by David Isay
First published 2001
Award-winning producer David Isay brings together radio documentaries that aired on National Public Radio, showcasing Americans from diverse backgrounds and regions. The collection features stories of individuals like an immigrant Chinese restaurant owner working in New York City and an African-American waitress who participated in Southern lunch counter integration. Listeners encounter a pawnshop owner who also runs a wedding chapel and a retired couple who became radio disk jockeys. Each documentary reveals different corners of American culture rarely highlighted in mainstream media. The stories showcase various regional and ethnic varieties of English spoken across the country. Originally created for non-native English speakers, the collection includes complete transcripts and analytical exercises that prompt both spoken and written responses. Students can examine language patterns while exploring these cultural narratives. The book comes with a CD containing the original broadcasts.
Genres: anthologies, american, biography-memoir, journalism, ethnicity, cultural, americana, cultural-studies
Vibes: cultural, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: cultural-exploration, found-family
Setting: New York City, Southern United States
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
176 pages · Paperback · Yale University Press