The Fabulous 413

There’s a lot of history to be learned in opera and recitals; but this weekend at Tanglewood will take new histories and reframe the music around them to expand the way we look at not just vocal music but a continent that western documentation has largely ignored. African Queens is a newly commissioned song cycle that highlights the lives of 7 Afro-diasporic figures of femme royalty. And that’s only a fraction of the figures that creative producer and performer found in the research for this program which you can see in the Berkshires on July 27th. Soprano Karen Slack speaks with us about assembling the collective that made this series of songs and spoken word for the stage, the events that led to this idea, and some of the disparities that she and others like her have experienced in the world of classical and operatic music. And Word Nerd Emily Brewster, Senior editor at Merriam Webster is pretty good at language; so much so that a pretty big question from a listener has us tracing the origins of the word “pretty” as an adverb back way further than we expected.

Five centuries of theater history has taken root in the mountains, and is bringing audiences, thespians young and older, and more of the community together to celebrate the art of stagecraft. For the past 50 plus years, Shakespeare and Company has been bringing works to life on stage and teaching others the work that goes into making staged productions spectacular. And since their move to their current grounds in 2000, they’ve been expanding on that mission and sharing their proverbial wealth with others. We head up to Lenox to take a tour of the organization's 4 theaters, meet some of the folx involved in their summer productions, and get entirely lost in their costume department in the best way possible, on a study golf cart steed lead by artistic director Allyn Burrows and director of marketing Jaclyn Stevenson. It’s also Corn season, and for a small farm stand along 5 & 10 in Deerfield, which is peak time that customers come calling. We visit Kolakoski Farm Stand to chat with its founder Miriam Spaulding about the 100 yr old farm that stocks the stand, and the important place it has in their operations and see for ourselves just how many folx are clamoring for the ripe ears.

We’re headed out into the wilds to a not so clearly disclosed location in Hampshire county to witness epochs of evolution and change in the hills and dales. Professor and author Noah Charney takes us deep into the woods to explore one of the locations described in his book “These Trees Tell a Story: The Art of Reading Landscapes”, where along with some budding naturalists we see how the happenings during the continental shift are still having effect millions of years later on the organisms that are taking up residence in the Connecticut River Valley. We’ll also discover more about how the Bay State is having a bit of a problem with its legal system. Massachusetts is in the middle of an advocate crisis, which means that many folx awaiting their due process of law may never get it, and may be tossed around in a system with no support for their cases. We speak with attorneys Jack Godleski and Isaac Maas about what the bar advocates duties are, how the shortage came about, and what the commonwealth needs to do to address it.

Good news and Bad News. Bad News First: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has lost over a billion dollars of funding. Billion with a "B."Which is bad, but what does that mean for NEPM itself? A lot of us are asking that question, so to make a little more sense out of last night’s surreptitious vote to defund public media, we’ll speak with NEPM’s own president Matt Abramovitz to gain some clarity on what this means for us here on our network of western Mass. stations. Then we get to the good things, one of which is an upcoming performance of local singer songwriter on the rise Lucia Dostal, where we’ll celebrate her EP from this past fall, hear about working writing songs for people that aren’t herself, and get ready to see her shine at Bands on Brewster in Northampton next week, along with fellow players drummer Carlie Morales, and guitarist Joey Schuyler. And since we are the imbibing type and dreamers besides, we’ll pit two pretty Basque roses against each other in this week’s Tina Turner Memorial Thunderdome at Tip Top Wine Shop in Easthampton with proprietors Lauren Clark and Miranda Brown.

Today is historical and history making. In Great Barrington where one of the pioneers of American Civil Rights movement and black academia was born. Author, sociologist, historian, activist, founder of the NAACP and more, W.E.B. Du Bois is getting a new tribute right in the heart of the town at the Mason Library after years of planning. We’ll speak with Ari Zorn, Dubois Thomas, Julie Michaels, and John Lewis from the team of folx who helped to make it happen with W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Committee and the organization Blackshires about the long very community involved process that brought it to life, and how you can celebrate its unveiling this Saturday, July 19th. Plus, our weekly chat with Congressman Jim McGovern much more than just the recently approved rescission package that definitely affects us here on this show directly. Indeed, the representative explores the resurgence of interest in the Epstein files, issue related to cryptocurrency, plus listener questions on tariffs, and even the state of the constitution on which we’ve built this very nation.

We’re connecting with the Celtic diaspora on two sides of the river, much like they straddle the North Channel.In Florence this weekend, many will gather fife, pie, and drum, don their kilts and take to Look Park for the Glasgow Lands Scottish Games, where over 700 musicians, crafters, athletes, and more will gather to celebrate, and we’ll speak with founder Peter Langmore about the new things this year brings to the festival, and hear music from Roger Bernier, Pipe Major for the Holyoke Caledonian Pipe Band, the oldest continuously operating in the country. Then we’ll slip west to the Irish side to hear more of the collaboration between Éilís Kennedy and Peter Blanchette.. The two have been making music together for over 2 decades, and tomorrow night at the Drake will unite again to translate music from many continents, traditional and modern, into duets of archguitar and voice, and we’ll learn what new things are in store for their show in Amherst including new works they've been developing based around the work of Emily DIckenson. And word nerd Emily Brewster helps us explore the word “restaurant” and “resturauteur” and the rabbit hole of linguistic lineage that opens from the suffixes "-ant" and "-eur."

