The Roundtable

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Principal, Faith in the Public Square and Co-Principal of The Religious Nationalisms Project The Reverend Peter Cook, an author, lawyer, consultant, public speaker, and entrepreneur; her most recent book is: 'Race Rules: What Your Black Fr...

For decades, Cory Doctorow has been one of the sharpest critics of the digital world—a bestselling science-fiction writer, journalist, co-editor of Boing Boing, and longtime advocate for digital rights and an open internet. His latest nonfiction book, 'The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI,' takes aim at the hype, fear, and confusion surrounding artificial intelligence.

Brad Gooch has spent much of his career telling the stories of larger-than-life figures. The poet, novelist, and acclaimed biographer is known for celebrated books on Keith Haring, Frank O’Hara, Flannery O’Connor, and the 13th-century mystic Rumi. A Guggenheim Fellow and recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship, Gooch has built a reputation for combining literary insight wit...

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Lecturer of Cognitive Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and former Fulbright US Scholar to Egypt Jackie Berry, an educator who teaches drama and humanities at Poughkeepsie Day School in Poughkeepsie Stephen Haff, a former U.S. Army officer and State Department Diplomat who taught at Bar...

This week's Book Picks comes from Lily Bartels from the Open-Door Bookstore in Schenectady, NY.

Ancram Center for the Arts announced its 2026 season with five ambitious works that explore the themes of our times: polarization but yearning for de-escalation, finding love in an age of anxiety, art’s capacity to hold grief and remembrance, the human ethics of scientific advancement, and the psychic damage of war, even when soldiers return without a scratch. Co-Director Paul Ricciardi says “The...

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are an author, lawyer, consultant, public speaker, and entrepreneur; her most recent book is: 'Race Rules: What Your Black Friend Won't Tell You' Fatimah Gilliam, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Robert Pondiscio, Political Consultant & Lobbyist Libby Post, and Former Times Union Ass...

The Dog’s Gaze: A Visual History' is a unique visual history that examines the social bond between two species, shedding new light on the human condition through the eyes of our canine companions. Art and Cultural Historian Thomas Laqueur will tell us more about his book.

Bard SummerScape is an annual multi-arts summer festival offering programs in dance, theater, opera, music, and more. Highlights include the Bard Music Festival, SummerScape Opera, major premieres through Fisher Center LAB, and the Spiegeltent. Bard SummerScape is a must-visit destination for breathtaking, thought-provoking performances and gatherings in an idyllic Hudson River Valley setting. The...

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor of History and International Relations at Vassar College. He is a specialist on the history of US foreign policy Robert Brigham, Senior Fellow, Bard Center for Civic Engagement Jim Ketterer, and Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association and a longt...

Stéphane Wrembel stands as one of the world’s most celebrated guitarists in the world. Originally from Fontainebleau, France, Wrembel is known for his masterful blend of jazz, gypsy swing, and world music captivating audiences across the globe with his unique sound. ‘Rolling Stone’ as called him ‘a revelation.’Wrembel is also a respected composer with original compositions in acclaimed films; ‘Mid...

We’ll preview the 49th Saratoga Jazz Festival happening next weekend! 2 days, 2 stages, and 22 electrifying artists from jazz to roots, funk, blues, soul, rock, indie, and beyond. This year’s headliners are R&B legend and “Godmother of Soul” Patti LaBelle and the New Orleans rock collective known for their triple-platinum hit “Wish I Knew You,” The Revivalists. The Annual summer event is filled wi...

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Joseph Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government at Skidmore College Beau Breslin, a writer and analyst. He recently retired from the presidency of Siena College and was a former NY Congressman. His new book is 'The Spirit of Philadelphia' Chris Gibson, Political Consultant & Lobbyist Libby Post, and D...

For more than four decades, Anthony Mason has been one of the most trusted voices in American journalism, bringing curiosity, intelligence, and a steady presence to his reporting for CBS News. As a correspondent and former co-host of CBS This Morning, he's interviewed presidents, cultural icons, and some of the world's most influential artists. Now, Mason is launching a project that feels especial...

The world of Buddhist scholarship has lost one of its most influential voices. Robert Thurman, the pioneering scholar, author, father of actor Uma Thurman, and advocate for Tibetan Buddhism, died yesterday in Woodstock, New York. He was 84.Thurman spent decades introducing Western audiences to Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and culture, serving for 30 years as Columbia University’s Professor of Indo-...

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are educator who teaches drama and humanities at Poughkeepsie Day School in Poughkeepsie Stephen Haff, Professor of Government at Dutchess Community College and since 2023, she has been President of the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley Dr. Karin Riedl, and Investment Banker on Wall St. M...

This week's Book Picks comes from welcome Laure Colodner and Ana Guimil of the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, MA and we also welcome Matt Tannenbaum from The Bookstore in Lenox, MA.

The book hitting store shelves Tuesday, June 16, takes readers from the start of the American republic in 1789 to the end of the nineteenth century through stories that engage topics such as political violence, fake news, and contested elections.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Joseph Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government at Skidmore College Beau Breslin, preceptor in Public Speaking for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University Terry Gipson, and Associate Professor in the department of sociology at Vassar College. Her research is on health, wellness, and med...

Straight No Chaser is not your typical acapella group that comes to mind. No blazers, khakis, ties, and singing traditional college songs on campuses. They are quite the opposite! Straight No Chaser is an all-male acapella group consisting of nine members that started on a college campus in the mid-90s, but grew to new heights becoming a phenomenon in the acapella world. They have grown a massive...

The Arch Stanton Quartet will conclude its yearlong music-and-spoken-word series “Exploring the Sheltering Sky: The Music and Words of Paul Bowles” with a free public performance on June 19 at the Albany Institute of History & Art. The performance begins at 12:30 p.m.“Exploring the Sheltering Sky” debuted in October 2025 and has been performed at a dozen libraries for hundreds of patrons who have...

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert - Theresa Bourgeois, Professor of Political Science at Hartwick College in Oneonta, who studies gender in politics, women political candidates, women voters and women in elected office Laurel Elder, and Senior Fellow, Bard Center for Civic Engagement Jim Ket...

Science writer Elizabeth Preston has spent years exploring the strange brilliance of the world in the places like ‘The Atlantic’ and ‘The New York Times.’ In her new book ‘The Creatures' Guide to Caring’ she turns to animal parenting from devoted octopuses to fiercely protective birds and mammals. Revealing how care, survival, and connection shape life across species. The book blends reporting, ev...

Eight years ago, when wildfires threatened musician David Baerwald’s family home in Los Angeles. He salvaged all but forgotten boxes belonging to his grandfather. Among the discoveries inside them were a spy camera, a samurai sword, breathtaking photographs, and dairies and letters that will change his life forever. The platinum selling artist behind ‘Welcome to the Boom Town’ and ‘Come What May’...

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are a senior fellow and faculty member in the Center for the Advancement of Public Action at Bennington College. She is the President of Beyond Plastics and former EPA Regional Administrator. Judith is co-author of the book The Problem with Plastic Judith Enck, a full professor in the History Departme...