The Culture Show Podcast

The new book “The Dream of a Common Movement” collects essays, interviews, and speeches by the late Urvashi Vaid, whose writing and organizing fundamentally shaped the LGBTQ+ movement. It’s edited by Jyotsna Vaid and Amy Hoffman , who will be at Porter Square Books tomorrow and at RiffRaff Bookstore and Bar in Providence this Thursday. Amy Hoffman - a writer, editor, activist, and the author of fi...

Today we’re continuing our exploration of The Boston Public Art Triennial, with Culture Show contributor, Pedro Alonzo, the Triennial’s Artistic Director and one of the featured artists, the widely acclaimed Indigenous sculptor Nicholas Galanin. Galanin’s works  are on view at the MassArt Art Museum , and Evans Way Park, 1 Evans Way. To learn more  go here .  From there we get the inside scoop on...

Today Jared Bowen, Edgar B. Herwick III and Culture Show contributor Lisa Simmons go over the latest arts and culture headlines on our week-in-review. First up, “Jaws” at 50. They look at how it changed the film industry, it’s mixed legacy on shark conservation, the iconic score and how it has managed to frighten audiences with a mechanical shark named Bruce. Then it’s off to Europe where the Louv...

Regie Gibson , an assistant professor at Berklee College of Music and an instructor at Clark University, has been selected as Massachusetts’ first Poet Laureate. He joins The Culture Show to talk about how he’ll define this role, his path to poetry and to share some of his work.  Gibson is a songwriter, author, spoken-word poet and former National Poetry Slam Individual Champion.  From there Micha...

Historian, lawyer and Pulitzer-prize winning author Annette Gordon-Reed joins The Culture Show to talk about her latest book “On Juneteenth,” which explores the holiday commemorating the day Union troops announced the end of slavery in Texas.  From there best-selling author J. Courtney Sullivan joins The Culture Show to talk about her latest novel, “The Cliffs.”  It is an intricately layered novel...

Imari Paris Jeffries , President and CEO of Embrace Boston, joins The Culture Show to  preview the  Embrace Ideas Festival. Kicking off on Juneteenth, this year’s festival is a celebration of joy, power,  prosperity and black creativity.  Imari Paris Jeffries also gives an overview of Embrace Boston’s latest report, which explores how cultural festivals can help build and strengthen communities. T...

Frederick Douglass had a life that could be described as operatic. The late composer Ulysses Kay, in his last major work, saw that it was. The Boston Modern Orchestra Project, in partnership with Odyssey Opera, is presenting  the New England premiere of “Frederick Douglass ” on June 20th at Jordan Hall. The piece centers on a fictionalized account of the final year of the renowned Black abolitioni...

Culture Show cohosts Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley and Edgar B. Herwick III go over the latest headlines on our arts and culture week-in-review. First up, they remember and celebrate  the legacies of Brian WIlson, the musical genius behind the Beach Boys and Sly Stone, the frontman, singer and songwriter of Sly & the Family Stone.  From there they recap the latest developments in the legal feud...

The American Revolution frame by frame. Today we continue our series with the Museum of Fine Arts, looking at works in their collection that give us insight into the people and pivotal moments that shaped America's fight for freedom. Today, it’s where poetry meets pottery with the work of David Drake. Joining us to discuss Drake's work and what it symbolizes are  Ethan Lasser, John Moors Cabot Cha...

Adam Met—member of the multi-platinum band AJR, climate advocate, and educator—joins The Culture Show to talk about his book Amplify: How to Use the Power of Connection to Engage, Take Action, and Build a Better World .  On June 13th he’ll be at the First Parish Church in Cambridge for a Harvard Book Store event. To learn more go here . From there we continue our celebration of the 50th anniversar...

Since 1938 researchers at Harvard have been studying the lives of hundreds of people and their families to discover what makes us happy. Some of the key findings were in the New York Times bestselling book, “ The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness , ”  by Dr. Robert Waldinger and Marc Shulz. Now out in paperback, Dr. Robert Waldinger joins The Culture Show to...

Award winning writer and poet Kwame Alexander joins The Culture Show to talk about the PBS Kids debut of “Acoustic Rooster.” Based on Alexander’s beloved children’s book “Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band,” the “Acoustic Rooster” universe is now on  PBS KIDS. To learn more, go here . From there the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Elizabeth Strout joins The Culture Show to talk about her lates...

