Shows
Writer's VoiceAttensity! D. Graham Burnett, Alyssa Loh & Peter Schmidt on the Attention Liberation MovementWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Episode Summary
Something feels wrong with our attention — and with reality itself.
In Attensity! A Manifesto of the Attention Liberation Movement, editors D. Graham Burnett, Alyssa Loh, and Peter Schmidt argue that this crisis is not about individual willpower. It’s about a multi-trillion-dollar industry built to monetize human attention.
They call it “human fracking.”
“These phones are the final node in a… $7 to $14 trillion industry that’s all about maximizing the amount of time that we engage with thes...
2026-02-1357 minWriter's Voice with Francesca RheannonAttensity! D. Graham Burnett, Alyssa Loh & Peter Schmidt on the Attention Liberation Movement
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Episode Summary
Something feels wrong with our attention — and with reality itself.
In Attensity! A Manifesto of the Attention Liberation Movement, editors D. Graham Burnett, Alyssa Loh, and Peter Schmidt argue that this crisis is not about individual willpower. It’s about a multi-trillion-dollar industry built to monetize human attention.
They call it “human fracking.”
“These phones are the final node in a… $7 to $14 trillion industry that’s all about maximizing the amount of time that we engage with thes...
2026-02-1357 minWriter's Voice with Francesca RheannonAndrew Burstein on Thomas Jefferson: Slavery, Democracy, & The Idea of America
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Episode Summary:
Historian Andrew Burstein joins us to talk about his biography, Being Thomas Jefferson. It’s an intimate portrait that looks beyond the marble statue and into the emotional life of one of America’s most influential founders.
Burstein explores Jefferson as a political moralist, a lyrical writer, and as someone who imagined democracy while profiting from slavery, who preached equality while exercising enormous power over others, and as someone who believed passionately in the nation’s destiny while fearing the forc...
2026-02-071h 03Writer's VoiceAndrew Burstein on Thomas Jefferson: Slavery, Democracy, & The Idea of AmericaWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Episode Summary:
Historian Andrew Burstein joins us to talk about his biography, Being Thomas Jefferson. It’s an intimate portrait that looks beyond the marble statue and into the emotional life of one of America’s most influential founders.
Burstein explores Jefferson as a political moralist, a lyrical writer, and as someone who imagined democracy while profiting from slavery, who preached equality while exercising enormous power over others, and as someone who believed passionately in the nation’s destiny while fearing the forc...
2026-02-071h 03Writer's VoiceCoyote: Robert M. Dowling on Sam Shepard and the American PsycheWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Episode Summary:
In this episode of Writer’s Voice, Francesca Rheannon speaks with biographer Robert M. Dowling about his biography, Coyote: The Dramatic Lives of Sam Shepard.
Dowling explores Shepard’s groundbreaking theatrical innovations, his jazz-inspired rhythms, and his shamanistic approach to performance — along with the deep fear that powered his work.
“He feared the estrangement — our estrangement from the earth, from ourselves, from reality even.” — Robert Dowling
Another writer who loved the deserts of California, as Sam Shepard did...
2026-02-0155 minWriter's Voice with Francesca RheannonCoyote: Robert M. Dowling on Sam Shepard and the American Psyche
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Episode Summary:
In this episode of Writer’s Voice, Francesca Rheannon speaks with biographer Robert M. Dowling about his biography, Coyote: The Dramatic Lives of Sam Shepard.
Dowling explores Shepard’s groundbreaking theatrical innovations, his jazz-inspired rhythms, and his shamanistic approach to performance — along with the deep fear that powered his work.
“He feared the estrangement — our estrangement from the earth, from ourselves, from reality even.” — Robert Dowling
Another writer who loved the deserts of California, as Sam Shepard did...
2026-02-0155 minWriter's VoiceNell Bernstein on Ending Youth Prison & Tamar Adler on Cooking As If People MatterWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
In this episode of Writer’s Voice, journalist Nell Bernstein examines the decades-long movement to end youth incarceration in the United States, drawing on her book In Our Future We Are Free. Bernstein traces how incarcerated young people, their parents, lawyers, and organizers pierced the invisibility of youth prisons and achieved a historic 75% reduction in youth incarceration nationwide.
“Youth prisons are inherently abusive by design.” — Nell Bernstein
In the second segment, chef and writer Tamar Adler discusses Feast On Your Life, a deeply p...
