VPR News Link, A Broadcast Companion

Have you ever wished you could capture the best news stories, feature stories and the main points from the interviews on Vermont Public Radio really quickly and in one place?

As a loyal listener we know your radio is always on and that you never miss a newscast...right? Even still, many VPR fans have been asking us for a comprehensive round-up of the news to browse via email.

You know where this is going, right? Now you can!

When VPR News Link began last week, it was so fulfilling to have a capsule of these top stories arrive in my inbox. In just one News Link email, I had an "at-a-glance" of the day. Nina Keck told us about the spread of (ugh) bedbugs in Vermont, John Dillon reported on the effect of climate change on Lake Champlain, Jane Lindholm gave us a close look at 14 Superfund sites, there was a profile of Sterling College from Charlotte Albright, and Cheryl Hanna had commentary and advice for aspiring Supreme Court judges.

On another day, I enjoyed Mitch's interview on baseball cards during Morning Edition, but I was getting a cup of coffee when Susan Keese's feature on the circus on Brattleboro aired, so News Link was my reminder that I didn't want to miss that story and it also gave me the summary. News Link is like having a conversation at the water cooler every single day!

Sign up for VPR News Link here!

prEview: The Moth Returns, No-Knead Bread, StoryCorps In Shelburne

Has this ever happened to you? You start telling a story when suddenly, you realize it’s not very good. It’s too late to just stop, so you forge ahead, only by then you’re completely distracted and self-conscious, which makes matters even worse.

Here at VPR we fancy ourselves storytelling experts (on the radio, at least!), so I humbly suggest that the next time this happens, try channeling your inner Susan Stamberg or Dick Gordon.

We’re celebrating stories that matter this month on VPR, and what better way to kick it off than with a new season of The Moth Radio Hour? You’ll learn more in this edition of prEview. Plus, there’s still room on the bus for VPR’s trip to Fenway Park, and in VPR Cooks, Patti Daniels shares a recipe for no-knead bread.

Michelle Jeffery

P.S. We are in the midst of our May membership drive. When you pledge to VPR today, you’ll be entered into all of the drawings during this drive: airline tickets, $3,000 gift certificate for the Outdoor Gear Exchange, or a luxury getaway to Montreal! Click here to pledge, or call 1-800-639-6391, and thanks!

Continue reading this edition of prEview...

VPR prEview: VPR Goes To Fenway, Murrow Awards, Live From The Border

I stayed up late Sunday night to watch the Red Sox open their season against the Yankees. When the Sox were losing 5-1 in 5th inning, I’ll admit to being an unfaithful fan: I cut my losses, said goodnight to my friends and headed home. When I found out that the Sox had actually pulled out a win, I tried my best not to take credit, even though it was obviously because I had stopped watching!

The experience was also a reminder that you never know when you'll be surprised. That's true with VPR too – whether it's the multi-part piece on the Pony Express I heard on Weekend Edition or the story about the leopard seal that kept trying to feed penguins to a photographer on the latest episode of Radiolab – you just never know what you might hear or learn.

In this edition of prEview, you'll find details about the third annual VPR trip to Fenway Park and an upcoming live performance by the Tom Cleary Trio. Plus, Vermont Edition broadcasts live from the Vermont-Canada border next week.

Read the rest of prEview here....

VPR prEview: New Radiolab, Spring Bird Show, Applesauce Raisin Bread

Potholes, migrating birds, and muddy dogs have nothing on what I think is a true sign of spring - a conversation that goes something like this:

“Isn’t it amazing outside?”
“Oh, it’s gorgeous. I love spring!”
“This can’t be the end of winter. It just can’t.”
“No, we’re definitely going to get another dumping of snow.”
“Absolutely.”

It’s a bit colder and grayer this week, so listen to VPR to stay energized and inspired. In this edition of prEview, you’ll learn about the new season of Radio Lab. You can also send your pressing avian questions for Vermont Edition’s upcoming Bird Show, and read about this weekend’s Saturday Special – a documentary exploring the funding of hope through philanthropy. Plus, in VPR Cooks, we give an unassuming cereal box recipe its 15 minutes of fame.

Read the rest of this week's prEview...

