The Roundtable

Each weekday morning, The Roundtable's Joe Donahue is joined by various experts, journalists, educators, and commentators to discuss current events. On Roundtable Panel: The Week in Review, we feature your favorite panelists discussing news items from the previous week.

Martha Banta has returned to the Adirondack Theatre Festival. Martha was ATF's founding Artistic Director for its first 13 seasons, where she directed numerous premieres that went on to be produced in New York City and across the country.She directed the first of many ATF productions in an empty Woolworth's storefront on Glen Street and later helped spearhead its transformation into the Wood Theater. Most recently, Martha directed Mamma Mia! for its return to Broadway and the national tour.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Professor of History and International Relations at Vassar College Robert Brigham, and Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association and longtime editor of The Daily Gazette Judy Patrick.

'Under Four Flags' is program by the Musicians of Ma'alwyck being performed in the region from May 26 – 30. The program is a World War I tribute featuring a screening of the 1918 Allied propaganda silent film with an original live score by Max Caplan, alongside chamber music honoring the era and fallen soldiers.The concert opens with a work by Mihail Jora, written while he was recovering in a hospital after being wounded on the Eastern Front. His music is a personal response to the devastation of war. The major work is Samuel Gardner's piano quintet, composed after the death of violinist David Hochstein, who was killed on the Western Front in France in October 1918.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond and Former Mayor of the City of Albany Kathy Sheehan.

The 20th annual Berkshire International Film Festival is coming up next week and they will present a blockbuster lineup and celebratory weekend of films, events, and very special guests. The festival runs from May 28 - 31 in Great Barrington and Lenox. Founder and artistic director Kelley Vickery will be here with a preview.BIFF will honoring Award-Winning Actor Karen Allen, opening with Steal this Story Please!! with Award-Winning journalist, author and investigative reporter Amy Goodman in attendance, and closing with the Sundance Hit Documentary about global tennis icon and activist, Billie Jean King in Give me the Ball! with director Elizabeth Wolff in attendance.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Former NY elementary teacher and now 2nd year PhD student at RPI Sophia Acquisto, Former U.S. Army officer and State Department Diplomat who taught at Bard College for six years and is now a Senior Fellow at Bard's Center for Civic Engagement Ambassador Fred Hof, and Wall Street Investment Banker Mark Wittman.

This week's Book Picks comes from Connie Brooks and Heather Boyne from Battenkill Books in Cambridge, NY and Sharon Weinberg and Amy Zimmerman from Chatham Bookstore in Chatham, NY.

For decades, Americans' views on abortion remained surprisingly consistent, even amid fierce political battles. But the 2022 Dobbs decision sparked a major shift.In the new book ‘Not Going Back,' the authors trace changing public attitudes on abortion from Roe v. Wade through the 2024 election and into 2025, examining how debates over access, regulation, and government involvement continue to reshape American politics.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor of Political Science at Hartwick College in Oneonta Laurel Elder, Author, lawyer, consultant, public speaker, and entrepreneur Fatimah Gilliam, and Associate Professor of Music at Vassar College Justin Patch.

Fatimah Gilliam is an author, lawyer, consultant, WAMC panelist, and founder of the Azara Group where she works on issues of leadership, equity, and organizational culture. Her new book 'Race Rules: What Your Black Friend Won't Tell You' tackles the everyday assumptions, comments, and behaviors that often shape cross-racial interactions in America. Drawing from personal experience and professional insight Gilliam explores everything from microaggressions and white privilege to the hidden social codes that can quietly damage relationships and workplaces. Rather than focusing only on theory the book offers practical guidance for readers hoping to better understand race, challenge misconception, and engage more honestly across differences.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow at the Bard Center for Civic Engagement Jim Ketterer, Founder and director of the Volunteer Literacy Project and columnist for The Free Press Larissa Phillips, and Political Consultant and lobbyist Libby Post.

Each weekday morning, The Roundtable's Joe Donahue is joined by various experts, journalists, educators, and commentators to discuss current events. On Roundtable Panel: The Week in Review, we feature your favorite panelists discussing news items from the previous week.

At our most recent WAMC on the Road event with CulinaryArts@SPAC – the featured cookbook was ‘Heartland Masala: An Indian Cookbook from an American Kitchen.'‘Heartland Masala' presents recipes from Indian cooking instructor Jyoti Mukharji with cultural and historical essays by her son Auyon Mukharji – folk musician and member of the band ‘Darlingside.'