2026-01-241h 00Writer's Voice with Francesca RheannonNell Bernstein on Ending Youth Prison & Tamar Adler on Cooking As If People Matter
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
In this episode of Writer’s Voice, journalist Nell Bernstein examines the decades-long movement to end youth incarceration in the United States, drawing on her book In Our Future We Are Free. Bernstein traces how incarcerated young people, their parents, lawyers, and organizers pierced the invisibility of youth prisons and achieved a historic 75% reduction in youth incarceration nationwide.
“Youth prisons are inherently abusive by design.” — Nell Bernstein
In the second segment, chef and writer Tamar Adler discusses Feast On Your Life, a deeply p...
2026-01-241h 00
ChangeHampton Presents: Save the Planet, One Yard at a TimeDoing Right Ecologically and Ending in CourtIn this episode of ChangeHampton Presents: Save the Planet, One Yard at a Time, host Francesca Rheannon speaks with Long Island science teacher and homeowner Amiee Kemp, whose decision to replace her front-yard lawn with native plants landed her in court — and turned her into an accidental advocate for ecological change. What began as a personal effort to “transform this yard into a functioning ecosystem” evolved into a powerful local test case about how suburban communities define beauty, order, and environmental responsibility. Amy describes how her garden now absorbs floodwater, supports dozens of species of birds an...
2026-01-2222 minWriter's VoiceEntwined Lives: Bridget Lyons on the Intersection of Species, with Carl Safina on Alfie and MeWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Today we explore what it really means to share the planet with other forms of life. We’ll talk with writer Bridget Lyons about her acclaimed book, Entwined: Dispatches from the Intersection of Species, a collection of essays that invites us to see animals, plants, and even ourselves in a radically more connected way.
“Part of the reason I wrote this book was to encourage people, inspire people to just go outside and look around and see who else is living around you.” — Bridget Ly...
2026-01-1558 minWriter's Voice with Francesca RheannonEntwined Lives: Bridget Lyons on the Intersection of Species, with Carl Safina on Alfie and Me
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Today we explore what it really means to share the planet with other forms of life. We’ll talk with writer Bridget Lyons about her acclaimed book, Entwined: Dispatches from the Intersection of Species, a collection of essays that invites us to see animals, plants, and even ourselves in a radically more connected way.
“Part of the reason I wrote this book was to encourage people, inspire people to just go outside and look around and see who else is living around you.” — Bridget Ly...
2026-01-1558 minWriter's Voice with Francesca RheannonAmerican Reich: Eric Lichtblau on Murder, Neo-Nazis, & the New Age of Hate
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Eric Lichtblau joins Writer’s Voice to discuss his new book, American Reich, a gripping investigation that begins with the murder of Blaze Bernstein in Orange County and expands into a sweeping analysis of white nationalism in 21st-century America.
“We’ve seen an enormous surge in hate crimes across the board… and this is horribly symptomatic of the rise of the neo-Nazis in the 21st century.” — Eric Lichtblau
Lichtblau traces how online extremism, political normalization of hate, and leaderless n...
2026-01-0956 minWriter's VoiceAmerican Reich: Eric Lichtblau on Murder, Neo-Nazis, & the New Age of HateWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Eric Lichtblau joins Writer’s Voice to discuss his new book, American Reich, a gripping investigation that begins with the murder of Blaze Bernstein in Orange County and expands into a sweeping analysis of white nationalism in 21st-century America.
“We’ve seen an enormous surge in hate crimes across the board… and this is horribly symptomatic of the rise of the neo-Nazis in the 21st century.” — Eric Lichtblau
Lichtblau traces how online extremism, political normalization of hate, and leaderless n...
2026-01-0956 minWriter's VoiceThe Relevance of Virgil’s Aeneid: A Conversation with Scott McGill & Susannah WrightWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
What does a 2,000-year-old epic have to say to us today about exile, duty, love, power, war, misinformation, and the fragile hopes of human community?
A great deal, say translators Scott McGill and Susannah Wright, whose new English translation of Virgil’s Aeneid captures both the grandeur of the epic and its deeply human emotional core.
“We were really keen to try to capture…the humanity of the poem, the deep pathos that Virgil generates, the power of the emotional world of the poem.”...
2026-01-0258 minWriter's Voice with Francesca RheannonThe Relevance of Virgil’s Aeneid: A Conversation with Scott McGill & Susannah Wright
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
What does a 2,000-year-old epic have to say to us today about exile, duty, love, power, war, misinformation, and the fragile hopes of human community?
A great deal, say translators Scott McGill and Susannah Wright, whose new English translation of Virgil’s Aeneid captures both the grandeur of the epic and its deeply human emotional core.
“We were really keen to try to capture…the humanity of the poem, the deep pathos that Virgil generates, the power of the emotional world of the poem.”...
2026-01-0258 minWriter's VoiceModern Psychedelics: A Conversation with Joe DolceWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
In this episode of Writer’s Voice, we explore the what’s going on with the current resurgence of psychedelics. My guest is Joe Dolce, whose new book, Modern Psychedelics: The Handbook for Mindful Exploration, dives deep into what these substances really do, why so many people are using them, and how science, politics, medicine, and culture are reshaping the conversation.
Dolce tells us why this is both an “exciting and confusing time” in psychedelic history—a time when reliable guidance is urgently needed in a...
2025-12-2557 minWriter's Voice with Francesca RheannonModern Psychedelics: A Conversation with Joe Dolce
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
In this episode of Writer’s Voice, we explore the what’s going on with the current resurgence of psychedelics. My guest is Joe Dolce, whose new book, Modern Psychedelics: The Handbook for Mindful Exploration, dives deep into what these substances really do, why so many people are using them, and how science, politics, medicine, and culture are reshaping the conversation.
Dolce tells us why this is both an “exciting and confusing time” in psychedelic history—a time when reliable guidance is urgently needed in a...
2025-12-2557 minWriter's Voice with Francesca RheannonThe Return of the Siberian Tiger: Jonathan Slaght, TIGERS BETWEEN EMPIRES
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Francesca speaks with Jonathan Slaght about his remarkable book Tigers Between Empires: The Improbable Return of Great Cats to the Forests of Russia and China.
Slaght tells the story of the 35-year Siberian (Amur) Tiger Project, one of the longest-running wildlife studies in the world, and how science, persistence, and cross-border collaboration helped bring a species back from the edge of extinction.
Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast.
...
2025-12-1833 minWriter's VoiceThe Return of the Siberian Tiger: Jonathan Slaght, TIGERS BETWEEN EMPIRESWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Francesca speaks with Jonathan Slaght about his remarkable book Tigers Between Empires: The Improbable Return of Great Cats to the Forests of Russia and China.
Slaght tells the story of the 35-year Siberian (Amur) Tiger Project, one of the longest-running wildlife studies in the world, and how science, persistence, and cross-border collaboration helped bring a species back from the edge of extinction.
Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast.
...
2025-12-1833 minWriter's VoiceBuilders of Terror, Ally to Justice: Charles Dick on Organisation Todt & Carla Kaplan on Jessica MitfordWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
This week on Writer’s Voice, we look at two stories from history that illuminate the choices people face as they confront evil: collaborate or resist?
First, independent scholar Charles Dick joins us to discuss Unknown Enemy: The Hidden Nazi Force That Built the Third Reich — the first full account of Organisation Todt, the massive construction arm of the Nazi regime that operated across Europe with lethal brutality. His book reveals how ordinary engineers and builders became central participants in enslavement and murder — and how...
2025-12-131h 14Writer's Voice with Francesca RheannonBuilders of Terror, Ally to Justice: Charles Dick on Organisation Todt & Carla Kaplan on Jessica Mitford
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
This week on Writer’s Voice, we look at two stories from history that illuminate the choices people face as they confront evil: collaborate or resist?
First, independent scholar Charles Dick joins us to discuss Unknown Enemy: The Hidden Nazi Force That Built the Third Reich — the first full account of Organisation Todt, the massive construction arm of the Nazi regime that operated across Europe with lethal brutality. His book reveals how ordinary engineers and builders became central participants in enslavement and murder — and how...
2025-12-131h 14Writer's Voice with Francesca RheannonPositive Obsession: Susana M. Morris on the Life, Vision & Influence of Octavia Butler
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
In this episode of Writer’s Voice, Francesca Rheannon speaks with Susana M. Morris, acclaimed scholar of Black feminist thought, about her new biography Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler.
Drawing on interviews, archival materials, and Butler’s own journals, Morris shows how Butler’s discipline, political analysis, and upbringing shaped some of the most influential speculative fiction of our time.
“Now there is such a plethora of Black folk… writing science fiction and fantasy. It’s really excitin...
2025-12-0758 minWriter's VoicePositive Obsession: Susana M. Morris on the Life, Vision & Influence of Octavia ButlerWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
In this episode of Writer’s Voice, Francesca Rheannon speaks with Susana M. Morris, acclaimed scholar of Black feminist thought, about her new biography Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler.
