Bob Edwards Weekend, October 5-6, 2013
HOUR ONE:
Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the Los Angeles Times, joins Bob to discuss the latest political news.
Sena Jeter Naslund has written a novel-within-a-novel, The Fountain of St. James Court; or, Portrait of the Artist as an Old Woman, and it tells the tales of two women—-one a fictional contemporary writer, the other, a renowned historic painter. The book explores the transformative power of art, history and love lives of creative women.
Wadjda is the first-ever feature film to be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia. That’s amazing enough but the fact that the writer and director is a woman makes the accomplishment even more significant. Haifaa al-Mansour’s movie tells the story of a gregarious Saudi girl who enters a Koran-memorization contest at her school with plans to use the prize money to buy a green bicycle. Biking was, until very recently, a banned activity for women, but Wadjda is determined to go faster than she can on foot.
Then, the latest installment of our ongoing series This I Believe.
HOUR TWO:
The indie rock band Okkervil River has been a critical darling since the late 1990s. The group formed in Austin, Texas but the founding members first met at a New Hampshire boarding school years before. The parents of bandleader Will Sheff taught at Kimball Union Academy and despite his subsequent success and cross-country touring, Sheff’s thoughts often returned to his childhood spent in tiny Meriden, New Hampshire. The songs on Okkervil River’s latest album are autobiographical and set in that specific place during the year 1986. Bob talks with Sheff about his hometown, his songwriting process, the band’s unusual name and Okkervil River’s brand new CD titled The Silver Gymnasium.
Bob talks with Paul Schomer who runs the new music discovery blog www.radiocrowdfund.com. He shares a few of his favorite new bands with us – including the Austin-based orchestral pop band Mother Falcon … and Olin & The Moon, whose new CD is being produced by indie music star Ryan Adams.
Visit Bob Edwards Weekend on PRI’s website to find local stations that air the program.