March 2005
Shows
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TUESDAY,
MARCH 1ST
THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN-IRANIAN RELATIONS
The United States’ current relationship with Iran is at
a level of tension and hostility that has not been seen perhaps
since the fall of the shah in 1979. Iran has openly declared its
quest for a nuclear weapon, the United States has declared its
intention to seek democracy throughout the world, and in recent
weeks, reports of U.S. spy planes flying over weapons sites in
Iran have caused a further split. What will the next few months
and years bring? Tonight, we will explore what’s happening
in Tehran with AL J. VENTER, a war correspondent and author of
the new book 
Iran's
Nuclear Option: Tehran's Quest For The Atom Bomb, and
STEPHEN KINZER, veteran New York Times correspondent
and author of the recent book 
All
the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East
Terror, and GUITY NASHAT, professor of history at the
University of Illinois-Chicago.
WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 2ND
THE NEVERENDING HEADACHE
A headache seems a small annoyance, a twinge of pain that slows
you down for a day. But for sufferers of migraines and chronic
headaches, it can almost ruin their life. Tonight after the 7:00
Northwestern basketball game, Extension 720 explores the world
of headaches and the quest for a cure with a panel of experts,
including DR. LAWRENCE ROBBINS, head of the Robbins Headache Clinic
in Northbrook, and PAULA KAMEN, author of the new book 
All
in My Head: An Epic Quest to Cure an Unrelenting, Totally Unreasonable,
and Only Slightly Enlightening Headache.
THURSDAY,
MARCH 3RD
THE CHICAGO SCANDALS
Tonight, Extension 720 takes a look at the plethora of scandals
that have recently plagued the City of Chicago. JAY STEWART, president
of the Better Government Association, DICK KAY of NBC5 and TIM
NOVAK of the Chicago Sun-Times will analyze the hired
truck program, the restaurant at Millennium Park, and all the
scandals in between.
FRIDAY,
MARCH 4TH
CLASSIC RADIO PLAYS
Once again, Extension 720 welcomes members of the AFTRA/SAG Senior
Radio Players, who will delight us once again with their performances
of some classic radio plays, including The Goon Show,
the classic 1955 BBC farce, and The Sheriff’s Assistant,
a Western drama from 1947. Our guests will be ART KESSUL, DON
STROUP, B.F. HELMAN and ROS ALEXANDER, with CONNIE FOSTER and
DARWIN APEL, providing extra voices.
MONDAY,
MARCH 7TH
THE NEWS IN REVIEW
What is the status of President Bush’s proposed plan to
completely overhaul Social Security? How will the United States
and its allies deal with the growing nuclear threat from Iran
and North Korea? What is the next phase in the democratization
of Iraq after the elections, and how successful will it be? Tonight,
Extension 720 once again gathers a panel of experts in foreign
affairs and domestic policy to discuss and dissect these questions
and more. Our guests include CHARLES LIPSON, professor of political
science at the University of Chicago, and KERRY LUFT, foreign
editor at the Chicago Tribune, and DICK FRIEDMAN, president
of the National Strategy Forum.
TUESDAY,
MARCH 8TH
THE FUTURE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Within the past few weeks, the health of Pope John Paul II has
been in decline, and the looming papal replacement raises key
questions of the future of the Catholic Church in the United States
and the world. Recently, the sexual abuse scandals and declining
attendance have forced closings of Catholic churches and schools
here in the United States, while the Church throughout the world—particularly
in Africa—flourishes. What challenges and promises are ahead
for the Church? We will discuss all this and more tonight on the
program with a panel of experts: PAUL GRIFFITHS, professor of
Catholic Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago, FATHER
JOSEPH M. JACKSON, pastor at St. Ignatius Church in Chicago, and
DENNIS MARTIN, professor of theology at Loyola University Chicago.
WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 9TH
A VISIT TO THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY
Tonight, we take a trip down Lake Shore Drive to visit one of
Chicago’s greatest cultural and architectural landmarks:
the Museum of Science and Industry. Housed in one of the last
remaining structures from the Columbian Exposition, the Museum
is dedicated to inspiring scientific inquiry and creativity. On
hand tonight to discuss the museum’s history and its current
exhibits—including Body Worlds—are DAVID MOSENA, President
and CEO, JEAN FRANCZYK, Vice President of Education and Guest
Services, and DAVID WOODY, director of exhibit design and development.