For many Americans James Comey remains one of the defining figures of the Trump Era. The former FBI Director fired by Trump and more recently once again drawn into public controversary amid investigations and escalating political attacks. Comey has also become a best-selling crime writer channeling decades inside the justice system into a series of legal thrillers. His latest is 'Red Verdict' which follows Deputy U.S. Attorney Nora Carleton. As she investigates the poisoning deaths of a defense industry executive in Manhattan, a murder that may connect to Russian Intelligence, espionage, and conspiracy reaching deep into American power circles.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Organizer with Protect Trans Futures' Harmony Boyd, The Ulster County Comptroller and the former president and CEO of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley March Gallagher, a full professor in the History Department at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) Allison Kavey, and Former Times Union Associate Editor Mike Spain.

The Sharon Playhouse, in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut, is proud to announce its 2026 Season - a lineup of musicals, special events, and YouthStage productions that celebrate resilience, community, and the stories that define the American spirit.As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the 2026 season looks to reflect the heart of America - stories of hope in hard times, generosity in moments of crisis, and joy created through music, laughter, and community. From Golden Age Broadway classics to contemporary favorites, the season invites audiences to come together for live theater experiences.

With 10 premieres, returning festivals, and artists from around the world, PS21's 2026 season turns its Chatham campus into a living laboratory for contemporary performance.These artists are interrogating the role of American culture and history reflected around the world; engaging PS21's landscape in ever bolder ways; and seeking out community members to help co-author place-based work. Groundtone and Commonground return for the second year—two festivals on each end of the summer, each featuring unexpected performances across the grounds.

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival 2026 will begin with the Season Opening Gala on Saturday, June 20, and present ticketed performances from Wednesday, June 24 through Sunday, August 30.The Festival will feature indoor performances in the landmark Ted Shawn Theatre and the newly-opened Doris Duke Theatre, as well as outdoor performances on the Henry J. Leir Stage. In addition to showcasing acclaimed dance companies from the United States and around the world, the summer Festival will feature a wide range of programs - including livestreams, talks, classes, exhibits, parties, community events, family-friendly activities, workshops with artists, and more.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Stuart Rice Honorary Chair at the University of Massachusetts Amherst's College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) and Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University Fran Berman, Joseph Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government at Skidmore College Beau Breslin, an Associate Professor in the department of sociology at Vassar College. Her research is on health, wellness, and medical knowledge Catherine Tan, and Investment Banker on Wall St. Mark Wittman. James Lasdun will be joining the panel for a portion of time to discuss the overturn of Alex Murdaugh's murder convictions. James Lasdun is a poet and author, his works have appeared in the 'New York Times,' 'London Review of Books,' 'The New Yorker,' and more.

Grassland Bird Trust is a nonprofit land trust conserving critical habitat for endangered, threatened and rapidly declining grassland birds. The group has conserved over 250 acres of prime habitat in the heart of the Washington County Grasslands Important Bird Area (IBA) since their founding in 2010.GBT owns and manages 78 acres at their Alfred Solomon Grassland Bird Viewing Area in Fort Edward, located in the heart of the Washington County Grasslands IBA. This area supports 10 of 11 of New York's most imperiled grassland bird species.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor of History and International Relations at Vassar College Bob Brigham, Editor at large, columnist, and editorial writer at The Times Union Jay Jochnowitz, Associate Professor of Music at Vassar College Justin Patch, and Diplomat in Residence at Bard College Donna Welton.

This week's Book Picks comes from Cheryl McKeon from The Book House in Albany and Marketblock Books in Troy, NY Suzanna Hermans from Oblong Books in Rhinebeck and Millerton, NY.

Mystery novelist Alison Gaylin has built a career exploring obsession, secrets, and the dark corners of modern life. An Edgar Award winner known for novels like 'The Collective and If I Die Tonight,' Gaylin has also stepped into the world of Robert B. Parker, continuing his beloved Sunny Randall series.In 'Robert B. Parker's Booked,' Boston private investigator Sunny Randall is hired by a bestselling author to uncover the identity of an online reviewer whose brutal takedowns are threatening careers. But when the critic turns up dead, the literary feud becomes a murder case tangled in grudges, publishing politics, and social media fury.

