Glitter & Doom

"Nobody ever lives their life all the way up except bull-fighters," Ernest Hemingway wrote in the Sun Also Rises. When penning that line, he might have been thinking of his friend, the celebrated American matador Sidney Franklin. Hemingway once wrote of Franklin, "He is a better, more scientific, more intelligent, and more finished matador than all but about six of the full matadors in Spain today." Franklin was born Sidney Frumkin in Brooklyn in 1903, the son of an Orthodox Jewish cop. Against his father's wishes, he took an interest in the arts, distanced himself from Judaism, had relationships with men throughout his life, and took up bullfighting. His story has recently resurfaced, thanks to Center for Jewish History in NYC, and their director of archive and library service, Rachel Miller, tells us about it. We also meet two honorees recognized by the Borough President for their contributions to the Brooklyn LGBTQ+ community.

On the show today, the Brooklyn Historical Society joins us discuss stories of sickness and health in the borough. Then, our favourite Brooklyn zaddy turns 200! We talk about Walt Whitman's poetry and beard with the Brooklyn Public Library.

Today on the show, we'll talk about reproductive rights - first with Plan C - an organization helping women access information about abortion pills. And then, The Crew will talk abortion, as well the straight pride parade. That's right, a procession of dudes with tribal tats wearing mesh gym shorts could be coming to a wide boulevard near you, if you happen to live in Boston, which thankfully, we don't.

Stonewall started as a riot, but has since evolved into a nationwide movement to recognize the importance of LGBTQIA+ rights. New York museums and cultural institutions are marking 50 years since the Stonewall with exhibitions ranging from the historical to the cutting-edge. We talk to Brooklyn Museum curators Margo Cohen Ristorucci and Allie Rickard about their contribution to this year's celebration. And then, Mayor Bill DeBlasio is officially running for president – here with a pithy analysis is Jarrett Murphy, executive editor of City Limits.

Food journalist and author Priya Krishna helps us redefine what it means for food to be "authentic," explains why we need to cut "curry" from our Indian cuisine lexicon, and above all, discusses how to make magic in the kitchen just like her mother did when Priya was growing up in Texas. She chats with MacKenzie about her new cookbook "Indian-ish."

What could be bad about the City taking "distressed" residential properties, giving them to an affordable housing non-profit, who then hires a developer to restore and return them to the market as low-income housing? Turns out, a lot, as many black and brown property owners are being stripped of the promise of intergenerational wealth in fast-gentryfing Brooklyn neighborhoods, according to Kelly Mena of Kings County Politics, and activist and community leader, James Caldwell.

On the show today: Weeksville, a black cultural and historical site here in Brooklyn - and home to one of the first free black communities in America - struggles to survive. Then, the Brooklyn Film Festival is upon us again. We chat with a documentary filmmaker about the plight of a Guatemalan mother who seeks sanctuary in a New York City church.

On the show today, The Crew comes back to the table with a thoughtful conversation about Iran, US imposed sanctions, and a call to action. Then: Hi America, it's your money, being sent to the Philippines as military aid to Rodrigo Duterte's bloody so-called drug war. Three Filipino activists sit down with MacKenzie and lay out the political crisis on the region.

No Whitney Biennial arrives without controversy. Two years ago it was the Emmett Till painting, this year we're talking about dirty philanthropy, Safariland and Warren B Kanders. Here to talk us through the debate is arts and culture journalist Shirine Saad and, Biennial Artist, Nicholas Galanin. And then, Blythe Roberson hates men. But for some reason, still wants to date them.