KFAI's MinneCulture Presents

My friend at Hearing Voices — Barrett Golding — recently alerted me to a story by Scott Carrier called "Little League Haiku." It's football poetry. It's rebellious and quiet and simply great writing. It's here .

One thing is clear: all of us are going to die. What you may not know is what happens to all those bodies, and the effect they have on the environment. Cemeteries take up thousands of acres of open space. Funeral homes use gallons of toxic chemicals a year. And cremation consumes lots of energy and emits toxins into the environment. Today, many Americans are looking for ways that make their deaths greener. But change is coming slowly. The way we practice death has deep cultural and religious traditions. This documentary — Death's Footprint — features an embalmer, an undertaker, a Roman Catholic cemeterian, a 34-year-old woman who wants to have her body composted by worms, the sounds of a crematorium and an exploration of the newest, greenest body disposal technique: Resomation Death's Footprint was produced by Diane Richard and Todd Melby of 2 below zero for Chicago Public Radio. The documentary won an E...

Leaving the world as we entered it... but with a twist. Jewish burial rituals and beliefs place great importance on treating the deceased with the utmost honor and respect. This is especially important during the "taharah," a ritual involving the physical cleansing of the dead body. In "Honoring the Body: Tahara" — winner of the 2006 Third Coast International Audio Festival Directors' Choice award — three people who have taken part in taharah share their experiences. In addition to taking us through the steps of this intricate ceremony, they offer their personal views and insights on how taharah encouraged them to confront their own mortality and grapple with the existential questions of life and death. We'll also air two other stories related to death: "My Sister's Brain Cancer" by Nance Olesen and "Horrible Deaths" from the Memory Palace.

On this show, we air six stories from American teenagers. Titled "Proms, Jobs and Ethnicity," these stories reflect the worries and hopes of millions of a whole bunch of kids. Like Phillip Baggett of Curie Youth Radio in Chicago. He wants to go to prom. But he's having a tough time asking. We'll air Phillip's funny, anxiety-inducing story on getting a date — or not getting a date — for prom. We'll also air these stories: The N Word: It Represents Hatred, by Veralyn Williams Dominican Republic by Angely Tavare I'm the Guy Who Parks Your Car, by Pablo Ponce Thanks Dunkin' Donuts Lady, by Jasmine Gonzale To My Aunt Who Crossed the Border, by Elizabeth Pilego Relive your youth! Tune in.

Slots of Fun by T.K. McGuirt First, we'll visit a racetrack in Maine where we meet enthusiast, Roland Thurlow. Just like lots of guys, he is serious about his cars. Roland's are a little different though - they measure only about 4". These are slot cars. Are There Any More Rare, Plastic Ponies? by Julie Shapiro While some ladies are at the barn brushing their living & breathing ponies, others are devoted to their diminutive, mass-produced, painted plastic counterparts. An unknown pastime to most, competitive (?!!!??!) model horse collecting is a serious passion for women of all ages. Either way, one thing's certain: Girls love horses. We'll spend some time at the stable & at the show ring talking with riders ...& collectors . LISTEN TO PROMO