Constant Wonder

A True Story of Survival at Sea

Guest: Jonathan Franklin, investigative journalist and author of "438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea"

On November 17, 2012, Salvador Alvarenga left the coast of Mexico for a weekend fishing trip. He was caught in a violent storm which sent him drifting into the Pacific Ocean. Fourteen months later, on January 30, 2014, Alvarenga washed ashore some 7,000 miles away on the Marshall Islands. His resilience, will, ingenuity, and determination helped him survive.

 

Island of the Lost

Guest: Joan Druett, author of "Island of the Lost: An Extraordinary Story of Survival at the Edge of the World"

The Auckland Islands, just south of New Zealand, were treacherous for sailors in the late 19th century. With unforgiving terrain and subantarctic winds, shipwrecks were common. So when two ships crashed on the same island, just four months apart, both crews had to scramble for survival. Why did one group fare well, while the other descended into mutiny?

Jonathan Franklin shares the story of how Salvador Alvarenga survived for more than a year adrift in the Pacific Ocean. Joan Druett shares the parallel stories of two ships marooned on the same island four months apart that couldn't have had more different endings.

Jan Swafford brings Beethoven to life in honor of the composer's 250th birthday. James Gaffigan, Lucern Symphony Orchestra, describes the emotional role a conductor plays in a performance.

The Smithsonian's Steven Turner describes the discoveries of James Smithson, the man who founded the Smithsonian. Kathryn Harkup explains the scientific discoveries that influenced Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein."

From A to Z

Guest: Judith Flanders, writer, social historian, and author of "A Place for Everything: The Curious History of Alphabetical Order" 

We take our ABCs for granted, including the reason why the alphabet is in a certain order. But it was surprisingly not always obvious that ABCs were the best way to to order the world. This history spans centuries, and understanding why we place such importance on this (seemingly arbitrary) organizational system can explain a lot.

 

Dictionary Wars

Guest: Peter Martin, author, “The Dictionary Wars: The American Fight over the English Language”

The American Revolution fought to preserve our rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness--and also our right to cultural independence through our language. The battle over American language played out between lexicographers and the public, with the question of patriotism hanging over the whole debate, because in America, unlike in England, the dictionary was like the Bible.

Judith Flanders on the not-so-obvious genius of alphabetical order. Peter Martin describes cultural wars over dictionaries in early America.

A Collective Refugee Memoir in Minnesota

Guest: Kao Kalia Yang, author of "The Song Poet: A Memoir of My Father" and "Somewhere in the Unknown World: A Collective Refugee Memoir"

Kao Kalia Yang’s family left their home in Laos before she was born. She spent her early years in a refugee camp in Thailand, and her family eventually settled in Minnesota. In poetic, mesmerizing storytelling, she shares the experiences of many refugees in Minnesota.

Kao Kalia Yang's family immigrated to Minnesota after her parents fled Laos and she now tells the stories of the many immigrants who call Minnesota home.

Stefanie Brendl, founder of Shark Allies, warns that using a shark-derived product in a Covid-19 vaccine could be a death sentence for some sharks. Cristina Zenato, shark professional, challenges the Hollywood portrayal of sharks. Tom Kapitany tells the story of Rosie the taxidermied shark, who was found in an abandoned wildlife park in 2018 and now has a new home.

How Immigrants Fought the Beef Trust, and Won

Guest: Scott Seligman, historian and author of "The Great Kosher Meat Warp of 1902: Immigrant Housewives and the Riots That Shook New York City"

The Great Kosher Meat War of 1902. Never heard of it? Thousands of poor housewives took to the streets of New York, smashed up delis, threw their neighbors’ meat into the gutters, some ending up in jail or the hospital. They were up against big corporate players and greedy middlemen, but even the President of the United States was sympathetic to their cause. 

 

How a Bagel Union Fought Off the Mafia

Guest: Jason Turbow, author of "How New York’s Bagel Union Fought—and Beat—a Mafia Takeover" 

In 1960's New York City, bagels were just getting popular, and the mafia wanted in on the profits. Bagel Union 338, though, would have none of it.

 

From Hyenas to Opossums: A White House Menagerie

Guest: Andrew Hager, Historian-in-Residence at the Presidential Pet Museum

Harrison had opossums; Coolidge had a bobcat and raccoons. And Teddy Roosevelt had just about everything. Besides companionship, First Pets play an important role in politics: they both humanize the President and sometimes make for good diplomacy.