Saturday Morning for Saturday 16 May 2009

Guest details for Saturday Morning 16 May 2009

8:15 Michael Carter

After leaving school aged 16, Michael Carter was a farmer for 20 years, before enrolling at Waikato University. Nine years later, with a Masters in Earth Sciences, he started his own geotechnical consultancy. After applying for a position as a water and habitat engineer for the Red Cross, he was posted to Liberia, then Darfur, and is about to depart from his Raglan farm for a third placement as field hydrologist on the border of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

8:30 Hendrik Hertzberg

Hendrik Hertzberg is a senior editor and staff writer at The New Yorker, and is the magazine's chief political commentator. He is the author of the 2004 book Politics: Observations & Arguments (Penguin, ISBN: 0-14-303553-3), and in 2006 his Comment essays won a National Magazine Award for Columns and Commentary.

9:05 James Surowiecki

James Surowiecki has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2000, where he writes the business column, The Financial Page. His bestselling book, The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter than the Few (Abacus, ISBN: 978-0-349-11605-1), was published in 2004.

9:35 M.T. Anderson

Matthew Tobin Anderson is an American author, primarily of novels for young adults. His picture books for younger readers include Handel, Who Knew What He Liked (Candlewick Press, ISBN: 9780763625627), a biography of the 18th century composer, and Me, All Alone, at the End of the World (Candlewick Press, ISBN: 9781406304824). His young adult books include Thirsty (Walker Books, ISBN: 9781844286416), Burger Wuss (Candlewick Press, ISBN: 9781844282890), Feed (Candlewick Press, ISBN: 9780763622596), and the National Book Award-winning two volume epic novel, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing (Volume 1: Traitor to the Nation, Candlewick Press, ISBN: 9781844282111; Volume 2: The Kingdom on the Waves, Candlewick Press, ISBN: 9780763629502).

10:05 Playing Favourites with Will Sheff

Will Sheff comes from Austin, Texas, and is leader of a band called Okkervil River, which takes its name from a short story by the Russian writer Tatiana Tolstoya. A singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, banjo and harmonica player, he also writes film and music criticism. Okkervil River recently made a return visit to New Zealand, playing in Auckland and Wellington.

11:10 Sonya Renee

American performance poet Sonya Renee is a national and international Poetry Slam Champion, an HBO Def Poet, and an international touring artist championing many social causes including AIDS awareness and women's rights issues.

11:40 Iggy McGovern

Iggy McGovern is Associate Professor of Physics at Trinity College, Dublin. His poetry has been widely published in anthologies and journals in Ireland and abroad, and his first collection, The King of Suburbia (Dedalus Press, ISBN: 1-904556-45-0), received the inaugural Glen Dimplex New Writers Award for Poetry, in 2006.

NB. Hendrik Hertzberg, James Surowiecki, M.T. Anderson, Sonya Renee and Iggy McGovern are all guests of the Auckland Writers & Readers Festival (13-17 May 2009).

Music played on the programme

The Checkmates, Ltd: Black Pearl
The 1969 single
(Philles)
Played at around 9:20

Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel: Hesitation Blues
From the 2009 album: Willie and the Wheel
(Bismeaux Records)
Played at around 11:35

Playing Favourites with Will Sheff:

Okkervil River: Lost Coastlines
From the 2008 album: The Stand-Ins
(Jagjaguwar)
Played at around 10:05

Okkervil River: John Allyn Smith Sails
From the 2007 album: The Stage Names
(Jagjaguwar)
Played at around 10:25

Cleveland Simmons Group: Histe Up the John B Sail
Recording from Old Bight, Cat Island, Bahamas, July 1935, from the compilation album: Deep River of Song: Bahamas
(Rounder)
Played at around 10:30

Tim Hardin: Once Touched By Flame
From the 1970 album: Suite for Susan Moore and Damion - We Are One, One, All in One
(Columbia)
Played at around 10:40

Okkervil River: Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe
From the 2007 album: The Stage Names
(Jagjaguwar)
Played at around 10:55

Studio operators

Wellington engineer: Marc Chesterman
Auckland engineer: Jeremy Ansell
Auckland liaison: Noelle McCarthy