On Demand
Survival Kit Archive
February 2003
Russell Simmons
Sunday, February 23, 2003
Russell Simmons has been called “the godfather of hip-hop”, as well as a visionary, mogul and legend. Through his Def Jam Records, Def Pictures, Phat Farm clothing, Def Comedy and Poetry Jams, and One World Magazine, he has popularized hip hop and brought it into the mainstream of American pop culture. In fact, everything he touches has become so popular, I imagine that if we send him to a remote place, it will immediately become the newest hot resort, and the rich and famous will be parachuting in to share it with him. Let’s see what he’s got in his Survival Kit.
Jane Smiley
Saturday, February 15, 2003
Each of Jane Smiley’s novels portrays a unique community: The Greenlanders depicts a colony of Vikings in the 14th century; Duplicate Keys, a cutting-edge rock band in Manhattan; A Thousand Acres, a farm family in Iowa; Moo, campus life at a large agricultural college, and Horse Heaven, the world of thoroughbred horse-racing. She’s even written a biography of Charles Dickens which explores his role in the society of Victorian England. Her interests are so wide-ranging, I can’t imagine what she’ll want to bring with her on this trip, or what she’ll be willing to leave behind.
Bobby Short
Sunday, February 09, 2003
Bobby Short grew up in Danville, Illinois, but for the last several decades, he says, New York City, and specifically, the Cafe Carlyle, have been his home. Even his summer place in the South of France is called the “Villa Manhattan”. The singer and pianist, who refers to himself as a “saloon singer”, has appeared in venues as diverse as Carnegie Hall, the Barnum and Bailey Circus and the White House, as well as nightclubs all around the world. He is considered by many the epitome of urban sophistication and elegance, but he has nevertheless agreed to an imaginary journey to a remote cabin, where no one will ever know whether he is wearing formal wear or not. Let’s take a peek in his Survival Kit.
Scott Simon
Sunday, February 02, 2003
When Scott Simon takes a break from his job as host of NPR’s Weekend Edition, it’s usually to get closer to news making events. Reporting from trouble spots all over the world, he’s covered wars, famines, sieges, earthquakes and presidential campaigns. He’s also the author of the books Home and Away: Memoirs of a Fan, and Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball, which bring a historical perspective to our national pastime. I’ve asked him to imagine a real respite, a long retreat in a quiet place, away from the hubbub, and to tell us something about himself, namely the 8 things his Survival Kit would contain.
