The Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid sport utility vehicle is driven at the General Motors Saturn plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. in 2006. The Vue Green Line is the first hybrid vehicle produced in Tennessee. AP

 

Jennifer Ludden, here ... I'm sitting in for host Michel Martin, who returns on Monday.

I grew up in Columbia, Tenn., just down the road from Spring Hill, a place you never would have heard of if General Motors hadn't picked it as the site for its revolutionary Saturn plant back in 1985. (In fact, I was a cub reporter for a local radio station that year, on summer break from college, and filed a piece about the GM decision for NPR.)

At the time, no offense meant, but Spring Hill wasn't even a stop on the road! Blink, and you missed it. It was truly just those rolling green hills that GM played up when it announced its decision to build a "different kind of car."

Spring Hill's recently elected mayor, Michael Dinwiddie, told us on today's program that the population back then was about 1,000 people. Today -- because of the GM plant and a snowball of spin-off development that followed -- it's 24,000. Things grew so fast the mayor said infrastructure development couldn't keep pace. A lot of people moved from up north, and I've heard from high school friends that the once tiny Catholic community had to build a bigger church because of the influx.

But now things are happening in reverse.

In 2007, GM moved its Saturn production to Mexico, taking several thousand jobs with it. The Spring Hill plant still produces the Chevy Traverse, but only at 24% capacity. And now people are waiting to hear if a GM bankruptcy will mean more job losses, and a reverse ripple effect.

Will the south one day have its own version of the "rust belt"? The mayor seemed optimistic.

It's strange to think how much one business decision can utterly transform a place. And once that happens, you can't just go back, at least not without a lot of pain somewhere.

-- Jennifer Ludden

Jennifer Ludden, here ... I'm sitting in for Michel Martin.

I used to be based in West Africa for NPR, and one of themes that's stayed with me is the disconnect between Africans and African-Americans.

I did a story once on the "slave castles" in Ghana -- that's what they call them. They are the seaside jails where Africans were held before their (African) captors put them onto ships for Britain and America. The locals told me how amazed they were when black Americans would tour a site and be moved to tears -- and how the visitors didn't appreciate that ambivalent reaction one bit.

One castle director said Ghanaians are taught about slavery through an economic prism, as part of the 18th and 19th century "triangle trade" across the Atlantic. He said Ghanaians' view of blacks in America came mostly through the media -- they saw rich movie and music stars, and had little understanding of the daily racism many African Americans endure -- and so, they just didn't get why these Americans felt so bad about these slave castles.

This is why I was intrigued when I read about the creation of the Black Immigration Network, a coalition of activists that seeks to encourage African Americans to support black immigration. Our conversation today centered on the hotly contested issue of the economic impact of immigration, and you could back and forth for hours about that. But as the black immigrant community in this country grows (census figures show it's increased rapidly since 1990) there are bound to be all kinds of awkward encounters ... and more attempts at understanding.

Our society lumps these disparate groups together for the color of their skin, but they have very different views on so many things.

-- Jennifer Ludden

iStock

 

Lynn Neary, here. I've been sitting in for Michel Martin while she takes some time off.

Okay, I have a confession to make. Sometimes I can be a glass-half-empty kind of gal. I find eternal optimists a little irritating. Why, I wonder, do they feel compelled to see the world through rose-colored glasses? Why can't they just face reality and see how tough it is? You'd think I've had a hard life the way I go on sometimes.

Truth is, I haven't. ... Which is why I find myself marveling at President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor.

On today's show, I spoke with Lia Epperson, a professor of constitutional law at Santa Clara University; Ramona Romero, national president of the Hispanic National Bar Association; and Dahlia Lithwick, of Slate.com about what it would mean to have a Hispanic woman like Sotomayor on the Court. I will leave it to others, more qualified than I, to render a judgment on her legal expertise. But, when it comes to making the most out of life Sotomayor is a role model for us all.

I can only marvel at the discipline and drive it took to travel from the South Bronx to a possible seat on the Supreme Court. How easy it would have been for her to settle for way less. Some might think losing her father as a child, and being raised by a single mom in a public housing project would have made her feel "disadvantaged" in some way.

