Patt Morrison for Friday, May 25, 2012

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Friday, May 25, 2012

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

1:06 – 1:30

How do wrongful convictions happen?

26 year-old Brian Banks served 5 years and 2 months in prison for a kidnap and rape he did not commit. He was exonerated yesterday, after his accuser was videotaped by a private investigator admitting to falsely accusing him. His accuser initially contacted him through Facebook last year, wanting to reconnect and, in her words, “let bygones be bygones." How do false convictions happen? What’s the interrogation and plea bargain process like, and why do individuals admit to crimes they did not commit? Patt checks in with an expert in the field and we look into whether Banks’ accuser will be charged with perjury.

 

Guests:

Dan Simon, professor of law and psychology, USC; he is author of “In Doubt: The Psychology of the Criminal Justice Process,” and an expert on exonerations, false convictions, interrogation, and why individuals admit to crimes they did not commit

IN STUDIO

 

1:30 – 1:58:30

My 64,000 + member book club…on Twitter

It’s always difficult for book clubs to choose their next subject, but it’s especially difficult for Jeff Howe, who runs a book club with over 64,000 members…on Twitter. How does it work? What do they read? And with the world’s great books all tweeted in 140 characters, is it really worth it? Howe explains that it’s not only the format of books that is changing, but the entire reading experience. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Howe thinks Twitter could be the most social reading experience yet. Still, it’s left others wondering: Is the book dying, or getting a social life? Patt checks in with Howe and with Twitter’s first novelist.

 

Guests:

Jeff Howe, assistant professor at Northeastern University, where he teaches multimedia journalism; he’s the author of "Crowdsourcing: How the Power of Crowds is Driving the Future of Business," and he runs a 64,000 + member book club via Twitter

 

Nick Belardes (@nickbelardes), wrote the first literary Twitter novel, "Small Places" (@smallplaces) between 2008 and 2010; he’s currently in talks with the New York Times about a follow-up twitter novel, "Bumble Square"

 

2:06 – 2:30

West Hollywood Abbey bans bachelorette parties in wake of NC gay marriage ban

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie may not get married until same-sex couples can, too. Now The Abbey, a gay nightclub in West Hollywood is banning bachelorette parties to protest the recent vote to ban same-sex marriage in North Carolina. "Every Friday and Saturday night, we're flooded with requests from straight girls in penis hats who want to ogle our gogos, dance with the gays and celebrate their pending nuptials. They are completely unaware that the people around them are legally prohibited from getting married," David Cooley, the founder of The Abbey said in a statement. Gay bars in cities like Chicago have taken similar stands and individuals have made their own personal protest – some even refusing to attend the weddings of their heterosexual friends until gay marriage is made legal. Do you think this is this an effective means of protest? Why or why not?

 

Guests:

NOT CONFIRMED:

TBD, The Abbey nightclub in West Hollywood

 

Dan Savage, syndicated columnist, “Savage Love,” and the editor of The Stranger, Seattle’s weekly newspaper; His latest book is It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living

 

2:30 – 2:58:30

A people’s guide to Los Angeles sheds light on less-frequented but important sites in LA

Tourists who come to Los Angeles tend to visit the same places: Venice Beach, Disneyland, Rodeo Drive, Hollywood... The slightly more adventurous might strike out for the Garment District, Topanga Canyon, or the Walt Disney Concert Hall, but what about neighborhoods to the south and east of those attractions? Places like the Los Angeles River? Or ‘the Ink Well’ (a two hundred-square foot beach) and Oakwood (a residential neighborhood) – two of the only Westside locations open to African-Americans during the first few decades of the twentieth century? Where’s the guidebook that focuses on Los Angeles’ complex history when it comes to activism, class- and race-relations, and the fight for gay rights? Coming soon to a bookstore near you, apparently. “A People’s Guide to the Los Angeles” focuses on 115 little-known Los Angeles sites with big histories. Join Patt as she asks co-author Wendy Cheng to share some of her finds. Maybe you’ll even discover something new to do for Memorial Day.

 

PATT: Wendy Cheng is co-author along with Laura Barraclough and Laura Pulido, who were not available.  There is a book reading and signing at Vroman’s on June 7^th at 7pm.

 

Guest:

Wendy Cheng, photographer and an assistant professor of Asian Pacific American Studies and Justice & Social Inquiry at Arizona State University.

IN-STUDIO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lauren Osen

Southern California Public Radio - 89.3 KPCC

626-583-5173 / 626-483-5278

losen@scpr.org @Patt_Morrison