KFAI's MinneCulture Presents

What it's like to suffer from a disease that little is known about? In this documentary from Radio Netherlands, Chris Chambers uses his own experiences with dealing with chronic lyme disease to look in to what it's like to suffer from a disease that is little understood and which is causing a great deal of controversy in the medical world.

"The whole band would just like have an orgasm every time Bird or Dizz would play." Those are actual words spoken in this eclectic, moody one-half hour of radio produced by Barrett Golding of Hearing Voices. It's called "The Jazz Plan." And it dips into all things jazz: Reflections from Cassandra Wilson, a poem called "A Mother*ucker Too" by Patricia Smith, an excerpt from "The Best of the Beat Generation," a fictional interview between Mister Rogers and a jazz musician, and of course, some damn good music. Tune in. 7 p.m. KFAI. Light up a cig when you do.

Catfish Culture Spring is here! Fishing time is near. Down South, they snare catfish on their hooks. In the playful documentary Catfish Culture , you'll hear true and mythical stories about giant catfish. Stories like these: "I caught a catfish that weighed 82 pounds." "I caught a 75. I've been with boys that caught a 94. Same boys catch an 84." "I caught one I didn't even put him in the boat. I didn't even want him in the boat with me. Woo. He weighed well over 100 pounds." And if you remember Mark Twain's "Life on the Mississippi," you know that sometimes the catfish is portrayed as a menacing monster. That's referenced too in this jaunty story by Dan Collison, an award-winning radio producer. So, tune in Monday, March 23 at 7 p.m. on the Listening Lounge. You won't need a fish finder to locate us: We're at 90.3 FM Minneapolis and 106.7 FM St. Paul on little ol' KFAI.

Kristina and Emily love whales. And so before Todd returns to Listening Lounge after his 5-week vacation, the two of us have decided to dedicate a half-hour show to whales. Whales! It’ll be fun, people! First up, a piece from Barrett Golding’s show, Hearing Voices. (This should be your favorite audio documentary show—after the Listening Lounge, of course). “Blackfish” tells the story of a guy who can identify which pod an Orca whale is from simply by listening to its call. Dr. John Ford spends his nights on the water, with a hydraphone, an underwater mic, dangling off the side of the boat. Next, a more somber story that we think everyone should hear. “Sonar and Whales,” from Spectrum radio’s Jean Kumagai, investigates the military's use of Low Frequency Sonar to detect foreign sea vessels and its often devastating effects on the ocean's sea life, particularly whales. And we’ll round off the show with some old crazy fun stuff. First, “The Fisherman and His Wife,” a story...

How do we care for the mentally ill? And do we ever really know what it is they need? We devote a half hour to exploring those questions and hearing stories about the trials and triumphs of mental health treatment. First, "Inside the Glore:" A visit to one of America's most bizarre museums, the Glore Psychiatric Museum in St. Joseph, MO. This documentary, from producer Michael Paul Mason, is a vivid look into the history of psychiatric treatment. And after all the restraint cages and tranquilizer chairs and other disturbing contraptions, the question remains: have we really come so far, or is mental illness still an illusive world that we'll never quite know what to do with? Next, "The Education of Sarah Brodie:" Sarah is an art therapist who wants to help Adele Lerner cope with living in a nursing home. But ultimately, it is Adele who teaches Sarah about making connections and putting up boundaries. The piece is from producers Jessica Brando and Neil Sandel...

“Voices From the Harbor,” from producer Katie Clark, tells the stories of four women who entered treatment for their opiate addictions after becoming pregnant. The four women discuss their lives while addicted, their difficult choice to undergo medically-controlled methadone treatment while pregnant, and their hopes for the future. While opiate addiction is a growing problem in America’s rural states, the voices of those struggling with addiction and recovery are seldom heard. This documentary is an intimate and emotional look into the lives of women who are standing up for their future, regardless of their past.

Tune in for a healthy dose of Black History Month-related pieces. Kristina and Emily liked them, and they think you will too. Toilet Paper Scrap Chronicles Civil Rights Ordeal: Within the archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison rests a carefully-preserved six-foot swatch of toilet paper. Miriam Feingold used it as stationary while incarcerated in a Port Allen, Louisiana Jail in September of 1963. She tells the story of a brutal civil rights struggle during a voter registration drive during which hundreds of people were arrested. Navigating in Nebraska: Two years ago, 166 Hurricane Katrina evacuees from New Orleans ended up in Omaha, Neb., and most of them have decided to stay. Building a new life is never easy, but it's especially difficult when you have to deal with various bureaucracies. Producer Lawrence Lanahan brings us a story about one man's mission to help himself by helping other evacuees get back on their feet. Experiences with the “N” Word: Produce...