The Roundtable

Whether we like it or not we are surrounded by emoji. They appear in politics, movies, drug deals, even our sex lives, high profile lawsuits, and much more. However, emoji's impact has never been fully explored in full. In the new book “Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji” Keith Houston follows emoji from its birth in 1990s Japan, traces its western explosion in the 2000s, and considers emoji’s ever-expanding lexicon.

The exhibition “Open + Shut: Celebrating the Art of Endpapers” is on view at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts through November 9.Once a functional form - sturdy pages glued to the inside of a book’s cardboard covers - endpapers today are often full of wit, surprise, and deep emotion. As one of the first (and last!) visual elements readers encounter when interacting with a book, endpapers set the mood for the story inside.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Publisher Emeritus of The Daily Freeman and contributor to WAMC’s “The Media Project” Ira Fusfeld, Executive Director of Communities for Local Power and former White House Advance Lead Anna Markowitz, and Investment Banker on Wall St. Mark Wittman.

This week's Book Picks comes from Suzanna Hermans of Oblong Books in Rhinebeck and Millerton, New York and Drew Broussard from Rough Draft Bar & Books in Kingston, New York.

Dr. Marc Berman, the pioneering creator of the field of environmental neuroscience, has written a new book, “Nature and the Mind."

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are former New York 19th Congressman and NY Assemblyman John Faso, Professor of Government at Dutchess Community College and President of the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley Dr. Karin Riedl, and Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan.

How does the son of a Presbyterian minister end up winning a Pulitzer Prize for a distorted newspaper column that is read by many? Well, in Dave Berry’s new book “Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up” he provides the details.“Class Clown” isn’t your regular memoir; it is a celebration of life rich with humor, joy, absurdity, and sadness.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center has announced their presentation of “Music and Mind with Renee Fleming: Harnessing the Arts to Heal & Connect.” This will take place this Thursday August 14th at 4pm at the Spa Little Theater. 5-time Grammy Award winning soprano Renee Fleming, curator of the groundbreaking anthology "Music and Mind" will host a discussion with a panel of experts exploring compelling research on the powerful connection between arts and health.

Lisa Gardner is a #1 "New York Times" bestselling thriller novelist with over 30 million copies of her books in print worldwide. A self-described research junkie, Lisa has transformed her interest in police procedure and criminal minds into a streak of internationally acclaimed novels, published in over 30 languages.An avid hiker, gardener and cribbage player, Lisa lives with her family in New England. “Kiss Her Goodbye” is her 29th book and we welcome her to the RT this morning.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior fellow at the Center for Civic Engagement at Bard College Ambassador Fred Hof, Political Consultant and lobbyist Libby Post, and Professor of Government at Dutchess Community College and President of the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley Dr. Karin Riedl.