Where We Live

With so many outdoor spaces to explore in New England, we forget that some of the best hikes, and parks are right here in our backyard.

Today, we’re talking about trails and efforts to conserve Connecticut’s state parks. We hear from the couple behind efforts to refurbish Batterson Park and officially make it a state park.

We also hear about some efforts to make parks and greenspaces more inclusive for all residents.

We want to hear from you. What’s your favorite park, trail or hike here in Connecticut?

GUESTS:

• Neil Connors and Allison Cappuccio: Co-founders of Batterson Park Conservancy
• Amy Hernandez: Outings Leader at Latino Outdoors
• Clare Cain: Trails Director, Connecticut Forest & Park Association
• Phil Birge-Liberman: Associate Professor in Residence with the Urban and Community Studies Program at UConn Hartford

Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

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Congressman Jim Himes has been serving in Congress since 2009 when he was elected to represent Connecticut's 4th district. Since then, he’s become a democratic leader focused on national security and intelligence concerns.

This hour on Where We Live, he joins us to look ahead to the 2024 election and talk through his priorities. We also talk about what he thinks of the debt limit deal reached this weekend between the White House and GOP house speaker Kevin McCarthy.

We’ll reflect back on how things in Washington and across the nation have changed since January 6th and what to expect for the 2024 presidential election.

GUESTS:

• Congressman Jim Himes: Representing Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District
• Lisa Hagen: Federal Policy Reporter, CT Mirror and CT Public

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A Pew survey from 2018 estimated 13% of adults consult tarot card readers, astrologers or "fortune-tellers." But more recent market research shows sales for tarot card decks and psychic services are growing.

This hour, we explore the art of divination and "card-pulling" in Connecticut.

Hear from professional tarot reader Afton Jacobs-Williams, AKA Monty's Tarot Child. Plus, Chelsea Granger is a multidisciplinary artist who co-created Dirt Gems, a plant-themed oracle deck.

RELATED: Seasoned visited Tea & Tarot in Madison. Listen here...

But first, hear more about the origins of tarot or "tarrochi." We preview some of the research going on at the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, home to some of the oldest existing tarot cards.

GUESTS:

• Timothy Young: Curator, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
• Afton Williams-Jacobs: Monty's Tarot Child; Tarot Reader, Tea & Tarot
• Chelsea Granger: Multidisciplinary Artist; Co-Creator, Dirt Gems Plant Oracle Card Deck & Guidebook

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There’s currently a debate in America about what students should be learning about U.S. history. Some say we don’t revere American exceptionalism enough. Others say we're giving ourselves an A+ by excluding the tests we failed.

Humorist Alexandra Petri says both sides are wrong. We just don’t know enough about the things we need to know, such as how inventor Nikola Tesla fell in love with his pigeon or about the secret tapes of Nixon yelling at his dog Checkers.

This hour, an irreverent look at how we teach, learn and remember U.S. history.

GUESTS: 

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In one episode of the docu-series Reciprocity Project, Connecticut-based educator and member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe Chris Newell teaches acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma a pow-wow song. Together, they play at sunrise, "singing up the sun" in the tradition of the Wabanaki or People of the Dawnland, a confederation of four tribes in Maine including Passamaquoddy.

This hour, we hear about this film series from Newell and executive producer Tracy Rector, and about the increasing urgency of centering Indigenous perspectives on our planet and the climate. The series is intended to inspire conversation and action on climate; "to create a paradigm shift that reframes our relationships to the Earth, other living beings, and one another."

Plus, a conversation on the Native food movement with Navajo journalist and podcaster Andi Murphy.

GUESTS:

• Chris Newell: Co-Founder and Director of Education, Akowmawt Educational Initiative; Member of the Passamaquaddy Tribe; Museum Educator; Children's Book Author
• Tracy Rector: Managing Director of Storytelling, Nia Tero; Executive Producer, Reciprocity Project
• Jennifer Kreisberg: Composer; Member of the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina
• Andi Murphy: Navajo Journalist; Host, Toasted Sister Podcast

Cat Pastor contributed to this show which originally aired February 10, 2023.

