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The Deep Dive: Your Autumn Reading List Awaits
This week we dive into books. You'll find book recommendations, a preview of The Boston Book Festival, stories about the science of reading, and an interview with author Gregory Maguire about his book Wicked.
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October 14, 2025 - Bobbi Brown, Joyce Kulhawik, and Tracy K. Smith
Bobbi Brown built a beauty empire on simplicity and self-expression. Now, with her new book “Still Bobbi” she lays bare her lessons in reinvention, resilience, and redefining beauty on her own terms. Catch her at Emerson College on October 27, 2025 for “An Evening with Bobbi Brown” — learn more here.From there Culture Show contributor Joyce Kulhawik joins us for a roundup of the plays and movies to see right now. Joyce Kulhawik is an Emmy-award winning arts and entertainment reporter, president of the Boston Theatre Critics Association and you can find her reviews on joyceschoices.comFinally, Tracy K. Smith. The former U.S. Poet Laureate discusses her forthcoming book “Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times” — an invitation to listen, reflect, and let poetry guide us through uncertainty. She’ll appear at TEDxNewEngland on October 30, 2025 — learn more & register TEDxNewEngland+1 -
October 13, 2025 - Peter Wolf and Regie Gibson
Music legend Peter Wolf has had a long solo career and rose to recognition as former lead singer of the J. Geils Band–famous for its high-octane shows and top 40 hits. Wolf joins The Culture Show to talk about his new memoir “Waiting on the Moon: Artists, Poets, Drifters, Grifters and Goddesses.”. Regie Gibson, an assistant professor at Berklee College of Music and an instructor at Clark University, has been selected as Massachusetts’ first Poet Laureate. He joins The Culture Show to talk about how he’ll define this role, his path to poetry and to share some of his work. Gibson is a songwriter, author, spoken-word poet and former National Poetry Slam Individual Champion. -
October 10, 2025 - Week in Review: James Bond disarmed, Bob Ross paintings for sale, and eating pudding with a fork
Jared Bowen, Edgar B. Herwick III, and Joyce Kulhawik co-host this week’s arts and Culture week-in-review. Joyce Kulhawik is a Culture Show contributor, Emmy-award winning arts and entertainment reporter and president of the Boston Theatre Critics Association. You can find her reviews at Joyce’s Choices.First up, In Danvers, a young-adult novel is sparking debate. “All American Boys”—the story of two teens, one Black and one white, whose lives collide after a violent encounter with police—has some parents objecting to its language and content. Teachers, meanwhile, argue its lessons on race, justice, and accountability are exactly what students should be reading.From there, Amazon’s new creative control of the James Bond franchise has fans shaken. The tech giant removed images of firearms from classic 007 artwork—erasing Bond’s trademark weapon from posters and box art. Critics say the world’s most famous spy has been stripped of his license to kill; Amazon insists it’s part of a broader effort to modernize the brand.Then country star Zach Bryan has ignited controversy with a teaser for his unreleased song “Bad News,” which takes aim at ICE raids and the fear they sow. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called the lyrics “completely disrespectful,” and the agency fired back—posting arrest footage set to one of Bryan’s earlier songsFinally, thirty original Bob Ross paintings—the misty mountains and “happy little trees” that made The Joy of Painting a PBS classic—are heading to auction to support public television. -
October 9, 2025 - Jake Tapper, Bricks for the Blind with Matthew Shifrin, and Gustazo Cuban Kitchen
CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper joins The Culture Show to talk about his new book "Race Against Terror," which tells the thrilling story of how prosecutors traversed the globe, tracking down evidence to convict terrorist "Spin Ghul" for killing American servicemen in Afghanistan. On October 16th he’ll be at WBUR’s CitySpace. To learn more go here. As a child Matthew Shifrin received a gift that changed his life -- a LEGO set with instructions hand-written in Braille. Today he is the founder and CEO of Bricks for the Blind. He joins The Culture Show to talk about how their free Text-based Building Instructions allows people with visual impairments to build LEGO sets . To learn more about Bricks for the Blind go here.Finally we celebrate Hispanic Heritage month with Patricia Estorino, executive chef and co-owner of Gustazo Cuban Kitchen & Café. Gustazo has expanded into two locations, Cambridge and Waltham. The restaurant has earned widespread recognition, including repeated spots on Boston Magazine’s 50 Best Restaurants list and multiple Best of Boston awards for Latin cuisine, brunch and most recently, Best Cuban Restaurant 2025. To learn more go here. -
October 8, 2025 - Chris Grace on Sardines, Phantoms by Firelight at Old Sturbridge Village, and Brassica Kitchen + Cafe
Actor and comedian Chris Grace joins The Culture Show to talk about his one-man show, “Sardines(A Comedy About Death),” which is onstage at The Huntington Theatre through November 16th. “Sardines” explores the tragic, hilarious, and important questions of our time: Can we enjoy life if we know how it ends? To learn more go here.From there, under a cloak of darkness, we head to Old Sturbridge Village, where history flickers to life at “Phantoms by Firelight: The Grand Season Finale.” It’s an immersive Halloween experience filled with ghost stories, lanterns, and the daring spectacle of Cyrkus Vampyr. Jim Donahue, CEO and President of Old Sturbridge Village and Rhys Simmons, their Director of Interpretation, Join the Culture Show for an overview.Finally Rebecca Kean, Operations Manager and co-owner of Jamaica Plain’s Brassica Kitchen + Cafe, along with co-chef, co-owner and designer Phillip Kruta join The Culture Show to talk about their expansion. To learn more go here.
