A SquashWise team member returns a drop shot on-court at Meadow Mill Athletic Club

Matt Gilman can ride his customized trials bike over just about any obstacle in front of him… (he also happens to be blind)

***THE SIGNAL AIRS FRIDAYS AT NOON & 7 P.M. ON 88.1 WYPR***

(Click here for mp3’s of some recent stories from the show. And PODCASTERS, click here for a link to subscribe to The Signal’s weekly podcast.)

In this edition of The Signal: a special two-hour collection of favorite recent stories from the show…

• A reality series to redefine the genre: Hometown Baghdad profiles the friendships and struggles of three college students trying their best to live normal lives in the midst of a war-torn city. We talk about the pioneering documentary project with its director, Iraqi refugee Ziad Jazzaa.
• Anne Watts of the neo-cabaret noise ensemble Boister reflects on 13 years of making music and memories with her band.
• Christine Ferrera has found the perfect pen-pal. It’s someone she knows she’ll never meet, someone she can entrust with her deepest thoughts, and someone who never judges her harshly. It just happens to be a global coffee corporation. The Starbucks comment card said: “We’d love to hear your thoughts.” And so she obliged, every day, for the next five years.
• We hit the courts with Baltimore’s first urban squash team, a group of middle school students who’ve dedicated themselves to a new program called SquashWise. In addition to honing their backhands, these young athletes are taking on extra academics and competing at tournaments up and down the East Coast.
• Horror movie maven and self-proclaimed “zombie expert” Davida Breier stops by to preview Rigor Mortis, a new zine that celebrates the horror genre and offers some practical survival tips to use in the event of a “zombie outbreak.”
• Plus: a profile of mountain bike trials rider Matt Gilman, who conquers some seriously precarious terrain – all without the benefit of eyesight.

HELPFUL LINKS:

Here’s where you can check out episodes from the “Hometown Baghdad” series: http://chattheplanet.com/index.php?page=videos&v=38

Check out Boister at: www.boister.net

Christine Fererra told her Starbucks diary story at the Baltimore storytelling series, The Stoop. Here’s a link: www.stoopstorytelling.com

Learn more about SquashWise at: www.baltimoresquashwise.org

Curious about the finer points of zombie-ology? Check out: www.livingdeadzine.blogspot.com

Find out more about Matt Gilman and see some incredible videos of his riding at: www.blindbiketrials.com

Koli Tengella teaches theatre arts at Collington Square School of the Arts. He shares his experiences and insights on this week’s edition of The Signal

***THE SIGNAL AIRS FRIDAYS AT NOON & 7 P.M. ON 88.1 WYPR***

(Click here for mp3’s of some recent stories from the show. And PODCASTERS, click here for a link to subscribe to The Signal’s weekly podcast.)

• Nine years of teaching theatre arts in the Baltimore Public School System has given Koli Tengella plenty to ponder. He’s studied the kids, their parents, his fellow teachers, and himself, and he talks with us about what he’s discovered along the way – that real, meaningful educational breakthroughs can’t necessarily be measured by test scores.
• Author Janie Suss has spent her life living on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. We talk with her about her new book, Oscar and Olive Osprey : A Family Takes Flight, a story in which she explores the pleasures of watching a young couple build a nest and a family on her backyard pier.
• And writer Geoffrey Becker discusses his new novel, Hot Springs, the story of a child, her adoptive parents, her birth mother, and a kidnapping that turns their lives upside down.

HELPFUL LINKS:

Koli Tengella’s story is part of a special series called Ear to the Ground, a yearlong documentary project made possible by Open Society Institute-Baltimore. You can hear the rest of the stories in the series by clicking here.

Here’s a link to more about Janie Suss’ book, Oscar and Olive Osprey : A Family Takes Flight

And here’s a link to more info about Geoffrey Becker’s new novel, Hot Springs, a book that earned high praise form the New York Times Book Review

***THE SIGNAL AIRS FRIDAYS AT NOON & 7 P.M. ON 88.1 WYPR***

(Click here for mp3’s of some recent stories from the show. And PODCASTERS, click here for a link to subscribe to The Signal’s weekly podcast.)

• The improvised music collective Out of Your Head has been shuffling its members into new bands every week for the past year, and originators Adam Hopkins and Matt Frazao join us to talk about the power of randomness to fuel creativity.
• We also meet the minds behind the inaugural NO VO Festival – a five-day event featuring an eclectic mix of performers that have one thing in common: no vocals.
• During World War II, Baltimore brothers Walter and Henry Beresh wrote frequent letters home while they were stationed overseas. Neither brother made it back from the war, but their great-nephew, musician Michael Beresh, joins us to bring their letters back to life, as songs.

HELPFUL LINKS:

Click here to find out more about the March 2nd “Out of Your Head” anniversary event

Click here to learn more about the NO VO Festival

Click here to find details about Michael Beresh’s “Letters to Baltimore from the War” concert

Copy that? Printmaker Kathy Beachler teaches her skills to a kindergarten class at Southwest Community Charter School (Photo credit: Tammy Oppel)

***THE SIGNAL AIRS FRIDAYS AT NOON & 7 P.M. ON 88.1 WYPR***

(Click here for mp3’s of some recent stories from the show. And PODCASTERS, click here for a link to subscribe to The Signal’s weekly podcast.)

• We visit a local kindergarten class where the kids are learning the finer points of printmaking. Artist Kathy Beachler and teacher Lena Costa met at the Teaching Artists Institute, where they teamed up to develop a customized arts curriculum.
• Carole Webster McShane joins us with memories of her Russian grandparents and the music they brought along with them to their new lives in here Baltimore.
• Karen Houppert shares a story about a recent experience dining with Russian immigrant neighbors in the midst of the recent Baltimore blizzard.
• And remember: The snow will eventually melt. When it finally happens, we’ll have a long-overdue opportunity to re-explore Charm City. Geoff Brown, author of the Baltimore Moon Handbook, drops by to point us in some interesting directions.

HELPFUL LINKS

Click here to learn more about The Teaching Artists Institute, a partnership between Young Audiences/Arts for Learning (YAMD), Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS), and the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC).

Here’s a link to the Baltimore Moon Handbook

First-generation Korean-American Julia Kim Smith (at left), with her mother and sister at the Grand Tetons (photo courtesy of www.juliakimsmith.com)

***THE SIGNAL AIRS FRIDAYS AT NOON & 7 P.M. ON 88.1 WYPR***

(Click here for mp3’s of some recent stories from the show. And PODCASTERS, click here for a link to subscribe to The Signal’s weekly podcast.)

• We talk with writer Ta-Nehisi Coates about his memoir, “The Beautiful Struggle,” a chronicle of his years growing up in the West Baltimore home of his father, former Black Panther party member Paul Coates.
• Julia Kim Smith is the daughter of parents who came to the US in the aftermath of the Korean War. She joins us to reflect on her parents’ struggles with assimilation, and the ups and downs of her own life as a first-generation Korean-American.
• Writer Susan Muaddi Darraj shares a tale about an immigrant mother who yearns to connect with her young, American-born daughter.
• And poet Katherine Cottle reflects on her family’s mining-town roots in the Appalachian hills of West Virginia.

HELPFUL LINKS:

Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates

Julia Kim Smith

Learn more about writer Susan Muaddi-Darraj at www.susanmuaddidarraj.com and www.baltimorereview.org

Poet Katherine Cottle

Antarctic adventurers Cricket Arrison and Geoff Graham send us some long-distance audio dispatches from a polar ice shelf this week on The Signal. This photo, by the way, is one of many incredible images they’ve posted at their cooler-than-cool blog: iciest.wordpress.com.

***THE SIGNAL AIRS FRIDAYS AT NOON & 7 P.M. ON 88.1 WYPR***

(Click here for mp3’s of recent episodes of the show. And PODCASTERS, click here for a link to subscribe to The Signal’s weekly podcast.)

• Decent pay, room-and-board included, for five months’ work at a scientific research facility… sound like a sweet job? Just one wrinkle: It’s on a polar ice shelf in Antarctica. Baltimore locals Cricket Arrison and Geoff Graham took the offer, they’re down there now, and they’ve been sending us a series of audio recordings that chronicle their adventures.
• Contributor Charles Cohen brings us the story of old-time fiddler Dave Bing, who keeps alive an American music tradition forged in the hills of Appalachia.
• Susan Weis of Breathe Books recommends readings on Toltec wisdom and alternative medicine.
• And literary contributor Eric D Goodman shares a story for all of us who might be a bit too attached to our daily planners.

HELPFUL LINKS:

Here’s the link to Cricket and Geoff’s bolg about life in Antarctica: iciest.wordpress.com

This week, Susan Weis of Breathe Books recommends reading:

The Fifth Agreement, by don Miguel and don Jose Ruiz
Committed, by Elizabeth Gilbert
Perfect Health – the Complete Mind Body Guide, by Deepak Chopra
The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin

Here’s a link to Eric D Goodman’s literary blog, Writeful

And here’s a link to Eric’s new children’s book: Flightless Goose

A SquashWise team member returns a drop shot on-court at Meadow Mill Athletic Club

***THE SIGNAL AIRS FRIDAYS AT NOON & 7 P.M. ON 88.1 WYPR***

(Click here for mp3’s of recent episodes of the show. And PODCASTERS, click here for a link to subscribe to The Signal’s weekly podcast.)

• We hit the courts with Baltimore’s first urban squash team, a group of middle school students who’ve dedicated themselves to a new program called SquashWise. In addition to perfecting their backhands, these young athletes are taking on extra academics and competing at tournaments up and down the East Coast.
• Matthew Porterfield talks about his film, Putty Hill. It’s a blend of documentary and narrative elements that paint an intimate portrait of family members and friends as they prepare for the funeral of a young man.
• Plus, a conversation with Michael Kimball. His movie, I Will Smash You, invites people to take a sledge hammer to their most important possessions, and his film, 60 Writers / 60 Places, takes literary readings into grocery stores, Laundromats, and subway cars.

