VFH - Media - Humanities Feature Bureau

Humanities Feature Bureau Fall 2007

September 2007

Remembering Richmond's Jewish Confederates (September 14)

In 1866, Richmond was reeling from the devastation brought about by the Civil War. Congress paid for the burial of Union troops, but the thousands of Confederate soldiers who died near Richmond, far from home, were left as the civilians' responsibility. Concerned that members of their faith that fought for the South not be neglected, the ladies of Richmond's Jewish Community rose to the occasion. Peter Solomon has the story.

Gail Hobbs-Page and Caromont Farm (September 28)

Decisions. We make them everyday, from picking a breakfast cereal, to the choice of a career. VFH Radio at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities presents a feature series on the decisions Virginians make, and how they come to make them. Today we'll hear from Gail Hobbs-Page. For years, she worked as a chef in some of Virginia's finest restaurants. Now, you'll find Gail and husband Daniel raising 100 goats on a 23-acre farm in southern Albemarle County. On a recent afternoon, Gail Hobbs-Page sat next to a goat pen and talked about her decision to trade in her sauté pans for milk pails.

October 2007

Joel Sweeney and the Birth of the Banjo (October 12)

One Virginia man is credited with popularizing the banjo in the United States and Great Britain. Musical researcher Bob Carlin has studied the life of Appomattox-born Joel Sweeney for more than 15 years. Carlin's new book, The Birth of the Banjo, looks at the facts and folklore surrounding Sweeney. Reporter Mike MacKenzie sat down with Carlin in Richmond after a lecture on the book and has this report.

New Literary Journal Debuts from Unlikely Source (October 26)

National spending on health care has tripled over the last fifteen years. Hospitals - trying to keep costs low - are under more pressure to think and act like businesses. Some doctors feel that pressure takes the focus away from patient care. A small group of doctors at the University of Virginia Medical Center have started an online literary journal, which they hope will inject more humanity into the medical profession. Jesse Dukes reports from Charlottesville.

November 2007

2007 Library of Virginia Fiction Award (November 9)

Each year, the Library of Virginia recognizes the best in new literature by Virginians. This year's Fiction honors went to Deborah Eisenberg for her collection of short stories "Twilight of the Superheroes." Martha Woodroof talks with Eisenberg, who critics have called 'one of the most important fiction writers now at work.'

Elder Spirit Community (November 23)

Abingdon, in the highlands of Southwest Virginia, might seem an unlikely site for an experiment in “senior living” but ElderSpirit just may be the newest model for future retirement communities. Reporter Nancy King paid a visit.

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