For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, Saturday the 21st is the shortest day of the year, also known as the winter solstice. Celebrate the impending uptick in sunshine that starts on the 22nd by listening to a cozy Saturday edition of Word of Mouth. On this week's show:
- The American male is suffering from a friend crisis: Lisa Wade is professor of sociology at Occidental College and principal writer for Sociological Images. She wrote about it for Salon.
- Volunteering: EMS Workers. We looked at a few off the beaten path volunteer opportunities in the Granite State over the past week. Reporter Emily Corwin and Senior Producer Maureen McMurray bring us the story of an amazing group of volunteers on the seacoast.
- What's with the dearth of new holiday songs? Despite the sleigh load of holiday albums released every winter, there hasn’t been an original holiday single with the staying power of Mariah Carey’s hit for nineteen years. So, has our culture stopped welcoming new holiday songs? Has our Christmas carol quota been met? Chris Klimek, is here to weigh in, his article for Slate: “All I Want For Christmas Is A New Christmas Song,” pretty much says it all.
- What Does Quality Mean in the Age Of Hi-Def? Joining the conversation about where entertainment technology can go from here is Jamin Warren – founder and editor-in-chief at Killscreen, a videogame arts and culture magazine, Slate music columnist Carl Wilson, and, David Ewalt, contributing editor at Forbes.
- Volunteering: Animal Shelters Producer Zach Nugent visited the Manchester Animal Shelter where he met volunteer Steve Roberto and the adorable pets he cares for.
- The Story Behind "The Christmas La La Song." In 2008, NHPR's Sean Hurley wrote a Christmas song called "The Christmas La La Song" for a comedy talk show on satellite radio. In the ensuing years the song has taken on a life of its own. Like Elf on a Shelf, some people love it and some people really don't.
- What Happens After 'I Do?' Matt Mendelsohn is a writer and professional photographer of more than 450 weddings since 1999. Matt explores the meaning of marriage by reconnecting with five couples whose weddings he photographed years before, to find out whether they’re relationships have grown, evolved, or ended.