Notable New England

What happens when the world you grow up in doesn't quite have a place for you? On this episode of Notable New England, I’m joined by Raymond Marra, author of Finding My Way in Westport, a memoir about growing up in Westport, Connecticut, during the 1960s and 1970s. Raymond reflects on a complicated family life, the challenges of feeling like an outsider, and how childhood experiences shaped his sense of identity and resilience. We talk about family, belonging, and the long journey toward understanding who we are and how our past continues to shape us. CONTENT WARNING: This episode of Notable New England has a brief mention of teen suicide and a brief mention of corporal punishment. Listener discretion is advised. 📌 Show Notes & Resources: 🔹 Episode Sources, References & Featured Links 🔹 Music licensing & credits 💙 Support Notable New England: Join our Notable New England Patreon community for a dedicated space to connect, explore New England history, hidden gems, and local stories without the distractions of traditional social media! Get early, ad-free episodes and exclusive perks starting at just $2 a month. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps engaging episodes coming! Or, sign up for free and connect with other lovely listeners. 👉 Join here Gift someone a Notable New England Patreon membership by clicking here.  To make a one-time donation to Notable New England, head over to buymeacoffee.com/notablenewengland You'll get an on-air shout out of thanks for your donation.  📢 Follow Notable New England: 🔹 Patreon 🔹 BuyMeaCoffee 🔹 Substack 🔹 Facebook 🔹 Instagram 🔹 Threads 🔹 Bluesky 🔹 YouTube 🔹 Reddit 🎙️ Podcast Website: notablene.podbean.com 📩 Contact: [email protected] 

Ready for a little Halloween mystery? Explore six haunted houses and historic sites across New England known for ghost stories, paranormal sightings, and chilling legends. From a haunted Victorian mansion in Massachusetts to a lighthouse on a Rhode Island island, discover the eerie histories and unexplained happenings that make these places worth a visit. You might even find yourself wondering what goes bump in the night! CONTENT WARNING: This episode of Notable New England does have some mentions of death and content that might be a bit scary for young ears or those sensitive to subjects involving death, causes of death, or paranormal activity. Listener discretion is advised. 📌 Show Notes & Resources: 🔹 Episode Sources, References & Featured Links 🔹 Music licensing & credits 💙 Support Notable New England: Join our Notable New England Patreon community for a dedicated space to connect, explore New England history, hidden gems, and local stories without the distractions of traditional social media! Get early, ad-free episodes and exclusive perks starting at just $2 a month. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps engaging episodes coming! Or, sign up for free and connect with other lovely listeners. 👉 Join here Gift someone a Notable New England Patreon membership by clicking here.  To make a one-time donation to Notable New England, head over to buymeacoffee.com/notablenewengland You'll get an on-air shout out of thanks for your donation.  📢 Follow Notable New England: 🔹 Patreon 🔹 BuyMeaCoffee 🔹 Substack 🔹 Facebook 🔹 Instagram 🔹 Threads 🔹 Bluesky 🔹 YouTube 🔹 Reddit 🎙️ Podcast Website: notablene.podbean.com 📩 Contact: [email protected] 

Singer, composer, and producer Frank Maza joins Notable New England to talk about his musical journey between Madrid and Boston, blending flamenco, Latin music, jazz, and American songwriting. We discuss his album Back Then, collaborations with acclaimed international musicians, and his upcoming November 5 performance at City Winery Boston—and his hopes for bringing Boston’s diverse musical and cultural communities together. 📌 Show Notes & Resources: 🔹 Episode Sources, References & Featured Links 🔹 Music licensing & credits 💙 Support Notable New England: Join our Notable New England Patreon community for a dedicated space to connect, explore New England history, hidden gems, and local stories without the distractions of traditional social media! Get early, ad-free episodes and exclusive perks starting at just $2 a month. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps engaging episodes coming! Or, sign up for free and connect with other lovely listeners. 👉 Join here Gift someone a Notable New England Patreon membership by clicking here.  To make a one-time donation to Notable New England, head over to buymeacoffee.com/notablenewengland You'll get an on-air shout out of thanks for your donation.  📢 Follow Notable New England: 🔹 Patreon 🔹 BuyMeaCoffee 🔹 Substack 🔹 Facebook 🔹 Instagram 🔹 Threads 🔹 Bluesky 🔹 YouTube 🔹 Reddit 🎙️ Podcast Website: notablene.podbean.com 📩 Contact: [email protected] 

