April 2010
40 posts
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City of Endangered Languages →
Nancy Rosenbaum, associate producer
This article (and a multimedia feature) on immigrants who speak near-extinct languages in New York City reminded me of our show with David Treuer. In some cases, there are greater numbers of people who speak these languages in NYC than in the countries where these languages originally developed:
“At a Roman Catholic Church in the Morrisania section of...
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A Taste of South African Music →
Chris Heagle, producer
The music used in this week’s show with Desmond Tutu is really worth checking out. I’ve included a couple extra tracks that weren’t used in the final production. I found them to be powerful examples of how music can help people deal with even the most extreme adversity.
The first is the heart-breaking “Senzeni Na?,” which I wrote about last...
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“I tell the women how deeply I believe there’s no such thing as false hope: all...”
– — Katherine Russell Rich, from her article “17 Years Later, Stage 4 Survivor Is Savoring a Life Well Lived” in today’s New York Times. She is the author of Dreaming in Hindi: Coming Awake in Another Language and The Red Devil: To Hell With Cancer — and Back.
Trent Gilliss, online editor
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Brian McLaren's New Kind of Christianity →
Trent Gilliss, online editor
Had a chance to hear Brian McLaren speak on Minnesota Public Radio (yes, on the radio!) today on the way to the airport. I found his personal story and way of thinking quite compelling — and delightfully so.
In his closing comments, he reflects on the upcoming 500th anniversary of Martin Luther posting his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of a Wittenberg church — and...
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"When The 'Trust Hormone' Is Out Of Balance" →
Trent Gilliss, online editor
If you heard Alix Spiegel’s recent report on All Things Considered last week and listen to our podcast, you probably recognized the name of Paul Zak. We interviewed the neuroeconomist last summer for our show, “The Science of Trust: Economics and Virtue,” in which he spoke in greater detail about the the powerful influence of “the moral...
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Developing a New Lifeline for Alzheimer's...
Nancy Rosenbaum, associate producer
Ina and Arnie Feidelman, January 2000. Arnie was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s the following month.
The perspectives of people caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s is “worthy of a show unto itself,” as Krista put it. Indeed, many of the people who wrote to us when we first released “Alzheimer’s, Memory, and Being”...
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A Song that Fueled a Revolution Chris Heagle,...
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WatchEarth Day with Eyjafjallajökull Colleen Scheck, senior producer
On Earth Day’s past, I’ve often focused my thoughts on how to lessen my carbon footprint, and on the destructive impact of modern human activity on our planet. Today, though, I’m thinking more about the Earth’s impact on humans. The erupting Eyjafjallajökull makes Earth Day 2010 all feel a bit ironic.
With...
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“My decision today is not based on a finding that you violated Georgia law, or on...”
– —NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, in his letter to Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Goodell handed “Big Ben” a six-game suspension in his most recent action against a player violating the National Football League’s personal conduct policy. Goodell called...
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Restoring Life's Balance Through Soil and Friends
Christopher Calderhead, guest contributor
I live in a rented New York City apartment. The only outdoor space I have access to, besides the sidewalk, is the paved alley alongside my building. And, like many of my neighbors, I use this shared outdoor space for all sorts of activities that don’t fit in a small apartment. As I write, a teen-aged neighbor is practicing his Junior ROTC drill...
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Piper to Warren: Why Thinking Biblically Matters...
Trent Gilliss, online editor
Collin Hansen’s article in Christianity Today points out that pastor John Piper’s invitation may reveal a larger split within the Evangelical community, and a backlash against Saddleback pastor Rick Warren:
“You see, a lot of folks who like John don’t like Rick. So now some of John’s friends aren’t sure they want to hang out with...
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Last Protestant on the Supreme Court?
Shubha Bala, associate producer
Members of the U.S. Supreme Court pose for a group photograph on September 29, 2009. Front row (l-r): Anthony M. Kennedy, John Paul Stevens, John G. Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas. Back row (l-r): Samuel Alito Jr., Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor. (photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
On April 9th, Justice Stevens announced his upcoming...
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Humming a BBC Melody in Fascist Portugal
Maria Clara Paulino, guest contributor
In response to Speaking of Faith’s show about the brutality of regimes around the world and the question of the people who disappear — and their children — I thought I would share with you a scene from my childhood in Portugal during the country’s fascist regime that lasted for almost 40 years and ended in 1974.
I wake up in the middle of the...
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"Indulgence" →
Krista Tippett, host
I think Hendrik Hertzberg’s commentary in today’s New Yorker is the smartest, most succinct piece of writing on the Catholic abuse crisis I have seen. His first paragraph is a perfect, classic scene setter:
“On October 31, 1517, a Roman Catholic priest and theologian, Dr. Martin Luther, put the finishing touches on a series of bullet points and, legend has...
