Shows
The RoundtableBook Picks - Northshire Bookstore and Odyssey BookshopThis week's Book Picks comes from welcome Rachel Person of Northshire Books in Saratoga Springs and Manchester Center, VT and Joan Grenier of Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, MA join us this morning to present some of the finest authors and books that are making their way to store shelves this season.
2025-12-0324 min
The RoundtableJohn Pizzarelli Trio will be at the Mahaiwe Perofrming Arts Center on 12/20Grammy Award-winning producer and guitarist extraordinaire, John Pizzarelli salutes the legendary Tony Bennett celebrating over 60 years of unparalleled artistry in the show: John Pizzarelli Trio: Tony Bennett – The Art of Excellence at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, MA on Saturday, December 20th at 8:00 pm.
2025-12-0315 minThe RoundtableLea Salonga performs at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on 12/2 with her tour "Stage Screen and Everything in Between"The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall will celebrate its reopening with Lea Salonga’s “Stage Screen & Everything in Between” on Tuesday December 2nd at 7:30.Salonga is known for her roles on stage and in film. Her Broadway credits include “Les Misérables,” “Flower Drum Song,” "Allegiance,” the revival of “Once On this Island,” “Here Lies Love,” “Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends,” and, of course, “Miss Saigon” - for which she won a Tony Award in 1991.She performed the singing voice for Princess Jasmine in the Disney film “Aladdin” and the title character in “Mulan.” Her most recent album is a holiday record called “Sounding Joy.”
2025-11-2632 minThe RoundtableThe Troy Savings Bank Music Hall will make its return by re-opening on 12/2The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall has embarked on a transformation to preserve its historic charm while evolving into a dynamic, year-round hub for community engagement and creative expression. By reimagining the former banking spaces, they are opening up new opportunities for education, celebrations, and gatherings.Their re-opening celebration concert is on December 2nd with actress and singer, Lea Salonga. To tell us more, we welcome Jon Elbaum, Executive Director of the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.
2025-11-2615 minThe RoundtableJan Brett will kick off her holiday tour with her new book "The Christmas Sweater" on 11/28Best-selling author and illustrator Jan Brett launches the national tour for her new book “The Christmas Sweater” in Rutland Vermont on Friday, November 28th. It is the kickoff to her bus tour where she visits 23 cities in just 17 days. The new Christmas classic features an adventurous boy and an adorable pug in a Christmas sweater who saves the day! With more than 44 million books in print she is one of the nation’s foremost illustrators of children’s books. The Friday event will be presented by Phoenix Books and will feature a live drawing demonstration takes place at the Paramount Theater...
2025-11-2615 minThe Roundtable11/26/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick, Executive Director of The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York Nic Rangel, Mayor of the City of Albany Kathy Sheehan, and Associate Professor in the department of sociology at Vassar College Catherine Tan.
2025-11-261h 19The RoundtableBook Picks - The Bookstore and Merritt BookstoreThis week's Book Picks comes from Matt Tannenbaum from The Bookstore in Lenox, Massachusetts and Kira Wizner from Merritt Bookstore in Millbrook, New York.
2025-11-2525 minThe RoundtableA catch up with Universal Preservation Hall's Director Teddy FosterUniversal Preservation Hall, “UPH”, is a year-round performing arts, and community events venue located in Saratoga Springs, New York. The former Methodist church has been transformed into a state-of-the-art performance facility.UPH combines a 700-seat theatre-in-the-round Great Hall with a community event space, offering year-round music and entertainment in downtown Saratoga Springs. Teddy Foster is the Director at Universal Preservation Hall and has been with the project since the beginning when it was a just dream.
2025-11-2516 minThe Roundtable11/25/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Stuart Rice Honorary Chair at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) and Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University Fran Berman, Joseph Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government at Skidmore College Beau Breslin, The Empire Report’s JP Miller, and Former Times-Union Associate Editor Mike Spain.
2025-11-251h 28The RoundtableCulinaryArts@SPAC - Ozoz Sokoh's "Chop Chop: Cooking the Foods of Nigeria"Ozoz Sokoh is a culinary anthropologist, food historian, and author of the new cook book “Chop Chop: Cooking the Foods of Nigeria” (Artisan, 2025). In the tradition of Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and Madhur Jaffrey’s “An Invitation to Indian Cooking,” “Chop Chop” offers both a cultural history and a hands-on introduction to the flavors of Nigeria.We spoke with Ozoz in a CulinaryArts@SPAC and WAMC on the Road event in Saratoga Springs, New York on November 15. At the event, we were all treated to authentic Nigerian dishes including a goat pepper soup, chin chin, puff puff, jollof ri...
2025-11-2421 minThe Roundtable"Seascraper" by Benjamin WoodBenjamin Wood has written four very different novels that explore the creative process and relationships between parents and children. His fifth novel, Seascraper, is a vividly imagined, layered, and economical mediation on these themes, and it is full of surprises. From a very atmospheric description of a vanishing way of life, to great suspense, to the hint ultimately of optimism in its final characters. The novel was longlisted for the 2025 Booker prize.
