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the informant

Okay, I know I'm a little late on this, but I've been thinking about it for a while and am finally going to post some links.

I bet many of you have seen the movie The Informant from last year.  I've waited a bit, specifically because of an amazing radio program I listened to before I'd even heard of the film project.  This American Life produced a full program devoted to the story in the book by Kurt Eichenwald, the true story that the movie is based on.  The whole program is amazing, including separate interviews with the author, the executive who cooperated with the FBI, the attorneys involved, the main FBI agent, and recordings of secret price-fixing meetings.  The story, embedded with the intimacy that radio-listening supplies, plays out like a movie as you listen.  I'm going to listen to the program with my husband again before seeing the movie.

Here's the LINK.

 

Just on a side note, a revealing detail about what a giant nerd I am: I've listened to almost every single archived This American Life program, which started in 1995.  That means a total of 401 hours of Chicago Public Radio.  It's been a buoy for my brain at work; it's fairly easy to go brain dead when you're quietly tinkering around on computers for most of your life.

Other amazing podcasts to keep your brain and imagination alive (all available free through itunes):

Stuff You Should Know
and
The Moth: Life Storytelling Performances
and
Radiolab
and
The Sounds In My Head (Music)

bookmarks for everyone

Since I'm hosting book club for the first time, I thought I'd make up a little surprise for everyone.  Bookmarks!

I chose the book I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith, a successful female playwright who later became known for the children's classic 101 Dalmations.  It was written in 1948 and was out of print for many years in the States until reissued in 1998.  I rarely laugh out loud when I read, but the sharp humor of this novel was just my style.  It's also tinged with the tragedies of poverty and loneliness.  I truly loved it - I'm eager to hear how all the other ladies felt about it.