A Story Told

On the next Story Told, 2022 is half over, and to celebrate, or lament, Michael McCusker brings an untitled rant to the table on the faux-supremacy of men. Also from Michael, “Sons of Liberty.” And from Robert Brake, “The Big Bang: My Not Much of a Love Affair with the 4ᵗʰ of July.” Finally, poetry by Larry Barrows, A.K.A., Dire…

On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker reflects on the year nineteen sixty seven in “The Summer of Love, and Legend.” Also by Michael, “Rise and Fall of an Iron Curtain.” And lastly some summer-child-themed poetry, including, but not limited to “Summer’s Children,” and “To Preserve Children.”

On the next Story Told, an untitled, unhinged, smearing and total deconstruction of President Trump’s character, or, according to Michael McCusker, the complete void thereof. Also, an original, “Juneteenth as a National Holiday

On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker’s original screed titled “Small ‘d’ democracy.” Also, from Jennifer Rubin “Democrats, remember the Mueller report? Do the opposite in January 6 hearings.” And finally, from the late Dr. Robert Brake, “Theatre of War.”  

On the next Story Told, material from Connie Rose Anderson on the subject of Astoria’s newfound tourism phenomenon. And, “Bloody Monday,” by Michael McCusker and David Horowitz. Again from Michael, a piece titled “A New Civil War.” And finally, “Here Comes Your Ghost Again,” from Robin Sawyer circa 1992.

On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker delivers two, mostly, original rants including “Recruiting Tomorrow’s Dead,” and “Vanport: The Town Nobody Wanted,” which is co-written by Julia Ruuttila. Also, poetry by Lily Deufel.   

On the next Story Told, “Womb Control” by Iris Wilde, with quotes by Gertrude Stein. Also, an original screed from Michael McCusker on the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens, forty-two years ago, yesterday, May the 18ᵗʰ.  

On the next Story Told, a full program tribute to Dr. Robert Brake of Ocean Park, Washington, including and unfortunately limited to, “American Dream? Forget It,” “War and Peace,” “Monopoly Isn’t Just a Board Game,” and finally “The War on Voting.”  

On the next Story Told, tributes to Donna Kathleen Wright, and Dr. Robert Brake of Ocean Park, Washington, a longtime and essential contributor to this program. Also, from 1996, an open letter to Hillary Clinton simply titled “Dear Hillary,” by Loyola Marsef. And from David Horrowitz, “Marching with the Peoples’ Army in Vietnam-Era Portland.” Finally, Arthur Honeyman’s “Spastic Power.”  

On the next Story Told, an original screed by Michael McCusker on the end of the Vietnam War, forty-seven years ago on April 30th, 1975. And in the headlines “Italian Woman, Age Seventy-Two, To Walk Marco Polo’s Path From Venice To Beijing.” Finally, a piece of poetry by Jack L. Weigardt simply titled “Sounds.”  

On the next Story Told, “Women Are The Mothers Of Earth,” written by the Women’s Congress for a Healthy Planet. Additionally a piece of poetry by Margit Bowler titled “Earth’s Checklist.”  

On the next Story Told, an original by Michael McCusker titled “Winter Soldiers.” And, from Stephanie Foggett, “The Far-Right Idealized The Russian Military. Ukraine Exposes All The Ways They’re Wrong.” Finally, poetry by Russell Alan Mitchell and Teresa Barnes.  

On the next Story Told, celebrating Astoria’s Birthday in an original rant by Michael McCusker. Also, Julie Snyder’s open letter to the Astorian titled “Clearing the Streets.” Finally, Matt Bai states “I reject both parties’ idea of Americanism. And I’m not the only one.”  

On the next Story Told, from Carrie N. Baker “Fifty Years Later, the Equal Rights Amendment is Ratified. Now What?” Also, by Anita Shelgikar, “Changing time is fine, but Congress wants to push our clocks in the wrong direction.”  

On the next Story Told, a program featuring, dedicated to, and mostly about Helen Patti Hill, whose birthday is today, on March 24ᵗʰ. From Michael McCusker, “The Right To Know Who You Are,” and from Helen herself, a short radio play, “Room, Table, Cot.”

