WJFF - Trailer Talk

Meet John Pizzolato, the recently elected Supervisor from the Town of Highland NY in the Catskills. It's a rural area of Sullivan County with much of it sitting on the banks of the Delaware River, separating itself from Pennsylvania on the other side.  Sabrina is joined by John at the kitchen table of the BeeLine camper to find out why this self-described, "non-politician" decided to run for offic...

What happens when a political journalist and a political junkie meet? Only weeks away from Election Day, Sabrina welcomes back Nina Burleigh, a political journalist, and invites first-time Trailer Talker, Laury Sejen, who has worked on campaigns and has a passion for politics, to join the conversation following the presidential debate. Nina is a journalist, best-selling author, and publisher of Am...

 Nina Burleigh joins Sabrina for a kitchen table conversation about the upcoming election, which many say is the most important of a lifetime. Nina is a journalist, best-selling author, and publisher of American Freakshow , a Substack focused on politics. She is a contributing editor at The New Republic and a frequent contributor to The New York Times and New York Magazine . In the conversation, s...

Sabrina is joined in the trailer by Mimi McGurl, who is a director, performer, and landscape gardener. They sit at the kitchen table to talk about her recent project, The Queer Woods . Mimi asks, "What grows, what lives, what thrives in the space of uncultivated wildness? Queer spaces are most often conceived of as built environments; the bookstore, the club, a neighborhood full of rainbow flags."...

May 15, 2024, marks the 76th anniversary of the mass displacement of Palestinians known as "the Nakba" or "the Catastrophe" from what is now Israel. As the crisis unfolds in Gaza, Sabrina is joined by Lauren Seikaly, a Palestinian American who recently hosted a cultural event in Jeffersonville, NY, featuring Palestinian food, film, and poetry. Lauren shares the story of her family’s 300-year histo...

Today's guest joins Sabrina to take us on a journey into the Northeastern woods of NY and PA, adding in the history of the Japanese Tea Ceremony and his new offering of tea tastings. Nathaniel Whitmore, an herbalist, Chinese medicine practitioner, wild mushroom and plant expert delves into his knowledge about the woods and ancient medicinal plant practices to help us heal and find liberation throu...

Author and journalist Wayne Hoffman joins Sabrina for this conversation about his award-winning non-fiction debut: The End of Her: Racing Against Alzheimer's to Solve a Murder. It's a crime thriller, filled with Jewish history, gay stories and a love letter to his mother all in one gripping book. How does one's past converge with the present as the future is disappearing? Wayne shares this story w...

As a continuing part of Trailer Talk's series on Home and Development, Dara and Erin Smith, mother and daughter who grew up and live in Liberty, NY in the Sullivan County Catskills join Sabrina for conversation. They shared their love of where they live and belief in community service with a nod to the Girl Scouts and other lessons in volunteer service have led them to speak out against irresponsi...

Maple Syrup season is here. Join Sabrina for this episode to discover maple facts. Sabrina talks with local tree tapping neighbors and explores the mysteries of the syrup. In New York Maple Syrup weekend is March 16-17 and 23-24. To explore events around the state there's lots of information at http://www.mapleweekend.com.

Sabrina sits down with the newly elected Sullivan County, NY Legislator and Majority Leader for District 1, Matt McPhillips. At just 28, Matt is in the early weeks of his first term, bringing fresh energy and a deep affection for Sullivan County to his role.  He discusses his passion for this picturesque Catskills region, his aspirations for its future, and his motivations for stepping into public...

What happens when your home becomes a sacrifice zone? Sabrina speaks with Town of Liberty residents Yvonne Gomez and Vance who live in Ferndale, NY in the Sullivan County Catskills. Like so many people are facing across the country in rural and small town communities, the threat of irresponsible development is threatening not only quality of life, but is putting at risk water resources, agricultur...

Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason, the married duo behind AphroChic since its inception in 2007, have dedicated their venture to delving into the fusion of contemporary design and worldwide cultures, emphasizing the rich tapestry of the African American community.  Their platform spotlights culture, creativity, design, art, fashion, and technology, embracing diversity and celebrating the vibrant contri...

Sabrina continues her series about development and asks, What does a sustainable Sullivan County, NY look like and why is it vital for a healthy community? In this episode Sabrina explores the heated issue of the proposed Village of Ateres in her neighborhood.  Why is NY Governor Hochul exempting it? What can people do? Has this process been fair? Sabrina is joined by returning guest Jennifer Gros...

What is your vision for the place you call home? Right now the deadline approaches on December 23 for NY State Governor Hochul to sign the Village Incorporation Law to stop unchecked development that is threatening our region. Sabrina is joined by community advocate Cora Edwards and environmental legal expert Jennifer Grossman for the launch of Trailer Talk's project about this issue. Coalitions a...

Hands Off Our Bodies: Abortion wins in Ohio and Virginia this election.  Sabrina is revisiting the Reproductive Rights and Justice Protest in Sullivan County, NY, which was quickly organized on that anti-democratic day, June 24, 2022.  People took to the streets at the courthouse in Monticello, NY, on the day the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending 50 years of federal abortion rights.  Th...

Sabrina chats with filmmaker Michel Negroponte about his captivating essay film, HERD, a masterpiece of 'creative non-fiction filmmaking.'  Discover the thought-provoking exploration of animal personhood and sentience featuring insights from Aristotle, Gandhi, and even a few Buster Keaton clips!  Michel shares his remarkable findings in this must-see film.  What unfolds when a herd of Belted Gallo...

Candy for this Halloween special. In this moment of world crisis and immense suffering Sabrina decided to reach into the Trailer Talk cupboards and share one from the early years as she continues to mark the talking trailer’s 20th anniversary. Please join Sabrina, that “Lady with the Trailer” for this conversation with author Beth Kimmerle about her book, Candy: The Sweet History. Let’s bring some...

Sabrina speaks with Neil Greenberg about his re-engagement with his dance piece, The Disco Project (1995), with the current version, The Disco Project Remix 2023. The NY Times described the previous work as "a drama in the face of diversity." What dialogue is happening in this remix decades later?  Neil is a Professor of Choreography and the Dance Program Director at the New School in NYC. Sabrina...

In this episode Sabrina shares the power of the local in her neighborhood of the Sullivan County Catskills and Delaware River Valley. This region has a long and important tradition of fighting bad climate policy, in addition to advocating for the environment and people of this community. Rosie Starr joins this episode of Trailer Talk to gather field conversations at the Climate March on the Narrow...

In remembering the 60th anniversary of the vastly significant March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom that happened in August of 1963, Sabrina focuses on the artists forging and dreaming a way forward to a more equitable reality. This legendary March signaled the intersection of movements to demand civil and economic rights for African Americans. As the struggle continues, Sabrina celebrates the...

I am equally enraged and distraught about the murder of Lauri Carleton last Friday so I felt it was important to honor her by sharing this Trailer Talk episode again with Jay Blotcher about the history of the Pride Flag. Lauri was shot to death by an LGBTQ-hating extremist. One of her friends, Tim Bagley shared this on social media: "Lauri Carleton, was shot and killed for having a rainbow flag ou...

History was made at the 1969 Woodstock Festival. What did that 3-day festival of "Peace, Love & Music" teach us? As we celebrate the 54th Anniversary of Woodstock from August 15-17, let's remember that moment of possibility and incredible music, along with the Summer of Soul: the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival that celebrated Black history and culture, the Anti-War movement, Women's Liberation,...

Sabrina is joined by author and photographer Marisa Scheinfeld to discuss the legendary Borscht Belt born in the Sullivan County, NY Catskills. They talk about this significant era in American history that emerged from the political and cultural moment and ended due to another. Marisa is the creator of the exciting Borscht Belt Historical Marker project that is naming and marking this important pe...