Bar Crawl Radio

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Steven Fechter: "The Big Breeze"

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:18:44 GMT

I spoke with Steven Fechter about his newest novel -- "The Big Breeze" -- the story of Joseph Bye a phenom baseball pitcher who at the peak of his career was hit by a car and crippled. Eventually, he became a painter of baseball pitchers. Many years after the accident, he learned that he was run-over intentionally. In part this is the story of what Breeze will he do about it. But I did not want to ask Mr. Fechter about attempted murder but about baseball -- and an American culture obsessed with its heroes. “The Big Breeze” is a primer on the mind and spirit of the baseball pitcher – and how fame is treated in this country.

Mr. Fechter also wrote the play «The Woodsman» which he adapted for the film starring Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick.

Fechter’s reputation was established when he won first prize in the 2001 Slamdance Screenwriting Competition for “The Woodsman.”

His website states his goal is to “write daring stories that take audiences into unfamiliar emotional spaces.”

Recorded at 5Napkins Burger on Broadway and W. 84th Street in Manhattan.

Alan Winson

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Choosing Humanism Over War

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:48:00 GMT

Rebecca McKean and I started this program asking why so many U.S. Americans call Mayor Mamdani a "communist" and then explore the humanist idea that we all live in individual "landscapes" that form our perspectives and emotions -- and that those landscapes can be re-considered. We recorded at 5 Napkin Burger on Broadway and 84th Street in Manhattan -- speaking with David Andersson, the English-language editor of the Pressenza International Press Agency . We had talked with David in BCR #230 in June 2024 at the West Side Community Garden. And we invited N.J. high school honors student, Jeremy Maletzky -- who I had met at a talk at the Rosa Luxemburg Institute on ending the conflict in the Middle East a few weeks earlier -- to talk about "humanism" and the ideas of Mario Rodriguez Cobos -- an Argentinian, otherwise known as "Silo".

Alan Winson

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3 Witness Palestine Christians

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 22:16:45 GMT

A conversation with three men who recently traveled to Palestine to witness the state of Palestinian Christian communities living in Israel-occupied West Bank. What they experiences was horrific and hopeful. Horrific in the brutality of the young Israeli settler gangs and hopeful in the readiness of the Palestinian Christians to be accepted into a peaceful, co-existence with their Israeli neighbors. Their sojourn was organized by the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center located in Jerusalem. Sabeel organizes "Witness Visits" to Israel and Palestine; participants experience life under occupation in the West Bank firsthand, engage with Palestinian Christians and other activists, and then share their experiences in order to motivate positive change.

This BCR program was recorded at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar.

Alan Winson -- Host

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William Hartung: Stand-Up & U.S. Military War Machine

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 15:15:18 GMT

William Hartung -- senior researcher at The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft -- reads from his new book "The Trillion Dollar War Machine" and talks about The Big Five -- the U.S. military industrial complex using American tax dollars to arm the world and make enormous profits.

In the first half of the program Mr. Hartung talks about the insanity and stupidity of the U.S. arms policy. In the second half -- Bill shares a bit of the stand-up routine he will be delivering at the New York Comedy Club directly after our recording.

Recorded Dec. 27, 2025 at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar

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Anjali Mehta: Conquering the 7 Summits & Gender-Based Violence. Pt 2

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 19:25:05 GMT

Anjali Mehta is a 31 year-old mountain climber challenging the "seven summits" to support international agencies fighting gender-based violence and to bring attention to the rights of transgender girl athletes. In the first part of this two-part BCR program, we asked Anjali about her mountain climbing experiences. See BCR #265.

This program is the second part of our conversation; Anjali told us about her organization "What is the Power of We?" working to unite the efforts of the many agencies around the world working to end gender-based violence. For her next climb, Anjali will carry postcards with their stories to the summit of Mt Vinson -- the highest peak in Antarctica. If you would like to share your story or that of a loved one, you can use this form.

Featured in this series is Nancy Kangas' rendition of Mary Oliver's "The Poet Dreams of the Mountain" and music from Wade Ripka's "Eastern Blokhedz" , "Four Celtic Voices" and "The Shrill Collective."

Alan Winson

BCR Producer and Co-Host

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Anjali Mehta: Conquering the 7 Summits & Gender-Based Violence - Part 1

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 19:09:00 GMT

Anjali Mehta is a 31 year-old mountain climber challenging the "seven summits" to support international agencies fighting gender-based violence and to bring attention to the rights of transgender girl athletes. In this first part of a two-part BCR program, we asked Anjali about her mountain climbing experiences. She told us about falling into a crevice and overcoming the challenges and the joy of reaching the summit.

In the second part of our conversation Anjali told us about her organization "What is the Power of We?" working to pull unite the efforts of the many agencies around the world working to end gender-based violence. For her next climb, Anjali will carry postcards with their stories to the summit of Mt Vinson -- the highest peak in Antarctica. If you would like to share your story or that of a loved one, you can use this form.

Alan Winson

BCR Producer and Co-Host

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Zuccotti Park Redux?

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 18:14:50 GMT

This BCR program opened with a bit of Richard Harris' rendition of "MacArthur Park" and then quoted Daniel Libeskind -- whose architectural firm rebuilt the World Trade Center site; he described the slurry wall that held back the Hudson River after the collapse of the Towers as “an engineering wonder” and like the US Constitution – was a symbol of the “the durability of democracy and the value of human life.” We then asked is our democracy a melting cake or an indomitable slurry wall?

In the fall of 2011 – young Americans took over a private park near Wall Street -- they set up camp and built a thriving community -- and for 59 days the 99% protested the 1%. Could Zuccotti Park happen today?

Rebecca McKean and I had a ranging conversation with Lynne Elizabeth the founding director of the New Village Press -- publishing progressive books in the humanities and social sciences. Ms. Elizabeth was a past president and active member of Architects, Designers, Planners for Social Responsibility, which produced programs for peace, environmental protection, and social justice. And we talked with Wendy E. Brawer, a designer, social innovator, consultant, speaker and the creator of Green Map System. Wendy is one of UTNE’s [ chutney ] ”50 Visionaries Changing Your World.” She was the Designer in Residence at the Smithsonian National Design Museum and a 2017 TED Resident. And she is an active cyclist.

Our conversation focused on the New Village Press 2012 book -- "Beyond Zuccotti Park: Freedom of Assembly and the Occupation of Public Space" and Occupy Wallstreet.

Alan Winson

barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Theatre Critics -- David Cote & Zoe Kaplan

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 12:46:10 GMT

For this Park Bench Chat edition of Bar Crawl Radio podcast we talked about the changing nature of the New York City theatre review and how Tik Tok might be dumbing down the craft of the NYC theatre critic. Joining us on a park bench in the "You've Got Mail" Riverside Park Promenade are two NYC Theatre Critics -- David Cote and Zoe Kaplan. David Cote is a playwright, librettist, song writer, actor and director -- and the longest serving drama critic of Time Out New York. His reviews have appeared in Opera News, The Village Voice, The Guardian and The New York Times – and elsewhere. And with us is Zoe Kaplan whose day job is as a Content Marketing Manager.

Earlier, Zoe demystified the world of work for Gen Zers and before that she managed reproductive and hormone health content for OOVA. Zoe writes a theater Substack called -- Not to Be Dramatic.

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Story of the Amsterdam Hostel: Institutional Dignity

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 19:04:22 GMT

NYC's Upper West Siders might know the 142 year-old, block long, many-storied, red-brick building on Amsterdam Avenue at 103rd Street.

Completed in 1883 and designed by Gilded Age architect Robert Morris Hunt – famed for the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. – the base of the Statue of Liberty – the front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art – this building, on Amsterdam and 103rd Street, opened as the Association Residence for the Relief of Respectable Aged Indigent Females. In the late 1960s, it was set to be torn down. BUT – in time – was saved in great part due to the efforts of two of our guests -- and was resurrected as a major youth hostel inviting visitors from all over the world looking to experience NYC up close and personal.

Former Manhattan Borough President and City Council member Ruth Messinger and Bloomington Historial Pam Tice joined us to tell the story of Hunt’s building -- a story that encompasses the history of NYC – both its wealth and inconsistent goal to provide dignity to its citizens.

This BCR program was recorded at 5 Napkin Burger Bar on Broadway and W. 84th St.

Alan Winson

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Stop the Chop: The beat goes on -- w/Melissa Elstein & Ken Coughlin

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 17:22:04 GMT

“Stop the Chop” exists to eliminate non-essential helicopters from the skies above New York City – because – according to the "Stop the Chop" website: “Tourist, charter and commuter helicopter flights dramatically reduce the quality of life for millions of people in the metropolitan area. They pollute our environment, pose significant safety risks, harm our children, and make us miserable”

It was a hot, second day of summer afternoon in Riverside Park – at the “You’ve Got Mail” promenade and garden. We sat on a bench and talked with our UWS neighbors about their concerns and questions regarding the Helicopter racket that invades our peaceful moments.

Two experts, on the effects of the copter cacophony on our health and enjoyment of the our city parks, joined us -- Melissa Elstein and Ken Coughlin; both long-time NYC community organizers and environmental activists. Melissa was recently on BCR program #221 talking about “Love Your Street Tree Day” sponsored by the “West 80s Neighborhood Association”

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Fasting for Gazans: Kathy Kelly's "Other Lands Have Dreams -- Day 33

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 19:04:00 GMT

Day 33 -- Veteran's For Peace "Fast for Gaza."

This will be the final of the "Fast for Gaza" conversations with peacemaker Kathy Kelly. It was the beginning of a brutal heat wave in NYC; we found a shady spot on the UN side of 1st Avenue. On the opposite side a small group of fasting protestors held signs and umbrellas.

Kathy and I talked about her 2004 book "Other Lands Have Dreams: From Baghdad to Pekin Prison" -- focusing on the chapter "Change Agents" -- when she was visited in Pekin Prison by two FBI agents. Kathy talks about the families and children she got to know during her many visits to Iraqi hospitals during the decades-long UN / US sanctions on Iraq. UNICEF reported that 500,000 children under the age of five died between 1991 and 1998 due to those sanctions. Kelly's "Voices in the Wilderness" worked to bring medical supplies to those beleaguered people.

The music in this program is “Hiroshima Rising from the Abyss" performed by the Toshiko Akiyoshi / Lew Tabackin Jazz Band, featuring drummer Andy Watson.

Alan Winson

barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Fasting for Gazans: Kathy Kelly / How bad is it? -- Day 26

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 17:06:04 GMT

Day 26 -- Veterans for Peace "Fast for Gaza. This BCR podcast begins and ends with music -- "Let My People Go" -- from “System Ali” – nine musicians -- Jewish and Arab -- singing in their native languages – Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, Yiddish, Amharic and English.

My conversation with Kathy Kelly continues as Israel and Iran exchange missiles and killer drones. She arrived at the vigil at the US Mission to the UN a bit late because she had been attending a meeting of faith NGOs hearing a report from two Palestinians and an Israeli about suffering in Gaza of which few are aware. Banks are closed making any normal business impossible. The cost of leaving is astronomical and movement within Gaza is impossible.

I sat down with Kathy on a metal bench on the United Nations side of the street. She opened her notebook and shared what she had learned.

Alan Winson

barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Fasting for Gazans; Kathy Kelly / Joy Metzler -- Day 23

Sat, 14 Jun 2025 16:02:32 GMT

Day 23 -- VFP Fast for Gaza. I spoke with peacemaker Kathy Kelly and former member of the US AirForce Joy Metzler and asked them about their life choices that led them to join the "Fast for Gaza."

Joy Metzler, 23, is a member of VFP and co-founder of Serivcemembers For Ceasefire – US military veterans calling for an end to the conflict in Gaza. Joy graduated from the USAF Academy in 2023 and was discharged as a conscientious objector citing “US aggression in the Middle East and the murderous ethnic cleansing in Palestine.” I asked Joy what she would say to the young US Marines recently deployed to the streets of Los Angeles in support of ICE.

The night before our conversation -- Israel attacked Iran's military structures and leadership. While we sat on a metal bench outside the United Nations, the Security Council was preparing to hold an emergency meeting. This program begins with a statement by the United Kingdom Ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodward, calling for calm in the Middle East.

Alan Winson

BCR Podcast

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Fasting for Gazans -- Kathy Kelly / Madleen Peace Boat -- Day 19

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 11:58:36 GMT

Monday – June 9, 2025 -- 19th day of the VFP Fast for Gaza -- talking with peacemaker Kathy Kelly and friends, as they consume no more than 250 calories a day for 40 days in solidarity with the citizens of Gaza who have been forced to exist on very little sustenance

This program begins with a Democracy Now! report on the seizure of the Gaza-bound aid ship – Madleen – in international waters by Israeli forces.

When I arrived at the US Mission – Kathy Kelly was asking Bill Tottenham -- U.S. Marine veteran and VFP representative -- about his attempt to get big media to report on the “Fast for Gaza” VFP protest.

I then spoke with Kelly about an early morning decision to walk from the U.S. Mission on 1st Avenue -- to the United Kingdom Mission to the UN several blocks to the north -- to raise awareness about the Israeli seizure of the yacht -- Madleen – operated by the Pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

I spoke with several of the fasters as we walked. At Rockefeller Center, security pushed the fasters out of the area and at St. Patrick Cathedral, NYP officers ordering the fasters off the north porch.

Mike Ferner of the VFP promised that for the rest of the "Fast for Gaza" protest, these walks would continue with a focus on the New York Times building.

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Fasting for Gazans; Kathy Kelly / Brian Terrell -- Day 16

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 14:00:00 GMT

This is Day 16 of the Veterans for Peace "40-Day Fast for Gaza."

Since May 22, 2025, I’ve been talking with peacemaker Kathy Kelly who has been fasting to raise awareness about how the citizens of Gaza are starving. It is the day before Eid al-Adha – the Muslim Festival of Sacrifice remembering Ibrahim or Abraham’s readiness to kill his son for his God. I sat down with Kathy Kelly and Brian Terrell of Malloy Iowa -- a Catholic Worker and worker for peace – he was in town to receive the 2025 Pax Christi Peacemaker Award

We sat on a bench in the shade on the United Nations side of 1st Avenue. I shared an email I recently received from Ariella Dubrowin – an American-Israeli – who works as a lactation consultant and who calls for the destruction of Hamas as one step in protecting her country from its many enemies. She had been listening to these podcast and had some questions for the Fasters which were used to organize this conversation with Kathy and Brian.

At the end of the 35 minute program, Kathy reads from her recent article entitled “The Prisons of Gaza and Home – Fast for Gaza – Day 14”

Alan Winson

barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Fasting for Gazans; Kathy Kelly / Global Solidarity for Peace in Palestine -- Day 12

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 22:12:16 GMT

Monday - Day 12 of the 40 day fast -- Veterans for Peace's "Fasting for Gaza.

