WGTD's The Morning Show with Greg Berg

James Kaplan, co-author with Jerry Lewis of "Dean & Me: A Love Story." The book explores the relationship between Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin- a professional partnership and friendship that eventually fractured.

We preview Saturday afternoon's concert by the UW-Parkside Orchestra, which will be devoted to great film music. Our guest is conductor Alvaro Garcia.

We speak with Dr. Julius Crump, a member of Carthage College's religion faculty since 2018 and co-director of the school's Teaching Commons. Dr. Crump was recently named the Rev. Raymon Pedersen Distinguished Professor of Social Change.

We talk to two young people- 13-year-old Jaxson Thomas and 19-year-old Jayden Eisenbraun - who have undertaken a huge toy drive. Jaxson happens to be on the Autism spectrum- and is happy to have people know that because he wants people to know that Autistic people are capable of accomplishing great things.

Esther Roberts, executive director of The Shalom Center, talks about all that they offer to people in Kenosha living in poverty. (There is a fundraiser this Saturday evening at Union Park Tavern will benefit The Shalom Center as well as The Sharing Center in Trevor.)

We speak with Sharon Pomaville, executive director of The Sharing Center, which works with people living in poverty in rural Kenosha County. (A fundraiser this Saturday evening at Union Park Tavern is donating proceeds to The Sharing Center and The Shalom Center.)

From 2012- Michael Schumacher, author of "Mighty Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald." Last week (Nov. 10) marked the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, one of the most tragic and mysterious events ever to occur on the Great Lakes. Schumacher's book is the definitive account of the tragedy and its aftermath.

We speak with David Anderson, artistic director of the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra, about the LGSO's next concert- featuring music of Glinka, Brahms, and Dawson. The group is in the midst of its 25th Anniversary season.

We speak with best-selling author Mitch Albom ("Tuesdays with Morrie") about his latest book ..... a novel titled "Twice" in which the main character discovers that he has the ability to redo anything that he regrets- but he must live with the results. It's a fascinating exploration of what it means to be human and to live with the consequences of the choices we make.

We have been replaying interviews with documentarian Barak Goodman, who has created an array of superb films for the PBS series AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, which unfortunately has been cancelled by PBS because of federal budget cuts. This conversation from 2012 concerns Goodman's two-part documentary "Clinton," which chronicles the fascinating story and complicated legacy of President Bill Clinton.

From 2019- NPR's Linda Holmes (Pop Culture Happy Hour) talks about her first novel, "Evvie Drake Starts Over."

Kelly Cervantes talks about her new book "The Luckiest: A Memoir of Love, Loss, Motherhood, and the Pursuit of Self." Her husband is Miguel Cervantes, the man who has done more performances of the title role of the musical HAMILTON than anyone else. Kelly Cervantes's memoir is deeply moving and honest and touches on the joys and sorrows that she has experienced in her eventful life.

For National Community Foundation Week, we welcome back to the program Amy Greil, Executive Director of the Kenosha Community Foundation. Joining her, at her invitation, is Ton Tatum, Executive Director of Racine Kenosha Community Action Agency. What prompted the invitation was the urgent concerns raised about a possible interruption in funding for SNAP - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - and what people can do who have concerns for this issue.

From 2021- Kurt Davis, author of "Finding Soul: From Silicon Vally to Africa: A Personal Journey Through Twenty Countries in Africa." Davis, a tech entrepreneur, found his life utterly transformed when he traveled to Africa as part of an entrepreneurial support organization seeking to help refugees throughout the continent. His travels took him to places like South Africa, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana and more.

For Veteran's Day- From 2019- Patrick O'Donnell, author of "The Unknowns: The Untold Story of America's Unknown Soldier and World War One's Most Decorated Heroes Who Brought Him Home."

From 2018- Edward G. Lengel, author of "Never in Finer Company: The Men of the Great War's Lost Battalion." This is one of the most stirring stories of heroism to emerge from World War One. (Note- the PBS special airing Tuesday night, November 11th - "American Heart in World War One: A Carnegie Hall Tribute" focuses in large measure on this same extraordinary story."

