Episodes
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#AsianAugust, One Year Later And It's Hot Grape Summer In Bordeaux Country
Last August, "Crazy Rich Asians" took the box office by storm, raking in more than $170 million in the U.S. alone. The film was one of several big blockbusters to premier last summer featuring all-Asian casts and Asian leads. The phenomenon was dubbed #AsianAugust, and sparked excitement about a turning point for positive representation in Hollywood. A number of films starring Asian casts have since graced the silver screen, but has the momentum of #AsianAugust continued in the way fans and critics had hoped? Guests: Elena Creef - Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Wellesley College. She specializes in Asian American visual history in photography, film and popular culture. Jenny Korn - Fellow and the Founding Coordinator of the Race and Media Working Group at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. Marella Gayla – A recent graduate of Harvard University who has written for The Boston Globe, Curbed and The Marshall Project. Later in the show… Croatia is one of the hottest vacation spots in the world, and so is its signature red wine. Speaking of hot, this summer, France’s hottest day ever topped out at 113 degrees, and now the heat is on in Bordeaux country, where winemakers are beginning to grow warm climate grapes. Closer to home, donut lovers in Rhode Island and on Martha’s Vineyard can now satisfy late-night carb cravings at two fresh donut spots. And 'snap chill' coffee is the latest caffeine craze. Guests: Amy Traverso — Food editor at Yankee Magazine, co-host of WGBH’s Weekends With Yankee and author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook. Jonathon Alsop — Founder and executive director of the Boston Wine School and author of The Wine Lover’s Devotional. -
Through The Portal: Speculative Fiction Is The Perfect Genre For Summer Reading Escapism
It's summertime, and the reading is otherworldly in this special August edition of 'Bookmarked: The Under the Radar Book Club.' This full hour special takes us through the portal into the world of speculative fiction. Whether the stories include fantasy, the supernatural, or futuristic visions of life as we know it, avid fans are making this genre of fiction more popular than ever. Speculative fiction both challenges and entertains the reader with mind bending tales of parallel universes and dimensions unknown. There couldn’t be more perfect escapism for those lazy hazy days of summer. Callie is joined by three local authors whose imaginations make speculative fiction their stage for dramatic adventures. With science as a foundation, their books have themes and plots that incorporate artificial intelligence, robots, virtual reality and much more. These writers often find inspiration from the science and technology of our current lives. Guests: Max Gladstone: Author of "Empress of Forever" — a nearly 500-page space opera featuring a band of misfits and their wild adventures in a war-torn future. Gladstone is best known for his six book urban fantasy series, "The Craft Sequence." The series was a finalist for the Hugo Best Series award. The Hugo specifically honors top authors in science fiction and fantasy. This Somerville resident is also a fiddler and a fencer and is fluent in Mandarin. K. Chess: Author of "Famous Men Who Never Lived." K's debut novel features a twist on the iconic science fiction plot about parallel universes. Before writing this first book, K. Chess was recognized for her short stories which earned her both the Nelson Algren Award and the Pushcart Prize. The Providence-based author was also named a W. K. Rose Fellow and teaches at the Boston writing center, Grubstreet. Cadwell Turnbull: Author of "The Lesson." Cadwell's first novel imagines aliens from another planet openly living side by side with residents of the Virgin Islands. Turnbull ‘s short fiction has been recognized in several anthologies. "Loneliness is in Your Blood" was selected for the collection, The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018. And his short story "Jump" was selected for the Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2019. He, too, makes his home in Somerville, Massachusetts. ———————-—————————————————————————-———————- More UTR: https://www.wgbh.org/news/under-the-radar-with-callie-crossley Follow Callie on Twitter: @CallieCrossley Like UTR on Facebook: facebook.com/UndertheRadarWGBH UTR is produced by Franziska Monahan. Doug Shugarts and John Parker are our engineers. Under the Radar is a production of WGBH. -
Harriet Tubman: American Patriot
