Arts & Culture

In 1967, Katy Payne and her husband Roger Payne were some of the first people to hear recordings of humpback whale song — and the album they released three years later, Songs of the Humpback Whale, became the best-selling environmental album in history. Now Katy is sharing what she’s learned from 50 years of whalesong observation with a group of Canadian musicians, inviting them to learn from and collaborate with whales.

As part of NHPR's week-long focus on artists, we talk with you about what creative projects you've undertaken this last year, and what making art has meant to you. We talk with art educators and creative people from around the state about how they incorporated art into their lives in 2020. 

Read on for art created by our listeners. 

Explore our series, "The Show Goes On: How New Hampshire Artists Emerge from the Pandemic."

Air date: Monday, April 26, 2021. 

A conversation with Sabrina Imbler, science journalist and author of Dyke (Geology), which tells the story of Kohala - the island of Hawaii’s most ancient volcano - and of a break-up, in a hybrid work combining science writing, poetry, and personal essay.

It's our Annual Holiday Book Show, a little earlier than usual given the pandemic’s impact on both the book industry and  how people shop. We ask independent booksellers how they’re approaching both in-person and online sales this holiday season.  And of course we find out what books they recommend for inspiration or a little escape from reality!  How has your reading changed this year? What books are on your list - either for gifting or for reading this winter?

Airdate: Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020

The artist Larissa Fassler is the daughter of an architect, an upbringing which in part explains her own interest in the way residents are shaped by the places they live.

In Stark, a small cliffside cemetery has been eroding into the Ammonoosuc for years – and both earth and bones have been lost to the river.

During a special town meeting in mid-September, locals voted thirty-four to one in favor of relocating Blake Cemetery to a new graveyard a few miles up the road and that work has now begun.

NHPR’s Sean Hurley recently visited Stark to find out just how one goes about moving a cemetery.

The open world environment of Skyrim is beautiful, and one of the most celebrated video game landscapes of all time. But an imagined world can be transformative ... and contain ideas about nature that are quite real.

We revisit our earlier conversation with suggestions for summer reading. Many readers are being intentional about bringing diversity to that stack of books to read. On the Annual Summer Book Show, our independent bookstore owners discussed some anti-racism resources for adults as well as younger ages, and we highlight authors who might have gone unnoticed without recent activism. What’s on your list to read for this summer?

Airdate: Wednesday, August 5, 2020 (originally broadcast on Tuesday, June 30, 2020)

There’s a gem of a plot of land in Kensington, in the southeastern corner of the state, that is usually closed to the public.

But with the stress of the coronavirus taking a toll, the owners of the Alnoba property are opening their arms to the community.

Some people find themselves right now with a lot of extra quiet time in the house. You could  stew. You could tweet. Or, how about you get some reading done? 

Click here to sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates on coronavirus in New Hampshire delivered to your inbox.  

After winning the “Best Comedy” award at last year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival in Australia, New Hampshire native Gemma Soldati and comedy partner Amrita Dhaliwal are now taking their two-woman clown show, The Living Room, on the road. The show, which they describe as “a comedy about death, devised in grief,” will be touring major cities across the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The gift-giving season is suddenly upon us, and our independent bookstore owners are back with the best books of 2019 and recommendations for holiday shopping - including for yourself!  What were your favorite books of the year? All the titles that come up in our conversation, as well as our guest picks, will be posted as soon as possible after the show.

Air Date: Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019

Award-winning author Ann Patchett - herself a seasoned literary interviewer - joined All Things Considered & The Bookshelf host Peter Biello to discuss her latest novel, The Dutch House, writing, bookselling, and how much she hates the Amazon Echo. The interview was part of our occasional series, In the Spotlight, produced in partnership with Gibson's Bookstore and the Capitol Center for the Arts.

This interview was taped live at the Capitol Center for the Arts on October 2, 2019. 

Listen to the full interview below.

Earlier this year, news broke about a painting stolen from an art gallery in Meredith. There aren’t many art heists in New Hampshire, which got us interested in learning more about the artist who made the painting.

It turns out his life story is a remarkable one, with detours through the state prison and a 1988 exhibition that would reshape his life.  

NHPR's Morning Edition Host Rick Ganley sits down with NH Magazine's managing editor Erica Thoits at the beginning of every month to chat about upcoming events.

Listen to find out what's happening in November:

Events mentioned in the interview:

Dover-based band the Soggy Po Boys have a new album interpreting the classics of New Orleans jazz. The seven-member band has been bringing jazzy, funky tunes to audiences throughout New Hampshire and up and down the East Coast since 2012. The new album is called "All In Favor."

The band's singer, Stu Dias, sat down with All Things Considered host Peter Biello to discuss the album. 

More information on the Soggy Po Boys and their new album can be found at soggypoboys.com. 

This show aired October 27th, 2019 and again October 31st, 2019..   

Songs of madness, murder ballads galore, and some mighty fine Devil's music... hosted by NHPR Producer Emily Quirk. 

You can listen to the full show, here:

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This show features a chat with Jake Brennan, podcast host and author of Disgraceland: Musicians Getting Away with Murder and Behaving Very Badly.**

Vincent McCaffrey spent three decades selling books on Boston’s Newbury Street. His shop, Avenue Victor Hugo Books, became famous in the city. After it closed, he retailed his vast collection of used books online.