Jada and I went to Amherst Cinema yesterday and watched the new James Baldwin film, “I Am Not Your Negro.” We talk about our reactions to the film, as we have a lively time joking around in the studio.
This episode is only 35 minutes long. But Jada is planning on coming back to the studio next week for more, including talking about racial discrimination at her apartment building/ tenants association here in Northampton.
Interviews with Carol Lewis about SURJ, and my housemate Clarissa Lyons about giving rides to people who need them through the Farmworkers Organizing Committee.
And Duane tells stories from his years being homeless.
I take a visit to the Lowenthal-Brookers house and talk with James, Mary Beth, and Melle. James talks about the new LED lights, and geoengineering ethics, and f.lux, a program to make your computer screen less white-lighted at night. Mary Beth talks about writing, and the Pioneer Valley Gallery of Readers and their new anthology that just came out.
Oh, and Zephry & Gull is a little piece I wrote about friendship.
Live in the studio today, Jim Mias and I talk about living the local life, biking around town, engaging with people outside and in person more than electronically. Jim also tells the story of how he and his grandson, several years ago, started collecting driftwood and random found objects from the Mill River banks, and arranging them artfully along the rail trail in Leeds behind Jim’s house. Many passersby admired the work, which went on for about 50 yards, but then over the fall, a couple neighbors took offense to it and tore it down. Jim talks about conversations with those neighbors, and how he has come to peace with it. Jim was a librarian at the VA for many years, and he and his wife Robin are involved with the Leeds Civic Association. We met on the paths and streets of Northampton.
On January 20th, I went with friends, housemates, co-workers to the Women’s March on Washington, which took place Jan 21st, 2017, the day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Most of today’s show is clips and interviews from the march, including a segment with Julie and Jake, two marchers who, at the end of the march, hung out and connected with Trump supporters in front of the White House.