Standing Rock, Part Three

It seems more of us are paying attention to our neighborhoods lately, so perhaps this is a good time to replay this story, produced in 1988. I still live in the same neighborhood, but it feels different now. It’s like there was a tall tree in my front yard but now the tree is gone and only a stump remains. I am stumped. I used to depend on trust—standing or sitting close to strangers and holding a microphone less than a foot from their faces. Now that’s not going to happen again for a while. In the meantime, here’s to remembering the good old days. Donate

1 Mai 20200s

My friend Trent Harris has a problem caused by the coronavirus. It’s not a big problem compared to a lot of other things that have come up recently, like the possible collapse of the economy and thousands of people dying. Trent’s problem is more like a temporary embarrassment. Basically, his reputation is on the line. Donate Swackhamma tells Harvey a secret. Echo People Episode One on You Tube.Echo People Episode Two on You Tube.Trent Harris’ website is called the Echo Cave.Here’s the This American Life episode about Trent’s film, the Beaver Triology. The cast and crew of Echo People, with Mystery Mountain in the background. Harvey Harris upon seeing Mystery Mountain. Trent Harris wondering what he has done.

10 Apr 20200s

Shana from Achterarder, Scotland. My friend Erica Heilman has a podcast called Rumblestrip. She drives around Vermont and talks to people about their lives. Last week she was sitting at home, like everybody, trying to figure out what to do, and she decided to ask her listeners to send her audio recordings of what and how they’re doing under self isolation. A lot of people responded, quickly, and within a couple days Erica posted the first episode of a series she’s calling Our Show. If you’d like to send Erica an audio recording of what’s happening where you are, here’s the email address: rumblestripourshow@gmail.com.Rumblestrip websiteThe song at the end is Atlantic City by Bruce Springsteen, performed by The Band. Donate Looking out Erica Heilman’s apartment in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Recording ambience from Erica Heilman’s window in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

28 Mar 20200s

This story was originally broadcast on All Things Considered in 1993. The ground was shifting under my feet back then and I had to figure out what to do. Now it’s shifting again, this time everybody’s in it together. There are things we can do, stories to tell, that can make us feel better. Thanks for listening and supporting this show. Donate

17 Mar 20200s

Adrienne Kinne just after basic training in 1994. Adrienne Kinne, 2020 I should confess that I have a personal interest in listening to veterans talk about how they recover from war. I was never in the military, but I spent some time overseas as a war correspondent for Esquire, Harper’s, and Mother Jones magazines. I was never in a battle or close to a bomb going off. I saw the aftermath—bodies on the ground, neighborhoods turned to rubble, people silent and in shock. The main thing I have to deal with is knowing that a couple times people who were helping me with my stories were punished, severely, after I left. I got to fly home to America and they had to stay there and suffer the consequences for helping me. I carry this guilt. So when veterans speak of their experiences recovering from war I listen very carefully.Check out the Veterans for Peace website.Here’s a link to Doug Peacock’s website. And a link to Save the Yellowstone Grizzly.And the link to the video of Brandi Carlile performing live on KEXP. Donate Douglas Peacock in 1967 Douglas Peacock south of Ajo, Arizona, 2020

26 Feb 20200s

Elliott Woods as a soldier in Iraq, 2004 Today I have a conversation with Elliott Woods, a veteran who is also a very fine writer. He served a year as a combat engineer in northern Iraq. Then he came home and went to school at the University of Virginia, graduating with a degree in English literature. He thought about staying in school and becoming a professor, but he decided he wanted to go back to war, this time as a journalist.Check out Elliott’s website. Donate Elliott Woods as a journalist in Afghanistan, 2009 Elliott Woods at Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, 2019

12 Feb 20200s

Garett Reppenhagen in Iraq, 2004 I believe that sometime in the future, sooner or later, people in the United States will admit and accept that we have lost the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and demand that our troops be brought back home. Now we are in denial, which is dangerous because when you’re in denial you keep making the same mistake over and over again. I believe we need to talk about what we’ve done, the mistakes we’ve made, the crimes we’ve committed in order to move from denial to acceptance and then figure out how to change the way we respond to terrorism. This interview is the first in a series with veterans who fought in our wars and now are working for peace. Here’s a link to Veterans for Peace. Donate Garett Reppenhagen, 2008

2 Feb 20200s

Last spring I was invited to speak at the Oorzaken Audio Festival in Amsterdam. I remember seeing leaves come out on the trees along the canals and tulips blooming on the bridges. The first night I was there i was interviewed on stage at the Torpedo Theater by the hosts of the Podcastclub, a Dutch podcast hosted by Lieven Heeremans and Misha Melita. This time I’m the one answering the questions. Donate

17 Jan 20200s