MELISSA BLOCK, host:
It's Thursday, the day we read from your e-mail and many of you wrote to say thanks for David Kestenbaum's half-hour report on the failure of the 17th Street Canal in New Orleans.
MICHELE NORRIS, host:
Alan Weeks, who listens to us via satellite in Slovenia, called the story one of the best he's ever heard. He writes, "I'm from Mobile, Alabama. NPR's coverage of Katrina has been a lifeline since the storm hit for me and I appreciate the respectfulness of your coverage, and yet David Kestenbaum's story of the levee breaks and design failures has gone to another level. The willingness to take the time to develop the narrative to tell such a story demonstrates vividly the power of radio."
BLOCK: While we're on letters from ex-pats, here's another one of sorts about our series on rural China. Dallas, Texas, listener Jing Brad Lo(ph) grew up in China and says the reports reminded him of his childhood. He writes, "Listening to the students reading and teachers teaching in the classroom, I was flooded by memories of my elementary school days in a rural school converted from a Buddhist temple in my village. Thank you for showing another side of China that escapes some American's attention due to the media's focus on the economic miracles of the cities. And thank you for making rush hour traffic in Dallas bearable for me."
NORRIS: Finally, Melissa's conversation with the Dixie Chicks on Tuesday brought in a lot of e-mail. The band has released a new CD that deals with the controversy over singer Natalie Maines's comments in 2003 criticizing President Bush in the run up to the Iraq war.
Maines said she was ashamed that the president was also from Texas. The Dixie Chicks were subsequently banned from some radio stations and the band talked to Melissa about the fallout.
Ms. NATALIE MAINES (The Dixie Chicks): It is something we felt we needed to do personally. Kind of to get it off our chests because there was a huge part of our lives and it's opened our minds and made us more passionate about what we say and that our music needs to say something and mean something and so it's such a positive for us.
(Soundbite of the Dixie Chicks)
Ms. MAINES: Forgive, sounds good, forget I'm not sure I could.
BLOCK: Chris Wilson of Lithia, Florida writes, "As a former fan of the Dixie Chicks, I was rather looking forward to a decent comeback album, instead we get this self-centered, self-absorbed pat(ph). Each day, brave Americans will die in Iraq and the Chicks feel sorry for themselves. I really was expecting something way better. Bob Dylan it ain't."
NORRIS: But Dana Sistain(ph) of Boise, Idaho told us she found the interview unexpectedly poignant. She says, "I don't normally listen to pop or country music, but the interview also helped me realize how beautiful music which rings of liberty can be. Their music is real and thoughtful and I'm buying their album to show some support for their spirit and courage."
BLOCK: We'd like to hear from you, you can write to us by going to NPR.org and clicking on Contact Us at the top of the page.
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