Arts & Life

  Alex Stonehill is the director of "Barzan," a documentary that follows one man’s journey from Iraqi refugee to building a home in Bothell to fighting allegations of terrorism. Ross Reynolds talks with Alex Stonehill about making the movie which is playing at the Seattle International Film Festival.

Speight Jenkins And The Appeal Of Wagner
May 22 is the birthday of composer Richard Wagner. In honor of his 200th year the Seattle Opera will be hosting a Wagner singalong. The Puget Sound region has become a destination for Wagner fans and he is still beloved by operaphiles. Seattle Opera general director Speight Jenkins talks about the the composer’s appeal.

Greendays Gardening Panel
Our gardening panel includes a flower expert, a native plant expert and a vegetable gardening expert.  They answer your gardening questions every Tuesday. Email us at weekday@kuow.org with questions or post a comment on our Greendays Facebook page.

City Considers More Permanent Home for Nickelsville
For two years, the temporary homeless camp that goes by Nickelsville has been parked in a vacant Southwest Seattle lot among the warehouses and shipping yards off West Marginal Way. This week city officials are taking up legislation that would allow Nickelsville to have a more permanent home. We talk with City Councilmember Nick Licata.

Worth Listening To: A Music Recommendation
Are you stuck in a music listening rut?  We are surrounded by new music and innovative artists.  Branch out!  New music recommendations every Tuesday at 9:20 a.m.  This time Seattle Weekly classical music writer Gavin Borchert recommends pianist Simone Dinnerstein and roots vocalist Tift Merritt.

Walter Mosley's "Little Green"
It’s been more than 20 years since Walter Mosley introduced readers to L.A. detective Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins in his 1990 mystery “Devil in a Blue Dress.” In "Little Green" the iconic private eye Easy Rawlins returns to investigate L.A.'s Sunset Strip circa 1960. A writer of stories of redemption, Mosley describes this latest work as his "one and only novel of resurrection."

The Weather and Hike of the Week
What happened to our sunshine? Michael Fagin will give us a forecast and a hike to match it.

In "Letter from Zelda," poet Marjorie Manwaring creates an imaginary letter to F. Scott Fitzgerald, written by his wife Zelda from her room in a mental hospital.

Boeing 787 Back In The Air
Boeing’s 787 has returned to the sky after a four-month grounding by the FAA when an United Airlines Dreamliner took off this morning from Houston en route to Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Richard Aboulafia, aerospace analyst with Teal Group Corporation explains the impact of the 787 on Boeing and its flight future. 

In Search of the Ancient Maya
Archaeologist William Saturno has spent decades studying, excavating and documenting the ancient Mayan culture. He was the first person in 2,000 years to see the San Bartolo murals, and he recently discovered proof that the Maya did not believe the world would end in 2012 as commonly thought. What did that feel like? How did ancient Maya become the center of his work? What can we learn from the Mayans?  

Medical Interventions and the End of Life    
As science and technology improves, medicine changes. As Americans, we’ve come to expect that medical interventions can give us a new knee, help us survive cancer and help extend our lives far longer than in the past. But is intervention always a good idea? Retired doctor Jim deMain blogs about how to make decisions on when to end or extend life. 

Today is National Bike to Work Day and The Conversation’s Hannah Burn asked people in the neighborhood how they got to work or school today. The Census Bureau reports that in 2011, about half a percent of commuters biked to work in the United States. Seattle seems to trend higher as of the 14 people Burn talked to, 28 percent were cyclists.

We’re in the full swing of spring here in Seattle, and with the season come certain rituals like spring cleaning. A lot of the stuff we get rid of ends up at garage sales and yard sales. David Hyde poses the question: What’s the most amazing thing you’ve ever found at a garage sale? Listeners and local garage sale enthusiasts weigh in.

In her book, "Homeward Bound: Why Women Are Embracing the New Domesticity," Emily Matcher says more and more people are embracing traditional domestic activities like canning, knitting, baking and gardening. The movement has gained a lot of traction in the northwest. Matcher talks with David Hyde about the pros and cons of the “new domesticity.”

 New News In Biotechnology
The American Society of Clinical Oncology conference is convening in two weeks. At the conference physicians and drug makers will be discussing the emergence of cancer immunotherapy. Also, local diagnostic companies have been cultivating a rich understanding of the human genome. Their discoveries are leading to new diagnostic tests and treatments. Luke Timmerman, national biotech editor for Xconomy brings us the latest news in biotechnology.  

A Conversation With Paul Reiser
Paul Reiser is an actor, writer and stand-up comedian.  Television fans fondly remember him for the NBC series Mad About You which he co-created and starred in.  He’s also author of three books, most recently "Familyhood," about his life as a married father of two boys.  

Weekend Weather Forecast
Nick Bond joins us with a look at the weekend weather.