The Colin McEnroe Show

There are more than 800 miles of Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails in Connecticut. Today we're doing our show from one of them.  Hiking those trails, you can pass an old Tory hideout from the American revolution and, not terribly far away, the sprawling home owned by Mike Tyson and 50 Cent. There are things out in the woods that might surprise you, and one of the guys walking down the trail to visit us today is our state archeologist, who's still uncovering the mysteries of Connecticut distant past. But we're also going to talk about the ecosystem of the trails and woods and about their newest unwelcome visitor, the emerald ash borer. We also hope to provides lots of good hiking tips and a few warnings about what to watch out for. So put on some [smack] bug spray and join us out in the woods.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump's former National Security Advisor John Bolton is a pretty interesting figure in the whole impeachment inquiry, right? On the one hand, he's a pretty high-level official who is said to have characterized the whole Ukraine affair as a "drug deal." On the other hand, he's so far refused to testify at the same time as he's making it clear he's got lots of relevant information. On the other other hand,  And: Carrie Saxon Perry was the mayor of Hartford from 1987 to 1993, and she was the first black woman elected mayor of any major New England city. She died almost a year ago, "under a cloak of silence and no public notice." And finally: After their storied careers at UConn, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird went on to play in the WNBA and overseas. The new season of ESPN's 30 for 30 Podcasts tells the story of their time in Russia playing for an owner with ties to the Russian mob and the KGB.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The news comes fast in the world of the canceled these days. Louis CK is back out on tour. President Obama has a "very boomer view" of the whole thing. The New York Times reports on teens' takes. Meanwhile, some celebrities, rather than getting themselves canceled, are getting themselves arrested. Jane Fonda, for instance. And Sam Waterston. And Ted Danson. And: Bong Joon Ho's genre-defying new movie, Parasite, won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and it's being called "a nearly perfect film" and "the best movie of the year." Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Emmys alter rules to combat America's crippling EGOT epidemic A same-sex love scene was cut from a movie on Delta flights. So was the word 'lesbian.' Radio Host Claims 'Boomer' Is the 'N-Word of Ageism,' Internet Immediately Responds with 'OK Boomer' 'Death Stranding' Is the Best Video Game Movie Ever MadeGuillermo del Toro, Mads Mikkelsen, Margaret Qualley, and Norman Reedus star in a video game that doubles as one of the year's best cinematic experiences. Facebook is now F A C E B O O K Martin Scorsese: I Said Marvel Movies Aren't Cinema. Let Me Explain.Cinema is an art form that brings you the unexpected. In superhero movies, nothing is at risk, a director says. Netflix and Theater Chains Feud Over 'Irishman' Seth Meyers's Netflix Special Features a Handy Button to Skip the Trump Jokes James Dean, who died in 1955, just landed a new movie role, thanks to CGIDirectors say he was the 'perfect' actor to play the role It's Time to Take Down the Mona LisaLeonardo's painting is a security hazard, an educational obstacle and not even a satisfying bucket-list item. It's time the Louvre moved it out of the way. GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani - Music writer for the Red Hook Star Revue Taneisha Duggan - Producing associate at TheaterWorks Bill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart University Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen Wednesday at 1:00 pm Eugene O'Neill doesn't get enough credit. His plays are a form of therapy. O'Neill forces us to watch the raw pain of our human condition, the disillusionment and existential fear that we push into the background. O'Neill's plays are dark but there's a catharsis in confronting our deepest fears and illusions.  Who is the man behind the works and what can they teach us about ourselves and this current cultural moment.  GUESTS:  Robert Dowling - Professor of English at Central CT State University, author of Eugene O’Neill: A Life in Four Acts, and President of the Eugene O’Neill Society. Howard Fishman - frequent contributor to The New Yorker, performer, and composer. Jeanie Hackett - actor, director, author, and artist-in-charge at The Workroom. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter Colin McEnroe and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show.  Jared Todd produced this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are there countries where harmonica players are BIG stars? Why don't more women play it? How many different musical styles can you squeeze out of one of these things? Guests include a lot of the pros: Howard Levy, Don DeStefano and Chris DePino whose odd career arc has taken him from railroad conductor to chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party to professional harmonica player. Also, Wolfie gets an on-air harmonica lesson from these gods of the harp.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump changed his primary address from New York to Florida.  He says he'd been treated badly by political leaders. He was also booed twice last week, first at Game Five of the World Series match between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros, this past Saturday at a UFC mixed martial arts event at Madison Square Garden.  It does hightlight how infrequently the president ventures beyond the safety of the controlled settings of his rallies.  Also this hour: Journalists at Deadspin submitted their resignations en masse last week in a revolt against the corporate mandate to "stick to sports." Lastly, President Obama objected to the prevalence of call-out culture last week during an interview about youth activism. He's being called out for his comments.  GUESTS:  Alexandra Petri - Columnist for The Washington Post, World pun champion, and the author of A Field Guide to Awkward Silences (@petridishes) Bryan Curtis - Editor-at-Large for The Ringer and the co-host The Press Box  (@bryancurtis) Ernest Owens - Journalist, Writer at Large for Philadelphia Magazine and CEO of Ernest Media Empire (@MrErnestOwens) Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watchmen is a limited series of comic books that became a graphic novel in 1987 and a feature film in 2009. And now it's an HBO series from Damon Lindelof that acts as a kind of sequel to the original comics, set 34 years later. And: Today is John Dankosky's last day at Connecticut Public after 25 years. There is just no denying that WNPR wouldn't be what it is -- and The Colin McEnroe Show wouldn't be at all -- if it weren't for Mr. Dankosky. The Nose tries to begin to come to terms. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: I Showed My 7-Year-Old 'Jaws' and I Regret NothingSure, horror movies can horrify children. But they can also heighten the senses and awaken the analytical mind. The Mainstream Media Is Not Playing GamesWith its new vertical Launcher, The Washington Post is the latest big outlet to dedicate resources to covering video games in a comprehensive manner. But past efforts have failed at publications like Rolling Stone and Variety -- so why is this time going to be different? Game of Thrones Creators Chose a Weird Time to Confirm They Had No Idea What They Were DoingAs David Benioff and D.B. Weiss put it during a fan panel over the weekend, during the show's early days, "Everything we could make a mistake in, we did." Kickball Umpire Sues South Carolina Mayor, Saying He Was Fired Over a CallA lawyer for the umpire is calling for the governor and the state attorney general to open a misconduct investigation into Michael A. Lockliear, the mayor of Moncks Corner. Peter Luger Used to Sizzle. Now It Sputters. G/O Media Tells Deadspin Staff in Leaked Memo: Stick to SportsSports—and sports alone—must be "the sole focus" of the website, new management said Monday in a memo obtained by The Daily Beast. Let's All Stop Mindlessly Clicking and Sharing Zombie Links Ten Years Ago, I Called Out David Letterman. This Month, We Sat Down to Talk.It's not often that you speak truth to power and power responds, "Oops, sorry," writes former Letterman writer Nell Scovell. 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' Gets Update for the #MeToo EraJohn Legend and Kelly Clarkson replaced lyrics that some considered an allusion to date rape. Gone: "Say, what's in this drink?" New: "It's your body, and your choice." GUESTS: John Dankosky - Namesake of The Dankosky Building on heartbroken Asylum Hill in Hartford Jeff Cohen - Connecticut Public Radio's news director, which Mr. Dankosky used to be Sam Hatch - Co-hosts The Culture Dogs on Sunday nights on WWUH Ned Lamont - The 89th governor of Connecticut Dannel Malloy - The 13th chancellor of the University of Maine system; was, until this January, the 88th governor of Connecticut Ralph Nader - Mr. Dankosky's neighbor, among other things Lucy Nalpathanchil - Hosts Where We Live on WNPR, which Mr. Dankosky used to do Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance Chion Wolf - Our technical producer and announcer Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Tucker Ives contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year around this time, we like to take a look at just what's frightening us in the present moment. This year, we start with our present take on a past horror classic, Ridley Scott's Alien, which has its 40th anniversary this year. Plus: Ari Aster's Hereditary follow-up, Midsommar, is set at a pagan retreat in rural Sweden. As such, it's seen as a bit of a reinvigoration of the folk horror genre, which includes classics like The Wicker Man and more contemporary titles like The VVitch. Note: Today's show utterly spoils both Alien and The Wicker Man. We use audio from the final scene of The Wicker Man and the very last lines of Alien. Now, The Wicker Man came out in 1973, and Alien came out in 1979. 1973 and 1979 are 46 and 40 years ago. It's on you at this point. GUESTS: Kyle Anderson - Senior editor and film critic for Nerdist Carmen Baskauf - Produces Where We Live on WNPR Betsy Kaplan - The Colin McEnroe Show's senior producer Roger Luckhurst - Professor in modern and contemporary literature at Birkbeck, University of London; the author of BFI Film Classics: Alien Carlos Mejia - WNPR's digital producer Coach Catie Talarski - Senior director, Connecticut Public Radio Chion Wolf - Our technical producer and announcer Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Connecticut's "Second Chance Society" has reduced the number of people going into prison and better prepared offenders for a meaningful life when they get out.  We've closed prisons, repealed the death penalty, and raised the age at which young people can be tried as adults. We've added reentry programs modeled loosely on the German prison system, where incarcerated men and women raise and cook their own food, wear their own clothes, and participate in longterm therapy. Yet, too many men and women don't benefit from the changes: discrimination, inconsistent funding, and ineligibility from programs make it harder for some to succeed after prison. Today, we talk about the challenges that remain with those who know best - the formerly incarcerated.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Predictions of a paperless future go back to the 1800s. Yet, despite a dizzying array of technological alternatives to paper, those prediction have not come true. Whether we're reading, writing, or working we just can't seem to part with paper. But how long will this last? Why are we so attached to paper? We talk with experts about our longstanding love for paper.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.