Vindaloo

Republican death struggle

The culture war's looking more and more like an ideological civil war for Republicans. Battlefield Ohio sees the Santorumites massing against Romneyans, while the forces of planet Newt seem to have got lost on the way. I went to take a look for Radio 4: 

Download Ohio Republicans story

Lin who?

Better late than not at all - here's my Jeremy Lin take for the BBC's Today programme. Surely the most interesting thing about this is the crude racial prism through which basketball - and most American sport - is still viewed? He's a great story, but already, the hysteria is dying down, and he could disappear, as fast as he rose. 

Download Linsanity Today story

Teen atheist rocks Rhode Island

Jessica Ahlquist says she didn't want to become the latest lightening-rod for separation of church and state, but somebody has to do it. Her determination and intellect is matched by the anger and passion of many Catholics in Cranston, who see her actions as a stab in the back. This piece ran across the World Service, and Sunday programme on Radio 4:

Download Religious banner story

 

Green shoots of growth?

Is the US economy finally showing robust signs of recovery? I talk to some New York businessmen who've weathered the downturn, and visit a rooftop where the real shoots are at. This ran on my alma mater, The World At One, as the jobs figures stood up the somewhat optimistic premise: 

Download NY green shoots BBC story

Snap a rat, win a metrocard

An imaginative idea from the transport workers' media guys, which kind of backfired considering half their feedback on subway rats, favours rodents over people. Are rats carrying pizza along the rails just another sign of hard times? I went underground for the BBC Today programme:

Download Rats NY subway WELLS pack

 

Kwame Kwei-Armah takes Centre Stage in Baltimore

He's one of black Britain's most influential voices, now running Maryland's state theatre in the land of The Wire. This ran recently on the BBC's PM show: 

Download Kwame Kwei-Armah Baltimore theatre

Memory Lane

A wander through some of downtown Manhattan, with Vanity Fair's Jim Wolcott, who avoided the worst (best?) excesses of 70s life in New York and therefore is still alive to write about them in his entertaining new memoir. This aired on the BBC's PM show: 

Download 70s downtown story

In God We Trust

My World Service documentary, about the fracturing of the Christian conservative vote. Lucky Romney, lucky Obama. 

Download Heartsoul_ In God We Trust 30 Dec 11

Birthing Art

Marni Kotak gave birth in front of an invited audience of Bushwick art-lovers, as the culmination of a month-long installation. It doesn't get much more authentic than that, but is worthwhile? You decide. I interviewed her and the family at the gallery, a few days ago, for the excellent BBC Outlook programme (catch their Nile Rogers interview - genius): 

Download Birth as art BBC feature

Banjo diplomacy

Abigail Washburn was set for life as a Beijing lawyer. Then she discovered the banjo, and now she's on a State Dept mission along the fabled Silk Road. Listen to her story, and some of her remarkable music. I did this for the Today programme, but it's been appearing across BBC outlets. 

Download Chinese banjo BBC story