Alabama is known for football and white barbecue sauce. But we’re also making our mark in science, literature and the arts—and we helped put astronauts on the moon. Join APR news director Pat Duggins as he takes up topics like this with compelling interviews on APR Notebook.
Why Joyce Vance learned to build a improvised explosive device
It's hard to know where to start talking about former Alabama U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance. She's a fixture on MS Now, and she's been on PBS's Overheard with Evan Smith. The midterm elections are also just a few weeks away, and Vance is out with a new book titled "Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy.” Bear with me; I'm just getting warmed up. 2026 is also the 30th anniversary of the Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta. Vance helped build the legal case against bomber Eric Rudolph after a similar attack in Birmingham. We'll start off by talking about her connection to a national award-winning investigation right here at Alabama Public Radio. All of that and more on APR Notebook.
31 Aug 2026
Mobile attorney Kathryn Lee Boyd on fighting genocide, and winning
Here on APR Notebook, I've invited you to listen into my chats with actors and authors. Those talks are pretty light. Then there was my conversation with Alex Drueke, who spent 105 days as a POW in the hands of Russian forces after he volunteered to fight for Ukraine. That one was tough to listen to, and fair warning, here's another one. But hear me out. Genocide has been going on in part of the African nation of Sudan for years. The region I'm talking about is roughly the size of Spain. It's called Darfur. An estimated 2 million people have been killed there, but for some of the survivors, there has been justice, and an attorney who hails from Mobile made it possible. Kathryn Lee Boyd argued the case against the French bank BNP Paribas. It was accused of funding the mass killings in Darfur. Boyd won, and she's my guest next on APR Notebook.
3 Aug 2026
Jim Voss, the NASA astronaut from Opelika
2026 has been a busy year for NASA. Four astronauts flew to the moon for the first trip by human beings there since Apollo 17 in 1972 The flight of Artemis two also highlights Alabama's role in the US space program. The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville designed, built, tested, and manages the big Space Launch System rocket that sends Artemis missions to Earth orbit. Huntsville has its claim to fame when it comes to NASA, but Opelika does too. One of its favorite sons is retired astronaut Jim Voss. He flew four times on the space shuttle and served on the second full-time crew aboard the International Space Station, a conversation that's out of this world, is next on APR Notebook.
29 Jun 2026
Alabama Novelist Watt Key on how writing runs in his family
America is just a few days away from the Fourth of July and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That day may involve fireworks, a backyard cookout, and possibly a rendition or two of the Star Spangled Banner. Our national anthem hits home with my guest on the national award-winning APR Notebook. Mobile area author Watt Key is known for his classic novel “Alabama Moon,” which was made into a motion picture. But, he's also an indirect descendant of Francis Scott Key, who wrote “The Star Spangled Banner.”
1 Jun 2026
Alex Drueke, on the front lines in the war in Ukraine
APR news has covered the war between Ukraine and Russia a lot. When President Joe Biden said, ‘We will walk softly and carry a big javelin,’ he was paraphrasing Teddy Roosevelt and his saying about carrying ‘a big stick.’ Biden was also giving a nod to the Lockheed Martin plant in Troy, that Alabama factory makes the shoulder fired anti-tank missiles. And then there's the perspective of Alex Drueke.
2 Mar 2026
Chef Frank Stitt and the stand he took during the BP Oil Spill
I became news director at Alabama public radio in September of 2009. One of my first stories involved James Beard award-winning chef Frank Stitt of Birmingham. It was prompted by the 2010 BP oil spill.
4 Feb 2026
Alabama actor Michael Emerson on being TV’s "King of Creepy”
Imagine waking up one morning, opening that day's copy of The New York Times, and seeing yourself described as TV's “king of creepy.” My guest tonight got that distinction just last year. Two time Emmy award winning actor Michael Emerson is a University of Alabama graduate, and he once worked at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. We met his wife, Carrie Preston of the CBS TV series Elsbeth, just last month. Now, just in case you thought that creepy comment in the New York Times was a one off. the Washington Post later called Emerson “TV's most beloved creepy guy” four months later, and he seems to relish in that. Emerson starred as Ben Linus in the TV series "Lost" and the eccentric billionaire Harold Finch in Person of Interest. However, fans of the cult classic horror film "SAW" may remember him as the creepy hospital orderly Zep Hindle. Michael Emerson and I talk about his days at the University of Alabama and more. Next on APR Notebook.
7 Jan 2026
Actor Carrie Preston on going from Hamlet in Alabama to Elsbeth on CBS
If I were to say the words “Do’h!” or “excellent,” or “okely, dokely, neighborino!” You know what I'm talking about, right? Of course, it's “The Simpsons,” good for you. Now, longtime viewers of that show know this, but for that one person out there who doesn't…“The Simpsons” is a spin-off. Back when Fox was just getting going, one of the programs they offered was “The Tracy Ullman Show.” And “The Tracy Ullman Show” had these little animated vignettes featuring Bart, Lisa, Homer. and Marge, and the rest is history. Emmy award-winning actor Carrie Preston knows a little bit about spin-offs. She played Ophelia in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's production of “Hamlet” back in 1994. But, she's come a long way since then. Arguably, you could say her big break was playing Elsbeth Tascioni in the CBS series “The Good Wife” and "The Good Fight." That's where she got her Emmy for Best Guest Performer. But now, she's the star of the spin-off series, "Elsbeth." We'll talk to her about her days in Alabama and more coming up on APR notebook.