Drawing on interviews, archival materials, and Butler’s own journals, Morris shows how Butler’s discipline, political analysis, and upbringing shaped some of the most influential speculative fiction of our time.
“Now there is such a plethora of Black folk… writing science fiction and fantasy. It’s really excitin...
2025-12-0758 minWriter's VoiceWE SURVIVED THE NIGHT: Julian Brave Noisecat on Story, Survival & the Power of Indigenous TruthsWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
In this, our 1,000th episode of Writer’s Voice, Francesca Rheannon interviews Julian Brave Noisecat about We Survived the Night, his memoir weaving Indigenous oral traditions, personal narrative, political history, and environmental insight.
Noisecat explores Coyote stories, the legacy of residential schools, intergenerational trauma, mixed-race identity, the meaning of home, Indigenous political traditions, and the contemporary struggle for land, water, and cultural continuity.
“The text itself is a woven narrative that combines different elements of nonfiction to put these different kinds of trut...
2025-11-3058 minWriter's Voice with Francesca RheannonWE SURVIVED THE NIGHT: Julian Brave Noisecat on Story, Survival & the Power of Indigenous Truths
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
In this, our 1,000th episode of Writer’s Voice, Francesca Rheannon interviews Julian Brave Noisecat about We Survived the Night, his memoir weaving Indigenous oral traditions, personal narrative, political history, and environmental insight.
Noisecat explores Coyote stories, the legacy of residential schools, intergenerational trauma, mixed-race identity, the meaning of home, Indigenous political traditions, and the contemporary struggle for land, water, and cultural continuity.
“The text itself is a woven narrative that combines different elements of nonfiction to put these different kinds of trut...
2025-11-3058 minChangeHampton Presents: Save the Planet, One Yard at a TimeSelling Sustainability: Two East Hampton realtors promote healthy & pollinator friendly yardsIn this episode of Changehampton Presents, host Francesca Rheannon speaks with East Hampton real estate professionals Eileen Mullen and Michael Schultz about an unexpected but essential partnership in the shift toward healthy, sustainable, pollinator-friendly landscapes: the real estate community.Together, they explore how buyer expectations, long-standing lawn aesthetics, and misconceptions about deer, ticks, and “tidy” landscaping shape what gets planted—and what gets cleared. They also discuss how realtors, by virtue of their trusted relationships with buyers, can play a pivotal role in reframing what a beautiful, valuable, and healthy landscape looks like in the Hamptons.From...
2025-11-2430 minWriter's VoiceBruce Holsinger on AI’s Moral Dilemmas and Elizabeth George’s New Inspector Lynley MysteryWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
This week on Writer’s Voice, Bruce Holsinger tells us about his new novel Culpability, a story about a family shattered by a self-driving car accident — and about the ethical and emotional consequences of artificial intelligence.
Holsinger, whose earlier novel The Displacements explored climate catastrophe, turns his sharp eye to the ways technology mirrors human flaws, illuminating our collective complicity in shaping the systems that govern us.
“For all that we talk about the ethics of AI, the systems themselves are completely in...
2025-11-2059 minWriter's Voice with Francesca RheannonBruce Holsinger on AI’s Moral Dilemmas and Elizabeth George’s New Inspector Lynley Mystery
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
This week on Writer’s Voice, Bruce Holsinger tells us about his new novel Culpability, a story about a family shattered by a self-driving car accident — and about the ethical and emotional consequences of artificial intelligence.
Holsinger, whose earlier novel The Displacements explored climate catastrophe, turns his sharp eye to the ways technology mirrors human flaws, illuminating our collective complicity in shaping the systems that govern us.
“For all that we talk about the ethics of AI, the systems themselves are completely in...
2025-11-2059 minWriter's VoiceAdam Nicolson on BIRD SCHOOL & Isabella Tree on RewildingWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
This week on Writer’s Voice, we turn our attention to the living world—and our place within it.
First, writer Adam Nicolson joins us to talk about his luminous new book, Bird School: A Beginner in the Wood. It’s the story of how he built a shed in his Sussex woods and spent two years learning from the birds who shared it with him. In the process, Nicolson discovered not just the intelligence of birds, but also a new way of seeing t...
2025-11-1457 minWriter's Voice with Francesca RheannonAdam Nicolson on BIRD SCHOOL & Isabella Tree on Rewilding
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
This week on Writer’s Voice, we turn our attention to the living world—and our place within it.
First, writer Adam Nicolson joins us to talk about his luminous new book, Bird School: A Beginner in the Wood. It’s the story of how he built a shed in his Sussex woods and spent two years learning from the birds who shared it with him. In the process, Nicolson discovered not just the intelligence of birds, but also a new way of seeing t...
2025-11-1457 minWriter's Voice with Francesca RheannonBen Passmore on Black Resistance & David Baron on the Martian Craze
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
In our first segment, comic artist Ben Passmore takes us on a time-bending, darkly funny journey through more than a century of Black resistance in his graphic history Black Arms to Hold You Up. It’s a story of struggle, rebellion, and what liberation really means when the fight never ends.
“We’re in a life-or-death struggle, and I think we need to accept that.” — Ben Passmore
Then, science journalist David Baron joins us to talk about The Martians — the true story of how t...
2025-11-0959 minWriter's VoiceBen Passmore on Black Resistance & David Baron on the Martian CrazeWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
In our first segment, comic artist Ben Passmore takes us on a time-bending, darkly funny journey through more than a century of Black resistance in his graphic history Black Arms to Hold You Up. It’s a story of struggle, rebellion, and what liberation really means when the fight never ends.
“We’re in a life-or-death struggle, and I think we need to accept that.” — Ben Passmore
Then, science journalist David Baron joins us to talk about The Martians — the true story of how t...
2025-11-0959 minWriter's Voice with Francesca RheannonCory Doctorow on Big Tech’s “Enshittification” & Bill McKibben on Solar Hope for the Planet
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
This episode of Writer’s Voice features two leading voices confronting the defining challenges of the 21st century — corporate monopolization and climate breakdown.
Cory Doctorow, author of Enshittification, reveals the hidden mechanics behind the digital decay of our online platforms — how they move from serving users to exploiting them, and what systemic reforms, from antitrust enforcement to tech worker unions, can reverse the trend.
Bill McKibben, author of Here Comes The Sun, shares an unexpectedly hopeful vision for the climate movement, documenting how plummeting solar and wi...
2025-11-031h 05Writer's VoiceCory Doctorow on Big Tech’s “Enshittification” & Bill McKibben on Solar Hope for the PlanetWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
This episode of Writer’s Voice features two leading voices confronting the defining challenges of the 21st century — corporate monopolization and climate breakdown.
Cory Doctorow, author of Enshittification, reveals the hidden mechanics behind the digital decay of our online platforms — how they move from serving users to exploiting them, and what systemic reforms, from antitrust enforcement to tech worker unions, can reverse the trend.
Bill McKibben, author of Here Comes The Sun, shares an unexpectedly hopeful vision for the climate movement, documenting how plummeting solar and wi...
2025-11-031h 05Writer's VoiceEdward Wong on China’s Imperial Past and Present: AT THE EDGE OF EMPIREWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
In this episode of Writer’s Voice, we talk with Edward Wong, diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times and former Beijing bureau chief, about his new book At the Edge of Empire: A Family’s Reckoning with China.
Part memoir, part history, and part frontline reporting, the book traces Wong’s journey to uncover his father’s hidden past in Mao’s China, his family’s divided loyalties between Communist and American ideals, and what those personal histories reveal about China’s trajectory under...
2025-10-2457 minWriter's Voice with Francesca RheannonEdward Wong on China’s Imperial Past and Present: AT THE EDGE OF EMPIRE
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
In this episode of Writer’s Voice, we talk with Edward Wong, diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times and former Beijing bureau chief, about his new book At the Edge of Empire: A Family’s Reckoning with China.
Part memoir, part history, and part frontline reporting, the book traces Wong’s journey to uncover his father’s hidden past in Mao’s China, his family’s divided loyalties between Communist and American ideals, and what those personal histories reveal about China’s trajectory under...
2025-10-2457 min
WPKN: Politics, Policy, and Planet PodcastWPKN's No Kings Day Protests from the streets of CT, Long Island & NYC -- Oct. 18, 2025WPKN's live interviews from the streets of Middletown, Hartford, Bethel and Stamford in CT; East Hampton, Long Island; and New York City.conducted by Mike Merli, Tyler Nelson, Michael Zweig, Francesca Rheannon, Scott Harris and Caroline Bortoretto.Hosted and with commentary by Richard Hill, John Lugo, Roberto and Alexandro.