Jared Bowen, Edgar B. Herwick III, and Joyce Kulhawik co-host this week’s arts and Culture week-in-review. Joyce Kulhawik is a Culture Show contributor, Emmy-award winning arts and entertainment reporter and president of the Boston Theatre Critics Association. You can find her reviews at Joyce’s Choices. First up, a recap of the Elliot Norton Awards,  from there a preview of the Tonys, which inclu...

Dr. Greg Skomal joins The Culture Show to talk about preparing for white shark season and how the movie “Jaws,” which is nearing its 50th anniversary, inspired him to become a marine biologist. Greg Skomal is an underwater explorer, photographer, and author. He is a  fisheries scientist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and heads the Massachusetts Shark Research Program.  From th...

Nemr is a Lebanese-American stand-up comedian who is credited with pioneering the stand-up comedy scene throughout the Middle East. On June 13th he’s bringing his “Extremely Unextremist” show to The Wilbur . He joins The Culture Show for a preview.  From there we continue our countdown to 2026 with a look at the role Somerville played in the American Revolution, it’s the focus of  the Somerville M...

Don Gillis and Ray Flynn join The Culture Show to discuss Gillis’ new book “ The Battle for Boston: How Mayor Ray Flynn and Community Organizers Fought Racism and Downtown Power Brokers .” On June 5th at 6:00 Don Gillis will be at a book event at the Roslindale Public Library. To learn more go here. From there comedian and actress Lane Moore joins The Culture Show to  talk about turning online dat...

Andy Husbands, chef and owner of The Smoke Shop BBQ , has co-authored the “Quick and Easy Burger Cookbook,” which will bump your burger game with creative recipes. He joins The Culture Show to talk about how we can turn our nothing burger into a something burger. On June 16th Husbands will be at a book signing event at WBUR’s City Space. To learn more go here . From there Boston-based artist Massi...

Today Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley and Edgar B. Herwick III co-host our arts and culture week-in-review starting with a reflection on the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Holocaust museum in Boston’s Downtown Crossing. From there they discuss Harvard University, which  will give up ownership of historic photos of enslaved people, following a legal fight with Tamara Lanier, a descendent of one o...

Vincent Valdez is an American artist who explores identity, social justice, and American history. Not to mention our particular capacity, as a society, to forget our episodes of violence.  Just a Dream … is the artist’s first major museum survey including work from over twenty years across all media. He joins The Culture Show to talk about his process, vision and this exhibition, which is on view...

Ron Chernow―prizewinning author of seven books, including the National Book Award winner “The House of Morgan,” the Pulitzer Prize winner “Washington: A Life,” and the George Washington Book Prize winner “Alexander Hamilton ” ―joins The Culture Show to talk about his new biography “Mark Twain . ”     On June 2nd he’ll be at the First Parish Church at a book event presented by Harvard Book Store. T...

Arrival - a new biannual art fair. The inaugural edition features exhibitors from across the country. It kicks off on June 12th and runs through June 15th and is situated in North Adams at the TOURSITS hotel. Two of the founders join The Culture Show for an overview. Yng-Ru Chen is owner of the Boston-based Praise Shadows Art Gallery and Crystalle Lacouture is an artist based in Boston and North A...

Actor and author Marianne Leone joins The Culture Show to talk about her latest book, “Five-Dog Epiphany: How a Quintet of Badass Bichons Retrieved Our Joy,”   From there New Bedford poet Erik Andrade joins The Culture Show to talk about poetry as activism. Erik Andrade  is an award winning spoken word poet. Recently his work was included in “Black Fire This Time Vol. 2,”  a groundbreaking antholo...

Edgar B. Herwick III, Callie Crossley and James Bennett II co-host our arts and culture week in review.  First up, reconstructing the Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese feud timeline, focusing  on how the media are fanning the flames and  how outside commentary about race is making this an ugly rivalry. From there it’s an analysis of another feud,  Bruce Springsteen versus President Trump. Springsteen...

Actor and activist George Takei joins The Culture Show to talk about his debut with the Boston Pops. He’s narrating a multimedia program that explores the intersection of music, space, and science fiction. This program was developed in partnership with the Museum of Science, Boston and its Center for Space Sciences. This concert also offers a post-performance meet and greet with Astronaut Sunita W...

Sebastian Smee is a Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic at The Washington Post. He joins The Culture Show to talk about his recent piece , which breaks down Bob Dylan’s “Ballad of a Thin Man.” Sebastian Smee’s latest book is “Paris in Ruins: Love, War and the Birth of Impressionism.” From there Dr. Greg Skomal joins The Culture Show to talk about preparing for white shark season and how the movie “J...