This Weekend’s Program (Dec 7-8, 2013)

Bob Edwards Weekend, December 7-8, 2013

HOUR ONE:

Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the Los Angeles Times, joins Bob to discuss the latest political news.

Actor and comedian Steve Coogan is best-known in his native Britain as his alter ego Alan Partridge, a satirical TV and radio presenter.  Coogan switched gears for his latest film, Philomena, a drama co-staring Judi Dench.  Coogan plays a journalist who follows the story of a woman’s search for her long-lost son. 

For the past 31 years, NPR listeners have heard a voice tell them that “support for NPR comes from…”  His time is over, but Frank Tavares joins Bob to discuss the ups and downs of his years behind the mic and how he got the job in the first place.  Tavares is also a professor of communication at Southern Connecticut State University and most recently, the author of a book of short stories, The Man Who Built Boxes and Other Stories.

Then, the latest installment of our ongoing series This I Believe.

HOUR TWO:

Piper Kerman made a very bad decision in 1993, agreeing to carry some drug money on a flight from Chicago to Brussels for her girlfriend.  Several years later, Kerman was arrested for the crime and served 13 months in federal prison.  The experience spawned a memoir, Orange is the New Black, which is now a hit TV show on Netflix.  The book and series tell the stories of some of the women Kerman met in prison.

Paul Schomer of the blog RadioCrowdFund.com is back to share some of his new music discoveries with us. We’ll get lost in Belgian Fog, hear about a tribute album to Sparklehorse, check in with Brit pop band The Shore, hear from New England’s Clara Berry and Woodlog…and check out a new Chicago band called Slow, Pioneers!