WAMU 88.5FM American University Radio

Anyone For Moose Lips?

The calendar still says 'summer' but we know that's a dirty lie. For all intents and purposes it's been packed away till June 2008. Yes, it's that time of year when we oh-so-reluctantly have to let go of the carefree days of July and August. But we don't have to let go of the memories. And that brings us to camping. Some of the most indelible summer experiences happen under canvas. Even if things didn't go so smoothly; even if we had to deal with bugs and damp firewood; even if 'relaxing' turned out to be a LOT of hard work... family camping trips always seem to have their own chapter in the book of nostalgia. And so it was with the Henderson family, when three girls and their mother set out to spend a night together in the great outdoors. Gemma Hooley tagged along on the camping trip.

Fred Fiske

Senior Commentator Fred Fiske considers the state of charity in America.

Sonic Circuits

DC's Sonic Circuits experimental music festival starts this week. In a town that boasts so many gospel, choral, orchestral, rock, and blues choices, the month-long festival offers a sustained chance to experience cutting edge experimental sounds from local and international artists. We're joined by the Director of the Sonic Circuits festival, Jeff Surak.

The State of DC Comedy

Washington is a power center, a city that attracts driven, passionate and committed people. So you think it would also be a place that could use a good laugh at the end of the day. But this is a tough town for comedians. DC has spawned its share of headliners, but comics often wind up having to skip town in favor of L.A. or New York, where established comedy clubs are plentiful and provide exposure to film and TV scouts. Metro Connection's Stephanie Kaye has been spending late nights at the open mics and comedy clubs around town, to get a sense of the state of comedy in the District.

Mondo DC - The Hampton Throne

Over a fourteen year period, DC-based folk artist James Hampton secretly built an elaborate, room-sized sculpture in his garage. It consisted of 180 objects assembled around a central throne - and it wasn't discovered until after his death in 1964. Titled "The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly," the sculpture DID finally make it out of the garage. Author Jeff Bagato joins us to visit the work in its current home, the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Jeff Bagato is the author of "Mondo DC - An Insider's Guide to Washington DC's Most Unusual Tourist Attractions."

Judy Becomes Rose

Writer Andrew Hiller doesn't claim to be the world's best singer - hey, he'll be the first to tell you of his knack for forgetting lyrics. But he knows plenty about the transforming power of music.

Andrew Hiller is a writer living in Silver Spring.