Radio highlights
Noam Chomsky interviewed — The famous antiwar activist and linguist discusses freedom in liberal democracies and the changes in the former Soviet Union. On ABC Radio National's Books and Writing program, Fri August 14, 10.05 a.m.
Ernabella Singing — Ernabella is one of the major centres of the Pitjantjatjara people and renowned for its music, especially that of its women. Featured in this program is a performance of traditional song and dance. Mona Tur talks about the continuing tradition of Aboriginal storytelling. Part of ABC FM's The Songs and Stories of Australia, Fri August 14, 11.30 a.m. (repeated on Sun August 16, 7.25 p.m.)
Big Men, Broken Dreams — The first of six half-hour documentaries exploring the making of Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson's three films about Papua New Guinea, First Contact, Joe Leahy's Neighbours and Black Harvest. For the past 10 years they have recorded the impact of white society on the highland people of PNG. They interviewed men and women who remember seeing and meeting the first Europeans to enter the remote highlands valleys in the early '80s. The first episode deals with the arrival of gold prospector Michael Leahy 7 and his companions in 1932. ABC Radio National, Sat August 15, 1.30 p.m. (repeated Fri August 21, 9.30 p.m.)
Round Midnight — Jaslyn Hall's Black music bus tours the African continent. Featured is Benin's Angelique Kidjo live in concert. ABC Radio National, Sat August 15, 9 p.m.
The Lake of Pearls: The spirit of the feminine in China — The letters and diaries written by Chinese women over a period of nearly 1000 years in a secret language have just been published in Beijing. Nushu: The Women's Scripts reflect the hopes, the sadnesses and the political events that touched these women. The program looks at the changes in women's social position and the works of contemporary Chinese women writers. ABC Radio National, Sun August 16, 8.15 p.m.
In The Mix: Elvis Expo — To coincide with the 15th anniversary of the death of "the King", In The Mix explores this cultural icon of staggering proportions. Opinions about his significance vary widely. Progressive Native American poet John Trudell has described him as an unwitting cultural revolutionary, a "Baby Boom Che", smashing through the psychological repression of the '50s. On the other hand Public Enemy raps: "Straight up racist that sucker was, plain and simple". You be the judge. ABC Radio National, Mon August 17, 10.05 a.m. and 8.30 p.m.