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AGING AND MEMORY

Program 07-04-29-A

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Remember the good old days? No? Well that's either because you haven't lived them yet, or you need to check the note you left on the bedside table.In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, we're looking at age and memory with a Nobel Prize winner searching through the mechanics of the brain. Also, a burned out twenty-something writer decides on early retirement and a middle-aged woman searches for holy longing.

SEGMENT 1:

Eric Kandel has spent a lifetime studying the science of memory and picked up a Nobel Prize while he was at it. Kandel's memoir is called "In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of the Mind." Kandel talks with Jim Fleming about his work and the mechanics of memory. Also, Jim Fleming provides an essay about memory and his aging father.

SEGMENT 2:

Claire Tomalin has written a biography of nineteenth century novelist Thomas Hardy which reveals that he thought of himself as primarily a poet. Tomalin tells Steve Paulson that much of Hardy's poetry was inspired by the death of his wife and tells him more about Hardy's later years. Tomalin is married to British novelist and playwright Michael Frayn. And, Rodney Rothman tells Jim Fleming why he decided to "retire" at age 28 and go to live in a retirement community in Florida. His book is "Early Bird: A Memoir of Premature Retirement."

SEGMENT 3:

Poet Mary Rose O'Reilly talks with Anne Strainchamps about the archaeology of memory and reads some of her work. Her most recent book is "The Love of Impermanent Things: Threshold Ecology.

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 07-04-29-A.

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Books:

Eric Kandel, In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of the Mind (Norton)
Mary Rose O'Reilly, The Love of Impermanent Things: A Threshold Ecology (Milkweed)
Rodney Rothman, Early Bird: a memoir of Premature Retirement (Simon & Schuster)
Claire Tomalin, Thomas Hardy (Penguin)

Music:

• After Kandel: "Look for the Silver Lining" Jim Hall Trio from the album "Jazz Guitar: Jim Hall" (Pacific Jazz CDP 7 46851 2)
• After essay - "Thanks for the Memory" Jim Hall Trio from the album "Jazz Guitar: Jim Hall" (Pacific Jazz CDP 7 46851 2)
  (also option)
• After Tomalin - "For Life I Had Never Cared Greatly" from "I Said to Love, Op 19b - settings of Thomas Hardy's poems by Gerald Finzi; Roderick Williams, bariton, Iain Burnside, piano (Naxos 8.557644)
• After Rothman - "Get Up and Go" from the album "Pete Seeger: A Link in the Chain" (Columbia Legacy C2K 64772)
• option - Fats Waller: You Must Be Losing Your Mind
  from "Fats Waller & his Rhythm: The Last Years (1940-1943)" (BlueBird 9883-2-RB)
• After O'Reilly - "I Remember You" from "Oscar Peterson Trio: Live at the Blue Note" (Telarc CD-83304)
  

Distribution dates: week of 03/16/2008 - hour 2 week of 04/29/2007 - hour 1

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

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