Where We Live

What meal brings you back to childhood? This hour, two local children’s authors share how their young protagonists find meaning in the kitchen, using food as a tool to explore culture, loss, and belonging.

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Cat Shen has been hosting Where We Live long enough for the show to use a fork, and yet very little is known about her. In this hour, technical producer and partner-in-mischief Dylan Reyes sits down with Cat to get the inside scoop on the reporter turned host.

The pair discuss some of their favorite songs, defining life moments and what it means to be the face of a show that's celebrating 20 years on Connecticut Public Radio in 2026.

MUSIC FEATURED (in order):

• Milk Tea — Yuji Ohno (ft. Akari Dritschler

• Happy Happy Christmas — Drax (commonly known as it is a mystery)

• Complicated — Avril Lavigne

• Magpie — Peach Pit

• The Moon Represents My Heart — Teresa Teng (鄧麗君 — Deng Lee Jun)

• Uprising — Muse

• Mr. Resetti — insaneintherainmusic

• Ganja Smugglin — The Expendables

• Goofy Goober Rock — Tom Rothrock

• I'm Yours — Jason Mraz

• Sparkle (movie version) — RADWIMPS

Or, find it all in this playlist!

Where We Live is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

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Connecticut native and bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert’s new memoir, "All the Way to the River," tells the story of her late partner, Rayya Elias.

The two began as fast friends, then fell in love. But as they faced tragedy together, their shared struggles with addiction put them on a collision course with catastrophe.

This hour, Gilbert joins us to talk about Rayya — “the love of her life” — and what she discovered about herself, about love, and about the sanctity of truth in writing this deeply personal memoir.

Guest:

• Elizabeth Gilbert: author of the new memoir, "All the Way to the River." She is also the author of several other bestselling novels including "Eat, Pray, Love" and "City of Girls."

This episode originally aired on Sep. 11, 2025.

Where We Live is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From a mass shooting in Australia that left 15 people dead, to a shooting at Brown University that killed two students, the world has been rocked by gun violence at the end of 2025.

In the U.S., 125 people die from a gun injury, and more than 200 people are shot and wounded each day, according to the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety. In Connecticut, there were at least 339 incidents of gun violence this year.

The outpouring of shock and grief following the shootings was expected and understandable.

But what is it like for young people to live with the constant fear of guns in their environments or the threat of mass shootings?

Guests:

• Nelba Márquez-Greene: Mother of Ana Grace, killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. Community Scholar, Yale School of Public Health. 
• Renee Beavers: Hospital violence intervention specialist (HVIP), Connecticut Children’s.
• Stacey Mayer: Director of Advocacy, Policy & Outreach at CT Against Gun Violence.
• Malini Parikh: Student, Hopkins School, New Haven. President of the CT Against Gun Violence Youth Council.

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Tuesday is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth. This hour, we celebrate the beloved author's work, and look at why her six novels have endured for centuries. Plus, we hear from a horticulturalist about her love of gardens, and talk with a local historical clothing expert about fashion in Austen's time.

GUESTS:

• Barbara Benedict: Charles A. Dana Professor of English at Trinity College
• Tara Key: Manager of Reference and Instruction at the New Canaan Library
• Jana Milbocker: Garden designer, lecturer, and writer
• Kandie Carle: Known as “The Victorian Lady,” is an actress and historian

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Why does Christmas bring out the ghosts?

This hour, we dig into the world of Charles Dickens and Mark Twain, and the Victorian obsession with spiritualism that shaped so many holiday tales.

We also explore two Connecticut productions of A Christmas Carol to see how performers keep this annual tradition fresh.

GUESTS:

• Wesley Broulik: producing artistic director, Times Fool Company
• Cynthia Rider: managing director, Hartford Stage 
• Emma Gerstein: assistant manager of interpretation & living history coordinator, The Mark Twain House & Museum

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Millions of people in our country live with a chronic condition.

From syndromes affecting our hearts and brains, to pain and inflammation, chronic illnesses can be hidden to the world, but are all too real for patients.

Today, we dive deep into how culture and politics affect our bodies. We explore perceptions of what illness looks like (or doesn’t look like). And we'll ask what it takes for a patient to become an advocate, both for themself and for others.

Are you or someone you love living with a chronic condition? We want to hear from you.

Guests

Eshani Surya: Author of Ravishing, a novel that explores the intersection of the beauty industry and chronic illness

Jennifer Lunden: Author of American Breakdown: Our Ailing Nation, My Body’s Revolt, and the Nineteenth-Century Woman Who Brought Me Back to Life – An Illuminating Investigation into Chronic Illness and Environmental Ecosystems

Lauren Stiles: Founder, Dysautonomia International

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Changing federal guidance on vaccines has Connecticut health officials in an uproar.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine committee recently altered long-standing guidance on how newborns are vaccinated.

Meanwhile, doctors say more patients fear vaccine side effects, which doctors are addressing on a case-by-case basis during consultations. Public health experts are concerned that fear and confusion could bring back diseases that the U.S. had forgotten.

We’ll dig into the history of vaccines in America, check in with Connecticut doctors and ask the state's top public health official what's next.

Guests:

• Jason L Schwartz: associate professor at the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Yale School of Public Health; associate Professor in the History of Medicine, Yale University.
• Dr. Manisha Juthani: commissioner, Connecticut Department of Public Health
• Dr. David Banach: head of infection prevention at UConn Health

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"Gilmore Girls" premiered in October 2000 on The WB network. The series filled a niche at the time: female leads, three generations of women, and witty, fast-paced dialogue. But success was not immediate.

This hour, we listen to "Oy, with the Gilmores already!" an episode of Connecticut Public's new podcast, "Generation Gilmore Girls."

Later, we’re joined by the host of the podcast, Chloe Wynne, who reflects on the show's staying power 25 years after its premiere.

Guest:

• Chloe Wynne: Producer for "Where We Live" and "The Wheelhouse", host of "Generation Gilmore Girls". 

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When it comes to getting behind the wheel, there’s a lot to be stressed about, and we're not just talking about bad drivers.

The average cost of a new car today is about $50,000. Car insurance rates have risen 55% since February 2020. Car maintenance costs are also on the rise.

Today, we talk about what you should know if you’re in the market for a new vehicle.

Later, we hear from the Connecticut Mirror. They recently completed an in-depth investigation into vehicle-selling practices at Connecticut towing companies.

GUESTS:

• Dave Altimari: Investigative Reporter at the Connecticut Mirror
• Ginny Monk: Children's Issues and Housing Reporter for the Connecticut Mirror
• Tracy Noble: Spokesperson for AAA in Greater Hartford
• Camila Domonoske: Car and Energy Correspondent at the NPR Business Desk

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