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Forum: Current events and public affairs. Host: Mark Cohen
December With the holidays, we're reminded about how important families are and how stressful they can be. We'll talk with Delegates Michael Dobson (D-Dist. 43, Balt. City), and Sharon Grosfeld (D-Dist. 16, Montgomery County) about legislative proposals to prevent spousal abuse, ensure child support and provide unemployment compensation for working women on maternity leave.
November Former congressman, Fr. Robert Drinan, a law professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, considers how the US response to the attacks on September 11th might have been different if a permanent international criminal court existed to try Osama bin Laden. Also, Alysondra Campaigne, legislative director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Carl Goldman: Executive Director, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees Council 26, discuss how September 11th has affected the environmental and labor policy agendas.
October Dr. Zahid Bukhari, the director of the Pew Project: Muslims in the American Public Square, and Dr. Ahmed Moen, a leader of the Ethiopian-American Islamic community, contend that while the September 11 hijackers acted in the name of Islam, their actions ran counter to the Moslem faith. But ultimately, American leaders will have to reassess such US policies such as stationing troops on "sacred" Saudi lands, the ongoing imposition of sanctions against Iraq, and its "uncritical" backing of Israel.
September There's no more classical music on WETA-FM during prime morning drivetime and no more bluegrass on WAMU during prime afternoon drivetime. Instead, the Washington area's two biggest public radio stations are airing the very same NPR programs. Why? Commenting are Frank Ahrens, the Washington Post's "Radio Listener" columnist; bluegrass fan Congressman Howard Coble; Ink, Inc. ad men Steve and Jay Rosenberg; and Robert Siegel, Senior Host, NPR's "All Things Considered."
July Juveniles awaiting trial in Maryland are frequently held in adult jails. According to Human Rights Watch, these jails often provide inadequate education, mental health services, food, or separation from adult criminals. Commenting are Stuart O. Simms, Maryland Secretary of Public Safety and Corrections; Jonathan Smith, executive director of the Public Justice Center; and Penny Kahn, Assistant Public Defender.
June Sibling sexual abuse, argues Risa Shaw, is part of the dark underside of "family values." Shaw is the editor and publisher of Not Child's Play, an anthology of memoirs, poems, short fiction and art.
May What do standardized tests tell us about student, curriculum and school performance? It depends on the test, argues Karin Chenoweth, who writes the "Homeroom" column in the Washington Post.
April The heat is on President Bush following his reversal of a campaign pledge to regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant, and his decision to scrap the Kyoto accords on global warming. Two views on the president's decisions: Dan Reicher, visiting fellow at the World Resources Institute and former chief of the Energy Department's Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office under the Clinton Administration, and Paul Georgia of the "Cooler Heads Coalition," who is an environmental analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
March With a hands-off president in the White House, Cabinet members are likely to have considerable latitude in running the federal government. But apart from Colin Powell and John Ashcroft, most Bush Cabinet members are unknowns to the public. Nicholas Confessore, a staff writer with The American Prospect, offers thumbnail sketches of key players on the Bush team.
February Although Maryland has the highest per capita family income in the country and the lowest rate of poverty, income inequality in the state is growing, 20 percent of the jobs pay poverty-level wages, and over 100,000 children in Maryland live below the poverty line. Discussing solutions are John P. O'Connor, Maryland Secretary of Labor, Licensing and Regulation; Bruce Herman, program director of the Working for America Institute of the AFL-CIO; and Patrice Cromwell, Workforce and Economic Development Fellow at the Open Society Institute.
January Maryland Secretary of Transportation John D. Porcari discusses the state's "smart transportation" strategy, one that relies increasingly on mass transit in addition to road building and improvements.
Back to Top of Page

In Sickness & In Health: Mainsteam and alternative approaches to wellness. Host: Cathy Kristiansen
October Tuberculosis is a medical scourge but the disease claims very few victims today in America. Dr. Thomas Walsh, Medical Director of the Montgomery County Health Department's Tuberculosis Control Program, contends that schools and medical professionals are over-screening for TB, which is wasteful, inconvenient, and can lead to unnecessary and even hazardous drug treatment regimes.
