Rumble Strip

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/234650376″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /]Today…Hot Bird. This is a short show in celebration of the season of turkeys, and catching them. Then eating them. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. And for those of you listening outside the United States, I hope you happen to have a really great meal planned with good friends. With or without a hot bird. This show features Barry Forbes, a hunter in Middlebury, Vermont, and I made that show with tape from the Vermont Folklife Center.

The recent school consolidation bill promised to lower our taxes. Then it promised equal opportunity for all kids. It’s unclear how it will deliver on either of these promises, but one thing is sure. It could radically change culture in small town Vermont. This is a show about some of the long-term political and cultural effects of Act 46. Comments: To make a comment or to see comments, scroll to the bottom of this page. THE SHOW: Click here to listen to the show. THE OUTTAKES: For a more in-depth review, here is a rough edit of my full interview with Superintendent John Castle: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/234201298″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”300″ height=”200″ iframe=”true” /] Credits Lincoln Petell is the chairman of the school board in Holland, Vermont Susan Clark is a facilitator, educator, and the co-author of “Slow Democracy: Rediscovering Community, Bringing Decision Making Back Home.” She is also Town Moderator of Middlesex, Vermont. John Castle is the superintendent of the North Country Supervisory Union. Articles about Act 46 School Consolidation is Anti-Democratic: Eric Davis, December 17, 2015, VTDigger If Vermont Were A School: Commentary by John Castle, April, 2015, VTDigger Deliberate Speed on Education Governance by Susan Clark, April, 2015, VTDigger Design for a 21st Century School Governance System, by Margaret MacLean, May, 2014, VTDigger Vermonters for Schools and Community advocate for local control of education, VTDigger, January 2015

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/232885186″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] In Case of Emergency is another show from Larry Massett’s new podcast series, as yet unnamed. The series isn’t out yet, and I have no idea how to describe what it is. It’s not like any podcast series I’ve ever heard. And it’s gonna be good. Here is….In Case of Emergency. Credits (links to recordings below) My Heart’s in the Highlands, Arrangement by Arvo Part, sung by Stephen Wallace Fire Trail, Antonio Sanchez The picture is from Japanese designer Maiko Takeda, a show of spike-embellished, wearable art, from the website called BeautifulNow

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/231822021″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /]The time has come to draw names for the Schwag Membership Pledging and Sustaining Campaign Event Raffle. This is the first consolidated shilling campaign I’ve done and I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned that you’re listening as far away as Arthur’s Pass in New Zealand and I’ve learned that there are listeners right here in my town who are willing to dig into their public radio fund to support this podcast. I’ve received letters with great show ideas and stories about your lives and what you’re thinking about these days….I’m humbled in a way I can’t describe. Thank you for your generosity, your letters and emails, and your ears. I am your biggest fan.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/229606253″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] It’s almost November. It’s getting cold here. The days are getting shorter. I’m already missing the colors and sounds of summer and fall. So today I’m going to play one of my all-time favorite stories, which just happens to be a story that’s filled with the sound of summer. It’s called Stories from the Green River, and it’s by my friend Scott Carrier, who produces Home of the Brave…and if you haven’t subscribed to it yet, you should. There is nothing like it…anywhere. Scott tied a canoe to his station wagon and drove north from his home in Salt Lake City, to the Green River Lakes in the Wind River Mountains. That’s where the Green River–and this story–begins. Credits These stories originally aired on Weekend All Things Considered back in 1991. The music was written and performed by Pat King. To subscribe to Scott’s podcast, Home of the Brave, visit homebrave.com.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/228542605″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /]Dear Listeners, I love making this show and I am endlessly grateful to those of you have donated. These donations keep my car running and give me time to work on the show. So recently I was listening to the pledge drive on my local public radio station and I thought, I’m going to do that. Except my pledge drive will only be seven or eight minutes long and there will be inspirational music AND excellent prizes. So here is my version of a pledge drive, with very special schwag for five lucky winners of the Schwag Show Raffle. The raffle will be drawn at 5:00PM Eastern Time on Thursday, November 5th. Good luck everyone, and once again….thank you for making this show possible. Erica

