The Roundtable

In the new book ‘Won’t Back Down: Heartland Rock and the Fight for America,’ music journalist Erin Osmon takes a closer look at the genre often seen as quintessentially American. Popularized by artists like Bruce Springsteen and Ton Petty, Heartland Rock has long told stories of labor, longing, and life on the margins. But Osmon argues that beneath those familiar themes lies a more complicated history one in which these songs had been used to express both solidarity and division.

Sepideh Moafi recently starred as Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi on the riveting medical drama, ‘The Pitt,’ and is known for her roles in ‘The L Word: Generation Q’ and ‘The Deuce.’She is returning to her theater roots this year in ‘New Born,’ a play composed of three monologues written by Ella Hickson.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are a former NY elementary teacher and now 2nd year PhD student at RPI Sophia Acquisto, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Diplomat in Residence at Bard College. She retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2025 after over 30 years in public service. Her last post was ambassador to the SE Asian country, Timor-Leste Donna Welton.

'Diamond Fever!' is a bit of a departure from Steve Sheinkin's other books and is perfect for emerging readers. Both shorter and faster paced, it also features an engaging mixture of prose and comics from renowned illustrator Jon Chad. With these additions, readers will fully immerse themselves in the Great Diamond Hoax of 1872, a time full of deception, fortune, and greed.Steve Sheinkin and Jon Chad will be at Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga for a talk and signing about 'Diamond Fever' on Monday, May 18, 2026, at 6:00pm. northshire.com. You’re listening to the RT on WAMC.

So, what can we do to feel better about our relationship with money? Financial expert and strategist Lev Mandel has a new book and a workbook out called ‘Money is Weird.’ It offers a place to unpack your history, explore habits, and experiment with new ones; maybe even feel ok about it all. To actually feel confident and safe about your relationship with money.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick, and the founder and director of the Volunteer Literacy Project. She is also a columnist for The Free Press and a Greene County resident Larissa Phillips

This week's Book Picks comes from Cheryl Cornwell from Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, NY and Manchester Center, VT and Matt Tannenbaum and Shawnee Tannenbaum from The Bookstore in Lenox.

Berkshire Concert Choir, a 100+ voice community chorus based in Pittsfield MA, will perform 'Questions and Answers: American Echoes,' which addresses the American experience through the lens of a diverse program of music that asks and answers questions on May 9th and 10th.On the surface "Q & A" music has the fun of a puzzle, but the program digs deeper into the essential American freedom to question and to hold diverse perspectives, through choral classics, pop and rock from Marvin Gaye, Dolly Parton, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, to Civil Rights era classics from Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Joseph Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government at Skidmore College Beau Breslin, an author, lawyer, consultant, public speaker, and entrepreneur. Her most recent book is: Race Rules: What Your Black Friend Won't Tell You Fatimah Gilliam, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Robert Pondiscio.

Kelley Drahushuk of Spotty Dog Books and Ale joins us to talk about how we can turn personal memories into watercolor landscapes. Earlier we provided three audience members with art supplies to show off their talents.We will talk to them as we discuss good art supplies and all the possibilities that await us in creating art. We will discuss how you can create a watercolor painting based on your own interpretation of the landscape and how we can blend artmaking with reflection, places, people, and moments into expressive works on paper.