Word of Mouth (NHPR)

Tristan Omand

Tristan Omand, a Manchester based singer-songwriter tells stories of America’s rough edges, his songs tend towards characters who’ve been kicked around by

A Music Workshop With Vinx

Vinx has performed, recorded and toured as a singer and percussionist with Sting, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, and many others. As far as we know, he's

Remembering Ray Manzarek

Back in 2010, I interviewed Ray Manzarek, founding member of The Doors. I was sad to hear of his death earlier this week, and went back to listen to that

Clamoring For Tolstoy...In Juvie?

“Books Behind Bars” is program which pairs undergraduates from the University of Virginia with inmates at the Beaumont Juvenile Correctional Center to read

The #OKC Tornado On Twitter

Brady Carlson joins us to talk about social media's reaction to the devastating tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma.

Why No "National Tragedy" Label For The New Orleans...

From the Newtown shootings to the Boston marathon bombings, the last year has seen no shortage of tragic acts of violence that have dominated news coverage

Word of Mouth 05.18.2013

Our freshest and tastiest content, wrapped up in one zesty hour of radio. This week, "A New View." A political scientist believes that Jane Austen may have

The Routines Of Creative Geniuses

Hemingway, Darwin, Joyce, Tesla and Picasso were all remarkably different in their temperament and creative output, but they had one thing in common: a

The Documentary That Helped Convict Rios Montt

Last year we interviewed Pamela Yates about her documentary Granito: How to Nail A Dictator which details the indictment of General Efrain Rios Montt,

CrowdMed: Diagnosing Unsolved Sicknesses With...

After using email and using a search engine, looking for health information is the third most popular web activity for internet users. That’s according to

The Sun's Blood Pressure Benefits

For years, fear of skin cancer has had us slathering 50+ SPF sunscreen, donning hats or avoiding prolonged sun exposure under umbrellas or shade. Some

Are Trailer Parks The Answer To The Boomer Housing...

The mass retirement of baby boomers could trigger yet another housing crisis. Boomers were responsible for roughly 80% of home construction in the 80’s and

The Hedonometer: A Mood Ring For Twitter

A new data collection tool is being heralded as the first “mood ring” of the social media world. The “twittersphere” has become the home for millions and

Is Journalism's "Golden Age" A Myth?

After every errant tweet from another major news outlet, or the announcement of fresh layoffs from another print newsroom, many shake their heads and talk

A Quantum Internet? Apparently, Yes.

A government lab announced earlier this month that it’s been operating a quantum internet at Los Alamos for the past two years. Which led us to wonder, um,

The Girls Of Atomic City

The story of the development and deployment of the atomic bomb is generally told as a narrative driven by powerful men like Oppenheimer, Truman, and

Why We Love Tiny Packages Of Treats

You know those individually wrapped chocolates that you find in office candy jars and Halloween sacks ? Turns out, the troublesome need to unwrap

Forget Dogs...How About Therapy Llamas?

There are many ways to ease the pangs of loneliness, illness, and old age –among them, spending time with a friendly animal companion. More than ten

The Hard Science Behind A Hit Screenplay

Nate Silver opened the public’s eyes to the power of predictive statistics… now, having already conquered politics, marketing, and social media, data

The Land Grabbers

Large-scale acquisition in developing countries to secure food, natural resources and even altruistic motives is nothing new, but it’s grown exponentially

A Year Of Living Internet-Free

“Internet Addiction Disorder” is a disputed diagnosis in academic and mental health circles, but just try going a day without your daily habit of checking

Word Of Mouth 05.04.2013

In this special edition of Word of Mouth: are we catching up with technology? This week we'll explore the very human way we interact with technology;

Pimp My Cane

We may associate canes with old age and physical decline, but 150 years ago the cane held a much more dashing and flamboyant place among the fashionable

When "Mad Men" Met Wonder Bread

For most of the twentieth century, Americans got between a quarter and a half of their daily calories from uniform loaves of factory baked white bread. It

Best-Selling Trend: The Funny Female Memoir

Lena Dunham, creator of the HBO hit series Girls, recently signed 3.5 million dollar book contact for a memoir. When published, Dunham’s book will share

Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet, Sharon Olds

Throughout her career the poet Sharon Olds has been asked if her poems were true or autobiographical. There are poems about mothering and domesticity and

Game Theory According To Jane Austen

This year marks the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s most celebrated novel, in which Ms. Bennet discovers her true love in a man she first sees as an

Homeschoolers Anonymous

According to the Department of Education, the number of kids being homeschooled nearly doubled between 1999 and 2007. A large a majority of parents who

Hunting For Elements

Over seventy years ago, mankind completed an ambitious map unlike any other - the periodic table of the elements – which contained and organized all the

Darlingside

VIDEO: The New England based band Darlingside has long been a favorite here at Word of Mouth, so on their recent visit to a song writing and music business

What Does Your #Selfie Say About You?

The growing emergence of self-portraits – “selfies” – shows no signs of stopping its domination of the social media sphere. By 2012, 86% of the U.S.

The Centrist Manifesto

Ever feel like the only way things get done in Washington is if there's a crisis? You're not alone. Bipartisanism is driving moderates out of the Senate

The Painful Reality Of Long-Term Unemployment

A recent study from Northeastern University reveals a crippling catch- 22 for the long-term unemployed. Matthew O’Brien is an associate editor at The

Gabriel Kahane

Gabriel Kahane made his recital debut as a composer and performer at Carnegie Hall, played piano for Mark Morris Dance Company, premiered a song cycle with

SNHU's College For America Receives D.O.E. Approval

In his state of the union address in February, President Obama asked for legislative help in making higher education more accessible to American students.

The Trials And Triumphs Of Levon Helm

Moving back in time for a moment to 1976 when The Band released The Last Waltz, Martin Scorcese’s film of that final show at the Winterland Ballroom in San

Social Media's Role In The Boston Marathon Bombing

From anticipated weather events to shocking acts of terrorism, many people now turn first to social media to react and interact during moments of crisis –

Taxes And Your Credit Score

Since its introduction in 1861, “Tax Day” has loomed as a day of inevitable fiscal obligation. As the 15th of April approaches, stresses related to tax

Nature Schools

President Obama’s newly unveiled budget is making political waves…he’s pushing for publicly funded “preschool for all,” paid for with a new tax on

Modern Encyclopedias

You may not know it, but that encyclopedia set you grew up with has a radical history. Published in France in the 1700’s, the original Encyclopédie

Jane Goodall: Anthropologist, Primatologist...Plagiarist?

This month, award-winning anthropologist Jane Goodall was supposed to be celebrating the release of her fifteenth book “Seeds of Hope”. Instead,

Arts On Trial

Throughout history, pieces of art – and their creators, have been hauled into the courtroom. They stood accused of obscenity, extramarital dalliances,

Kim Jong-un Is Working The Press, One Propaganda Video...

A month into a continuing series of threatening ultimatums from North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, the 30-year old leader has an international fever that his fore

Pipe Trouble: A Controversial Video Game

A major spill of heavy crude oil in Arkansas couldn’t come at a worse time for the Canadian tar sands industry - though President Obama has hinted he’s

Word Of Mouth 04.06.2013

We bring you a collection of tasty segments we know you'll love, using the powers of public radio telepathy. This week...we take you inside "The Zone" of

Fight For Your Long Day

Alex Kudera published Fight for Your Long Day, in 2010, but it’s still gaining traction because of its unflinching look at the swelling academic underclass

Sex And The Elderly

According to a 2010 AARP survey, 85% of men and 61% of women over fifty said sex is important to their quality of life. This number, coupled with

Revisiting The Central Park Five

Central Park was New York City’s place of refuge and openness until April 19, 1989 when a woman was brutally assaulted and left for dead. Author Sarah

Cosplay In Wild Places

Since its name was first coined in 1984, cosplay has grown in popularity from a fringe convention pastime to a performance art form... Inspiring thriving

The Bloggess Pretends This Never Happened

Last year we spoke to Jenny Lawson about her memoir Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir. Since then the book has enjoyed time on the NY

Here's What's Awesome! April 1st Edition

Word of Mouth's Internet Sherpa Brady Carlson joins us for a in-depth look into the internet and all its meme-y wondrousness.

