Kristen Meinzer

2010 is coming to an end, but a whole new year of news and culture awaits in 2011. All week long, we're talking with big thinkers about what they’re anticipating…from new movies to world events. Today, we're anticipating some of the books we know will be coming out in 2011. 

We’re joined by Patrik Henry Bass, senior editor for Essence magazine and frequent books contributor to The Takeaway. We also speak with Karen Holt, former deputy editor of Publishers Weekly, and contributor of book reviews to O: The Oprah Magazine and Essence. Both Bass and Holt offer their book recommendations.

All week long we're talking with some of our favorite guests from the past year about the year that was, and what they foresee in the year ahead. Today we're having a conversation with our friend Kristen Rouse. Rouse is a first lieutenant in the Army National Guard, and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. She returned from her most recent deployment two weeks ago.

2010 may be coming to an end, but a whole new year of news and culture awaits in 2011. All week long, we'll be talking with big thinkers about what they’re anticipating …from new movies to world events. Today, our subject is science, and our guest is the one and only Dr. Michio Kaku, theoretical physicist, bestselling author, professor at the City University of New York, and host of “Science of the Impossible.”

All week long we're talking with some of our favorite guests from the past year about the year that was, and what they foresee in the year ahead.

Today: a conversation about the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry…the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which leaked over 205 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf this past spring and summer. The leaking oilhead was capped in July: how are people in Gulf states doing today?

As 2010 draws to a close, we look forward to another year of music in 2011. We speak with Caryn Ganz, editor of the Yahoo music blog "The Amplifier," about what she's expecting from Lady Gaga and Kanye West, along with perennial favorites P. J. Harvey and R.E.M.

All week long we're talking with some of our favorite guests from the past year about the year that was, and what they foresee in the year ahead. Today, we discuss the economy. According to some financial reporters and analysts, the economy is on a slow, gradual upswing. But is this upswing something non-analysts are feeling?

Sofia Coppola, director of "Lost in Translation," "The Virgin Suicides" and "Marie Antionette," has a new film in theaters called "Somewhere." The film centers on a movie star named Johnny Marco (played by Stephen Dorff) who lives a wild, juvenile, nomadic life, often in hotels. His life is upended upon the arrival of his young daughter Cleo (played by Elle Fanning), who has spent most of her life living with her mother.

This week, Rafer and Kristen talk about two of Christmas weekend’s big openers: “True Grit” and “Little Fockers.” Not surprisingly, they disagree on the merits (and shortcomings) of both films.

It’s Christmas Eve morning in America, but on the other side of the world, in South Korea, the sun has already set on Christmas Eve, and "Santa Grandfather" — as he’s called in Korea — will be arriving soon with his deliveries.

A national holiday in South Korea, Christmas is traditionally a festive time for both children and grown-ups. But faced with the reality of growing North Korean aggression, we can’t help but wonder: is it Christmas as usual this year in South Korea? And how are Korean Americans coping?

Christmas is one of the busiest days of the year for the movie industry. If you're still undecided about which movie to see, resident movie buffs Rafer Guzman and Kristen Meinzer size up "True Grit," "Little Fockers" and "The King's Speech."

It’s the week before Christmas, and as usual, we’re celebrating with our annual “Remixing the Holidays” series. All week long, we’re talking with musicians, music lovers, writers, and you, our listeners, about the best songs of the season.

Our series wraps with nine-time Grammy winner Natalie Cole, who talks with us about her new Christmas special with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (taped last year, and airing tonight on PBS stations), her father's famous Christmas songs, family memories, and of course, her favorite seasonal music.

In her new book, "The Man Who Invented the Computer," Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Jane Smiley introduces us to John Vincent Atanasoff, a physicist and mathematician who, in 1937, invented much of what we know as the modern-day computer. His creation became known as the Atanasoff-Berry Computer, also known as ABC: an invention largely overshadowed by other technological and engineering advancements. 

It’s the week before Christmas, and as usual, we’re celebrating with our annual “Remixing the Holidays” series. All week long, we’re talking with musicians, music lovers, writers, and you, our listeners, about the best songs of the season.

We’re joined by Carlos Lando, DJ and program director for Takeaway affiliate station Jazz89 KUVO in Denver. Carlos shares some of his favorite jazzy Christmas tunes.

 It’s the most wonderful time of the year…for Christians, anyway. But what are you supposed to do at Christmas if you’re an atheist? We talk with singer Robbie Fulks, who penned what might be country music’s first atheist-ballad: "God Isn't Real." Robbie is also a contributor to the new anthology, "The Atheist's Guide to Christmas."

It’s the week before Christmas, and as usual, we’re celebrating with our annual Remixing the Holidays series. All week long, we’re talking with musicians, music lovers, writers, and you about the best songs of the season. Today we’re joined by best-selling memoirist Augusten Burroughs. Famous for documenting the absurdity, tragedy, and humor of family dysfunction, his books include “Running with Scissors,” “A Wolf at the Table” and a book of Christmas memories called “You Better Not Cry.”

The historic slave trade from Africa to the Americas was so widespread and so horrific as to remain difficult to entirely grasp. A new book, “Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade," aims to turn historic data from the period into a more coherent view, through maps and data. The book uncovers information that may soon have us all reconsidering not only America's history, but many of our own personal stories. 

It’s the week before Christmas, and as usual, we’re celebrating with our annual “Remixing the Holidays” series. All week long, we’re talking with musicians, music lovers, writers, and you, our listeners, about the best songs of the season.

It’s the season of giving, when we’re all told that it’s better to give than receive. But if so, why don’t we all give to charities? And what would motivate us to give more? These are questions that Stephanie Brown explores. Brown, an Associate Professor of Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics at Stony Brook University, has developed theories on why people give, and why they don’t.

All this week we're talking with musical artists and experts about their favorite seasonal songs for our annual "Remixing the Holidays" series. First up: Crystal Bowersox. The American Idol runner-up had a whirlwind of a year, from earning national acclaim for her appearance and success on the Fox reality show to her recent release of her new album, "Farmer's Daughter." The 25-year-old singer says she'll be spending her first Christmas with her new family, which includes her husband and son. She talks with us about the music that reminds her of Christmas. 

It’s the week before Christmas, and as usual, we’re celebrating with our annual “Remixing the Holidays” series. All week long, we’ll be talking with musicians, music lovers, writers, and you, our listeners, about the best songs of the season. We kick things off with Jon Solomon. For over twenty years, Jon — who is Jewish, by the way — has been hosting Princeton University's 24-hour Christmas special on WPRB.