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Welcome to THE MAKING OF A NATION -- American history in VOA Special English.

The Civil War ended in eighteen sixty-five. After that, tensions grew between Congress and the new president, Andrew Johnson.

The Republican Party was still new. It was formed to oppose slavery. Radical members of the party controlled Congress. They wanted strong policies to punish the southern states that left the Union and lost the war.

Standing in the way of the Republicans was Andrew Johnson, a Democrat. The president opposed radical efforts to force solutions on the South. He vetoed a number of programs that he thought interfered with rights given to the states by the Constitution.

This week in our series, Kay Gallant and Harry Monroe continue the story of President Andrew Johnson.

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VOICE ONE:

Andrew Johnson

This conflict between Johnson and the Congress caused much bitterness. Finally, the radicals decided to get him out of the way. For the first time in American history, Congress would try to remove the President from office.

Under the United States Constitution, the House of Representatives has the power to bring charges against the president. The Senate acts as the jury to decide if the president is guilty of the charges. The chief justice of the United States serves as judge.

If two-thirds of the senators find the president guilty, he can be removed from office.

VOICE TWO:

Thaddeus Stevens speaks during the debate over impeachment in the House of Representatives

Most of the charges were based on Johnson's removal from office of his secretary of war. Radicals charged that this violated a new law. The law said the president could not remove a cabinet officer without approval by the Senate.

Johnson refused to recognize the law. He said it was not constitutional.

Radicals in the House of Representatives also charged Johnson with criticizing Congress. They said his statements dishonored Congress and the presidency.

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VOICE ONE:

The great impeachment trial began on March fifth, eighteen sixty-eight. The president refused to attend. But his lawyers were there to defend him.

One by one, the senators swore an oath to be just. They promised to make a fair and honest decision on the guilt or innocence of Andrew Johnson.

A congressman from Massachusetts opened the case for the radicals. He told the senators not to think of themselves as members of any court. He said the Senate was a political body that was being asked to settle a political question. Was Johnson the right man for the White House? He said it was clear that Johnson wanted to overthrow Congress.

Other radical Republicans then joined him in condemning Johnson. They made many charges. But they offered little evidence to support the charges.

VOICE TWO:

Johnson's lawyers called for facts, instead of emotion. They said the Constitution required the radicals to prove that the president had committed serious crimes. Andrew Johnson had committed no crime, they said. This was purely a political trial.

They warned of serious damage to the American form of government if the president was removed for political reasons. No future president would be safe, they said, if opposed by a majority of the House and two-thirds of the Senate.

VOICE ONE:

The impeachment trial

It soon became clear that the radicals had thirty-five of these votes. Only seven senators remained undecided. If one of the seven voted guilty, Johnson would be removed.

Radicals put great pressure on the seven men. They tried to buy their votes. Party leaders threatened them. Supporters in the senators' home states were told to write hundreds of letters demanding that Johnson be found guilty.

VOICE TWO:

A senator from Maine was one who felt the pressure. But he refused to let it force him to do what others wished. He answered one letter this way:

"Sir, I wish you and all my other friends to know that I, not they, am sitting in judgment upon the president. I, not they, have sworn to do impartial justice. I, not they, am responsible to God and man for my action and its results."

A senator from Kansas was another who refused to let pressure decide his vote. He said, "I trust that I shall have the courage to vote as I judge best."

VOICE ONE:

In the final days before the vote, six of the seven remaining Republican senators let it be known that they would vote not guilty. But the senator from Kansas still refused to say what his vote would be. His was the only vote still in question. His vote would decide the issue.

Now, the pressure on him increased. His brother was offered twenty thousand dollars for information about how the senator would vote. Everywhere he turned, he found someone demanding that he vote guilty.

The vote took place on May sixteenth. Every seat in the big Senate room was filled. The chief justice began to call on the senators. One by one, they answered guilty or not guilty. Finally, he called the name of the senator from Kansas.

VOICE TWO:

The vote of Senator Edmund Ross of Kansas saved the presidency of Andrew Johnson

"It was like looking down into an open grave," he said later. "Friendship, position, wealth -- everything that makes life desirable to an ambitious man -- were about to be swept away by my answer."

He spoke softly. Many could not hear him. The chief justice asked him to repeat his vote. This time, the answer was clearly heard across the room: "Not guilty."

VOICE ONE:

The trial was all but done. Remaining senators voted as expected. The chief justice announced the result. On the first charge, thirty-five senators voted that President Johnson was guilty. Nineteen voted that he was not guilty. The radicals had failed by one vote.

When the Senate voted on the other charges, the result was the same. The radicals could not get the two-thirds majority they needed. President Johnson was declared not guilty.

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VOICE TWO:

Radical leaders and newspapers bitterly denounced the small group of Republican senators who refused to vote guilty. They called them traitors. Friends and supporters condemned them. None was re-elected to the Senate or to any other government office.

It was a heavy price to pay. And yet, they were sure they had done the right thing. The senator from Kansas told his wife, "The millions of men cursing me today will bless me tomorrow for having saved the country from the greatest threat it ever faced."

VOICE ONE:

He was right. The trial of Andrew Johnson was an important turning point in the making of the American nation.

His removal from office would have established the idea that the president could serve only with the approval of Congress. The president would have become, in effect, a prime minister. He would have to depend on the support of Congress to remain in office. Johnson's victory kept alive the idea of an independent presidency.

However, the vote did not end the conflict between Congress and the White House over the future of the South.

That will be our story in the next program of THE MAKING OF A NATION.

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ANNOUNCER:

Our program was written by David Jarmul and Frank Beardsley. The narrators were Kay Gallant and Harry Monroe. Transcripts, podcasts and historical images from our series are at voaspecialenglish.com. You can also comment on our programs. And you can follow us on Twitter at VOA Learning English. Join us again next week for THE MAKING OF A NATION -- an American history series in VOA Special English.

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HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson.

This week on our program …

We visit New Orleans, Louisiana, to learn about the recovery efforts since Hurricane Katrina …

And play music from several of the city's many jazz bands.

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The French Quarter and Garden District are two of New Orleans' most famous and popular neighborhoods. Walking through these historic areas, visitors today might find it hard to believe that a deadly storm swept through the city over four years ago. However, most of New Orleans and its people are still struggling to rebuild and recover after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in August of two thousand five. Barbara Klein has more.

BARBARA KLEIN:

Katrina was the costliest and one of the deadliest hurricanes to ever strike the United States.

Jackson Hill is a photographer who has lived in New Orleans for over thirty years. He took us on a tour through the city's neighborhoods to help understand more about the storm's damage and the slow recovery process.

A house sits next to an empty lot in New Orleans, Louisiana

Driving through the neighborhoods of northern and eastern New Orleans, you see many newly built or repaired houses. But there are also a surprising number of areas of empty land where houses used to stand.

JACKSON HILL: "You see, all these vacant lots, they are all houses that are not there."

Mister Hill points out that just because you see houses, does not mean that these neighborhoods have recovered. Many houses that are standing are still wrecked and must be torn down. Some are only partly repaired. And he says that when you consider recovery, you cannot just think about the houses in a community.

JACKSON HILL: "You also gotta think about schools, fire stations, police stations. They're all gone too."

New Orleans was built on low-lying wetlands along the Mississippi River. Because of the risk of flooding, the city is surrounded by protective levees and floodwalls. But the poorly designed protection system was widely known to be too weak to protect against a major hurricane.

A damaged house in New Orleans sits abandoned

When Katrina hit, water levels exceeded the height and strength of many of these walls. Many walls broke, allowing billions of liters of water from the Gulf of Mexico and two nearby lakes to flood the city. Eighty percent of the city was underwater for days.

After the storm, recovery and aid efforts by local, state and federal agents were not well organized. This only added to the storm's damage.

