Bob Edwards Weekend, May 17-18, 2014
HOUR ONE:
Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the Los Angeles Times, joins Bob to discuss the latest political news.
A Short History of Decay is the first feature film written and directed by long-time journalist Michael Maren. The story follows a struggling Brooklyn writer who goes to Florida to visits his ailing parents. Bob talks with Maren – and with Tony Award-winning actress Linda Lavin who stars in the film. It opens in theaters this weekend.
HOUR TWO:
With graduation season in full swing, Bob looks at commencement speeches that have become subjects in their own right. First, Bob talks with best-selling writer George Saunders about his new book, Congratulations, By the Way: Some Thoughts on Kindness. It’s an expanded version of the address Saunders gave in 2013 at Syracuse University.
Then, Bob talks with Wellesley High School English teacher David McCullough Jr., son of the famous historian, about his 2012 commencement speech titled “You are not Special.” McCullough expanded it into a new book called You are Not Special: … and Other Encouragements.
We conclude our look at notable commencement addresses with audio of writer David Foster Wallace’s 2005 speech at Kenyon College, which has been called the best commencement address ever. It might have been all but forgotten, but after Wallace took his own life in 2008, the text surfaced on the internet. It was later published as a book, called This is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life.
Visit Bob Edwards Weekend on PRI’s website to find local stations that air the program.