February 26, 2024 - Talking books behind bars with Reginald Dwayne Betts

When Reginald Dwayne Betts was 16 years old, he was an honors student. He was also arrested for carjacking. Prosecuted as an adult, he spent eight years in a Virginia prison, existing among grown up men. What got him through those years behind bars? Books. Betts left prison a poet; he then became an Ivy League-educated Lawyer and now he’s on a mission to bring libraries into prisons with a first-of-its kind organization called “Freedom Reads.” It aims to radically transform access to literature for people behind bars. Ahead of his appearance tonight at The College of the Holy Cross, he joins us. From there, a timely production brings the legacy and political savvy of Golda Meir to life. We talk to actor Annette Miller about inhabiting Meir at a time when the region is in crisis. And to finish the show, we’ll be talking to Alisa Bunin from Aeronaut Brewing Company about their forthcoming Leap Day event.