Michigan Radio will be offering a variety of interesting and enlightening special shows to celebrate the holiday season. These specials will air between Saturday, Dec. 24 through New Year’s Day.
The Moth Holiday Special
Saturday, December 24 at noon; Sunday, December 25 at 2:00 p.m.
Stories about the unexpected gifts of December– holiday customs, brand new traditions, flying cows, fruit, luminaries and a magical forest.
Earth Eats — Toasty Winter Treats
Saturday, December 24 at 1:00 p.m.; Sunday, December 25 at 8:00 p.m.
A winter holiday special with chestnuts roasting, cookies baking and coffee outside. We drop in on a cookie baking workshop with kids at a food pantry, we enjoy a hot cup of coffee on a chilly bike ride, and we toast up a batch of maple granola for holiday gift giving.
The One Recipe Holiday Special
Saturday, December 24 at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, December 25 at 1:00 p.m.
Host Jesse Sparks talks to culinary superstars about their “One,” the recipe that signals the holiday has begun. Guests include chef, YouTube personality and best-selling author Carla Lalli Music and the New York Times’ food writer Eric Kim, author of Korean- American: Food That Tastes Like Home.
Ford’s Theatre Presents ‘A Christmas Carol’
Saturday December 24 at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday, December 25 at 11:00 a.m.
WAMU and Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. present a contemporary radio play of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." This presentation features acclaimed Washington actor Craig Wallace as Ebenezer Scrooge and public radio broadcaster Murray Horwitz as the narrator.
Snap Judgment — The Christmas Tree Mafia
Saturday, December 24 at 9:00 p.m.
Scott Lechner is the king of Christmas trees in Manhattan, nicknamed the “Pontiff of Soho.” But when his business runs afoul of the mob, he gets an offer that he can’t refuse.
Tinsel Tales — NPR’s Christmas Favorite
Saturday, December 24 at 10:00 p.m.; Sunday, December 25 at 7:00 a.m.
This program features stories from the NPR archives that touch on the meaning of Christmas. David Sedaris, Bailey White, John Henry Faulk -- these and other NPR voices, past and present, tell stories of the season. Hosted by Lynn Neary.
Selected Shorts — Holidays With Mom
Sunday, December 25 at noon and 7:00 p.m.
Host Meg Wolitzer presents two stories about being home for the holidays and how you can count on your Mom to be there for you—and possibly to complicate things.
Hidden Brain — The Secret to Gift Giving
Sunday, December 25 at 9:00 p.m.
With the holidays upon us, many of us are hunting for that special something for the special someones in our lives. Why is it so hard to find the right gift? Host Shankar Vedantam and Jeff Galak talk about why the presents we give for holidays and birthdays often miss their mark.
A Season’s Griot 2022
Sunday, December 25 at 10:00 p.m.
Hosted by acclaimed storyteller Madafo Lloyd Wilson, A Season's Griot is an annual one-hour special that captures the tales and traditions of African American and African peoples. The show’s poet laureate, Beverly Fields Burnette, and other members of the Season’s Griot family return with familiar and favorite elements of Griot.
National Writers’ Series — Fredrik Backman
Monday, December 26 at 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Fredrik Backman is a Swedish author best known in the U.S. for his novel “A Man Called Ove.” He’s also the author of several novels including “Beartown,” “Britt-Marie Was Here,” and “Anxious People.” His latest book is called “The Winners.” Fredrik spoke with Doug Stanton at a National Writers Series event that took place at Lars Hockstad Auditorium in Traverse City.
National Writers’ Series — Angie Morgan
Tuesday, December 27 at 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Angie Morgan is a former US Marine Corps Officer turned consultant, coach and advisor. In partnership with her co-author Courtney Lynch, she’s also a New York Times bestselling author of “SPARK: Leading from the Front,” and “Bet on You: How to Win with Risk.” She spoke with her friend Coco Champagne at the City Opera House in Traverse City.
National Writers’ Series — Benjamin Gilmer
Wednesday, December 28 at 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
April Baer of Michigan Radio’s Stateside speaks with Dr. Benjamin Gilmer, a family physician and professor best known for his work bringing attention to the injustice of mass incarceration of people with mental illness. Benjamin’s latest book is “The Other Dr. Gilmer: Two Men, A Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice.” Their conversation took place at the City Opera House in Traverse City.
National Writers’ Series — Jerry Dennis and Dave Dempsey
Thursday, December 29 at 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Jerry Dennis and Dave Dempsey have each written about Michigan’s environment, including Dennis’ “The Living Great Lakes” and Dempsey’s “Great Lakes for Sale”. They appeared at a National Writers Series event that took place at the City Opera House in Traverse City. They spoke with environmental journalist Sheri McWhirter. .
National Writers’ Series — Joy Harjo
Friday, December 30 at 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Joy Harjo is a member of the Muskogee Creek Nation and has been the U.S. poet laureate since 2019. She’s written nine volumes of poetry, several plays and children’s books, and two memoirs. Her most recent collection of poems is “An American Sunrise.” She appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event and spoke with attorney and community activist Holly T. Bird.
New Year's — A Reflection
Saturday, December 31 at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday January 1 at 7:00 a.m.
Join in a New Year journey to an ancient Gaelic ritual of bringing in the year, learn about the original “Auld Lang Syne” and discover the Native American way of marking time and transforming a brutal history into a new story of hope.
Climate One — This Year in Climate 2022
Saturday, December 31 at 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, January 1 at 6:00 a.m.
Climate One hosts Greg Dalton and Ariana Brocious review the top climate stories of the year, from the global impacts of the war in Ukraine, to the passage and signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, to the recent international climate summit in Egypt.
2022 Remembered from The Current
Saturday, December 31 at 10:00 p.m.
Join host Jill Riley in honoring the life, music, and legacy of artists we lost in 2022. This year-end playlist features music from and remembrances of Ronnie Spector, Olivia Newton-John, Detroit’s Lamont Dozier, Naomi Judd and many more.
The Inauguration of Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Sunday, January 1 at 11:00 a.m.
Join us for live coverage from Lansing of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s second inauguration. Colin Jackson (Michigan Public Radio Network), and Sophia Saliby (WKAR) will anchor the radio coverage, while Michigan Radio’s Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta will anchor the coverage on Public TV.