But, no.

Here's how she sees it: "I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences."

Not "disadvantaged" but, rather, "blessed." And clearly she seized every opportunity that came her way.

It's enough to put a glass-half-empty gal like me to shame.

I think I'd better check that chip on my shoulder at the door.

-- Lynn Neary

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden applaud Obama's nominee for Supreme Court Justice, Federal Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor, in the East Room of the White House this morning. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

 

Lee Hill, here ...

Sonia Sotomayor, in case you haven't heard, has been tapped by President Obama to serve on the Supreme Court. Sotomayor's nomination comes after news last month by Justice David Souter that he would retire. If confirmed by the Senate, Sotomayor, 54, would become the first Hispanic and the only the third woman to hold a seat in the high court.

Of course the announcement is still fresh, but I'm curious to know, what are your initial impressions -- of today's announcement, of Sotomayor? And how "weighty" is this nomination, culturally and politically speaking?

Will it really make that much of a difference, if Sotomayor is confirmed, to have both another woman and another ethnic minority representative on the high court? Also, might such a strong focus on her distinctions this early-on lead to unfair expectations?

In other words, is Ms. Sotomayor, oh, so carefully, being setup to be a contestant in the infamous is he/she _______ (black, Latino, man, woman, closed- , open-minded) enough? debate?

Tomorrow, we're tackling this sphere of thought head-on. Don't miss it.

In the meantime, feel free to weigh in with your thoughts.

Marie Nelson, here ...

It's the Friday before the memorial holiday weekend, and we are excited about the program that we have in store for you. So, here is a quick preview.

As the nation pays homage to fallen service members, we tell you what you need to know about the ongoing war in Afghanistan and why President Obama has put this conflict on the front burner. Michel talks with Amin Tarzi, the director of Middle East Studies at the Marine Corps University. We also post a "web exclusive" interview, as part of our Afghanistan primer conversation, with Clare Lockhart, of The Institute for State Effectiveness, who takes us inside the Taliban and explains why they are still a force to be reckoned with.

We also bring you the story of fallen soldier, Army 1st Sgt. Charles Monroe King. He died in Baghdad in 2006, but not before leaving behind a 200-page journal for his infant son Jordan. King's surviving partner and mother of his son, Dana Canedy, an editor at The New York Times, turned the journal into a book "A Journal for Jordan." It's a story of love and loss and one that you don't want to miss.

Finally, we had to recognize that many of you will spend the day enjoying the requisite barbeques and may want to listen to something that makes you stomp your feet and clap your hands. Country chart-topper Cleve Francis fits the bill. He was one of the first African-American country artists to sign a major record deal after music legend Charley Pride.

Oh, and by the way, music isn't his day job. Francis is a cardiologist. Healing hearts and soothing our savage souls, he visits our studio with his band to preview his new album "Story Time" with a special performance chat.

From all of us at Tell Me More, we wish you a happy Memorial Day. And to our service members and their families, we say thank you.

Torture.

Who ever thought we'd be talking so much about this? I confess I did not. I thought this was something out of the past back in Medieval times with Torquemada and the Spanish Inquisition and that whole crew.

Of course, we know that the American prisoners in Vietnam were tortured. And we know that various guerrilla groups torture people and the purpose is clearly to dominate, humiliate and punish and hurt those victims as well as those who care about or identify with them. But I don't think it ever occurred to me that American soldiers or CIA interrogators or contractors would torture people, at least not routinely, and at least not under the cover of law.

And now we have this debate: Did we or didn't we?

Members of the Bush administration defending the government's policies and actions during this time say we -- and it is WE, if this was done in our name and on our behalf as Americans -- did not, and that the U.S. stayed on the right side of a not very bright line. Others say we crossed that line, too many times, and now we have to try to cross back.

Two speeches today lay out this very serious and important case. The President and former Vice President Dick Cheney are both speaking today. And we will be watching, and listening. And we hope you will also, if you can. Because this is about what we think is right. We may never know all of what actually happened (although something tells me we will), but we do have a responsibility to come to terms with it, whatever side of the debate we happen to be on.