I met up with peacemaker Kathy Kelly as she was starting a Zoom call with Global Solidarity for Peace in Palestine. Afterward, I asked her about Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, who spoke at the meeting regarding his arguments for a one state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, her fears for one forgotten student picked up by Trump's ICE force -- Columbia student Leqaa Kordia -- and the dangers of breaking the Israeli blockade of Gaza by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

I will be speaking with Kathy as she continues her 250 calorie-a-day fast about her concerns with the state of humanity. Let me know if there are any questions you would like to ask Kathy.

Alan Winson -- barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Fasting for Gazans; Kathy Kelly / Mike Ferner -- Day 9

Fri, 30 May 2025 20:15:20 GMT

Friday - Day 9 of the 40 day fast -- Veterans for Peace's "Fasting for Gaza." When I arrived at the US Mission across from the United Nations in Manhattan, a dozen peace activists where facing 1st Avenue with their signs calling Israel and the United States to feed the Palestinians of Gaza. I first spoke with Mike Ferner -- Mike Ferner – a Vietnam War Veteran and former city council member of Toledo, Ohio, author, and peace activist – who had protested US war and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. We talked about not eating; Mike was holding up quite well with his 250 calorie-a-day diet.

I then had a longer conversation with Ms. Kelly who reported on her meeting with the Irish Ambassador to the United Nations and the need for Israel to uphold trade deals with the European Union. She explained how the Irish people understood starvation and famine in their genes and that young Irish artists -- the rap group KneeCap -- support a Palestinian state.

If you have any questions for Kathy Kelly -- email me -- Alan Winson -- at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Fasting for GAZANS -- Kathy Kelly -- Day 6

Wed, 28 May 2025 16:35:41 GMT

I am talking with peace activist and Nobel Peace nominee Kathy Kelly as she fasts for 40 days in solidarity with the Palestinian people starving in Gaza. This is the sixth day of her fast.

I first spoke with Catholic Worker Martha Hennessy -- granddaughter of Dorothy Day -- about the portrait of the U.S. President glowering behind the streetside glass wall of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.

I then found Ms. Kelly who was accompanied by about 15 other supporters of the Veterans for Peace protest of the Israeli food blockade to Gaza. Kathy shared her approach to a long fast and the work that she continues to end war. She also commented on the recent -- suspect -- efforts by the Israeli government to bring food to the Palestinians in Gaza.

I will talk to Kathy again on Friday -- Day 9 of the "Fast for Gaza."

Alan Winson -- barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Fasting for GAZANS -- Kathy Kelly -- Day 1

Mon, 26 May 2025 22:23:50 GMT

A NEW BCR SERIES:

Starting on May 22, 2025, several peace activist will fast for 40 days -- vigiling in front of the United States Mission to the UN. They demand an end to US support of Israel's military and urge the American government to pressure Israel to open the Gazan borders to humanitarian aid.

For this BCR series I will meet with one of these fasters -- Kathy Kelly -- periodically, and ask her to share her thoughts and concerns.

Share your thoughts about this action at barcrawlradio@gmail.com or mike@veteransforpeace.org

Alan Winson -- BCR Producer and Co-Host

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NYC Sleep Doctor -- Dr. Janet Kennedy

Sun, 25 May 2025 16:30:00 GMT

We were out in Riverside Parks at the "You've Got Mail" Promenade bench of our choice talking with NYCSleepDoctor.com Dr, Janet Kennedy. The tourist helicopters were ubiquitous and our UWS neighbors had many questions for Dr. Kennedy about their sleep issues. If there is one thing I learned from this conversation is that a good night's sleep is basic to good health and an interesting life. Listening to Janet's expert advice will probably push you to a more wakeful existence.

Alan Winson

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Gabriel & Diana Guillen at the West Side Community Garden

Sun, 25 May 2025 14:00:00 GMT

A podcast featuring people working for their neighbors.

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Cellist Joseph Darcourt @ West Side Community Garden - May 2025

Sun, 25 May 2025 12:48:15 GMT

West Side Community Garden on May 25, 2025 –

Joseph Darcourt is an American-born Peruvian-Taiwanese cellist who has been honored by three US presidents. When he was 12 -- he debut at Carnegie Hall. And at 16 he began researching the power of music at Columbia University.

This program features Mr. Darcourt performing Bach's Cello Suite #1 in G Major. I caught up with Joseph a few weeks after the concert to talk about his music and scientific studies. Joseph todl me about how he started studying the cello when he was 10 and the two national competitions he won which led to a couple of performances at Carnegie Hall at 12 – and how that experience led him to study how music can be used for medical purposes.

We are Bar Crawl Radio Podcast – let us know what you think of our programming at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

Alan Winson

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Helping UWS Migrant Neighbors

Fri, 23 May 2025 18:36:40 GMT

Bar Crawl Radio is back at the West Side Community Garden talking with UWSers helping those in need on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.Wendy Straus and BCR producer Alina Larson talked about their work for Open Hearts Initiatives and Pastor K [Karpan] told us about his Church on W. 86th Street. These two UWS organizations are doing in many programs to help our recent migrants from around the world looking for a safe place to be free and complete their dreams and homeless.

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Ross Barkan's "Glass Century": Opinion Columnist & Novelist

Wed, 21 May 2025 11:09:27 GMT

Ross Barkan’s newest novel “Glass Century” is a panoramic story of New York City from our crime-ridden 70s. through the tragedy of 9/11 to the COVID lockdowns.

The story focuses on Mona Glass a photojournalist in love with tennis and a married man. For this BCR podcast, we are not so interested in Mona Glass as the character in a novel but as a lens into the experiences of an American journalist and novelist and the author of “Glass Century” – Ross Barkan.

For Bar Crawl Radio podcast. we talk to people doing positive work for their community, recording in neighborhood bars. Today at Gebhard’s Beer Culture Bar on the fun side of West 72nd Street – because facing us is the mortuary across the street. We are alive and sitting on the porch with New York Times writer Ross Barkan.

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Talking About THE AMERICAN-pt. 5: We Are Not Your Soldiers

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 21:17:36 GMT

A conversation with two veterans of American wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan – about their work with “We Are Not Your Soldiers” – informing high school and college students about the morally unpleasant truths of the US military.

In 2008 the anti-war organization – “World Can’t Wait” -- invited American war veterans to share their military experiences with high school and college students – challenging the American culture’s overly positive patriotic narratives.

Joe Urgo grew up in a white conservative, middle-class NYC neighborhood. He tells young Americans about his experiences in Vietnam in the US Air Force. In 1971 -- Mr. Urgo helped organize the Winter Soldier Investigation detailing the war crimes of American soldiers in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Shaniyat Turani-Chowdhury is a freelance investigative journalist living in Queens, NY. He writes about Middle East politics, war and climate change – and most recently reported on the effect of Israeli airstrikes on the Lebanese people. In 2020 Shanityat ran for Congress on a Free Palestine platform.

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Talking About THE AMERICAN-pt.4: Dear on Merton on Violence

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 13:57:21 GMT

For this BCR series I have been asking American peacemakers: “What are we talking about when we talk about ‘The American’?”

This program looks to a Jesuit priest and peacemaker Thomas Merton. At the end of “The Root of War” published in The Catholic Worker in 1962 – Thomas Merton wrote – “The first job of all is to understand the psychological forces at work in ourselves and in society.” That in a nutshell is the purpose of my conversations with American peacemakers.

Merton’s autobiography -- “The Seven Storey Mountain” -- is about “a young man who led a full and worldly life and then, at the age of 26, entered a Trappist monastery.” In Kentucky, Merton focused his thoughts and prayers on nonviolence and influenced all the major peacemakers of the second half of the 20th Century -- Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tuto, the Berrigans, Dorothy Day and on and on --

Father John Dear will help us delve into Merton’s non-violence. Dear was born in North Carolina – graduated with top honors from Duke University – received two masters degrees in theology – and was ordained a Catholic Jesuit priest in Baltimore in 1993. John has worked with people scheduled to executed – served at a community center for low-income African-American women and children in Virginia – worked as pastor to parishes in the high desert of New Mexico and founded Pax Christi New Mexico. Worked at a Jesuit Refugee camp in El Salvador. On and on –

In a recent email, John described himself as follows:

Just so you know, like Merton, Dorothy Day, and Dan Berrigan, I consider myself a Christian anarchist. I'm done with America.

It helps to be arrested 85 times and spend time in jail and have several felony convictions. I don't believe in America; I think it's all a lie.If anything, we're global citizens, or citizens of God's reign of universal love and peace. We're all one.

That's where I'm at; and I get that from those three -- very few hold it.

If this sounds like something you want to ask me about, then ok, let's talk,

All the best, peace,

John

In January 2014 Dear left the Jesuits for reasons that become obvious in this conversation.

Alan WInson

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Talking About THE AMERICAN pt. 3: How'd we do w/AIDS?

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 15:00:15 GMT

This is the third in the BCR series "Talking About The American" -- We are asking American peacemakers to try to explain how they see the qualities of our countrymen. This episode – How’d we do with AIDS?

I was in Syracuse for a Veterans for Peace pro-Palestine rally at the James M. Hanley Federal Building. Before the rally I had breakfast with Christian Caurla – an Italian journalist – at the home of Michael Desalvo -- where he and his partner Nick Orth – have provided home-based care for people with AIDS since October 1992.

That morning -- Michael served Chris and me a delicious frittata with brussels sprouts. While we ate – I asked Michael about the Syracuse Friends of Dorothy Catholic Worker House which he and his partner renovated – and about their early hospice work with people with AIDS.

Michael supports the Dorothy House with his work as a hairdresser.

CONTACT Alan Winson barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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From Conflict to Collaboration with Rob Fersh

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 15:00:55 GMT

Rob Fersh talks about collaborative problem solving and his new book, co-authored with Mariah Levison “From Conflict to Convergence: Coming Together to Solve Tough Problems” –

As our country divides up its wealth between a few gazillionairs and the rest of us – coming together seems a worthwhile goal.

Rob Fersh is the Founder and Senior Advisor of the Convergence Center for Policy Resolution. Before that he worked on international conflict resolution and directed U.S. national policy consensus projects on health care coverage for the uninsured -- and U.S.-Muslim relations. Before that -- Rob headed up a major NGO working to alleviate hunger in the United States. He has worked for Republican and Democratic representatives -- Leon Panetta and Patrick Leahy and Edmund Muskie. In 1994, Rob received the Prudential Foundation Prize for Non-Profit Leadership.

He is married, has four children, and three grandchildren. And is a good friend of my sister Barbara Zweig.

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Talking About THE AMERICAN pt. 2: Brad Wolf on Philip Berrigan

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:00:11 GMT

This BCR Podcast series will be asking American peace activists a question borrowed from Raymond Carver:

“What are we talking about when we talk about ‘The American’ ?”

This episode looks at an anti-Vietnam War, anti-nuclear peace activist, longtime incarcerated American criminal – and Catholic priest – Philip Berrigan. Brad Wolf joined me via Zoom to help. Recently, Brad edited a collection of Berrigan’s writings, entitled -- “A Ministry of Risk”. Brad is a former lawyer, persecutor, professor and community college dean and is the executive director and co-founder of Peace Action Network of Lancaster PA. and he organized the "Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal." Brad was featured on Bar Crawl Radio when we covered the Kateri Peace Conference in Fonda, New York earlier this year – BCR #236.

Alan Winson

barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Talking About THE AMERICAN pt. 1: Burying Gaza Babies

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:00:32 GMT

TALKING ABOUT "THE AMERICANS": BURYING GAZA BABIES

On December 9, 2024 -- I talked with several of the nearly 50 protestors holding a mock funeral on a plot of grass at the front of the Syracuse Federal Building. It was a rainy and cold morning as several peacemakers neatly ripped away the grass and created a shallow oblong hole into which a half dozen babies in the form of bloodied pillows were placed. An oversized tombstone stood at one end of the "grave." Homeland Security officers arrested three of the "grave diggers" who were given citations and released. The action was organized by John Amidon a leader of Veterans for Peace and Pax Christi Upstate, New York.

Amongst others, I spoke with Clare Grady of the Kings Bay Plowshare 7 and Yana Uones who was born in Egypt and now is a Philosophy student at Binghamton University. Throughout the event, Yana read the names of Gazan children killed. Also, I spoke with Jade Ebanks who jhad ust returned from Gaza where she volunteered as a wound care nurse. Jade described the horror she witnessed.

CONTACT -- Alan Winson - barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Church of Stop Shopping with Rev Billy

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 20:00:11 GMT

For this BCR recording we were at the Hollow Nickel Bar in Brooklyn NY. Why a hollow nickel -- check out their website. We had a wild, funny and crucially important conversation about the work of the Church of Stop Shopping with Rev. Billy and Vera Anderson, They had just finished their Saturday morning "Earth Riot" radio show at WBAI.

Rev. Billy is an enactment of activist actor and writer Billy Talen; he leads the Church of Stop Shopping -- a New York City performance community preaching the imminent 'shopocalypse' when the world ends due to rampant and unholy consumerism. And Vera Anderson was on Bar Crawl Radio when we were out West with the Nevada Desert Experience’s 60 mile Peace Walk to the entrance of the Nevada Nuclear Test Site -- See BCR #219. Vera is a musician and a mental health advocate in NYC and Las Vegas and she is on the board of the Nevada Desert Experience and Pace e Bene advocating for nuclear abolition.

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Composer's Concordance: Contemporary Music Explosion

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 20:18:19 GMT

Once again -- recording on the porch of Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar located in Manhattan's Upper West Side -- BCR hosts Rebecca McKean and Alan Winson talk with the four composers and performers and leaders of Composer's Concordance about "contemporary [classic] music." This music movement has been described by the New York Times as “unpredictable … irreverent …and ingenious.” For over four decades Composer's Concordance has presented concerts in all sorts of New York City area venues of inventive experimental music.

Gene Pritsker -- Milica Paranosic – Peter Jarvis – and Seth Boustead -- talk about the history of the organization, their compositions and the ongoing joy of breaking contemporary boundaries of what is considered artful music in an unstable era.

For our regular listeners if you would like a link to complete versions of the music played in this program -- make a request to email barcrawlradio.com

HINT: This program is best heard with a set of good headphones.

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Ought to Give Iowa a Try: Hot Air Brewing

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 19:58:56 GMT

July, 2024. BCR visited the Hot Air Brewing in Creston, Iowa this summer. It is a bastion of liberality and acceptance. We were in Iowa to visit our friends Brian Terrell and Betsy Kennan of the "Strangers and Guests Catholic Worker Farm," in Malloy, IA -- about 30 miles south of Creston; Betsy and Brian introduced us to Iowan's Katie Davidson and Ryan Fuller. When we talked with her, Katie owned the Hot Air Brewery and Ryan is a farmer with his husband and performs drag as "Cherry Peaks."