HELPFUL LINKS:

Learn more about SquashWise at: www.baltimoresquashwise.org

To learn more about (and support the making of) Putty Hill, visit: www.puttyhillmovie.com

Find out more about Michael Kimball’s films I Will Smash You and 60 Writers/60 Places at www.littleburnfilms.com.

And find the details about Kimball’s upcoming double feature presentation (February 5th) at the Creative Alliance by clicking here.

The late David Franks is remembered this week on The Signal. (photo credit: Leslie F. Miller)

THIS IS THE LINK to The Signal’s radio tribute to David Franks.

***THE SIGNAL AIRS FRIDAYS AT NOON & 7 P.M. ON 88.1 WYPR***

(Click here for mp3’s of recent episodes of the show. And PODCASTERS, click here for a link to subscribe to The Signal’s weekly podcast.)

• A visit with musician and sound artist Brian Daniloski, who performs under the name Darsombra… He’s been busy rehearsing for his upcoming performance of a live score for the 1920 classic cult film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
• We remember the departed David Franks, a Baltimore artist, poet, and composer who died last week at the age of 61. Franks leaves behind a body of work that’s a testament to his inspired and inscrutable mind. He once composed an original score for the horns and whistles of a local tugboat fleet. Later, he crafted a song from the sounds of frozen tears. And at the time of his death, he was still working on his most ambitious project: a symphony to be performed on the bells of every church in the city.

HELPFUL LINKS:

Friends, family, and fellow artists will gather to remember David Franks this Sunday, January 31st, at 3 p.m. The memorial is happening at The Creative Alliance (3134 Eastern Avenue) and details are at www.creativealliance.org

Check out Brian Daniloski AKA Darsombra at: www.darsombra.com

Here’s the website for Brian’s musical partner in crime, Bianca Bibiloni: www.alamuerte.com

Click here for more info about this weekend’s screening of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Honky Tonk singer / songwriter Arty Hill shares his music this week on The Signal. Photo credit: Michael Patrick O’Leary

***THE SIGNAL AIRS FRIDAYS AT NOON & 7 P.M. ON 88.1 WYPR***

(Click here for mp3’s of recent episodes of the show. And PODCASTERS, click here for a link to subscribe to The Signal’s weekly podcast.)

• Can something be objectively beautiful? Cognitive neuroscientist Ed Connor is setting out to answer that question, with the help of Walters Art Museum Director Gary Vikan, and we talk with the two of them about their upcoming exhibition-slash-experiment, Beauty and the Brain, a 3-D art show that’ll turn museum-goers into test subjects.
• For two years, photographer Bonnie Schupp has challenged people to answer the question, “How do you define yourself?” We’ll talk with Bonnie about the portraits she’s made of these people, and what she’s learned about how they see themselves.
• And honky-tonk singer / songwriter Arty Hill joins us to share his original music, his abiding love for Hank Williams, and his secrets at the barbeque grill.

HELPFUL LINKS:

Find out more about the Beauty and the Brain exhibit / experiment at: www.thewalters.org

Bonnie Schupp’s website, Defining Ourselves

Bonnie’s work is on display at The Light Gallery

Check out Arty Hill at www.artyhill.com. Arty performs live this Saturday, January 16, at the “Balt-Country Festival,” and you can find all the details at: www.ramsheadlive.com.

Hear the story and the poetry of Robert Harris, Jr, on this week’s episode of The Signal

***THE SIGNAL AIRS FRIDAYS AT NOON & 7 P.M. ON 88.1 WYPR***

(Click here for mp3’s of recent episodes of the show. And PODCASTERS, click here for a link to subscribe to The Signal’s weekly podcast.)

• Family, friends, and sanity… Robert Harris, Jr., counts these among the casualties of his heroin addiction. He’s clean now, but he’s still struggling to piece together a shattered psyche. Drug addiction inflicted the wounds, but it’s another habit that’s helping to heal them: We hear Robert share the poetry that’s been his lifeline as a recovering addict.
• Longtime Economist Magazine (and former Baltimore Sun) editorial cartoonist Kevin “Kal” Kallaugher helps us ring in the new year with a preview of his latest project: The 2010 Illustrated Look at the Year Ahead, a full color, hand-drawn calendar full of obscure, off-beat, and (occasionally well-known) holidays and events from around the world.
• Plus, a look at sexist attitudes and the toll they take… on men. A conversation with gender discrimination researcher Jack Kammer, author of Heroes of the Blue Sky Rebellion (Mr. Kammer is also a social worker who got his MSW from the University of Maryland in July of 2008)

HELPFUL LINKS:

The story of Robert Harris, Jr, airs as part of the special year-long documentary project “Ear to the Ground,” produced for WYPR by Aaron Henkin and made possible by a grant from Open Society Institute – Baltimore. You can hear all the stories in this series by clicking this link.

Check out cartoonist Kal’s website: www.kaltoons.com

Find out more about Jack Kammer and his book “Heroes of the BBlue Sky Rebellion at: www.blueskyrebellion.com and purchase his book online at: www.authorsbookshop.com