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Sound Focus (Magazine)

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Next available on KUOW-FM 94.9 Seattle, WA in 22 hours 45 minutes
Find another station or time for this program on one of 6 other stations & times
Host: Megan Sukys, Dave Beck, Jeannie Yandel
Magazine format program airing engaging interviews with local people who define the Northwest character. National guests join the conversation to share ideas that can change the way we look at life around the Puget Sound.
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Genres: Magazine
Location: Seattle, WA
Language: English
Networks: NPR

Last updated 246 days ago Update program info

Recent Topics

Post-Apocalyptic Seattle

Tue, Dec 2 Listen

Today, novelist Terry Brooks takes us inside a world where Safeco Field shelters fugitives hiding from rogue militias and mutated animals. Later, reviewing the legacy of Carl Sagan, how world travel inspires a new view of Seattle, and a surreal portait of bipolar disorder.

Literacy Bridge, Poetry of the Body and Nancy Pearl

Mon, Dec 1 Listen

There are countless approaches to address global poverty. Seattleite Cliff Schmidt, a former software developer, shares how his work in Africa inspired a surprising solution called Literacy Bridge. We also hear poetry of the body and get new book reviews from Nancy Pearl.

Busloads of Politics, Thanksgiving Bounty and Sarah Vowell

Wed, Nov 26 Listen

A group of volunteers got active in civic life by taking a seat on a bus The Washington Bus. We hear about the bus that traverses our state to ramp up political engagement. We also get tips for celebrating the local harvest and for converting old print photos to digital.

The Most Dangerous Gag, Yuppie Pawn and Musical Travels in Russia

Tue, Nov 25 Listen

Babies don't smoke, torpedoes aren't toys, and nuns don't wear boxing gloves. Mark Pahlow knows this. But today, the owner of Archie McPhee reveals how innocent gags provoked a runin with the Department of Defense. We also explore the changing business of pawn shops.

The Poetics of Science, Music and Illness and Nancy Pearl

Mon, Nov 24 Listen

Today, we hear how local poet Linda Bierds finds inspiration in the lives and work of the Austrian genetecist, Gregor Mendel, and the English electrochemist Michael Faraday. We also discover how music can confront illness, and we get book reviews from librarian Nancy Pearl.

Z Homes, Life Saving Scorpion Venom and Twilight

Fri, Nov 21 Listen

Issaquah's Z Home development is using old methods, like installing more insulation, to build sustainable homes for the future. We talk to project manager Brad Liljequist. Then, when it comes to cancer, Dr. Jim Olson has found life saving potential in the venom of a Deathstalker scorpion.

The Pickle Plan, William Faulkner and Twilight

Thu, Nov 20 Listen

Today, we meet a plastics designer who moonlights as a pickle producer. Then, a Seattleite shares how Pulitzer winner William Faulkner gave her family a way out of poverty. Also, the film Twilight has sparked a vampire tourism boom in the tiny Olympic Peninsula town of Forks.

Child POW, the Global Water Crisis and Eating Locally

Wed, Nov 19 Listen

Alice Finch set out to visit the Philippines with her mom in 1941. What started as a vacation suddenly became a nightmare when they were taken as prisoners of war. Alice shares how her mother's survival instinct kept them alive. We also look into the global water crisis.

Art and Upheaval, Rare Instruments, and Preserving Musical Culture

Tue, Nov 18 Listen

Bill Cleveland, founder of the Center for Art and Community in Bainbridge Island, details stories of the transformative power of art from around the world, including here in Seattle. We also visit a rare instrument collection and sample folksong arrangements by Vartabed.

A Family Violin, Poems from Hanford and Nancy Pearl

Mon, Nov 17 Listen

Howard Scott started building his violin in 1946 as a prisoner on McNeil Island. Today, Howard's grandson tells us why he decided to finish building his grandfather's violin. We also hear poems about the Hanford nuclear plant, and we get book reviews from Nancy Pearl.

Stories to Live By, Movie Reviews and Ghost Bikes

Fri, Nov 14 Listen

Children's stories often lay the groundwork for the moral decisions people make in adulthood. Today, author Kunle Oguneye brings in a Nigerian tale that has major life lessons tucked in between a talking spider and a kindhearted hippo. We also review the new Bond movie.

Art in Recovery, Gluten-Free Girl, and Lost Sounds

Thu, Nov 13 Listen

At 2:05 p.m. Art in Recovery When blood vessels in your brain stop delivering oxygen, your brain begins to die. That's called a stroke; it's among the leading causes of death in America. A stroke survivor can face a long journey, and in some cases, she needs to relearn basic skills like reading and talking. Seattle artist Lisa Anderson used drawing and reading aloud to define herself as a kid. In 2003, she suffered two strokes that stripped away her hardwon ability to read and draw. At 2:20...

The Center for Wooden Boats, Online Collapse and Rehab Robots

Wed, Nov 12 Listen

Today on Sound Focus, a visit to the Center for Wooden Boats to learn about the local vessels and the stories they tell. We also learn where your information goes when online backups collapse, and we discover how robots are helping with rehabilitation and delicate movement.

Voices of Veterans, The Poetry of Motherhood and Nancy Pearl

Mon, Nov 10 Listen

Today, we hear oral histories of veterans from World War II, Vietnam, and Iraq. Historian Leonard Garfield shares how these recordings illuminate his own family's sacrifices. We also explore the complex emotions of motherhood, and we get new book reviews from Nancy Pearl.

