45 North (Retired)

“45 North,” hosted by Anne Strainchamps, was a live conversation with writers, performers, artists, scientists, and creative people from Wisconsin and around the world. The show aired on WPR’s Ideas Network from April to December 2013. “45 North” was produced by Marika Suval and Rhonda Fanning with technical support from David Potratz, Joe Hardtke, Tim Allen, Elizabeth Delaquess, Tom Blain and Britny (True) Williams.

DATE	DESCRIPTION	MP3 LINK
Fri, 12/20/2013 - 10:00am	Pie Poetry To some, pie is not just a sweet confection; it can be a catalyst for poetry, an object of high art, a figment of pop culture imagination. If you've ever been frustrated by pastry or annoyed by fussy recipes, we have help. Anne Strainchamps and guest lead an hour of baking stories, kneading poems and reading pies together. Related Segment: Writer Discusses The Poetry Of Pies Play Segment: Interviewed: Kate Lebo
Fri, 12/20/2013 - 9:00am	Burning the Midnight Oil The Winter Solstice marks a time of year that was sacred to our ancestors. Anne Strainchamps and her guest celebrate the longest and darkest nights of the year with a collection of stories, dreams and explorations to help burn the midnight oil. Interviewed: Phil Cousineau
Fri, 12/13/2013 - 10:00am	Wisdom Hobbit-style Hordes of moviegoers across the country will queue up for the opening of “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” this weekend. Tolkien nerd, Noble Smith, shares his “Wisdom of the Shire” and helps extract some important life lessons from The Hobbit. Related Segment: Tolkien Expert Offers Wisdom, Hobbit-Style Play Segment: Interviewed: Noble Smith
Fri, 12/13/2013 - 9:00am	The Yarn Whisperer Winter is the season to dig out the knitting needles and raid the yarn stash. Anne Strainchamps talks with “yarn whisperer” Clara Parkes about her love affair with knitting. A little later, Anne also talks with G Willow Wilson, winner of the 2013 World Fantasy Award, about her book "Alif the Unseen." Interviewed: Clara Parkes
Fri, 12/06/2013 - 10:00am	Paddling To Winter Anne Strainchamps’s guest shares the story of her and her husband’s 1,700-mile canoe trip across Lake Superior to the Canadian Arctic and how it influenced their relationship. Interviewed: Julie Buckles
Fri, 12/06/2013 - 9:00am	The Good Lord Bird Anne Strainchamps talks with National Book Award-winner, James McBride, about 19th-century abolitionist John Brown, race in America, and the power of fiction to illuminate thorny truths, present and past. Related Segment: New Book Uses Satire To Illuminate Thorny Truths About Race, Slavery Play Segment: Interviewed: James McBride
Fri, 11/29/2013 - 10:00am	Restoring Civil Public Discourse Many Americans are exasperated with the shrill tone coming out of Washington. Anne Strainchamps and guests explore how we can help restore respectful dialogue among our leaders and communities. Interviewed: Parker Palmer Interviewed: Joan Blades
Fri, 11/29/2013 - 9:00am	Braiding Sweetgrass 45 North celebrates the harvest season with a Native American botanist from whom we’ll learn how trees and plants talk to each other, how squirrels pointed out the path to maple syrup, and how to heal our relationship with the Earth. Related Segment: Author's New Book Describes 'Culture Of Gratitude' Interviewed: Robin W. Kimmerer
Fri, 11/15/2013 - 10:00am	Father and Daughter Share Adventure Of A Lifetime Wisconsin writer and adventurer, James Campbell has sailed with Micronesia’s star navigators and trekked across Papua New Guinea. Now he tackles the arctic wilds - with his teenage daughter. Father and daughter tell Anne Strainchamps why a tough wilderness adventure is the best education a kid can get. Related Segment: Adventurer Talks Living 'Off The Grid' In Alaska With Daughter Play Segment: Interviewed: James Campbell