Under cover of darkness on June 2, 1863, two Union ships stole up the Combahee River in a mission that would liberate over 750 slaves from South Carolina plantations. What became known as the Combahee Ferry Raid, was the first major U.S. military operation lead by a woman - Harriet Tubman. The same Harriet Tubman whose image was scheduled - until recently - to be on the front of the new $20 bill next year. And the same Harriet Tubman whose remarkable life as a spy, abolitionist, nurse and cook included connections to Boston. Many know her name but few know her story. Now, author and historian Elizabeth Cobbs is connecting the dots in a new historical novel detailing one of Harriet Tubman’s greatest achievements. The Tubman Command is available in stores and online now. Guests: Dr. Elizabeth Cobbs - Melbern G. Glasscock Professor of History at Texas A & M University. She is the author of historical fiction novels, including The Tubman Command. L’Merchie Frazier - Director of Education and Interpretation at the Museum of African American History, Boston. Dr. Edda Fields-Black- Associate professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University. Later in the show… The most painted building in the United States is a small, red fishing shack in Rockport, Massachusetts, known to the art world as Motif Number One. While each of the paintings is of the same building, each painter's work is different: Watercolor or acrylic, focusing on a distinct angle or time of day, lines that are straighter or more crooked and a selection of colors that vary in brilliance. It shows how no two artists can represent a subject exactly the same way. Now, a new show at the Martha's Vineyard's Featherstone Center for the Arts takes the same approach. Conversations in Art features artists from a variety of disciplines, including painting, photography, sculpture and even the culinary arts. Conversations in Art is on display at the Featherstone Center for the Arts now until August 18th. Guests: Gavin Smith - Private chef based on Martha’s Vineyard and photographer. Michael Rottman - Chef at the Outermost Inn in Aquinnah and painter. Ann Smith - Executive Director of the Featherstone Center for the Arts. ———————-—————————————————————————-———————- More UTR: https://www.wgbh.org/news/under-the-radar-with-callie-crossley Follow Callie on Twitter: @CallieCrossley Like UTR on Facebook: facebook.com/UndertheRadarWGBH UTR is produced by Franziska Monahan. Doug Shugarts is our engineer. Under the Radar is a production of WGBH. -
Lead For America Cultivates A New Generation Of Leaders At Home
"Ask what you can do for your country" - words President John F. Kennedy made famous during his 1961 inaugural address. President Kennedy promised to make public service a centerpiece of his administration. He helped create both the Peace Corps and Americorps. And most recently, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg offered up his plans to quadruple service opportunities by 2026. Buttigieg says record numbers of young people want to give back to their communities through the military, civil service or government. Some of them already are. Through a collaborative program between three Boston Universities, the UNC School of Government and the National League of cities, a diverse group of young leaders is in the first class of a new kind of service program. Lead For America is preparing this group for high-impact positions in their hometown governments. The inaugural class of Lead For America Hometown Fellows recently completed their pre-service training in Boston and are headed off to their assignments for the next two years. Guests: Trevaughn Latimer - Recent graduate of Loyola University Chicago from St. Louis, Missouri. Shandiin Herrera - Recent graduate of Duke University from Monument Valley, Utah. Joe Grochmal - Recent graduate of Harvard University from Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Later in the show… In the late 1800s, Boston was the bicycling hub of the country. But around the turn of the century, the sport’s popularity dropped off almost completely for about 70 years. Now local residents are enthusiastically riding for fun, and responding to numerous campaigns in Boston promoting bicycling as a way to protect the environment by getting more cars off the road. Is this a return to the time of Boston’s bicycle craze? Guests: Lorenz (Larry) Finison – Public health consultant and bicycle historian. His latest book is Boston’s Twentieth-Century Bicycling Renaissance. Becca Wolfson - Executive Director of the Boston Cyclists Union. -
We Shall Overcome: The Highlander Center's History Of Organizing Ordinary Citizens For Social Justice
