Best of the Best presents the winners of our 17th annual Third Coast / Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Competition. From more than 600 entries, eleven were chosen as winners that we can’t wait to share. Meticulously crafted and lovingly produced, these stories intrigue, inform and inspire.

This year's program will feature the following stories, and interviews with some these exceptional producers:  

Hour 1

Quiet Revolution, produced by Laura Irving for BIRSt.co.uk
This autobiographical account follows a middle-aged woman embarking on an unconventional new hobby of roller skating.  Is she a fearless warrior against age and gender stereotypes? 

Standing Out from the Crowd at a Trump Rally, produced by Ike Sriskandarajah for Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX
In Myrtle Beach, candidate Donald Trump spoke at a Tea Party convention about banning Muslims: “We don’t know where these guys are from.” At a motorcycle rally outside, producer Ike Sriskandarajah is personally confronted with the same skepticism.

Blink Once for Yes, produced by John Fecile, Steven Jackson and Lizzie Schiffman Tufano for Love + Radio, from Radiotopia
When Mike comes home after an accident, his family is faced with a new reality and an impossible choice.

Heavyweight: Gregor, produced by Jonathan Goldstein with co-producers Wendy Dorr, Kalila Holt, Chris Neary for Heavyweight from Gimlet Media.
20 years ago, Gregor lent some CDs to a musician friend. The CDs helped make him a famous rockstar. Now, Gregor would like some recognition. But mostly, he wants his CDs back.

Emancipation: A Young Man Leaves Foster Care on His Own Terms, produced by Noel Anaya with Brett Myers and Denise Tejada for Youth Radio and NPR’s All Things Considered
When Noel Anaya had his final hearing before aging out of California’s foster care system, he wanted to bring millions into that courtroom with him, where he’d suffered time and time again.  

Majd’s Diary: Two Years in the Life of a Saudi Girl, produced by Sarah Kate Kramer and Joe Richman for Radio Diaries and NPR’s All Things Considered
Majd Abdulghani dreams of becoming a scientist, while her parents want to arrange her marriage.  From the age of 19 to 21, Majd Abdulghani used a microphone to chronicle her life, taking listeners inside a society where the voices of women are rarely heard.

Hour 2

The Discussion, produced by Rosa Gollan for PocketDocs from ABC Radio National
For some friends there's no subject too secret, or content too confronting. Rosa and Ryan have that kind of friendship. But five years after they first met, Rosa realized there was still one discussion left to have, and it wasn't going to be easy.

Los Cassettes del Exilio, produced by Dennis Maxwell for Radio Ambulante
For much of Dennis Maxwell’s childhood, his father was living in exile, communicating with the family via cassette tapes. Dennis found those tapes recently and discovered the true impact of his father’s exile.

The Accidental Gay Parents, Episode 5, produced by Hillary Frank with Kristen Clark and Abigail Keel for The Longest Shortest Time from Stitcher
This is the story of what it’s like to be a pregnant man, and to share that news with your parents, your children, and the world.

S-Town, produced by Brian Reed and Julie Snyder 
S-Town is a podcast that starts as a traditional investigation into corruption and wrongdoing in rural Alabama that becomes something much newer and stranger: a literary profile of one man’s life.

The Traffic Stop, produced by Tracy Mumford with Hans Buetow, reported by Jon Collins and Riham Feshir, for 74 Seconds from Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media.  
On July 6, 2016, Philando Castile was pulled over by Officer Jeronimo Yanez for a broken brake light. How did a routine traffic stop turn fatal in less than two minutes? We break down what happened that night, second by second.

Best of the Best also features interviews with winning producers who give us a glimpse into the art of audio storytelling.

Best of the Best may be presented as a two-hour program or as two one-hour programs. Stations may also air just one hour.

Guests Include:

• David Wallace Adams, Cleveland State University, about  images of the successful Carlisle Indian Industrial School’s football team in the press.

• Christian McMillen, University of Virginia, on a Supreme Court case that challenged
  the idea that nomadic tribes could not have property rights.

