July 2007

¡Viva El Cine Cubano! (July 7-13)

Cubans love movies—everything from Hollywood blockbusters to art-house cinema. Since the 1990s, a new generation of Cuban filmmakers with lots of energy but few resources has been making “street” films about ordinary life in Cuba. Ann Marie Stock (William and Mary) says these films offer Norte Americanos a glimpse of today’s Cuba that’s hard to find anywhere else.

Also featured: Prolific author Fred D’Aguiar (VT) was born in London, grew up in Guyana, went to Cambridge University, and now teaches creative writing at Virginia Tech. He talks about American perspectives on the Caribbean and shares his warm and occasionally critical view of the United States.

WGR companion news feature: Cuba is famous for its cigars, its rum, and its aging dictator.  Two Virginia film experts say the small island also produces some world-class movies.  But Nancy King, with the radio program "With Good Reason," predicts you won't be seeing any Cuban-made films at the local cineplex this summer. Listen to the two and half minute feature.

 

Harry Potter and the Final Best Seller (July 14–20)

“What you read as a child is really a part of who you are when you grow up,” says reading expert Joan Kindig (JMU). She offers some cool summer reading suggestions for children (and their parents). Kindig also met J.K. Rowling and talks about Harry Potter’s creator.

Joan Kindig's "Best Bets 2007" reading list.

WGR companion news feature: The final Harry Potter book has broken all kinds of sales records and pushed its author into the lofty realm of multi-billionaires.  Nancy King, with the radio program "With Good Reason," says the Harry Potter magic has also changed the reading habits of children--and adults--around the globe.  Listen to the two and half minute feature.

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Treating Alcoholism in Women (July 21-27)

Women drink for different reasons than men do. Psychologist Michelle Kelley (ODU) (pictured top right) says because their motivation to drink differs, women alcoholics need different therapies. Women respond best to treatment that focuses on family and personal relationships rather than strict abstinence.

And radio reporter Martha Woodroof (left) shares the story of her battle with substance abuse which culminated with a soul-searching night in the Amherst County jail.

Also featured: Young women who have eating disorders—from anorexia all the way to obesity—are clearly unhappy about their bodies. Psychologist Suzanne Mazzeo (VCU) (pictured bottom right) says reality shows about cosmetic surgery, such as “The Swan,” can actually contribute to eating disorders and lower already fragile self-esteems.

WGR companion news feature: More than 15 million Americans are addicted to alcohol, but that number only begins to tell the story.  Nancy King, with the radio program "With Good Reason," says there is a real person in real pain behind every statistic. Listen to the two and a half minute feature.

“Ewwww... Bed Bugs!” (July 28 - August 3)

They're baaaaack! Liberal use of DDT and other pesticides virtually eliminated bedbugs in the U.S. in the 1950s and 1960s, but international travel has brought these unwanted passengers back into our hotel rooms. Entomology Professor Dini Miller (Virginia Tech) is studying the bedbug problem. She's growing them in her lab, and volunteer graduate students are offering up their arms to study just how the bedbugs bite. Also: Wildlife photographer Lynda Richardson (J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College) has risked life and limb traveling the world to photograph animals in the wild.

WGR companion news feature: Pesticides nearly eliminated bedbugs 50 years ago but they've returned...to the best hotels and the nicest homes from New York City to L.A.   Nancy King, with the radio program "With Good Reason," reports that bedbugs have even found their way to many cities in Virginia. Listen to the two and a half minute feature.

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