We’re building legacies, and celebrating the ones already here. Including the 6th, 7th, and 8th generations of farmers growing blueberries for the pick your own season in Granville. But you can tell by the name of Maple Corner Farm that’s not all they do, so we brave the mountain to get a glimpse of the sweet blue treats and hear all the pots that the Ripley Family has put their farm’s proverbial fingers intoWe’ll also hear from maestro Keith Lockhart, conductor of the Boston Pops. This coming season will be his 30th at the institution, and the milestone is being celebrated at the end of this Tanglewood season. But we’ll learn from the man himself what’s changed about the orchestra, his style, and himself over the course of those three decades, and where he sees it going in the fourth. And in Westfield this weekend, one of the coolest organizations ever to be endorsed by a former president is bucking the 5k and golf standard to hold a pickleball fundraiser. The Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity is hosting this fun event on Sunday, but it turns out that neither Aimee Giroux and Brandy O’Brien of that great organization, nor we at the Fab 413 know how to play this game at all! So we bring in an expert, Owen Fernandez of the Picklr Westfield, to help us get ready for the competition.

We’re meeting new community through books, bows, bottles, and hurtling millions of light years from entirely different solar systems. Mill River Archery has gathered folx curious about the bow to make them better shots. We head out to their training grounds on the Hampshire College Campus to talk with their coaches, participants, and more about the impetus for forging their own collective, the key techniques of shooting, and perhaps take aim ourselves and see how we do with instructors Rory Palmer, Jesse Hasslinger, and more. And also we’re gathering bibilovores and authors alike to peruse pages in Hatfield at Black Birch Vineyard. Books and Bottles 2025 brings 8 authors together at the local winery for readings, signings, and more, and we speak with organizer Michael Parzymieso, and participating authors Mattea Kramer and Jacqueline Sheehan to talk about the density of authors in the valley, the gift of doing an event like this together and more. And Mr. Universe, Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College’s Salman Hameed is talking about foreign bodies, which in this case refers to a comet from another solar system that’s headed to ours.

We’re bringing it back!And by it, we mean a beloved festival making it’s return to Springfield’s South End Community. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is launching three days of community, festivities, food and communion in its Italian Feast and we speak with Anna Daniele and Chris DiMauro about the revitalization of the center, the festival, and how heritage can be a launch pad to engender everyone coming together. Oh and there’s a grease pole, but we’ll get into that. We’ll also speak with the Junior senator from Massachusetts, Ed Markey. The irony of course being that he’s currently the longest tenured congressperson on the hill having started as a representative in 1976. We’ll hear how he feels about the rescission package and the impact it’ll have on Public Media, as well as why he’s running for a third term. And the Wine Thunderdome heads to one of the lands Monte most loves for the grapes to grow in as we head to Provisions Mill District in Amherst to complete our trifecta of their locations to taste Sancerre and hear a little about a French wine tasting they’ll hold next week.

We know that the area is rife with a legacy of abolition, but it’s very different when you get to see the places where that history happened up close. This Saturday July 12th, The Pan African History Museum is hosting an interactive tour of downtown sites significant to this movement, and we chat with PAHMUSA Vice President Drew Keaton, and Springfield Preservation Trust President Erica Swallow about the partnership bringing more people in touch with the history at their fingertips. We’ll also see how we as community are caring for others with a heart-wrenching memoir that also serves as a call to action. A Place Called Home recounts David Ambroz’s youth and personal experiences with homelessness, mental illness, and the foster care system right here in Massachusetts. We speak with the author about the state of that system, and the changes everyone can make to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable citizens. And our weekly chat with congressman Jim McGovern sees eerie similarities in climate disaster between the catastrophic floods in Texas, and the ones that devastated the farmland in W. Mass 2 years ago, and explores any possible buyers remorse over the recently passed budget with its sweeping cuts to medicaid, SNAP, plus a look on the horizon at the election season to come.

We got a glimpse of the devised theater work STILL last year, but it’s been in progress ever since and a new iteration will premiere this weekend at the APE Gallery. We speak with creator Marcia Gomes about the changes the work has been through. And we’ll also speak with Roberta Uno, longtime director and founder of New World Theater, has returned to the area and STILL is just one of her many projects. We’ll hear how this work fits among the rest and how her work as the production's dramaturg has shaped this incarnation of bringing one's ancestors to life. Also, we had to go back and learn more about the upcoming Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival. So we’ll check in again with festival founder Kristen Neville of Blues to Green and producer Evan Plotkin to get more details on the free celebration, and hear how NAI Plotkin got involved to bring all of Springfield and beyond together with music. Plus word nerd Emily Brewster breaks up compound words we really should have more questions about the components of to give us better understandings of how English works.

This week is enriching the cultural landscape just down the street from us in a festival and a brand new place to see music, shows, and more. Of course we had to go and broadcast live from their brand new facilities, so today we broadcast live from the newly 2 days old HOPE Center for the Arts, and in celebration of the Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival happening this weekendWe'll hear from members of the team helping to bring that vision to life: Technical Director Kyle Homestead and Artistic Director Isaac Eddy about the man whose vision it was to return a beloved stage to Springfield in a way that engendered arts education: Bob Bolduc.And we’ll learn about the incredible lineup of folx who’ll be gracing the stages of this year’s festival from founder Kristen Neville of Blues to Green and co-producer Evan Plotkin of NAI Plotkin. Plus we get a live performance from one of the bands performing this weekend for those festivities, who’ll be taking advantage of the technology built into this location: Water Seed

Today, we have music to soothe the dairy beast.Which may not be how that phrase works; but we’re betting it could work at Fletcher Farm, in Southampton, where their cows and calves are not only bringing milk to the community, but fostering connection and learning amongst those who may one day also lead their own herds. 2nd generation farmer Nicole Schwab lets us explore among her 80 heads of milking ladies. But if you’re craving more of a cow-less get down, we’ll introduce you to a new series about to launch in Northampton. Parties in the Park is a free to the community gathering bringing some of the best and most eclectic DJs in the area to spin for the public, and we sit with Just Joan (Casey Williams) and Studebaker Hawk, two of the folx stepping up to the turntables to hear war stories and what’s in store for Wednesdays. And Susan Bronson of the Yiddish Book Center joins us to talk about their upcoming festival: Yidstock, which celebrates Yiddish music and the innovators making new sounds under a cultural marker over the course of 4 days

