GOOD LIFE RULES

Program 04-12-26-A Listen!

To The Best of Our Knowledge
from Wisconsin Public Radio

Lynne Truss created a sensation in Britain with a book whose title is a punch line: it's a punctuation joke that says a panda is a black and white mammal and it "Eats, Shoots and Leaves." Rules for punctuation and a good life, in this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge.

 

SEGMENT 1:

Mark Helprin reads from his new book, "The Pacific and Other Stories," and talks with Jim Fleming about what really matters in life: courage, integrity, compassion. He says the loved ones of soldiers serving in Iraq feel the same things their WWII counterparts did and that conscience is the best guide to life.

SEGMENT 2:

Sharon Salzberg is a Buddhist meditation teacher and the author of "Faith: Trusting You Own Deepest Experience." She tells Steve Paulson that you don't have to believe in God to have faith and that it should be about trust, not obedience. Also, Karen Armstrong tried to be a nun, then left the convent and all but lost her faith. She was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy and became a successful writer of books about God and religion. She talks with Anne Strainchamps about her memoir "The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness," which describes how she gradually found her way back to god.

SEGMENT 3:

Tad Williams is the author of several best-selling fantasy novels. He talks with Jim Fleming about the fantasy genre and how readers can use it to explore ideas about the real world. The writer's job, he says, is to tell a good story. Williams' latest book is "Shadowmarch, Volume I." You can find out more about him at his website: http://www.tadwilliams.com/. Also, Lynne Truss is the author of "Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation." She explains her book's title to Steve Paulson and gives several funny examples of punctuation mistakes. We also hear excerpts from her BBC radio series.

Cassette copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 04-12-26-A.

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Books:

  • Karen Armstrong, The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness (Knopf)
  • Mark Helprin, The Pacific and other Stories (The Penguin Press)
  • Sharon Salzberg Faith, Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience (Riverhead Books)
  • Lynne Truss, Eats, Shots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation! (Gotham Books)
  • Tad Williams, Shadowmarch, Volume I (DAW)

Music:

  • Production Music within Helprin:
    1. Renee Fleming, London Philharmonic/Charles Mackerras Puccini: Madama Buttterfly, “Un bel di vedremo” Decca 289 467 049-2 (wpr 319 0234); Also, same piece performed by Cincinnati Pops Orch/Erich Kunzel Telarc CD 80260 (wpr 309 0031)
    2. “Memories of You” Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra; Hindsight Records HSR 104 (Old LP)
  • Option after Helprin: “ArapskinCocek” by Waarschuwing Voor de Scheepvaart from Dutch World Music (Radio Nederlands Music www.hollandrocks.com)
  • Button after Salzberg: “V/The Connecticut Promissory Rag (alt)” by Peter Lang from Lycurgus the Wolf Driver” Horus Records HM1044
  • Button/Option after Armstrong: “R’chestra” by Matchmakers from Dutch World Music (Radio Nederlands Music www.hollandrocks.com)
  • Button after Williams: “If I Knew Then” by Brian Dack from Tributary (www.briandack.com)
  • Music after Truss (Close Music): “Can You Canoe?” by Brian Dack from Tributary (www.briandack.com)

Distribution dates:

week of 12/26/2004 - hour 1 Listen!

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

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