Of course, that could be my naivete.

Pressure Cooker opens in selected theaters on May 27. Participant Media

 

I am thinking about a conversation I had with Herman Badillo, a former Deputy Mayor of New York and Borough President of Manhattan. He's a former college president, and a very big name in New York. This was about two years ago and Badillo had just published a memoir. One of the things that stood out for me (and we didn't get into it in the interview for some reason) is that he loathes vocational education. I can't remember whether he had been steered into vocational education, or whether this is just something he found out about when he got into politics, but he talked about this particular program in New York that was supposed to teach aeronautics. He says it was out of date and ridiculous, just warehousing for black and Latino kids, in particular, and poor kids, in general. He wrote that the technology was all out of date and it was just a way to keep kids, that nobody wanted to be bothered with, occupied.

That stuck with me because our new Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, the former superintendent of Chicago schools, is a huge fan of vocational education. He has pushed all kinds of programs in Chicago schools to let kids explore culinary arts and other fields in a deep and consistent way. Duncan says that it opens doors for kids who may not be suited to, or interested in traditional high school, and he says it teaches good work habits and all kinds of so-called "soft" skills.

So who is right?

That's the question I found myself thinking about as I watched Pressure Cooker, a new documentary about a culinary arts program and its force-of-nature teacher, Wilma Stephenson (pronounced Steffanson, like Steffanwolf -- I am dating myself, I know). The film opens in New York on May 27 and in Los Angeles on June 5. It's hilarious to watch, in a scary kind of way, because you can't decide whether you wish Ms. Stephenson had been your teacher, or if you are grateful she was not. But she loves those kids, and she is pushing them to be as excellent as they can be because, in her view, a lot is at stake. She wants them to know that as hot as it may get in her kitchen, it's hotter out there in the real world.

Can they take it?

Could the rest of us? Listen to today's interview with Ms. Stephenson, and you tell me.

Hello out there in cyber-land! Douglas here, stepping in for Michel.

We have some excellent conversations coming up this week. Can't squeeze it all in here... But check out these highlights:

Tomorrow a conversation about how much it costs to be poor. Sound crazy? Check out this piece in the Washington Post by DeNeen Brown. Brown (who was on the show on Tuesday talking about Murals) spells it out: "the poorer you are, the more things cost." Tune in tomorrow to hear more.

And a conversation about salon in California where one of the stylists decided to offer a class for white adoptive parents of black or bi-racial children on how to do their hair.

On Thursday, out international edition, we'll visit with the lawyer of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a political prisoner under house arrest in Myanmar. Her case is now complicated by an unusual twist - an American man who made an unannounced and uninvited visit that went awry.

And of course Friday we'll the Barbershop guys will go full throttle on the news of the week.

Keep us on your dial ... or web browser... or your mobile device. And remember to get in the conversation. We are listening too.

Here's the thing - I don't read much fiction anymore. Not because I don't want to, but because it just seems like it's gotten kicked to the curb along with other things I like to do, caught up in the press of all the things I feel I MUST do (as well as like to do) such as keep up with the news, keep up with the kids' schedules, keep up with my husband's schedule.

So that's one reason why it's so great to have a reason why I MUST read fiction. It's our summer fiction series. We started it off last week with MacArthur Fellow Colson Whitehead's new latest novel Sag Harbor. And now I've finished another one over the weekend: Pulitzer prize winner Leonard Pitts - winner for his commentary - has published his first novel, Before I Forget. I can't wait to tell you about it. Or rather he will, when he comes to see us next month. You might want to put it on your list for Father's Day. But I won't lie to you. It's heartbreaking. And that's all I'll say right now.

And now I'm off to watch a documentary for a conversation for later today. What a hard job right?

iStock

 

Monika Evstatieva here...

Happy Friday, everybody! Hope you all had a good week. On Friday, we usually air Backtalk - our weekly segment, where we get to hear from you - our listeners and bloggers. This Friday, though, we are shifting the conversation to the blog.

This week, we spoke to writer and social critic Barbara Ehrenrich. And she said it's time for Americans to get a little more angry and a lot more politically involved, when it comes to the economic recession and the large number of lay-offs.

