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The 25-hour Moby Dick Marathon sails on in New Bedford
Every winter, thousands of fans descend on the New Bedford Whaling Museum to hear the novel out loud.
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February 20, 2026 - Robert Reich, Marianne Leone, and Sam Waterston
Robert Reich served in three presidential administrations, including as Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton. As a professor he has been the ultimate explainer about rising inequality. As a public intellectual he pulls no punches–calling out the bullies: anyone and any institution that threatens democracy and human decency. It’s a life’s work on which he reflects in his book “Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America.” He joins The Culture Showto talk about it. From there Marianne Leone is an actress, author, and screenwriter. She joins The Culture Show to talk about her novel “Christina The Astonishing," a coming-of-age story about Christina Falcone and her desire to break free from Catholic school nuns, Italian mothers, and small-town Massachusetts. Finally, Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated actor Sam Waterston joins The Culture Show to talk about the role that launched his career, Nick Caraway in the 1974 film adaptation of “The Great Gatsby.” And for your culture calendar, here is where you can see Jared's picks for his weekend recommendations. -
February 19, 2026 - Christopher Castellani on "Last Seen," and Free to Be: Skate, Paint, Imaginate
Christopher Castellani’s new novel “Last Seen” follows four young men who vanish on separate winter nights and find one another in the afterlife. The book blends elements of mystery with a meditation on identity, longing, and visibility, told through four distinct voices. Castellani joins The Culture Show to discuss why he chose to tell the story from the afterlife, and what these characters reveal about love, loss, and the people who carry on without them. Castellani has a number of book events in the area. To learn more go here.The Lynch Family Skatepark in East Cambridge is both a skating destination and a rare public canvas, where graffiti and mural work are encouraged as part of the park’s identity. The exhibition “Free to Be: Skate, Paint, Imaginate,” on view at the Multicultural Arts Center through March 6, brings that creative energy indoors, featuring murals, photographs, and visual art shaped by the park’s community. Photographer and curator Matt Ringler and Charles River Conservancy program manager Taylor Leonard join The Culture Show to discuss how skating, street art, and public space come together in this evolving cultural landmark. To learn more about the exhibition go here. -
February 18, 2026- Wednesday Watch Party, does "Fargo" still hold up?
Today we’re putting on our warmest winter gear and bundling up for our Wednesday Watch Party — the show where we revisit the movies that shaped us, and ask if they still hold up. This month Jared Bowen, Callie Crossley and Joyce Kulhawik enter a snow globe of crime, manners, and very bad decisions by way of the Coen Brother’s 1996 “Fargo.” A snow-covered noir where decency and depravity share the same frozen frame. In 2026 our hosts ask: does it still hold up? -
February 17, 2026 - On Frederick Wiseman, Dell Hamilton, Uli Lorimer on the snowpack, and Matthew Shifrin
Joyce Linehan joins “The Culture Show” to reflect on the legacy of documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman. As Chief of Policy for Mayor Marty Walsh she was key to Wiseman’s documentary “City Hall,” which is an expansive exploration of how Boston runs.Dell M. Hamilton, interim director of the Alain Locke Gallery of African & African American Art, joins us to discuss Renaissance, Race, and Representation, on view through June 6 at Harvard. The exhibition spans nearly two centuries of Black printmaking and explores how artists used reproducible media to shape representation and the public record.Uli Lorimer, Director of Horticulture at the Native Plant Trust and a 2026 Distinguished Service Medal recipient from the Garden Club of America, explains the hidden benefits of this winter’s deep snowpack. Sustained snow cover stabilizes soil temperatures, protects roots, preserves moisture, and can help suppress certain pests — setting the stage for a stronger spring across New England.Matthew Shifrin, founder and CEO of Bricks for the Blind, returns for our recurring feature “AI: Actual Intelligence.” This month, he shares what it’s like to travel blind — from navigating unfamiliar hotels to the unpredictability of ride-shares and the way weather reshapes a city through sound. -
February 16, 2026 - Katherine Tallman on the Coolidge Corner Theater, Roberto Lugo, and Chompon "Boong" Boonnak
After more than a decade as Executive Director and CEO of the Coolidge Corner Theatre, Katherine Tallman is stepping down. She reflects on expanding the Brookline art house, elevating its national profile, and guiding it through the shifts of streaming and the pandemic — reshaping what independents can be. To keep on top of all of Coolidge's programming go here.Ceramic artist Roberto Lugo blends classical porcelain with hip-hop, portraiture, and social critique — asking who belongs in museums and who gets left out. His exhibition “(In)visible Ink” is on view at the Robert Lehman Art Center at Brooks School in North Andover though March 6. It brings together porcelain, painting, and customized sneakers in a powerful conversation about visibility. To learn more about the exhibition go here. Chompon Boonnak, co-owner of Mahaniyom in Brookline and its cocktail slinging sibling Merai, joins us after a double Michelin distinction: a Bib Gourmand for Mahaniyom and an Exceptional Cocktails Award for his bar program. He talks about balancing bold street food with serious mixology and what the recognition means for Greater Boston’s dining scene.
