washington Post. His new book, This Town: Two Parties and a Funeral, is a skewering of Washington DC’s incestuous “medial industrial complex” and the egos therein. The book’s jacket includes a warning in red ink: “This Town does not contain an index. Those players wishing to know how they came out will need to read the book.” But that didn’t stop The Washington Post from getting their hands on an early copy and publishing their own “unauthorized” index. Finally, a segment Leibovich might appreciate…Steve Winick & Nancy Groce share selections from the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress about friends & enemies.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013: In his newest book, Hallucinations, neuroscientist Oliver Sacks tells stories of his patients and of his own mind-altering experiences to explain what hallucinations tell us about the organization and structure of our brains. He argues that hallucinations have influenced every culture’s folklore and art, and the potential to experience them is present in us all. Then, Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics enchanted listeners at New York’s annual Governors Ball Music Festival. Ruby and her band tell Bob all about it, and their album, It’s About Time.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013: Today we air an encore presentation of our award-winning documentary, “An ‘Occupational Hazard’: Rape in the Military.” One in three active-duty women in the U.S. military have reported being the victim of sexual assault while serving, which is double the rate for civilians. Based on estimates from the Department of Defense, 19,000 servicemen and women were sexually assaulted in 2010 but many violent acts don’t get reported because victims are required to report to their chain of command. Only eight-percent of the perpetrators are brought to justice, either through prosecution or some form of military nonjudicial punishment. Defending themselves in civilian court in 2011, the Pentagon argued that sexual assault is an “occupational hazard” in the military. Throughout today’s program we will hear about military sexual trauma from affected servicemen and women, from advocates who help treat and raise awareness about the problem, and from lawmakers about what is and isn’t being done to change the culture that protects these sexual perpetrators.
Thursday, August 1, 2013: Paula Coughlin was a Lieutenant in the United States Navy who became a whistleblower in 1992, launching the investigation into what is known as the “Tailhook scandal.” Now a board member for Protect Our Defenders, she’ll discuss the ongoing problems of sexual assault in the military as an update to the award-winning radio documentary, “An ‘Occupational Hazard’: Rape in the Military.” Then Bob talks with Dr. Stephen Hanks. In November 2012, Lt. Col James Wilkerson was convicted of aggravated sexual assault against a civilian contractor, Dr. Hanks’s sister. Wilkerson was dismissed from the Air Force and sentenced to one year in jail, but his commander overturned the conviction and freed the star pilot, reinstating him back into the Air Force. Dr. Hanks discusses the case and the ongoing humiliation of his family. Lastly, after the recent events related to sexual trauma in the military, Bob revisits Ariana and Ben Klay who were officers in the U.S. Marine Corps when Ariana was sexually assaulted in her home by two men, one a fellow Marine officer. Ariana attempted suicide before both husband and wife resigned from the Marines. The Klays give their insights following the recent events related to sexual assault in the military.
Friday, August 2, 2013: Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the Los Angeles Times, joins Bob to discuss the latest political news. Next, Jimbo Mathus played mandolin in his family band, did the South Memphis early punk scene, co-founded the Squirrel Nut Zippers, been nominated for two Grammys, worked as a river barge deckhand, and wandered the US alone to get a feel for its music and its people. All of those experiences have contributed to his new album, White Buffalo. Mathus says it’s an album that could not have been made anywhere other than the Deep South – it’s steeped in the mythology, culture and language of the Mississippi Delta, where the Mathus family has lived for generations. Jimbo Mathus and his entire new band, The Tri-State Coalition, join Bob in the performance studio for some songs and conversation. Finally, the latest installment of our ongoing series This I Believe.