With Good Reason

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.

The tempestuous relationship between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton captured the world’s attention in a way no other Hollywood couple’s had before. The public and press couldn’t get enough of their volatile romance. Nancy Schoenberger (College of William and Mary) is the co-author of Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century.

Also featured: If anyone’s qualified to write a satire about football, it’s Inman Majors (James Madison University). He comes from a family known as “Tennessee’s First Family of Football.” His novel Love’s Winning Plays is an affectionate tongue-in-cheek look at college football. And: Henrietta Lacks was a poor African American woman whose tumor cells were collected without her knowledge just before her death in 1951. Though these “HeLa” cells launched a multimillion-dollar biomedical industry, her family was never compensated. Henrietta’s son recently shared his family’s story at Norfolk State University.

Later in the show: The aftermath of traumatic brain injury can devastate a couple, because the healthy partner must forge a relationship with someone who has changed dramatically and the injured partner must learn that they are indeed changed. Psychologists Jeffrey Kreutzer and Emilie Godwin (Virginia Commonwealth University) are among the few therapists in the country who are focused on developing marriage-counseling techniques tailored to couples coping with brain injuries. Plus: After a promising clinical trial using focused ultrasound as a treatment for people with essential tremor, Jeff Elias (University of Virginia) is a leader in the ground-breaking study using scalpel-free technology in reducing the tremor related to Parkinson’s disease. The FDA-approved trial is enrolling 30 subjects with Parkinson’s disease. Focused sound waves target a small area deep in the brain, replacing any need to cut into the skull.

The tempestuous relationship between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton captured the world’s attention in a way no other Hollywood couple’s had before. The public and press couldn’t get enough of their volatile romance. Nancy Schoenberger (College of William and Mary) is the co-author of Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century.

Also featured: If anyone’s qualified to write a satire about football, it’s Inman Majors (James Madison University). He comes from a family known as “Tennessee’s First Family of Football.” His novel Love’s Winning Plays is an affectionate tongue-in-cheek look at college football. And: Henrietta Lacks was a poor African American woman whose tumor cells were collected without her knowledge just before her death in 1951. Though these “HeLa” cells launched a multimillion-dollar biomedical industry, her family was never compensated. Henrietta’s son recently shared his family’s story at Norfolk State University.

Later in the show: The aftermath of traumatic brain injury can devastate a couple, because the healthy partner must forge a relationship with someone who has changed dramatically and the injured partner must learn that they are indeed changed. Psychologists Jeffrey Kreutzer and Emilie Godwin (Virginia Commonwealth University) are among the few therapists in the country who are focused on developing marriage-counseling techniques tailored to couples coping with brain injuries. Plus: After a promising clinical trial using focused ultrasound as a treatment for people with essential tremor, Jeff Elias (University of Virginia) is a leader in the ground-breaking study using scalpel-free technology in reducing the tremor related to Parkinson’s disease. The FDA-approved trial is enrolling 30 subjects with Parkinson’s disease. Focused sound waves target a small area deep in the brain, replacing any need to cut into the skull.

The Gulf Stream current pushes water from the Americas to Europe and back with a force three hundred times more powerful than the Amazon River. Stan Ulanski (James Madison University) explains that the Gulf Stream was essential to the early exploration of the New World and continues to influence our climate, weather, environment, and shipping industry. And: Brian Payne reveals how gangs of fisherman in the 1800s argued and fought over fishing grounds even as they practiced a kind of early environmentalism.

Later in the show: Where did African Americans in the south vacation during the Jim Crow era when facilities in many of the parks were segregated? New research by Brian Katen (Virginia Tech) is revealing a vital and widespread network of African American owned and developed recreational sites including parklands, amusement parks, mineral springs, and camps. Plus: From Jesse Dukes and Big Shed Media, the story of Dreamland, a swimming pool and dance hall in Roanoke, Virginia’s historic African-American neighborhood of Gainsboro. Built in the 1930′s, Dreamland was condemned and torn down in 1947 as a forerunner to drastic and damaging urban renewal in Gainsboro.

The Gulf Stream current pushes water from the Americas to Europe and back with a force three hundred times more powerful than the Amazon River. Stan Ulanski (James Madison University) explains that the Gulf Stream was essential to the early exploration of the New World and continues to influence our climate, weather, environment, and shipping industry. And: Brian Payne reveals how gangs of fisherman in the 1800s argued and fought over fishing grounds even as they practiced a kind of early environmentalism.

Later in the show: Where did African Americans in the south vacation during the Jim Crow era when facilities in many of the parks were segregated? New research by Brian Katen (Virginia Tech) is revealing a vital and widespread network of African American owned and developed recreational sites including parklands, amusement parks, mineral springs, and camps. Plus: From Jesse Dukes and Big Shed Media, the story of Dreamland, a swimming pool and dance hall in Roanoke, Virginia’s historic African-American neighborhood of Gainsboro. Built in the 1930′s, Dreamland was condemned and torn down in 1947 as a forerunner to drastic and damaging urban renewal in Gainsboro.

From Marian Anderson’s 1939 concert at the Lincoln Memorial to Marvin Gaye’s singing of the National Anthem at the NBA Finals, the theme of patriotism can be heard throughout African American music. Benjamin Ross offers selections from this rich musical heritage. Also: Published in 1946, The Street by Ann Petry was the first million-selling novel by an African American author. Keith Clark (George Mason University) says Petry deserves to be in the pantheon of other great American writers like James Baldwin or Toni Morrison.

