That gritty crime drama you’ve been drafting in you head for years…or the sci-fi adventure you plot before bed…What will become of them? What does it take to turn an idea into a book? 

We speak with Amy Kaplan, president of the Maryland Writers’ Association. She is the author of several books and short stories, including her most recent, a coming-of-age fantasy titled, “The Mark of the Goddess.” 

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472

Have you enjoyed splashy fall colors this season? People who are colorblind miss out on some of that autumn bliss. EnChroma glasses allow those with ‘color vision deficiency’ see a fuller spectrum. We ask Don McPherson, inventor of  the glasses, how they work -- and learn about a new test for color blindness. You can find the test here.

EnChroma Glasses are available on loan at Brookside Gardens in Montgomery County. More information here.

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472

Here's a Stoop Story from Mike Ricigliano with the moral: if you can’t fix it, feature it! The next live Stoop show is Tues. Dec. 12, 2023 at the Senator theater. Details are here: ChrismaHanuKwanzakaaFestivus: Stories about the Universal Truths of Holiday Celebrations

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472

Though the agonizing conflict in Gaza is in the headlines, the war in Ukraine slogs on. Dr. Boris Lushniak, dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Health--son of Ukrainian immigrants--tells of the mood in the country’s capital. Plus: what’s the outlook for more U.S. assistance? We speak with U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th).

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472

The state's massive education reform package - the Blueprint for Maryland's Future - lays out a plan to expand free pre-kindergarten to low-income families. How will school systems and private childcare providers work together? 

We speak with Jennifer Lynch, a member of the Blueprint’s Accountability & Implementation Board, and Chris Peusch, executive director of the Maryland State Child Care Association.

Links:
The State of Preschool 2022 - The National Institute for Early Education Research
Breaking down the Blueprint: Major changes ahead as Maryland plans dramatic expansion of early childhood education
Blueprint Pillar 1: Early Childhood Education
Blueprint for Maryland’s Future: Prekindergarten Implementation Planning
Prekindergarten Expansion and Improvements

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472

In Maryland, some officials and civil rights advocates are concerned there is not enough oversight of how the city uses increasingly sophisticated surveillance tools such as facial recognition technology.

We talk about policy at the state and local level with Baltimore City Councilman Kristerfer Burnett and State Sen. Charles Sydnor.

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472

Eyes and body language can give big clues about how someone really feels. What about their laugh? That holds hidden truths, too. We talk to University of Baltimore researcher Prof. Sally Farley about her findings -- and why a simple laugh can reveal if someone is newly in love … 

Links: Article about Farley's recent research, link to Farley's ResearchGate.

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472

Twenty-six indigenous writers from the U.S. and Canada -- including one from Maryland--poured stories into a new anthology of dark fiction. Some tales call on the supernatural, some on horrors lived in the real world. It’s called "Never Whistle at Night."  

Our guests:
Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. co-edited the collection “Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology"
Dani Trujillo is an author and one of the project’s contributors

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472

Here is a Stoop Story from Kim Worthington about remaking your life after tragedy.

Want more Stoop? Check out the Stoop podcast. 

The next Stoop event is in less than three weeks -- December 12th at the Senator Theater in Baltimore. Storytellers will share tales about the universal truths of holiday celebrations.

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472

Here is a Stoop Story from Jessica about an under-dressed guest at Thanksgiving.

The next Stoop Storytelling event is coming up December 12, 2023, at 7 p.m. at the Senator Theatre. Join them for, Chrisma-Hanu-Kwanza-kaa-Festivus: Stories about the Universal Truths of Holiday Celebrations.

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472