Arts and Humanities

On the eve of the release of a new Great Gatsby film, WFPL's Jonathan Bastian hosted a news special on the film looking at the city's role in the great novel. Veteran Louisville journalist Keith Runyon discussed what Louisville would have been like when F. Scott Fitzgerald was in town and WFPL arts reporter Erin Keane went in search of a Louisville house connected to the novel. Later, Keane, Jonathan and The Courier-Journal's Matt Frassica discussed more about the novel.

Listen below:

Challenging the out-of-date idea that libraries are only quiet places for reading and research, the Louisville Free Public Library brings its How-To Festival back for a second year. The library will present experts on everything from Bollywood dancing to gardening Saturday at this popular community learning event. 

The short classes range from quick practical tutorials, like how to tie a bow tie or sing the national anthem, to introductions to larger projects, like backyard chicken farming and going back to college as an adult.

The most frequent statement made to me, after I introduce myself as someone who works in classical radio is, “I don’t know anything about classical music, but...”This statement is typically followed by an expression of love for classical music, a short story about playing clarinet in band during middle school, or how a parent or grandparent always had classical radio on in the background at home. All three are valid experiences that have nothing to do with actually knowing something about music.

Thirty-nine years ago, as a very young Courier-Journal reporter, I traveled south by train to Montgomery, Ala., to connect with the world that novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, knew in the early part of the 20th Century. The “peg” for the feature stories I planned to write was the opening that spring of what was then the latest screen version of “The Great Gatsby,” a multi-million dollar adaptation starring Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston and Bruce Dern.