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Homesickness

 

Susan Matt, a professor at Weber State University, laughed when she first read of someone actually dying of homesickness. Nowadays, homesickness is regarded as a childish affliction that Americans, with our penchant for frequent relocation, are immune from. But as Matt writes, nostalgia has long distressed Americans--we leave to college, move for a new job, or migrate to a new country. She joins us Tuesday to talk about homesickness and how we've managed to cope with it. (Rebroadcast)

  • Hear a modern account of somebody suffering from acute nostalgia. This AmericanLifeproducer Sarah Koenig tells the story of "Leo," a kid forced by his parents to leave his beloved Rochester, NY, resigning him to a grim fate: being the new kid at middle school in a foreign locale.
  • We want to hear your stories of homesickness. Please share them on the discussion board.

GUEST

Susan Matt is a professor of history and Chair of History Department at Weber State University. She's author of the book Homesickness: An American History [Amazon]

Doug Fabrizio has been reporting for KUER News since 1987, and became News Director in 1993. In 2001, he became host and executive producer of KUER's RadioWest, a one hour conversation/call-in show on KUER 90.1 in Salt Lake City. He has gained a reputation for his thoughtful style. He has interviewed everyone from Isabel Allende to the Dalai Lama, and from Madeleine Albright to Desmond Tutu. His interview skills landed him a spot as a guest host of the national NPR program, "Talk of the Nation." He has won numerous awards for his reporting and for his work with RadioWest and KUED's Utah NOW from such organizations as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Utah Broadcasters Association, the Public Radio News Directors Association and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.