Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

Many of the most beloved musicals take inspiration from history such as Hamilton, Evita, 1776, Newsies, and more recently, SIX. We talk with the actress playing Katherine Howard in the North American “Boleyn” tour of SIX, which tells the story of the ex-wives of Henry VIII presented as a modern pop concert. She’ll discuss her role in this production and where she found inspiration for playing a real-life queen.

SIX is currently playing at the Hobby Center in Houston until November 20, 2022. For tickets and more information, click here.

Sharing history in a new, entertaining and modern way can bring audiences to understand the past, but what is lost in these interpretations? How important is historical accuracy? 

Our panel of experts, including a professor of history and a theater expert, discuss their feelings on how history is translated on stage and on screen. We break down the truth behind shows such as 1776, Assassins, Hamilton and The Crown, and discuss if these retellings are good, or bad, for history. Plus, in the case of The Crown, how important is a “true depiction” if the people and the subject matter are current?

Guests:

Aline Mayagoitia 

Claire Potter

Robert Viagas 

Helen Mann, MBE

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day’s most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

Former attorney Michael Cohen was known as the “fixer” and personal counsel to Donald Trump for many years, including during his presidency.

In 2018, he plead guilty to eight counts of tax fraud, bank fraud, and campaign-finance violations. He served one year of a three-year sentence in a federal prison and served the remaining time under house arrest.

Michael Cohen discusses his new book, Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized the Department of Justice Against His Critics, which delves into how Trump had the Department of Justice strong-arm him into pleading guilty. 

He will also pull back the curtain to reveal motivations behind Trump’s actions and how his arrest and prison sentence affected his personal and private life.  

Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized the Department of Justice Against His Critics is available now wherever books are sold.

Guest:

Michael Cohen

Former Attorney for President Donald Trump

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

November 11 is Veterans Day in the United States, a national holiday to recognize and honor those who have served in our country’s armed forces and fought for our freedom.

We talk with the Director of Grand Valley State University’s Veterans History Project to discuss the history of U.S. veterans and how they’ve been viewed throughout different wars over the past century.

To access the interviews of GVSU’s Veterans History Project, click here. To watch the interviews on their YouTube channel, click here.

We then shift topics and talk with author Andrew Weiss on his graphic novel Accidental Czar: The Life and Lies of Vladimir Putin, which chronicles the life of Russian President Vladimir Putin and how he created the persona of a strongman and political mastermind.

Weiss utilizes a graphic novel style to not only engage with readers more but also to satirize and shatter the cartoonish façade that Putin has created for himself and expose the man underneath.

Accidental Czar: The Life and Lies of Vladimir Putin is available now wherever books are sold. 

Guests:

Dr. James Smither

Andrew Weiss

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day’s most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

With the holidays just around the corner, the Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market is the perfect place for holiday shopping with over 270 merchants selling a wide variety of items such as home décor, gifts, food, apparel, toys, accessories and more.

We talk with Houston Ballet’s executive director, the director of Houston Ballet Academy and the chairman of the Nutcracker Market who explain the importance of Houston Ballet and the great work it does, the history of this fundraising event and how the proceeds benefit Houston Ballet, its students, and the community.

We also spoke with the artistic director who discussed the art of ballet and the importance of innovation.  The upcoming performance of The Nutcracker plays November 25 - December 27, 2022. For tickets and more information, click here.

We also talked with artist Christopher Radko who discussed his handblown glass ornament collection, HeARTfully Yours. A portion of the sales go to many great causes such as heart disease, breast cancer, and relief for Ukraine.  To learn more about HeARTfully Yours, click here.

We also explored the wide variety of booths at the market and talked with the merchants like Sweet Country Charm Fudge & Candy Shop, Grillight, Illumindol, and Susie’s South Forty Confections.  They all shared the exciting items shoppers can find at each of their respective booths.

The Nutcracker Market is November 10-13, 2022, at NRG Center. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Guests:

Jim Nelson

Jennifer Sommers

Stanton Welch

Mr. Christopher Radko

Casey Rowe

Denise Van Amburgh

Colton Knittig

Gavin Inverso

Gloria Marron

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

Tuesday, November 8, 2022, is Election Day, the final day to cast your ballot and have your voice heard.

We heard from Houston Public Media reporters who were out at polling sites throughout the area on voter turnout, what they are seeing at the polls and reporting issues arising at the locations.

Americans are concerned with a variety of issues, including the economy, inflation, immigration, crime, and abortion.

Representatives from both sides of the aisle, from the right and the left, join us to discuss these issues, along with how each political party gets their message across, what each side hopes to achieve from this election, and what we can expect from each side should the other prove victorious in certain races.

Guests:

Dallas Jones

Jessica Colón

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day’s most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

The city of Houston celebrates after the Houston Astros win against the Philadelphia Phillies at the World Series. To commemorate the baseball team’s victory, a parade of champions commenced in downtown Houston on November 7, 2022.

With us to discuss the fan’s celebratory reactions and the impact that this World Series win means for the city of Houston and the Astros is Matt Harab, Houston Public Media’s morning news anchor and former sports host.

