The Roundtable

The world of Buddhist scholarship has lost one of its most influential voices. Robert Thurman, the pioneering scholar, author, father of actor Uma Thurman, and advocate for Tibetan Buddhism, died yesterday in Woodstock, New York. He was 84.Thurman spent decades introducing Western audiences to Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and culture, serving for 30 years as Columbia University’s Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies. A close friend and longtime student of the Dalai Lama, he was the first American ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk and later co-founded Tibet House US, dedicated to preserving Tibetan culture in exile.Named by Time magazine as one of America’s most influential thinkers, Thurman leaves behind a profound intellectual and spiritual legacy that shaped generations of students, readers, and practitioners.I spoke with him in 2017 about his book, 'Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet.' We play a portion of that interview this morning, in memoriam, where he talks about how he began his friendship with the Dalai Lama.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are educator who teaches drama and humanities at Poughkeepsie Day School in Poughkeepsie Stephen Haff, Professor of Government at Dutchess Community College and since 2023, she has been President of the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley Dr. Karin Riedl, and Investment Banker on Wall St. Mark Wittman.

This week's Book Picks comes from welcome Laure Colodner and Ana Guimil of the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, MA and we also welcome Matt Tannenbaum from The Bookstore in Lenox, MA.

The book hitting store shelves Tuesday, June 16, takes readers from the start of the American republic in 1789 to the end of the nineteenth century through stories that engage topics such as political violence, fake news, and contested elections.

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, preceptor in Public Speaking for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University Terry Gipson, and Associate Professor in the department of sociology at Vassar College. Her research is on health, wellness, and medical knowledge Catherine Tan.

Straight No Chaser is not your typical acapella group that comes to mind. No blazers, khakis, ties, and singing traditional college songs on campuses. They are quite the opposite!Straight No Chaser is an all-male acapella group consisting of nine members that started on a college campus in the mid-90s, but grew to new heights becoming a phenomenon in the acapella world. They have grown a massive fanbase over the years and accumulated a long list of accomplishments. They have 2 RIAA Gold Certified albums, over 1.5 million concert tickets sold worldwide, over 1 billion streams on Pandora, and over 2 million albums sold worldwide.Straight No Chaser will kick off it’s ‘Straight No Chaser Beach Bash Tour’ tomorrow on June 16th. They will be at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on Saturday June 20th at 8:00 pm.

The Arch Stanton Quartet will conclude its yearlong music-and-spoken-word series “Exploring the Sheltering Sky: The Music and Words of Paul Bowles” with a free public performance on June 19 at the Albany Institute of History & Art. The performance begins at 12:30 p.m.“Exploring the Sheltering Sky” debuted in October 2025 and has been performed at a dozen libraries for hundreds of patrons who have been transported to the world of Paul Bowles’ writing and music. The series has been generously supported by a community-arts grant from the Albany County Arts and Culture program, coordinated by Advance Albany County Alliance.

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, Professor of Political Science at Hartwick College in Oneonta, who studies gender in politics, women political candidates, women voters and women in elected office Laurel Elder, and Senior Fellow, Bard Center for Civic Engagement Jim Ketterer.

Science writer Elizabeth Preston has spent years exploring the strange brilliance of the world in the places like ‘The Atlantic’ and ‘The New York Times.’ In her new book ‘The Creatures' Guide to Caring’ she turns to animal parenting from devoted octopuses to fiercely protective birds and mammals. Revealing how care, survival, and connection shape life across species. The book blends reporting, evolutionary science, and wonder-filled storytelling into a look what creatures can teach us about raising the next generation.

Eight years ago, when wildfires threatened musician David Baerwald’s family home in Los Angeles. He salvaged all but forgotten boxes belonging to his grandfather. Among the discoveries inside them were a spy camera, a samurai sword, breathtaking photographs, and dairies and letters that will change his life forever. The platinum selling artist behind ‘Welcome to the Boom Town’ and ‘Come What May’ spent seven years and sold his music catalog to write the novel ‘The Fire Agent,’ based on his grandfather’s astonishing story. The result is a gripping chronicle, the rise of fascism in both the West and Japan.