Miami

A Lion Among Us

WLRN Miami Herald reporter and Under the Sun associate producer Kenny Malone recently interviewed Angel Pardo, the owner of a 16-year-old cougar named Kimba.  She’s one of just a few mountain lions licensed to live in residential areas in South Florida after new restrictions kicked in last August.

Malone’s piece helps us understand what it’s like having one as a pet, and as a neighbor.

Dave Barry brought Miami, in all of its glory, to the forefront of the country’s consciousness as a syndicated humor columnist for The Miami Herald.  Listen (above) as Under the Sun co-host, Dan Grech, speaks with Barry about his first impressions of the city after arriving from Philadelphia.  In a nutshell: “My God this is the weirdest place I’ve ever seen in my life…I’m not going to bring my family to this insane place.”

Perhaps more than anyone else, writers understand the need for a safe place to pursue their craft. Unfortunately, in some countries a poem or an essay can lead to persecution, arrest, or worse.  Find out how writers like Russell Banks, Salman Rushdie and

Russell Banks helped found Cities of Refuge for exiled writers. He is the best-selling author of Affliction and Continental Drift, among other novels. On a recent trip to South Florida, he sat down with Under the Sun’s Ruth Morris to discuss efforts to establish Miami as a city of refuge. She also asked him to describe the city in just one word. Click on the player (above) to hear his answer, and why Miami reminds him of Montreal.

Under the Sun is pleased to announce that we won a grant to produce an episode about all things literary in South Florida.   This third episode aired on Saturday, June 27 at noon on WLRN 91.3 FM and WKWM 91.5 FM.  We are excited to bring you this program about writing and the arts throughout our communities. 

Good food and good stories are two of life’s greatest pleasures.  I usually write about food at Miami Dish, but today Under the Sun ventures into the culinary world.  Last Sunday, I saw Liliane Nerette Louis present at the Historical Museum of South Florida.  She is all about good food and good stories; she is both an honored storyteller and a masterful cook.

This story originally aired in 2009. But we are still interested in hearing about your design solutions/problems and questions you have about I-95.

In our segment, What’s Up With South Florida?, we invited you to tell us what you find confusing or unusual about South Florida.