Changes on the way
Radio Talking Book is changing with the times. Beginning October 1, RTB will no longer be available via closed-circuit radio. Instead, listeners will have several options: on the Internet, the new RTB apps for iOS and Android, or a digital assistant like an Alexa-enabled smart speaker. These innovations will provide listeners an improved listening experience, while keeping RTB available for years to come.
Another change is in how readings of Greater Minnesota newspapers are presented. Starting in October these programs will be added to the choices available through the Android and iOS apps. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, not all sites will be able to broadcast local newspaper readings.
To learn more call toll-free at 1-800-652-9000, or email ssb.info@state.mn.us.
There’s an app for that
Access RTB at any time and anywhere on a hand-held mobile device for either iOS or Android. Just visit the Apple App Store for iOS, or Google Play for Android, and download the Minnesota Radio Talking Book app. It’s quick, it’s easy, and provides a convenient way to tune into RTB wherever and whenever.
Books available through library services
Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available for loan through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault. The catalog is online at Minnesota DEED’s website; click on the links to find Publications Available and the Programming Schedule.
Call the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library at 800-722-0550, Monday-Friday, 9 am – 4 pm CST for details. 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.
Learn more
For more information about Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network events go to the Facebook site, Minnesota Radio Talking Book. Audio information about the daily book listings is also on the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) Newsline. Register for the NFB Newsline by calling 651-539-1424.
The NFB-NEWSLINE service provides access to more than 500 magazines and newspapers, plus information on COVID-19 in the “Breaking News” section.
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 online.
You can listen to RTB’s live or archived programs online.
Chautauqua*
Monday – Friday 6 a.m.
The Book of General Ignorance, nonfiction by John Lloyd and John Mitchinson, 2006. It is curiously appealing to learn that something you always believed true is, in fact, complete nonsense. Read by Dan Sadoff. 10 broadcasts; begins Mon, Oct. 5.
None of Your Damn Business, nonfiction by Lawrence Cappello, 2019. Americans have had numerous opportunities to safeguard our personal information – but we’ve squandered them every time. Read by Stevie Ray. 13 broadcasts; begins Mon, Oct. 19.
Past is Prologue*
Monday – Friday 11 a.m.
The Mayflower, nonfiction by Rebecca Fraser, 2016. In the early 1600s, Edward Winslow brought his family from England to Holland to the New World in America. Read by Judith Johannessen. 17 broadcasts; begins Mon, Oct. 19.
Bookworm*
Monday – Friday noon
Indian Horse, fiction by Richard Wagamese, 2018. Saul Indian Horse was abandoned by his mother in rural Ontario at age eight. He later uses his hockey skills to carve out his place in the world. Read by Jeffrey Weihe. Seven broadcasts; begins Thu, Oct. 8.
The Library of Lost and Found, fiction by Phaedra Patrick, 2019. An introverted librarian unearths her family’s well-kept secrets, and discovers that her late, beloved grandmother Zelda may still be alive. Read by Lannois Neely. 11 broadcasts; begins Mon, Oct. 19.
The Writer’s Voice*
Monday – Friday 1 p.m.
The Matriarch, nonfiction by Susan Page, 2019. Barbara Bush’s personal story reveals her as a fascinating, down-to-earth woman who held her own in a man’s world. Read by Jan Anderson. 16 broadcasts; begins Wed, Oct. 14.
Choice Reading*
Monday – Friday 2 p.m.
The Dutch House, fiction by Ann Patchett, 2019. Two young children are left in a luxurious mansion to fend for themselves, after their distressed mother absconds. Read by Myrna Smith. 12 broadcasts; begins Thu, Oct. 1.
Those People, fiction by Louise Candlish, 2019. A new couple in a posh neighborhood creates havoc with their unconventional lifestyle. Tempers flare – and then there is a fatal accident. Read by Cintra Godfrey. 11 broadcasts; begins Mon, Oct. 19. – V
Afternoon Report*
Monday – Friday 4 p.m.
A Collective Bargain, nonfiction by Jane McAlevey, 2020. Longtime union organizer Jane McAlevey argues that the power of strong trade unions can go far to fix America’s social problems. Read by Marylyn Burridge. 11 broadcasts; begins Mon, Oct. 19.
Night Journey*
Monday – Friday 7 p.m.
Bark of Night, fiction by David Rosenfelt, 2019. A detective adopts a dog about to be put down. Then he learns the dog belonged to a murder victim, and the man demanding the dog’s death is the likely killer. Read by Neil Bright. Eight broadcasts; begins Mon, Oct. 12. – V
Give the Dog a Bone, fiction by Leslie O’Kane, 2002. Allie Babcock, a dog therapist with a flair for sleuthing, meets an eccentric millionaire who says he murdered his wife. Then he adds that his golden retriever Maggie is now channeling her spirit. Read by Isla Hejny. Nine broadcasts; begins Thu, Oct. 22. – V
Off the Shelf*
Monday – Friday 8 p.m.
Things You Save in a Fire, fiction by Catherine Center, 2019. Cassie Hanwell, a skilled firefighter from Boston, struggles to fit in at an old-school Texas fire station. Read by Pat Kovel-Jarboe. 10 broadcasts; begins Mon, Oct. 5.
Ask Again, Yes, fiction by Mary Beth Keane, 2019. Neighbors in a New York suburb become intertwined through work, children, and a profound tragedy. Read by Jan Anderson. 13 broadcasts; begins Mon, Oct. 19.
Potpourri*
Monday – Friday 9 p.m.
The Best People, nonfiction by Alexander Nazaryan, 2019. Reporter Alexander Nazaryan describes how President Donald Trump selected a Cabinet consisting of people unproven in public service, and unqualified to assume decision-making roles in politics. Read by Holly Sylvester. 10 broadcasts; begins Thu, Oct. 8.
Out of Our Minds, nonfiction by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, 2019. Historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto explores how human beings developed the capability to develop ideas. Read by John Potts. 22 broadcasts; begins Thu, Oct. 22.
Good Night Owl*
Monday – Friday 10 p.m.
Parking the Moose, nonfiction by Dave Hall, 2019. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, comedian Dave Hall sets out to embrace his one-quarter Canadian roots. Read by Scott McKinney. 12 broadcasts; begins Mon, Oct. 5. – L
Chronicles of a Radical Hag (With Recipes), fiction by Lorna Landvik, 2019. After the long-time columnist for a small-town paper suffers a stroke, the editor reprints her decades-old columns. Read by Barbara Olson. 11 broadcasts; begins Wed, Oct. 21. – L
RTB After Hours*
Monday – Friday 11 p.m.
He Started It, fiction by Samantha Downing, 2020. To claim a share of their grandfather’s estate three grown-up siblings – Beth, Eddie, and Portia — must recreate a family road trip they took twenty years before. Read by Pat Muir. 10 broadcasts; begins Thu, Oct. 15. – L
The Other Mrs. Miller, fiction by Alison Dickson, 2019. After Phoebe Miller inherited a fortune from her philandering father, she’s soon being surveilled around the clock by a mysterious figure – and nobody knows why. Read by Andrea Bell. 11 broadcasts; began Thu, Oct. 29. – 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 (L, S), followed by The Kids Are Gonna Ask by Gretchen Anthony (L), both read by Scott McKinney.
For the Younger Set, 11 a.m. Sun, presents Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian, read by Connie Jamison.
Poetic Reflections, noon Sun, presents 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, followed by Secret Partners by Tim Mahoney, read by Jim Gregorich.
All times listed are Central Standard Time.
Abbreviations V – violent content, R – racial epithets, L – strong language, G – gory descriptions, S – sexual situation
