To the Point

Citywide Book Clubs Become National Trend

It's become a clich- that September 11 was the kind of event to restore civic unity to a nation that's drifting apart. But the new urge for community might just fade away unless someone comes up with a gimmick. So what about getting everybody to read the same book? It's a small-town idea that started out in Seattle. Now, even Chicago, New York and LA are promoting a shared experience for people with nothing in common. Can the growing effort to get whole cities to read the same book unify a divided nation? We hear from advocates, skeptics, the creator of the nation's first citywide 'book club and author Ray Bradbury. (Originally broadcast February 22 on this program.) Newsmaker: Proposed Legislation to Ban Ethnic Mascots Native Americans are insulted when schools use Indians, Chiefs, Redskins and Savages as their mascots. While New York and Minnesota have asked schools to start phasing them out, California may become the first state in the nation to actually outlaw such names altogether. Miguel Bustillo, of the Los Angeles Times, updates the bill that would put an end to a popular yet divisive tradition. (Originally broadcast May 1 on this program.) Reporter's Notebook: Indigenous Peoples Finally Get A World Voice There are 5,000 indigenous groups around the world, 300 million people living in 70 different countries. Last year, after 80 years of rejection, they finally found a forum with the creation of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Irwin Arieff, who reports from the UN for Reuters News Service, reports on the contentious political problems faced by the Forum's first two-week session. (Originally broadcast May 16 on this program.)