The discussion prompted us to ask whether you think unemployment is a chance for personal growth, or an opportunity for political empowerment. And if you've lost your job, do you think retraining programs are a solution, or a waste of time?

Randy from Chesepeake, VA says he is currently undergoing retraining, but this is a good thing.

"I believe it is a good idea to re-train, because it does help a person re-educate and re-think about what they want to do."

But, Joe from New Jersey does not completely agree with that.

"The job market is designed for retraining, for one job after the other, after the other. I've been through myself and it does keep you busy while you are unemployed, looking for a job and trying to get re-trained for a job that you do not know how long it will last for and what the demand is going to be."

Janet Carpenter says she has been laid off many a times, but advises we should remain optimistic, even when we get laid off.

"Give yourself some time to mourn. Get up. Move on. And find something new, because you never know where that door will leave you."

I second that Janet.

This, week we also had a discussion about the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). We spoke with the new president of Howard University Sidney Ribeau and Michael Lomax, the President and CEO of the United Negro College Fund.

We've asked you whether you think that Historically Black Colleges and Universities still have a role to play in the future of higher education? And if you attended an H-B-C-U, what did you find valuable about that experience?

Many of you said HBCUs are not only still needed, but there is a pride derived from such an education.

Jabari, a senior at Morehouse College says he is glad he is attending an HBCU, although he was also accepted at the University of California, Berkeley.

"That instruction as an African American male, not just as a regular student is something that is essential and is something that is usually overlooked and something that when you have black students that go to predominantly white institutions they don't gain that, you know messes someone with their confidence."

Listener Snyder George attended Prairie View A&M University and thinks HBCU's serve an important purpose:

"It is not always that easy for us to get into major universities...Not everybody is good at taking exams. And a lot of people have connections at these universities (HBCUs) because different people's parents may have attended there and they are more equal opportunity."

Mr. George, however, says attitude is a problem at HBCUs.

And finally, on Monday Reverend Miguel Rivera, Chairman of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders and Reverend Luis Cortes, president and CEO of Esperanza, a network of Hispanic churches in the United States shared their opposing views on should illegal immigrants be counted in the upcoming 2010 census.

Reverend Rivera wants the undocumented to boycott the census, unless Congress passes comprehensive immigration reform. But, Raul E. Cisneros from the U.S. Census Bureau stated that no organization should urge their members not to participate.

Here is the official statement: "Our job is to count every single person. We are disappointed that any organization would urge anyone to not participate in the 2010 Census."

Annette Lynn blogs: "As a health care professional I spend much of my time wrestling with an under funded indigent-care provider system in efforts "extend the net" for many children of immigrants. Does Rev. Rivera not realize that funds will not be allocated, for health care or education, to cover presumptive populations? In his effort to make a stand he is excluding and dooming those who most need to be counted."

Thank you, Annette.

And let me tell you, before I sign off how grateful we are for all your comments...we read them all (it's true). So, stay tuned for more and as we always like to say here: PLEASE, TELL US MORE.

Blog to you soon.

Lee Hill, here ...

This week has been hectic around here, to say the least. Special thanks to fellow TMM producers Monika Evstatieva and Douglas Hopper for stepping up to the plate while I was out. Monika even prepared a special "web-i-fied" version of BackTalk for today, just for the blogosphere. So, check her out -- and check yourselves out -- when you get a moment.

Looking ahead ...

On Monday, we go behind closed doors to take on an issue that human rights advocates and public health leaders in this country have long wrestled with: how to get (and keep) prostitutes, or sex workers, off the streets. For some, providing sexual favors is not so much a choice, as it is a way of life.

You'll hear from two women, both of whom formerly worked as prostitutes. Listen on Monday as they describe their journey of self-discovery and tell how transitioning from a life off the streets hasn't been an easy one.

We'll meet you back here on Monday.

iStock

 

Lee Hill, here ...

Former U.S. Attorney Gen. Alberto Gonzales and legal scholars Charles Ogletree and Lani Guinier. If you heard today's broadcast, then you heard these voices share their opinions -- and do so quite openly -- on choosing the next Supreme Court nominee, who will replace Justice David Souter after his planned retirement in June.

