With Good Reason

Getting people to talk about their trauma is an essential part of helping people heal. Fred Bemak and Rita Chi-Ying Chung (George Mason University) created Counselors Without Borders and use talk therapy in their relief work following disasters in Thailand, Myanmar, Haiti and New Orleans. Also featured:A new study finds that widows and widowers experience less emotional and physical pain than their married, divorced, or single counterparts. Jim Wade (Virginia Commonwealth University) says these findings speak to the strength of the human spirit to develop psychological strength after misfortune. And: Many parents push their biracial children to one race group or another in an attempt to help them “fit in.” Kristen Nugent (Longwood University) finds that experiencing multicultural family and community groups is supremely important in developing a strong sense of self-esteem in biracial children.

Later in the show: The End of Men Figuring out how to behave as a man in America is ever more difficult. Real American men, so the narrative goes, are disappearing. David Magill (Longwood University) explores the myths and realities of the male crisis. Also featured: As an English teacher in Atlanta, Joseph Jones (Radford University) recognized the damaging effects of homophobia among students in his classroom. He now wants to help other teachers address bullying. His book is Making Safe Places Unsafe: A Discussion of Homophobia with Teachers.

The lives of 13 people are featured in a new book, but the star is a 1957 Chevrolet Townsman wagon. Auto Biography: A Classic Car, An Outlaw Motorhead, and 57 years of the American Dream tells the true story of the car and its many owners. Author Earl Swift is a fellow at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Also featured: “Bath salts” used to conjure up an image of a relaxing day at the spa. But lately the term carries a whole new connotation. Poison center director Rutherford Rose (Virginia Commonwealth University) says the new synthetic drug induces strange and violent behaviors. And: The blue dye in the modern “rape kit” doesn’t work on dark-skinned women. Kathryn Laughon (University of Virginia) is researching a new dye that will work on all skin colors.

Later in the show: The Camino de Santiago, a medieval pilgrimage trail in northern Spain, continues to attract tens of thousands of travelers each year. Among those are George Greenia (College of William and Mary, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) who for years has walked the 500-mile route with his students. Greenia says today’s American pilgrimages, like Underground Railroad tours, share something in common with medieval pilgrimages: transformation of the traveler. Also featured: Between 1898 and 1901, China experienced a movement marked by violent opposition to Western Imperialism. In the summer of 1900, a Christian missionary and explorer from Sweden escaped what became known as the Boxer Rebellion. To save his family and other Christian missionaries, Frans Larson led a caravan through the Gobi Desert and into Siberia. That explorer’s great-grandson, Henry Hart (College of William and Mary) recently retraced his great-grandfather’s trip through the Gobi.

The lives of 13 people are featured in a new book, but the star is a 1957 Chevrolet Townsman wagon. Auto Biography: A Classic Car, An Outlaw Motorhead, and 57 years of the American Dream tells the true story of the car and its many owners. Author Earl Swift is a fellow at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Also featured: “Bath salts” used to conjure up an image of a relaxing day at the spa. But lately the term carries a whole new connotation. Poison center director Rutherford Rose (Virginia Commonwealth University) says the new synthetic drug induces strange and violent behaviors. And: The blue dye in the modern “rape kit” doesn’t work on dark-skinned women. Kathryn Laughon (University of Virginia) is researching a new dye that will work on all skin colors.

Later in the show: The Camino de Santiago, a medieval pilgrimage trail in northern Spain, continues to attract tens of thousands of travelers each year. Among those are George Greenia (College of William and Mary, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) who for years has walked the 500-mile route with his students. Greenia says today’s American pilgrimages, like Underground Railroad tours, share something in common with medieval pilgrimages: transformation of the traveler. Also featured: Between 1898 and 1901, China experienced a movement marked by violent opposition to Western Imperialism. In the summer of 1900, a Christian missionary and explorer from Sweden escaped what became known as the Boxer Rebellion. To save his family and other Christian missionaries, Frans Larson led a caravan through the Gobi Desert and into Siberia. That explorer’s great-grandson, Henry Hart (College of William and Mary) recently retraced his great-grandfather’s trip through the Gobi.

The lives of 13 people are featured in a new book, but the star is a 1957 Chevrolet Townsman wagon. Auto Biography: A Classic Car, An Outlaw Motorhead, and 57 years of the American Dream tells the true story of the car and its many owners. Author Earl Swift is a fellow at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Also featured: “Bath salts” used to conjure up an image of a relaxing day at the spa. But lately the term carries a whole new connotation. Poison center director Rutherford Rose (Virginia Commonwealth University) says the new synthetic drug induces strange and violent behaviors. And: The blue dye in the modern “rape kit” doesn’t work on dark-skinned women. Kathryn Laughon (University of Virginia) is researching a new dye that will work on all skin colors.