Today on The Fabulous 413 as the nation looks back in time to 249 years ago and the Declaration of Independence, we take you back to two weeks ago to the Green River Festival in Greenfield, where we recorded a series of pop-up concerts.We’ll hear the Brattleboro Vermont glam, post-rock new wave band THUS LOVE play songs from their new album, All Pleasure, and hear about how their DIY house concert aesthetic has influenced all aspects of their group, from touring, to songwriting, to general philosophy. The Bay State born and based Ali McGuirk has transitioned her songwriting from 3 chord pop mimicry into jazzy and soulful R&B tunes. We’ll hear about what led to that change in her style through songs from her forthcoming album on the Northampton label Signature Sounds.Plus a quick rundown of where you can commemorate the Fourth of July the words of Frederick Douglass with Clark University Professor Ousmane Power-Greene, with a list of where you can see fireworks in the area to boot.

We’re seeking out public places where there is AC that also happen to be fonts of knowledge. Millions of years ago, the Connecticut River was a hotbed of dinosaur activity, and Dino Trail Week explores the contributions the Asparagus Valley has brought to the study of the “terrible lizards” through the past two centuries. We head the Beneski Museum to meet Museum Educator Fred Venne, student docent Cirdan Kearns, and Dino Trail Week organizer Jonathan Mirin of Piti Theater as we explore their collection, learn more about how fossils and tracks get studied, and hear about all the fun dino oriented things you can do starting July 5th. Less fun but no less important is the ongoing conversation about enslavement and the North. As part of those conversations Historic Northampton has spent several years exploring the city’s place in that history, and unveils their current findings in a new exhibit today. Slavery and Freedom in Northampton, 1654 to 1783 presents the names and lives of those enslaved and we talk with Betty Sharpe of Historic Northampton, Dylan Gafney of Forbes Library, and professor Ousmane Power-Greene of Clark University about their journey to this opening in an extra special Power of History segment. And congressman Jim McGovern caps off two late-running congressional sessions by chatting with us about the impact the budget bill will have on millions of Americans, and the issues of bipartisanship he continues to encounter on Capitol Hill.

Two artists, two continents, and two endeavors to bring more awareness to each of their peoples. At Springfield Museums, a collection of paintings aimed at raising awareness and honoring the many missing and murdered Indigenous women across the Americas is currently on display. Nayana LaFond’s Portraits in RED melds realism with Indigenous belief as it puts faces to the ongoing issue, and we hear more about the projects online origins in the pandemic, its impact on folx everywhere, and the reasons for and hows of the project's upcoming end. And tonight at the Iron Horse, an afrobeat legend plays to close out the Secret Planet Music CSA’s second season. Gyedu-Blay Ambolley has a storied career spanning 5 decades and 30 albums, including being a pioneer and innovator for two, possibly three musical genres. We speak with the musical ambassador and veteran about music in Ghana, the rhythmic diaspora he works with, and the importance of playing his debut album July 2nd in Northampton.

We’re taking a close look at local innovations and memory. We’ll head to Hatfield where a prodigal farmer is building culinary forward farm dreams. Sara Fil has a history at farm stands, but with Ruffled Feathers Farm she’s now providing vegetables, flowers, herbs and eggs to adventurous locals, and we’ll chat with her about the importance of the stand to her work. We’ll also look to Hadley and the original location of an innovative school that is the subject of a new podcast. Radiotopia presents “We’re Doing ‘The Wiz’” takes a look at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School in its early days through the experiences of staff members and alums of the institution, including some missteps and key moments that lead to the titular production. The award winning Creative Team behind the episodes Ian Coss and Sakina Ibrahim, both of whom were in this musical, talk to us about their episodes and experiences, and the impact creating this very specific aural snapshot of PVPA has had on their lives and processes, and how that work stays with them today.

We’re taking a local approach to national affairs, especially because at the top of this administration’s list of issues is immigration, and this particular nation of immigrants is about to celebrate a birthday. Some of those immigrants will be naturalized as American citizens in Northampton on the 4th of July this week. and we’ll hear from folx who get to see that process firsthand from the Center for New Americans, Laurie Millman and Harleen Multani. And perhaps we'll see if we who were born here might be able to keep our citizenship if we were asked to take the same tests that we ask of those who come here from afar.But honestly that might be a little in jeopardy too, and there’s a whole lot that is happening in the judicial branch overall, so we’ll speak with former editor-in-chief at Slate and author of Antidemocratic, Haydenville's own David Daley about the possible repercussions of the recent slew of decisions from the highest court in the land. Plus Mr. Universe, Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College’s Salman Hameed explores the wicked cool images we’ve gotten from the Vera Rubin Telescope, coupled with the bittersweet knowledge that the DEI forward parts of the observatory's website, and perhaps their program, have been scrubbed.

Now that we’ve given you a list of local authors to read, you need a place to actually flip through the pages right? Then you may want to get thee to Westhampton this weekend, where they’ll be Lounging for Literacy on June 28th, both to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the library’s move and renovation and raise awareness and funds in light of the national cuts to Museum and Library services library director Meaghan Schwelm, along with library volunteer Laurie Sanders, selectboard member Jennifer Milikowsky, local musician and avid composer of library songs Jim Armenti, and donkey wrangler Ali Jenkins with donkey in tow join us on the Westhampton Public Library lawn to talk about the event and the connecting point the library serves to its greater community. We’ll also revisit our pop-up session with the inspiring and impressive Leyla McCalla from last week’s Green River Festival. We’ll hear a bit about her recent concert with her Songs for our Native Daughters co-horts at the Hollywood Bowl too, and how place and belonging have shaped the base of her songwriting. And we’ll make a return to the wine thunderdome in Northampton down in the wine bunker of State Street Deli Wine and Spirits, where we try out two varietals that are perfect for the heatwaves to come.

