The State of Things

Therapist Elizabeth Heaney left her private practice to participate in a Defense Department initiative that offers free, confidential counseling to combat veterans and their families. Despite more than 30 years of counseling experience, she realized that her military clients were unlike any patients she’d met before. She learned to let go of preconceived notions of the military and to adopt new ways to forge relationships with her tight-lipped clients. Gradually the stories of war, loss and re

Author and comedian Dave Barry is not a Florida native, but he has embraced the state as his homeland. In his new book, “Best. State. Ever.: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland” (G.P. Putnam’s Sons/2016), he explores the wacky landmarks and zany stories of the Sunshine State.

Infertility affects one in eight couples in the United States, according to Resolve: The National Infertility Association. That statistic amounts to millions of Americans, but despite the high numbers, many keep their struggle private. For many years writer Belle Boggs was one of those individuals. She and her husband experienced a wide range of emotional and financial obstacles in the five years they spent trying to get pregnant, but it was not until Boggs wrote about it publicly in Orion

Traditionally, the media has blurred the line between public and private lives, and the digital age has almost eliminated that distinction entirely. Nowhere is the private becoming public more evident than in pornography. Professor Richard Cante examines the social and political implications of pornography. He is a professor of media and technology studies in the Communication department at UNC-Chapel Hill. Host Frank Stasio talks with Cante about the intersection of media and pornography.

Note: This segment originally aired on Monday, March 7, 2016. Growing up in New Orleans, Yaba Blay saw firsthand the different roles one navigates as an African-American. At home, she had to adjust to the Ghanaian culture of her parents, but outside the house, her dark skin set her apart from New Orleans' light-skinned Creole community. As Blay grew older, she began to explore how the ways in which she presented herself as a black woman defined her sense of self. Her work as a scholar, producer

Prosecutors in North Carolina and New Jersey are reopening the case of Felicia Reeves, a western North Carolina woman who was found dead in New Jersey last year. Authorities originally concluded that Reeves had taken her own life in a motel room, but Reeves had claimed to be a police informant, raising questions about whether someone would have wanted her dead. There is no evidence that police in New Jersey followed that lead during their investigation of Reeves' death. Host Frank Stasio talks

The Tar Heel State might not be the first place one would expect to find French influence. In fact, most people associate early North Carolina with English influence. But a new book by NC State professor Dudley Marchi explores the many connections between French culture and the Old North State. Host Frank Stasio talks with Marchi about "FraNCe: The French Heritage of North Carolina."

Logan Valleroy and Casey Valleroy might be teenagers, but their musical prowess makes them seem like professional musicians. The brothers have been playing music since they were young. Today, the pair play a myriad of instruments like the violin, keyboard, drums, saxophone and guitar, but started out as kids banging on pots and pans around the house. The Bucket Brothers new album is called "Our State." Host Frank Stasio talks with Logan and Casey Valleroy about developing their talents and

LGBT issues continue to make headlines across the country, whether it's in regards to North Carolina's controversial HB2 or how the presidential candidates plan to address LGBT rights. But how does the U.S. compare to other countries in terms of cultural support and government policies for its LGBT community? Host Frank Stasio talks with Lea Cordova, a transgender activist from Durham, and Laurence Helfer, a professor of law at Duke University, about LGBT policies abroad and the role the U.S.

Chef Vivian Howard stars in the fourth season of her PBS show, "A Chef’s Life," which debuts later this month. The premiere precedes the release of a Howard’s first cookbook, "Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes From My Corner of the South." A Chef’s Life offers a unique view on the life and work of a female chef and entrepreneur in eastern North Carolina while tracing some of the state's dying foodways. Host Frank Stasio talks with Howard and show producer and director Cynthia Hill about the