WPRB News and Culture

As hot days cool into chilly autumn evenings, WPRB News and Culture returns to tell the tales of summer. Sophie Leheny and Natalie Hahn visit Asbury Park to learn about New Jersey's classic Shore boardwalks. Mollika Jai Singh explores what it means for parents to drop off their kids at summer camp. And in a story from our archive, Adam Sanders visits a kitschy summer town to see what makes it click. Hosted and produced by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Sophie Leheny, Natalie Hahn, Mollika Jai Singh, and Adam Sanders. All music used under Creative Commons license. Theme music: “Take Me Higher,” by Jahzzar.

WPRB News and Culture pops some popcorn and buys a ticket to an episode at the movies. First up, Sophie Leheny and Navani Rachumallu speak to the folks at the Princeton Garden Theatre to understand their idea of the nonprofit-cinema renaissance. Then, Tommy Goulding breaks down the hubbub around the new Napoleon trailer, and why it has historians in such a tizzy. And finally, in a story from our archives, Adam Sanders investigates why doppelgängers figure so heavily in our horror-movie imagination. Hosted and produced by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Sophie Leheny, Navani Rachamallu, Tommy Goulding, and Adam Sanders. All music used under Creative Commons license. Theme music: “Take Me Higher,” by Jahzzar.

News and Culture tries to sound fashionable. Natalia Maidique and Navani Rachumallu explore the sounds, style, and usability of shoes. Adam Sanders speaks to Lisa Shepherd-Stewart, the proprietor of Cultured Expressions, an African fabric shop and studio in Rahway. And Clara McWeeny and Helen Heuer give you all the thrifting tips you never knew you needed. Hosted and produced by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Natalia Maidique, Navani Rachamallu, Clara McWeeny, Helen Heuer, and Adam Sanders. All music used under Creative Commons license. Theme music: “Take Me Higher,” by Jahzzar.

News and Culture thinks long-term, with three stories about planning, organizing, and the travails in between. Sophie Leheny and Pat Grate visit a tarot card reader and learn the mechanics of learning about the future. Adam Sanders speaks to student labor organizers at Temple University about their plans for unionization. And in a story from our archives, Clara McWeeny and Izzy Jacobson find out what it's like to know your entire existence was totally unplanned. Hosted and produced by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded and produced by Sophie Leheny, Pat Grate, Adam Sanders, Clara McWeeny, and Izzy Jacobson. All music used under Creative Commons license. Theme music: “Take Me Higher,” by Jahzzar. Other music used: “Distance” – Manu Cornet, “GoodMood” – Manuzik, “The Uncommon Man” – Peter Biedermann.

WPRB News and Culture takes a look into the artistic experiences and projects happening right here in New Jersey. Ellie Diamond learns about the Trenton Circus Squad, a nonprofit whose afterschool workshops teach kids and tweens the ropes of the circus – literally.  Sophie Leheny and Mira Ho-Chen visit the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey, and explore one of its longest and strangest collections. Clara McWeeny speaks to Reginald Dwayne Betts: the MacArthur Genius Grant-winning poet, performer, and legal scholar behind Felon: An American Washi Tale, a play about his own experience in the prison system. And Alan Plotz and Pat Grate learn about the work of the Arts Council of Princeton in bringing the joys of music and the arts into the suburban world.  Hosted and produced by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded and produced by Ellie Diamond, Sophie Leheny, Mira Ho-Chen, Clara McWeeny, Alan Plotz, and Pat Grate. All music used under Creative Commons license. Theme music: “Take Me Higher,” by Jahzzar. Other music: "Hello Bob (Instrumental)" by Jukesfk, "Warm Guitar Song" by Seth_Makes_Sounds.

News and Culture starts our Spring season at the very end of some stories. Clara McWeeny and Anna Salvatore visit an estate sale. Natalia Maidique and Navani Rachumallu speak to Anthony Grafton, retiring professor of history at Princeton University. Tommy Goulding and Henry Moses talk about their favorite endings in novels. Mollika Jai Singh explores the lore around the endings of The Bachelor episodes. And Adam Sanders calls up a classmate to help him reimagine the cemetery not as a place of death and fear but as a place of memory. Hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Clara McWeeny, Anna Salvatore, Natalia Maidique, Navani Rachumallu, Tommy Goulding, Henry Moses, Mollika Jai Singh, and Adam Sanders.  Theme song: "Montanita," by Ratatat. Other music used all under Creative Commons license: "Untitled No. 1" - Matthew Mullane, "Distance" - Manu Cornet, "My Dear Commissar" - Heifervescent, "GoodMood" - Manuzik, "Periodic Comets" - Holizna.

