Poems From Your Neighborhoods; 'The Wiz' Revival; Psychedelic Mental Health Treatments; The Difference Between 'Good' and 'Instant' Coffee
Over the course of April, which is Poetry Month, WNYC producers have been asking our audience to submit their own poems about the places that are important to them, and what’s happening there. We talk about the project, and hear some poems read by the poets themselves along with Amanda Rozon, assistant producer at WNYC's Morning Edition who spearheaded WNYC's listener poetry project.
Right now, "The Wiz" is undergoing a revival on Broadway. The show, a musical spinoff of "The Wizard of Oz," first opened in 1975, but the story really became a beloved staple in homes around the country when Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and Richard Pryor starred in the 1978 movie adaptation. With an updated book from comedian Amber Ruffin, "The Wiz" is running at Marquis Theatre, and star Kyle Ramar Freeman (Lion) and director Schele Williams ease on down to WNYC to discuss their revival.
When New York Times correspondent Ernesto Londoño was struggling with depression, he found relief from a surprising source: ayahuasca. Psychedelics are on the rise as a way to treat mental health conditions, but like any drug, they come with side effects and potential problems. We discuss Ernesto’s new book, Trippy: The Peril and Promise of Medicinal Psychedelics, and take calls about your experience with psychedelics.
Some people swear by gourmet coffees and boutique roasts. Others say all coffee is good, as long as it perks you up. Novelist and non-fiction writer Peter C. Baker, whose recent piece in the New York Times Magazine is called "The Case Against ‘Good’ Coffee: Instant coffee tastes … just OK. And that’s fine by me," takes calls from listeners on both sides of the discussion in today's Small Stakes, Big Opinions conversation.