At a recent rally in Greenville, North Carolina, Trump followers chanted in unision, "send her back," as the President escalated attacks against four freshman Democratic Congresswomen or color - including Massachusetts representative Ayanna Pressley. This followed a series of tweets by President Trump, in which he told the four elected officials that they should go back to the countries “from which they came.” The racist tweets and charged atmosphere is part of a nationwide volatile environment which has contributed to the sharp increase in hate crimes worldwide in the last three years. One such incident is the March arson attack on the historic social justice leadership school, Tennessee’s Highlander Education and Research Center. During its nearly 90-year history, The Highlander has helped train a cadre of well known community organizers and activists including Martin Luther King Jr, Pete Seeger and Rosa Parks. Recently, the center’s co-directors traveled to Boston, raising awareness and funds for the rebuilding of their physical space. Guests: Ash-Lee Woodard-Henderson - Co-Director of the Highlander Research and Education Center Reverend Allyn Maxfield-Steel - Co-Director of the Highlander Research and Education Center Peter Dreier - Professor of Political Science and Urban and Environmental Policy at Occidental College Later in the show… The Gleason Street School is in trouble. Its teachers are underpaid. Its headmaster is clueless. And the members of its parent council are at each others’ throats. We should mention the school is fictional. But the story, a new drama from Company One Theatre, comes alive in the very real halls and classrooms of Back Bay’s Commonwealth School. Greater Good is an interactive theater experience which starts in the now and then takes the audience back in time to a pivotal moment that sealed Gleason Street’s fate in a narrative that explores the intersection of privilege, education, governance and democracy in our society. Greater Good will be 'onstage' at the Commonwealth School until August 17, 2019. Guests: Kirsten Greenidge - Playwright and creator of Greater Good. Kirsten is currently a Mellon Fellow and Howlround Artist in Residence at Company One. Ilana Brownstein - Dramaturg and Director of New Work at Company One Theatre. ———————-—————————————————————————-———————- More UTR: https://www.wgbh.org/news/under-the-radar-with-callie-crossley Follow Callie on Twitter: @CallieCrossley Like UTR on Facebook: facebook.com/UndertheRadarWGBH UTR is produced by Franziska Monahan. Doug Shugarts is our engineer. Under the Radar is a production of WGBH. -
Latinx News: 'Hispandering,' Mexico's Migrant Crackdown and BPS's Latino Parents
With the 2020 presidential primary campaigns are now in full swing, the race is on to win over Latino voters. ICE raids and deplorable detention center conditions have sparked public uproar in the U.S. But a harsh crackdown on migrant crossings in Mexico has gotten far less reaction. And Latino students are the largest racial-ethnic group in Boston Public Schools. So why are the voices of Latino parents missing from crucial BPS decisions? Guests: Julio Ricardo Varela — Co-host of the “In The Thick” podcast, Latino USA contributor and founder of Latino Rebels. Maria Cramer — Reporter at The Boston Globe. Later on the show… You might be familiar with the phrase, “less is more." It describes minimalism - an art movement characterized by simple content and form - with no personal expression. But a new exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art declares "less is a bore" marking a renewed excitement about Maximalism with its loud and layered complex visuals. Guest curator Jenelle Porter selected the 40 artists for Less is a Bore: Maximalist Art and Design. We took a trip to the Institute of Contemporary Art to speak with her and explore the exhibit. Less is a Bore is on view at the ICA now until September 22. Guest: Jenelle Porter - ICA Guest Curator -
Pop Culture: The Streaming Wars, Taylor Swift's Latest Feud and 'City On A Hill'
The Obamas kick off their first production with Netflix, and the streaming giant signs Beyoncé to a $60 million deal. But some predict streaming services may soon be out of reach for customers because of the cable like fees. Country pop star Taylor Swift’s celebrity pals come to her defense in her feud with big-time star manager Scooter Braun, while others say “You Need To Calm Down.” And an unlikely partnership takes on 1990’s Boston’s corrupt and racist criminal justice system in the new Showtime series, ‘City on a Hill.' Guests: Rachel Rubin - Professor of American studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Michael Jeffries - Associate professor of American studies at Wellesley College. Later in the show……. Helen Calder is the hard driving sophisticated owner of one of Minnesota’s most popular beer companies. Nobody would suspect she is the well-to-do sister of Edith Magnusson, a down-on-her-luck small town pie maker. How their very different lives came to be is the satisfying story of The Lager Queen of Minnesota. It’s our July selection for Bookmarked: The Under the Radar Book Club. Guest: J. Ryan Stradal - Author of The Lager Queen of Minnesota, on sale July 23rd. ———————-—————————————————————————-———————- More UTR: https://www.wgbh.org/news/under-the-radar-with-callie-crossley\\ Follow Callie on Twitter: @CallieCrossley Like UTR on Facebook: facebook.com/UndertheRadarWGBH UTR is produced by Franziska Monahan. Doug Shugarts is our engineer. Under the Radar is a production of WGBH. -
