Connections Podcast

The winner of NPR's 2016 Tiny Desk Concert is a remarkable musician from Duluth, Minnesota named Gaelynn Lea . Lea is a classically trained fiddler whose music includes Celtic and American fiddle traditions. Her submission, Someday We'll Linger in the Sun , was the judges' unanimous choice. If you watch Lea's video, you'll notice that she plays her violin in a style that you might not expect -- she holds it in front of herself, like a cello. Lea has brittle bone disease, and when she fell in

Trauma affects families of all ethnicities, ages, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and it can be the result of a number of factors: crimes against humanity; terrorism; natural disasters; poverty; and more. While scientists have studied its impact on victims’ mental and physical health, research on the impact and scope of multigenerational trauma is just beginning to receive more attention. Scientists point to epigenetic changes in the DNA of families affected by trauma, suggesting that stress in

Weekend Connections is a collection of some of the most noteworthy moments from the week on Connections with Evan Dawson. This episode includes conversations about: Sexual assault and the dangers of victim blaming; Ethics in business and the impact of lying; Misconceptions about masculinity and how that can affect people struggling with mental illness; What we can learn about Native American culture by studying Native objects.

Kathrine Switzer is best known as the first woman to officially enter and run the Boston Marathon. Her entry was controversial, and her story became known internationally when a race official tried to forcibly remove her from the competition. That was in 1967. She was back at the Boston Marathon this year at the age of 70, and finished the course just 24 minutes slower than she did 50 years ago. Switzer has been an advocate for female athletes for decades, and she is also outspoken about

Lebanese poet Jawdat Fakhreddine wrote his collection of poems, Lighthouse for the Drowning , while living in exile in the United States during Lebanon's civil war. The book was published in Arabic in 1996, and in 2017, BOA Editions published the first English translation. Fakhreddine is in Rochester for a bilingual poetry reading organized by BOA, but first, we talk to him about the story behind the collection, how poetry can serve as a symbol of liberation for war-torn communities, and how

How is technology changing the way that we read? And how is social media changing how we tell stories? These are questions that will be addressed at an upcoming symposium hosted by the Monroe County Library System. We discuss how emerging technology and trends will impact the future of reading, and how to make this kind of technology available to all readers. Our guests: Bob Scheffel, librarian at the Central Library and member of the Emerging Technology Committee at the Monroe County Library

The development of the Port of Rochester has been the subject of hot debate for more than 20 years – think Fast Ferry and the unsuccessful 2016 proposal for mixed-use housing and retail development. After a number of controversial attempts at revitalizing the area, the City of Rochester is back to the drawing board, and it’s seeking community input. We talk about an upcoming event aimed at generating ideas to improve the port and surrounding areas, build up transportation near the waterfront,

What kinds of stories can be told by studying material objects? In other words, what can we learn about a culture and its people based on the clothing, housing, tools, and art that they produce? That’s the focus of an upcoming symposium at Ganondagan . We talk about what we can learn from Native materials. Our guests: Michael Galban , curator and historian at the Seneca Art and Culture Center at Ganondagan , and organizer of the Symposium on Woodland Material Culture and Art Mindy Magyar ,

We talk about the stigma of mental illness, and assumptions the American public has about mental health issues. This conversation comes just weeks after the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Mike Veny is a mental health advocate, drum circle facilitator, and motivational speaker. He tried to take his own life at age 10, and has struggled with depression, anxiety, and OCD since he was young. Now, he uses drumming to calm himself, connect with people, and break down the stigma

Do you trust capitalism? Do you trust the people behind the biggest corporate entities to be honest and protect the public? Maybe those questions would have had different answers 10 or 20 years ago, but after scandal after scandal, public opinions have been shifting on capitalism – so much so that a Democratic socialist nearly won the presidency and could still run again. The Rochester Area Business Ethics Foundation believes capitalism can be a force for good, if businesses follow ethical