New England Public Media airs and publishes commentaries from local people during Morning Edition and All Things Considered. We look for contributors in the region whose views will be of continuing interest and value to New England Public Media’s listeners — from the Berkshires to Worcester, Hartford to Brattleboro, and all points between.
Experts in a particular field who have an informed perspective on events in the news — whether local, national or international — are wanted. We also seek people with knowledge of local civics, culture and history, with an eye on little-known but fascinating elements of the regional experience. And we seek non-experts who by virtue of their thoughtfulness broaden or deepen our understanding of the world we live in.
Please email submissions to our commentary editor at commentaries@nepm.org.
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Ninara/Flikr.comCommentator Robert Chipkin says he is, predictably, not too happy with the results. But actually, he admits, he's not entirely unhappy, either. -
Chelsea Proulx Photography/Courtesy of the authorCommentator Nicole M. Young-Martin says she's proud of the resilient life she's lived. However, she says, she's not the spokesperson for the invalid.
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The recent stint of spring-like temperatures in our area has some of us hoping flowers will begin popping up sooner than usual. Commentator Susan Johnson has been pondering whether that's a good thing. -
Andreanne Lafrance/Zanny Merullo SteffgenWhat's next? Both parents and adult kids are facing major turning points more or less simultaneously.
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Commentator Robert Chipkin takes many trips — some to places he returns to often. But a recent one? Not so much. -
Charles Bailey was desperate. His experimental heart operation to correct mitral stenosis had already killed three people and resulted in his dismissal from two hospitals. -
The school year is winding down. Parents and kids are preparing teacher gifts — notes of appreciation, boxes of chocolate, and coffee mugs with apples and pencils in them. Commentator Josh Stearns writes notes to his kids' teachers. But he's wondering: How can we thank them enough? -
Deemed a popular destination in the 1890 guide, "Carriage Driving in Western Massachusetts," there were asters, pinks and petunias, as well as cherries, plums and peaches. And, of course, the pansy. -
Most days, commentator and 5th grade English teacher Andrew Varnon walks to work. He approaches Greenfield Middle School from the back, where he thinks it looks more like a medieval castle than a school. He finds that an interesting coincidence. -
Sixteen-year-old climate activist Ollie Perrault says witnessing first-hand the effects of climate change on her family’s Massachusetts farm inspired her to take action. She says there are lots of other kids her age who share her sense of urgency and have become activists. -
Last month, four people were arrested for trespassing after staging a sit-in outside the Mayor’s office at Boston City Hall. They were calling for a public hearing to rename Boston’s Faneuil Hall, an iconic marketplace and public meeting space. Commentator Nick DeLuca says the protests provide us an opportunity to face some uncomfortable history and he hopes we’ll take it. -
"Don’t get into the cars of strangers," most of us — quite sensibly — have been told. But our commentator says hitching can be a valuable way to connect. -
A fan of a popular 1960s TV sitcom reflects on the dangerous irony he now realizes was stitched into one of his favorite childhood shows. -
An Episcopal priest says some of society's impassioned differences over gender and sexuality might be resolved by reconsidering how a seminal biblical passage about God's image is usually interpreted.