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/227656999″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /]My friend Brett Berk got a very early start as a teacher, and by the time he was twenty-five, he was the director of a progressive preschool in the East Village in New York City. Blocks, clay, and instead of costumes, the kids had scraps of fabric they could adorn themselves with. There were occasional guest appearances from a gay, pink haired Cherokee performance artist. There was a lot of rolling around in Tompkins Square Park. So by the time he was thirty and his friends started having kids, Brett had been working professionally with kids for a long time. And after watching us flail around for a few years as early parents, he figured he’d write a book about us, and for us. The Gay Uncle’s Guide To Parenting was born. In this conversation we talk about some of the hilarious choices he’s seen parents make, and what he makes of them. We talk about poop and sleep and food and what, in his mind, the job of parenting is all about. Welcome. About Brett Berk Brett Berk, M.S. Ed., has worked professionally with young children and families in New York City for almost twenty-five years, holding positions as a classroom teacher, a preschool director, and an educational consultant and evaluator. He is a widely published writer on issues pertaining to parenthood and child development, with articles appearing in Babble, Cookie, Momlogic, The Chicago Tribune, Time Out New York Kids, Parenting, Yahoo! Shine, and Vanity Fair, among others. He is also the author of the humorous instructional non-fiction book “The Gay Uncle’s Guide to Parenting” (Crown, 2008) In addition to his work in early childhood, Brett publishes widely on cars and the auto industry. Foremost among his outlets, he is the automotive columnist for Vanity Fair, and Writer At Large for Time Inc.’s newly launched site The Drive, where he writes about cars and their relationship to our larger culture. keep up with him at brettberk.com. Here’s a picture of Brett and a sheep.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/226435328″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /]My friend Larry Massett sent me this weird story he wrote, which I’m hoping will be the beginning of a whole new weird podcast. It’s hard to say what it is, which in my book is a good thing. Here’s Press 4.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/225531902″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /]Jessamyn West is a library activist and computer technology savant who lives in central Vermont. She’s also kind of Internet famous. Jessamyn was one of the original moderators for the community blog MetaFilter—which is like the civilized version of Reddit. She was recently contacted by the White House for her thoughts on their choice for the next Librarian of Congress, and she speaks internationally about the digital divide. She’s also got WAY more Twitter followers than me. And probably you. No offense. Jessamyn has worked as a technology consultant in libraries all over the state, and she holds open hours at a local tech center helping people with their computer problems. In this interview, we talk about her passion for public libraries and the role of the modern librarian. And we talk about how different people manage their personal relationships with their personal computers. Which, as we all know, is complicated. Jessamyn Links Jessamyn has a long bio. Wikipedia says it best… A link to other links by and about Jessamyn Librarian.net: Site where Jessamyn writes about library related things Jessamyn’s exhaustive and awesome Donald Barthelme fan page Here’s a transcript version of our interview, on Medium. Some great clips and commentary from the interview, on MetaFilter

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/223397407″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /]For twenty-five years Mark Johnson hosted The Mark Johnson Show, first up in Burlington at WKDR, then at WDEV here in central Vermont. Last month he retired from the show. Mark kept us company on our commutes, in our kitchens and on job sites all over central Vermont. And if you live around here, you’ve either called the show, known the guest, or known some of the callers. The show was smart and relaxed and personal and Mark was very much…himself. I always felt like maybe the show was happening right across the road from my house. That’s how ‘local’ it felt. I invited Mark over to talk about how he produced a two-hour public affairs show for twenty-five years all by himself. He shares some high points, a few low points, and you’ll also get to hear a little from Governor Shumlin. And a caller named Marsha. Welcome. Next month Mark’s heading back to his native tribe of print journalists, and will be working with the online news site, VTDigger, as a senior reporter/editor. COMMENTS WELCOME: If you have a comment or a story about Mark’s show, there’s a comment box below. That would be nice. To hear your stories. Your comments. PHOTO CREDIT: The banner image of Mark Smith and Shap Smith was taken by the Vermont Press Bureau.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/222225987″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] Summer is coming to a close here in central Vermont. It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from the local police logs. This summer there were some problems with odors and stuck squirrels. A machete also was seen. Here’s Scott Carrier reading a sampling from the last couple months’ reports to the Times Argus and the Stowe Reporter. Music by Hayvanlar Alemi. The song is titled Crossroad Metamorphosis

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/220715911″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] Steve Fugate roams the roads of America, walking thousands of miles with a sign stuck over his middle-aged head that reads “Love Life” — because of what happened to his son. This story was recorded by Mark Baldwin and produced by Larry Massett. It originally aired on NPR’s Hearing Voices. You can follow Steve’s writing and walking at Trail Therapy.

If you throw a rock from Fred’s porch and you have a pretty good arm, you can almost hit Canada. He lives way up in Coventry, Vermont, and when I drove up to his place, I found him covered in paint, in one of his barns. He was just finishing building his fifth stage coach, parts of which he’d painted bright yellow and cherry red. Most of his barns—and there are a lot of them—are filled with old farm equipment. He says he’s trying to show the evolution of farm machines in New England from as far back as he can go, up through the 1960s. He says he figures someone else can carry on after that. To be honest, historical collections don’t interest me very much. But Fred’s collection does. We picked our way together through miles of plows and cultivators and buggies and logging sleighs, in barns that mostly Fred built or shored up himself. We didn’t talk very much. If there was hayseed still in the back of a sleigh by the time he hauled it home and up into the hay mow, it’s still there, and to Fred that’s part of the story. In other words, this is not a clean or polished collection. There’s still the feel of use on these objects. And my guess is, there are a lot of ghosts of old farmers in those barns at night, and they all know each other. Fred and I talked for a couple days in the front parlor of his house, downstairs from the room he was born in ninety-four years ago. We talked about a lot of things. His father, his farm collection, the women in his life, his nine children, and some more ephemeral things. I guess we talked about the past, but to me these are not stories about the past at all. These stories come up out of a blood connection to a place. Welcome. Thank you to listener Lou Snyder for writing to me with stories about Fred. I love it when stories happen that way. See this You can actually see Fred’s collection in this story from WCAX News. To make a donation to Fred’s collection, send money to: Fred Webster, 378 Webster Road, Coventry, Orleans, VT 05860