2025-11-2418 minThe Roundtable11/24/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor of Political Science at Hartwick College in Oneonta and Co-Director of the Institute of Public Service Laurel Elder, Preceptor in Public Speaking, Strategic Communications, and Public Relations for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University Terry Gipson, Political Consultant and lobbyist Libby Post, and Professor of Government at Dutchess Community College and President of the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley Dr. Karin Riedl.
2025-11-241h 29The RoundtableRoundtable Panel: The Week in Review - Episode 242Each weekday morning, The Roundtable's Joe Donahue is joined by various experts, journalists, educators, and commentators to discuss current events. On Roundtable Panel: The Week in Review, we feature your favorite panelists discussing news items from the previous week.
2025-11-2259 minThe RoundtableCarol Leoning and Aaron C. Davis' new book is "Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America's Justice Department"Pulitzer Prize–winning Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Aaron C. Davis will tell us about their investigation into the subversion of the Justice Department over the last decade, culminating in President Donald Trump upending this cornerstone of democracy. Their new book in "Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America's Justice Department."
2025-11-2125 minThe RoundtableKaye Courington's new book is "Scrim: A New Orleans Story of Resilience and Rescue"In “Scrim: A New Orleans Story of Resilience and Rescue,” author Kaye Courington offers young readers an inspiring true tale rooted in the vibrant, storm-tested city she calls home.The book follows a young protagonist and a loyal dog named Scrim as they navigate upheaval with courage, curiosity, and care. Courington’s narrative honors the texture of New Orleans - the music, neighborhoods, and communal spirit that endure through hardship -while gently teaching children about preparedness, empathy, and hope.
2025-11-2112 minThe Roundtable11/21/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor Emeritus of Russian at Hofstra University and author of: Illiberal Vanguard: Populist Elitism in the United States and Russia Alexander Mihailovic, CEO of The Business Council of New York State Heather Mulligan, Siena University Professor of Economics Aaron Pacitti, and economics majors from Siena University -- Micah Moore, Andrew Kirk, and Kylie Castellana.
2025-11-211h 32The RoundtableMarshall Karp's new book is "NYPD Red 8: The 11:59 Bomber"An award-winning former advertising executive, Marshall Karp is a playwright and a screenwriter, and is the author of the hugely successful NYPD Red Series. His latest is “NYPD Red 8: The 11:59 Bomber.”
2025-11-2025 minThe RoundtableToni Morrison's book "Beloved" releases with new introduction by Honoree JeffersToni Morrison is one of the few Americans to win the Nobel Prize in Literature and remains the only black woman to do so. She remains central to nearly every American conversation, which is why her books are being given a fresh look for a new generation of readers, accompanied by new introductions from some of the best writers at work today.Honoree Jeffers is a poet, novelist, and professor of English at the University of Oklahoma. Some of her work includes "The Age of Phillis," "The Love Songs of W.E.B Du Bois," and most recently "Misbehaving at...
2025-11-2017 minThe Roundtable11/20/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Grants analyst based in Albany Emily Honen.
2025-11-201h 27The RoundtableChuck Collins' "Burned by Billionaires" at Odyssey Bookshop on 11/20In "Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Are Ruining Our Lives and Planet," author and a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, Chuck Collins chronicles how the actions of the top .01% have severe consequences for the rest of us, especially those of marginalized identities.He will be presenting and having a discussion on his book at the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley tomorrow night at 7 PM and with us this morning.
2025-11-1918 minThe Roundtable"Luigi: The Making and the Meaning" by John H. Richardson"Luigi: The Making and the Meaning" is the first book to explain why the world was primed for the Luigi Mangione moment, showing the history that led an accused killer to be embraced as an avenger with an affection not seen since Jesse James or Robin Hood.
2025-11-1916 minThe Roundtable11/19/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Founder and Academic Director of the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities and Professor of Politics, Philosophy, and Human Rights at Bard College Roger Berkowitz, Dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany Robert Griffin, and Associate Professor in the department of sociology at Vassar College Catherine Tan.
2025-11-191h 27The RoundtableBook Picks - Battenkill BooksThis week's Book Picks comes from Connie Brooks and Suzanne Kulick from Battenkill Books in Cambridge, NY.
2025-11-1824 minThe RoundtableGreg Cope White's memoir "The Pink Marine" is the inspiration for hit Netflix series "Boots"Greg Cope White’s memoir “The Pink Marine” is the inspiration for Netflix breakout hit “Boots.” “Boots” tells the story of an 18-year-old closeted gay teenager who enlists in the Marines with his straight best friend. Greg is not only the real-life inspiration he’s also one of the show’s writers and co-executive producer.
2025-11-1813 minThe Roundtable11/18/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategy and Policy at Bard College Malia DuMont, Acting Department Head of Cognitive Science, Tetherless World Senior Constellation Professor of Computer, Web and Cognitive Science Jim Hendler, and The Empire Report’s JP Miller.
2025-11-181h 14The RoundtableJames Schiff's new book is "Selected Letters of John Updike"In the new book “Selected Letters of John Updike” editor James Schiff offers readers a window into that private world drawing from decades of correspondence. Schiff presents a portrait of Updike is both craftsman and confidante, generous, witty, and endlessly reflective about writing and life.
