WGTD's The Morning Show with Greg Berg
By WGTD
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4/25/24 The Future of Higher Education
We're presenting the audio from an event on April 18th that was organized by Carthage College's Business and Professional Coalition: "The Future of Higher Education in Wisconsin." Panelists were John Swallow, the president of Carthage, and Jay Rothman, president of the University of Wiscconsin System.
4/24/24 Carthage's production of the musical "Nine"
We preview Carthage's production of Maury Yeston's musical "Nine" with Neil Scharnick, stage director of the production, and two of the students in the cast: Chase Juster (Guido Contini) and Emily Halfman (Luisa.) The musical is based on the story told in Fellini's classic film 8 1/2 about a middle-aged Italian film director experiencing a wrenching creative and personal crisis that drives him into encounters with or recollections of the women who have been a significant part of his past.
4/24/24 UW-Parkside's "Peter and the Star Catcher"
We speak with Rachel Swartz from the theater faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside about their production of "Peter and the Star Catcher," which runs for the next two weekends on their main stage. The musical (and the novel upon which its based) seeks to expand on the familiar story of Peter Pan.
4/23/24 From Intention to Impact (DEI)
Malia Lazu, author of "From Intention to Impact: A Practical Guide to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion." This is perhaps the best book I have ever written on the much-discussed and controversial topic of DEI.
4/22/24 Earth Day: Dallas Murphy / Simone Maloz
For Earth Day: Part One- Dallas Murphy, author of "To Follow the Water: Exploring the Ocean to Discover Climate, from the Gulf Stream to the Blue Beyond." Part Two- Simone Maloz talks about habitat restoration work being done in the Mississippi Delta in Louisiana.
4/12/24 Skies to Conquer
From 2010 - Diana Jean Schemo discusses her book "Skies to Conquer: a Year inside the Airforce Academy."
4/20/24 In memory of Professor Tom Noer
Professor Tom Noer was a member of the history faculty at Carthage College for 46 years. He passed away on April 7th. In his memory, I want to re-share my final Morning Show interview with him, which was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this conversation, he talks about other health scares and epidemics in America's past.
4/19/24 David Coggins: "The Believer" (Fly Fishing)
David Coggins talks about his most recent book, "The Believer: A Year in the Fly-Fishing Life." Coggins has loved fly-fishing for most of his adult life, and this latest book chronicles some of his experiences with fly-fishing in places in locales all around the world. We follow this interview with an archival interview dating back to the days when Wikipedia was a relative newcomer to the internet. John Broughton wrote a book that amounted to a manual on how Wikipedia works.
4/18/24 Nate Stamper discusses "Stargirl"
Nate Stamper, director of theater at Case High School in Racine, is the guest director of the Racine Theater Guild's production of "Stargirl," based on the Jerry Spinelli novel of the same name, which explores important issues of conformity/non-conformity for young people. Filling out the program today is an archival interview with sportswriter and author John Feinstein in which he talks about one of his best-selling novels for young readers. "The Walk-On- May the best quarterback win."
4/17/24 "Creativity Unleashed"
Jonathan Fanning, author of "Creativity Unleashed: 5 Habits of World-Class Innovators"
4/16/24 Dayvin Hallmon Black String Triage Ensemble
I speak with Dayvin Hallmon, founder and director of the Black String Triage Ensemble in Milwaukee. This group of string musicians - during the summer months - will go to the site of gun violence or other civil unrest and will play music to try and bring comfort and healing to those directly impacted.
4/15/24 Dr. Tom Noer- "Soapy: a biography of G. Mennen Williams"
We are rebroadcasting this 2009 interview in memory of Dr. Tom Noer, a longtime and beloved memory of the Carthage faculty (he taught history there for 4 years) who passed away on April 7th. In this interview, Professor Noer talks about G. Mennen Williams, a highly unconventional political figure whom Professor Noer greatly admired. We also hear from Professor Noer on how he went about researching the life and career of Williams.
