There's no escape from noise — movies are as loud as chain saws, and traffic, boom-boxes, pagers, and jet skis invade every quiet space. The decibels are going up, and we're going deaf with all the racket. So where can we find some peace and quiet? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the search for silence. Also, recording nature's music - the dawn chorus and singing ants. Also, Robert Pinsky on the sounds of poetry.

Writer Mark Slouka tells Steve Paulson why he thinks noise is dangerous to our health and sanity, and why silence will become an ever more valuable commodity. Slouka wrote an article on silence in the April 1999 issue of Harper's. He teaches English at the University of California, San Diego. Also, Bruce Smith tells Jim Fleming about the sounds of Shakespeare's London. Smith teaches at Georgetown and is the author of "The Acoustic World of Early Modern England."

Bernie Krause, a pioneer in recording the sounds of nature, tells Jim Fleming how he learned to love the natural world, and why he's devoted his life to recording it. Krause calls his recording company Wild Sanctuary. His book is "Into the Wild Sanctuary : A Life in Music and Natural Sound." Also, performer and composer Joan La Barbara has been experimenting for decades with using her voice to make unusual sounds. She tells Judith Strasser what she's doing on her new CD, "Shamansong."

Robert Pinsky, Poet Laureate of the United States, talks with Steve Paulson about the sounds of poetry. He says we should worry less about getting the meaning and let ouselves hear the music. Pinsky's latest book is "The Sounds of Poetry: A Brief Guide."

Distribution dates:

• week of 05/14/2000 - hour 2
• week of 04/18/99 - hour 3