(By the way, I never thought I'd hear Gonzales, Ogletree and Guinier in the same conversation. Did that strike anyone else as really quite ... something?)

The group, following a one-on-one chat with Gonzales and Michel Martin, talked about whether President Obama should consider the diversity of the high court -- or perhaps the lack thereof -- when nominating the next Supreme Court justice.

What do you think?

Does it matter if the justices do not necessarily look like the rest of the country? Or, is it more important that the court be ideologically diverse (which is not always synonymous with ethnic diversity)? Or, should certain achievements alone -- the prestige of one's academic portfolio, affiliations, past appointments, etc. -- suffice as qualifiers for appointment to the highest court in the land?

And, regarding the latter portion of today's program, take a listen to our discussion on historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). We sat down with Sidney Ribeau. He's the new the president of Howard University (well, almost new ... he just finished his first academic year as the school's leader).

Today's other big question: do black colleges still fulfill a vital need in society? If so, can they -- performance-wise -- hold their own, so to speak, in the current educational environment? (Full disclosure: I am an HBCU graduate, of Howard.)

Tough questions, I know. But that's why we're here, right?

Summers

 

So, I'm back. Remember, I had to duck out of the program after jury duty yesterday.

I was not selected for a jury yesterday; more accurately, I was excused. Let me just say the particular facts in the case before us were uncomfortably close to a situation that had occurred in my family, and I felt it necessary to disclose that.

It's a difficult dilemma. My husband is a lawyer, so I know very well how necessary it is for citizens to participate. And jury duty is a hassle. Everyone knows that. But I think it was the judge who said, we really don't want a jury made up just of people with nothing better to do, and I know that if I or someone I cared about were jammed up in some way, I'd want someone like me on the jury. What does that mean? I'd want somebody who does actively listen, who does try to put aside pre-conceived notions, who does care about the facts and the law.

But I also think it's important to be honest, and when I heard the facts of the case I found myself replaying the other personal event in my mind, and I thought, that can't be the right way to go about this. Every case deserves to be judged on its own merits.

Hard, isn't it?

Which brings me, strangely enough, to the Moms parenting conversation today. The mothers on the program today want us to change the way we think about addicted mothers. They want us to think about what they described as a disproportionate number of women who are addicts because they have been victims themselves -- very often of child abuse and/or other forms of sexual violence -- and turn to drugs as a way to self-medicate. These women, who founded The Rebecca Project for Human Rights, are dedicated to increasing the options for addicted mothers, especially increasing the options in lieu of incarceration.

Think about it, over 200,000 women are in prison or jail in the U.S., according to the Institute on Women & Criminal Justice, and a million women under criminal justice supervision. Two thirds of them are there for non-violent offenses. And nearly two-thirds of the women in prison are mothers, and not just mothers, the primary caregivers. So this is not a small number of people we're talking about. And, what happens to them affects not just them, but the children they are trying to raise.

Worth a listen, I think.

iStock

 

I am back from St. Louis, and off to ... jury duty.

Wish me luck. (You know what that means in this context, right?)

And, if you haven't already, check out today's Can I Just Tell You? commentary. On my mind this week: a few thoughts about Mother's Day, the idea of becoming the "perfect mom," and notes about how much of the judgment and ridicule directed at women and mothers comes from other women and mothers.

You can also learn more by reading a recent article, published by The New York Times (which I referenced today in my piece).

Lee Hill, here ...

So, little did folks know that, after yesterday's program, Michel Martin and Producer Arwa Gunja rushed out of here to catch a plane. They headed off to St. Louis to take a piece of Tell Me More to Missouri and learn more about the public radio community, as well as our listeners, there.

Here's Arwa, with notes and pictures of the road ...

TMM Producer Arwa Gunja (right) and Michel Martin pose for a photo at St. Louis public radio member station KWMU. Mary Edwards/KWMU

 

Thanks, Lee.

Now it's time to head home. In the meantime, enjoy more pics below ...

