From the 1920s through their many years in the White House, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt used the powerful new medium of radio to win elections, combat the Great Depression and rally the nation during wartime.

On Dec. 7, the anniversary of the date FDR declared "would live in infamy", KGOU's Sunday Radio Matinee brings you an American RadioWorks documentary featuring rarely heard archival audio of FDR's and Mrs. Roosevelt's broadcasts, as well as oral histories and interviews exploring how they revolutionized political communication in America.

 

A couple of news stories are trending upward on KGOU.org this week -- in fact, local morning host Brian Hardzinski's interview on Oklahoma City's selection for a "best of" list has reached "viral" proportions.  

 

Also popular is this past Monday's Oklahoma Voices lecture on the state of the economy -- it's at the bottom of the previous Monday's show, since they're from the same event. Read, listen or share if you haven't already.

 

 

NPR Music's Tiny Desk could be the venue that launches a new musical star. NPR Music and Lagunitas are holding a contest to find musical talent to play Bob Boilen's tiny desk at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C. and perform in Lagunitas' "Trippin' to Austin" tour. To enter, make a video performing one original song behind your own desk and send it in before Jan. 19. Watch this video and check out all the rules before entering.

 

Morning Edition is launching a book club on Thursday, Dec. 11, with the announcement of it first book selection. Host David Greene will interview bestselling author and honorary curator for the club, Ann Patchett, about the book she chose to be the inaugural read.

Join millions of listeners around the country in reading the book pick, and then tune in Tuesday, Jan. 20 for the club's discussion. Listeners can also connect with the author on social media, on the show's Facebook page, and particularly on Twitter. Morning Edition hopes to make this a quarterly feature.

 

Looking for your next great read or a gift idea? Look no further than NPR's 2014 Books Concierge, an interactive guide to the books NPR staff and critics loved this year. Listen to NPR's Lynn Neary and Books editor Petra Mayer give the how-to's, and then you'll be ready to search the app itself, plus peruse previous years' picks.