A Brief History of Strangers

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Archive on 4: A Brief History of Strangers

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Joe Queenan on strangers - an opportunity or a threat?

The American writer Joe Queenan with his latest brief history - why people are different and may think their own ways are best.

The American writer Joe Queenan follows up his programmes on blame, shame, disobedience and lust with a dive into the world of strangers. He begins with an account of his journey to Fargo, North Dakota. "I was the stranger in town." He didn't enjoy the experience much.

As well as archive from film and TV, there are new interviews with Catherine Carr (Where Are You Going?) and Emma Garland, who recounts going to New York to see a man she'd known online. It didn't go well. Plus Alexei Sayle (Strangers on a Train) and Professor Edith Hall on why the Greek word xeno can mean friend, alien and guest.

This is Joe Queenan's twelfth brief history for Radio 4. He's an Emmy award winning broadcaster and writer whose books include Balsamic Dreams: A Short But Self-Important History of the baby Boomer Generation. The producer for BBC studios in Bristol is Miles Warde

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