On The Record

There’s new hope, since the heads of North and South Korea met a week ago. But for thousands of Koreans, reuniting and even communicating with family has been complicated--most often, impossible--since Korean War hostilities stopped in 1953.Photographer and filmmaker Laura Elizabeth Pohl tells us about her traveling photo exhibit ‘A Long Separation,’ which delves, from a very personal perspective,...

Interview with Willa Bickham and Brendan Walsh who supported the Catonsville Nine and Joe Tropea, curator of MDHS Activism and Art: The Catonsville Nine 50 Years Later. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mg...

A spunky African-American teenager adopted into a Jewish family in Baltimore trying to sort out her identify. That’s the nub of the new young-adult novel ----The Length of a String----. We ask author Elissa Brent Weissman what inspired the story … and whether she’s the right person to tell it. She’ll be speaking and signing books Sunday at 2 pm at Afters Cafe, 1001 South Charles Street in Baltimor...

What does it take to start over in a new country? Filmmaker Alexandra Shiva explores the obstacles and triumphs of four Syrian families as they rebuild their lives in Baltimore. Her new documentary is titled, ‘This is Home’. You can see the film at the Maryland Film Festival on Saturday and Sunday at the MICA Brown Center. More info here. And Ruben Chandrasekar, head of the local offices of the In...

Yes, we know it’s Monday. Not our regular day for Stoop. But here’s a Stoop Story about family -- from Martha Weiman about how her family escaped the Holocaust and reunited with her aunt and uncle. You can hear her story and many others at stoopstorytelling.com, as well as the Stoop podcast. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior S...

The nonprofit Comit\u233\u Latino connects people in the Hispanic community to resources they can use regardless of their immigration status or their ability to speak English. We hear from three members who came to the United States to work and raise families here. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Mauree...

That was Stoop Story from Josh Fruhlinger, about the highs and lows of competing on Jeopardy. You can hear his story and many others at stoopstorytelling.com, as well as the Stoop podcast. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa...

The 100th anniversary of composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein’s birth, coming up this summer, has sparked a global celebration of the revolutionary maestro’s life and career----thousands of performances, symposia and events extolling his contributions to opera, theater, dance, film, and orchestra. NPR’s Scott Simon will be part of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s special “Salute to Bernstein...

We think of species taking a long time to adapt to changes in their surroundings. Not necessarily, says evolutionary biologist and ecologist Menno Schilthuizen. In his new book, ----Darwin Comes to Town: How the Urban Jungle Drives Evolution---- he asserts we can find evidence right in our own back yard. Schilthuizen says plants and animals can adapt quickly to survive. Things like mating preferen...

Where can pregnant women struggling with addiction to opioids turn for help? How are infants affected by exposure to opioids? Julia Lurie, a reporter for Mother Jones, set out answer these questions. She tells us about two women in Baltimore who sought treatment at the Johns Hopkins ‘Center for Addiction and Pregnancy’ - known as CAP. Check out her reporting, ----Homeless. Addicted to Heroin. Abou...

Lawyer in the Library, a partnership between Maryland Legal Aid and the Enoch Pratt Free Library, grew out of the civil unrest in Baltimore City after Freddie Gray died from injuries received in police custody. Lawyer in the Library gives convenient access to free legal advice right in the neighborhood. Amy Petkovsek from Maryland Legal Aid and her client Shannon Powell, along with Melanie Townsen...

Delegate Joseline Pena-Melnyk describes the legislature’s actions to head off a spike in health insurance premiums. She co-chairs the ‘Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission.’ Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Mel...

The debts attached to nearly five thousand homes in Baltimore are up for tax sale next month as the city moves to recoup unpaid fees, taxes and water charges. While overdue water bills can no longer be only item that sets a property up for a tax sale, they do count toward the overall debt. Margaret Henn of the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland says that’s a problem because of leaks and billing...

Azya Maxton tells her Stoop Story about the power of listening. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472

How can writing and reading poetry be a lifeline in times of trouble? Ahead of a visit this weekend to Baltimore, poet and professor Gregory Orr tells us how he came to poetry after the tragic death of his younger brother in a hunting accident. He shares how poetry rescued him from overwhelming guilt and grief, and helped him regain an awareness of life’s beauty. Gregory Orr will be at the Joshua...

The nonprofit Choice Program has worked for three decades to mentor young people in Maryland. With the help of AmeriCorps fellows, Choice works to keep families together, prevent repeat crimes by young people in the justice system, and provide educational and vocational opportunities. We hear from director LaMar Davis about their strategy. We also spoke with current AmeriCorps fellow Shanelle Grie...

She’s known as the ‘First Lady of Song’ and the ‘Queen of Jazz.’ Ella Jane Fitzgerald overcame poverty, abuse and racism to build an international career that spanned seven decades and a charitable foundation in her name. We talk with Geoffrey Mark, author of ‘Ella, A Biography of the Legendary Ella Fitzgerald,’ who walks us through the story behind the music. Do you have a question or comment abo...

We meet Martha S. Jones and Jessica Marie Johnson, two Johns Hopkins professors team-teaching the course ‘Black Womanhood.’ When they placed an interactive syllabus of the course online, it spread like wildfire. They discuss why access to knowledge can be so powerful and how engaging online affects curriculum. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the...

Sophia Garber tells a Stoop story from the 2018 Strong City event. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472

The nonprofit Strong City Baltimore is offering dozens of workshops tomorrow, where hundreds of activists can network and learn skills for a better community. Rev. Eric Lee is the primary organizer of the 11th annual Neighborhood Institute. He tells us about the opportunities for community organizers to build their skills. Plus, some panels draw on the experience of young leaders. We hear from Mer...

Baltimore is pockmarked by thousands of abandoned homes and empty lots. What effect do vacant properties have on health? What can the city do to transform blight into inviting outdoor spaces? Former state secretary of health, Joshua Sharfstein, points to research that measures how blight raises stress levels. And Stephanie Smith, Assistant Director for Equity, Engagement, and Communications for th...

Interview with City Lit Project executive director Carla DuPree gives festival highlights and keynote speaker New Yorker staff writer Philip Gourevitch talks about his upcoming book. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr s...

Bluegrass music is often described as an amalgam of Appalachian mountain music, folk music, country music and even jazz. It turns out that Baltimore’s music scene played prominently in the birth of bluegrass. We meet Phil Chorney, CEO and Founder of the ‘Charm City Bluegrass Festival’ and Baltimore Management Agency and Adam Kirr, the festival’s chief marketing officer to give us highlights of the...

A look at how this last day looks to two political analysts who have kept their eyes on the legislature for years. Barry Rascovar writes for the blog Political Maryland and Charles Robinson is a political reporter for State Circle on Maryland Public Television. He's also associate producer of MPT’s award-winning Hard-Working Families series. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a stor...

Dust off your bicycle, pull on your hiking boots. Tomorrow the nonprofit Rails to Trails Conservancy is hosting its annual ‘Opening Day for Trails,’ a chance for outdoor enthusiasts to explore the Jones Falls trail and celebrate nature. Jim Brown, manager of trail development, tells us about the festivities planned and describes how a coalition of community groups and city agencies are working to...