A Bend in the Road

Kick off the new year with a special rebroadcast of episode 18!

Yale graduate Gretchen Rubin had quite the pivot when she went from clerking for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to founding the Happiness Project. How that came to be and what her surprising path to a life of more energy, creativity, luck, and love entails (hint: tune in to the five senses) is the focus of this month's episode. An acclaimed communicator, known for her ability to distill and convey complex ideas with humor and clarity, Gretchen's books have sold millions of copies and been translated into over thirty languages, she has an award-winning podcast, and she also has an app. Join Roberta as she sits down with Gretchen to discuss this lifelong exploration into happiness, how we respond to expectations and her daily trips to the Met Museum.

Things We Talked About in This Episode:

• Books: Life in Five Senses, The Four Tendencies, The Happiness Project, and more.
• Podcasts: Get Happier and More Happier with Gretchen Rubin
• Happier app
• The Happiness Project
• Quizzes: The Four Tendencies and Five Senses
• Metropolitan Museum of Art

Episode Credits:

• Clips featured in this episode are courtesy of Gretchen Rubin.
• A Bend in the Road is written, hosted, and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims
• Our Assistant Producer is Elias Rosner.
• Our Editor this episode is Roberta Panjwani with additional edits by Elias Rosner.
• Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Charles Gallo and Elias Rosner
• Original Music is written and performed by Diane Sims
• Our Digital Media producer is Elias Rosner
• Logo and Website created by Parker Gaidimas
• Special thanks to Gretchen Rubin for being with us today.
• You can find information about The Happiness Project and Gretchen’s books, podcasts, quizzes, resources, and articles at gretchenrubin.com.

For those who want an extra visual component, this episode is also available on YouTube.

This month, Roberta sits down with The New Yorker writer John Seabrook to talk about his new book The Spinach King, a chronicle of the rise and fall of his family's empire: Seabrook Farms. Recently selected as one of the 100 Most Notable Books of 2025 by the New York Times, it tells a story of ambition, innovation, and betrayal that built, and ultimately destroyed, one of America’s largest agricultural empires.

Things We Talked About This Episode:

• John Seabrook’s The Spinach King: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty
• John Seabrooks’ writings for The New Yorker
• LIfe and Labor at Seabrook Farms, Rutgers University
• Seabrook Farms documentary short
• 1934 Seabrook Farms Strike: Black Workers in the Agricultural Industry of South Jersey 
• 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Episode Credits

• Our thanks to John Seabrook for joining us today.
• A Bend in the Road is written, hosted, and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims.
• Our Assistant Producer and Digital Media Producer for this episode is Elias Rosner. 
• Our Editors are Roberta Panjwani and Elias Rosner. 
• Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Matt Giannotti and Elias Rosner.
• Original Music is written and performed by Diane Sims.
• Clip from the 1934 Seabrook Farms Strike clip is courtesy Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, and the clip from the Seabrook Farms documentary is courtesy Indie Tommy Tips Restore and Review.
• Logo and Website created by Parker Gaidimas.

For those who want an extra visual component, this episode is also available on YouTube.

First responders are there for the community, continually caring and respond to the needs of others, but rarely do they take care of their own. This month, Roberta talks with Lt. Mark Panjwani and 9-1-1 Dispatcher Ricardo Martinez about the mental health issues and stigmas they face as well as the initiatives they are creating to support the heroes who keep us safe every day. A vital conversation about those who serve and protect us, often in silence.

Things we talked about in this episode

• Ricardo Martinez Within the Trenches Media
• PTSD911 Documentary
• Beverly Police Department
• Copline (An Officer's Lifeline): 1-800-COPLINE (1-800-267-5463)
• Safe Call Now (for all first responders): (206) 459-3020
• McLean LEADER (Law Enforcement, Active Duty, Emergency Responder) Program, 
• Mass General (for all first responders): (617) 855-3141
• FBI Academy, Law Enforcement Training Programs and Resources

Episode Credits

• Our thanks to Ricardo Martinez and Mark Panjwani for joining us today.
• A Bend in the Road is written, hosted, and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims.
• Our Assistant Producer and Digital Media Producer for this episode is Elias Rosner. 
• Our Editors are Roberta Panjwani and Elias Rosner. 
• Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Matt Giannotti and Elias Rosner.
• Original Music is written and performed by Diane Sims.
• Logo and Website created by Parker Gaidimas.

Watch this episode on YouTube as well!

Can even our closest friendships fall apart? This month Roberta Panjwani talks with Susan Shapiro Barash about her new book Estranged: How Toxic Female Friendships can be Mended or Ended which explores the hidden reality of female friendship—when bonds break, and what comes next.

