KFAI's MinneCulture Presents

The Ghosts of Fire Island from Myke Dodge Weiskopf For most of the 20th Century, New York's Fire Island was virtually a gay mecca; the only place on Earth where homosexual men and lesbians felt safe to live and to love freely. But at the dawn of the 1980's, an entire culture changed irrevocably, as the populace began falling prey to a mysterious and lethal new illness . What happened over the next decade is a haunting story about emotional and physical transformation in the midst of a pandemic. 

Man Divided from Everything Is Stories The story of hot chrome motorcycles, leather, and a journey into the wilderness. At age 60, Jay Byrd  lives  off the grid  and  by himself in northern Arizona where he often meditates and reads theology. He's trying to leave his past behind him. In this episode, Jay recounts his experiences with the law, prison, addiction, violence, the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club , and gun-toting girlfriends. Now, after escaping this personal chaos, he’s eager to describe his philosophies concerning beauty and nothingness. “I became a biker, an outlaw, or whatever you want to call it, and tried to be a good one. I had morals. Respect. I wasn’t a rat. I didn’t break anybody’s finger who didn’t need it.”

Muhammad Ali All Mixed Up by Peter Bochan An impressionistic hour-long mix of sound and song dedicated to "The Greatest" fighter in and out of the ring.  We'll hear from Daniel Berrigan, Jorge Ben , Congo Sanchez, Dennis Alcapone, George Carlin, George W. Bush, Johnny Wakelin, Joe Frazier , Ernie Terrell, Howard Cosell, The Rolling Stones , Huey P. Newton, and many more. Find more from Peter - whose work we have featured here several times before - at mixedup.com . 

My Name is Ali by Ken Girardey A salute to a man who could walk among the nations and peoples of the world and be considered a hero by all . He may have walked alone with that respect. Interview with Muhammad Ali from The Studs Terkel Radio Archive  Studs Terkel was a champion of a working folk and icons alike, and sometimes, he even managed to bring the two together. In this 1975 interview with Muhammad Ali, Studs asks him about how racism can be defeated by the power of outsiders coming to work together. Muhammad Ali also reads excerpts from his book – The Greatest: My Own Story – and discusses his life, touching on his childhood in St. Louis, not being served at a restaurant in his hometown after winning the 1964 Olympic gold medal, why people root for and against him, and fighting for what you believe. Ali Goes to Mars from Blank on Blank It was the summer of 1966 when a persistent 17-year-old with a high school radio show near Chicago got the interview of lifetime:...

The Origins of the James Bond Theme by Dave Roberts Please present your ticket to the usher, purchase all your concessions, and grab a seat because the show is about to start! Tonight's documentary explores the origins of one of the most iconic movie themes of all time - The James Bond Theme . We will discover how the unlikely combination of composer Monty Norman and arranger John Barry created that signature tune for Agent 007; and in doing so, practically invented a whole new genre of music.