A people’s history of WPLN

Today we talk about our station's history through your eyes - from that first day to where we are now, how long have you been listening and why?WPLN's first broadcast was on December 17, 1962, and lasted for just 12 hours. Back then, programming consisted of classical music, local content, and informational programs from sources all over the world. This year the station celebrates its 63rd birthday, and we've come a long way from our first studio in the Richland Park library. Join us!This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.Guests Nina Cardona, morning host, WPLN Jama Mohamed, listener and community member Tia Sillers, Grammy award winning songwriter, listener Further Reading and Listening You can find some archived WPLN broadcasts from 1995-2007 online at the American Archive of Public Broadcast. In 2012, Nina Cardona wrote about WPLN's 50th anniversary. Listen to This is Nashville celebrate sixty years of WPLN in December 2022.

Were you lucky enough to have someone read you bedtime stories when you were young? Did you still remember that one book you read in middle school that made you feel like someone out there completely understood you? Books give kids a special way to learn, explore and think about how they fit into a world that can feel very big to them.Today, we’re speaking with local authors who write for young readers. We'll hear about their latest books and what it’s really like to create stories and worlds that capture the attention of young readers — but can speak to all of us.Today's episode was produced by Katherine Ceicys.GUESTS: Rachel Tawil Kenyon, author You Know How To Love Doan Phuong  Nguyen, author A Two Placed Heart  Julian Vaca, author The Memory Index

“Does it bring joy, and can it impact the community?” That’s the litmus test for Soccer Moses, aka the Handsomizer, aka Stephen Mason.Outside of Nashville, he might be better known as the lead guitarist for one of the top Christian rock bands of the ‘90s, Jars of Clay. But whether he’s playing on stage, cutting hair or dressed in a full Moses costume at a Nashville SC game, he’s always trying to figure out how he can use his exuberance and his platform for good.This episode was produced by Emily Siner.

Some people who have come close to death or who have clinically died and been resuscitated report having had a profound out-of-body experience called a Near Death Experience (NDE). Today we’ll meet the topic of NDEs and a conversation about life and death with open curiosity and compassion.We’ll hear from an NDE researcher and speak with an end-of-life doula about how she serves those who are close to death as well as her perspective on NDEs. And our phone lines are open: 615-760-2000. Join us!Today’s episode was produced by Katherine Ceicys.GUEST: Wilka Roig | Transpersonal psychologist, End-of-Life doula, educator with International End of Life Doula Association (INDELA)

Pedestrian deaths skyrocketed in Nashville during the pandemic.Although recent trends appear promising, the scar left behind still lingers. Advocates for pedestrian safety responded to the ongoing issue by crafting, painting and placing wooden doves around the city, marking where pedestrians were hit. They, along with Diana Alarcon, the director of the Nashville Department of Transformation, join This Is Nashville to update Nashvillians on the issues around pedestrian safety. Additionally, they will discuss improvements underway in Davidson County, and how pedestrians who survived hit-and-runs still face hurdles years later.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. Guests:Joan Kite, hit-and-run survivor, advocateAnonymous advocateDiana Alarcon, Nashville Department of Transportation directorFurther reading: Nashville set another pedestrian fatality record in 2022Police are searching for hit-and-run drivers after a deadly month for Nashville pedestriansYou asked, we answered: Your guide to Nashville's 2024 transit referendum

Last month, we explored the first point of contact between people experiencing homelessness and outreach workers, service providers and the police.Today, we look at what happens after establishing that first contact. We talk to our guests about the importance of relationship building and the role trust plays when working with the unhoused population. Nashville Public Radio's daily show, This Is Nashville, presents the second season of In My Place — a series about finding home in our growing city. In My Place educates listeners on what communities like Nashville can do to prevent and end homelessness — while caring for our neighbors who are still unhoused. Over the course of nine monthly episodes, we will talk to people who still experience homelessness. We will learn about what it feels like to access services and maneuver through the complexities of our local homelessness and health care systems on the path to housing. We will discuss with our guests what services work, what resources are missing, and their ideas for improving access to housing and services.This series was created thanks in part to support from Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and was produced by Judy Tackett and Tasha A.F. Lemley.Guests: Devon “Black Dragon” Howard, lived experience; Community Care Fellowship Ryan Lampa, executive director, People Loving Nashville Alonzo Cheeks, board Member of Project Return Rico X, CEO of Project Return

Even at a young age, we have the power to influence and shape the world around us. That’s been true for Ella Brinen, a 19-year-old who’s currently lobbying state lawmakers to pass a “foster youth bill of rights” based on her own experience in the foster care system. As a high schooler, she led student protests around gun violence. Today, we talk to her about the process of writing a bill, advice for aging out of foster care, and the moment when she realized she could use her voice for good.This episode was produced by Emily Siner.

If you're reading the headlines, it may be hard to keep up with all the back and forth of the Trump administration’s tariff policy. Today we dissect what’s happening right now and look at the real and potential effect these taxes will have on businesses and consumers.Plus, WPLN environmental reporter Caroline Eggers updates us on new state legislation that could impact Tennessee's wetlands.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.Guests Caroline Eggers, environmental reporter, WPLN Renee Moore Williams, owner and manager, Moore Family Century Farm (Benton County) Dr. Steven Livingston, political science professor & Associate Director of the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at MTSU

First up, we take a quick trip around Scarritt Bennett to discover what this 100-year-old institution has to offer. Hint: It's much more than a great wedding location. After that, we check in with NECAT to learn more about their brand-new documentary, "It’s All Connected: The Art of Sustainability." This episode was produced by Khalil Ekulona.Guests Sondrea Tolbert, Executive Director, Scarritt Bennett Center Rev. Kelli X, M.Div., Director of Racial Justice Ministries, Scarritt Bennett Center Linda Furtado, Director of Spirituality and Arts, Scarritt Bennett Center Cameron McCasland, Director, NECAT Network Further reading and watchingWatch the trailer for "It’s All Connected: The Art of Sustainability" on YouTube and register for the premiere on March 22, 2025 here.

 After 43 years under the same editor, the literary magazine — which had once published the work of Southern writers like Flannery O’Connor, Eudora Welty and William Faulkner — had fallen into a slump.But, in 2016, Nashville-based writer Adam Ross took over as editor. Since then, the review has seen a revival. Ross has brought the previously print-only journal into the digital age — it now has a website, an Instagram, a podcast — and has published the work of contemporary literary giants.In this episode, we hear from the review’s editorial staff and a recently published writer about the review's history and the value of a literary magazines, plus excerpts from pieces published in the review itself.This episode was produced by Cynthia Abrams.Guests Adam Ross, editor of the Sewanee Review Kanak Kapur, writer and graduate of Vanderbilt's MFA program Luke Gair, associate editor of the Sewanee Review Brighid Griffin, assistant editor of the Sewanee Review Kate Bailey, editorial assistant of the Sewanee Review Further reading "Long Sleeves" by Kanak Kapur (the Sewanee Review) "Why I Don't Wait" by Vievee Francis (the Sewanee Review) "Omnivore" by Vievee Francis (the Sewanee Review) "Till It and Keep It" by Carrie R. Moore (the Sewanee Review) "Mongo Two" by Daniela Garvue (the Sewanee Review) New Life for a 125-Year-Old Literary Journal (The New York Times)