
Welcome to Talking Culture! In this weekly interview series from 97.9 The Hill WCHL, you’ll hear from writers, performers, musicians and individuals involved in advancing and promoting cultural arts in our community.
Talking Culture is proudly sponsored by Duke Graduate Liberal Studies; a 30-hour, self-designed liberal arts master’s program at Duke University, offering an interdisciplinary graduate experience tailored to your interests and life experiences. Welcoming students from all walks of life, learn more here!
This week, Aaron welcomes local author Ford Worthy, who’s just published a new book about a personal quest to uncover the details behind a long-buried family story dating back more than 80 years. The book, “In Search of a Boy Named Chester,” begins with Worthy’s father telling him a story about how he’d accompanied a young boy from California to Nebraska while trying to return home immediately after World War II – and Worthy’s decision to try to locate that boy and find out what happened to him. He didn’t have much to go on – an uncertain name, a couple of cities, and a handful of details about the boy’s family – but that was enough to launch a fascinating search that eventually pulled in dozens of fellow seekers online.
(Did he find him? Learn for yourself: click here to read more about the project and purchase a copy of the book.)

97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com are your headquarters for local news and local voices in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Every weekday morning, 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck chats with government officials, UNC scholars, business and nonprofit leaders, area musicians, and others in our community as they share their thoughts, their experience, and their expertise on the central issues of today. Click here to listen back to all of Aaron’s conversations – and tune in to “This Morning with Aaron Keck” at 7:30 a.m. on 97.9 The Hill to hear those conversations live.
You can also listen to “This Morning with Aaron Keck” on Spotify. Click here to follow Aaron and listen to all his segments, from local news to fun features to hard-hitting interviews.
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