Story Archives of 'Media'

According to Gary Nabhan, if you love something, chop it down and eat it. Well, sort of. Gary's gathered a list of more than 1,000 native plants and animals that were once commonly found in American kitchens, but are now endangered, or on the brink of extinction.

The solution, he says? Eat 'em up!

Whether it’s Kentucky burgoo with squirrel, Hoppin’ John with clay field peas, or pawpaw custard, traditional American foods are part of the natural and cultural history of this nation, and many are quickly dying out.

Word of Mouth host Virginia Prescott speaks with Gary Paul Nabhan, director of the Center for Sustainable Environments at Northern Arizona University, and the author of "Renewing America's Food Traditions." It’s part cookbook, part history lesson, and part call to action to revive America's diverse food traditions.

She also speaks with Stephen Wood, owner of Poverty Lane Orchards and Farnum Hill Ciders in Lebanon, NH, about his own varieties of heirloom apples.

The video game Grand Theft Auto IV hits the streets today.  Controversy has surrounded the Grand Theft series since its beginning, due to its adult nature and violence.  But its in-depth storylines and high production values have helped the franchise sell over 70 million copies, and the new release is expected to be the top selling game of all time. Politicians and pundits have linked every school shooting in recent memory to violent video games, and they are often accused of corrupting our nation's youth. But there is a growing body of research that shows no connection.  Cheryl Olson and her husband, Lawrence Kutner, direct the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital, and they're psychiatrists at Harvard Medical School. They've co-authored a new book, Grand Theft Childhood. Tuesday on Word of Mouth, New Hampshire Public Radio's Abby Goldstein talks with Cheryl Olson about her research.

Video games are also popping-up in places you might not expect, like your local public library. We'll talk with Beth Gallaway, a consultant who helps libraries set-up video game programs to attract more members of the community, no matter what their age. Her company, Information Goddess Consulting, is based in Hampton, New Hampshire.

(Photo by Adam Melancon)

The Internet has helped spawn a community of food lovers - people who revel in recipes and post photos of their creations. One of those people is Béatrice Peltre. She's a French expatriate living in Boston and is, in her own words, "obsessed with cooking, eating, sampling new ingredients, styling and photographing food."

She's a regular contributor to the Boston Globe's Food section, and runs a blog called La Tartine Gourmande. She spoke with Word of Mouth host Virginia Prescott from the studios of WBUR about the images and words that make her food come to life online.

Beet and Potato Gnocchi — Pistachio, Basil and Arugula Pesto

Explore Béa's cooking at La Tartine Gourmande

Visit some of Béa's favorite food blogs:
The Traveler's Lunchbox
Lucy's Kitchen Notebook
Cook and Eat
Nordjus
Cannelle et Vanille
B Comme Bon

(Photos by Béatrice Peltre)

Dean Wareham, author of a new memoir, "Black Postcards: A Rock & Roll Romance," was the frontman of the iconic indie rock bands Galaxie 500 and Luna. He now records with his wife and former Luna bandmate, Britta Phillips, in the group Dean & Britta.

It's an up-close look at how Galaxie 500 achieved a cult following and then fell apart, a backstage pass to his years of living the sex, drugs, and rock & roll lifestyle while on tour with Luna, and a chronicle of vast changes in the music industry over the past two decades. Dean spoke with Word of Mouth host Virginia Prescott about the highs and lows of a career spent in music.

Watch the video of Galaxie 500's "Fourth Of July"

Watch the video of Luna's "Lovedust"

Watch the video of Dean & Britta's "Words You Used To Say"

Read Liz Phair's review of "Black Postcards" in The New York Times

(Photo by muzikspy)