James Lasdun's latest is 'The Family Man: Blood and Betrayal in the House of Murdaugh,' turns to the real-life Southern saga that captivated the country. Lasdun digs beneath the headlines surrounding disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh, tracing generations of privilege, power, corruption, and violence in South Carolina's Lowcountry.The result is part true-crime page-turner, part portrait of a family dynasty collapsing in public. His novels, memoir, poetry, and short story collections have won many awards, and his essays have appeared in the New York Times, the London Review of Books, and The New Yorker, among other publications.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Executive Director of Communities for Local Power and former White House Advance Lead Anna Markowitz, The Empire Report's JP Miller, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Robert Pondiscio, and Former Mayor of the City of Albany Kathy Sheehan.

Dr. Jessica B. Harris is a renowned culinary historian, James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame winner, and star of the Netflix docuseries ‘High on the Hog.' Her latest book is ‘Braided Heritage: Recipes and Stories on the Origin of American Cuisine.' Joe Donahue spoke with her in a WAMC on the Road and CulinaryArts@SPAC event in Saratoga Springs, New York in March.

In 'Dispatches from Grief: A Mother's Journey Through the Unthinkable,' author and journalist Danielle Crittenden chronicles the devastating loss of her daughter and the difficult path that followed.The memoir blends personal reflection with broader questions about mourning, resilience, and how people survive unimaginable heartbreak.Rather than offering easy answers, Crittenden explores grief in all its unpredictability — the shock, isolation, memory, and moments of grace that can emerge even in profound sorrow.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Lecturer of Cognitive Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and former Fulbright US Scholar to Egypt Jackie Berry, Senior Fellow, Bard Center for Civic Engagement Jim Ketterer, and Political Consultant and lobbyist Libby Post.

Each weekday morning, The Roundtable's Joe Donahue is joined by various experts, journalists, educators, and commentators to discuss current events. On Roundtable Panel: The Week in Review, we feature your favorite panelists discussing news items from the previous week.

Mark Frost has long moved between worlds television, film, and fiction co-creating the landmark series ‘Twin Peaks' and writing acclaimed novels that blend history with imagination. Now he turns to one of the most enigmatic figures of the 20th century in his new work of historical fiction ‘The Yankee Sphinx.' Mark Frost will appear at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York, on Wednesday, May 13. He will discuss and sign his new historical novel, ‘The Yankee Sphinx: An FDR Novel.'

In 2018, Gemma Correll had a panic attack that lasted for weeks. She began navigating anxiety -- her new book is a graphic memoir called ‘Anxietyland.'Gemma Correll is an award-winning cartoonist, writer, and illustrator. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, NPR, Elle, and Forbes, among many others.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor Emeritus of Russian at Hofstra University, and the author of ‘Illiberal Vanguard: Populist Elitism in the United States and Russia' (University of Wisconsin Press), Alexandar Mihailovic, Co-founder and Executive Director of Seeing Rainbows (a trans-led arts and mutual aid organization) maayan nuri hed, and Siena University Professor of Economics Aaron Pacitti.

In the new book ‘Won't Back Down: Heartland Rock and the Fight for America,' music journalist Erin Osmon takes a closer look at the genre often seen as quintessentially American. Popularized by artists like Bruce Springsteen and Ton Petty, Heartland Rock has long told stories of labor, longing, and life on the margins. But Osmon argues that beneath those familiar themes lies a more complicated history one in which these songs had been used to express both solidarity and division.

Sepideh Moafi recently starred as Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi on the riveting medical drama, ‘The Pitt,' and is known for her roles in ‘The L Word: Generation Q' and ‘The Deuce.'She is returning to her theater roots this year in ‘New Born,' a play composed of three monologues written by Ella Hickson.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are a former NY elementary teacher and now 2nd year PhD student at RPI Sophia Acquisto, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, and Diplomat in Residence at Bard College. She retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2025 after over 30 years in public service. Her last post was ambassador to the SE Asian country, Timor-Leste Donna Welton.

'Diamond Fever!' is a bit of a departure from Steve Sheinkin's other books and is perfect for emerging readers. Both shorter and faster paced, it also features an engaging mixture of prose and comics from renowned illustrator Jon Chad. With these additions, readers will fully immerse themselves in the Great Diamond Hoax of 1872, a time full of deception, fortune, and greed.Steve Sheinkin and Jon Chad will be at Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga for a talk and signing about 'Diamond Fever' on Monday, May 18, 2026, at 6:00pm. northshire.com. You're listening to the RT on WAMC.

So, what can we do to feel better about our relationship with money? Financial expert and strategist Lev Mandel has a new book and a workbook out called ‘Money is Weird.' It offers a place to unpack your history, explore habits, and experiment with new ones; maybe even feel ok about it all. To actually feel confident and safe about your relationship with money.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick, and the founder and director of the Volunteer Literacy Project. She is also a columnist for The Free Press and a Greene County resident Larissa Phillips

This week's Book Picks comes from Cheryl Cornwell from Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, NY and Manchester Center, VT and Matt Tannenbaum and Shawnee Tannenbaum from The Bookstore in Lenox.

