Obviously this award-winning piece doesn't need my recommendation. But I encourage everyone to give it a listen. The reporting is phenomenal, the use of music sparse but effective. Parents, kids, officers, officials, everyone has their say in this moving account of mentally ill kids in prison. I would say that this is about as powerful as radio can be.
My only wish with this piece was that there would be some specific legislative or political solution advocated at the end. But I probably just say that because the material itself is so sad, one wants some kind of answer to hold onto.
This is a great example of a piece that takes a funny story concept - an Elvis impersonator who is also a police officer - and takes it deeper to teach you something. You'd be surprised at the connections between being Elvis and being a police officer. "It's all about the uniform," as Chuck would say. (And it's not just the cop who wants to be Elvis - the real Elvis actually wanted to be a cop - one of Elvis's 'proudest days' was getting the DEA badge from Nixon).
The piece is sound rich, with concert footage mixed with cop car footage. The transformation of Chuck's Maine accent to his Elvis accent is magical. And the story ends with one of the later stage Elvis hits (from the 'jumpsuit' years) - "Suspicious Minds." Hearing chuck croon along with elvis with a cop car in the background was enough to turn this Elvis novice into an Elvis fan.
A sure bottom-of-the-hour crowd pleaser for any type of show.
why is it that the evil things we do as kids (when we're supposed to be learning the ropes of the whole morality thing) cut us so deeply as adults? This piece revisits a real moment in the author's life, in a first grade classroom, valentines day, 1955, and the aftermath of that brutal ceremony known as trading valentine cards. The writing is dramatic, the read very close-to-the-mic, which fits the intimate, confessional tone. This is an honest, engaging piece that does a lot in 2 minutes. I would love to hear stations play this kind of edgy, memorable material around valentines day.
Comments by Gregory Warner
Comment for "The Prison Cure"
Gregory Warner
Posted on February 23, 2004 at 09:22 PM | Permalink
Review of The Prison Cure
Obviously this award-winning piece doesn't need my recommendation. But I encourage everyone to give it a listen. The reporting is phenomenal, the use of music sparse but effective. Parents, kids, officers, officials, everyone has their say in this moving account of mentally ill kids in prison. I would say that this is about as powerful as radio can be.
My only wish with this piece was that there would be some specific legislative or political solution advocated at the end. But I probably just say that because the material itself is so sad, one wants some kind of answer to hold onto.
Comment for "Elviscop"
Gregory Warner
Posted on February 23, 2004 at 07:04 AM | Permalink
Elvis is a police officer in Kittery, Maine
This is a great example of a piece that takes a funny story concept - an Elvis impersonator who is also a police officer - and takes it deeper to teach you something. You'd be surprised at the connections between being Elvis and being a police officer. "It's all about the uniform," as Chuck would say. (And it's not just the cop who wants to be Elvis - the real Elvis actually wanted to be a cop - one of Elvis's 'proudest days' was getting the DEA badge from Nixon).
The piece is sound rich, with concert footage mixed with cop car footage. The transformation of Chuck's Maine accent to his Elvis accent is magical. And the story ends with one of the later stage Elvis hits (from the 'jumpsuit' years) - "Suspicious Minds." Hearing chuck croon along with elvis with a cop car in the background was enough to turn this Elvis novice into an Elvis fan.
A sure bottom-of-the-hour crowd pleaser for any type of show.
Comment for "The Valentine 1955"
Gregory Warner
Posted on February 19, 2004 at 11:06 AM | Permalink
your first moral failure, revisited
why is it that the evil things we do as kids (when we're supposed to be learning the ropes of the whole morality thing) cut us so deeply as adults? This piece revisits a real moment in the author's life, in a first grade classroom, valentines day, 1955, and the aftermath of that brutal ceremony known as trading valentine cards. The writing is dramatic, the read very close-to-the-mic, which fits the intimate, confessional tone. This is an honest, engaging piece that does a lot in 2 minutes. I would love to hear stations play this kind of edgy, memorable material around valentines day.