All posts by Francesca Rheannon

About Francesca Rheannon

Francesca Rheannon is an award-winning independent radio producer. In addition to hosting Writer's Voice, she's a freelance reporter for National Public Radio and its affiliates. Recipient of the prestigious Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Award for reporting on substance abuse issues for her news series, VOICES OF HIV, produced for 88.5 WFCR public radio in western Massachusetts. She is also finishing a book on Provence (PROVINCE OF THE HEART) and working on a memoir of her father, THE ARGONAUTS.

Podcast

Hans Keilson: Comedy in a Minor Key

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Hans Keilson
Damion Searls

Damion Searls, translator, talks about the newly released English edition of Hans Keilson’s acclaimed novella, COMEDY IN A MINOR KEY. It’s about how a young Dutch couple react when the Jewish refugee they’re hiding from the Nazis dies a natural death in the midst of the war. Keilson himself went into hiding during the war, then joined the resistance. And Keilson’s wife, Marita Keilson Lauritz, talks about her husband’s history in the resistance and treating traumatized Jewish war orphans after WWII.

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Podcast

Back to School with Ellen Galinsky & Rafe Esquith

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Ellen Galinsky

[amazon-product align=”right”]006173232X[/amazon-product]Ellen Galinsky of the Families and Work Institute talks about her new book, MIND IN THE MAKING: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs. Also, master teacher Rafe Esquith tells us about his book, LIGHTING THEIR FIRES: Raising Extraordinary Children in a Mixed Up, Muddled Up, Shook up World in an encore interview from February 2010.

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How To Find Fulfillment: Bruce Frankel and Susan Whitbourne

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Bruce Frankel

[amazon-product align=”right”]1583333657[/amazon-product]Bruce Frankel on WHAT SHOULD I DO FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE? True Stories of Finding Success, Passion, and New Meaning in the Second Half of Life. And psychologist Susan Krauss Whitbourne talks about THE SEARCH FOR FULFILLMENT: Revolutionary New Research That Reveals the Secret to Long-term Happiness.

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The War Over Climate: Eric Pooley & Eli Kintisch

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Eric Pooley

[amazon-product align=”right”]140132326X[/amazon-product]Francesca Rheannon talks with Eric Pooley about the politics of climate change. His book is THE CLIMATE WAR: True Believers, Power Brokers, and the Fight to Save the Earth. Also, Eli Kintisch on geo-engineering; his book is HACKING THE PLANET: Science’s Best Hope – or Worst Nightmare – for Averting Climate Catastrophe. Continue reading →

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Harvey Sachs: Beethoven And His Heroic Era

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Harvey Sachs talks about his book, THE NINTH, BEETHOVEN, AND THE WORLD IN 1824.[amazon-product align=”right”]140006077X[/amazon-product]

Also, in an archived interview, Mark Lamster tells us about MASTER OF DECEPTION. It’s about Peter Paul Rubens and his secret diplomatic career. We first aired it in March of 2010. Continue reading →

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The Social Change of Climate Change

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Lester Brown

Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute talks about the latest edition of his book PLAN B. It’s updated to PLAN B 4.0. And social change expert David Gershon talks about how to create the social and political will to do something about climate change in his book, SOCIAL CHANGE 2.0. Continue reading →

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The Secret Arms Trade Between Israel & Apartheid South Africa

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Sasha Polakow-Suransky

Writers Voice talks with Sasha Polakow-Suransky about his book, THE UNSPOKEN ALLIANCE. And, in an excerpt from our 2009 interview, Israeli journalist Amira Hass talks about her Holocaust survivor parents’ involvement in the Israeli peace movement. Continue reading →

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War & Women in Afghanistan

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Ann Jones

With the firing this week of Stanley McChrystal as commander of the US-led forces in Iraq, it’s a good time to be reminded of the impact of the war on the civilian population — and especially on Afghani women.

In this archived show from March, 2010, journalist Ann Jones talks about women, the war in Afghanistan, and whether life is any better for its people since the US invaded their country. Continue reading →

Web Extras

Web Extra: David Shenk Reads from THE GENIUS IN ALL OF US

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David Shenk

Shenk reads a section from his book, THE GENIUS IN ALL OF US, about the baseball champion Ted Williams. The lesson? With practice-practice-practice, new science tells us you, too, can be a champion.

Listen to the full David Shenk interview.

Podcast

David Shenk on Genius & Genetics and David Chura on Kids in Lockup

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David Shenk

Host Francesca Rheannon talks with journalist David Shenk about THE GENIUS IN ALL OF US: Why Everything We’ve Been Told About Genetics, Talent, and IQ Are Wrong. It’s about what the science of epigenetics is telling us us about the potential for human achievement. And David Chura talks about his memoir of teaching incarcerated adolescents, I DON’T WISH NOBODY TO HAVE A LIFE LIKE MINE: Tales of Kids in Adult Lockup. He says the War on Crime is a war on kids. Continue reading →

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Amanda Little & Anna LappÁ© on Kicking the Dirty Fuels Habit

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Amanda Little

Amanda Little talks about her book POWER TRIP: From Oil Wells to Solar Cells. It’s about our addiction to fossil fuels and how to get off them. And Anna LappÁ© tells us about her new book, DIET FOR A HOT PLANET: The Climate Crisis At the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do About It. Continue reading →