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WHY BOTHER?

Program 05-11-27-A

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Karen Armstrong was a Catholic nun who stopped believing. In this hour of the Peabody Award-winning programTo the Best of Our Knowledge, Armstrong shares her story of how she found her way back to God. Also, Parker Palmer on how to keep going when life stops making sense. And that good old existentialist, Charlie Brown.

SEGMENT 1:

Nathan Radke explored the connection between Charlie Brown and existentialism in an essay called "Sartre and Peanuts" for "Philosophy Now" magazine. Radke tells Anne Strainchamps how he first noticed the two were connected and draws several parallels. Also, Karen Michel is an independent radio producer who moved from Brooklyn to Pleasant Valley, New York a few years ago. She got to know her neighbors by asking them three questions and prepared this piece to help us understand the meaning of life.

SEGMENT 2:

John Pederson prepared this vox pop of people's responses to the question, "What makes life worth living?" Also, Parker Palmer is a writer and educator who's spent a lot of time thinking about that question. He shares his thoughts with Jim Fleming. And, Karen Armstrong talks with Anne Strainchamps about her tangled path back to God after leaving the convent. Among Armstrong's books is "The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness."

SEGMENT 3:

Dan Sluyter is a film critic and meditation teacher who combined his interests to write "Cinema Nirvana: Enlightenment Lessons from the Movies." Sluyter gives Steve Paulson some examples of "Cinema Nirvana" and we hear film clips and movie sound tracks.

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 05-11-27-A.

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Books:

• Parker J. Palmer, The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity and Caring (Jossey-Bass)
  
• Karen Armstrong, The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness (Anchor)
  
• Dean Sluyter, Cinema Nirvana: Enlightenment Lessons from the
  Movies (Three Rivers Press)
  

• -- Nathan Radke's essay, "Sartre & Peanuts"
  http://www.philosophynow.org/issue44/44radke.htm
  
• -- Dean Sluyter
  http://www.deansluyter.com/

• -- from "Jaws (Widescreen 30th Anniversary Edition)"
  (Universal Studios Home Video)
  
• -- from "The Graduate" (MGM/UA Studios)
  
• -- from "The Godfather" (Paramount Home Video)

• -- "The Doctor Is In"/Broadway Revival Cast
  from "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown: The Broadway
  Musical" (RCA Victor)
  
• -- "Linus And Lucy"/Vince Guaraldi Trio
  from the CD, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (Starbucks/Fantasy)
  
• -- "Scenes From..."/Money Mark
  from the CD, "Mark's Keyboard Repair" (Mowax/A&M Records)
  http://www.moneymark.com/
  
• -- "Rahway Wasdi Jhok Faridan Di"/Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
  from the CD, "The Rough Guide to Sufi Music (World Music Network)
  
• -- "Silence"/Delirium
  from the CD, "Karma" (Nettwerk)
  http://www.nettwerk.com/
  
• -- "The Godfather Finale"/Nino Rota
  from the CD, "The Godfather Soundtrack" (MCA)
  

Distribution dates:

week of 06/25/2006 - hour 2 week of 11/27/2005 - hour 1	Listen!

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

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