July 18, 2008
The Tony Award-winning writer and performer (“Bridge & Tunnel”), briefs Kurt on her experiences at the Aspen Ideas Festival, a gathering of big thinkers to tackle big problems. Jones transforms from a self-deprecating Brit to a Jewish grandmother, to a young male rapper.
(Program recorded live in Aspen: July 5, 2008. See a video of the whole show.)
Sarah Jones performs at the Aspen Ideas Festival:
Steve Earle casts a critical eye on the political scene, in a song from his record El Corazon.
Howard Gardner, who developed the theory of multiple intelligences, joins Kurt and Sarah on stage for a session of free advice. He analyzes audience members’ big life-changing moments, and gets Sarah to fess up about how her impersonation skills came in handy when playing hooky from high school.
Weigh in: Have you changed your mind -- and life?
The country rocker tells Kurt about how his move from Nashville to New York City inspired his new album, Washington Square Serenade. He also talks about his role on HBO’s The Wire: "a redneck recovering addict, so it required no acting."
Kurt remembers the essay that brought him to New York, and the blind date that changed his life.
Sarah Jones channels a young Dominican immigrant living in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. "Nereida" tells her story about her family’s first miracle in America.
Steve Earle's wife and musical collaborator, Allison Moorer, joins Earle on this love song to their new hometown.
Allison and Steve perform their duet from Washington Square Serenade.
Studio 360 Live in Aspen 2008 is a co-production of PRI, WNYC, The Aspen Institute and The Atlantic. Special thanks to Ed Haber, Rob Christiansen, Chris Bannon, Nuala McGovern and Lisa Allison.
Studio 360 is a co-production of
Public
Radio International and
WNYC New York Public Radio, and is funded in part by
Ken and Lucy Lehman, the
National Endowment for the Arts, the Lily Auchincloss Foundation, and
DK Eyewitness Travel. Studio 360's American Icons series is supported in part by the
National Endowment for the Humanities. Our series on creativity and science is supported in part by the
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Our series on Underground Heroes is supported in part by the New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. 
