Arts & Life

If you are looking for a good memoir to read, here are a few of Nancy Pearl’s suggestions.

"A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana," by Haven Kimmel

"Cakewalk: A Memoir," by Kate Moses

"The World’s Strongest Librarian," by Josh Hanagarne

"Between Terror and Tourism," by Michael Mewshaw

"Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Capetown," by Paul Theroux

"Stop-Time," by Frank Conroy

"Mountain City," by Gregory Martin

"Going Back to Bisbee," by Richard Shelton

This Week In Olympia
The special session of the Washington state legislature kicks off next week. Everett Herald columnist Jerry Cornfield tells us what sticking points remain as legislators prepare to get back to business.
 

Nancy Pearl On Memoirs

The Seattle Public Library picked a memoir for their city-wide reading program this year.  What makes a good memoir?  What are the strengths and weaknesses of the genre?  Book commentator Nancy Pearl, muses about memoirs and takes your calls at 800.289.5869. You can also write to us at weekday@kuow.org.

The Week Ahead In Washington, D.C.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is taking up an immigration bill. Amendments are being added to the bill that might threaten whether or not it passes. Also, the fight is on over how the United States should intervene in Syria. CBS News' Jill Jackson looks ahead at this week in Washington, D.C. 

Composer Charles Ives
Charles Ives is remembered as one of America’s most important and influential composers of the 20th century.  Yet this artist’s relationship with composition, musicians and the musical establishment in America was controversial and complex.  He was American to the core, but also a puzzling musical outsider. The UW School of Music hosts a Festival of Ives this week.

How To Behave In A Digital World
Do you text at the dinner table? Can you tag your friends in photos on Facebook without their permission? Should you play Angry Birds at work or in the dentist's office? While the Internet might seem like the perfect place for “anything goes” behavior, there is an etiquette to how and when we use it. Author Daniel Post Senning gives advice on the proper use of our technologies in his new book, "Manners in the Digital World."

If your concept of choral music is somewhere between the TV show “Glee” and the Kings College Choir, the music Eric Banks loves may come as a revelation.

The Ramifications Of Stricter DUI Laws
According to the state patrol there are 40,000 people arrested for DUIs each year in Washington state. Many are first time offenders.  Some are addicts.  Lawmakers and citizens are calling for stricter DUI laws.  KUOW’s Patricia Murphy explains the impact on the working poor,  the cottage industries built on DUI convictions and how offenders are able to game the system.

Every Day Recipes For Living Gluten-Free
Shauna Ahern, the Gluten-Free Girl, says gluten-free cooking can be fast, delicious and healthy. She has written a new cookbook of everyday gluten-free recipes. While eating gluten-free might seem daunting at first, Shauna and her husband Daniel Ahern have put together a book full of recipes for a diverse palate.

Pianist And Composer Chick Corea
Pianist and composer Chick Corea has touched almost all the musical bases during a career that has spanned almost five decades.  From avant garde to bebop to Latin fusion, Corea has experimented and mastered multiple jazz styles and has won a loyal following of fans and critics.

Chick Corea plays "Darn That Dream"

Pianist and composer Chick Corea has touched almost all the musical bases during a career that has spanned almost five decades.  From avant garde to bebop to Latin fusion, Corea has experimented and mastered multiple jazz styles and has won a loyal following of fans and critics.

Marcie Sillman interviews Chick Corea

Seattle Reads: Gregory Martin
What would you do if you found out that your 65-year-old father had attempted suicide? Or that he’d been sexually abused by his own father? Or that he’d been a closeted gay man throughout 39 years of marriage? Gregory Martin learned all this one evening, and it changed his relationship with his parents. Martin chronicles his experiences in the memoir "Stories for Boys," this year’s Seattle Reads book.

Radio Retrospective: Comics On The Radio
We’re familiar with comics being adapted to the big screen. But you might not know that comic strip adaptations aren’t new. Comics were also adapted into radio dramas. There’s Blondie, Archie Andrews, and Superman, and that’s just the beginning.  Listen back to the comics strips of the radio.

A Lunch Recommendation
Food writer Sara Dickerman joins us with a lunch recommendation. Prefer to cook for yourself? She also has a pick for a great cookbook!

  A Look At The Humanitarian Crisis In Syria
President Obama has said that although we have evidence of chemical weapons being used inside of Syria, they don’t know when or who used them. While the administration is considering increasing aid to the country, it has stopped short of providing lethal aid to rebel groups. Two years after the start of the revolution, Syria has descended into a civil war with over 70,000 citizens killed and over one million refugees seeking asylum outside of the country.

Winning The White House In 2016: Rule 5
Are presidents today more empathetic than they were in the past? To win the presidency in 2016, a candidate must seem to deeply care about American citizens. University of Washington department of communication chair and professor David Domke explains why that is the expectation now and how it is different from the past.

Art Of Our City: Mother For You I Made This
Dancer and choreographer Ezra Dickinson created a series of solos to honor the woman who guided him to a dance career, his mother. But Ezra Dickinson has a different relationship with his parent than the one most of us have.  Dickinson’s mother is schizophrenic, and she spent a good portion of her adult life on the streets.  He has woven the solos together into a single performance he hopes will spark conversation about the American mental health system.

“I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.”

So started the essay by active NBA player Jason Collins, the first openly gay NBA player. In fact, Collins is the first openly gay male athlete who is still active in a major American team sport.