A Bend in the Road

Live! From Portrush, Northern Ireland, it's host Roberta Panjwani and Laura and Gavin, the founders of the Belfast-based band House of Gael! They discuss blending traditional Irish sounds with a modern spirit, the power of music to celebrate unity and diversity, and how music helped transform their lives after a devastating loss. You'll also hear “Calling Me Home,” their new song written...

Apple TV+’s Plur1bus is one of the most talked-about shows of the year. Why? Well, the tagline says it all: “The most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.” This month, Roberta sits down with Plur1bus Executive Producer and Writer, Alison Tatlock, to talk storytelling, world-building, and creating shows that stay with you long after the screen goes dark. Tatlock is an Emmy-...

At the beginning of April, the Ridgewood Library Friends Foundation hosted their 36th Annual Author Luncheon with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anna Quindlen. It sold out - 416 tickets! - in an unprecedented 5 days. We are so pleased that Anna allowed us to publish her interview and talk from the event, moderated by host Roberta Panjwani. We talked about her book More Than Enough , aging, the joy...

This month Roberta talks to Russell Shorto about his new book Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America, which drawing on deep archival research to offer a fresh take on America’s beginnings and the transfer of power in the region from the Dutch to the British.  Rebecca Fraser of the Times Literary Supplement says of the book: "Shorto is earnest, humo...

This month on A Bend in the Road , Roberta is joined by broadcaster, film critic, and host of the Cinephile podcast Adnan Virk for a lively deep dive into the movies that matter now. Known for his sharp insights and contagious love of cinema, Virk brings his passion, encyclopedic knowledge, and signature blend of humor to talk Oscars buzz, under-the-radar gems, the state of movie theaters, streami...

What really happened inside the marriage that helped turn Amelia Earhart into a legend? That's the question author Laurie Gwen Shapiro sought to answer in her new book: The Aviator and the Showman. Through newly uncovered letters and archival material, she reexamines the partnership between Amelia Earhart and George Putnam, revealing a marriage far more complex, modern, and strategic than the...

Kick off the new year with a special rebroadcast of episode 18! Yale graduate Gretchen Rubin had quite the pivot when she went from clerking for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to founding the Happiness Project. How that came to be and what her surprising path to a life of more energy, creativity, luck, and love entails (hint: tune in to the five senses) is the focus of this month's episode. An a...

For those who want an extra visual component, this episode is also available on YouTube . This month, Roberta sits down with The New Yorker writer John Seabrook to talk about his new book The Spinach King, a chronicle of the rise and fall of his family's empire: Seabrook Farms. Recently selected as one of the 100 Most Notable Books of 2025 by the New York Times , it tells a story of ambition,...

For those who want an extra visual component, this episode is also available on YouTube. First responders are there for the community, continually caring and respond to the needs of others, but rarely do they take care of their own. This month, Roberta talks with Lt. Mark Panjwani and 9-1-1 Dispatcher Ricardo Martinez about the mental health issues and stigmas they face as well as the initiatives...

Watch this episode on YouTube as well! Can even our closest friendships fall apart? This month Roberta Panjwani talks with Susan Shapiro Barash about her new book Estranged: How Toxic Female Friendships can be Mended or Ended which explores the hidden reality of female friendship—when bonds break, and what comes next. Things we talked about in this episode  Estranged: How Toxic Female Friendships...

We continue our celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary with Brenda S. Cox: Austen expert, scientist, and author of the new book Fashionable Goodness , which explores how Austen wove deep moral truths into her characters’ lives, shedding light on the faith and values that shaped her work. Join us for an insightful discussion on Austen’s enduring moral lessons, her faith, and the timeless wi...

Jane Austen inspired millions… but who inspired her? That is the question rare books dealer and author Rebecca Romney set out to explore in her new book Jane Austen's Bookshelf. Join Roberta Panjwani as she sits down to talk with Rebecca about the lives and works of the women writers Austen admired, the fascinating world of rare books, and the stories they still have to tell . Watch this epis...

Roberta sits down with RPL director Lorri Steinbacher and “What’s in a Name?” journalist and essayist Jeannette Cooperman for a lively and thought-provoking conversation about the power of names. From given names and nicknames to hyphenation and reinvention, the trio explores how names shape identity, carry meaning, and spark emotion. At the heart of the discussion is The Names , a brilliant new n...