As Mister Hill continues driving, he points out many shopping centers that remain empty. Many businesses never reopened after Katrina's destruction. There are empty stores, religious centers and hospitals. This has made it even more difficult for many people to rebuild their lives and communities.

The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center says the city's population is about seventy-seven percent of what it was before Katrina. Many people who fled chose to build new lives in other cities. This has had a huge effect on New Orleans economically, socially and culturally.

One area of the city that has received much media attention is the Lower Ninth Ward. More than four thousand homes were destroyed when a nearby flood wall broke.

Actor Brad Pitt created the Make It Right Foundation to provide money to rebuild in this poor neighborhood. The organization hired top building designers to create modern, environmentally friendly houses. Many sit on tall supports in case of future flooding. One house is built like a boat so that it will rise with flood waters. So far there are about twenty of these colorful new houses. The group plans to build a total of one hundred fifty houses.

A house in the Lower Ninth Ward built by the Make It Right Foundation

Josh Neufeld is a comic book artist in New York City. After Katrina hit, he was an emergency volunteer in Biloxi, Mississippi. He wrote an Internet blog about his experiences, which later led to a book. "A.D.: New Orleans after the Deluge" uses drawings and text to tell about the real experiences of several Katrina survivors.

JOSH NEUFELD: "It's a story that needs to continue to be told. And people need to know that New Orleans is still in recovery. It needs to be supported and appreciated as a unique place."

Critics say this graphic novel artfully expresses the survivors' bravery and shows what it was like to live through this disaster.

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HOST:

One hopeful sign of recovery in New Orleans can be found in the energy of artists who represent the city's rich culture. We spent some time in the lively Bywater and Faubourg Marigny areas to hear local musicians performing in clubs and drinking places.

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That was "Definitely Maybe" by the Mark Weliky Trio. Guitarist Mark Weliky is from Florida. He moved to New Orleans to study music and enjoy the city's energetic jazz scene. He plays with drummer Paul Thibodeaux and Martin Masakowski on bass. Martin's father, Steve Masakowski, is a member of our next band, Astral Project.

Astral Project has been performing in New Orleans since nineteen seventy-eight. The musicians are known for their inventive jazz influenced by funk, rock and world music. Here is their song "Voodoo Bop."

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Tuba Skinny is a band that takes its listeners back in time to the jazz and blues music of the nineteen twenties and thirties. The members have been playing together since April of last year. Sometimes they play in the streets of New Orleans. Other times they perform in popular bars. The band's lead singer Erika Lewis moved to New Orleans from New York state because of her love of music. We leave you with Tuba Skinny's version of "Sugar in My Bowl."

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HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. Our program was written and produced by Dana Demange. For transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our programs, go to voaspecialenglish.com. You can also post comments.

Do you have a question about people, places or things in America? Send it to mosaic@voanews.comand we may answer it on this show. Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

Lisenning English MP3

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson.

This week on our program we listen to music from superstar Whitney Houston ...

And answer a question about the Old Believers religious group ...

But first, we meet a new ambassador in Washington who wants to spread the message that reading is fun.

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Katherine Paterson

HOST:

If you are over the age of thirty you may not have heard of Katherine Paterson. But if you are under that age chances are good that you have. In fact, you might have read one of her many award-winning books. Or maybe you saw the movie version of her book, "Bridge to Terabithia." Now, the United States government has awarded Katherine Paterson a new job. Mario Ritter has more.

MARIO RITTER:

Katherine Paterson

She is only the second person to hold the position. She replaces writer Jon Scieszka, who had served since two thousand eight.

The librarian of Congress, James Billington, said Miz Paterson "represents the finest in literature for young people." He spoke of national as well as international praise for her writing. Mister Billington said she would speak to the importance of reading in the lives of America's young people.

Miz Paterson has written more than thirty books. She is among only five writers to have won two Newbery Medals. These are among the most important children's book awards in the United States. "Bridge to Terabithia" won a Newbery Medal in nineteen seventy-seven. Her book "Jacob Have I Loved" won the award in nineteen eighty-one.

Katherine Paterson's books for children are often quite complex. "Bridge to Terabithia" includes adult themes like depression and death. The book has caused debate because of its place on school library bookshelves. Some parents think it is too adult for young children. Miz Paterson says the idea for the book came from a real life experience. Her son's best friend died in nineteen seventy-four when she was struck by lightning.

Katherine Paterson is seventy-seven. She began writing as a young mother with three children. But she says her interest in writing came as a surprise. As a child she had thought about becoming a Christian religious worker in foreign countries like her parents were.

Katherine Paterson spoke to a gathering of children when she was named ambassador on January fifth in Washington. She said: "Read for your life. Read for your life as a member of a family, as a part of a community, as a citizen of this country and a citizen of the world."

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Old Believers

HOST:

Our question this week comes from Russia. Aleksey wants to know about the Russian community of Old Believers in the American state of Oregon.

Old Believers is the name used to describe millions of people who rejected reforms to the Russian Orthodox Church in the sixteen hundreds. Old Believers who chose not to accept the reforms were often mistreated or killed. Over time, millions fled Russia. Many fled to Asia, Australia, South America and Europe. Many others came to the United States.

A photograph by Joanne Mulcahy of a girl belonging to the Old Believers community in Oregon

Many continue to follow their old traditions and customs. Women wear coverings on their heads and long dresses, tied at the waist. Men are not permitted to shave the hair from their faces.

Old Believers follow special rules governing what they can and cannot eat on different days of the year. For example, they may not be permitted to eat things like dairy products, meat, fish or eggs, or drink alcohol. They also cannot eat off of the same dish that a non-believer has eaten off of. Because of this, many eat at fast food restaurants that serve food in containers that can be thrown away.

Old Believers observe forty religious holidays each year. On these days they are not permitted to go to work or attend school. In Oregon many Old Believers have their own businesses or farms. But a growing number of them work in jobs in the city, especially at furniture factories and sewing companies.

Many Old Believers live in small, private and somewhat closed communities. But the modern world is having an effect. Modern technology is entering their communities.

Many Old Believers watch television and drive cars. And many, especially the young, are reportedly having a harder time trying to hold on to their spiritual and cultural traditions.

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Whitney Houston

HOST:

Whitney Houston's recent album "I Look to You" marked her long awaited return to the music industry. It opened at the number one position in the United States and Canada. It also appeared in top positions in Australia and five European countries. Now the superstar is preparing for a world concert tour. Here is Shirley Griffith with more about Whitney Houston and songs from her album "I Look to You."

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

Music fans around the world are excited about the launch of Whitney Houston's world concert tour. It is to begin in Tokyo, Japan in February. This is her first international concert tour in nearly ten years. Serious personal problems interfered with Houston's award- winning singing career during the past ten years. She abused illegal drugs and had a troubled marriage to singer Bobby Brown. Whitney Houston regained control of her life after being treated at a substance abuse center in California for almost one year.

Also, she ended her marriage to Bobby Brown in two thousand seven. That same year, Whitney Houston joined with her longtime friend and major record company executive Clive Davis to begin recording her album. Here is the title song from "I Look to You."

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In November, Whitney Houston received the International Artist Award at the two thousand nine American Music Awards. The award has been given only seven times in the thirty-six year history of the awards. After receiving the honor, Houston thanked her family and supporters for believing in her. She also performed this song, "I Didn't Know My Own Strength."

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We leave you with another hit song by Whitney Houston from her album "I Look to You." She wrote this dance song, "Million Dollar Bill," with singer-songwriter Alicia Keys.

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HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. Our program was written by June Simms, Lawan Davis and Caty Weaver, who was also the producer. For transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our programs, go to voaspecialenglish.com. You can also post comments.

