Wgtd's The Morning Show With Greg Berg

One of our most noteworthy interviews from 2024: Craig Unger, author of "Den of Spies: Reagan, Carter, and the Secret History of the Treason that Stole the White House."

Carthage grad Mike Stoehrmann talks about the experience of being a contestant on WHEEL OF FORTUNE. (Mike's episode was telecast on New Year's Eve.) Mike is a high school science teacher in Romeoville, Illinois.

From 2012- Chris Paine talks about his documentary film "Revenge of the Electric Car," which examines the work of several different trailblazers .... including Elon Musk .... toiling tirelessly to bring electric cars into the mainstream. The interview was done just as the film was about to air on the PBS series Independent Lens. The film can now be viewed on YouTube.

Part One: - In celebration of what would have been Rod Serling's 100th birthday on December 25th, 2024, we speak with Anne Serling, author of "As I Knew Him: My Dad Rod Serling." Joining her is Marc Scott Zicree, author of "The Twilight Zone Companion," which has just been re-released in its third edition. Part Two: From 2020... Award-winning writer Darin Strauss talks about his novel "The Queen of Tuesday: A Lucille Ball Story." The book, which is a work of fiction, imagines a romantic affair between Ms. Ball and the author's grandfather, Isidore Strauss.

From 2011= Susan Spangler, author and illustrator of the graphic novel "The Year of the Bird- True Stories in Pictures and Words."

One of our favorite interviews from 2024- Aime Alley Card, author of "The Tigerbelles: Olympic Legends from Tennessee State." The book chronicles the rise of the women's track team at Tennessee State in the 1950s, culminating in the spectacular successes of runners like Wilma Rudolph at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

We remember renowned folk singer and composer Peter Yarrow, who passed away earlier this week, by replaying a 2012 interview about his children's book based on his song "Puff, the Magic Dragon."

Part One: Beth Bush is the guest director of the Racine Theater Guild's newest production, Joe Di Pietro's "Over the river and through the woods," which opens this coming weekend. Part Two: (one of our favorite interviews from 2024)- We talk about the Cameron Boyce Foundation, created in memory of the child actor who died several years ago from complications related to his epilepsy.

(Rescheduled) - This is a preview of next week's 3rd annual Carthage Arts Symposium, titled "Peace, Parity, a New Cold War?" which takes place next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - January 14, 15, and 16. This is an interview with four Carthage faculty who are participating: Leslie Brothers, Visiting Assistant Professor and the current manager of Gallery Programs (she is the primary coordinator of the symposium) .... Richard Meier, Professor of English and Writer-in-residence ... Joshua McGowen, Assistant Professor of Art (specializing in photography and animation) .... and Gary Keller, Associate Professor of Marketing and Management. All of the events next week are free and open to the public. (The interview about the RTG production of "Over the river and through the woods" that was originally scheduled for today will air tomorrow instead.)

One of our favorite interviews from 2024 (originally airing during Banned Books Week) ..... Karl Weber, author and editor of "Why Books Still Matter: Honoring Joyce Meskis: Essays on Books, Bookselling, and Publishing." Joyce Meskis was the founder of the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver, CO - one of the most famous independent bookstores in the country, and a business that helped revolutionize the public's notion of what a great bookstore could and should be. The interview also includes considerable discussion about the phenomenon of book banning - and how the practice of book banning tends to be detrimental to the health of a democracy.

(one of our favorite interviews from 2024) - David Lapp, co-founder of the group Braver Angels (originally known as "Better Angels) - which seeks to help people from different sides of the political divide to find ways to communicate with each other and come to a more thoughtful understanding of each other's perspectives. He came to Southeastern Wisconsin for a national Braver Angels convention that occurred at Carthage. Also participating in the interview was Cameron Swallow, who has been an active part of the organization for several years.

(One of our favorite interviews from 2024) - Gerry Cooney, author of "Gentleman Gerry: A Contender in the Ring, a Champion in Recovery."

In memory of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29th at the age of 100, we replay my 2005 conversation in which we talk about his book "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis," which examines the importance of the separation of church and state. After that, we replay a 2021 conversation with Chuck Dalaklis, executive producer of the documentary film "In Their Own Words: Jimmy Carter." This and other episodes of the series can be viewed at pbs.org. (Search for "In Their Own Words" - and then scroll down until you find the episode with President Carter.)

One of our favorite Morning Show interviews from 2024: Alexander R. Brash talks about his book"A Whaler at Twilight: A True Account of Whaling and Redemption." The book is based in large measure on a long-forgotten account written by his great-grandfather about his own experiences as a whaler.

From 2004 - Best-selling author of columnist Anna Quindlen talks about her book "Loud and Clear.

From 2010, journalist Jim Moret talks about his deeply personal book "The Last Day of my Life."

From 2013- actor and writer Eric Pierpoint talks about his book "The Last Ride of Caleb O'Toole."

From 2002- Deep sea photographer Paul Skerry talks about his book "Lost Subs: from the Hunley to the Kursk, the greatest submarines ever lost - and found."

From 2012- In another followup to Thursday's program, which featured a reunion of young men who had performed the title role of Menotti's Christmas opera "Amahl and the Night Visitors" with the Choral Arts Society over the years, we replay the 2012 interview with Nathan Engstrom, recorded just before he undertook the role. Also in the interview is his father, Steve Engstrom, along with conductor James Schatzman.

In a follow-up to yesterday's Amahl reunion, we replay a 2002 conversation with one of those past Amahls - Michael Weideberg - along with Beth Bush, who portrayed his mother in that production, and Jeri Smith, who was the producer of the production.