Hearing Voices - Radio Stories / All

Couple in period dress dancing on Henley-on-Mersey, Bells Parade, Latrobe, Tasmania

Australia Day, Tasmania 3:02 Jake Warga

On January 26 1788, a British fleet carrying hundreds of convicts from England arrived in what became the colony of New South Wales. Australia Day is celebrates the founding with great gusto in Tasmania. In the town of Latrobe, the day is filled competitive wood chopping, whip-cracking and ferret racing (photos).

Broadcast: Jan 26 2010 on PRI/WGBH/BBC The World Subjects: Travel, Historical Anniversaries, Entertainment

Troops pose outside the Mahmoon Palace bandstand, Tikrit, Iraq

Iraq: Soldiers’ Wishes 1:42 Jake Warga

Christmas wishes from soldiers at U.S. Army Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Northern Iraq: Sgt. First Class Siatuu Quarterman, Sgt. First Class Claudia Bullard, Staff Sgt. Brian Allen, Specialist Nico Kane, Staff Sgt. Robert Lacome, and Simon Welte.

Broadcast: Dec 24 2009 on APM Marketplace Subjects: Holidays, War, World

Sgt. First Class Jodie Manford and the 3rd Infantry Division Band on stage

Iraq: Singing Soldier 2:04 Jake Warga

From Northern Iraq, U.S. Army Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Sgt. First Class Jodie Manford and the 3rd Infantry Division band spread some holiday cheer via Chrismas songs.

Broadcast: Dec 21 2009 on PRI/WGBH/BBC The World Subjects: World, War, Holidays

Swords to Plowshares 5:11 Alix Blair

While in Iraq, former U.S. Army Sergeant Matthew McCue witnessed the power and peace-making potential of agriculture. When he returned to the States he worked with the Farmer-Veteran Coalition, and now works at the French Garden Farm near Sebastopol. Says McCue: "I still want to make the world a better place. I think i can do more good with a shovel than with an M-16." McCue worked with the Farmer-Veteran Coalition and the French Garden Farm in Sebastopol CA, This story was originally produced for the SpeakeasyDC Storycast.

Broadcast: Nov 11 2009 on PRI/WBUR Here and Now Subjects: War, Food

Route 66 Postcard 8:20 Jake Warga

A road trip along historic route 66 in New Mexico, exploring America's past and present. Tour includes a Santa Fe cooking class, a hot air balloon ride above Albuquerque, Acoma tribal traditions, a mining museum in Grants and a historic hotel in Gallup.

Broadcast: Oct 13 2009 on NPR All Things Considered Subjects: Travel, Historical

Norfolk Island 5:04 Jake Warga

Captain Cook gave Norfolk Island its first tourist slogan when he spotted it in 1774: "Jewell of the Pacific". In 1825 it became "Hell on Earth," the most feared of England's penal colonies in Australia, designed as, "a place of the extremist punishment short of death." Later, it was given to the decedents of the Mutiny on the Bounty to settle. Now, the tourism slogan is: "Norfolk Island... be surprised" -- and the island has become completely dependent on tourism. (Check Jake's Norfolk photo gallery.)

Broadcast: Sep 1 2009 on NPR All Things Considered Subjects: Travel, Historical

Tasmanian Devil Endangered 7:07 Jake Warga

A deadly cancer threatens to wipe out Tasmania's most famous resident: the Tasmanian devil. Australia has the worst record of mammal extinctions in the world over the last 300 to 400 years. A quarter of all mammal extinctions worldwide since 1600 have occurred in Australia.�Scientists say that without intervention, the rare Tasmanian Devil will disappear within 20 years. (Jake's Tasmanian Flickr photos).

Broadcast: Jun 9 2009 on PRI/WGBH/BBC The World Subjects: International, Environment

Civil War re-enacters in uniform and armaments

Civil War Re-Enacters Reflections 2:56 Jake Warga

Re-enacters Harold Slavik and Col. Steve Betchart with the "Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War" reflect on our United States, as they are re-dedicated a Union veteran's grave in Springfield, Oregon.

Broadcast: May 25 2009 on NPR All Things Considered Subjects: Historical, War

Solitary Confinement 7:19 Claire Schoen

Nine former prisoners describe their experiences in solitary confinement. Produced for the STOPMAX project and video, working to end cruel treatment of prisoners. (Voices: Robert Dellelo, Munirah El-Bomani, Tommy Escarcega, Ray Luc Levasseur, King Arch Angel, Hakeem Shaheed, Bilal Sunni-Ali, Laura Whitehorn, Robert King Wilkerson.)

Broadcast: Mar 9 2009 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: Justice

Part-time Poet 8:57 Larry Massett

Sez Larry: "My neighbor Rich Keplar is a regular-guy neighbor. He's a picture framer, a Vietnam vet, his wife's a lawyer, they have two kids in college, a dog, and a lawn. But one day he mentioned he writes poetry -- strictly amateur, never published. So I asked him to read me a few, expecting… well, I don't know exacty what, but certainly not this…"

Broadcast: Mar 2 2009 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: Literature