S2 Ep2157: AMERICA 250 Smithsonian New Exhibition Features Never Seen Artifacts From 50 States

S2 Ep2233: COMMUNITY SERVICE Rotary Club of St. Petersburg's New President Zi Azizi with H. Roy Adams

The Rotary Club of St. Petersburg [https://sprotary.org/] is the oldest and largest service club in our city — and one of the first 200 Rotary clubs in the world. For over a century, they've united business and community leaders in service above self. Join us in making a lasting impact locally and globally.  Lunchtime Conversation host Nanette Wiser spoke with the new President, Zi Azizi and longtime Rotarian H. Roy Adams on the history of this club, their accomplishments and vision for the future. The club meets Friday at noon at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, and open to new members. Seen here: Zi Azizi with Brian Ford, COO Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Founded by former St. Petersburg Times editor, William Straub and other community leaders.  Rotary International is an international SERVICE club with 1.2M members worldwide, not a social club. Being a social is a byproduct of what we do to help our community and those less fortunate throughout the world.

S2 Ep2221: Big Broadway Energy: Lab Theater Project

Stephen Riordan welcomes Owen Robertson, the multi-hyphenate founder of Tampa Bay’s Lab Theater Project. While most local theaters go dark for the summer, Lab Theater Project keeps its doors open, dedicating its entire mission to producing new works and nurturing emerging playwrights and artists. Key Discussion Highlights * The Mission: Founded during Robertson’s MFA program to create a pipeline for new plays, the theater now receives 300 to 500 script submissions a year. It has produced works by 67 playwrights and given 23 artists their first professional opportunities. * True Collaboration & Dramaturgy: The theater operates as a safe, non-authoritarian space where actors, directors, and playwrights collaborate to reshape scripts.  * Stepping Away from Corporate America: Both Riordan and Robertson bond over leaving stable corporate careers (Robertson in 2010, Riordan in 2023) to commit entirely to the arts, noting how supportive the creative community is when you dare to ask for help. Robertson is also currently pursuing a PhD in Education to further advocate for the intrinsic value of the arts. Current Productions “The Cross and The Saber” (Closing July 19) Written by Wendy Graf, this timely play explores First Amendment rights, Christian nationalism, and politics in a near-future setting. > The Sci-Fi Element: The script incorporates artificial intelligence, featuring a terrifying courtroom sequence where the protagonist's entire legal defense, investigation, and prosecution are handled entirely by androids, prompting questions about human agency in an AI-driven world. Workshops and Digital Innovation * Pitch to Production Workshop: Launching this fall, this rigorous 12-week, master ’s-level course guides local writers from an initial pitch to a completed draft, utilizing seasoned national playwrights as mentors. * On-Demand Streaming: To assist long-distance playwrights and expand ticket sales, the theater streams its productions on demand for 24 hours during the final weekend of each run. Learn More: Visit labtheaterproject.org [http://labtheaterproject.org/] for tickets, workshop registration, and script submissions. #BigBroadway Energy #StephenRiordan #LabTheaterProject #StPeteTheater #OwenRobertson

S2 Ep2231: AMERICAN ICONS Brands We Love, Now Forever Cultural Touchstones

In this episode of Lunchtime Conversations, host Nanette Wiser shares a USA Today feature that looked at iconic brands of the past 250 years. Says the article: American businesses haven't just sold products. They've sparked movements...and reshaped how we live, work and connect. Across generations, these brands have become cultural touchstones." Here are a few that resonated with me! #nanettewiser #america250history #oneplacemanyvoices   #stpete #stpetefl  #tampabay #radio #radiostpete #cityofstpete  #dtsp #downtownstpete

S2 Ep2230: BOOK TALK Deb Carson: Author Bonnie Freidman's Don't Stop

Ina is a 41-year-old literary scholar on the cusp of professional success. With a coveted university job, a kind husband, and a book on Eugene O’Neill due in months, her life appears enviably stable. But when an impulsive kiss with a stranger shatters her self-control, Ina finds herself plunged into an erotic and emotional freefall.  She tells herself it’s research—a brief detour before returning to real life. But what begins as a flirtation becomes a reckoning with everything Ina thought she wanted: marriage, intellect, control. As she navigates the ecstatic confusion of newfound desire, she risks upending her work, her relationship, and her understanding of who she is. Set in Brooklyn and Manhattan at the turn of the millennium, Don’t Stop is a bold, immersive debut that explores what happens when a woman dares to want more—of the world, of her body, of herself. Bonnie Friedman delivers a novel of transgression, transformation, and unapologetic longing. Bonnie Friedman [https://www.europaeditions.com/author/403/bonnie-friedman]  is the author of the bestselling Writing Past Dark, named one of the Essential Books for Writers by the Center for Fiction and Poets & Writers. She is also the author of The Thief of Happiness and Surrendering Oz, a finalist for the PEN Award in the Art of the Essay. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Ploughshares and numerous other literary journals, and she has been named a notable essayist four times in The Best American Essays. She has taught writing at the University of Iowa, Dartmouth, NYU, and the University of North Texas. Don’t Stop is her first novel. #bonniefriedman #author #writer #Don'tstop #debcarson #books   #stpete #stpetefl  #tampabay #radio #radiostpete #cityofstpete  #dtsp #downtownstpete

S2 Ep2229: ONE PLACE, MANY VOICES Seminole History: Michele Abramo & Kristen Oliphant

In this episode of One Place, Many Voices, series host Nanette Wiser chats with Michele Abramo, Seminole Historical Society [https://www.seminolehistoricalsociety.org/] (museum) , and Kristen Oliphant who grew up in Seminole and knows everything and everyone - inlcluding Florida Folk Show's Pete Gallagher, and is a musician herself (Gypsy Wind) for 30 years! 🎤Welcome to One Place, Many Voices podcast series powered by Heritage Village [https://www.heritagevillagefl.org/], with support from a Florida Humanities [https://floridahumanities.org/] grant.   Listen anytime, anywhere to all the One Place, Many Voices podcasts [https://audioboom.com/channels/1842136-radio-st-pete-podcast-archive?search=one+place+many+voices] on RadioStPete as we bring Pinellas County history to life through conversations with the people about the places and stories that define us. In 2026, we're celebrating America 250, Heritage Village’s 50th anniversary and other milestones.  The podcast series is  inspired by the Smithsonian’s Many Voices, One Nation exhibit coming to Heritage Village this summer. About the One Place,  Many Voices podcasts. [https://audioboom.com/posts/8878150-one-place-many-voices-life-is-a-journey-what-s-your-story] #pinellascountyhistory #heritagevillage #america250 #onevoicemanyplaces #nanettewiser #floridahumanities #stpete #stpetefl  #tampabay #radio #radiostpete #cityofstpete  #dtsp #downtownstpete  #historyrocks #seminole #seminolehistoricalsociety.