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49
January 10, 1997

Animals

Stories about the animalness of animals, the irreducible ways in which they are not human.
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Adrien Capozzi

Prologue

Samantha Martin trains raccoons to play basketball and rats to bowl. She says that what we want from animals is for them to imitate humans. (5 minutes)

By

Ira Glass
Act One

Food Chain In A New York Apartment

Paul Tough visits Catherine Chalmers. She raises small animals and insects in her apartment, feeds them to each other, and photographs them eating each other. (20 minutes)

By

Paul Tough

Song:

“Insect Collector” by Shonen Knife
Act Two

More Animals Eating Other Animals

An original radio drama called "Kathleen on the Carpet," in which animals talk and hold their own "animal court." It's a comedy by David Sedaris, starring our own radio theater company, the Pinetree Gang. (14 minutes)

By

The Pinetree Gang
David Rakoff
David Sedaris

Song:

“Rocky Raccoon” by Lena Horne
Act Three

The Moment When Humans Stopped Being Animals

Anthropologists agree that humans stopped being animals when they started walking upright, on two legs. But scientists don't agree on why our ancestors did this. Ten years ago, Scott Carrier decided to do his own research on the subject. Scott is the author of Running After Antelope. (13 minutes)

By

Scott Carrier

Song:

“I Wanna Be Like You” by Disney's The Jungle Book

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Feb. 15, 2013

Harper High School - Part One

We spent five months at a high school in Chicago where in the last year 29 current and recent students were shot.

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Feb. 22, 2013

Harper High School - Part Two

Part two of our program on Harper High School in Chicago, where in the last year 29 current and recent students were shot.

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