Episode 43: The Life Crepuscular, Dawn

In zoology, crepuscular refers to animals becoming active at twilight or before sunrise, as do bats and certain insects and birds. On this edition of B-Side we look at what humans do between the hours of 4 and 6 AM. Originally aired in January 2006.

Liner Notes

Who Needs Coffee When you Have Rowing?: Rob Sachs
Each day millions of people sputter around Southern California ebbing and flowing through interchanges on massive highways that stretch 5 lanes wide on each side creating quite a din. But at 4AM the streets of Marina Del Rey are quiet. Two female athletes have convened at a place called Mother’s Beach in pursuit of a little bit of early morning workout. B-Side Radio’s Rob Sachs met up with them.

Happy Baby: Stephen Elliot
In his novel, Happy Baby, Stephen Elliot writes about a guy named Theo, an orphan who grew up in an institution. The story starts when he’s 36 and goes back, to the time when he became a ward of the state. Everything is backwards — the adults are corrupt, they don’t protect the kids. And in a pivotal scene in the book, in the dark of night, and stretching out toward dawn, Theo goes looking for illumination.

Music Just Before Dawn: Molly Peterson
Some of the best times at a concert happen before — and after — the music itself. Molly Peterson and her friends have been going to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival every year for 10 years. They go to the late-night concerts that run into early morning. And over time, the way that they go hear music there has changed. Here’s their story.