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Dakota Midday: 'Sacred Journeys'

PBS

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, an estimated 300 to 330 million people go on  spiritual pilgrimages around the world each year. But why? And what are they searching for? Those are among the questions best-selling author Bruce Feiler explores in a new PBS series, Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler.

In the six-part series, Feiler accompanies pilgrims from the U.S. in their spiritual quests to sites in France, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Jerusalem, India and Nigeria. In the opening episode, Feiler goes to a Roman Catholic shrine in Lourdes, France with the Wounded Warriors, a group of soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Feiler’s books include Walking the Bible: A Journey By Land Through Five Books of Moses and Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths. Feiler also hosted an earlier PBS program, Walking the Bible. The first two episodes of Sacred Journey air Tuesday evening on SDPB1 Television at 7 pm, CT; 6 pm MT.

Feiler joined Dakota Midday and discussed the series.

Karl was born to northeastern South Dakota crouton farmers, but was orphaned as a toddler during the Great Salad War (1966-67). Rescued by a flock of chickadees, he grew up in the woodlands of Sica Hollow. Legends of a bird boy living in the trees attracted the interest of renowned ornithologist and amateur bandoneon repairman Dr. Vogel Gehrke. With a handful of suet, Dr. Gehrke coaxed the timid boy down from the trees. He adopted him, named him Karl and taught him not to molt on the carpet. Dr. Gehrke’s book, The Bird Boy of Sica Hollow, was a best seller and Karl became a minor celebrity and teen idol. He appeared as a guest star on numerous television programs, most notably an awkward role on The Love Boat as the boyfriend of Captain Stubing’s daughter, Vicki. After critics panned his 1980 album, Bird Boy Does Disco, Karl retreated from public life and returned to Sica Hollow. Living in an isolated tree house, Karl achieved a reputation as a mystic. Pilgrims and seekers from around the world came to ask him about the meaning of life and for vinaigrette recipes. Growing tired of answering questions, he climbed down from his tree, shaved his massive white beard and took a job as the host of SDPB Radio’s Dakota Midday where he could ask the questions instead. After three years in that position, he ran out of questions and became host of Jazz Nightly instead. Karl makes his home in Vermillion with his charming wife Kari and three delightful children, Kodey, Kasey and Spatula. His hobbies include reciting the alphabet, combing his hair and doing volunteer work with delinquent songbirds.