NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t

FRESH AIR

Writer-director Todd Haynes is responsible for an eclectic array of films, from the elegantly bio-paranoia drama Safe to the glam-rock celebration Velvet Goldmine and the Douglas Sirk homage Far From Heaven. His latest experiment: I’m Not There, a kind of fantasia on the public personas of Bob Dylan. Six different actors — including Cate Blanchett — play the famously protean singer.

HONORABLE MENTION: The National Book Foundation presented Terry Gross, host of WHYY’s Fresh Air, with the 2007 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. The award recognizes important contributions Gross has made to the world of books. The National Book Foundation recognizes Gross for helping people ‘understand literature and the writing process’- through her probing and intelligent interviews with authors. MORE

RADIO TIMES

Hour 1
Should Pennsylvania pass tougher gun laws? Governor Ed Rendell will address the House Judiciary Committee this week to urge passage of several bills including one that would limit handgun purchases to one a month. We’ll debate this with MELODY ZULLINGER the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, who opposes addition gun restrictions, and BRYAN MILLER a co-founder of CeaseFire PA who supports tougher controls on handguns. Listen to this show via Real Audio | mp3
Hour 2
Expectations are high for mayor-elect Michael Nutter’s administration. In preparation for his new job, Nutter visited several cities for ideas on how to tackle some of the problems common to urban centers. Today, we discuss some of these ideas and if they might work in Philadelphia. Our guests are RANDALL MILLER, political analyst and history professor at Saint Joseph’s University and ALLISON BRUMMEL, Director of Projects at the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania which came up with a list of 44 programs used by mayors from other cities. Listen to this show via Real Audio | mp3

THE WORLD CAFE

Early in his career, singer-songwriter Steve Earle was often compared to Bruce Springsteen and widely viewed as a savior of country music. But after a string of enduring hits in the ’80s, he bottomed out early in the next decade, winding up in jail on drug and firearms charges. He’s since returned to glory in a big way, releasing a string of widely adored albums and becoming one of the most outspoken and compelling figures in contemporary music.

Since returning to music in the mid-’90s, Earle has set up his own record label and experimented with a wide range of styles, from country and bluegrass to folk and rock music. In recent years, his work has grown increasingly political, addressing war, religion and politics with a decidedly populist bent. The new Washington Square Serenade draws on themes of war, pollution and immigration, while maintaining a sense of optimism that balances out the weighty subject matter.

STEVE EARLE: Transcendental Blues