Public Radio International

Wisconsin Public Radio

Program 05-09-11-A

Listen!

Thomas Paine was a working class Englishman without many prospects when he landed in America in 1774. Two years later his pamphlet "Common Sense" laid the foundation for the Declaration of Independence and transformed American politics. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, why politicians ever since, from FDR to Ronald Reagan, have tried to reclaim Paine's legacy.

SEGMENT 1:

Harvey Kaye talks with Steve Paulson about visionary founding father Thomas Paine. Kaye's book is "Thomas Paine and the Promise of America." Kaye asserts that Paine made the case for a new egalitarian kind of government. Also, Charles Monroe-Kane prepared a profile of singer/songwriter Neko Case, a country singer who's haunted by the American Dream. Her latest solo album is called "The Tigers Have Spoken."

SEGMENT 2:

Ron Powers is the author of "Mark Twain: A Life." He tells Jim Fleming that Samuel Clemens was an energetic and passionate man who traveled the world and created a new American idiom. He had an eye for detail, a keen ear for dialogue, and no use for the pomposities of the old world.

SEGMENT 3:

Studs Terkel has come out with a new book at the age of 93. It's a collection of interviews with some of his favorite musicians including Leonard Bernstein, Bob Dylan, Mahalia Jackson, and Janis Joplin. Studs talks with Steve Paulson about the power of music, we hear examples of some of his favorites, and excerpts from some of his classic interviews. His book is called "And They All Sang: Adventures of an Eclectic Disc Jockey."

Cassette copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 05-00-00-A.

................................................................

Books:

• Harvey J. Kaye, Thomas Paine and the Promise of America (Hill and Wang)
  
• Ron Powers, Mark Twain: a life (Free Press)
  
• Studs Terkel, And They All Sang: Adventures of an Eclectic Disc Jockey (The New Press)

Music:

• After Harvey Kaye:
  Fairport Convention w/ "Here's to Tom Paine"
  on "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?"
  Green Linnet Records
• Neko Case:
  "Outro with Bees"
  "Deep Red Bells"
  "I Wish I Was the Moon"
  All on "Blacklisted" (Mint Records) "Train from Kansas City"
  "This Little Light of Mine"
  "Wayfaring Stranger"
  All on "The Tiger Has Spoken" (Anti Records)
• Neko's website: http://www.nekocase.com
• Neko Case and the New Pornographers website:
  http://www.thenewpornographers.com
• Tim Eriksen w/ "The Cumberland and the Merrimac"
  on "Every Sound Below"
  Appleseed Recordings
• After Ron Powers:
  Tommy Flanagan w/ "I'm Old Fashioned"
  on "Jazz Poet"
  Alfa Records
• Studs Terkel:
  --Mahalia Jackson w/ "Move on Up a Little Higher"
  --Enrico Caruso w/ "L'Africana - O Paradiso"
  on "The Legendary Enrico Caruso" (RCA)
  --Big Bill Broonzy w/ "Trouble in Mind"
  on "Trouble in Mind" (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings)
  --Bob Dylan w/ "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall"
  --Kenny Brown w/ "Boxcar Blues"
  on Big Bad Love soundtrack (Nonesuch)

Distribution dates:

week of 06/25/2006 - hour 1 week of 09/11/2005 - hour 1

Listen!

................................................................

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

Wisconsin Public Radio is a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension.

Page design and management by Jim Fleming at Wisconsin Public Radio and Sarah Fleming.

© 2006 WHA Radio and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. All rights reserved.