Way Back When

On this episode Big Blend Radio’s “Historic Jefferson Highway” Show we journey to Franklin, Southeast Kansas, to spotlight the Miners Hall Museum, located right on the historic Jefferson Highway. Our featured guest is Phyllis Bitner, Chair of the Miners Hall Museum Foundation, who shares powerful insights into the region’s coal mining legacy, rich immigrant history, and the iconic Amazon Army March led by women fighting for miners'...

In this compelling episode of Big Blend Radio, we’re joined by acclaimed debut author J.E. Weiner to discuss her haunting Southern Gothic novel, “The Wretched and Undone.” Set in the mysterious Texas Hill Country, this genre-defying tale blends real historical events, personal supernatural encounters, and a bold reimagining of the Western and Texas Noir genres—lifting silenced voices and illuminating long-buried truths.

🖋️ J.E. We...

This episode of Big Blend Radio’s WAY BACK WHEN History Show features Mir Bahmanyar—acclaimed author, military historian, and TV/film producer—discussing his gripping new book, "The Houdini Club: The Epic Journey and Daring Escapes of the First Army Rangers of WWII," releasing April 22, 2025.

A former U.S. Army Ranger who served in the Second Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Mir Bahmanyar brings unmatched authenticity to the story ...

From the Minneapolis Institute of Art to the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas (pictured), and even the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain—this shared episode of Big Blend Radio’s WORLD OF ART podcast with artist and art historian Victoria Chick concludes her three-part series on the History of Art Museums, highlighting the evolution and innovation of 21st-century art museums in...

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Books & Authors" Show with Books Forward features Marty Neumeier, author of "Octavo."

Follow the clues as a biophysics graduate and a retired art historian discover a mysterious manuscript in a Northern Italian town alongside works from Francesco Melzi, the last known apprentice to Leonardo da Vinci. "Octavo" is the story of da Vinci’s obsession with a murder, the manuscript that proves it, an...

We all know Vincent van Gogh, but who was the powerhouse woman who turned his failed art career into an international success?

In celebration of Women's History Month, and the birth anniversary of artist Vincent van Gogh (March 30, 1853), this episode of Big Blend Radio features author Joan Fernandez who discusses her book, "Saving Vincent: A Novel of Jo van Gogh." Releasing April 15, 2025 through She Writes Press, this historical ...

Celebrate the end of Women's History Month with this episode of Big Blend Radio that features author Iris Mitlin Lav, who discusses her historical novel, "Gitel's Freedom."  This depression-era book shares the story of Jewish immigrants and one woman’s journey toward personal freedom. It's a compelling tale of women’s resourcefulness and resilience amid limiting and often oppressive expectations.   

IRIS MITLIN LAV earned an MBA fr...

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Historic Jefferson Highway" Show focuses on the upcoming Annual Jefferson Highway Conference 2025 happening June 4-7 in McAlester, Oklahoma, with the Sociability Caravan running June 2-4. Plus, hear about the formation of the Jefferson Highway, as well as some of the McAlester's fascinating history.

FEATURED GUESTS: - ROGER BELL - Co-Host & President of the Jefferson Highway Association - BILL...

In celebration of Women's History Month, this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Women Making History" Podcast shines the spotlight on six noteworthy American Women who made a positive impact across the country and around the world. Featured guests are travel writers Barbara Redding, Jo Clark, Kathleen Walls, and Linda Ballou.

ON THIS EPISODE: - TEXAS WOMEN - Barbara Redding discusses Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson, First Lady of the ...

Celebrate Daffodil Day (March 22) and the start of the spring travel season with this episode of Big Blend Radio's "English Connection" show with Glynn Burrows who talks about his adventures in Anglesey, Wales. 

You can read Glynn's article about the daffodils, beautiful scenery, and historic sites like Beaumaris Castle in Anglesey, here:  https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/anglesey-wales-daffodils-scenery-and-historic-sites/ 

Gly...

Celebrate Women's History Month with this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Lost Angel Travel Adventures with Linda Ballou" Podcast. Linda talks about seven formidable women in history that she admires, with two being inspirations behind her books "Wai-Nani" and "Embrace of the Wild." 

Hear about author Simone de Beauvoir, Ka’ahumanu who was the favorite wife of Kamehameha the Great, adventurer and author Isabella Lucy Bird, Geo...

This episode of Big Blend Radio’s 3rd Monday “Food, Wine & Travel” Show with IFWTWA features travel writer and author Emily Molina who discusses her book, "Tacoma's Tall Ship: The Extraordinary Journey of the Odyssey," out now through Arcadia Publishing. 

In 1978, the Odyssey, a 90-foot wooden yawl, arrived in Tacoma to serve as a training vessel and beloved landmark, standing tall in the harbor. Launched in 1938 off Nevins Boa...

From the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, Connecticut and the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, this episode of Big Blend Radio's WORLD OF ART Podcast with artist Victoria Chick is Part Two of her three-part series on the history of Art Museums. It focuses on the History of Art Museums in America.

Victoria is the catalyst behind the Southwest Regional ...

This episode of Big Blend Radio's WAY BACK WHEN History Podcast features best-selling author and historian Russell Shorto who discusses his new book, "Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America." 

"Taking Manhattan" reveals the founding of New York to be an invention, the result of creative negotiations that would blend the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with the power of...

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel" Show with IFWTWA, travel writers Joelle Machia and Ryan Slough talk about their castle hunting adventures around the world. What started as a visit to Trim Castle in Ireland sparked an obsession that would take them to 432 castles and counting. Read their story about their castle adventures, here: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/the-thrill-of-castle-hunting/ 

Joelle...

Lust, infidelity, and betrayal centered the historically famous Beecher-Tilton adultery trial where Theodore Tilton, his wife Elizabeth Tilton, and Reverend Henry Ward Beecher are exposed for their extramarital affairs, embodying the new 19th century concept of “free love.” 

This episode of Big Blend Radio's WAY BACK When History Show, author Barbara Southard discusses her historical fiction debut, “Unruly Human Hearts” where she b...

Celebrate National Retro Day with this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Historic Jefferson Highway" Show takes focuses on unique lodgings, historic sites and exciting projects in Kansas and Iowa.

FEATURED GUESTS: - ROGER BELL: Co-Host & President of the Jefferson Highway Association.

- AARON PERRY & CASSANDRA RINGEL- Gearhead Curios (home to the first Jefferson Highway Information Center), and Petrol Motor Quart in Galena, Kan...

In celebration of National Women Inventors Month (February) and Women's History Month (March), this women celebrates four noteworthy women inventors in history including chemist Marie Curie, chef Julia Child, actress Hedy Lamarr, and commerical artist Bette Nesmith Graham. 

Along with Big Blend Radio hosts Lisa D. Smith and Nancy J. Reid, this episode features: - Travel writer Jo Clark: https://haveglasswilltravel.com/ and https://...

This shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Global Adventures with Debbie Stone" Podcast is all about her adventures in New York City including the Official Tour of Grand Central Terminal with Wallks Tours, the Ultimate Greenwich Village Food Tour with Devour Tours, and a visit to New York Bansky Museum.

READ DEBBIE'S "BIG APPLE" ARTICLES: * Grand Central Station: https://tinyurl.com/2cree9tp  * New York Banksy Museum: https://tinyur...