August 28, 2024: Intersecting Stories

Today has a little glimpse of the many stories our neighbors have to tell usStarting with the Hampshire County Food Policy Council, who have been collecting stories from some of the folx in our neighborhoods who are experiencing food insecurity. From those interviews, they have created an audio archive that highlights the challenges and intersections of the struggles of folx across the 20 towns and cities of Hampshire County.  Kristen Whitmore, Alexandra Mello, and Iohann Rashi Vega, . We’ll hear some of the stories they have collected, learn about how those stories may translate into real change in the commonwealth, and find out how you too can share these stories now that their exhibit at Forbes Library has closed.Alice Parker, celebrated songwriter and Hilltown community member who passed away at the age of 98 at her home in Hawley last year, left a legacy of over 500 compositions, some of which will be performed in Charlemont this weekend through the concert series she helped to create. We’ll talk with Alice’s daughter Molly Pyle (STAY Skall) Stejskal and Alice’s neighbor and friend, Tinky Weisblat both of whom will be on stage to honor her memory as a part of the concert. Plus Word Nerd Emily Brewster, resident wordster and senior editor at Merriam-Webster, will gin up an answer to Kyle from Pittsfield’s question about the etymology of “gin up” and see if or how it might be related to the word "djinn."