Later in the show: In 1862,Poet Walt Whitman went to Fredericksburg, Virginia, searching for his brother George who had been wounded in a Civil War battle. Mara Scanlon and Brady Earnhart (University of Mary Washington) say Whitman was so moved by the carnage he found that he worked as a nurse for the rest of the war. Also featured: 19th-century poet and author Edgar Allan Poe is still considered the master of the macabre. Jerome McGann (University of Virginia) says Poe, whose influence is probably unmatched by any American author, was more charming and humorous than his famous dark fiction suggests.

From Marian Anderson’s 1939 concert at the Lincoln Memorial to Marvin Gaye’s singing of the National Anthem at the NBA Finals, the theme of patriotism can be heard throughout African American music. Benjamin Ross offers selections from this rich musical heritage. Also: Published in 1946, The Street by Ann Petry was the first million-selling novel by an African American author. Keith Clark (George Mason University) says Petry deserves to be in the pantheon of other great American writers like James Baldwin or Toni Morrison.

Later in the show: In 1862,Poet Walt Whitman went to Fredericksburg, Virginia, searching for his brother George who had been wounded in a Civil War battle. Mara Scanlon and Brady Earnhart (University of Mary Washington) say Whitman was so moved by the carnage he found that he worked as a nurse for the rest of the war. Also featured: 19th-century poet and author Edgar Allan Poe is still considered the master of the macabre. Jerome McGann (University of Virginia) says Poe, whose influence is probably unmatched by any American author, was more charming and humorous than his famous dark fiction suggests.

In central Mexico, the work of preparing elaborate meals for fiestas involves many women working together. Maria Elisa Christie (Virginia Tech), author of Kitchenspace: Women, Fiestas, and Everyday Life in Central Mexico, says this work gives women status in their communities, as well as a way to share traditions and beliefs with younger generations. And: Residents of northern China prize individualism, while southerners value their sense of community. Ph.D. student Thomas Talhelm (University of Virginia) has developed what he calls a “rice theory” to explain the cultural differences. Also: There’s no silver bullet for battling obesity, but Jamie Zoellner (Virginia Tech) believes that studying different communities and their specific food and exercise resources can help jumpstart a solution.

Later in the show: Wilbur and Orville Wright won a place in history for unraveling the secrets of aviation, but their charismaticsister, Katharine Wright, deserves a lot of credit. Cindy Wilkey (University of Virginia College at Wise) says the brothers, who never married, were shy and reserved and Katharine devoted her life to running their home and business. Also featured: Stephen Watkins (University of Mary Washington) drew accolades for his first book about discriminatory hiring practices at Shoney’s national restaurant chain. His book, Down Sand Mountain, is a novel about coming of age in the south in the 1960s.

In central Mexico, the work of preparing elaborate meals for fiestas involves many women working together. Maria Elisa Christie (Virginia Tech), author of Kitchenspace: Women, Fiestas, and Everyday Life in Central Mexico, says this work gives women status in their communities, as well as a way to share traditions and beliefs with younger generations. And: Residents of northern China prize individualism, while southerners value their sense of community. Ph.D. student Thomas Talhelm (University of Virginia) has developed what he calls a “rice theory” to explain the cultural differences. Also: There’s no silver bullet for battling obesity, but Jamie Zoellner (Virginia Tech) believes that studying different communities and their specific food and exercise resources can help jumpstart a solution.

Later in the show: Wilbur and Orville Wright won a place in history for unraveling the secrets of aviation, but their charismaticsister, Katharine Wright, deserves a lot of credit. Cindy Wilkey (University of Virginia College at Wise) says the brothers, who never married, were shy and reserved and Katharine devoted her life to running their home and business. Also featured: Stephen Watkins (University of Mary Washington) drew accolades for his first book about discriminatory hiring practices at Shoney’s national restaurant chain. His book, Down Sand Mountain, is a novel about coming of age in the south in the 1960s.

The way we manage all types of cancers of the blood is rapidly evolving. Dr. Michael Williams (University of Virginia), internationally known for his work in lymphoma, says expect much more conservative chemo and radiation and less toxic drugs with better outcomes and higher cures. Also featured: There has been a dramatic drop in the rate of heart bypass procedures performed in the U.S. over the last decade. Dr. Michael Ragosta (University of Virginia) says advances in medications and drug-coated stents have given rise to a hybrid approach to heart disease. Increasingly surgeons and interventional cardiologists are getting better results for patients by taking a team approach to each case.

Later in the show: When John Thomas (University of Virginia) met his first wife, he knew she was “the one.” Sadly, she died of breast cancer. Then, after the trauma of losing her, something amazing happened. John fell in love again. But tragically, he learned the woman who would be his second wife was diagnosed with breast cancer too.John details his experience in a new book called My Saints Alive: Reflections on a Journey of Love, Loss, and Life. Also featured: About 12 percent of women develop breast cancer. But years of studies have shown that for female flight attendants, nurses, factory workers, and other frequent night shift workers, the risk of breast cancer is as high as 37 percent. Carla Finkelstein (Virginia Tech) believes that these high rates of breast cancer in night shift workers is due to a disruption in circadian rhythms. But she says there may be simple, cost-effective solutions to the problem