Do you have a question about people, places or things in America? Send it to mosaic@voanews.com and we may answer it on this show.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

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HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson.

This week on our program we tell all about the very popular American television series "Glee." And we play music from the show's many stars.

But first we answer a question about the strange American use of the number eighty-six.

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86?

HOST:

We answer a question today from China about an American term. Ella wants to know what it means to "eighty-six" something. She says she heard the term in a movie.

Most dictionaries say the term "eighty-six" comes from employees in the restaurant industry. It means the restaurant has sold out of something. This can happen with a really popular dish, or a special of the day. Specials are foods not on the usual list of foods served.

The head cook, or chef, of a restaurant will tell the head server that the kitchen is out of chicken soup, for example. That server might say to the rest of the employees, "eighty-six the chicken soup."

But, if a customer then orders the chicken soup a server will simply answer, "Sorry, we're out of the soup." It would not be considered respectful to say, "It's eighty-sixed."

Eighty-six has also been used in popular culture to mean dismiss or even kill. If someone has been fired from a job they might say, "My boss eighty-sixed me." Sometimes on television crime dramas you might hear a police officer or a suspect say someone was "eighty-sixed," meaning killed.

The Random House Historical Dictionary of Slang provides a possible explanation for the use of eighty-six in restaurants. The notation comes from a nineteen twenties play called "Burlesque." A waiter in the play tells a customer, "If you need any Scotch or gin, sir -- … My number is Eighty-Six." In other words, he is saying, if you run out, call eighty-six.

The same dictionary also says another former definition of eighty-six was undesirable customer. It notes a nineteen forty-six book about the famous American actor Lionel Barrymore. Gene Fowler wrote that Barrymore was considered an "eighty-six" at one drinking establishment, or bar. He was not to be served because he visited the bar often and did not behave well.

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"Glee"

HOST:

"Glee" is a new television series about high school students who like to sing. Music from the show has become extremely popular on CDs and on iTunes. Shirley Griffith has more.

Cast members of 'Glee'

"Glee" is about a high school singing group, also known as a glee club. It takes place at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan created the show. They based it on their own high school glee club experiences.

Mister Murphy chooses all the music for the show. His goal is to include many kinds of music – from current pop songs to classic rock to show tunes from Broadway musicals. The stars of "Glee" sing their versions of these famous songs. Here the members of the glee club sing "Somebody to Love." The British rock group Queen recorded this song in the nineteen seventies.

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Songs performed on "Glee" are released on iTunes before the show is broadcast. They are released through other digital outlets and mobile carriers a week later. More than three million copies of the songs have been downloaded. And two CDs have been released. The first one, "Glee: The Music, Volume 1," was released in November.

Matthew Morrison plays the teacher who directs the club. Jayma Mays plays a school counselor.

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"Glee" deals with the problems of high school students. The rest of the school does not respect the glee club. Sue Sylvester, the coach of the cheerleaders, plots to destroy it. Some members of the glee club are not popular because they are different from the rest of the students. But some members are football players and cheerleaders – the most popular kids at school.

At first they do not get along. Then they realize they all have something in common – their love of music. They decide to work together to compete against other high school glee clubs. Here Lea Michele sings her version of "Take a Bow" by Rihanna.

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Ryan Murphy created "Glee" as a family show that both adults and children would like. He said each show has a main idea or theme. He chooses the songs to help move the story along. Critics have praised the talent of the young singers and the show's humor. One critic calls it the first television show in a long time that is just plain fun. Last month, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association nominated "Glee" for four Golden Globe Awards, including Best Comedy Series.

The second CD of music from "Glee" was released last month. Here Amber Riley sings "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from the Broadway musical "Dreamgirls."

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Fans of the show are called "gleeks." It is extremely popular on social networking Web sites including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.

"Glee" is taking a four-month break and will return in April. In the last show before the break, the group competed against two other high school glee clubs, and won the competition. We leave you with one of their winning songs, the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want."

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HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. Our program was written by Shelley Gollust and Caty Weaver, who was also the producer.

Do you have a question about people, places or things in America? Send it to mosaic@voanews.comand we may answer it on this show.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

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HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Faith Lapidus.

Happy New Year! Before we look ahead to two thousand ten, we want to talk about some of the best movies and books of two thousand nine.

And we play some great music we did not have a chance to play last year.

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Best Movies

HOST:

Two thousand nine was the best year in history for movies in the United States. Movies earned more than ten billion dollars in ticket sales last year. This was helped by the steady increase in movie ticket prices. Shirley Griffith tells us about some of the best movies of last year.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

Zoe Saldana as Neytiri in "Avatar"

"Avatar" uses special effects that have never been seen before in a movie. It combines live action, motion-capture, animation and computer-produced images. The movie is about a man who travels to a distant planet about one hundred fifty years in the future.

Several traditional movies also were named among the best of two thousand nine. One is "The Hurt Locker." It is a tense and exciting movie about American soldiers in Iraq whose job is to find and safely destroy hidden explosive devices.

(SOUND: "Hurt Locker")

"Up in the Air" is also on many critics' list of best movies of the year.

George Clooney as Ryan Bingham in "Up in the Air"

It stars George Clooney as a man who spends most of his life flying around the country to different cities. His job is to dismiss people from their jobs. This movie hits very close to home. It includes people who have really lost their jobs during this time of high unemployment in the United States.

Critics have also praised a movie called "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire." It is about an extremely overweight black teenager in the Harlem area of New York City. Precious suffers horrible sexual and physical abuse from both her parents. But caring teachers and social workers help her improve her life.

Two other favorite movies of last year are based on children's books. "Where the Wild Things Are" is a live action film based on the popular book by Maurice Sendak. A young boy named Max runs away from his mother and sails to an island full of frightening-looking creatures. And critics also liked "Fantastic Mister Fox" based on a book by Roald Dahl. This stop-motion animation movie was called creative and fun for both children and adults.

Best Books

HOST:

In December, many newspapers and booksellers in the United States publish lists of the year's best books. Steve Ember tells us about several favorites of two thousand nine.

STEVE EMBER:

"A Gate at the Stairs" is writer Lorrie Moore's first book in over ten years. It takes place in two thousand one shortly after the terrorist attacks on America. It tells about a young girl named Tassie who attends college in the Midwest. She takes a job as a babysitter for a woman and her husband who have adopted a child of mixed race. It is a funny, sad and emotional story about marriage, race, family, terrorism and war.

Critics also praised the latest book by Irish writer Colm Toibin. "Brooklyn" is about a young Irish girl named Eilis. Her family sends her to live in the Brooklyn area of New York City in the nineteen fifties. Mister Toibin describes how she slowly gets used to her new life in America. Eilis soon falls in love with a kind Italian-American young man named Tony. Eilis must return to Ireland because of a family tragedy. She must choose between Tony and her family.

"Cutting for Stone" was written by the medical doctor and writer Abraham Verghese. It is a powerful story about twin brothers born in a Catholic hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Their mother, an Indian nurse at the hospital, dies in childbirth. Their father, a British doctor, flees as soon as they are born. The brothers are raised by two Indian doctors who live at the hospital. One brother later moves to the United States. This is a story about the extremes of love, family, and medicine.

Other top books include the British historical novel "Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel. It is about King Henry the Eighth and his advisor Thomas Cromwell. Daniyal Mueenuddin's book "In Other Rooms, Other Wonders," was also noted as one of the best books of last year. It is a collection of linked short stories about the lives of very rich and very poor people in Pakistan.

Critics also praised several non-fiction books. They include Terry Teachout's book "Pops", about the jazz great Louis Armstrong. "Lords of Finance" by Liaquat Ahamed tells about the financial crisis during the nineteen twenties. And, in "Lit: A Memoir," Mary Karr tells about her struggles with motherhood, marriage and alcohol.

