All radio documentaries were written, and narrated by Kelley Jo Burke for CBC Radio's IDEAS.
Bringing up furbaby: The evolution from family pet to pet family ( premier broadcast May 30 2017)
There are now more pets than children in North American homes, and lavish dog beds and catnip mice are taking the place of bassinets and rattles. Is this turn from traditional to furry families simply a passing fad, or a response to the stresses of modern life? Or the natural evolution of our relationship with animals? Kelley Jo Burke explores what we're really saying about who we are and what we need, when we start bringing up 'furbabies.'
Shame on You(tube): premiere broadcast May 25, 2015
We are watched. Caught on ubiquitous cellphone cams. Tweeted in real time. Judged by a capricious social media jury. Andy Warhol predicted that everyone would have 15 minutes of fame. Kelley Jo Burke asks how we live in a world where everyone might have 15 minutes of shame.
Ducks on the Moon: A Parent Meets Autism
Regina playwright and producer, Kelley Jo Burke was an orderly woman with an orderly life. In 2000, she had a perfect baby. But by 2004, order was out the window, as she tried to cope with her perfect but "special" boy. In this performance-documentary, annotated by comments from specialists and other parents, she talks about meeting and accepting her son’s autism."
The Word for World is Imagination: The Many Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin
A 2 hour exploration of the life and writing of U.K Le Guin.
Ursula Le Guin and Neil Gaimen
Fat Girls Sweet:
Rubens--The Judgement of Paris
The various parts of a fat woman's body narrate this exploration of living large and largely happy in an over-sized body.
Mothers of Miscarriage
Raphael-- The Visitation
Looks at North America's struggle with developing a cultural response to miscarriage--is it a death, or a medical event? Do you offer sympathy, or look away?
Do You Believe in Magic?
Magic: The Gathering, the most successful collectible card game in the world: an accidental billion dollar windfall for its creators, or the sign of things to come?
Chorus of Angels
A travelogue into the mind of a woman with Multiple Personality Disorder, guided by the competing voices in her head, made audible by a cast of actors. A "Best of IDEAS" pick.