Studio 360

Strikers Phone it In

As the Writers Guild of America enters the fourth month of its strike, Kurt checks in with union members in Hollywood and New York. If “pencils down” means pencils down, just what exactly are they doing with their time? We find out from David Milch, Bruce Feirstein, Maggie Bandur, and Andy Breckman.

Busted

In late January, 500 federal agents swooped down on art collections in southern California with warrants. The alleged crimes? The possession of smuggled art objects, looted mostly from Asian and Native American sites. Thomas Hoving, a former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (and a keen observer of dirty dealings in the art world), tells Kurt about what the bust means for museums around the country.

Synesthesia for the Rest of Us

Synesthesia causes people to hear music -– or see letters or numbers -– in color. Neuroscience is beginning to unravel what’s going on in the brains of people with this cerebral phenomenon, but hasn’t yet explained why the genetic mutation exists. V.S. Ramachandran, Director of the Center for Brain and Cognition at UC San Diego, has a theory, as he explains to producer Michael May.

• SLIDESHOW: Paintings by Carol Steen

Remembering Andy Palacio

Palacio –- a major star in Belize -– was a cultural ambassador of the Garifuna ethnic minority. He died suddenly in late January, at age 47. Palacio visited Studio 360 last July to perform songs from his album Watina, which went on to many critics top-10 lists for 2007. Here is Kurt’s interview with him, and Palacio’s live performance.

Bonus Track: "Watina"

Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective perform "Watina" in Studio 360.

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