Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC – VOA’s radio magazine in SpecialEnglish.
(THEME)
This is Doug Johnson. On our program today we:
play some songs by Hank Williams Junior …
answer a question about the Olympic Games that just ended …
and report about a house owned by a famous American writer.
Hemingway House
HOST:
Ernest Hemingway was one ofAmerica’s most famous writers. He wrote many of his best known booksand stories in the little city of Key West, Florida. Visitors todaycan see Hemingway’s house and the creatures that live there. ShepO’Neal tells us about it.
ANNCR:
The Hemingway house on WhiteheadStreet in Key West is across the street from a tall lighthouse. Thepowerful light in the tower warns ships at sea that they areapproaching land. Friends of Ernest Hemingway liked to say the lightalso helped him find his way home at night after he left hisfavorite drinking place.
Hemingway’s house was built in Eighteen-Fifty-One. Its walls aremade of coral rocks found on the grounds. The rooms have many highwindows and doors. These could be opened during the extremely hotsummer days.
A smaller house is just behind the main house. This is whereErnest Hemingway worked, in a small room on the second floor filledwith pictures and books. He wrote more than half of his most famousbooks and stories here. These include the books “For Whom the BellTolls,” and “To Have And Have Not,” and short stories like “TheSnows of Kilimanjaro.”
Ernest Hemingway would begin work each day in the little room atabout six in the morning. He would write for about six hours. Thenhe might go deep-sea fishing. Or he might go to his favoritedrinking place with his friends.
Ernest Hemingway loved cats. About fifty of them lived in hishouse in Key West. He left the house in Nineteen-Forty. No one livesthere now — except about sixty cats. Many of these animals arerelated to an unusual cat given to Hemingway by a ship’s captain.That cat had six toes on each of its paws. Many of the cats livingthere now also have six toes.
Ernest Hemingway named his cats after famous writers and movieactors. That tradition is still alive. If you visit Hemingway’shouse you can meet cats named William Shakespeare, Charlie Chaplinand many others.
People who visit the house usually want to know why Hemingway hadso many cats. Hemingway answered the question many years ago. Hesaid, “One cat leads to another.”
Effects of Winter Olympics
HOST:
Our VOA listener question thisweek comes from Mongolia. Amarkhuu Ayulguisaikhan asks about theeffects of the recent Olympic Winter Games on the people of SaltLake City, Utah.
The people of Utah prepared for the Olympic Winter Games for thepast seven years. They expected many changes as a result of theworld competition.
Leaders of the Mormon Church hoped the Games would help morepeople around the world understand their religion. News reports saythey succeeded because of their friendly welcome to all the athletesand visitors.
Another expected result was that the Games would bring newbusinesses to Utah. Experts say it is really too soon to tell yet.But they note that the city now has new roads, hotels andtransportation systems that were built for the Olympics.
The owners of the state’s ski areas are hoping for a hugeincrease in business. About three-thousand-million people around theworld saw the beautiful mountain environment of Utah on television.Officials say special competition areas built for Olympic sportslike the luge and bobsled could make Utah a winter sports center.
The Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee has plans for thebuildings and equipment used during the Games. For example, thebuildings where the athletes stayed will become housing for studentsat the University of Utah. Local schools and governments will buyfurniture and office equipment used by Olympic officials. TheGateway company that provided computers for the Games plans to givethe equipment to schools and local communities.
Some store owners in the area say their business did not increaseas a result of all the visitors. However, the Salt Lake OrganizingCommittee says Utah will earn at least forty-million dollars fromthe Olympic Winter Games. Some reports say Utah will enjoy athree-thousand-million dollar increase in business as a result ofthe Games during the next seven years.
Hank Williams Junior
HOST:
Hank Williams Junior has recorded more than sixty albums. Hebegan singing on stage at the age of eight. He recorded his firsthit song when he was only fourteen years old. Mary Tillotson tellsus more.
ANNCR:
Hank Williams Junior is the son ofthe most famous country and western musician of all time, HankWilliams. Hank Williams wrote most of the songs he made famous inthe Nineteen-Forties and early Nineteen-Fifties. He died at the ageof twenty-nine. His son, Hank Junior, was only three years old.
Hank Junior learned to play guitar and sing his father’s songssoon after his father’s death. He quickly became famous for hisability to copy his father’s singing voice. Few people could tellthe difference.
But Hank Williams Junior wanted to play very different music fromhis father. He expressed this difference in a hit recording called”Family Traditions.”
((CUT 1: FAMILY TRADITIONS))
That record was a major hit. Hank Junior has had ten top-sellingrecords and thirteen top-selling albums. He was voted theentertainer of the year three times by the Academy of Country Music.He received two entertainer of the year awards from the CountryMusic Association.
Millions of people around the world know Hank Williams Juniorbecause of the song he sings before the popular television show”Monday Night Football.” Here it is:
((CUT 2: MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL))
Hank Williams Junior has just released a new album. He recordedit in the same building where his father once performed. It iscalled “Almeria Club.” We leave you now with a song from HankWilliams Junior’s new album, “Almeria Club.” It is called “Go GirlGo.”
((CUT 3: GO GIRL GO))
HOST:
This is Doug Johnson . I hope you enjoyed our program today. AndI hope you will join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC – VOA’sradio magazine in Special English.
This AMERICAN MOSAIC program was written by Nancy Steinbach andPaul Thompson. Our studio engineer was Lee Dravis. And our producerwas Paul Thompson.