The Orange

Storyteller Joel ben Izzy recalls a conversation he had with an older gent who describes the true beauty of a piece of fruit.

Visit Joel's site for more stories.

Produced by Stephanie Foo



Salted Egg

Thirty years after the tragedy of the Khmer Rouge, a Cambodian Family begins an unlikely search for their missing father.

Produced by Anna Sussman.


Molly
In an amazing performance, Marc Bamuthi Joseph uses his many gifts to transport an entire live audience from San Francisco to the heart of Africa. National Poetry Slam champion, Broadway veteran, GOLDIE award winner, Marc is also an inaugural recipient of the United States Artists Rockefeller Fellowship which annually recognizes 50 of the country's "greatest living artists."


So Embarrassed

For Jeff Greenwald, Tibet was a transcendentalist paradise. The people, the food, and the breathtaking beauty captivated him. And Tibet loved Jeff right back, granting him access to areas no Westerner had ever seen. It was almost like he fit right in.

Almost.

Produced by Roman Mars and Stephanie Foo


The Thanksgiving Foo Mix

Stephanie Foo brings a mashup of thanks.


Just Like Your Father

Tracy never knew her Father. (She never knew that she wanted to...)

Producer: Rita Daniels


Frances Liberty

Frances Liberty was a good Catholic school girl. But that all changed when she decided to serve as a nurse in the army. She served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Grenada, and developed a sass that deeply affected many she came into contact with.

Thank you to the Veterans History Project for providing audio for this story. To hear other veterans' stories, go to http://loc.gov/vets. The painting you see above is a portrait of Frances Liberty by J.D. Nelson.

Producer: Natalia Jaeger and Mark Ristich

Massasoit was the leader of the Wampanoag Confederacy when English settlers landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620.  He and his people kept the Pilgrims from starving in the early years of their settlement, attended the first Thanksgiving and forged a peace treaty with the English that lasted 40 years until his death.  We'll talk with American Indian scholars Darius Coombs and Bob Charlesbois who'll fill in the details of this Native American leader's attempt to make peace for his people and with the new strangers.   Also, Native American film director Chris Eyre on his portrayal of Massasoit for the 2009 PBS television series We Shall Remain.

Thanksgiving special featuring the classic holiday mix: "A Shortcut Back Home". with Neil Young, Fats Waller, Vera Ellen, James Stewart, Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, The Kinks, John Travolta, Billie Burke, Bert Lahr, Elvis Costello, Ray Bolger, Judy Garland, W.C. Fields, Carole King, The Beatles, Vivian Leigh, Clark Gables, and much more 

Earth Eats Thanksgiving is a 59-minute show about real food and green living, a program of planning and preparing a terrific thanksgiving meal with turkey, other courses, and some vegetarian options. Host Annie Corrigan and renowned chef Daniel Orr indulge in some fine cooking, and some very foody musical interludes with very special friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

Daniel Orr is a celebrated chef and culinary author who has worked at some of the top restaurants in France before running New York's famed La Grenouille.  Originally from Columbus, Indiana, Chef Orr recently returned to his roots and is now the chef/owner of FARMbloomington in Bloomington, Indiana.

Earth Eats is a weekly radio program and podcast from the studios of WFIU Public Media, delivering the freshest news and recipes inspired by local food and sustainable agriculture.  More information at http://eartheats.org.

Autumn is harvest time. That means Iowa corn and soybeans; fruit dried in the California sun; greens, beans, and potatoes; slaughtered hogs and beef trucked to market. It also means Thanksgiving turkeys. Harvest follows the families to the grain elevator, the farmers markets and, in a welcome break from work, the State Fair. It's the time of summing up after the long growing season --- the time to decide whether the gamble of early spring planting season has paid off.

Harmonia rings in the harvest season with a cornucopia of early music delights!  We'll hear merchant cries from long-ago London, witness the marriage of music and ritual, and dine at Johann Hermann Schein's musical Banquet.  For dessert: our featured release Amor Vincit Omnia or "Love Conquers All."

Harmonia looks at the cornucopia, an ancient symbol for the harvest, fertility, and giving thanks.  Music from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and early America will be explored, in addition to a new release of works for horn and strings entitled "Cornucopia II." Hosted by Angela Mariani.

An array of stories in the spirit of thanksgiving and giving thanks. A refugee thanks his country with a special meal; a son thanks his parents who raised a family of 14; giving and receiving at a foodbank; plus 'love and the peking duck' and the story of canned fruits that came to a sticky end.

For Thanksgiving week, I have a series of songs from fantastic albums that are all about gathering together in appreciation. There’s a trend that’s catching on, and I admit to being a little late to the party on this, but the celebration of Friends-Giving is a really cool thing, and a way to communicate thanks to friends outside of the family line. That’s what I want to do this week with you right here. I appreciate the connection you give me and for you spending a little bit of time right here with me each week. So this time I have a collection of some of my favorite albums from the past few years, many of them new releases. Indie singer-songwriters Calexico & Iron & Wine, Samsel and the Skirt, Brandi Carlile, and Andrew Belle on the way plus alternative’s Augustana, Blues Traveler and more.

'Debts of Gratitude' is a variety of light hearted conversations and a retelling of experiences about the way we say "Thank You" and why sometimes we don't say it at all.  

Lost opportunities to say thank you. How does an anonymous organ donor ever say thank you to the person who gave them a second chance at life?  When Canadian actor Sandra Oh (Grey's Anatomy) made her thank-you speech at the Golden Globes, who did she struggle to remember?  Also, hear about the etiquette of "thank you" in North America, and how it contrasts with the customs of some folks from Somalia, Iran and Burma. 

Hosted by the CBC's Alan Neal, 'Debts of Gratitude' is a Thanksgiving Program that won silver at the 2010 New York Festivals Radio Program and Promotion Awards.

Kaleidoscope's "I Remember Radio Series": A delightful nostalgic account of the heyday of radio with all the legendary performers, music, drama, commercials, comedy, newsmakers and newscasters, the soaps, the songs, the bands, the kid's shows, the horror and sci-fi programs, the mysteries, the public service presentations.

This 45 minute program features selections from "The Stan Freberg Show," "The Jack Benny Show," and "Our Miss Brooks" for a Golden Age of Radio Thanksgiving.

World-renowned naturalist Joe Hutto, subject of the Emmy winning BBC documentary "My Life As a Turkey", discusses how he became a wild turkey mother in the hammocks of Florida. Plus: Fourth-generation pilot Eric Walden gives a play-by-play of the ninja-like moves of the wild turkey—mid-air.  And: The once-scorned bronze-feathered turkey is making a comeback, with the help of organic, free-range farmers like Paul Kelly. Also: Jay Sullivan sends his students off to Thanksgiving Break with a poem about a young engineer’s ingenuity and of course, a turkey.

At this point, most of us know the Thanksgiving story about the Pilgrims and the Indians happily indulging in a joint feast is a vast oversimplification of what actually happened. 

But how many of us still have an idea of Native people that’s stuck in the past? “People didn’t believe that I was Native because I was from North Carolina,” Lumbee Indian Malinda Maynor Lowery says. “The only thing they learned about Indians in school, maybe, was that we were removed from the Southeast.”

In this first episode of Gravy, meet a tribe of Indians who are very much still in the Southeast– and whose food reflects a distinct hybrid of Southern and Native history. The Lumbee’s story is one that spans centuries, and includes new windows into periods you may think you know– like the Jim Crow era. Plus something you’ll be eager to eat: the collard sandwich.

Whether you're the host or the guest, whether the table is set for two or twenty, feasts are memorable occasions. They may mark holidays, special events, or simply the celebration of family and friends. This program features three works that focus on feasts. Sarah Webster Goodwin talks about Isak Dinesen's short story "Babette's Feast"; Kari Salkjelsvik explores Laura Esquivel's novel _Like Water for Chocolate_; and Gail Kern Paster talks about Ben Jonson's poem "Inviting a Friend to Supper." Well-suited to Thanksgiving. Fifteen- and thirty-second promos available.

It's Thanksgiving- a time of hospitality and good will- right? But not everyone feels the love- some people just get downright cranky. So, how about a reminder of the things that make you happy.  Frank Faulk presents a piece he calls "I Thank Therefore I Am, I Think."  It's about being grateful in spite of ourselves.

In Virginia, there are eleven Indian tribes, some several thousand people in all. Yet the United States doesn’t believe they exist. The seeds of this denial were planted in the early years of the last century by one man with a narrow vision and unrestrained power. Charles McGuigan recently visited the Indian Council Grounds in Charles City, Virginia and heard the story from one of the assistant chiefs of the Chickahominy tribe.

Thanksgiving is the favorite holiday for many Americans, but what is it like for those who are from other countries and celebrate it too? This piece gives you a glimpse of how special American Thanksgiving is to foreigners.

From turkey farm to supermarket, the life and death of a turkey.

Commentator Andrew Lam remembers his first Thanksgiving in America, when he was a teenage refugee, fleeing war in his native Vietnam.But it was neither American history lessons nor Puritan cuisine that taught him the meaning of the holiday.... (this is a debut piece)

On June 18, 2013, singer/songwriter Stephen Kellogg released a brand new solo album, Blunderstone Rookery (mixed by Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes). The album debuted on the Billboard Top 200 Chart and was released to great praise.

CMT Edge said, "his memorable melodies keep the music moving while the lyrics pull you into a deeper story" while The Seattle Post Intelligencer chimed, "Anyone who appreciates the singer-songwriter tradition needs to know Stephen Kellogg."

The album was inspired by a challenging year that Kellogg endured in which his grandmother and mother-in-law passed away, his long time backing band The Sixers went on hiatus, his wife (who he met when he was 15) had their fourth daughter, and he had to repair his family's home from the ground up. While it was a tough year, Kellogg didn't let it get the best of him. You can watch his inspirational TED Talk called "I Can't Get No (Job) Satisfaction" HERE.

The album winds down with the ten minute opus "Thanksgiving." You can watch the offical video for the track HERE. 

This piece is an interview segment with Stephen Kellogg that discusses the track "Thanksgiving" for use at your station. Please note that there is a long version that is 03:52 minutes long and a short version that is 02:23 minutes long. 

For more information, please feel free to contact Joe Sivick: jsivick@missingpiecegroup.com

 

Thanksgiving is just over a week away. A day when many of the grateful wash down turkey and stuffing with a glass of wine, or celebrate visits from old friends over a cold beer, or two.

One New Hampshire farmer hopes we’ll try sipping on artisanal cider instead. Hard cider is a New England tradition that dates back to the Founding Fathers, and as falling apple prices leave orchard owners struggling to stay afloat, a cider revival could provide a lifeline to New Hampshire growers.

Producer Avishay Artsy went to taste for himself.

"Oh, I love it. You can't live without corn bread. And you gotta cook it in that skillet, too! ... Corn bread basically was poor man's food that everybody loved. To this day my favorite meal is pinto beans, corn bread and buttermilk." Pour a tall glass of buttermilk and come with us to the National Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. This short, non-narrated postcard is a whirlwind sonic celebration of Southern food and culture.

Cancer survivor and NY tImes bestselling author Susan Chernak McElroy recounts two related tales of giving thanks - one from her cancer recovery, and the other a story from her book "Animals as Teachers and Healers," about a woman, changing circumstances, and her beloved cat Sammy. A handy and beautiful filler for this time of year. This is a lifted excerpt from my complete pilot "For Kindred Spirits," also available on PRX.

My five year old hopped into the car "What did you do today?" I asked. She couldn't wait to tell me. "We learned that boys are different from girls," she chirped. Looking into the rearview mirror, I could just see the top of her head. "My teacher told us that boys have a thing the girls don't," she added. "Well, yes they do…" I said cautiously...

A sonic impression of accentuated actualities revolving around my extended family gathering around the dining room table to listen to my grandfather's Thanksgiving day speech.

Lacar Musgrove reads "A Moveable Race" about a 19th Century bicycle race on Thanksgiving Day in New Orleans.