This summer there have been five bison attacks in Yellowstone National Park, the result of visitors taking selfies with bison in the background. Today on Fresh Air, an interview with author Sarah Miller. Her recent book, Bison Selfies, is a brave exploration into this new phenomenon. In this interview we discuss selfies, bison, and the American consciousness. Credits This article originally appeared in Jezebel in July, 2015. Sarah Miller writes for theawl.com, newyorker.com, time.com, thecut.com and others. She is not actually writing a book about bison selfies. The Fresh Air music is by The Microscopic Septet After reading Miller’s book, this listener was careful to follow safe bison-selfie procedures.

“In the cathedral, priests with long black beards and scarlet robes are gliding through the shadows…I feel faint. It’s the heat, the fatigue, frustration — whatever, but there’s a lump in my throat and my eyes are filling with tears. The cop is starting to make big signs of the cross in the air. If w don’t get out of here quick, we’re going to convert.” This is a story from Larry Massett about a very, very long day in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, in 2002. This story aired originally on The Savvy Traveler in 2002, and on NPR’s Hearing Voices. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/217213591″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /]

This is an interview with a very old friend of mine, and the person who trained me as a private investigator. She taught me everything from basics like how to look up criminal records to the very advanced skills I learned. Susan Randall has been a PI in Vermont for fifteen years. She works on the some of the biggest cases in the state…and she’s really good. Susan can find anyone, and she can get them to talk about anything. And most of the time she’s working on fifty to seventy-five cases at the same time. Last week I went over to her house. We lay in deck chairs in her back yard and we talked about the job. About crime, lawyers, and what it means to give so much of your life to exploring dark stories. Susan Randall does criminal defense work in both federal and state court. She also does civil litigation. In the past ten years she’s started to focus on creative storytelling that’s necessary in sentencing mitigation work. She works primarily in Vermont but has worked all over the country. She runs Vermont Private Eye.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/215213074″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] Kevin DeMars estimates he’s been homeless ten times in his 58 years. I met with him in his apartment in Rutland, Vermont and we talked about why he’s been homeless so many times, and what it was like to live in the woods. It’s a difficult and raw conversation at times, and Kevin struggles with some mental health issues that he’s been working through in counseling for years. But he talks very clearly about what it’s like to be someone who can’t always live comfortably in the world of people. Thanks Big thanks to Scott Carrier for all his help. Thanks to Joyce Cloutier of Veterans, Inc. for introducing me to Kevin and for all the great work she does. Thanks to Freesound for the clock sounds I used in this show.

