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Sound Focus (Magazine)

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Next available on KUOW-FM 94.9 in 2 days 21 hours 18 minutes
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Host: Megan Sukys, Dave Beck, Jeannie Yandel
Magazine format program airing engaging interviews with local people who define the Northwest character. National guests join the conversation to share ideas that can change the way we look at life around the Puget Sound.
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Genres: Magazine
Location: Seattle, WA
Language: English
Networks: NPR

Last updated 283 days ago Update show info

Recent Topics

Thrift Stores, Celery Root and Slum TV

Wed, Jan 7 Listen

Sunchokes and celery root are winter vegetables you might find in a French garden. Chef Maria Hines of Seattle Tilth explains why she is working to bring Europe's winter bounty to Northwest farmers. We also check out Slum TV and examine the merits of thrift store shopping.

Chopin to Dr. Dre: The Sounds of the Carillon

Tue, Jan 6 Listen

If you walk the University of Washington campus on a weekday morning, you'll hear a tradition that is nearly 100 years old. There are tuned bells called the carillon. We meet a student who plays everything from Mozart to hip hop. Later, we sample the percussion of pipes and airplane parts.

Looking For Connection and Where Your Drinking Water Comes From

Mon, Jan 5 Listen

Snow isn't wellliked in the Seattle area right now, but we do need it for clean tap water. Today we take a trip to the Cedar River Municipal Watershed to learn where our water comes from. And we book reviews from Nancy Pearl, and poetry with Elizabeth Austen.

High Tech Highlights of 2008, Remembering Eartha Kitt and the Joy of Gelato

Wed, Dec 31 Listen

At 2:00 p.m. The Works: Tech Highlights of 2008 iPhone rocketed to the top of tech lovers' hearts this year. Meanwhile, Microsoft and Yahoo flirted with commitment, television moved out of the box and onto the Net and some consumers fell for a little ebook reader named Kindle. These are just a few of the thrilling developments from technology in 2008. Freelance technology reporter Glenn Fleishman joins us with a look back at his top stories of the year. At 2:20 p.m. Surviving a Northwest...

Depression-Era Movies, Moms Rising, and Classical Music With Gavin Borchert

Tue, Dec 30 Listen

There are some films that stay relevant, no matter when they were made. Local filmmaker Sandy Cioffi talks about three Depression-era films with very contemporary messages. We also hear a reading of the Rick Moody story Boys, and get classical music reviews from Gavin Borchert.

The Food Innovation Center and Nancy Pearl's Favorite Novels of 2008

Mon, Dec 29 Listen

One of Nancy Pearl's favorite novels of 2008 is David Benioff's City of Thieves. We'll hear more about the book based loosely on Benioff's grandfather's experiences during the siege of Leningrad.

Surviving Christmas in the Northwest and Local Songs for the Holidays

Tue, Dec 23 Listen

In 1918, a landslide on Christmas Eve wiped out an entire town near North Bend but it didn't destroy the spirits of those who lived there. Today, we hear about three historic Northwest holidays when perseverance triumphed over inclement conditions.

An Inside Passage Adventure and Book Reviews

Mon, Dec 22 Listen

The inside passage waterway, extending from Washington State, into British Columbia, and up to the Alaska panhandle, includes both scenic treasures and thresholds of churning salt water rapids. Author Clyde Ford guides us through. We also get book reviews from Nancy Pearl.

Running the Iditarod, Overlooked Films, and Fish Tapeworms

Fri, Dec 19 Listen

This year, Laura Daugereau became the first Washington woman to compete in the Iditarod sled dog race. She brings us stories from the trail. We also review overlooked films of 2008 and try to stomach the truth about fish tapeworms.

A Master Bladesmith, 'Expiration Date' and Ominous Art

Thu, Dec 18 Listen

If you ever dine at New York's elite Aureole restaurant, the food on your plate was likely sliced by a Bob Kramer knife. We discover how this artisanal quality all starts in a humble warehouse in Olympia, Washington. We also learn how art can make even flowers look ominous.

Wonder of Flight, Gifts from the Kitchen and Women Soldiers with PTSD

Wed, Dec 17 Listen

Seattle writer and aviation expert Jay Spenser wants people to rediscover the marvel of human flight. He shares how the story of Orville and Wilbur Wright keeps our imaginations soaring. We also check out Google's new flu tracker and get a recipe for Butternut Squash Quesadillas.

Provocative Dance, Celebrating Haydn and Selected Shorts

Tue, Dec 16 Listen

Seattlebased choreographer Donald Byrd grapples with issues of race and culture in his dances, including in his latest work, The Color Purple. We hear how Byrd's past work has stirred up conversation and controversy. We also hear a fresh celebration of the music of Haydn.

'House of Mind' and You May Approach the Bench Press

Fri, Dec 12 Listen

Seattle choreographer Pat Graney has transformed a warehouse into a partial replica of her childhood home. We hear how her multimedia performance House of Mind examines the relationship between memory, dance, Alzheimer's. Also, stories from a power lifting judge and DVDs to watch in the depths of winter.

Vanishing Orangutans, the Army of the Republic and Electric Cars

Thu, Dec 11 Listen

When Joyce Major looks at an Oreo cookie, she thinks of disappearing orangutans. Today, she shares stories from her fivemonth volunteer trip to Bali and explains the link between cookies and vanishing habitat. Then, a novelist finds a connection between the Battle in Seattle and rebel violence in South America. We also check out a new wave of electric cars.