Dr. James Ripley., director of instrumental activities at Carthage College, talks about the performance this Wednesday night, November 12th, when the Wind Orchestra will accompany a screening of the Buster Keaton silent film classic "Sherlock Jr." This is the third such project with Dr. Ripley and the Wind Orchestra - following on previous screenings of "Metropolis" and "The General."

Renowned documentarian talks about his 6-part, 12-hour documentary series "The American Revolution," which begins airing this Sunday, November 16th on PBS stations across the country, including channel 10 in Milwaukee. Burns calls this the most important project he has ever done.

From 2010 - Barak Goodman talks about the American Experience documentary film "My Lai' - an examination of the most horrific massacre of the Viet Nam War. We are resharing archival interviews with Goodman in the wake of the news that PBS has cancelled "American Experience" because of federal budget cuts. Goodman's recent film "Kissinger" turned out to be his last for American Experience (at least for the foreseeable future.)

From 2017- SC Gwynn, author of "The Perfect Pass: American Genius and the Reinvention of Football."

-We preview a remarkable special airing on Veteran's Day on PBS stations across the country- including channel 10 in Milwaukee. "American Heart in World War One: a Carnegie Hall Tribute" was created, written and narrated by historian John Monsky. This multi-media presentation combines spoken narration, projected images, plus numerous songs from the period offered up by five Broadway performers and The Orchestra of Saint Luke's.

We speak with Ken Belson from the New York Times about his new book "Every Day is Sunday: How Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, and Roger Goodell Turned the NFL into a Cultural and Economic Juggernaut." After that is a portion of an interview with the author of "Loserville," which tells the story of how Atlanta, GA became the first southern city to be host to teams from MLB, the NFL, the NBA, and the NHL.

We speak with soprano Laura Strickling, who has been twice nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo Album. She and her family now live in Racine- and she will be singing a recital at Carthage College (in Siebert Chapel) next Tuesday evening, November 11th at 7:30. Strickling's second Grammy nomination was for a marvelous and groundbreaking recording project titled 40X40 in which she commissioned 40 different composers to write 40 new art songs; the project was her way of celebrating her 40th birthday while celebrating the vibrant world of contemporary art song.

From 2010 comes a perfect interview for any lover of books. Sean Manning is the editor of "Bound to Last: 30 Writers on their Most Cherished Book." Manning approached 29 of his fellow writers and asked each of them to writer about what they regarded as their most cherished book- not just because of the content of the book but also the physical book itself as an artifact.

We speak with Joyce Gregg, coordinator of the local AAUW's Gigantic Book Sale, which is happening this coming weekend.

We are re-sharing past interviews with acclaimed documentarian Barak Goodman, who has created a number of important films for the PBS series American Experience over the years. From 2004 comes "The Fight," which examined the highly anticipated heavyweight boxing match between American Joe Louis and German Max Schmeling- a match that seemed to attract the attention of the entire world as World War Two was looming on the horizon.

The recent thefts at The Louvre in Paris brought to mind a past Morning Show conversation about Leonardo da Vinci and his most famous painting, the Mona Lisa, which is displayed at the Louvre. Bulent Atalay is the author of "Math and the Mona Lisa: The Art and Science of Leonardo da Vinci." This interview was recorded and initially broadcast in 2014.

Amy Neumann is founder and executive director of Resourceful Non-Profit, which assists other non-profit organizations and agencies in accessing technology (including AI) that can help them enhance their effectiveness. She is going to be the keynote speaker for the upcoming Non-Profit Leadership Conference at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on November 12th.

Part 1- Best-selling author Tom Clavin talks about his latest book, "Running Deep: Bravery, Survival, and the True Story of the Deadliest Submarine in World War II." The book describes the crucial role played by American submarines in the Pacific Theater during World War Two (especially given the disaster suffered by the U.S. at Pearl Harbor and the way in which our naval forces were so badly compromised.) The book focuses particularly on the U.S.S. Tang, and its commander, Captain Richard Hetheringrton O'Kane- which sank more Japanese vessels and rescued more downed aviators than any other American submarine. Part 2- From 2010, Eric Blehm tells a story of heroism from the War in Afghanistan in his book "The Only Thing Worth Fighting For: How Eleven Green Berets Fought for a New Afghanistan."