'The FATHERS Project' Imagines A World Without AIDS
“Looking Back, Loving Forward,” the theme of this year’s Boston Pride celebration acknowledges advancements in gay rights and commemorates seminal historical events like the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Part of the reflection on LGBTQ history of the last century is the painful absence of what could have been - the blank spaces left by the thousands of people lost during the AIDS crisis, among them trailblazing artists, activists and other cultural icons. The FATHERS Project, a new web series out of San Francisco is imagining a world in which those people never died. Guests: Leo Herrera - San Francisco-based activist, writer, filmmaker and creator of The FATHERS Project. Russ Lopez - Boston History Project board member, historian and author based in Boston and Provincetown, MA. His latest book is The Hub of the Gay Universe: An LGBTQ History of Boston, Provincetown, and Beyond. Harold Du-Four Anderson - Program director at New Hope Transitional Support, Weymouth; Member of the Fenway Health board of directors and former Boston AIDS Action Committee multicultural liaison. Later in the show… The 21st Roxbury International Film Fest, which kicked off last week, includes nearly 70 films focusing on narratives of people of color from around the world. This year's festival is book-ended by two documentaries: "Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am," a deep dive into the celebrated author’s life and work, And "Don’t Be Nice," which follows a team of young New York City slam poets on their journey to the 2016 National Slam Poetry Championships. Guests: Lisa Simmons – Festival Director at the Roxbury International Film Festival. Nikhil Melnechuk – New York-based poet, actor and filmmaker and the producer of Don’t Be Nice. ———————-—————————————————————————-———————- More UTR: https://www.wgbh.org/news/under-the-radar-with-callie-crossley\ Follow Callie on Twitter: @CallieCrossley Like UTR on Facebook: facebook.com/UndertheRadarWGBH UTR is produced by Franziska Monahan. Doug Shugarts is our engineer. Under the Radar is a production of WGBH. -
The Joys And Challenges Of Being A Stay At Home Dad
From The Simpsons to the 1983 film Mr. Mom, pop culture is rife with examples of bumbling fathers. And while it’s fun to laugh at these fictional send-ups of charming incompetence, in real life, dads consider parenting just as central to their identities as moms. That's one of the reasons why a growing number of fathers are opting to be stay at home dads. Guests: Robbie Samuels - Father of two, author and host of the strategic networking podcast, On the Schmooze. Dave Cutler - Father of four and blogger at The Dad Life. Jared Jones - Father of four, blogger at Keeping up with Mr. Jones. Later in the show… Derek Walcott, the Nobel Prize winning poet, once said, “I read; I travel; I become.” No doubt Walcott would have appreciated an opportunity to combine reading and travel in a way that highlights books. It’s what inspired author Richard Kreitner to write his new book appropriately titled “Booked: A Traveler’s Guide to Literary Locations Around the World.” Guest: Richard Kreitner - Contributing writer for The Nation and author of Booked. ———————-—————————————————————————-———————- More UTR: https://www.wgbh.org/news/under-the-radar-with-callie-crossley Follow Callie on Twitter: @CallieCrossley Like UTR on Facebook: facebook.com/UndertheRadarWGBH UTR is produced by Franziska Monahan. Doug Shugarts is our engineer. Under the Radar is a production of WGBH. -
Summer Reading Extravaganza
Three local librarians give us their picks for the books you won’t be able to put down this summer. Plus, suggestions for kids and teens, as well as the rundown on the most in-demand books maxing out library wait lists this year. Guests: Susannah Borysthen-Tkacz - Adult services librarian at the Cambridge Public Library. Robin Brenner - Teen librarian at the Public Library of Brookline. Veronica Koven-Matasy - reader services librarian at the Boston Public Library. Visit https://www.wgbh.org/news/under-the-radar-with-callie-crossley for our complete summer reading lists. ———————-—————————————————————————-———————- More UTR: https://www.wgbh.org/news/under-the-radar-with-callie-crossley Follow Callie on Twitter: @CallieCrossley Like UTR on Facebook: facebook.com/UndertheRadarWGBH UTR is produced by Franziska Monahan. Doug Shugarts is our engineer. Under the Radar is a production of WGBH.