2025-11-1724 minThe RoundtableShakespeare & Company's "Fall Festival of Shakespeare" and staged-reading of "Sense and Sensibility"Back for its 37th year, the Fall Festival of Shakespeare includes nearly 500 students from 10 schools in Massachusetts and New York, supported by a cadre of 20 Shakespeare & Company directors, six costume designers, and five production designers.Also, Shakespeare & Company’s family-friendly Winter Show returns December 12 – 14th with Sense and Sensibility: a fast-paced, staged reading wherein the wit and romance of Jane Austen’s classic tale come to life.
2025-11-1717 minThe RoundtableJonathan Becker's new book is "Youth Voting Rights: Civil Rights, the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, and the Fight for American Democracy on College Campuses"The newly released book "Youth Voting Rights: Civil Rights, the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, and the Fight for American Democracy on College Campuses" uses the history of the 26th Amendment and the ongoing fight to promote and defend youth voting rights as a prism through which to teach the history of the struggle for the fundamental right to vote in the United States.Jonathan Becker is Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Politics at Bard College where he is also the Director of the Center for Civic Engagement. He has published extensively on student voting rights.
2025-11-1718 minThe Roundtable11/17/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Bard College Vice Chancellor of Global Higher Education Alliance for the XXIst Century, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of the Center for Civic Engagement Jonathan Becker, UAlbany Lecturer in Africana Studies Jennifer Burns, and Senior Fellow, Bard Center for Civic Engagement Jim Ketterer.
2025-11-171h 08The RoundtableRoundtable Panel: The Week in Review - Episode 241Each weekday morning, The Roundtable's Joe Donahue is joined by various experts, journalists, educators, and commentators to discuss current events. On Roundtable Panel: The Week in Review, we feature your favorite panelists discussing news items from the previous week.
2025-11-1559 minThe RoundtableIreland Professor of Poetry Paul Muldoon discusses new sonnet anthology "Scanty Plot of Ground"Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon is considered “the most significant English-language poet born since the second World War.”His most recent book, “Scanty Plot of Ground: A Book of Sonnets,” is a new anthology of beloved classics, hidden treasures and standout contemporary examples of this ever-vital and enthralling verse form. His latest poetry collection, “Joy in Service on Rue Tagore,” is now out in paperback.
2025-11-1426 minThe RoundtableNorthshire Bookstore and WAMC on the Road present Susan Orlean at Skidmore College on 11/17Susan Orlean's latest, “Joyride,” is a memoir of finding her creative calling and purpose that invites to approach life with wonder, curiosity, and an irrepressible sense of delight. She will be in conversation with Joe Donahue at Skidmore College on 11/17 in an event presented by Northshire Bookstore and WAMC on the Road.
2025-11-1414 minThe Roundtable11/14/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Joseph Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government atSkidmore College Beau Breslin, Ulster County Comptroller and former President and CEO of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley March Gallagher, Executive Director of Communities for Local Power and former White House Advance Lead Anna Markowitz, and Semi-retired, Editor at large/columnist/editorial writer, Times Union Jay Jochnowitz.
2025-11-141h 28The RoundtableArthur Penn's 1975 film "Night Moves" screens at The Triplex 11/19 - followed by a talkback with Matthew PennThe Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington celebrates “Noir-vember” this fall with “The New Hard-Boiled: The Birth of American Neo-Noir,” a five-film series highlighting defining thrillers of the 1960s and 1970s.Screenings will take place Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. and Saturday afternoons at 5 p.m., through November 19 with a special screening of Arthur Penn’s “Night Moves” followed by a talkback with Penn’s son, Emmy-nominated director Matthew Penn.
2025-11-1320 minThe Roundtable"Sounds of the Season" returns at SPAC next month from 12/12-12/14Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s popular “Sounds of the Season” holiday series returns next month from December 12–14, featuring the acclaimed Irish ensemble Danú, rising jazz sensation Stella Cole, and, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performing Bach’s Complete Brandenburg Concertos.
2025-11-1317 min
The RoundtableWild Ones Capital Region New York Native Plant Celebration and Seed Swap 11/15Wild Ones is a national nonprofit organization with local chapters that seek to improve the environment by connecting people and native plants. There will be a Native Plant Celebration and Seed Swap this Saturday, November 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Helderberg Room at John Boyd Thacher State Park Visitor Center in Voorheesville, New York.
2025-11-1309 minThe Roundtable11/13/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Publisher Emeritus of The Daily Freeman Ira Fusfeld, Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick, and Executive Director of The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York Nic Rangel.
2025-11-131h 21The Roundtable"Women Laughing" will screen at DOC NYC on 11/15 and 11/17In “Women Laughing,” longtime New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly sets out to explore her lifelong passion for women’s humor and cartooning by speaking, laughing, and drawing with a diverse group of remarkable women who create cartoons for the iconic magazine.“Women Laughing” includes intimate conversations with some of the most celebrated and groundbreaking cartoonists at The New Yorker including Roz Chast, Emily Flake, Liana Fink, Amy Hwang, and Emma Allen, the magazine’s first female cartoon editor. The film will screen at DOC NYC on November 15 + 17.
2025-11-1225 minThe RoundtableNightWood returns to The Mount 11/21-1/3Inspired by the natural world, NightWood at The Mount in Lenox, MA combines cinematic music, theatrical lighting, and scenic elements to create encounters that evoke wonder, delight, and mystery throughout the forest and gardens of Edith Wharton’s Home.It runs November 21- January 3. NightWood immerses visitors on a one-mile illuminated path.
2025-11-1216 minThe RoundtableBook Picks - Oblong BooksThis week's Book Picks comes from Suzanna Hermans from Oblong Books in Rhinebeck and Millerton, NY.
2025-11-1215 minThe Roundtable11/12/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Robert Pondiscio, Associate Professor of Government at Dutchess Community College and President of the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley Dr. Karin Riedl, and Investment Banker on Wall St. Mark Wittman.
2025-11-121h 14The RoundtableEleanor Roosevelt Banned Book Awards' Lifetime Achievement honoree Margaret Atwood in conversation with Joe DonahueOn October 11, The Eleanor Roosevelt Center in partnership with PEN America presented the 2025 Banned Book Awards at The Bardavon in Poughkeepsie, New York. This year’s Eleanor Roosevelt Lifetime Achievement honoree was best-selling author Margaret Atwood and Joe Donahue had the great honor of speaking with her at the event.In her latest work, "Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts," Atwood explores her past and reveals connections between real life and art.
2025-11-1031 minThe RoundtableHarbinger Theatre presents Rebecca Gilman's "Swing State" on 11/14-1/23Harbinger Theatre will close its fourth season with “Swing State” by Pulitzer Prize finalist, Rebecca Gilman, and directed by Brian Sheldon.In the play: Recently widowed, Peg tends to the native plants in her 40-acre rural Wisconsin prairie backyard, her solitary days interrupted only by visits from a family friend with a checkered past. When a mysterious theft alerts the authorities, a string of events unfold that forever changes their lives. “Swing State” marks Harbinger’s 18th Capital Region premiere. Performances will be held at Sand Lake Center for the Arts from November 14 - 23, with a free preview on November 13.
2025-11-1010 minThe Roundtable11/10/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow, Bard Center for Civic Engagement Jim Ketterer, Political Consultant and lobbyist Libby Post, and Former grade school teacher and RPI graduate student Sophia Acquisto.
2025-11-101h 26The RoundtableRoundtable Panel: The Week in Review - Episode 240Each weekday morning, The Roundtable's Joe Donahue is joined by various experts, journalists, educators, and commentators to discuss current events. On Roundtable Panel: The Week in Review, we feature your favorite panelists discussing news items from the previous week.
2025-11-0859 minThe Roundtable"Bad Bad Girl" by Gish JenYou never wrote about your mother. Call it a challenge, an observation, or a dare, that was what Gish Jen was thinking as she set out to write her tenth book—did she want to wake up one day and realize she had never written about the one relationship that stood at the center of her life, no matter how painful it might be?In short, "Bad Bad Girl" is the story of a mother told through the eyes of her daughter. Opening in 1920s Shanghai, we first meet Agnes as a young girl who’s expected to behave and be q...
2025-11-0723 minThe RoundtableAlbany Symphony Orchestra presents "The Planets" featuring Albany Pro Musica and the premiere of a new violin concerto by Bobby Ge on 11/8The Albany Symphony Orchestra’s next concert of the season is at the Palace Theatre in Albany, New York tomorrow night at 7:30.The evening will shine with Gustav Holst’s cosmic spectacle, “The Planets,” featuring the ethereal voices of Albany Pro Musica, and the world premiere of a new Violin Concerto by composer Bobby Ge.
2025-11-0719 minThe RoundtableThe Norman Rockwell Museum's newest exhibit "Jazz Age Illustration" opens on 11/8The Norman Rockwell Museum’s latest exhibit, “Jazz Age Illustration,” is opening tomorrow in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Organized by the Delaware Art Museum, it is the first major survey of American illustration from 1919 to 1942 - a vibrant and transformative era of innovation, evolving styles, social change, and expanding popular media.
2025-11-0711 minThe Roundtable11/7/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are senior fellow and faculty member in the Center for the Advancement of Public Action at Bennington College, President of Beyond Plastics, former EPA Regional Administrator, and co-author of the book "The Problem with Plastic" Judith Enck, CEO of The Business Council of New York State Heather Mulligan, Siena University Professor of Economics Aaron Pacitti, and Economics majors from Siena University: Josh Florence, Kerry Ann Wise, and Giovanna Perez.
2025-11-071h 17The RoundtableTMI's documentary "Locker Room Talk" will have its Hudson Valley debut at Kingston High School on 11/9The award-winning documentary “Locker Room Talk” from Kingston’s TMI Project was produced in partnership with the nationally acclaimed organization A Call to Men.On November 9, they will be hosting their first Hudson Valley screening at the Kingston High School, where the film began.
2025-11-0620 min
The RoundtablePipa virtuoso Wu Man and Silkroad Ensemble perform at The Mahaiwe on 11/8This Saturday, November 8, Silkroad Ensemble will present a reimagined version of its American Railroad program at The Mahaiwe in Great Barrington, Massachusetts at 7 p.m.The concert will feature an intimate, powerhouse ensemble of eight world-class musicians lead by Silkroad founding musician and international pipa virtuoso Wu Man.
2025-11-0615 minThe Roundtable11/6/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Ulster County Board of Elections Commissioner Ashley Dittus, Ulster County Comptroller and former President and CEO of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley March Gallagher, Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick, and Executive Director of The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York Nic Rangel.
