Jessie Barth moved to Perry, New York in October, 2005 with her husband, a Perry native. She fell in love with the community and has been active in community life ever since.
One of her projects was to recall World War II stories of locals who lived that period while they were still around (“An intimate account of Parry citizens who experienced the war”). But the process, she came to realize that this book, which at first glance seemed to be about war, was in fact about more – “…a tribute to love, love for family, innate goodness, and Perry, New York”.
Jessie Barth joins us with her story and they story behind Perry in its Principle Project.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=589
Monday, May 23, 2011
Podcast: Hank Greenberg: The Hero Who Didn’t Want to Be One
Hank Greenberg was one of baseball’s top players of his era.
But what is even more extraordinary than his grace and his power is that in Detroit of 1934, his swing—or its absence—became entwined with American Jewish history. Though Hank Greenberg was one of the first players to challenge Babe Ruth’s single-season record of sixty home runs, it was the game Greenberg did not play for which he is best remembered. With his decision to sit out a 1934 game between his Tigers and the New York Yankees because it fell on Yom Kippur, Hank Greenberg became a hero to Jews throughout America.
Yet, as Mark Kurlansky writes in Hank Greenburg: The Hero Who Didn’t Want to Be One, he was the quintessential secular Jew, and to celebrate him for his loyalty to religious observance is to ignore who this man was.
In this conversation, Kurlansky explores with us the truth behind the slugger’s legend: his Bronx boyhood, his spectacular discipline as an aspiring ballplayer, the complexity of his decision not to play on Yom Kippur, and the cultural context of virulent anti-Semitism in which his career played out.
What Kurlansky discovers in his story is a man of immense dignity and restraint with a passion for sport who became a great reader—a man, too, who was an inspiration to the young Jackie Robinson, who said, “Class tells. It sticks out all over Mr. Greenberg.”
Mark Kurlansky is most recently the author of The Eastern Stars: How Baseball Changed the Dominican Town of San Pedro de Macorís. Kurlansky has written, edited, or contributed to twenty books, which have been translated into twenty-five languages and won numerous prizes. His previous books Cod, Salt, 1968, and The Food of a Younger Land were all New York Times best-sellers.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=587
But what is even more extraordinary than his grace and his power is that in Detroit of 1934, his swing—or its absence—became entwined with American Jewish history. Though Hank Greenberg was one of the first players to challenge Babe Ruth’s single-season record of sixty home runs, it was the game Greenberg did not play for which he is best remembered. With his decision to sit out a 1934 game between his Tigers and the New York Yankees because it fell on Yom Kippur, Hank Greenberg became a hero to Jews throughout America.
Yet, as Mark Kurlansky writes in Hank Greenburg: The Hero Who Didn’t Want to Be One, he was the quintessential secular Jew, and to celebrate him for his loyalty to religious observance is to ignore who this man was.
In this conversation, Kurlansky explores with us the truth behind the slugger’s legend: his Bronx boyhood, his spectacular discipline as an aspiring ballplayer, the complexity of his decision not to play on Yom Kippur, and the cultural context of virulent anti-Semitism in which his career played out.
What Kurlansky discovers in his story is a man of immense dignity and restraint with a passion for sport who became a great reader—a man, too, who was an inspiration to the young Jackie Robinson, who said, “Class tells. It sticks out all over Mr. Greenberg.”
Mark Kurlansky is most recently the author of The Eastern Stars: How Baseball Changed the Dominican Town of San Pedro de Macorís. Kurlansky has written, edited, or contributed to twenty books, which have been translated into twenty-five languages and won numerous prizes. His previous books Cod, Salt, 1968, and The Food of a Younger Land were all New York Times best-sellers.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=587
Podcast: Resurrecting a Village by Buying Up Main Street
For several years, Greg O’Connell moved stealthily, buying building after building along a run-down stretch of Main Street in a small Finger Lakes region village in upstate New York. At first, folks did not know what to make of it all. But eventually it started to become more clear as he took control of more than a third of downtown and began chipping away at the building facades, renovating apartments and signing up tenants. Mr. O’Connell, 68, a big, shambling retired New York City detective, wants nothing less than to bring Mount Morris back from the dead and make it a western New York version of Red Hook, Brooklyn, where he made his name and millions.
The New York Times has profiled O’Connell twice within the last six months.
Mt. Morris is honored him on May 1 with a “Greg O’Connell Day”.
Greg O’Connell joins us with his story and that of how he re-built two communities – one in Brooklyn and one in Upstate New York.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=583
The New York Times has profiled O’Connell twice within the last six months.
Mt. Morris is honored him on May 1 with a “Greg O’Connell Day”.
Greg O’Connell joins us with his story and that of how he re-built two communities – one in Brooklyn and one in Upstate New York.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=583
Podcast: Tennesee Williams Centennial
Columbus, Mississippi is the birthplace of famous playwright Tennessee Williams, author of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire. His birthplace, formerly the rectory of nearby St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, is now the welcome center for Columbus (300 Main St., Columbus).
