The Fabulous 413

We’re jumping into National Poetry Month with two poets, extra descriptive language and a former state senator. One of these things may not be like the others, but is relevant to a key moment in history. Former Poet Laureate of Northampton Richard Michelson has written a new children’s book on the first presidential Passover Seder, “ Next Year in the White House .” We talk with him and Eric Lesser...

Literacy equals liberation, and each can take several forms.  To the letter of this equation, the western Massachusetts-based Literacy Project has been providing adult basic education programs and opportunities for 40 years. We talk with Executive Director Colleen Kucinski and Sagrario “Charro” Turner, a recent program graduate and commencement speaker, about filling this often overlooked gap in e...

New lands, and new works, and new looks oh my. We meet Margaret Russo, board president of the Scarlet Sock Foundation , whose mission it is to support works of social Justice theater. But how does a foundation come to such a specific niche. We’ll learn the history of the organization, about the many folx they support, and hear more on the free gala they’ll be hosting this Saturday And we’ll head t...

This is about making big efforts in small places.  We head to Pittsfield for one such endeavor. March 31 is Trans Day of Visibility, and Wander Berkshires is hosting a series of events to celebrate transgender and non-binary folx in a time when community members increasingly face endangerment and anti-trans legislation. We chat with founder Jay Santangello about the things he’s got planned for us...

If you’ve driven on Route 9 through the hilltowns, you’ve probably seen Beaver Brook Golf Course on the bend between Williamsburg and Northampton. But, there are some changes on the horizon for that gigantic parcel of land with the goal of expanding public access and climate resiliency. We talk with Kate Theoharides, Wendy Ferris and Mary Dettloff of the Trustees of Reservations about the goal to...

Today there's food for your tummies and your intellect, because that is how we roll. First, we head to Mesa Verde in Greenfield to learn about a new grant program to help small independent restaurants feed the community and meet their margins. We speak with Kate Lawless and Hannah Sobel of the Franklin County Community Development Corporation ( FCCDC ); Amy McMahon of Mesa Verde; and Valerie Hudso...

Witnessing someone’s first experience with something is always fascinating. Lucky for the schools in our area, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra ( SSO ) has reinstated its program, “The Orchestra Moves,” to introduce local fourth graders to live classical music.  Designed with global focus, the program aims to encourage students to interact with professional musicians and one another. To get a be...

We are proverbially circling our wagons, which is to say we’re making everyone feel more welcome.  Bloom Local has teamed up with Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity to create “ Rooted Resilience : Intersectional Narratives of 2SLGBTQIA+ Creatives in Western Massachusetts,” a multimedia project dedicated to preserving and amplifying the marginalized voices of contemporary creatives in our region....

We’re digging into the past by bringing history up to the present, transcending language barriers and questioning colonization. “ Lamentations of Nezahualcoyotl ” is a new book of poems translated and retold by Amherst College professor, Restless Books founder and friend of the show Ilan Stavans . We find out where this work resides in the Mesoamerican timeline, the living languages that have kept...

Capitol Hill has been awfully aggressive with a constant barrage of cuts to many federally funded programs and departments. Today, we show you how some of those cuts are directly impacting kids in western Massachusetts and beyond.  School lunch programs are just one of the many slashes in the USDA , and we hear from Melanie Wilk, Brianna Jackson and Abby Getman Skillicorn about the Massachusetts F...

 We’re headed to Whip City! But we’re not looking at whips, we’re checking out quilts! Internationally renowned fiber artist Ed Johnetta Miller currently has an exhibit showing in Westfield called “Journey Stories” that uses her work to highlight key moments in her life, and we’ll chat with the artist herself about the tales textiles can tell.   It’s being shown at Westfield on Weekends Center, an...

Although we are in the midst of a housing crisis, the Baystate is making changes. To hear how Gov. Maura Healy’s plans to combat this problem impacts us locally, we talk to Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Edward Augustus . And we gather flowers and herbs with Susan Pincus of Sawmill Herb Farm . We hear how a changing focus to perennials and moving to Montague has allowed for more comm...

