Episoder
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This episode of the Brattleboro Words Trail Podcast featured writer Pablo Medina who reads his essay âHome in Vermontâ written specifically for the Brattleboro Words Trail mobile app (https://brattleboro.stqry.app/) that guides listeners through stories of people past and present who embody the theme of 'words' throughout the Brattleboro area. This episode was produced and hosted by me, Lissa Weinmann and was edited by Alec Pombriant. We thank Pablo Medina for his participation as well as his suggestion that we use short clips of his favorite Cuban composer Leo Brouwer performed by the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.
A ceramic marker in Williamsville representing Pablo will now be added to the beautiful Brattleboro Words Trail landscape murals created by local artist Cynthia Parker Houghton. You can see the murals on display at 118 Elliot in Downtown Brattleboro, but they will move to the town's new Amtrak station in 2026. You can also see a video by producer Donna Blackney about the making of the murals at: https://www.brattleborotv.org/brattleboro-words-project/brattleboro-words-trail-cynthia-parker-houghton/. General information about maps, stories and the ongoing community creation of audio stories can be found at the Brattleboro Words Project website at: https://brattleborowords.org/
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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This episode of the Brattleboro Words Trail podcast was written and produced by Sally Seymour and me, Lissa Weinmann. Original edits were by Sally Seymour, and podcast editing and mastering was done by Alec Pombriant. Jon Potter of Latchis Arts did the main narration. Dennis Waring and Barbara George provided commentary. The Brattleboro Historical Society and Dennis Waringâs book: âManufacturing the Muse: Estey Organs and Consumer Culture in Victorian Americaâ were indispensable resources. Local writers Joe Rivers, Fran Lynggaard Hansen and Kevin O'Connor work on Estey also informed this episode. Thanks also to Lee Ha of Brattleboro Historical Society for help locating Jacob Estey correspondence for use in this podcast. Musical selections were mostly taken from pieces Waring features in a CD that accompanies his book, and some music is from Fats Wallerâs pipe organ pieces from Jazz History Online( https://jazzhistoryonline.com/fats-waller/).
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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Mangler du episoder?
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The segments on the two judges used in this episode of the Brattleboro Words Trail Podcast were produced and edited by Sally Seymour. Research, scripts and most narration is by Meg Mott. Some narration and commentary on the Judge Oakes segment was by Elizabeth Caitlin. The voice clip of Judge Oakes was from an October 23, 1979 James Madison Lecture at New York University and is used courtesy of the James L Oakes Collection at the Vermont Law School. The updating interview with Meg Mott was produced by Lissa Weinmann at BCTV studios in downtown Brattleboro. Segments on Oakes and Stone were mastered by Guilford Sound. Final podcast editing and mastering was by Alec Pombriant. Special thanks to Mara Williams for her help on the Judge Oakes segment. Thanks also to the sixth grade class at Chesterfield School who in 2021 pelted Mott with many questions about the Supreme Court and local hero Judge Stone.
Archives of the Honorable James L. Oakes https://www.vermontlaw.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Oakes-guide-Final.pdf
Judge Oakes on being an American citizen: https://www.myretrospect.com/stories/a-borrowed-story-from-my-neighbor-a-judge/
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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This episode of the Brattleboro Words Trail Podcast was written, narrated and produced Lissa Weinmann. Audio Editing was by Sally Seymour. The Voice of Dr. Wesselhoeft is Ned Childs. Voice of Abby Estey was Elery Loggia. Mastering was by Guilford Sound with final podcast editing by Alec Pombriant.
Wesselhoeft quotes were taken from Wesselhoeft comments in various editions of his âGreen Mountain Spring' newspaper. Abby Estey Fuller quotes were from her âDaughters of the American Revolutionâ speech published in 1928.
Info on Wesselhoeftâs early life was thanks to Starr Willard Cuttingsâ âThe History of Robert Wesselhoeftâ original manuscripts in Brooks Memorial Library rare documents division.
This podcast was supported by a Digital Capacities Grant from the VT arts council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Abby Estey's description of the various watercure paths is from an address to the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1912 which was published in 1928.
Jerry Carbone created a database of Wesselhoeft clients over a three year span, see: https://dbnews.americanancestors.org/2019/01/29/new-database-brattleboro-vt-wesselhoeft-water-cure-1845-1848/
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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The first half of this episode of the Brattleboro Words Trail Podcast on Eleanor Roosevelt, Carmelita Hinton and the Putney School, was produced, written and narrated by Anna Kusmer with commentary by Marnie Rosner, Putney School founder Carmelita Hinton's granddaughter. Archival tape of Eleanor Roosevelt's voice at that commencement speech was restored and mastered by Guilford Sound.