VPR's PrEview E-Newsletter: March 10, 2010

Last weekend I explored Rupert, Vermont’s Merck Forest. The sunny, 40-degree weather made it not only perfect for hiking and camping, but to check out its huge maple sugaring operation in action. You could actually hear the sap rushing through the extensive web of tubing that connects the acres and acres of trees. Imagine my excitement to then learn about more traditional methods of making maple syrup on yesterday’s Vermont Edition. I can always count on VPR to make sure my education is well-rounded!

In this edition of prEview, check out the Morning Edition cartoons designed for VPR by New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss. You’ll also learn about pianist Paul Orgel performing live on VPR Classical this Friday. You can share your signs of spring with us, and in VPR Cooks, Jean Murphy shares her family recipe for the Irish soda bread she’ll be making on St. Patrick’s Day.

Read more...

VPR's PrEview E-Newsletter: February 24, 2010

Every time the Winter Olympics comes around, I discover my favorite new sport. In 2006, it was curling and snowboard cross. This year it’s ski jumping, thanks in part to a road trip to the Harris Hill Ski Jump Competition in Brattleboro earlier this month. VPR’s Olympic coverage has helped me to appreciate the rich culture of winter sports we have right here in our own backyard, where athletes toil in relative obscurity for the pure love of the sport.

In this edition of prEview, Olympic coverage continues with interviews with medal winners and profiles of the places where they got their start. Also, Governor Jim Douglas joins us Friday on Vermont Edition. We also want to know what issues you’re discussing in your neck of the woods as Town Meeting Day approaches, and in VPR Cooks, our newest staffer shares his recipe for mariner’s cider mussels.

Read more...

prEview: Six-Word Memoirs, Bernie Sanders, Winter Olympics

Ever since I heard about Smith Magazine’s new book of six-word memoirs last week on NPR, I’ve been inspired to condense my otherwise verbose tendencies. Like haiku, summarizing big events and ideas into six words clears my head and helps me focus. A few highlights:

Penguin Plunge: Water warmer than air, at least.

VPR’s Winter Membership Drive: We ask. You give. Programming continues.

This week’s PrEview: Bernie, Olympics, Vermont’s economy, Saturday Specials.

VPR's PrEview E-Newsletter: January 27, 2010

Next Saturday, some VPR colleagues and I will meet at the Burlington Waterfront and voluntarily go for a dip in Lake Champlain. It’s the annual Penguin Plunge, which benefits the Special Olympics. VPR has fielded a team for a few years now, but I myself am a plunge rookie. When I’m asked the inevitable question of why I would do such a ridiculous thing, the only answer I can think of is, “why not?”

When it comes to why I listen to Vermont Public Radio, my reasons are much more concrete. I listen because I cannot imagine a morning without Mitch Wertlieb and Morning Edition, an evening without unwinding with George Thomas’s jazz. I listen because I look forward to Saturdays with Spark and Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me, and because everyday I hear conversations that draw me in on Vermont Edition.

Why do you listen to VPR? You’ll find plenty more reasons in this edition of prEview. Read on for a recent lecture by Peter Galbraith, an upcoming performance by PoJazz, and a recipe for chicken with roasted lemons from our friends at Eating Well Magazine, tested and recommended by VPR’s Jean Murphy.

Read more...

VPR's prEview E-Newsletter for December 2, 2009

Ask me what my favorite time of year is in Vermont, and I’ll respond like a kid in a candy store. At the sight of the first snow, winter is the most miraculous thing that’s ever happened. But by February, it’s all about ANY sign of life under the melting snow. In August…well, we all know nothing can top August in Vermont. Ooh! Ooh! Until October, that is.

If you think that’s bad, don’t even try to ask me to pick a favorite public radio program. I can’t even pick a favorite from this edition of prEview. Before you call me wishy-washy, I dare you to try! Read on for more about “States of Marriage,” VPR’s documentary that examines the path to same-sex marriage in Vermont – and around the country. Plus, share your favorite music of 2009 for Vermont Edition’s annual music show, and a recipe for ginger tea to ward off oncoming colds.

