BOOKS

We find out all about mushroom growing with Julie Coffey of Mycoterra Farm, celebrate Kari Kastango's feat of swimming the entirety of the Connecticut River, and chat with New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, who just so happened to write a book with Fabulous 413 host, Kaliis Smith.

We speak to the director of community-based learning at Mt. Holyoke College, Maria Salgado-Catagena who has been chronicling the Puerto Rican history of Holyoke, hang out with Dean Cycon, formerly of Dean's Beans and who currently has just put out a new historical novel, and check in with Pittsfield Mayoral candidate John Krol

We have Live Music Friday with Ciarra Fragale, playing Hawks & Reed this and next weekend, explore our local and global eating options with Andy Cox and German Alvarado of Smith College Dining Services, hear the final product of what the NEPM Media Lab Fellows got up to this summer, and head into the Wine Thunderdome at Table & Vine in West Springfield with one extra Mike and a whole lot of tradition.

We talk with the New England Repertoiry Orchestra's artistic director Cailin Marcel-Manson about their season opener this weekend, explore the outer reaches of global and local music with the folx behind the Peace & Rhythm record label, and Word Nerd Emily Brewster serves up a few culinary terms that just got entered into the dictionary

Connecticut author Kathleen Housely's biography tells the story of an intellectual and polymath, James Gates Percival, whose geological work laid the foundations for generations of Earth scientists.

We hear the sounds and stories of pianist Carli Munoz, who plays at Smith College later this week, hear about the rebirth and new season of Pothole Pictures in Shelburne Falls, and hear about the possibilities of life on Jupiter's moon, Europa.

We chat with the 4th generation currently running the 130+ year old Austin Brothers Valley Farm in Belchertown, hear about our NEPM colleague Elizabeth Roman's interview with Gov. Maura Healey, take a closer look at the new words in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, and Rep. Jim McGovern rues the plight of mcgoverning as another shutdown looms.

We check out a tiny piece of the 978 in our four counties when we survey the wonders of the North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival, get a teaser of the 690 new words Merriam Webster just added to their dictionary, find out all about Latino Arts Day at Springfield Museums, and hear exciting news from the Parlor Room about a well known Northampton venue.

We get in-between the stanzas of the Tell It Slant festival being thrown by the Emily Dickenson Museum, and speak with Actor/director/author John Lithgow about why libraries are important before his appearance supporting one of our local ones this weekend.

Mychal Connolly Sr. is himself a business owner. He shared his motivation for the book during an interview with with NEPM's Media Lab.