The Bob Edwards Show, May 19-23, 2014
Monday, May 19, 2014: In his new book, The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons, Sam Kean traces the history of neuroscience though the strange but true stories of the poor souls whose brains were studied after experiencing some sort of misfortune. Then, Bob talks to The New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast about her new memoir, Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?
Tuesday, May 20, 2014: Aaron Yeger’s film A People Uncounted is a portrait of the culture and history of the Roma people, commonly referred to as “Gypsies.” An estimated 500,000 Roma were murdered during the Holocaust, yet most people only know of them from pop-culture stereotypes. The film plays at The Quad Cinema in NY May 16 to 22. It is available on iTunes in Canada and will be available on iTunes in the US sometime later this year. Then, Laurence Leamer’s book, The Price of Justice: A True Story of Greed and Corruption, tells the story of two lawyers’ attempt to hold Don Blankenship, the most powerful coal baron in American history, accountable for the death and destruction he has caused. Blankenship was head of Massey Energy, a company that provided nearly half of America’s electric power, since the early 1990s. Leamer’s book is available in paperback.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014: Andrew Carroll is a man on a mission. After discovering that there are thousands of historical landmarks that are not just unmarked but in danger of being forgotten, or worse, destroyed, he founded Here Is Where. This volunteer initiative encourages people to find and mark unmarked historical sites across the United States. Carroll’s book, Here is Where: Discovering America’s Great Forgotten History, is now available in paperback. Then, 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 in the lives of creative women and it’s available in paperback.
Thursday, May 22, 2014: As the founder of the Veterans Writing Project Ron Capps has helped thousands of soldiers cope with their war-time experiences through the written word. Now he’s sharing his personal story in a new book, Seriously Not All Right: Five Wars in Ten Years. Then, Bob talks with award-winning novelist Brian Doyle about his book, The Plover, a harrowing tale of a man stranded on the high seas with only ghosts for company.
Friday, May 23, 2014: Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the Los Angeles Times, joins Bob to discuss the latest political news. Then, singer and songwriter Rodney Crowell stops by our performance studio to visit with Bob and to play a few songs from his new album titled Tarpaper Sky.