The Fabulous 413

Mr. Universe goes to a UAP convention and tells us all the unclassified details he can, we take a walk around the corner to see how the folx at RAD's volunteer bike shop ar helping the community ride better, and talk about the real effects the Mass Reconnect program has had on community colleges with Springfield Techinicall Community College president John Cook.

Erin McKeown and Spouse come in for Live Music Friday just ahead of their sold out show at the Iron Horse, we celebrate 20 years of universal marriage with a couple that was part of the lawsuit that made it happen, and head to Northampton to taste through Mary Taylor's catalog of wines in a thunderdome at Bottle-O.

We chat with Mark Melnik of the UMass Donahue Institute about workforce disparity in western Massachusetts as the NEPM newsroom launches into a week-long exploration of the subject, local author and professor Naila Moreira celebrates the release of her new book "The Monarchs of Winghaven", and Mr. Universe draws parallels between the recent appearance of the Aurora Borealis and the protests at Umass.

We bring the Bay State's own bluegrass legend Peter Rowan to the studio for Live Music Friday, explore one of the oldest running quiz shows in american with Beth Ward host of As Schools Match Wits, enjoy a vertical wine thunderdome at State Street Deli Wine & Spirits, and delve into the work of the late Steve Albini with Time Eriksen and Peter Irvine of Cordelia's Dad who recorded two albums with him.

We're back from vacation with two troubadours from the valley teaming up to bring South American and Iberian guitar styles to the stage at the Parlor Room in Northampton: Tony Silva and Russell Brooks, we reconvene with congressman Jim McGovern to find out not only the latest shenanigans on Capitol HIll but his take on the wave of protests on campuses across the US including at UMass Amherst, and Monte shares what he did on his spring break vacation: talking with Smith students about their study abroad progam in Cordoba.

We discover the collaborative arts program OneBeat, whose current cohort will perform at Bombyx on Sunday, delve into our local history with the folx behind History Fest at Westfield State University, and the region's own labor history with the documentary "At Sword's Point" which will air on NEPM this weekend.

We hand out with rising Americana artist Amythyst Kiah, prepare for Hampshire Pride this weekend with organizers Clay Pearson and Alden Peotter, and check out the connections between animation and classical music with the upcoming program "Bugs Bunny Goes to the Symphony" at the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

We hear about a paint recycling program happening this weekend with the Northampton High School Key Club, check in with Senator Elizabeth Warren about some of the hotbed issues on her side of congress, and hear about a monthly poetry open mic night at 10 forward to help keep the National Poetry Month spirit all year long.

We head to the Berkshires to meet a winemaker encouraging everyone to drink more local wines, bring the noisy power trio True Jackie in for Live Music Friday, and bring Mr. Universe in for our chat with the poet laureate of the USA, Ada Limon.

We hear about the Pay it Forward Grant Program with folx from City Space in Easthampton, get a peek at the History of Salsa Event Happening at 33 Hawley in Northampton, and Congressman Jim McGovern finally gets to do some actual governing on Capitol Hill while also keeping an eye on the grown number of protests on college campuses across the US.

We check out NEPM's Newest Podcst with creator and reporter Karen Brown, find out more about Gateway City Arts recent sale to Alternative Education institution Lighthouse, and our resident wordster, Emily Brewster, untangles a reder question about homonyms.

We meet two of the three generations growing and brewing at Kosinski Farm in Westfield, get a tour and a temperature of the recently re-opened to the public Triplex Cinemas with creative director Ben Elliot, and walk to the beat of the Pittsfield Jazz Fest with Ed Bride of Berkshires Jazz.

We take a tour of the Springfield Municipal Recycling Facility with advisory board members Susan Waite and Amy Donovan in honor of Earth Day, and stumble into a brand new gem of a pizza spot in Great Barrington at Uva.

We chat with Payton Shubrick of 6 Bricks Dispensary in Springfield about changes to the marijuana landscape in Massachusetts, chat with Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black about the debut of the Spiderwick Chronicles TV series on Roku, and hear about Mary Jane Jones' 4/20 celebration at the Marigold Theater in Easthampton.

We chat with actor/director/producer Karen Allen about her career and more, head to Hadley to see the 50+ years of history that makes 20 Acre Farm what it is, and check in with US Rep Jim McGovern, who has a lot on his mind this week.

We hear about the history of the Solar Rollers and the wave of rallies and actions they've got planned for Saturday, and hear from poet Alex Woolner about the many ways her imprint Attack Bear Press is trying to get as much poetry into as many hands as possible.

The staff of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center join us to talk about their mission and upcoming Garden of Literacy event, and we chat with author Bothayna al-Essa about her book "The Book Censor's Library", recently released by Restless Books.

We gear up for the Easthampton Film Festival with organizer Chris Ferry and filmmakers Christian Banda & KT Baldassaro, bear witness to and diseminate the newest verstion of the one character show "SUGA" at Double Edge Theater, And Mr. Universe breaks down what we really got to see during the eclipse.

