Ever look at a big rig and think, “That sure looks fun”? We meet a newly graduated driver from a local trucker school and hear why America needs more licensed operators.
Also, did you watch Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster treatment of “The Odyssey”? We wonder why the source material is still so inspiring and polarizing. And, a new musical looks at Homer’s epic poem with fresh eyes.
Rays update
(0:00) The Tampa City Council was in session vote on a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. WUSF’s Steve Newborn has a brief update.
Miles to drive
(7:37) Truck drivers keep Florida’s economy moving, but the industry faces a significant shortage of workers. Sarasota-based FleetForce is celebrating its 10,000th graduate while trying to recruit more people to the profession. We meet that driver, hear why she chose trucking and explore what the job demands.
GUESTS:
- Tra Williams, president and CEO of FleetForce
- Charity Gaston, FleetForce's 10,000th graduate
Why “The Odyssey” never gets old
(20: 57) Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” has become the biggest movie of his career, but Homer’s story was already thousands of years old. Why does each generation keep returning to this tale of homecoming, loyalty and memory? We get a quick lesson in classic literature from a pair of college professors.
GUESTS:
- Virginia Lewis, FSU professor of classic literature
- Stephen Sansom, FSU professor of classic literature
Penelope takes her turn
(36:00) Why Odysseus was off doing war stuff, good wife Penelope was home running a country. A new one-woman musical giving her a voice of her own. The star joins our FSU experts to discuss inhabiting, interpreting and reimagining an ancient character.
GUEST:
- Colleen Cherry, actress
