KFAI's MinneCulture Presents

Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown! by Kenny Fairris Watching A Charlie Brown Christmas has become a yearly tradition for generations of viewers. We'll explore the history of this program, consider why it communicates so well, and hear about some of the spiritual and artistic influence it has had. Good Grief, Charlie Brown! by Kaye Ballard & Arthur Siegel Several tracks from the 1962 Columbia Records' "Good Grief, Charlie Brown!" album based entirely on early strips written by Schulz. This recording marked the first time ever that the Peanuts characters were brought to life. It was conceived by Kaye Ballard (as Lucy) with longtime creative partner Arthur Siegel (as Charlie) and produced by the legendary John Hammond . The "music" was created by Fred Karlin . Karlin, an Oscar winner, put together a very odd orchestra of childrens' musical instruments, household objects, and real toys , a concept much imitated afterward.

Halfrican from Teenage Diaries Jeff is sixte en and lives with his family in Boston. He is goofy, smart, and charming. Along with those adjectives, he is also these: black and white and brown. More and more Jeff finds himself thinking about race as he’s confronted with the question, “What are you?” This is his radio diary . How the West was Won by Lacy Roberts Lacy couldn't wait to get out of Montana ...and then she still grappled with her roots when she became an East Coast college freshman. Most of her classmates knew next to nothing about life in her home state: " Are there cities in Montana? Is there an airport there? " However, in time, she started to become really, really, really proud to be from Montana . This change in thinking began with some pretty baffling letters from her grandfather.

The Wisdom of Jay Thunderbolt - Airs Nov. 16 This is the baddest, bad ass documentary we've ever aired. It's about a guy who has been shot in the face. He recovered and now runs a strip club out of his Detroit home. Also: He likes to drink tequila and push around reporters by asking for money for interviews. Reporter: "Well, we can't actually pay interview subjects. We're a nonprofit public radio station." Jay Thunderbolt: "C'mon man, I hear you guys selling those tote bags. Can't Jay Thunderbolt get a little tote bag money?" This documentary won a big award at the Third Coast International Audio Festival. We're the first station in the country to air the entire documentary. This is definitely not recommended for young audiences. Listener discretion advised. ( Produced and edited by Nick van der Kolk, Brendan Baker and Nick Williams. Originally aired on the Love + Radio podcast.)

The Queen's Trek - Airs Nov. 9 Bhutan is a land of prayer flags and happiness. But people are people, and human suffering, including domestic violence, is as prevalent here as it is anywhere. Queen Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuk takes her job - creating happiness for the people of her kingdom - seriously - so much so that she treks into the most remote corners of the country to meet the people who she would otherwise never see, to find out about their lives, strategize about health care, and to help end domestic violence. Outer Voices accompanied her into a remote unmapped corner of the high Himalayas. 

The Thing At The Foot Of The Bed by Rachel Yoder The boogie man, the monster in the closet, the thing that goes bump in the night—these, we tell ourselves, are mere fabrications of an overactive imagination, childish fears that easily dematerialize with the flip of a light switch. But what happens when the boogie man starts talking? What about when we try to rise to turn on the light only to find ourselves literally paralyzed? This radio essay explores what exactly happens in those moments just as we're falling asleep or waking, those half-conscious twilights in which our brains see and hear what shouldn't be there. The Uses of Fear by Ben Adair More and more, abstract and ever-present fear defines us as a society. Perhaps we are all indeed held captive to fear -- but fear can also be a tool. This montage is comprised of three conversations with people whose lives have been dictated by fear. We'll hear from a mafia executioner , a horror film director and a ...