Michel Martin and NPR newscaster Lakshmi Singh (left) were the guests of honor for "Talk, Toast, Taste," sponsored by KWMU. Arwa Gunja/NPR

 

A sizeable audience gathered for a chance to see the people behind the radio. Arwa Gunja/NPR

 

Thanks, Arwa. Safe travels to you and Michel. See you back on this end.

And enjoy your weekend...

Luis Clemens, here ...

Today, we kicked off our summer reading series by interviewing Colson Whitehead, who is the author of Sag Harbor. The novel is set in the mid-1980s and mines the pop culture junkyard of that era.

The impassioned discussions in the book about early hip-hop artists Afrika Bambaataa, Kraftwerk and U.T.F.O ring true to memories of my own mid-1980s adolescence. Same with the anguish, anxiety and bafflement produced by the by the New Coke fiasco. The latter is hilariously parodied by Whitehead.

I wonder, though, if the references make sense if you are not one of Colson Whitehead's post-Boomer/pre-Internet contemporaries. For those who were mercifully too young in the 1980s to sport skinny ties or shoulder pads, I've compiled a brief video compilation of a few pop culture figures featured in Sag Harbor:

'Roxanne, Roxanne' by U.T.F.O. (Warning: this song contains some profanity. Listener discretion is advised.)

'Head to Toe' by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam

'The Message' by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five

A CBC News Report About The Launch of 'New Coke'

The theme song for TV's iconic 'Land of the Lost'

'Trans Europe Express' by Kraftwerk

Not mentioned in Whitehead's book is a hit by the band Alphaville. For my money, "Big in Japan" qualifies as the single most excruciating music video from the 1980s.

Enjoy:

We took up a number of important issues today: the debate about whether the credit card industry needs reform, how we use credit cards and what's going on with parents in school districts that have been closed down because of fears about swine flu. But the issue that I bet will get people going is the last one we talked about in our Moms conversation: breastfeeding.

Save the eye roll, please. I am sure there are people for whom this conversation means nothing or is distasteful but, you know what? If you were born (and if you're reading this, I know you have been), then your mother had to make a decision about whether to breastfeed you or not, and that decision might have been harder than you ever imagined. And it might be getting harder as more women enter the workforce.

In fact, a majority of women of young children are in the workforce, so it's an urgent conversation. It's an issue that's written about in Unbuttoned: Women Open Up About the Pleasures, Pains, and Politics of Breastfeeding. Is this book the book that tells it all? Nope.

There are a lot of voices I would like to have seen in it that aren't there. But it's a start.

And now I'm turning the mic over to our editor Alicia Montgomery. She has something to say: Alicia?

Alicia Montgomery poses with infant son William. Courtesy of Alicia Montgomery

Michel, I wish that I had heard today's breastfeeding conversation long ago -- two years ago, to be exact -- when I was pregnant with my son. At that time, I entirely bought into the breast feeding ideal. I did my research, and looked forward to the blissful moments of bonding pictured in all my mothering books.

But my son's birth brought a reality check. For the first few days, he alternated between gnawing and screeching at me, and after nursing, flecks of my broken skin were scattered across my bed. During one particularly frustrating feeding, my son sat back, whimpered, and gave me three sharp kicks to the stomach, the way you would with a broken vending machine.

I was totally unprepared for the pain, and my breast feeding books and pamphlets insisted that it shouldn't hurt, as long as I did it right. They also warned that giving my son just one bottle could turn him off nursing permanently. He'd be deprived of IQ points and a healthy immune system, and I'd lose my best chance to bond with him. There were moments in my sleep-deprived hysteria when I thought I would never figure it out.

Well, eventually I did. Between the nursing and, I confess, some formula, he gained weight, and I started to enjoy that blissed out bonding feeling. Breastfeeding still hurt; I just got used to it.

But so many of the mothers I confided in -- smart women with lots of love for their babies -- had the same trouble I did. And many came to believe that those troubles meant they were doing something wrong. And the crushing feeling of failure pushed many of those mothers to quit.

So I hope that our Moms discussion today tells new breastfeeding mothers what I wish someone had told me -- that breastfeeding, like motherhood itself, is hard, hurts more than you expect, and will sometimes make you feel like a failure. But, just like motherhood, if you stick it out, you'll find that it's completely worth it.