Music We Missed

HOST:

We play a lot of great music on American Mosaic. But there are just not enough shows in a year to play everything. So today we play music from some of the best albums we missed in two thousand nine.

We start with the rapper Fabolous. His two thousand nine album, "Loso's Way," came with a DVD starring the rapper and some of his friends.

Singer Keri Hilson performs with Fabolous on "Everything, Everyday, Everywhere" from "Loso's Way."

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Neko Case

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"Veckatimest" is the latest CD from Grizzly Bear, the Brooklyn, New York-based indie rock band. It is on most critics' lists of best rock or indie albums of the year. The album was named for a small island off the coast of Massachusetts. The band spent some time near there recording the album. One of the most popular songs from "Veckatimest" is "Two Weeks."

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Finally, there is Paramore. The five member band got its start in Tennessee in two thousand four. All of the musicians are under the age of twenty-five. Not surprisingly, Paramore's sound is youthful and energetic. We leave you with "Turn it Off," from the Paramore album, "Brand New Eyes."

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HOST:

I'm Faith Lapidus. Our program was written by Shelley Gollust, Dana Demange and Caty Weaver, who was also the producer.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

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HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Bob Doughty.

As always, music makers released lots of new holiday albums this year. There are country, jazz, gospel and other kinds of holiday songs. Since it is Christmas today we thought we would take time to listen to some of the new offerings.

The biggest surprise came from this artist. Maybe you will recognize the voice.

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Bob Dylan's album, "Christmas in the Heart," has many traditional Christmas songs. The video for the song "Must Be Santa" has been very popular on the Internet. Dylan is wearing false long hair and dancing around with a crowd of mostly younger people at a wild house party. It is all very strange. But it does seem merry. "Christmas in the Heart" is truly a gift, too. All of Dylan's profits from the album are going to aid organizations.

Also for charity is another release in the "Very Special Christmas" series. Two thousand nine marks the seventh recording in the series. It began in nineteen-eighty-seven to help the Special Olympics. Artists who took part this season include Colbie Caillat, Miley Cyrus and this country superstar, Carrie Underwood. She sings "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing."

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The country band Sugarland released its first Christmas album this year called "Gold and Green." The band's two members, Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles, perform some traditional songs. They also co-wrote many new holiday songs too, like the title track.

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Straight No Chaser is a famous men's singing group that began at Indiana University. Former members formed a professional group of the same name. Straight No Chaser is an acapella group which means the singers do not perform with any instrumental music. Their voices do all the work.

Straight No Chaser released "Christmas Cheers" in November. Here the men perform a funny piece called "The Christmas Can-Can."

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Last month, the British musician Sting released "If on a Winter's Night ... " The album is filled with beautiful, old music from the British Isles. The recording is more about the winter season than a holiday. However, in "Christmas at Sea" Sting takes a haunting Robert Louis Stevenson poem and sets it to music.

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"My Christmas" is Andrea Bocelli's new holiday album. The Italian singer invited many guest artists to perform on the recording. They include the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Muppets, and Mary J. Blige.

Here Andrea Bocelli and Natalie Cole sing "The Christmas Song," from "My Christmas."

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Ayiesha Woods is a Christian musician originally from Long Island, New York. The singer-songwriter has won several gospel music awards and has released four albums. They include this year's holiday recording, "Christmas Like This." It was released last month. Here Ayiesha Woods performs "O Holy Night."

(MUSIC)

Neil Diamond is another American singer-songwriter. He has been a superstar in the music business for almost forty years. "A Cherry, Cherry, Christmas" is Diamond's third Christmas album. Diamond says his latest record let people experience the special feelings of Christmas year after year. One of those feelings might be the fun of a sleigh ride through the snow.

(MUSIC: "SLEIGH RIDE")

There is also a nice seasonal album out for jazz lovers. "Jazzy Brass for the Holidays" is the latest recording by jazz trumpet player Eddie Allen. Allen arranged all fourteen pieces on the recording. He also leads the four-member brass band, drummer and bass player.

We leave you with Eddie Allen and the band playing "Let it Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" from "Jazzy Brass for the Holidays."

(MUSIC)

I'm Bob Doughty. This program was written and produced by Caty Weaver.

Do you have a question about people, places or things in America? Send it to mosaic@voanews.comand we may answer it on this show.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

Lisenning English MP3

Correction Attached

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson.

Today, we play jazz music by a young saxophonist, Hailey Niswanger …

And answer a question about the history of blue jeans ...

But first, we tell about one company's plan to send passengers into space.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

Until now, space travel has been mostly limited to astronauts in government space programs. But seeing Earth from space may soon become a reality for wealthy people who dream of space travel.

Last week, British billionaire Sir Richard Branson showed his new spaceship Enterprise at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. He calls it the world's first commercial passenger spacecraft. Mario Ritter has our story.

MARIO RITTER:

Richard Branson presents a model of the SpaceShipTwo

The spacecraft made three suborbital flights. You can see SpaceShipOne at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Mister Rutan is now partners with Mister Branson to create a spacecraft for passengers.

Enterprise is the first of five planned SpaceShipTwo planes. The eighteen-meter long craft is designed tocarry two pilots and six passengers. Testing of SpaceShipTwo is expected to begin next year. The company hopes to begin sending passengers into space by two thousand eleven. Mister Branson says he plans to bring his son and daughter and his parents with him on the first flight.

The spacecraft will launch from Spaceport America in New Mexico. Mister Branson expects his company will be able to take one thousand people into space within the first year of operation. To date, only about five hundred people have traveled into space.

Passengers will pay two hundred thousand dollars to ride to outer space and back for two and a half hours. The flight includes about five minutes of weightlessness. Passengers will be required to have three days of training before the flights. About three hundred people have already paid money for the space flights.

Virgin Galactic expects to spend more than four hundred million dollars for five commercial spaceships and launch vehicles. But Richard Branson is not the only one working to make space flight available to the public. Several other people are also building their own rockets. They include Amazon.com Chief Executive Jeff Bezos, computer game programmer John Carmack and rocketeer Jeff Greason. Yet Virgin Galactic is expected to be the first to operate its spacecraft.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

Our listener question this week comes from Russia. Alex Shestakov wants to know the history of blue jeans. Jeans are pants made from a kind of cloth called denim. For many people, blue jeans represent American culture.

Levi Strauss was born in Bavaria, an area that today is part of Germany. In eighteen forty-seven he and his family immigrated to the United States.

He opened a small dry goods store, first in New York then in San Francisco, California. Among the products he sold were jeans. These pants were especially useful for miners in California who needed clothing made from a strong material.

Levi Strauss partnered with a clothing maker named Jacob Davis, who had invented a process for making rivets for jeans. These metal devices helped reinforce the blue jean cloth to make the pants stronger.

In eighteen seventy-three, Strauss and Davis received a patent to officially own this invention. They began producing "copper-riveted waist overalls." In nineteen twenty-eight the Levi Strauss company registered the word "Levi's" as a trademark for their product.

Nineteenth century workers would probably be surprised to know that their pants would one day become a fashion object. Today, jeans are worn by people of all ages, incomes and lifestyles. Jeans come in many colors other than blue and in many styles and prices. Fashion designers even create very costly jeans.

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., has one of the oldest known pairs of Levi's jeans in its collection. Jeans have come to express different ideas about American culture based on the people who wear them. These include the cowboy of the Wild West and famous Hollywood actors like James Dean and Marlon Brando in the nineteen fifties.

Writer James Sullivan published a book called "Jeans: A Cultural History of an American Icon." In the book, he says jeans serve as a sign for two American values, creativity and rebellion.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

Hailey Niswanger is an award-winning alto saxophonist who has played with some of the biggest names in jazz. She has also performed at festivals and concerts around the world. Jazz critics are praising the joyful music on her first album, "Confeddie." Barbara Klein tells us more about this talented nineteen year old woman from Portland, Oregon.

