This week: an immersive Emily Dickinson experience through Emily’s Amherst. Probably a little too much sports talk with two Patriots games and the Sox in the ALDS with the Yankees. Congressman McGovern on the midterms and the Kavanaugh report. The World Music Supercollider on the eve of Indigenous People’s Day at The Shea as well as some silent film type slapstick there on the Monday holiday. A recap of the Source To Sea Cleanup. The zeitgeist of Zweigelt. And on why little dogs jump up and down to pee.

New editions to the Merriam-Webster Scrabble dictionary, a preview of the Source To Sea Cleanup, US Congressman Jim McGovern on Tibet and Kavanaugh and a lot more.

This week Beethoven played by a master, Jiayan Sun, from The Juilliard School visiting artist at Smith on what this centuries old music means for 2018. Remembering the one-year anniversary of Maria in Puerto Rico. Meet the first female editor of our local paper, Brooke Hauser from the Daily Hampshire Gazette. The mystery of the missing Red Sox banner. The conspiracy theory behind the hole in the ISS and more.

This week: The Bay State Hotel and its importance in the Valley music scene. Two legendary Valley acts teaming up to support an iconic Valley non-profit that we sort of stole our name from. Why you should get outside at night and find Mars right now. More new words in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary.

This week: The conclusion of what we have been calling Wild West Mass. With our entire Beacon Hill delegation up for grabs, and with virtually no Republican challengers, this week’s MA primary was the de facto election. We hear from listeners stumping for their candidates and from some of the candidates themselves. Word Nerd Emily Brewster from Merriam Webster on some of their 800 new words, including the first word EVER in the only language besides English that I pretend to be fluent in. Hollywood comes to the Hill Towns with the editors of the Back To The Future movies and Fahrenheit 9/11 who are once again behind the Ashfield Film Festival.

This week: the end is near for campaign season here in Western Mass. What secrets about candidates do we have left to uncover (and oh, boy do I wish I could tell you one) and who is endorsing whom? I’ll talk with outgoing state rep John Sciback and still US Congressman Jim McGovern. I’ll talk with the Dr. of Rock, Steve Waksman about the unlikely origins of the rock music festival. Does Merriam-Webster Word Nerd, Emily Brewster think she is better than me or better than I? Reflecting on Senator John McCain and Aretha Franklin.

THIS WEEK: Why is the Greenfield Mayor scapegoating a free community meal as a reason to decamp a homeless encampment on the town common? Everything you need to know about lobster from a Kennebunport, ME lobster boat tour. Jarret K. Krosoczka’s taking over Northampton’s Academy of Music and turning it into the JEDI Academy of Music. A rock legend holding a fundraiser for her rock legend sister-I talk with June Millington of Fanny. When to use “bring” and when to use “take” with our Word Nerd from Merriam-Webster. US Congressman Jim McGovern on his recent trip to El Salvador and on how US policy there in the last decades is having an impact on immigration today. A look at Northampton’s premier end of summer event: Transperformance. And a whole lot more.

This Week why is one of our US representatives avoiding his Democratic challenger in the lead up to the primary and where was Richie Neal when his opponent Tahirah Amatul Wadud was a victim of an Islamophobic mailing? I talk with Tahirah. I talk with our OTHER Congressman Jim McGovern about why he and Richie Neal were featured in a Politico article about corporations dumping money into their campaigns. 5 amazing things your dogs can do with Dr. Steve. A very word nerdy gift for the Word Nerd and me.

This week: How the ACLU of Western Mass helped release 14 trans women from ICE custody. Smith College in the news for #lunchingwhile black. Books and music you don’t need in a place you can’t find with Debra Jo Immergut and Johnny Irion. Congressman McGovern on whether or not the President used Twitter to obstruct justice and on the ongoing crisis in Puerto Rico. How my washing machine caused an existential crisis. The aftermath of a bachelor party weekend in Newport. A solo hand-crafted-play-spinning-shadow-puppet-memory-play-with-music evoking the secret creative lives of women, mother/daughter bloodlines, and the ghost of Emily Dickinson and a lot more.

This week, back from our Cancer Connection Summer Camp Campout last week where we raised over $40G for a great local organization and had some amazing times and performances with the likes of Cracker, and Erin McKeown and the Haitian Band Lakou Mizik, we turn our sites towards the midterms and talk with Hawaii’s Beth Fukumoto who, thanks to the Trump Effect, is a convert from Republican to Democrat. Sitting US Congressman Jim McGovern on what the Dems are going to do with all of these socialists. A looks at lots of theater here in the Valley with Double Edge in Ashfield and the Ko Festival in Amherst and of course, lots of wine-tasting Chardonnays and spending time with a 23 year old wine savant.