There’s a number of Japanese expressions that address the importance of contrasts. “A prized steer looks best against a thatched hut.” “The moon is not pleasing unless it is partially obscured by a cloud.”

Contrasts, in other words, help us understand a concept by examining it in relation to its opposite. They challenge us to deepen and sharpen our thinking. They make both more resonant.

In the latest edition of the Hub & Spoke Radio Hour, we listen to both the moons and the clouds, the steers and the huts, and we hope we’ve illuminated it all.

This episode is hosted and edited by Tamar Avishai, with invaluable scripting help by Lori Mortimer, and additional production help by Wade Roush, and Mariel Cariker. Music by Evalyn Parry.

Listen to the full episodes:

* Audio Flux, “Circuit 01: A Study in Blue”

* The Lonely Palette, “Caravaggio’s ‘The Crucifixion of St. Andrew (1607)”

* Soonish, “This is How You Win the Time War”

* Open Source, “From Social to Spiritual Media”

Discover the full slate of Hub & Spoke shows.

The Hub & Spoke Radio Hour is now available wherever you get your podcasts, so please do share it widely, and maybe in lieu of a Midwestern thank you card, leave a rating and review at Apple Podcasts.

For the first century and a half of U.S. history, March 4th was inauguration day. With the ratification of the 20th Amendment in 1933, the date was moved up to January 20th. If it weren’t for the 20th Amendment, Donald Trump’s second term would be starting today.

Instead, we’re now six weeks into that term. And over that time, Donald Trump and Elon Musk have become political arsonists, starting a wildfire that’s incinerating old norms, institutions, and alliances with breathtaking speed. So far, the system of checks and balances put in place by James Madison and the other framers of the constitution isn’t working to put it out.

What does our freedom mean to us? What forms does freedom take? How has the way we’ve defined freedom changed over the years? Here at Hub & Spoke, we aim to tackle these types of questions… while we’re still allowed to ask them.

This episode is hosted and edited by Wade Roush. Music by Evalyn Parry.

Listen to the full episodes:

* Open Source, “Trump Part II”

* Soonish, “Welcome to Technofeudalism”

* Out There, “Queer in Appalachia”

* Subtitle, “How the brain of an improv performer works”

Discover the full slate of Hub & Spoke shows.

That well-worn cliché – the only constant in life is change – is well worn for a reason. Every part of our lives is in constant flux, whether we’re paying attention or not.

Here at Hub & Spoke, we know it’s really about the people who share their stories stories of change – physical, emotional, technological, societal – that resonate with us, and with you.

This episode is hosted by Nick Andersen and edited by Tamar Avishai, with invaluable production help by Lori Mortimer and Wade Roush. Music by Evalyn Parry and (of course) David Bowie.

Listen to the full episodes:

* Print is Dead (Long Live Print!), “When ‘House’ Is Not a Home”

* The Rabbis Go South, “Why It Matters”

* Nocturne, “Noctalgia”

* Rumble Strip, “The World Under the World”

Discover the full slate of Hub & Spoke shows.

And Bostonians! We’ll be taking over the PRX Podcast Garage in Allston, MA on Wednesday, November 6 at 6pm ET for a free evening of Hub & Spoke storytelling and conversation, featuring the voices behind The Lonely Palette, The Rabbis Go South, The Briny, Mementos, and more. Nurse your post-election hangover among audio friends. Register here.

How do we even describe this country, especially today? It’s impossible to even imagine the expanse of this place. Whose stories do we tell when we can’t even all agree on our past, or trust one another to imagine the future? 

Which is why we’ve picked this big country, and even bigger idea of a country, as our theme. 

We’re going to bring you podcast excerpts that offer four very specific lenses for looking at America and Americanness.  From Jamestown to the National Parks to American English to St. Augustine, we’re going to explore this big, crazy, beautiful, baffling country, Hub & Spoke style.

This episode is hosted and edited by Wade Roush. Production assistance from Tamar Avishai. Music by Evalyn Parry.

Listen to the full episodes:

* Official trailer: “The Rabbis Go South”

* Iconography, “John Smith, Admiral of New England”

* Out There, “America’s Best Idea?”

* The Lonely Palette, “Ansel Adams' The Tetons and Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming (1942)”

* Subtitle, “Americans, Brits and the foreignness of English”

Discover the full slate of Hub & Spoke shows.

You can also share the love by supporting our Independence Day fundraiser:

As the philosopher Haddaway once asked, what is love? It turns out, love can be anything that stirs the heart: passion, grief, affection, kin. The desire to consume; the poignancy of memory. Here at Hub & Spoke, we want to stretch our arms, and ears, around it all.

This episode is hosted by Lori Mortimer and edited by Tamar Avishai. Production assistance from Nick Andersen. Music by Evalyn Parry, The Blue Dot Sessions, and a kiss of Dionne Warwick.

Listen to the full episodes:

* Rumble Strip, “Forrest Foster Lays Karen to Rest”

* Mementos “Cherie’s Letters”

* Ministry of Ideas, “Consumed”

* The Lonely Palette, “Jean-Honoré Fragonard's The Desired Moment (c. 1770)”

Discover the full slate of Hub & Spoke shows.

You can also share the love by supporting our Valentine’s Day fundraiser:

I was recording in my closet, where there I found

My ears perking up to an eerie sound

The mic grew hot, and to my surprise

Came a story of fear, and all it implies…

It’s Halloween! And how better to celebrate it than by plumbing the spooooky Hub & Spoke depths for stories of terror, anxiety, uncertainty, angst…in sum, plain old fear, the narrative audio way! Enjoy the second episode of our sampler, complete with segments from our shows, producer interviews, and festive sound effects. This episode is hosted by Wade “RIP” Roush and edited by Nina S. Pumpkins Porzucki. Music by Evil Evalyn Parry.

Welcome to the debut episode of Hub & Spoke Radio Hour, a sampler mix of audio from across our fine collective. In this episode, you’ll hear four show clips on the theme of independence as our host, Tamar Avishai, interviews the producers about the stories they shared from their shows. Edited by Nina Porzucki. Music by Evalyn Parry.

Listen to the full episodes:

* Soonish, “Goodbye Google”

* Subtitle, “Ukraine’s linguistic patriotism”

* Nocturne, “86 Days”

* The Lonely Palette, “James Abbott McNeill Whistler's Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl (1861-62)”

Discover the full slate of Hub & Spoke shows.