2025-10-2258 minWriter's Voice with Francesca RheannonEvanthia Bromiley’s CROWN and Judy Karovsky’s DISELDERLY CONDUCT
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
In this episode of Writer’s Voice, we hear from two authors illuminating the human cost of broken systems — one through fiction, the other through investigative memoir.
In the first half of the show, we speak with Evanthia Bromiley about her haunting and lyrical debut novel Crown. It follows three days in the life of a single mother and her nine-year-old twins as they face eviction in the scorching landscape of the American Southwest — a meditation on poverty, love, and resilience in a society...
2025-10-1957 minWriter's VoiceEvanthia Bromiley’s CROWN and Judy Karovsky’s DISELDERLY CONDUCTWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
In this episode of Writer’s Voice, we hear from two authors illuminating the human cost of broken systems — one through fiction, the other through investigative memoir.
In the first half of the show, we speak with Evanthia Bromiley about her haunting and lyrical debut novel Crown. It follows three days in the life of a single mother and her nine-year-old twins as they face eviction in the scorching landscape of the American Southwest — a meditation on poverty, love, and resilience in a society...
2025-10-1957 minWriter's Voiceoss Halperin on BEAR WITNESS: Fighting Gang Violence & Restoring JusticeWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Today, a gripping story of courage, faith, and friendship in one of the most dangerous countries on Earth. Ross Halperin joins us to talk about his extraordinary book Bear Witness: The Pursuit of Justice in a Violent Land. It’s the true story of two men — an American missionary and a Honduran teacher — who took on the gangs, corruption, and impunity that plague Honduras, one of the most violent nations in the world. Together, they built a radical experiment in justice that dared to succeed where go...
2025-10-1058 minWriter's Voice with Francesca Rheannonoss Halperin on BEAR WITNESS: Fighting Gang Violence & Restoring Justice
Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Today, a gripping story of courage, faith, and friendship in one of the most dangerous countries on Earth. Ross Halperin joins us to talk about his extraordinary book Bear Witness: The Pursuit of Justice in a Violent Land. It’s the true story of two men — an American missionary and a Honduran teacher — who took on the gangs, corruption, and impunity that plague Honduras, one of the most violent nations in the world. Together, they built a radical experiment in justice that dared to succeed where go...
2025-10-1058 minWriter's VoiceReality Winner on I AM NOT YOUR ENEMYWriter’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Today, a remarkable conversation with Reality Winner, the NSA whistleblower who leaked proof of Russian interference in the 2016 election and paid for it with the harshest sentence ever imposed under the Espionage Act.
Reality Winner’s new memoir, I Am Not Your Enemy, tells the story of what led her to leak the document, the fallout from her arrest, and what her arrest tells us about our military-industrial complex — and our eroding democracy.
“Depending on where you are on the tote...
2025-10-031h 04ChangeHampton Presents: Save the Planet, One Yard at a TimeBill McKibben, environmental & democratic activistThis episode of *Change Hampton Presents: Save the Planet One Yard at a Time* features writer and activist **Bill McKibben**, discussing his memoir *The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon*. McKibben reflects on his suburban childhood in Lexington, Massachusetts, and how the U.S. shifted from community-minded values in the 1960s–70s toward hyper-individualism, inequality, weakened democracy, and climate inaction. He critiques the legacy of the Reagan era, the role of suburbanization in eroding community, and the shift in Christianity from communal to individual salvation.McKibben underscores the stakes of climate change, praising the Inflation Reduction Ac...
2025-09-2535 minChangeHampton Presents: Save the Planet, One Yard at a TimeStudents Steward Healthy Landscapes with ReWildSummaryThis episode of Change Hampton Presents: Save the Planet One Yard at a Time features high school students Shirley Jiang and Griffin Beckmann, interns and youth organizers with Rewild Long Island’s Summer Intern Program. They share their hands-on experiences in ecological restoration projects across East Hampton, including planting native species, removing invasives, composting, and maintaining community pollinator gardens. Both reflect on their motivation to fight climate change, the skills and community they’ve gained, and the hope they find in seeing peers and neighbors join the movement. They also discuss the challenges of balancing commitments, tran...
2025-09-1633 minChangeHampton Presents: Save the Planet, One Yard at a TimeHealthy Yards and Bedford 2030**Episode Summary:** In this episode of ChangeHampton Presents, host Francesca Rheannon explores the "new land ethic" with Filipina Dahan, founder of HealthyYards.org, and Midge Iorio, Program Director of Bedford 2030. The discussion centers on transforming suburban landscapes to be more environmentally friendly, focusing on biodiversity, reducing emissions, and promoting sustainable practices. The guests share insights on community engagement, legislative efforts, and shifting perceptions around landscaping. **Segment Summaries:** * **(0:00-0:02:31) Introduction to HealthyYards.org:** Filipina Dahan discusses her journey from landscaping to advocating for sustainable yards, highlighting the lack of l...
2025-08-2532 min
ChangeHampton Presents: Save the Planet, One Yard at a TimeShade Garden for Uncommon Pollinators at LongHouse, East Hampton, NY🌱 A Shade Garden for Uncommon Pollinators at LongHouse Reserve, East Hampton, NYIn this special episode of Changehampton Presents, we take you on an immersive audio tour of the ReWild Woodland Garden for Uncommon Pollinators at LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton, NY.Originally produced by our friends at ReWild Long Island—who generously granted us permission to share it—this episode explores how native plantings can restore biodiversity, even in shady, often-overlooked corners of the landscape. Host Francesca Rheannon is joined by ReWild South Fork co-leads Lurie Petroske and Chris Liem, as well as native plant a...
2025-07-0726 min
ChangeHampton Presents: Save the Planet, One Yard at a TimeGrasslands Matter: Ecology, History and Hope with Betsy McCully & Bruce HorwithIn Episode 6 of Changehampton Presents, host Francesca Rheannon delves into one of Long Island’s most endangered and overlooked ecosystems: native grasslands. Guests Betsy McCully, environmental writer and author of At the Glacier’s Edge, and Bruce Horwith, conservation biologist and ecologist, unpack the rich ecological history, biodiversity, and climate resilience offered by grasslands. They explore how these ecosystems evolved, the impact of colonization and development, and how community-driven restoration can help reverse biodiversity loss. They refer to the Native grassland pollinator meadows that ChangeHampton is creating on the grounds of East Hampton Town Hall. This episode is a must...
2025-06-1842 min
ChangeHampton Presents: Save the Planet, One Yard at a TimePerfect Earth: Re-imagining Yard Care with Edwina von Gal & Tim WheelerFrIn this fifth episode of Changehampton Presents, host Francesca Rheannon welcomes renowned landscape designer Edwina von Gal, founder of the Perfect Earth Project, and ecologist Tim Wheeler, Perfect Earth’s Homeowner Educator. Together, they explore a transformative vision for land care—one rooted in nature-based practices, healthy habitats, and eliminating toxic chemicals. From closing the loop on your property to launching an Earth School for a new generation of “land carers,” Edwina and Tim challenge the cultural norms of traditional landscaping and offer exciting, practical alternatives to help listeners reconnect with the land and create thriving ecosystems in their own back...
2025-06-0241 minChangeHampton Presents: Save the Planet, One Yard at a TimeHealthy & Sustainable Lawns & Yards; Two lawncare specialists tell us howIn this episode of Changehampton Presents, host Francesca Rheannon speaks with two seasoned experts in sustainable lawn and yard care: landscapers Paul Munoz and Paul Wagner of Eastern Long Island. Together, they explore how ecological landscaping can reverse environmental damage, enhance biodiversity, and create healthier communities. From organic lawn care to learning to work with leaves, to ecologically healthy ways to deal with ticks and other pests, this engaging conversation dives into practical strategies,for creating healthy eco-systems and human communities.
2025-05-1938 min
ChangeHampton Presents: Save the Planet, One Yard at a TimeFrom Turf Lawn to a Healthy Yard; ChangeHampton activists describe their processIn this inspiring third episode of *Changehampton Presents*, host Francesca Rheannon speaks with Leonard Green, co-founder of Changehampton, and actor/director/journalist Paul McIsaac about transforming traditional lawns into thriving, biodiverse ecosystems. They share their personal journeys of replacing grass with native plantings, the critical role of keystone species like oaks and blueberries, and the cultural resistance to eco-conscious landscaping. The conversation also introduces Changehampton's newest initiative: the 1,000 Healthy Yards Campaign, aiming to restore ecological balance, yard by yard. --- ## 🌱 Show Notes — Episode 3: **Turning Turf Lawns to Healthy Yards; ChangeHampton Activists Describe the Process **Hosted...
