STL on the Air 📻

The Selfie Room just made its debut in downtown St. Louis, offering the latest evidence of a seemingly ever-present selfie phenomenon. The museum’s mission is to “bring people together by taking photos with fun, whimsical backdrops” that comprise its interactive art exhibits. In this episode, host Don Marsh talks with Selfie Room co-owner Erica Klotz about what visitors can expect at the new entertainment destination – and also discusses the broader cultural landscape that surrounds it. Amber Hinsley, an associate professor in the Department of Communication at St. Louis University, and Jennifer Siciliani, a University of Missouri-St. Louis psychology professor in the area of behavioral neuroscience, also participate in the conversation.

While the art of persuasion and the study of public discourse have enriched human civilization for millennia, negative connotations frequently surround contemporary notions of rhetoric. Politicians are dismissed as "all rhetoric, no action," and talking heads on TV make everyday people sigh over "all the rhetoric" of the 24-hour news cycle. But for those who conduct research in the academic field of rhetoric – and anyone interested in the work that words can do – the term "rhetoric" still holds great hope and possibility for society. Host Don Marsh talks with two local scholars, Lauren Obermark and Paul Lynch, about cultural understandings of rhetoric, its positive uses and the ever-shifting ways in which humans communicate.

A two-night History Channel series, “Presidents at War,” will tell the stories of eight men who served in active duty and who would later become presidents of the United States. Host Don Marsh talks with military historian John McManus, a professor of history at Missouri S&T, who is featured in the show. In it, McManus specifically comments on the role of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

STLPR reporter Nancy Fowler talks about her story published earlier in the week about first-generation student Ngone Seck whose dental problems are presenting a roadblock. 

STLPR reporter Nancy Fowler talks in-depth about her story published earlier in the week about Ngone Seck, a first-generation student at Washington University whose encountered dental problems.

St. Louis Public Radio investigative reporter Beth Hundsdorfer and longtime political reporter Jo Mannies offer analysis and context in light of what critics have called a "broadside attack" on Missouri Sunshine Law by state legislators.

Host Don Marsh talks up some of the latest additions to the St. Louis region’s food-and-beverage community. Joining Marsh for the Hit List segment are Sauce Magazine managing editor Heather Hughes and staff writer Adam Rothbarth.

In light of the controversy involving Virginia’s top leaders who recently admitted to appearing in blackface decades ago, longtime political reporter Jo Mannies joins host Don Marsh to reflect on her coverage of a similar case in Missouri in 1999, when a photo of then-Gov. Mel Carnahan in blackface – taken in 1960 – surfaced during Carnahan’s campaign for a seat in the U.S. Senate.

The southern border of the U.S., along with the people who live somewhere beyond it, can seem far removed from the St. Louis region. But for local Rabbi Susan Talve, who recently returned from Guatemala, the difficult situations facing many of America’s southern neighbors feel more urgent than ever.

"Crucible," the latest release from best-selling author James Rollins, is billed as a book that wrestles with deep questions about the future of humanity – a subject Rollins himself finds particularly disconcerting. "Doing the research [for the book] frightened me," the St. Louis native says. "And as a novelist, that's one way I get to sort of work through some of my fears – put it down on paper, try to make sense of it, try if I can to craft a happy ending, find some path through what’s coming next."

The St. Louis Chess Club is currently hosting its first international all-female chess tournament in an effort to expand opportunities for women to enter the male-dominated sport. Jennifer Shahada, a two-time U.S. women's chess champion, commentator and analyst explains the excitement behind the Cairns Cup tournament to St. Louis Public Radio editor Holly Edgell. 

Veterans Kim Chamberlain and 100-year-old Marshall J. Phillips share some of their experiences of African-Americans in the U.S. military. Marvin Alonso Greer, the education and visitor experience lead for Soldiers Memorial Military Museum, also talks to host Don Marsh about how a local event will showcase the contributions of African-American soldiers coming home from World War I in 1919 – and beyond.

St. Louis-based rapper pinkcaravan! and her frequent collaborator Namesake, a Kansas City-based producer, share their inspiration behind their "sad-happy" tunes — what Namesake describes as "colorful … vibrant … upbeat, fun. A hard-bop life.” 

Want to check out a telescope – or maybe a fishing pole? To hear Steve Campbell tell it, the local library’s probably got you covered. The director of the Scenic Regional Library serving nine eastern Missouri communities joins the talk show alongside Ferguson Public Library's Steve Bonner and JEMA's John Mueller.

A newly published Sharing America series titled "Fixed Odds" explores the effects of problem gambling on diverse communities across the U.S. Joining this episode to talk about it are Holly Edgell, who is St. Louis Public Radio’s race, identity and culture editor, and Dr. Timothy Fong, professor of addiction psychiatry and co-director of UCLA's Gambling Studies Program.

When David Patterson Silver Wolf refers to the U.S. opioid epidemic as part of a “disease of despair” and “a tough disease to treat,” he’s speaking from experience both professional and personal. The Washington University faculty member experienced substance-use disorder firsthand after growing up in a troubled home that quickly led him toward drugs and alcohol. Now, years later, he finds himself heading up the Brown School’s Community Academic Partnership on Addiction– a new effort aimed at addressing substance-use disorder among those struggling with it today.

February is Heart Health Month, and heart expert Dr. Andrew Kates, professor of medicine and cardiologist with the Washington University Heart Care Institute at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, returns to St. Louis on the Air to help explain various matters of the heart.

Ashley Denmark is a family medicine physician with BJC Healthcare. She grew up in Jennings, Missouri and at an early point in her life, her ambition to become a doctor as a black woman from Jennings was very much challenged. The physician talks to host Don Marsh about to her road to success and why she returned to St. Louis in an effort to inspire minority children to follow their dream careers and “normalize success.”

STLPR education reporter Ryan Delaney talks about the just-released school report cards and standardized testing in Missouri.

We go behind the headlines with STLPR politics editor Fred Ehrlich to discuss the week's news involving controversies involving St. Louis police officers.