kuKendall Wild worked for nearly half a century at the Rutland Herald and he’s a legend in Vermont journalism. He died on April 2, 2015. By all accounts he was eccentric, competitive, and utterly committed to getting the story…and getting it first. Wild was the paper’s managing editor all through the sixties and seventies. There was a whole generation of journalists who came up through the ranks under Kendall and they went on to become formidable journalists, writers and political heavies in their own right. I invited a few of them who are still in the area to come sit on Bill Porter’s couch in Montpelier and tell some stories. So they did. They talked about the wild ride of working under Kendall, and they talked about what it was like to work in journalism during one of Vermont’s most exciting and tumultuous chapters in politics. They also talk about beer. Come listen. If you have a story of your own, or a comment you’d like to make, just go to the bottom of the show page and comment there. It’s always nice to hear from you. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/200789117″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] Story Contributors: Bill Porter worked with Ken Wild for 20 years, first at the Rutland Herald and later at the Times-Argus in Barre, and remained an admiring friend until Kendall’s death. Nick Marro worked as a reporter at the Rutland Herald from 1967 to 1972 and then moved to the Barre Times-Argus when Bill Porter became managing editor. He went to the Vermont Press Bureau as a reporter in 1974, was Bureau Chief from 1980 to 1983, and then he was a reporter in the Press Bureau in the 1990’s. Howard Coffin was a reporter for the Rutland Herald from 1996 to 1978, hired by Kendall. After that he acted as news director for Dartmouth College and UVM, and press secretary for U. S. Senator James Jeffords. Howard has written nine books, including four on Vermont’s Civil War history. He lives in Montpelier. Glenn Gershaneck worked with the Rutland Herald from 1970 – 1978, then at the Times-Argus from 1983 – 1985. He went on to work as press secretary for Senator Robert Stafford, Governor Richard Snelling and Governor Howard Dean. He’s acted as both the secretary and deputy secretary for the Agency of Transportation, the deputy secretary for the Agency of Administration, and the deputy state auditor. Ruth Porter is a fiction and writer and is married to Bill Porter. Irene Racz worked for the papers from late 1974 until 1985. She and Allen Gilbert then became partners in a consulting business called PressKit, which offered writing, editing, media relations, and related services to clients in mostly the government and nonprofit sectors. In 1997, she left PressKit to become public affairs director at Vermont Student Assistance Corporation. She has been enjoying retirement since 2013. Tom Slayton worked as reporter and editor for the Rutland Herald and Times-Argus for 20 years, from 1964 to 1984. For 10 years during that time, he was Vermont correspondent for the Boston Globe. For the subsequent 21 years, he was editor-in-chief of Vermont Life magazine. He’s been awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Vermont, Southern Vermont College, and Sterling College. He was awarded the Franklin Fairbanks Award, which recognizes those making a significant contribution to the cultural life of the state. Allen Gilbert worked with Kendall at the Rutland Herald from 1976 to 1983. He served as a reporter, city desk editor and assistant Sunday editor. He went on to teach for three years at a German university with other former journalists, then partnered with Irene Racz to establish PressKit, a policy writing and research firm. In 2004, Allen became executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Vermont, where he still works today. Thanks also to Robby Porter. Thanks also to A.J. Marro and the Rutland Herald for letting me run photos from their archive. Kendall and Bill Porter at Nick Marro’s wedding. Drinking Schlitz.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/214270716″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] Here’s a show from Larry Massett about cars. And honor. Larry owns two Porsches, and he talks about them a lot. In fact it’s almost all he ever talks about. His friend, Joe Frank, is a BMW man. Which is the superior car? The Porsche? The BMW? Joe and Larry have agreed to decide this with a race. But in the meantime, they’re just going to go on and on and on about their cars. Welcome. Joe Frank is a writer, producer, and story savant. Like if you were making a pyramid of all the great storytellers you’ve ever heard, he’d be floating just a little above the top of the pyramid. Which his pretty high up there. You can hear he work here…. Thank you to Lisa Miller for filming the race, which you can see below. Music for this show is by Redvers West-Boyle and Dark Fire

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/213298322″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] This was my first year as a soccer mom and I’m here to tell you, it’s harder than it looks. I never played team sports, I still don’t really understand soccer, and I spent an entire season screaming ‘GET IT IN THE BASKET!’ Being a soccer mom is weirdly emotional in ways I hadn’t anticipated. I’ve experienced exultation and shame and misery and anger. There are long periods of waiting around. And lots of stinky socks. And sometimes it’s so beautiful to watch the game that it’s made me cry. Secretly. In my Walmart foldout chair. This show features two area experts—my son’s coach and my sister, a veteran soccer mom. It’s a show about a beautiful sport and it’s also about parenting and shame and humility. And cow bells. More about the Experts and the Music Craig Stone is a native of Newcastle, England. He came to the USA as a college student, playing four years of college soccer at the Division 1 University of Evansville, Indiana. Following school, Stone coached in the Washington D.C area for 10-years –as well as moonlighting as an online editor, producer and manager with Education Week, a national publication focusing on K-12 education–before moving to Vermont in 2009 and joining the state’s Olympic Development Program staff; he also coached with Capital Soccer Club, a community-based travel club based in Montpelier, Vermont. Stone is a staff coach with the U.S. ODP Region 1 Boys U13 team–the Vermont Olympic Development program, and also Head Coach & co-founder of the Vermont ODP U-12 Academy. He also still attempts to play the game as often as possible, but with a continual decline in quality. He is married to Alison Milbury Stone, and has one son, Ned. Melissa Burroughs is a soccer mom and teacher at St. Johnsbury Academy in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. She no longer employs the cowbells at games, though she doesn’t rule it out. Jeff Burroughs is the Assistant Headmaster at St. Johnsbury Academy in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, and he coaches the girls Varsity team at the Academy. He holds a Premier Diploma from NSCAA. He is famously quiet at games. Music for this show is from The New Year, an awesome band. You’ll find links to where you can purchase the music below. Mike Donofrio is the bass player and he is my friend and he is so good.

For the last couple years, in addition to producing this show, I’ve also been doing interviews for an organization called The Wake Up to Dying Project. The basic goal of the project is to encourage people to think and talk more about the fact that we die, and at the heart of the project is a sound exhibit that features audio stories–lots and lots of them. Last month I did an interview for this project with a mother who had lost a baby after three weeks of life. I was incredibly nervous about this interview, and I realized that I was worried that by talking about the loss of this child, I’d feel even more afraid of it than I already do with my own son. I didn’t want to be that close to something that scared me so much. But when I left the interview I felt strangely comforted. There is something comforting in talking about this thing we try so hard not to think about. And though there’s much sadness, and confusion, and grief in this story, there’s also tremendous resilience and love. This is Susan Wahlrab. She’s a painter and she lives with her family in the deep woods of Calais Vermont. Eighteen years ago she lost her son, Grayson, to a virus after three weeks of life. Here are excerpts from our conversation. The painting you see featured on this page is by Susan Wahlrab. It’s called What Are You Opening To

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/209841412″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] Here’s a story from Otto Trautz of Cabot, Vermont. It takes place in 1966 and starts with a phone call and a very compelling proposition. This story was originally told at extempo, central Vermont’s live storytelling event produced by the wondrous Jen Dole. You can find more stories at: www.extempoVT.com.

