Travel, Walter Kirn, Hobo Poet

Studio 360

Kurt Andersen has a cultural suggestion for President Bush: free museum admission for everybody. We go on call with a 24-hour piano tuner, and designer Michael Beirut looks at a tiny piece of graphic design that is everywhere. Kurt talks about the allure and inspiration of traveling with the novelist Walter Kirn, considering stories about a visit to the Alabama hometown of W.C. Handy during its annual celebration of the blues, the allure of the rails for a hobo poet, and a stopover at unlikely cultural destination: the Austin Airport.

Do you support journalism that strengthens our democracy?

At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.

Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!