Fri, 11/15/2013 - 9:00am	Focus: The Hidden Driver Of Success What’s the secret of success? While there’s no one secret, psychologist Daniel Goleman says there is one quality that’s shared by high achievers in business, sports, and the performing arts. Anne Strainchamps investigates. Interviewed: Daniel Goleman
Fri, 11/08/2013 - 10:00am	In Stitches with Anne Lamott For more than three decades the writer Anne Lamott has made us laugh about life’s quirks and curve-balls. But what to do when those curve-balls feel more like wrecking balls? When life falls apart, Lamott suggests sewing the pieces together again - one stitch at a time. Related Segment: Author Lamott Takes Life One 'Stitch' At A Time Play Segment: Interviewed: Anne Lamott
Fri, 11/08/2013 - 9:00am	Amy Tan and Pearl Buck Best-selling writer Amy Tan’s new novel is set in turn-of-the-century Shanghai in a world of Chinese courtesans - one of them might have been Tan’s own grandmother. And, a conversation with Pearl Buck’s son about his mother’s stolen novel that’s just been found and published – 40 years after her death. Stories of mothers, grandmothers and family secrets on 45 North. Interviewed: Amy Tan Interviewed: Edgar Walsh
Fri, 11/01/2013 - 10:00am	Alex Rivera On Borders And Tales From Planet Earth 45 North explores borderlands with Alex Rivera, look at offerings at "The Tales From Planet Earth" film festival, and preview a film by three 14-year-old Bad River Ojibwe youth about the potential effects a large, open-pit taconite mine on the the Bad River watershed’s people. Interviewed: Alex Rivera Interviewed: Patty Loew Interviewed: Jordan Principato Interviewed: Shania Jackson
Fri, 11/01/2013 - 9:00am	The Signature of All Things It’s been seven years since Elizabeth Gilbert wrote her mega-selling memoir "Eat, Pray, Love." Where does a writer go from there? Gilbert’s new novel, "The Signature of All Things," offers a compelling answer. Related Segment: 'Eat, Pray, Love' Author's New Book Again Looks At Brave Women Play Segment: Interviewed: Elizabeth Gilbert
Fri, 10/25/2013 - 10:00am	Death, Dinner and Dracula Let’s have dinner and talk… about death. Long a dinner table taboo, Anne Strainchamps' guest believes its the single most important conversation we can have. He shares how to put on a fabulous dinner and open up a difficult but vital conversation. And later: the true story of Dracula, by a man who spent 40 years uncovering the truth about The Dark Prince. Related Segment: Artist/Activist Talks Organizing Dinners To Talk About Death Interviewed: Michael Hebb Interviewed: Victor Foia
Fri, 10/25/2013 - 9:30am	A Boy At The Gate Danny Ellis, an Irish singer-songwriter, and storyteller joins Anne Strainchamps to discuss his memoir, “The Boy at the Gate,” chronicling his troubled childhood and his time at the notorious Artane Industrial School in the slums of Dublin. Interviewed: Danny Ellis
Fri, 10/25/2013 - 9:00am	Ruth Ozeki Anne Strainchamps sits down with author, filmmaker, and Zen Buddhist, Ruth Ozeki. Her latest book, “A Tale for the Time Being,” was selected as the 2013 Go Big Read book. Related Segment: 'Go Big Read' Author To Visit Madison Play Segment: Interviewed: Ruth Ozeki
Fri, 10/18/2013 - 10:00am	Masterminds and Wingmen Being a boy can be rough - there’s the playground posturing, locker-room spats, the constant pressure to “act like a man.” Anne Strainchamps talks with a teen psychologist whose boy-tested and -approved guide helps parents and teachers navigate Boy World. Related Segment: Schooling Parents On The Rules Of 'Boy World'
Fri, 10/18/2013 - 9:00am	I Believe in Zero Every day, 18,000 children under age five die of things we can prevent. The President of UNICEF’s US Fund believes that figure should be zero. She tells Anne Strainchamps why. Related Segment: UNICEF Leader Says Eliminating Poverty, Disease Is Goal Play Segment: Interviewed: Caryl M Stern
