Where We Live

If you discovered a note from a loved one marked “burn without opening,” would you read it?

Author and former journalist Paul T. O'Connor did. He joins us to discuss the decision that sent him on a years-long search for the truth about his mother's past, chronicled in his new book, “The Missing Child.”

And later, we learn how Connecticut residents can begin uncovering their own family stories.

Guests:

• P...

Attendance in church pews has bounced back since COVID-19 pandemic lows. And many of these attendees are young worshippers, looking for religious community.

Today, church researchers and writers join us to help us understand why so many people are coming back to church.

Plus, are nuns having a moment? It certainly seems like it!

The Catholic Church is seeing an increase in interest in religious life, specifically the lives of relig...

Finding affordable housing is a huge challenge in Connecticut. Could part of this problem be how housing is built and designed?

Architects aren’t just thinking about how to design better, more efficient homes. They’re thinking about how to design homes with community and affordability in mind. Today, we hear how architects are working to build better homes and communities across the state.

Plus, an update from the ...

In the last month we have seen a flurry of warnings that lettuce might be infected with cyclosporiasis. To date, there have been over 60 cases here in Connecticut.

Wildfires from the west brought smoke to the East Coast, leading to air quality warnings and recommendations for residents to stay inside, if they can.

Today, we get updates on these public health situations, and hear what you need to do to stay well.

GUESTS:

• D...

Connecticut poet Rohanna Ssanyu Delossantos has a new chapbook, “The Marabou Who Crossed the Sea,” a collection inspired by her family's roots in Uganda and her own experience growing up between cultures.

What do we inherit from the places our parents left behind?

Connecticut poet Rohanna Ssanyu Delossantos discusses her new chapbook, “The Marabou Who Crossed the Sea,” a collection inspired by her family's r...

As educators prepare to support students in the upcoming school year, some are facing a new challenge: how to respond to immigration enforcement.

Early research shows that many students are grappling with fear and anxiety when it comes to the threats of ICE arrests. This has already started to impact school performance and attendance.

Today, we hear what educators are doing to prepare and respond to ICE presence on campus.

Plu...

Author Celeste Ng is familiar with the push and pull of adolescence.

In May, Ng had a conversation with Simsbury High School students and Where We Live host Catherine Shen. Students at Simsbury High School recently launched a documentary initiative called “Make Us Count,” inspired by the themes of identity and belonging in Celeste Ng’s books. Today, we listen back to that conversation

Lis...

The World Cup has come to a close, but soccer's impact reaches far beyond this global tournament.

This hour, we explore how the sport has grown from a niche pastime in America to our most popular youth sport – and why it's often called the world's universal language.

From immigrant communities to local professional clubs and the sport's very passionate supporters, we'll look at how soccer creates spaces where people from diff...

Do you still make a list of all the things you want to do before the summer’s end? We sure do!

Today, we will share some of our favorite summer happenings around the state and we want to hear yours too!

Connecticut Public pals Frankie Graziano and Francesca Fontanez join us to share their favorite summer spots. These Connecticut natives have all the best tips and secrets to making the most of your summer.

GUEST...

In 2025, there were nearly 200 animal cruelty cases in Connecticut.

Ten years ago, Connecticut passed “Desmond’s Law” a landmark animal welfare bill that allows attorneys to advocate for animals involved in abuse.

Animal abuse and neglect is complicated. Hoarding cases might start small, but getting out of hand very quickly. Local shelters can be a first line of defense against these situations.

Today, w...

Up to 80% of women will develop uterine fibroids by age 50, but many people still don’t know what they are or how they can affect daily life.

This hour, we break down the basics of fibroids, from symptoms and diagnosis to the treatment options available.

And later, as summer temperatures rise, we hear from an emergency physician about how extreme heat affects the body and who is most at risk. Plus, we learn practica...

It takes a lot of work to help preserve Connecticut's nearly 140 parks and forests. Today, we learn what that looks like across our state.

We hear from the Connecticut Forest and Park Association and learn about their efforts to pass down land stewardship to the next generation.

Plus, Connecticut state parks are a treasure trove of Indigenous history. A local author shares their guide on hiking Indigenous ...

The US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on June 25, 2026. The US Supreme Court on Thursday backed a Trump administration move to strip deportation protections from some 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians living in the United States. The conservative-dominated court, in a 6-3 ruling, said the Department of Homeland Security's decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian and Syrian immigrants was not subject to judici...

Arthur Sze took an non-traditional path to becoming the U.S. Poet Laureate.

Born in 1950 to Chinese immigrants, his family wanted him to pursue a safe career path that would assure security and prosperity. But while studying at MIT, he felt the call to write and study poetry; a call that changed the trajectory of his life.

Sze spent his career translating traditional Chinese poetry. He also taught at the I...

How will you preserve your family history? Maybe through journaling or family movies? What about grabbing an audio recorder?

Today, we’ll hear all about oral history projects in Connecticut that are recording stories for posterity. Later on, we’ll also hear how the Yiddish language and its dialects are being preserved.

Guests:

• Katie Heidsiek: Director of Exhibitions for the Connecticut Mu...

When you look around your room, what do you see? More specifically, what do you see that you love? Is it a cool souvenir? Maybe a seashell? Or a family photo that always brings back good memories?

Connecticut-based interior designer and textile artist Sophie von Oertzen Williamson uses tension, textiles and lots of color to make living spaces warm and inviting.

She is the author of the new book “The ...

The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit author and educator, believes everyone's life is a spiritual journey.

"We're all on this spiritual journey to understand ourselves, to understand how God loves us, to experience God's love and to give that love back to God and to other people," he said.

Martin is the author of the new book, “Work in Progress: Confessions of a busboy, dishwasher, caddy, usher, factory w...

Breathe deep and think: What do you smell right now? The sweetness of the spring air? The smoky smells of the highway?

Our noses give us key clues about the environment and provide a critical daily link to some of our most cherished memories.

But smell, and its control over culture and politics, is often undervalued and misunderstood.

Today, we take a nose dive into the olfactory, exploring how humanity has used smell to communicat...