I was meeting a friend at a coffee shop and a song came on the radio that I hadn’t heard since I was in my late twenties. It reminded me of a time when I’d stay up all night long with friends, talking and drinking around bonfires. It was before children and spouses, and before everyone moved to wherever it is they went. It was a time when we had endless amounts of time. So when I heard this song after so long, I remembered this time. And it hadn’t occurred to me until right then, twenty years later, standing in this coffee shop, that that time was over. And twenty years had passed. It all happened so…gradually. In this show, you’ll hear from women of all ages, from five to eighty-five. They talk about how they imagine their lives will be, how their lives are, and how their lives have been. Welcome! [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/208648637″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] Credits I produced this program with my great friend Tamar Cole, who is a screenwriter, playwright and writing coach. She lives in Montpelier, Vermont Many thanks to these great people for their time and their insights: Mary Wesley Lee Casagrande Bess O’Brien Mary Jacobsen Leda Schubert Marilyn Skoglund Helen Rose Warshovsky (photographed above…) Brenna Christianson Aine Fannon

It’s time again for a sampling from the Barre and Montpelier police logs, as reported in the Times Argus. This month there were a number of disturbing animal reports. Sick raccoons, catatonic woodchucks, and more. Also, a number of naked children. Come listen if you dare. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/206723347″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] Scott’s podcast, Home of the Brave, is great, and I highly recommend you subscribe to it. He’s one of the most interesting radio producers in this dimension. Music by Hayvanlar Alemi. The song is titled Crossroad Metamorphosis

Radio production and private investigation have a lot in common. You ask questions, find out what happened, and try to figure out why. This is a show I made with Larry Massett for NPR’s Hearing Voices in 2011. None of the people you hear in this story were investigation clients of mine where they did pardons according to https://nationalpardon.org/pardons-canada/. They were all young men on furlough, putting their lives together after doing time in prison. Also, all of the case stories you hear have been fictionalized to protect the privacy of legal clients. In addition, Working with a car accident lawyer Maryland can make a significant difference in your ability to successfully file your claim, deal with aggressive insurance companies, and pursue your. Warning: There are references to sex and violence in this story, and it may not be appropriate for children.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/205325448″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] A commentary from Marc Estrin about the three things he learned in twenty-five years of school. The only three things. Marc Estrin is a writer, cellist, and political activist who lives in Burlington, Vermont. His most recent book, And Kings Shall Be Thy Nursing Fathers, features the ruminations of Tchaikovsky’s corpse. You can find it on Amazon here, or order it from a local bookstore. Marc Estrin’s Novels The Prison Notebooks of Alan Krieger (Terrorist) When the Gods Come Home to Roost Tsim-tsum The Good Doctor Guillotin The Annotated Nose Skulk The Lamentations of Julius Marantz Golem Song The Education of Arnold Hitler Insect Dreams, the Half Life of Gregor Samsa Marc Estrin’s Memoir Rehearsing With Gods: Photographs and Essays on the Bread & Puppet Theater (with Ron Simon, photographer)

Larry Massett was driving up through northern California toward Oregon and ended up spending a little more time at Mt. Shasta than he’d had in mind, thankfully he had his flashlight in his trunk. Was it coincidence? Was it fate that drew Larry to one of the country’s most famous destinations for the spiritually curious? In this story you’ll hear from some naked meditators, UFO solicitors, and there’s some howling at the moon. Leave a comment if you’ve got one. It’s always nice to hear from you. Thanks to Barrett Golding of Hearing Voices for letting me run this show, and also for spending time on the audio before sending it to me. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/199999886″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /]

Michael Chorney is a self taught musician, arranger and composer. If you asked me what genre of music he makes, I’d have no idea. All of them? None of them? He spent years mastering different musical genres in both guitar and baritone sax. He’s played British Isles-inspired folk music, improvisational jazz, soul, rock. And over the years, in his own music, the lines between these genres have gotten really blurry. And that’s how he wants it, an ambiguous audio interface is a fun one, he says. Michael has been the bandleader of some of the most lush, uncategorizable music in this state. Bands like viperHouse, Magic City, Orchid, the So Called Jazz Sextet, and Hollar General. I talked with him at his house, a renovated goose coop in Lincoln Vermont, and one of the quietest places on earth—or so he says. We talk about his music and growing up in Buffalo and driving to gigs with a blownout muffler. He talks about his collaboration with Anais Mitchell on the 2010 folk opera, Hadestown. And he sings. You’ll hear a lot of music this hour, some of it from his upcoming album with Hollar General. The photo here by Jay Sansome. Black and white photo of Michael is by John M Moyers.

