Hearing Voices - Radio Stories / Holidays

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

Brooklyn Christmas Trees 2:36 Lizzy Cooper Davis

Vincent van Rhyn has been selling Christmas trees since he was 16. He's been on the same Brooklyn corner every Holiday season for 30 years. Or, A Christmas Tree Grows in Brooklyn. (Photo: cc ARKNTINA)

Broadcast: Dec 4 2008 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: Business, Holidays, Religious

City X (Attention Shoppers) Jonathan Mitchell

For the year’s busiest shopping day, an audio portrait of today’s American commons: the shopping mall. The producer returns to his hometown for a deep-mall experience. [transcript]

Broadcast: Jul 1 2008 on WNYC Radio Lab; Jan 11 2005 on NPR Living on Earth Subjects: Business, Holidays, Cultural

Dayenu (for Passover) 6:15 Crossing the BLVD

The traditional, 1000-year-old song Dayenu is a part of the Jewish Passover (April 19-27 2008). This piece is an audio essay, a poem of sorts, on the song, the holy day, and what, if anything, the tales of Egyptian first-borns and parted Red Seas have to do with us today. Original music by Frank London, founder of the Klezmatics.

Broadcast: Apr 17 2008 on APM Weekend America Subjects: Religious, Holidays

Zulu Kids Xmas 1:10 Jake Warga

A Christmas audio postcard sung by Zulu children in a South African orphanage. [transcript]

Broadcast: Dec 24 2007 on HV PODCAST; Dec 24 2004 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: Youth, Children, International, Holidays

Singing Salvation Army Bellringer 3:28 Todd Melby

Arthur Jackson, former crack addict, finds Jesus, stays off drugs, sings and rings bells for the Salvation Army at the Mall of America in Minneapolis.

Broadcast: Dec 19 2007 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: Holidays, Religious

Bloody Hell 54:00 Tom Lopez, The Professor & [Hearing Voices]

A Haunting, Harrowing HV Halloween Hour of Horror. The first half is bloody, the second goes to hell. "Blood on the Pulpit" by David Greenberger and The Shaking Ray Levis. "The Bleeding Man," an ZBS adaptation of Cherokee writer Craig Strete's short story. "La Llorona" produced by Ginna Allison. Radio Inferno, based on Dante's "Divine Comedy," by Andreas Ammer w/music by FM Einheit. "Jesus and I Go to Hell" found-sound mixed by The Professor of TheAudioKitchen.net. And Kevin Kling's "Halloween."

Broadcast: Oct 31 2007 on HV SpecialSeries: Hearing Voices- Specials Subjects: Holidays, Specials

Father Figures 54:00 Jay Allison, Scott Carrier, Viki Merrick, Sound Portraits & [Hearing Voices]

For Father's Day, hosted by Jay Allison, stories of paternal praise, pride, disappointment and love: Scott Carrier gives his son Milo a "Ski Lesson." From Animals and Other Stories, we hear "Reflections of Fathers," aka, Bugs & Dads. Comic strip artist Lynda Barry wishes her divorced dad a "Happy Father's Day." A doctor tells his daughter about her granddad in "Story Corps- Dr. William Weaver." Jay Allison describes his daughter's questions about his love life as "Grilling Me Softly". Dan Robb's family remembers the day "Dad's Moving Out," from Life Stories. "Doc Merrick" and daughter Viki go through some girl problems. David Greenberger tells David Cobb's story "Because of Dad." Deirdre Sullivan's father advises "Always Go to the Funeral," a This I Believe essay. And from producer by Viki Merrick, Dave Masch wants to be "A Better Father" (

Broadcast: Jun 17 2007 on HV SpecialSeries: Hearing Voices- Specials Subjects: Spoken Word, Holidays, Family

Coast Guardsman salute at a military cemetery

For the Fallen 54:00 Jay Allison, Barrett Golding, Sound Portraits, Marjorie Van Halteren, Robin Wise & [Hearing Voices]

A public radio special for Memorial Day, Monday May 28 2007. The host is Green Beret and poet Major Robert Schaefer, U.S. Army Special Forces. The hour features voices of veterans remembering their comrades. We hear troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, reading their emails, poems, and journals, as part of the NEA project: Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience. We hear interviews from StoryCorps, essays from This I Believe, and the sounds of a Military Honor Guard, recorded by Charles Lane. And we attend the daily ceremony by Belgian veterans honoring the WWI British soldiers who died defending a small town in western Belgium (produced by Marjorie Van Halteren).

Broadcast: May 28 2007 on HV SpecialSeries: Hearing Voices- Specials Subjects: Family, War, Holidays