Today we'll speak with two folx who are trying their very hardest to make the nation better, through reading materials, and reading the writing slowly getting scrawled on walls

Locally an incredibly prolific author illustrator not only has a new novel to celebrate, but a whole exhibit looking at her books, her paintings, her process, and whole career. A living retrospective of Grace Lin’s work is on display at the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst, and we take a trip to see her work unfold on the walls there, and continue our impromptu summer reading week, as we all explore the possibilities of cultural connection and the importance of being seen. 

And a lot has changed in the political landscape over the last few days. So our weekly chat with Congressman Jim McGovern is covering a lot of ground as well. From the bombings in Iran, to more possible cuts to Snap nationwide there’s troubling situations afoot. But there’s also glimmers of good stuff as well, and we’ll get into how the recent NYC elections tie into a sea change in the Democratic Party, and how the Dalai Lama is helping to buoy his hope this week.