We talk with Boston Athenaeum’s Assistant Curator, Virginia “Ginny” Badgett. She gives us a look at a day in the life of a curator, and she interprets and shares some special pieces from their collection related to Rhode Island’s robust history.

Follow along with the links below:

Piece 1: Gilbert Stuart's 1826 portrait of William Smith Shaw

Piece 2: Diary of Kate Birckhead, 1865 August 5-1873 October 8

Piece 3: Elizabeth Goddard's 2006 monotype A Playful Sea II

--

New & Notable Books brings you book recommendations from Rhode Island Librarians. Listen to new reviews every week, and find something wonderful to read.

The Mysterious World of Anthony Horowitz with Mary Anne

• Magpie Murders

• The Word Is Murder

• The Sentence Is Death

• Moonflower Murders

Looking for safe ways to perform music for their audience, Providence-based chamber choir Ensemble Altera developed a pandemic-approved series of recorded video performances in a parking garage in downtown Providence.  Christopher Lowrey, opera singer and Director of Ensemble Altera, sat down with Rhody Radio to talk about his history with music, what it's like to be an opera singer, and the exciting projects that Ensemble Altera has been working on to bring choral music to audiences during COVID-19.  He also answers the question on everyone's mind: why a parking garage?

Check out all four episodes of the summer parking garage series and new Christmas episodes at Ensemble Altera's YouTube Channel.  If you would like to support this project, visit Ensemble Altera's GoFundMe Campaign.  Visit ChristopherLowrey.com to learn more about Chris's career as an opera and choral singer.

Skip ahead to  31:43 to hear the full version of Ensemble Altera's Shendoah and to 35:46 for Danny Boy.

Finally, here are some quick links to clips inspired by Chris's favorites for anyone who wants to explore more: 

New & Notable Books brings you book recommendations from Rhode Island Librarians. Listen to new reviews every week, and find something wonderful to read.

Unforgettable Historical Fiction with Jennifer

• Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix

• The Boy in the Red Dress by Kristin Lambert

• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Katy Westcott tells the story of katrinkles, her independent, female-owned and operated manufacturing company in Providence, RI.

katrinkles makes wooden buttons and tools for knitters and fiber artists. A small team of women who are crafters and artisans themselves cut and hand-finish katrinkles products. katrinkles sells to crafters and craft stores across the U.S. and throughout the world.

Hear how Katy started and grew her business, and find out what it’s like to be a businesswoman in manufacturing.

To learn more about katrinkles and to see their work visit katrinkles.com.

New & Notable Books brings you book recommendations from Rhode Island Librarians. Listen to new reviews every week, and find something wonderful to read.

Uplifting Christmas Fiction with Mary Anne

• The Noel Letters by Richard Paul Evans

• Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

• The Gift of the Magpie: A Meg Langslow Mystery by Donna Andrews

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Save the Bay has published a book!  Saving  Narragansett Bay: How People Passion and Perseverance Made All the Difference chronicles the history of the environmental movement in Rhode Island along with beautiful photographs and shares the stories of the many passionate people who worked tirelessly to protect Rhode Island's greatest natural resource.  Jonathan Stone, Executive Director at Save the Bay and Todd McLeish, the author of the book, sat down with Rhody Radio to discuss Saving Narragansett Bay and the way that grassroots environmental support has been, and continues to be, pivotal in shaping Rhode Island's coastline. 

Visit Save the Bay to learn more about getting involved, to become a member and to access educational resources like the Breakfast by the Bay series mentioned in the episode.  

If you would like to get your hands on a copy of Saving Narragansett Bay: How People, Passion and Perseverance Made All the Difference, you can purchase the book at Save the Bay's website or borrow a copy from one of several RI libraries.  Special thanks to Katy Dorchies, Director of Marketing at Save the Bay for helping libraries get copies of the book onto their shelves. 

The music heard in this episode is Waves by Mindseye. 

New & Notable Books brings you book recommendations from Rhode Island Librarians. Listen to new reviews every week, and find something wonderful to read.

Excellent Reads for Foodies with Jen

• Rebel Chef: In Search of What Matters by Dominique Crenn with Emma Brockes

• Eat a Peach by David Chang with Gabe Ulla

Discover outstanding books to read or give as gifts.  Hear Warwick librarians give their picks for some of the best kids, teen, and adult titles from this year.

For Adults with Mary Anne

• Transcendent Kingdom

• Anxious People

• Winter in Paradise

• What Happens in Paradise

• Troubles in Paradise

For Kids with Christine

• Snail Crossing

• The Old Truck

• Fire Truck vs. Dragon

• The Three Billy Goats Buenos

For Teens with Jennifer

• Watch Over Me

• They Wish They Were Us

• You Should See Me in a Crown

For Adults with Jen

• How to Astronaut: An Insider's Guide to Leaving Planet Earth

• Humans

• Fortune Favors the Dead

• In a Holidaze

This week Rhody Radio is observing Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), which takes place on Friday, November 20. TDOR honors the memory of those murdered in acts of anti-transgender violence. We are taking this opportunity to present an excerpt from a recent episode of Down Time with Cranston Public Library, featuring the voices of local transgender library workers and students. Drawing from their personal experiences, Derrick, Erin, and Jo discuss the positive and negative aspects of their transition journeys so far, normalizing the sharing of pronouns, how libraries and other public spaces can make their spaces more welcoming to Trans and non-binary individuals, and much more. To learn more about Transgender Day of Remembrance please visit tdor.translivesmatter.info.

Down Time theme music is Day Trips by Ketsa. Rhody Radio is a project of the Office of Library and Information Services and is made possible by a grant from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.

Books and movies mentioned in this episode

https://tdor.translivesmatter.info/