The second half of this podcast on Wangari Maathai was produced and edited by Lisa Merton and Alan Dater. Clips of Wangariâs voice were taken from their documentary film: Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai. Executive Producer of this episode was me Lissa Weinmann. Final mastering was by Guilford Sound. Final podcast editing and production was by Alec Pombriant. Many thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the Vermont Humanities Council and the hundreds of volunteers who make the Brattleboro Words Trail a reality.
Thanks to Christopher Grotke for making composite image of Roosevelt and Maathai for episode image.
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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Today you can walk or ride your bike along several lengthy segments of the old West River Railroad thanks to the efforts of non profit Friends of the West River Trail. You can also pick up physical maps at their trailhead on the river near the Marina Restaurant in Brattleboro. Thatâs also where the West River and Connecticut River meet, just next to the Vermont Canoe Touring Center, where the bridge collapsed and JJ Green died. Itâs also where the Amtrak line crosses on a new bridge today.
The West River Railroad Museum in Newfane and the Historical Society of Windham County nearby in Newfane are well worth a visit.
This episode of the Brattleboro Words Trail Podcast was researched, written and narrated by Deborah Lee Luskin. It was produced and edited by Donna Blackney. Executive Producer was me, Lissa Weinmann. The voice of JJ Green is John Loggia. The voice reading the 1885 newspaper account of JJ Greenâs death is Jon Mack. Mastering of the original Brattleboro Words Trail audio and all Brattleboro Words Trail audio was by Guilford Sound. Audio editing for the podcast was by Alec Pombriant. Credit for JJ Green image goes to Daniel Brooks and the Historical Society of Windham County. Thanks to Laura Wallingford at the Historical Society of Windham County for her guidance and support.
Downloadable Trail Maps:
Link to Friends of West River Trail lower section of the West River Trail map, Brattleboro and Dummerston: https://westrivertrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/west-river-trail-map_11x17-2018.pdf
Link to Friends of West River Trail upper section of the West River Trail map, Townsend to Londonderry: https://westrivertrail.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/uppersectiontrailmap.pdf
For more on the West River, see Brattleboro Words Trail Elizabeth Florette Fischer story for a glimpse into the unique geology of the site, and the piece on the ancient Petroglyphs on the West River.
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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This episode of the Brattleboro Words Podcast was written, produced and narrated by Maria Margaronis. The voices on Part 1 âTotal Loss Farmââ are Maria, Verandah Porche and Richard Wizansky. The voices on Part 2 âThe Bard of Guilfordâ are Maria and Verandah Porche. The voices on Segment 3 âNight Walkâ are Maria and Peter Gould. Executive Producer was me, Lissa Weinmann. Mastering of segments was by Guilford Sound. Final podcast editing and mastering was Alec Pombriant. Photograph is 1971 Packer Corners image by Asa Elliot. For more information about how to join this creative work, visit us at BrattleboroWords.org.
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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This episode was produced, edited and narrated by Maria Margaronis. Interviews were with John Scagliotti, JoAnn Wypijewski. Archival voice of Andrew Kopkind provided by producer. The parody of Lou Reed's 'Take a Walk on the Wild Side' was performed by Scagliotti and Kopkind on 'Lavender Hour' radio on WBCN Boston. The Allen Ginsberg excerpt was from Scagliotti's film 'Before Stonewall: The Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community': https://www.firstrunfeatures.com/beforestonewall.html Executive Producer was LIssa Weinmann. Audio Mastering was by Guilford Sound with final podcast editing by Alec Pombriant.
See Andrew Kopdind's seminal work 'The Thirty Yearsâ Wars': 'Probably no better record exists of these landmark events than the vivid reflections collected in The Thirty Yearsâ Wars.ââWashington Post
See Tribute to Kopkind in The Nation: https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/gutsy-radical-journalism-andy-kopkind-who-died-20-years-ago-week/
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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This episode of the Brattleboro Words Trail Podcast was produced and hosted by Lissa Weinmann. The Madame Sherri audio was written by Robert Weir, narrated by Molly Melloan, edited by Sally Seymour and mastered by Guilford Sound. Fnal podcast production and editing was by Alec Pombriant. Theme music for the Brattleboro Words Trail is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to Elissa Pine, Welcome Hill Studios and the Chesterfield Historical Society for their help.
