Essays on the Radio
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Recovering the Hope of Children
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While serving with the Air Force in Afghanistan, TJ Turner saw a country scarred by years of conflict. Yet in the faces of Afghan children, he saw a glimmer of optimism. Turner believes nurturing their hope can help bring an end to terrorism. | ||
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As a young teacher fresh from graduate school, Geoffrey Canada saw how even the most troubled children could learn—it just took finding the right approach. Today, Canada believes dedication and innovative teaching techniques can help any child succeed. | ||
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As a young, ego-driven lawyer, Randy Komisar ran a number of technology companies. He was successful—but increasingly unhappy. Then Komisar studied Eastern philosophy and discovered how to use his heart and mind to help other entrepreneurs succeed. | ||
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In his decades as a public defender, Peter Keane represented murderers and other criminals as skillfully as he could – even when he knew they were guilty. Keane believes everyone, no matter what they’ve done, deserves to have somebody on their side. | ||
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After 18 years, Toya Smith Marshall stopped straightening her hair and let it revert to its natural kinkiness. By no longer fighting her hair, Marshall believes she found the freedom to be herself and live by her own definition of beauty. | ||
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When archaeologist Michael Newland's first child died after being born prematurely, he felt he might drown in the emotions of his loss. Now Newland believes fully embracing his grief helped make him a better husband and better father to his new baby girl. | ||
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When a stray cat came into the yard at a Michigan prison, Troy Chapman and his fellow inmates discovered they enjoyed caring for the cat. The experience helped Chapman realize how much he missed kindness—receiving it as well as giving it. | ||
I Am Capable of More Than I Think I Am
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When prenatal tests revealed his soon-to-be-born daughter would have Down Syndrome, English professor Gregg Rogers feared he wouldn't be able to handle the responsibility. Now Rogers realizes that what he once feared has become his salvation. | ||
Accomplishing Big Things in Small Pieces
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Growing up with dyslexia, William Wissemann learned how to break down words and sentences into smaller parts so he could understand them. As he got older, Wissemann found this skill useful for solving everything from Rubik's Cubes to life's tricky puzzles. | ||
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When audiologist Stephanie Disney adopted a multi-racial daughter, she began to hear questions like, “What is she?” In explaining her relationship to her daughter, Disney came to understand that family is defined by love, not by birth or genetics. | ||
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In the depths of depression, writer Kij Johnson considered suicide by jumping off a bridge. But then she took up rock climbing and discovered the sport could help her embrace the risks and joys of life. | ||
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What’s in a name? For writer and teacher Sufiya Abdur-Rahman it’s key to her identity as the proud daughter of Muslim parents. Like the 1960s movement, Abdur-Rahman believes black is beautiful and not a condition she should have to rise above. | ||
Some Things to Know about Your Mother
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Ever since her mother died when Anne Donahue was a child, Anne has longed to know more about her. What music did she enjoy? What made her laugh? Now a mother herself, Donahue shares a few things she believes her daughter should know about her. | ||
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When he was a child, Howard White’s mother taught him the importance of greeting people. Now an executive at Nike, White believes everyone he meets deserves to have their presence and their humanity acknowledged. For him that begins with “hello.” | ||
Finding Equality Through Logic
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As a misfit half-Mexican teen growing up in southeast Los Angeles, Yvette Doss had a lot of questions. To find answers, she turned to the work of great philosophers -- and came to believe that we are all qualified to ponder life's mysteries. | ||
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