Disasters in developing nations bring out the better angels of foreign governments and world citizens, but not all aid, or media coverage, is distributed equally. On today’s show we discover why the world’s worst disasters don’t always get the most aid.
Then, if you’ve ever binge-watched a show until you feel sick, you may be suffering from: “shoverdose”. Check your phone obsessively? Well, you may be “figital”. Later in the show, the joys of made-up words.
Listen to the full show:
How Disaster Aid is Doled Out In Poor Countries
There are a number of factors which determine how much aid is delivered when a disaster strikes a country – from geopolitics to which other stories are grabbing the spotlight. Tim Kovach analyzes, writes, and blogs about disaster risk reduction. His research reveals that the worst disasters don’t always get the most aid. You can read his article, “The Way We Give Disaster Aid to Poor Countries Makes No Sense” at Vox.com
From Child Soldier to Stylist
Lilly Pyle was among 5000 Vietnamese women who came to the U.S. between 1971 and 1975 after marrying U.S. servicemen. While starting a new life in America meant she had to leave behind her family, she never severed the ties with her home country. Sara Hoover brings us this story.
You can listen to this story again at PRX.org.
That Should Be A Word
Lizzie Skurnick is the author of That Should Be A Word: A Language Lover’s Guide To Choregasms, Povertunity, Brattling, And Other Much-Needed Terms For The Modern World. See a few more of our favorite neologisms from Lizzie here.
Do you have a favorite invented word you’d like to share? Tell us about it on our Facebook page.
The Invented Language of The Country of Ice Cream Star
While one critic has called Sandra Newman’s book The Country of Ice Cream Star a sort of Hunger Games for grown-ups, Newman’s dystopian epic may have more in common with books like a Clockwork Orange, or Riddley Walker – at least when it comes to the language. Producer Taylor Quimby spoke with Newman about the language she created for her characters.
Read a review of the book from NPR: “10 Hearts for the Country—and Language of ‘Ice Cream Star’”