July Maryland, like the country as a whole, is facing a severe nurse shortage. Why? And what is being done about it? Commenting is Kathryn Hall, executive director of the Maryland Nurses Association.
April Gum disease may be harmful to more than your mouth. There is a growing body of evidence that it may cause damage to the heart, lungs and bones, and be a factor in strokes, diabetes and even pre-term births. Commenting is Dennis Mangan, chief of the Infectious Diseases and Immunity Branch at NIH's Dental and Craniofacial Research Institute.
March The mapping of the human genome marks a scientific milestone, raising prospects for far-reaching beneficial health uses as well as abuses. Rick Weiss of the Washington Post looks at the scientific import of mapping the human genome and its ethical consequences.
January Household and garden pesticides are often dangerous to humans and not always necessary to control pests, argues Greg Kidd, science and legal policy director of Beyond Pesticides: National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides.
Back to Top of Page

Musical Traditions: Roots music and singer-songwriters. Host: David Eisner
December The Celtic-inspired guitar and bouzouki pickings of Robin Bullock.
November The sounds of the Sherwood Blues Band.
October Two time WAMMIE honoree, singer-songwriter Lea, offers jazz and Brazilian sounds from her "Creation" CD.
September Imagine going to the movies only to discover that a tune you recorded years ago is on the soundtrack of the hit movie, "O Brother, Where Art Thou"! That's what happened to the Kossoy Sisters, who appeared at the recent benefit opening of the concert film, "Down From the Mountain," based on the music from "O Brother..." Also hear musical excerpts by Allison Krause, Emmylou Harris, John Hartford, Chris Thomas King, the Cox Family, Ralph Stanley, Gillian Welch and others.
July The 24th annual Takoma Park Folk Festival is slated for September 9th. Producer Abby Sternberg looks back at the sounds, sights and history of the festival.
June A return engagement of The Kennedys, showcasing Pete's guitar mastery and the couple's gift for bending genres with good humor.
May The powerful pen and emotive voice of singer-songwriter Terri Allard, accompanied by harmonica wizard Gary Green.
April One-half of the renowned Wiggins & Cephas duo, Phil Wiggins, plays the blues harp.
March Old-timey sounds with Bruce Molsky and a rag by Chuck Durfor and Friends.
February Not only was her CD "Second Avenue" named the "Album of the Year" at the recent Washington Area Music Association Awards, Lisa Moscatiello also captured the WAMMIE for "Artist of the Year" as well. She joins us with two songs.
January Bluesmen James Mabry and Jacques "Saxman" Johnson, and world music with Rachel & Jacqui.
Back to Top of Page

In Step: Innovators and movers in the world of dance. Host: Liz Lerman
September "Tappers With Attitude," the high-energy, youth dance troupe based in Silver Spring is at the forefront of the percussive dance scene in the area. Liz Lerman hosts the creative inspirations behind TWA, Yvonne Edwards and Renee Kreithen.
Back to Top of Page

Writers' Bloc: Authors on their latest books. Host: Lisa Page
December Author Susan Coll on her satirical novel, Karlmarx.Com: A Love Story.
November The effect that terrorism has on a family is the subject of Susan Richards Shreve's latest novel, Plum & Jaggers.
September Civil right activist Roger Wilkins has won a Pulitzer, he authored the acclaimed autobiography, "A Man's Life," and he is the Clarence J. Robinson Professor of History and American Culture at George Mason University. His most recent book, "Jefferson's Pillow: The Founding Fathers and Dilemma of Black Patriotism," explores the moral contradictions of a country founded in the name of equality but built on the toil of slaves.
June Before there was a computer, there was the IBM Hollerith, a punch card database system that Adolph Hitler put in the service of his "Final Solution." The strategic alliance between Nazis bent on genocide and America's most powerful corporation bent on maximizing profit is the chilling subject of IBM and the Holocaust by author Edwin Black.
May On Her Own Ground is the biography of a path-breaking African-American woman, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Madam C.J. Walker. The biographer is her great, great granddaughter, A'Lelia Bundles.
March Each decade of the 20th Century evokes its own unique sensory memories. In his latest book, What It Felt Like: Living in the American Century, Pulitzer Prize winner and Washington Post writer Henry Allen travels back through the recent century, and he takes a rest stop at the Coffee House.
