Under the Radar with Callie Crossley

Forget about baseball and apple pie: Ice is the real cultural symbol of America. From fancy ice cubes to high-tech refrigerators and coolers and an ongoing love affair with the Zamboni, ice is literally and figuratively carved into every aspect of American lifestyles and traditions. How did it happen? Author Amy Brady traces the history in her book, “Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks – A Coo...

Archaeologists trace the earliest clay containers to the Stone Age when people used crude stone tools to make clay pots for cooking and storage. Today’s potters use special types of clay and sophisticated techniques to produce fine craft ceramics. Once crafted mostly by artists, pottery is now one of the hottest hobbies in the country. Ceramics classes are full to bursting, some kilns are running...

A novel about a fictional school shooting, which captures the perspectives of all involved. A memoir which begins with a young person’s complicated journey questioning their sexual identity. And a novella detailing a year in the life of a young Latina living in Chicago as she approaches adolescence. In many cities and states, these storylines are at the heart of best-selling, critically acclaimed...

For more than three decades, PRX and GBH's "The World" engineer Mike Wilkins has created a mixtape -- now a playlist -- of holiday music full of quirky, weird and sometimes way-out-there songs. We take a listen and learn more about this year's playlist in this special hour-long all-music episode!

She wrote just six novels in her short life, but her literary influence is enormous. Jane Austen’s prose and characters have enthralled millions on the page and in films and TV adaptations for decades. On this week’s special episode, we cordially invite you to celebrate the life and legacy of Jane Austen in honor of her 250th birthday!

An up-and-coming director, a cast of veterans alongside actors on the verge of their big breaks, an ethereal tinkling piano score and muddy hems! The 2005 adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice” is one of the most loved versions of Jane Austen’s work. What makes it stand out from the many adaptations that came before it? Screenwriter Deborah Moggach gives us a behind-the-scenes look into what it took...

His admirers and supporters have long thought his artistry has been overlooked. Now, 18 years after his death, Boston artist Allan Rohan Crite is finally receiving the recognition many fans and critics agree is well-deserved, with two decades-spanning exhibitions on display. We speak about Crite's work and legacy with exhibit co-curator Ted Landsmark, and local artists and former mentees of Crite,...

She’s travelled the globe studying the hidden politics of borders. Recently, she’s turned her focus to the U.S.-Mexico border, attempting to peel back the animosity toward migrants, and why the gun and drug trade is able to skirt regulation. Cultural anthropologist Ieva Jusionyte is one of four local 2025 MacArthur “Genius” Fellows. She joins us as part of our annual series, “The Genius Next Door....

From heart disease to diabetes, chronic illness is the leading cause of death in the United States, and chronic disease is a major reason why the nation spends more than $4 trillion on health care every year. But a growing movement believes reexamining our relationship with food is key to both improving our health and saving money.  *This segment originally aired in 2023*

Cities across the country are dotted with vacant lots — often overgrown with weeds, full of trash or surrounded by dilapidated buildings. The unused spaces are at best an eyesore. But some community groups see those empty spaces as an opportunity for food forests: vibrant, public spaces that can also feed their community. We speak with two local experts and advocates who tell us more. *This segmen...

Despite more houses being built around Greater Boston, prospective homeowners can’t find affordable housing. Will the restructuring of the Cannabis Control Commission correct its troubles? And the Michelin Guide awards its first Boston star. It’s our local news roundtable!

Temperatures are dipping, but kitchens are heating up as we kick off the season for serious project baking and cooking for a crowd. Will you be adding Albariño -- or pumpkin spice Chardonnay -- to your Thanksgiving table? Plus, local artisan food favorites get Yankee Magazine’s seal of approval as perfect stocking stuffers for any foodie. It's our food and wine roundtable!

