Take the ability to eavesdrop on three potent presidents, stir in a fast-moving, context-providing narrative, spice with insightful commentary from a shelf full of thoughtful historians, sprinkle with smidges of fine music, and sit back for a fascinating, engaging, amusing, and instructive hour of great radio. sl

Interesting report, well recorded and well-chosen tape makes you feel like you’re sitting right there, jawing with the locals. A good warm-up piece for election season. sl

Everything is lovely here, but you don't want Amazing Grace as the bookends. Yeah, on the bagpipes, it says Scotland, but a dog on a leash with bagpipes will say Scotland. What's wanted here is an unknown tune -- mysterious and haunting. The rest is absolutely delightful.

Good listening with more sound and less 'splain'n. Dig the reggae rhythms played on a Fender Stratocaster by a Navaho preacher. Ahh...revenge of the place documentarians who return to tip the balance from cause and effect, point / counter-point narrative journalism. Thank goodness for Scott Carrier's ears-wide-open nonlinearity.

Wonderfully textural production with layers of sound evoking pure primal connection to the subject matter. The litany of buckles for the chicklets, the pendelous rhythms - has as hypnotic an effect on the listener as on the patient. We recall laughing at the start of the piece, then apprehension, now a narcotic effect comes over us we too are drifting... in and out of procedures... did we feel a certain sharpness arcing through our jaws? Somehow we're not reassured by the knowledge that our dentist has a background in arts & crafts. The triumphal finish has us re-evaluating our initial apprehension. Great stuff!

Great recordings and soundscape. Loved the movement through places and people. Felt like a personal tour of Bologna. Braider has a great voice for radio. Would have liked to have heard his commentary in first person rather than reportage. His voice could lend itself to the more personal approach. Still this piece would be an assett to any magazine program. Good work!

Master soundscape artist Victoria Fenner proves you don't need narrative to tell place stories. I'm blown away by the shear luxury of hearing 7:47 of Arctic Circle life. There's a gentle native expansiveness and unhurried emptiness occasionally stamped by the artist as she plays with and in the sound environment. Broadcast this and help audiences learn to hear as babies again. Transcendent naive / outsider / folk music ending - beautiful as a setting arctic sun.

The telling of this river trip skillfully winds through information on the environment, development threats, and the poignant knowledge that this is near where the Exxon Valdez ran aground. We’re given the personalities of the rafting group and of the river itself, brought close-in to the richness of the experience. The producer confesses his fear of what he aptly calls eco-mysticism, but even if you feel the piece veers toward those shores, the joy and wonder of the rafters grabs you. And I ask, who can resist the sound of rushing water? sl

This piece was the one that inspired me to feature Your Radio Nightlight on my own public radio program (Invisible Ink). Benjamen's nervous rambling to the Canadian immigration official is hilarious and engaging. I also greatly enjoyed the beginning of the segment, which uses the telephone menu system to set up the story. Listen to how quickly Walker presses the buttons in response to the menu options. It's a great storytelling technique. For me, the real appeal is that it is a funny story that is underscored by a very tangible sense of despair and hopelessness. Just so this isn't too fawning a review, it is a pretty loose piece (it's rambling by design) and could probably get the point across with a minute or two shaved off the TRT. That's a minor observation compared to how much fun I had listening to it.