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Wisconsin Public Radio

WRITING THE MIDDLE EAST

Program 05-01-16-A

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Amos Oz is Israel's leading novelist. He grew up in war-torn Jerusalem and his life has run alongside the history of modern Israel. He says that history has poisoned his life. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge we'll talk with Amos Oz about life, literature and war.

SEGMENT 1:

Pnina Moed Kass is an American who's lived in Israel for over 35 years. She's written a novel called "Real Time" about a suicide bombing and the people whose lived are affected by it. Kass tells Anne Strainchamps how she imagined herself into the mind of a young Palestinian, and reads from her book. Also, we hear excerpts from a National Geographic documentary with Lisa Ling on Female Suicide Bombers. And, Raja Shehadeh is a Palestinian lawyer who's written a memoir called "Strangers in the House: Coming of Age in Occupied Palestine." He tells Steve Paulson about his father's early support for a two state solution in the Middle East and the current conflict.

SEGMENT 2:

Jonathan Wilson is the author of "A Palestine Affair." His novel takes place in 1924 and he explains why many fundamentalist Jews of that period were anti-Zionist. Also, Israeli novelist Amos Oz has written a memoir called "A Tale of Love and Darkness." Oz tells Steve Paulson that his own life parallels the history of modern Israel and that his parents were intellectual European emigres. And he provides insights on the current political situation.

SEGMENT 3:

Khaled Hosseini is the author of the novel "The Kite Runner." He lives in California now, but he was born in Afghanistan and his book is set there before the American invasion. He recalls the way his native country used to be and offers Jim Fleming his opinion on its prospects for democracy in the future.

Cassette copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 05-01-16-A.

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Books:

• Pnina Moed Kass, Real Time (Clarion Books)
  
• Raja Shehadeh, Strangers in the House: Coming of Age in Occupied Palestine (Penguin)
  
• Jonathan Wilson, A Palestine Affair (Pantheon)
  
• Amos Oz, A Tale of Love and Darkness (Harcourt)
  
• Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner (Riverhead)

Music:

• In Pnina Moed Kass:
  From Anouar Brahem's "Le pas du chat noir"
  -"Le pas du chat noir"
  -"Toi qui sait"
  -"Un point bleu"
  ECM Records
• After Lisa Ling:
  Hamid Baroudi w/ "Trance Dance"
  on Putumayo Presents World Lounge
• After Raja Shehadeh:
  Hamza El Din w/ "A Wish"
  on "A Wish"
  Sounds True
• In Jonathan Wilson:
  From Anouar Brahem's "Conte de l'incroyable amour"
  -"Epilogue"
  -"Conte de l'incroyable amour"
  -"Peshrev Hidjaz Homayoun"
  -"Le chien sur les genoux de la devineresse"
  BMG Music
• After Amos Oz:
  "Dikklat Nour"
  on Yair Dala's "Silan"
  Najema Music
• After Khaled Hosseini:
  "Moria Badnawa"
  on Musafir's "Dhola Maru"
  Sounds True

Distribution dates:

week of 01/08/2006 - hour 2 week of 01/16/2005 - hour 1

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Questions and comments can be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org

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