Where We Live

Korean Dramas, or “K-Dramas,” are gaining popularity internationally. Netflix recently poured billions of dollars into Korean content to meet the rising demand.

So what sets K-Dramas apart from other TV genres? And why do viewers say that watching K-Dramas has helped them heal, grieve, and even feel less lonely?

This hour, we’re joined by Jeanie Y. Chang, licensed marriage and family therapist and author of “How K-Dramas Can Transform Your Life: Powerful Lessons on Belongingness, Healing, and Mental Health.”

And later, we hear from members of a local K-Drama meetup group, whose shared passion for K-Dramas has taken them all over the globe.

GUESTS:

• Jeanie Y. Chang: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and author of “How K-Dramas Can Transform Your Life: Powerful Lessons on Belongingness, Healing, and Mental Health“
• Sheena Williams: Organizer of the South Windsor K-Drama Meetup Group
• Evelyn Angry-Smith: Founder and co-organizer of the South Windsor K-Drama Meetup Group

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Mortality rates among American Indian and Black women are three times higher than the rate for white women. To understand the racial disparities we see in today’s healthcare system, it could be worth examining the past.

Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens is part of a growing group of historians examining the history of race and medicine. She joins us for the hour.

In her book Medical Bondage: Race, Gender, and The Origins of American Gynecology, she explores the early history of reproductive healthcare, where enslaved women were subject to forced experimentation and operations, without anesthesia.

Later, we learn about the Hear Her Campaign.

GUESTS:

• Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens: Associate Professor of History & Africana Studies at the University of Connecticut. She is also the author of Medical Bondage: Race, Gender, and The Origins of American Gynecology
• Dr. Veronica Pimentel: Maternal fetal medicine specialist and Director of Research of the OB GYN Residency program at St Francis Hospital and Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University.

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Some frustrated tenants are forming tenant unions to fight back against rent hikes, no fault evictions and to push for safer, more secure housing. We’ll hear from the Connecticut Tenant Union.

Later, DataHaven joins us to share the findings of their most recent wellbeing survey which reported the “highest rate of financial insecurity since the start of statewide data collection in 2015.”

Housing is a big contributor to financial insecurity, as is the cost of food.

If you’re a tenant in our state, we want to hear from you. How much will your rent increase this year?

GUESTS:

• Ginny Monk: children's issues and housing reporter for the Connecticut Mirror
• Mark Abraham: Executive Director for DataHaven, a nonprofit working to collect and provide data on quality of life throughout Connecticut

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The holiday season can bring financial stress, more time at home, and pressure to spend time with family. According to advocates, these conditions place survivors of domestic violence at high risk.

This hour, we talk to advocates about how they are meeting the growing need for domestic violence services across the state and why the expiration of American Rescue Plan funds could make their work more difficult.

And later, we address questions surrounding reaching out to domestic violence crisis centers if you’re undocumented or not ready to involve law enforcement.

GUESTS:

• Meghan Scanlon: President and CEO, Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence
• Danielle DeRosier: Senior Director of Community Programs, Prudence Crandall Center
• Sheila Hayre: Clinical Professor of Law, Quinnipiac University

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Carolyn Kuan has been the music director at the Hartford Symphony Orchestra since 2011. This hour, we speak to her about her work as a conductor, and the driving forces behind her music.

Like many organizations, Hartford Symphony Orchestra has put forth diversity and inclusivity commitments stating that they are, quote “diversifying programming by considering race, ethnicity and gender identity in the composers whose music performed.” We talk about how the orchestra is striving to become more inclusive and diverse, and what that work looks like.

We’ll also hear from Tyler Kline, he’s a composer and host of the Modern Notebook, a radio program that features work from the great living composers, especially those with underrepresented backgrounds. You can listen to the Modern Notebook on Connecticut Public on Saturdays at 10pm.

GUESTS:

• Carolyn Kuan: Music Director at the Hartford Symphony Orchestra

• Tyler Kline: composer and host of the Modern Notebook, a program by PRX, and host of the podcast "Music/Maker"

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

Dylan Reyes contributed to this show which originally aired May 28, 2024

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A fire broke out in October of this year at Lamentation Mountain in Berlin. It took officials weeks to contain the brushfires. The Connecticut National Guard borrowed helicopters to dump more than 100,000 gallons of water on the fire.