BARBARA KLEIN:

Hailey Niswanger first began to play the clarinet when she was eight years old. She soon began exploring other instruments, including the flute and alto and soprano saxophones. In high school she began performing locally and around the country. She discovered how much fun jazz music was to play, because it is always changing. She said each new performance was different from the next one.

Here is her version of "Four in One" from the album "Confeddie." The song was written by the jazz great Thelonious Monk.

(MUSIC)

Hailey Niswanger has performed at concerts and other gatherings alongside famous jazz artists. They include Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Turner, Red Holloway and DeeDee Bridgewater. She has said that it was a great experience to share a stage with them.

Here she performs the song "Serenity."

(MUSIC)

We leave you with a song Hailey Niswanger wrote herself. "Confeddie" is a combination of two words, "confetti" and "Eddie." Bits of paper called "confetti" are often used at parties, so Hailey chose a festive word for her festive music. And, Hailey wrote the song in the style of saxophonist Eddie Harris.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. Our program was written by Brianna Blake and Dana Demange who was also the producer. For transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our programs, go to voaspecialenglish.com. You can also comment on our programs.

Do you have a question about people, places or things in America? Send it to mosaic@voanews.comand we may answer it on this show.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

___

Correction: This story mistakenly called Berklee College of Music the Berklee School of Music.

Lisenning English MP3

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson.

Today, we play music from a new album by Animal Collective …

And answer a question about funeral traditions in the United States …

But first, we tell about a new organization that is finding homes for animals and helping American soldiers at the same time.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

The United States military is dealing with more cases of post traumatic stress disorder among is soldiers than ever before. People with the condition often suffer continual frightening thoughts, feelings of anger and unease. They also may feel disconnected from people, especially family and close friends. PTSD often causes severe sleep problems.

One soldier with PTSD recently found an unlikely source of healing for his condition -- his dog Cheyenne. So he started an organization to share his hope with other veterans. Mario Ritter has our story on the group Pets2Vets.

MARIO RITTER:

The Washington Animal Rescue League center is modern, clean and bright. Classical music plays throughout the building. Water streams down the windows on the roof over every dog's room. The water and music are supposed to calm the dogs. But they still bark and jump up happily as people pass by.

(SOUND)

The center seems to have almost every kind of dog imaginable. There is even a dog that is half-wolf. She and about one hundred other dogs were rescued from a dog sled operation in Quebec, Canada. The center in Washington took in thirteen of them.

But today at the shelter, there is one very little dog with a big job ahead of her. Xena is a Jack Russell mix puppy. She is recovering from a broken leg.

Will Acevedo and Xena

WILL ACEVEDO: "Interacting with the puppy's going to be great. I guess, you know, it will give me that feeling of closeness. And, sometimes animals can fill that void that human beings can't fill. Like the dog will love you unconditionally no matter what. You know, people, we judge each other because we're human. But pets, they don't judge you. They love their masters."

Dave Sharpe is the founder of Pets2Vets. He had a terrifying experience serving in the United States Air Force in Saudi Arabia and suffered PTSD in silence for years after. His friends and family noticed the change in him. He had trouble controlling his anger. His easy going personality disappeared. He would have terrible experiences at night. He would wake up scared or angry and get out of bed. He would start hitting and kicking the walls or furniture.

But then he got a puppy, Cheyenne. He had to take care of her. He says he woke up in the middle of the night as usual. He felt angry. He started hitting and kicking the refrigerator.

DAVE SHARPE: "And then I turn around and I see this little puppy dog looking up at me, wagging her tail, and uh, everything just left. I got calm. So I picked her up and I took her to the couch and I just started talking to her about what happened. Playing it in my head. Did I do enough, or did I not do enough? Should I have shot the guy?

I know I wasn't being judged. So, talking to Cheyenne, I got a lot of this out. And I cried in front of her. Didn't feel any type of vulnerability. I started getting better. My friends noticed a change in my attitude. My leadership noticed a change in my attitude at work. She's done a lot for me."

Dave Sharpe established Pets2Vets as a result of his experience with his own dog. The organization is based in Arlington, Virginia. It has been hugely popular. It officially opened in October. Already it is connecting pets with two to three veterans each week. The Washington Animal Rescue League does not charge the usual adoption fees for the vets. And Pets2Vets provides a start-up kit of pet equipment.

Dave Sharpe sees even bigger things for the group. There are Veterans Affairs hospitals and animal rescue centers in every state. He also thinks the group could be expanded to include other victims of post traumatic stress disorder.

But right now just taking care of his fellow soldiers is a lot. Dave Sharpe says the veterans have sacrificed so much. And, the dogs and cats have so much to give. So everybody wins.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

Soldiers carry the casket of Michael Grant Cahill, a physician's assistant killed in the shooting November 5 at the Army base at Fort Hood, Texas. He was the only civilian among the 13 dead.

Cremation is the act of burning the body until only the ashes are left. The ashes are placed in a container called an urn. The urn is often put on display during the memorial service. After the ceremony, the family may keep the ashes in their home. Or they may bury them in the earth, place them in a tomb or scatter them in a special place.

The Cremation Association of North America says cremations were used in almost thirty-five percent of funerals in two thousand seven.

This was an eleven percent increase from nineteen ninety-seven. The group says the cremation rate is expected to increase to almost fifty-nine percent by two thousand twenty-five.

While cremation has grown in popularity, most families in the United States still choose to bury their loved ones.

After death, the person's body is usually embalmed to preserve it until the funeral is held. A traditional full service funeral usually includes a public viewing. This is called a wake. The body is placed in a special burial box called a casket or coffin. Then a memorial service is held. The service may include music and comments about the loved one by family members and friends. A religious leader may also talk about the person and offer spiritual comfort to the family. After the service, family members and friends go to the gravesite where the body is buried or placed in a tomb.

American funerals can be quite costly. A traditional full service funeral averages about six thousand dollars. Flowers, funeral cars and special burial requests can increase the cost to more than ten thousand dollars. Cremations usually cost thousands of dollars less.

HOST:

Animal Collective is a music group made up of four friends who met in Baltimore, Maryland. They have been playing together since high school. Animal Collective just released a new album, "Fall Be Kind." June Simms plays some of its songs and some older music.

JUNE SIMMS:

David Portner goes by the stage name Avey Tare. Noah Lennox is Panda Bear. Brian Weitz is Geologist and Josh Dibb is Deakin.

Animal Collective

(MUSIC)

Noah Lennox, or Panda Bear, says the name Animal Collective came from the first recording he and Josh Dibb put together. It was on a tape cassette and Lennox drew panda bears all over the cover. As a result, he got the idea for "Animal Collective."

Here is "Bleed" from the new album, "Fall Be Kind."

(MUSIC)

Animal Collective has recorded eight studio albums since the band's first in two thousand. The group has also recorded five EPs, or extended plays, and two live albums.

We leave you with Animal Collective performing "On A Highway" from their latest album, "Fall Be Kind."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. Our program was written by June Simms and Caty Weaver, who was also the producer.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

Lisenning English MP3

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson.

Today, we take a virtual walk down a famous street found in almost every land on the planet… the children's television show "Sesame Street" turns forty years old.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

More than forty years ago, a group of television educators, child development experts and artists gathered to develop a revolutionary television program. Their goal was to make a television show that would teach young children about subjects like reading and math in a way that was entertaining and fun to watch. The show was also aimed at providing children from low-income families with additional preparation for school.

(MUSIC)

"Sesame Street" was first broadcast on November tenth, nineteen sixty-nine. It was produced by a non-profit group called The Children's Television Workshop, today called The Sesame Workshop. Money for developing the program came from private foundations, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the United States government.

