Podcasts: Talk The Talk
Talk The Talk
Weekdays 8:00 -10:00 a.m. EST; rebroadcast 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. EST
Bill Newman and Friends host newsmakers, activists, authors, & artists – including:
Mayors Monday(Northampton, Holyoke, Easthampton) & Amherst Town Mgr Paul Bockelman, Salman Hameed’s Universe, the Comedy Quiz, Black In the Valley (Professor Amilcar Shabazz) Political Gold (Josh Silver), Our House (Congressman Jim McGovern), DA David Sullivan, Writers Block (Megan Zinn), Science and Sensibility (Brian Adams), Righting Wrongs (ACLUM Carol Rose), State Senators Comerford & Mark, Representatives Sabadosa, Duffy, & Domb, ArtBeat (Donnabelle Casis), Cool Films (Larry Hott), Feminist Futures (Carrie Baker), Talkin’ Baseball & Fair Play (Duke Goldman), Your State U (MTA Pres. Max Page) All That Jazz (Ruth Griggs & John Anz), Exec. Editor, DHG & Gfld Recorder, Dan Crowley.
Live in Studio
12/8/25: Mass banned Christmas — Historian Tim Blagg explains. Megan Zinn w/ Joanna Sokol: “ A Real Emergency: Stories from the Ambulance.” Laurie Millman, Dir. Ctr for New Americans, & Narissa Nields – performing LIVE in studio. Dr. Amilcar Shabazz w/ Amherst Area Gospel Choir’s Jacqueline Wallace & Holla Heather Lord, performing a cappella.
Questions, Some Answers & A Wonderful Life
12/5/25:MTA Pres Max Page & Harry Feder, Ex Dir, Fair Test: high stakes testing in Mass—again?
Community Action’s Lev BenEzra & Jess Thompson: food and heat – for all? Matteo Pangallo (Pres, Valley Players), John Bidwell (Wayfinders) & Chris Rohmann (theatre maestro): “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Josh Silver w/ Ben Scott, Ex Dir, Reset, the int’l org: digital disinformation and democracy. Donnabelle Casis w/ George Kohout, Pres. Friends of N’ton Trails: the mini museums here.
Lines Within and Without
12/4/25: “Borderland” w/ Ari Keigan (PVWC), Ellen Koteen (Interfaith Action), Maria Garcia (St. John’s). Congressman Seth Moulton: why run against Ed Markey? Congressman Jim McGovern: will his War Powers Resolution pass? Ruth Griggs w/ Kyle Homstead: new music venues: Hope Center & De la Luz — the experience.
Safe Passage & Invasions
12/3/25: Safe Passage’s Marianne Winters, Natalie Ulrich & Amanda Lapierre. D.A. Dave Sullivan: prosecuting domestic violence. UMass Prof Bethany Bradley: invasions of invasive species here.
Cool Films w/ Larry Hott: the Academy Awards & “All God’s Children.”
Moving.
12/2: Sen Paul Mark: legislators dress code! book bans & food insecurity. Sci-Tech Cafe w/ MHC Profs Kerstin Nordstrom & Ted Gilliland: birds. Harvard prof James Hankins, co-author of “The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition.” Rich Michaelson w/ local poet Aiyana Masla: “The Underdream.”
Swamped
12/1/25: Court Dorsey, Joe Laur, Izzy Miller & Steve Eldredge: “Swamped.” Megan Zinn w/ Linda Summersea : “The Girl with the Black and Blue Doll,” a memoir.
Rev Carole Bull & activist Crystal Zevan: daily updates from Gaza. N’ton Mayor GL Sciarra: the election & its aftermath.
Survival
11/26/25: N’ton Survival Ctr’s Heidi Nortonsmith & Alexander Leger-Small: food for 18 communities.
CDH Dir of Comm Health, Agathe Hoffer-Schaefer: our health needs — the assessment. Andre Strong Bearheart Gaines: National Day of Mourning & the Nipmuc Nation. Larry Hott: two brave anti-fascist films: “Norita” & “Mr. Nobody Against Putin.”
Marching On
11/25/25 Valley Comm Dev Corp’s Jessica Allan & Alexis Breiteneicher: new affordable housing in N’ton, Hadley, & Amherst. Hampshire Coll Prof Michael Klare: wars in Ukraine, Venezuela, & Gaza. Monte Belmonte & DA David Sullivan: March for the Food Bank – live, on the road. Gfld City Council Pres Lora Wondoloski: the march, surveillance cameras, & housing. Duke Goldman: professional athletes, politics & free speech.
Fire and Light
11/24/25: Dr. Xiomara Herman, Amherst School Super: the school counselor controversy, LGBTQ rts & the middle school. Megan Zinn w/ Amanda Jones, who is “That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America.” UMass Prof Amilcar Shabazz w/ Maurice “Soulfighter” Taylor: poetry, rap & comm healing. Amherst Town Mgr Paul Bockelman: the huge fire, Amherst College’s $ contributions to town, lighting the Merry Maple.
Not Pulp Not Fiction
11/21/25: MTA Pres Max Page w/ SEIU MA Political Dir Harris Gruman: the looming ballot question. Rep Lindsay Sabadosa: schools & money. Amherst prof Austin Sarat on Epstein, Trump’s power & political executions. Josh Silver on “Age of Disclosure” — aliens? Donnabelle Casis w/ Pulp Gallery’s Dean Brown: the amazing spiritual work of Adam Gurvitch & Andrea Dezso.
