Public Confession Booths and Book Reviews from Nancy Pearl

Megan Sukys
08/18/2008

Jason Puccinelli is not a priest. Still, he's found a surprising emotional release by bringing confession booths to places like Bumbershoot. He tells us how the reaction to his public honesty experiment was more than he expected. We also get book reviews from Nancy Pearl.

At 2:05 p.m. – Merna Ann Hecht

For Vashon Island poet Merna Ann Hecht, the Iraq war is a pressing, daily reality she just can't shake. Today she reads two poems that reflect on the war's close presence; whether in her kitchen, canning blueberries, or exploring a medieval church in Brittany.

Originally a pediatric nurse, Hecht uses storytelling as a source of healing at BRIDGES: A Center for Grieving Children in Tacoma. She also teaches in the Writers in the Schools Program through Seattle Arts and Lectures. Hecht is a recipient of the National Storytelling Network 2008 Brimstone Award for Applied Storytelling. Recorded May 15, 2008 for the Jack Straw Writers Program.

At 2:20 p.m. – The Accidental Advocate

There's a limit to the number of times you want to divulge private information. Aidan Key finds himself telling his own personal story more often than he might like. He's one of more than 1,200 people in King County who are transgendered. More than a decade ago, he decided to transition from being a woman to being a man. And once he made the decision, he had to start explaining why to his friends. He tells Jeannie Yandel his story in this archived conversation.

At 2:40 p.m. – Nancy Pearl Book Reviews

Our weekly visit with public radio librarian and author of "More Book Lust," Nancy Pearl.

At 2:50 p.m. – The Confessional

The ritual of confession is as old as the Catholic church. Traditionally, the person confessing sits in a dark booth separated by a partition, and a priest sits and listens on the other side. But the priest usually doesn't respond with his own confessions. Jason Puccinelli is not a priest. Still, he's found a surprising emotional release by placing confession booths in public spaces. He and his Seattle art collective, PDL, have set up confession booths in a bar, at Bumbershoot, and at an artist colony in Arlington, Washington. Jason never expected his experiment to get this far. It all started just as a way to vent his feelings to strangers.

To learn when the Portable Confession Booths will be appearing again, send an email to info@vital5productions.com with the subject "Portable Confession Units" or "PCU".