The show combines animation, music, large puppets and human actors to create a series of funny and creative lessons. Some of the most famous characters on the show include Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, and Bert and Ernie. Puppet maker Jim Henson created these loveable and funny characters.

Research is an important part of what made "Sesame Street" special. The show's creators studied the children they were targeting very carefully to understand how to best keep them entertained -- and learning.

When the show first aired, some of its creators were not sure it would last one season. But forty years later, "Sesame Street" is the longest running children's television program in the United States.

(MUSIC)

Michelle Obama on "Sesame Street"

MICHELLE OBAMA: "Hi Everyone!We are here digging up soil, because we are about to plant a garden."

ELMO: "Yeah! So we can grow our very own food.

MICHELLE OBAMA: "Right. We're planting vegetables like these right here."

Michelle Obama also had a message to the many parents who watch the show with their children. She said parents can help their children do things to have healthy lives, like getting enough exercise.

ELMO: "Yay Exercise!"

MICHELLE OBAMA: "If you want your child to have healthy habits, practice healthy habits too because you're your child's best role model."

There have been many other famous guests on the show throughout the years. Some recent ones include singer Norah Jones, actress Sarah Jessica Parker and reporter Anderson Cooper.

(MUSIC)

Today, versions of "Sesame Street" are broadcast in more than one hundred twenty-five countries. And "Sesame Street" has worked hard to deal with important issues. In two thousand two, a puppet named Kami appeared on the South African version of "Sesame Street" which is called "Takalani Sesame."

Kami

In Egypt, "Sesame Street" is called "Alam Simsim." The program has a female puppet called Khokha. She loves learning and is always asking questions.

She was created to be a role model for Egyptian girls. She expresses the importance of girls going to school and working hard to learn.

More recently, "Sesame Street" launched a version of the show in Northern Ireland called "Sesame Tree." The show has two characters, Potto and Hilda. It takes place in a large hollow tree. The show aims to teach children about acceptance and respect.

This month, visitors to Union Station in Washington, D.C. could learn more about the different versions of "Sesame Street" around the world at a special exhibit. The picture exhibit helps explain the cultural differences behind "Sesame Street"s many productions.

The words of one of "Sesame Street"s creators are written on one of the images. They explain the goals of the show. Joan Ganz Cooney says that "Sesame Street" producers do not pretend that a television show can solve the problems of the world. But she says they believe it would be a terrible mistake not to use these influential tools to contribute to the answers.

We asked one person at the exhibit what he remembers most about "Sesame Street."

MORI DIANE: "It helped teach me how to count and read. And I also loved how they integrated the human characters with the Muppet characters. It kind of helped me live in a fantasy world as a child."

Another person we spoke to had a different experience.

MISHKA MUKHERJI: "I didn't really think about it as an educational program, I just really fell in love with the characters. My parents always tell me that I loved Big Bird."

(MUSIC)

No program about "Sesame Street" would be complete without presenting some of its most famous songs. Here is Mario Ritter with more.

(MUSIC)

Johnny Cash and Oscar the Grouch

That was "I Love Trash" sung by the ever unhappy green creature, Oscar the Grouch. Sometimes "Sesame Street" characters sing by themselves. Other times, famous performers sing with them. For example, here is Johnny Cash and Oscar the Grouch singing "Nasty Dan."

(MUSIC)

Many of the songs have an educational message. Here the group "Hootie and the Blowfish" sings with Elmo. They tell children about the importance of holding an adult's hand to cross the street.

(MUSIC)

The hip-hop group the Fugees has also performed on "Sesame Street." Here is "Just Happy to Be Me."

(MUSIC)

We leave you with another favorite by a character who appeared on the first episode of "Sesame Street." Here is Kermit the Frog singing "Bein' Green."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. Our program was written and produced by Dana Demange. For transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our programs, go to voaspecialenglish.com. You can also comment on our programs.

Do you have a question about people, places or things in America? Send it to mosaic@voanews.com and we may answer it on this show.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

Lisenning English MP3

Correction attached

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Mario Ritter. Today: music, photographs and a basketball star, all brought to you from the City of Angels, Los Angeles, California.

(MUSIC)

21st Century Family of Man

HOST:

Over fifty years ago a photographic exhibit called "The Family of Man" opened in New York City. It was a popular show with critics and the public. This fall, a similar exhibit opened in Los Angeles. It was organized by the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California. Barbara Klein tells about "The Twenty-first Century Family of Man."

BARBARA KLEIN:

A photo from the "Children of Man" part of the exhibit

The collection was called "The Family of Man." It was shown first at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The show was designed to express the connections that link humans everywhere.

Nick Cullen is a professor of public diplomacy at the University of Southern California. He says Steichen's exhibit brought in crowds as it traveled from country to country.

NICK CULLEN: "I think part of its success was that everybody could recognize something of themselves in the exhibit and so the Family of Man show belonged to everybody."

Twenty-nine-year-old photographer Paul Rockower shows his own Family of Man pictures in the new exhibit at the University of Southern California. He says it is a re-imagining of the first show with a modern touch.

Mister Rockower has traveled and studied outside the United States since he was a teenager. He always had his camera with him. He took pictures of people, places and things around him. The exhibit presents about seventy of those images.

A detail of a photo from the "Faith of Man" part of the exhibit

Mister Rockower is a graduate student of public diplomacy at the University of Southern California. He says his photographs express a common idea among all the different faces and places.

PAUL ROCKOWER: "I think the theme that comes out is really the unity of mankind, that we are all the same, the things that we share are things like family, like faith, like friendship. These are the things that are universal qualities found everywhere you go."

"The Twenty-first Century Family of Man" exhibit continues at the Annenberg Gallery at U.S.C. in Los Angeles until May of next year.

(MUSIC)

Kobe Bryant

Our question this week comes from a young listener in China who wants to know about professional basketball player Kobe Bryant.

Kobe Bryant began his career in the National Basketball Association in nineteen ninety-six. He was chosen to join the Charlotte Hornets in the state of North Carolina. He was later traded to the Los Angeles Lakers team in California.

Kobe Bryant was born in nineteen seventy-eight in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan. His father is former NBA player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant. The older Bryant later played on basketball teams in Europe. Joe Bryant and his family moved to Italy when he played on a team there. Six-year-old Kobe learned to speak Italian and started playing basketball and soccer.

In nineteen eighty-two, the Bryant family returned to Philadelphia. Kobe attended Lower Merion High School and quickly became one of the school's top basketball players. He led his team to state championships all four years he was a student there.

Kobe received good grades as a student and received many financial offers from major universities. But the seventeen-year-old decided not to go to college but instead play for the National Basketball Association. In his second season, he was chosen as a starter for the nineteen ninety-eight NBA All-Star Game. He was nineteen years old, the youngest All-Star in NBA history. He has played on a total of eleven NBA All-Star teams.

Kobe Bryant has achieved other successes in basketball. The superstar won a Gold Medal as a member of the United States men's basketball team in the two thousand eight summer Olympic Games in China.

Kobe Bryant has been the top scorer in many basketball games. In two thousand five, he scored eighty-one points in one game. That is the second highest in NBA history.

Weezer and "Raditude"

HOST:

Weezer is a four-member band from Los Angeles. The band released its seventh studio album earlier this month. "Raditude" is number one on Billboard Magazine's chart of top one hundred alternative albums and number seven on its chart of top two hundred albums. Bob Doughty plays some music and tells about Weezer's unusual marketing partner.

BOB DOUGHTY:

Most music critics do not like Weezer's new album "Raditude" as much as the public does. They say it lacks artistic depth. Many critics say Weezer has lost all connection to the alternative band it once was. They say now Weezer's sound is all pop. But a few critics argue that Weezer's pop is good pop.