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Documentary: States of Marriage
Tuesday, December 8, 7 p.m., and Saturday, December 12, 4 p.m.
Ten years ago this month, the Vermont Supreme Court set in motion a historic change in the legal status of gay and lesbian couples. VPR examines how Vermont's civil unions law was a precedent for same-sex marriage in other states, and how the political fight over marriage has been waged across the country. Learn more online here.
http://www.vpr.net/episode/47448/

Specials: Climate and Copenhagen
Wednesday and Thursday, December 2-3 on VPR
World leaders meet next week in Copenhagen to find ways to stave off the effects of climate change. Listen to Vermont Edition today at noon for a discussion about the connection between weather and climate change with VPR’s Eye on the Sky meteorologists. Then, listen tomorrow at 8 for “The Climate Race,” a special documentary from Marketplace.

Vermont Edition: Annual Music Show
Thursday, December 17, noon on VPR
2009 has been a great year in music, and Vermont Edition's Annual Music Show is a chance to share your favorites with VPR listeners. Jane Lindholm and Bob Kinzel co-host our annual audio tour of great tunes, noteworthy artists and albums that deserve a second, third, or fifteenth listen. Visit our website to share your music picks for 2009.

Live Classical Performance: Ensemble Liber
Friday, December 4, 11 a.m. on VPR Classical
Walter Parker welcomes Ensemble Liber, a vocal quartet specializing in medieval and renaissance music, to VPR’s performance studio for a live performance. They preview their upcoming Lane Series concert of old and new seasonal music.

Classical Performance: Counterpoint
Wednesday, December 9, 11 a.m. on VPR Classical
Listen for an in-studio performance by Vermont's professional vocal ensemble Counterpoint, led by Robert DeCormier. They’ll preview their upcoming concerts celebrating the winter solstice and talk with Walter Parker.

Live Jazz Performance: Ellen Powell
Wednesday, December 9, 9 p.m. on VPR
George Thomas welcomes Vermont musicians Ellen Powell, Thomas Cleary, and Steve Wienert
to VPR for a live performance next Wednesday. They'll improvise on a mixture of standards and originals, and we’ll discuss the state of jazz in Vermont. Learn more online here.

Holiday Programming
Beginning December 11 on VPR and VPR Classical
VPR has many gifts for you to unwrap this holiday season. From Willem Lange’s rendition of “A Christmas Carol” to the harmonies of Counterpoint, our holiday program schedule celebrates the many traditions of the season. Visit our website to find out when your favorites are on the air, and best wishes from all of us at VPR.

VPR Cooks: Ginger Tea
Every time someone sneezes or coughs at the office these days, it’s followed by an emphatic disclaimer: “It’s not the flu! I swear! It’s allergies! It’s just a cold!” So far we’ve been lucky, but it never hurts to have a special concoction to (we hope!) ward off illness. VPR volunteer Eugenia Saganich shared this recipe for ginger “tea” to do just that.

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VPR's prEview E-Newsletter, November 18

When we get together for the holidays, conversation usually comes around to my parents telling stories about their courtship. One of my favorites is how they used to call each set of parents to find out who was cooking the best dinner on any given night, and invite themselves over. Since both of their mothers were excellent cooks – my father’s for traditional meat and potatoes, my mother’s for Italian specialties – they often ended up having dinner twice! It’s just one of the reasons my parents are my heroes.

I’m taking a page from their book this Thanksgiving and having three different holiday dinners. To help keep things interesting and disaster-free, I’ll be listening to Turkey Confidential on Thanksgiving morning for ideas, advice and real-time turkey triage from the folks at The Splendid Table. There’s more about Turkey Confidential in this edition of prEview. Plus, VPR commentators share their own family stories in advance of the National Day of Listening. Plus, in VPR Cooks, Cheryl Willoughby shares a favorite Thanksgiving recipe that has nothing to do with a traditional turkey dinner.

Best,
Michelle Jeffery


Turkey Confidential
Thanksgiving Day, 11 a.m. on VPR
On the day even non-cooks are busy in the kitchen, Lynne Rossetto Kasper and the rest of the folks at The Splendid Table will take your culinary questions and turkey triage. You can call in during the program at 1-800-537-5252, join a live chat, or ask your question online. Visit the Turkey Confidential website for more information, recipes, and to share pictures and stories of your Thanksgiving successes and disasters.