It’s been 5 years since the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic that has lasting impacts to this day. So today, we head to UMass Amherst to check in with virologist Mandy Muller to help us understand more of what was happening in the uncertain, confusing beginnings of the COVID-induced shutdown. Since coronaviruses are not her main focus, we also learn about her favorite virus, he...

We’re taking roads less traveled and encountering folx who are carving their own paths in history, not always in plain sight. A new queer-centered multipurpose space in Pittsfield is encouraging people of all walks of life to grab a camera and venture out. We head to WANDER Berkshires and meet with owner Jay Santangelo to show us around the space, give a little history of the building they occupy...

We’re kicking off 3 days of music with more than 60 artists across 10 venues across the city of Northampton. The 11th Back Porch Festival is here to turn our chilly western Massachusetts into a New Orleans-inspired roots and Americana extravaganza.   Despite power outages across the city, with some quick thinking on the part of our engineers, we broadcast live and in the dark from the stage at The...

Today we take a local perspective of global happenings in art, in the environment and in the legislature.  It is the very beginning of maple season, and the Bay State is celebrating this weekend as many producers open their sugarhouses and welcome the public to see their operations up close. We take a trip to Shattuck Sugarhouse in Belchertown to chat with the mother-son team, Judy and Nick Shattu...

Today we are a bit playful, cause we all need more art and more laughter.  So we bring back a guest from last week who’s got way too many projects going, one of which will be performing at the Back Porch Festival this weekend. Cowperson is the Americana outlet for Michael Hanson and Keith Dusoe, and we hear how this particular project stands out in its field from the rest in an impromptu Live Musi...

In the words of John M. McCrea, "we are widening the corridors and adding more lanes."  In one case, this means expanding where art can go and who gets to make it. At Berkshire Community College, the Justice Dance Performance Project is presenting “ Unmuting ,” a piece that highlights the lives of incarcerated people in their own words and movements. We talk with director Judy Dworin about the imp...

It’s officially maple season, so we head for the forests to get a taste of the Bay State’s very first agricultural product, and the sweetest by far. We go as far west as we can to Hancock and Ioka Valley Farm where thousands of maple trees are being tapped to bring sweetness to our tables. Co-owner and third-generation farmer Missy Leab walks us through her farm's journey in maple production and h...

Today is action packed with art nutrition for what ails you. We head to Amherst College to talk with director Jen Acker about actor Jeffrey Wright, author Percival Everett, Dr. Anthony Fauci and the other star studded guests coming to campus for this year's 10th annual LitFest . We also get a triple dose of music for this Live Music Friday. We’re joined by local star Ciarra Fragale , who is celebr...

We’re tackling hunger from both coasts, or at least seeing how the west coast is combating food insecurity and reframing what the need to combat hunger looks like.  Award-winning actor and comedian Kristina Wong is in the midst of a week long residency at UMass Amherst, culminating in a performance of her latest work #FoodBankInfluencer . We talk about her own experiences at food banks and some mi...

We’re witnessing the creation of important amalgams, fusions of culture and preservation  At Mt. Holyoke College, a new opera entirely in the Chickasaw language will have its east coast premiere on Feb. 28. Loksi' Shaali' (Shell Shaker) by Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate combines elements of classical operatic styles with traditional songs, dances, and language of the Chickasaw people, and we chat wi...

Today, we have nostalgia in all sorts of flavors Especially if you grew up watching roller derby on tv like we did. And if your dreams see you getting up on wheels with your friends and neighbors and creating a little chaos on the track, you’ll be happy to know that Pioneer Valley Roller Derby is hosting two recruitment sessions in the next few weeks. We talk with players Bash-it Hound and 23rd Ce...

Today’s show is jam packed with FACTS Did you know that there’s a whole day to celebrate and encourage reparations? Professor Ousmane Power-Greene of Clark University tells us more about this grassroots holiday effort to get more folx more acclimated to the concepts being proposed in today's Power of History. And did you know that only last week DOGE stripped away contracts with agencies that will...

We’re celebrating a local band that is almost as old as we are, and that’s saying a lot because not many groups get to see 40 years. The Iron Horse is hosting the Lonesome Brothers ’ birthday party where they and their friends will take the stage. We hear a couple songs and tales from the journey as they join us for Live Music Friday.  And speaking of music to make your weekend bright, it’s gettin...