About Books, June 21, 2008

Ned Sublette is a composer, guitarist, and leading scholar of Cuban music. He spent a year in New Orleans prior to Katrina and the result was a new book, "The World That Made New Orleans: From Spanish Silver to Congo Square." The book tells the story of New Orleans' first century, approximately 1719 to 1819, and the influence that Spain, France, Santo Domingo and the English had on the city. You'll meet all kinds of fascinating characters and learn a lot about the origins, slave history and the music and dances of New Orleans.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, June 14, 2008

Janet Lembke's book, "Because the Cat Purrs: How we relate to other species and why it matters," is filled with amazing human/animal relationships. For example, did you know that a pet turtle can "ask" to be let out of his cage and can "ask" to be let outside? Did you know that mice evolved from dinosaurs or that morning glory seeds are an hallucinogen? This and much more can be learned from "Because the Cat Purrs." Lembke is, in addition to be a natural history writer, a poet and a translator of the classics. She says what she enjoys most about writing is posing a question and then writing her way to an answer.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, March 1, 2008

Al Young, Poet Laureate of California, has a new book called " Something About the Blues: an unlikely collection of poetry." The 120 poems talk about love, Hollywood, music, Paris and much more in a very bluesy way. The bonus is an accompanying CD that has Mr. Young reading 20 of the poems, some backed by a blues band. You'll want to hear this interview as Mr. Young reads two poems not included on the CD. His voice is amazingly lush.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, February 9, 2008

Andre Aciman talks about his novel, Call Me By Your Name which has recently come out in paperback. Aciman, who teaches comparative literature in New York, was on the Augustana campus last year and I visited with him about his memoir, Out of Egypt. I remember his saying that, because he has lived in Egypt, Italy, France and the United States, he doesn't have a sense of having a country. Call Me By Your Name is a love story set during a summer in Italy and draws on some of Aciman's experience of global living.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, February 2, 2008

Barrymore Laurence Scherer, music critic for The Wall Street Journal, talks about his new book, The History of American Classical Music. The book has a CD with it so that readers can listen to the music being discussed. The book also has the access code and password to a website with many more hours of listening and a concise timeline showing key developments and cultural events world wide.

Listen to interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm