Boston Public Radio

The heated arguments may hurt an unprecedented unity between two sides of the criminal justice system

James Taylor's new audiobook memoir is 'wonderful,' Beam says.

President Donald Trump said he will begin focusing national efforts on reopening the economy.

The homeland security expert said the looming storms will likely make it more difficult to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The “Open Studio” host admitted he wasn’t the best dancer, but advocated for listeners to give the virtual classes a try.

The Boston Globe Editor-in-Chief notes that the number of obituary pages has essentially tripled in length.

The full broadcast from Boston Public Radio from Friday, August 31st, 2018. This week Boston Public Radio is revisiting some of our favorite conversations. In this episode you'll hear: We spoke with Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt about their new book, How Democracies Die. Michael Norton broke down the correlation between our appetite for risk and our appetite for ordering desert. Steve Coll discussed his new book, Directorate S: An Account of one of the great tragedies of our age – America’s failing policies in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Former Secretary of Labor Robert discussed his recipe for a just society. It’s the subject of his new book, The Common Good. Harvard linguist Steven pinker discussed his latest book, Enlightenment Now. Meredith Goldstein, the woman behind the Boston Globe’s advice columnist* Love Letters, joined us to talk about her new book, *Can’t Help Myself.

The full broadcast of Boston Public Radio from Thursday, August 29th, 2018 This week Boston Public Radio is revisiting some of our favorite conversations. In this episode you'll hear: Tina Brown joined us to talk about her latest book, The Vanity Fair Diaries. We opened the lines and asked you about your Q-tip IQ. Do you actually follow the instructions or do you take the cotton swab plunger—even if it means you might have to go to the ER? We talked to former White House Photographer Pete Souza, who put eight years of the Obama administration into his latest book, Obama: An Intimate Portrait. Novelist Meg Wolitzer discusses her latest book, The Female Persuasion. Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, a wife and husband who survived the Boston Marathon Bombing, have written a children's book about another partnership—the one between Jessica and her service dog rescue, Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship. Cecile Richards, the outgoing president of Planned Parenthood, discussed what she’s doing next to keep the fight for women’s rights alive and well.

This week Boston Public Radio is revisiting some of our favorite conversations. In this episode you'll hear: We celebrated Leonard Bernstein’s centennial with his daughters Nina Bernstein Simmons and Jamie Bernstein We open the lines and asked you about Updike’s Rabbit series being adapted to TV. What do you think have been the best and worst adaptations of books onto the big and small screen? Alex Beam joined us for one of his famous explainers. The makers of* FRONTLINE's *Oscar nominated documentary, *Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, *joined us to talk about their award winning film. Kevin Young discussed his book,* Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-facts, and Fake News.* We talked to Gar Alpervitz, who was instrumental in making the Pentagon Papers public. Sy Montgomery joined us for another edition of the Afternoon Zoo.

The full broadcast of Boston Public Radio from Tuesday, August 28th, 2018 This week Boston Public Radio is revisiting some of our favorite conversations. In this episode you'll hear: ESPN’s Howard Bryant discussed his new book, "The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism." Sociologist Michael Eric Dyson discussed his new book, "What Truth Sounds Like: RFK, James Baldwin, and Our Unfinished Conversation About Race In America." Harvard’s Stephen Greenblatt looked at his new book on politics, "Tyrant: Shakespeare On Politics." Sy Montgomery, journalist and naturalist, talked about her latest book, "The Hyena Scientist." Just in time for the end of summer, John Hodgman discussed his book "Vacationland: True Stories From Painful Beaches." Actor and activist **George Takei discussed the musical "Allegiance," which is based on his real-life experience of living in **a Japanese-American internment camp.

The full broadcast of Boston Public Radio from Monday, August 27th, 2018. This week, Boston Public Radio is revisiting some of our favorite conversations. In this show, you'll hear: MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell discussed his book "Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics." Harvard Business School’s Michael Norton explained his research on how our tolerance for financial risk can be determined by what we order for dessert. Khizr Khan discussed his memoir "An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice." Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer-prize winning novelist, recreates the world of the 1940s Brooklyn Navy Yard in her new novel "Manhattan Beach." Actor, comedian, and vocalist Lea DeLaria of "Orange Is The New Black" discussed her career on the small screen and the big stage.