To The Best of Our Knowledge

from Wisconsin Public Radio

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Samuel Adams couldn't ride a horse to save his life, and had a tendency to drool. As if that's not bad enough, John Adams was a roly-poly fellow who spent his free time fantasizing about becoming the next American King. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, a revisionist's take on the founding fathers. Also, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and the folk music revolution.

Paul Lussier is the author of "Last Refuge of Scoundrels," a fictionalized re-telling of the American Revolution. He tells Steve Paulson some of the dirt he dug up on the Founding Fathers.

Janey Buchan founded the Centre for Political Song at Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland. She plays several examples from the collection for Jim Fleming and says almost anything can be a political song. Also, young activist Roni Krouzman, director of Boston Mobilization, tells Anne Strainchamps what it was like to participate in the recent demonstrations in Seattle, and how today's protests resemble street theater.

David Hadju is the author of "Positively Fourth Street," a book about Joan Baez and Bob Dylan and the folk/protest music scene of the 1960s. He tells Steve Paulson why Baez and Dylan wielded such enormous influence in the popular culture.

Books:

• Paul Lussier, Last Refuge of Scoundrels: a Revolutionary Novel (Warner)
• David Hadju, Positively 4th Street (Farrar Strauss and Giroux)

Music:

• Now -- Lena Horne - Label unknown
• Joan Baez/Diamonds and Rust/ A & M Records
• Joan Baez/ Silver Dagger/ Vanguard
• Bob Dylan/ With God on Our Side/ Columbia
• Bob Dylan/ Bob Dylan's 115th Dream/ Columbia
• Bob Dylan/ Blowin' in the Wind/ Columbia
• Bob Dylan/ Subterranean Homesick Blues/ CBS

Distribution dates:

• week of 07/07/2002 - hour 1
• week of 07/01/2001 - hour 1