This is a show about love, family and dementia. Part one features a show I made in 2008 about one family’s experience living with an elderly mother’s progressive dementia. Part two features an interview with one of the story’s main characters, Greg Sharrow, about what’s changed, and what he’s learned, in the five years since we made After the Forgetting. After the Forgetting features Greg Sharrow, Bob Hooker, and Marjorie Sharrow. Greg did a lot of marvelous interviews with his mother for this show. Bob and Marj Greg and Marj

This is an essay about cooking and all the shame and rage and frustration that can accompany this art. Writer Sarah Miller describes her desire to be loved and appreciated for her fig galettes, and her decision to quit cooking altogether. Sarah is the author of the novels Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn and The Other Girl, and she contributed to the bestseller The Bitch in the House. She has written for Details, Lucky, Marie Claire, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and The Guardian. Also thanks to Ralph Henson of KVMR in Nevada City California for recording the story. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/202423959″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /]

Today, a true story about two strangers who meet and talk very late one night on a northbound NYC subway. The story is from Otto Trautz, and was originally told live on stage at extempo, central Vermont’s totally excellent live storytelling event. And if my name were Otto Trautz, I’d have great stories too. Welcome. To hear more true stories live onstage, visit extempo’s website here. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/197472681″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /]

Into Tuesday we’ll see gusty winds, an early morning cold front east of Route 2 and a massive low pressure system delivering winter-like temperatures and moderate rain east of the Greens. Here are Eyes on the Sky. Eyes on the Sky was written by Montpelier resident Linda Coble. And thank you to the brave meteorologists at Eye On the Sky, who have delivered so much bad news, so well, for so long. Winters wouldn’t be the same without you.

Welcome to The Mudroom. This is a commentary from Hilton Dier of Middlesex, Vermont. He proposes that much of Vermont politics is really about who has enough time and money to…show up. Please fling us your comments at the bottom of this page! We love to hear from you. Hilton is a renewable energy consultant and author of the incomparable blog, Minor Heresies using Advance Systems. The Mudroom is a joint commentary series by Rumble Strip Vermont and The Dooryard. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/168333850″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /]

Ed Epstein is a portrait artist of some renown in these parts. But painting has comprised only a fraction of Ed’s artistic life. As a kid in the fifties he hitch hiked across the country with only a banjo and a few bucks. He fell in love with the Bach cello suites and spent the next twenty years mastering the cello so he could play them. Ed has designed and built woodstoves, houses, and when his son showed interest in fishing, Ed built a boat so they could get out to that stand of reeds…where the bass are. Ed Epstein’s whole life has been an art project. In this hour, we talk about the mysterious process of portrait painting…it’s difficulties and occasional satisfactions. But mostly in this hour, we talk about boats. Building them, sailing them for years, and what became of Ed’s beloved thirty foot schooner, Ruby. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/193910049″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] The beautiful photograph of Ed Epstein was taken by photographer Andrew Kline. More of his work can be seen here. More of Ed Epstein’s work can be seen here. Music this hour: The Cello Suites, by J.S. Bach, performed by Jan Vogler. Unedited audio from the interview There is a whole section of our interview that is not in this show, but well worth listening to, particularly if you’re interested in folk music. In it, Ed talks about his first forays out of New York City, and hitchhiking across the country in the early fifties with his banjo and I realized if I want my kid to have any sort of musical interests, my kid needs that, to see a few real live music legends himself, in person. Here it is: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/193900956?secret_token=s-haoca” params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] Self portrait from a picture taken of Ed in the early fifties. The Sally Rubin Jimmy the Iceman De Piro Pan Trio The Juniper Island, an 18′ standing lug yawl Ed and Aryeh on the Sally Rubin, @1988

Tonight I was driving home from Montpelier with my son, and we were both happy because today really did feel like maybe spring will come this year, and we were listening to Miriam Bernardo sing. It was a recording I made of a house show a couple years ago. There’s something so beautiful to me about this live recording, and I figured I’d share one of the songs with you. Here’s Miriam, and Michael Chorney on guitar and Rob Morse on bass. This is Love Came Here, by Lhasa de Sela. Welcome to spring everyone. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/197716442″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] Upcoming Miriam shows: April 4, Steady Betty at the lamp shop, Burlington. 9pm April 17, Magic City at the Haybarn. 8-10pm May 1, Waking Windows music festival in Winooski. Steady Betty 7:30pm May 9, Betty Brew fest at the big picture in Waitsfield. 10pm steady b. June 4,6,7, Soloing with the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra. Unitarian Church. 7pm.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/195178661″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] The sock went missing in November, was encased in ice in someone’s driveway, and yesterday it was released. The end of winter is nigh everyone. This is for real. It’s time again for a sampling from the Barre and Montpelier police logs, as reported in the Times Argus. This month saw a disproportionate number of shovel incidents. There were keys lost and found. A juvenile was out of control on Crest Street. Come listen. The police log is read by radio producer Scott Carrier. Scott’s new podcast, Home of the Brave, has LAUNCHED, and I highly recommend you subscribe to it. He’s one of the most interesting radio producers anywhere. I’ve spent whole days binge-listening to his shows. It’s time well spent. Music by Hayvanlar Alemi. The song is titled Crossroad Metamorphosis

