Hearing Voices - Radio Stories / Pacific Drift

Pastor Mike at Jordan High 4:06 Queena Kim

When the last school bell rings, Pastor Mike Cummings stands in front of Jordan High School in Watts, Los Angeles. Jordan High is next door to the gang-ridden Jordan Downs projects, which students have to pass through to go home -- sometimes with Pastor Mike at their side. [transcript]

Broadcast: Jan 7 2008 on HV PODCAST; Sep 5 2006 on NPR Day to DaySeries: Pacific Drift Subjects: Youth, Education, African American

Magic Mushrooms for Health 11:02 Ben Adair

Doctors told Pamela her Stage 4 cancer was terminal, and her death would likely be painful. She joined a study that uses psychedelic drugs to help ease the pain and trauma of a terminal illness.

Broadcast: Jul 15 2006 on APM Weekend AmericaSeries: Pacific Drift Subjects: Health

Slab City 7:02 Ben Adair

About an hour south-east of Palm Springs, California is Slab City, what some call the last free-place in America. It’s sort of a drifter’s camp that, due to a bureaucratic technicality, is under nobody’s jurisdiction. Pulitzer-Prize winner Charlie LeDuff introduces us to some of the inhabitants, searching for freedom, and something more. Produced for KPCC- Southern California Public Radio series Pacific Drift.

Broadcast: Jun 4 2005 on APM Weekend AmericaSeries: Pacific Drift Subjects: Acoustic, Public Affairs

The Music of Life 4:50 Ben Adair

Nanoscientist Andrew Pelling and media artist Anne Niemetz came together to create music from cellular sounds. Dark Side of the Cell is a concert that includes the unadulterated tones of healthy cells, the static-like noise of human cancer cells and almost meditative sounds of yeast cells recovering from given birth. Produced for KPCC- Southern California Public Radio series Pacific Drift.

Broadcast: May 28 2005 on APM Weekend AmericaSeries: Pacific Drift Subjects: Health, Science, Technology, Acoustic

Segregated ‘Gone with the Wind’ Set 3:25 Ben Adair

On the set of the 1940 movie Gone With the Wind, black and white actors were originally segregated. Until actor Lennie Bluett, an extra on the set, alerted Clark Gable to the situation. Produced for KPCC- Southern California Public Radio series Pacific Drift. [transcript]

Broadcast: Feb 25 2005 on NPR Day to DaySeries: Pacific Drift Subjects: Justice, Entertainment, Historical, African American