August 6, 2026: Miles of Stories

On Saturday August 8th in Northampton at the A.P.E. Gallery, the stories of several continents and generations will culminate in the performance of one woman. Muriel "Monik"Johnson has been telling tales from far, wide, and right here for decades, and using them as a base for her careers in education and art. We speak with the modern day griot about her one night only show "Fredella Mae's Daughter is a Storyteller", and the tales of her life and beyond that provide inspiration. Two local music venues are collaborating to support each other and the local scene with a fundraiser this September. Miles for Music will have music lovers walking and running from The Drake in Amherst to the Iron Horse in Northampton to raise funds and awareness for both non-profit ventures. We’ll speak with the ex. directors of each, Claudia Pazmany and Chris Freeman respectively, about this collective effort. And congressman Jim McGovern may be tired of rehashing the issues of our ongoing war in Iran and the benefits being cut from the latest proposed Farm Bill, but we’ll hear how a 40M agricultural reimbursement, this latest wave of primary results and more are keeping him going during congress’ break.