2025-11-061h 27The RoundtableGerald Howard's new book is "The Insider: Malcolm Cowley and the Triumph of American Literature"In the new book “The Insider: Malcolm Cowley and the Triumph of American Literature” editor and critic Gerald Howard brings this complex literary life into focus drawing on Cowley’s letters, essays, and archival material. Howard reveals how one man’s sensibility helped to find what we now consider American literature.
2025-11-0523 minThe Roundtable11/5/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Preceptor in Public Speaking, Strategic Communications, and Public Relations for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University Terry Gipson, and Dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany Robert Griffin.
2025-11-051h 28The RoundtableBook Picks - Green Toad Bookstore and The Golden NotebookThis week's Book Picks comes from welcome Jim Havener from Green Toad Bookstore in Oneonta, New York and James Conrad from The Golden Notebook in Woodstock, New York for our selections this week.
2025-11-0424 min
The RoundtableDevin McEwan and Sandra Boynton discuss "Extremely Happy Holidays" in Oblong Books and WAMC on the Road event at The White Hart Inn 11/12What better way to honor and enjoy all the holidays of a year than to toast each one with a fabulous new cocktail - mocktail?"Extremely Happy Holidays: Wildly Creative New Cocktails to Uplift and Enchant Through A Full Year Of Holiday Chaos" is a new book by Devin McEwan features art by (his mother) Sandra Boynton.Joe Donahue will be in conversation with McEwan and Boynton in a special Oblong Books and WAMC On the Road at The White Hart Inn in Salisbury, CT on November 12 at 6:30 p.m.
2025-11-0413 minThe Roundtable11/4/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Semi-retired, Editor at large/columnist/editorial writer, Times Union Jay Jochnowitz, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Robert Pondiscio, and Associate Professor in the department of sociology at Vassar College Catherine Tan.
2025-11-041h 28The RoundtableAdirondack Center for Writing and NCPR present Howl Story Slam at Caffè Lena on 11/12The Adirondack Center for Writing and NCPR are teaming up with Caffe Lena in Saratoga to present the Howl Story Slam on November 12th @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm. The storytelling competition is open to all participants. Storytellers take the stage to tell a true story in under 5 minutes.
2025-11-0315 minThe RoundtableFriends of Schenectady County Public Library present Elizabeth Strout at GE Theatre 11/12The Friends of Schenectady County Public Library will host an evening with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout on Wednesday, November 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady, New York.
2025-11-0324 min
The RoundtableThe Scrapbook - a new novel by Heather ClarkeHeather Clarke is the award-winning author of "Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath." Her debut novel, "The Scrapbook" tells the story of an intense first love haunted by history and family memory, inspired by the startling WWII scrapbook of Clark’s own grandfather, hidden in an attic until after his death.
2025-11-0310 minThe Roundtable11/3/25 RT PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are former NY 19 Congressman John Faso, political consultant and lobbyist, Libby Post, and Wall Street Investment Banker Mark Wittman.
2025-11-031h 17The RoundtableDavid Gessner's book "Return of the Osprey: A season of Flight and Wonder" celebrates 25 years with a special 25th anniversary editionThe Osprey hailed by Roger Tory Peterson as the symbol of the New England Coast, all but vanished during the 1950s and 60s because of the ravages of DDT. In the next few decades, however, the birds returned, slowly at first and then in a rush. Now writing with passion, humor, and reverence for the natural world, David Gessner interweaves the stories of the nesting Osprey pairs he observed with his own readjustment to life on the windblown, beautiful, and increasingly developed landscape he knew as a child. The book is a season of flight and wonder. The name of...
2025-10-3121 minThe RoundtableThe Eric Carle Museum presents "The Art of Grace Lin: Meeting a Friend in an Unexpected Place" through 12/31Artist and illustrator Grace Lin’s first picture book, “The Ugly Vegetables,” was published in 1999 to glowing praise.Twenty-five years later, she has created more than 30 titles, including board books, early readers, and middle grade novels, garnering Caldecott, Newbury, and Geisel honors along the way.The exhibition: “The Art of Grace Lin: Meeting a Friend in an Unexpected Place” is on view at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts through December 31.
2025-10-3115 minThe Roundtable10/31/25 PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior fellow and faculty member in the Center for the Advancement of Public Action, President of Beyond Plastics, former EPA Regional Administrator, appointed by President Obama, and co-author of the book “The Problem with Plastic” (published by The New Press) Judith Enck, CEO of The Business Council of New York State Heather Mulligan, Siena University and Professor of Economics Aaron Pacitti. Siena University economics majors:Bradley FraserJake NassNatalie Zhu
2025-10-311h 31The Roundtable"With a Vengeance" by Riley SagerNew York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, the author of "The House Across the Lake" and "The Only One Left," returns with his latest novel "With a Vengeance.""With a Vengeance" is published by Dutton. We spoke with Riley Sager in a live event at Southern Vermont Arts Center hosted by Northshire Bookstore.
