Hearing Voices - Radio Stories / Sound Portraits

Father Figures 54:00 Jay Allison, Scott Carrier, Viki Merrick, Sound Portraits & [Hearing Voices]

For Father's Day, hosted by Jay Allison, stories of paternal praise, pride, disappointment and love: Scott Carrier gives his son Milo a "Ski Lesson." From Animals and Other Stories, we hear "Reflections of Fathers," aka, Bugs & Dads. Comic strip artist Lynda Barry wishes her divorced dad a "Happy Father's Day." A doctor tells his daughter about her granddad in "Story Corps- Dr. William Weaver." Jay Allison describes his daughter's questions about his love life as "Grilling Me Softly". Dan Robb's family remembers the day "Dad's Moving Out," from Life Stories. "Doc Merrick" and daughter Viki go through some girl problems. David Greenberger tells David Cobb's story "Because of Dad." Deirdre Sullivan's father advises "Always Go to the Funeral," a This I Believe essay. And from producer by Viki Merrick, Dave Masch wants to be "A Better Father" (

Broadcast: Jun 17 2007 on HV SpecialSeries: Hearing Voices- Specials Subjects: Spoken Word, Holidays, Family

Coast Guardsman salute at a military cemetery

For the Fallen 54:00 Jay Allison, Barrett Golding, Sound Portraits, Marjorie Van Halteren, Robin Wise & [Hearing Voices]

A public radio special for Memorial Day, Monday May 28 2007. The host is Green Beret and poet Major Robert Schaefer, U.S. Army Special Forces. The hour features voices of veterans remembering their comrades. We hear troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, reading their emails, poems, and journals, as part of the NEA project: Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience. We hear interviews from StoryCorps, essays from This I Believe, and the sounds of a Military Honor Guard, recorded by Charles Lane. And we attend the daily ceremony by Belgian veterans honoring the WWI British soldiers who died defending a small town in western Belgium (produced by Marjorie Van Halteren).

Broadcast: May 28 2007 on HV SpecialSeries: Hearing Voices- Specials Subjects: Family, War, Holidays

Portrait of a Plague 59:00 Radio Diaries, Sandra Rattley, Sound Portraits & [Hearing Voices]

A (((Hearing Voices))) World AIDS Day special. Hosted by Joe Richman, of Radio Diaries, featuring: "Just Another Day At the Biggest Hospital In the World" by Joe Richman & Sue Johnson- Sister Agnes Ramashiga makes her rounds at Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto; 2000 patients check in daily, half are HIV positive. "Memory Box Project" by Sandra Rattley- Africa Learning Channel AIDS workers in Africa share what's kept inside "memory books" and "memory boxes," keepsakes that help children orphaned by the AIDS virus to remember their parents. "A Positive Life- Tanya" by Stephen Smith & Stephanie Curtis of American RadioWorks- HIV-Positive teenagers document their lies with tape-recorder. "Counting" by Lisa Buscani- The poet's mom has some direct advice. "And Trouble Came: An African AIDS Diary" by Laura Kaminsky- A compositon for viola, cello, piano, and for a narrator, reciting poems, biblical verse, and stories of Tamakloe, a warrior, tailor, and AIDS victim. "Lazarus" by Krandall Kraus- AIDS, for most people, once meant death, Now improved treatments keep HIIV-positive people alive for decides; so what’s that like, being brought back from the dead? "Letters to Butchie" by Dave Isay of Sound Portraits- a dying mother’s letters to a son she'll never see. More audio, info and links...

Broadcast: Dec 1 2004 on HV SpecialSeries: Hearing Voices- Specials Subjects: Health, Specials, International

All Mom Radio 59:00 Larry Massett, Radio Diaries, Sound Portraits, Nancy Updike & [Hearing Voices]

A Mother's Day special. Hosted by Barrett Golding, featuring: "Travels with Mom" by Larry Massett- These days, taking mom for out for a day-trip doesn't involve going very far in distance, as it does back in time. "Thursday Night Bingo" by Beverly Donofrio & David Isay for Sound Portraits- Girl's Night Out with writer Beverly Donofrio at her mother's weekly bingo night at the Polish American Hall, Wallingford, CT. "Melissa, Teen Mom" by Joe Richman of Radio Diaries- Melissa Rodriguez didn't mean to get pregnant, but now, after 12 years of living in the foster care system, she's trying to build the family she never had. "Mubarak and Margy" by Nancy Updike- A gay man returns home to care for his mom, and to the "cure" his family wants for his homosexuality; a tale of role-reversals, Middle-Eastern values, an ailing mother, and a devoted son. And "Messages from Mom" by Amy Borkowsky- For more than a decade, New York City comedian Amy Borkowsky has been saving phone messages from her mom, from her CD "Amy's Answering Machine." More audio, info and links...

Broadcast: May 12 2002 on HV SpecialSeries: Hearing Voices- Specials Subjects: Specials, Holidays, Family, Women

Julius Knipl Sound Portraits

JULIUS KNIPL, Real Estate Photographer- A radio cartoon starring Jerry Stiller, produced by Sound Portraits's David Isay (music producer: Henry Sapoznik) based on the comic strip by Ben Katchor.

Broadcast: Jan 1 2001 on HV Webwork Subjects: Comedy, Religious, Senior