Where We Live

Step into the Renaissance Faire and you’ll be greeted with a scene out of time — dueling knights, vendors hawking their wares and royal proclamations. Today, we'll take you to a faire and bring you voices from a realm filled with magic and whimsy. We'll also hear from the organizers of the Midsummer Fantasy Renaissance Faire [https://www.mfrenfaire.com/] and the Connecticut Renaissance Faire. [https://ctfaire.com/] We learn what goes into organizing these festivals, what it is like to perform there, and what keeps people coming back year after year. GUESTS: * Isaac Moss: Summer intern at Connecticut Public and recent graduate of Wesleyan University * Coco Cooley: Summer intern at Connecticut Public and student at Wesleyan University * Eric Tetreault: Co-Founder and Marketing Director at the Connecticut Renaissance Faire * Daniel Greenwolf: Co-Owner of the Connecticut Midsummer Fantasy Renaissance Fair Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate [http://wnpr.org/donate] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Social Security is one of the most widely-used government programs in the country, but how much does the average American know about how it works? From eligibility and benefit amounts to how the trust fund is structured, this hour we’re offering a crash course on Social Security and how the federal program's uncertain future is impacting the retirement plans of people here in Connecticut. We’ll ask what’s driving concerns about the fund's long-term solvency, and what Congress might do about it. GUESTS: * Robert Rodriguez: Public Affairs Specialist, Social Security Administration [https://www.ssa.gov/] * Kenneth Couch [https://econ.uconn.edu/person/kenneth-couch/]: Professor, University of Connecticut’s Department of Economics Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate [http://wnpr.org/donate] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

There seems to be no limit to what artificial intelligence can produce and create. So how will artificial intelligence impact the way we make and critique art? Today, we hear how artists are using artificial intelligence [https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20241018-ai-art-the-end-of-creativity-or-a-new-movement] in their work. We ask a Connecticut professor, and artists of all disciplines, if AI is good or bad for the creative process. We also explore a question: If AI is the author, can what it made really be called art? [https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/08/is-art-generated-by-artificial-intelligence-real-art/] GUESTS: * Kevin Ramsey: [https://www.hartford.edu/directory/hartt/ramsey-kevin.aspx] Assistant Professor of Theater at the University of Hartford * Roger Beaty: [https://psych.la.psu.edu/people/rub736/] Associate Professor of Psychology at Pennsylvania State University * Clement Valla: [https://clementvalla.com/] Artist and the Department Head of the Art, Computation, and Sound BFA at the Rhode Island School of Design [https://www.risd.edu/academics/experimental-and-foundation-studies-efs/faculty/clement-valla] Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate [http://wnpr.org/donate] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

University of Connecticut professor and artist Minnie Negoro [https://benton.uconn.edu/minnie-negoro-from-heart-mountain-to-uconn/] first learned ceramics while imprisoned at a Japanese concentration camp in Wyoming. There, she produced tableware for the U.S. army and other incarceration camps. Despite the repression, Negoro discovered a lifelong love for pottery, which she shared with generations of students. Now, UConn is curating an exhibit to honor Negoro's work and legacy. [https://today.uconn.edu/2025/02/benton-exhibit-honors-minnie-negoro-pioneering-uconn-ceramics-professor/] Today, we hear about Negoro's journey as an artist, and as a teacher. GUESTS: * Hana Maruyama: [https://history.uconn.edu/person/hana-maruyama/] Assistant professor of Asian American Studies and Public History at the University of Connecticut * Denise Pelletier: [http://www.denisepelletier.com/] Professor of Art at Connecticut College * Jason Oliver Chang: [https://history.uconn.edu/person/jason-chang/] Associate Professor of History and director of the Asian and Asian American Studies Institute at the University of Connecticut Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate [http://wnpr.org/donate] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Can you remember a teacher who changed the course of your life? Maybe it was someone who helped you find your voice? Or someone who challenged you to think differently? This hour, we’re exploring the impact of great mentors – those who shape us both in and beyond the classroom. Sarah Ruhl, author of the new book, “Lessons from My Teachers [https://bookshop.org/p/books/lessons-from-my-teachers-sarah-ruhl/21981833?ean=9781668034965&next=t]” shares personal stories and reflects on the lasting power of mentorship. GUESTS: * Sarah Ruhl [https://www.sarahruhlplaywright.com/]: Author of “Lessons from My Teachers [https://bookshop.org/p/books/lessons-from-my-teachers-sarah-ruhl/21981833?ean=9781668034965&next=t].” Sarah is also a playwright, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, a Tony Award nominee, and the recipient of the MacArthur Genius Fellowship.    This episode originally aired on June 2, 2025.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate [http://wnpr.org/donate] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.