(MUSIC)

Recently, Weezer teamed up with the company that sells a product called the "Snuggie." It is a blanket with sleeves that a person wears to stay warm. The product is heavily advertized on television. Many Americans think the product and commercials are funny. Now there is a "Weezer Snuggie" for sale. The band wore the blankets while performing on the David Letterman late night television show. Weezer members said they were warm in the cold studio and could still play their instruments. They performed "I'm Your Daddy" from "Raditude."

(MUSIC)

The "Raditude" album cover is unusual. It is a prize-winning photograph that appeared in the National Geographic magazine. It shows a dog jumping up high in the living room of an average American home. The dog, Sidney, is a fan of the band. We leave you with Weezer and "Love is the Answer" from "Raditude."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Mario Ritter. Our program was written by Lawan Davis and Caty Weaver who was also the producer. Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

___

Correction: As a comment below points out, Kobe Bryant's family returned to Philadelphia in 1991, not in 1982 as reported in this story.

Lisenning English MP3

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. This week on our program, we report on several events marking American Indian Heritage Month.

We listen to music by the Cherokee National Youth Choir …

Talk about President Obama's recent meeting with tribal nations …

And visit a new exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., recently opened an exhibit with sculptures by a very inventive artist. Canadian sculptor Brian Jungen turns everyday objects into strangely beautiful art. He is the first living American Indian artist to have a solo show at this museum. Barbara Klein tells us more.

BARBARA KLEIN:

The exhibit is called "Strange Comfort." The first sculpture that greets visitors looks like the skeleton of a huge whale. But if you look more closely, the sculpture "Shapeshifter" is made out of old plastic chairs that have been carefully cut and bolted together.

A head covering by Brian Jungen

Brian Jungen lives in Vancouver, Canada. He was born to a Canadian father and a mother who is part of the Dunne-za tribe.

His Native background greatly influences his work. One series looks like colorful American Indian masks and head coverings. But they are made out of basketball shoes that the artist cut and changed to make his art. Another statue, "The Prince," looks like a fierce tribal chief standing straight and tall. But the human form is made up of carefully formed baseball gloves.

Mister Jungen has said that the sports industry makes free use of American Indian words and images to describe its teams. So he felt he had the right to make art from the sports industry's objects.

"Buffalo Dancer II"

Outside, in the museum's garden area, visitors can see a more traditional sculpture made by an American Indian artist. It is of a man wearing a buffalo head covering. He is reaching his bow and arrow up to the sky.

"Buffalo Dancer II" was recently put into place as part of the activities to celebrate American Indian Heritage Month. George Rivera made this huge bronze statue. He is from the Pueblo of Pojoaque in New Mexico. He says the statue expresses the respect that many American Indians have for the buffalo, which they honor through dance and ceremony.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

Last week, President Obama met with hundreds of tribal leaders at the White House Tribal Nations Conference in Washington. Mister Obama promised to work with them on important issues including energy development and climate change.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "I believe Washington can't and shouldn't dictate a policy agenda for Indian country. Tribal nations do better when they make their own decisions. That is why we are here today. I want to be clear about this. Today's summit is not lip service. We are not going through the motions, and pay tribute to one another, then furl up the flags then go our separate ways."

Leaders wait to ask President Obama questions at the White House Tribal Nations Conference

He also signed an agreement requiring all federal agencies to organize within ninety days a plan to improve communication with tribal groups about government policy decisions.

The tribal chiefs asked for the president's help with problems facing their people. One chief said the suicide rate for young Native American men in his state was twelve times the national average. He asked for more financial aid to help reduce suicide rates.

BILL MARTIN: "And for young men between fifteen and twenty-seven, it's twelve time the national average. And it's a serious issue. And we hope that we can be able to provide more funding to combat suicide."

Other chiefs asked for help with social issues such as improving education.

Tribal leaders also discussed ways that climate change and warmer temperatures were affecting their communities.

President Obama said working to fight climate change was a top goal of his administration. He talked about ways that tribes could more easily develop clean energy such as solar power and wind energy. And he discussed plans to make it easier to get permits and financing for clean energy.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

The Cherokee National Youth Choir features Native American singers from sixth grade to twelfth grade. The group has won many music honors. It has also sung at the White House, the Kennedy Center and at Ground Zero in New York City. Mario Ritter has our report about the Choir which is celebrating its tenth year.

MARIO RITTER:

Cherokee Chief Chad "Corntassel" Smith started the Cherokee National Youth Choir in two thousand. He saw it as a way to keep children involved in the language and culture of their tribe.

The children sing traditional Cherokee songs in the Cherokee language. But they also perform Christian songs in Cherokee as well. Like this one, "Orphan Child," from

Members from the Cherokee National Youth Choir

(MUSIC)

Forty children are in the Cherokee National Youth Choir. They come from communities in northeastern Oklahoma. Cherokees had lived all over the American southeast -- in Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. But in the eighteen hundreds the United States government forced them to leave their homes. The Indians walked what was later called the "Trail of Tears" to a new homeland in Oklahoma. Many Cherokees died on the way.

Here the Choir sings "Beautiful Home," also from the album, "Precious Memories."

(MUSIC)

Mary Kay Henderson is the director of the Cherokee National Youth Choir. She says Choir officials are contacting past and present members for celebrations of its tenth anniversary. She says the events will include a special CD of past and present Choir members singing together.

Perhaps the group will re-record this next song. Mizz Henderson says it is one of the children's favorites. We leave you with the Cherokee National Youth Choir performing "North Wind."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. Our program was written by Caty Weaver and Dana Demange who was also the producer. For transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our programs, go to voaspecialenglish.com. You can also comment on our programs.

Do you have a question about people, places or things in America? Send it to mosaic@voanews.comand we may answer it on this show.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

Lisenning English PM3

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. This week on our program:

A competition to find a spokesmodel for Mother Earth …

And a question from Russia about Kurt Cobain and the band that he led, Nirvana.

But first, a report on a town marking the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of an anti-slavery rebellion.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

Harpers Ferry is a small town in West Virginia. It is in a beautiful area of the Blue Ridge Mountains where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers come together. Also, the states of West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland meet in the area. The Appalachian Trail runs through Harpers Ferry. The town has shops, restaurants and a National Historical Park. Many people visit Harpers Ferry to see a town that looks the same as it did more than one hundred fifty years ago. This year it is celebrating the anniversary of an important historical event. Mario Ritter has more.

MARIO RITTER:

VOA reporter Susan Logue visited Harpers Ferry recently. She spoke to Park Ranger David Fox. He says the town was very different in eighteen fifty-nine.

He says Harpers Ferry was a noisy, dirty, polluted industrial city in what was then Virginia, the largest slave state in America.

It was also home to the United States Armory and Arsenal, one of only two in the country. Weapons for the army were made and stored there.

John Brown was an important person in the history of Harpers Ferry. He was an abolitionist. He wanted to end slavery in the United States.

The Armory at Harpers Ferry, left

John Brown and his men seized the arsenal and its one hundred thousand weapons. They also seized the nearby arms factory and a railroad bridge. A battle followed, first involving local armed groups and then the United States Marines. Eighteen people were killed. After thirty-six hours, Brown was captured in the building that served as the fire engine and guard house. It is the only armory building still standing. It is now known as John Brown's Fort.

Park Ranger David Fox says this building has different meanings to different people.

DAVID FOX: "To some people this building is the scene of a crime, where a murderer and a traitor was captured and brought to justice. To others, this monument is nothing less than a monument to freedom on a battlefield."

