The State of Things

Frank Stasio

The State of Things is a live program hosted by Frank Stasio devoted to bringing the issues, personalities, and places of North Carolina to our listeners. We present the Tar Heel experience through sound, story, discussion, commentary and listener participation through calls. Let us know your thoughts during the program at 1.877.962.9862 or by emailing sot@wunc.org. Follow us on twitter.

On the Latest Show

Crack Laws Reformed

Thursday, September 02 2010 by Alex Granados and Frank Stasio | Send to a friend

The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 was meant to clamp down on the spread of crack. Instead, it did little to dissuade users and disproportionately filled the prisons with African-Americans. In 2010, the law was finally changed. But was it enough? Host Frank Stasio will talk with Duke Law Professor Lisa Griffin about crack and its harsh consequences.

No Tomorrow

Thursday, September 02 2010 by Frank Stasio and Lindsay Thomas | Send to a friend

www.pppdocs.com/notomorrow

Filmmakers Roger Weisberg and Vanessa Roth met Risa Bejarano when they decided to make her the subject of a documentary on the foster care system called “Aging Out.” Shortly after, Bejarano was brutally murdered, a suspect was charged with her death and footage from the documentary was brought into the courtroom by the prosecution. The film helped the jury see Bejarano as more than a victim. It helped them understand who she was as a person and the prosecuting attorney used this to his advantage in successfully obtaining the death penalty for her accused killer. Roth and Weisberg, opponents of capital punishment, followed up this experience with another film called “No Tomorrow” that shows how they unwillingly played a role in sentencing a man to death. They join host Frank Stasio for Law & Order Week to tell their story and talk about what they learned about how we as a society decide who should live and who should die.

Incarcerated Artists

Thursday, September 02 2010 by Frank Stasio and Lindsay Thomas | Send to a friend

Book cover, "A Hood Legend"

In March, a landmark lawsuit changed the North Carolina Department of Correction’s policy about prisoners’ right to write and publish work from behind bars. Inmate and novelist Victor L. Martin is a published author who asked the state branch of the ACLU for legal assistance in being able to continue his craft from prison. As a result of Martin’s lawsuit, prisoners in the state are – with some exceptions – now allowed to write, publish and receive compensation for their work. Historically, prisoners have produced some of the most socially and politically charged works of art and some correctional facilities still use art as a rehabilitative method, despite the small amount of government funding available for creative programs. As part of a special series of shows on the legal justice system, host Frank Stasio will look at some examples of what incarcerated artists have produced in recent history and talk about the challenges to creating art in prison with Katy Parker, Legal Director of the ACLU of North Carolina; Lee Bernstein, an associate professor of history at SUNY-New Paltz and the author of “America is the Prison: Arts and Politics in Prison in the 1970s” (UNC Press/2010); and Dennis Sobin, a former prisoner and the current Director of the Safe Streets Arts Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Note: Audio is available a few hours after broadcast

Listener Submitted Picture of the Week

Every week we select a photo from our Flickr public group and post it on our Facebook page. We'd love to see your submissions. Will yours be the next SOT Picture of the week? _{About SOT's Picture of the Week | Slideshow}

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Featured Programs

Live Music Fridays Frank Pickin'
No, not that guy. . . The State of Things brings you live music from real musicians (not radio hosts) every Friday afternoon from our studios at the American Tobacco Historic District. From indie rock to gospel, we feature the sounds of North Carolina’s emerging and established music scenes. Tune in at noon every Friday and listen online to previously featured music guests here.