KFAI's MinneCulture Presents

Where Our Son Was from Everything Is Stories Jon Gerwitz’s son was born on April 20th, 1988 and kidnapped from the hospital just four hours later. In this story , Gerwitz describes the peculiar circumstances of the disappearance which includes his hometown, a lifelong friend, and the many corridors of Interstate 40. Gerwitz also explains his emotions at the time which ranged from paranoia to forgiveness. 20 years later, he wonders if the whole experience was a coincidence or miracle .

The Beat of a Heart, the Tramp of a Fly   from Noise: A Human History of Sound and Listening In the early years of the nineteenth century new technology allowed people to hear  sounds  that had always existed – but below the threshold of  normal human  perception.  Professor David Hendy  of the University of Sussex tells us the story of medicine’s listening  revolution : the  discovery of the stethoscope . The New Art of Listening   from Noise: A Human History of Sound and Listening Once upon a time musical performances were quite a relaxed affair. Most audience members were so busy chatting,  flirting  and eating they didn't actually do much  listening  at all. But then came the era of  grand concert halls . Professor Hendy explores how the  Victorians  stopped all the shuffling and  learned  to  hush .

David Bowie on Stardust from Blank on Blank How can you turn yourself into an alien rock star and then walk away from the spectacle--and fame-that you’ve created? Here's the logic according to Bowie from a 1988 interview with Joe Smith . Joe’s book on music legends is called On The Record and his interviews now live at the Library of Congress . Bowie's Waiata by Sam Coley In 1983 David Bowie was enjoying the greatest success of his career. His Let's Dance album was at number one and his Serious Moonlight Tour was travelling the world, playing to record breaking audiences. When he arrived in New Zealand, Bowie was invited on a private pilgrimage to visit Takapuwahia Marae in Porirua for a welcoming ceremony. In return for the generosity offered by the  Maori , he sang   a song he'd written for the occasion called  Waiata . In this documentary , we hear that song, plus members of both the Ngati Toa tribe and rock professionals look back on the event which ...

Tea and Wireless by Margaret Evans Before the internets, before television, there was --  the radio ! That's how people heard the news and enjoyed their favorite shows . This story is about the early days of American  radio serial s and " soapies " in Australia. It is an oral history in which we hear excerpts of the old broadcasts , and interviews with the people who produced and acted in them.