U.S. Marines attack the engine house at Harpers Ferry

Last month, the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and other partners held many programs observing the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of John Brown's raid. There were talks, living history re-enactments, special tours, and musical and dramatic events. Visitors to Harpers Ferry can learn about America's history as it brings the past to life.

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HOST:

The United States has many famous and beautiful women who model clothing and represent companies or causes. This weekend, Project Green Search will announce its selection of a new model for the environmental "Green Revolution." Barbara Klein has more.

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BARBARA KLEIN:

This modeling competition is about much more than beauty. Project Green Search is looking for young women who are also concerned about the environment, animal welfare, fair trade and human rights. The judges have chosen ten finalists. We would like to tell you about three of them.

Leilani Munter

Miz Munter purchases half a hectare of rainforest for every race she drives. She demands that her racing sponsors be eco-friendly and she is pushing her sport to become more eco-friendly too.

Zion Francis was a civil engineer and is now a model and actress. She studied sustainable engineering methods in France. She has been working to support the Green Revolution in the United States.

Miz Francis has volunteered for social and environmental organizations. They include Engineers for a Sustainable World, the Sustainable Food Center in Austin, Texas, and the Forest Service in California. Zion Francis says green living is honoring your position as a human, a citizen and a consumer.

Vanessa Meier is interested in the animal food production industry. She says that raising animals for food is responsible for the release of more greenhouse gases than all forms of transportation combined. Miz Meier is working to change this.

She does not eat animals or animal products. She says any discussion about improving the environment must include a discussion about changing the animal food production industry and changing people's diets.

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HOST:

Our listener question this week comes from Russia. Alex Shestakov wants to know about Kurt Cobain and his band, Nirvana.

Kurt Cobain

Grunge songs often express feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and dark humor. The song "Lithium" is a good example. It is from the album that brought Nirvana huge fame, "Nevermind."

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Many critics would say Kurt Cobain was one of the greatest rock and roll artists of his time. But his personal story was tragic.

Cobain had a serious case of scoliosis, or curvature of the spine, as a child. He also suffered from severe stomach pain his whole life. And he struggled with depression.

Cobain became dependent on the powerful drug heroin. He also abused other pain-killing drugs and alcohol. Cobain reportedly was always insecure, questioning his worth as a person. He once wrote: "I hate myself and I want to die."

In nineteen ninety-two Kurt Cobain married musician Courtney Love and the couple had a baby girl. Cobain appeared much happier than he had ever been. The next year Nirvana released its final studio album. "In Utero" entered Billboard Magazine's top two hundred albums chart in the number one position. "Heart-Shaped Box" was one of the album's hit singles.

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Sadly, Kurt Cobain could not break his heroin addiction or win his battle with depression. In April of nineteen ninety-four the musician shot and killed himself at his home in Seattle, Washington. He was only twenty-seven. Thousands of fans attended his memorial service. We leave you with Kurt Cobain singing "All Apologies" from the Nirvana album, "In Utero."

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HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. Our program was written by June Simms, Shelley Gollust and Caty Weaver who was also our producer.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

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HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.

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I'm Doug Johnson. This week on our program:

We play music by the jazz-influenced singer Melody Gardot ...

And, answer a question about New York City’s Central Park.

But first, a report about a new exhibit brought to you by spiders.

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HOST:

Silk is a smooth, shiny and costly natural material. People usually get their silk supply from worms. But spiders make silk, too. In fact, their silk is even lighter and softer than silk from silkworms. But getting silk from a spider might seem more difficult. Especially from a big spider that can bite. Recently, two men in Madagascar proved it can be done with extraordinary results. Mario Ritter has more.

MARIO RITTER:

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City has a most unusual object on exhibit. It is a beautiful wall covering made of shiny, bright golden silk. The tapestry is about three meters long and one meter wide. It is light as a feather but strong as steel. The tapestry was woven with silk provided by the golden orb spider.

Both were interested in the idea of making a textile piece from silk of the golden orb spider. These spiders are native to Madagascar as well as many other places. The females make huge webs, sometimes large enough to hang between trees on either side of a rural road. The webs have an intense golden color. The female spiders have a bright yellow splash of color on their bodies and can grow as large as a human hand.

Mister Peers had researched stories of spider silk being used by human weavers. Together he and Mister Godley paid local people to gather about three thousand female spiders daily. They placed twenty-four spiders at a time in a holding device. Each spider produced a line of silk about three hundred fifty meters long. Then, the creatures were released back into the wild.

The tapestry was finished after about four years of gathering the silk and weaving it together. The piece has a traditional Malagasy design woven into it.

Mister Godley and Mister Peers hope the tapestry will help protect the golden orb spider and bring attention to the needy country of Madagascar.

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HOST:

Our question this week is about New York City. Djamel wants to know about Central Park. This outdoor area is more than three hundred and forty hectares. It was the first public park built in the United States.

Belvedere Castle

It was not easy to create this park. It may look like a natural environment of lakes and woodlands, but it was entirely built by human labor.

Workers moved millions of cubic meters of stone and earth to clear the area. They brought in more than fourteen thousand cubic meters of fertile soil from New Jersey to make it possible to grow trees and other plants.

It took fifteen years to complete the project. Central Park was a huge success and helped create a movement across the United States for creating public gardens.

Today, the park is managed by the Central Park Conservancy under an agreement with the city of New York. The Conservancy raises about eighty-five percent of the park’s twenty-seven million dollar yearly budget.

Here are a few facts that help show just how big – and busy – Central Park is. It contains seven kilometers of paths for horseback riding and about ninety-three kilometers of walking paths. When you get tired from all that walking, there are more than nine thousand benches where you can sit down.

There are twenty-one playgrounds for children as well as areas to play basketball, baseball, football and even chess. There is also a zoo. And, every summer, visitors can watch plays by William Shakespeare in an outdoor theater. About twenty-five million people visit Central Park each year to enjoy its many sights and activities.

The park is also important for natural life. It contains more than twenty-six thousand trees. And hundreds of kinds of birds have been sighted in the park which serves as a stopping area for birds as they fly to other places.

This week, Central Park has been a good place to get into the spirit of Halloween. On Tuesday, there was a large party called the Halloween Ball. People attending the event wore wild clothing and took part in a competition for best costume. On Friday, brave children can visit the nineteenth century Belvedere Castle. Park organizers turned the building into a frightening place where families could enjoy both tricks and treats.

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HOST:

Melody Gardot did not always plan to be a singer and songwriter. She had learned to play the piano as a child. In college, she took classes in art and clothing design. But a severe car accident in two thousand three changed her life. During almost a year of recovery, Gardot turned to music to help her heal both mentally and physically. Critics are praising her expressive voice and songs influenced by jazz and blues music. Barbara Klein has more.

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BARBARA KLEIN:

That was the song “Some Lessons” from Melody Gardot’s first full length album, “Worrisome Heart.” It tells about her accident and how it taught her a very difficult lesson about life and chance. When Gardot was nineteen, a large car ran into her while she was riding her bicycle in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Melody Gardot

She knew she could no longer sit at the piano without pain. So she learned to play the guitar in bed. And she began writing songs about her experience.

Melody Gardot later produced a short record with some of her songs. They became popular and soon record companies became interested in her music.

Here is the song “Baby I’m a Fool” from her second album, “My One and Only Thrill.”

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Melody Gardot says after her accident, she could only listen to soft and quiet music such as bossa nova.

She says she does not approve of the word “disabled” to describe her condition. She says she simply can do some things and cannot do others. And she says her near death experience has made her realize what really matters in life.

(MUSIC: “If the Stars Were Mine”)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. Our program was written by Caty Weaver and Dana Demange who was also the producer.

For transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our programs, go to voaspecialenglish.com. You can also comment on our programs.

Do you have a question about people, places or things in America? Send it to mosaic@voanews.com and we may answer it on this show.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.

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