Volunteer Readers Sought
Radio Talking Book seeks volunteers to broadcast from our sites in Rochester and St. Paul. Please contact Roberta Kitlinski at 651-539-1423 to learn more.
New Exercise Program: “BlindAlive”
RTB debuts “BlindAlive” beginning June 4 at 10:00 a.m. Mondays-Saturdays. “BlindAlive” is a fitness program hosted by Mel Scott. Mel, who is blind since childhood, works with top instructors to bring health and increased mobility to both the vision-impaired and senior communities at a convenient pace and speed. “BlindAlive” takes over from RTB’s long-running favorite “Take Twenty for Fitness” program, and we believe you’ll like Mel’s new and lively style.
Listener Survey
RTB will launch a listener survey in May and June. Our goal is to contact the more than 1,300 listeners with RTB radio units in their homes to learn how often they tune in, which programs they find valuable, which they avoid, and what they’d like to hear more of. All comments will be kept confidential, and will help us respond to our listeners’ needs. Please share your opinions when the SSB staff call – we look forward to your input.
Weekend Programming
- Your Personal World (Saturday at 1 p.m.) presents “How Healing Works” by Wayne Jonas; followed by “Living in a Mindful Universe” by Eben Alexander and Karen Newell, both read by Beverly Burchett.
- For the Younger Set (Sunday at 11 a.m.) presents “Expelled” by James Patterson and Emily Raymond, read by John Mandeville; followed by “The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding” by Alexandra Bracken, read by Jim Tarbox.
- Poetic Reflections (Sunday at noon) presents “Cowboy Poetry: A Gathering” edited by Hal Cannon; followed by “Leonard Cohen: Poems and Songs,” both read by Scott McKinney.
- The Great North (Sunday at 4 p.m.) presents “November’s Fury” by Michael Schumacher, read by Chris Colestock.
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, MN. Their phone is 1-800-722-0550 and hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Their catalog is also online, and you can access it by going to the main website, www.mnbtbl.org, and then clicking on the link Search the Library Catalog. If you live outside of Minnesota, you may obtain copies of our books via an inter-library loan by contacting your own state’s Network Library for the National Library Service.
Listen to the Minnesota Radio Talking Book, live or archived programs from the last week, on the Internet at www.mnssb.org/rtb. Call the staff at the Radio for your password to the site.
Audio information about the daily book listings is also on NFB Newsline. Register for NFB Newsline by calling 651-539-2363.
Donate to the State Services for the Blind at mn.gov/deed/ssbdonate.
Chautauqua Tuesday, Tuesday – Saturday 4 a.m
The Vaccine Race – Nonfiction by Meredith Wadman, 2017. The story of vaccine development is one of heroic possibilities and missed opportunities, at the intersection of science and politics. Read by Yelva Lynfield. 24 broadcasts; began Tuesday, June 5.
Past is Prologue, Monday – Friday 9 a.m
The War Within – Nonfiction by Alexis Peri, 2017. During World War II the German army circled Leningrad, beginning one of the longest and deadliest sieges in modern history. Read by John Potts. 13 broadcasts; begins Wednesday, June 13.
Bookworm, Monday – Friday 11 a.m.
Anatomy of a Miracle. Fiction by Jonathan Miles, 2017. A man who became paraplegic years ago suddenly rises from his wheelchair. Is it a medical breakthrough, or a miracle? Read by Pat Muir. 17 broadcasts; began Wednesday, May 30.
Take Me With You – Fiction by Catherine Ryan Hyde, 2014. A man who recently lost his son travels to Yellowstone with unexpected companions: two orphans with nowhere to go. Read by Esmé Evans. 10 broadcasts; begins Monday, June 25.
The Writer’s Voice, Monday, Monday – Friday 2 p.m.
I Wrote This Book Because I Love You – Nonfiction by Tim Krieder, 2018. Humorist Tim Kreider reflects on his relationships with women and his nineteen-year-old cat. Read by Robb Empson. 8 broadcasts; begins Monday, June 11.
Tell Me Everything You Don’t Remember – Nonfiction by Christine Hyung-Oak Lee, 2017. A woman who suffered a stroke shares her writings, compensating for thoughts she can no longer retrieve. Read by Connie Jamison. 9 broadcasts; begins Thursday, June 21.