Singer/songwriter Gary Solomon was just 19 when he found himself in the crowd at The Last Waltz—The Band’s iconic 1976 farewell concert. Filmed by Martin Scorsese and widely considered the best concert film of all time, it was stacked with legends like Robbie Roberston, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, and Neil Diamond. In this episode, Gary shares wh...

1993, when Sue Rodin saw gender inequality in her workplace, she didn’t just get frustrated—she took action. Tapping into her network, she founded Women in Sports and Events (WISE), an organization built to support and elevate professional women in the sports industry. More than 30 years later, WISE is still going strong, with 25 chapters across the U.S. and Canada and over 6,000 members. Rodin ha...

This is a rebroadcast of episodes 6 & 7 from October 19, 2022.  What power does poetry have to help us navigate the challenges of life? How do we approach art and how does it approach us? Join our guest host Diane Sims for a journey through these questions, and many others, with Pádraig Ó Tuama in an episode so big, we had to split it into two. In Part 1, Pádraig Ó shares his relationship with...

This is a rebroadcast of episodes 6 & 7 from October 19, 2022.  What power does poetry have to help us navigate the challenges of life? How do we approach art and how does it approach us? Join our guest host Diane Sims for a journey through these questions, and many others, with Pádraig Ó Tuama in an episode so big, we had to split it into two. In Part 1, Pádraig Ó shares his relationship with...

In their new film Rebel with a Clause , grammar guru Ellen Jovin and director Brandt Johnson head off on a road trip to all 50 states to show how comma fights, rather than divide, can bring us closer together. Join Roberta as they talk about the power of language, taking a grammar stand, and the New York Times bestselling book that started it all. Things we talked about in this episode: Rebel with...

Have you ever had a teacher who completely changed the way you see the world? Today, we’re shining a spotlight on one of those incredible educators—Ted Opderbeck! With 30 years of award-winning teaching under his belt, Ted has dedicated his career to putting empathy and global awareness at the heart of every lesson.  Roberta talks to Ted about how he’s taking his passion even further in his new ro...

How did a fateful meeting with filmmaker M Night Shyamalan, ignite Melissa Davey’s own career of becoming a director herself. At age 65? Roberta talks with the documentarian and activist about taking risks, shining a light on the value of women over 65, and the importance of living each day to its fullest.  Things we talked about in this episode: Climbing Into Life Beyond Sixty Project Dierdre Wol...

Take a trip to the Hollywood Bowl with Roberta and her sister Andrea and experience two once-in-a-lifetime shows with the legendary Joni Mitchell, alongside all-star guests like Brandi Carlile, Annie Lennox, Marcus Mumford, Elton John, Meryl Streetp, and her Joni Jam band, performing deep cuts and classics like “Cherokee Louise,” “California,” “Sire of Sorrow,” “The Circle Game,” and “Come in from...

Please note: We are rebroadcasting Episode 16 which originally aired in August 2023 as a companion to Episode 32. We hope you enjoy! Take a trip to the Pacific Northwest with Roberta to experience the epic return of the legendary musician Joni Mitchell during Brandi Carlile’s “Echoes through the Canyon” weekend at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington State. Roberta talks with concertgoers who trav...

Director siblings Pete Davis and Rebecca Davis are on a mission! A mission to get you to join a club. A mission, based on the groundbreaking work of legendary social scientist Bob Putnam, that led them to make a documentary: Join or Die: a film about why you should join a club … and why the fate of America might depend on it . They stopped by to talk to Roberta about this hopeful and engaging film...

In April 1994, Anthea Bradshaw married her high school sweetheart in a beautiful Adelaide wedding. 96 days later, she was found lifeless in a pool of blood,  in Brunei, South East Asia, half a world away from home. This month, Roberta talks with Ben Avery, an Australian journalist and host of the Just Married podcast, who is investigating what really happened to Anthea and dives into our love, and...

Join the FOUND Magazine crew for a raucous celebration of the best lost, tossed and forgotten items from across the country. Davy Rothbart — bestselling author, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, and frequent presence on NPR’s This American Life — shares his all-time favorite finds, while his brother Peter, a rising folk music star, performs exquisite (and rowdy) songs based on found notes. The Rothbar...