Today we'll speak with two folx who are trying their very hardest to make the nation better, through reading materials, and reading the writing slowly getting scrawled on wallsLocally an incredibly prolific author illustrator not only has a new novel to celebrate, but a whole exhibit looking at her books, her paintings, her process, and whole career. A living retrospective of Grace Lin’s work is on display at the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst, and we take a trip to see her work unfold on the walls there, and continue our impromptu summer reading week, as we all explore the possibilities of cultural connection and the importance of being seen. And a lot has changed in the political landscape over the last few days. So our weekly chat with Congressman Jim McGovern is covering a lot of ground as well. From the bombings in Iran, to more possible cuts to Snap nationwide there’s troubling situations afoot. But there’s also glimmers of good stuff as well, and we’ll get into how the recent NYC elections tie into a sea change in the Democratic Party, and how the Dalai Lama is helping to buoy his hope this week.

Today we're bringing other locales into closer view. In literature, we’ll dig into Mattea Kramer’s new novel The Untended, which takes a very close look at a fictional woman’s interaction with the very real opioid crisis with a Greenfield Backdrop. We hear about treading proverbial lines between the real and unreal on the page from someone who’s been addressing issues like these in the public sphere for years.We’ll also evoke more than a little Clouseau with the music of someone you can see perform at the Iron Horse tonight. John Carroll Kirby has collaborated with big names you know like Solange and Blood Orange, but on his solo albums evokes more of a free-form electronica and we’ll ask him about the music and art he makes with others and for himself before you can see it in person in Northampton And word Nerd Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster, takes us back to English’s origins with German words we’ve taken and adopted for our own linguistic purposes. Which is a bit of an oroborous of a journey, except that that word is Greek.

Today on the Fabulous 413, we’re turning dreams into reality, which is a tall order, but sometimes, the magic just happens. In Northampton which has had a particular hole in its culinary landscape. We head to the future home of Lichter and Levin Jewish Delicatessen to hear from the music stewarding duo at the helm of this endeavor, the eponymous Emily Lichter and Ben Levin, as well as their talented chef, Alex Hanley, and familiar face to their location, Robin Wynn, at their downtown digs about the joke that started it all, and the legacy they’re accidentally continuing. Oh and a quick taste test of some of their delicious menu items!We'll also head to Chicopee where Evan Nawrocki of Nightjar Farm turned almost an acre of land at his grandmother’s house into a growing farm operation and we head to his burgeoning homestead to hear how this very young farmer got into the business, along with CISA executive director Jennifer Core.And our very favorite of the Baystate’s unique geological features is once again up in the legislature to become the official sedimentary structure of Massachusetts. Professor Richard Little joins us to talk about how you can write in support of them becoming official, and about the JAMB-oree being held this weekend to celebrate them.

We are winding down from an amped up weekend locally and globallyLocally, the Green River Festival wrapped yesterday, and beyond our live show being the very first thing on any of the stages as the festival opened, a good handful of artists agreed to sit with us for pop-ups throughout the course of those 3 days. Including one who nearly didn’t make it to the festival at all. We hear music and stories from our session with Olive Klug. Globally, the US has been up to things. Kinda terrible things that have repercussions on the scientific community in ways you wouldn’t expect, so Mr. Universe, Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College's Salman Hameed, walks us through some of the implications of our bombing of Iran. And what better way to unwind from being amped up than to nestle in with a new noir novel that follows actors, con artists, journalists and the organizations that tie them all together. The Set Up is the first novel by UMass Professor of Sociology Jonathan Wynn that explores all of this against a Las Vegas Backdrop, and we chat with the author about this foray into fiction.

We’re in Franklin County, on the country fairgrounds, ready to begin 3 days of music, fun, and community in Greenfield.It’s time once again for the Green River Festival. What started as a small birthday party for a local radio station has grown to be much much bigger, from 1 day to 3, and with or without hot air balloons, it’s still one of the most fun gatherings around. And we are broadcasting live from the grounds as they open to let in the peoples, hoping against hope for better weather this year. We’ll hear from Maker’s Market Co-ordinator Mark Lattanzi about his role and the many creative artisans that you can encounter on the grounds this weekend, especially with a new twist on their location.Western Canada's Ocie Elliott joins us with the sweet harmonies of their folk sound, and some corrections to the internet's record. As will the Winterpills, with their western Mass. dream pop and an announcement of music to come. And speaking of new music, we check in with Philadelphia's Mo Lowda and the Humble before they take the Main Stage to hear about the album they just released today!

Today on the show, we double your Pride, double you chance to party for equality. We’ll head up to Charlemont and get wet at Zoar Outdoors. Jason Costa and Ann Gillard take us out on the river for a paddling experience, not unlike the ones folx will experience at their Pride event this weekend. We’ll hear about the importance of creating queer space outside, and hear about the classes, clinics and party they’ve got planned as we take a few kayaks on the Deerfield RiverWe’ll also head to Holyoke who’ve got Pride Fest happening this weekend. The city will be a-buzz with a wealth of activity, but post parade partying is headed back to one of our favorite haunts in Hampden county: Fame Eatery and Lounge. We’ll chat with proprietor David Blood, and mixologist and pride committee member Alex Torres about what fun activities you can expect on Dwight Street this Saturday. And word nerd Emily Brewster, senior Editor at Merriam Webster, has us take a closer look at the way our language pluralizes things, and how other languages we’ve borrowed from are leaving their marks at the end of words in English. (Looking right at you octopus, and you too mouse.)

