The time I heard my grandmother speak in tongues

A great radio voice waiting to be discovered! Passion and originality are what the airwaves need right now.

Finally, something as simple and poignant as passion fused with culture is being addressed in the American mainstream. So, Will, yes, please lead us on a journey of exploration and sharing and knowledge that will hopefully eradicate some of the fear, isolationism, and apathy that our society is plagued with.

your candour is refreshing, your drive inspiring, and your gift for storytelling is worthy of broadcast to larger audiences nationwide...

Wonderful subject, and your clip has a great mix of curiosity, contemplation and empathy. I have always been impressed by the sheer bravery of immigrants, and I would listen to you and this program at every opportunity.

As I listen to more and more of these great entries, I find that I am actually pulling for some others more than myself! Good luck to you!

By the way, my West Virginian coal-mining Grandpap was also a Pentecostal minister, so I kind of understand and am proud of you for not taking the easy and cynical route of ridiculing your out-of-the-mainstream upbringing.

Will's entry is great - it sounds like he has much to offer and I would love to hear more!

I hope you'll give us the chance to listen to Will's tales and voice more and more!

I think we need more voices in the public sphere like Will's - someone who is a Christian and not only claims he is, but actually acts like one.

What a good story - and a great voice. It's not just like any others I have heard on NPR. This has been a treat. Thanks,
Anne Wright
"The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you; they are unique manifestations of the human spirit." Wade Davis

Wow, great stuff! Everything about it is top-notch... my favorite being that it sounds so genuine. Good luck!

This clip is very ALIVE--rich, descriptive, well-structured and well-narrated.

Will has a great voice--both in aural quality and subject matter. Excellent stuff!

Hey Will,

Great job! Your narration reminds me of a southern writer (name escapes me at the moment, but wait...he's famous and best of all good, so it's a good comparison) who tells these wonderfully rich stories about a world many of us have never experienced. I hope you get the chance to bring these stories to life on the NPR airwaves. Your idea of bringing these stories to the table as a starting point for discussion and hopefully, understanding among people, is wonderful. And timely. Good on ya!

And thanks for your kind words on my entry.

Good luck.

Will

I really enjoyed listening to your wonderful voice and the story about your grandma. Its like I could picture everything that you were saying.

will coley's voice is like bourbon and silk; it slithers through your ears, draws you in, makes you want to just listen...all the more enticing when what he has to say is expressed with such impassioned humanity. in his short anecdote, he evokes family folklore, religious mysticism, and cultural clashes--all with a simple sense of wonder about the world, and the many different people who inhabit it. bravo, will!

You've got a great voice. I liked the entry but I think a great voice is just as important as a sharp entry (yes, you've got both tough guy!). Good luck.

Devanshu

http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/1774

need I say more. Ok, I will. The piece was quite interesting. I'd love to hear more from him.

I was really intrigued by this short clip - I'd love to hear more! Great voice.

Will, great subject and great journalism, and sure, great voice. Good luck.

I couldn't agree more with you Will. Beliefs do - or should - drive pertty much everything we do. What we need is some genuine exploration about the range of beliefs - beyond religion - which drive people to do what they do. Without that exploration we will all be speaking in tongues at each other for a very long time.

I grew up in a similar situation, and these are some of the same types of folks I think I'd love to talk to for my show idea. But I like that you seem to bring it all to a level where other people who have not experienced the things you and I have will still understand it, if even for the first time. I'm excited about this show. Good luck!

I have now listened to ten of these clips, and this is far and away the best. It is thought-provoking; I enjoyed the humor, and the way it was presented. I would love to hear him as a radio host. And I love his voice.

I have now listened to about ten of these, and this entry is the best. It is amusing, thought provoking, and well-presented. And I love his accent. I think he would make a wonderful radio host.

Will, this is fabulous - and I'd listen just to hear your voice!
Becca

Will - this is fabulous! I look forward to hearing more!

Will, very interesting clip. It sounds like we need to do a show together-you take the religion and beliefs, I'll take the science. Could be very interesting. We could call it "Life, the Universe and Everything." Oh, wait, that name is taken.

Will, I think you would be a great NPR show host, and I like your idea for the show. Two of my favorite shows (out of like 90 favorites!) on NPR are This American Life and This I Believe. It sounds as if your idea combines these themes/styles. The NPR powers-that-be need to talk to you in person... that's where the charm, freshness, and slightly skewed nature of your world view could shine forth in all it's glory. :)

--Any NPR people reading this, keep that in mind.

Shannon

Thank you will for this exciting moment of clarity regarding this obscure speaking in thong.
voila oh la la ! sacrebleu ..camembert

Original idea, writed and narrated in a very beatifull way. thank you!

amzing teller...the best choice public radio could make!

Great clip, connecting religious background to work with immigrants! Good work, Will.
Barbara