Thanks, Alicia.

Monika Evstatieva, here...

How is everybody? I know it's only Tuesday, but some of you might be already thinking of that happy hour coming up after work today. It's Cinco De Mayo today and these Coronas are looking awfully good. But our TMM producer Arwa Gunja might not quite agree with you. Arwa, break it down...

Monika, it's May 5. And if you remember my commentary from a year ago, my feelings about this supposed celebration of Mexico's Independence (Cinco de Mayo) have not changed. If you missed it, you can check out below (even if you are sipping on your Corona while you listen)

Thank you, Arwa! Now, it's your turn! What do you think about Cinco De Mayo?

And before signing off, I wanted to let you know we have a really interesting blog coming up today about breastfeeding. So, stay tuned and don't miss out.

Blog to you soon.

A man wearing a face mask walks along Reforma Avenue in Mexico City. Mexico was preparing Monday to reopen many businesses and tourist sites closed by the so-called swine flu, which recently claimed 26 lives in the country. EITAN ABRAMOVICH/AFP/Getty Images

 

It's a gray, dreary day in Washington but our spirits were high because we are starting Year Three on the air, and that's exciting because there's alot to think about, and talk about.

For tomorrow's program, we were debating whether we would be adding to perhaps unnecessary swine flu hysteria if we keep focusing on what seems to be turning into a rather mild, albeit fast moving, bug. But we're not into telling people whether they should be hysterical (we opt for not), but we are following the impact.

We think that the decisions governments and school officials, and parents, and workers and employers have to make in the face of imperfect information makes its own interesting story.

Also tomorrow, along the lines of "the unexamined life is not worth living," there's a new book out about ... breast feeding. We think you'll find it interesting.

On we go.

Lee Hill, here ...

For our final reflection, we turn to Brakkton Booker. Although he's been working with us for some time now, Brakkton only recently signed on to become Assistant Editor for the Tell Me More. In his new role, he works with a small team of others to help guide the editorial mission of the program -- to bring sharp, fresh new voices to you, the listener.

As I mentioned, Brakkton is no stranger to the program. So B, tell us about your most memorable Tell Me More segment:

Recently-named 'Tell Me More' Assistant Editor Brakkton Booker has hit the ground running in his new role. Lee Hill/NPR

Lee, with so many wide-ranging conversations during the past two years, I must admit I keep fixating on one interview, in particular. And that is none other than David Duke.

Hear me out.

We received a ton of responses from listeners asking why we would give air time to the former Grand Wizard of the KKK. But given the context and the timing of the interview I thought it demonstrated how committed Tell Me More really is to showcasing all manner of voices.

The interview aired on October 31st -- a mere four days before the historic 2008 election. And the conversation aired the same week an assassination plot by two neo-Nazi skinheads targeting then-candidate Barack Obama was foiled by federal law enforcement.

The fact that many, if not all, of our audience doesn't agree with David Duke's worldview does not mean we should exclude his opinion from our program. After all, his views are shared by some number of Americans.

I'm proud we didn't shy away from asking Duke tough questions and I hope we continue to surprise listeners and ourselves with guests that are, as our illustrious host Michel Martin likes to say, "spicy."

Happy B-day TMM.

Thanks Brakkton, and welcome to the team.

And thanks to you, out there in the blogosphere. We hope these reflections have added a something to your understanding -- and appreciation -- for Tell Me More. It's been great to serve you, and we look forward to you telling us more in the days, weeks, months and years ahead.

So, cheers! We couldn't have made it this far without you.

Enjoy your weekend.

Signing off ...

Lee Hill, here ...

Rob Sachs is the Director for Tell Me More.

What does that mean?

Each morning as the program "goes to air" from NPR's Studio 4B, Rob is responsible for giving host Michel Martin the precise time cues necessary to keep our hour-long broadcast honest in length and running smooth. He raises his hand, points to Michel -- who sealed off by glass in a sound-proof suite with our guests of the day -- and ... Michel speaks. One wrong cue (even if only off by one second) can potentially derail the broadcast, throwing things off not only for us here, but also for our local affiliate (or member) stations around the country that carry Tell Me More.

