Roundup

Single Mother Builds Spitfire Replica in Her Garage [6min @16:00]

Susan Lipscombe-Ridley's garage is not full of the usual clutter of tools, lawn mowers and bicycles. There's simply no room. That's because the mother of three is using her garage to build a full-sized, exact replica of a Spitfire -- the fighter plane made famous in the Second World War's Battle of Britain. We reached Ms. Lipscombe-Ridley at her home in Spalding, England.

Caravaggios Found [7min @13:30]

When you're an art curator, they probably come with the turf: calls from terribly excited people who claim to have found a Rembrandt or a Renoir lying on the floor their grandmother's attic. So, when Jose Freches got that call from someone in France's Loire Valley claiming to have found a couple of Caravaggios, he didn't really raise a eyebrow. Not until he saw them, anyway. Monsieur Freches is a Caravaggio expert and curator. We reached him at his home in the French countryside near Nîmes.

Pulitzer-Winning Playwright Wendy Wasserstein Dies [5min]

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein died Monday of lymphoma. She was 55 years old. In plays such as The Heidi Chronicles and The Sisters Rosenzweig, Wasserstein explored the lives of modern women.

20th Anniversary of Challenger Tragedy [51min]

January 28th is the 20th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy. Just over a minute after take-off, the US Space Shuttle Challenger exploded, killing all seven crew members. A Presidential commission determined that the accident was caused by a failure in the O-rings of the right solid rocket booster. We’ll look back at this tragic anniversary and remember those that died. Guests: Steven J. Dick, NASA Chief Historian; and Charles (Chuck) Resnick, Brother of Challeng

'White Money' and Black Studies Departments [8min]

Ed Gordon talks with Noliwe Rooks about her new book White Money, Black Power: The Surprising History of African-American Studies and the Crisis of Race in Higher Education. Rooks, associate director of African American Studies at Princeton University, says the money to finance such programs came at a cost to black Americans.

'How to Read the Bible' Through History [27min]

The modern Bible is the product of translations and interpretations that span centuries. But a true understanding of its meaning should take into account its origins in Jewish culture, according to biblical scholar Marc Zvi Brettler, author of How to Read the Bible. In his 400-page volume, Brettler examines the historical context -- the conventions and ideology -- that prevailed at the time the biblical scriptures were written. His approach underscores the literary workings of the text, a

Recalling the Life of Playwright Wendy Wasserstein [3min]

A look at the life and career of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who died Monday in New York City. Her plays included The Heidi Chronicles and The Sisters Rosensweig. Wasserstein died of lymphoma at the age of 55.

Playwright Wendy Wasserstein Dies at Age 55 [4min]

Playwright Wendy Wasserstein died Monday in New York City after battling cancer. She was 55 years old. Day to Day has this remembrance of her prolific career and award-winning plays that celebrated women, including The Heidi Chronicles and The Sisters Rosenweig.

The Return of the Students for a Democratic Society [4min]

One of the largest and most vocal campus protest groups of the 1960s -- the Students for a Democratic Society, or SDS -- is forming again after a long hiatus. Small chapters are opening up at universities across the country, and this summer members will join together for the first SDS convention in more than three decades. Some of the original members of the group are also getting involved again.

Girl Groups -- Why We Should Remember them [9min]

In the 50's there was rock and roll and Elvis -- then in the mid sixties came the Beatles and Bob Dylan -- but between the two there was a phenomenon that can still set the feet a tapping -- the girl groups -- The Cinderellas, The Shangri-Las, The Marvelettes, The Fabulettes and The Chiffons. A box set of CDs called One Kiss Can Lead to Another -Girl Groups Lost and Found has just been released to celebrate them. Mark Hagen, presenter of"Sold on Song" on BBC Radio 2 and a producer of"Top

Romans Ran Europe Better Than EU Does [9min @1:00]

Boris Johnson, historian, journalist, and British Conservative MP and Shadow Minister for Higher Education, joins a 45min roundtable discussion on the weather, the Gaia hypothesis, and the eradication of terrorism, and discusses why the Romans were so successful at running a united empire of up to 100 million people, when, as he puts it, we in the European Union can't even agree on a plug for our toasters... The Dream of Rome is published by HarperCollins and there is also a 2-part series

After the American Revolution -- The Boost to Canada [15min]

In 1783, the Treaty of Paris concluded at Versailles, formally giving the Americans their independence from the British. This did not mean that the two nations had nothing more to do with each other. Before the War of Independence, the commercial links between colony and mother country were very profitable. There was no reason to abandon the transatlantic lucrative markets. The preamble to the 1783 Treaty made the position clear, both countries should "…forget all past misunderstandings and

Hazel Rowley on Beauvoir & Sartre [15min]

Eleanor Bron reads from Hazel Rowley's biography Tête-à-Tête: Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre. Beauvoir and Sartre are one of the world's most iconic couples. They had a notoriously open relationship and produced some of the century's most influential writing on modern thought. The two meet as students at the Sorbonne.

Maria Fitzherbert Reminisces about Her Secret Marriage to the Prince Regent [15min]

"The Buzz of the Day" is the story of The tragic and moving tale of Maria Fitzherbert and her secret marriage to the Prince Regent, in the 2nd of 5 original stories celebrating the life of an important woman in Brighton's history. Presented by Lynne Truss. By John Peacock, read by Jill Balcon. Directed by Celia de Wolff.

Voices in the News [2min]

A sound montage of some of the voices in this past week's news, including: Bill Ford, chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Company; Cheryl Frager, a Ford employee; Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA); Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA); sound of Hamas celebration in the streets of Gaza; Amre Moussa, Secretary General of the Arab League; President Bush.

Stella Tillyard on George III's Troublesome Siblings [8min @1:00]

Presenter Mariella Frostrup talks to historian Stella Tillyard, author of Aristocrats: Caroline, Emily, Louisa and Sarah Lennox, 1750-1832, about her new book, A Royal Affair: George III and His Troublesome Siblings (Chatto and Windus ), which tells the story of George III’s relationship with his siblings, in particular his youngest sister, Caroline Mathilde. Married off at the age of 15 to the mentally disturbed King of Denmark, she took a German lover, which caused havoc in the D

The History of Blacksmithing 4th of 5 -- Not Just Any Metal Gates [15min]

From the tomb of Eleanor of Aquitaine to the great gates at Hampton Court, artist/blacksmith David Petersen explores the emergence of blacksmiths who specialise in decorative ironwork. Artist/blacksmith Petersen presents a series exploring the history of blacksmithing.

Challenger: What Went Wrong? [5min]

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the explosion that destroyed space shuttle Challenger and its 7-member crew. The mission was doomed by poor decision making before liftoff on a cold Florida morning.

Alexander Korda -- The Man Who Took on Hollywood [60min]

When Alexander Korda died 50 years ago this month, his greatest days were over and the British film industry was beginning to go into serious decline in the face of its deadliest rival yet -- television. But in his heyday, Korda had persuaded the British to go to the cinema and see their own culture, lives and history on screen, rather than Hollywood's vision of the world. With interview clips from those who knew him, Francine Stock re-assesses Korda's life, career, and films -- including The

The Bath Riots: Indignity Along the Mexican Border [9min]

For decades, U.S. health authorities used noxious, often toxic chemicals to delouse Mexicans seeking to cross the border into the United States. A new book tells the story of what happened when a 17-year-old Mexican maid refused to take a gasoline bath and convinced 30 other trolley passengers in 1917 to do the same. The maid, Carmelita Torres, crossed every day from Juarez to El Paso to clean American homes. The gasoline bath was noxious, but effective at killing lice, which carry typhus, says