Trading Visions, Sweet Lemons and Studs Terkel

Wed, Dec 10 Listen

One of the most popular art forms in India the handpainted billboard is a dying tradition. Local artist Donald Fels explores the relationship between globalization and billboards. We also get recipes for Meyer lemons and remember the late radio pioneer, Studs Terkel.

A Modern Day Marco Polo and The Art of Start-Up Music

Tue, Dec 9 Listen

Marco Polo traveled the Silk Road back in the 13th century. We speak to the author of The Marco Polo Odyssey who spent ten years retracing the historic journey. We also meet the composer of Windows Vista's startup music and find out how scientists are using a fungal cousin of truffles to make diesel fuel.

Nancy Pearl's Reviews, the Mythos of Steak, and the Poetry of Relationships

Mon, Dec 8 Listen

Today, Nancy Pearl reviews a new satirical novel that explores what happens when a hoax gets out of hand. We also learn the real story behind the American mythos of steaks, and we hear B.T. Shaw's poetry about the durable but messy connections that bind us to one another.

The Ohm Necklace, River Valley Ranch and the Black Stallion

Fri, Dec 5 Listen

Cheesemaker Julie Steil explains how she had to rip off her acrylic fingernails and learn about udders before fulfilling her passion for cheese. We also discover the importance of an ohm necklace and hear why the Black Stallion deserves another chance at the big screen.

A Freed Woman's Dance, Sounds of the Rainforest and the Art of Flags

Thu, Dec 4 Listen

Local author Doris Cope reveals how she transformed her suffering into testimony in her new book, A Freed Woman's Dance. We also explore the bird sounds of a Peruvian rainforest, study the art of flags, and learn about the deep Russian roots of a classic Christmas ballet.

'The Devil's Food Dictionary,' The Ethics of Sketch Comedy and Recipes for

Wed, Dec 3 Listen

Though he describes himself as a mediocre cook, Barry Foy is both fascinated and flabbergasted by the food world. He shares his culinary insights in his humor book, The Devil's Food Dictionary. We also consider the ethics of sketch comedy and get recipes for cooked greens.

Post-Apocalyptic Seattle

Tue, Dec 2 Listen

Today, novelist Terry Brooks takes us inside a world where Safeco Field shelters fugitives hiding from rogue militias and mutated animals. Later, reviewing the legacy of Carl Sagan, how world travel inspires a new view of Seattle, and a surreal portait of bipolar disorder.

Literacy Bridge, Poetry of the Body and Nancy Pearl

Mon, Dec 1 Listen

There are countless approaches to address global poverty. Seattleite Cliff Schmidt, a former software developer, shares how his work in Africa inspired a surprising solution called Literacy Bridge. We also hear poetry of the body and get new book reviews from Nancy Pearl.

Busloads of Politics, Thanksgiving Bounty and Sarah Vowell

Wed, Nov 26 Listen

A group of volunteers got active in civic life by taking a seat on a bus The Washington Bus. We hear about the bus that traverses our state to ramp up political engagement. We also get tips for celebrating the local harvest and for converting old print photos to digital.

The Most Dangerous Gag, Yuppie Pawn and Musical Travels in Russia

Tue, Nov 25 Listen

Babies don't smoke, torpedoes aren't toys, and nuns don't wear boxing gloves. Mark Pahlow knows this. But today, the owner of Archie McPhee reveals how innocent gags provoked a runin with the Department of Defense. We also explore the changing business of pawn shops.

The Poetics of Science, Music and Illness and Nancy Pearl

Mon, Nov 24 Listen

Today, we hear how local poet Linda Bierds finds inspiration in the lives and work of the Austrian genetecist, Gregor Mendel, and the English electrochemist Michael Faraday. We also discover how music can confront illness, and we get book reviews from librarian Nancy Pearl.

Z Homes, Life Saving Scorpion Venom and Twilight

Fri, Nov 21 Listen

Issaquah's Z Home development is using old methods, like installing more insulation, to build sustainable homes for the future. We talk to project manager Brad Liljequist. Then, when it comes to cancer, Dr. Jim Olson has found life saving potential in the venom of a Deathstalker scorpion.

The Pickle Plan, William Faulkner and Twilight

Thu, Nov 20 Listen

Today, we meet a plastics designer who moonlights as a pickle producer. Then, a Seattleite shares how Pulitzer winner William Faulkner gave her family a way out of poverty. Also, the film Twilight has sparked a vampire tourism boom in the tiny Olympic Peninsula town of Forks.

Child POW, the Global Water Crisis and Eating Locally

Wed, Nov 19 Listen

Alice Finch set out to visit the Philippines with her mom in 1941. What started as a vacation suddenly became a nightmare when they were taken as prisoners of war. Alice shares how her mother's survival instinct kept them alive. We also look into the global water crisis.

Art and Upheaval, Rare Instruments, and Preserving Musical Culture

Tue, Nov 18 Listen

Bill Cleveland, founder of the Center for Art and Community in Bainbridge Island, details stories of the transformative power of art from around the world, including here in Seattle. We also visit a rare instrument collection and sample folksong arrangements by Vartabed.

A Family Violin, Poems from Hanford and Nancy Pearl

Mon, Nov 17 Listen

Howard Scott started building his violin in 1946 as a prisoner on McNeil Island. Today, Howard's grandson tells us why he decided to finish building his grandfather's violin. We also hear poems about the Hanford nuclear plant, and we get book reviews from Nancy Pearl.