Arts & Culture

By Joan Carris

Pets Rule!!!... commentary from Joan Carris

Beaufort, NC – Our country is apparently stuffed with pets, or companion animals as they prefer to be called. According to the American Humane Society, the U.S. now is home to over 86 million cats, a tad more than 78 million dogs, and an unknown number of gerbils and white mice. [You can tell by the number of mice working in scientific labs that they're probably smarter than the gerbils.]

By George Olsen

War Zone: World War II Off the North Carolina Coast - Kevin Duffus

New Bern, NC – In the words of a U-S Coast Guard chief petty officer who was in service in 1942 "I think the people on the Outer Banks saw more of the war in this country than anyone else."

By George Olsen

Old North State - Red Clay Ramblers

New Bern, NC – The Red Clay Rambler's latest CD "Old North State" could be viewed as a disc 40 years in the making.

By George Olsen

Lightnin' Wells

New Bern, NC – Mike "Lightnin'" Wells is old school enough when he takes you through his history as a working musician, he does it not on a tablet computer or any computer for that matter but in a scrapbook.

"It's my musical scrapbooks. When I was a kid I played in my little band when I was like 13 (which one is you?) It's before I played the guitar. My first instrument was the harmonica. (The Unknowns) The Unknowns, and we were too."

By George Olsen

The Pleasure was Mine - Tommy Hays

New Bern, NC – When Tommy Hays' father started showing early signs of Alzheimer's, Hay's inclination as a writer was to document. But what happened as he began to write this proposed book centered around his family's experiences couldn't have been too surprising when dealing with an illness that just doesn't get better.

By George Olsen

Tom Dooley: The Story behind the Ballad - Karen Wheeling Reynolds

New Bern, NC – Most people with any knowledge of folklore are familiar with the following

Reading of charges against Tom Dooley

though not as familiar as they are with that same story told via a different medium.

By George Olsen

Ravens & Crows - Delia Low

New Bern, NC – When I think of hotbeds of bluegrass I don't think the following.

"Anya spent a lot of time in California and several of her songs mention California in some way. I write a lot about Utah, I spent some time there."

By George Olsen

Zombified - Southern Culture on the Skids

New Bern, NC – INTRO - Two recording sessions about a dozen years apart that both initially went nowhere provide the source material for the new CD by Chapel Hill's Southern Culture on the Skids. George Olsen spoke with band's members about the new release "Zombified" and has this.

By George Olsen

Accidental Birds of the Carolinas - Marjorie Hudson

New Bern, NC – Marjorie Hudson's description of how she writes may give you the wrong idea about what you're preparing to read.

"Writing for me often comes in a gush, in an outpouring and it's a big mess. I do a lot of sweating over it."

By George Olsen

Blood Clay - Valerie Nieman

New Bern, NC – INTRO - A new book by a Greensboro author uses a senseless tragedy to explore how a community is knit and how it can come undone. George Olsen has more.

Valerie Nieman uses her past work experience to provide the impetus for events in her new novel of fiction "Blood Clay."

By George Olsen

Dim - Jim Metzger

New Bern, NC – INTRO - The Muses were, according to Greek mythology, goddesses who inspired literature and the arts. The inspiration for a Greenville resident's first novel however came from a more terrestrial source. George Olsen has more.

Score one for the radio

"I guess what led to it was it was maybe started with an interview I heard on NPR with a novelist, and he said everyone should try to write a novel."

By George Olsen

Magic at the Bed and Biscuit - Joan Carris

New Bern, NC – I have helped to edit and produced commentaries by Joan Carris for more years than either of us would care to admit so if there's anything I can safely say about Joan, it's this she doesn't like chickens.

By George Olsen

Cackalack - Jonathan Byrd

New Bern, NC – INTRO - The recorded out put of Carrboro-resident Jonathan Byrd has been varied world music on "The Sea and the Sky," moody Spaghetti-western styled music on "The Law and the Lonesome" and electric folk on "This is the New That." His latest recording no surprise offers something different, though with a focus provided by his home state. George Olsen has more.

By George Olsen

Becoming Odyssa: Epic Adventures on the Appalachian Trail - Jennifer Pharr Davis

New Bern, NC – INTRO - It's not uncommon for a student to graduate from college and take some time for themselves prior to jumping into the job market. An Asheville resident did just that and ultimately turned that time into a new book. George Olsen has more.

By George Olsen

Greater Freedom: The Evolution of the Civil Rights Struggle in Wilson, North Carolina - Charles W. McKinney, Jr.

New Bern, NC – In February 1960, four students from North Carolina A&T in Greensboro sat down at the local Woolworth's lunch counter, requested service, and were refused and from there the sit-in movement spread to other Southern cities just not in Wilson, NC.

By George Olsen

Jim Hunt: A Biography - Gary Pearce

New Bern, NC – INTRO - After nearly 35 years without one, a former News & Observer reporter is again enjoying a by-line of sorts. Gary Pearce is the author of a just released authorized biography of former four-term Governor Jim Hunt. George Olsen has more.

Gary Pearce didn't wake up one morning with the sudden urge to see his name in print again.

"The main reason was he asked me to, but I was happy to."

By George Olsen

Hungry for Home: Stories of Food from across the Carolinas - Amy Rogers

By George Olsen

Rock & Roll Ghoul - Mad Tea Party

New Bern, NC – INTRO - Just in time for production of your Halloween party mix tape, Asheville's Mad Tea Party has released its second Halloween-flavored EP. George Olsen got up with the duo and has this.

By George Olsen

The Bed We Made - James Dunn

By George Olsen

Nights - Nu-Blu

New Bern, NC –
INTRO - To say the Siler City bluegrass band Nu-Blu got off to a rocky start is an understatement. But now the quartet is starting to get widespread recognition as their debut CD enters the top-40 of national Americana airplay charts. George Olsen spoke with the group's founders and has this.