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.
What We Want You to Know
11/14/25: UMass Profs Steve Sireci (Dir, Ctr for Educ Assessment) & Max Page (MTA Pres): what tests make sense. Lt-Col John Paradis(ret), Catie Foertsch (Dir), Tommy Furlong (Ex Prod) : the film “What I Want You to Know”- about our veterans and our wars. Nell Bernstein, author of “In Our Future We are Free—the Dismantling of the Youth Prison—an Astonishing Story of Resistance and Change.” Melanie Slabaugh: the upcoming story slam at Bombyx. ArtBeat w/Donnabelle Casis and William Baczek: “The Road Not Taken” –an extraordinary exhibit of Chie Yosii’s work.
Author Authors!!
11/13/25: Northampton Author Rich Michelson on “Fannie’s Big Idea” (today is the 100th anniversary!). Author Thomas Suárez on “Palestine Mapped: From the River to the Sea in Early Geographic Thought” & his Nov 19 UMass talk. Amherst author Corinne Demas on her newest novel, “Daughters” Ruth Griggs: tomorrow’s Western Mass Arts Economic Impact Summit.
Keeping Council & Counsel
11/12/25: Amherst Counsel Pres Lynn Griesemer: local politics, rewilding & money. Patricia Lee Lewis: “Thorns of the Mesquite: …defiance, refuge and unyielding hope.” Arcadia’s new Sanctuary Mgr Maya Rappaport: birds, kids & sanctuaries. Larry Hott w/ Dr. Jon Hallberg: racism; ageing – beauty & relevance; war — prosthetics & Ukraine.
Shabazz Shazam
11/11/25: Rep Patricia Duffy: the shutdown & the deal. Safe Passage’s Natalie Ulrich & GSB’s Dir of Philanthropy Tara Brewster: the Hot Chocolate Run & tomorrow’s fundraiser. Mark Lee Gardner: “Brothers of the Gun: Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday & a Reckoning in Tombstone.” Duke Goldman: gambling, an amazing World Series, the Dodgers & diversity.
The Fire This Time
11/10/25: Eric Reeves on the genocide in Sudan. Megan Zinn w/ Gish Jen on “Bad Bad Girl.” Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia on election results, new school(s) & big political fights. Prof Amilcar Shabazz w/Charles Walker-Hoover, Pres UMass NAACP chapter: this weekend’s fire & Friday’s protest.
Blaising Forward
11/7/25: Live from Elmer’s in Ashfield – Rep. Natalie Blais w/ Jillian Morgan (Food Bank of Western Mass) Kristen Tillona-Baker (the Mary Lyon Foundation) & Sheryl Stanton (Mohawk Trail School Super). Then, More Blais! w/ Lev Ben Ezra & Janna Tatreault (Community Action Pioneer Valley) and many others: combatting the SNAP cuts & providing food. Astronomer Salman Hameed on a visitor from another solar system. Art Beat w/ Amanda Herman (UMass Museum of Contemporary Art) w/ Liz Chalfin (Zea Mays Printmaking).
Education
11/6/25: Max Page w/ Harvard Grad School of Ed Prof & author Jal Mehta: “In Search of Deeper Learning.” Attorney Laura Pitter on food as a human right. Our House w/ Representative Jim McGovern. Ruth Griggs w/ Peter Hamelin of Signature Sounds & the Parlor Room Collective.
Talk the Talk on 11.5.25
11/5/25: Children’s Advoc Ctr Ex Dir Carol Conragan: child sexual abuse cases skyrocketing. Brian Adams w/ Smith’s Dir of Sustainability Beth Hooker: the College’s $210 million (!) geothermal project. Larry Hott w/ Mark Roessler, author of “Fairsted: …how (Frederick Law) Olmsted helped heal a fractured democracy” on” Olmsted Panoramic” – a multi-media & musical presentation — coming to AoM.
Resistance
11/4/25: Sen Paul Mark: SNAP, gov’t shutdown & resistance. Valley Light Opera’s Michael Budnick & Elaine Caine: “HMS Pinafore” at AoM this week—an operetta of resistance. Smith Prof Carrie Baker: “The Erosion of Women’s Rights Under Trump” & how we resist. Yakov Konrad, former councilor candidate: resisting toxic social media.
Elections
11/3/25: Stan Moulton, N’ton councilor: the high stakes tomorrow. Megan Zinn w/ local author Debra Jo Immergut on creativity, writing, teaching & portals. N’ton City Council Pres Alex Jarrett: the candidates he supports & why. Former N’ton City Council Pres Jim Nash: Main St redesign, POP & the future.