February Award-winning travel writer and master story teller Mike Tidwell discusses his adventures on six continents -- from the hospitality of hunter-gatherer pygmies in Africa to a sojourn with nomadic shepherds along the Silk Road to being marooned on a deserted island. These are some the stories Mike recounts in his most recent book, In the Mountains of Heaven, and shares again in the Coffee House.
Back to Top of Page

Rewind: Film comment. Host: Pat Aufderheide
December Pat Aufderheide interviews the "News Dissector," Danny Schechter, the executive editor of < mediachannel.org > and producer of a new film, "We Are Family," on tolerance in the wake of September 11.
June The public burning of draft board records by priests Dan and Phil Berrigan and cohort was perhaps the most dramatic act of protest against the Vietnam war in Maryland. That act and the trial of the Catonsville Nine are memorialized by filmmaker Lynne Sachs in "Investigation of a Flame."
April Pat Dowell of public radio joins Pat Aufderheide to chat about two new films from Latin America, Me, You, Them from Brazil, and Amores Perros from Mexico, which was nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Film.
January In his award-winning film, "Before Night Fall," director Julian Schnabel retraces the search for personal and artistic freedom of celebrated Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas, from his imprisonment for homosexuality in Castro's Cuba to his death from AIDS in the U.S. Pat Aufderheide finds that Schnabel "captured the passion of this remarkable writer..."
Back to Top of Page

In Verse: Poetry and spoken word art.
December Poems by Rose Solari ("Distances") and Bernadette Geyer ("I Become Like Proust").
November Poet Lyubomir Nikolov offers "The Valley."
October Lori Tsang offers her poem, "Sisters," accompanied by Antonio Parker on sax and Leland Nakamura on drums.
September Poems by Bernadette Geyer ("Square Dance at Uncle Johnny???s Farm"), Rebecca Villareal ("Meat Fest") and D.J. Renegade ("Diminuendo in Blue").
July Poems "Hephaestrus and Hera" by Rose Solari, and "Valley of the Roses" by Lyubomir Nikolov.
June In the final part of their three-part series, "Strike Again That Sounding String," Angela Boykin and Carolyn Joyner present romantic poems by late 19th Century African-Americans.
May D.J. Renegade performs "A Love Supreme." And in Part II of their three-part series, "Strike Again That Sounding String," Angela Boykin and Carolyn Joyner, reenact the verses of recently emancipated American slaves.
April The poetry of 19th century African-Americans is largely a closed book, but one that two area poets, Angela Boykin and Carolyn Joyner, recently opened. In Part I of their three-part series, "Strike Again That Sounding String," Boykin and Joyner reenact the verses of American slaves.
March "Second Hand" by Rebecca Villarreal.
February The death of his uncle led to this family remembrance by E. Ethelbert Miller. A tale of half brothers, divided by the struggle to secure the affections of their mother.
Lori Tsang offers "Angelita," accompanied on sax by Antonio Parker.
January "Tourists in Espana," a poem by Rebecca Villarreal.
Back to Top of Page

Second Look: Journalists on their work. Host: Howard Kohn
November National Public Radio religion correspondent Duncan Moon talks about the response of the Muslim world, abroad and in America, to September 11th.
October There is a growing performance gap between affluent and poor students in Montgomery County schools. Washington Post reporters Brigid Schulte and Dan Keating discuss their two-part series finding that affluent students who attend "poor" schools perform on a par with well-off students at affluent schools, but economically disadvantaged students who attend affluent schools perform dramatically better than their counterparts at schools with high rates of poverty.
July President Bush has rapidly developed a reputation for favoring expanded coal, oil and gas production over conservation and environmental concerns. Is his toxic reputation well founded? Eric Pianin who covers Bush and environment for the Washington Post offers his insights.
May What does the new census tell us about who we are and where we are heading, demographically and politically? Robert Lang is the director of urban and metropolitan research for the FannieMae Foundation.
February Having witnessed more than his share of offensive conduct by athletes, sportswriter Jim Naughton grew jaded on the subject of sports. Through his son, however, Jim rediscovered the core values that initially drew him sports. He wrote about this in a recent cover story for the Washington Post Magazine, "Greater Glory -- Sports Beyond Winning and Losing: A Father's Story," and he elaborates further in the Coffee House.
