February 26, 2025: Like winter shakers

We’re witnessing the creation of important amalgams, fusions of culture and preservation At Mt. Holyoke College, a new opera entirely in the Chickasaw language will have its east coast premiere on Feb. 28. Loksi' Shaali' (Shell Shaker) by Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate combines elements of classical operatic styles with traditional songs, dances, and language of the Chickasaw people, and we chat with two cast members and maestro Tianhui Ng about broadening the scope of opera and how the campus played a part in its incubation. As for the city of Holyoke, it is in the conjunction of agriculture and municipal services. The Winter Farmers’ Market is bringing fresh produce to those who need it most amidst funding changes, shifts in leadership and other roadblocks that occur. Lisa Totz, interim director of the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, joins us to talk about the ways the city is helping everyone to eat better. And, like, it’s in the way we talk. Word Nerd Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster, joins us to explore the incredible usefulness of the word, “like,” because she was like, “it’s one of the most versatile four letter words.”