A couple months ago I ran a commentary by Marc Estrin called Poopy Old Man. In this commentary, he talks about feeling increasingly invisible to the people around him as he gets older. It’s a rather dark perspective on aging. This is a response to that commentary, and offers a somewhat different perspective on getting older. Here’s a conversation between Larry Massett and Marianne Ross of Washington DC. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/191968300?secret_token=s-k0Tt1″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] Who are they? Larry Massett is one of the world’s most interesting radio producers. He lives in Cabin John, MD. Marianne Ross is the director of a multimedia company called Concerts in the Country, in Washington DC. She spends much of each summer in the Northeast Kingdom, working with Bread and Puppet Theater. Here’s Marianne:

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/191291077″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] This is a conversation about love and objects. It’s from a late night conversation with my friend Clare Dolan. In the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, we sat on my couch and talked about a special kind of love that exists between people and objects. The conversation starts with Clare’s first friend in childhood…a small stuffed creature called Binny. Clare is the curator at The Museum of Everyday Life in Glover, Vermont. It is a self-service museum located in her barn, and it ‘dedicates itself to deteriorating objects of no monetary value, but of immense ordinary-life consequence.’ The current exhibit is called Toothbrush from Twig to Bristle In All Its Expedient Beauty. Clare recently got so mad at her broken snowblower that she was moved to create a small, impromptu exhibit called Broken and Useless Snow Removal Devices of the Northeast Kingdom. I am including a couple pictures of the exhibit here, and some other pictures I like. If you have not been to the museum, do not dally. Do not wait. Put it on your bucket list. It will make you happy. Directions and more exhibit pictures are on her website. Clare and her donkey, Nikolai Raggedy Ann and Binny One of my favorite exhibits in the toothbrush show. A large, stabbed bear in the museum

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/189626294″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] You can learn a lot about a place from the local police log. A couple weeks ago I was reading the Times Argus, and I read a police log that I was sure held some kind of message for me. There was a lost key, a found wallet, and a woman in yoga pants seen walking down Sumner Street. There was a dead deer missed by a car and a living deer hit. What could it mean? I’m going to start running periodic police log shows. If you know of small newspapers around the state that run good police logs, leave a message at the bottom of the show page here. I’d love to hear about them. This police log comes to you from the Barre Police, as published in the Times Argus. It is read by writer and radio producer Scott Carrier. Scott is coming out with a podcast of his own pretty soon, which is very good news. I will let you know when and where you can find it when it starts. Here is a picture of Scott in sunglasses. Music by Hayvanlar Alemi. The song is titled Crossroad Metamorphosis

From my house, if you take a left through the woods, then a right up a dirt road, and then another right up another dirt road, you come to a really old farmhouse. That’s where Leland lives, and where he’s thinking things over. Last week he agreed to talk with me about some of these things. Death, deep space, and Revolutionary War reenactments. Welcome. The music in this show is from the remarkable Carla Kihlstedt. Learn more about her HERE. Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec reenactment. Three generations of Kennedys.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/187185013″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] Here’s a short story about my son and piano practice and parental rage.

This is a show produced by Larry Massett, for NPR’s Hearing Voices. It features remarkable stories from Solidod, the last remaining member of her village of Mescalero Apache who lived on the edge of Death Valley. Here’s Larry’s introduction…. “When I first met Solidod she was living alone in a tiny room in a rather depressing subsidized-income apartment complex in Florida. She herself was anything but depressing, though. A few minutes after we met she showed me the little knife she carries with her in her buckskin purse. “But Solidod,” I said, “that’s kind of a dangerous knife, isn’t it?” I said- meaning, dangerous for an 80-year woman. “Yeah, it’s sharp, it came with a good knife sharpener” she laughed, “but it would be better if it was rusty. So the cut would get infected in case I stab somebody.” Wow, tough lady. Tough, but also funny, curious, brimming with energy, and a world-class storyteller. As she told me about the adventures of her life I realized she’s been everywhere and done just about everything: horse-trainer, bodyguard, trans-Atlantic sailor, carpenter, gardener, artist, you name it. And she’s busy. She spends her days zipping around town selling the t-shirts she paints and the jewelry she makes, checking on old friends and chatting up new ones. Most people her age seem to be winding down; Solidod’s just getting started…” Thank you Hearing Voices for allowing me to air this show. It’s a favorite. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/185108606″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] Here is a link to Solidod’s book.

This week’s episode is about one of life’s hardest and most humbling jobs. Parenting. You’ll hear stories about potty training, power struggles, living with teenagers, character-driven parenting, and negotiating new relationships with grown children. Plus some stories about beaches and dead birds. The hour features two interviews. Melissa Burroughs is a mother and teacher, and has worked extensively with families. The show also features an interview with a mother of two grown daughters. She talks about how parenting changes when the kids have grown and gone. She prefers to go unnamed.