We’re talking with folx creating connections in their fields.Sometimes literally as we venture out to see how the berries are doing at Dickinson Farm. We’re at the height of Strawberry season and on the verge of Blueberry season, both of which you can venture into the fields and pick for yourself at their Granby location. 3rd generation farmer Nate LaFlamme shows us the lay of their multi generation farm’s land, including the diversity they're growing across their just under 200 acres. . And sometimes it adorns the walls you see every day. This Thursday on Juneteenth, Common Wealth Murals is hosting a bus tour of some of the public artwork in Springfield with specific connections to the holiday and the Black community. We speak with executive director Britt Ruhe about the art you can see in the city of firsts, the importance of public art, and how you can be a part of a new mural going up in Indian Orchard. Occasionally, it’s crossing genres. Composer/saxophonist/bandleader Felipe Salles released a brand new album earlier this month. "Camera Obscura" blurs the lines between light and dark, chamber music and jazz, large and small ensembles to create an atmospheric auditory take on perspective and memory, and we chat with the creator about the work itself and two opportunities in the 413 you’ll have to see it performed live.

Today, we are getting a very intimate tour of an institution with someone who has seen the move of its evolution to the point where an exhibit was just created to cover the 5 decades of his tenure with them. Norton Owen began as a student at the festival, but now fills a position that was made for him: Preservationist, a title he gets to add to that of curator, archivist, dancer and more that he’s engaged with at Jacob’s Pillow. We get a personalized tour of the archives at the Festival with the Man himself and learn about his impressive tenure and the development and expansion of the archive and its attached exhibition space. We’ll also hear about the award he’s being honored with at the gala that marks the start of the festival and even delve into the depths of the archive itself to see some of the amazing costumes, film, posters and more marking the history of the festival and beyond for posterity. And Monte brushes the sand off of his recorder to hang out with Mr. Universe, Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College’s Salman Hameed explains how scientists are using the Pandora Galaxy Cluster as a lens to check out more heavenly phenomenon.

We're headed to the screen to meet the young local Black W. Mass. creatives putting their work on it. We speak with the creator, producer, and writer of The Matumbilas, an animated series about a young Tanzanian family and their experiences in the US. Zulfiqar Manzi now finds the story that was inspired by his own experiences in Springfield on two African Based platforms, Kweli TV and AfroWatch, and we hear from the man himself about the changes that’s brought in his work and more. We also get to see a new production company emerge into the light with a fantastic script to boot. Christian Banda comes to the studios to talk about his past season writing a screenplay inspired by Polish cinema, the lessons learned from his first short film that he brings with him, and how the community can be a part of bringing the Decalogue to life through crowdfunding.And for Live Music Friday, indie tinged americana heads to the Marigold theater tonight, June 13th in the sounds of Melanie A. Davis. Noctalgia is Melanie A. Davis’ fourth full-length album and the first to feature her full-band outfit, Melanie A. Davis & The Madness. Released late last year, it is a love letter to the fading night sky that’s slowly “disappearing” from our perspective due to climate change, the 10-track collection runs from doo-wop, to honkytonk, and everywhere in between and beyond.

Including a brand new Pride celebration this weekend as Lee prepares to put on its very first Pride events EVER. Although nestled within Berkshire Pride, the southern Berkshires town is putting on its own festivities this Saturday June 14th and we speak with Leah Docktor about the full day of activity, the importance of towns beginning their own Pride traditionsWe also have live music THURSDAY with local Kinks inspired band the Muswell Hillbillies who are bringing Tom Petty to life on the Iron Horse Stage this Sunday. The band stops by the studio to relive some of the rock icon’s song glory and hear what's still compelling about his massive catalog. And Monte being out of town makes it the perfect time to make our regular guests play games with me, so I sit with Prof Ousmane Power Greene to talk about a crucial moment in American history with my favorite game to casually bring up with people: 6 degrees of the failure of reconstruction.

We're celebrating Juneteenth everywhere all the times and with tons of family. We check out two of the celebrations happening in the area in Holyoke and Amherst. In Paper city, Genuine Culture is teaming up with the Wistariahurst Museum to create a celebration of the holiday for all on June 19th, and we’ll hear from Mother son team Theresa Cooper-Gordon and Damany Gordon of Genuine Culture and Megan Seiler director of the museum about this years Juneteenth festivitiesWe’ll also head to Amherst to check out a brand new space that is re-framing the context of local history in Amherst. Ancestral Bridges is bringing the black and afro-indigenous legacies and people of the town back into the spotlight through exhibits and ongoing research. Mother-daughter team and directors Anika Lopes and Deborah Bridges show us around their new space and talk about their Juneteenth walking tour and more. And word nerd Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster, our dictionary in Springfield, reaches back in time to an era where the American language was experiencing a parallel expansion to the nation itself. We explore 19th century americanisms in all of their manifestations of destiny.

Today we herald poignant performances. Which includes an upcoming series of summer performances at Hampshire College.Silverthorne Theater Company is on the verge of opening the first of its two productions for the summer in Amherst, after a major shift in the structure of their season, and we’ll speak with company members Ezekiel Baskin, Gina Kaufman, and Mayte Sarmiento about their two upcoming shows "The Amateurs" and "The Comeuppance", their ongoing mission, and "Theater Thursdays."We’ll also get ready for next week’s holiday with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, who for the 3rd year have prepared a dynamic Juneteenth Freedom Day Concert celebration for it. We meet the three creative forces behind the program, conductor Kevin Scott, Director of the Extended Family Choir Kevin Sharp, and Director of the Springfield Symphony Chorus Nikki Stoia in addition to SSO President Paul Lambert about the pieces and community the concert will bring together this June 19th. And in Southwick, one of a handful of remaining farms is growing across a gaggle of greenhouses and 5 acres of land. Helmed by a mighty trio, Ray’s Family Farm has been bringing fresh produce to the region, and we speak with Heidi Brzoska and Sabrina Kannera, the base of this solid farming triangle, about this season’s growing, their unexpected crops, and the future of farms like theirs.

