TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE


PROMO FOR   8 March 2009 "Teen Angst"
Depending on who you ask, the teenage years are either a wasteland of
misery or the best years of your life. For most of us, it's somewhere in
between. But what makes the teens such emotional dynamite? One scientist
says the teen years exist to grow and organize our huge human brains. In
this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the natural history of the
teenager. Also, comic Eugene Mirman on growing up weird...and funny. 


PROGRAM RUNDOWN: HOUR 1:   "Teen Angst"


0:00 - 12:31        SEGMENT 1: (12:32)
            Biologist and science writer David Bainbridge tells Steve
            Paulson that a prolonged adolescence is unique to humans
            and one of our greatest evolutionary advantages. 
            Bainbridge's book is "Teenagers: A Natural History."  
                         
            Segment One Outcue:  "...PRI - Public Radio
            International."

12:32 - 13:01  LOCAL OPTION with music bed (:29)

13:02 - 34:37       SEGMENT 2: (21:37)
            Frank Warren is the founder of the blog PostSecret and
            author of the companion books "A Lifetime of Secrets" and
            "My Secret."  He tells Anne Strainchamps how the blog
            works, and that he treasures the postcards he receives.
            We also hear a montage of sample postcards. Also, Rebecca
            Walker is the daughter of celebrated novelist Alice
            Walker and a white Jewish father.  Rebecca is the author
            of memoirs called "Baby Love" and "Black, White and
            Jewish: Autobiography of A Changing Self."   She talks
            with Steve Paulson about her unconventional upbringing
            and how having a child of her own changed her feelings
            about it. 
                         
            Segment Two Outcue:  "...PRI - Public Radio
            International."

34:38 - 35:07       LOCAL OPTION with music bed (:29)

35:08 - 53:00       SEGMENT 3: (17:52)
            Eugene Mirman is an indie comic and the author of an
            outlandish self-help send-up called "The Will to
            Whatevs."  He tells Jim Fleming that school was horrible
            for him and gave rise to his nerd humor.  Also, Laura
            Miller is a literary critic at Salon dot com and the
            author of "The Magician's Book."  She tells Anne
            Strainchamps why she thinks Stephanie Meyers' "Twilight"
            books are such a phenomenal success with young women,
            even though the lead female character is so lacking in
            gifts or accomplishments.  
                    
            Segment Three Outcue: PRI Audio Logo


For a copy of this hour, call 1-800-747-7444, and ask for program number
3-8-A.


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