This was produced as part of a larger self portrait project.

I listened to Michael Bernstein’s story “Sit With Me” over and over at Salt and obsessed over the intimacy he created. “Sit With Me” builds towards this truly moving conversation between a young boy and his Dad who suffers from debilitating depression. The moment is so powerful… you can practically hear their hearts crack open.

Bound and determined to create a moment like this, I gave Marissa, the subject of my Salt story, an audio kit and encouraged her to interview her brother Andrew who has asperger’s syndrome. I gave her questions and prompted her to write her own. I was convinced that story of my subjects could squish into the structure of Michael’s wonderful piece, but… turns out I was trying to shove a square peg into a round hole.

Ultimately I learned how two stories about seemingly similar things: health, family, love etc. couldn’t be told, try as I might, in the same way. And of course, that you just can’t force or create that magical tape.

Independent producer, Josh Gleason is hosting a good old fashioned listening room at UnionDocs on March 15th where you can hear both of our pieces and several other excellent Salt works. I’m psyched to meet Michael for the first time and we’ll both be around after for a QandA.

To get directions and read about the other pieces that will air go to www.uniondocs.org or
click here.

Social scientist Paul Eastwick insists its normal to be wildly, sickeningly, embarrassingly nervous in those first few weeks of a romance. BLECH.

Produced for New Hampshire Public Radio’s Word of Mouth.

This was just such a fun segment to produce. The content was great but mostly it’s just clear these guys had a blast.

Stacy, Erik and Brandon were on the show to talk about their class Biology blog that’s getting a lot of attention. They, of course, blogged about their visit and posted some great photos.

The segment was linked on NPR’s Science Friday Twitter Feed

Read more here: www.missbakersbiologyclass.com/blog

Word of Mouth reports daily on new ideas and trends in popular culture, and the intersections of science, technology and the arts. Believe it or not, Facebook connected me to Avishay when they were looking for an extra hand to book guests for their LIVE segments on NHPR.

It’s been a fun challenge to dig up content for this show that is always one step ahead of the curve.

A few segments I had my hand in:

I love this story: Stacy Baker uses blogging, Twitter and YouTube to get kids psyched about science.

Claire Strader is America’s pick to be the White House Farmer… a position that doesn’t exist. Yet.

Social scientist Paul Eastwick insists its normal to be wildly, sickeningly, embarrassingly nervous in those first few weeks of a romance.

Script and Scribble: what happens to penmanship in the age of twitter and text?

Vasilios Gatzonis slices baby lamb bones in his Greektown butcher shop and worries about Obama’s ability to follow through on his promises. 

Also, here’s an outtake that I really struggled with. Wanted to include it, but ultimately felt it didn’t fit. hmm. Still not totally sure.

Tara Parker-Pope of the The New York Times WELL blog also linked the story.

GM’s Moraine Ohio Assembly plant closes for good December 23rd, 2008. The 1,100 workers not previously laid off or bought out will be unemployed in a dead Ohio economy. I was thrilled to work so closely with the filmmakers documenting this important story – friends and mentors Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar.