Coming Up! December 31 to January 4, 2013

Happy New Year!

Join me and Kate Callahan on New Years Eve for a festive afternoon of radio storytelling and live music from 4-6PM at the Buttonwood Tree. It’s part of an exciting day full of of musicians, artists, fireworks and food – all part of Middnight on Main in Middletown.

Here’s what we have next week on the show:

MONDAY: History of New Haven (rebroadcast)
The Hartford Courant is – famously – the oldest continuously published newspaper in the US. But the New Haven Register has its long and storied history. This year is the200th anniversary of the paper – and today, where we live, we’ll talk about the history of the Register, and the city it covers. From the early days of the paper, to the Amistad case, from Abraham Lincoln’s election, to his death, and the role of New Haven’s longest-running institution, Yale University in the city’s history. Also, WNPR’s Diane Orson brings us the voices of New Haven musicians that played in the original productions of some of the great American musicals at the Shubert Theatre, and the old Oakdale Tent.

TUESDAY: North Korea // Jonathan Mitchell (rebroadcast)

The brutal North Korean regime gets attention in America when it seems like it’s in our national interest to do so. George W. Bush famously made it part of his “axis of evil” – but the attention was focused on its nuclear capabilities and the chance it could pose a military threat. Very little attention is paid to the human rights crisis faced by its 24 million people.Melanie Kirkpatrick is trying to change that with her new book, Escape from North Korea: The Untold Story of Asia’s Underground Railroad. She writes of the heroic efforts to escape and spread the word about what’s really going on behind the country’s walls. We’ll also talk to Jonathan Mitchell He’s a Peabody-award-winning radio producer who’s reviving the world of radio drama by completely changing it. He’s an experimental composer by training who uses sound and story to make “movies for your ears.”

WEDNESDAY: School Climate
Although the Newtown shooting has us focused on guns and mental health issues in our school systems, advocates for safe school climates have been working on the ground for years – forming committees and training teachers to create a safe, positive atmosphere for students. The focus is no longer on “anti-bullying,” but on “the quality and character of school life.” So what is the “safe school climate” all about – and how is it helping to keep our kids safe? How do we help students feel connected and engaged? Today we’ll look at school culture with Jo Ann Freiberg from the state Department of Education, teachers, administrators, and you.

THURSDAY: Hungry Kids
Hunger among Connecticut’s children is on the rise and is not expected to go down anytime soon. While hunger is an ongoing problem in many of Connecticut’s urban areas where poverty tends to be greater, there are also increasing numbers of hungry kids in wealthier suburban and rural towns, including those of Glastonbury, Avon, and Westport. In some areas of the state, such as Bridgeport, 99% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Poor nutrition leads to low weight and malnutrition but also to poor academic performance that can hinder future opportunities. And despite the efforts of child advocates to identify the kids most in need, schools are missing out on millions in federal funds–about $2.1 million in Hartford–by not participating in a federal breakfast program. School officials, activists, and a local journalist will talk about the state of childhood hunger in Connecticut.

FRIDAY: TBA

“The Needle Drop” and “Where We Live” Get Too Hot For Radio

by Tucker Ives -

Like every other public radio show/newspaper/magazine/blogger/Tweeter, we wanted to compile some of the best music of the year. But since we spent so much time talking about things like the state budget, politics, brownfields, urban redevelopment, politics, the creative class, soil and politics, we realized that we missed out on A LOT of music in 2012.

John Dankosky and Anthony Fantano. Photo by Chion Wolf (May 24, 2012)

That’s where “The Internet’s Busiest Music Nerd” comes in. Anthony Fantano hosts the video blog and public radio show, The Needle Drop, which comes from WNPR and is distributed by PRX.

For our final live show of 2012, Anthony joined us to share some of his favorite tracks. We called it, “Where The Needle Drops: Live! Best of 2012″ (see what we did there?)

We couldn’t get to all of them though because quite frankly, not all of them are appropriate for a radio audience at 9am. After we went off-the-air, Anthony hung around and we recorded a special web-extra: “Where The Needle Drops – Too Hot for Radio.”

As you may expect, some of the content in this segment is not appropriate for everyone (after all, it is “too hot for radio”).

Feel free to share your favorites of the year in the comments section and give us a head’s up throughout the year if there’s something we should be listening to. Also, check out Anthony’s top 50 albums of 2012 on YouTube. 

1. Death Grips – I’ve Seen Footage
2. Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid
3. Dope Body – Powder
4. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Mladic
5. Ab-Soul – The Book of Soul
6. Swans – Mother of the World
7. Killer Mike – Big Beast
8. Scott Walker – Epizootic!
9. Converge – Aimless Arrow

Although we don’t discuss them, we start and end the segment with a new song from The Bad Plus called Seven Minute Mind.

Coming Up! December 24 to 28, 2012

Happy Holidays! Hope you are well-fed and well-rested.

Here’s what we have working for this week on Where We Live. 

MONDAY:  What’s in a Short Story? (rebroadcast)
We’ve talked on this show about the decline of the book – about how new technology and shorter attention spans make it harder for fiction writers to get their stories out in the “traditional” way – and whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Here’s one thing we do know – this new world could mean good news for the writers of short stories. Today, we’ll explore this form – that used to have a home in dozens of magazines and journals before TV and movies began to dominate the ‘story’ landscape. Now, it survives in smaller numbers in those same places – but also online and in “Kindle Singles.” Authors Lucy Ferriss and Brian Francis Slattery join us in-studio and we’ll also hear from writer and independent radio producer Ken Cormier. And we’ll learn about Kindle Singles with the editor of that venture for Amazon, David Blum.

 TUESDAY: A Moment of Solitude (rebroadcast)
If Einstein was right that “The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind,” why don’t more of us seek it out? Sure, we all say we want a little “me time” or want to “get away from it all” but how often do we really spend time alone and quiet. Not just “unplugged” – an adjective that Einsten, Emerson and Thoreau never had to deal with – but truly engaged in a state of being by oneself. Today, where we live, an exploration of solitude. From those who enter it as a religious vow, to those who choose the life of the hermit, to some who find themselves in isolation against their will.

WEDNESDAY: Geography Gets Its Revenge (rebroadcast)
Does geography matter anymore? It seems more and more Americans have trouble finding other countries on the map, but why would you need to? Your cellphone can tell you. Robert Kaplan says knowing the map can actually tell you quite a bit about how we got here politically, socially and culturally, and where we might be headed. He joins us to talk about his new book called The Revenge of Geography.

THURSDAY: Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader’s new book The Seventeen Solutions: Bold Ideas for our American Future lays out concepts to fix the nation’s broken systems. Coming up – he’ll be in our studio – to take your calls. As we look forward to a new year of big ideas on Where We Live.

FRIDAY: The Needle Drop’s Anthony Fantano
Our favorite busy internet music nerd Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop drops by the studio to talk about his favorite music of 2012. And we want to hear from you!

Where We Live Honors Newtown With Music

I hope you can listen in for a Where We Live special on Friday morning as we pay tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy. We’ll be broadcasting from the magnificent Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford – and we’ll be joined by musical friends Kate Callahan, Stephen Haynes, Noah Baerman,Nicole Zuraitis, Mixashawn Rozie and others. We’ll talk about the healing power of music. But mostly, we’ll listen and honor the lives of those lost. We’ll observe a moment of silence with the rest of the nation at 9:30 am. Please join us.

Coming Up! December 10 to 14, 2012

Monday: On Death and Dying
Religious professionals officiate funerals, bless graves, and many of them have touched more corpses than they can count. So it makes sense that we expect them to have some kind of wisdom about death. But how much wisdom can they really have when death remains so inscrutable? And how do their experiences influence their views of their own mortality?Today we’ll talk with philosopher Shelly Kagan and pastoral care professor Kristen Leslie about the mystery of death. We also have Episcopal priest and theologian Danielle Tumminio in the studio with us to share the stories of how two priests and a rabbi understand their own mortality.

Tuesday: Puerto Rican Statehood
The Obama Administration has upset many Puerto Ricans by calling the outcome of the recent statehood referendum “less than clear.” But to many who live on the island, or who have come to live in Connecticut, that vote in the November elections did signal that they want some sort of change. We’ll tackle the issue of Puerto Rico’s status – commonwealth? State? Independent? We’ll talk about Puerto Rican history and ties between Connecticut and the island.

Wednesday: Reducing Gun Violence
Based on the idea that gun violence in our cities is caused mainly by a small number of street gangs and drug crews, a new effort to reduce homicide in Connecticut’s major cities establishes face-to-face meetings to talk about and squash the problem. Project Longevity is being piloted in New Haven, with plans to expand to Hartford and Bridgeport.

Thursday: Monthly Malloy
With the state budget in the red, the General Assembly is expected to meet later this month for a special session. Governor Malloy has already cut $170 million from the budget and more cuts are expected. Governor Malloy joins us in-studio for his monthly visit to Where We Live and we’ll be taking your questions too. We’ll also be joined by Commissioner Joette Katz from the Department of Children & Families for an update on DCF as we head into the holiday season.

Friday: More Connecticut Eccentricities
We’re following-up on a show we did earlier this year on the eccentricities of Connecticut. After the show aired, we received lots of questions about other random factoids so we’re bringing back our panel to answer those burning questions. We’ll tackle some of our favorite town nicknames including Cheshire, which is “The Bedding Plant Capital of Connecticut.” Send us those questions about Connecticut that you’ve always been wondering about, but didn’t know who to ask! Do you call yourself a Connecticotian, Connecticutensian or Nutmegger?

