COVID-19 Update
At State Services for the Blind, the safety and health of customers, volunteers, and staff are top priorities. Listeners may notice that Radio Talking Book is airing several “re-runs” of previous books, and unexpected programming at different times of the broadcast day.
There’s a reason for this: out of an abundance of caution during the COVID-19 epidemic, RTB has reduced the number of volunteers and employees on site in St. Paul. Staff appreciate listeners’ understanding, and intend to be back to regular programming as soon as possible.
Also, before volunteers head to the Communication Center for any reason, please call or contact your primary staff person. Your health and safety are a top priority. Thanks!
Books Available Through Faribault
Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault. Call 1-800-722-0550, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon through Fri.
The catalog is online at Minnesota DEED’s website; click on the links to find Publications Available and the Programming Schedule. Persons living outside of Minnesota may obtain copies of books via an inter-library loan by contacting their home state’s Network Library for the National Library Service.
Listen to the Minnesota Radio Talking Book, either live or archived programs, on the Internet at https://apps.deed.state.mn.us/ssb/rtb/ or on handheld devices via the SERO app (iOS or Android).
Call the Talking Book Library for a password to the site. To find more information about Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network events go to the Facebook site, Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network. Call 1-800-722-0550, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon through Fri, with questions.
Access Press is featured on It Makes a Difference, 9 p.m. Sun.
The sampling published monthly in Access Press doesn’t represent the full array of programming. Many more programs and books are available.
Donate to the State Services for the Blind at https://mn.gov/deed/ssb/about/contact/financial-support.jsp
Chautauqua
Monday – Friday 6 a.m.
Broad Band, nonfiction by Claire L. Evans, 2018. Women have become proficient at technology from the start. This is the story of the women who developed the Internet. Read by Parichay Rudina. 13 broadcasts; begins Tue, April 14.
Past is Prologue
Monday – Friday 11 a.m.
Code Girls, nonfiction by Liza Mundy, 2017. The untold story of the more than 10,000 young American women who cracked key Axis codes, securing Allied victory and revolutionizing the field of cryptanalysis. Read by Holly Sylvester. 15 broadcasts; begins Tuesday, April 14.
Bookworm
Monday – Friday noon
When the Men Were Gone, fiction by Marjorie Herrera Lewis, 2018. In the fall of 1944 the men of Brownsville, Texas are off to war. Could this mean a season with no high school football coach? Read by Michele Potts. Six broadcasts; begins Mon, April 6.
Late in the Day, fiction by Tessa Hadley, 2019. The 30-year bond between two couples comes apart when one of the friends dies unexpectedly. Read by Judy Woodward. Nine broadcasts; begins Tue, April 14.
A Time of Love and Tartan, fiction by Alexander McCall Smith, 2017. The lives of tenants interconnect at an Edinburgh apartment. Read by Myrna Smith. Nine broadcasts; begins Thu, May 17.
The Writer’s Voice
Monday – Friday 1 p.m.
The Florist’s Daughter, nonfiction by Patricia Hampl, 2007. Minnesota author Patricia Hampl tells of growing up in St. Paul, and later as an adult taking care of aging parents. Read by Therese Murray. Seven broadcasts; begins Tue, April 21.
Barnum, nonfiction by Robert Wilson, 2019. Before becoming a circus impresario, Phineas Taylor Barnum was already one of the most famous men in America. Read by Diane Ladenson. 12 broadcasts; begins Thu, April 30.
Choice Reading
Monday – Friday 2 p.m.
At the Wolf’s Table, fiction by Rosella Postorino, 2019. Ten women report to Hitler’s secret headquarters, The Wolf’s Lair, to sample his meals and risk their lives each day for his. Read by Don Lee. 10 broadcasts; begins Mon, April 20.
Afternoon Report
Monday – Friday 4 p.m.
The Best People, nonfiction by Alexander Nazaryan, 2019. Reporter Alexander Nazaryan spotlights how President Donald Trump selected and recruited his cabinet. Read by Holly Sylvester. 10 broadcasts; begins Thu, April 9.
The Guarded Gate, nonfiction by Daniel Okrent, 2018. As the 20th century began, American leaders fanned the flames of anti-immigration prejudice. Read by Judy Woodward. 17 broadcasts; begins Thu, April 23.
Night Journey
Monday – Friday 7 p.m.
Hope Never Dies, fiction by Andrew Shaffer, 2018. Vice President Joe Biden comes out of retirement to solve the murder of a longtime friend, and is assisted by President Barack Obama. Read by Neil Bright. Nine broadcasts; began Wed, April 1. – V, L
When Father and Son Conspire, nonfiction by Joseph Amoto, 1988. Historian Joseph Amoto tells the story of two small-town bankers in southwestern Minnesota in 1983 who are murdered by a father and son. Read by Stevie Ray. 10 broadcasts; begins Tue, April 14. – V, L, G
The Memory Swindlers, fiction by Michael Giorgio, 2016. When scam artists descend on a Wisconsin town after World War II, the local police chief works to stop them. Read by Neil Bright. 12 broadcasts; begins Tue, April 28.
Off the Shelf
Monday – Friday 8 p.m.
The Rationing, fiction by Charles Wheelan, 2019. When an epidemic sweeps the US, the government’s supply of the cure is destroyed in a fire. Read by Michele Potts. 15 broadcasts; begins Tue, April 14. – L
Potpourri
Monday – Friday 9 p.m.
Don’t Believe a Word, nonfiction by David Shariamadari, 2019. Linguistics expert David Shariatmadari sets out to debunk our prevailing beliefs about language. Read by Pat Muir. 11 broadcasts; begins Thu, April 23.
Good Night Owl
Monday – Friday 10 p.m.
We Were the Lucky Ones, fiction by Georgia Hunter, 2017. The Kurcs, a Jewish family in Poland, are spread across the globe during World War II with historic and emotional consequences. Read by Jodi Lindskog. 17 broadcasts; begins Tue, April 14.
RTB After Hours
Monday – Friday 11 p.m.
Daisy Jones and the Six, fiction by Taylor Jenkins Reid, 2019. An iconic rock band fronted by a stimulating, provocative lead singer dominated the music scene in the 1970s. So what made them suddenly part ways? Read by Jodi Lindskog. 10 broadcasts; begins Wed, April 8. – L, S
The Other Mrs. Miller, fiction by Alison Dickson, 2019. Phoebe Miller inherited a fortune from her philandering father. Soon she is surveilled around the clock by a shadowy figure – and no one can tell her why. Read by Andrea Bell. 11 broadcasts; begins Wed, April 22. – L, S
Weekend Program Books
Your Personal World, 1 p.m. Sat, presents Renia’s Diary: A Holocaust Journal by Renia Spiegel and Elizabeth Bellak, read by Beverly Burchett. – L. Rated R, 11 p.m. Sat, presents What We Did in Bed by Brian Fagan and Nadia Durrani, read by Scott McKinney – L, S
For the Younger Set, 11 a.m. Sun, presents Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian, read by Connie Jamison.
Poetic Reflections, noon Sun, presents Little Glass Planet by Dobby Gibson, read by Cintra Godfrey; followed by Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver, read by Myrna Smith.
The Great North, 4 p.m. Sun, presents In Winter’s Kitchen by Beth Dooley, read by Michelle Juntunen.
All listings are US Central Daylight Time
Abbreviations:
V – Violent content, R – Racial epithets, L – Strong language, S – Sexual situations, G – Gory descriptions