Fri, 10/11/2013 - 10:00am	Wonder and the History of Science We could all use more wonder in our lives, don’t you think? More days when the sheer beauty of this life and this planet knocks our socks off. Wonder is more than just a happy feeling, though. It’s an experience that, at its most powerful, can inspire discovery, change lives, and shape our view of the cosmos and our place in it. Interviewed: Steve Paulson
Fri, 10/11/2013 - 9:00am	Errol Morris: McNamara, Rumsfeld, the Fog of Truth Anne Strainchamps asks the Oscar award-winning director of "The Fog of War" and "A Thin Blue Line" about his UW days in the turbulent 60's and his new project on Donald Rumsfeld. Interviewed: Errol Morris
Fri, 10/04/2013 - 10:00am	The Spirit of 78 RPMs Does the hiss and pop of a record needle hitting an old vinyl disc conjure up memories for you? Many music lovers are returning to vinyl -- but there’s an even older generation of recordings that for some people have an almost mystical allure. Today on 45 North we celebrate the spirit of old 78s. Interviewed: Henry Sapoznik
Fri, 10/04/2013 - 9:00am	Farms, Fermentation and Befriending Bugs in our Guts This weekend sees the start of the Reedsburg Fermentation Fest and 45 North celebrates family farms, fermentation and finds out how to befriend the bugs in our guts. Related Segment: Every Peach Tells a Story Play Segment: Interviewed: Gary P Nabhan Interviewed: Nikiko Masumoto
Fri, 09/27/2013 - 10:00am	Brave Genius 45 North's on-air SciFest continues this hour: Award-winning biologist Sean B. Carroll talks to us about the remarkable people and creatures he's studied: Albert Camus, Jaques Monod, dinosaurs, cells, molecules, the stuff that makes us, well... us. Interviewed: Sean Carroll
Fri, 09/27/2013 - 9:00am	The Relationship Between Art And Science Nobel laureate Roald Hoffmann, and artist Vivian Torrence, join Anne Strainchamps to talk about the intersection of art and science. The two are in Madison as part of the Wisconsin Science Festival. Related Segment: Collages Featured At Festival Show Where Art, Science Intersect Play Segment: Interviewed: Roald Hoffman Interviewed: Vivian Torrence
Fri, 09/20/2013 - 10:00am	MMoCA Wisconsin Triennial One of the most important art exhibitions of the year opens this weekend in Madison - the Wisconsin Triennial. Once every three years, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art presents the best contemporary art coming out of Wisconsin. This year, curators considered work from more than 530 artists. Anne Strainchamps talks with three who made the final cut. Related Segment: Wisconsin's Top Artists Exhibit At Madison Museum's Triennial Play Segment: Interviewed: Kristy Deetz Interviewed: Fred Stonehouse Interviewed: Gina Litherland
Fri, 09/20/2013 - 9:00am	We're All Photographers Now We live increasingly in an image-driven world. "45 North" explores the emergence of online photo culture, and the opportunities it creates for global creative collaboration. Related Segment: 'Making Pictures Of People' Photography Show Debuts Online Play Segment: Interviewed: Andy Adams Interviewed: Sarah Sudhoff
Fri, 09/13/2013 - 10:00am	Midwest Gypsy Swing Fest The Midwest Gypsy Swing Fest is celebrating its 11th year this weekend at Art in the Barn. Joining 45 North in-studio is Gypsy swing band, Harmonious Wail, and festival headliner Olli Soikkeli [SOY-keh-leeh] with his unique take on Gypsy guitar music. Interviewed: Harmonious Wail Interviewed: Olli Soikkeli
Fri, 09/13/2013 - 9:00am	Buck: A Memoir Renowned writer, filmmaker, and hip-hop artist, MK Asante joins Anne Strainchamps to talk about how he survived, and thrived, growing up on the streets of, “Killadelphia,” (Philadelphia). Interviewed: MK Asante
