Jim Karantonis remembers the Walter Reed psych ward, Benn Ray shares holiday reading picks, Esther Weiner’s latke lesson, and fiction from Rafael Alvarez

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December 7th & 8th, 2012, on The Signal:  

When he was drafted during the Vietnam War, Jim Karantonis trained to be a medic and he was assigned stateside - in the psych ward at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  The former neuropsychiatric technician joins us to reflect on what he learned from his patients.

Benn Ray of Atomic Books visits with his unique holiday suggestions, including graphic novels, sheet music, a hot new cookbook, and one item that seeks to re-invent the notion of what a book truly is.

Jewish grandmother Esther Weiner invites us into her kitchen for a lesson in the finer points of latkes.

Plus: Rafael Alvarez reads his holiday story, “An Alley Most Narrow”