Dave Brubeck, Cold Warrior (With a Smile)

Paquito D’Rivera, Dave Brubeck, John Dankosky Photos courtesy The Litchfield County Times/Erin FitzPatrick

by JD -

Dave Brubeck was the guy on the sleeve of my Dad’s records. He was the guy with the bulky glasses. A nerd who swung.

Dave Brubeck was the guy with the modern art on the cover. The guy who played piano but made me want to play drums.

Dave Brubeck was an old man in a golf cart. He rolled across the soggy lawn at the Goshen Fairgrounds to meet me. I was the guy who was supposed to interview him.

Dave Brubeck needed help getting up on stage, so I helped him. I was the guy who was scared to death, so he helped me. It was the Litchfield Jazz Festival in 2008.

My parents, whose record collection I had made my own, were watching in the audience.  I started talking to this man – who didn’t really seem real – about the things he’d done. About how he could’ve been a rancher, or a vet. About how he was a soldier with a piano and a band. A band that let black guys and white guys play together in the Army.  That was something that didn’t happen during World War Two.

About how his quartet used to go to clubs in the South, and how the club owners didn’t like the fact that that band was integrated too, and how he’d say “no thank you” to those gigs.

About how his quartet got another gig, to go to Europe and Asia in the middle of a cold war, to go behind the “Iron Curtain” and play for people who wanted freedom or at least a few hours of the freedom of jazz.

About how some places he wanted to play, he’d have to make a choice – because the people who’d come to hear him might get thrown in jail or worse.

He said those Poles thought he was heaven sent.

 ”They understood what they should be striving for to have this freedom.”

We finished that talk, and he left in the golf cart, and I smiled and took a deep breath.

He played that night and swung.

He died today and lived a life that you can’t make up.

Steven Sussman, Litchfield Jazz Festival

Coming Up! December 3 to 7, 2012

It’s December! It’s 60 degrees out!

Sorry I didn’t get this out sooner, we were partying hard this weekend at the Vision & Brilliance Connecticut Forum. Our very own John Dankosky was an exceptional moderator, although it was sometimes hard for him to get a word in edgewise with such a rock star panel. 

Also visionary: Dankosky’s striped socks…

@johndankosky your socks are brilliant #visionforum @ctforum

— sartorialwhimsy (@sartorialwhimsy) December 2, 2012

So here’s what we have for you this week. Tomorrow we’ll be starting a short fund drive. While you are doing your holiday giving, think about donating to YOUR public radio station. And thanks.

Monday: Filmmakers in Connecticut
The Sundance Film Festival just announced this year’s lineup – and it’s a record year for women. Eight of the sixteen films are directed by women, ithe most in the festivals 33 year history – the first time the entries have been split between male and female directors. So maybe females in the industry are making strides, but it’s still a hard road for independents of any gender.Today, we’ll take the pulse of the filmmaking scene here in Connecticut – with a panel of movie makers (male and female). They’re making films here in the state, they’re finding creative ways to get funding, and they’re supplementing their film careers with teaching gigs on the side. Next fall Sacred Heart University is starting a Masters Degree program in Film and TV. They hope to create a new hub for aspiring filmmakers here in the state. But what’s the incentive for young people to get into the biz? Today we’ll also hear from Sarah Burns, who with her father, documentarian Ken Burns just released a film about the Central Park Five. She’ll be at Central Connecticut State University tonight.

Tuesday: Budget Roundtable
With a $363 million state budget deficit, Governor Dannel Malloy announced the first round of budget cuts. The emergency cuts came out to $123 million, approximately $95 million coming from social service agencies and public colleges and universities. We’ll figure out what this means and what other cuts could be ahead with Comptroller Kevin Lembo and the CT Mirror’s Keith Phaneuf.

Wednesday: Blue Zones
In 2004, Dan Buettner teamed up with National Geographic and hired the world’s best longevity researchers to identify pockets around the world where people lived much better. In these Blue Zones they found that people reach age 100 at rates 10 times greater than in the United States. Places like Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy, Ikaria Greece. Buettner wrote about the Greek Island recently in a New York Times Magazine article, The Island Where People Forget to Die. Today he joins us to talk about his research on longevity.

Thursday: New Haven History, and Music
It’s the 200^th anniversary of the New Haven Register, and today we’ll talk history of the paper and of the city. Also, WNPR’s Diane Orson brings us the voices of New Haven musicians that played in the original productions of some of the great American musicals at the Shubert Theatre, and the old Oakdale Tent.

Friday: Remembering Dave Brubeck

This week, we lost one of Connecticut’s most famous residents, but also one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Dave Brubeck was a jazz pioneer – but was also in the middle of the struggles for civil rights and against communism. We’ll remember Brubeck and listen to a conversation John had with him in 2008.