Podcasts about thousand towns

An impassioned account of the fall and rise of the small American towns she cherishes by Dar Williams.   A musician, educator, author, Dar rose out of the vibrant mid-90's Boston scene, inspired by the eclectic influences of alt-rockers, Berklee jazz musicians, slam poets, and folk artists, After a year of touring non-stop with her first album, The Honesty Room, in 1994, she was invited by Joan Baez to tour in Europe and The United States. To date she has written 14 albums and 6 books. And we wanted two speak with Dar about one of those books. “What I Found in a Thousand Towns” A Traveling Musician's Guide to Rebuilding America's Communities—One Coffee Shop, Dog Run, and Open-Mike Night at a Time(published in 2017). A beloved folk singer presents an impassioned account of the fall and rise of the small American towns she cherishes. Dubbed by the New Yorker as “one of America's very best singer-songwriters,” Dar Williams has made her career not in stadiums, but touring America's small towns. She has played their venues, composed in their coffee shops, and drunk in their bars. She has seen these communities struggle, but also seen them thrive in the face of postindustrial identity crises. Here, Williams muses on why some towns flourish while others fail, examining elements from the significance of history and nature to the uniting power of public spaces and food. Drawing on her own travels and the work of urban theorists, Williams offers real solutions to rebuild declining communities. What I Found in a Thousand Towns is more than a love letter to America's small towns, it's a deeply personal and hopeful message about the potential of America's lively and resilient communities. All Music and Lyrics by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin.

A beloved folk singer presents an impassioned account of the fall and rise of the small American towns she cherishes. Dar Williams is a musician, educator, author and has had over a 25+-year career. She rose out of the vibrant mid-90's Boston scene, inspired by the eclectic influences of alt-rockers, Berklee jazz musicians, slam poets, and folk artists, After a year of touring non-stop with her first album, The Honesty Room, in 1994, she was invited by Joan Baez to tour in Europe and The United States. To date she has written 14 albums and 6 books. And we wanted two speak with Dar about one of those books. “What I Found in a Thousand Towns” A Traveling Musician's Guide to Rebuilding America's Communities—One Coffee Shop, Dog Run, and Open-Mike Night at a Time (published in 2017). A beloved folk singer presents an impassioned account of the fall and rise of the small American towns she cherishes. Dubbed by the New Yorker as "one of America's very best singer-songwriters," Dar Williams has made her career not in stadiums, but touring America's small towns. She has played their venues, composed in their coffee shops, and drunk in their bars. She has seen these communities struggle, but also seen them thrive in the face of postindustrial identity crises. Here, Williams muses on why some towns flourish while others fail, examining elements from the significance of history and nature to the uniting power of public spaces and food. Drawing on her own travels and the work of urban theorists, Williams offers real solutions to rebuild declining communities. What I Found in a Thousand Towns is more than a love letter to America's small towns, it's a deeply personal and hopeful message about the potential of America's lively and resilient communities. All Music and Lyrics by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin.

2017's What I Found in a Thousand Towns finds Dar Williams tackling urban studies. It's new territory for the singer-songwriter, but one that builds on decades of fascination with the small towns she frequented on tour. The book has taken on a special sort of resident over the past two years, as the pandemic has spurred countless think pieces about the future of life in cities. It's certainly top of mind as we discuss the force stasis of life during Covid-19, and something Williams is clearly thinking about as her latest album (her first in six years) I'll Meet You Here is returning her to the road again. This, perhaps, is where the book and album converge, around the concept of “meet[ing] life as it arrives,” as Williams puts it – however and wherever that might be.   

At a time of social distancing, limited travel and other restrictions to protect public health, we get a nostalgic reminder of the joy of journeys, and infinite variety of America's small cities and towns.This episode was first published in 2018. Our guest, Dar Williams, has been called "one of America's very best singer-songwriters" by The New Yorker. A remarkably well-traveled musician, she tells us how towns and cities can turn themselves around. "What I Found in a Thousand Towns: A Traveling Musician's Guide to Rebuilding America's Communities" is an impassioned account of the fall and rise of small American towns she cherishes. Dar chronicles practical success stories and challenges, delivering her message with hope and love."The opposite of division is not unity. It is collaboration," says Dar.We discuss the power of positive proximity and how working on local projects together can bring different parts of a community together. Dar speaks of the strength of weak ties and why they help build networks of people who act as stewards for the places that they love. From improving police-community relations in Gainesville, Florida, to the revival of Beacon, New York, we learn of many examples of how communities can succeed and thrive. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Singer-songwriter Dar Williams has spent years on the road and along the way she learned a lot about America’s small towns and what makes them thrive. She talks about her book, What I Found in a Thousand Towns, and plays songs that relate to those themes. 

