The Bob Edwards Show, July 21-25, 2014
Monday, July 21, 2014: In 1969, four African American men set out to create “the pre-eminent voice for black women,” according to The New York Times. That “voice” was Essence magazine. Bob talks to founder Edward Lewis and former executive Audrey Edwards about the magazine, its past, and their book The Man From Essence: Creating A Magazine for Black Women. Then, Bob talks with Roger Blevins Jr. about the music of his oddly named band, Mingo Fishtrap. They combine the sounds of Memphis and New Orleans, with a little north Texas thrown in, to create a funky sound all their own. The group’s latest album is titled On Time.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014: Armed with a notebook and binoculars, 50 years ago this month, a 26 year old Jane Goodall traveled to what is today Tanzania to study chimpanzees. Now 80 years old, and on the road 300 days of the year, Goodall is largely responsible for changing our perceptions of the relationship between humans and animals. Goodall is the subject of the documentary Jane’s Journey, which is available online. Then, it’s been more than twenty years since Scott Turow helped invent the legal thriller genre with his #1 bestseller, Presumed Innocent. That book sold more than 6 ½ million copies and was on The New York Times bestseller list for 45 weeks. Turow has remained a practicing lawyer over the years and has been very active in capital punishment reform in Illinois. His latest suspense novel, Identical, is loosely based on the myth of the Greek god Zeus’s twin sons (one mortal and one immortal). Identical is now available in paperback.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014: In 2011, 13 young women and one young man in the small town of LeRoy, New York experienced “conversion disorder,” a mysterious malady that results in uncontrollable tics, stutters and seizures. Novelist Katherine Howe used this real-life incident as the basis for her new book, Conversion. Then, Bob sits down with members of the Austin-based classical collective Mother Falcon for a private concert in our performance studio. They’ll play a few songs from their latest “orchestral rock” album titled You Knew and discuss the unique challenges that face an 18-member touring band.
Thursday, July 24, 2014: Director and actor Rob Reiner has either directed and/or acted in some of the most beloved movies of the 20th century. His credits includes This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, and Sleepless in Seattle. His new film, And So It Goes, stars Diane Keaton and Michael Douglas as next door neighbors brought together by Douglas’s character’s teenage granddaughter. And So It Goes opens nationwide tomorrow. Then, Bob talks with The Bacon Brothers about their latest album 36 Cents. The six-piece band features actor Kevin Bacon and his brother, Michael, a film score composer. Since making the band official in 1995, the Brothers have released seven albums. And finally, we hear a new commentary from children’s book writer and illustrator Daniel Pinkwater.
Friday, July 25, 2014: Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the Los Angeles Times, joins Bob to discuss the latest political news. Next, journalist James Nestor was on assignment in Greece when he saw a man dive 300 feet below the ocean’s surface on a single breath of air. When the man returned four minutes later, Nestor decided to learn all he could about freedivers – extreme athletes who rely on their lungs instead of breathing equipment. Nestor’s interest in humans with amphibious abilities turned into a book, Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, And What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves. Next, over 40 years ago, readers first met the fearless adventurer, marine engineer, and government agent Dirk Pitt in author Clive Cussler’s The Mediterranean Caper. A copywriter by day, Cussler started writing at night to keep himself company while his wife worked a nightshift. His book, Zero Hour, is available in paperback.