Fri, 09/06/2013 - 10:00am	The Hidden Gems In and Under Our Cities We tend to think that there’s nothing new left to discover. But, a new breed of explorer has found a whole new frontier: hidden urban landscapes with big “DO NOT ENTER” signs out front. Anne Strainchamps talks to a "place hacker" who’s been in, on, or under some of the world’s most outrageous spaces - and has the pictures to prove it. Related Segment: Explore Everything: Place Hackers Uncover New Urban Frontiers Play Segment: Interviewed: Bradley L. Garrett
Fri, 09/06/2013 - 9:00am	Pink Sari Revolution In the wake of a string of brutal rapes in India, and similar troubling incidents here in the U.S., Anne Strainchamps and guest explore the activism of India’s Pink Gang, a vigilante band of 22,000 women in pink saris who protect abused women and fight against corruption and gender bias. We also hear from a Wisconsin-based group that work to empower girls, and revisit the history of Wisconsin women’s struggle for equal rights. Interviewed: Amana Fontanella-Khan
Fri, 08/30/2013 - 10:00am	Before They're Gone Did your summer plans include a visit to any of America's national parks? Anne Strainchamps hears the true story of a family who spent a year visiting America's most endangered parks and talks to a National Geographic explorer who makes the case for "micro-adventures" in your own backyard. (From our archives) Interviewed: Michael Lanza Interviewed: Alistair Humphreys
Fri, 08/30/2013 - 9:00am	The Ocean at the End of the Lane Neil Gaiman, one of the world's most beloved fantasy authors, joins Anne Strainchamps to talk about about his first novel for adults in almost a decade. And later in the hour: Cocktails inspired by literary classics - how to make a Tequila Mockingbird or a Moby Drink to go with our favorite summer read. (From our archives.) Interviewed: Neil Gaiman Interviewed: Tim Federle
Fri, 08/23/2013 - 6:00pm	Queens of Noise: The Real Story of The Runaways 70's Rock Band, The Runaways, was the girl-punk answer to Led Zeppelin. First of its kind, this all-girl, teenage band lit up the music scene like a Cherry Bomb with their rebellious, passionate rock music. Anne Strainchamps talks with a pop music critic, the former lead singer of The Runaways, and two women from Wisconsin's Girls Rock Camp. Interviewed: Evelyn McDonnell
Fri, 08/23/2013 - 10:00am	Queens Of Noise: The Real Story Of The Runaways The Runaways, was the girl-punk answer to Led Zeppelin. First of its kind, this all-girl, teenage band lit up the music scene like a "Cherry Bomb" with their rebellious, passionate rock music. Anne Strainchamps talks with a pop music critic, the former lead singer of The Runaways, and two women from Wisconsin's Girls Rock Camp. Interviewed: Evelyn McDonnell Interviewed: Cherie Currie Interviewed: Beth Kille Interviewed: Marlo Dobrient
Fri, 08/23/2013 - 10:00am	Queens of Noise: The Real Story of The Runaways 70's Rock Band, The Runaways, was the girl-punk answer to Led Zeppelin. First of its kind, this all-girl, teenage band lit up the music scene like a Cherry Bomb with their rebellious, passionate rock music. Anne Strainchamps talks with a pop music critic, the former lead singer of The Runaways, and two women from Wisconsin's Girls Rock Camp. Interviewed: Evelyn McDonnell
Fri, 08/16/2013 - 6:00pm	Some Of My Best Friends Are Black In the wake of the Trayvon Martin ruling, and with the 50th anniversary of The Great March on Washington approaching, Anne Strainchamps and guest explore where America is with race: how far have we come and how far do we still have to go? Interviewed: Tanner Colby
Fri, 08/16/2013 - 10:00am	Susan Werner "Hayseed" Dubbed by NPR as the "Empress of the Unexpected", singer-songwriter Susan Werner joins Anne Strainchamps to talk about her new album "Hayseed". Songs from the album were inspired by the loss and memories of her family's Iowa farm. Interviewed: Susan Werner
