Where We Live

It takes a lot of work to help preserve  Connecticut's nearly 140 parks and forests.  Today, we learn what that looks like across our state. We hear from the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, and learn about their efforts to pass down land stewardship to the next generation. Plus, Connecticut state parks are a treasure trove of indigenous history. A local author shares their guide...

The US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on June 25, 2026. The US Supreme Court on Thursday backed a Trump administration move to strip deportation protections from some 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians living in the United States. The conservative-dominated court, in a 6-3 ruling, said the Department of Homeland Security's decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian and Syrian i...

Arthur Sze took an non-traditional path to becoming the U.S. Poet Laureate. Born in 1950 to Chinese immigrants, his family wanted him to pursue a safe career path that would assure security and prosperity. But while studying at MIT, he felt the call to write and study poetry; a call that changed the trajectory of his life. Sze spent his career translating traditional Chinese poetry. He also taught...

How will you preserve your family history? Maybe through journaling or family movies? What about grabbing an audio recorder? Today, we’ll hear all about oral history projects in Connecticut that are recording stories for posterity. Later on, we’ll also hear how the Yiddish language and its dialects are being preserved. Guests: Katie Heidsiek: Director of Exhibitions for the Connecticut...

When you look around your room, what do you see? More specifically, what do you see that you love? Is it a cool souvenir? Maybe a seashell? Or a family photo that always brings back good memories? Connecticut-based interior designer and textile artist Sophie von Oertzen Williamson uses tension, textiles and lots of color to make living spaces warm and inviting. She is the author of the new book &l...

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The Rev. James Martin , a Jesuit author and educator, believes everyone's life is a spiritual journey. "We're all on this spiritual journey to understand ourselves, to understand how God loves us, to experience God's love and to give that love back to God and to other people," he said. Martin is the author of the new book, “Work in Progress: Confessions of a busboy, dishwasher, caddy, usher,...

Breathe deep and think: What do you smell right now? The sweetness of the spring air? The smoky smells of the highway? Our noses give us key clues about the environment and provide a critical daily link to some of our most cherished memories. But smell, and its control over culture and politics, is often undervalued and misunderstood. Today, we take a nose dive into the olfactory, exploring how hu...

Bestselling author Amy Bloom is widely known for 2022 memoir “In Love.” The memoir follows her journey with her late husband, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. The pair made a decision to travel to Switzerland to help him end his life. Bloom’s latest book is different. “Blunt Instrument” is a vivacious, and often hilarious, murder mystery that’s se...

It's been more than 60 years since environmentalist Rachel Carson's book, " Silent Spring ," challenged the widespread use of synthetic pesticides like DDT and helped launch the modern environmental movement. This hour, we learn about Carson's life, work and her enduring legacy through a new exhibit at  Yale's Beinecke Library. We'll also examine a current environmental challenge: per- and po...

Did you know that the Library of Congress is home to  half a million children’s books?  That’s a lot of summer reading! Today, it’s our annual summer reading show, dedicated to all things YA and kid’s reads. We’ll hear from the author of  “Tell Me A Story: Fantastic Children’s Books from the Library of Congress”  and talk about th...

In April, 18-year-old Rihan was mistakenly detained by U.S. Immigation and Customs Enforcement. The teen, who lives in Cheshire, Connecticut, spent two weeks in a detention facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Today, Rihan is back home and just graduated from Cheshire High.  But with his legal status in limbo what's next for a young man with a dream to attend college and an uncertain future i...

The “sandwich generation” is made up of people balancing the demands of raising children while caring for aging loved ones. This hour, we learn about the emotional, professional and financial realities facing this population of caregivers. Journalist Kelli María Korducki discusses her reporting on caregiving and career sacrifice, while University of Connecticut professor Laura M...

Advanced degrees are increasingly out of reach for many. Receiving financial aid has gotten more difficult too. Many schools are already rethinking how they support their graduate students. We'll get an update on financial aid and hear what some Connecticut institutions are doing to make their graduate programming more affordable and accessible. Guests: Emily Roberts:  Financial Educator and...

A recent study  found that the  988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline  may have contributed to a decline in suicide deaths among young people. This hour, we learn what the research tells us and what questions remain. We also hear from Connecticut advocates working to connect people with mental health resources and reduce stigma. Later, two residents share their personal experiences navi...

There currently are over  2,000 confirmed cases of measles in the United States of America , including some cases in Connecticut’s surrounding states. Today, we get an update on measles closer to home, and abroad. Plus, we’ll hear about the  Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other parts of central Africa. Guests: Dr. Ulysses Wu : Chief Epidemiologist at...

Actor and playwright Sam Shepard wrote over 40 plays and worked with some of the biggest names in entertainment. After his death, Connecticut biographer Robert Dowling started a journey to learn everything he could about this larger-than-life artist. His book is “Coyote: The Dramatic Lives of Sam Shepard.” Today, we listen back to a conversation with Robert Dowling. He’s a profes...

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we live, work and communicate. Now, Pope Leo XIV is weighing in, warning that AI poses urgent moral and ethical challenges for society. This hour, we explore the growing debate over artificial intelligence from the Vatican to Connecticut. We’ll hear from philosophers, theologians and researchers about the risks, rewards and unanswered questions...

There’s no question that transportation impacts nearly every part of our lives – from getting to work and school, to accessing health care and building community. This hour, we’re digging into Connecticut’s plan for statewide transportation improvementsefforts. We’ll listen back to “ Connecticut on the Move, ” a panel conversation recorded at the Parkville...

Contrary to popular belief, host Catherine Shen is a human with real human emotions. The fact is, she cares about her feelings! In this hour, technical producer Dylan Reyes returns for a conversation with Cat on growing up and the music that shaped them. Music Featured (in order): " Moon Prism Power Make Up! " by Arisawa Takanori " Bright Sized Life " by Pat Metheny " Fool " by MAYDAY " Tayo'y Mag...

When students at Simsbury High School discovered that there was little to no data on Asian American students in Connecticut, they launched a new project to change that. Through out this year, these students have been collecting oral histories from Asian American voices across Connecticut in the oral history project  “Make Us Count.” The project debuts at a community-wide event hap...

For migratory birds, nighttime light can be deadly. Artificial light draws birds off course, increasing the risk of exhaustion, window collisions and predation. Experts say the problem is growing as Connecticut skies become brighter. This hour, we explore how light pollution impacts birds, river ecosystems, insects and even human health. Plus, an amateur astronomer shares why protecting dark skies...

Arthur Sze took an non-traditional path to becoming the  U.S. Poet Laureate. Born in 1950 to Chinese immigrants, his family wanted him to pursue a safe career path that would assure security and prosperity. But  while studying at MIT,  he felt the call to write and study poetry; a call that changed the trajectory of his life. Sze spent his career translating traditional Chinese poet...

Charlie Widmer describes himself as a multi-genre musician, but his range goes far beyond most artists. From opera to bluegrass, he's pretty much done it all. Widmer is now the Connecticut State Troubadour, an official position devoted to music education and community. One of his major goals is to make more people comfortable pursuing music, he said. "My whole goal with being an educator is to try...

“ An Arcane Inheritance ," the latest novel of author Kamilah Cole, weaves dark academia with occult secrets at a fictional Ivy League school based in Hartford. The story follows the ambitious, determined Ellory Morgan, a Jamaican immigrant and first-generation college student pursuing a degree in political science. A lavish scholarship allows her to begin her college education at Warren Uni...