While attempting to fight the fire, tragically, Wethersfield volunteer firefighter Robert Sharkevich Sr. died. Sharkevich was riding a utility task vehicle on one of the mountain trails when it rolled over.

The recent brush fires in Connecticut are forcing us to face the state of our changing climate and prepare for a future where wildfires could become more normal in our region.

John Vaillant, author of the 2023 book, Fire Weather: On the Front Lines of a Burning World recently penned an op-ed in the New York Times entitled “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Northeast Is Burning.”

He’ll join us today to react to the recent wildfires, and talk about what we can do to prepare.

GUESTS:

• John Vaillant: author of Fire Weather: On the Front Lines of a Burning World
• Dr. Saud Anwar: Connecticut State Senator
• Mason Trumble: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Deputy Commissioner

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This hour, we’re exploring the history of tap dance in America.

Tap was first developed as a fusion of footwork styles with roots in Africa and Ireland. Over the decades, tap legends like Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Eleanor Powell, and Gregory Hines popularized the artform and brought it to the national stage.

Local dancers, choreographers, and teachers join us to discuss how they are keeping the rich legacy of tap dance alive in their work today.

GUESTS:

• Kevin Ramsey: Chair of the Theater Division, University of Hartford
• Ralph Perkins: Associate Professor of Dance and Music Theater, University of Hartford 
• Katie Cavenagh: founder of the Connecticut Tap Collaborative
• Jillian McNamara: founder of the American Dance Collaborative

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Architect and attorney Sara Bronin chaired the Hartford Planning and Zoning Commission for seven years. Connecticut listeners might know her from her work with DesegregateCT, a statewide coalition pushing for zoning reform in our state.

Her new book, Key to the City: How Zoning Shapes Our World, goes beyond Hartford and examines how zoning molds cities and communities across the nation.

Zoning isn’t just about housing; it touches every aspect of our lives, including our physical and emotional health. Better zoning starts with better data about zoning. There are thousands of different zoning codes, and Sara is working to log them all through the National Zoning Atlas.

She currently serves as the 12th chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

GUEST:

• Sara Bronin: Founder of DeSegregateCT and author of Key to the City: How Zoning Shapes Our World

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

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The Mohegan Tribe—a sovereign and federally recognized Indian tribe in Southeastern Connecticut—has a longstanding belief in the power of storytelling.

This oral tradition is a form of spoken record-keeping. Stories can often capture a deeper and fuller understanding of culture and beliefs than historical texts.

This hour, we talk to Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel, the tribe’s vice chair of the council of elders and tribal historian. Melissa is part of a long line of “culture bearers,” tasked with keeping the traditions of the Mohegan Tribe alive through stories.

GUESTS:

• Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel, the Mohegan Tribe’s vice chair of the council of elders and tribal historian

Where We Live is available as a podcast 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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Thanksgiving is a week away…you ready? Maybe you're brushing up on those cooking skills for a Friendsgiving this weekend.

If the holiday is just one big excuse to gather friends and family around a table, we have a treat for you. Lidia Bastianich, the award-winning chef and host of “Lidia’s Kitchen” on PBS is our guest.

Lidia talks about her journey to becoming an American, and her latest book - which is all about family recipes. She also shares tips for cooking a turkey and all the fixins’.

We invite listeners to share their family food traditions with us on our social platforms and on air: 888-720-WNPR.

GUEST:

• Lidia Bastianich: Host of Lidia’s Kitchen on PBS for more than 25 years, she’s the author of a memoir, My American Dream, and many cookbooks. Her latest is Lidia's From Our Family Table to Yours, which she wrote with her daughter, Tanya Bastianich Manuali.

RECIPES BY LIDIA BASTIANICH: 
Apple Cranberry Crumble
Beer Braised Short Ribs
Mezzi Rigatoni with Raw Tomato Sauce

Plus, find even more recipes from Lidia's PBS shows on our dedicated food page.

Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 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.