Things we talked about in this episode 

• Estranged: How Toxic Female Friendships Can be Mended or Ended by Susan Shapiro Barash
• Sula by Toni Morrison

Episode Credits

• Our thanks to Susan Shapiro Barash for joining us today.
• A Bend in the Road is written, hosted, and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims.
• Our Assistant Producer, Editor, and Digital Media Producer is Elias Rosner.
• Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Matt Giannotti and Elias Rosner.
• Original Music is written and performed by Diane Sims.
• Logo and Website created by Parker Gaidimas.

We continue our celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary with Brenda S. Cox: Austen expert, scientist, and author of the new book Fashionable Goodness, which explores how Austen wove deep moral truths into her characters’ lives, shedding light on the faith and values that shaped her work. Join us for an insightful discussion on Austen’s enduring moral lessons, her faith, and the timeless wisdom embedded in her novels plus a special introduction from Breckyn Wood, host of the official JASNA podcast: Austen Chat!

Things we talked about in this episode:

• Brenda S. Cox’s Faith, Joy, and Jane Austen blog
• Austen Chat Podcast with Breckyn Wood
• Jane Austen Festival in Bath, England
• Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility and  Mansfield Park
• JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America)

Episode Credits

• Our thanks to Brenda Cox and Breckyn Wood for joining us today.
• A Bend in the Road is written, hosted, and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims.
• Our Assistant Producer and Digital Media Producer for this episode is Elias Rosner. 
• Our Editors are Roberta Panjwani and Elias Rosner. 
• Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Matt Giannotti and Elias Rosner.
• Original Music is written and performed by Diane Sims.
• The clip of Sonatina No. 4 from "Six Sonatinas" by Ignace Joseph Pleyel is courtesy of PianoXML.
• The clip from the Mansfield Park audiobook read by Frances Barber is courtesy of Audible.
• The clip from the 2008 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility is courtesy of BBC, WGBH Boston.
• Logo and Website created by Parker Gaidimas.

Jane Austen inspired millions… but who inspired her? That is the question rare books dealer and author Rebecca Romney set out to explore in her new book Jane Austen's Bookshelf. Join Roberta Panjwani as she sits down to talk with Rebecca about the lives and works of the women writers Austen admired, the fascinating world of rare books, and the stories they still have to tell.

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Things we talked about in this episode:

Rebecca Romney and Jane Austen’s Bookshelf

Rebecca Romney on Instagram

Rebecca Romney on TikTok

Type Punch Matrix (Rare Book company)

Jane Austen @ 250 RPL Celebration

Rebecca Romney A Bend in the Road episode on YouTube

JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America)

Frances Burney and Evelina

Ann Radcliffe and The Mysteries of Udolpho

Amy Winehouse’s, Allen Ginsburg, and Howl

Pride & Prejudice (2005 film)

Episode Credits

• Our thanks to Rebecca Romney for joining us today.
• You can learn more about Rebecca, Jane Austen’s Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector’s Quest to Find the Women Who Shaped a Legend, and Type Punch Matrix rare book firm at rebeccaromney.com.
• A Bend in the Road from the Ridgewood Public Library is sponsored by the Friends of the Ridgewood Library and created by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. 
• A Bend in the Road is written, hosted, and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims.
• Our Assistant Producer and  Digital Media Producer for this episode is Elias Rosner. 
• Our Editors are Roberta Panjwani and Elias Rosner. 
• Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Matt Giannotti and Elias Rosner.
• Original Music is written and performed by Diane Sims.
• Logo and Website created by Parker Gaidimas.

Roberta sits down with RPL director Lorri Steinbacher and “What’s in a Name?” journalist and essayist Jeannette Cooperman for a lively and thought-provoking conversation about the power of names. From given names and nicknames to hyphenation and reinvention, the trio explores how names shape identity, carry meaning, and spark emotion. At the heart of the discussion is The Names, a brilliant new novel by Florence Knapp that raises big questions about who we are—and who we might become.

Things we talked about in this episode:

Jeannette Cooperman

“Naming Names: From Birth Names to Stage Names, from HUAC to Gravestones, Why Your Name becomes a Form of Fate”  by Jeannette Cooperman from The Common Reader

The Names by Florence Knapp

Episode Credits:

• Our thanks to Jeannette Cooperman and Lorri Steinbacher for joining us today. 
• You can learn more about Jeannette at jeannettecooperman.wordpress.com and her essays for The Common Reader at commonreader.wustl.edu/authors/jeannette-cooperman/
• The 1964 clip of “What’s Your Name?” was performed by Don & Juan
• A Bend in the Road is written, hosted, and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims.
• Our Assistant Producers for this episode are Melissa Egan and Elias Rosner. 
• Our Editors are Roberta Panjwani and Elias Rosner. 
• Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Matt Giannotti and Elias Rosner.
• Our Digital Media Producer is Melissa Egan.
• Original Music is written and performed by Diane Sims.
• Logo and Website created by Parker Gaidimas.