On the next Story Told, mostly untitled but not unoriginal material from Michael McCusker, with an addition by Gabrielle Canon, being, “US West Megadrought is worst in at least one thousand two hundred years.” As a final garnish to the program, poetry by Tracy McCusker.  

On the next Story Told, M.L. Graham’s “Ground Zero,” along with original musings on the topic of nuclear war from Michael McCusker. Also, Cole Arthur Riley breathes a sigh of relief in “Back History Month is over. Thank goodness.” Finally, “Road to Country,” a poem by the recently passed Claudia Harper.

On the next Story Told, for the 35ᵗʰ Women’s History Month, Michael McCusker features an excerpt from Helen Hill’s “Family Values.” Also, Robert Reich diagnoses that “Putinism is Breeding in the Heart of the Republican Party.”    

On the next Story Told, an original, untitled screed by Michael McCusker, and as a sendoff to Black History Month, “American Carnage,” also by Michael. Additionally, by Esau McCaully, “Black History Month is About Seeing America Clearly.”    

On the next Story Told, Jonathan Capehart asks the question “What about Black students’ ‘discomfort’?,” in repsonse to white discomfort regarding America’s slaving past. And from the late Thich Nhat Hanh, “At War with Ourselves.” Finally from Todd Gitlin, who also recently passed, “Does the Arc of the Moral Universe Still Bend Toward Justice?”    

On the next Story Told, “Lincoln’s Emancipation,” which is a piece that sees regular reuse in Michael McCusker’s repertoire, this time of year.    

On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker kicks off Black History Month with an abridged “This Side of Oregon,” by Ralph Friedman.      

On the next Story Told, “Vote for Life and Liberty Pt. II,” by Michael McCusker. Also, in a similar vein, by E.J. Dionne Jr., “Giving up on voting rights now would be unconscionable.” Robert Brake chimes in and states “‘Oh Beautiful’ is my kind of America.” Finally, poetry from Jim Dott, and a eulogy-tribute to longtime Astorian artist Michael DeWaide.  …

On the next Story Told, the final of two parts in Michael McCusker’s original dystopian short story; a mixture of Orwell’s authoritarianism and Robert Heinlein’s warnings of theocracy to make “Evangelica 5440.”        

On the next Story Told, the first of two parts in Michael McCusker’s original dystopian short story; a mixture of Orwell’s authoritarianism and Robert Heinlein’s warnings of theocracy to make “Evangelica 5440.”

On the next Story Told, Politifact’s 2021 lie of the year: “Lies about the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and its significance.” Also, Michael congratulates Joanne Rideout on her countless years of KMUN service, and mourns her retirement.

On the next Story Told, from the KMUN vault, an excerpt of the final Words Words Words program, hosted by Dire Day, as transcribed and read by Michael McCusker. And in closing for this year, “Resolutions for 2022,” which are, exactly the same as the previous resolutions

On the next Story Told, a Christmas-adjacent program featuring Santa Claus, who’s recently been suspected of smuggling cocaine across the boarder from the North Pole in “Snowtime for Santa.” Also, an excerpt from “The Complete Kwanzaa: Celebrating Our Cultural Harvest,” by Dorothy Winbush Riley. And finally, by Michael McCusker, “Born to be a Rebel.”      

On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker delivers an original rant pertaining to the Bill of Rights. Also, from Dr. Robert Brake, “The Bill of Rights: America’s Greatest Afterthought?” And finally, “Mark Meadows has already established a coup plot. Do we care enough to stop him?,” written by Jennifer Rubin.  

On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker presents “On the Occasion of the 80ᵗʰ Anniversary of Pearl Harbor.” Also, Dr. Robert Brake gives a “Bizarre Suggestion,” being a lyrically practical homage to the DC-3 Airliner. Finally, redressing a longtime mischaracterization in “Why Norman Rockwell left Thanksgiving Americana behind,” by Andrew L. Yarrow