January Columbia, Maryland is a post-WWII planned community that puts a premium on racial inclusiveness and accommodating economically diverse residents. In a three-part series in the Baltimore Sun, reporter Gady Epstein visited Columbia's neighborhoods to see how well Columbia is living up to its promise.
Back to Top of Page

Feature
December A photo essay by Sam Kittner about Reagan National Airport the day it reopened after the attacks of September 11.
October A photo essay on the global outpouring of sympathy for the US in the wake of September 11.
July Humor and juggling with Nicolo/Whimsey.
June The Supreme Court recently ruled that "cannabis clubs" may not distribute marijuana as a painkiller to AIDS and cancer patients. All the more reason for Maryland to legalize medical marijuana, argues GOP Delegate Donald Murphy.
April Learning by doing: 4th graders at a Takoma Park Elementary School recently descended on Annapolis to persuade lawmakers to declare the Pinxterbloom Azalea the state shrub.
March Sights and sounds at the recent Mardi Gras celebration in Baltimore. Produced by Steve Olson. Also, the City of Takoma Park has hired the grassroots organization, Progressive Montgomery, to reach out to underserved, often immigrant neighborhoods.
February On Inauguration Day 2001, as friends and supporters of George W. Bush descended on D.C., so too did thousands of protesters challenging the legitimacy of the new president. These are some of the sights and sounds.
Back to Top of Page

Weekend Traveler: Quick getaways in the Washington-Baltimore region. Producer: Steve Olson
May Strasburg, PA, an hour-and-a-half from Baltimore, is not only located in the heart of Amish Country, it is also the Train Capital of North America.
April Just outside Wilmington, Delaware, the town of Arden continues to be influenced by its century-old founding vision as an arts and crafts and political utopia.
January Thurmont, Maryland residents have banded together to preserve three scenic, covered bridges, bridges that not only span bodies of water but generations.
Back to Top of Page


Episode

December
Forum With the holidays, we're reminded about how important families are and how stressful they can be. We'll talk with Delegates Michael Dobson (D-Dist. 43, Balt. City), and Sharon Grosfeld (D-Dist. 16, Montgomery County) about legislative proposals to prevent spousal abuse, ensure child support and provide unemployment compensation for working women on maternity leave.
Rewind Pat Aufderheide interviews the "News Dissector," Danny Schechter, the executive editor of < mediachannel.org > and producer of a new film, "We Are Family," on tolerance in the wake of September 11.
Feature A photo essay by Sam Kittner about Reagan National Airport the day it reopened after the attacks of November 11.
Writers' Bloc Author Susan Coll on her satirical novel, Karlmarx.Com: A Love Story.
Musical Traditions The Celtic-inspired guitar and bouzouki pickings of Robin Bullock.
In Verse Poems by Rose Solari ("Distances") and Bernadette Geyer ("I Become Like Proust").
Back to Top of Page
November
Forum Former congressman, Fr. Robert Drinan, a law professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, considers how the US response to the attacks on September 11th might have been different if a permanent international criminal court existed to try Osama bin Laden. Also, Alysondra Campaigne, legislative director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Carl Goldman: Executive Director, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees Council 26, discuss how September 11th has affected the environmental and labor policy agendas.
In Verse Poet Lyubomir Nikolov offers "The Valley."
Musical Traditions The sounds of the Sherwood Blues Band.
Writers' Bloc The effect that terrorism has on a family is the subject of Susan Richards Shreve's latest novel, Plum & Jaggers.
Second Look National Public Radio religion correspondent Duncan Moon talks about the response of the Muslim world, abroad and in America, to September 11th.
Back to Top of Page
October
Forum Dr. Zahid Bukhari, the director of the Pew Project: Muslims in the American Public Square, and Dr. Ahmed Moen, a leader of the Ethiopian-American Islamic community, contend that while the September 11 hijackers acted in the name of Islam, their actions ran counter to the Moslem faith. But ultimately, American leaders will have to reassess such US policies such as stationing troops on "sacred" Saudi lands, the ongoing imposition of sanctions against Iraq, and its "uncritical" backing of Israel.