4/14/24 Jamestown
From 2007 - Benjamin Woolley discusses his book "Savage Kingdom: The true story of Jamestown, 1607, and the Settlement of America." 2007 marked the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown.
4/13/24 Patrick McGilligan on Orson Welles
From 2015- Patrick McGilligan talks about his book "Young Orson: The years of luck and genius on the path to Citizen Kane." 2015 was the year of the renowned filmmaker's 100th birthday. Welles born in Kenosha, and the city welcomed a number of experts to its Welles Centennial Celebration; McGilligan was one of them.
4/12/24 Sy Montgomery: "Secrets of the Octopus"
Part 1 - Sy Montgomery talks about her latest book, "Secrets of the Octopus" (published by National Geographic.) Part 2- (from the archives) World-renowned chef Eric Ripert talks about two of his books: "Avec Ripert" and "On the Line."
4/11/24 Kailyn Palomares / Emily Leonard
Kailyn Palormares is naturalist and education manager for Hawthorn Hollow. With her is a colleague of hers, Emily Leonard, who is the resident ecologist there. We explore together the important topics of invasive species and habitat restoration.
4/10/24 WPR President Sarah Ashworth
Sarah Ashworth, director of Wisconsin Public Radio, talks about the changes in WPR's operation that were announced yesterday - and the impact of those changes on the listeners of WGTD. WPR's two networks are being renamed and realigned. WGTD will become part of WPR News. The changes go into effect on May 20th. (More information about the changes is available at wpr.org/new.)
4/9/24 Artist/Illustrator Ed Steckley
Award-winning artist and illustrator Ed Steckley talks about his wide-ranging career, which has includes work for Mad Magazine and Saturday Night Live. He recently won a Reuben Award for Best in Book Illustration. We also talk about some of the ways in which the industry has dramatically changed in recent years thank to new technologies.
4/8/24 Sir Tim Rice
We speak with renowned Tony Award-winning lyricist Sir Tim Rice, whose setting of "From Here to Eternity" opens this Friday night at Milwaukee's Skylight Theatre and runs through early May. Sir Tim Rice's credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, The Lion King, Aida, Chess, and Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Rice's "From Here to Eternity" (with music by Stuart Brayson) premiered in 2013. Skylight's production is the show's midwest premiere.
4/7/24 Nancy Davies talks about the circus
From 2017 - Nancy Davies, a woman active in community theater in Southeastern Wisconsin, talks about her lifelong love of the circus and the experience of working with Ringling Brothers. The interview was recorded shortly after Ringling Bros. announced the shuttering of its "Greatest Show on Earth." (It remained dormant until last year when it was revived in a different format that does not utilize live animals.)
4/6/24 Steven Solomon "Water"
From 2010- Steven Solomon, author of "Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power, and Civilization." In his fascinating book, Solomon charts how the need to secure plentiful fresh water has helped shape the history of human civilization.
4/5/24 Keith O'Brien on Pete Rose (Charlie Hustle)
Best-selling author Keith O'Brien talks about his new book "Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose and the Last Glory Days of Baseball." The book chronicles Pete's blue collar roots, his improbable rise to greatness as one of baseball's greatest hitters, and the disastrous disintegration of his career due to his gambling addiction. (Pete Rose was banished from major league baseball for the rest of his life.) In part two, we go into the archives for a 2010 interview with Tim Wendel, author of "High Heat: The Secret History of the Fastball and the Improbable Search for the Fastest Pitcher of all time."
4/4/24 Adventures in Lifelong Learning
We learn all about the non-profit group Adventures in Lifelong Learning (A.L.L.) from president Shelly Underhill, past-president Karen Kempinen, and day trips co-chair Carole Kotese.
