On Demand
The Next Big Thing Archive
July 2004
Getting Intimate
Friday, July 30, 2004
We get intimate. We visit with people who have abandoned the funeral industry for home burials. We meet a woman who collects hair. We listen to a family of women skinny dipping. We offer a dramatic monologue, written by David Cale, about a phone-sex operator. Also this week, reflections on an abandoned project that could change the way you hear music. And the return, at long last, of vocal acrobat Zero Boy.
Not That One, the Other One
Friday, July 23, 2004
We go to the convention, we visit with Saddam, and we reflect on the little-noticed passing of a Boston chef. No, not the convention, or Saddam, or chef you might be thinking of. The other one. Also this week, musician and composer Roy Nathanson stops by to tell stories and play music – at the same time. And word lobbyist Erin McKean is back to try to seal the deal with writer Simon Winchester.
Imperfect Score
Friday, July 16, 2004
We chronicle strivings for perfection – at the Montreal Olympics, at an annual Potato Blossom Festival, and on stage where an opera singer’s efforts to sing are thwarted by a highly erratic composition. Also this week, the return of Erin McKean, word pusher, along with guest author Simon Winchester. And reflections on Frank Sinatra by Irish writer Nuala O’Faolain.
Do-It-Yourself
Friday, July 09, 2004
It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to “do it yourself” - to build a rollercoaster in the backyard, persuade Billy Joel to share the stage, or rewrite the lyrics to a Cole Porter song. On the other hand, it also takes chutzpah to submit completely to someone else’s vision – for instance, by living in a Frank Lloyd Wright house that cannot be altered in any way. This week, we meet people who have done all these things, and more. Guest appearances by cognitive scientist Douglas Hofstadter, writer John Haskell, and yes, Billy Joel.
Finding the Proper Words
Friday, July 02, 2004
It’s not easy to find just the right word. To wit, this week, we follow the efforts of fifth graders trying to interpret a Wallace Stevens poem; a British expat struggling to remain ever the proper lady; Orson Welles tripping over ad copy; and Thomas Jefferson (as imagined in a 1950s radio drama), lobbying for his version of the Declaration of Independence. And then there’s young singer Sophie Auster, in a recording studio, striving to hit the right note.