THURSDAY,
MARCH 10TH
THE ORIENTALIST AND THE MYTH OF MARILYN
Due to Milt's sore throat, the previously scheduled program
with James B. Stewart has been canceled. In Its stead, we offer
these two very recently recorded tapes. During the first hour,
TOM REISS, a frequent contributor to The New Yorker,
talks about his book 
The
Orientalist: Solving the Mystery of a Strange and Dangerous Life,
which details the remarkable story of Lev Nussimbaum, a Jew who
transformed himself into a Muslim prince and became a best-selling
author in Nazi Germany. After the 10:00 news, SARAH CHURCHWELL,
a Winnetka native and now professor of English at the University
of East Anglia in the U.K., discusses her fascinating new book
The
Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe, which attempts to sort
through the myths and mysteries of the iconic American movie star.
FRIDAY, MARCH 11TH
THE AMERICAN MUSICAL
Bette Davis once said that the “only reason anyone goes
to Broadway is because they can’t get work in the movies.”
But for decades, the Great White Way has been one of the most
important centers of American culture. From Showboat
and Oklahoma! to Wicked and Avenue Q,
the American musical has slowly evolved into one of the most powerful
and popular forms of entertainment. Tonight, we will explore the
history of Broadway through song with SHELDON PATINKIN, chair
of the theatre department at Columbia College and an expert in
the history of musicals.
MONDAY,
MARCH 14TH
QUARTERLY BOOK REVIEW
In the words of Bertrand Russell, “There are two motives
for reading a book: one, that you can enjoy it, the other that
you can boast about it.” Tonight on the program, we will
be highlighting several titles worth bragging about as part of
our quarterly book review. Our regular panel of ALAN GITELSON,
DAN TUCKER, and PENELOPE MESIC will give their opinions on which
books are worthy of reading and which should be left alone.
TUESDAY,
MARCH 15TH
MARTIAN EXPLORATION
In January 2004, the robotic explorers Spirit and Opportunity
landed on Mars and have, since then, been exploring the Red Planet.
This is not NASA’s first foray onto Mars, nor will it be
the last. Tonight, we will examine our quest to explore the nearest
planet to earth with JUDITH and GARFIELD REEVES-STEVENS, co-authors
of the new book 
Going
to Mars: The Stories of the People Behind NASA's Mars Missions
Past, Present & Future.
WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 16TH
CHICAGO’S RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE
Chicago has long been heralded as one of the greatest architectural
cities in the world. The Sears Tower, the Hancock Building and
the many masterpieces of the Miesian School all grace the downtown
skyline. Chicago’s legacy of residential architecture—often
overshadowed by the more imposing skyscrapers—is no less
impressive. Tonight we examine that great tradition with a panel
of three experts: NEIL HARRIS, professor of history at the University
of Chicago and author of the new book 
Chicago
Apartments: A Century of Lakefront Luxury, and STUART
COHEN and SUSAN BENJAMIN, co-authors of the new book 
North
Shore Chicago: Houses of the Lakefront Suburbs, 1890-1940.
THURSDAY,
MARCH 17TH
THE COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL THOUGHT
Founded in 1941, the Committee on Social Thought has become one
of the most distinguished elements of the University of Chicago.
Rather than focus on one particular discipline, the Committee
is dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of great classic and
modern texts from a variety of fields. Past members have included
Allan Bloom, Saul Bellow, and François Furet, just to name
a select few. Tonight, we welcome three members of the Committee
to discuss their history, philosophy and current scholarly work.
Our guests are NATHAN TARCOV, professor of political science at
the University of Chicago and member of the Committee on Social
Thought since 1990, ROBERT PIPPIN, chairman of the Committee on
Social Thought and professor of philosophy, and DANIELLE ALLEN,
member of the Committee on Social Thought, professor of classical
languages and literatures, and dean of the division of Humanities
at the University of Chicago.
