APR Notebook

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 “Alabam...

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 Druek...

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.

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 la...

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...

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 vers...

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 Ma...

It’s tough to know where to start with singer/songwriter Jason Isbell. He has six Grammy awards. Variety Magazine once called him the “Poet Laureate of Rock.” Another critic compared Isbell’s writing style to William Faulkner and John Prine. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Isbell got a part in director Martin Scorsese’s Oscar nominated film "Killers of the Flower Moon."And of course, Isbell founded...

Back in February, the US State Department asked me to speak to a foreign delegation. It was about APR’s coverage of human trafficking. One member of that group was an investigative reporter from Ukraine. When I was done, we were all smiling and taking pictures and shaking hands, and this journalist came up and pressed a book into my hands. It was poetry written by Ukrainians about the war with Rus...

Everybody, it seems, has a favorite story about barbecue. Here's mine. Mrs. Duggins and I took a road trip to Memphis. We were going to see Bonnie Raitt in concert. Now, when it comes to barbecue, Memphis has Elwood’s Shack, Corky’s, Fat Larry's and they all have their fans. But with apologies to all, this story is about Charlie Vergos Rendezvous. And, Robert Moss has me beat. He's author of the b...

The Alabama Public Radio news team is known for its major journalism investigations. We've been doing them for over a decade. Our most recent national award winning effort was an eight month investigation into Alabama's new U.S. House seat in the rural Black Belt region of the state. The new voting map was ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court so Alabama would be more fair to black residents. Now, any...

The premiere episode of "APR Notebook" looks into the "darker side of infertility." News Director Pat Duggins talks with University of Alabama professor Diane Tober about her book "Eggonomics." It's about the "wild west" atmosphere in the U.S. between wealthy infertile couples and young women who donate their human eggs at a price. It's a story of money, racism, and often—unintended consequences.

APR Notebook premieres on Alabama Public Radio on June 27 at 7:00 p.m. Take a listen to this preview and hear what topics you can expect from host Pat Duggins!