Episodes
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Saving Bookstores: How Independent Shops Cope Against COVID And E-Commerce Giants
A special one-hour edition of Bookmarked: The Under the Radar Book Club. Today, 'Saving Bookstores.' When COVID-19 forced shutdowns in March, independent bookstores saw an immediate 8 percent overall drop in book sales from last year. But soon Americans returned to reading and buying books. However, some bookstores were forced to close before they could benefit from the uptick in sales. Others are still struggling to recover - scrambling to adapt so they can live to fight another day. Hundreds of independent bookstores have closed their doors for good - one a week according to a recent survey by the American Booksellers Association. But some local bookstores are making it work. We talk to three local independent bookstore owners, during Part One of the show. Guests: Christina Ciampa, owner of the All She Wrote Books in Somerville, Mass. Kate Layte, owner of Papercuts Bookshop in Boston, Mass. Matt Tannenbaum, owner of The Bookstore in Lenox, Mass. And featuring Leonard and Clarrissa Egerton, the husband and wife owners of Roxbury’s Frugal Bookstore, the only Black-owned bookstore in Boston, Mass. Later in the show: Maybe you’ve seen the national ad campaign called “Don’t Box Out Bookstores.” It’s an effort by the American Booksellers Association to encourage book lovers and bookstore supporters to buy independent, especially this holiday season. Earlier in the show, we heard from three local bookstore owners about how they are managing to survive. Now two guests who are working toward the long-term existence of independent bookstores. Guests: Alex Meriweather, general manager of the Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass. Sarah High, partnerships manager of Bookshop.org, a new national organization a bringing together bookstores across the country. Show Credits: Under the Radar with Callie Crossley is a production of GBH, produced by Hannah Uebele and engineered by Dave Goodman. Our theme music is FISH AND CHIPS by #weare2saxys’, Grace Kelly and Leo P. -
The Legacy Of Tunney Lee: Preserving The History Of Boston's Chinatown
Boston’s Chinatown lost a pillar of its community this summer. MIT professor emeritus Tunney Lee, an urban planner, architect, and historian died in July of complications from cancer. Lee immigrated from China in 1938 at the age of seven. He spent his life shaping the growth of his Boston neighborhood, always working to preserve its history with an eye toward the future. Tunney Lee's research focused on community-based design and engagement. His Boston Chinatown Atlas, an interactive online platform, documents the history of Boston's Chinatown. Urban planners and historians say the Atlas is a one-of-a-kind project which will teach new generations about their city’s history. Guests: Angie Liou, executive director of the Asian Community Development Corporation. Brent D. Ryan, head of the City Design and Development Group, and associate professor of Urban Design and Public Policy in MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning. Stephanie Fan, founding board member of the Chinese Historical Society of New England. Later in the show: As the cold weather sets in, we’re welcoming a winter wonderland of wines. But the wine world has also turned sour, as master sommeliers face their own "Me Too" movement. Plus, fall food trends are abundant for foodies this season, everything from avocado milk to a recent spice boom. Our food and wine experts weigh in on these stories and more. Guests: Jonathon Alsop, founder and executive director of the Boston Wine School and author of “The Wine Lover’s Devotional.” Amy Traverso, food editor at Yankee Magazine, co-host of GBH’s “Weekends With Yankee” and author of “The Apple Lover’s Cookbook.” Show Credits: Under the Radar with Callie Crossley is a production of GBH, produced by Hannah Uebele and engineered by Dave Goodman. Our theme music is FISH AND CHIPS by #weare2saxys’, Grace Kelly and Leo P. -
Local News: Adapting To All-Remote Learning, COVID Cases Spike In State, And Massachusetts' Most Diverse High Court
Schools shift back to fully-remote learning in Boston, while parents and teachers seek innovative solutions. Plus, COVID-19 cases continue to spike in the state, further straining healthcare staffing levels. And for the first time ever, three jurists of color will soon serve on the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. These stories and more in our Local News Roundtable. Guests: Gin Dumcius, digital editor for the Boston Business Journal. Seth Daniel, senior reporter with the Independent News Group, which includes the Chelsea Record and Revere Journal. Sue O’Connell, political commentator for NECN and co-publisher of Bay Windows and South End News. Later in the show: Boston is known for its history, but the people most well-known froim that history are largely white and male — think Samuel Adams, Paul Revere and Henry David Thoreau. Some of that has changed during recent decades as Boston's all Black 54th regiment, for example, has helped highlight the area's African American history. Still, most Boston guidebooks will lead you to the Freedom Trail, and past sites where events like the Boston Tea Party occurred. But is there more to know beyond these well-told narratives? Three local co-authors present a new guidebook, one that offers an expanded history to the region. ‘A People’s Guide to Greater Boston,’ features sites associated with oppression and resistance, focusing on the overlooked stories of underrepresented communities. Guests: Joseph Nevins is a professor of geography at Vassar College. Suren Moodliar is a coordinator of encuentro5, a movement-building space in downtown Boston, and managing editor of Socialism and Democracy, a journal of strategy. Eleni Macrakis is a project manager at Homeowners Rehab Inc. (HRI), a non-profit affordable housing developer in Cambridge, MA. Show Credits: Under the Radar with Callie Crossley is a production of GBH, produced by Hannah Uebele and engineered by Dave Goodman. Our theme music is FISH AND CHIPS by #weare2saxys’, Grace Kelly and Leo P. -
Local Food Groups Confront Heightened Hunger Crisis Amid Coronavirus
One million people now face hunger in Massachusetts. Coronavirus has forced a huge increase across the state of residents who don't know where or how they will get their next meal. Worse, the non-profit Feeding America reports that the increased percentage of hungry Bay Staters is greater than any other in the nation. While the pandemic fuels unemployment, more people than ever join lengthening food pantry lines, many for the first time. Children and people of color are affected disproportionally. Meanwhile, a federal response remains stalled. How have hunger organizations coped with the challenge of increased demand for food? Three groups from the region talk to us about how they’ve multiplied their efforts. Guests: Erin McAleer, president of Project Bread in Massachusetts, the state's only anti-hunger organization. Andrew Schiff, chief executive officer of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Ashley Stanley, founder and executive director of Lovin’ Spoonfuls, the largest food rescue agency in New England. Later in the show: Dogs have been used for decades to detect disease in humans. Their notable noses — which can sense cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, seizures, and more — have long impressed scientists and medical experts around the world. And now these super sniffers are being trained to smell COVID-19, even in asymptomatic carriers. Can man’s best friend help sniff our way out of the pandemic? Guest: Maria Goodavage, journalist and bestselling author, most recently of “Doctor Dogs: How Our Best Friends Are Becoming Our Best Medicine.” Show Credits: Under the Radar with Callie Crossley is a production of GBH, produced by Hannah Uebele and engineered by Dave Goodman. Our theme music is FISH AND CHIPS by #weare2saxys’, Grace Kelly and Leo P. -
Politics: 2020 Election Outcomes, Youth And Minority Voter Power, And Problems With Polling
We still don’t know who will be the next president of the United States. And it appears the outcome will remain uncertain as ballot counters in battleground states continue to work through counting the votes. Meanwhile Americans on opposing sides are issuing clarion calls from the street demanding that every vote be counted or that the vote counting stop entirely. President Donald Trump is suing states with slim margins and has demanded a recount in Wisconsin. Americans wait as the world watches. When will we know for sure who the winner is? It’s a full hour of insight and analysis from the Mass Politics Profs. Guests: Erin O’Brien, associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Luis Jimenez, assistant professor of political science at University of Massachusetts, Boston. Jerold Duquette, associate professor of political science at Central Connecticut State University. SHOW CREDITS: Under the Radar with Callie Crossley is a production of GBH, produced by Hannah Uebele and engineered by Dave Goodman. Kate Dario is our intern. Our theme music is FISH AND CHIPS by #weare2saxys’, Grace Kelly and Leo P. -
Vandalized Signs Don't Stop BLM Supporters From Taking A Public Stance On Private Property
By now you've probably seen them, the signs — large, small, colorful or simply black and white — with the words "Black Lives Matter." They've become a familiar sight since the wave of Black Lives Matter street protests after George Floyd was killed by a now-former Minneapolis police officer. Since then, Americans, some who never protested before, have signaled their support for antiracism efforts by displaying Black Lives Matter signs on their lawn, in store windows, and as banners on churches and community buildings. But there's also been an angry response to the displays, with many incidents of stolen or vandalized Black Lives Matter yard signs and banners, often accompanied with sinister messages. What has inspired white people, particularly, to post ‘Black Lives