In Sickness & In Health Tuberculosis is a medical scourge but the disease claims very few victims today in America. Dr. Thomas Walsh, Medical Director of the Montgomery County Health Department's Tuberculosis Control Program, contends that schools and medical professionals are over-screening for TB, which is wasteful, inconvenient, and can lead to unnecessary and even hazardous drug treatment regimes.
In Verse Lori Tsang offers her poem, "Sisters," accompanied by Antonio Parker on sax and Leland Nakamura on drums.
Musical Traditions Two time WAMMIE honoree, singer-songwriter Lea, offers jazz and Brazilian sounds from her "Creation" CD.
Second Look There is a growing performance gap between affluent and poor students in Montgomery County schools. Washington Post reporters Brigid Schulte and Dan Keating discuss their two-part series finding that affluent students who attend "poor" schools perform on a par with well-off students at affluent schools, but economically disadvantaged students who attend affluent schools perform dramatically better than their counterparts at schools with high rates of poverty.
Feature A photo essay on the global outpouring of sympathy for the US in the wake of September 11.
Back to Top of Page
September
Forum There's no more classical music on WETA-FM during prime morning drivetime and no more bluegrass on WAMU during prime afternoon drivetime. Instead, the Washington area's two biggest public radio stations are airing the very same NPR programs. Why? Commenting are Frank Ahrens, the Washington Post's "Radio Listener" columnist; bluegrass fan Congressman Howard Coble; Ink, Inc. ad men Steve and Jay Rosenberg; and Robert Siegel, Senior Host, NPR's "All Things Considered."
In Verse Poems by Bernadette Geyer ("Square Dance at Uncle Johnny???s Farm"), Rebecca Villareal ("Meat Fest") and D.J. Renegade ("Diminuendo in Blue").
Musical Traditions Imagine going to the movies only to discover that a tune you recorded years ago is on the soundtrack of the hit movie, "O Brother, Where Art Thou"! That's what happened to the Kossoy Sisters, who appeared at the recent benefit opening of the concert film, "Down From the Mountain," based on the music from "O Brother..." Also hear musical excerpts by Allison Krause, Emmylou Harris, John Hartford, Chris Thomas King, the Cox Family, Ralph Stanley, Gillian Welch and others.
Writers' Bloc Civil right activist Roger Wilkins has won a Pulitzer, he authored the acclaimed autobiography, "A Man's Life," and he is the Clarence J. Robinson Professor of History and American Culture at George Mason University. His most recent book, "Jefferson's Pillow: The Founding Fathers and Dilemma of Black Patriotism," explores the moral contradictions of a country founded in the name of equality but built on the toil of slaves.
In Step "Tappers With Attitude," the high-energy, youth dance troupe based in Silver Spring is at the forefront of the percussive dance scene in the area. Liz Lerman hosts the creative inspirations behind TWA, Yvonne Edwards and Renee Kreithen.
Back to Top of Page
July
Forum Juveniles awaiting trial in Maryland are frequently held in adult jails. According to Human Rights Watch, these jails often provide inadequate education, mental health services, food, or separation from adult criminals. Commenting are Stuart O. Simms, Maryland Secretary of Public Safety and Corrections; Jonathan Smith, executive director of the Public Justice Center; and Penny Kahn, Assistant Public Defender.
In Sickness & In Health Maryland, like the country as a whole, is facing a severe nurse shortage. Why? And what is being done about it? Commenting is Kathryn Hall, executive director of the Maryland Nurses Association.
In Verse Poems "Hephaestrus and Hera" by Rose Solari, and "Valley of the Roses" by Lyubomir Nikolov.
Musical Traditions The 24th annual Takoma Park Folk Festival is slated for September 9th. Producer Abby Sternberg looks back at the sounds, sights and history of the festival.
Second Look President Bush has rapidly developed a reputation for favoring expanded coal, oil and gas production over conservation and environmental concerns. Is his toxic reputation well founded? Eric Pianin who covers Bush and environment for the Washington Post offers his insights.
Feature Humor and juggling with Nicolo/Whimsey.
