Where We Live
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Where We Live
Produced by Connecticut Public, 'Where We Live' puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines. We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us p...
Recent Episodes
2150 episodes
Taíno culture and heritage celebrated across CT
A new exhibit at Yale’s natural history museum is highlighting a culture with deep ties to many in the state.
It’s called “¡Taíno Vive!” or “Taí...
Preserving stories and languages one oral history at a time
How will you preserve your family history? Maybe through journaling or family movies? What about grabbing an audio recorder?
Today, we’ll hear a...
CT farms are bringing some unique crops to the table
Believe it or not, spring is just around the corner. But it’s been a rough winter for those growing crops and raising livestock.
Today, we hear...
CT native Tory Henwood Hoen explores caregiving in new book 'Before I Forget'
Before I Forget, a novel by Tory Henwood Hoen.
At some point in life, there is a good chance that you might become a caretaker.
“Before I...
As CT reacts to unfolding situation in Iran, what's the importance of community in times of crisis?
In an age of increased isolation and loneliness, what does it mean to be a good neighbor, and build community?
Today, we hear from groups across...
Amid enrollment declines, an update on CT public school education
Connecticut is facing a historic decline in public school enrollment, with enrollment dropping below half a million for the first time in two decades....
Amid DHS funding cuts, is meaningful immigration reform possible?
Speaking at the State of the Union, President Donald Trump demanded a full restoration of funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Immig...
Sen. Blumenthal on his recent trip to Ukraine, plus CT residents send aid to the region
It’s been four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Recent peace talks concluded without bringing the region any closer to peace.
A look at the history of tap dance in America
This hour, we’re exploring the history of tap dance in America.
Tap was first developed as a fusion of footwork styles with roots in Africa and...
Black authors on the spectrum of diversity in children's literature
Seeing yourself in a book can open a world of possibilities.
But diverse books need more than diverse characters, they need diverse stories.
Author Kamilah Cole explores Hartford and Jamaican-American experience in latest novel
“An Arcane Inheritance," the latest novel of author Kamilah Cole, weaves dark academia with occult secrets at a fictional Ivy League school based in H...
Author Melissa Febos explores sex, celibacy and healing in 'The Dry Season'
What does it mean to take a break?
Going on a walk or doodling during a meeting? Maybe turning off your phone and reading a book?
For auth...
CT goes quantum: A look at the littlest things out there
This show either exists or doesn't exist. It's possible you won't know until you listen to it.
Today, we're getting quarky, exploring the weird...
Let it snow (day)!
For students and teachers around the state, snow means one thing: maybe it'll be a snow day? This hour we celebrate the snow day. We talk about snow d...
Passing down Puerto Rican history and culture to the next generation
Nearly 300,000 Connecticut residents are of Puerto Rican heritage. That’s according to Census Bureau data.
Today, we take a look at what’s being...
Highlighting the caregiving crisis in CT and beyond
One out of every four Americans is a caregiver, caring for partners, parents, grandparents or children. They juggle living their own lives while takin...
Take a hike on CT's 52.2 miles of Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail spans 52.2 miles in Connecticut and climbs over Bear Mountain, the tallest point in the state.
Today, we listen to an epis...
Medical research's future remains precarious in CT and beyond
Last year, the National Institutes of Health drastically cut funding for medical research. This disrupted the work of academics and researchers across...
This Dry January, local dry spots celebrate the joy of sobriety
This episode originally aired in 2025.
Dry January is a month-long campaign that revolves around cutting out alcohol or reducing alcohol intake...
The mass appeal of black holes, plus local astronomical societies on connecting through the cosmos
Black holes aren’t just the stuff of science fiction; they’re real astronomical objects so dense, so massive, that nothing, not even light, escapes fr...
Americans aren't sleeping well. We explore why rest feels so hard to find
If you’ve ever stared at the ceiling wondering why sleep won’t come, you’re not alone.
In fact, six out of 10 adults in the United States don’t...
Katherine May on 'Wintering' in challenging times
When tough times hit, do you hit the pause button, or do you just barrel through?
Nearly six years ago, amid the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,...
Clarifying cannabis: CT doctors break down misunderstandings
It’s been nearly five years since recreational cannabis was legalized in Connecticut. Since then dozens of dispensaries have opened across the state,...
The cheese stands alone: Exploring the world of CT cheese
The U.S. produces over a billion pounds of cheese monthly, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Connecticut is a small, but mighty,...
An update on CT flu season and CDC vaccine guidance
Fever, chills, fatigue, cough, headache and a sore throat. A new variant of the flu means more people are suffering from the virus this season. But th...
Making Connecticut parks, forests and trails accessible to everyone - The 2025 Katherine Schneider Journalism Award for Excellence in Reporting on Disability
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Yale's Marc Brackett on the life-changing skill of emotional regulation
Success isn’t just about talent or intelligence – it’s about how we handle our emotions.
Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for...
Food as medicine: How what we eat can nourish, support and even heal our bodies
There’s an old saying that goes “you are what you eat.” You might take that phrase with a grain of salt, but doctors agree: what we eat affects our bl...
New Haven author Anelise Chen explores art of retreat and how to 'clam' down
It all started with a typo.
Anelise Chen was going through a difficult divorce. Her career and job security was tenuous. She just got into a bik...
Where We Read listens back to conversations with CT authors
Here at Where We Live, this was a big year for books. Not only did we get the chance to speak with some terrific authors, we also launched our Where W...
Connecticut authors reflect on food’s power to connect us
What meal brings you back to childhood? This hour, two local children’s authors share how their young protagonists find meaning in the kitchen, using...
Music and memories: A game of musical chairs with host Catherine Shen
Cat Shen has been hosting Where We Live long enough for the show to use a fork, and yet very little is known about her. In this hour, technical produc...
CT native Elizabeth Gilbert reflects on love and loss in new memoir 'All the Way to the River'
Connecticut native and bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert’s new memoir, "All the Way to the River," tells the story of her late partner, Rayya Elias...
Amid ongoing gun violence, how are young people handling anxiety?
From a mass shooting in Australia that left 15 people dead, to a shooting at Brown University that killed two students, the world has been rocked by g...
A celebration of Jane Austen, on her 250th birthday
Tuesday is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth. This hour, we celebrate the beloved author's work, and look at why her six novels have endure...
The ghostly side of Christmas
Why does Christmas bring out the ghosts?
This hour, we dig into the world of Charles Dickens and Mark Twain, and the Victorian obsession with sp...
What's it like to live with a chronic illness?
Millions of people in our country live with a chronic condition.
From syndromes affecting our hearts and brains, to pain and inflammation, chron...
CT doctors react to CDC's changing pediatric vaccine recommendations
Changing federal guidance on vaccines has Connecticut health officials in an uproar.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine committee...
'Generation Gilmore Girls' looks back 25 years later
"Gilmore Girls" premiered in October 2000 on The WB network. The series filled a niche at the time: female leads, three generations of women, and witt...
Is car stress driving you crazy? We got you covered
When it comes to getting behind the wheel, there’s a lot to be stressed about, and we're not just talking about bad drivers.
The average cost of...