Who says you can’t build a roller coaster in your backyard? Who says you have to go to Harvard to go to Harvard? Who says you have to keep your house exactly as the architect wanted it to be? This week, encounters with people who live by the rules, and people who make up their own rules.
The Sound of Staring
Heard in a bar in Union Square, New York City, on a Sunday night in September. Produced for the Next Big Thing by Amy Farley.
A Free Ride
Over the tool shed, under the elm tree, and around the rose bushes - all in 30 seconds. It’s the “Blue Flash,” a homemade roller coaster John Ivers constructed in his backyard. Next Big Thing contributor Matt Power visits Ivers in ...
A Nuke in Every Yard
It’s one thing to build a roller coaster in your backyard, but entirely another to build a cruise missile. Or even a nuclear reactor. Dean Olsher asks: What is it with these do-it-yourself defense strategists?
Whack ‘em, Mr. President
With more and more television dramas about the workings of the executive branch hitting the airwaves, we thought we’d add one of our own. Produced for The Next Big Thing by Jonathan Mitchell.
These Are Some of the Voices We Heard
As of October 1, many Americans will have their names struck from telemarketers’ phone lists. If you have chosen to be among them, this may be your last chance to hear those cheerful solicitations.
Just a Few Minutes of Your Time
With the passage of “Do Not Call” legislation, people like telemarketer Rini Gonsher may soon find themselves out of a job. The death of telemarketing would clearly be a blow to them, but also, Gonsher tells Dean, a blow to the rest of us. Produced by Michael Kavanagh.
Voices and Messages
Annie Baxter is a keeper of things, including old phone messages – from her mother, from an ex-boyfriend, and others. These days, the messages she finds the most difficult to listen to are the ones from her friend Rose Mendez. Baxter is a producer for Minnesota Public Radio.
Dream House
Seven years ago, Edith and John Payne fell in love with a Frank Lloyd Wright house. So they bought it and moved in – a dream come true. That’s not to say that it’s been domestic bliss ever since. Next Big Thing’s Curtis Fox wonders, ...
Practice, practice, practice
It’s back to school, and back to practice, for students at the Juilliard School. Take a walk through the halls, and this is what you’ll hear.
Ivy On-Line
As more and more colleges offer courses on line, it seems plausible that the college campus will disappear altogether. In fact, Harvard University seems to be heading in that direction. At least that’s what we hear from our favorite “Unreliable Narrator.” Alice Furlaud. Produced by Curtis Fox
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