yes yes yes the closing sessions ARE meant to inspire, to leave your ears ringing with sound and brain scrambling with new ideas and thoughts about how to make radio like never before.

so sam, we couldn't be happier to hear that that you left robert's session with a full heart. now go make some radio! (for instance...how about a Way for the 99 ways to tell a radio story project?!)

anyway, in case you'd like to hear more of the pieces robert excerpted during his session, here are a few links:

OUT OF BODY, ROGER by Ann Heppermann and Kara Oehler for RadioLab

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/episodes/2006/05/05
(scroll to the bottom)

OUR NAME IS ROGELIO BAUTISTA, by KRCB's Voice of Youth
http://www.transom.org/shows/2006/200603_voice_of_youth/our_name_is_rogelio_bautista/

Starlee Kine's piece about talking with her father about his relationship with her mother is part of the "Sanctity of Marriage" episode on This American Life; you can search for it here: http://thislife.org/

and Sean Cole's story about Thanksgiving Day plumbers: http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2005/11/23/pm.html

or treat yourself sean's "haunting the quabbin", a third coast favorite:
http://www.insideout.org/documentaries/hauntingquabbin/

now if could only find a link to all of the sound effects that came straight out of krulwich's mouth over the course of his session...

new friends, family, radio lovers, festival goers, deliberate listeners,

I’m now back in Detroit after having seeped myself since Wednesday in our mutual love for audio, for stories, for people. After reading robin amer’s post about the radio Norway session I wasn’t able to attend, I began to panic a little. “shit, that sounds amazing. I could have come away with so much more. What was I thinking not going to that session!?” I don’t think this line of thought is gonna get me anywhere though. Of course I couldn’t make it to every session, or kibitz with every attendee, that would have been impossible. The festival this year provided us with so many windows (big, big windows) of opportunity for learning and growing. For becoming inspired and sincerely engaged.

I am so so grateful to have somehow been let in to this community of love and talent. There are so many pieces I need to get caught up on. So many books to read, people to meet. I can’t help but feel really overwhelmed by all of this…Overwhelmed, and inspired, but also very humbled. I learned a lot this weekend, but most importantly, I learned that I’m far (VERY FAR) from being the radio maker I want to be. There was so much wisdom and intelligence emanating from all of you this week. It was gently but steadily telling me to get to work.

I don’t think I was the only one crying last night when Piya and Mr. Dully modestly accepted their award. To see how touched Howard was by the piece, by Piya, by this community, I felt and feel that I’m in the right place.