Today is a family affair. We speak with director, writer, producer Llewellyn Smith of Blue Spark Collaborative, who has been making documentary films of all lengths and topics for over four decades. From Eyes on the Prize, to Poisoned Water, to Race: The Power of an Illusion, to his producing role in the PBS series American Experience, the filmmaker is no stranger to the platform that Public Media offers. Now helming an independent company, his latest film “When Machines Prescribe” offers a chilling look at the Medical system and the histories it holds that have devastating repercussions in today. We’ll explore the work he’s done inside and outside of Public Media, the future of the films he makes, and perhaps get a family story or two out of him because it just so happens, he's Kaliis' uncle. And Mr. Universe, Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College’s Salman Hameed, joins Monte to take a closer look at an exo-planet, that is moving in ways that are puzzling for such a system, including that the binary stars of its system seem to be co-parenting it, and what that means for us observing similar systems in the future.

Today, we have two tales of community celebration alike in virtue, where we’ll head deep into the Hilltowns, and get out on the riverA celebration of the once incredibly plentiful anadromous fish of the Connecticut River who are currently fighting their way upstream to spawn in northern waters. The inaugural Shad Fest happens this Sunday so we head to Holyoke to witness the fish elevator and hear about the incredible festivities with festival organizer Stephanie Moore. And a glimpse of the important role Shad has played in the area’s history and ecosystem with Andrew Fisk, Northeast Regional Director for American Rivers. We’ll also celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Westhampton Public Library opening with a collection of tales of people from the area about the impact of our foodways. The Hampshire County Food Policy Council is opening the exhibit “Sharing Stories, Creating Change", featuring a new story from a family that’s been farming in the area for 80 years. And we hear from Storytelling Circle Coordinator Kristen Whitmore and Community Story Archive Coordinator Alexandra Mello about the impact personal stories can have in our community and beyond.

Today we deal with matters of great importance.Like the true nature of Hadley’s asparagus supremacy. We know that Hadley grass used to get shipped to the Queen of England, but how different is it from the spears grown in other western mass locales, or even other spots across the globe?To get ready for our very own Asparagus Festival happening at the Hadley Commons this weekend, we bring grass from three different locations to the NEPM studios and conduct our own experiment to see if we, ourselves, can tell the difference between Asparagus grown in three different locations, including Hadley. And we’ll learn more about traversing the 91 corridor for a very good cause when Tara Brewster and Chelsea Kline drive by the studio to tell us how a VW bus and a donated bed are helping to raise money for the Cancer Connection with their fundraising event “Grateful Bed” Plus, a check in with congressman Jim McGovern who'll address the "Big 'Beautiful' Bill" in the middle of the room, a slew of listener questions about CPB, PBS, and NPR funding, ICE activity, and his own upcoming visit to the NEPM Asparagus Festival on Saturday.

We’re exploring all the colors of the rainbow, cause it’s PRIDE MONTH, ya’ll. The Queer Joy Chorus recently became the Queer Joy Collaborative and is celebrating its first year in their new incarnation. This Sunday they’ll throw the first ever Queer Joy Fun Fair with activities, singing, food, and more at Smith Voc, and we’ll chat with Mara Levi and Micki McInnis about the shift.And in the Berkshires, an innovative incubating theater teams up with a NY theater company to tell lost histories in song. The Big Gay Speakeasy happens June 13th and 14th at the Adams theater and we speak with Adams Theater founder and artistic director Yina Moore and Life Jacket Theater Artistic Director Travis Russ about the production, their collaboration, and the music telling the tales of those lost. Plus word Nerd Emily Brewster digs into a listener question about poisonous words we don’t often get to use as we explore the similarities and differences of baleful, baneful, bale and bane.

Today we're talking about sweet things. Even when we’re talking about hard things to watch. This Saturday, The Triplex Cinema shows a special screening of the Oscar winning 1984 film The Killing Fields, which details the experiences of two journalists in Cambodia in 1975 at the beginning of the Khmer Rouge uprising. We chat with one of the stars of that movie who’ll be on hand at the theater for a post-movie Q & A, actor Sam Waterston. Plus it’s Pride Month, officially, and the pride celebrations are rolling out all over the 413. On June 7th you can join the celebrations with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Greenfield as Franklin County Pride gathers all for their parade and festivities. We speak with Cynthia Fritz, Jake Krain, and Heather Mahoney about all the celebrating through the rainbow they’ll be bringing downtown on Saturday. And its in jars, cause that’s where the jam goes. In Conway a passion project has become a whole career turning berries and other fruit into low and no sugar spread-ables. We chat with Devon Whitney-Deal of Beaumont’s Berries about her pivot from working corporate jobs and managing the Greenfield Farmer’s Market to picking fruits, and making jam.(and if you're curious about the version of Technotronic's "Pump Up The Jam" that Kaliis mentioned, you can see it here, performed by Damien Robitalle)

Today we’ll give you two opportunities to engage yourself and enact or acknowledge the changes you’d like to see in the area and the world, and each is in its second year of operating. One of those is the upcoming Equity in the 413: Western Massachusetts Racial Equity Summit, which seeks to re-align efforts to advance racial equity across the region. We’ll talk with Community Foundation CEO Megan Burke and VP for People and Culture Briana Wales-Thaxton about the need and utility of this gathering especially at a time when diversity is slowly becoming a dirty word, and how the event has grown since its inception in 2023. Another is Glenmeadow where they are currently accepting nominees for their “Age of Excellence” awards, honoring folx over 60 in the myriad ways they impact our lives. Dr. Kathy Martin, President and CEO of Glenmeadow, and Rania Kfuri, Vice President of Philanthropy, speak with us about the place this holds in their organization’s 140+ year history, and changing perspectives on what aging looks like. And Mr. Universe, Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College's Salman Hameed, talks about the cuts to the NSF in the big beautiful bill, including it's repercussions for NASA, and what happens to the American scientific landscape when student and research visas are unavailable or revoked.