We hear about the newest iteration of theater production "Across the Ninefold River" with members of the Unnameable Children's Project, gear up to celebrate 4-1-3 day with Liz Rosenberg of The Toy Box in Amherst, prepare ourselves for the tales of Valley Voices Best of show happening at the Academy of Music, and bring two natural reds to the wine thunderdome at the Leverett Village Co-Op.

NYT Bestselling author/illustrator/animator Mo Willems shows us around his latest series of sketches, visit one of the largest livestock farms in western Mass at Great Falls Aquaculture, and Congressman Jim McGovern addresses the latest wave of student activism and the health care issues arising in Arizona.

We hear about the "this Light of Mine" event for the Childrens Advocacy Center of Hampshire County, discover a new book about the boy from Longmeadow who would become Johnny Appleseed with local author Melissa Cybulski, discuss developments with Merriam-Webster and the idiom "Begs the question" with word nerd Emily Brewster, and revisit our trip to the path of totality with all of it's adventurous moments.

We broadcast live from the Emily Dickenson Museums to hear the exciting news about their new season and indulge in some of the work of contemporary poets that have been involved in their programming over the years

The moon just got in the way of the sun, so we have a whole episode about Eclipses: Mr. Universe talks about some of the science that could only happen because of eclipses, Word Nerd Emily Brewster talks about eclipse oriented words, Lindsay Patterson and Marshall Escamilla discuss the recent Eclipse episode of "Tumble: Science Podcast for Kids", and Monte & Kaliis report back from seeing the phenomena for themselves.

We check in with the folx of the Cancer Connection at their Bed-In, drink superhero wines with the folx at Tip Top Wine Shop in Easthampton, and have a double Live Music Friday with locals Stompbox Trio, and Lady Moon & the Eclipse

We delve into the virtual worlds designed for this weekend's Power of Truths Festival with designer Khalif Neville, hear about pushing the boundaries of chamber music with the folx behind the Connections Concert at Bombyx this Sunday, And McGovern ponders what to do about Israel after the tragedy with World Central Kitchen

Caroline Rose joins us for a check-in before the second night of their residency, Diane and Robert Rollins tell us of the long road to bringing produce and poultry to the region at D & R Farms, Dave Hayes updates us on the slightly unseasonable sky-goings-on, and Word Nerd Emily Brewster sets time markers on our vocabulary with Retronyms.

We speak with State Senator Jake Olivera about some of the many issues on his agenda and his love of NPR, and we hear about the amalgam of art, history, and education that will make up the third Power of Truths Festival.

We hear about the $2M gift received by CATA, explore laughter in the 413 with the folx from Happier Valley Comedy, and Mr. Universe tells us about a western Massachusetts tie to eclipses though Emily Dickenson.

We hear about Translate Gender's upcoming Resource and Art Fair, Pit north vs south in Italy with Provisions for the Wine Thunderdome, and have live Music Friday with the multi-genred stage behemoth that is Bella's Bartok.

Word Nerd Emily Brewster doubles down into the history of the word "ditto", the MIFA Victory Players combine the music of Amy Beach and the poetry of Emily Dickenson in a program that will air on NEPM Classical this weekend, we learn about the first woman to play professional baseball with author Martha Ackmann, and Congressman Jim McGovern bemoans our inability to truly hear each other and have discourse.

We speak with author Ayize Jama-Everett about his Liminal Series before his appearance at Book Moon in Easthampton, meet the new artistic advisor for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and get an update on the strike at Mass MoCA as well as Holyoke's School receivership with NEPM's Jill Kaufmann.

We get a visit from Naomi Szymonik of Deere Creek Farm to hear about their pandemic built agrotourism and more, get into some of the highs and lows of the current run of electric cars in light of the recent Biden administration's plans for emissions, and Kaliis returns from the Big Ears Festival with stories to tell.

Moon justice, food justice and an embarrassing history.

Swift, Satiated and Blessed

The Fair Housing and Civil Rights Conference, a new documentary, “Where I Became,” and Congressman Jim McGovern

A new Shakespeare festival emerges in Montague, Word Nerd Emily Brewster reveals words that evolve backwards (assbackwords), plus a check in with Report For America.

We get donuts, pie, and more at Atkins Farm Country Market, talk with the folx at Downtown Sounds about their recent deep dive into the history of a very unique guitar, find out more about figures in western Massachusetts' past with local historian Cliff McCarthy, and a big festival out of the 413 that'll see one of the show's hosts this weekend.

Local HIstorian Erika Slocumb talks to us about her research into the Liberty Heights housing project of Holyoke, we chat with the new owners of Kitchen Garden Farm in Sunderland about the change in leadership, and Mr. Universe breaks down a recent Department of Defense paper on extraterrestrial life.

We get another glimps of the Back Porch Festival with Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem who'll perform twice in the event's run, check out the new tanglewood season with conductor of the Boston Pops Keith Lockhart, and make the wine thunderdome into a battle of north vs. south with white burgundies at State Street Deli, WIne & Spirits.