4/3/24 David Baron - "American Eclipse"
Just in time for the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th - we hear from David Baron, author of "American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World." The book focuses on the 1878 total solar eclipse that was visible in much of the United States. A trio of brilliant Americans (including a young Thomas Alva Edison and an extraordinary young astronomer named Maria Mitchell) raced to the Rocky Mountains to view the eclipse, gather information, and help elevate America's status in the eyes of the world's scientific community. Baron is himself an 'umbraphile,' which means he is an eclipse chaser; he traveled around the world to observe multiple total solar eclipses. The book was initially released in 2017; it has been re-released with a new afterword.
4/2/24 Emily Didkinson's Gardening Life
From the archives: Marta McDowell, author of "Emily Dickinson's Gardening Life: The Plants and Places that Inspired the Iconic Poet." [Today's Morning Show broadcast was with gardening expert Nina Koziol. That interview was shared in the podcast back on March 28th.]
4/1/24 Don't make me pull over!
From 2018 - Richard Ratay, author of "Don't make me pull over: an informal history of the family road trip."
3/31/24 Life is Good
25 years ago this year, Bert and John Jacobs ... two college-age brothers .... designed and sold their first t-shirts. They eventually founded the company Life is Good. In honor of that anniversary, here is an interview where they talk about the Life is Good book that they co-wrote.
3/30/24 Crossword Puzzles
From 2005- Stanley Newman's Opus 100 Crosswords.
3/29/24 An Elegant Defense
From 2020- Matt Richtel, author of "An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System- A Tale in Four Lives."
3/28/24 Gardening expert Nina Koziol
Sneak Preview: One of the most prominent gardening experts/writers/teachers in the Chicago-area, Nina Koziol, is coming to Kenosha on Thursday evening, April 4th- in a program sponsored by the Four Seasons Garden Club. The interview is being broadcast on April 2nd, but we're sharing the interview today in podcast format since the event is coming up so soon.
3/28/24 Dr. Art Cyr
Dr. Art Cyr
3/27/24 Debbie Irving Followup
This is a newly-recorded interview with Debbie Irving, looking back over the last ten years since the publication of her memoir "Waking Up White: and finding myself in the Story of Race."
3/26/24 Waking Up White
From 2014 - Debbie Irving, author of "Waking up White: and finding myself in the Story of Race." The book is a remarkably honest memoir about Irving's realization (in adulthood) that she had harbored all kinds of racist attitudes that she never realized were there. The book also explores the reality of systemic racism. (Tomorrow, we'll have a newly-recorded interview with Irving in which she looks back over the past ten years.)
3/25/24 The Cancer Detectives
We preview the next American Experience documentary film - "The Cancer Detectives" - with co-directors/co-producers Amanda Pollak and Gene Tempest. The film talks about the most important breakthrough in early cancer detection among woman: the pap smear, named for Dr. George Papanicolaou. The film charts the circuitous route by which this became a well-established practice- and the various barriers and attitudes that had to be surmounted. The film also tells about the enormously important contributions made to the cause by Dr. Papanicolaou's wife Andromachi and others.
3/24/24 S.C. Gwynne - "The Perfect Pass"
From 2017 - S.C. Gwynne, author of "The Perfect Pass: American Genius and the Revinvention of Football." The book is primarily the story of two football geniuses, Hal Mumme and Mike Leach, who helped revolutionize the game of football with a radical approach to the passing game that had never been seen before.
3/23/24 Tom Clavin "Wild Bill"
From 2020- Tom Clavin discusses his book "Wild Bill: The True Story of the American Frontier's First Gunfighter."
3/22/24 Carthage Institute of Paleontology
We catch up with Dr. Thomas Carr, director of the Carthage Institute of Paleontology, and Dr. Megan Seitz, who is the program's Preparator. We will revisit the history of the program, the way in which it has grown both in size and stature over the years, and the work that each of them does. We talk about plans for their next 'dinosaur dig' in Montana this summer. We also discuss a serious budgetary issue that threatens the very existence of the program. Last but not least - there is an amazing moment when I (Greg Berg) get to hold an actual dinosaur bone!