VPR Cooks: Non-Traditional Thanksgiving?
In Cheryl Willoughby’s house, Thanksgiving dinner does not include turkey, mashed potatoes, or even cranberry sauce. Instead, she prepares a complex, special meal of some particular ethnicity. Indian cuisine (that's South Asian Indian, not Native American) is her favorite. Visit our website for her recipe for Sambhara (Gujerati-style cabbage with carrots).

National Day of Listening
November 23-27 at 7:55 and 5:55 on VPR
We hope you’ll join us for the second annual National Day of Listening. Listen all next week as VPR commentators share their families’ treasured stories. Then, on the day after Thanksgiving, set aside some time to have a conversation with someone important to you. Interview a relative, friend, or mentor. You’ll find more information and pointers at our website.

NPR: What We’re Reading
NPR covers a lot of books every week. Among them, there are always a handful of standouts — the shortlist, the books with buzz. "What We're Reading" brings you the NPR book team’s picks of the most interesting new fiction and nonfiction releases, along with candid comments from reporters, hosts and staffers.

Vermont Edition: Doug Racine
Friday, November 20, noon on VPR
The 2010 gubernatorial election is a year away, but several democratic candidates have already announced their intention to run. This Friday, we continue our series of candidate interviews when we’ll be joined by Chittenden County State Senator Doug Racine. Email your question for Sen. Racine to vermontedition@vpr.net. Check out VPR’s coverage of the 2010 gubernatorial election here.

prEview: All Cakes Considered, Radio Lab, Gordon Stone

At home, at work, at roller derby, and anywhere else I go, everyone seems to be fighting illness over the last couple of weeks. I’ve managed to avoid getting sick so far, but I’m not taking any chances…which is why I bring you this edition of prEview largely written from my couch.

In between frequent naps and cups of tea, I’m catching up on my podcasts of This American Life, Vermont Edition, and Radio Lab. I even dug up Jean Ferguson’s recipe for spicy chicken soup in VPR Cooks. It all keeps me connected with the world even when I’m trying to lay low. Read on to learn more about Lilly Ledbetter’s recent speech at Vermont Technical College, the new season of Radio Lab, and a recipe for sweet potato pound cake – tested and approved by NPR’s All Things Considered staff.

PS: This week two of Vermont’s highest-ranked political leaders join Bob Kinzel on Vermont Edition. Today, Gov. Jim Douglas will be on the show, and tomorrow, Sen. Bernie Sanders. Send your questions to vermontedition@vpr.net, and listen at noon and 7 p.m.

Radio Lab Returns
Saturdays through December 5, 4 p.m.
Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich return to VPR beginning this weekend with five new episodes of Radio Lab, taking a big idea and following it wherever their creativity takes them, uncovering hidden connections and challenging your curiosity at every turn. This season they examine the topics of stochasticity, afterlife, parasites, the “new normal,” and numbers. Learn more, subscribe to the podcast and browse the new episodes here.

VPR Presents: Lilly Ledbetter
Online at VPR.net
When Lilly Ledbetter learned her male coworkers were paid more for doing equal work, she filed a complaint and began a wage discrimination debate that landed in the Supreme Court. Now an advocate for pay equity, Ledbetter became the inspiration for the first bill President Obama signed into law. Ledbetter appeared at Vermont Technical College with Senator Patrick Leahy on Saturday, October 17th. Download her talk here.

Live from the Performance Studio: Pianist Di Wu
Thursday, November 5, 11 a.m.
Walter Parker welcomes pianist Di Wu for a live performance. She was a medalist at the most recent Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and will perform solo and with the Burlington Chamber Orchestra as part of the UVM Lane Series this weekend.

VPR Cooks: A Year of Cakes at NPR
Almost every Monday, All Things Considered producer Melissa Gray dashes off an e-mail that reads something like this: "Up front we've got sweet potato pound cake, still warm. Dig in, don't be shy." Her adventures in baking, and the staff's adventures in eating what she created, are recounted in a new cookbook called All Cakes Considered: A Year's Worth of Weekly Recipes Tasted, Tested, and Approved by the Staff of All Things Considered. You’ll find that recipe for sweet potato pound cake online here.

