The Roundtable

Each weekday morning, The Roundtable's Joe Donahue is joined by various experts, journalists, educators, and commentators to discuss current events. On Roundtable Panel: The Week in Review, we feature your favorite panelists discussing news items from the previous week.

In the new book “Selected Letters of John Updike” editor James Schiff offers readers a window into that private world drawing from decades of correspondence. Schiff presents a portrait of Updike is both craftsman and confidante, generous, witty, and endlessly reflective about writing and life.

Todd Caldwell's new album is ‘Show Pony’ - that blends the bluesy, gritty groove of the classic jazz organ trio with a more cinematic, modern approach. His music transcends traditional jazz, weaving together past and future, and creating something both timeless and innovative.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor of History and International Relations at Vassar College Robert Brigham, Preceptor in Public Speaking, Strategic Communications, and Public Relations for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University Terry Gipson, Professor in the History Department at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) Allison Kavey.

Albany’s Lost Radio Rounders are a true acoustic trio featuring Tom Lindsay on guitar and vocals, Paul Jossman on banjo and guitar, and Michael Eck on mandolin and guitar.Their themed musical/historical programs attract audiences interested in both the songs and the stories behind them. At most Lost Radio Rounders shows you will find no amplifiers, no instrument cables, and a minimum of P.A. gear. Their 2026 offering America 250: Songs & Stories debuted at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in January, and they are playing alllllll over this year. Michael Eck and Tom Lindsay join us!

On September 6th, 1970, 20-year-old Mimi Nichter was returning home on a flight to New York JFK Airport from a summer spent on kibbutz in Israel when her airplane was hijacked by armed members of the Popular Front of the Liberation of Palestine. They were redirected to a remote desert region in Jordan, passengers were on board for six days in sweltering heat, without flushable toilets or running water. Most were sent home, but Mimi was falsely accused of being an Israeli soldier and 31 others we held hostage in Iman fearing for their lives as a violent war erupted around them. Mimi’s new book ‘Hostage: A Memoir of Terrorism, Trauma, and Resilience’ is told with deep understanding and kindness. We are with her as she recounts the survival of the hijacking of Trans World Airlines flight 741, the first incident of international terrorism and one of the most significant events in aviation history.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick, and Associate Professor in the department of sociology at Vassar College Catherine Tan.

The galleries at Hudson Hall are currently host to ‘Sita Gomez,’ an exhibition curated by Nancy Cobean of Rose Gallery. Gomez is a prolific multicultural artist and 94 year-old resident of Hudson, New York. I went to Hudson Hall excited to speak with the artist. I was ready to talk about process and inspiration. What happened instead was Sita sharing with me - with us - her life story - which began in Paris in 1932.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Lecturer of Cognitive Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and former Fulbright US Scholar to Egypt Jackie Berry, a former U.S. Army officer and State Department Diplomat who taught at Bard College for six years and is now a Senior Fellow at Bard's Center for Civic Engagement Ambassador Fred Hof, Dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany Robert Griffin, and Wall Street Investment Banker Mark Wittman.

This week's Book Picks comes from Amy Zimmerman joins us from Chatham Bookstore in Chatham, New York and Matt Tannenbaum from The Bookstore in Lenox, Massachusetts.