The Artistry in Hidden Talents: A "This I Believe" Essay

Written by Mel Rusnov

Narrated by Mel Rusnov

Mel Rusnov describes the delight of discovering "The Artistry of Hidden Talents", especially music, in people otherwise defined by their careers, for NPR's This I Believe series.

This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the thought that begins with the series title. The pieces that make up the program compel listeners to re-think not only what and how they have arrived at their own personal beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.

Featuring a star-studded list of contributors that includes John McCain, Isabel Allende, and Colin Powell, as well as pieces from the original 1950's series including Helen Keller and Jackie Robinson, the This I Believe book collection also contains essays by a Brooklyn lawyer, a woman who sells yellow pages advertising in Fort Worth, TX and a man who serves on the state of Rhode Island's parole board. The result is a stirring, funny and always provocative trip inside the minds and hearts of a diverse group of Americans whose beliefs, and the incredibly varied ways in which they choose to express them, reveal the American spirit at its best.

This short audio essay is an excerpt from the audiobook edition of NPR's This I Believe anthology.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Oct 3, 2006
• ISBN: 9781427203908

Mel Rusnov

Mel Rusnov, who contributed "The Artistry of Hidden Talents" to NPR's This I Believe series, is a civil engineer in Woodbury, Connecticut, who also tutors students of high school math. Her father, a Croatian folk musician, influenced her philosophy of life and music.