It seems like it’s been a short summer. Labor Day is upon us, this first day of September, and to dedicate the day to the social and economic achievements of American workers, we have a bevy of specials lined up for your listening pleasure.
Technological advances have put us on the edge of a new industrial revolution. In the 9AM hour, Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor and Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, and Susan Hassler, Editor-In-Chief of IEEE Spectrum Magazine, are joined by engineers, scientists, and futurists from MIT, Carnegie-Mellon, Rice University, and the Institute for the Future to give listeners insights into how technology will redefine work in the not too distant future, in the special Futurework.
In the 10 o’clock hour, we hear about the work we do, from Wall Street traders to taxi cab drivers… people who work with brassieres, with dead bodies, and off-the-books in an underground economy. With a tone-poem by Ken Nordine, a podcast from Love and Radio, and sound-portraits from Radio Diaries, Toni Schwartz, Ben Rubin, David Greenberger, and hosts Ann Heppermann and Kara Oehler bring us Hearing Voices – Nine to Five.
At 11AM, we’ll bring you two of the short stories from American writer John Updike. In this Selected Shorts special, hosted by television actress and comedian extraordinaire Jane Kaczmarek, will read Updike’s "Unstuck," and screen legend Sally Field will perform "Playing with Dynamite".
Our team of reporters and host Brian Shields will have the latest regional news on Midday Magazine, and that will be followed with your weekly dose of RadioLab.
Closing out our Labor Day specials is 24 Hours: A Day in the Working Life. In this special by Blending Borders, twelve workers who might otherwise go unnoticed – including a stripper, deli waitress, bus driver, metal scrapper and bathroom attendant – take us inside their places of work to show us what they do, why they do it and what it takes.
As we move further into the month, the High Holy Days begin with Rosh Hashanah, and at 11AM on September 24th, Music for Rosh Hashanah will highlight the spiritual and cultural significance of the Jewish High Holy Days, with traditional melodies and classical music selections by Bloch and Handel. Performers include harpist Rachel Van Voorhees, soprano Stacy Lowe, violinist Lisa Rautenberg, and the Western Wind.
Enjoy & L'shanahtovah.