All Of It with Alison Stewart

We begin our Black History Month coverage with some reading recommendations, this time catered towards younger audiences. Newark Public Library Children's Librarian Sharon Owens, and Youth Services Supervisor Asha Mobiley, join us to help recommend books to read during the month for children, teens, and young adults.

Ages 3 and up

Dream Big, Little One by: Vashti Harrison ( adaptation of Little Leaders:Bold Women in Black History)

Follow Your Dreams, Little One (adaptation of Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History)

Little People, BIG DREAMS by: Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and various authors and illustrators

A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara

Shades of Black: A Celebration of our Children by: Sandra Pinkney and Photographs by Miles Pinkney

Let the Children March by: Monica – Clark Robinson Illustrated by: Frank Morrison

This is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration by: Jacqueline Woodson, Illustrated by James Ransome

Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice and Sing Inspired Generations by: Kelly Starling Lyons, Illustrated by: Keith Mallet

The ABC’s of Black History by Rio Cortez, Lauren Semmer

Opal Lee and What it Means to be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth by: Alice Faye Duncan, Illustrated by: Keturah Bobo

All Different Now: Juneteenth the First Day of Freedom by: Angela Johnson, Illustrated by E.B. Lewis

28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World by: Charles R. Smith Jr., Illustrated by: Shane Evans

Bedtime Inspirational Stories 50 Amazing Black People who Changed the World by: L.A. Amber Illustrated by: TZ Nissen

Ages: 8-12: (Middle School)

Like Vanessa by Tami Charles (Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Illustrator)

When Winter Robeson Came by Brenda Woods

Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles 

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

Stella by Starlight by Sharon M Draper

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds

Early Teens (12+)

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

This Is My America by Kim Johnson

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi

Older Teens (15+)

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam

The Hate U Give, On the Come Up, Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

Dear Martin by Nic Stone 

Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

Author Cuong Pham, and co-author Diep Tran, of The Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook: Beloved Recipes from the Family Behind the Purest Fish Sauce, join us for a special Lunar New Year cooking segment as we usher in the year of the tiger. They run through traditional recipes for the new year, as well as tips and tricks from their cookbook's chapter on Lunar New Year cooking.

St. Paul and the Broken Bones is an eight-piece soul group from Birmingham, Alabama, led by Paul Janeway, a spirited vocalist and former bank teller. Their new album, The Alien Coast, draws in psychedelic and industrial elements for a collection of songs about art and the end times. Janeway joins us for a Listening Party.

St. Paul and the Broken Bones will be at the Beacon Theater on March 11.

As "Dry January" comes to an end, we talk about how to evaluate our relationship to alcohol whether you're a casual drinker, or someone who tends to drink more consistently. Psychologist Dr. Natalie Feinblatt assists us with calls.

In 2007, MacArthur Fellow Marin Alsop became the first female conductor of a major American orchestra, breaking the patriarchal norms of the traditional classical music world. Since her retirement as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 2021, the top twenty-five orchestras in the U.S are once again all conducted by men. A new documentary, "The Conductor," tells the story of the life and career of Alsop, from her early days growing up in New York City as a Juilliard student, to her conducting around the world, from Baltimore, to São Paulo, to Vienna. To discuss the film, we're joined by Marin Alsop and director Bernadette Wegenstein. “The Conductor” is currently screening at the Quad Cinema and will be available on VOD and PBS this March.

Comedian and singer Bridget Everett stars in the new HBO comedy series, "Somebody Somewhere," which explores the life of Everett's character Sam, a Kansan who does not fit the mold of her small town, and finds herself in a community of fellow outcasts. Everett, who also is an executive producer on the show, joins us to discuss the new series, along with co-creators and fellow executive producers Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen.

It's been a decade since Anaïs Mitchell released her last solo album. In that time, she's created a Tony-winning Broadway musical ("Hadestown") and a folk supergroup (Bonny Light Horseman), while also lending her vocals and writing talents to various peers' records. Now she's releasing a new solo album, titled Anaïs Mitchell. She joins us on its release day for a Listening Party.

A new WQXR program, "Calm it Down Radio", hosted by best-selling pianist and composer Chad Lawson, is meant to use music as a means of meditation and relaxation. We're joined by Chad to hear some sample tracks and practice some exercises to make sure we stay grounded and stress-free this New Year. "Calm it Down Radio" airs on WQXR Sunday nights at 8pm.

[REBROADCAST FROM January 12, 2022] On the last Friday of every month, we air some of our favorite interviews of that month as part of our new series, "Some Of It." Lindsey Vonn is one of the most successful female alpine skiers in the history of the sport, competing in four Winter Olympic Games, and winning four overall World Cup championships before retiring in 2019. Now, she's releasing a memoir called, RISE: My Story, about her early life and career. Vonn joined us to discuss the book.

[REBROADCAST FROM January 5, 2022] On the last Friday of every month, we air some of our favorite interviews of that month as part of our new series, "Some Of It." "Don't Look Up," the latest film from writer and director Adam McKay, stars Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio as two scientists struggling to convince the world that a giant comet is heading towards earth. Starring alongside the two leads are some of the biggest names in Hollywood, from Meryl Streep to Cate Blanchett to Jonah Hill to Tyler Perry to Timothee Chalamet. McKay, who is also an executive producer of "Succession," joins us to discuss the film.