We then shift topics to discuss voting and the importance of making your voice heard. With us to answer questions about voting in this election we talked with the President of the League of Women Voters Houston and the Deputy Director of Communications for the Harris County Elections Administration.

For the League of Women Voters Houston Voters Guide, click here.

For more information about this election visit the Harris County Elections website here.

Texas State Voter Hotline: 1.866.OUR VOTE (687.8683)

Guests:

Matt Harab

Nadia Hakim

Dr. Annie Johnson Benifield

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

Researchers are working hard to find a cure to Alzheimer’s disease, which affects more than six million Americans, and is the sixth leading cause of death for adults in our country. Through their efforts, new research and studies have proven helpful in ways to prevent the disease and even possible treatments.

We learn about these findings from our panel of medical experts who discuss possible contributing factors, ways to prevent the disease, and the latest information on efforts to find treatments and a possible cure.

We also discuss the 90+ Study, which studies people over the age of ninety, how they live to that age, and whether their minds show any signs of decline.  We also talk with a participant of this study who shares her thoughts on longevity.  

If you would like to help raise awareness and support for Alzheimer’s disease, donate or register for the Walk to End Alzheimer's, a fundraising event sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association.   It’s the largest fundraiser and awareness event for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. 

The Houston area event takes place on Saturday, November 5, 2022, at the University of Houston’s Lynn Eusan Park. Registration and arrival is at 8:00 a.m., and the walk begins at 9:30 a.m. This dog-friendly event will feature a walk, a DJ, kids area and vendors.  For more information click here.

Baylor Medicine and the Alzheimer’s Association host their 2022 Update on Alzheimer’s Disease presentation on Tuesday, December 13, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. CT.  The event will feature Melissa Yu, MD, FAAN, and Chi-Ying Lin, MD, MPH  To register for this virtual event, click here.

For emergencies call the Alzheimer’s Association’s 27/7 Help Line at 800-272-3900.

Guests:

Christine Howard

Dr. Ahmad Sajjadi

Dr. Melissa Yu

Marlene Frederickson

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day’s most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

Dick Gregory was a prominent comedian and activist who was very active in the civil rights movement during the 1960s. While initially known as a comedian, his activism would, particularly during this decade of change, define his legacy.

Joining us is his son and manager, Christian Gregory, who discusses his father’s legacy as a prominent civil rights figure. A new book, The Essential Dick Gregory, features a collection of the activist’s greatest works. It is available now wherever books are sold.

Then, New York Times bestselling author, Thomas E. Ricks, joins us to talk about the Civil Rights Movement from a military perspective and discusses the non-violent strategies that were used and what we can learn from this approach today.

This is covered in greater detail in his book, Waging a Good War: A Military History of the Civil Rights Movement 1954-1968, which is also out now wherever books are sold.

Thomas E. Ricks will appear in-person at the Texas Book Festival in Austin, TX, on Saturday, November 5, 2022, from 2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Guests:

 Christian Gregory

Thomas E. Ricks

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

Día de los Muertos (“Day of the Dead”), is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and various Latin American countries from November first through second, in which the lives of deceased relatives are honored and remembered by their loved ones.

Families will make home altars and place ofrendas, or offerings, of their deceased loved one’s favorite foods, drinks, and mementos to honor and celebrate their memory, as opposed to mourning them.

Our panel of experts explain the cultural, historical, and spiritual significance of Día de los Muertos and give context to the various traditional items associated with the holiday such as calaveras, marigold flowers, and pan de muerto.

For more information on Day of the Dead and it’s history in the U.S., Dr. Regina Marchi’s book, Day of the Dead in the USA: The Migration and Transformation of a Cultural Phenomenon, is a great resource.

To learn more about Mexican and Mexican-American traditions, visit Casa Ramirez for their annual celebration of Día de los Muertos which features altars, folk art, jewelry, and paintings from local Mexican artists. For more information, click here.  

If you’re interested in pan de muerto, visit an Arandas Bakery location near you.

Guests:

Dr. Regina Marchi

Carlos Aguilar

Ricardo Hernandez

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day’s most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

With all the distractions we have today, from cell phones to social media, it can be very difficult for parents to encourage their children to read.

For this conversation, we talk with international best-selling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Jeff Kinney, to discuss his widely popular books and his contributions to creating more young readers. The latest entry in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Diper Överlöde is available now wherever books are sold.

The Diper Överlöde Tour rocks Houston on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at 6:00 p.m.  Jeff Kinney emcees this special concert-style event at Alief Taylor High School Auditorium.  The event is hosted by Blue Willow Bookshop.  For more information, click here.

Also, the second book in the series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, comes to life on screen with a premiere December 2, 2022 on Disney+.

Then, we converse with the President of the American Association of School Librarians who is with us to answer literary questions and to offer her insight on children’s literacy.   

To download free e-books from your local library, download the Libby app from your favorite app store.

If you believe your child can learn to read more through Zines, check out Zine Fest Houston on November 12, 2022, from 12pm to 6pm at the Orange Show. For more information, click here.

Guests:

Jeff Kinney

Kathy Lester

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps