The Common

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JustBook-Ish in Dorchester is one of several bookshops popping up to provide a 'third place' in our community. Mar 13, 2025

Show notes

When you walk in the doors of justBook-Ish in Fields Corner, it is immediately clear that it is more than just a bookshop. The space invites patrons to stay for a while. There is a bar with a menu of snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. Visitors can take a seat at the communal table and chairs, or snuggle up in one of several window reading nooks.

JustBook-Ish was founded by Porsha Olayiwola, who is a former Boston Poet Laureate, and Bing Broderick, who previously served as the executive director at Haley House. Porsha and Bing wanted to provide a 'third place' in the neighborhood. The concept of a 'third place' is one that’s gained a lot of popularity in recent years. It refers to a space that isn’t work or school or home, where folks can relax and connect with their community.

The Common recently took a trip to justBook-Ish to talk to Porsha about why our community needs more 'third places' and why that drives their mission.

Here are other bookstores and 'third places' to check out:

Trident Booksellers & Cafe on Newbury Street
Narrative Bookshop in Somerville
Lovestruck Books in Harvard Square

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

Comedian Bethany Van Delft on why Boston's comedy scene is 'hot' right now Mar 06, 2025

Show notes

Boston-based comedian Bethany Van Delft thinks the Boston comedy scene is having a moment.

Five years since the pandemic began, she reflects on how it has impacted the comedy industry today from sold-out shows to a fervent demand for standup over what she calls "weird" comedy.

Here are Van Delft's recommendations for a good laugh:

Favorite up-and-coming local comedian: Carolina Montesquieu
A venue for a good show: Goofs Comedy Club in Somerville
Comedy show producers: Men in Comedy and Don't Tell Comedy

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

Answering burning questions in Worcester Feb 27, 2025

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WBUR's Darryl C. Murphy drives to Worcester Polytechnic Institute to see its world-class fire lab. He sits down with internationally-recognized fire expert and head of the fire engineering department, Albert Simeoni.

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

Author on John Lewis's legacy and the split within the civil rights movement Feb 20, 2025

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WBUR's Darryl C. Murphy sat down with Historian, Author and Newton-native David Greenberg to discuss his latest biography "John Lewis: A Life." The book offers a deep look into the life of the Late John Lewis. The iconic civil rights activist eventually became one of the most revered politicians of his time.

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

For the first time, Boston residents get some say in how public money is spent Feb 13, 2025

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If you had $2 million to invest in your community, how would you spend it?

If you’re a resident of Boston, you have until Feb. 15 to cast your vote in Boston’s first city-wide participatory budget.

Participatory budgeting is when residents come together to collectively decide how to spend public dollars. Bostonians can vote for up to five projects from a list of 14 ideas proposed by fellow residents.

Kendra Patterson is a steering committee member of the Better Budget Alliance, a local coalition advocating for greater democratic control over Boston’s budget. She joined WBUR's The Common to discuss this year's projects and the role of participatory budgets in a democracy.

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

This February, celebrate Boston, Black icons and Bugs Bunny Feb 06, 2025

Show notes

If you're looking for some indoor activities during the month of February, WBUR's Candice Springer has a few film screenings to tell you about. The Coolidge Corner Theatre celebrates Black icons, the Wang Theater highlights home and things get 'Looney' at The Brattle. Also, check out a calendar of upcoming events at WBUR's CitySpace.

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

REWIND: Ringing in Lunar New Year with Boston's lion dancers Jan 30, 2025

Show notes

This interview originally aired on The Common in 2024.

Chinatown's streets will come to life on Feb. 9 with thunderous drums and a clang of cymbals as nine lion dance troupes celebrate the Year of the Snake in the Chinese New Year Parade.

WBUR's Cici Yu joined The Common to talk about the vibrant history and tradition of the lion dance in Boston.

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

In New England, climate change is moving fast. The fishing industry is not Jan 23, 2025

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The seafood industry in New England generates more than $20 billion in sales each year and employs more than a quarter million people. But WBUR’s climate and environment correspondent Barbara Moran found it’s not moving fast enough to meet the challenges of climate change, and a new Trump presidency could make things more complicated.

This story was produced as part of the Pulitzer Center's StoryReach U.S. Fellowship with additional reporting from Columbia University’s Duh Linh Tu.

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

Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy in 2025 Jan 16, 2025

Show notes

On January 20th, President Elect Donald Trump will take the reins from outgoing President Joe Biden and make his return to the Oval Office. But this Inauguration Day is a little different than most others, because it also falls on Dr. Martin Luther King Day.

We saw this as an opportunity to step back and look at King's legacy, how he's remembered, and if we'll ever truly see the progress he's envisioned. Joining us on The Common to discuss is Donathan Brown, Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity at Northeastern University and co-editor of Dream and Legacy, Revisiting King in a Post Civil Rights Era.

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

Boston chefs say neurodiversity can be a superpower in the kitchen Jan 09, 2025

Show notes

Boston Globe's food reporter Kara Baskin spoke to multiple local chefs and restaurateurs who struggled with ADHD and dyslexia in school but thrive in the restaurant industry. They said their differences are their superpower.

Darryl C. Murphy spoke with Baskin and Dan Bazzinotti, head chef at Boston’s Blue Ribbon Restaurants and instructor at Johnson & Wales University, for Radio Boston about why the industry supported him in a way the traditional education system never did.

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

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