The lighter side of the job? Rob typically handles the music "beat" for the program. Whenever you hear segments that feature musicians, often billed as "performance chats," Rob's fingerprints are usually somewhere on the scene.

Here's Rob with more:

Before 'Tell Me More,' Rob Sachs worked for NPR's 'The Tavis Smiley Show' (no longer in production). Lee Hill/NPR

My two favorite segments, my two favorite guys.

Lee, one of the great things about working on the music projects at Tell Me More is that it has allowed me to reach out to groups that I've long admired. For instance in the world of hip-hop we talked with my two of my all-time favorites Q-Tip and Questlove.

Q-Tip was on to talk about his solo career but I, like many others, came to appreciate him through his work leading the group A Tribe Called Quest. Songs like "Scenario," "Bonita Applebaum," "Award Tour," and "Check The Rhyme" were all staples on all my high school mix tapes.

As a native Philadelphian, it was great to have the opportunity to get Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson on Tell Me More to talk about the group's new gig as house band for Jimmy Fallon's late night show on NBC. As with A Tribe Called Quest, I've been following The Roots since they started, back in the early 90s, and have attended many of their live performances (if you haven't seen their live beat boxing, you're missing out).

I was really pleased with how both of these segments turned out. But of course the icing on the cake was afterwards when I got to talk to both Q-Tip and ?uestlove to ask them about their musical tastes for our "In Your Ear" series.

Thanks, Rob.

Hey Lee, I know you want me to write about my favorite segment on 'Tell Me More,' and I'll get to that shortly, but I have a few things on mind.

Hello TMM Blog Community -

I'm sure you've been following the reports about the swine flu virus. By clicking around on the NPR Web site, you'll find the main report page, where you can listen to a number of stories about what the virus is and its spreading potential. Check out information on the pig farming town in Mexico, where officials confirmed one of the first flu cases. And TMM's planning editor, Luis Clemens talked to Michel about how the health crisis was affecting his friends and family in his former hometown and NPR has a map where you can track confirmed cases of the flu across the globe. Check it out.

Today's Frustration

So, I begin with all that to say ... I'm a little frustrated today. My younger sister is boarding a plane. She's going to California.

Ordinarily, I'm not worried but then I saw Vice President Joe Biden in a news clip saying,

Continue reading "'Speak Your Heart'" >

Lee Hill, here ...

The week is wrapping to a close, but not before we have a few more team members share their favorite Tell Me More moments.

The story of TMM producer Argin Hutchins is an interesting one in itself. In 2007, Argin made the big switch from being an NPR audio engineer to becoming a producer for the program. There's only a short list of folks around here who've done that.

Anyway, here's Argin with his most memorable Tell Me More moment:

'Tell Me More' Producer Argin Hutchins joined the program after making the switch from NPR's audio engineering group. Monika Evstatieva/NPR

Lee, looking at all of my colleagues past postings this past week I decided not to settle on a story solely based on content or emotion. Instead, I thought it would be nice to give our listeners a taste of our daily grind to produce this show.

When I first joined the program two years ago, I was surprised to find that I was joining a pretty young staff. I had been working at NPR almost three years prior and I came to expect that the shows here had a hierarchy that was loosely based on age (thinking the older you were, the more rank you had, but I am sure you had to earn the rank ... you get my point). So, needless to say, because of our youth our ideas for the program were very spontaneous.

This leads me to one of my favorite stories: a conversation with a Rock Band called The Noisettes. The reason why I decided on this is because of the back story. This was a crash production! When we came in that morning, none of us knew what we were in for when we asked a rock band to perform.

No, it's not what you think; they did not have odd requests or anything. It was purely a logistics problem -- we had only one hour to prepare for an interview that usually takes days to produce. We had to get the band into the building, set them up, do a sound check and record the interview. And keep in mind that no one on staff had ever produced a rock performance before. We feared the worst.

But the interview went well and the performance was amazing. Since it was so early in Tell Me More history, not many people might have heard the performance interview. So I invite you to listen.

Thanks, Argin. That was a crazy day.