2025-10-3022 minThe RoundtableYWCA of the Greater Capital Region presents the 10th Annual "Brava!" fundraiser on 11/6The tenth annual event to benefit both the residents of the YWCA of the Greater Capital Region as well as people in need in the greater Capital Region, is coming to Troy on Thursday, November 6th.“Brava!” a fundraiser that will provide new bras to those in need, will be held at The Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy from 6 - 8:30 p.m.
2025-10-3017 minThe RoundtableCongressional Corner with Becca BalintVermont Congressperson Becca Balint speaks with Andrew Waite in the Congressional Corner.
2025-10-3021 minThe Roundtable10/30/25 PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Communications expert and Founder/President of Stanhope Partners Bob Bellafiore, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick.
2025-10-301h 18The Roundtable"The Baddest Man: The Making of Mike Tyson" by Mark KriegelThe new book “The Baddest Man: The Making of Mike Tyson” by best-selling author Mark Kriegel is a story about fame, race, greed, criminality, trauma, and the creation of the most feared and mesmerizing fighter in the history of boxing. In a life that included incarceration and molestation, booze, coke, the death of a child, and perhaps the most treacherous fame Mike Tyson has nevertheless survived. Decades removed from his short lived prime we are still very interested in Mike Tyson.
2025-10-2925 minThe Roundtable"Empty Vessel: The Story of the Global Economy in One Barge" by Ian KumekawaWhat do a barracks from British troops in the Falkland War, a floating jail of the Bronx, and temporary housing for VWF workers in Germany have in common? Well according to our next guest, Ian Kumekawa, they have all inhabited one Swedish barge built in 1979. Now, the barge has so many names, the author calls it “The Vessel.” The book is called “Empty Vessel: The Story of the Global Economy in One Barge.”
2025-10-2917 minThe RoundtableBook Picks - Chatham Bookstore and The Book HouseThis week's Book Picks comes from Amy Zimmerman from Chatham Bookstore in Chatham, NY and we also welcome Cheryl McKeon from The Book House in Albany, NY.
2025-10-2825 minThe RoundtableThe Fenimore Art Museum has two major exhibitions on display through the end of the yearThere are two major exhibits now on display at Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York through the end of the year.The exhibit “Exploring Calvin and Hobbes” revisits the beloved comic strip created by Bill Watterson from 1985 to 1995. It explores his mastery of the comic strip art form through engaging characters, thoughtful writing, and creative layouts.Also on display, “Romare Bearden: Artist-Activist-Visionary.” Drawn from the Romare Bearden Foundation Collection, the exhibition examines how Bearden agitated for change through images and writing.
2025-10-2817 minThe Roundtable10/28/25 PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Professor of History and International Relations at Vassar College Robert Brigham, Executive Director at The Alliance for a Hunger Free NY and The Food Pantries for the Capital District, Founder of the NYS Food as Medicine Coalition Natasha Pernicka, and Former Times Union Associate Editor Mike Spain.
2025-10-281h 32The RoundtableCulinaryArts@SPAC - Steven Raichlen's “Project Griddle: The Versatile Art of Grilling on a Flattop with Steven Raichlen"Culinary Arts at SPAC Events features the talents of both local and visiting chefs along with a visiting guest cookbook author who share their expertise and insights alongside their food. Barbeque legend, James Beard Award Winning author, and host of PBS’s “Project Fire” Steven Raichlen kicked off the Culinary Arts SPAC Fall season with a sizzling celebration of the griddle. His latest book is “Project Griddle: The Versatile Art of Grilling on a Flattop with Steven Raichlen.”
2025-10-2725 minThe RoundtableBard Center for Indigenous Studies will present a community fair starting on 11/1 featuring Julia Keefe Indigenous Big BandNovember is National American Indian Heritage Month and on the first of the month, the Bard Center for Indigenous Studies will present a community fair at Bard Fisher Center’s Sosnoff Theater which will include food, a makers’ market, and a performance by Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band.The Bard Center for Indigenous Studies Community Fair begins at 5:30 pm on Saturday, November 1 at Bard Fisher Center.
2025-10-2711 minThe Roundtable10/27/25 PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Preceptor in Public Speaking, Strategic Communications, and Public Relations for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University Terry Gipson, Professor of Government at Dutchess Community College and President of the World Affairs Council of the Mid-Hudson Valley Dr. Karin Riedl, and Political consultant and lobbyist Libby Post.
2025-10-271h 16The RoundtableRoundtable Panel: The Week in Review - Episode 238Each weekday morning, The Roundtable's Joe Donahue is joined by various experts, journalists, educators, and commentators to discuss current events. On Roundtable Panel: The Week in Review, we feature your favorite panelists discussing news items from the previous week.
2025-10-2559 minThe Roundtable"What is Your Hand in This?" at Hudson Hall and on WAMC 10/25This Saturday, October 25, Hudson Hall presents a special preview performance of “What is Your Hand in This?,” a new collaboration between acclaimed baritone Davóne Tines and early music band Ruckus.The performance will be broadcast live as part of WAMC’s On the Road series.
2025-10-2416 minThe Roundtable10/24/25 PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Joseph Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government atSkidmore College Beau Breslin, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategy and Policy at Bard College Malia Du Mont.
