WPRB News and Culture

WPRB News and Culture loves stuff. From little knick-knacks to things that arrive at your front door in big boxes, we are ready to explore it all. First, Helen Heuer speaks to members of her community about the things that they collect. Next, Stephanie Yen investigates the world of jewelry, its significance, and its creation. Finally, in a story from the archives, Oliver Whang follows Bill Freeman in his story on "junking."

Hosted and produced by Natalie Hahn. Reported, recorded, and produced by Helen Heuer, Stephanie Yen, Oliver Whang, and Natalie Hahn.

All music used under Creative Commons license. Theme music: "Take Me Higher," by Jahzzar.

WPRB News and Culture delves into some deep secrets. First, Navani Rachumallu and Alvaro Basso speak to an archivist at the Institute for Advanced Study about the role of secrecy in her work. Then, Stephanie Yen surveys some fast food chain workers about "secret menus." And finally, Sophie Leheny and Natalie Hahn read aloud some listener-submitted secrets; how fun!

Hosted and produced by Natalie Hahn. Reported, recorded, and produced by Navani Rachamallu, Alvaro Basso, Stephanie Yen, Sophie Leheny, and Natalie Hahn.

All music used under Creative Commons license. Theme music: "Take Me Higher," by Jahzzar.

News and Culture starts our Spring season with stories about anticipation. Helen Heuer visits local businesses in Princeton, New Jersey. Natalie Hahn speaks to a professional astrologer. And Adam Sanders gathers his two friends to visit the Princeton Airport as they explore the minds and worlds of the aerophile.

Hosted by Natalie Hahn. Reported, recorded, and produced by Helen Heuer, Natalie Hahn, and Adam Sanders.

All music used under Creative Commons license. Theme music: "Take Me Higher," by Jahzzar.

WPRB News and Culture shrugs off the December chill with three stories about the toils of growing and the fruits of summer soil. Natalia Maidique speaks to a beekeeper who forged her own path to master the hive. Adam Sanders learns about the power of seeds. And Anna Hiltner speaks to a farmer with spiritual insights into how best to let things grow.

Hosted and produced by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Natalia Maidique, Anna Hiltner, and Adam Sanders.

Theme music: "Take Me Higher," by Jahzzar. All other music used under Creative Commons license.

News and Culture embraces our inner love of gossip – with stories from the grapevine and about the very foundations of the whispering urge. Natalia Maidique and Navani Rachamallu speak to bartenders about the ways gossip shapes their job. Sophie Leheny and Synai Ferrell learn about the psychological and human roots of our snarkiest, most whispery impulses. And Clara McWeeny, Izzy Jacobson, and Helen Heuer dish some (anonymous) real-world gossip from listeners like you. 

Hosted and produced by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Natalia Maidique, Navani Rachamallu, Synai Ferrell, Sophie Leheny, Clara McWeeny, Helen Heuer, Izzy Jacobson, and Adam Sanders.

All music used under Creative Commons license. Theme music: “Take Me Higher,” by Jahzzar.

WPRB News and Culture puts on a scary mask and knocks on your door with three stories sweet enough to make your teeth hurt, thinking about the kind of people who make Halloween what it is. First up, Adam Sanders and Izzy Jacobson visit a Halloween superstore to understand the mechanics behind the costume-and-décor industrial complex. Then, in a story from our archives, Charlie Nuermberger and Henry Moses learn about the mythical Jersey Devil from an expert in the field. And finally, in another archives story, Natalia Maidique and Navani Rachumallu regale us with the Halloween classic story, Edgar Allan Poe's The Telltale Heart.

Hosted and produced by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Izzy Jacobson, Charlie Nuermberger, Henry Moses, Natalia Maidique, Navani Rachumallu, and Adam Sanders.

All music used under Creative Commons license. Theme music: “Take Me Higher,” by Jahzzar.

WPRB News and Culture pops some popcorn and buys a ticket to an episode at the movies. First up, Sophie Leheny and Navani Rachumallu speak to the folks at the Princeton Garden Theatre to understand their idea of the nonprofit-cinema renaissance. Then, Tommy Goulding breaks down the hubbub around the new Napoleon trailer, and why it has historians in such a tizzy. And finally, in a story from our archives, Adam Sanders investigates why doppelgängers figure so heavily in our horror-movie imagination.

Hosted and produced by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Sophie Leheny, Navani Rachamallu, Tommy Goulding, and Adam Sanders.

All music used under Creative Commons license. Theme music: “Take Me Higher,” by Jahzzar.

News and Culture tries to sound fashionable. Natalia Maidique and Navani Rachumallu explore the sounds, style, and usability of shoes. Adam Sanders speaks to Lisa Shepherd-Stewart, the proprietor of Cultured Expressions, an African fabric shop and studio in Rahway. And Clara McWeeny and Helen Heuer give you all the thrifting tips you never knew you needed.

Hosted and produced by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Natalia Maidique, Navani Rachamallu, Clara McWeeny, Helen Heuer, and Adam Sanders.

All music used under Creative Commons license. Theme music: “Take Me Higher,” by Jahzzar.

As hot days cool into chilly autumn evenings, WPRB News and Culture returns to tell the tales of summer. Sophie Leheny and Natalie Hahn visit Asbury Park to learn about New Jersey's classic Shore boardwalks. Mollika Jai Singh explores what it means for parents to drop off their kids at summer camp. And in a story from our archive, Adam Sanders visits a kitschy summer town to see what makes it click.

Hosted and produced by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Sophie Leheny, Natalie Hahn, Mollika Jai Singh, and Adam Sanders.

All music used under Creative Commons license. Theme music: “Take Me Higher,” by Jahzzar.

News and Culture thinks long-term, with three stories about planning, organizing, and the travails in between. Sophie Leheny and Pat Grate visit a tarot card reader and learn the mechanics of learning about the future. Adam Sanders speaks to student labor organizers at Temple University about their plans for unionization. And in a story from our archives, Clara McWeeny and Izzy Jacobson find out what it's like to know your entire existence was totally unplanned.

Hosted and produced by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded and produced by Sophie Leheny, Pat Grate, Adam Sanders, Clara McWeeny, and Izzy Jacobson.

All music used under Creative Commons license. Theme music: “Take Me Higher,” by Jahzzar. Other music used: “Distance” – Manu Cornet, “GoodMood” – Manuzik, “The Uncommon Man” – Peter Biedermann.