Editor’s Note: Okay, Points readers– show that analogue crew over at NPR what you’ve got.
Thrilling Sounds of Yesteryear
Always wanted to be on the radio? Here’s your chance! BackStory, a history-focused public radio show, is tackling drugs. They’re looking for input from historians and non-historians alike. Here’s the scoop: BackStory is a weekly, hour-long show hosted by three historians: Brian Balogh and Peter Onuf of the University of Virginia, and Ed Ayers of the University of Richmond. We air on various NPR stations around the country.
Each week, we put together a handful of stories and ideas to illuminate some broad historical topic: body image, say, or US-Cuban relations, or epidemic disease. Points was kind enough to feature our show on alcohol over the summer. And now we’re tackling a show on drugs, so we turn to you all again.
Specifically, we’re looking for folks to call in to the show for a little conversation with our hosts. Some of our favorite callers have brought up personal stories or anecdotes from the present day; the discussion with our hosts helps historicize what’s going on now. But if you just have a burning question about the history of drugs, or an idea you want to bounce off three historians, that’s great too. It’ll only take about ten minutes, and should be fun, low-key, and illuminating — and you get to be on the radio! We’re not a live show, so calls will be recorded ahead of time. The show will be released Jan 11th.
We’re looking to record calls right after New Year’s, so if you’re interested, let us know asap. Drop us an email at backstory [at] virginia [dot] edu, or leave a note on our webpage. We’ll get in touch with you to tell you a little more about how this works. Thanks! Jess, Associate Producer