Wgtd's The Morning Show With Greg Berg

Jeff Pearlman, author orf "Gunslinger: The Remarkable, Improably, Iconic Life of Brett Favre." (from 2017)

Dr. William Kuhn (a former English professor at Carthage College) talks about his latest book, "Swimming with Lord Byron," which examines the life and career of this celebrated writer with particular focus on Lord Byron's colorful personal life and complicated sexual identity. (Lord Byron was something of a gay icon even during his lifetime- and very much since.)

For Kailyn Palomares's May visit to the Morning Show, she secured the participation of Alyssa Firkus, director of education for Lake County Forest Preserves, to talk about one of the most amazing creatures on earth - the cicada. 2024 is an extraordinary year for cicadas because of a very rare occurrence: the emergence of 17-year cicadas and 13-year cicadas in the same year- something that has not happened in more than 200 years.

Patrick K. O'Donnell discusses his latest book, "The Unvanquished: The Untold Story of Lincoln's Special Forces, the Manhunt for Mosby's Rangers, and the Shadow War that Forged America's Special Operations."

We hear about the Carthage theater department's latest verbatim theater project - "Terminal Exhale" - from faculty member Martin McClendon .... as well as from Michael Cotey, founder of the organization "Enough: Plays to end gun violence," which encourages young people to write their own plays addressing the issue of gun violence. "Terminal Exhale" is comprised of the actual testimony of various front line health care workers who have had to deal with gunshot victims and have witnessed the carnage on an ongoing basis. The play tells the story of what they have seen and experienced. There is a public reading of the play coming up at Carthage this Saturday, May 11th.

David Lockwood and Lawrence Kirby talk about new efforts underway to create a "walking school bus" in Kenosha for students at Brass Elementary. A walking school bus involves volunteers who help walk elementary students from their homes to school; it is known to be one of the most effective means to deal with school truancy.

Dr. Jame Ripley, director of instrumental activities at Carthage College, talks about Saturday night's concert that finishes out this special 150th anniversary year of bands at Carthage. The concert includes the world premiere of "Scene One: Fortitude," a piece commissioned for the occasion.

I'm happy to say that I won a first place award from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association this past weekend - Best Interview for a middle market music station - for this interview which I recorded with William Shatner.

ERika Lee, Christina Soontornvat, coauthors of "Made in Asian America: A History for Young People."

For Holocaust Remembrance Day- from 2002 ..... Alexandra Zapruder, author/editor of "Salvaged Pages," an extraordinary collection of young person's diaries from the Holocaust.

For Holocaust Remembrance Day- from 2016- Wendy Holden, author of a truly amazing book titled "Born Survivors" about three women imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp who manage to conceal their pregnancies from their captors, preserving the lives of their as yet-unborn children. An extraordinary story.

From 2003 - Todd Gitlin, author of "Letters to a young activist." (from a series of books called The Art of Mentoring.)

Jim Schatzman, founder and artistic director of the Choral Arts Society, talks about Carl Orff's dramatic cantata CARMINA BURANA, one of the most extraordinary and unique masterworks of 20th century choral music. The group will be performing the work on May 18th and 19th at UW-Parkside in collaboration with The Studio of Classical Dance Arts. The preview includes recorded excerpts from the work.

We preview Saturday night's concert by the Kenosha Symphony, "May the Fourth be with you." (Saturday is May 4th.) The program features a sampling of great movie music from films such as Star Wars, Batman, Amadeus, and Schindler's List. We have three interviews: with KSO board president Pete Rodriguez (who is also a member of the orchestra's french horn section) .... music director Dr. Robert Hasty, who will be conducting the concert .... and concertmaster Sascha Mandl, who will be featured in the exquisite violin solo from the film score 'Schindler's List.' This preview includes recorded excerpts from three of the works featured on Saturday evening's concert, which happens at Reuther High School Auditorium at 7:30.

Dr. Art Cyr offers his commentary on recent events in Africa, the Middle East, Turkey - offers thoughts on the Baltimore bridge collapse and the importance of infrastructure - and reflects on the complicated legacy of Richard Nixon. (This year marks the 50th anniversary of his resignation from office.)

(From 2020) - Howard Burman, author of "Mutt's Dream: Making the Mick," which tells the story of the incredibly close relationship between baseball superstar Mickey Mantle and his father, Elven "Mutt" Mantle, who did all he could do to secure for his son what he himself never had- a chance to play professional baseball and enjoy a far better life than he himself had lived. Among other things, the book explores the psychological and emotional cost of the pressure that young Mickey received from his father.

On the last day of Organ Donation Awareness Month, Wanda Brister, Professor of Voice at Florida State University, tells the story her health difficulties that ultimately led her to becoming a double lung recipient earlier this year. She also talks about the specific malady - Sarcoidosis - that attacked her lungs and necessitated the lung transplant. (April is also Sarcoidosis Awareness Month.)

Dr. Tracey Holloway is a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who also happens to be a mother. She is part of a new group called Science Moms, which is comprised of climatologists who are also mothers who want to spread the word about climate change.

Wisconsin leads the nation in falls that result in serious injury. We speak with two representatives of the Kenosha County Aging and Disability Resource Center: Paula Clark and Haleigh Couch, about their fall prevention program.

From 2018- Mark Ribowsky discusses his book "In the Name of the Father: Family, Football and the Manning Dynasty," in which he explores the legacy of Archie Manning and his sons Peyton and Eli; all three of them were celebrated NFL quarterbacks.