Archive for February, 2005

News Roundtable/Films of Andy Griffith

Tuesday, February 8th, 2005

News Roundtable: Host Melinda Penkava discusses news from around the state and the country with regular SOT analysts Mike Munger, chair of Duke University’s political science department; Ed Cone, opinion columnist for the Greensboro News and Record and author of the blog EdCone.com; and WUNC’s Laura Leslie. Listener call-in. (32:00)

Andy Griffith: Before becoming a fixture on the small screen, Andy Griffith starred in a wide variety of feature films. Host Melinda Penkava talks about the film career of North Carolina’s favorite son with Matt Pennachi, director of operations at the Carolina Theatre in Durham. The films include “A Face In The Crowd” and “Rustlers’ Rhapsody”.(17:30)

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NC Ports/Jon Young

Monday, February 7th, 2005

NC Ports: North Carolina’s Port of Wilmington, a medium-sized port on the Cape Fear River, has received millions of dollars in federal grants to help pay for its security. Host Melinda Penkava talks about the port and its security risks with: John DeSantis, reporter for the Wilimington Star-News; Bill Boettcher, professor of political science at North Carolina State University; Tom Eagar, CEO of the North Carolina State Ports Authority; and Doug Lincoln, assitant chief of port operations of the Marine Safety Office of the Coast Guard. (32:00)

Jon Young: Host Melinda Penkava speaks with North Carolina short story writer Jon Young about his collection, “Roger Maris Died Yesterday.” Set in and around western North Carolina and featuring the same narrator and cast of characters, these inter-linked stories chronicle one man’s search for resonant meaning in the connections between family, place, dialect and ritual. (17:30)

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Exit Exams/Ariel Dorfman

Friday, February 4th, 2005

Exit Exams: After a series of public forums across the state, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is now considering feedback on its proposal for more rigorous high school graduation requirements. Host Rusty Jacobs talks with Bruce Buchanan, education reporter for the Greensboro News and Record. Listener Call-In. (24:00)

Purgatorio: Host Rusty Jacobs talks with scholar and playwright Ariel Dorfman about his new play, “Purgatorio,” which premieres this weekend as a workshop production presented by Duke University’s Theater Previews. (25:00)

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Pete Dexter/One Ring Zero

Thursday, February 3rd, 2005

Pete Dexter: Host Rusty Jacobs speaks with writer Pete Dexter. After more then 15 years as a journalist, Pete Dexter, at the age of 40, turned his hand to fiction. He’s had a string of rough-hewn, gritty bestsellers ever since. His novels, God’s Pocket, Paris Trout, Deadwood, The Paperboy, and Brotherly Love have won awards, critical acclaim and been translated into other languages and adapted into screenplays. His latest book, Train (Vintage/2003), takes place in Los Angeles in the 1950s and mostly on a golf course. Listener Call-in (40:00)

Weekend Look Ahead: Melinda Penkava speaks with Micheal Hearst and Joshua Camp of the band One Ring Zero. Their new album, “As Smart As We Are,” feaures lyrics by some of the most exciting writers of our day — Margaret Atwood, Dave Eggers, Myla Goldberg. They will be performing at Quail Ridge Books on Saturday, February 5, at 7 pm. (17:30)

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AP Tests/Frank Harmon

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2005

AP Tests: About 16 percent of North Carolina’s high school students passed AP, or Advanced Placement, tests last year. Some schools in the state see the rigorous college preparatory classes as the best challenge for accelerated students. Others find AP courses limiting and choose not to offer them. Host Rusty Jacobs leads a discussion about AP classes and their role in schools and college admissions. Guests include: Ted Fiske, education writer and author of “The Fiske Guide to Colleges” (Sourcebooks, Incorporated/2004). (32:00)

Architect: Host Rusty Jacobs talks with Frank Harmon, architect and professor at NC State University, about his philosophy of design. Harmon has said, “I like to imagine that inside every cathedral is a shed, and inside every shed is a cathedral.” His architectural firm specializes in design that is rooted in the particulars of a place. In his work, he has explored island houses, farmhouses, and the southern ‘dog trot’ house. (17:30)

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