June 1, 2026: Hidden community

We’re exploring some of the hidden aspects of our communities. Novelist Tom Perrotta’s latest book Ghost Town is a look at the summer in a New Jersey town where the family of one young resident is forever changed, and how those experiences shape his future. We get into the specters and suburban spectacle within these pages before you can meet the author himself at Odyssey Bookshop Tuesday Night, June 2nd. In Northampton, some of the area’s folk music heavy hitters are coming together to raise funds for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Hampshire County. One of those folk stars joins us for an extra special Live Music Monday, Pamela Means, as we hear a preview of the music she’ll perform onstage at the Iron Horse and why this particular cause resonates with her. And Mr. Universe, Kainaat Studios’ Salman Hameed has a wide range of things for us to ponder including how pigeons use magnetic fields, the ongoing conversation about who else might be in this universe with us, and whether or not they have already made a visit to the blue dot.