We talk with Michael Clickner about the Racine Theater Guild's production of "Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors," which runs through November 9th. (He is the director of the production.) We also talk with Clickner about the 50 years that he has been active at the RTG in many different capacities.

We preview the next concert of the Belle City Brassworks with their artistic director, Doug Johnson. "Classical Brass" will occur this Sunday afternoon, November 2nd, at 3:00 - in the Frances Bedford Concert Hall on the campus of UW-Parkside.

In anticipation of the University of Wisconsin Parkside's Non-Profit Leadership Conference on November 12th, we talk with two of the organizers of the event ..... Crista Kruse, Director of Professional and Continuing Education at UW-Parkside, and Len Iaquinta, who has worked extensively in the non-profit sector for more than half a century. Beyond previewing the conference, we also talk about the exceptional challenges facing non-profit organizations and sectors today, some of the most significant principles of successful non-profits operate, and some of the intriguing ways in which the non-profit sector operates very differently from the profit-making world.

We speak with Marcus Watts, executive director of Racine Kenosha Vocational Ministry - and his predecessor, James Schatzman, founder and executive director emeritus. RKVM assists recently incarcerated persons in finding meaningful employment. Theirs is a methodical approach in which they work closely with their clients to help prepare them to flourish in the workplace.

In the wake of the sad news that PBS has had to cancel the documentary series American Experience, we are replaying some past interviews that previewed previous films in the series. From 2005, 20 years ago, is this interview with Barak Goodman in which he talks about his film "Kinsey," which examines the life and legacy of Alfred Kinsey and the sometimes controversial research which he conducted on sexual behavior. The film can be purchased on DVD - is currently available on YouTube - and may be available through the PBS app. {Goodman's most recent American Experience film, "Kissinger," airs Monday and Tuesday evening (Oct. 27 & 28.) My interview with Goodman about "Kissinger" aired Friday, the 24th of October.)

From 2012- Betsy Connor Bowen talks about her father's book "Back from Tobruk" - a memoir of his experiences as a volunteer ambulance driver during World War Two. Croswell Bowen's book was never published during his lifetime.

We speak with award-winning documentarian Barak Goodman about his latest film for the PBS series American Experience. "Kissinger" - a 2-part film airing Monday and Tuesday evening on PBS (including channel 10 in Milwaukee) - examines the life and career of Henry Kissinger, one of the most famous and controversial figures in the last sixty years. By the way, this appears to be the final film to air on the series; due to budget cuts, PBS has been forced to cancel American Experience. (Goodman is continuing to make documentaries that will air elsewhere.) Those of us who have loved this series over the years can only hope that it will return someday.

We speak with Martin McClendon about Carthage College's production of Will Eno's new adaption of Maurice Maeterlinck's classic play "The Blue Bird" as part of Carthage's New Play Initiative. The play will be performed for the next two weekends.

We talk about the production of Heathers: The Musical that is about to open at the Rhode Center for the Arts in downtown Kenosha. Our guests: Jordyn Lander, director ..... Chase Portner, assistant director/music director .... Abby Miller (Veronica)... and John Dicks (Jason "J.D." Dean.) The production opens this Friday night, October 24th, and will run through November 9th. The musical is based on the 1989 film "Heathers."

In honor of WGTD's upcoming 50th anniversary of being on the air, we speak with the station's first general manager, Gary Vaillancourt, who was at the helm when the station first went on the air in December 1975.

We speak with Dr. Matthew Restall, the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of History and Anthropology and Director of Latin American Studies at Penn State University, about his latest book ...... "The Nine Lives of Christopher Columbus." Professor Restall examines not only what we know about Columbus and what he accomplished during his life, but also the enormous mythology that has sprung up around him and the sharp difference of opinion on whether he is someone who deserves our reverence or our scorn.

From 2011- Patrick O'Donnell talks about his book "Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story: The Epic Stand of the marines of George Company."

