Studio 360: Potter, Mars, Griffin

July 13, 2007

Deconstructing Harry

Kurt considers the shockwaves surrounding the final installment of modern literature’s most beloved English school boy, Harry Potter. Will JK Rowling really bump off the little wizard? We'll hear from obsessive pre-teens, child psychologist Wendy Mogel, and Sara Nelson, the editor of Publishers Weekly, about the anxiety surrounding Potter’s fate. Produced by Jenny Lawton.

Photographing Mars

For three years NASA has had two Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity) on Mars -- two all terrain robots taking extraordinary pictures of the red planet every day. A third, the Phoenix will be sent up this August. Sarah Lilley talked to NASA scientist Jim Bell about how the Rovers’ planet-scapes and how they’re becoming a valuable part of our collective visual vocabulary.

The Hamann Sisters

This weekend, the pianists Amy and Sara Hamann are making their debut with the Minnesota Orchestra -- and it's a milestone for the Minneapolis natives. Even though the classical repertoire for two pianos is limited, the sisters will be playing an 18th century piece that has never before been performed in North America. But as Mark Sutton tells us, there’s a controversial twist to the Hamann sisters’ story.

Hamann Sisters website

Miranda July

In 2005, if you were lucky enough to catch her quirky and beautiful indie movie called "Me and You and Everyone We Know," you know that Miranda July (who wrote, directed, and starred in the film) is a huge talent. And she has just published a book of short stories called No One Belongs Here More Than You. She stopped by the studio to read "This Person" from the collection. Produced by Pejk Malinovski.

Design for the Real World: Swimming Pool

Jeff Wiltse, author of Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America, offers a brief history of taking the plunge. Produced by Hadara Graubart.

Buy Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America

Patty Griffin

The singer-songwriter performs from her new album, "Children Running Through." And she tells Kurt why she decided to disguise a war protest tune as a love song.

Studio 360