A Five Part Series from TTBOOK!

Public Radio International

Wisconsin Public Radio

CULTURAL TOUCHSTONES

Program 07-12-09-B

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Sometimes, a single word speaks volumes about its era. Sputnik" conjures up both the heady excitement of the early Space Race and the whole scary history of the Cold War. In this hour To the Best of Our Knowledge touches on a few of these cultural touchstones....from Sputnik to Snoopy. We'll talk with the biographer of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz and find out how much of himself the cartoonist revealed in good old Charlie Brown. And we'll hear why Miles Davis' landmark recording "Kind of Blue" remains one of the best-selling albums ever made, almost fifty years after its release.

SEGMENT 1:

David Michaelis is the author of "Schultz and Peanuts." He tells Steve Paulson that Charles Schultz put a lot of himself into the Charlie Brown character, was greatly influenced by his mid-Western upbringing. He was a man of many contradictions and great ambiguity. We hear Schultz in his TV appearance with Al Roker, as well as excerpts from some of the Charlie Brown TV specials. Also, Doug Gordon assembles some of the great movie musical touchstones of the 20th century.

SEGMENT 2:

Nick Abadzais is the author of a graphic novel called Laika.She was the little dog the Russians sent up into space aboard Sputnik II. Abadzais tells Anne Strainchamps about "Laika," the dog and his book. Also, Ashley Kahn takes Steve Paulson through the creation of Miles Davis' landmark recording "Kind of Blue." The piece is lavishly illustrated with music from the album.

SEGMENT 3:

Frank Lloyd Wright is a titan of American architecture, but he was grievously wounded, at least, psychologically, by a tragedy that occurred when he was in his forties. We hear the story of the murder of Wright's mistress, and the fire at the original Taliesin. Jim Fleming provides the narration. Other participants include Nancy Horan, author of the novel Loving Frank, and William Drennan, author of Death in a Prairie House: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Murders.

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 07-12-09-B.

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Books:

David Michaelis, Schulz and Peanuts (Harper)
William R. Drennan, Death in a Prairie House (Wisconsin)
Nancy Horan, Loving Frank (Random House)
Nick Abadzis, Laika (First Second)

Music:

• “Linus and Lucy” and “Rain, Rain, Go Away” from Vince Guaraldi: Oh, Good Grief! Warner Brothers, 1747-2

• Music used in "Movie Music Montage":

  -- "Star Wars Main Title"

  -- "The Wizard of Oz: Fantasy for Orchestra"

  -- "Flying Theme" from "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"

  -- "Jaws Theme"

  All these selections come from the CD, "The Hollywood Sound: John Williams Conducts the Academy Awards' Best Scores"/London Symphony Orchestra with Grover Washington, Jr. (Sony Classical)

  -- "Shower Scene" from "Psycho" from the DVD, "Psycho (Collector's Edition)" (Universal Studios)

  Telstar by the Tornados from Joe Meek: Portrait of a Genius, The R.G. M. LegacyDisc 3 Telstar and Beyond, 1962,-63, Castle, Sanctuary Records Group, CMXBX783/3 Also clip from 1st stage demo, same CD

• Various selections from Miles Davis, Kind of Blue

• Music used in Frank Lloyd Wright piece:

  – excerpt from “Three Little Oddities” and two excerpts from “Moods of a New Yorker” Zez Confrey (1895 - 1971) Eteri Andjaparidze, piano Naxos 8.559016

  – excerpt from “Graceful Ghost” by William Bolcom Gil Shaham, violin; Jonathan Feldman, piano Devil’s Dance Deutsche Grammophon 289 463 483-2

  – excerpt from “Variations, Op. 24" by Oliver Knussen, Peter Serkin, piano; RCA 09026-68189-2

Distribution dates: week of 11/30/2008 - hour 2 week of 12/09/2007 - hour 2 click HERE for timings and cues

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Questions and comments can be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org

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