Where We Live

It’s apple season here in Connecticut. And the history of the apple in New England dates back to 1623, three years after the landing of the Mayflower.

Back in 2023, a late season frost devastated crops at several farms across our state. Farmers reported damage to a number of fruit crops including pears, peaches, berries and yes, even apples.

There are thousands of apple varieties world wide, with only a fraction of which are grown in our state. But apple lovers and enthusiasts are working to bring new varieties to local orchards near you.

Today is all about apples. Later, we hear about the origins of apple cider.

GUESTS:

• Evan Lentz: Assistant Extension Educator in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture at UConn
• Jim Wargo: Grower and Owner of Hidden Gem Orchard
• Craig Cavallo: co-author of American Cider and co-owner of Golden Russet Cafe and Grocery in Rhinebeck, New York

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s hard getting your book published. It’s even harder when you’re an author of color. Between 1950 and 2018, 96% of American fiction books published were written by white authors.

Today, hear from two Latina authors in Connecticut about their debut books. They’ll talk about navigating the publishing industry and the importance of centering marginalized voices.

In her novel, The Girls in Queens, Christine Kandic Torres tells the story of two Latinx women coming of age in Queens, New York. In her memoir, A Body Across Two Hemispheres, Victoria Buitron shares how she came of age between Ecuador and the United States.

We'll also hear about their work as editors of the 2024 Connecticut Literary Anthology.

GUESTS:

• Christine Kandic Torres: author of The Girls in Queens and fiction editor of the 2024 Connecticut Literary Anthology

• Victoria Buitron: author of A Body Across Two Hemispheres and nonfiction editor of the 2024 Connecticut Literary Anthology

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.

This episode originally aired July 11, 2024.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Breaking, also known as breakdancing, was one of several new sports at the Olympics this summer. But there’s nothing new about the presence of b-boys and b-girls.

Breaking began as a way to escape the daily socio-economic struggles of Black and Brown youth in the Bronx during the 1970s and ‘80s.

This hour, we hear how breaking expanded into the mainstream. We’ll explore how, at its core, breaking is a form of storytelling and resistance.

GUESTS:

• Rosemarie Roberts, Dayton Professor of Dance, Connecticut College
• Brandon Couloute, aka “B-Boy Lectronic,” dancer, choreographer and educator

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Election Day is less than six weeks away. Are you planning to vote in person this year? For those with disabilities, going to polling stations can be a real challenge.

People with disabilities are less likely to vote than people without disabilities. Disabled voters can face many barriers to voting, from inaccessible polling places to restrictions on absentee ballots.

This November, Connecticut voters could approve a ballot initiative that could create a pathway to give everyone access to absentee ballots, without needing an excuse making voting easier for voters with disabilities.

Today, we hear about what access this looks like in our state and what can be done to improve it. If you are a voter with a disability, we want to hear from you. What have your experiences been like at the polls?

GUESTS:

• Sara Kempner: Director of Creative Campaigns & Collaborations at the U.S. Vote Foundation
• Ellen Telker: Retired attorney and President of Connecticut Council of the Blind, an affiliate of American Council of the Blind
• Ben Hovland: Chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

To report problems at the polls, you can call the Election Day Hotline 1-866-SEEC-INFO (1-866-733-2463).

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.

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

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

And zoning isn’t just about housing, it touches every aspect of our lives including our physical and emotional health. Better zoning starts with getting 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 is also currently serving as 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

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Where We Live, a Connecticut lab is embarking on a groundbreaking initiative to study endometriosis, a painful condition that impacts people with a uterus.

Endometriosis is just one of the many invisible illnesses that impact an estimated 10% of the American population, according to Disabled World, an independent Health and Disability news source.

This hour, we talk about why invisible illnesses are difficult to diagnose and how scientists are trying to change that.

GUESTS:

• Michayla Savitt, State Government Reporter, CT Public
• Jennifer Crystal, Author of “One Tick Stopped the Clock”
• Kelsi Carolan, Assistant Professor and licensed clinical social worker, University of Connecticut

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dating in 2024 can be tough. There are no shortage of stories about dating in the age of Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, and more!

But today, we're going to talk about dating, and falling in love, when you're an older adult. Last fall, the spinoff show “The Golden Bachelor” started a national conversation about falling in love in midlife and beyond.

Today we hear from experts about dating in this age range, and we’ll even get to hear some love stories that will put "The Notebook" to shame.

And if you are dating or have fallen in love, at any age, we want to hear from you!

GUESTS:

• Dr. Kristina Zdanys: Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Division Chief for Geriatric Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at UConn Health

• Chip Conley: Founder & CEO of the Modern Elder Academy

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.

Cat Pastor contributed to this show which originally aired February 16, 2024.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last school year, students across the nation took part in on campus protests to bring attention to the Israel-Hamas War. Overwhelmingly, student protesters were demanding that their colleges divest from Israel.

It led to encampments on college greens, large demonstrations and some arrests of both students and faculties.

At some campuses, college administrations have welcomed student demonstrations, and activism. But this school year has brought new policies around protesting.

Today, we hear from student organizers across Connecticut and hear their perspective on these changes, and plans to organize in the future.

GUESTS:

• Kate Hidalgo Bellows: Staff Reporter at the Chronicle of Higher Education covering today’s students and campus culture
• Dan Barrett: Legal Director of ACLU of Connecticut
• Antonia Kambolis: Junior at Trinity College
• Batya Kline: Student Organizer at Wesleyan University

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the author of the children’s book My Mama is a Pilot, Saba Shahid says she wants children to feel “represented and valued” through her stories.

Only 1% of commercial airline pilots are women of color. And Saba Shahid’s path to becoming a pilot is a little bit different than most. It actually started as a pandemic hobby!

Saba Shahid is this year’s recipient of the Girl Scouts Legacy of Leadership Award. She joins us for the hour to talk about her remarkable career, and her work as a Lifetime Girl Scout.

GUESTS:

• Saba Shahid: Author, pilot, and recipient of this years Girl Scouts of Connecticut 2024 Legacy of Leadership Award
• Elicia Pegues Spearman: CEO of the Girl Scouts of Connecticut
• Stephanie Abrams: President & CEO of the New England Air Museum

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National Hobbit Day is this week. From the rolling hills of the Shire to the great forests of Mirkwood, J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantastical worlds have inspired generations of illustrators to bring imagined concepts to life through art.

This hour, we sit down with three local fantasy and science-fiction illustrators, including David Wenzel, who created a graphic novel adaptation of The Hobbit.

GUESTS:

• David Thorn Wenzel, Illustrator and children's book artist best known for his graphic novel adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit
• Michael Whelan, Fine artist of Imaginative Realism, Illustrator of Science Fiction and Fantasy
• Tom Kidd, Science fiction and fantasy illustrator

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.