Later in the show: The Camino de Santiago, a medieval pilgrimage trail in northern Spain, continues to attract tens of thousands of travelers each year. Among those are George Greenia (College of William and Mary, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) who for years has walked the 500-mile route with his students. Greenia says today’s American pilgrimages, like Underground Railroad tours, share something in common with medieval pilgrimages: transformation of the traveler. Also featured: Between 1898 and 1901, China experienced a movement marked by violent opposition to Western Imperialism. In the summer of 1900, a Christian missionary and explorer from Sweden escaped what became known as the Boxer Rebellion. To save his family and other Christian missionaries, Frans Larson led a caravan through the Gobi Desert and into Siberia. That explorer’s great-grandson, Henry Hart (College of William and Mary) recently retraced his great-grandfather’s trip through the Gobi.

“Uptalk” is that rising, questioning tone some people use when ending a statement. It’s becoming so common that Thomas Linneman (College of William and Mary) studied its use by contestants on the game show Jeopardy. He found women use it more than men, but male contestants often use “uptalk” after a woman competitor gets a wrong answer. And: Most of us think the best way to motivate is with rewards like money. But best-selling author Dan Pink says that’s a mistake. He says the secret to high performance and satisfaction is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to create new things, and to better our world.

Also featured: First published in 1947, Goodnight Moon has become one of the most popular books for young children. Yet the book’s author, Margaret Wise Brown, always wanted to write for adults. With Good Reason’s Kelley Libby tells the story of Brown’s life, from Hollins College to her tragic early death. Also featured: After World War II, the International Youth Library in Munich was created to promote understanding by introducing Germany’s children to the literature of other cultures. It’s now the largest repository of children’s literature in the world. Dr. Osayimwense Osa (Virginia State University) is a former fellow at the library. Hesays the internationalizing of children’s literature is a step toward world peace. And: With busy schedules and media-soaked lives, have our children lost their ability to engage in moment-by-moment experiences? Michele Briggs and Tammy Gilligan (James Madison University) discuss the lost art of mindfulness, its importance to classroom decorum and academic achievement, and what teachers can do to help children learn this important skill.

“Uptalk” is that rising, questioning tone some people use when ending a statement. It’s becoming so common that Thomas Linneman (College of William and Mary) studied its use by contestants on the game show Jeopardy. He found women use it more than men, but male contestants often use “uptalk” after a woman competitor gets a wrong answer. And: Most of us think the best way to motivate is with rewards like money. But best-selling author Dan Pink says that’s a mistake. He says the secret to high performance and satisfaction is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to create new things, and to better our world.

Also featured: First published in 1947, Goodnight Moon has become one of the most popular books for young children. Yet the book’s author, Margaret Wise Brown, always wanted to write for adults. With Good Reason’s Kelley Libby tells the story of Brown’s life, from Hollins College to her tragic early death. Also featured: After World War II, the International Youth Library in Munich was created to promote understanding by introducing Germany’s children to the literature of other cultures. It’s now the largest repository of children’s literature in the world. Dr. Osayimwense Osa (Virginia State University) is a former fellow at the library. Hesays the internationalizing of children’s literature is a step toward world peace. And: With busy schedules and media-soaked lives, have our children lost their ability to engage in moment-by-moment experiences? Michele Briggs and Tammy Gilligan (James Madison University) discuss the lost art of mindfulness, its importance to classroom decorum and academic achievement, and what teachers can do to help children learn this important skill.

“Uptalk” is that rising, questioning tone some people use when ending a statement. It’s becoming so common that Thomas Linneman (College of William and Mary) studied its use by contestants on the game show Jeopardy. He found women use it more than men, but male contestants often use “uptalk” after a woman competitor gets a wrong answer. And: Most of us think the best way to motivate is with rewards like money. But best-selling author Dan Pink says that’s a mistake. He says the secret to high performance and satisfaction is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to create new things, and to better our world.

