The Common

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The Common

Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

  1. Summer is here, and so are cicadas

    29 MAY

    Summer is here, and so are cicadas

    From mid-May to early June, a brood of periodical cicadas (Brood XIV) are emerging for the first time in 17 years. Today on The Common, WBUR Digital News Producer Katie Cole tells us everything we need to know about these noisy summer insects, and what makes this particular brood special. Also, we end with a note from Host Darryl C. Murphy about the conclusion of The Common. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

    11 min

  2. 15 MAY

    From the newsroom: Lupe Fiasco makes music out of sculpture

    This week Team Common is bringing you a story from WBUR arts and culture reporter Amelia Mason. It's a story about one of hip-hop's greatest wordsmiths Lupe Fiasco. Lupe, a visiting scholar at M.I.T., has been writing new music using the artwork on campus, and Amelia got the opportunity to talk to him about it. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

    6 min
  3. Talk a walk through Boston's LGBTQ+ history

    8 MAY

    Talk a walk through Boston's LGBTQ+ history

    In February, references to the words 'transgender' and 'queer' were quietly purged from various National Parks Service websites. That includes pages dedicated to Boston’s many national parks.  Among the resources that were taken down from Boston’s National Parks was an audio tour of Downtown and Beacon Hill titled “Their Dreams, Their Rights, and Their Love.” The tour was meant to show how Boston’s LGBTQ+ community has lived and thrived despite oppression and erasure. The tour still exists on the History Project's website, where it was posted after it was removed from the National Parks Service website.  To get a sense of what the "Their Dreams, Their Rights, and Their Love" tour has to offer, The Common met up with Theo Linger, History Project board member and former National Parks ranger; and Meaghan Michel, History Project volunteer and former National Parks ranger.    Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

    19 min
  4. Things to do in May to help you enjoy Boston's blossoming spring

    30 APR

    Things to do in May to help you enjoy Boston's blossoming spring

    WBUR's Candice Springer shares three awesome, local events that will get you outside in May. Check them out: Big Queer Food Fest Boston Public Art Triennial WBUR Festival Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

    11 min
  5. A march to mark MLK Jr.'s 1965 Freedom Rally in Boston

    23 APR

    A march to mark MLK Jr.'s 1965 Freedom Rally in Boston

    Local organizers plan to mark MLK Jr.'s historic 1965 Freedom Rally in Boston by holding a march of their own. Journalist and Historian  Dart Adams is the co-chair of Everyone250. The organization's mission is to highlight stories and histories that often get overlooked — especially during celebrations marking America's independence. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

    14 min
  6. Redux: Slow runner? Join the club!

    16 APR

    Redux: Slow runner? Join the club!

    Martinus Evans' doctor told him he either had to lose weight or risk early death. So he took up running - both out of necessity and perhaps a little spite. Evans has since run several marathons. He also founded the Slow AF Run Club, which is an organization meant to inspire and encourage runners of all shapes and abilities. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

    15 min
  7. Local libraries encourage readers to hop on a retro trend: zines

    10 APR

    Local libraries encourage readers to hop on a retro trend: zines

    Little self-published booklets known as 'zines' have long been a staple of DIY and counter-culture movements. They have deep roots in underground music scenes like punk. Today, zines are having a renaissance, with more DIY-ers returning to the medium to spread information and stories - as well as to avoid increased censorship. The Common recently visited the Boston Public Library's Jamaica Plain branch to check out the BPL's zine collection with children's librarian and local punk drummer, Chris Strunk. Where to find zines in Boston For the month of April, public libraries across the Boston Area are encouraging patrons to dive into zines with their 2025 Zine Library Crawl. Explore these Boston-area zine libraries to participate, or explore on your own any time. Boston Public Library Zine Collection Participating branches include: Central, Codman Square, Connolly, Egleston Square, Grove Hall, Jamaica Plain, Parker Hill, Roslindale, Roxbury, Framingham Public Library Harvard University’s Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America   MassArt Morton R. Godine Library School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University’s W. Van Alan Clark Jr. Library Somerville Public Library (all locations) Watertown Free Public Library If you're looking for digital zines, you can also visit the online archive of Cambridge's Papercut Library, a free and volunteer-led collection featuring zines and other media from over 16,000 independent creators. Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

    12 min
  8. Priests, nuns and cat burglars: The surprising history of Boston's anti-war movement

    3 APR

    Priests, nuns and cat burglars: The surprising history of Boston's anti-war movement

    Catholic nuns and priests led Boston's anti-war movement during the Vietnam era. A new podcast tells the story of the lengths many Irish Catholics went through to protest the war — including breaking into official buildings to steal draft cards. The Common spoke to Host and Producer Brendan Patrick Hughes about his new podcast  "Divine Intervention." Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

    19 min
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About

Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Information

  • Channel
    WBUR
  • Creator
    WBUR
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    488
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Trustees of Boston University
  • Show Website
    The Common
  • Provider
    Trustees of Boston University

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