1776

David McCullough, who might be considered the historian laureate of America, is a compelling storyteller and speaker. A lecture he gave about John Adams in Amsterdam last year inspired me to expand an idea for a half-hour program into a three-part series, for which I was grateful to have him take part. He believes history is as exciting as any novel and his books are written with that in mind which is why they're so popular. But as I keep learning over and over again, it's no easy task to make history come alive on the radio. In fact, I'm asking myself at this very moment why I keep attempting it at all. At the end of this program, he advises a young biographer, "Just say what happened - you don't have to trick it up." But I'm not sure that holds true for radio. Hearing McCullough speak in person is a great joy, but listening to a recorded lecture loses something in "translation" from live event to radio program. It's still full of interesting information, about both major players like Washington as well as little-known figures who played important roles in American history. The humorous anecdotes still bring a smile and, in the end, I'm certainly sold on adding his book to my long list of summer reading. And I honestly believe that radio can sustain a broad spectrum of styles and formats - so why not an engaging lecture by a great speaker about an important topic? Forgive me if this is perhaps less a critique than a contemplation, but these are questions I've been asking myself alot lately. Like McCullough, I believe history can be a lot more exciting than I ever thought it was in school. And it seems to have grown in popularity in recent years - in literature, film and tv. So why not radio? But how? Hmmmmmmm... At any rate, there couldn't be a better time for this piece than 4th of July weekend, notwithstanding the lack of fireworks.