Back to Top of Page
June
Forum Sibling sexual abuse, argues Risa Shaw, is part of the dark underside of "family values." Shaw is the editor and publisher of Not Child's Play, an anthology of memoirs, poems, short fiction and art.
Feature The Supreme Court recently ruled that "cannabis clubs" may not distribute marijuana as a painkiller to AIDS and cancer patients. All the more reason for Maryland to legalize medical marijuana, argues GOP Delegate Donald Murphy.
Rewind The public burning of draft board records by priests Dan and Phil Berrigan and cohort was perhaps the most dramatic act of protest against the Vietnam war in Maryland. That act and the trial of the Catonsville Nine are memorialized by filmmaker Lynne Sachs in "Investigation of a Flame."
Musical Traditions A return engagement of The Kennedys, showcasing Pete's guitar mastery and the couple's gift for bending genres with good humor.
Writers' Bloc Before there was a computer, there was the IBM Hollerith, a punch card database system that Adolph Hitler put in the service of his "Final Solution." The strategic alliance between Nazis bent on genocide and America's most powerful corporation bent on maximizing profit is the chilling subject of IBM and the Holocaust by author Edwin Black.
In Verse In the final part of their three-part series, "Strike Again That Sounding String," Angela Boykin and Carolyn Joyner present romantic poems by late 19th Century African-Americans.
Back to Top of Page
May
Forum What do standardized tests tell us about student, curriculum and school performance? It depends on the test, argues Karin Chenoweth, who writes the "Homeroom" column in the Washington Post.
Writers' Bloc On Her Own Ground is the biography of a path-breaking African-American woman, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Madam C.J. Walker. The biographer is her great, great granddaughter, A'Lelia Bundles.
Musical Traditions The powerful pen and emotive voice of singer-songwriter Terri Allard, accompanied by harmonica wizard Gary Green.
In Verse D.J. Renegade performs "A Love Supreme." And in Part II of their three-part series, "Strike Again That Sounding String," Angela Boykin and Carolyn Joyner, reenact the verses of recently emancipated American slaves.
Second Look What does the new census tell us about who we are and where we are heading, demographically and politically? Robert Lang is the director of urban and metropolitan research for the FannieMae Foundation.
Weekend Traveler Strasburg, PA, an hour-and-a-half from Baltimore, is not only located in the heart of Amish Country, it is also the Train Capital of North America.
Back to Top of Page
April
Forum The heat is on President Bush following his reversal of a campaign pledge to regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant, and his decision to scrap the Kyoto accords on global warming. Two views on the president's decisions: Dan Reicher, visiting fellow at the World Resources Institute and former chief of the Energy Department's Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office under the Clinton Administration, and Paul Georgia of the "Cooler Heads Coalition," who is an environmental analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
Weekend Traveler Just outside Wilmington, Delaware, the town of Arden continues to be influenced by its century-old founding vision as an arts and crafts and political utopia.
In Sickness & In Health Gum disease may be harmful to more than your mouth. There is a growing body of evidence that it may cause damage to the heart, lungs and bones, and be a factor in strokes, diabetes and even pre-term births. Commenting is Dennis Mangan, chief of the Infectious Diseases and Immunity Branch at NIH's Dental and Craniofacial Research Institute.
Feature Learning by doing: 4th graders at a Takoma Park Elementary School recently descended on Annapolis to persuade lawmakers to declare the Pinxterbloom Azalea the state shrub.
Musical Traditions One-half of the renowned Wiggins & Cephas duo, Phil Wiggins, plays the blues harp.
In Verse The poetry of 19th century African-Americans is largely a closed book, but one that two area poets, Angela Boykin and Carolyn Joyner, recently opened. In Part I of their three-part series, "Strike Again That Sounding String," Boykin and Joyner reenact the verses of American slaves.
Rewind Pat Dowell of public radio joins Pat Aufderheide to chat about two new films from Latin America, Me, You, Them from Brazil, and Amores Perros from Mexico, which was nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Film.
Back to Top of Page
March
Forum With a hands-off president in the White House, Cabinet members are likely to have considerable latitude in running the federal government. But apart from Colin Powell and John Ashcroft, most Bush Cabinet members are unknowns to the public. Nicholas Confessore, a staff writer with The American Prospect, offers thumbnail sketches of key players on the Bush team.
