The Bob Edwards Show, January 6-10, 2014
Monday, January 6, 2014: Bob talks to violinist Hilary Hahn about her new CD, In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores. Hahn spent more than a decade commissioning new works by contemporary composers to play at the end of her concerts. Encores, which are the performer’s way of rewarding an enthusiastic audience at the end of a concert, are short, intimate pieces between 2 and 5 minutes long. Hahn wasn’t satisfied with the standard encore repertoire, and wondered what contemporary composers would do with the form. She contacted composers from all over the world. The result is a dazzling 2-CD collection of brand new encores, which she has been performing at her concerts.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014: Bob talks to novelist and memoirist Pat Conroy about his newest book, The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son. Then, in 2005, soul singer Leela James exploded on the music scene with her first album A Change Is Gonna Come. Some critics have compared her sound to Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and Chaka Khan. James has four albums to her credit, an NAACP Image Award, and fans that travel far and wide to hear what soul music sounds like in the 21st century. James talks to Bob about her career, her tour, and her recent collaboration with male vocalist Anthony Hamilton.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014: Award-winning historian Graham Robb traveled by bicycle from Portugal to the Alps, following the ancient Celtic route known as the Heraklean Way. His new book, The Discovery of Middle Earth: Mapping the Lost World of the Celts, charts his experiences and discoveries. Then, it’s been over 200 years since the Brothers Grimm first shared their collection of fairy tales with children and adults. The lure of “once upon a time” captured people’s imagination, making Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Rapunzel and many others some of the Western world’s most beloved stories. Harvard professor Maria Tatar edited The Annotated Brothers Grimm and talks with Bob about these enticing and often grisly tales.
Thursday, January 9, 2014: On January 12th, 2010, an earthquake ripped through Haiti’s capital city and killed an estimated 300,000 people, making the world wonder if a country could withstand any more deprivation, of both the natural and manmade kind. Journalist Amy Wilentz was there when Baby Doc fled, and she was there decades later, just after the earthquake hit. In her book Farewell Fred Voodoo: A Letter from Haiti, Wilentz guides readers though the country’s long and tortured history. Wilentz’s book is now available in paperback. Then, neuroscientist Joshua Greene explains the relationship between morality and human evolution in his latest book Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and The Gap Between Us and Them. Greene talks to Bob about the book, and his work as director of Harvard University’s Moral Cognition Lab.
Friday, January 10, 2014: Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the Los Angeles Times, joins Bob to discuss the latest political news. Then, during the 2008 presidential campaign, Bill Ayers was dubbed a “domestic terrorist” and his relationship with candidate Barack Obama was extensively studied under the right-wing talk show microscope. In his new memoir, the co-founder of the Weather Underground presents himself as an activist committed to social justice and education. His book is titled Public Enemy: Confessions of an American Dissident.