Press Play with Madeleine Brand
GMO Bill Passes, 'What Pet Should I Get?', and Michael Silverblatt on Harper Lee
A new House bill blocks state and local governments from requiring GMO labels on foods. But how safe or unsafe are GMOs? And who should we listen to when it comes to deciding if they’re OK to eat? And, readers are not happy to learn how Harper Lee originally depicted one of the most beloved characters in modern literature, Atticus Finch. How do the two books compare, and what do they tell us about Lee as a writer.
By Madeleine Brand • • 50m ListenThe House passed a bill on Thursday that blocks state and local governments from requiring labels on foods that contain GMOs—genetically modified organisms. Here in California, three years ago, Monsanto spent $46 million to beat back a ballot proposition requiring GMO labeling. But how safe or unsafe are GMOs? And who should we listen to when it comes to deciding if they’re OK to eat? Then, two years ago, Dr. Seuss’ widow discovered a manuscript of What Pet Should I Get? a box in their house in La Jolla. This Sunday, the New York Times Book review will publish a review of it on the cover— the first children’s picture book to make the cover. And Harper Lee’s new novel, Go Set a Watchman, has already sold more than a million copies since it came out last week. But readers are not happy to see how Lee originally depicted one of the most beloved characters in modern literature, Atticus Finch. KCRW Bookworm Michael Silverblatt takes us into how the two books compare, and what they tell us about Lee as a writer. Finally, Adam Sandler’s Pixels seems to be universally loathed by critics. In the film, aliens have intercepted a time capsule that was sent into space in the ‘80s that included footage of old video games - and they mistake it for a declaration of war. That and more on today’s film roundup.
Banner Image: GMO corn Yellow Springs, Ohio