In Sickness & In Health The mapping of the human genome marks a scientific milestone, raising prospects for far-reaching beneficial health uses as well as abuses. Rick Weiss of the Washington Post looks at the scientific import of mapping the human genome and its ethical consequences.
Feature Sights and sounds at the recent Mardi Gras celebration in Baltimore. Produced by Steve Olson. Also, the City of Takoma Park has hired the grassroots organization, Progressive Montgomery, to reach out to underserved, often immigrant neighborhoods.
Musical Traditions Old-timey sounds with Bruce Molsky and a rag by Chuck Durfor and Friends.
Writers' Bloc Each decade of the 20th Century evokes its own unique sensory memories. In his latest book, What It Felt Like: Living in the American Century, Pulitzer Prize winner and Washington Post writer Henry Allen travels back through the recent century, and he takes a rest stop at the Coffee House.
In Verse "Second Hand" by Rebecca Villarreal.
Back to Top of Page
February
Coffee House Forum Although Maryland has the highest per capita family income in the country and the lowest rate of poverty, income inequality in the state is growing, 20 percent of the jobs pay poverty-level wages, and over 100,000 children in Maryland live below the poverty line. Discussing solutions are John P. O'Connor, Maryland Secretary of Labor, Licensing and Regulation; Bruce Herman, program director of the Working for America Institute of the AFL-CIO; and Patrice Cromwell, Workforce and Economic Development Fellow at the Open Society Institute.
Feature Reports On Inauguration Day 2001, as friends and supporters of George W. Bush descended on D.C., so too did thousands of protesters challenging the legitimacy of the new president. These are some of the sights and sounds.
Musical Traditions Musical Traditions: Not only was her CD "Second Avenue" named the "Album of the Year" at the recent Washington Area Music Association Awards, Lisa Moscatiello also captured the WAMMIE for "Artist of the Year" as well. She joins us with two songs.
Writers' Bloc Award-winning travel writer and master story teller Mike Tidwell discusses his adventures on six continents -- from the hospitality of hunter-gatherer pygmies in Africa to a sojourn with nomadic shepherds along the Silk Road to being marooned on a deserted island. These are some the stories Mike recounts in his most recent book, In the Mountains of Heaven, and shares again in the Coffee House.
In Verse The death of his uncle led to this family remembrance by E. Ethelbert Miller. A tale of half brothers, divided by the struggle to secure the affections of their mother.
Lori Tsang offers "Angelita," accompanied on sax by Antonio Parker.
Second Look Having witnessed more than his share of offensive conduct by athletes, sportswriter Jim Naughton grew jaded on the subject of sports. Through his son, however, Jim rediscovered the core values that initially drew him sports. He wrote about this in a recent cover story for the Washington Post Magazine, "Greater Glory -- Sports Beyond Winning and Losing: A Father's Story," and he elaborates further in the Coffee House.
Back to Top of Page
January
Forum Maryland Secretary of Transportation John D. Porcari discusses the state's "smart transportation" strategy, one that relies increasingly on mass transit in addition to road building and improvements.
In Sickness & In Health Household and garden pesticides are often dangerous to humans and not always necessary to control pests, argues Greg Kidd, science and legal policy director of Beyond Pesticides: National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides.
Musical Traditions Bluesmen James Mabry and Jacques "Saxman" Johnson, and world music with Rachel & Jacqui.
Rewind In his award-winning film, "Before Night Fall," director Julian Schnabel retraces the search for personal and artistic freedom of celebrated Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas, from his imprisonment for homosexuality in Castro's Cuba to his death from AIDS in the U.S. Pat Aufderheide finds that Schnabel "captured the passion of this remarkable writer..."
In Verse "Tourists in Espana," a poem by Rebecca Villarreal.
Second Look Columbia, Maryland is a post-WWII planned community that puts a premium on racial inclusiveness and accommodating economically diverse residents. In a three-part series in the Baltimore Sun, reporter Gady Epstein visited Columbia's neighborhoods to see how well Columbia is living up to its promise.
Weekend Traveler Thurmont, Maryland residents have banded together to preserve three scenic, covered bridges, bridges that not only span bodies of water but generations.
Back to Top of Page

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