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HOST:
Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC — VOA’s radio magazine in SpecialEnglish.
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This is Bob Doughty. On our program today,
We answer a question about foods Americans like to eat …
We play music from a new album of women in jazz …
And we report on a new movie about a spelling contest.
Spellbound Movie
HOST:
A spelling competition might not sound like the most excitingsubject for a movie. But critics and the public have praised a newmovie called “Spellbound.” The movie also has won many awards andwas nominated for Best Documentary at the most recent AcademyAwards. Shep O’Neal has more.
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The movie “Spellbound” was released in the United States lastmonth during the seventy-sixth yearly National Spelling Beecompetition in Washington, D.C. It is the true story of eight youngspelling champions from different parts of America. They competedwith about two-hundred-forty other students at the national spellingcompetition in Washington in nineteen-ninety-nine. Students betweenthe ages of eight and fifteen compete each year to be named the bestspeller in America.
The National Spelling Bee may seemlike a simple competition. An official reads a different word toeach student. That student must say the word and spell it correctly.Those who misspell a word must leave the competition until only onestudent remains as champion. The champion wins twelve-thousanddollars.
But this is not an easy contest. The students must spell veryunusual and difficult words that almost no one has even heard ofbefore. Words like “euonym” or “vivisepulture” or “succedaneum.”
Jeff Blitz and Sean Welch made the movie “Spellbound.” It wastheir first movie. Mister Welch says the Spelling Bee is acelebration of education. Other people say their movie is acelebration of America. Some of the students in the documentary haverich parents who employ special spelling teachers. Others haveparents who do not have a lot of money.
One of the students in the movie is from Texas. Her parents cameto America illegally from Mexico twenty years ago. Her father stilldoes not speak much English. Two other students in the movie haveparents who came from India. The eight students in the movie arevery different from each other. But they all share a love of words.
The movie shows the students and their parents at home, preparingfor the contest and competing at the National Spelling Bee. There isa great deal of tension, pressure, surprise, happiness and sadnessuntil only one speller remains as champion. But we will not tell youwho wins. That would take all the suspense out of “Spellbound.”
Food in America
HOST:
Our VOA listener question this week comes from India. MeenaShukul in Uttar-Pradesh asks about the kinds of foods Americanpeople love to eat.
Because so many different people live in the United States, manydifferent foods are found here as well. Chinese, Italian, Mexican,Lebanese and Indian – these are just a few of the different foreignfoods that Americans enjoy.
Many Americans also love localfoods that are special to their area of the country. In the southernstate of Louisiana, people enjoy spicy Cajun and Creole foods.Creole uses traditional French cooking with Spanish, African, NativeAmerican and other influences. The city of New Orleans is known forits Creole, while Cajun is more popular in other areas. There aredifferences between the two kinds of cooking. Many have been lost,though, as Louisiana food has gained national appeal.
In the middle of the United States, farmers grow wheat, corn andother grains. Corn boiled in water is especially popular here. ButAmericans everywhere like to eat corn that expands with a loud noisewhen heated — popcorn. It is popular at movies.
In the northern state of Wisconsin, farmers raise a lot of cows,so people eat a lot of milk products, like cheese. And in coastalstates, especially, people love fresh seafood. In Maine, boiledlobster is popular with local citizens and travelers. This shellfishis caught in traps that are set on the bottom of the water.
Some foods are enjoyed all over the country. These include pizza.This large, flat bread is usually round and covered with cheese,tomato sauce and other toppings. Another food is ice cream, a sweetfrozen milk product. Fried potatoes cooked in oil are also popular,and often eaten with hamburgers. Really these are not made with hamfrom a pig, but with beef from a cow. Still another favorite ischocolate.
Americans call foods without much health value “junk food.” Junkfood is one reason the number of overweight people in the UnitedStates and other countries has increased. Public health officialssay more than sixty percent of American adults are overweight orobese. Not only do many people eat junk food, they also eat morefood than they burn off as energy. This energy imbalance leads toweight gain. Officials are urging Americans to exercise more and toeat more fruits and vegetables in place of foods high in fats andsweeteners.
Lady Sings The Blues
HOST:
Capital Records has released a new album that honors women injazz. It is called “Lady Sings The Blues.” Steve Ember tells usmore.
ANNCR:
“Lady Sings The Blues” has twenty-eight songs by some of the mostpopular women jazz singers of all time. These include BillieHolliday, Keely Smith, Rosemary Clooney, Diana Krall and NorahJones. Here, Sarah Vaughn sings “Stormy Weather.”
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Another singer heard on the newalbum is Ella Fitzgerald. She was known to millions of jazz fans asthe “First Lady of Song.” Listen as she sings “Solitude.”
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Record company officials say most of the sales of jazz musicthese days are of albums recorded by women. One of the most popularof these singers still recording today is Etta James. We leave youwith one of the songs by Etta James included on “Lady Sings TheBlues.” The song is called “Body and Soul.”
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HOST:
This is Bob Doughty. I hope you enjoyed our program today.
Our program was written by Shelley Gollust, Jill Moss and NancySteinbach. Our studio engineer was Rick Barnes. And our producer wasPaul Thompson.
Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC — VOA’s radiomagazine in Special English.