In early December, we journeyed a few blocks south of Forbes Avenue to visit with Laura M. Schoch, Senior Plant Procurement, Recording and Design Associate at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Listen to this episode to join our tour of the Phipps collection!

It was a treat to explore the Botanical Gardens all set up for the holidays. Laura talked about the Phipps Holiday Magic Light Show, and she showed us the fall & winter train layout, special holiday exhibitions, and some highlights from Phipps’ permanent collection. Laura also told us about what goes into creating exhibits, maintaining and developing new plants, and how different botanical gardens work together. 

Tune in to hear why the Phipps Conservatory is a place you should take visitors to Pittsburgh!

Listen to the interview: Laura M. Schoch

Credits:
Kate Smigie, host, researcher 
Richard Gordon, co-host, audio engineer, audio editor 
Recorded December 2, 2024; WRCT debut December 24, 2024

Recently we brought in Elizabeth Dieterich to talk about theater! She discusses early modern theater, her experiences working in professional theater companies, and what value Shakespeare still holds in the modern day.

Tune in if to hear more about early modern (and medieval!) theater, if you’re curious about the diversity of jobs that go into making theater companies work, or if you just want to know what a dramaturg actually does! It was a fascinating conversation that gave a great perspective on the world of theater and the plays you might think you know.

Listen to the interview: Elizabeth Dieterich

Credits:
Riona Duncan, host, audio editor, audio engineer, researcher
Recorded November 22, 2024; WRCT debut December 17, 2024

On November 11, 2024, we were joined by Christopher Mark Jones, Professor Emeritus of French & Francophone Studies at Carnegie Mellon University, and Marcie Persyn, Assistant Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Classics Department of The University of Pittsburgh, for a fascinating discussion of language and culture. Since the conversation went on for over an hour, we present it in two episodes of Forbes Avenue.

In Part 2 of our discussion, our conversation covers attitudes people have towards speakers of other languages and other dialects of the same language; linguistic and cultural imperialism; English as a lingua franca, and the times you can’t use it; code-switching and what it can mean; A.I. and machine translation; language and media; and the role of education in language learning. Along the way, you’ll hear how Prof. Persyn might invite you to eat, and what Prof. Jones thinks about “Robobby.”

The entire conversation is spirited and enjoyable: our guests, Prof. Jones & Prof. Persyn, provide valuable insight into how language and cultures interact with each other. Tune in! You’ll be glad you did!

Listen to the interview: Christopher Jones & Marcie Persyn, Part 2

Credits:
Riona Duncan, co-host, co-researcher
Richard Gordon, co-host, co-researcher, audio engineer, audio editor
Recorded November 11, 2024; WRCT debut December 10, 2024