2025-10-241h 15The RoundtableRichard Thompson at The Bardavon on 11/7 and Stone Church on 11/8Named one of the Top 20 Guitarists of All Time by Rolling Stone, Richard Thompson is one of the world’s most critically acclaimed and prolific songwriters. In addition to his beloved catalog and in addition to many other honors - Thompson has received Lifetime Achievement Awards for Songwriting on both sides of the Atlantic.He’ll be in the WAMC region early next month, playing The Bardavon in Poughkeepsie, New York on November 7 and Stone Church in Brattleboro, Vermont on November 8.Will Hermes is a regular contributor to NPR, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Pitchfork. He’s the author...
2025-10-2326 minThe RoundtableIn "The Parts of Him I Kept" Natasha Williams recounts her coming of age with a schizophrenic fatherOne cold night, Natasha William's father drove his car into the New York Bay with her two-year-old half-sister in the backseat. She was the one to walk him past the column of hungry reporters demanding an explanation. The headline in The Daily News read: Back from a Watery Grave. But Natasha's experiences growing up with her schizophrenic father in the gritty New York City of the 1970s are not so easily captured in a single headline.Natasha Williams’ new book, “The Parts of Him I Kept: The Gifts of My Father's Madness,” is an intimate account of coming of age in the...
2025-10-2317 minThe Roundtable10/23/25 PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Partner with the Albany law firm of Whiteman Osterman & Hanna, Cianna Freeman-Tolbert, Publisher Emeritus of The Daily Freeman Ira Fusfeld, Acting Department Head of Cognitive Science, Tetherless World Senior Constellation Professor of Computer, Web and Cognitive Science Jim Hendler, and Wall Street Investment Banker Mark Wittman.
2025-10-231h 20The RoundtableKarine Jean-Pierre's new book is "Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines"Karine Jean-Pierre, former White House Press Secretary to the Biden & Harris Administration, shares why Americans have stepped beyond party lines to embrace life as independents in her new book “Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.”
2025-10-2223 minThe RoundtableNew children's book by Robin Wall KimmererAuthor, botanist, and Native American scholar Robin Wall Kimmerer's work explores the natural world as teacher, partner and gift. Her new book "Bud Finds Her Gift" marks departure: an illustrated picture book for young readers that addresses the themes her adult volumes - "Braiding Sweetgrass" and "The Serviceberry" - have come to be known for.We welcome Robin Wall Kimmerer to to discuss how this picture book emerged, why Kimmerer chose the form, and what she hopes children (and their grown-ups) will carry with them.
2025-10-2214 minThe RoundtableNovelist Dan Brown calls Louvre heist an "ugly smash-and-grab"In the wake of the brazen heist at the Louvre in Paris this past weekend, many are saying, “real life has once again echoed fiction.” In Dan Brown’s "The Da Vinci Code," a crime unfolds in the Louvre. We spoke with Dan Brown about the recent heist at the Louvre and the relationship to his book, "The Da Vinci Code."Brown’s brand new novel is "The Secret of Secrets" and he will be our guest on the Book Show on November 4 at 3 p.m.
2025-10-2205 minThe Roundtable10/22/25 PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Founder and Academic Director of the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities and Professor of Politics, Philosophy, and Human Rights at Bard College Roger Berkowitz, Dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany Robert Griffin, Semi-retired, Editor at large/columnist/editorial writer, Times Union Jay Jochnowitz, and Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick.
2025-10-221h 15The RoundtableBook Picks - Northshire Bookstore and Open Door BookstoreThis week's Book Picks comes from Kelly Stazyk from Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, New York and Manchester Center, Vermont and Lily Bartels from The Open Door Bookstore in Schenectady, New York.
2025-10-2121 minThe RoundtableMichelle Hughes on "When Teachers Stay: Cultivating Resilient Teaching Communities" at The Book House on 10/26Why do some schools have high levels of teacher turnover, but others don't? The new book, “When Teachers Stay: Cultivating Resilient Teaching Communities,” explores the question of what makes a resilient teaching community in which teachers want to stay and thrive, uncovering the cohesiveness, continuity, community, and deep sense of belonging for adults and kids.Michelle Hughes will be talking about and signing her new book at the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza in Albany, New York on Sunday, October 26th at 3PM.
2025-10-2115 minThe Roundtable10/21/25 PanelThe Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Recently retired President of Siena University, former NY Congressman, writer and analyst Chris Gibson, Professor Emeritus of Russian at Hofstra University and author of “Illiberal Vanguard: Populist Elitism in the United States and Russia” Alexander Mihailovic, The Empire Report’s JP Miller, and Associate Professor in the department of sociology at Vassar College Catherine Tan.
2025-10-211h 27The RoundtableSPAC in Conversation featuring Julie Scelfo on 10/22Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s popular fundraising event, “SPAC in Conversation,” returns on Wednesday, October 22 in the historic Hall of Springs, featuring award-winning journalist, former New York Times staff writer and media ecologist Julie Scelfo. Founder and Executive Director of Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA), Scelfo will lead an inspiring discussion on “fighting back against runaway tech to protect our kids’ childhoods.”
2025-10-2024 minThe RoundtableBerkshire Theatre Group presents "Metamorphoses" through 10/26Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses, winner of the Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award nominee, dives headfirst into the thrilling, sometimes terrifying world of Greek and Roman mythology. It runs through Sunday at the Berkshire Theatre Group’s Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge, MA.
