Arts and Culture
Success More Than Jokes For Birmingham’s Roy Wood Jr. On Daily Show
For me, I think I have been very, very lucky to have a career up until this point where pretty much everything I have done, prepared me for what I am doing today on The Daily Show – from the acting, to the stand ups, even the prank phone calls. Roy Wood Jr.
Museum Exhibit Tells Spiritual Story of African Slaves in Haiti
A new exhibit opening at the Birmingham Museum of Art shows the marriage of African spirituality and Western traditions. The exhibit is called Haitian Flags and consists of ceremonial tapestries used by people of the Vodou faith. Vodou is still practiced on Haiti today. WBHM’s Esther Ciammachilli spoke to curator Emily Hanna at the museum to learn more.
Birmingham-Southern Professor Michael Flowers Named 2015 Professor of the Year
For more than three decades, Michael Flowers has been teaching acting at Birmingham-Southern College. Flowers was recently named 2015 Alabama Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation.
Birmingham LGBTQ Community Leader Honored by White House
Steven Romeo is founder of the Change Project here in Birmingham. It highlights the lives of LGBTQ people in Alabama and other areas of the South. Recently, Romeo received the White House “Champions of Change” recognition, given to just a handful of LGBT community leaders in the U.S. He stopped by to talk to WBHM […]
Arc Stories: November 2015 Edition
Stories about people trying to navigate through major dilemmas. A young man tires to discover a family secret; a girl comes to grips with the loss of her mom; and a woman finds herself completely exposed outside of a stranger’s house. (Originally aired November 19, 2015 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.)
The Eclectic Sounds of Birmingham’s Holly Waxwing
Montevallo native Garrett Crosby produces music under the name Holly Waxwing. The currently Birmingham-based electronic artist creates playful menageries of sound from disparate places and samples everything from top 40 and Mariah Carey to Episcopalian psychedelic folk. His EP Peach Winks was released earlier this year. WBHM's Em Wiginton spoke to him about how he creates his music. Holly Waxwing performs this Saturday at the Desert Island Supply Co. in Birmingham.
Controversial ISIS Coloring Book Reaches Vestavia Home
Really Big Coloring Books, which credits itself with starting the adult coloring book craze, has come out with a new and controversial one titled “ISIS: A Culture of Evil.” The company sent thousands unsolicited around the country, and one ended up in a Muslim household in Vestavia Hills. Henna Budhwani had just gotten home from work […]
Winston Groom — The Generals
George Patton, Douglas MacArthur, and George Marshall have become almost mythical figures after fighting in the U.S. Army during World War II. They’re also the subjects of Alabama author Winston Groom’s new book called The Generals. Marshall served as chief of staff of the army. McArthur commanded troops in the South Pacific. Patton fought in North Africa and Europe. WBHM’s Andrew Yeager spoke with Groom about the book.
Musician Chris Thile on Playing Birmingham, Replacing Garrison Keillor
Virtuoso mandolin player Chris Thile performs in Birmingham Monday at UAB's Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center. He spoke with WBHM's Rachel Osier Lindley about his varied musical career, why he loves performing in Birmingham and how he feels about his next job: replacing Garrison Keillor as the host of A Prairie Home Companion.
WBHM Partners with StoryCorps OutLoud
Public Radio WBHM 90.3 FM is partnering with StoryCorps to broadcast selections from its StoryCorps OutLoud initiative recorded in Birmingham. StoryCorps OutLoud is a multi-year project dedicated to preserving the often unheard voices of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people. WBHM will share these stories on air and online Tuesdays and Fridays throughout November, 2015. […]
Jerri Hardesty: Changing Lives Through Poetry
Emotion often fuels poetry. Sometimes though that emotion is so personal it’s like being let into a secret space. That’s the way it is with poems we’ll hear from Jerri Hardesty. She’s president of the Alabama State Poetry Society. She’s won more than 600 awards and titles for both written and spoken word poetry. Hardesty […]
Arc Stories: October 2015 Edition
Three storytellers find themselves in frightening situations. A camp ghost story that gets out of hand; a man forced to look death in the face; and trying to spy on religious fanatics (Originally aired October 22, 2015 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.)
Why I Support WBHM: Michael Harrington
Michael Harrington’s winning design is featured on the newest edition of WBHM’s pint glass for the Fall 2015 fund drive. For a contribution of just $7.50/month or a one time contribution of $90.00, this pint glass is a wonderful reminder of your support of public radio for Birmingham and North Central Alabama, Here’s two […]
A Trip To The Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention
Limestone County, Alabama has a long and storied old time fiddling tradition. This past weekend, about 15,000 fiddlers and old time music fans gathered for the 49th annual Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention in Athens. RV’s from around the country loaded with fiddles, guitars, and banjos filled the campus of Athens State University. The convention and competition bring together musicians of all ages.
Arc Stories: September 2015 Edition
Stories include a man trying to do the right things when society is telling him otherwise; one man’s conflict within his own making; a young girl impersonating someone of a different race and gender; and a father trying to keep up appearances in front of his daughter. (Originally aired September 24, 2015 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.)
Journalist Pamela Newkirk on the Astonishing Life of Ota Benga
The 1904 Saint Louis World's fair is best known to Birminghamians as the place where Vulcan debuted, before moving to his permanent home on Red Mountain. But it was also host to an exhibit displaying thousands of humans from around the world. Among them was a young Congolese man named Ota Benga. He was captured by former missionary Samuel Phillips Verne and brought to America for the exhibit. Benga's story is the subject of the new book Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga by journalist Pamela Newkirk. She told WBHM’s Rachel Lindley about Ota Benga’s life, and the cultural mindset that led to his captivity.
