North Words
NCPR: North Country Public Radio
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It's life in the North Country - everything from athletes, to artists, and great stories. 010329
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4 days ago
North Words bonus episode: September 2023
(Sep 29, 2023) If it's the last Friday of September, it must mean your monthly dose of an extra North Words episode! This month's radio edition of North Words features two hand-selected interviews plus a special musical performance, perfect for listening on a crisp autumn day.
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4 days ago
The first time Ari Shapiro sang professionally, it was for 18,000 people
(Sep 29, 2023) Folks often define themselves by their career. But all of us have a side-gig that we're probably more passionate about. Some of us work on cars or sew or go fishing. But if you're NPR's Ari Shapiro, you sing on stage for thousands of people.
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Sep 22, 2023
Could you spend an entire year with no internet? Aron did.
(Sep 22, 2023) Aron Lee Rosenberg's new book is all about his year offline and what he learned about himself - and humanity - after he cut himself off completely from tech.
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Sep 15, 2023
Ever wonder what it's like to be on a game show? This guy has been on 13.
(Sep 15, 2023)
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Sep 8, 2023
The poetry of plumbing supplies
(Sep 8, 2023) jim bourey has had all kinds of jobs. he's a veteran, he's sold used cars, he's a former plumbing wholesaler. And all of that has helped his new profession: the poet laureate of Dickinson Center.
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Sep 1, 2023
This is what makes New York State weird and wonderful
(Sep 1, 2023)
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Aug 25, 2023
North Words bonus episode: August 2023
(Aug 25, 2023) It's the happiest Friday of the month! The day when you get two (count 'em, TWO!) episodes of North Words. This one is the full, 54-minute long radio show, artisanally crafted in small batches, just for you.
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Aug 25, 2023
Revisiting the "Las Vegas of the Adirondacks"
(Aug 25, 2023)
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Aug 18, 2023
This is the only SUNY President to become a character in Archie Comics
(Aug 18, 2023)
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Aug 11, 2023
How Ann Sweeten uses her own illness to make music that can help through the healing process
(Aug 11, 2023)
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Aug 4, 2023
Looking back on a teacher who got 250 of her students to write a song together
(Aug 4, 2023)
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Jul 28, 2023
Why this ADKX curator says the Adirondacks have always been a mecca to artists
(Jul 28, 2023)
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Jul 28, 2023
North Words bonus episode: July 2023
(Jul 28, 2023) And on the last Friday of the month, you get two North Words episodes. Here's the full radio show that aired at noon on July 28th. Enjoy these miraculous 54 minutes.
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Jul 14, 2023
Getting intimate with strangers - Why live storytelling matters in the North Country
(Jul 14, 2023)
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Jul 7, 2023
This is why the North Country is one of the best places to fish
(Jul 7, 2023)
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Jun 30, 2023
North Words bonus episode: June 2023
(Jun 30, 2023) Because some people prefer their North Words in full loaves rather than slices, here's the June edition of North Words the Radio Show. 54 minutes of unrivaled listening, and we even cut off the crust.
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Jun 30, 2023
These photos of environmental devastation are surprisingly beautiful
(Jun 30, 2023)
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Jun 23, 2023
Plink! Plink! fizz fizz, this Burlington startup wants you to drink more water
(Jun 23, 2023)
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Jun 16, 2023
Doug Smith reimagines digital art, tall tales, and "ADK Legends" thanks to AI
(Jun 16, 2023)
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Jun 9, 2023
"How can I still make music without being swallowed by worlds that are ugly and dark?"
(Jun 9, 2023)
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Jun 2, 2023
From Willsboro to Juneau and back: travels with Joe, the caricature artist
(Jun 2, 2023)
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May 26, 2023
How the North Country helped this woman find her calling in the LGBTQ+ ministry
(May 26, 2023)
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May 26, 2023
North Words bonus episode: May 2023
(May 26, 2023) Hey, how about 54 minutes and 11 seconds' worth of great North Words content? Here is the May edition of North Words on the radio, long enough for a ride from Potsdam to Paul Smiths, or Plattsburgh to Port Henry. Or between two towns that don't start with "P."
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May 19, 2023
How a flower farm flourished in the harsh climate of the North Country
(May 19, 2023)
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May 12, 2023
How this substitute music teacher got 250 kids to write an original song
(May 12, 2023)
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May 5, 2023
Can a storytelling app bring tourists back to Warren County?
(May 5, 2023)
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Apr 28, 2023
Doug was a Jehovah's Witness. Now he's a comedian.
(Apr 28, 2023) As a kid, Doug Smith only connected with the outside world through TV - stand up specials on Comedy Central and MTV. But what really inspired his own career were the comedians he thought were terrible.
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Apr 28, 2023
North Words bonus episode: April 2023
(Apr 28, 2023) For those who like to drink their North Words episodes from the firehose, here's the full April 2023 episode, brought to you in stereophonic splendor for your next long-ish drive or walk or spin on the exercise bike. Enjoy!
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Apr 21, 2023
From potato farmers to ski resorts: why accurate weather forecasts matter
(Apr 21, 2023) For decades, the entire state of New York was serviced by only 30 weather stations. But for the last 5 years, one group has been working to change that.
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Apr 14, 2023
Is it art or is it something else?
(Apr 14, 2023) The "toilet gardens" of Potsdam have captured the public attention of the North Country and the world. And a documentary that's now available on streaming services chronicles the legal battle of Hank Robar, the man who built them as a protest against the village government. And the question is - are the "toilet gardens" art, or are they something else?
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Apr 7, 2023
The decline of the American newspaper as told by a North Country editor who lived it
(Apr 7, 2023) It’s not every small-town newspaper that wins a Pulitzer Prize. But that was the case for the Glens Falls Post-Star in 2009, at a time when the paper had not only grown in size, but in national stature. It was also right in the middle of Ken Tingley’s two decade tenure as editor. His latest book is called "The Last American Newspaper."
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Mar 31, 2023
North Words bonus episode: March 2023
(Mar 31, 2023) Just in case you have a longer drive ahead, we're pleased to share the entire, radio-friendly, March 2023 episode of North Words with you. Three interviews, back-to-back-to-back. Audio gold. Enjoy.
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Mar 31, 2023
Charles Guy wants you to rethink how you feel about the tuba
(Mar 31, 2023) What comes to mind when you think about the tuba? Maybe a German guy in lederhosen, playing an oompah tune at Oktoberfest. Or a concert band playing a patriotic John Phillip Sousa song on July 4th. Well... Charles Guy would like you to reconsider your image of the tuba.
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Mar 24, 2023
Changing the world one compost machine at a time
(Mar 24, 2023) Spring is here, and even though it’ll be a while before all the snow is gone, it’ll be composting season before you know it. I had great plans to feed my backyard composter through the winter, but gave them up as soon as it was covered by a backyard snowbank. Recently, I had the chance to sit with three people who are setting out to change the composting landscape of the Adirondacks... and maybe someday, the entire state of New York. John Culpepper, his daughter Katie Culpepper (plus Katie's young baby), and Jennifer Perry invited me to join them on John's backyard deck as he recovered from knee surgery. They are not your average composters. They are the founders of the Jay-based organization, Compost for Good, and I wanted to hear the story of how the organization got started and their efforts to create community and compost at the same time.
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Mar 17, 2023
"Why have I come to the Las Vegas of the Adirondacks?"
(Mar 17, 2023) A lot of folks take selfies in front of signs at landmarks, like the Las Vegas sign, or Welcome to Canada or Grand Canyon National Park. But have you ever taken a photo in front of an entrance to the Adirondack Park? The blue line encompasses an area larger than some states, yet it holds a different place in the hearts of Americans than other great natural places. This week on the North Words podcast, writer Matt Dallos talk about his new book "In the Adirondacks," and the inherent contradiction of living in a place that has as many neon signs as it does trail markers.
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Mar 10, 2023
What to do when a former President sleeps over at your house
(Mar 10, 2023)
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Mar 3, 2023
Listening to the Wallflowers and finding catharsis in songwriting
(Mar 3, 2023) Kingston, Ontario singer-songwriter Julia Finnegan might be youthful in age, but her music will have a familiar vibe to Gen X children of the ‘80s and ‘90s. And her playful lyrics call on songs and artists who were on the charts well before she was born - from Derek and the Dominos to America, and from Bob Dylan... to Jakob Dylan. Finnegan’s most recent album is called “Listen to the Wallflowers,” a title which works both as a metaphor, and as a literal tribute to the younger Dylan’s band. On this week’s North Words, Mitch Teich talks with Julia Finnegan about her songwriting, and her life as an up-and-coming Kingston musician.
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Feb 24, 2023
Unraveling small-town American life for people from outside the U.S.
(Feb 24, 2023) How do you describe your part of the North Country to people who live in other places? Chances are good that you’d talk about the Adirondacks or the St. Lawrence River. Maybe the snow, or hockey, or Fort Drum. Or it could be SUNY Potsdam or Plattsburgh. How about Stewart’s ice cream or a pizza place you like? For years, North Country writer Ginger Henry Kuenzel has been taking on an even greater challenge. She describes life in her tiny community on Lake George to people who might never have been to an American small town - and for whom English is not their first language.
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Feb 17, 2023
You are now leaving the Adirondacks. But why? Two transplants prove there's always something happening here.
(Feb 17, 2023) If you ever travel to places like New York City, Boston, or Montreal, it can seem like there are theaters and concert venues on every street corner. So many events going on all the time. When we’re holed up in Potsdam or Keene or LaFargeville, it might feel like the only active culture at hand is in the yogurt in your refrigerator.
But you know, there are always things happening in the North Country, even if they can be tricky to find. That's a problem that North Country transplants Beth Rowland and her husband Tim are trying to solve.
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Feb 10, 2023
Should I stay or should I go? Exploring our hometowns on North Words.
(Feb 10, 2023) The North Country. We love this place, and yet we hate it. It's a conflict that is both charming and one that can drive people away. And it's not unique to northern New York. Writer Idra Novey's conflicting attitudes towards her own Rust Belt town were a major inspiration for her latest novel, "Take What You Need." In this episoide, Novey talks with host Mitch Teich about the book and the difficult questions that lie beneath it in this politically polarized era in rural America.
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Feb 3, 2023
North Words: A sort of new podcast from NCPR
(Feb 3, 2023)
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Jan 27, 2023
First Person: Refugees in upstate NY, endangered alphabets, small-town papers
(Jan 27, 2023)
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Dec 30, 2022
First Person: Upstate's changing dialects, a unique Ice Storm letter, the folk movement of 1969
(Dec 30, 2022)
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Nov 25, 2022
First Person: Compost for Good, Lauren Bennett, comedy writing
(Nov 25, 2022)
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Oct 28, 2022
Surprised that they have stories to tell, some older inmates not only started writing, they wrote a book.
(Oct 28, 2022)
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Oct 28, 2022
First Person: Writing by older inmates, Ari Shapiro sings, Les sœurs Boulay
(Oct 28, 2022)
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Oct 28, 2022
Les sœurs Boulay, making 'the most magic thing in the world'
(Oct 28, 2022)
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Sep 30, 2022
First Person: What did I miss?
(Sep 30, 2022)
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