Choice Reading, Monday, Monday – Friday 4 p.m.
In the Name of the Family – Fiction by Sarah Dunant, 2017. 16th century Italy was rife with clashes between Pope Borgia and philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli. Read by Eileen Barratt. 15 broadcasts; began Monday, June 4.
Where Am I Now? – Nonfiction by Mara Wilson, 2016. Former child star Mara Wilson tells the story of her journey from accidental fame to relative but happy obscurity. Read by Pat Muir. 8 broadcasts; begins Monday, June 25.
PM Report, Monday – Friday 8 p.m.
A Higher Loyalty – Nonfiction by James Comey, 2018. Former FBI director Comey shares his experiences from the high-stakes situations in his career. He explores what good, ethical leadership looks like, and how it drives sound decisions. Read by John Holden. 12 broadcasts; begins Tuesday, June 12.
Fit For the Presidency? – Nonfiction by Seymour Morris, Jr., 2018. If Americans were to apply the standards used by executive recruiters, would a Presidential candidate make it past the front door? Read by Marylyn Burridge. 15 broadcasts; begins Thursday, June 28.
Night Journey, Monday – Friday 9 p.m.
Goodbye to the Dead – Fiction by Brian Freeman, 2016. Detectives Jonathan Stride and Serena Dial investigate a murder with ties to human trafficking in Duluth, MN. Read by Neil Bright. 15 broadcasts; began Wednesday, June 6. – V,L,S
The Night Market – Fiction by Jonathan Moore, 2018. Detectives investigating a crime are kept in a decontamination trailer, then lose all memory of the facts. Read by John Mandeville. 12 broadcasts; begins Wednesday, June 27. – V,L
Off the Shelf, Monday – Friday 10 p.m.
Wherever You Go, There They Are – Nonfiction by Annabelle Gurwitch, 2017. Humorist Annabelle Gurwitch tells colorful, sad, and funny stories about her eccentric family that make our own families seem more normal. Read by Mary Hall. 9 broadcasts; began Tuesday, June 5. – L
Turtles All the Way Down – Fiction by John Green, 2017. A girl with anxiety disorders joins a search to find a runaway billionaire. Read by Jack Rossmann. 8 broadcasts; begins Monday, June 18.
The Little Red Chairs – Fiction by Edna O’Brien, 2016. A mysterious shaman comes to a small Irish town, where a beautiful woman turns to him for healing. Read by Michele Potts. 9 broadcasts; begins Thursday, June 28. – V,L,S
Potpourri, Monday – Friday 11 p.m.
The Land Between Two Rivers – Nonfiction by Tom Sleigh, 2018. A journalist recounts his tours in Africa and the Middle East. Read by Don Lee. 10 broadcasts; begins Tuesday, June 12. – L
Border – Nonfiction by Kapka Kassabova, 2017. A writer returns to Bulgaria, which she left twenty-five years before, to explore the boundaries it shares with Turkey and Greece. Read by Arlan Dohrenburg. 15 broadcasts; begins Tuesday, June 25.
Good Night Owl, Monday – Friday midnight
The One Real Thing – Fiction by Samantha Young, 2016. A doctor in a woman’s prison discovers 40-year-old love letters, and sets out to a small town to deliver them. Read by Anne Obst. 12 broadcasts; began Monday, June 4. – L,S.
Lila – Fiction by Marilynne Robinson, 2014. A young woman who grew up on the run marries an Iowa preacher, and tries to make sense of her new life. Read by Esmé Evans. 9 broadcasts; begins Wednesday, June 20.
After Midnight, Tuesday – Saturday 1 a.m.
Among the Survivors – Fiction by Ann Z. Leventhal, 2017. Raised to always fear what might happen next, Karla tries taking risks that lead to a fulfilling life. Read by Jodi Lindskog. 10 broadcasts; begins Friday, June 15. – L, S
Winter Sisters – Fiction by Robin Oliveira, 2018. Two young girls lost in a blizzard are found, and have suffered an unspeakable trauma. Civil War military doctor Mary Sutter provides healing and seeks justice. Read by Michele Potts. 13 broadcasts; begins Friday, June 29. – L, G
Abbreviations:
V – violence
L – offensive language
S – sexual situations
RE – racial epithets
G – graphic descriptions
