APR Notebook

Pat Duggins
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Alabama is known for football and white barbecue sauce. But we’re also making our mark in science, literature and the arts—and we helped put astronauts on the moon. Join APR news director Pat Duggins as he takes up topics like this with compelling interviews on APR Notebook.

  1. Aug 3

    Jim Voss, the NASA astronaut from Opelika

    2026 has been a busy year for NASA. Four astronauts flew to the moon for the first trip by human beings there since Apollo 17 in 1972 The flight of Artemis two also highlights Alabama's role in the US space program. The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville designed, built, tested, and manages the big Space Launch System rocket that sends Artemis missions to Earth orbit. Huntsville has its claim to fame when it comes to NASA, but Opelika does too. One of its favorite sons is retired astronaut Jim Voss. He flew four times on the space shuttle and served on the second full-time crew aboard the International Space Station, a conversation that's out of this world, is next on APR Notebook.

  2. Jun 29

    Alabama Novelist Watt Key on how writing runs in his family

    America is just a few days away from the Fourth of July and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That day may involve fireworks, a backyard cookout, and possibly a rendition or two of the Star Spangled Banner. Our national anthem hits home with my guest on the national award-winning APR Notebook. Mobile area author Watt Key is known for his classic novel “Alabama Moon,” which was made into a motion picture. But, he's also an indirect descendant of Francis Scott Key, who wrote “The Star Spangled Banner.”

  3. Jun 1

    Alex Drueke, on the front lines in the war in Ukraine

    APR news has covered the war between Ukraine and Russia a lot. When President Joe Biden said, ‘We will walk softly and carry a big javelin,’ he was paraphrasing Teddy Roosevelt and his saying about carrying ‘a big stick.’ Biden was also giving a nod to the Lockheed Martin plant in Troy, that Alabama factory makes the shoulder fired anti-tank missiles. And then there's the perspective of Alex Drueke.

  4. Mar 2

    Chef Frank Stitt and the stand he took during the BP Oil Spill

    I became news director at Alabama public radio in September of 2009. One of my first stories involved James Beard award-winning chef Frank Stitt of Birmingham. It was prompted by the 2010 BP oil spill.

  5. Feb 4

    Alabama actor Michael Emerson on being TV’s "King of Creepy”

    Imagine waking up one morning, opening that day's copy of The New York Times, and seeing yourself described as TV's “king of creepy.” My guest tonight got that distinction just last year. Two time Emmy award winning actor Michael Emerson is a University of Alabama graduate, and he once worked at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. We met his wife, Carrie Preston of the CBS TV series Elsbeth, just last month. Now, just in case you thought that creepy comment in the New York Times was a one off. the Washington Post later called Emerson “TV's most beloved creepy guy” four months later, and he seems to relish in that. Emerson starred as Ben Linus in the TV series "Lost" and the eccentric billionaire Harold Finch in Person of Interest. However, fans of the cult classic horror film "SAW" may remember him as the creepy hospital orderly Zep Hindle. Michael Emerson and I talk about his days at the University of Alabama and more. Next on APR Notebook.

  6. Jan 7

    Actor Carrie Preston on going from Hamlet in Alabama to Elsbeth on CBS

    If I were to say the words “Do’h!” or “excellent,” or “okely, dokely, neighborino!” You know what I'm talking about, right? Of course, it's “The Simpsons,” good for you. Now, longtime viewers of that show know this, but for that one person out there who doesn't…“The Simpsons” is a spin-off. Back when Fox was just getting going, one of the programs they offered was “The Tracy Ullman Show.” And “The Tracy Ullman Show” had these little animated vignettes featuring Bart, Lisa, Homer. and Marge, and the rest is history. Emmy award-winning actor Carrie Preston knows a little bit about spin-offs. She played Ophelia in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's production of “Hamlet” back in 1994. But, she's come a long way since then. Arguably, you could say her big break was playing Elsbeth Tascioni in the CBS series “The Good Wife” and "The Good Fight." That's where she got her Emmy for Best Guest Performer. But now, she's the star of the spin-off series, "Elsbeth." We'll talk to her about her days in Alabama and more coming up on APR notebook.

  7. 12/03/2025

    Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia, and what happened to Charlie Kirk

    So, what did you do today? Jimmy Wales of Huntsville invented Wikipedia. How's that for a "mic drop" moment? The online encyclopedia, which is updated by anonymous editors, has its critics. Elon Musk counts himself among them. Authoritarian regimes reportedly hate Wikipedia. However, the website has viewers, a lot of them. By some accounts, billions of people visit Wikipedia, both the English version and in 300 other foreign languages. That's billions with a “B” every month. Jimmy Wales is also out with his first book. It's called "The Seven Rules of Trust." We'll discuss how that's the philosophy behind Wikipedia. Wales also grew up in Huntsville, in the shadow of the Apollo man moon landings.

  8. 11/05/2025

    APR Notebook: Roy Wood, Junior and "The Man of Many Fathers"

    Roy Wood, Jr. has come a long way from Birmingham. He launched his comedy career making prank phone calls for a local radio station in the Magic City in 2001. Along with his current success as a stand up comic, Wood is host of CNN's panel show "Have I Got News For You. That followed eight years as a correspondent on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah." Wood is also out with a new book titled "The Man of Many Fathers." It's a memoir focusing on his relationship with his dad, civil rights era journalist and radio show host Roy Wood, Sr, All of that's coming up on APR Notebook.

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About

Alabama is known for football and white barbecue sauce. But we’re also making our mark in science, literature and the arts—and we helped put astronauts on the moon. Join APR news director Pat Duggins as he takes up topics like this with compelling interviews on APR Notebook.

Information

  • Creator
    Pat Duggins
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    APR Notebook