From 2005 - John Vaillant talks about his book "The Golden Spruce"= which tells the sad story of the real-life destruction of a unique, golden-needled spruce tree in British Columbia back in 1997.

In memory of Dr. Jane Goodall, who passed away on October 1st at the age of 91, we are replaying this 2018 interview with Dale Peterson, her primary biographer (who also co-authored at least one book with her.) This particular book is titled "Ghosts of Gombe: a True Story of Love and Death in an African Wilderness." The book focuses on an incident that occurred at Gombe, where Goodall did most of her research on chimpanzees. (By the way, you might also seek out another book by Dale Peterson titled "Jane Goodall: The Woman who Redefined Man."

Part 1- Dexter Patterson, author of "Birds of the Great Lakes." He will be coming to Kenosha for a book signing Monday evening, October 20th at Blue House Books. Part 2- from the archives- Dan Koeppel , author of the memoir "To see every bird on earth: a Father, a Son, and a Lifelong Obsession." The author's father engaged for many years in what might be described as competitive bird-watching. By the end of his life, he had seen 7,000 different species of birds all around the world; at that time only ten people were known to have achieved that milestone.

We previewed Saturday night's concert by the Racine Choral Arts Society .... "Gospel Fusion" ...... with Jim Schatzman, the founder and artistic director of the group. Also participating- Pat Badger, associate director of the Racine CAS - and Ella Richardson, a member of the Greater Mount Eagle Baptist Church Choir, which is joining with the CAS in the Alpha Mass. She was a participant in the 1990 concert when Burleigh's Alpha Mass was first performed in Racine.

We speak with Lucas E. Morel and Jonathan W. White, editors of a new book called "Measuring the Man: The Writings of Frederick Douglass on Abraham Lincoln." The book is a comprehensive collection of essays, speeches and letters in which Douglass speaks of Lincoln and reveals his feelings for the man - feelings which evolved from frustration and near disdain to deep respect, reverence and even affection. For Part two, we replay a portion of a 2008 interview with John Stauffer about his dual biography "Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln."

I speak with Dr. Kevin Crosby, Professor of Physics, Astronomy and Computer Science and director of the Space Sciences program at Carthage College, about the NASA-underwritten research in which he and a number of Carthage students are engaged. Joining him are four Carthage students: seniors Teagan Steineke and Semaje Farmer, junior Juliana Alvarez, and sophomore Owen Bonnett. Professor Crosby is also Director of the NASA Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium and is working as a senior scientist at NASA. He is also the Donald Hedberg Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship at Cartahge.

From 2002- Dr. Kathryn Stewart talks about her book "Helping a Child with Non-Verbal Learning Disorder or Asperger's Disorder: A Parent's Guide." Please note- in recent years there has been some movement away from discussing Asperger's as a 'disorder' versus a 'syndrome.' Many people working in this field now prefer to refer to someone with Asperger's as a person who needs to be understood rather than having a problem that needs to be fixed.

Keanon Lowe, author of "Hometown Victory: A Coach's Story of Football, Fate and Coming Home." The author was working for the San Francisco' 49ers when he decided to return to his hometown to assist with the football team at his old high school. That decision was propitious because it meant that he was in the school in May of 2019 on a day when a 19-year-old student entered the school with a gun. Lowe is the person who disarmed the gunman and then pulled him into a bear hug. This remarkable book is a memoir about all of that and more.

We preview the next concert of the Racine Symphony Orchestra..... "Violins of Hope- A Concert of Remembrance and Resilience" on Saturday evening, October 11th at First Presbyterian Church. Present at the concert will be several string instruments recovered from the Holocaust and restored to their original beauty.

We talk with Joseph Tenuta, the Rogers Palmer Distinguished Professor in Business at Carthage College, about the Biz Starts Kenosha program that will begin at the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood on Saturday, October 18th. This is a program designed to assist aspiring entrepreneurs; it includes 6 Saturday morning sessions with Carthage business faculty followed several months of followup and mentorship. The program explores such crucial matters as developing a viable business concept, designing a profit model, and successfully setting up operations. It's designed to give aspiring entrepreneurs the background, resources, and connections to successfully launch and sustain their new business.