The Next Big Thing

A soldier carries a confiscated computer (U.S. Army)

Our Year in War
Show #429

Friday, March 19, 2004

A look back at the voices, both serious and comedic, that have helped us make sense of the war in Iraq. Among them: fifteen young and optimistic Model UN students; thinkers and writers Lawrence Weschler and Mark Danner; Gulf War veterans Robert Holmes and Neal Creighton; and Tony Soprano.

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To Save Humanity from the Scourge of War

A year ago, many deemed the U.N. irrelevant. Taking a different perspective were the 295 students from 30 high schools across the country who attended the 24th Annual Florida High School Model United Nations Conference. As the U.S. and its allies met in the Azores to finalize war plans, fifteen young members of the mock Security Council vigorously sought a multilateral solution – and flirted. Produced by Michael Kavanagh.

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In the Absence of Intelligence

How the State Department gathers intelligence on WMDs, as imagined by masters of improvisational comedy Mary Purdy and Bruce Meakam. Produced by Curtis Fox.

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Posted

Serving in war can be terrifying, lonely, and tedious. For many, letters from home are one of the few sources of relief. Lieutenants Robert Holmes and Neal Creighton remember the letters they wrote and received when they served during the last Gulf War. Holmes and Creighton are co-authors, with three others, of The Eyes of Orion: Five Tank Lieutenants in the Persian Gulf War. Produced by Michael Kavanagh.

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Battle of Algiers, Redux

Last summer, as was widely reported, folks at the Pentagon had an opportunity to watch "Battle of Algiers," the 1965 film about the Algerian uprising against the French. Presumably the film was screened as a "How Not-To" in Iraq. Lawrence Weschler, who runs the New York Institute for Humanities at New York University, and Mark Danner, writer and regular contributor to the New York Review of Books, have their own views of why the film should be required viewing. Produced by Curtis Fox.

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War, Connected

With access to the internet and television, people across the globe can find out what’s happening in a war zone more quickly than ever before. Does this make us more connected to what happens on the battlefield? Writer Lawrence Weschler considers the question. A version of Weschler’s essay appeared in The Threepenny Review. Produced by Curtis Fox.

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Whack 'em, Mr. President

The Sopranos and The West Wing Q. What do you get when you combine "West Wing" with "The Sopranos"? A: A new approach to the role of the President. Or is it? Produced for The Next Big Thing by Jonathan Mitchell.

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Viagra Brownies

brownie Brownies have long been a vehicle for...well, you know. Now, some baby boomers are updating the recipe to suit their needs. Or their neighbors’ needs. An unusual scenario conceived by writer David Cale, and performed here by actress Gillian Foss. Produced by Emily Botein.