It's time for Notable New England's Fall Arts Preview, featuring arts and culture happenings in New England this fall and beyond. Each fall, many arts organizations in New England begin their annual seasons and I've got the scoop on a variety of arts and culture from music to museums to dance and more for the 2026-2027 season.  📌 Show Notes & Resources: 🔹 Episode Sources, References & Featured Links 🔹 Music licensing & credits 💙 Support Notable New England: Join our Notable New England Patreon community for a dedicated space to connect, explore New England history, hidden gems, and local stories without the distractions of traditional social media! Get early, ad-free episodes and exclusive perks starting at just $2 a month. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps engaging episodes coming! Or, sign up for free and connect with other lovely listeners. 👉 Join here Gift someone a Notable New England Patreon membership by clicking here.  To make a one-time donation to Notable New England, head over to buymeacoffee.com/notablenewengland You'll get an on-air shout out of thanks for your donation.  📢 Follow Notable New England: 🔹 Patreon 🔹 BuyMeaCoffee 🔹 Substack 🔹 Facebook 🔹 Instagram 🔹 Threads 🔹 Bluesky 🔹 YouTube 🔹 Reddit 🎙️ Podcast Website: notablene.podbean.com 📩 Contact: [email protected] 

Learn about some incredible events & happenings coming up this fall all over New England. May it serve as a springboard for you to explore even more fun, fall opportunities our beautiful area of the country offers.  📌 Show Notes & Resources: 🔹 Episode Sources, References & Featured Links 🔹 Music licensing & credits 💙 Support Notable New England: Join our Notable New England Patreon community for a dedicated space to connect, explore New England history, hidden gems, and local stories without the distractions of traditional social media! Get early, ad-free episodes and exclusive perks starting at just $2 a month. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps engaging episodes coming! Or, sign up for free and connect with other lovely listeners. 👉 Join here Gift someone a Notable New England Patreon membership by clicking here.  To make a one-time donation to Notable New England, head over to buymeacoffee.com/notablenewengland You'll get an on-air shout out of thanks for your donation.  📢 Follow Notable New England: 🔹 Patreon 🔹 BuyMeaCoffee 🔹 Substack 🔹 Facebook 🔹 Instagram 🔹 Threads 🔹 Bluesky 🔹 YouTube 🔹 Reddit 🎙️ Podcast Website: notablene.podbean.com 📩 Contact: [email protected]   

Storytelling has the power to build community, preserve history, and bring people together. In this episode of Notable New England, I speak with writer and storyteller ChaChanna Simpson about her Storytelling Sundays series at the Westport Public Library in Westport, CT, a bi-monthly open mic that welcomes storytellers from all backgrounds to share their voices. We also discuss the vibrant storytelling community in New England and why sharing our stories matters.  📌 Show Notes & Resources: 🔹 Episode Sources, References & Featured Links 🔹 Music licensing & credits 💙 Support Notable New England: Join our Notable New England Patreon community for a dedicated space to connect, explore New England history, hidden gems, and local stories without the distractions of traditional social media! Get early, ad-free episodes and exclusive perks starting at just $2 a month. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps engaging episodes coming! Or, sign up for free and connect with other lovely listeners. 👉 Join here Gift someone a Notable New England Patreon membership by clicking here.  To make a one-time donation to Notable New England, head over to buymeacoffee.com/notablenewengland You'll get an on-air shout out of thanks for your donation.  📢 Follow Notable New England: 🔹 Patreon 🔹 BuyMeaCoffee 🔹 Substack 🔹 Facebook 🔹 Instagram 🔹 Threads 🔹 Bluesky 🔹 YouTube 🔹 Reddit 🎙️ Podcast Website: notablene.podbean.com 📩 Contact: [email protected] 

In this episode of Notable New England, I sit down with Larry Claflin, Executive Director of the Salem Jazz & Soul Festival, to talk about this year’s lineup, the history behind the festival, and how it supports music education across the North Shore. Learn how this beloved Salem event brings together incredible artists while giving back to the community. 📌 Show Notes & Resources: 🔹 Episode Sources, References & Featured Links 🔹 Music licensing & credits 💙 Support Notable New England: Join our Notable New England Patreon community for a dedicated space to connect, explore New England history, hidden gems, and local stories without the distractions of traditional social media! Get early, ad-free episodes and exclusive perks starting at just $2 a month. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps engaging episodes coming! Or, sign up for free and connect with other lovely listeners. 👉 Join here Gift someone a Notable New England Patreon membership by clicking here.  To make a one-time donation to Notable New England, head over to buymeacoffee.com/notablenewengland You'll get an on-air shout out of thanks for your donation.  📢 Follow Notable New England: 🔹 Patreon 🔹 BuyMeaCoffee 🔹 Substack 🔹 Facebook 🔹 Instagram 🔹 Threads 🔹 Bluesky 🔹 YouTube 🔹 Reddit 🎙️ Podcast Website: notablene.podbean.com 📩 Contact: [email protected] 

As September 1st, Boston’s busiest moving day, approaches, I speak with Larry O’Toole, founder of Gentle Giant Moving Company which was started in Boston and has expanded to other regions outside of New England. Larry shares the story behind building a people-first business, lessons from his memoir Heavy Lifting: Building a Business with a Giant Heart, and how Gentle Giant helped transform the moving industry. *There is a very brief mention about suicide in the interview (29:56-30:45). If that is triggering to you, you may want to skip over that part of the interview and continue after. Listener discretion is advised.* 📌 Show Notes & Resources: 🔹 Episode Sources, References & Featured Links 🔹 Music licensing & credits 💙 Support Notable New England: Join our Notable New England Patreon community for a dedicated space to connect, explore New England history, hidden gems, and local stories without the distractions of traditional social media! Get early, ad-free episodes and exclusive perks starting at just $2 a month. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps engaging episodes coming! Or, sign up for free and connect with other lovely listeners. 👉 Join here Gift someone a Notable New England Patreon membership by clicking here.  To make a one-time donation to Notable New England, head over to buymeacoffee.com/notablenewengland You'll get an on-air shout out of thanks for your donation.  📢 Follow Notable New England: 🔹 Patreon 🔹 BuyMeaCoffee 🔹 Substack 🔹 Facebook 🔹 Instagram 🔹 Threads 🔹 Bluesky 🔹 YouTube 🔹 Reddit 🎙️ Podcast Website: notablene.podbean.com 📩 Contact: [email protected] 

This past week’s extreme heat across New England had many of us reaching for the AC, but it’s nothing compared to the devastating heat wave of 1911. In this episode of Notable New England, we explore one of the region’s deadliest weather disasters: an 11-day stretch of record-breaking temperatures, limited forecasting, and no modern cooling systems. From people sleeping in the Boston Common to train tracks bending in the heat, and even many going insane, the stories are sobering. With over 300 deaths in New England alone and over 2,000 deaths in the Northeast, the Great Heat Wave of 1911 is a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come, and why we shouldn’t take modern comforts for granted. If you’ve ever complained about the heat, this story will give you a whole new perspective. **IF YOU FIND THE TOPICS OF WEATHER DISASTERS AND DEATH TRIGGERING, YOU MAY WANT TO SKIP THIS EPISODE AFTER THE WICKED LITE BITES SEGMENT. LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.** 📌 Show Notes & Resources: 🔹 Episode Sources, References & Featured Links 🔹 Music licensing & credits 💙 Support Notable New England: Join our Notable New England Patreon community for a dedicated space to connect, explore New England history, hidden gems, and local stories without the distractions of traditional social media! Get early, ad-free episodes and exclusive perks starting at just $2 a month. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps engaging episodes coming! Or, sign up for free and connect with other lovely listeners. 👉 Join here Gift someone a Notable New England Patreon membership by clicking here.  To make a one-time donation to Notable New England, head over to buymeacoffee.com/notablenewengland You'll get an on-air shout out of thanks for your donation.  📢 Follow Notable New England: 🔹 Patreon 🔹 BuyMeaCoffee 🔹 Substack 🔹 Facebook 🔹 Instagram 🔹 Threads 🔹 Bluesky 🔹 YouTube 🔹 Reddit 🎙️ Podcast Website: notablene.podbean.com 📩 Contact: [email protected]   

Summertime in New England is made for getting outside! In this episode, I’m sharing some beautiful walks you can take across the region this summer. From coastal paths and wildlife sanctuaries to scenic strolls, these spots offer beautiful views, local history, and a chance to slow down and explore. If you’re looking for inspiration to get out there, this one’s for you. 📌 Show Notes & Resources: 🔹 Episode Sources, References & Featured Links 🔹 Music licensing & credits 💙 Support Notable New England: Join our Notable New England Patreon community for a dedicated space to connect, explore New England history, hidden gems, and local stories without the distractions of traditional social media! Get early, ad-free episodes and exclusive perks starting at just $2 a month. Your support helps cover production costs and keeps engaging episodes coming! Or, sign up for free and connect with other lovely listeners. 👉 Join here Gift someone a Notable New England Patreon membership by clicking here.  To make a one-time donation to Notable New England, head over to buymeacoffee.com/notablenewengland You'll get an on-air shout out of thanks for your donation.  📢 Follow Notable New England: 🔹 Patreon 🔹 BuyMeaCoffee 🔹 Substack 🔹 Facebook 🔹 Instagram 🔹 Threads 🔹 Bluesky 🔹 YouTube 🔹 Reddit 🎙️ Podcast Website: notablene.podbean.com 📩 Contact: [email protected]