Wednesday, December 22nd
Topic: Pennsylvania's cities
Guest host: Scott LaMar
Guest: Rick Schuettler, Deputy Executive Director, PA League of Cities and Municipalities
Thursday, December 23rd
Topic: Christmas cooking
Guest host: Scott LaMar
Guest: Chef Donna Marie Desfor
Whether you're making a Scrooge-inspired Christmas goose, or a gingerbread house, or seeking the perfect ingredient to make your egg nog extra...um...noggy...Chef Donna Marie Desfor comes to the rescue with some great Christmas-themed tips and recipes!
Friday, December 24th
Topic: Christmas favorites
Guest host: Scott LaMar
What's your all-time favorite Christmas gift, tradition, or memory? Share it with guest host Scott LaMar, as you kick off your Christmas Eve Day.
Monday, December 27th
Topic: Are We A Christian Nation?
Guest: Dr. Richard Hughes, Professor of Religion, Messiah College; author, Christian America and the Kingdom of God
In this re-broadcast from October, we consider why, throughout American history, religious and political leaders have used the (legally incorrect) notion of America as a "Christian nation" to reinforce what our guest Dr. Richard Hughes calls a sort of messianic nationalism, characterizing the U.S. as God's "chosen nation." It's a view Hughes holds has led to an increase in power and influence among fundamentalist Christians, but has ironically led to unchristian behavior.
Tuesday, December 28th
Topic: David Sedaris
Guest: David Sedaris, contributor, This American Life; author, Squirrel Meets Chipmunk
Writer and commentator David Sedaris is well-known to public radio fans for his essays and short stories featured on This American Life and a number of NPR programs. He's written several collections of stories, including his latest collection, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk. We spoke with Sedaris about the craft of storytelling, and about his latest book, in October.
Wednesday, December 29th
Topic: Clichés
Guest: Susan Purcell, "The Virtual Linguist"
Absence makes the heart grow fonder...it's not you, it's me...there's no 'I' in team...when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. At work, in relationships, wherever you go, and whatever you do, a cliché is certain to follow! Why do we (over) use them? We discussed it in May 2010.
Thursday, December 30th
Topic: Frank Deford – Bliss, Remembered
Guest: Frank Deford, Sports commentator, NPR; Senior writer, Sports Illustrated; author, Bliss, Remembered
You may know Frank Deford best from his weekly sports commentaries on NPR, or as a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, or his role as a correspondent on HBO's Real Sports. He's also written 16 books, but none quite like his latest, a novel called Bliss, Remembered. Yeah, there's some sports in it, also some war, some romance – it's really hard to classify, but as always from Frank, it's expert writing. We'll listen back to this conversation with Frank Deford from September, 2010.
Friday, December 31st
Topic: The Year in Review
Guest host: Scott LaMar
Guests: Tim Lambert, Morning Edition host/Senior Reporter, WITF
Brad Christman, News Director, Radio PA
Scott, Tim and Brad will review some of the stories that had the biggest impact in Pennsylvania, across the nation, and around the world, in 2010.
