Rachel Louise Snyder may have traded her frequent flyer miles for a tenure track professorial post, but being behind a desk hasn’t diminished her curiosity for the world around her.
Snyder, a professor of literature and creative writing in the College of Arts and Sciences has a new weekly radio show called “The Global Guru,” in which she focuses on one small and unique part of a different culture. Snyder’s pieces run a mere 2 minutes, 45 seconds and are broadcast on stations all over the country, including WAMU 88.5.
“Each week we ask just one simple question, just one,” Snyder says in the opening of each short piece.
From Tasmanian devils to Dutch insults, Snyder takes her listeners on a factoid-filled trip around the world.
“We associate specific things with specific cultures,” Snyder said. “England, we think of tea for example. But cultures are so much more complex than that. ‘The Global Guru’ lets me explore these complexities in simple ways.”
As a freelance writer and journalist, Snyder traveled widely, publishing articles in publications like Redbook, The New York Times Magazine and The New Republic.
Her stories have been heard on popular radio shows like “All Things Considered,” “This American Life” and “Morning Edition.”
She was recently interviewed on WAMU 88.5, “The Animal House,” for her story about tracking Tasmanian devils in the wild.
Snyder lived in London and Cambodia and covered the aftermath of the Indonesian tsunami. She recently published a book, “Fugitive Denim,” following the elusive trail of textile production, where she proves there is more to the story than “Made in Mexico,” as the tag on your jeans might claim.
“The world is complicated,” Snyder said. “And we are so interconnected. Global Guru is great because I’m always finding out these fun little facts but there’s no place to publish them.”
She described culture like the adhesive on a sticker, closely connected to people, impossible to separate, and not always obvious.
“How do we define ‘American?’” Snyder asked. “We are so much more than McDonald’s or ‘Friends.’ But it’s so hard to explain or define, all cultures are. With Global Guru I can explore something vastly complicated in a really straightforward way.”
Plus, the Global Guru is a perfect fit for AU’s campus, Snyder said.
“AU is so global,” she said. “It’s why I chose to teach here. It has so much to offer, and is so in touch with the world. Where better to broadcast from?”
The Global Guru can be heard by podcast and airs on WAMU 88.5 on Friday nights at 10:58.
You can reach this writer at news@theeagleonline.com.