Information on Ann Stokes women writers' retreat, Welcome Hill Studios, can be found at: http://welcomehillstudios.org/about
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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John Kenneth Galbraith (1908-2006) was one of the world's best known economists whose eloquent and internationally recognized writings on economics, public policy and culture helped shape the identity of the modern United States and 20th-century American liberalism. He was a professor at Harvard University for decades. He spent long summers in Newfane, VT for more than 30 years and frequented the Moore Free Library which reserves a special shelf for the dozens of books he wrote the quintessential analysis of the Great Depression -The Great Crash - and The Affluent Society, both of which were bestsellers from the 1950s through the 2000s. He also wrote hundreds of magazine articles and several novels. He served in the administrations of four presidents and was US Ambassador to India under the Kennedy administration. He received the WWII Medal of Freedom in 1946 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 200 for his public service and contributions to science. His sons Peter and Jamie Galbraith are important writers and continue to use the family home and contribute to local dialogue through the Brattleboro-based Windham World Affairs Council, which continues an annual lecture in honor of their father. In the first half of the episode, Vermont journalist Joyce Marcel narrates these facts about the man. Her husband, Randy Holhut, an editor at the weekly The Commons newspaper, relays a personal story of Galbraith's largesse taken from an obituary he wrote upon Galbraith's death in 2006. The second half of the episode focuses on Galbraith as a writer. Galbraith's son Peter Galbraith says that, despite the fact that his father was one of the world's best known economists, he thought of himself primarily as a writer. Peter shares insights on writing he learned from his father and the elder Galbraith himself shares writing advice through archival tape taken from a 1986 talk at UC Berkeley. Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for
the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers
and community members who support this work. -
Frances Hubbard Flaherty collaborated on every Robert J. Flaherty film and devoted her life after his death, according to the Flaherty Seminars website, "to the articulation and explanation of Robert Flaherty's view on documentary film, both in her writings... and especially her establishment of the Seminars." The Flaherty Seminar is now based in Brooklyn and continues the Flaherty legacy as 'The Flaherty'.
The Flaherty's daughter, Monica Flaherty Frasseto, added sound to Moana and directed the Flaherty Study Center in Dummerston for many years before she died in Dummerston in 2008. An obituary of her life appeared in the local Brattleboro Reformer here.
Other sources include A Documentary Life, 1883-1922, published in 2005 by Robert J. Christopher, which provided insight into the years Flaherty spent in northern Canada making Nanook of the North and Robert and Frances' 1914-16 diaries and correspondence. Hidden and Seeking (1971) directed by Peter Werner, is another source for those interested in delving deeper into the Flaherty phenomenon.
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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This episode was produced and hosted by Lissa Weinmann with guest Sandy Rouse. It was edited, composed and mastered by Alec Pombriant and taped at BCTV with help from Van Wiles.
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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Immerse yourself in the extraordinary art and life of Tasha Tudor, Caldecott honor author, illustrator and early American lifestyle icon, in this delightful podcast narrated by Tasha's granddaughter, Amy Tudor.
Tasha Tudor (1915-2008) lived a remarkable 1830s lifestyle in the woods of Marlboro, Vermont, just west of Brattleboro. The first half of the podcast focuses on her work as a self-made and self-realized artist and person. Tasha published more than 100 books while raising a family and maintaining a simple lifestyle of days gone by that has, over time, generated strong appeal among especially fans in Japan and Asia. We learn about her fascination with Corgi dogs and how she used them in 'Corgiville Fair', first published in 1971 and still in print, and other books. The second half of the podcast features Amy Tudor guiding us down Tasha's driveway, to escape the noise and cacophony of modern life to enter Tasha's unique and charming world -- her hand-hewn house, candles and letters and specialty tea, bountiful gardens and handmade frocks, dolls and puppets. Amy tells us how the family's Tasha Tudor Society keeps the spirit of Tasha alive among her many international fans.Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for
the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers
and community members who support this work. -
Script, Audio Production/Editing, Narration: Donna Blackney; Production Assistance and Executive Producing: Lissa Weinmann.
Commentary/Research: Nancy Olson with additional research from: Marilyn Blackwell (U. Mass Amherst), Dan DeWalt (also original piano composition and performance) and Rolf Parker-Houghton. Voice of Clarina: Shannon Ward; Voice of Sen. Joseph Barrett: John LoggiaOur theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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Audio Production and Narration: Donna Blackney, with assistance from Sandy Rouse of the Brattleboro Literary Festival. Executive Producer, Lissa Weinmann. Mastering for podcast Alec Pombriant from Brattleboro Words Trail segments mastered by Guilford Sound. Theme music Ty Gibbons.
Interviews and Readings:
Beena Kamlani, Bellowâs long-term editor at Viking Penguin Press reading: A Race Against Time by Beena Kamlani 2015https://lithub.com/a-race-against-time-editing-saul-bellows-last-novel/ Photo of Beena Kamlani and Saul Bellow provided courtesy of Beena Kamani and Lit Hub
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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This episode was researched, produced and narrated by Donna Blackney with production assistance from Sandy Rouse of the Brattleboro Literary Festival. Mixing and mastering was done by Alec Pombriant from masters done for Brattleboro Words Trail app for Guilford Sound. Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Executive Producer, LIssa Weinmann. Many thanks to Saul Bellowâs biographer Zachary Leader, his long-time editor at Viking Penguin Press Beena Kamlani, his friend Larry Simons and the Howard County Poetry and Literature Society for their archival footage of Bellow and help.