2025-04-2533 minChangeHampton Presents: Save the Planet, One Yard at a TimeSave the Planet, One Yard at a Time - Episode 2: Landscapers Creating Non-Toxic Resilient GardensIn this episode of Changehampton Presents: Save the Planet One Yard at a Time, host Francesca Rheannon speaks with Abby Lawless, designer of the East Hampton Town Hall Pollinator Garden, and Jason LaGarenne, owner of Whitney’s Landscaping. Together, they discuss the evolution, philosophy, and impact of East Hampton’s public pollinator garden and its upcoming expansion into native grassland meadows. This inspiring conversation explores how native plants, ecological landscaping, and community engagement can help combat biodiversity loss and build resilience to climate change—starting in our own backyards.Detailed Show Notes🌿 Segment 1: Designing for Pollinato...
2025-04-1033 minChangeHampton Presents: Save the Planet, One Yard at a TimeThe ChangeHampton StoryChange Hampton is an organization founded by Gail Pellett and Stephan Van Dam, aiming to promote restorative landscaping and a new land ethic focused on native plants and reduced chemical use. Their mission involves educating the community about the ecological benefits of native species and the negative impacts of conventional lawn care practices. They established a model pollinator garden at East Hampton Town Hall and are developing native meadows to showcase beautiful, sustainable alternatives. Inspired by the Homegrown National Park movement, Change Hampton encourages individuals to transform their yards into habitats, offering resources like a native plant selector on...
2025-03-2430 min
WPKN: Politics, Policy, and Planet PodcastResistance Roundtable: International Women's Day Special with Medea Benjamin and Francesca RheannonA conversation with Medea Benjamin, co-director of Code Pink, and Francesca Rheannon, host of A Writer's Voice, a podcast which airs nationally and on WPKN-CT.Our guests cover topics from the ramped up oppressive measures against women's rights under Trump 2.0; to the possibilty of an end to the war in Ukraine; and the assault on DEI, free speech and public education.Hosts: Ruthanne Baumgartner, Scott Harris and Richard Hill
2025-03-1249 min
Genuine Chit-Chat#129 – Over 14 Years Of Podcasting: Writer’s Voice, Thoughtful Conversations & Representation In Literature With Francesca Rheannon
Francesca Rheannon from the Writer’s Voice podcast is this episode’s guest and she talks with Mike about her near 16-year old radio/podcast show, being a host, representation & so much more!
In more detail, Mike & Francesca discuss how & when Francesca first got into hosting a radio show, speaking with authors on both of their shows, the importance of people of colour & the LGBTQ+ community creating written works, how interviewing authors works on a radio show, how hosting an audio show has changed how Mike & Francesca hold conversations, what Francesca is passionate about...
2021-06-271h 07
Two Spiritual MamasTrailblazing for a New ParadigmWe are in the middle of a new paradigm shift. Alicia and Shelby discuss ways to navigate and lean into mindsets that will support a collective cooperation toward a more sustainable way of living.Referenced:Tyson Yunkaporta- Sand Talk: How Indiginous Thinking Can Change the WorldFinding your Own North Star and Finding your way in a WILD new world by Martha BeckArticle- Dream a better world with Chris Francis Sept 16th 2020It’s Not YOUR Money by Tosha Silver Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jean M. Auel “Owl”Lor...
2021-03-1241 min
Writing ClassFranchessca Rheannon(Writer's Voice Radio)Francesca Rheannon is producer and host of Writer’s Voice. A life-long bibliophile, reading is her favorite thing to do and books are her preferred decor.An award-winning freelance radio journalist, her pieces have appeared on NPR and public and community radio stations around the country.
2020-12-2435 min
Great Speeches and InterviewsPaying For Endless WarsJames RisenEver since 9/11 America has fought an endless war on terror, seeking enemies everywhere. James Risen reveals the shocking corruption, waste and abuse of our metastasizing Homeland Security Industrial complex. From the bankrupting of the American taxpayer to the moral bankruptcy of the state, James details the price Americans are paying for the war on terror. He is interviewed by Francesca Rheannon. Power corrupts, but it is endless wars that corrupt absolutely. James Risen has worked for The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. He is the author or co-author of two...
2015-07-1100 minGreat Speeches and InterviewsToo Many People?Alan Weisman talks with Francesca Rheannon about the population crisis and how we can solve it. The Earth’s population is expected to be somewhere around 11 billion people by the end of this century. Alan says overpopulation already underlies much of the conflict we see in the world today, including Israel/Palestine and Pakistan. Also the population crisis means we’re going to have to produce more food in the next 50 years than has been consumed in all of human history. Photo by www.blog.adw.org"He makes a strong case for slowing global population growth - an...
2015-05-2200 min