HOUR ONE:

Conductor Tim Muffitt joins the show from the Baton Rouge symphony to promote Grammy Nominated Cellist Bion Tsang.

Mitchell Jackson, the winner of the Eighth Annual Gaines Literary Award comments on his new book, 'The Residue Years.' The Gaines Literary Award is a $10,000 prize for work from rising African-American fiction writers. Jackson says, "I was really just trying to tell the truth about what was happening in that area of Portland." He continues, "My story was kind of cliche... But what I think makes it stand out is the quality of the writing." Mitchell Jackson received an M.A. in writing from Portland State University and an M.F. A in Creative Writing from New York University. Jackson goes on to describe the racial tensions in his hometown, "I don't know if that segregation is ethnic and racial or social and economic." When asked if he thinks there should be more African-American writers, he affirms, but says, "There seems to be less emphasis put on the literary arts in school. If you don't have readers, you won't have writers."

Louisiana President of Public Broadcasting, Beth Courtney discusses the unveiling of the new digital media archive with Archivist Leslie Bourgeois. Courtney says, "Our mission: create TV worth watching and if that TV is worth watching, it is worth saving."

HOUR TWO:

Political consultant Raymond Strother discusses President Obama's State of the Union address. "Last night is perhaps the best State of the Union I have ever heard given by any president... sort of poetry in motion," Strother says, "Are we turning a new page? No, I don't think so." He comments on his past relationship with former President Clinton, "Clinton is a terrible rewriter." Strother remarks, "The Republican response last night was probably recorded two or three days ago..." Strother goes on to discuss Governor Jindal's remarks about the 'no-go' zones in London.

Raymond Strother worked handled the campaigns of the former Senator Mary Landrieu. Strother is also the author of Falling Up and Cottonwood.

Strother agrees with a listener, "The President did knock it out of the park last night." When the conversation returns to Governor Jindal, Strother comments, "He may run, but it's irrelevant." He continues, addressing the comments about the 'no-go' zones in London, "I guess he can only defend it now without looking like a fool, but he's still going to look pretty bad." Strother says, "Even Fox News apologized."

"Money rules all," Strother says of the trend of public sector presidents, "and you can trace money to the root of every problem we have." Strother says that Governor Jindal will limit himself to the majority by "courting the evangelical right wing voters" at the upcoming Prayer Rally in Baton Rouge.