Conversations from the Pointed Firs 7/2/21: An interview with Rob McCall, minister, musician & creator of Awanadjo Almanack

Host: Peter Neill
Producer: Trisha Badger

The guest this month is Rob McCall, minister and musician and creator of the Awanadjo Almanack heard here on WERU and circulated across Maine in various publications and through his most recent book, Some Glad Morning, Holding Hope in Apocalyptic Times. Rob and Peter will be discussing the tradition of Nature writing in Maine, the characteristics of the genre, and the various methodologies and principles that underlie this special means by which to evoke and understand the natural world that surrounds us.

About the host:
Peter Neill is founder and director of the World Ocean Observatory, a web-based place of exchange for information and educational services about the health of the ocean. In 1972, he founded Leete’s Island Books, a small publishing house specializing in literary reprints, the essay, photography, the environment, and profiles of indigenous healers and practitioners of complimentary medicine around the world. He holds a profound interest in Maine, its history, its people, its culture, and its contribution to community and quality of life.

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Awanadjo Almanack 7/2/21: “Summer Camp”

Producer/Host: Rob McCall
Production Assistance: Rebecca McCall

About the host, Rob McCall:

Born in the Black Hills of South Dakota, grew up in Oregon and Illinois. Father was a Scots-Irish preacher, mother a Yankee Congregationalist tracing her ancestry back to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Father taught him about Scripture, mother taught him about Nature.

Bachelor of arts in philosophy, bachelor of divinity in American religious history, graduate studies in education, doctor of ministry in congregational studies, certified in elementary education, tree fruits and entomology.

Worked as an elementary school teacher, tree and landscape contractor, church sexton, orchard manager, chimney sweep, ambulance driver, musician. Began second career as a preacher at age 40. Served as minister of the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill, Maine 1986 – 2014. He is currently chaplain of the Brooklin Fire Department.

Since 1992 has published the weekly Awanadjo Almanack which is broadcast to midcoast Maine and on the web at WERU-FM and appears in a number of publications. His writing has also appeared in Yankee, Down East, Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors, Island Journal and elsewhere.

His first book, Small Misty Mountain, was published in 2006 by Pushcart Press and distributed by W.W. Norton. Publisher’s Weekly called it “by turns inspiring and infuriating.” His second book, Great Speckled Bird, followed in 2012. His third book, Some Glad Morning, was released in October 2020.

Passions include wild plants and animals, and traditional fiddle tunes. Married for 53 years to Rebecca Haley, artist and singer. Father of two, grandfather of two.

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Change Agents 7/1/21: Discussion about immigration with two people who came to the USA seeking asylum

Producer/Host: Steve Wessler

Discussion about immigration with two people who came to the USA seeking asylum who work on social justice and human rights in Lewiston, ME.
Mohamed Ali Ibrahim was born in Djibouti. Djibouti is on the horn of Africa. He worked as a translator for the USA military in Qatar, in the Middle East. Later he worked in the Djibouti embassy in Qatar. He came to the United States to seek asylum because it was not safe for him return to Djibouti because he opposed the policies of the leader of the country.

Mohamed has worked in Lewiston for the Maine Peoples Alliance on a number of issues, some of which focused on helping immigrants. He played an instrumental role in the “Community Conversations Project” which brought immigrants and long time American into facilitated conversations.

Bright Lukusa was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her mother, herself and her brother left the DRC because of ethnic violence and moved to South Africa. They then left South Africa because of similar ethnic violence and came to the USA seeking asylum. She lives and works in Lewiston.

Bright worked for the Immigrant Resource Center of Maine for several years Bright worked for the Immigrant Resource Center of Maine for several years. She currently works with at Prosperity Maine, a non-profit organization that provides economic and financial literacy for immigrants.

Bright also had a critical role in the Community Conversations Project.

Bright and Mohamed discussed both the positive reactions from white people in Lewiston
toward immigrants and also the negative reactions. They also discussed why they work on social justice issues.

About the host:
Steve Wessler will soon will be starting his 28th year of working on human right issues. He founded the Civil Rights Unit in the Maine Attorney’s Office in 1992 and led the Unit for 7 years. In 1999 he left the formal practice of law and founded the Center for the Prevention of Hate. The Center worked in Maine and across the USA. He and his colleagues worked to reduce bias and harassment in schools, in communities, in health care organization through workshops and conflict resolution. The Center closed in 2011 and Steve began a consulting on human rights issues. For the next 5 years much of his work was in Europe, developing and implementing training curricular for police, working in communities to reduce the risk of hate crimes, conflict resolution between police and youth. He has worked in over 20 countries. In late 2016 he began to work more in Maine, with a focus on reducing anti-immigrant bias. He continues to work in schools to reduce bias and harassment. Wessler teaches courses on human rights issues at the College of the Atlantic, the University of Maine at Augusta and at the School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University in northern Virginia.

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Essential Rhythm 7/1/21: I found a snail: It’s a dog whelk

Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley

This episode describes dog whelks, a species of carnivorous snail common in the Gulf of Maine intertidal. Topics include their feeding strategies, including using a proboscis and an accessory boring organ, and their reproductive strategy.

About the host:
Sarah O’Malley is an ecologist, naturalist and science communicator passionate about deepening her listeners’ experiences with the natural world. She teaches biology and sustainability at Maine Maritime Academy and is currently collaborating on a guide book to the intertidal zone in the Gulf of Maine.

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Notes from the Electronic Cottage 7/1/21: DNA Today 2

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Much of our quite amazing current technology is wonderfully positive – until is isn’t – and that includes personal DNA analysis technology. Sure it’s fun and seems harmless to spit in a tube and then be able to wow family and friends with tales of the old countries our ancestors supposedly came from. And it would be if that were the end of the story but even the Department of Defense isn’t so sure it is. Here’s why.

About the host:
Jim Campbell has a longstanding interest in the intersection of digital technology, law, and public policy and how they affect our daily lives in our increasingly digital world. He has banged around non-commercial radio for decades and, in the little known facts department (that should probably stay that way), he was one of the readers voicing Richard Nixon’s words when NPR broadcast the entire transcript of the Watergate tapes. Like several other current WERU volunteers, he was at the station’s sign-on party on May 1, 1988 and has been a volunteer ever since doing an early stint as a Morning Maine host, and later producing WERU program series including Northern Lights, Conversations on Science and Society, Sound Portrait of the Artist, Selections from the Camden Conference, others that will probably come to him after this is is posted, and, of course, Notes from the Electronic Cottage.

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Outside the Box 6/29/21: “Too Much Force”

Producer/Host: Larry Dansinger

About the host:
Larry Dansinger (no pronouns) of Bangor came to Maine in 1974 and has been here ever since. Some of Larry’s activities since then: Done community organizing on numerous issues through INVERT and then Resources for Organizing and Social Change (ROSC), committed civil disobedience several times, grown a garden yearly since 1977, joined various food cooperatives and two men’s groups, refused to pay federal income taxes for war, lived on a community land trust for 23 years, and met a wonderful partner whom Larry has loved for over 40 years. Larry has produced Outside the Box features on WERU since 2007 and continues to look for unique ways of seeing almost any problem or situation.

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