We wanted to get a sense of what life is like in a small Iowan town -- in a state that supports Donald Trump for President. It was a most revealing conversation.

Contact: Alan Winson -- barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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26th Kateri Peace Conference: A Panel on War.

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 19:28:54 GMT

The 26th Kateri Peace Conference held in Fonda, NY in mid-September, 2024 was entitled “What’s Love Got to do with it?” The outcome of peace activism is the end of always-war. If, indeed, we are all connected on this minuscule green spot in a vast universe – if we are sisters and brothers who care for each other – why do we choose to kill each other in horrific and massive ways?

Bar Crawl Radio hosts -- Rebecca McKean and Alan Winson -- moderated the Friday evening panel with Ann Wright, Brian Terrell, Brad Wolf, and Vera Anderson.

The panel focused on three basic questions:

Why do we consistently choose war?
How do wars start? Are the causes really that complex? Are the causes of war knowable?
If we know the root causes of war -- Can we come up with policies that would end war-making?

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Melissa Bramble on the St. Kateri National Shrine and Historic Site

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:52:46 GMT

Mid-September. BCR moderated the 26th Kateri Peace Conference panel with anti-war and anti-nuclear deterrence activists. We took that opportunity to talk with Melissa Bramble the Director of Operations of the St. Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site in Fonda NY.

Rebecca McKean asked Melissa about the history of St. Kateri and the Shrine.

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Eli Northrup: Future of Politics and Justice

Sat, 07 Sep 2024 14:13:14 GMT

Back in early Spring 2024 -- we net Bronx Public Defender Eli Northrup as he was beginning his run for NY State Assembly representative for the UWS. We were recording outside the Goddard Riverside Community Center at West 88th St and Columbus Avenue, talking to neighbors celebrating “Love Your Street Tree Day” – and Eli came up to our open mic.

Eli placed second in the election for State Assembly. We invited Eli to talk about his experience of running for state office and his work as the “Policy Director for the Criminal Defense Practice at the Bronx Defenders” office. We began the conversation asking Eli about his NYU law school hip hop band “Pants Velour” and their quick hit “Charlie Sheen: Always Winning.”

Eli shared his deep disappointment with losing the election and how his work as the policy director at the Bronx Public Defenders formed his political platform. At the midpoint of the conversation we talked about American citizens' looking for openness and honesty in a political scene rife with dishonesty.

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Harris OR Trump? Report from Mexico & Scotland

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 14:00:40 GMT

BCR podcast traveled to Mexico and Scotland in August and asked what citizens of the world were feeling about the U.S. Presidential election. Nearly everyone I met was aware of the election and had significant and personal feelings about "Americans" and their limited choice for leadership. I talked with people from Puerta Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende, Edinburgh, and Aberfeldy -- tourists, a waiter, a van driver, teens from Belfast, couple of cooks, a photographer and painter, a teacher, an airline worker, Cambridge students, tour guides, Edinburgh Fringe Festival workers and artists, and the Fringe Financial Manager. Let me know what you think of this mix of human voices on the eve of a most important US Presidential election.

Alan Winson

barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Walk Thru Maloy Iowa with Brian Terrell

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 13:16:20 GMT

Mid July, this year -- 2024 – Rebecca McKean and I flew into Chicago and then drove to Maloy Iowa – a few miles north of the Missouri border.

We passed Joliet – Dekalk – Moline – Iowa City – Cedar Rapids - Ottunwa - Mt Ayr – then – Maloy, Iowa.

At one time – not so long ago – Maloy had a small population. Its buildings remain: A medium sized Catholic Church – small Post Office – General Store – Dance Hall – City Hall. Now it is mostly empty – a husk of a town surrounded by massive corn fields.

Becky and I were visiting two Catholic Worker friends who had been cultivating a small vegetable – goat and chicken farm since 1986. Their two children grew up in Maloy on the “Strangers and Guests Catholic Worker Community Farm.”

Over those years -- besides working the farm -- Betsy Kenan perfected the crafts of weaving and looming – and Brian Terrell travelled protesting war and the spread of U.S. military and nuclear bombs throughout the world.

_____________________________

For the next three BCR programs – we talked with Brian – Betsy and their friends in Maloy and Creston IA to get a feel for life in this American state which overwhelmingly supports Donald Trump for president, bans abortions after six weeks -- and which -- we learned – might be considering alternative – diverse -- ways of being in mid-America.

The opening sound was recorded on Betsy’s and Brian’s porch. Nate Jarrell on the violin – Nate is a young peace activist and musician and builder who was visiting Brian and Betsy on their Catholic Worker Farm – and Don Ray – a neighbor up the road was playing the guitar –

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History of the West Side Community Garden

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 14:00:23 GMT

For the past three years BCR podcast has recorded on Sundays in June from the West Side Community Garden, As usual, we talked with neighbors doing amazing work for their community and featured the music of local artists performing in the Garden during the month. For this BCR program we invited three leaders of the WSCG to talk about its history. By a miraculous convergence of urban decay and sheer will, this former trash heap abides as a garden oasis on the Upper West Sider – all thanks to dedicated gardners and volunteers. This place exemplifies the strength of local communities.

Ensconced in a corner of the garden we talked with three women who nurture and are nurtured by a garden: Judy Robinson is a gardener and the President of the WSCG’s Board of Directors. Until this summer, Randa Kirshbaum organized the Garden’s Summer Music concerts. And joining us on our bench was Jackie Bukowski -- an early organizer of the WSCG.

Later in the program we featured the music of the Scott Munson Jazz Quintet. The complete performance can be heard at BCR #233.

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Scott Munson Jazz Quintet @ the West Side Community Garden / June 2024

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Complete performance of the Scott Munson Jazz Quintet at the West Side Community Garden on June 16, 2024.

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La Manga @ West Side Community Garden - Full Concert - June 2024

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 14:25:05 GMT

A full length presentation of a performance by La Manga in the West Side Community Garden in June 2024. For a conversation with La Manga founder, Daniela Serna, go to BCR #230.

Alan Winson

barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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David Andersson of Pressenza @ the WSCG

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 14:00:09 GMT

For the fourth time this summer Bar Crawl Radio podcast is not at a bar. But we are continuing to have conversations with neighbors doing positive work for their community. We will be talking with a citizen journalists who works in the field of peace activism and whose writing is published in Pressenza – an international news agency pushing ideas of peace, non-violence, and human rights

For this BCR recording we were ensconced in our mobile studio in the southeast corner of the West Side Community Garden observing Upper West Siders choose their favorite spots to listen to La Manga, who perform Bullerengue, music from the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Later in the program, I will be talking with Daniela Serna about La Manga and we’ll listen to selections from tonight’s performance.

But first Rebecca McKean and I talked with David Andersson, a citizen journalist, photographer and publisher. In the 80’s Mr. Andersson published a neighborhood newspaper in Paris. Today, David is the coordinator of the NYC bureau for Pressenza and the host of Face 2 Face, a podcast talking with activists for peace from all over the world.

Alan Winson

barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Walking for Peace in Inwood Park

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 13:29:51 GMT

For this BCR conversation we were not at a bar having a conversation with people working positively for their communities – but at Inwood Park – in upper Manhattan – former home of the Lenape People. Catholic Worker, Anthony Donovan, opens this program as he talks to a group of about 20 people who had joined the Veteran's for Peace "2024 Peace Walk" -- for the day. The VFP Walk started in Ogunquit Maine on May 5th and will arrive in Washington, DC July 5th – a nearly 600 mile trek. Some walk for a day – others longer – and one former military person has walked nearly the entire length.

As we moved through the densely forested hills of Inwood Park, I spoke with Tarak Kauf of the VFP and organizer of the Walk and asked him about the link between walking and peace. I then walked beside two former members of the U.S. military who explained their reasons for participating in an anti-war peace walk -- Eric Waseleski and James Williams.

Alan Winson

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Chance & Choice @ the West Side Community Garden

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 13:10:41 GMT

For this BCR conversation at the West Side Community Garden we investigated the stories of two ladies--one affected by chance--the other by choice. The first story is about a chance phone call that led to instant and fleeting fame – and the other -- a choice to help recently arrived neighbors which will lead to – what?

Rebecca McKean and I were set-up in the southeast corner of the West Side Community Garden. As our UWS neighbors sought their favorite spots to listen to the Cassatt String Quartet, we talked with Marilyn O’Day – a high school junior who started a study hangout at the Newton Hotel for recent migrants from South America as part of the Open Hearts Initiative -- and -- Meg Parsont, a publicist for publishers, gardener, and contributor to the West Side Rag newspaper. Meg was once famous – appearing over 30 times in the early 1990s on Late Night with David Letterman.

Later in this program, we spoke with cellist Gwen Krosnick of the Cassatt String Quartet about the evenings musical offerings.

Alan Winson

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Kumara @the West Side Community Garden Concert

Wed, 29 May 2024 18:18:08 GMT

Kumara is a uniquely global trio of musicians who create a synthesis of sound that is unique and beautifully inspiring across and within cultures and communities. I spoke with Samite who plays African Harps and the Kalimba and Shem Guibbory, a classical violinist the day before the WSCG concert. Guitarist Sean Harkness couldn’t make it; he was in a recording studio.

This program presents the entire Kumara performance at the West Side Community Garden Concert on Sunday, May 26, 2024.

Alan Winson

CONTACT: barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Stop the Chop & Kumara @ WSCG

Wed, 29 May 2024 18:08:44 GMT

It was another post COVID, pre climate catastrophe Sunday on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Rebecca McKean and I – Alan Winson – co-hosts of BCR podcast – had erected our sound studio in the southwest corner of the West Side Community Garden and waited for our guests. Stop the Chop has worked to rid our city of those pesky, rotor-whirling metal blobs that spew noise and GHG pollution for no positive reason. We spoke with Melissa Elstein and Ken Couglin, leaders of Stop the Chop. and we were oined by Adrian Benepe--NYC Parks Commissioner from 2002 - 2012.

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"The Keeper": Film about suicide in the U.S. military

Mon, 27 May 2024 14:50:54 GMT

This BCR conversation talks about suicide in the U.S military.

A growing statistic: Women and men who had dedicated their lives and minds to the most destructive military ever – are killing themselves at increasing rates.

I spoke with Angus Benfield – an Australian actor – now working in the U,S, -- about his newest feature film – "The Keeper" which he stars in, produced, and co-directed. “The Keeper” is a true story about George Eshleman an artillery officer who participated in Desert Storm. Years after his time in Iraq, he was hit with lingering PTSD and considered suicide. Then, a friend kills himself and George decides to carry his buddy’s military uniform name tag on a walk on the Appalachian Trail. Others learn of George’s plan and send him the name tags of their loved ones who died by suicide. When George started his walk from Maine to Georgia he carried two rings with 363 name tags.

I met Angus Benfield and his wife Ruth – who wrote and sang the title song for the film at 5Napkins Bar and Restaurant on the Upper West Side.

Alan Winson

CONTACT: barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Kaoru Watanabe @ West Side Community Garden

Thu, 23 May 2024 17:44:53 GMT

An unedited recording of Karou Watanabe's performance at the West Side Community Garden's 2024 Summer Concert Series -- May 19th.

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Jody Sperling & Kaoru Watanabe @ WSCG

Thu, 23 May 2024 17:10:29 GMT

Kaoru Watanabe was the featured music artist of the first summer concert in the West Side Community of 2024. Rebecca and I got to the Garden early and set up our portable studio in a corner alcove to talk with Jody Sperling -- dancer and choreographer -- and the Artistic Director of Time Lapse Dance which explores environmental performance forms. Also, Jody is the Eco-Artist in Residence at the New York Society of Ethical Culture. We talked about her artistic work to raise emotions about the climate disaster impinging on our wonderful world. And she told us about the upcoming Time Lapse Dance concert at the NY Society of Ethical Culture on June 1.

This program includes selections from Watanabe's performance featuring Taiko drums and Shinobue reed flute. The entire -- unedited -- concert can be heard at BCR #224.

Alan Winson

barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Ellen Jovin: "Rebel with a Clause"

Mon, 20 May 2024 13:56:47 GMT

This is the first "Park Bench Chat" of the 2024 Summer Season – a production of Bar Crawl Radio. During the warming days of spring and summer, Rebecca and I sit at our favorite park bench in the “You’ve Got Mail” garden in Riverside Park on the Upper West Side and talk with our neighbors. Today’s topic--“grammar.” Ellen Jovin is a self-proclaimed “grammar nerd.” She has degrees from Harvard and UCLA in language-related subjects and has studied bunches of languages because she lives in NYC -- a multi-verse of languages. Ellen is a cofounder of Syntaxis, a communication skills training firm, and the author of several books on language. For this program we talked about her recent bestseller Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian (HarperCollins, July 2022). “Roving” because Ellen is the creator of a traveling, pop-up grammar advice stand called the Grammar Table, whose adventures serve as the basis of her book and a soon-to-be-released documentary of the same name. And this afternoon, Ellen set up her Grammar Table below the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument to talk with Sunday strollers about grammar.

Alan Winson

BCR Podcast Producer

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Love Your Street Tree Day -- Spring, 2024

Tue, 14 May 2024 12:41:13 GMT

The majestic trees in front of Goddard Riverside on the Upper West Side of Manhattan were blushing brightly as the community gathered to learn about and spruce up the beds of our leafy neighbors for the seventh annual “Love Your Street Tree Day” – May 7th 2024.

Rebecca and I learned a lot about our urban forest and how to take care of our barked friends – not our barking friends. Which reminds me -- "Don’t piss on our street tree" signs were passed out to our UWS neighbors -- along with buckets of mulch -- and donuts – and coffee.

The event was sponsored by the West 80s Neighborhood Association – and we talked with two of its leaders. But before we talked with Melissa Elstein and Kim Johnson, we had some fun with a few UWS tree huggers.

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"I Am Gitmo": A conversation with film director Philippe Diaz

Sun, 05 May 2024 19:56:36 GMT

PHILIPPE DIAZ is a film director – producer – and promoter of “intelligent films.” Born in Paris France, he studied philosophy at the Sorbonne. Since 1980 he has produced and distributed international films by auteur directors for world audiences.

Diaz has directed both documentary and feature narrative films on political, economic and social issues.

In 2003, Diaz and his team created Cinema Libre Studios -- producing and distributing socially relevant independent narrative and documentary films.

The director was in Manhattan to promote his newest narrative film – “I Am Gitmo” -- premiering at the Cinema Village. I am Alan Winson and with my BCR partner Rebecca McKean, we talked with Philippe Diaz at the Moxy East Village Hotel bar.

CONTACT: barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Voices of the "Sacred Peace Walk" 2024

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Rebecca McKean and I walked during Easter week 2024 in the desert north of Las Vegas to the Nevada Nuclear Bomb Test Site– with a community of people who know about the imminent danger of a targeted and ready-to-go American nuclear arsenal.