Matter’ signs on their property in the first place? And how have some of these local residents responded to the vandalism? Guests: Emma Hollander, managing partner of Trina’s Starlite Lounge in Somerville. Andrea Markarian Jones, World language teacher at Malden Public Schools. Melanie Brown, software developer and member of the Arlington Human Rights Commission. Later in the show - Book Club: 'Leave It As It Is: A Journey Through Theodore Roosevelt’s American Wilderness' For the last eight months, Americans have found solace from the limitations of COVID-19 in the outdoors. Many of them enjoy a new appreciation for the country’s variety of national parks and monuments. But, it’s fair to say that most may not know they owe a great debt to the nature loving American President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. Or that his life’s work to preserve public lands is the foundation of today’s environmental movement. Author David Gessner details this legacy in his book, “Leave It As It Is: A Journey Through Theodore Roosevelt’s American Wilderness.” It’s our November selection for “Bookmarked: The Under the Radar Book Club.” Guest: David Gessner — professor and department chair at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He’s written eleven books, including the New York Times bestselling “All the Wild That Remains” and “My Green Manifesto: Down the Charles River in Pursuit of a New Environmentalism.” SHOW CREDITS: Under the Radar with Callie Crossley is a production of GBH, produced by Hannah Uebele and engineered by Dave Goodman. Kate Dario is our intern. Our theme music is FISH AND CHIPS by #weare2saxys’, Grace Kelly and Leo P. -
LGBTQ News: Activists Alarmed By Supreme Court Nominee, Pope Francis' Civil Union Support, And Bisexuality Redefined
LGBTQ rights advocates protest ultraconservative Supreme Court Nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Plus, Pope Francis’ vocal support for civil union laws for same-sex couples sparks an international reaction. And the Merriam Webster dictionary updates the definition of bisexuality. Those stories and more on our LGBTQ News Roundtable. Guests: Grace Sterling Stowell, executive director of the Boston Alliance of Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Youth, or BAGLY. E.J. Graff, journalist, author, and managing editor of ‘The Monkey Cage’ at the Washington Post. Janson Wu, executive director of GLAD, G-L-B-T-Q Legal Advocates & Defenders. LATER IN THE SHOW: More than six months into the pandemic, the U.S. is still in a coronavirus-induced recession. But one industry, the alcoholic beverage market, has been toasting its recent record-breaking sales. Numbers show that people are cracking open lighter, more affordable beers during this time — those easily bought in cases. Light beers are brewed in the world’s most popular beer style, pilsner, called the 'beer of kings'. But why is this pale lager the best-selling alcoholic beverage of all time? And is there another beer or alcoholic beverage which can usurp pilsner’s throne? Guest: Tom Acitelli, author of "The Audacity of Hops," "American Wine," "Whiskey Business," and most recently, "Pilsner: How the Beer of Kings Changed the World." SHOW CREDITS: Under the Radar with Callie Crossley is a production of GBH, produced by Hannah Uebele and engineered by Dave Goodman. Kate Dario is our intern. Our theme music is FISH AND CHIPS by #weare2saxys’, Grace Kelly and Leo P. -
Preserving The Present: Efforts To Archive Ongoing BLM Protests
Historians call it ephemera: the ticket stubs and posters that often are just thrown away or put in scrapbooks. But there are times when the humble handmade sign becomes more than a personal memory — it becomes documentary evidence of a special moment in time. That’s why Smithsonian archivists started collecting the handmade posters and other materials especially created for the street protests following the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Why is it important to collect this protest art? And what is its historic meaning? Guests: Aaron Bryant, museum curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Steven Booth, archivist with the U.S. National Archives, and member of ‘The Blackivists’ a collective of trained Black archivists who prioritize Black cultural heritage preservation. Alessandra Renzi, associate professor of communication studies at Concordia University, who spearheaded ‘The Art of the March’ initiative at Northeastern University - a digital archive of the 2017 Boston Women’s March. LATER IN THE SHOW: “See Yourself in STEM” — That’s the theme of the Massachusetts third annual STEM Week, which kicks off Oct. 19. The theme zeroes in on the need to reach out to women of color. Just 4 percent of scientists and engineers in the U.S. are Black or Hispanic women, according to a 2015 report by the National Science Foundation. For 25 years, the Science Club for Girls has aimed to expose and engage young women of color by providing free experiential science programming in Cambridge. They’ve had great success: 100% of the