Deidre's Theme

February 23, 2021

Deidre McCalla showed a flair for the limelight even when she was 7, so it was no surprise to find her performing folk music with her high school trio, Friendship, which brought them to the edge of local fame. A university theater degree got overridden by the comparative ease of a life as a performing musician, although Deidre later realized that a couple years at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music would shore up and deepen her musical skills.

Fruitful Lesbian Lives, 3 memoirs - Part 1

February 23, 2021

There's a sea change going on around marriage equality/homosexuality/alternative sexuality, and one sign is 3 new memoirs. Chana Wilson wrote Riding Fury Home, including the trials of the "mental illness" of her lesbian mother. Annie Lanzillotto released L is for Lion: An Italian Bronx Butch Freedom Memoir, including her trials with cancer, a raucous Italian family, and much more.

The Freedom Song of Sara Thomsen

March 9, 2024

Sara Thomsen is strongly called to heal the world through her music. One of her songs, "Is It For Freedom", has been heard repeatedly on Democracy Now, because of its poignant call for our nation's self-examination following 9-11. Her concerns are wide - women, LGBT issues, care for creation, peace and more - and she writes and sings with soul-deep sensitivity.

All the songs in this program are performed by Sara Thomsen