2025-10-2017 min
51 PercentRobert Waldinger on how relationships make “The Good Life”What makes a good life? According to the world’s longest scientific study of human happiness, our relationships play a key role. On this week’s 51%, we speak with Dr. Robert Waldinger, a psychiatry professor at Harvard Medical School and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. In his book with researcher Marc Schulz, called The Good Life, Waldinger details the study’s findings and gives advice on how to make connections and nurture your relationships. WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke also chats with her friend, singer-songwriter Al Olender, about finding strength in vulnerability, and writing about love.
Guests...
2025-02-0629 min51 PercentRobert Waldinger on how relationships make “The Good Life”What makes a good life? According to the world’s longest scientific study of human happiness, our relationships play a key role. On this week’s 51%, we speak with Dr. Robert Waldinger, a psychiatry professor at Harvard Medical School and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. In his book with researcher Marc Schulz, called The Good Life, Waldinger details the study’s findings and gives advice on how to make connections and nurture your relationships. WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke also chats with her friend, singer-songwriter Al Olender, about finding strength in vulnerability, and writing about love.
Guests...
2025-02-0629 min
51 PercentTaking the stage, part twoOn this week’s 51%, WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke catches up with singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco to talk about her new record and her debut on Broadway. DiFranco is starring as “Persephone” in the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical Hadestown through the end of June. We also hear from Amy Jordan, choreographer and founder of the Victory Dance Project, about the group’s upcoming 10-year anniversary.
Guests: Ani DiFranco; Amy Jordan, founder of the Victory Dance Project, Mary Birnbaum, general and artistic director of Opera Saratoga
51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Jesse King is our pro...
2024-06-1343 min51 PercentTaking the stage, part twoOn this week’s 51%, WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke catches up with singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco to talk about her new record and her debut on Broadway. DiFranco is starring as “Persephone” in the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical Hadestown through the end of June. We also hear from Amy Jordan, choreographer and founder of the Victory Dance Project, about the group’s upcoming 10-year anniversary.
Guests: Ani DiFranco; Amy Jordan, founder of the Victory Dance Project, Mary Birnbaum, general and artistic director of Opera Saratoga
51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Jesse King is our pro...
2024-06-1343 min51 PercentDawn Landes on “The Liberated Woman’s Songbook”On this week’s 51%, WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke sits down with singer-songwriter Dawn Landes to discuss her new record reimagining "The Liberated Woman’s Songbook" from 1971. WAMC’s Samantha Simmons also meets a couple with a decades-long story of love and friendship that finally tied the knot during the Great North American eclipse.
Guest: Dawn Landes, The Liberated Woman's Songbook
51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Jesse King is our producer and host. Our associate producer is Jody Cowan, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.
2024-04-1131 min51 PercentDawn Landes on “The Liberated Woman’s Songbook”On this week’s 51%, WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke sits down with singer-songwriter Dawn Landes to discuss her new record reimagining "The Liberated Woman’s Songbook" from 1971. WAMC’s Samantha Simmons also meets a couple with a decades-long story of love and friendship that finally tied the knot during the Great North American eclipse.
Guest: Dawn Landes, The Liberated Woman's Songbook
51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Jesse King is our producer and host. Our associate producer is Jody Cowan, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.
2024-04-1131 min
Laura Flanders and Friends: Solutions-Focused Progressive Perspectives on Politics, News, and CultureUncut Interview: Winona LaDuke, An Indigenous Roadmap for a Just Transition From Fossil FuelHere's the entire interview with Winona LaDuke who we recently featured in our episode “The Future of Energy is Indigenous (and it won’t involve pipelines!)” . She’s the Director of Honor the Earth, a platform she co-founded with the Indigo Girls. She’s a resident of the White Earth Reservation in Northern Minnesota where she founded the White Earth Land Recovery Project, one of the largest reservation based non profit organizations in the country, and a leader in the issues of culturally based sustainable development strategies, renewable energy and food systems. She breaks down what a just transition from a fossi...
2021-05-2922 min
Restorative Justice On The RiseEpisode 100: Sarah Van GelderDate of Dialogue: Jan. 10, 2012
Description: As Editor-in-Chief of the extraordinary YES! Magazine, Sarah van Gelder spoke with us about the then-in-motion Occupy movement, our transforming systems and the paradigm nested underneath the changes we are seeing. Her take on justice and restorative systems has informed special editions of YES! and as she shares in this dialogue, it is fully in motion as an exponential movement changing within and on the ground. We discussed the media’s role in social change, and learned how Sarah embarked on her own path to become one of the country’s leaders in m...
2014-08-081h 02Restorative Justice On The RiseEpisode 14: Sarah Van Gelder, Editor of YES! MAGAZINEI have always admired Sarah for her dedication to giving the world an honest look at solutions and for her brilliant intellect as a writer, activist and beyond. To me she emulates and ignites the power of the media in changing our world, by committed and steadfast focus on vetting the solutions in action that are often not reported in "mainstream" corporate owned media. Sarah is editor of "This Changes Everything: Occupy Wall Street and the 99% Movement" and co-founder of YES! Magazine and YesMagazine.org.
This Changes Everything,
Edited by Sarah van Gelder and staff of...
2012-01-121h 02