Berkshire Concert Choir, a 100+ voice community chorus based in Pittsfield MA, will perform 'Questions and Answers: American Echoes,' which addresses the American experience through the lens of a diverse program of music that asks and answers questions on May 9th and 10th.On the surface "Q & A" music has the fun of a puzzle, but the program digs deeper into the essential American freedom to question and to hold diverse perspectives, through choral classics, pop and rock from Marvin Gaye, Dolly Parton, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, to Civil Rights era classics from Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Joseph Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government at Skidmore College Beau Breslin, an author, lawyer, consultant, public speaker, and entrepreneur. Her most recent book is: Race Rules: What Your Black Friend Won't Tell You Fatimah Gilliam, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Robert Pondiscio.

Kelley Drahushuk of Spotty Dog Books and Ale joins us to talk about how we can turn personal memories into watercolor landscapes. Earlier we provided three audience members with art supplies to show off their talents.We will talk to them as we discuss good art supplies and all the possibilities that await us in creating art. We will discuss how you can create a watercolor painting based on your own interpretation of the landscape and how we can blend artmaking with reflection, places, people, and moments into expressive works on paper.

The book, ‘Drawn by the River,' explores the rich relationship between comics and the Hudson River Valley. In it, Moira Fitzgibbons connects comics, cartoons, and animation to the region's artistic legacy - from Hudson River School landscapes to its industrial past - revealing a layered creative ecosystem.She traces the influence of the Western Printing facility, the success of local creators behind ‘ElfQuest,' and the ways landscape itself shapes visual storytelling.

As we mentioned earlier in the program, The Olana State Historic Site operates through a public-private partnership. The property is preserved and run by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and The Olana Partnership. They also work closely with regional historical and conservation groups in the area.In that vein, we are joined now by New York State Commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Kathy Moser and President of Scenic Hudson Ned Sullivan. Scenic Hudson has long been considered a leader in safeguarding the Hudson Valley's irreplaceable landscapes.

Historian Victoria Johnson has a gift for uncovering the human stories behind American culture. In her new book, ‘Glorious Country: How the Artist Frederic Church Brought the World to America' and America to the World, she turns to Frederic Church, the Hudson River School painter whose sweeping landscapes helped define a young nation's sense of itself.Johnson traces Church's global travels - from the Arctic to South America - and shows how his art connected American audiences to a wider world.

Today marks the 200th Anniversary of Frederic Church's birth, and we are here to explore the creation, creativity, landscape, preservation, and importance of the home and gardens in history and in the Hudson Valley.The Olana State Historic Site operates through a public-private partnership. The 250-acre property is run by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and The Olana Partnership.Our first guests this morning are President of the Olana Partnership Sean Sawyer and Consulting Senior Curator and Chair of The Church 200 Committee Dr. Elizabeth Mankin Kornhauser. She has lead planning efforts for this national celebration, the 200th anniversary of the artist Frederic Church's birth.

Each weekday morning, The Roundtable's Joe Donahue is joined by various experts, journalists, educators, and commentators to discuss current events. On Roundtable Panel: The Week in Review, we feature your favorite panelists discussing news items from the previous week.

When the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, the landmark case overturning Roe v. Wade, it marked a turning point in the lives of millions of Americans. It was also the culmination of a decades-long movement whose grievances were embodied by the man who wrote the court's opinion: Samuel Anthony Alito Jr.Prize-winning journalist Peter Canellos will tell us about his new book:‘Revenge for the Sixties: Sam Alito and the Triumph of the Conservative Legal Movement.' It is the first-ever biography of the most pivotal Justice on the Supreme Court whose decisions, like the overturning of Roe, will drive the reshaping of America.

This Sunday, May 3 at 3pm, Albany Pro Musica and Orchestra Pro Musica will fill the Troy Savings Banks Music Hall with a special season-ending presentation of ‘This Luminous Earth.' The performance will include Jake Runestad's EMMY®-Award winning ‘Earth Symphony,' and Morten Lauridsen's sublime ‘Lux Aeterna'.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor of Theatre at Siena University Mahmood Karimi Hakak, Professor in the History Department at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) Allison Kavey, CEO of The Business Council of New York State Heather Mulligan, and Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick.