The Sunday Edition — April 1, 2018

On this week's program:

Michael's essay: Unplugging from modern-day madness
Michael shares his thoughts about the search for escape hatches from what often feels like a dystopian world.

Poetry is a sugar cube in the bitter coffee of everyday life, says Pino Coluccio
His day job is in an office, but Canadian writer Pino Coluccio's passion is writing poetry. He crafts sharp, witty poems about the absurdities of modern life, some of which are collected in his latest book, Class Clown.

The 'great divide' in women's friendships
Emelia Symington Fedy and her feminist friends used to call each other "Wives for Life." Then having children got in the way. In an essay, Emelia describes how a powerful sisterhood of women friends fell apart ... and then came back together.

Pioneering psychologist linked loneliness to health and longevity
A reprise of Michael's conversation with John Cacioppo who just died. He was among the first social scientists to link chronic loneliness to premature death.

The strange, joyful history of 'Hallelujah!' from the Old Testament to today
Although the Messiah is often associated with Christmas, Handel's Hallelujah Chorus originally was conceived as a work for Easter. Our documentary, "Hallelujah People" traces the origins and the mysteries of this wondrous word, from ancient Israel to today.

Gender-bending Shakespeare
Seana McKenna and Martha Henry on playing Julius Caesar and Prospero: Several women are assuming traditional male lead roles at Stratford this year. Seana McKenna and Martha Henry explore what female actors bring to male characters.