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Unearthing Mysteries of the Human Experience
Krista Tippett, host
I’m often asked about our process for choosing people and topics. The answer goes something like this. We are always juggling a number of priorities — responding to what is happening in the world; getting to subjects of enduring interest that we feel we can draw out in a distinctive way; bringing important voices on to the show, some of them famous, but more often...
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"'Einstein's God' Author Finds Spirit and Science... →
Trent Gilliss, online editor
Dan Vergano of USA Today’s Science Fair blog reviews Krista’s new book, and likes it:
“For science fans looking for a new way to look at some of their favorite topics, the book is a treasure trove of insights into how scientists see the world. For anyone scared of science, the conversations open a stained-glass window into the adventurous side of...
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In Praise of Open Windows
Shari Motro, guest contributor
Painting by Ola Schary. “It’s a copy of a postcard my grandmother painted for me when I was a child. She was a great lover of fresh air, a gentle and beautiful soul.”
Krista’s interview with Bill McKibben inspired me to write this, so I thought it would be fitting to post it on this blog.
Last spring, the Obamas planted a White House...
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“And, then, I later read ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle, and it...”
– —Starlee Kine, from her story “Radical Honesty” (mp3, 19:59) on The Moth podcast.
We’ve received countless stories about the positive impact of Eckhart Tolle’s teachings on people’s lives. I had to smile when I heard this humorous story from a person who was on the...
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"What I Read" →
Trent Gilliss, online editor
The Atlantic Wire’s ongoing feature asking journalists about their “media diets” is invaluable if you have as much difficulty as the rest of our staff in sifting through the massive amount of information being disseminated every minute of the day. Don’t be mistaken by the title of the series; it involves all types of media not just print.
And,...
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Encountering Min and Mao
Shubha Bala, associate producer
Being new on the staff, I love hearing older programs that are new to me. Preparing for the Mayfair Yang show this week, Krista mentioned a past conversation with author Anchee Min, whose name came up again the next day when we received a copy of her latest book, Pearl of China.
Her interview in “Surviving the Religion of Mao” is a personal view...
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"Why There Are No ‘Best’ Investments" →
Trent Gilliss, online editor
Over on the New York Times Bucks blog, Carl Richards challenges his readers to spend more time asking themselves what’s really important and then creating financial plans accordingly: “What good would it do to find the mythical best investment and end up with a bankrupt personal life?”
And, he advises his readers:
Here are two sites to spark ...
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“Is my life any different since I became a Jesuit? Oh, yes. The rules of...”
– —from Brother Astronomer: Adventures of a Vatican Scientist by Brother Guy Consolmagno
Nancy Rosenbaum, associate producer
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Tonight! SOF Live from Washington, D.C.
Trent Gilliss, online editor
Watch the live video stream in this post or chat with others while you watch on our SOF Live page.
Monday, April 5th, 2010 (7pm Eastern) The Shakespeare Theatre Company 610 F Street Northwest Washington, D.C.
Beginning at 6:30pm Eastern tonight, we’ll be opening up the live video stream of a sold-out public event with Krista and Michel Martin, host of...
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Writing as Compassion
Kate Moos, managing producer
William Maxwell treats his personal material as if it were history. It is one part memory, one part research and one part hearsay but one hundred percent compassion. Compassion in my mind is an admixture of feeling and sustained attention with regard to others. Compassion is the absence of cruelty. Compassion is steady and relaxed—allowing patience where we may not...
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Learning from Your Garden — and Sharing
by Nancy Rosenbaum, associate producer
It’s Easter weekend and a lot of people are away for the holiday. When we sent out our e-mail newsletter this week, one listener’s auto-reply featured this quote:
“Spring has returned. The earth is like a child that knows poems.” —Rainer Maria Rilke
Indeed the telltale signs of spring — green shoots, the earliest hints of flower buds...
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A Catholic Answer to the Question: Why Stay? →
Kate Moos, managing producer
Elizabeth Scalia, also known as “The Anchoress” on her First Things blog, offered this compelling and nourishing reflection today on NPR’s website.
“The darkness within my church is real, and it has too often gone unaddressed. The light within my church is also real, and has too often gone unappreciated. A small minority has sinned,...
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WatchThe Dance of the Fertile Universe Trent Gilliss, online editor
Fr. George Coyne, former director of the Vatican Observatory and a guest on this week’s show, often speaks about our 13.7 billion-year-old universe in terms of fertility. In this lecture (jump to the 3:25 mark), he describes a rich cycle of cosmic birth, death, and replenishment. Three generations of stars, he says, had to live...
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