We live in a place where trucks are a kind of passion. It’s not overt. It’s an understated, Vermont kind of passion. According to TheCarStarter.com, Vermonters sometimes heat up when you get them talking about Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge. So I drove around and talked with some guys about trucks. Here’s what they said. Leave a comment or story at the bottom of this show page! We love to hear from you. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/169932294″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] Photo by Josh Larkin

We are all busy getting older, for better and for worse. Here is an unvarnished perspective on aging by author Marc Estrin. Marc Estrin is a writer, cellist and political activist who lives in Burlington, Vermont. His most recent book, And Kings Shall Be Thy Nursing Fathers, features the ruminations of Tchaikovsky’s corpse. You can find it on Amazon here, or order it from a local bookstore. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/183023161″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] Marc Estrin’s Novels The Prison Notebooks of Alan Krieger (Terrorist) When the Gods Come Home to Roost Tsim-tsum The Good Doctor Guillotin The Annotated Nose Skulk The Lamentations of Julius Marantz Golem Song The Education of Arnold Hitler Insect Dreams, the Half Life of Gregor Samsa Marc Estrin’s Memoir Rehearsing With Gods: Photographs and Essays on the Bread & Puppet Theater (with Ron Simon, photographer)

Welcome to The Mudroom, a joint commentary series of Rumble Strip Vermont and The Dooryard. In time for the holidays, we bring you a commentary about Buy Nothing Day, an annual day of protest against buying stuff. Jessamyn West is a writer, blogger, librarian, and knower of many things technological and digital. She lives in Randolph, Vermont, and here she is standing on a bed. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/182121652″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] A Wiki link to Jessamyn… A link to other links about Jessamyn

I don’t know what you’d call this. A commentary? A riff? An agricultural lament? This is how Alan LePage started his show a few weeks ago, and I wanted to share it with you all. Alan LePage is a legend around here in central Vermont. He’s a fourth generation Vermont farmer, mentor to many up and coming market gardeners, and he’s the host of one of WGDR’s most popular shows, The Curse of the Golden Turnip. For the past few months, we’ve been working on getting his show out into the world as a podcast. This means I’ve been editing a two hour show down to one hour, which is no easy task. I’m either cutting a fascinating bit about the history of broccoli in North America, or some offhand advice about how to build a cold frame out of junk in your garage. Alan gets great guests and the show is always packed with great information and stories. If you’re at all interested in gardening, I encourage you to tune in. And if you want to be apprised of our podcast progress, join the show’s Facebook page and we’ll let you know when the podcast becomes available. Be confident in your decisions by checking out your provider’s top areas of care, education, patient reviews and more. Look for Dr. Matthew Galumbeck for more details. You can also listen to an interview I did with Alan last year. The beautiful photo you see above is by Josh Larkin.

This is a story produced by my friend Larry Massett. A few years ago Larry took a trip with public radio personality Andre Codrescu. Andre grew up in Romania in times of hardship. After twenty years as an American citizen, he feels he’s lost the local taste of the land where he spent his youth. Larry Massett records the story of a man now in the role of “tourist” in his radically changed native land. THANKS TO HEARING VOICES This program originally aired on Hearing Voices, and airs on Rumble Strip Vermont with permission by Larry Massett and Barrett Golding. Thank you both for letting me share this. It’s one of my favorite stories and it’s one I listen to over and over. And over. And over. Larry wearing a hat in Montana

From the Saviour’s conception to offerings of gold, Frankenstein and myrrh, six year old Erin Magill of Moretown, Vermont tells her version of the Christmas story, with help from her creche figures. I made this story some years ago. NOW Erin Magill is a COMPOSER, and you can hear her work HERE. Go Erin!!!

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/179849504″ params=”color=ff5500&inverse=false&auto_play=false&show_user=true” width=”100%” height=”20″ iframe=”true” /] This is a show about a game my son loves that I don’t understand. At all. It’s called Magic: The Gathering, and it’s a card game that’s sort of a cross between Dungeons and Dragons and chess. It involves spells and enchantments and creatures and math and strategy. The game was born in 1993, and millions of people play it around the world. And even though I don’t understand the game, I appreciate that it happens between real people, in person. Hugely enthusiastic players, ranging in age from around seven to forty-five, get together and battle it out, trade cards, and talk about creature powers. I’ve been taking my son to a Friday night game in Montpelier, Vermont–held at the Book Garden. Last time we went, instead of sitting in a foldout chair for 3 hours, I recorded interviews with some of the players. This show won’t explain the game. That is a task far beyond my skill. Instead, it will introduce you to some of the culture around this game, and the passion of its players. Game. ON. Thanks Big thanks to the Book Garden in Montpelier, and to Keith McCusker for setting me up in a comfortable room to do some interviews. And thanks to all the generous players who shared their stories with me.