3 Dec 2025
Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia, and what happened to Charlie Kirk
So, what did you do today? Jimmy Wales of Huntsville invented Wikipedia. How's that for a "mic drop" moment? The online encyclopedia, which is updated by anonymous editors, has its critics. Elon Musk counts himself among them. Authoritarian regimes reportedly hate Wikipedia. However, the website has viewers, a lot of them. By some accounts, billions of people visit Wikipedia, both the English version and in 300 other foreign languages. That's billions with a “B” every month. Jimmy Wales is also out with his first book. It's called "The Seven Rules of Trust." We'll discuss how that's the philosophy behind Wikipedia. Wales also grew up in Huntsville, in the shadow of the Apollo man moon landings.
5 Nov 2025
APR Notebook: Roy Wood, Junior and "The Man of Many Fathers"
Roy Wood, Jr. has come a long way from Birmingham. He launched his comedy career making prank phone calls for a local radio station in the Magic City in 2001. Along with his current success as a stand up comic, Wood is host of CNN's panel show "Have I Got News For You. That followed eight years as a correspondent on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah." Wood is also out with a new book titled "The Man of Many Fathers." It's a memoir focusing on his relationship with his dad, civil rights era journalist and radio show host Roy Wood, Sr, All of that's coming up on APR Notebook.
1 Oct 2025
APR Notebook: Jason Isbell on life lessons from the Swampers
It’s tough to know where to start with singer/songwriter Jason Isbell. He has six Grammy awards. Variety Magazine once called him the “Poet Laureate of Rock.” Another critic compared Isbell’s writing style to William Faulkner and John Prine.During the COVID-19 pandemic, Isbell got a part in director Martin Scorsese’s Oscar nominated film "Killers of the Flower Moon."And of course, Isbell founded the annual ShoalsFest musical festival, which is returning to Florence next week.We’ll touch on all that on APR notebook
3 Sept 2025
APR Notebook: Rebuilding Ukraine, one jigsaw puzzle at a time
Back in February, the US State Department asked me to speak. It was a foreign delegation about APR’s coverage of human trafficking. One member of that group was an investigative reporter from Ukraine. When I was done, we were all smiling and taking pictures and shaking hands, and this journalist came up and pressed a book into my hands. It was poetry written by Ukrainians about the war with Russia. The stories of pain and loss hammered home for me the fact that I don't know firsthand what it's like in Ukraine, but one part time resident of Huntsville, does
30 Jul 2025
APR Notebook: Alabama Barbecue, Beyond the White Sauce
Everybody, it seems, has a favorite story about barbecue. Here's mine. Mrs. Duggins and I took a road trip to Memphis. We were going to see Bonnie Raitt in concert. Now, when it comes to barbecue, Memphis has Elwood’s Shack, Corky’s, Fat Larry's and they all have their fans. But with apologies to all, this story is about Charlie Vergos Rendezvous. And, Robert Moss has me beat. He's author of the book "Barbecue, The History of an American institution." It's in a new and expanded edition from University of Alabama press. He joins me next on APR notebook.
9 Jul 2025
APR Notebook: Making every moment count in the U.S. House of Representatives
The Alabama Public Radio news team is known for its major journalism investigations. We've been doing them for over a decade. Our most recent national award winning effort was an eight month investigation into Alabama's new U.S. House seat in the rural Black Belt region of the state. The new voting map was ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court so Alabama would be more fair to black residents. Now, anybody who follows the news might reasonably be thinking— okay? The same high court that overturned Roe versus Wade and ended affirmative action in the nation's universities told Alabama that they needed to treat black voters better. Even the plaintiffs in the legal case of Allen versus Milligan told APR news they were gobsmacked they won. The goal after that legal victory was to make sure the new minority congressional district works. The point there was to keep conservative opponents from having the excuse to try to flip the voting map back to the GOP. And that's a moving target that could change at any moment, even as we speak. The job of managing all of these issues now falls to Congressman Shomari Figures.
27 Jun 2025
APR Notebook: The Darker Side of Infertility
News Director Pat Duggins interviews University of Alabama professor Diane Tober about her book "Eggonomics," exploring the complex issues of money, racism, and unintended consequences within the U.S. egg donation industry.
20 Jun 2025
Coming soon: APR Notebook. Get a sneak peek now!
Host Pat Duggins previews the upcoming APR Notebook podcast, highlighting the topics and insights listeners can anticipate.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
121,496
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Podcast Authority Score: 30 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
27
Social presence
0
YouTube
82
Engagement
0
Contact APR Notebook
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about APR Notebook
Who hosts APR Notebook?
Pat Duggins host the show. Published by Pat Duggins.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes monthly, based on its RSS feed.
Does APR Notebook take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Host of APR Notebook?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