The Bunkers of Albania

More than 25 years after the death of former dictator, Enver Hoxha, Albania has more concrete bunkers than it knows what to do with. Hulking relics of a

Word Of Mouth 03.23.2013

All of the pleasure, none of the guilt. Our Saturday show gets you caught up, in a convenient snack pack size. This week….A video game attempts to

Random Acts Of Kindness

Yesterday, I was the recipient of a random act of kindness. While pushing my shopping cart through the aisles of our local Hannaford, I noticed a brightly

The Autism Simulator

Last month, Vancouver hosted the Hacking Health Weekend Hackathon, a place for collaboration between technology experts and health officials from across

Breaking Ground In Interplanetary Reconaissance

The existence of planets outside our solar system was first confirmed in 1992. Since then, nearly 900 extrasolar planets have been identified, with NASA’s

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper

The moniker, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper came to Mainer Aly Spaltro in a dream, and has been popping up on marquees up and down the East coast ever since. Not

Tower Music: Harnassing The Voice Of The Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower has inspired countless t-shirts, souvenirs and sentimental works of art. A new Kickstarter project aims to turn the iron and lattice

Lake People

An unnamed lake in Kettleborough, New Hampshire has an almost mythological pull on the characters in a new novel by Abi Maxwell. Bodies disappear into the

The Lawyer Bubble

Since 2004, the number of law-school applications has dropped from almost 100,000 to 54,000, and the Law School Admission Council recently reported that

Digital Cash Finds Foothold In NH

A digital currency is getting traction with New Hampshire residents looking for an alternative to the dollar. What is Bitcoin? On the front door of the

Why Private Prisons Don't Want Immigration Reform

Thirty years ago, Corrections Corporation of America opened its first private prison. As demand for border patrol increased over the decades, so has its

The Makem & Spain Brothers' Rory Makem

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, we get a visit from Rory Makem of The Makem Spain Brothers, a new generation of Celtic music royalty with roots right

Author Circles Purgatory With Personal Tale Of Depression

Research published last month suggests that major mental illnesses may have more genetic associations than previously thought, perhaps leading to new

The Young And The Jobless

The International Labor Organization – or ILO -- announced last week that global unemployment has dipped to its lowest level since December 2008. However,

Wonder Women!

Wonder Woman has yet to be the subject of a major motion picture. Until now…sort of. “Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines” is a

The Measure Of Civilization

IAN MORRIS, Professor of Classics and History at Stanford University and a Fellow of the Stanford Archaeology Center, is author of several books including,

Media Obsession: Pageant Queens And Pornography

Once upon a time, Miss America ranked alongside the Superbowl and the Academy Awards as one of the most anticipated broadcasts of the year. But in 2012, 2

Book Reviewers: The Gender Imbalance

Last week, we came across an info-graphic that went viral among bookish types on Facebook and Twitter. VIDA, an organization for women in the literary arts

How Twitter Changed Journalism (And There's No Going...

To anyone who doesn’t care to Tweet (that would be a whopping 90% of Americans), the massive influence of so few characters seems unlikely. Yet,

"Peyton Place" Sixty Years Later

Nearly sixty years after “Peyton Place” was published, tourists still stop in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, to ask locals about its author, Grace Metalious.

How Chinese Students Are Gaming The US Admissions Process

The SAT still holds rank as the most popular standardized test used by college admissions offices. In 2005, complaints about the SAT’s limitations led to

"Girl Rising": A Global Movement Through Film

“Girl Rising” is a new documentary directed by Academy-Award nominee Richard Robbins and the centerpiece of a global campaign called 10X10 (“Ten Times Ten”

Sequestration...In Space!

Sequestration cuts to the NASA budget will likely result in hundreds of millions of dollars lost to the Russian government.