Gordon Stone Performs Live on Vermont Edition
Wednesday, November 11, noon and 7 p.m.
Local banjo and pedal steel guitar player Gordon Stone is a legend in the Vermont music scene. He's known for his bluegrass and jam-band music, played on a couple of instrumental Phish albums, and taught kids in the Washington West Supervisory Union the love of guitar, bass, banjo, and pedal steel. He’ll perform live and talk with VPR's Jane Lindholm.

Marketplace Money: Financial Futures
Marketplace Money has been exploring questions about kids and money. What should parents be teaching their kids about money, and when is the right time to start? Listen for a special episode next Saturday, November 14, and visit the show’s website for additional resources for talking to your kids about money.

PrEview: Apple Picking, Ira Glass at the Flynn, The End of Food

PrEview is VPR's bi-weekly e-newsletter. Here's the September 23 edition. Sign up to receive prEview here.

Regarding the bushel of apples I accidentally picked on Sunday, I can only plead weather-induced insanity. I couldn’t help myself. Clusters of perfect apples clung to almost every branch of every tree, more than I’ve ever seen in my life...and I’ve lived on an orchard! They came loose with just the slightest twist, so easily that I quickly filled one bag, then another. If I had more than two arms I would have kept going, wandering the orchard for hours. Maybe next time I’ll bring a backpack.

There’s no such thing as too much of a good thing when it comes to apples – or public radio! That’s why prEview is here to help you plan your listening. In this edition, Governor Jim Douglas speaks to the National Press Club, and we celebrate the 100th birthday of Vermont classical music legend Blanche Moyse. Plus, in VPR Cooks, a myriad ways to use up a bounty of apples....not that I know anything about that.

Best,
Michelle Jeffery

PS: Tickets are still available to see This American Life Host Ira Glass at Burlington’s Flynn Center this Saturday, September 26. Ticket information is available here!

Governor Douglas Addresses the National Press Club
Vermont Governor Jim Douglas, Chair of the National Governors Association, addressed the National Press Club last week about the role of states in national health club reform. Listen to the address online here.

Paul Roberts: The End of Food
Paul Roberts, author of "The End of Oil" and "The End of Food," says our food production system has become more efficient in the past century, but that efficiency has its costs. Roberts recently spoke at the University of Vermont about the food system's shortcomings and what you can do to make it more sustainable. Listen to the lecture online.

Vermont Reads: When the Emperor Was Divine
Listen to Morning Edition throughout the week as we explore the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II through the book When the Emperor was Divine, by Julie Otsuka. The series is part of the Vermont Humanities Council’s annual Vermont Reads project.

Blanche Moyse Centennial Celebration
Join us all day today in celebrating the 100th birthday of Blanche Honegger Moyse. She founded the Brattleboro Music Center, which she directed for many years, the New England Bach Festival, and was among the founders of the Marlboro Music Festival. We’ll feature special programming throughout the day, including performances from the New England Bach Festival.

Celebrating Erich Kunzel
When longtime Cincinnati Pops conductor Erich Kunzel died on September 1, he left behind a simple wish: he wanted to be remembered by having his recordings played around the country. Listen tomorrow, September 24 at 8 p.m. for a special In Concert tribute to Erich Kunzel, featuring remembrances from many of Kunzel's friends and colleagues.

VPR Cooks: Apple Picking
Let’s face it: apple picking isn’t really about picking apples. They’re simply a byproduct of the experience: climbing trees, taste-testing, reaching for one apple and getting bonked on the head by two more, trying to keep from stepping in the mushy remains of the drops. And that’s not even to mention the cider donuts. A proper outing like this yields far more apples than you can reasonably use, which is why I’ve collected several of VPR staff’s favorite apple recipes here. And please, send along your favorite apple recipe and we’ll post it online.

Travel to Costa Rica with VPR
You’re invited on magnificent adventure to Costa Rica with VPR. We’ll ride a zip line above the cloud forests and look down on troops of monkeys and rainbow-colored birds. We’ll see scarlet macaws and walk through jungles haunted by jaguars and ocelots and along the most productive sea turtle nesting beach in the world. Learn more and download an itinerary here.

VPR Community Forum Meeting
Vermont Public Radio's Community Forum will meet next Friday, October 2 at the Conference Center at the NewsBank Corporation in Chester. Community Forum members regularly consider VPR's mission and programs. Meetings of the forum are open to the public - if you would like to attend please let us know by calling 1-800-639-2192.