Where We Live

When you got to an art gallery, how much of what you see has been made by women? Women artists are underrepresented in most museums. But this year, a special series at the New Britain Museum of American Art will exclusively feature exhibitions by female artists. This hour, we talk with the museum’s director, Min Jung Kim.

We also talk with Shantell Martin, a visual artist whose work will be featured in a solo exhibition at the New Britain Museum of American Art. And later, we hear from a member of the Guerrilla Girls, an anonymous group of women artists and activists who’ve protested disparities in museums collections.

How does the predominance of white men in the art world skew our perceptions of what’s good or valuable art?

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How is Connecticut’s governor doing? Today, we’ll sit down with Governor Ned Lamont, who will have been in office one year this week. We ask him about his priorities for the state in 2020.

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It's officially 2020, which means you may see a census taker knocking on your door this Spring. 

The decennial census also will be online. This hour, we talk with NPR’s Hansi Lo Wang about efforts to count everyone who lives in the United States, and why it matters.

And later, we hear from local nonprofits about whether the state of Connecticut is spending enough on Census outreach. Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz will join us to talk about the state’s efforts.  

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Walking instead of driving is better for the environment and our health, but in the United States, it’s becoming an increasingly dangerous choice.

Since 2009, the rate of pedestrians killed by a car in Connecticut has more than doubled, even as cars have become safer for drivers and passengers.  Howcan cities and towns make sure their streets are safe for everyone?

And later: college sports are a billion-dollar industry, but athletes aren’t the ones benefiting the most. We talk about efforts to allow college athletes to make money from the use of their names and images.

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This summer marks 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in the United States. This hour, we hear about the Connecticut women who fought for suffrage. And: despite the progress seen over the last century, what barriers remain for women’s full participation in the political process today?

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At sixteen years of age, Reginald Dwayne Betts went to prison for carjacking. Decades later, Betts is a celebrated poet and graduate of Yale Law School. But, like many ex-offenders, the consequences of those teenage mistakes have followed him for years.

This hour, we sit down with Betts to talk about his third collection of poetry, Felon.

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Ryan Leigh Dostie is an Iraq War veteran. She joined the U.S. Army to serve her country. But before she was deployed, she experienced violence from one of her own when she was raped by a fellow soldier. 

This hour, we sit down with Dostie. She is a Connecticut resident and author of the new book: Formation: A Woman’s Memoir of Stepping Out of Line.

Recent statistics show sexual assaults in the military have surged in recent years. We talk with a retired colonel about this disturbing trend.

And we want to hear from you. Are you a veteran? How do you think the U.S. military should confront this epidemic of violence in its ranks?

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Donald Collins first told his mom he was transgender when he was a senior in high school. His mother wasn’t totally sure what the word transgender even meant. From there, they began a difficult emotional journey as Donald began his transition.

This hour, we sit down with Donald and his mother, Mary Collins. They have written about their experience in the book At the Broken Places: A Mother and Trans Son Pick Up the Pieces. We ask them how they rebuilt their relationship and what lessons they hope to share with other families.

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On July 6, 1944, the circus came to Connecticut's capital city and erupted into flames. Seventy-five years later, the Hartford Circus Fire is recognized as one of the greatest tragedies in American history.

This hour, 88-year-old survivor Harry Lichtenbaum joins us to share his story. We also talk with the author of a book on the fire and learn about efforts to identify the bodies of its yet unidentified victims. 

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They are one of our most recognizable national symbols, but have you ever seen a bald eagle in the wild? This hour we head out of the studio and into the field to see these birds of prey in their natural habitat--right here in Connecticut! We take you along with us on a Winter Wildlife Eagle Cruise down the Connecticut River to view these majestic birds, who nearly faced extinction in this state just a few decades ago.  

And we learn about another fish-eating raptor that is thriving on our waters today. Have you ever seen an osprey on Connecticut’s shoreline?

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