This BCR podcast will not counter the insanity of the deterrence argument – rather here are a few of the people who walked to the white line at the entrance to the most bombed place in the world – run by the U.S. Department of Energy and protected by the U.S military

When you are aware of a great danger - even one that is – probably -- unavoidable -- there is some comfort in working with others doing something positive.

Alan Winson

barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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We Are Guantánamo: U.S. Courts are Surreal w/Gabor Rona

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 14:00:10 GMT

This is a must listen conversation with Gabor Rona -- Law Professor at Cardozo Law School – and in the past served as the International Legal Director of Human Rights First. For over 20 years our government has imprisoned 100s of innocent Muslim men in the Guantanamo Prison and tortured them repeatedly for no good reason – and now cannot try them because they were tortured and cannot release them because they are not allowed on US soil, and it is not clear what other countries would do to them – and they are getting old and have been physically and mentally traumatized – and all in our name. This BCR series is called “We Are Guantanamo.” You may have been looking away from the horrors perpetrated in your name by the U.S. military and political powers – but you really shouldn’t. You are Guantanamo!

Alan Winson - barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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We Are Guantánamo: 7 Voices

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 15:00:50 GMT

“We Are Guantanamo” – in other words – you and I -- all of us identifying as "American" are complicit – and insofar as the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp remains an active US military and illegal entity – it belongs to us.

Since 2002, the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp has held 779 Muslim men accused of attacking the US on September 11 2001. Nearly all were innocent. 740 have been transferred someplace – 30 remain – 9 died there.

I have been speaking with seven people who have tried to close Guantánamo since 2004. My conversation with Gabor Rona – former Legal Director of Human Rights First – will post next week. They were asked three questions:

How did you first learn about GITMO, and why did you get involved?
As far as you know, how are the detainees treated?
How is Guantanamo a reflection of American Values?

Libraries/Radically Open Spaces: Emily Drabinski & Lauren Comito

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 15:00:24 GMT

For this BCR program, we talked about that age-old American tradition – book burning – or more precisely – thought control.

Our guests were two brave librarians – practicing a profession that is at the core of any effective democracy. Emily Drabinski heads-up the American Library Association [ALA] and Lauren Comito leads Urban Librarians Unite [ULU]. According to ALA findings efforts to ban books in this country are growing at a high rate and the groups engaged in this activity probably do not have children. Librarians and authors fight back, but it is an exhausting struggle. Lauren Comito talked about how the ULU keeps parents and children and the performers safe at Drag Story Hour -- popular among parents -- but potentially dangerous as groups -- such as The Proud Boys -- protest violently near and in our libraries.

This conversation was recorded at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar.

Alan Winson -- barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Two Jewish Israelis

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 15:00:29 GMT

For this BCR program, we spoke with two Jewish Israeli's. Nahum Schnitzer is my cousin. Ariella Dubrowin is my cousin once removed. Both have raised their families in Israel, Nahum -- 40 years – Ariella – 20. The conflict in Gaza has encased their world in ways that neither I – nor most of you listening to this podcast – can fully get. Ariella wrote me about a month ago. She was troubled about a recent program I posted – "I want to say Kaddish" – which presented both the intense protests in the US against the actions of the IDF in Gaza and the general obliviousness of winter-break tourists in NYC. So we invited Nahum and Ariella to join Rebecca and me for a conversation. But I did not want to talk about the never-ending conflict. Rather, I sensed it would be more useful – positive – connecting – life affirming – to learn about their lives in their chosen country, which – as you will hear – they so dearly cherish.

So this will be a program about two Israeli Jews – originally from the North East region of the United States – living within trauma – in a place that fulfills them.

At the beginning of this program I said that Israel is "crumbling." In a recent email my cousin -- Nahum -- disagreed and wrote: "I think you did a masterful job editing. I have only one reservation. In your opening remarks you said that Israel is crumbling. That is the opposite of the situation. Israel is battered – but very strong. Israeli military strength is the least of it – our resilience and inner fortitude, spiritual resources, solidarity and mutual support are what makes us truly strong."

Again -- thanks to Ariella and Nahum for sharing a bit of their lives in their "battered" land.

Alan Winson

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Poverty & American Justice

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 15:01:12 GMT

In 1963, when the Supreme Court overturned Gideon v Wainwright, Justice Hugo Black wrote: “Even the intelligent and educated layman requires the guiding hand of counsel at every step in the proceedings against him. Without it, though he be not guilty, he faces the danger of conviction because he does not know how to establish his innocence.”

The public defender is that legal bulwark that works for a balance in our justice system. For this BCR conversation we heard from two public defenders from Prince George's County Circuit Court. Yahshauh Ford and Brandon Ruben contrasted the public defender's nuanced, human approach to justice with the blunt force of the prosecutor. They spoke of the difficulty of establishing a rapport with their clients -- poor and, for the most part. African American -- who sense that justice will never apply to them in this country -- and of the unequal power of the better-paid prosecutor to control the charging and sentencing process.

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UWSers Helping Prisoners of Conscience

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 15:00:41 GMT

May 1961 -- Peter Benenson, founder of Amnesty International, wrote that he was sickened by governments imprisoning citizens for speaking or singing in protest. The work of Amnesty International continues around the world and on the Upper West Side with members of Group 11. Since the early 1970s members of Group 11 have helped to free prisoners of conscience in Iran, Chile, China, Indonesia, Libya, Myanmar, Poland, Rhodesia, South Africa, Vietnam and the former USSR. And, currently, AI-USA’s Group 11 is working to free Narges Mohammadi -- the 2023 Nobel Prize winner who has fought for women’s rights in Iran and is now in an Iranian prison. We attended Group 11's 48th Annual Benefit Concert in December, 2023 and then joined Group 11 coordinators Harry Schwartz and Sue Dicker and musicians and composers Marcia Eckert and Debra Kaye at Mr. Schwatz's UWS apartment, to talk about their work to free Prisoners of Conscience and the concert.

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I want to say Kaddish.

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 17:00:00 GMT

Sharing the joyful and angry sounds of our city at the end of a year of retching violence. Let the human-made turbulence of 2023 pass quickly.

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Human Rights Reloaded

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 15:00:26 GMT

In 1948, all nations signed onto a document stating that the way a government treats its citizens can be judged by the rest of the world. This December, 2023, is the 75th Anniversary of the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [UDHR]. Joining us for this conversation on the Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar porch are three women who explained the significance of the UDHR.

Jackie Dugard studies how laws impact social change and justice, focusing on power and exclusion. She is a Senior Lecturer at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights – and an Associate Professor at the School of Law of Wits University in Johannesburg. Prof. Dugard is an affiliate at the Center for Human Rights & Global Justice, a co-founder and the first Executive Director of the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa.

Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum, is a human rights and public health scholar – focusing on preventing sexual and gender-based crimes and slavery. She is an Associate Professor of Clinical Law, and the Director of the Benjamin B. Ferencz Human Rights and Atrocity Prevention Clinic and the Cardozo Law Institute in Holocaust and Human Rights at Yeshiva University.

Debra Sweet is the director of the Brooklyn-based World Can’t Wait – which protested the Iraq War, exposed the torture of prisoners at Guantanamo and other U.S. prisons, and opposes military recruiters coming to high schools and colleges.

BONUS: A week before this recording, we spoke with Paul O'Brien -- the head of Amnesty International-USA -- at a benefit concert for Group 11, the NYC affiliate of AI-USA. Paul's comments are edited into this conversation.

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AI & Human Health

Sat, 23 Dec 2023 14:42:15 GMT

This BCR conversation may seem complex but its also simple – and – will possibly end human existence. If your physician can access all of your medical records, she will do a better job. And if generative AI knows all about the health of every human -- what then?

We talked with two experts developing the power of Artificial Intelligence to keep us healthy. Dr. Mark Braunstein is the guru of FHIR -- not a misspelling -- an acronym for Fast Healthcare interoperability Resources – a technology helping physicians to access everything about our medical history and condition, easy and fast. Mark is a professor at the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech and a former health Informatics entrepreneur – and a visiting scientist at the eHealth Research Centre in Brisbane, Australia.

Vince Hartman is the co-founder and CEO of Abstractive Health, a new company that is reducing physician burnout through the power of generative AI.

Mr. Hartman has over a decade of experience in product management and software engineering in the healthcare field. There is a lot more to Vince’s resum´e -- but it includes so many technical abbreviations I dare not go there.

And visiting BCR as we recorded on the porch of Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar was Peter Frishauf creator of Medscape and godfather of Osmosis.

Alan Winson

CONTACT: barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Anti-Nuclear Gadflies: Martha Hennessy & Brian Terrell

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:00:41 GMT

Late November, 2023 -- John C. Wester -- Archbishop of Sante Fe -- spoke at the Church of Our Savior at E. 38th Street and Park Avenue. About 200 were gathered to honor the 43rd anniversary of the death of Dorothy Day – and – to consider the abolition of nuclear weapons. At the United Nations that week the countries that signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons were meeting. The United States was not one of them.

The day after Archbishop Wester spoke – I met with two people who have dedicated their lives to peace in our world -- Brian Terrell and granddaughter of Dorothy Day – Martha Hennessy. Both had been on BCR – Martha in connection with her KingsbayPlowshares 7 protest at the Trident Nuclear Submarine Base in Georgia for which she was incarcerated in a Federal Prison for over a year. And, I first met Brian Terrell in covering the Witness Against Torture protests in Washington D.C. of the continued U.S. detention of dozens of Muslim men in Guantanamo. And I have talked to Brian many times since about his work to prevent a nuclear catastrophe. When he is not protesting and getting arrested, Brian runs a goat farm in Malloy, Iowa.

Alan Winson

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Sustainable Banking: Amalgamated Bank & Ivan Frishberg

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 19:39:22 GMT

What is a bank?

What is a bank for?

Can a bank fight evil and right wrongs?

Or is a bank no more than a profit-seeking shark working for its investors?

Or - both?

For this BCR program we had a conversation about a little bank that could … that is, could make our lives better through responsible investments. We invited Ivan Frishberg -- Senior Vice President Chief Sustainability Officer of Amalgamated Bank – to 5Napkin Burger Bar and Restaurant to talk about how he is leading his bank and our world to a financial net zero.

Rebecca McKean was out sick. I was joined by my good friend Paul Alan Ruben. Paul is an award-winning audio book director -- winner of two Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word. And a published author.

Alan Winson

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Three Women Composers

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 15:00:00 GMT

According to Britannica, a musical composition is the art of conceiving and creating music.

I love to sing, and I very much enjoy listening to music. That part I get, but to compose music, to pick out the notes, the instruments… I’m completely at a loss. Fortunately, we have three women composers with us today who will explain what it means to be a female composer in today’s music world.

For this BCR program, we spoke with Svjetlana Bukvich, best known for her blending of classical music, media and electronic music. Sarajevo-born and NYC-based -- Svjetlana is widely regarded as an innovative, dynamic, multimedia American composers. Her music has been heard at The Kennedy Center, the Tribeca Film Festival, Brooklyn’s Bargemusic, Rose Studio at Lincoln Center – and many other venues.

Beth Anderson Harold is a composer of new romantic music, text-sound works, and music theatre events. Her early work was considered post-Cagian and non-academic. Beth studied with John Cage, Terry Riley, Robert Ashley and Larry Austin at Mills College and U.C. Davis. You can catch her beautiful compositions at New World Records and many other places on the web.

Gramophone described Debra Kaye as “an eclectic unfolding of creativity.” Debra has won 6 Global Music Awards and received grants from Mannes College, Meet the Composer, and Edward T. Cone Foundation; and commissions from the Howland Chamber Music Circle and Portland Youth Philharmonic; Ms Kay’s works have premiered at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, in collaboration with the Lincoln Trio and Daedalus Quartet.

Rebecca McKean

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Eleanor Roosevelt's Trip to the Pacific War

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 14:00:00 GMT

We are looking forward to sharing a conversation about a great American -- Eleanor Roosevelt. Shannon McKenna Schmidt has focused her literary work on travel. She has written for National Geograpic, Traveler, Nashville Public Television and Arrive magazine – and has appeared on Morning Joe and The Travel Show with Arthur and Pauline Frommer. We spoke to Ms. Schmidt about her most recent book “The First Lady of World War II: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back.” American and architectural historian Deborah Gardner has worked with the Municipal Arts Society for landmark preservation and has written articles and books on the Roosevelts of New York. Ms Gardner has curated exhibitions at the Roosevelt House on NYC’s East Side, including one featuring Eleanor Roosevelt’s work with the United Nations to create the “Declaration of Human Rights.”

This podcast was recorded on the porch of Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar.

Alan Winson

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NYC's Natural Waters

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 13:07:36 GMT

BCR likes NYC and our like has grown since we learned about NYCH2O. For this program we talked with the founder and leader of NYCH2O – Matthew Malina.

Matt works to educate New Yorkers about their city’s local water ecology – in order protect our natural water resources -- and with Peter Frishauf -- founder of Medscape – but for today – more importantly – Peter is an UWS community leader who works to make life in your neighborhood lively, diverse, and safe for all its citizens. We also spoke with Sophie Barno who guided us on a most wondrous walk around the Marine Park Salt Marsh in Brooklyn where we saw a pterodactyl -- well -- a couple of majestic egrets.

Take-away: Do not miss visiting Ridgewood Reservoir - the magic place in Brooklyn.

This program was recorded at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar in Manhattan.

If you have any comments or questions you can contact Alan or Rebecca at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

And follow us on Instagram.

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25th Kateri Peace Conference

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 18:16:28 GMT

Rebecca McKean and I drove to Fonda, NY for the 25th Annual Kateri Peace Conference. We spoke with several major players in the contemporary "no war" peace movement in the United States -- who are working to help the rest of us see the insanity of war and its link to the climate disaster. The voices on this program include the following: Maureen Aumond, John Amidon, David Swanson, Gloria Caballero, Nick Mottern, and Debra Sweet. And thanks to Lew Tabackin for allowing us to us his composition "Garden at Life Time" to introduce the show.

Alan Winson

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Drag On! Art and Politics

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 14:31:21 GMT

Becky and I went on a tempestuous drag race at Gebhard’s Beer Culture Bar as we dug down into Drag culture with two young NYC Drag Queens following their command performance for an Open Streets event. We talked with Drag artists Ann Arky and Vampy Von Thickums Galore who had recently performed at the International Drag Queen Celebration on West !03rd Street organized by Park to Park 103 and Open Streets. Before talking to our guest performers we spoke with Bella Gallo a coordinator of the event.

Alan Winson

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Forgetting Horror: 78 Years After Hiroshima & Nagasaki

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 16:09:02 GMT

I do not like roller coasters. For me -- the anticipated terror proceeding the drop along with the stomach-churning loss of gravity is not thrilling fun; it is just TERROR!

Nevertheless, the roller coaster is a summer-fun staple for many of us. Another stomach-churning staple for fewer Americans is the memory of the United States Air Force dropping two atomic bombs on Japanese cities at the end of World War II. In fact, for many Americans, this was a good thing as it brought the war to an end faster -- despite ending the lives of over 200,000 Japanese civilians. Of course, few of us remember August 6th and 8th or are aware of the present-day dangers of nuclear annihilation.

Is it possible that the fun of the roller coaster is based on a firm belief that it is safe - even though this is not entirely true. See "Swedish government investigators launch probe of deadly roller coaster accident."

For over 80 years, my country has spent $Billions on modernizing and strengthening a world-ending atomic arsenal. There have been accidents -- but we are still here.

This year I went to several anti nuclear proliferation activities on the anniversaries of the U.S. attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- at the Intrepid Air and Space Museum, at Times Square, and at the Japanese Consulate. This BCR program begins at the Intrepid on August 6th; the WWII aircraft carrier was celebrating its birthday

Alan Winson

barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Alice Slater: Ridding the World of Nuclear Weapons

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 20:22:40 GMT

Rebecca McKean and I visited Alice Slater in her Upper East Side apartment. Since 1968, Ms. Slater has been an anti-war activist and since 1987 an anti-nuclear bomb protestor. As a young mother she helped organize Eugene McCarthy’s presidential campaign working to end the war in Viet Nam and then got a law degree. Alice is the United Nations NGO Representative of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and is on the Board of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, the Global Council of Abolition 2000, and the Advisory Board of Nuclear Ban-US which supports the mission of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons which won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for its work in realizing the successful UN negotiations for a Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Alan Winson

Contact: barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Mozayik @WSCG

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 14:00:02 GMT

One of our regular gigs is the West Side Community Garden Summer Concerts. The final offering of 2023 featured the luscious sounds of Afro-Haitian Jazz performed by Mozayik – led by drummer Gashford Guillaume – who has performed with Haitian superstars -- Emeline Michel and Beethova Obas. And at festivals in Amsterdam, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Haiti, Cuba, St, Lucia, Martinique and many cities around the U.S.

In 2000 Gashford and others started “Mozayik” – which is committed to the Haitian jazz genre. I sat down with Gashford – about a week after the concert to talk about Haitian Jazz and its link to the Haitian culture at Gebhards Beer Culture Bar on the UWS.

Alan Winson - Co-Host BCR Podcasts

Three Evils of Society: Racism, Materialism, and Militarism

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Gale Brewer & Cal Snyder / Brooklyn Cumaná @ WSCG

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:04:03 GMT

Bar Crawl Radio podcast hosts sojourned back to the West Side Community Garden for a concert with the music duo, Brooklyn-Cumaná – Jorge Glem on the Venezuelan Cuatro and Sam Reider on the accordion. We start with a delightful conversation with former Manhattan Borough President and present UWS City Council member -- Gale Brewer. We also invited her husband Cal Snyder because our goal was not to talk local politics; rather, we wanted to know about the life of our ubiquitous, hard-working, perpetual resident of the UWS -- Gale Brewer. Up until this podcast Gale had hidden behind her prodigious local accomplishments. We learned about where Gale grew up, how she met Cal, her early influencers including Bela Abzug and Gloria Steinem, her and Cal's many foster children and adopted son -- Mo Sumbundu -- and her favorite NY baseball team.

And we talked with the musicians Sam Reider (accordion) and Jorge Glem (Venezuelan cuatro) about their synthesis of musical forms and their new album "Brooklyn Cumanå"

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Stop the Chop & Geoff Burke's Jazz/HipHop @ WSCG

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 14:00:39 GMT

A program of good sounds -- mix of classic jazz and hip hop beats -- and noise -- nonessential helicopters circling our City. We talked with leaders of Stop the Chop -- Melissa Elstein and Ken Counghlin -- working to end the incessant noise of private helicopters hovering over our heads.

And we caught up with a former BCR guest -- jazz saxophonist Geoff Burke -- and learned about his unique synthesis of classic jazz and hip hop beats. and shared some of the music from the June 2023 concert at the West Side Community Garden on the Upper West Side.

Let us know what you think of our eclectic little podcast at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

Alan Winson and Rebecca McKean -- BCR Co-hosts

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Golden Rule Sails Against Nuclear War

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 14:00:32 GMT

In the spring of 1958 – the Golden Rule -- a 30 foot skiff crewed by four -- sailed towards the Marshall Islands where the U.S. military was testing atomic bombs. Their plan was to anchor their tiny boat in the waters close to the Bikini and Enewetak Atolls -- in order to stop the atomic testing.

Over six decades later a restored “Golden Rule” sailed up the Hudson River and moored at Chelsea Pier. It was Fleet Week and the skiff's message of nuclear disarmament was displayed on its mizzen mast.

For this program I biked over to the Chelsea Piers and spent some time on the Veterans for Peace Golden Rule sailboat with the crew and its supporters – as they continue to effort to end the looming possibility of Nuclear War.

Alan Winson - Producer BCR

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EXTRA: Interview with Lew Tabackin

Fri, 26 May 2023 14:01:14 GMT

Interview with Lew Tabackin -- world famous jazz musician -- in his home on the UWS of Manhattan -- July 2018.

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MicroAid's John Ross at WSCG Summer Concert & Lew Tabackin Jazz Trio

Fri, 26 May 2023 14:00:42 GMT

May 21, 2023 - 6pm. West Side Community Garden

It was a delightful evening in the West Side Community Garden in Manhattan. The Bar Crawl Radio audio wagon was set up on the grass in front of the stage in the garden – as neighbors secured a chair or wooden planter ledge to listen to the Lew Tabackin Jazz Trio. Tenor saxophone and flute musician -- Mr Tabackin has been playing these summer concerts for many years.

Jon Ross -- founder and director of MicroAid International -- joined us for a pre-concert warm-up conversation. We had talked with Jon about his work in building single family houses in areas hit by disaster on BCR #36 and #111. This evening we caught up with Mr Ross recent work with MicroAid -- and then asked him what he would do if he saw a stranger being attacked on the street – or subway.

Then -- listen to a sampling of the evening's music played by the Lew Tabackin Jazz Trio with Boris Kozlov on bass and Jason Tiemann on drums – including two flute pieces by Tabackin “Garden and Lifetime” – and – “Out of this World” – a piece he wrote named after the “B Flat” Tokyo bar where he performs called – “B Flat Where Its At” -- a Billy Strayhorn standard – “Day Dream” -- and finally a bunch of tunes by George Gershwin.

The podcast ends with 10 minutes of a longer interview I had with Mr. Tabackin in his UWS apartment in 2018. For the full interview see the additional material following this program.

BCR Co-Hosts Rebecca McKean and Alan Winson

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The Pain of Suicide: A Global Epidemic

Fri, 19 May 2023 14:00:37 GMT

Recently – David Brooks of the New York Times – wrote about the suicide of his close friend—Pete—and the feelings that followed. Brooks writes that experiencing the suicide of someone close “is not just sorrow; it is a state of consciousness that distorts perceptions of time, space and self.”

In 2015, there were over 44,000 suicides in America – the 10th most common cause of death and rising – I million attempt suicide each year – one every 35 seconds. In the world some kills himself – herself every 40 seconds.

Robert Altman's "Mash" [1970] was wrong -- suicide is not painless – it is a health issue that needs to be examined.

For this Bar Crawl Radio podcast Rebecca and I talked with two people who study and write about suicide – and with the friends of Jen who recently killed herself.

Carla Fine – has spoken extensively on suicide and is the author of the widely acclaimed book No Time to Say Goodbye – about Ms. Fine’s husband – a prominent New York physician who killed himself in 1989 when he was 43. Carla’s recent book was co-written with Dr. Michael Myers - it’s title -- Touched By Suicide: Hope and Healing After Loss.

Michael Myers is a leader in the field of suicide and professor of psychiatry at SUNY-Downstate Medical School in Brooklyn. In his 2017 book on physician-suicide – Why Physicians Die By Suicide: Lessons Learned From Their Families and Others Who Care – Dr. Myers shares his experiences of counseling doctors who are considering suicide.

If you or someone you know is suffering from a loss due to suicide, consider contacting The Samaritans NYC hotline -- 212 673 3000.

This BCR program was recorded in May 2023 at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar in the UWS of Manhattan.

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Desert Walk #8: The White Line

Wed, 10 May 2023 14:00:22 GMT

Friday – April 7, 2023. This was the final day of the 2023 Nevada Desert Experience’s Sacred Peace Walk – one mile from the Peace Camp to the White Line – entrance to the Nevada Nuclear Test Site and the most bombed part of planet Earth. In the distance – on land once occupied by the Western Shoshone people – over 100 moon-shaped craters litter the desert landscape. On this Friday – under a hot afternoon sun -- over 30 people presented their grievances at the Nevada Nuclear Test Site’s While Line. 12 would cross over and be arrested for trespassing on U.S. Government property.

The morning began with breakfast at the Peace Camp and then a trip to Yucca Mountain to learn about plans to store all of this country's nuclear waste below this seismically dangerous area which the Shoshone call Snake Mountain. Then onto the statements and arrests at the White Line.

This last program of the Sacred Peace Walk series begins with a conversation I had on Saturday -- after the arrests at Mercury -- with Rich Bishop back at the NDE garden. Rich is a poet and his mind works in wondrous ways – and that Saturday morning he said something that helped me – at least partially – answer the question I had been asking from the start of this voyage: Why do these people expose their intellect, psyche, and bodies for an impossible goal – that is -- to end the threat of nuclear annihilation?

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Desert Walk #7: Walk to the White Line

Tue, 09 May 2023 19:25:38 GMT

Thursday - April 6, 2023 -- of the Nevada Desert Experience's Sacred Peace Walk. This episode is a summary of the day. It was a beautiful desert day as the Peace Walkers traversed the last 15 miles to the entrance to the Nevada Nuclear Test Site. Darcy Ike had rejoined the group the day before and started the walk that morning with great enthusiasm -- about 7 miles down the road he had a full-blown heart attack and was take to a Las Vegas hospital by Creech Air Force Base ambulance. He would return home that weekend. Other than that the day was uneventful -- a long walk with new and old friends - to the Peace Camp overlooking the Nevada Nuclear Test Site entrance.

NEXT: Friday - Yucca Mountain -- Protests -- Arrests.

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Desert Walk #6: Creech Reach Around the Globe

Tue, 09 May 2023 14:00:33 GMT

April 4, 2023 - Wednesday - Sekhmet Goddess Temple - Indian Springs, Nevada. Nevada Desert Experience's "Sacred Peach Walk. In the morning and afternoon the Peace Walkers would protest U.S. military drone warfare at Creech Air Force Base. And, in the evening we would gather at the Goddess Temple bonfire ton celebrate the New Moon and honor the first night of Passover. It was an apocryphal overlapping of two Angels of Death -- one long past meting death in an ancient desert and the other in Nevada.

Up the road from the Temple – the Creech Air Force Base manages the training and deployment of military drone operators – whose job it is to watch suspected terrorists in places far away from Nevada and assassinate them – along with innocents – i.e. collateral damage. On this day, a few of the Peace Walkers committed to blocking the entrance to the Base and get arrested. Tuesday night Brian Terrell -- who had been arrested all over the world -- explained the arresting and charging process.

In this program I spoke with Brian who contrasted being arrested as a peace protestor in the U.S to the more civilized approach in other countries; and with those who were arrested that day. There was also speculation as to why there were so many vehicles arriving at the Base that day -- many more than normal days - and we got a statement from the Creech AFB on the cause of the delays. Finally, I talked with CJ - a young man who was arrested for marking up a Stop sign and the nature of his commitment to world peace -- and with his grandfather -- George Killingsworth.

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Desert Walk #5: Why do we walk?

Sun, 07 May 2023 14:00:24 GMT

DAY FOUR of the 2023 Nevada Desert Experience Sacred Peace Walk – Why Do We Walk?

For the fourth day of our walk towards tMercury -- the entrance to the Nevada Nuclear Test Site -- would cover the miles we skipped the day before when we escaped the brutal desert wind and snow. After the morning bonfire gathering, the Peace Walkers were driven back to Lee Canyon for a walk back to the Sekhmet Goddess Temple. We passed a couple of maximum security prisons and the Creech Air Force Base. The next day -- Wednesday -- the Peace Walkers would return to the U. S. military drone base to block the entrance and get arrested. Tuesday we walked -- 17 miles.

At the end of the day we gathered in Mary Clare's living room and as she served up cookies and coffee we talked about the human relationship with the Atom Bomb.

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Desert Walk #4: Day Three -- It Snows in the Desert

Sat, 06 May 2023 14:49:04 GMT

Rested from our walk thru Las Vegas, the day before, the Sacred Peace Walkers headed out of the Nevada Desert Experience compound for the walk in the desert -- north of the city. I went with Darcy Ike -- who I had spoken with the day before at the MLK statue in Las Vegas -- in his weather-beaten, gear shift sedan to the starting point at Kyle Canyon on Highway 157 several miles north of Las Vegas.

We followed the Porto Potty trailer for a while -- but then Darcy said he knew better way --

When we arrived, at Kyle Canyon -- Western Shoshone Tribal leader Johnny Bobb and his wife – Mary Lou -- had just started the morning circle. Just before we started to walk -- we learned that Darcy was ill – heart issues -- and had gone to a hospital. He would return to the walk on Wednesday.

I could sense the excitement as we started the first leg of our walk to Mercury – the entrance to the Nevada Nuclear Test site – 50 miles in front of us, The wind was a bit brisk and the skies were getting muddy. That day we were to walk 15 miles to Lee Canyon. We never made it.

This episode features a conversation with Area one of the Priestess at the Sekhmet Goddess Temple.

Alan Winson

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Desert Walk #3: Walk on the Strip / Talk with Darcy Ike

Fri, 05 May 2023 12:33:25 GMT

April 2 - Sunday - 2023. First day of the Sacred Peace Walk. 13 miles. We started at the Atomic Museum and walked through Paradise, where all the modern Las Vegas Casinos and hotels are located -- something to do with the local mobsters not wanting to pay high Las Vegas taxes. -- then, through old Las Vegas – then a sit-in at the over-the-top gaudy Fremont Experience -- then to the Las Vegas Catholic Worker for lunch – followed by a brief “hello” to the Carson County Jail – where several of the walkers would end up later in the week – a brief pass-by of the headquarters of the Nevada Nuclear Security Site – a stop at a small park memorializing the 2017 mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip, where 60 were killed and well over 400 injured – and a visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Statue in north Las Vegas -- where I talked with Darcy Ike -- and home to the NDE compound on Barlett Street. It was a full day.

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Desert Walk #2: Day One--At the NDE

Thu, 04 May 2023 12:36:42 GMT

Day One of the Nevada Desert Experience’s “Sacred Peace Walk" -- Saturday April 1, 2023.

Walkers were gathering from all around the Unites States at the NDE compound – a former military barracks – bought by the local Franciscan and Catholic Worker community – then given to the NDE in 1982 as a center protestors of the nuclear testing taking place on Western Shoshone land on the Nevada Proving Grounds to the north. The NDE compound consists of three single floor houses, surrounding a central garden patio. I used the day to meet the Peace Walkers.

Alan Winson – BCR Producer

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Desert Walk #1: Las Vegas's Atomic Museum

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 12:35:46 GMT

Towards the end of World War II – my country detonated atomic bombs over Japanese cities, immediately killing thousands of civilians and thousand more soon after and maiming thousands for the rest of their lives.

I was born in 1949 -- My generation was taught that this military action was required to end the war – And I bought it --

Since 1945, our world has filled with more powerful atom bombs – -- in the hope that the threat of mutual destruction will dissuade their usage.

So far – besides Nagasaki and Hiroshima – we have been lucky – but for how long?

I am Alan Winson – this year for Passover – I walked with peace activists of the Nevada Desert Experience, from Las Vegas to Creech Air Force Base – the center of U.S drone warfare – and then to the Nevada Nuclear Test Site –where -- until the early 1990s, my country detonated over 1000 atom bombs. The craters that were left have been used to train astronauts navigating the lifeless terrain of the Moon.

I wanted to learn why-- for the past 40 years -- people of various beliefs and ethnicities gathered in Las Vegas, to walk the 60 miles to the entrance of the Nevada Nuclear Test Site where armed military stopped them at a broad white line in the road -- why each year they went to plead for an end to nuclear armament – when the need is so dire and change so impossible.

For the first program in this 8-part series I talked with Joseph Kent -- curator of the Atomic Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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On the Street Where We Live: Park to Park 103

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 12:35:02 GMT

As reported in the New York magazine earlier this year -- the Upper West Side of Manhattan above 96th Street is a pedestrian death zone. Reporter Justin Davidson described the many victims of the “neighborhood’s out-of-control traffic -- a Bermuda Triangle of pedestrian death” – Davidson wrote that “nine years into the Vision Zero era, we should really be calling it Vision 125 -- the average number of pedestrians killed each year in New York since 2014. One every three days.

Organizations like Park to Park 103 are working to change this deadly dynamic by designing a walker- / biker-friendly 103rd Street from Riverside Park to Central Park. For this Bar Crawl Radio program Becky, Alina, and I ambled over to 103rd Street on the UWS to an exciting street fair promoting Open Streets. In a city filled with walkers and cars it is time we found an equitable balance.

We spoke with Gale Brewer--UWS City Council person -- Shelly Fine -- unofficial "mayor" of the Upper West Side -- Peter Frishaut -- creator of Medscape and coordinator of the Open Streets Community Coalition -- Richard Robbins -- founder of Upper Westside Strategies -- and Cidalia Acosta -- a Magnet School Specialist at West Prep Academy. And we talked with the young Park to Park 103 Ambassadors of West Prep Academy.

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Gene Pritsker Goes Beethoven

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 14:00:28 GMT

Becky and I spoke with the music-eclectic Gene Pritsker at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar a couple of days after his Sound Liberation Band deconstructed Beethoven at Birdland Jazz Club. It was a musical brainstorm called – “Ludwig’s Night out” – Beethoven is on a bar crawl while Sonata No. 4 (for violin & piano) is echoing in his brain. Several of the pieces created by Pritsker and Composer Concordance regulars are included in this edit.

A bit on Gene Pritsker: He is primarily a composer – also --a rapper – DJ – guitarist –a coordinator of music concerts – teacher – and at one time an actor. As of 2023 he had created over 900 compositions – including, chamber operas – orchestral and chamber works – electro-acoustic music – songs for hip hop and rock ensembles – with accents from many cultures - performed world wide. Gene is the co-director of Composers Concordance with Dan Cooper.

We last spoke with the musician at the bar for BCR #38 -- April 2019. It was great catching up with Gene who has been quite busy during the pandemic; for instance, he recorded the sound track for the new "Matrix Resurrections" at Abbey Road Studios and produced a record while in Berlin.

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ChatGPT with Adam Scott Wandt

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 15:00:44 GMT

Adam Scott Wandt joined this Bar Crawl Radio conversation to talk about ChatGPT but we got to a whole lot more -- exploring the impact of Artificial Intelligence [AI] as it exists today and into the future. Prof. Wandt of John Jay College of Criminal Justice is the Vice Chair for Technology of the Department of Public Management. His main interest is in technology and law and has worked with the FBI, The National Institute of Justice, Interpol, the United Nations, and the U.S. Bureau of Justice. Our conversation took us on a wild ride through the beauty and dangers of Bing's innovative large language bot that chats and the near-time introduction of self-driving cars that talk to us. So hang on -- this is a bumpy ride. We recorded on the Porch at Gebhards Beer Culture Bar on the UWS of Manhattan.

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NYC: A Biking Adventure

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 21:40:54 GMT

Back in 2019 when the city knew not of COVID19 BCR co-hosts talked with Erwin Figueroa of Transportation Alternative about the bike culture of New York City. A lot has changed since then. Today – biking in the city is certainly scarier – maybe that’s a sign that some of us are getting old – but the variety of speedy e-bikes – e-scooters – Inmotion-style unicycles – BTW -- Onewheel describes their vehicles as “weapons”

– mixed in with the ubiquitous metal shelled vehicles who own the streets – biking in NYC feels different to me. So today let’s talk about cycling in Metropolis. For this BCR conversation we talked with Juan Restrepo a senior organizer of Transportation Alternatives about the new Brooklyn Bridge bike lane and the continued dangers of cycling in the city.

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Brooklyn Bridge Restored & Stories

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 15:00:01 GMT

Shortly after the American North won the Civil War, construction on the East River bridge was started. Tammany Hall and graft controlled NY City and State, Ulysses S. Grant had just been elected President, and the German-immigrant and bridge designer/builder, who conceived the plan for the bridge, had died. Work on the Bridge took 13 years and up to 40 men died -- mostly immigrants. The cathedral-sized, wooden caissons which allowed workers to dig out the bottom of the East River used pressurized air, resulting in debilitating Caisson Disease-- otherwise known as the "bends."

The Brooklyn Bridge was opened in 1883 and quickly became an American icon--a towering structure reflecting a sense of national pride and progress -- a reality, in part, built on greed and death.

We spoke with Sarah Rosenblatt, an Architectural Conservationist who is working on restoring the original look of the Brooklyn Bridge -- and with Prof. Richard Haw who has written several books on the Bridge. His most recent book -- Engineering America: The Life and Times of John A. Roebling.

Recording at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar in Manhattan.

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Power of Two Ugandan Women

Sat, 17 Dec 2022 15:00:37 GMT

Early in the summer of 2022, my Bar Crawl Radio host – Rebecca McKean -- and I travelled with our grandson -- Jackson Castro -- to the family farm of Martha Hennessy – granddaughter of the founder of the Catholic Worker – Dorothy Day.

While there, Martha told me of the work of a Catholic priest – Father Philip Gbao -- and suggested we produce a BCR program on his work with African students. Listen to that conversation with Father Philip in BCR #175.

For this BCR program, we spoke with two of Father Philip's students about their professional goals and dreams to raise awareness of the power of Ugandan women in a culture which undervalues their worth. We spoke with Nambogwe Claire who is studying to be a community organizer and Birungi Martha who is working to be an automobile engineer. Both see themselves as examples of a new and different choice for Ugandan women outside of marriage, domestic work, and child rearing.

Alan Winson -- barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Veterans for Peace & the Climate

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 13:16:37 GMT

It was a cold and windy Monday morning – Nov 14, 2022 – across the street from the United Nations. A group of U.S. veterans – many with combat experience – were building a watch tower – with 20 foot high painter’s scaffolding – on top of the city patio overlooking the Isaiah Wall and Peace monument – to call out to the UN that a large part of the world’s climate crisis was and is caused by the U.S. Military,

We spoke with Veterans for Peace members -- Garett Reppenhagen / Tarak Kauf / Jim Rine / Ellen Barfield / Elliot Adams.

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SI Ferry Named "Dorothy Day": Maiden Voyage.

Sat, 12 Nov 2022 16:40:20 GMT

Back in November 2022 -- I attended the christening of the newest -- most modern Staten Island Ferry – the Dorothy Day – named for the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement. A half a year later – I am back on Staten Island for the maiden voyage of the Dorothy Day Ferry – asking what is the significance of naming a ferry after the great peace activist and soon-to-be Catholic Saint.

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SI Ferry Named "Dorothy Day"

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 13:09:23 GMT

"How rich we are, we who profess voluntary poverty as a foundation for our work as agitators, to be able to take a ferry ride and be, within an hour, in [Staten Island] a rural area which is still part of New York City ... my conversion took place here." Dorothy Day's journal - Summer 1977.

November 4, 2022 the newest Staten Island Ferry was commissioned "Dorothy Day." I traveled out to the event and spoke to those there to honor the event.

Alan Winson -- BCR Co-host

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Teaching American History

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 14:00:51 GMT

James Baldwin argued that unlike Europeans, Americans do not know who they are. In "Stranger in Paris," Baldwin argued that the French know who they are—ethnically, historically. But Americans are confused. He writes -- we know one when we see one, but cannot name what we have in common. The idea of “America” is formed in our precollege American History classes. But as Joseph Moreau argues – “Writing history is always political -- always reflects the relationships of power in the society.” For this BCR episode, hosts Rebecca McKean and Alan Winson, talked with American Historian, Joseph Moreau, author of “School Book Nation”. – an investigation of how American history has been taught to our children.

Joseph Moreau is a history instructor at the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School in Manhattan. He holds a Ph.D. in “American Culture” from the University of Michigan. And historian Robert Snyder -- Professor Emeritus of American Studies and Journalism at Rutgers University in Newark. A prolific American Studies scholar – featured on radio and television, Robert Snyder conducted the research for Ric Burns documentary ‘New York.” Author of Crossing Broadway; Washington Heights and the Promise of New York,” and co-author of “All the Nations Under Heaven: Immigrants, Migrants, and the Making of New York.” And Rob is Manhattan’s Official Historian.

This conversation was recorded at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar in Manhattan.

CONTACT Alan and Rebecca at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Ronald Guttman in Camus' "The Fall"

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 18:42:36 GMT

BCR hosts Rebecca and Alan spoke with actor Ronald Guttman after his one-actor performance in the play based on Camus' The Fall" at the Soho Playhouse bar. Matt -- the bartender -- talks about The Huron Club Bar [THC] -- which was also the set for the play and former speakeasy and brothel for Tammany Hall. THC Bar is an appropriate setting for Camus' final work -- "The Fall" (1956) -- which takes place at a "sailor's bar" in Amsterdam named renamed "Mexico City." Mr. Guttman talks about being up-close-and-personal with his audience as he roams through the audience as Jean Baptiste Clamence -- formerly a most successful attorney -- and now "judge-penitent. This is a play most appropriate for a time in need to self inspection.

"The Fall" plays until mid November, 2022 at the Soho Playhouse in Manhattan.

barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Nuclear War--Keeps on Rockin'

Sat, 06 Aug 2022 17:16:32 GMT

August 2, 2022. Outside the United States Consulate to the United Nations. Second day of the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Several dozen people--mostly in their 70s or more--marched and chanted and practiced civil disobedience in a call to end the build-up of nuclear arms. Here is a reflection of what some of them believed --

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Father Philip Gbao: Love of education and the poor

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 14:00:44 GMT

Father Philip Gbao is a Salesian Catholic Priest who works with the poor and children in West Africa. At one time he was the principal of a school in Uganda. As a young student he escaped the civil wars in Sierra Leone and now works to empower young women, to train teens in practical skills that will earn them a living wage, and to encourages his students to change behaviors that will make their country cleaner and healthier. He was in the United States to raise money for several young women and men who were completing their college education. We spoke at the Catholic Worker's Maryhouse library -- in the Bowery district of NYC.

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Samantha Majic: Sex Work as Work

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 14:00:28 GMT

A few months ago, Rebecca McKean and I spoke with India Thusi about her study of the interaction of sex workers and the police in Johannesburg, South Africa. That conversation explored the current state of prostitution – and -- our attitudes and feelings about sexual intercourse as work. For this BCR conversation, we sat down at one of favorite bars with Dr. Samantha Majic – a professor in Political Science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Prof. Majic studies the links between gender and American politics. We asked her about her 2014 book -- Sex Work Politics: From Protest to Service Provision -- which focuses on sex work and civic engagement.

This podcast was recorded at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar in Manhattan's Upper West Side. Let us know what you think at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Douglas Hostetter: TET - CIA assassination attempt - Ending war

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 14:00:51 GMT

Douglas Hostetter – Mennonite and Conscientious Objector -- served in the middle of a hot zone during the VietNam War supporting the people who lived there. His is an amazing story. Rebecca McKean and I spoke with Mr Hostetter at Gebhard’s Beer Culture Bar in Manhattan’s Upper West Side on Juneteenth and Father’s day, 2022. We will post our conversation with Douglas in two parts.

In the second part of our conversation, Douglas Hostetter describes his daily activities in and around the Tam Ky battle zone during the Viet Nam War – his interaction with the American Marines and a very different relationship with U.S. officers who saw his positive work with the local population – as sapping GI morale. This led to a decision he had to make when he learned that the CIA was putting out rumors that could lead to his assassination. He describes surviving the violence of the 2 -week TET offensive of 1968 – and the human devastation that he witnessed afterwards.

Douglass Hostetter’s Viet Nam experiences established his life path working for peace throughout the world -- in Nicaragua during the Contra War – in Iraq with his attempts to prevent the First Gulf War by trading a plane-full of medicine with the Iraqis for American and UN hostages -- and his work to save Bosnian students from genocide in the 1990s .

In a world rife with intense violence -- this story of a man of non-violence should be heard.

Alan Winson

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Douglas Hostetter: C.O. at War

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 14:00:43 GMT

Douglas Hostetter – Mennonite and Conscientious Objector [CO] -- served in the middle of a hot zone during the VietNam War supporting the people who lived there. His is an amazing story. Rebecca McKean and I spoke with Mr Hostetter at Gebhard’s Beer Culture Bar in Manhattan’s Upper West Side on Juneteenth and Father’s day, 2022. We will post our conversation with Douglas in two parts. This is part one: During the Viet Nam War from 1966 – 1969 -- rather than carrying a gun, Douglas Hostetter organized literacy classes for Vietnamese children and craft training for his neighbors. Rather than the relative safety of the American military compounds – Doug lived amongst his students, and survived in the open by being useful to the community -- and nonviolent. After his service, Douglas worked to end the war in Viet Nam through the People’s Peace Treaty – a document signed by college students in [North and South] Viet Nam and the United States – which Pres. Nixon rejected. Several years later, after hundreds of thousands of more humans died in Viet Nam and Cambodia -- the Paris Peace Accords was signed. The Accords closely mirrored the earlier People’s Peace Treaty.

In the second part of this program Douglas talks about surviving the TET offensive and the CIA attempt to assassinate him, and his life work to end war.

Alan Winson

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Scott Munson Quintet

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 14:00:51 GMT

Rebecca McKean and I were out on a delightfully comfortable summer eve in the West Side Community Garden to listen to the jazz compositions of Scott Munson -- vibraphonist -- performed by his quintet: Dmitri Kolesnik on bass / Scott Neumann on drums / Joe Magnarelli on trumpet / Emma Larsson singing. Before the concert we talked about informal T-shirt wear and straight thighs, messed-up signs, Yankee Stadium, bugs, and the Upper West Side. After the concert we talked with Scott about his career as a performer and a composer. Alan Winson

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Argentinian Musical Journey with Federico Diaz & Juana Luna

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 14:43:59 GMT

Rebecca McKean and I – Alan Winson – were out on a late Sunday summer afternoon at the West Side Community Garden on the UWS of Manhattan -- waiting to take a musical tour through Argentina with guitarist Frederico Diaz and vocalist Juana Luna. And we will talked to these two amazing artists after the concert.

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Sweet Plantain & Super Powers @WSCG

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 15:29:32 GMT

Rebecca Mckean and I were out on a late Sunday afternoon in June at the West Side Community Garden on the Upper West Side of Manhattan -- waiting to listen to Sweet Plantain – a string quartet -- with occasional trombone and mandalino – playing “a complex mix of Latin American music that artfully fuses western classical traditions” – according to the program. The mic was open to talk with our neighbors about their super powers. After the concert we spoke with Eddie Venegas leader of Sweet Plantain.

So imagine this – the band is a bit late due to traffic and a large crowd is gathers at a favorite neighborhood garden. The children prance on the lawn anticipating a dance fest -- the birds pumping out their joyful calls --– despite the dire state of the world – the air most comfortable – and you are amongst some of the friendliest people you could ever meet.

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India Thusi on Sex Workers and the Police in Johannesburg

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 14:00:33 GMT

BCR is talking about Sex Work. We spoke with a knowledgeable scholar whose recently published book “Policing Bodies” details her ethnographic study of the interaction of sex workers – the police – and the justice system of Johannesburg, South Africa. Prof. Thusi teaches in Bloomington at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and at the Kinsey Institute. India has worked with the ACLU, Human Rights Watch, the Center for Constitutional Rights and The Opportunity Agenda.

Early in her career – India clerked for the South African Constitutional Court – and was curious about the rough neighborhood down the block from the Court. Her two-year study of the interaction of Johannesburg police and that city’s sex workers began in May of 2013. What India Thusi learned in South Africa may help us think more deeply about our own American attitudes on sex work.

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WSCG Summer Concert - Inti and the Moon

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Back at the West Side Community Garden -- between W. 89^th and 90^th Streets – Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues -- and we opened this Bar Crawl Radio podcast with the sounds of "Inti and the Moon" – an Andean / Latin / World Fusion band. It was the second concert of the 2022 summer series in the Garden – organized by Randa Kirschbaum.

Rebecca McKean and I were out on a beautiful late spring afternoon to settle an argument about whether it is rude to point – AND – to enjoy some delightful music. At the end of the recording, I talked with Geo Suquillo – founder and leader of “Inti and the Moon.

Alan Winson - BCR Co-host

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Best Teachers & Jazz at the WSCG

Fri, 27 May 2022 14:00:53 GMT

Rebecca and I arrived early to The West Side Community Garden -- a verdant neighborhood oasis – to record the jazz offerings of Sabu Adeyola's Spiritual Reunion Band and to talk to its leader about his career and memories of his teacher Charles Mingus. By the end of the concert Randa Kirshbaum who produces these summer musical repasts -- renamed the band "Miracle" because halfway through the concert Mr. Adeyola’s bass collapsed – well the bridge of his bass collapsed. And since this is the UWS, there was a professional bass player in the audience who ran up to the stage and helped Sabu repair the instrument as the band played on.

Before the program we talked with members of the audience about their favorite teachers.

So imagine this – it’s a late spring afternoon – birds are joyful -- the air is velvety – the bees are buzzing – the flowers are smellin fine – and you are amongst some of the friendliest people you could ever meet.

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Brownsville, Brooklyn: A community of local organizers.

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 14:58:03 GMT

We are back recording at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar on the UWS -- taking a deep dive into Brownsville Brooklyn and the amazing work being done by its community organizations working to establish a good life for its citizens. We talked with Genese Morgan, community organizer and Chair of Community Board 16 which advocates for Brownsville, Brooklyn in the New York City Council. And Ms. Morgan is the founder of the Ocean Hill-Brownsville Neighborhood Improvement Association, INC.

And, La’Shawn Allen-Muhammad joined us. She holds many prestigious positions; La’Shawn is the Executive Director of Central Brooklyn Economic Development Corporations; President of Entrepreneurs of New York; Brooklyn Director of the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce – and others. She is a native of Brownsville and is committed to revitalizing her home town by creating opportunities for her neighbors through home and business ownership.

We also spoke with Sandy Nurse of NYC Council representative of District 37.

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Plowshares : Nuclear War : Ukraine : Peace?

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 14:20:19 GMT

Catholic Workers – students of peace activism – knowers of Father Berrigan and the Plowshares movement – are already aware that this week was the fourth anniversary of the Kings Bay Plowshares action protesting the U.S. military’s nuclear stockpile. It is also the week that Martin Luther King was assassinated, over three decades ago. Less than a year before he was murdered, Dr. King addressed the National Conference of New Politics and argued that the American society was spoiled by 3 evils – Racism, Materialism and Militarism.

This week -- sitting on the edge of the Peace Statue at the Isaiah Wall across from the UN, I spoke with three Catholic Workers who participated and went to jail for cutting through the fence of the largest and most lethal submarine base in the world at Kings Bay, Georgia. They spilt their blood from baby bottles and hung banners calling for nuclear disarmament -- Martha Hennessy - Clare Grady - Mark Colville. We spoke at the end of their day-long walk which started at Riverside Church where MLK had delivered his “3 Evils of Society” speech in 1967. Their walk was organized by the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 group, Ellen Grady and Anthony Donovan. Also, I spoke with Mary Yelenick -- Main Representative at the United Nations for Pax Christi International and a member of the NGO Working Group on the Security Council.

Alan Winson

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Escaping Ukraine

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 18:02:33 GMT

For this BCR episode, we were privileged to talk with a woman who a few days prior to the recording escaped the war in Ukraine. I teach at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and recently one of my students missed several classes. This was unusual as Mishelle is the sort of student any teacher would welcome – attentive – actively participating – interested in most topics I bring up – and always prepared. In one class -- I had noted a sticker on the back of her laptop -- "F*** Putin" -- and she shared with the class her concerns with what was happening in her country – Ukraine. When she returned to the class Mishelle told me that she had been occupied with helping to get her aunt-- Alla --out of Ukraine. Rebecca and I spoke with Alla, her sister, Tanya, and brother-in-law, Larry, at Gebhard’s Beer Culture Bar -- Mishelle translated. Alla spoke about experiencing constant Russian bombing -- her reticence to leave her life-long town near Kviv - escape through Poland, German, and finally reaching the Mexican border, the only route for Ukrainian refugees seeking asylum in the United States -- and about her hope that she will return to her country -- a free Ukraine.

Alan Winson

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Ukrainians in NYC

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 14:00:38 GMT

BCR co-hosts Rebecca McKean and Alan Winson and producer. Alina Larson spoke with Ukrainians living, working and protesting in NYC. Andrew Fessak is the president of the Board of Trustees of the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Volodymyr located on Manhattan's Upper West Side; Sam and Natasha are owners of the Blintz Box located in the underground Turnstyle Market next to the 59th Street subway station; Aleksandra Pryymak is a yoga instructor at a local Montessori school and a former Soviet athlete. Alina Larson spoke with several Ukrainian and Russian New Yorkers at the March 5, 2022 rally in Times Square protesting the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

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Pandemic Start-Ups: Kekoa Baby Foods & Sourdough Gambit

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 15:00:22 GMT

BCR is back podcasting at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. We talked with brave people who decided to start a new business during a pandemic – Dan Auld and David Fullner of Kekoa Foods – making forward thinking and tasty natural baby foods.

And Adam Simon – a grand master – maybe not at chess – but bread making. He recently started Sourdough Gambit supplying UWS residents with amazing artisanal breads.

CONTACT Rebecca, Alan and Alina -- barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Morgane Michael: Fierce on Kindness in Education

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 15:01:09 GMT

BCR usually records out of a favorite neighborhood bars on the UWS of Manhattan – but for this conversation we Zoomed it with a guest on the other side of this Great North American Continent. Teacher and fellow podcaster and advocator for a kinder world – Canadian – Morgane Michael. She resides and works in Victoria, British Columbia -- and this lady wears a bunch of hats. Morgane is a wife with two young children -- a teacher – speaker -- she produces and is the host of a prodigious podcast on the importance and difficulty of teaching called Kindsight 101 – recently published a book whose title explains its focus -- "From Burnt Out to Fired Up: Reigniting Your Passion for Teaching.” It is an impactful and fun read if you are a teacher -- or -- if you know that teachers are important to a thriving democratic society. And Morgane is the creator of SMALL ACT BIG IMPACT 21-DAY-CHALLENGE – an activity to make the world a better place through kindness.

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Brian Terrell: A walk with an activist & dreamer

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 16:21:42 GMT

This is a special edition of BCR - not in a bar but on the streets with a Catholic Worker activist. I recently talked with Brian Terrell in Union Square in NYC on a blistering, cold, sun-bright day in January 2022. He was in the city to give a talk at the recently installed, life-size, white, military drone statue by Sam Durant, above W. 30th Street on the High Line. Brian Terrell is a world-traveling peace activist who has been incarcerated in American prisons for protesting U.S.A. nuclear armament. I have known Brian for several years; he has been on BCR several times. We met several Januarys ago at a Witness Against Torture [WAT] protest in Washington DC. Until COVID, WAT members had marched annually for years in support of the Muslim men imprisoned in Guantanamo, Cuba.

We talked in Union Square as Brian held a banner calling for the end of American support of the Saudi military's bombing of innocents in Yemen -- and then we walked along the High Line to the 25' Drone statue. This man's work for peace is long and deep and genuine. You may not agree with all of his views; that is unimportant -- Brian speaks a truth that must be heard by those living now in this troubled world and those who will inherit it.

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Bringing Out Baby

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 15:00:20 GMT

Recently, Rebecca McKean was on the scene when our second grandchild was born. She lied her way into the birthing room pretending to be a doula or obstetrician -- it is not clear. In any case it was a life-changing experience as she watched Zeva enter the world headfirst from the left leg side of our amazing daughter. Learn some little known facts about bringing out bebe as Alan and Rebecca celebrate at the UWS 5Napkin Bar.

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Hunkering Down with Actor Kathleen Chalfant

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 15:45:17 GMT

I visited with American actor Kathleen Chalfant back when we first hunkered down due to COVID19 for our Hunkered Down Podcast. At the time, I expressed my gratitude to Joel Bernstein for inviting Ms. Chalfant to the podcast. A celebrated and honored stage, film and television actor, Ms Chalfont debuted on Broadway in Dance With Me followed by M. Butterfly. She has won numerous awards for her varied, powerful performances – in original Broadway productions. In Wit she played a scholar battling cancer – in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, she played several roles including Hannah Pitt and Ethel Rosenberg.

I am not going to get into her extensive film and television work. Finally, in addition to the thrill of meeting this great actress, Kathleen was a fun and generous person to talk with.

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Havin' Nuf fun?

Sun, 05 Dec 2021 18:07:22 GMT

This BCR episode was recorded at Bar Hygge in the Spring Garden neighborhood of Philadelphia. Becky and Alan have a fun-filled evening talking with Catherine Price about her newest book "The Power of Fun" How to feel Alive Again." Ms. Price describes herself as a “recovering tech addict”; she is the author of How to Break Up With Your Phone (2018) which has been published in 30 countries and featured on NPR – The NY Times – The Los Angeles Times – Time Magazine – Wired – Vox – BBC World News – and Good Morning America. Catherine’s 30-day program on ditching her phone and un-breaking her brain received more than 2 million hits in less than a week. Ms. Price is also a science journalist whose work has appeared in The Best American Science Writing and other prestigious science sources -- a speaker, teacher, consultant.

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Hettie Anderson: Goddess-Like Model of the Gilded Age

Sat, 27 Nov 2021 15:22:08 GMT

Sometime in the 1890s – a young, tall, deeply handsome, light-skinned African American woman, and her mother, left the Jim Crow south and settled in New York City. She quickly became a sought-after artist’s model. Her form represented -- in statuary and coins, created by the most accomplished sculptors of the time – the ideal of the American Gilded Age – victorious, perfect, strong -- the Classic Greek idea of the female form –for a country in which some had became ridiculously rich during the Industrial Revolution – and most had fallen into poverty.

We talked with Eve Kahn and Willow Hagans about the golden figure striding ahead of General Sherman in Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan – the Greek goddess “Victory” – and the Black woman who was the model for that figure and who, in many ways, represents the artistic goals of the Gilded Age – Hettie Anderson.

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Most Unusual Jobs

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 15:00:55 GMT

Park Bench Chats -- back in Riverside Park in Manhattan -- talking with our Upper West Side neighbors about their unusual jobs. And there were several. Join Rebecca and Alan as they talk with:

Sam who was a motion picture projectionist for senior citizen homes and was in charge of painting the lines on NYC street -
Al Gorgoni, guitarist, who was involved with most of the big hits that came out of New York City in the 60s including the opening riff of Van Morrison's "Brown Eye'd Girl" which he composed. Al also worked with the Monkees amongst many others -
Richard, who in the late 1950s, "unloaded cattle on the High Line -- actually large sides of raw cows -
Jackie who put jelly in jelly donuts on Cape Cod. No extra jelly--two squirt limit, please.

Alan talks about collecting sewage samples at a Howard Johnson restaurant. And, Rebecca tells the story of serving Cary Grant ice cream at a children's birthday party.

Did you ever have an unusual job? Let us know at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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The Lotus Garden ... floating above Broadway.

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 14:00:00 GMT

ALERT! Garden lovers! This episode is for you.

We’ve lived in NYC’s Upper West Side neighborhood for decades, and it was not until BCR producer Alina Larson connected us with the people in charge of The Lotus Garden, that we were aware a verdant urban oasis existed a few blocks from our apartment.

