The Next Big Thing

Do-It-Yourself

Show #546

Friday, January 06, 2006

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.

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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 rural Indiana to find out what kind of man builds his own roller coaster. Produced by Julie Subrin.

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New York State of Mind

Imagine asking a rock star to let you join him on stage to sing a number. Tom Kitt asked. Billy Joel said yes. And Tom got it all on tape. Produced by Michael Kavanagh and Angela Uherbelau.

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Dream House

Nearly a decade 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. Producer Curtis Fox wonders, whose dream is it anyway - theirs, or Mr. Wright’s?

Pictured right: one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian Houses

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Sometimes a Father

Documentary filmgoers might recognize Father Robert Castle’s voice. An unusually irreverent man in a profession known for its reverence, he was the subject of Jonathan Demme’s 1992 film, "Cousin Bobby." Thirteen years later, Father Castle continues to preach, and also to appear in Demme’s films. He talks about his unusual approach to his work with host Dean Olsher. Produced by Emily Botein and Jamie York.

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You’re the Steam… in my Cappuccino

Indiana University Professor of Cognitive Science and Computer Science Douglas Hofstadter is famous for his book on translation, Le Ton beau de Marot: In Praise of the Musicality of Language. More recently, he and his students got to work “translating” Cole Porter’s “You’re the Top” to make it more timely. Hofstadter and his student Adam Tierney share some of their favorite verses. Produced by Michael Kavanagh.

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Cole Porter, 1937

Fiction, derived in part from fact, about the unpredictable nature of the creative process. Written and read by John Haskell. Produced by Emily Botein.

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