My grant project, made possible by the Edes Foundation, is underway!
More about the history, methodology and process of project can be found here: Edes Grant Project: Ora Nichols. I am also keeping a project specific log here: Project Log. In addition to this, UChicago Arts published a feature on the project and there's a podcast interview with Drew Messinger-Michaels on his show: Everybody's Talking at Once. Check 'em out.
I have always been an NPR junkie (and now I write for it, I'd write "#blessed" but hashtags upset me). I embraced podcasts readily and by the dozens. Basically all of my friends and family are the same way; we all cite anecdotes from NPR and then we all debate about which show it came from for the rest of the night. It's a wonderful and usually accompanied by wine. It's a great community. (Just don't make me listen to Car Talk all the way from NYC to North Carolina, Dad. Not bitter about it. Not at all. Promise. Ahem.)
But the best discovery in this project so far has been the generosity of the hard-core Golden Age radio scholar and enthusiast community. I have had so many kind, lay-specialists reach out to me -- barely into the project -- and all out of their love of the subject and their want to share. And there are more hidden Hard-Core Golden Age Radio Fan (from now on HCGARF) around than one would have guessed; there are many among us -- maybe it's catching! If there has to be an epidemic, that would be a really good one to pick. At any rate, it has been such a gift to have this support and to be able to use the foundations they have created to build upon. So thanks, HCGARF!