University Of The Air Wisconsin Public Radio

Who can sue for libel, what are the defenses against it, and what role does the First Amendment play in settling libel suits? UW-Madison journalism professor Robert Drechsel will guide us through some notable cases.

A memorial to late UW Chancellor Rebecca Blank. In this rebroadcast from 2017: What is it like to oversee Wisconsin’s largest and highest ranking university, with over 43,000 students, billions of dollars in research funding, and the “Wisconsin Idea” of serving the state? In this hour, Chancellor Rebecca Blank discusses the pleasures and challenges of her role as UW Chancellor.

With its powerful voice and myriad inflections, the organ is justifiably called The King of Instruments. Madison Symphony Orchestra Principal Organist Greg Zelek will tell us about the Overture Concert Organ in Madison's Overture Center for the Arts and demonstrate its many charms and versatility.

Revolutionary medieval mystic Julian of Norwich penned what’s thought to be the first book in English written by a woman. She dared to suggest that God was both father and mother. Professor Sherry Reames explores the life, writings, and legacy of a courageous medieval anchoress and author.

During the first half of the 19th century, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin was a crossroads that attracted men and women of all backgrounds. Among them were five Black women who represented a variety of experiences. Although the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 outlawed slavery in the areas that would become Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio, a patchwork of laws enabled white slaveholders to retain possession of four of the five women. Historian Mary Elise Antoine will tell us about the degrees of servitude that existed in Wisconsin and the efforts that some of them took to secure their freedom.

Why have most of us never heard of Ira Aldridge (1807-1867) , America’s first internationally acclaimed African American actor? UW Theatre professor Baron Kelly links his own journey as a Black actor to that of the remarkable Ira Aldridge. NOTE--Next week Baron Kelly will return to University of the Air for a special broadcast of Richard Hellesen's play Necessary Sacrifices, i nspired by Frederick Douglass' conversations with Abraham Lincoln. The broadcast will begin slightly earlier than usual, at 4 pm sharp.