Fri, 08/16/2013 - 9:00am	Some Of My Best Friends Are Black In the wake of the Trayvon Martin ruling, and with the 50th anniversary of The Great March on Washington approaching, Anne Strainchamps and guest explore where America is with race: how far have we come and how far do we still have to go? Interviewed: Tanner Colby
Fri, 08/09/2013 - 6:00pm	The Role of Muslims in the U.S. Military A conversation with former United States Army chaplain James Yee about the role of Muslims in the U.S. Military. Interviewed: James J Yee
Fri, 08/09/2013 - 10:00am	Wonder and the History of Science Anne is joined by WPR's Steve Paulson to explore wonder and the history of science. Interviewed: Steve Paulson
Fri, 08/09/2013 - 9:00am	The Role of Muslims in the U.S. Military A conversation with former United States Army chaplain James Yee about the role of Muslims in the U.S. Military. Interviewed: James J Yee
Fri, 08/02/2013 - 6:00pm	Looking for Palestine Anne Strainchamps talks with a Christian Palestinian-Lebanese-American about her hilarious and heartbreaking search for identity amid America's confusing relationship with the Middle East. Interviewed: Najla Said
Fri, 08/02/2013 - 10:00am	Peter Mulvey According to legend a reviewer once said, "There are only two types of people in this world, people who love Peter Mulvey and people who haven't met him yet." Anne Strainchamps talks with the Milwaukee-based folk singer known for his gravelly voice, wry songwriting, and intense guitar riffs. Interviewed: Peter Mulvey
Fri, 08/02/2013 - 9:00am	Looking for Palestine Anne Strainchamps talks with a Christian Palestinian-Lebanese-American about her hilarious and heartbreaking search for identity amid America's confusing relationship with the Middle East. Interviewed: Najla Said
Fri, 07/26/2013 - 6:00pm	Sugar Love The average American consumes roughly 47 pounds of cane sugar each year. So, where does our love affair with sugar come from? Anne Strainchamps' guest this hour traces the presence, and role of sugar in world history. Interviewed: Rich Cohen
Fri, 07/26/2013 - 10:00am	Sugar Love The average American consumes roughly 47 pounds of cane sugar each year. So, where does our love affair with sugar come from? Anne Strainchamps' guest this hour traces the presence, and role of sugar in world history. Interviewed: Rich Cohen
Fri, 07/26/2013 - 9:00am	Hip Hop in the Heartland Each summer, UW-Madison's "Hip Hop in the Heartland" brings together leading hip hop artists, educators and activists to explore how hip hop can boost the academic success of students who remain marginalized in our schools. Anne Strainchamps talks with three participants. http://omai.wisc.edu/?p=184 Interviewed: Baba Israel Interviewed: Mark Gonzalez
Fri, 07/19/2013 - 6:00pm	Harley Loco Anne Strainchamps explores a Syrian-American writer's journey from the Middle East to Manhattan's Lower East Side, through drugs, sex, punk rock, more drugs, to finally going clean. And, later in the hour, she talks with a world-famous book artist who crafts some of the world's most beautiful books from his home near Lake Pepin, Wisconsin. Interviewed: Rayya Elias Interviewed: Gaylord Schanilec
Fri, 07/19/2013 - 10:00am	Farmacology and Foraging Bugs and dirt are good for you, and cattle-rearing can teach us a lot about raising healthy kids. So says a family doctor who who explores the connection between how we care for our bodies and how we grow our food. And, a foraging expert tells Anne Strainchamps which wild plants are good to eat. From our archives. (The DNR requests the following note to listeners: "Watercress is an invasive plant and although it is not yet regulated (but will be next year) the plant roots should not be left when harvesting.") Interviewed: Daphne Miller Interviewed: Sam Thayer