Today we have something lost, something gained, and something re-imagined. At the Shea Theater this weekend, a kaiju classic is getting a sonic overhaul as Cinemastorm presents an extra special screening of Noriaki Yuasa’s “Gamera vs. Guiron,” accompanied by a live soundtrack by local composer Galen Huckins and live foley by Jonathan Greber of Skywalker Sound. We talk with each of them, as well as the cast, musicians, and other performers involved in the production. A pair familiar to the 617 will soon find a place within the 413 as Boston Public Radio begins airing here on NEPM. We chat with hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan about what the eastern shores can bring to the west, and see what they know about the 4 counties of western Massachusetts. And many of us were shocked by the death of singer-songwriter/playwright/activist Jill Sobule earlier this month in a house fire. A series of tribute shows in the dates and locations she would have performed on her latest tour have been planned by her friends and colleagues coming together to fill those bills themselves. The first of these happens Saturday, May 31st at the Iron Horse in Northampton. For Live Music Friday we hear some of Jill’s songs and discuss her legacy with the host of the 413’s contribution to Jillith Fair: Erin McKeown.

May is often when we think about the growing things. Including our youth, as they are our future, as they dance into new horizons in the School for Contemporary Thought’s first narrative work: Wonderland. We speak with the director, Jen Polins, about the company members blooming into the plotlines in their pre-professional company The Hatchery, and the importance of inspiring young dancers to take up more space. Also private gardens are being opened to the public are being opened to the public. The Garden Conservancy is holding Open Gardens this week and next where many beautifully cultivated landscapes across western Mass, and the country, will be available for folx to peruse and enjoy. We’ll chat with Greenfield gardeners Elise and Laura Schlaikyer, and Sarah Chadwick, Regional Ambassador for Western Massachusetts at The Garden Conservancy, about this event which may inspire you to get your hands dirty, and how the non-profit collaborates with gardening organizations across the US, including the Greenfield Garden Club. Plus, we speak to gardner, witchy folklorist and author Varla Ventura about her latest book, “Enchanted Plants: A Treasury of Botanical Folklore and Magic,” before her event on May 31 at the South Hadley Public Library. We discuss the interesting tales the plants have to tell and the poison garden she raises at home.

We’re exploring emphasis. In Amherst, we return to an exhibit, “Sowing History, Reaping Justice,” where students of the Slavery North Initiative have spent a semester developing picture books for younger audiences to learn about slavery. We talk to student authors Emmanuel Nkuranga, River Riddle and Georgia Brabec as well as professors Charmaine Nelson of UMass and Raphael Rogers of Clark University to explore their projects. We also learn how to make art as sustainable as possible. Nestled in the neighborhood of Florence, the printmaking studio, Zea Mays, is preparing to share its wealth of knowledge with the public. We get a tour with founder Liz Chalfin of their two levels of printmaking wonders, meet some studio members and preview the prints that you too can make at their open house this weekend. And resident wordster Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster, gives us some rules-of-thumb about the ways we pronu-ounsee things in response to a listener's question about accents, and where we should be placing them.

Franklin County is taking the spotlight. Because that’s where Tumble Science Podcast for Kids is making its home these days. Tomorrow night is their Joke-ha-thon, raising funds for their next season of fun things about the world to littles everywhere. We chat with hosts Lindsay Patterson and Marshall Escamilla about what makes a good dad joke and how even they are feeling the sting of the NSF cuts. It’s also where democracy is currently on display. Mohawk Trail Regional High School has been host to the exhibit, “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America,” which examines the process, procedure and current status of American democracy through historical documents and local connections. We meet with civics teacher Catherine Glennon to explore the collection before it travels across the mountains to Lee for its next stop.And it's home to tiny aliens growing in the woods. We head to the Leverett-Montague border where Boulder Top Farm is innovating mushroom agriculture and more on their 4 acres. We take a walk with proprietor Elijah Lagreze through the wood chips, wine caps and baby turtles to explore the crops, see how integrating mushrooms into other parts of the farm have had a big impact and learn where you can try some of his culinary creations locally.

Last month on April 13, we inaugurated our own holiday, 413 Day. Today on The Fabulous 413, we take you back to play a science quiz with our friends from Tumble Science Podcast for Kids, Lindsay Patterson and Marshall Escamilla.Plus, we had great music at our western Mass. celebration, so we revisit some live selections from The Fawns and Silvie’s Okay.Speaking of live music, the MiFA Victory Players are remounting their performance, “Puerto Abierto” at Holyoke’s DeLa Luz Soundstage next week. We hear about the show’s origin story with musical director and conductor Tian Hui Ng.

Today there is an over abundance of talent. We welcome back wine friend and sommelier Ken Washburn, general manager of the Leverett Village Co-Op, to the Tina Turner Memorial Wine Thunderdome with two extra fragrant choices as we pit Vouvray against Beaujolais. We also celebrate Ciarra Fragale's brand new album, "Get What You Want," for Live Music Friday, hear about her upcoming tour and how she adjusts her synthy new sounds for solo performances.Multi-disciplinary artist Saul Williams has broken ground in just about every artistic avenue he’s been on, from slam poetry to music to film and more. We chat with the inspirational artist before you can catch his concert at Mass MoCA to kick off the opening of artist Vincent Valdez’s new exhibit.

Amherst is perhaps the most densely concentrated locale of academia in western Mass., and today we give you a glimpse of how the wealth of knowledge is shared with the wider community.Amherst A Better Chance (ABC) is part of a national initiative to help Black, Latine, Indigenous and Asian students in underserved school districts achieve their dreams. Started in the late sixties, it’s been bringing young people into its residential academic program to help the transition to college and beyond. We meet the residential directors, Temistocles Ferreira, or Tem Blessed, and Nancita Alejandro, and scholar Frank Partida to learn about the program, national initiative and how their education is a community-wide effort.And Congressman Jim McGovern has had a very busy 48 hours, so we get more details of the conflicts that are associated with the latest bills and budget hitting the floor of the House of Representatives.

Say the name, say the name, because word on the common is that this weekend is a time of celebration. In Amherst, many Indigenous and First Nation peoples from the northeast and across the continent will gather for the 5th annual Odenong Powwow in song, dance, food, craft and more. Founder, organizer and multi-disciplinary artist Justin Beatty joins us to talk about sustaining the event, the nuances to learn about the traditions and peoples at the only powwow in the five college area and how this event is a perfect place to create common ground. And, Word Nerd Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster, is talking truth and taking names as we talk about eponyms large, small, unlikely and far beyond just album titles.

We’re honoring the area’s abolitionist past with those who carry its spirit into the future. Since 1992, the Sojourner Truth Memorial Committee has been supporting folx in the spirit of its namesake, and for twenty of those years has given to enterprising students from Hampshire and Hampden Counties who push their work toward a more just and liberated society. We meet Jameicia Estes, scholarship committee chair, and scholarship recipient Charlie Kocsmiersky to learn more about the organization, the weekend festivities, and how the changes we want to see in the world can start in your neighborhood. And, it’s also asparagus season here in western Mass., and with NEPM’s own Asparagus Festival looming on the horizon, we figure we visit where they say the best stalks grow. We head to Plainville Farm in Hadley to see Wally Czajkowski to learn how to properly harvest the ferns and how national immigration issues are affecting daily operations on the farm.

We're running the gamut of niche academia today. It's the 100th anniversary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and it's just our luck that Jazz à la Mode host and local dictionary editor Peter Sokolowski is one of the judges for the event. We speak with him about the nature of spelling bees, how he got involved in the event, the interesting origins of the word "spell" and more. And, Mr. Universe, Salman Hameed of Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College, explores the very boring and unimaginative scientific naming conventions for very interesting and universe breaking discoveries, little red dots (LRDs).

Have you ever looked at large architecture and wondered just how much space is being actually used, or how you could take advantage of that space? Today, we speak to Michael Townsend, a member of Tape Art art collective, who answered both of those questions with resounding yeses. We learn about “Secret Mall Apartment," a documentary about the 4-year-long inhabitable art project in a most unlikely spot, a hidden and unused space at the Providence Place Mall. You can catch the documentary and Townsend on May 19 in a screening and Q&A at Amherst Cinema. We also say goodbye to Cheap City on today’s Live Music Friday. They've been democratizing dance floors across the east coast for years and performing one of their last shows in western Mass. at the Marigold Theater on May 17. Self described as "what would happen if Zappa and Fugazi were, for some reason, collaborating on a disco record,” Cheap City affirms that they were “tasked by the city government of Cheap City to document life in the town." We find out how efforts to archive the town’s existence has led to a post-punk theatrical amalgam of psychedelic sound with many instruments and many slices of life.And, at Tip Top Wine Shop, Miranda Brown introduces us to a grape we’d never heard of before, whose name is spelled wrong, but who tastes totally right, Pineau d’Aunis enters the Wine Thunderdome.

We have to lift you up after the tumult of yesterday’s conversation, and we do it with music since our favorite time of year is swiftly approaching. June 20-22, the Green River Festival will descend on the Franklin County Fairgrounds, bringing over 40 bands, local vendors and our community together (with hopefully better weather than last year). For the second year, John Sanders of DSP Shows is at the helm of USS GRF, and we talk to him about the lessons learned from last year, the gems in this year's lineup and how music brings us all together in times of trial.While we’re in the neighborhood, we sneak around the corner to Franklin County Technical School (FCTS) where the students have just been given an important resource on campus. We chat with school counselor Taryn Canfield about the brand new food pantry for students and how you can help them keep it stocked. Plus, we welcome back Congressman Jim McGovern and discuss some of the struggles he’s been facing since the death of his daughter, including the ICE raids in Worcester and protecting SNAP benefits and other budget line items that need fighting for on Capitol Hill.

Basically since January 21st, we’ve been hearing about federal cuts to agencies its supported and run for decades, and seeing the carnage to programming, businesses, and federal departments themselves as the dominoes continue to fall. From the USDA to the NSF, from Health to the Humanities, greater infrastructure to academics, the Library of Congress to the NEA, it seems like no industry is immune to the removal of important grants and programs.It was only a matter of time before the many arts and service organizations that we speak to were also affected, so today, we’re speaking with people from a wide swath of the organizations in the area who’ve seen their federal grants and funding disappear, or are currently unsure of where their federal funding may end up. We’ll hear from Sally Loomis of Hilltown Land Trust, Claire Higgins of Community Action Pioneer Valley, Jim Hicks of The Massachusetts Review, and Ilan Stavans of Restless Books, and review some of what organizations who've spoken with us this year have said about their operations, plus a glimpse at the official statements of some of the other local organizations that are now attempting to deal with the fallout of these rescissions as we attempt to address the federal funding elephant that’s been cut out of the middle of our 4 counties.