Wgtd's The Morning Show With Greg Berg

From 2007 comes an interview I recorded with Susan Clancy, author of a fascinating book titled "Abducted:  How People come to believe that they were kidnapped by aliens."   Clancy, a Harvard University research fellow at the time she wrote this book, chronicles how her interest in "false memory formation" led her to explore what might be behind the earnest claims of hundreds (if not thousands) of Americans that they have been kidnapped by extraterrestrials and subjected to various experiments.  This is a truly remarkable book.  I'm grateful I was able to speak with her. 

From 2015 comes a conversation with Neil Swidey, author of "Trapped under the Sea: One Engineering Marvel, 5 Men, and a Disaster 10 Miles into the Darkness."  It chronicles the efforts in Boston to construct a huge tunnel beneath Boston Harbor that would allow the city to discharge waste well out to sea rather than directly into the harbor.   It was an engineering project of enormous complexity- and, regrettably, it resulted in the deaths of two of the five divers involved in the most dangerous phase of the construction.  

We speak with three representatives of the non-profit Just Live, which for the past ten years has been working on the important issue of Suicide Prevention.  Their major fundraiser of the year,  the Labor of Love Music Festival, is coming up on Sunday,  September 1st.   

This 2010 conversation is with NPR's Scott Simon (host of Weekend Edition) talking about his memoir "Baby, we were meant for each other:  in Praise of Adoption."  The book is a chronicle of the experience which Simon and his wife had in adopting two beautiful baby girls from China.    

My guest is Rayna R. Andrews, who calls herself a public health ambassador advocating for more people to seek out- and have access to- good, healthy food.   To help reach young people, she has written a children's book titled "Alex McGreen and the Tale of the Mysterious Kale."   Also on hand for this interview is Dr. Howard Moon, a former administrator for the Kenosha Unified School District,  who heard Ms. Andrews speak and suggested that she be invited to the Morning Show.  More information about her work can be found at healthyfoodmovement.com.  

Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht is joined by Clare Anderson, V.P. with CORD, the Center for Occupational Research and Development in Waco, Texas  -  for a conversation about the Future of Work.  

From 2014 comes this interview with former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch, author of "Reign of Error:  The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public School."   In her book, she spells out her grave concerns about the many ways in which public education in America has been reshaped along industrial models.

From the archives comes this 2009 interview with sportswriter Tim Wendel, author of "High Heat:  The Secret History of the Fastball and the Improbable Search for the Fastest Pitcher of all time."  

For the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, which unfolded August 15-18, 1969 (but which was supposed to finish on August 17th), I am replaying my 2009 interview with Mike Evans, co-editor of the book that many regard as the definitive account of this important moment in our history.   It is titled "Woodstock:  3 Days that Rocked the World."  The book was created in cooperation with the Museum at Bethel Woods, NY- located very close to the site where Woodstock took place - to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Woodstock.  

Today's Morning Show features conversations with two women - Susie Burns from Dallas, TX and Lynn VanEimeren from Racine, WI - who tell their respective stories about attending Woodstock fifty years ago.  

Ted Howard's book "The Making of a Democratic Economy: Building Prosperity for the Many, not just the Few,"  spells out his idea of the ideal American economy - which rejects both capitalism and socialism in favor of a third model.   In part two, we draw from the archives for a conversation with Sarah Van Gelder, founder of the non-profit magazine Yes! -  and author of "The Revolution Where You Live."  In this book, she talks about the many people she has met across the country who are changing the world by working for change where they live.  

My guests on today's program are WGTD News Director Dave McGrath and his wife, Guida Brown, Executive Director of the HOPE Council.  They recently undertook a long trip in which they visited all of the stops on the final concert tour of rock & roll legend Buddy Holly - a tour which ended tragically when Buddy Holly ("Peggy Sue") , Ritchie Valens ("La Bamba"), and the 'Big Bopper' were killed in a plane crash outside of Clear Lake, IA.   That ill-fated tour happened 60 years ago.  

Today's program features a conversation with sportswriter and historian Gaylon H. White, whose newest book is a revelatory examination of the heyday of minor league baseball in America.  It is titled "Left on Base in the Bush Leagues:  Legends, Near Greats and Unknowns in the Minors." 

This interview from back in 2009 is with Norman Love, who was a friend of Julia Child and appeared with her on her final television series,  "Baking with Julia."   This interview was done shortly after the release of the popular film "Julie & Julia."  

Documentarian D.A. Pennebaker died on August 1, 2019.  He was one of the pioneers of the Direct Cinema/Cinema Verite style of making documentaries.   This 2009 conversation was done with him and his wife Chris Hegedus (also a filmmaker) before the PBS premiere of their film "Kinds of Pastry."

We talk about a spectacular exhibition of Latin American art that is about to open at the Kenosha Creative Space in downtown Kenosha.  We speak with Francisco Loyola, executive director - Margaret Heller, project director for the exhibit - and Lorna Baird,  whose family has offered up the 31 pieces of art from their own personal collections.   Lorna's father, Tom Baird, was instrumental in the initial commissioning of these works from some of the finest Latin American artist of the day.   

For Nan Calvert's monthly visit to the program, we talk about a project in Southeastern Wisconsin to help restore the declining population of the Rusty Patched Bumblebee, one of our most important native pollinators.  Guests include Jessica Orlofski, Assistant Professor of Biology at UW-Parkside,  and Dave Giordano and Chelsea Snowden-Smith from the Root Pike Watershed Initiative Network.    We discuss the difference between bumblebees and honeybees,  why we are losing bumblebees at such an alarming rate, and what we can do to help bumblebees to flourish. 

We talk about Hospice care with two guests:  Rita Hagen, executive director of Hospice Alliance of Kenosha-  and Kimberly Paul, a nationally--known advocate for hospice care- author of "Bridging the Gap: Lessons Learned from the Dying" - who is on a nationwide speaking tour titled "Live Well-Die Well."  

Today's Morning Show is dedicated to Woodstock, which happened fifty years ago this month.   Part one is a conversation with Jamila Ephron, co-director of the American Experience documentary "Woodstock:  Three Days that Defined a Generation" that premieres Tuesday night on PBS.   We follow that up with a conversation with Dave Jones,  who was one of the 400,000 people who made their way to the countryside outside of Bethel, NY to attend the festival.   He offers his reminiscences.  

This 2006 interview is among my very favorites.   It's with Edwin John Wintle, author of "Breakfast with Tiffany: An Uncle's Memoir."   The name Tiffany in the title refers to the author's troubled niece,  who ended up coming to live with her Uncle Ed while she was in high school.   The book is a honest and illuminating chronicle of their relationship and how that relationship - which had always been close and affectionate - was challenged when she came to live with him.