RadioWest Friday

Director Aaron Schimberg’s new film Chained for Life examines society’s perceptions of and obsessions with beauty in a sometimes artificial, often funny and always unsentimental way. Schimberg is coming to Salt Lake for a screening of Chained for Life and a Q&A with Doug as part of our Through the Lens series with the Utah Film Center on Wednesday, Nov. 13.

Over the summer, the RadioWest team tossed around a lot of ideas on how to improve the show. When we finally landed on airing RadioWest twice a week, we wanted to make sure one of those hours dealt with local issues. Thus was born what we named RadioWest Friday to distinguish it from the second hour, which generally features an interview with a nationally-known guest. We put RadioWest Friday in its own podcast feed … and then fielded questions from listeners wondering why we weren’t podcasting

In 2012, award-winning essayist John D’Agata and fact checker Jim Fingal released their at-times heated discussion in the book, The Lifespan of a Fact . Now, their debate over truth versus accuracy is on stage, both on Broadway starring Daniel Radcliffe, and in Salt Lake City. Pioneer Theatre Company's production of the new three-person play will run through Nov. 16.

When you think about Darrell Hammond, you probably think of the impressions he did on Saturday Night Live , not the childhood abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother. Director Michelle Esrick’s new film, Cracked Up , tells Hammond’s story of trauma, repressed memory and recovery.

Sometimes, New York Times critic-at-large Wesley Morris wishes he could just watch a movie. Just watch, and not think about what racial message is being sent. When he joined us for our speaker series, we talked with Wesley Morris about the power of film and popular culture to mold and influence us.

Should the religion of a political candidate matter to voters? It’s a question that has stirred up debate here in Salt Lake City, where former mayor Rocky Anderson has made an issue of current mayoral candidate Luz Escamilla’s LDS faith.

Through his work with the Harlem Children’s Zone, Geoffrey Canada has pioneered a new vision for what a school can be and how kids can escape the cycle of poverty. He joins us to discuss how we can ensure every child has an equal chance for success.

What responsibilities did the University of Utah have to protect Lauren McCluskey from her murderer and what has been the community-wide impact of their response in the months following her death?

T he playwright Eric Samuelsen died last week. He was a leading figure in Mormon literature and the local theatre scene. We're talking about his influential life and work.

The Equal Rights Amendment was meant to guarantee protection to women. After Congress passed it 1972, the states failed to ratify it. Now the ERA needs one more state to become law. Could it be Utah?