Support the podcast through Patreon and get access to special audio and written content, be part of a private Facebook group and enjoy other benefits reserved for supporters of the podcast! ***** Today’s conversation is with Dar Williams. I’ve been a fan of Dar’s since the late 90’s when I first heard Cry Cry Cry, the band (and eponymous album) she recorded with Richard Schindell and Lucy Kaplansky. I’m sure I still have that on tape somewhere (yeah, I still have all my tapes from way back). Dar is a singer-songwriter with about 20 or so albums to her name as well as several books including her most recent, What I Found in a Thousand Towns. She is a great observer of culture and human behavior and what strikes me most about her music, her recent book and this conversation is that she is quite the optimist. I think that someone who is such a keen observer could easily fall into seeing the world from the dark side. But she doesn’t. She not only sees the good but she is also a problem solver – which is exactly why she published this book which was borne out of her observing towns across the country. It hasn’t all been easy for Dar and in this conversation, she does talk about her bouts with depression and her suicidal thoughts. But, as you’ll hear, she owns it. She doesn’t shy away from talking about her low points or beliefs and that right there makes her pretty bold in my book. I know you’ll love this conversation with the amazing Dar Williams. ***** Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode? Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here. ***** Connect with DarWebsite | Youtube | Facebook | Twitter   Links/books/people mentionedWhat I Found in a Thousand Towns by Dar Williams (Amazon) Cry Cry Cry by Dar Williams, Richard Shindell and Lucy Kaplansky Brene Brown Ted Talk on shame So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson (Amazon) Monica Lewinsky Ted Talk on shame Felicity Huffman scandal The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk (Amazon) Connect with me: PATREON! (join the community!) Facebook Instagram WanderTours Be Bold Facebook Group (women-only) Twitter Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe then tell a friend! Be Bold, Beth

After more than 30 years touring the country, singer-songwriter Dar Williams has learned a lot about what makes a town great. She talks about her new book What I Found in a Thousand Towns and what small cities like New Haven can do to capitalize on resources and draw people together.

Community BuildingMusic was everywhere. We played music, we were encouraged to play music, we sang in the car. But that was also the 70's.Dar grew up in Chappaqua, NY during the 70's. It was developing and becoming more progressive as a commuter city to New York City. Her parents were involved in city politics but also enjoyed art, gardening, and music.Through volunteering and fundraising, her parents exemplified community building, her father specifically holding an instrumental role in bringing their local library to life. Dar emphasizes the importance and beauty of libraries as community gathering spaces.Growing up, she has a clear memory of listening to Judy Collins and connecting with the seriousness and poetry of the songwriting. She pursued playwriting and theater until she moved to Boston where she began doing open mics and writing songs in its supportive, vibrant music community.Taking OffAs Dar began traveling and performing, she shares how she fell in love with watching the small towns evolve with each performance, time and time again. She credits this cultivation of culture to the people and the community builders who bring the artists into the town.I watched towns grow up as the venues grew up.Understanding Positive ProximityPositive proximity is the experience of living side by side with people and knowing that your life is better because there are other people, not despite the fact that there are other people.Dar shares a personal example of this from her life of a man who tilled the herb garden while sharing differing political views. Although she disagreed with his politics, she was grateful to spend time with someone who was so different from her but shared a common vision for their community.Some of the Towns That Dar Loves:1. Her hometown, Beacon, NY.2. Phoenixville, PA.3. Gainesville, FL.4. Moab, UT.Based on her 25 years of touring the country, Dar wrote the book “What I Found in A Thousand Towns,” which highlights her unique perspective on how communities evolve. As a bonus, Dar plays her song, “February.” You can find more of her work on her website.

As a folk singer who has performed across the country, Dar Williams authored the book “What I Found in A Thousand Towns” to provide her unique perspective on how communities evolve. She also plays her song “February.”

Dar Williams is a musician and author. The New Yorker has described her as “one of America’s very best singer-songwriters.” Her latest album is the self-produced and critically acclaimed Emerald, and her new book, What I Found in a Thousand Towns, combines anthropological field work she conducted as a touring musician with scholarly research on the renaissance … Continue reading Episode 48: Dar Williams →

Small towns across the country are facing the same identity and economic struggles in post-industrial America–why do some flourish while others fail? Legendary folksinger Dar Williams approaches the question through a lifetime spent touring America’s small towns–playing their venues, composing in their coffee shops, drinking in their bars. She’ll be in conversation with Rebecca Saldaña, Washington State Senator for the 37th District, to discuss What I Found in a Thousand Towns. Williams couples the work of urban theorists with her own experiences to propose solutions for rebuilding declining communities. Listen to Williams’ love letter to America’s small towns and leave with her hopeful message about their resiliency. Recorded live at Rainier Arts Center by Town Hall Seattle Sunday, September 10, 2017