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.

What more can I say that I haven't said in 500 shows? Hope there will be at least 500 more ... Thanks for your support, encouragement, and thoughtful critiques (thoughtless ones, not so much!)

Keep listening, and we thank you.

And I'll turn it over to Lee and Monika.

Monika Evstatieva, here...

What a hectic day it has been. We've tried hard today to bring you diverse voices analyzing President's Obama first 100 days in office. And we've been frantically preparing some surprise interviews for tomorrow. But I am not revealing a word more about that.

So, we apologize for being late, but without any further delay, we continue to highlight some of the most memorable moments of 2008. Here is producer Jennifer Longmire:

Monika...One of the wonderful things about working on this show is the opportunity to bring you voices that too often go unheard. But, my favorite booking involved two well-known figures -- Myrlie Evers Williams and the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr -- speaking the day after the election of President Barack Obama.

Mrs. Evers Williams lost her husband, the late NAACP leader Medgar Evers, in 1963 when he was assassinated in front of their Mississippi home. And Reverend Jesse Jackson Sir, looked down in despair as his close friend and mentor, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lay mortally wounded in on a hotel balcony in Memphis in 1968 . Both men gone before their time. Leaving their loved ones behind to mourn, and to somehow go on and carry out their legacies.

Listening to Mrs. Evers Williams and Rev. Jackson speak about what President Obama's election meant to them was electrifying. Because they and countless others in the civil rights movement bore the scars, the losses, the loneliness and still, they persevered.

It culminated into this one, special, historic moment. I'm so very grateful to have witnessed this, and to have been a part of this segment. So as Tell Me More enters its third year, we'll be sure to bring you stories that touch our hearts, open our eyes, inform and enlighten us, entertain us, and remind us that we are all human, that we are all connected, and that we all matter -- each and everyone of us.

Thank you, Jennifer. That was indeed an interview I will also never forget.

Stay tuned, for more Tell Me More best of 2008 moments and a very special web interview just for you, TMM bloggers. That's all tomorrow.

Cheers!

Lee Hill, here ...

In addition to being a sharp booker of guests for the program, Tell Me More producer Douglas Hopper has also sometimes stepped in as my partner in crime for all things multimedia.

In commemoration of our second radio anniversary, it comes as no surprise that Douglas chose one of TMM's multimedia stories as his favorite (big props from me, of course).

Take it away, D:

Douglas Hopper is one of the original producers of 'Tell Me More.' Hopper joined the production in March 2007, a month before the radio launch. Lee Hill/NPR

Lee, back in April 2008 we decided to take the show to Baltimore for our coverage of the 40th anniversary of the 1968 riots, following the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Baltimore was one of the most devastated cities, and the impact of the riots can still be seen today.

We packed up our gear and headed north with Michel to take a driving tour -- offered by the University of Baltimore -- of some of the city's most devastated neighborhoods.

After the tour, Argin and I headed out to capture some photos and sounds from the streets. We wanted to know what Baltimoreans -- especially those living in the hardest-hit areas -- remembered about the riots.

As a journalist, you develop a pretty thick skin. You have to be able to go up to anyone and just put the questions out there. Sometimes you'll look like a fool, and occasionally people are intimidating (especially if you look like you don't know where you are). But most often, they welcome the chance to tell their story.

When we went into Green's Hardware on Monroe Avenue, they opened up and told us exactly why the riots of 1968 still matter. They're not public officials. They're not experts who you'll hear all over the media. They're people who love their city and remember one of its most horrific episodes, a moment in time that changed everything and dramatically changed the way they think.

Fellow TMM Producer Argin Hutchins gathered the sound and I captured the photos. When we returned to NPR headquarters, we put together an audio slide show using materials from the field and archival images from the riots.

The result: a window into the heart of a community and a testament to how history shapes our lives. ... And, for me, proof that history is just a stranger away.

Thanks, Douglas.

Lee Hill, here ...

As we continue with this virtual commemoration of our program's second anniversary, next up at the mic is Planning Editor Luis Clemens. In a nutshell, he is the man on board responsible for having (and keeping) ... a plan.

I'll let him tell you:

Planning Editor Luis Clemens joined 'Tell Me More' in December 2008. Monika Evstatieva/NPR

Lee, one of the blessings (and curses) of my job is the steady stream of books that arrive by post at my door. The best of the bunch I have read in five months on the job is Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles by Richard Dowden. It is an honest and literate love letter to an impossibly diverse continent.

It didn't hurt that Mr. Dowden proved to be a charming interview with some choice lines.

Of Zimbabwe's president, he said, "I think if Shakespeare was around today, I think he would have written not 'Macbeth,' but 'Mugabe'."

And it certainly helped that he was able to speak about a dramatic range of African countries -- Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda -- with equal ease.

But, I think what I most enjoyed was hearing him read an excerpt from the book. You could almost hear the writing process in reverse. That is, how he transcribed his inner voice onto paper and read it back aloud. I know that's muddled but it makes sense once you've read the book and heard the excerpt.

By the way, it is always such a relief when an author can effectively read their work aloud. I remember listening to a recording of Pablo Neruda reading his poetry. It was awful. I just heard another recording and he sounds even more dreadful than I remembered. Take a listen.

Thanks, Luis. And that reading by Pablo Neruda really is awful.

Monika Evstatieva, here...

Let me just start by saying, thank you for the feedback we've been getting on how to improve the program. We've been reading carefully all of your suggestions and comments and we think they are great. So, please keep them coming ...

In the meantime, it's two days until our second anniversary and we want to continue to higlight some of the most interesting moments of 2008. Today, Tell Me More producer Arwa Gunja shares her story:

Monika...I have five copies of the book Leaving India sitting on my desk. And as a producer at NPR, you get sent so many books that clutter your desk that you can't afford the space to have more than one of the same book lying around. But perhaps the publisher was onto something, because when the fifth copy arrived, I put it in my purse and took it with me for the weekend. And I couldn't put it down.

With each page I turned, I wasn't just learning about the author's extensive family history, but about my own family's as well. Like the author, my family is from that same state in India. Like her family, mine is spread all around the world: Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, California, New Jersey and some who stayed in India. And I realized that for so long, I had never thought anything of the Indian Diaspora. I never wondered how did one family -- once so close in proximity -- ended up so far apart. And in telling me about her family, the author told me more about my family than I ever knew.

This is when I realized that this is what Tell Me More is all about. On a good day, Michel gives listeners the chance to have a window into other people's realities. But on a really good day, she creates the chance for a listener to examine their own reality, think about where they came from, remember what made them the way they are, and think about how that identity defines what happens next.

Thank you, Arwa.

Later today, our planning editor Luis Clemens shares his story on going through piles of books and one in particular that managed to tell a honest story about one of the most diverse continents on Earth- Africa. Also, reading books out loud -- we will have a funny video. So, stay tuned.

Blog to you soon.

Now it's your turn.

Lee Hill, here ...

So we're turning two. And this year, we decided to commemorate the milestone in ways different from our first radio anniversary, where we sort of ... gushed (hey, making it through that first year of hazing is tough, and it's a major feat in this business to live to talk about it). But this year, we decided to switch seats with you, sort of, and just ... listen as you tell us ideas on how we might become even better at what we do. Besides, that's how it all began, remember?

And while your suggestions and comments pour in (feel free to use the space below), TMM producer Monika Evstatieva and myself are passing the virtual mic around to our staff as we reflect on a few memorable moments from the past year.

Here's Tell Me More Editor Alicia Montgomery:

Alicia Montgomery is the lead editor for all material broadcast on NPR's 'Tell Me More.' Monika Evstatieva/NPR

Lee, it was hard to narrow down a favorite story from this last year of Tell Me More. And so I chose a very difficult conversation we had in June with a daughter of civil rights strategist James Bevel. One way he brought attention to the brutality of Jim Crow was to bring children into the middle of demonstrations, even those where violence was expected. The idea was that the spectacle of CHILDREN being beaten, targeted with water hoses, and attacked by police dogs was more emotionally powerful.

But Tell Me More's conversation was about the brutality Bevel inflicted on his own children. His daughter Aaralyn Mills joined us for our Behind Closed Doors segment. And Mills talked about the sexual abuse she endured at the hands of her father, how her mother wouldn't listen to pleas for help, and how she spent years thinking that she was alone in her suffering. But when Aaralyn Mills found out that her sisters were also abused, and that another younger sister might be in danger, she stepped forward and pressed charges. Her father was convicted, and sentenced to 15 years in jail. While he appealed the decision, he died in December.

Her story was heartbreaking, and brought most of us in and around the studio to tears. But her calm, serene presence, and her refusal to let the abuse define her, or even blind her to the good in her father--was inspiring. At one point, she told Michel that she didn't understand why some people thought she was a hero. After the interview, I told her I did.

Thanks, Alicia.

Monika Evstatieva, here...

How is everybody? I know Mondays are not the easiest. However, we at Tell Me More, have something special to celebrate this week that will, hopefully, make your Monday brighter. As Michel mentioned in her commentary today, Thursday is our second anniversary. And to celebrate this special occasion, we wanted to throw a virtual party, where we can all share our most favorite -- happy or sad, fascinating or shocking -- Tell Me More moments from 2008.

So, first on the line is one of our producers, Jasmine Garsd:

One of my favorite stories to have worked on is the one that is airing today on Homeless Families. That's for our weekly Behind Closed Doors segment, which I am responsible for. In this segment, we explore issues that are not generally discussed due to stigma or shame. Topics have ranged from prison rape to abusive teenage relationships. Our conversation on Homeless Families is a prime example of what Behind Closed Doors is all about.

This recession is a watershed moment in American life. Much like during the Great Depression, I expect it to bring out the best and worst in journalism -- and I think segments like the one on Homeless Families is what Tell Me More is all about. If people are suffering and no one is nearby to acknowledge it, it doesn't mean that suffering does not exist. It's our job as journalists to make sure that sound is heard...

Thank you, Jasmine.

As I wrote earlier, this is a virtual party. We are all invited, so please share with us some of your favorite moments, or tells us what you think we can do better. As we like to say here ... please, Tell US More.

And coming up soon, Michel will share her thoughts on today's program and our web producer Lee Hill will have more of the staff's favorite moments of the past year.

So, stay tuned ... Cheers!