The Media Narrative

Liz Linder is a talented and prolific photographer, but she is also a storyteller, artist, entrepreneur, mentor, and deep thinker about the ways contemporary society and technology shape the work of creative people. She has taken portraits of many celebrated figures, including Lou Reed, Esperanza Spalding, and Quincy Jones; shot for corporate clients such as MTV, Louis Vuitton and Takeda Pharmaceuticals; and published photographs in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Wired, and Rolling Stone.

At the same time, she has developed and exhibited a wide range of acclaimed personal photography projects, ones that have focused on subjects such as family, aging, movement and metaphor, and responses to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Much of her work focuses on narrative, and she has an uncanny ability to create story arcs by, in part, developing strong connections with the subjects of her images.

During our conversation, Linder talks about developing a passion for photography as a child (4:00); the analog-to-digital transition (6:45); how her artwork influences her commercial work and vice versa (12:00); how she prepares for and interacts with subjects of her portraits (16:30); the emotional challenge of a photo series focusing on her grandmother's memory loss (23:00); the call-and-response We Talk in Pictures series (28:00); the God Bless America project (36:00); developing and running her business (39:00); and advice for aspiring photographers (48:00).

Your host, having just launched a music show on Boston's WUMB-FM, reflects back on a career of stumbles and steps on the way to finding a voice, literal and metaphorical, while working on the broadcast airwaves. It's a story that begins with a kid listening to baseball games while growing up near Philadelphia, before taking over a morning jazz show in college—one that revealed his lack of jazz knowledge and a weird desire to display a subtle Boston accent.

His professional radio journey took him to Cape Cod, then rural Pennsylvania, then to Boston. In this episode, you'll hear about this in a solo episode enhanced by some old radio clips recorded to cassette tapes between 1984 and 2000: WMUA jazz show (5:00); WCIB news program (7:00); WBUR station ID (12:30); and pre-race commentary on the Falmouth Road Race (15:10).

It takes a very specific skill package to be an accomplished sideman, with musicianship and congeniality at the top of the list. Duke Levine brings those qualities in spades, but his versatility, humility, and self-awareness also play critical roles in a career rich with high-profile tours and notable recording projects. Among the artists he's toured and/or recorded with are Peter Wolf, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rosanne Cash, Aimee Mann, and Otis Rush, plus he's performed on a host of TV shows (Letterman, Conan, Fallon, Austin City Limits), and many other projects. Levine has also recorded six albums as a leader, with a new one in the works that provides a fresh take on several chestnuts from the 1970s. During this episode, you'll learn more, plus you'll hear a lot of his music—from his recordings, and played live on his Fender Telecaster in his studio during the conversation. Related Links Duke Levine's website Video for Whispering Pines (originally recorded by the Band)

Podcasts providing travel advice can be a great help to first-time travelers. On a trip last week to New Orleans, I relied heavily on an episode of the Beyond Bourbon Street podcast, hosted by Mark Bologna. It was an incredibly helpful hour-long guide to planning a few days in New Orleans.And then, in discussing that podcast and my trip, I realized I had created a travel tips podcast of mine own. Oops.In the process, however, I forgot to reveal what question I forgot to ask my last guest, José Massó. Next time I see him I'll ask what advice he has as I prepare to launch my WUMB show. Next week's episode: an interview with guitarist Duke Levine.There's a few related links below; the rest you'll find on the episode page.WWOZ-FM Music CalendarCochon (grilled redfish)Buffa's Bar and RestaurantCherry Coffee RoastersLoretta's Authentic Pralines

BYWATER NEIGHBORHOOD

Bacchanal

Dr. Bob Art

Studio Be

Euclid Records

José Massó is host of the longest-running music show in Boston's radio market, on WBUR. As host of Con Salsa, Massó not only brings a range of Latin music and interviews to listeners all around the world, he works tirelessly to make his show—and his life—about addressing social issues. He's a fascinating and well-spoken person who has also worked as a school teacher, sports agent, and liaison on U.S. presidential campaigns.

During our conversation, he talks about being inspired by musician and radio host Felipe Luciano (3:00); how teaching led him to radio (4:50); immigration and the evolution of the Latino community in Boston and in the U.S. (10:30); a dialogue between him and incarcerated men who listened to Con Salsa (14:00); his approach to interviewing people such as Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, and Ruben Blades (37:00); how composing a post about his father on Facebook led to him start writing a book (43:00); and his thoughts on the question of Puerto Rico independence (46:30).

Stream Jose Masso's weekly show, 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. EST every Saturday night at WBUR.org.

José Massó bio

Con Salsa on Facebook

Profile of José Massó

The Young Lords

The Amandla Concert (feat. Bob Marley and Eddie Palmieri)

Everyone scoffs at New Year's Resolutions these days, but who doesn't think about the year ahead in early January? Your host reflects as such on this year's first episode, touching on some developments for the Media Narrative in 2019, including:

Lore podcast

Aaron Mahnkee's Twitter series on podcasting

The Gist with Mike Pesca

The Ezra Klein Show

WUMB-FM

In this quick end-of-the-year solo show, your host runs down the year and expresses gratitude. You'll also hear some news about the podcast, some recommendations for other shows to listen to, and the big media question of 2019. Subscribe at themedianarrative.com.

Journalist Chris Faraone began his career covering the hip-hop scene for local and national publications. By the time he joined the Boston Phoenix in 2008, he was spending most of his time covering political and civic news. Faraone went on to become editor of alternative weekly Dig Boston and found the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism.

Keyboardist, composer, vocalist, and educator Matt Jenson creates music intended to inform and inspire as much as it entertains. Embedded in everything he does—such as his scholarship and teaching of the work of reggae great Bob Marley—is a goal to address social injustice and connect people through music and activism.

He recently took a short break from his Boston-based life as a bandleader and faculty member at Berklee College of Music to go on a European tour with Groundation.

During this conversation, Jenson talks about how he prepared for a 2018 tour with Groundation (5:00); teaching the music and life of Bob Marley (19:00); his band Liquid Revolution (26:20); writers and political issues that inspire him (29:00); his construction of—and an excerpt from—Liquid Revolution's "Drop the Line" (34:30); his Art of Reggae educational project, which features Jamaican musicians such as drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare (37:30); and his ultimate goal in music making (45:00).

Hillary Wright’s skills as a nutrition expert go far beyond understanding the science of healthy diet and exercise. She also writes and communicates about complex ideas in easy-to-understand ways. Her two books provide critical information to people seeking guidance around conditions such as prediabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). She is the director for nutrition counseling for the Domar Center for Mind Body Health (Waltham, Mass.) and a senior nutritionist for Boston’s legendary Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

During our conversation, Wright discusses the challenges faced by women with PCOS (3:00); how having two brothers with diabetes helped inspire her career in nutrition (9:00); understanding and preventing diabetes (13:00); strategies for healthy eating and why she’s not a fan of ketogenic diets (24:00); Rob’s gruel recipe (26:30); how modern life increases the risk of diet-related illness (28:00); Wright’s development as a writer and working with publishers (34:45); maintaining a productive writing discipline (39:30); the power of finding “enlightened” readers (41:30); and Thanksgiving eating and attitudes (44:00).

This episode is presented in partnership with Quizzella. Test your knowledge of words with one question per day delivered to your in-box. Sign up at Quizzella.com.