Leta's always asking me, "so what do you find attractive in a woman's voice?" And I listen to a lot of public radio; not as much as Leta, who somehow tolerates the inane "What Do You Know?" but I do my share. So herewith my first cavalcade of sexy women's voices in public radio:

#5 Mandalit del Barco, NPR reporter: a little south of the border is good for you.

#4 Fiona Ritchie, "The Thistle and Shamrock" host: lay me doon in the clover, lassie.

#3 Helen Palmer, "Marketplace" Health Desk: what Posh Spice would sound like if she could.

#2 Melissa Block, "All Things Considered" host: a warm, girl-next-door tone with a glint in it that bespeaks a hidden kink: maybe she likes to handcuff you to the bedpost.

#1 Diana Nyad, "The Savvy Traveler" host: Rrr, a husky drawl: whiskey and Camels and playing table hockey til closing.

Though the list skews exotic, I'm pretty conventional in my tastes. I leave Sylvia Poggioli and Sarah Vowell to other fans.

posted: 4:43:49 PM