News and Culture brings you four stories of persistence and resilience. Alan Plotz and Claire Kaneshiro learns about the intricacies of the American asylum system with Gabriel Samcam Vargas, a Princeton student and human rights advocate. Reina Coulibaly explores how fiber arts have woven the lives of Black women together for centuries. Mollika Jai Singh speaks about the importance of persistence in a marathon-length friendship. And Claire Kaneshiro and Alan Plotz learn more about living and surviving in the residential youth treatment centers commonly known as the "troubled teen industry." Produced and hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Alan Plotz, Claire Kaneshiro, Reina Coulibaly, Mollika Jai Singh, and Adam Sanders.  Theme song: “Montanita” by Ratatat. Included music all under Creative Commons license.

On the day after Thanksgiving, News and Culture takes a moment to meditate on gratitude, with three stories that stretch and test the bounds of our comfort with thankfulness. Mollika Jai Singh explores Princeton University's tradition of 'Annual Giving.' Izzy Jacobson looks back on the gratitude journal she keeps. And Natalia Maidique and Navani Rachumallu learn the complex relationship between 'gratitude cutlure' and psychotherapy from an expert.  Produced and hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Mollika Jai Singh, Izzy Jacobson, Natalia Maidique, Navani Rachumallu, and Adam Sanders. Theme song: “Montanita” by Ratatat. Included music all under Creative Commons license.

On 11/11, News and Culture thinks about moments in our day: commutes, routines, junction points, stories from years past and new stories alike. From the archives, Elizabeth Shwe interviews an EMT about a day in the life - saving lives. Henry Moses and Luke Carroll bring us a new story of people at a junction, literally, speaking to folks in the midst of their commutes during rush hour at the Princeton Junction NJ Transit station. We return to the archives to hear a story from Hope Perry, about the path books take in Princeton University's massive Firestone Library, from the circulation desk all the way home. And finally, Anna Hiltner speaks to a farmer at the junction between spirituality and agriculture. The key word? Biodynamics. Produced and hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Elizabeth Shwe, Henry Moses, Luke Carroll, Hope Perry, Anna Hiltner, Oliver Whang, and Adam Sanders. Theme song: “Montanita” by Ratatat. Included music all under Creative Commons license.

In our first-ever Halloween special, News and Culture tells spooky stories sure to give you a fright. Navani Rachamallu and Natalia Maidique tell a classic Gothic story, 'The Tell-Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. Izzy Jacobson and Mira Ho-Chen crowdsource some ghostly tales. Charlie Nuermberger and Henry Moses speak to an expert on the mythical Jersey Devil of the Pine Barrens. Audrey Zhang digs into the Princeton University Archives to find evidence of ghosts on the historic campus. And Hannah Lee and Claire Kaneshiro explore a classic American Halloween tradition firsthand, venturing into a corn maze. Produced and hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Navani Rachamallu, Natalia Maidique, Izzy Jacobson, Mira Ho-Chen, Charlie Nuermberger, Henry Moses, Audrey Zhang, Hannah Lee, Claire Kaneshiro, and Adam Sanders. Theme song: "Montanita" by Ratatat. Included music all under Creative Commons license: "Happy Halloween" by The Vivisectors, "It's Not Hard to Get Lost" by Bryan Mathys.

News and Culture dedicates this Very Special Episode® to those in our community who strive to make it a better place for everyone involved – in the radically freeform way we know how. Ashley Olenkiewicz and Julian Hartman-Sigall explore the mechanics of a congressional campaign in Pennsylvania's competitive 1st District, just across the Delaware River from Princeton. Clara McWeeny and Izzy Jacobson speak to Naomi Hess, a 2022 Princeton graduate who has spent her life fighting for disability rights, at home, at school, and in Washington. Lia Opperman and Mira Ho-Chen talk with Udi Ofer, former director of the New Jersey ACLU and current Princeton visiting professor about strategies of organizing, the fight against mass incarceration, and the state of cannabis justice in this community. And Adam Sanders learns about the growing trend of "mutual aid" networks working to make stronger community support systems – including one in our own backyard.  Produced and hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Ashley Olenkiewicz, Julian Hartman-Sigall, Clara McWeeny, Izzy Jacobson, Lia Opperman, Mira Ho-Chen, and Adam Sanders. Theme song: "Montanita" by Ratatat. Included music all under Creative Commons license: "My Dear Commissar" by Heifervescent, "Welcome River" by the IMLC, and "Good Mood" by Manuzik. 

News and Culture returns for the Fall season with four stories on beginnings – starts informed by faith, technology, crisis, and community.  Charlie Nuermberger and Henry Moses speak to art critic and writer Dean Kissick about the rise of AI-generated art, and what this new path could mean for artistry and creation in the digital age. Clara McWeeny and Izzy Jacobson explore how activism for reproductive rights has resurged since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and speak to those demonstrating for their bodily autonomy. Alan Plotz and Clara McWeeny learn more about the value of canvassing as a new election season begins – and the risks, benefits, and lessons of a campaign. And Adam Sanders speaks to religious leaders about the modern-day culture of cynicism we see all around us – and ask how we can change the narrative to find meaning and drive in our journey to improve the world. ** For more information about the AI image generation, visit https://discord.com/invite/midjourney.  Reported, recorded, and produced by Charlie Nuermberger, Henry Moses, Clara McWeeny, Izzy Jacobson, Alan Plotz, and Adam Sanders. Directed and hosted by Adam Sanders. 