In this conversation we talk with Brenda Caradine, a stalwart of the Columbus community, about how they celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tennessee Williams locally in 2011.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=581
In this conversation we talk with Brenda Caradine, a stalwart of the Columbus community, about how they celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tennessee Williams locally in 2011.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=581
Podcast: Joe Franklin Day
Joe Franklin is credited with hosting the first television talk show. The show began in 1951 on WJZ-TV (later WABC-TV) and moved to WOR-TV (later WWOR-TV) from 1962 to 1993.
Known as “the king of nostolgia ” (he claims having invented the term), Franklin’s highly-rated television and radio shows, especially a cult favorite to cable television viewers (WOR/WWOR was a superstation during the latter part of his tenure) and his long-running “Memory Lane” radio programs, focused on old-time show-business personalities. Franklin has an encyclopedic knowledge of the music, musicians and singers, the Broadway stage shows, the films and entertainment stars of the first half of the 20th Century: he began his entertainment career at 16 as a record picker for Martin Block’s popular “Make Believe Ballroom” radio program; he is an acknowledged authority on silent film; he has the largest private sheet music collection in the world; and he has counted among his friends many show business legends, from Tony Curtis (with whom he grew up) to old vaudevillians (on his television show, Franklin has described how as a very young boy playing in Central Park he even met George M. Cohan
We speak with Bob O’Brien, himself and longtime fixture in New York television and radio, about Joe Franklin, the man, and about “Joe Franklin Day”.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=573
Known as “the king of nostolgia ” (he claims having invented the term), Franklin’s highly-rated television and radio shows, especially a cult favorite to cable television viewers (WOR/WWOR was a superstation during the latter part of his tenure) and his long-running “Memory Lane” radio programs, focused on old-time show-business personalities. Franklin has an encyclopedic knowledge of the music, musicians and singers, the Broadway stage shows, the films and entertainment stars of the first half of the 20th Century: he began his entertainment career at 16 as a record picker for Martin Block’s popular “Make Believe Ballroom” radio program; he is an acknowledged authority on silent film; he has the largest private sheet music collection in the world; and he has counted among his friends many show business legends, from Tony Curtis (with whom he grew up) to old vaudevillians (on his television show, Franklin has described how as a very young boy playing in Central Park he even met George M. Cohan
We speak with Bob O’Brien, himself and longtime fixture in New York television and radio, about Joe Franklin, the man, and about “Joe Franklin Day”.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=573
Podcast: The National Festival of the West
The West and especially the area in and around Phoenix, Arizona has changed a bit in recent decades.
In the midst of all these changes there are threads of cultural continuity – one such thread is the Festival of the West.
The history and spirit of the cowboy and old west come alive at this annual event that takes place at WestWorld in Scottsdale.
Highlights include live music, Western Writers of America, chuck wagon cooking competitions, historical re-enactments.
In this conversation we go to the Festival of the West and speak with Wally Stevens to learn more about the event and how it has changed and adapted along with the area around it.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=571
In the midst of all these changes there are threads of cultural continuity – one such thread is the Festival of the West.
The history and spirit of the cowboy and old west come alive at this annual event that takes place at WestWorld in Scottsdale.
Highlights include live music, Western Writers of America, chuck wagon cooking competitions, historical re-enactments.
In this conversation we go to the Festival of the West and speak with Wally Stevens to learn more about the event and how it has changed and adapted along with the area around it.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=571
Podcast: Benjamin Harrison’s Birthday
George Washington and Abraham Lincoln – most of us know their birthday dates.
How about FDR, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush of Barack Obama ?
How about Woodrow Wilson ? Grover Cleveland ?
Ever think about Benjamin Harrison ?
In Indianapolis, Indiana, home of our 23rd President they have.
The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is the former residence of 23rd U.S. President Benjamin Harrison (1889 to 1893).
A museum there is dedicated to his achievements
and his impact on United States history.
Each year, in March folks stage a Benjamin Harrison Day at the Indiana State Capital Building. A highlight includes a re-enactment of Benjamin Harrison case in the Supreme Court.
In this conversation we speak with Roger Harding from Indianpolis about Harrison, and just why he is recalled each year, and why it should matter to the rest of us.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=566
How about FDR, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush of Barack Obama ?
How about Woodrow Wilson ? Grover Cleveland ?
Ever think about Benjamin Harrison ?
In Indianapolis, Indiana, home of our 23rd President they have.
The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is the former residence of 23rd U.S. President Benjamin Harrison (1889 to 1893).
A museum there is dedicated to his achievements
and his impact on United States history.
Each year, in March folks stage a Benjamin Harrison Day at the Indiana State Capital Building. A highlight includes a re-enactment of Benjamin Harrison case in the Supreme Court.