A new report shows that NO cities in Rhode Island contain affordable housing for people living on the median income of the state. More Cape Cod and Island towns are pushing for a “seasonal communities” designation. And how a man in Vermont ended up with Jeffrey Epstein’s address book – yes, THAT Jeffrey Epstein. It’s our regional news roundtable!

A list of banned books may signal what to keep out of classrooms, libraries, and their own bookshelves. But for founders of banned-book clubs, it’s the perfect place to find next month’s read. We speak with three people, including MS NOW'S Ali Velshi, who founded their own banned-book clubs as part of Unbound Pages, our year-long series on the anti-book banning movement in America.

It’s been 10 years since Obergefell vs. Hodges led to same-sex marriage  becoming law throughout the United States. Now, the Supreme Court may hear a case that could overturn that decision. A new study confirms higher rates of depression and anxiety in LGBTQ+ youth. And this year’s Sexiest Man Alive is breaking the internet … and breaking barriers. It’s our LGBTQ+ news roundtable!

In Angela Flournoy's new novel, "The Wilderness," four friends navigate pivotal life passages through their decades-long relationships – their bonds both sustained and tested against the backdrop of modern social and cultural events. Flournoy’s intimate storytelling adds dimension to the story of these female friendships. “The Wilderness” is our November selection for Bookmarked: The "Under the Ra...

Nearly one year ago, voters sent President Donald Trump back to the White House. Since taking office in January, President Trump and his administration have moved rapidly to enact many of his campaign promises. So what comes next? It’s an hour of political analysis with the Mass Politics Profs!

Spooky cinema is at an all-time commercial peak, and in recent years, folk horror -- a subgenre of horror focusing on nature, isolation and paranoia -- has taken over the mainstream. Its frights are derived from the scariest villain of all: ourselves. But the genre isn’t new. So why are these stories resonating with so many horror fans right now?

She’s known as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement. Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in 1955 sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted over a year and inspired other nonviolent resistance. Her name – along with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – is the most recognizable of the civil rights icons. Yet, on this 20th anniversary of her death, there are efforts to...

She’s uncovered unexpected connections between her field of algebraic combinatorics and other areas in math and physics, making significant contributions to numerous mathematical fields and forging groundbreaking, cross-disciplinary collaborations. Theoretical mathematician Lauren K. Williams is one of four local 2025 MacArthur “Genius” Fellows. We talk with Lauren K. Williams for our annual serie...

District 7, one of Boston’s 9 city districts, was the most competitive race in September’s preliminary election. Eleven candidates fought to represent the district and to replace former District 7 City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, who resigned after pleading guilty to federal corruption charges. One of the two candidates hoping to win the job will address the district’s top ongoing concerns...

Thousands of Cabo Verdeans Americans have made their home in Greater Boston bringing with them the indigenous language of their ancestral homeland. Now through the efforts of a local retired teacher and writer, Cabo Verdean Creole has been captured in a dictionary – the formalization of a language that has been passed down primarily orally. In honor of the dictionary’s official publishing, we’re l...

For the generation that weathered the AIDS epidemic and fought for same-sex marriage, finding community still poses a challenge. But in Boston, LGBTQ+ seniors have the Pryde — New England’s first affordable senior living community geared toward LGBTQ+ elders. A new GBH News documentary follows some of the Pryde’s first residents through the facility’s inaugural year. We proudly present an audio-on...

Sunday, October 5, marks the start of this year's Banned Books Week – an annual commemoration in support of free and open access to information. It’s a week celebrated  by authors, publishers, teachers and book lovers across the country, including librarians, many of whom are under attack as they fight for the freedom to read. That fight is the subject of a new documentary coming to Boston later t...

Ramon Lopez grew up on the U.S. border between Texas and Mexico, in a family of tireless working immigrants scraping to get by. Could young Ramon’s talents help change the future for himself and his family? In his new coming-of-age novel, “The Border Between Us,” author Rudy Ruiz chronicles Ramon’s story of heart and hope. It’s our October selection for Bookmarked: The “Under the Radar “Book Club”...