This was a wonderful interview about politics and journalism, as well as some personal aspects of a reporter's life. -- Susan Hooton
Today’s Friday Feedback comes with a request. A month or so ago we launched our Spring 2016 Listener Survey. Listeners could fill it out by paper or on the web. I want to thank everyone who has filled out the survey – about 200 of you have done so – but I’d love to have some more responses. We’ve extended the deadline until this Sunday April 24th at midnight, and you can find the link on our website. I’ll put it in the online version of this Friday Feedback also. [https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HQRSpring2016.]
With that in mind, I thought I’d offer up a few random comments from answers that have come in. Most of the content consists of ranking various programs as favorites, with 1 as your very favorite and so on down to 10. Some respondents questioned why we do this, either because they found the ranking hard to qualify, or because they had more than 10 choices. I can understand the frustration. We go through this periodically when making program changes, which first of all requires prioritizing. And of course, adding a new program or changing a time means that someone’s favorite program is gone.
Here are some reactions. Listener R wrote:
I still can't receive WHQR 92.7 in Ocean Isle Beach so will not renew my membership.
Anonymous wrote:
Please remove: Car Talk, Friday Feedback, Splendid Table.
Anonymous wrote:
I still believe that NPR News has a liberal slant, but I don't expect that to change.
And finally, listener N wrote:
Keep up the great work!
Thanks, N.
Turning to other comments: A couple of listeners disagreed with each other over a February commentary from Gwenyfar Rohler about the novelist Patricia Highsmith, creator of the Talented Mr. Ripley novels. Gwenyfar was examining the paradox of how it is possible to respond positively to the work of a writer whose personal life is not admirable. Listener K was not convinced:
…[Highsmith was] Not Roman Polanski or Woody Allen or anyone who actually DID anything. No, just a troubled, depressive recluse who had distasteful beliefs and said some racist things... which describes, what, 25, 30% of great writers? And yes, [her] Little Tales of Misogyny is a problematic book, but branding it "authorial self-loathing" is rather an oversimplification. I hope this piece won't prevent listeners from delving into the underappreciated work of Highsmith -- *especially* Ripley.
Susan Hooton had a different view:
The Ripley novels are among my favorites, but Highsmith herself was not admirable. Likewise, her character Tom Ripley is a murderous sociopath, and even as the reader is shocked and repelled by him, it is difficult not to root for him! Why is that so? I found Gwenyfar Rohler's attempt to answer this question compelling and worthwhile.
More recently, Susan also wrote on our website about NPR National Political Correspondent Don Gonyea’s appearance on our CoastLine program:
This was a wonderful interview about politics and journalism, as well as some personal aspects of a reporter's life. Thanks, Rachel Lewis Hilburn and Don Gonyea, for these insights.
Don’t forget, 92.7 is the new home for Classical music – and we’ve added a second edition of CoastLine, on Thursdays through June 30th. Please remember the Survey deadline of Sunday, Sunday of this week, the 24th at midnight.
We'd love to hear from you on Friday Feedback. You can send an email message to feedback@whqr.org, or you can leave a call at 910-292-9477. And thanks for your Feedback.