Season Opener! Carlos Izcaray Leads the Alabama Symphony Orchestra
This weekend, newly appointed Music Director Carlos Izcaray conducts the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in a program featuring both modern and romantic works. Izcaray (pronounced “eez-ca-RYE”) spoke with WBHM’s Michael Krall about the program, his management style, and about how audiences might approach a modern, contemporary work. The conversation began with Izcaray talking about why he moved his […]
After Almost 100 Years, Birmingham’s Olmsted Park Plan Sees New Life
With the success of Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham, the city’s seen increased support for more public green spaces. As the city develops new parks and trails for Birmingham residents, leaders are taking lessons from the city’s history, including seeking advice from a park plan published almost a century ago.
A New Leader for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Tuesday Birmingham will mark the 52 anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing which killed 4 girls and helped galvanize support for passage of the Civil Rights Act. For staff at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, they’ll note this anniversary under new leadership. Andrea Taylor began as the new president and CEO of the institute last week.
Exhibit Showcasing Art By Veterans Opens Friday
Returning soldiers often suffer from the lingering psychological trauma of war. Studies show one way to help veterans cope is through making art. This Friday, the visual arts organization Space One Eleven debuts Reflections of Generosity, a veteran-focused art exhibition that expresses the complicated feelings of life after war.
Remembering Max Cooper: Broadway Producer and Fast Food Tycoon
Max Cooper, a Broadway producer and Alabama’s largest McDonald’s franchisee, died Sunday at his Birmingham home. He was just shy of 100-years-old. Max Cooper was many things; fast food tycoon, sports impresario, advertising guy, entrepreneur and someone with a lifelong desire to be in show business. Greg Bass spoke with Cooper for WBHM in December of 2010.
“To Me, It Was A Good Thing” Feizal Valli Remembers How Hurricane Katrina Brought Him To Birmingham
Feizal Valli worked as a bartender in New Orleans for over a decade. When he first moved to the city back in the 90s, New Orleans was known as the murder capital of the country. When Hurricane Katrina hit, Valli was living on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. He talked to WBHM's Ashley Cleek about his life before and after the storm.
Arc Stories: August 2015 Edition
Stories that will make you laugh, make you cry, and perhaps both at the same time — hear what it was like growing up in the Civil Rights era; a woman risks her own dignity to get a chance at love; a guy raging against his own social awkwardness, and becoming a father to three […]
Vulcans on Parade, Unveiled
If you drive by Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham, you might notice two eight foot replicas of Vulcan, the city’s famous Roman god of fire and forge. They’re a part of a new civic art project called “Vulcans on Parade.” WBHM’s Gina Yu was at the unveiling yesterday morning.
Selma Civil Rights Leader Remembers Amelia Boynton Robinson
Amelia Boynton Robinson, a civil rights activist who helped lead the 1965 "Bloody Sunday" civil rights march in Selma, died Wednesday. She was 104. Boynton Robinson began her activist career in the 1930 championing voting and property rights for blacks in rural Alabama. In the 1960s, her Selma home became the headquarters for the civil rights movement there. And in 1964, she became the first black woman to run for Congress in Alabama. Longtime Selma civil rights leader Rev. F.D. Reese spoke to WBHM’s Andrew Yeager about his memories of Amelia Boynton Robinson.
Civil Rights Activist Amelia Boynton Robinson Dies At 104
Amelia Boynton Robinson, a civil rights activist who nearly died while helping lead the 1965 Selma march on "Bloody Sunday," championed voting rights for blacks and was the first black woman to run for Congress in Alabama, has died. She was 104.
Jennifer Hatchett of YouthServe Talks Youth Empowerment and Radio
Jennifer Hatchett is the Executive Director of Youthserve, a group that empowers youth leadership through community service. The students worked with WBHM this summer to produce their own radio stories. She talked with WBHM's Gina Yu about the program.
Birmingham Native And Curator John Fields Recalls His Hurricane Katrina Experience
It has been 10 years since Hurricane Katrina, and John Fields, curator at the Abroms-Engel Institute of Visual Arts and Birmingham native, lived in New Orleans when the disaster hit. In honor of the tenth anniversary of Katrina, he talked to WBHM's Gina Yu about his experience and the way it changed his life and art.
A Window On Other Arenas: Sports, Race, And More With UAB Sociologist Adrienne Milner
You don’t have to be a scholar to know that African-Americans are heavily represented in contact sports like football and basketball, but underrepresented in “lifetime sports” like tennis or golf. Some casual observers have come up with relatively simple explanations for that phenomenon. But a University of Alabama at Birmingham sociologist and author who studies […]
Celebrating Andrew Glaze, Alabama’s Poet Laureate, And His New Book
Novelist, playwright and poet Andrew Glaze is Alabama’s poet laureate. He’s been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and praised by numerous literary magazines and personalities, like poet Robert Frost. Last month, he was inducted into the Alabama Writers' Hall of Fame. His latest collection of poetry, “Overheard in a Drug Store” was just published…. WBHM’s Rachel Lindley sat down with Glaze for a look at his career.
‘Watchman’ Publication Revives An Old-Fashioned, Boozy Alabama Dessert
The deep south has seen a resurgence of interest in southern culture since author Harper Lee published her newest novel, “Go Set a Watchman.” The author previously wrote beloved classic “To Kill a Mockingbird,” so it’s no wonder her new book set off sparks of conversation about southern identity. Within that, however, there’s been speculation […]
Arc Stories: July 2015 Edition
Stories about how our families shape us, change us, and even surprise us — a man who joins his father to defend their home against an intruder; a young woman defends her sister and goes to unique lengths to avenge her; one man discovers his father was not who he thought he was, and one man’s entire […]