For more info on Project, visit BrattleboroWords.org.
All audio clips of Saul Bellow from The Writing Life with Saul Bellow are reproduced by permission of HoCoPoLitSo, the Howard County Poetry and Literature Society, www.hocopolitso.org. To hear the entire interview, visit www.youtube.com/hocopolitso.
Excerpt(s) from HENDERSON THE RAIN KING by Saul Bellow, copyright © 1958, 1959, 1974, renewed © 1986, 1987 by Saul Bellow. Used by permission of Viking Books, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.
Excerpt(s) from HERZOG by Saul Bellow, copyright © 1961, 1963, 1964, renewed 1989, 1991, 1992 by Saul Bellow. Used by permission of Viking Books, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.
Excerpts from RAVELSTEIN by Saul Bellow. Copyright © 2000 by Saul Bellow, used by permission of The Wylie Agency LLC.
References:
The Life of Saul Bellow: To Fame and Fortune 1915-1964 uby Zachary Leader. Published by Knopf 2015.
The Life of Saul Bellow: Love and Strife 1965-2005 dby Zachary Leader. Published by Knopf 2018.
Saul Bellow: Letters, by Saul Bellow (Author), Benjamin Taylor (Editor) Penguin Books 2012
âVermont: The Good Placeâ from There Is Simply Too Much To Think About, a collection of essays by Saul Bellow. Edited by Benjamin Taylor. Penguin Books 2016. Copyright 2015 Janis Bellow.
A Race Against Time by Beena Kamlani 2015 https://lithub.com/a-race-against-time-editing-saul-bellows-last-novel/
Episode Photo: Courtesy of the Nobel Prize
Music:
Part 1: âNow or Neverâ by Michael Vignola (storyblocks.com)
Part 2: âBacked Vibes Cleanâ by Kevin MacLeod (freemusicarchive.org)
âCool Jazzâ by Bobby Cole (storyblocks.com)
Part 3: âJust A Thoughtâ by Michael Vignola (storyblocks.com)
âEmpty Daysâ by Alan Spiljak (freemusicarchive.org)
Part 4: âJust A Thoughtâ by Michael Vignola (storyblocks.com)
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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Chuck Collins, a nationally acclaimed, Guilford, Vermont based writer and economic inequality activist, shares the story of how 'the seeds were planted' for his lifelong interest in uprooting the growing economic inequality that is subverting American democracy. The piece includes an overview of his family history. He details the books he's written, organizations he's formed such as Inequality.org and his program at the Institute for Policy Studies.
Collins describes how the Covid pandemic 'supercharged' the wealth gap and how climate change and inequality are 'webbed together.' He speaks of his early work helping mobile home owners in Western Mass buy the land under their homes and the fruits of these housing efforts. He also discusses his ties to the southern Vermont and western Massachusetts area and shares a bit of life on Springs Farm along with its history as a 'water-cure' and water bottling facility in the past. He discusses the need to 'rewire the economy toward shared prosperity' and how 'wealth dynasties' are increasingly undermining everything we care about.
Collins has published his first novel, Altar to an Erupting Sun, Green Writers Press, in May 2023.
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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This episode was produced by Reggie Martell with Nancy Olson and Lissa Weinmann. Editing and narration by Reggie Martell. Original mix and master Guilford Sound; Podcast mastering by Jack Pombriant. Brattleboro Words Trail theme music Ty Gibbons. Photograph of Jody Williams is by Annie Leibovitz. For further reading on Jody Williams, see her book: My Name is Jody Williams: A Vermont Girl's Winding Path to the Nobel Peace Prize, published in 2013, University of California Press. Also see current work Jody supports at https://www.stopkillerrobots.org
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
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This trailer podcast was produced by LIssa Weinmann and Jack Pombriant with help from Sally Seymour. The Brattleboro Words Trail theme song is by Ty Gibbons. The Trail is a product of the Brattleboro Words Project, which was inspired and supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities. It has worked with hundreds of local citizens to produce more than 100 audio stories linked to places one can explore through a free, gps-triggered app and website, 'Brattleboro Words Trail'. Large ceramic landscape murals exhibited in the town are updated as new content is added; Free printed maps based on the murals guide folks along. The Project also published a 278-page, richly illustrated companion book called "Print Town: Brattleboro's Legacy of Words." Lissa Weinmann directs the Brattleboro Words Project with an Advisory Team comprised of William Edelglass PhD, Shanta Lee, Starr LaTronica, Rolf Parker-Houghton and Sally Seymour. Partners in the Project include the Brattleboro Literary Festival, Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro Historical Society, Write Action. Marlboro College was a principal partner until it closed in 2020. The Vermont Folklife Center is now the Brattleboro Words Project's fiscal sponsor.
Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council and the hundreds of volunteers and community members who support this work.