This Weekend's Arts Scene

Violin virtuoso Joshua Bell performs at The Music Hall in Portsmouth Friday night, accompanied by pianist Sam Haywood. If you’re feeling Shakespearean,

Give Me Everything You Have

Today’s digital world has turned the feedback process into a real-time drama. Home videos, blogs, book review; once posted, everything is fair game for

Saving Syrian Puppies

We spoke with Phil Sands, Syria correspondent for The National, an English language daily newspaper based in Abu Dhabi. As far as we can tell, Phil is the

The Story Of A 20th Century Swiss Family Robinson...In...

Imagine this: a family of six, living for more than 40 years in an isolated tiny cabin on the vast Siberian Taiga. If this were the 19th century, it might

New Hampshire: The Birthplace Of Video Games. Really.

In 1966, while working for Sanders, a defense contractor in Nashua that is today a part of BAE Systems, Ralph Baer began secretly working on his invention.

Here's What's Awesome: International Edition

NHPR’s All Things Considered host Brady Carlson doubles as Word of Mouth’s internet Sherpa and scanner of the latest internet memes and viral trends. We

The Robot Inquisition

They may not be able to dream or feel emotion, but a recent study suggests that robots do a better job of getting accurate witness statements than their

Cloudland: Crime Lit Close to Home

Between 1978 and 1988, the murders of seven women in New Hampshire and Vermont were attributed to the “Connecticut River Valley Killer”. Investigations of

Dave Barry

The Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist joins us with his first solo adult novel in over a decade – the darkly comic Insane City.

The Curse Of The Golden Oscar

Grab your ballots, Oscar weekend is coming up. This year's category for best actress includes a then-six-year-old Quvenzhan Wallis in "Beasts of the

Elon Musk And Tesla Take On The New York Times

Earlier this month, the New York Times published a scathing article about Tesla’s Model X…the article has since stirred up controversy on the web and in

Making Music Out Of Everything...Even An Intercom

Ranjit Bhatnagar is no stranger to cool projects...he's made iambic pentameter from tweets, and is creating a bunch of instruments out of unexpected items,

How Much Is That Titanium Knee In The Window?

Pop question: how much does a hip replacement cost for an uninsured person? Answer: somewhere between $11,000 and $125,000. A college student’s survey of

Is 'In Cold Blood' Tainted By Found Documents?

Nearly half a century ago, Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood detailed the savage murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. That book is regarded as a

Word Of Mouth 02.16.2013

Our shiniest and sparkliest content, all in one show-tacular program. This week, a Salon writer contemplates the history of "white Southern defeat," a

Dollars And Sex

At its most transparent, Valentine’s Day is a holiday built for consumption. That may sound like a bit of a buzz kill, but there is loads of research

Relationship Advice From Dear Prudence

Dear Prudence (or Prudie as she is known by her fans) has the answers to all manner of relationship issues, handling delicate matters with aplomb,

Tan Vampires

When the band Tan Vampires came to our studios last week, we found them to be mostly pale, and pretty lively…it turns out that their name was a bit of a

Redrawing The American Ideological Divide

Though political parties have long been responsible for drawn-out decision making in Congress, Michael Lind , writer and Salon columnist, believes that

Women And The Gun Debate

Women are a growing part of the debate over gun rights and potential new gun laws – partly because there are growing numbers of women who own and use guns

The Federal Budget Versus The Household Budget

Politicians, economists, and pundits consistently compare the federal budget to a family budget, so it follows that like a family with a stack of bills on

This Week's New Hampshire Arts Scene

Not Spoiled. Well Trained

On Monday, Westminster kicks off its 137 th contest in front of a packed house at New York’s Madison Square Garden, and no shortage of bemused TV

This Valentine's Day, Don't Go Into Diamond Debt

Valentine's day is creeping closer…a big day to celebrate abiding love or seal the deal on a new one with a diamond engagement ring. And now for the wet

The Amazing Randi: An Honest Liar

For the past 40 years, the Amazing James Randi has served as a crusader for skepticism and rational thinking. The magician-turned-professional-skeptic has

The Media's Most Overused Phrases

Breaking news! Experts say there’s a lot wrong with new media journalism. According to the Daily Beast’s Michael Moynihan , the real crime being committed