Singer/songwriter Gary Solomon was just 19 when he found himself in the crowd at The Last Waltz—The Band’s iconic 1976 farewell concert. Filmed by Martin Scorsese and widely considered the best concert film of all time, it was stacked with legends like Robbie Roberston, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, and Neil Diamond. In this episode, Gary shares what it was like to witness that historic night firsthand, and digs into other iconic shows that shaped a generation—from Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue to Simon & Garfunkel’s 1981 Central Park reunion. This is music history through the eyes of someone who lived it.

Things we talked about in this episode:

The Last Waltz documentary (1978); live show from 1976

The Band: Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson & Richard Manuel)

Bob Dylan and The Band during The Last Waltz

Joni Mitchell and Neil Young sing “Helpless” during The Last Waltz

The Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco

Gary Solomon’s upcoming dates for The THE BAND Band

Gary Solomon’s Bob Dylan show

Episode Credits: 

• Our thanks to Gary Solomon for joining us in the studio today. You can learn more about Gary and his upcoming dates with “The Band’s” shows at thethebandband.com.
• A Bend in the Road is written, hosted, and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims.
• Our Assistant Producers for this episode are Melissa Egan and Elias Rosner. 
• Our Editors are Roberta Panjwani and Elias Rosner. 
• Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Matt Giannotti and Elias Rosner.
• Our Digital Media Producer is Melissa Egan.
• Original Music is written and performed by Diane Sims.
• Logo and Website created by Parker Gaidimas.

1993, when Sue Rodin saw gender inequality in her workplace, she didn’t just get frustrated—she took action. Tapping into her network, she founded Women in Sports and Events (WISE), an organization built to support and elevate professional women in the sports industry. More than 30 years later, WISE is still going strong, with 25 chapters across the U.S. and Canada and over 6,000 members. Rodin has been called an “Eternal Optimist”—and today, you’ll see why.

Things we talked about in this episode:

WISE (Women In Sports Events)

Women in the Business of Sports — Then and Now

WISE Executive Leadership Institute: Rodin Scholarship

She’s Got Game podcast with Swin Cash

Julie Foudy

Episode Credits: 

• Our thanks to Sue Rodin for joining us today in the studio. For information about WISE please visit: wiseworks.org
• A Bend in the Road is written, hosted, and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims.
• Our Assistant Producers for this episode are Melissa Egan and Elias Rosner. 
• Our Editors are Elias Rosner and Roberta Panjwani.
• Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Matt Giannotti and Elias Rosner.
• Our Digital Media Producer is Melissa Egan.
• Original Music is written and performed by Diane Sims.
• Logo and Website created by Parker Gaidimas.

This is a rebroadcast of episodes 6 & 7 from October 19, 2022. 

What power does poetry have to help us navigate the challenges of life? How do we approach art and how does it approach us? Join our guest host Diane Sims for a journey through these questions, and many others, with Pádraig Ó Tuama in an episode so big, we had to split it into two.

In Part 1, Pádraig Ó shares his relationship with art, reconciliation and the ongoing road toward finding ourselves.

In Part 2, we dig into the questions of acceptance and identity Pádraig grappled with as a youth growing up in Ireland, and in the tall shadow of the Catholic Church, and what innate sensibility gave him the fortitude to step into those headwinds, instead of turning away, with a brief stop in the land of knitable television near the end.

For those new to Pádraig’s work, he is an Irish poet and the host of the hugely popular podcast Poetry Unbound – now on its sixth season – as well as a theologian and conflict mediator.

Links mentioned in the episodes:

Pádraig’s Website

The TenX9 Storytelling Project

Corrymeela

Morton Deutsch

Billy Collins

Six Feet Under

“If You’re Going To Look Like a Wolf They Have to Love You More Than Fear You”

Original Episode Credits:

• A Bend in the Road is written, hosted and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims
• Original Music is written and performed by Diane Sims
• Our Assistant Producer is, Elias Rosner 
• Our Technical Director and Audio Engineer is Elias Rosner
• Our Editor is Elias Rosner 
• Our Digital Media producers are Sabrina Garcia and Elias Rosner
• Logo and Website created by Parker Gaidimas
• Special thanks to Pádraig Ó Tuama for talking with us today and to Shannon Hearn for her help