Racial Bias in Medicine, Strong Coffee and the Alchemy of Loss

Fri, Nov 7 Listen

Today, we examine a study that finds 70% of white doctors are biased along racial lines when it comes to treating patients. Then, an author who lost her husband in 9/11 says she finally found the right outlet for grief. We also hear about a GI Coffeehouse near Ft. Lewis.

Emerald City Hip Hop and Being Single in Seattle

Thu, Nov 6 Listen

The history of hip hop in Seattle goes back to the early 80's, long before Sir Mix a Lot hit the charts with Baby Got Back. Today, photographer Alexis Wolfe shares stories from her book, Emerald City Hip Hop. We also reflect on the challenges of being single in Seattle.

The Flying Heritage Collection, Local Flour and Tot Spot Cafe

Wed, Nov 5 Listen

At one point during WWII, the odds of surviving 25 missions in a B17 bomber were one in four. We visit the Flying Heritage Collection to meet a veteran who flew 50 missions and survived to tell the tale. We also bake with local flour and visit Woodinville's Tot Spot Cafe.

The Twisting History of the Ballard Locks and Ivar Hagland's Musical Legacy

Tue, Nov 4 Listen

As early as 1850, the founders of Seattle conceived of a system of locks to connect Lake Washington and Elliot Bay. Today, Adam Woog shares the dirty deals and larger than life personalities in the history of The Ballard Locks. We also review Ivar Hagland's musical legacy.

Life as a Military Spouse, Adventures in Crab Fishing, and Nancy Pearl

Mon, Nov 3 Listen

Lissa McGrath's husband is a Navy Chief who has deployed to the Middle East six times. She shares the coping strategies she developed when her daughter, Rowan, started noticing that her father wasn't there. Plus, adventures in crab fishing and book reviews from Nancy Pearl.

Skeleton Theatre, Remains of Hills and When Instinct Trumps Evidence

Fri, Oct 31 Listen

West Seattleite Chris Walker has more than pumpkins in his yard this year. He has built a giant pirate ship with a crew of moving, talking skeletons. We take a look at Skeleton Theatre. Then, we examine art that traces Seattle's cycle of construction and destruction.

Stopping Teen Violence and the Ghosts of the Market Theater

Thu, Oct 30 Listen

There are parents who sleep with their door locked and braced. They are protecting themselves from their children. Today, we learn about a program for stopping teen domestic violence. We also explore the past lives and the lingering ghosts of Pike Place Market Theater.

Bug Safari and Comet Lodge Cemetery

Wed, Oct 29 Listen

More than 800 people were buried at Comet Lodge Cemetery on Beacon Hill. Now, only about 20 gravestones remain. We visit the cemetery to explore how zoning, politics and spooky sightings make for an unsettling history. We also get friendly with spiders on a bug safari.

Revisiting the Rite of Spring and the Ghosts of Chinatown

Tue, Oct 28 Listen

When Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring premiered in Paris in 1913 it caused a famous riot among audience members. Today, Seattle guitarist Michael Nicolella shares how this notorious music has changed his career. We also investigate the ghost stories of Seattle's Chinatown.

Bollywood Fairy Tales, an October Journal and Book Reviews from Nancy Pearl

Mon, Oct 27 Listen

Bollywood musicals numbers tells stories with a mishmash of traditional Hindi, Latin American and MTV dancing. Local choreographer Prashanthi Chitre shares how she's translasted classic Western stories with the Bollywood style. We also get book reviews from Nancy Pearl.

Thinking About Death and a Journey Through the Inside Passage

Fri, Oct 24 Listen

Today, we travel up the Inside Passage with author Clyde Ford. He tells how braving the treacherous waters can yield stunning views and personal insights. We also think about death with writer David Shields.

Raising Hal, The Legacy of Lionel Pries and Letterboxing

Thu, Oct 23 Listen

As a single mom, Stephanie Shine tried many different approaches to raising a brilliant but rebellious teenage son. Today, Stephanie shares the unexpected guidance she found while directing Shakespeare's Henry IV. We also revisit the legacy of architect Lionel Pries.

Online Airline, Replicating Aviation History, and Gigot of Goat

Wed, Oct 22 Listen

In 1924, a plane called The Seattle set off as one of the first flights to try to circumnavigate the globe. Today, we meet a man building a replica to fly the same route. Then, we learn why chefs from around the world are heading to a farm school in Eastern Washington.

A House That Grows With You, Fighting Lyme Disease and Bringing Back Barber

Tue, Oct 21 Listen

Lyme disease can affect the joints, heart, and nervous system. Anna Hart tells us how she fought for ten years to get diagnosed, and what she's doing to recover. We also walk through a house that grows with your family, and we look at the revival of barbershop quartets.

Avenue of the People, the Madness of Travel Writing and Book Reviews

Mon, Oct 20 Listen

Visit downtown Port Angeles, and you'll find a woman sitting on a bench, a couple arguing near a storefront and a husband pushing his wife in a wheelchair. Today, sculptor Bob Stokes shares the inspiration behind Avenue of the People. Plus, book reviews from Nancy Pearl.

The Ohm Necklace, Psyche in Seattle, and Tapeworms

Fri, Oct 17 Listen

Composer Garrett Fisher joins us with stories of how the fountains and pathways of Cal Anderson Park helped him stage a modern retelling the Psyche myth. We also go in search of an ohm necklace and learn how to avoid getting a helping of tapeworm with your order of fish.