Also featured: First published in 1947, Goodnight Moon has become one of the most popular books for young children. Yet the book’s author, Margaret Wise Brown, always wanted to write for adults. With Good Reason’s Kelley Libby tells the story of Brown’s life, from Hollins College to her tragic early death. Also featured: After World War II, the International Youth Library in Munich was created to promote understanding by introducing Germany’s children to the literature of other cultures. It’s now the largest repository of children’s literature in the world. Dr. Osayimwense Osa (Virginia State University) is a former fellow at the library. Hesays the internationalizing of children’s literature is a step toward world peace. And: With busy schedules and media-soaked lives, have our children lost their ability to engage in moment-by-moment experiences? Michele Briggs and Tammy Gilligan (James Madison University) discuss the lost art of mindfulness, its importance to classroom decorum and academic achievement, and what teachers can do to help children learn this important skill.

The healthcare system in the U.S. ranks last among peer countries for overall quality and costs, and medical providers and policy makers are calling for new models of care. Carolyn Morcom Rutledge (Old Dominion University) is a Family Nurse Practitioner and founding director of a new Doctor of Nursing Practice program. She says graduating nurses at the doctoral level—and training them in business, leadership, and policy—offers an innovative solution to America’s healthcare problems. Plus: Lily Hargrove is a physician who says taking health insurance out of the equation is better for both doctors and patients. And: Pulitzer Prize finalist Blake Bailey (Old Dominion University) is best known for his biographies of the likes of John Cheever and Richard Yates, and Philip Roth has chosen him to write his official biography. Now Blake is revealing his own dark upbringing in his new memoir The Splendid Things We Planned.

Also featured: An epidemic of over-consumption is sweeping the United States and the rest of the industrialized world. With Good Reason sat down with PBS documentary producer John De Graaf, among whose best-known shows is Affluenza, for an in-depth discussion of happiness and the economy and how the life/work balance got out of whack for American workers. Also featured: The story of life has a complex cast of characters, and Fred Singer (Radford University) says we’re losing many of them due to poor judgment and our own astounding biological success. Singer has interviewed Jane Goodall, Dan Jansen, and other renowned scientists for his new textbook on ecology.

The healthcare system in the U.S. ranks last among peer countries for overall quality and costs, and medical providers and policy makers are calling for new models of care. Carolyn Morcom Rutledge (Old Dominion University) is a Family Nurse Practitioner and founding director of a new Doctor of Nursing Practice program. She says graduating nurses at the doctoral level—and training them in business, leadership, and policy—offers an innovative solution to America’s healthcare problems. Plus: Lily Hargrove is a physician who says taking health insurance out of the equation is better for both doctors and patients. And: Pulitzer Prize finalist Blake Bailey (Old Dominion University) is best known for his biographies of the likes of John Cheever and Richard Yates, and Philip Roth has chosen him to write his official biography. Now Blake is revealing his own dark upbringing in his new memoir The Splendid Things We Planned.

Also featured: An epidemic of over-consumption is sweeping the United States and the rest of the industrialized world. With Good Reason sat down with PBS documentary producer John De Graaf, among whose best-known shows is Affluenza, for an in-depth discussion of happiness and the economy and how the life/work balance got out of whack for American workers. Also featured: The story of life has a complex cast of characters, and Fred Singer (Radford University) says we’re losing many of them due to poor judgment and our own astounding biological success. Singer has interviewed Jane Goodall, Dan Jansen, and other renowned scientists for his new textbook on ecology.

In Japan, insects are pets, medicine, and even vehicles for spirits. Mary Knighton (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, William & Mary) researches Japan’s special relationship with insects. And: One of the most unpopular insects in the U.S. is the tick, which can be a carrier of Lyme disease. David Livingston, Jay Sullivan, and Jim Squire (Virginia Military Institute) have invented a tick-removal robot that rolls over a lawn, attracting and killing these unwanted insects. Tick expert Holly Gaff (Old Dominion University) has tested the “tick rover” with surprising results. Plus: Between errands and dishes and kids, it sometimes feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day. Luisa Igloria (Old Dominion University) has managed to make time to write one poem every day—for 1,270 days!

Later in the show: Poetry has long been used to celebrate love and family, but it has also always documented the dark times in human life. Bob Hicok (Virginia Tech) worked for 20 years in the automotive industry. His poems explore the lives of family and friends coping with economic devastation in Michigan. Also: Many scholars have believed that nonsense literature in the vein of Lewis Carroll or Edward Gorey is a strictly English language innovation. But Kevin Shortsleeve’s (Christopher Newport University) book documents nonsense literature from all over the world. And: Lisa Russ Spaar (University of Virginia) explores how a familiar place changes through time in her poem Empty Nest.