In this conversation we speak with Roger Harding from Indianpolis about Harrison, and just why he is recalled each year, and why it should matter to the rest of us.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=566
Podcast: National Anthem Day
“The Star-Spangled Banner” was recognized for official use by the Navy in 1889 and the President in 1916, and was made the national anthem by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931 (46 Stat. 1508, codified at 36 U.S.C. Section 301), which was signed by President Herbert Hoover.
Before 1931, other songs served as the hymns of American officialdom. “Hail, Columbia” served this purpose at official functions for most of the 19th century. “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee also served as a de facto anthem before the adoption of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Following the War of 1812 and subsequent American wars, other songs would emerge to compete for popularity at public events, among them “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
In this conversation, we speak with Dave Hilderbrand from Baltimore, home of Fort McHenry about the anthem, its origins, its place today and about “National Anthem Day”.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=564
Before 1931, other songs served as the hymns of American officialdom. “Hail, Columbia” served this purpose at official functions for most of the 19th century. “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee also served as a de facto anthem before the adoption of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Following the War of 1812 and subsequent American wars, other songs would emerge to compete for popularity at public events, among them “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
In this conversation, we speak with Dave Hilderbrand from Baltimore, home of Fort McHenry about the anthem, its origins, its place today and about “National Anthem Day”.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=564
Podcast: The Blonde Bombshell
Jean Harlow was born on March 3, 1911.
To mark what would have been her 100th birthday, we remember this original sex symbol of American film.
Called the “Blonde Bombshell” or “Platinum Blonde” (due to her platinum blonde hair), Harlow was ranked as one of the greatest movie stars of all time by the American Film Institute.
Harlow starred in several films, mainly designed to showcase her magnetic sex appeal and strong screen presence, before making the transition to more developed roles and achieving massive fame under contract to MGM. Harlow’s enormous popularity and “laughing vamp ” image were in distinct contrast to her personal life, which was marred by disappointment, tragedy, and ultimately her sudden death from renal failure at age 26.
In this conversation, we recall the legend and life of Jean Harlow with Harlow fans and authors Darrel Rooney and Mark Vieira.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=561
To mark what would have been her 100th birthday, we remember this original sex symbol of American film.
Called the “Blonde Bombshell” or “Platinum Blonde” (due to her platinum blonde hair), Harlow was ranked as one of the greatest movie stars of all time by the American Film Institute.
Harlow starred in several films, mainly designed to showcase her magnetic sex appeal and strong screen presence, before making the transition to more developed roles and achieving massive fame under contract to MGM. Harlow’s enormous popularity and “laughing vamp ” image were in distinct contrast to her personal life, which was marred by disappointment, tragedy, and ultimately her sudden death from renal failure at age 26.
In this conversation, we recall the legend and life of Jean Harlow with Harlow fans and authors Darrel Rooney and Mark Vieira.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=561
High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America
Cookbook author Harris (The Africa Cookbook, 1998) tells the story of the African diaspora through food, from the foodstuff brought along with African slaves to barely maintain them on the Middle Passage to the undeniable imprint of African American cuisine on southern American and Caribbean food. She traces African foods (yams, okra, black-eyed peas, corn), flavoring, cooking methods, and food rituals from the abduction of Africans and enslavement in the Americas to travel throughout the American and European continents, recounting tribulations and joy. Along the way, she profiles famous and obscure but gifted cooks; cooks in the big houses of slave plantations; “Pig Foot” Mary, who grew wealthy from sales of food she cooked on a stove mounted on a baby carriage; chefs who served meals to presidents; and members of a cooperative of black hoteliers in Philadelphia in the nineteenth century. Along with historical context, Harris offers recollections from her own travels and ends with selected recipes.
ABOUT THE GUEST: Jessica B. Harris is a a best-selling author. Her works have appeared in Esquire, Gournet, Food & Wine, Cooking Light & Eating Well. She is a contributor to food websites zesterdaily.com and Saveur. She is a professor of English in NYC and scholar-in-residence in the Ray Charles Chair in African-American Culture, at Dillard University in New Orleans. She was recently inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverages in America. She lives in New York, New Orleans and Martha’s Vineyard.
WEBSITE: http://Africooks.com
BOOK INFO: High on the Hog, A Culinary Tour from Africa to America/Jessica B. Harris/Bloomsbury USA/ISBN-13: 9781596913950
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=557
ABOUT THE GUEST: Jessica B. Harris is a a best-selling author. Her works have appeared in Esquire, Gournet, Food & Wine, Cooking Light & Eating Well. She is a contributor to food websites zesterdaily.com and Saveur. She is a professor of English in NYC and scholar-in-residence in the Ray Charles Chair in African-American Culture, at Dillard University in New Orleans. She was recently inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverages in America. She lives in New York, New Orleans and Martha’s Vineyard.
WEBSITE: http://Africooks.com
BOOK INFO: High on the Hog, A Culinary Tour from Africa to America/Jessica B. Harris/Bloomsbury USA/ISBN-13: 9781596913950
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=557
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