girls, who mostly come from underrepresented communities, have gone on to college. In addition to the Science Club, 26 Boston public high school seniors have won the inaugural Paula S. Apsell Scholarship, which is co-sponsored by GBH. These scholarship winners plan to study in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Both efforts hope to empower young women, especially, who still represent a tiny percentage of the 600,000 Massachusetts residents who work in STEM. Guests: Christina Exilhomme, Freshman at Northeastern University on the pre-med track, and one of the winners of The Paula S. Apsell | GBH STEM Boston Public School Scholarship. Kaelyn Brown, Co-director of the Science Club for Girls Harvard Mentor chapter, and senior at Harvard majoring in neuroscience. Alejandra Carvajal, Science Club for Girls’ Governance Chair on the Board of Directors and Chief Legal Officer forMomenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Cambridge. SHOW CREDITS: Under the Radar with Callie Crossley is a production of GBH, produced by Hannah Uebele and engineered by Dave Goodman. Kate Dario is our intern. Our theme music is FISH AND CHIPS by #weare2saxys’, Grace Kelly and Leo P. -
Environmental News: Boston Scores High Marks For Clean Energy, Roxbury Fights For Its Trees, And New England's Wildfire Risk
New York City and Boston get gold stars for topping this year’s City Clean Energy Scorecard. But even their high marks show great room for improvement. Plus, fires in California are devastating the state, and officials say there’s also a risk for fires here in New England. And, a Boston neighborhood fights for its trees: how a boulevard redesign threatens to intensify the damaging environmental impact. Guests: Beth Daley - Editor and general manager at The Conversation, U.S. Dr. Aaron Bernstein - Interim director of The Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital, and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School Cabell Eames - Legislative manager at the Better Future Project, a Massachusetts-based grassroots climate-action organization Later in the show: Cars are getting political this year, and what's under the hood is at the center of a contentious debate about Question 1 on the Massachusetts ballot. The proposal would update the commonwealth's original "Right to Repair" law, which was passed by a voter referendum in 2012. It would mandate that independent vehicle repair shops have the same access to wirelessly transmitted vehicle data that automakers have. Supporters say a "Yes" vote on Question 1 guarantees that independent auto repair shops will not be cut off from the new wireless technology known as 'telematics' and shut out of the market. Supporters of a 'No' vote on Question 1 say greater access to this data could pave the way for malicious cyberattacks and tampering of personal data. Guests: Conor Yunits is a spokesperson for the “No on 1” campaign and Coalition for Safe and Secure Data. Tommy Hickey is the director of the “Yes on 1” campaign and Right to Repair Committee. Show Credits: Under the Radar with Callie Crossley is a production of WGBH, produced by Hannah Uebele and engineered by Dave Goodman. Kate Dario is our intern. Our theme music is FISH AND CHIPS by #weare2saxys’, Grace Kelly and Leo P. -
Latinx News: How To Win The Hispanic Vote, The Debate Around Ethnic ID 'Latinx,' And Growing Latino Representation In Children's Books
The first presidential debate is over, but not the determined battle to win the Latino vote. Or is it the Hispanic vote? Or the Latinx vote, the ethnic identification used by most media? Our Latinx Roundtable guests weigh in on the identity label debate. Plus, from "The Land of the Cranes" to "My Papi Rides a Motorcyle", Latino representation in children's books is expanding because of the focused efforts of several artist and writer groups. Guests: Julio Ricardo Varela, digital editor for the Futuro Media Group, co-host of the “In The Thick” podcast, and founder of Latino Rebels. Adriana Maestas, a Southern California-based freelance writer covering Latino politics. LATER IN THE SHOW: Natasha Trethewey’s mother was murdered by her former stepfather, a tragedy that upended her world at the age of 19. For years she had no words to express the depth of her loss and grief. Until she decided to write the story that had long haunted her. 'Memorial Drive: A Daughter's Memoir', her memoir, is our October selection for “Bookmarked: The Under the Radar Book Club” and the kickoff conversation for this year’s virtual Boston Book Festival. Guest: Author and poet Natasha Trethewey is a former U.S. Poet Laurate. She’s written 5 collections of poetry including, “Native Guard,” which won the Pultizer Prize. She is also the author of the nonfiction book, “Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on the Mississippi Gulf.” SHOW CREDITS: Under the Radar with Callie Crossley is a production of GBH, produced by Hannah Uebele and engineered by Dave Goodman. Kate Dario is our intern. Our theme music is FISH AND CHIPS by #weare2saxys’, Grace Kelly and Leo P.