We hear about Emily Dickenson's Irish connection with Rosemary Caine and folx connected with her work "Margaret Maher and the Celtification of Emily DIckenson", talk tree gold with the MAssachusetts Maple association president Keith Bardwell in Whately, check in with congressman Jim McGovern about Capitol Hill and the recent "visitors" to his office, and eat pie, because it's Pi Day.

We learn how to play the bagpipes (sorta!) with Tina Harkness and Rick Rabe of the Springfield Kiltie Band, sit with Hector Flores and Denise Carlos of Las Cafeteras who are headed to Northampton for the Back Porch Festival, and learn the proper places to put prepositions with our resident wordster, Emily Brewster of Merriam Webster

We hear about the ongoing strike at Mass MoCA with NEPM reporter Jill Kaufmann, talk with state legislators Jo Comerford, Natalie Blais, and Susannah Whipps, and hear about the Holyoke St. Patrick's Day Parade events with committee president Hayley Dunn.

We chat with rocker Caroline Rose, who's turned down the volume and upped the empathy for her latest album and upcoming residency at Bombyx, and Mr. Universe, Salman Hameed, discusses the conjuction of the Oscars, Ramadan, and a supernova with a missing neutron star.

We have Live Music Friday with Dennis Crommett who'll play the Back Porch Festival next week, Talk about the Oscars with Academy Member and filmmaker Larry Hott and Amherst Cinemas Programming Director George Myers, and take our Franklin County Wine Friend Sommalier Ken Washburn to Juicbox in Shelburne Falls for the Thunderdome.

We hear about the Almost Spring Weekender series hosted in Sheffield by local Music CSA Secret Planet, get live music from Orchestra Gold who'll be performing at the event, hear about another music event that we'll benefit a climate resilience program in Oaxaca with Neftali Duran, and have our weekly chat with Jim McGovern.

We sit with all-around food justice championer Liz O'Gilvie who is taking part in CISA's storytelling event Field Notes this Sunday, hear about the 40+ year legacy of Girls Inc of the Valley with Jess Colson, and get into a listener question about resurging pronounciations with resident wordster Emily Brewster

We head to Granby to check on our friends at Red Fire Farm who suffered great losses due to a fire last month, chat with Tarriona "Tank" Ball of Tank & The Bangas just before their sold out show at the Drake this evening, and get a preview of next week's Back Porch Festival with Jim Olsen of Signature Sounds.

We chat with local author Mickey Rathbun about her new memoir examining her family's ties to a book in the American canon, discuss the new Dune movie with Salman Hameed, and talk with two organizations with differing opinions about the Amherst ceasefire resolution that'll be put up to vote this evening.

We drink Croatian wine with winemaker Kreso Petrekovic, take a tour of the Dr. Seuss exhibits at Springfield Museums as they gear up for celebrations honoring his birthday, welcome back the Northampton Record Fair with organizer Justin Cohen, and have a harmonious Live Music Friday with the trio Eavesdrop

We chat with author James Swanson who's just released a book about the Deerfield Raid, and with Ray Radigan and Lindsay Kruzlic of the Memorial Hall Museum in Deerfield who have recently updated their exhibit on the conflict, and our weekly chat with Rep. Jim McGovern is beset with delays.

We learn about less known figures of local black history with local historian Cliff McCarthy, get gracious with Word Nerd Emily Brewster and a listener question about the phrase "You're welcome", and continue our tour of the exhibit "Emancipation" with curator Destinee Filmore at the Williams College Museum of Art.

We get a sneak peek of CISA's upcoming event Field Notes with Tessa White Diemand of Diemand Farms in Wendell, look at the intersections of the humanities and environmental work with professor Malcom Sen of UMass, and take a tour of the exhibit "Emancipation" at the Williams College Museum of Art with curator Destinee Filmore.

We take a glance at the Point/Counterpoint speaker series with moderator professor Ilan Stavans, hear about a corporate lunar landing and what that could mean for the future of the moon with Mr. Universe, and head to Pittfield to get a taste of the Carribean at the newest eatery on North St.: BB's Hot Spot.

We take Live Music Friday on the road to hang out with punk rock duo Film & Gender, check out a new fabric store in Holyoke that's on a mission to conserve both broadway and hollywood fabrics and your clothes, hear about CSA week with CISA and Mark Rutkowski of Rivershed Farm, and make our own birthday-styled Wine Thunderdome.

We hear about the two events happening in Greenfield this weekend centered around the Rights to Nature movement with Dian Dix of the Nolumbeka Project and Livia Charles of Western Mass Rights to Nature, and hang out with another Amherst College alum who's headed back to campus for LitFest this weekend, Brown University professor Lisa Biggs.

We head to Umass' exhibition that combines art, science, Indigenous HIstory and more with Interim director of Umass Contemporary Art Museum Amanda Herman, start a new pursuit in the name of marginalized local history with professor Ousmane Power-Green, and get up close and particular with pronouns and Word Nerd Emily Brewster.

We hear about the community building and restorative work of Jesse Freidin and his latest series "Are You Ok?" which centers transgendered and gender non-conforming youth, and chat with Sam Lovejoy about the 50th anniversary of his tower toppling feat and the documentary about the event that will have a showing at the Shea Theater later this week.