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Nearly 92% of American households reported owning at least one vehicle in a recent five-year 2021 census report. Connecticut falls just below that national average.

A recent Forbes study found that the average annual cost of full-coverage car insurance in Connecticut is $1,730. Plus, the report ranks Connecticut as the most expensive state for car repairs, averaging around $400 for check engine light-related car fixes.

This hour, we talk about car culture in America, and how car dependency can translate into policies that prioritize roads over sidewalks, highways over public transit. Hear from UConn Professor Emeritus Dr. Norman Garrick, a luminary in the field of transportation and civil engineering.

Plus, his former student Adam Weber is now a civil engineer working for the city of New Haven, who also shares insights on transportation infrastructure with millions on social media.

GUESTS:

• Adam Weber: Project Manager, City of New Haven; @EverydayEngineering on TikTok
• Dr. Norman Garrick: Professor Emeritus, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UConn

Cat Pastor contributed to this episode which originally aired April 6, 2023.

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Whether they’ve been written by a loved one or a local newsroom, obituaries are an earnest attempt at the impossible: distilling one person's life into a couple of pages or paragraphs.

This hour, we explore the delicate art of obituary-writing with two experts: Tampa Bay Times and Poynter writer Kristen Hare, and Lucy Gellman, an editor with New Haven's Arts Paper.

Plus, Epilogg co-founder Mary McGreevy shares "Tips from Dead People" on TikTok.

GUESTS:

• Kristen Hare: Writer, Tampa Bay Times; Local News Faculty and Writer, Poynter
• Lucy Gellman: Editor, The Arts Paper
• Mary McGreevy: Co-Founder, Epilogg; Tips from Dead People on TikTok

Cat Pastor contributed to this episode which originally aired April 27, 2023.

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23% of the adult U.S. population cannot read above a third-grade level. Literacy isn’t limited to reading and writing, it can also refer to basic math, comprehension and critical thinking skills.

There is no part of the U.S. population that isn’t touched by low literacy. And many people suffer from shame around the struggle to read and write.

According to ProLiteracy, bringing reading levels up “would generate an additional $2.2 trillion in annual income. Today, we get a deeper understanding of adult literacy in our country and across our state. 

GUESTS:

• Haleigh Guerrera: Basic Literacy Tutor with Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford
• Aliyya Swaby: Reporter for ProPublica
• Mark Vineis: President and CEO of ProLiteracy

Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Cat Pastor contributed to this show which originally aired April 7, 2023.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

R.F. Kuang's works of historical fantasy, including The Poppy War series, have been racking up awards since she began publishing in 2018. Her novel Babel won the prestigious Nebula Award for science fiction and fantasy writers this week.

The same day, her latest book Yellowface debuted.

It is Kuang's fifth novel, and a shift from fantasy to literary fiction. The satirical thriller takes on the commercial publishing world, and through it, "questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation." Not to mention, "the terrifying alienation of social media."

This hour, R.F. Kuang joins us. Minor spoilers lie ahead...

GUESTS:

• R.F. Kuang: Author, Yellowface; Babel; The Poppy War Trilogy

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There are over 4,000 foster children living in Connecticut. May is Foster Care Month. From what's seen on TV and the media, foster care looks like a selfless, philanthropic act; willing foster parents open up their homes to children in need. 

But being a foster parent is a complicated job that requires many layers of kindness and sensitivity. Laura is a foster parent based out of California. She received a lot of attention sharing a video about her experience as a foster mom and continues to share her experience and advice on social media.

The topics range from navigating relationships between foster parents and biological parents, to preparing your home before you become a foster parent.

We talk about this complex system involving caretakers, lawmakers, and of course, the children placed in the state's care. If you have direct experience with the foster care, we want to hear from you.

GUESTS:

• Laura: a foster parent in California and she manages Foster Parent Partner
• Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes: Connecticut Department of Children and Families
• Josiah Brown: Executive Director of Connecticut CASA, a statewide network of volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates who work to advance the best interests of children
• Tricia Goldburn: Court Appointed Special Advocate, Connecticut CASA

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