October 9, 2024: Constructing traditions

A little food, a little music, and a little something we can't quite think of the word forA whatchamacallit?A gizmo?A doodad?Word Nerd Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam Webster, walks us through the many vaguaries of  placeholder words and portmanteaus and the way we linguistically gesture vaguely at things.  For the music, we head to Northampton where a well established local band is about to team up with a very well established national act to raise money for a Western Mass organization. The Whole Children Friendship Band is just one facet of Pathlight, and Yo la Tengo is coming north from their NJ digs to join them onstage at a gala later in the month, and we’ll talk with some of the organizers and band members about their music, this collaboration, and the difference their organization has made to the greater community over the past decade and more.The food lands us in the very east end of Springfield to the Indian Orchard neighborhood, where on Saturday, they’ll host their 8th Food Truck Festival. With a bevvy of music, crafts, and gastronomic delights, we speak with Rep. Orlando Ramos and Indian Orchard Citizens Council President Zaida Govan about the impetus for the gathering and how it’s been growing over its tenure. And we get to share some of the delicious treats you might be able to indulge in on October 12th.