3/21/24 Ann Liguori "Life on the Green"
Sports journalist and podcaster Ann Liguori talks about her newest book, "Life on the Green: Lessons and Wisdom from Legends of Golf." In it, she shares some of the life lessons that some of the sport's greatest stars have learned through the course of their professional careers.
3/20/24 Delta Hawk Apprentice
We introduce you to Aubrey Marquez, a junior at Park High School who is an apprentice at Delta Hawk, an exciting young engine company in Racine. We also speak with two Racine Unified School District employees who have worked with Aubrey - school counselor Jeffrey Wilkins and youth apprentice coordinator Mike Lynch - as well as two employees at Delta Hawk .... Lisa Booker, head of HR, and Aaron Nieto, lead engine technician. In Part Two, we hear from the author of the book "Wish I Could Be There: Notes from a Phobic Life."
3/19/24 The Suffragist Playbook
From 2020- for Women's History Month- Lucinda Robb (granddaughter of Lyndon Baines Johnson) and Rebecca Boggs Roberts (daughter of Cokie Roberts) talk about their book "The Suffragist Playbook: Your Guide to Changing the World." The book examines some of the most important suffragists and how they managed to accomplish what they did- often against nearly insurmountable odds.
3/18/24 Dr. John Swallow
Dr. John Swallow- the president of Carthage College
3/17/24 Malachy McCourt- The Claddagh Ring
From 2003 - Malachy McCourt (younger brother of best-selling author Frank McCourt) discusses his book "The Claddagh Ring: Ireland's Cherished Symbol of Friendship, Loyalty and Love."
3/16/24 Two books about Dogs
From 2005 - Dr. Stanley Coren, author of "How Dogs Think: What the world looks like to them and why they act the way they do." Also, Emily Yoffe, author of "What the Dog Did: Tales from a formerly reluctant dog owner."
3/15/24 Dr. Lynn Akey, UW-Parkside Chancellor
Dr. Lynn Akey, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, pays her first visit to the Morning Show. She assumed her position at Parkside in January.
3/14/24 Maple Sugaring
Kailyn Palomares has taken over from Nan Calvert in organizing monthly Morning Show programs around various topics related to the environment and the natural world. Today's program focuses primarily on Maple Sugaring as it takes place at Hawthorn Hollow, where Kailyn is Naturalist and Education Manager. With her today is Hawthorn Hollow's Executive Director, TJ Leveque.
3/12/24 Lakeside Players' "The 39 Steps"
We speak with director Steve Mattnor and actor Sean Collier about the lakeside players' production of "The 39 Steps," a comic parody of the classic 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name.
3/13/24 Carthage's "On the Verge"
We preview the Carthage College theater department's production of Eric Overmyer's "On the Verge, or The Geography of Yearning" with Professor Herschel Kruger as well as two students involved in the production: assistant director/dramaturg Katie Layendecker and costume designer Ani Gebaur.
3/12/24 Tiffany Jewel on Racism
Best-selling author Tiffany Jewell talks about her most recent book "Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned In School." Growing up in Syracuse, NY as a biracial young woman whom the schools categorized as white, the author was in an uncommon position to witness the many and various ways in which the school district failed to properly serve most of its students of color.
3/11/24 Mia X Ally / Raghavan Iyer
Part 1 - We catch up with the spectacular musical duo of Mia X Ally (Mia is a superb violinist, Ally is a award-winning bagpiper) who will be performing in Milwaukee on Saint Patrick's Day. Part 2 - (from 2016) the late Indian chef Raghavan Iyer talks about his book "Smashed, Mashed, Boiled and Baked: A Celebration of Potatoes in 75 Recipes."
3/10/24 Bilingualism in the home
From a few years ago- three Carthage College faculty members: Wayne Thompson, Matt Borden, and Dimitri Shapovalov, talk about their respective experiences with bilingualism in the home- either as parents or growing up in a bilingual household.