We often share with you news about relevant programming that airs on GPTV, Georgia Public Broadcasting's statewide television network; did you know that GPB also has a state-wide radio network? Georgia Public Radio (GPR) offers a number of programs that may have relevance in the classroom, especially for high school and post-secondary students.
One of the locally-produced GPR radio shows you should be sure to check out is Cover To Cover, GPR's award-winning radio book club showcasing Georgia writers. Since the show premiered in 1998, host St. John Flynn has used his expertise in literature to select for discussion a well-balanced menu of works of fiction and creative non-fiction that represent a variety of styles, time periods, and experiences that appeal to both male and female listeners.
Cover To Cover airs the last Sunday of every month at 8 PM, and features a Georgia author live in the studio to talk and take listener calls about one of his or her books. The book for each show is announced a month in advance on Georgia Public Radio and is also published along with details about the story and the author online, giving listeners ample opportunity to familiarize themselves with the book before the show airs. For those who are unable to read the book ahead of time, each show includes the Cover To Cover "Cheat Sheet," a brief but thorough synopsis of the book under discussion.
Unlike traditional book clubs, Cover To Cover's live call-in format gives readers and listeners direct access to authors, enabling them to resolve questions they may have about the text. After the "Cheat Sheet," St. John opens the discussion with the author, who is in the studio to answer questions and offer commentary about his or her work. As an added bonus, the first five callers to each show receive an autographed copy of one of the books written by the featured author.
One of the things that makes Cover To Cover unique is the fact that it is truly listener-driven. Listeners and readers have free reign to ask the author about his or her life and past work, the book under discussion, the writing process, or whatever else may interest them. The program also fosters a sense of community between listeners and callers across the state; many callers simply choose to share stories of their own that mirror characters or situations in the book, reminding listeners of our shared experiences as Southerners and as people.
Listen to Cover To Cover on Sunday February 23 at 8 PM as St. John welcomes author Brandon Massey to the studio for a discussion of his book Thunderland. You can tune into Georgia Public Radio online, or in cities across the state at the following frequencies:
- 88.1 FM Columbus/Warm Springs
- 89.7 FM Macon/Cochran
- 90.1 FM Waycross
- 90.7 FM Augusta
- 91.1 FM Tifton
- 91.7 FM Athens
- 91.1 FM Savannah
- 91.7 FM Valdosta
- 91.7 FM Albany
- 88.9 FM Brunswick
- 90.9 FM Fort Gaines
- 90.7 FM Carrollton
- 88.3 FM Demorest
- 89.5 FM Dahlonega
- 1190 AM St. Marys