News and Culture continues its second Fall season by pointing the microphone not at a genesis or an ending, but rather at three stories in the middle of their journeys of transformation. Abani Ahmed and Daniel Yeo speak to the developers and planners seeking to revitalize Trenton, New Jersey's capital city. Natalia Maidique and Navani Rachamallu explore the comeback of vinyl record culture in recent years – from the perspectives of both the music team here at WPRB and the iconic Princeton Record Exchange. And Claire Kaneshiro learns about the experiences of those who identify as “born-again” Christians – and discovers a new perspective on self-transformation. Directed and hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Abani Ahmed, Daniel Yeo, Natalia Maidique, Navani Rachamallu, Claire Kaneshiro, and Adam Sanders. 

In our last Summer Dispatch, we celebrate the end of our radically-freeform summer by tying up some loose ends. Charlie Nuermberger finishes his exploration of an abandoned mansion in western Maryland, purportedly home to an infant poltergeist. Hannah Lee explores what makes a great summer read. And Tommy Goulding muses on melancholic wanderings in the streets of Nuremberg.  This episode was directed and hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Charlie Nuermberger, Hannah Lee, and Tommy Goulding. 

In the third summer dispatch, in the wake of a massive heat-wave, News and Culture reporters venture to the limits of possibility. Charlie Nuermberger explores the story of an infant ghost in an abandoned mansion in western Maryland. Henry Moses speaks to New Jersey writer Bud Smith, acclaimed author of the new novel "Teenager." Alan Plotz learns about the threat invasive species pose to our central New Jersey home. And Reina Coulibaly returns to News and Culture with the second part of her dispatch from an ashram in Sonoma, California. This episode was directed and hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Charlie Nuermberger, Henry Moses, Alan Plotz, Reina Coulibaly, and Adam Sanders.

In our second Summer Dispatch, the day after Independence Day, we hear stories uniquely American in their separation from U.S. soil. Hannah Lee explores the experience of international students and their names in the United States. Alan Plotz learns about a project aiming to catalogue the oral histories of religious refugees. Tommy Goulding shares a day in his own life as an expatriate for a summer. Directed and hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Hannah Lee, Alan Plotz, Tommy Goulding, and Adam Sanders.

News and Culture celebrates April Fool's Day... one week late. Reporters do pranks, learn about pranks, talk about cryptocurrency, and discover the secrets of a very special fox.  Reported, recorded, and produced by Adam Sanders, Reina Coulibaly, Izzy Jacobson, Hannah Lee, Alan Plotz, Tommy Goulding, Henry Moses, and Anna Salvatore. 

News and Culture learns about mistakes, happy accidents, mishaps, and major errors. Reporters Izzy Jacobson and Clara McWeeny talk to a self-described "accident." Alan Plotz and Ashley Olenkiewicz do a deep dive into New Jersey's eviction law errors. Kat Ivkovic and Charlie Nuermberger discover the many mistake-makers around the Princeton, New Jersey area. And we all learn a little bit more about Nowruz - the Persian New Year celebration. This episode was directed and hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Izzy Jacobson, Clara McWeeny, Alan Plotz, Ashley Olenkiewicz, Kat Ivkovic, Charlie Nuermberger, Anna Salvatore, and Adam Sanders. 

Rebroadcast - December 16, 2019 This is an episode from the News and Culture archives.  Oliver and Anna caught up with Professor Casey Lew-Williams, one of the directors of Princeton University's Baby Lab. Casey and his fellow researchers study development in children whose ages range from a couple months to 7 years old. We talked to Casey because his work gets right to the question we've been asking for a while. Do the things that are important to us when we're young remain important as we get older?  Elizabeth talks to two kids who are getting ready for their big holiday performance of A Christmas Carol at the McCarter Theater in Princeton. They discussed acting and stuffed animals.  Julia has three brothers -- all older than her -- and growing up she relied on strangely formalized rules to survive. Here she is with a toy study of an improvised society.  Oliver speaks with Alex Keane about death, family, friends, and bullies. Special shoutout to Alex's dad, Steve, who is a long time WPRB listener. Thanks so much!  Remy's sister is in 7th grade. That's a seriously tough year. Here's how she's coping.

News and Culture celebrates Valentine's Day with an episode devoted to professing your love. We hear from couples just starting to date and those who've already tied the knot, at ages different than you might expect. Reporters ask some guests to tell their loved ones *just* how much they care. An archivist lets us know the inside scoop on some historical love letters. And we read your confessions of love and care out loud for the whole world to see. This episode was directed and hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Izzy Jacobson, Isa Escamilla, Anna Salvatore, Clara McWeeny, Charlie Nuermberger, Kat Ivkovic, Reina Coulibaly, Alan Plotz, and Adam Sanders. A special thank you to Clara Toujas, Julia Kingston, Alessandro Troncoso, and Nick Masters for providing their voices to our Open Love Letters segment.