Afternoons for Wednesday 5 September 2018

Short Story Club

This Thursday we discuss Monster by Tina Makereti  

And our giveaway book for the writer of the best email is her book The Imaginary Lives of James Poneke    

Jesse@rnz.co.nz

1:10 The Living End's Chris Cheney performs live

The Aussie punk rock band The Living End have been making music since the mid 90's. They had some big hits here and across the Tasman, as well as in the US.

They're about to release a new album and announce a tour and the band's founding member and lead singer, Chris Cheney joins us in our Auckland studio to talk about it and perform the band's latest single.

1:15 15 years on, what became of the hopes and dreams of four Kiwi teenagers?

15 years ago Jessie Casson and her newlywed husband landed in New Zealand as part of their around-the-world honeymoon.

For a personal project, Jessie found four local teenagers, photographed them, and asked them about their hopes, their dreams, and their perceptions of the world around them.

15 years later, she's re-visited all her subjects to catch up - and immortalised the before and after in a new documentary, What Becomes of Me, which will be released on The Wireless today.

Jessie joins us to talk about the film, her subjects, and the idealism of youth versus the reality of growing up.

 

1:25 A train between Hamilton and Auckland?

Early next month the Hamilton City Council will present a case to the Transport Agency for a new commuter train line to be set up between Hamilton and Auckland.

Susan Trodden has been advocating for this for more than six years, and joins us to talk about the benefits - both obvious and unseen - of such a line.

1:35 Doing the WORD festival a little differently

They do things their own way in the mighty Manawatu, and literature festivals are no exception.

The four-day Manawatu Writers' Festival is the only free event of its type in New Zealand - and it's kicking off this Friday.

The festival's organiser, Rachel Doré, joins us to talk about making literature accessible, getting people to DO as well as listen, and which authors she's most looking forward to hearing form.

1:40 Great album -  The Essential Rosemary Clooney

2:20 Bookmarks: Books, art and coffee with Michael Allpress

After witnessing the explosion of the coffee scene in Seattle in the '80s Michael Allpress returned to Auckland and set up the country's first coffee cart. From there he's grown a successful cafe and roastery with outlets around the world. Today he talks about his art Studio, the art of coffee and his favourite music and books.

3:10 How to waste your time

There's all kinds of advice out there about how to manage your time.   Professor Alan Lightman wants you to waste it.  He says we have become slaves to productivity at the price of creativity. He argues that free time and a little solitude is not only good for the soul, it is essential.

He makes the case in his new book, In Praise of Wasting Time.

3:35 Science and environment stories

Stories from Our Changing World.

3:45 The Pre-Panel Story of the Day and One Quick Question

4:05 The Panel with David Slack and Michelle Boag