FRIDAY,
MARCH 18TH
OPEN LINE
Extension 720 tonight opens up the phone lines to hear
our listeners' opinions on current events here in Chicago and
around the world. Be sure to call early and let your voice be
heard!
MONDAY,
MARCH 21ST
THE CRAFT OF HISTORY
British Prime Minister Arthur Balfour is purported to
have quipped: "History does not repeate itself. Historians
repeat each other." Tonight, we will examine the veracity
of that statement with three practicing historians who will evaluate
the state of their discipline and discuss the art of historiography.
Our guests will be JAMES CRACRAFT, professor of history at the
University of Illinois Chicago, ETHAN SHAGAN, professor of history
at Northwestern University, and SUZANNE KAUFMAN, professor of
history at Loyola University Chicago.
TUESDAY,
MARCH 22ND
PUBLISHING
Tonight, Extension 720 goes inside three major publishing houses
located here in the midwest to examine the trends in the industry
and to detail the process a work takes from manuscript to published
volume. Our guests include SUE BETZ, editor-in-chief and head
of acquisitions at Northwestern University Press, JOHN TRYNESKI,
one of the editorial directors at the University of Chicago, and
RAPHAEL KADUSHIN, acquisitions editor at the University of Wisconsin
Press.
WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 23RD
MODERN PSYCHIATRY
Sam Bardell once defined a psychiatrist as “a man who asks
you a lot of expensive questions your wife asks you for nothing.”
But despite psychiatry’s place as an easy target for comedians
and satirists, it has nonetheless become one of the most influential
branches of medicine. Tonight, we will examine the state of modern
psychiatry with three practitioners: HERZL SPIRO, professor emeritus
of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, EMIL COCCARO,
chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of
Chicago, and MINA DULCAN, Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
and Chief of Psychiatry at Children's Memorial Hospital and professor
of child psychiatry at Northwestern University's Feinberg School
of Medicine.
THURSDAY,
MARCH 24TH
INSIDE THE IRS
Albert Einstein once said that "the hardest thing
in the world to understand is income tax." Tonight on the
program, we will attempt to uncover the mysteries of the Internal
Revenue Service with its former commissioner, CHARLES ROSSOTTI.
Head of the IRS from 1997 to 2002, Rossotti has just written a
book 
Many
Unhappy Returns: One Man's Quest to Turn Around the Most Unpopular
Organization in America.
FRIDAY,
MARCH 25TH
THE LATEST MEDIA NEWS
Extension 720 is pleased to welcome PHIL ROSENTHAL, former
television critic at the Chicago Sun-Times and newly-announced
media columnist for the Chicago Tribune. He will join
us tonight for a two-hour discussion of his new job, as well as
the latest media news, from television to magazines to newspapers.
MONDAY,
MARCH 28TH
Extension 720 takes a seat on the bench tonight as the Cubs play
an 8:05 spring training game.
TUESDAY,
MARCH 29TH
INSIDE THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Tonight on Extension 720, we take a probing look at the criminal
justice system, starting with an example right here in Chicago.
Journalist STEVE BOGIRA is the author of 
Courtroom
302: A Year Behind the Scenes in an American Criminal Courthouse,
which examines the inner workings of Cook County Criminal Courthouse.
Tonight, Bogira and TOM GERAGHTY, associate dean for clinical
education and head of the Bluhm Legal Clinic at Northwestern University,
will analyze and critique the current state of our criminal courts.
WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 30TH
THE ART OF ENCYCLOPEDIAS
Samuel Johnson once remarked: “Knowledge is of two kinds.
We know a subject ourselves, or we know where to find information
upon it.” When there is something that we don’t know,
there is no better place to seek it out than an encyclopedia.
Tonight we welcome three representatives from the Encyclopedia
Britannica to discuss the growth, organization and maintenance
of knowledge. Our guests will be THEODORE PAPPAS, executive editor,
and TOM PANELAS, director of corporate communications.
THURSDAY,
MARCH 31ST
OPEN LINE
Due to travel difficulties, our program with Robert Laughlin was
canceled. Instead, Milt opens up the phone lines to hear our listeners'
views on the Terri Schiavo case.
Archive
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2002
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2003
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2005
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