Near Broadway—floating twenty feet above W. 97th street -- on the roof of a garage -- dwells a garden that has been tenderly cultivated -- for over 30 years.

Three avid gardeners who are in charge of The Lotus Garden, talk about this UWS escape, with its elder peach tree and babbling lotus pond.

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Is Winning the Game "that" Important?

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 14:00:00 GMT

Alan Winson here -- co-host of Bar Crawl Radio podcast. I had just lost an important Lawn Bowling competition -- by a "squeaker" -- to my former bowling student and friend -- Joe Kelly. I was happy for Joe, but -- hey -- I lost. It got me thinking about the experience of winning the game. Rebecca McKean and I invited Joe and his life partner, Ryan Hastu, to meet us on a Riverside Park bench below the crumbling Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument to talk with us and our neighbors about the importance of "winning" ... and "losing."

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Mike Vogel: A New York Attitude

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 14:00:22 GMT

We met Mike Vogel at a BCR Park Bench Chat episode in which we asked our neighbors on an afternoon stroll along the Riverside Park Promenade below the crumbing Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument: Do you like your job? After a bit of cajoling, Mike joined us and told his his job was writing about what annoyed him -- we knew we wanted to learn more. This author of "New York Attitude" [2020] joined us at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar to talk about his love-affair with misunderstood New York City and NYers. We compared the perks of living in the "City" and the relative merits of the Boroughs -- how the NY subway has changed over the decades and gained insights on Mike's former boss -- Rodney Dangerfield -- a most funny and sad individual.

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Best "human" Friend

Sat, 16 Oct 2021 13:00:05 GMT

It's early Fall and the night comes quickly in Riverside Park in Manhattan's Upper West Side. For this BCR Park Bench Chat, Becky and Alan talked with neighbors out for their afternoon stroll about their "best" friend. Some had issues with that description and preferred "close." We spoke with Layla (& Nidra, her mother), Grant, and John. Who's your best friend? Share at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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J.T. Rogers: American Playwright

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 14:00:09 GMT

This conversation was first posted on the Hunkered Down Podcast on June 5, 2020.

J.T. Rogers urge to move is reflected in the dynamism of his Tony Award-winning play "Oslo" and in the way he perambulated around his office during our conversation. Clearly, this artist thinks on his feet.

“Oslo” -- first produced on Broadway in 2017 -- is a heart-wrenching telling of the back-channel meetings started by a Norwegian couple to bring Palestinian and Israeli leaders together to talk about peace—person to person. Of course, in the end, the resulting Oslo Accords failed to bring peace to the region.

J. T. Rogers' works include: One Giant Leap, Blood and Gifts, The Overwhelming, White People, and Madagascar. “Oslo” was his first Broadway play.

Alan Winson, interviewer.

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Love Your Job?

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 14:00:21 GMT

You might think that many do not like what they do to earn a living -- but that was not the case with the four Manhattan Upper West Side neighbors on an afternoon stroll through the Riverside Park Promenade below a crumbling Civil War monument. For this BCR Park Bench Chat we talked with four of our neighbors about whether they "loved" their jobs and for the most part -- they did.

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Kathryn Erbe during the lockdown

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 14:00:52 GMT

This is a re-dux of the Hunkered Down Podcast --conversations with creatives who stopped creating during the COVID19 pandemic:

For eleven successful seasons -- Kathryn Erbe played Detective Alexandra Eames to Vincent D’Onofrio’s Det. Robert Goren on Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Prior to Criminal Intent – Ms. Erbe appeared as a death row inmate on the award-winning TV series OZ. This talented actor has worked steadily in television, film, and theatre since she graduated from NYU in 1989 and most recently appeared in Sam Levinson’s teen slasher film – “Assassination Nation.”

For this episode, Ms. Erbe talks about her early work in television with Lynn Redgrave on “Chicken Soup,” her experiences of working on “Criminal Intent,” and her work in theatre. At the end of conversation, Ms Erbe reads from Arthur Miller’s “The American Clock” -- a “radio show” being produced by the Steppenwolf Theatre.

CONTACT: Alan Winson -- barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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R U Happy?

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 14:00:52 GMT

Is it important to be happy? Are you happy? How do you really know? A credible, scientific answer to these questions would require a deeper dive with experts for a future BCR episode. For now – we just asked our Upper West Side Manhattan neighbors out for a stroll in Riverside Park below a crumbling Civil War edifice – “Are you happy?” It was the end of summer -- a couple of days before the Jewish New Year – the world was filling with CO2 – Texas women could no longer control their health choices -- COVID-19 infections were on the rise

-- and our guests were “happy.”

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9/11: 2001 - 2021

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 14:00:00 GMT

The Poetry Foundation editors write: “When major parts of our lives seem to change in a flash, we are reminded that poetry can help us to cope with new realities and to assess the unknowns ahead. When we are stepping out into uncharted terrain, alone or together, poetry can capture our emotions. It can share our vulnerabilities and scars, along with our strengths.”

Today. we are sharing the first program of our new podcast co-produced with Chris Brandt -- “Poetry. What is it good for?” For this first episode, we explored the 20-year social and emotional after-tremors of the attack by Saudi Arabian terrorists on the United States through the powerful tool of poetry with J. Chester Johnson and Cornelius Eady.

J. Chester Johnson is a poet, playwright, essayist, translator, speaker and teacher. He visited Bar Crawl Radio a couple of months ago to talk about his book – “Damaged Heritage” -- on the history and his family’s connection with the 1919 Elaine, Arkansas Massacre, one of many human crimes against humanity in which U. S. White citizens killed over 100 U.S. Black citizens and then prosecuted the survivors for their act of murder.

Though Cornelius Eady, an American poet, focuses on issues of race and society, his verse accomplishes a lot more as indicated in his deeply felt reactions to the 9/11 attack on this country. Cornelius is also a musician whose verse is performed as song by The Cornelius Eady Trio. His poetry is simple and accessible, centering on jazz and blues, family life, violence, and society from a racial and class-based POV.

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Wanna be an Advice Columnist?

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 14:00:03 GMT

For this BCR "Park Bench Chats" episode -- once again, recording in Riverside Park, beneath the majestic and crumbling Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument -- Rebecca and Alan challenged Upper West Side, Manhattan neighbors to match wits with "Dear Abby" - "Ask Ann Landers" - and, "Ask Amy." These "amateurs" came up some amazing and insightful advice on several real-life, personal traumas. And -- in our estimation -- exceeded the professionals.

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Danny Doughty: Visionary Folk Artist

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 14:00:12 GMT

BCR was on road trip to the Eastern Shore of Virginia and came upon a magical room in the small town of Onancock – an art gallery with bright yellow walls and bold, color-filled, paintings that held a singular theme, reflecting the artist’s visionary connection to the African American women who inhabited his youth. Danny Doughty calls himself a visionary folk artist. According to Eastern Virginia shore writer Ted Shockley: “[Doughty] paints scenes of the uncomplicated, quiet life he wishes for himself if he could be born again. He paints the proud but voiceless African American women of his youth who were so kind and hardworking and nurturing, and he paints them in the brilliant colors of respect and royalty, not the faded field clothes they wore then. He points scenes of celebration and love as a contrast to his own broken upbringing.” Danny’s is an authentic voice of an isolated aspect of the American South.

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Evan Williams: Appalachian author

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 14:00:57 GMT

Bar Crawl Radio travelled to Henderson County, in western North Carolina to talk with author and apple grower, Evan Williams, whose family has resided in the Blue Ridge Mountains since before the Revolutionary War. His writing abides within the people and culture of small town Appalachia. From Evan’s website -- “Surrounded by orchard, and writing from within a former apple storage shed, converted to dwelling, Evan inhabits the family compound along with a smattering of his adult, married children, several rescue pets, and a growing number of grandchildren.”

This conversation was recorded in the Triskelion Brewing Company in Hendersonville North Carolina. We talked about southern-style, small town religion, the mysteries of apple-growing, the "new" south, and Evan's recently published book "Ripples."

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Donald Trump Invaded My Dreams

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 15:55:31 GMT

Like something out of the 1956 film “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” –-- Donald Trump has invaded our psyches as we sleep. We live in an irrational nation – and we work out our roiling emotions in our dreams. Dreaming about the Trumpster is a thing -- according to a study done by a NYC psycho-therapist – Martha M. Crawford.

For this BCR episode -- Park Bench Chat series -- we asked our neighbors promenading in Riverside Park – if the former president had made an appearance in their dreams. Along the way we hooked an Obama dream and some political gab – and at the very end of the day -- just as we were finishing up our cocktails -- a man named “Walker” walked into our podcast and told us an amazing story – so be sure to listen to the end of this one --

We also give a shout-out to UWS Open Hearts led by Corinne Lowe – working to secure homes for NYC’s homeless.

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Hey Men! Let's get pregnant!!

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 14:00:45 GMT

Here's a Bar Crawl Radio’s "Park Bench Chat" episode – Rebecca and Alan set up our portable studio in Manhattan’s Riverside Park on the Promenade and we talk to our UWS neighbors about a topic of -- hopefully -- interest. Rebecca went into this question thinking it would be silly and fun. I was expecting vociferous pushback from our neighbors – neither happened. Rather – the idea of a man gestating a fetus within his body -- generated serious – thoughtful – affective responses from four UWS neighbors – out for an afternoon walk in the park: A 30-something man on a bike – a middle-aged, fit woman, also on a bike – and two married couples – one young with a baby – the other old and fit. These four conversations were serious – both personally and socially.

Email us at barcrawlradio@gmail.com with your perspective on being pregnant.

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Martha and Carmen are free. Well ... sort of

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 13:27:36 GMT

Rebecca and Alan talk with two Catholic Workers who have been in prison for protesting U.S. Navy submarines armed with world-ending numbers of nuclear missiles. We first talked with Carmen Trotta and Martha Hennessy on the porch of Gebhard’s Beer Culture Bar in Manhattan in June 2019 – a bit over two years ago. At the time, Martha and Carmen and other members of the anti-war Plowshares movement were under house arrest for trespassing onto the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in Georgia, the previous year. They both wore ankle bracelets.

Since then -- they were found guilty and have spent many months in Federal Prisons – Martha in Danbury, Connecticut and Carmen in Otisville, NY.

Recently they were released with some very serious restrictions – which require that we speak with them separately – co-conspirators cannot communicate.

Contact Rebecca and Alan at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Meet your Manhattan Borough President candidates.

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 19:54:45 GMT

This BCR episode is produced for Manhattanites voting in the 2021 city-wide elections. We spoke with four of the candidates for the Manhattan Borough President position being vacated by Gale Brewer. We spoke with each candidate for about 20 minutes -- featuring person over policy.

00:03:10 -- Brad Hoylman

00:22:20 -- Lindsey Boylan

00:43:40 -- Kim Watkins

01:05:10 -- Ben Kallos

01:26:50 -- Louis Puliafito

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Jazz Under the Covers

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 14:00:11 GMT

Geof Burke-Saxophonist, band leader and recently toured with Harry Connick Jr. / Steven Feifke-Pianist, band leader, arranger and composer / Dave Pietro--Saxophonist and Director of Jazz Studies at NYU -- joined me to talk about how their music is continuing in the city despite the fact that all of the great NYC Jazz venues are now closed. Social distancing can become an opportunity of all sorts as revealed in this most interesting conversation.

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Meet the Upper West Side City Council Candidates

Sun, 06 Jun 2021 21:53:57 GMT

StreetopiaUWS and Bar Crawl Radio Podcast sponsored this “Meet your City Council Candidates” event - recorded at the Eleanor Roosevelt Monument on W. 72nd Street in Riverside Park. we spent an hour on a beautiful -- if hot -- summer day getting to know three of the City Council candidates vying to represent the most populated neighborhood in the country – Manhattan’s Upper West Side: Maria Danzilo, Sara Lind, and Jeffery Omura. Gale Brewer, Zack Weiner and David Gold could not join us -- though David sent us a brief statement that is included at the end of this episode. We hope this conversation will help our UWS neighbors decide which person they feel will best represent them and their family’s interests.

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No Talk Podcast: A minimalist concept

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 14:00:16 GMT

Can a podcast be more than people talking at each other? Co-hosts - guests - mics and recorder - an interesting topic. NOW -- remove the "jabber-jabber." Make room for wondrous silence. We thought we would experiment with form and style and establish a new podcasting precedent. Talking about the issues has not worked -- so let's NOT talk about the issues. I know -- it's crazy, but it might work. It's new -- it's revolutionary -- might I say, it's --

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For all you naughty children...

Fri, 28 May 2021 14:00:40 GMT

Being naughty goes along with being a child. Yes? After all, when you brand your sister with a hot ruler who could blame you -- you're a child -- you have no morals or sense of appropriate adult behavior. Return with Rebecca and Alan as they sit on a bench on the Riverside Park Promenade on a beatific NYC afternoon and talk to their neighbors about those carefree days when we roamed our realm wreaking havoc as free spirits -- lording over the flies.

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Evelyn Kanter: News Reporter and Mavin of New York City

Fri, 21 May 2021 11:09:00 GMT

We had a delightful conversation under the Joan of Arc Statue on W. 93rd Street in Manhattan with Evelyn Kanter -- NYC TV news reporter and guide book writer – about her new book 100 Things to Do in New York City before You Die. Ms. Kanter has a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. She was the consumer reporter on WABC-TV “Eyewitness News” and before that on WCBS Radio reporting on rip-offs and best buys. She has written for the New Times, Post and Daily News, as well as The Houston Post – and has rubbed elbows with Peter Jennings and Walter Cronkite and other notable broadcast greats.

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Kathleen Collins on Why TV Matters

Fri, 14 May 2021 11:47:28 GMT

This BCR episode was recorded at a great Upper West Side, Manhattan eateries and bar -- 5Napkin. Finally, we are back having conversations with amazing people in our favorite bars.

Kathleen Collins is the Graduate Studies Librarian at John Jay College of Criminal Justice since 2007 – and a whole lot more. She has a double degree in psychology – a degree from the Cultural Reporting and Criticism Program at NYU and has written three books on television – “Dr. Joyce Brothers: The Founding Mother of TV Psychology” [2016] – and “Watching What We Eat: The Evolution of Television. We met at "Studio 25" -- 5Napkin's corner table facing Broadway and 84th Street -- to discuss our memories of growing up with television and her new book "From Rabbit Ears to the Rabbit Hole."

Contact Rebecca and Alan at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Lincoln Mitchell & Corey Busch & SF Giants & SF

Fri, 07 May 2021 14:00:14 GMT

If you are a baseball fan -- a Giants fan -- a fan of San Francisco -- this BCR episode is for you. It opens with Ron Fairly of KNBR calling the back to back home runs of Candy Maldonado and Will Clark in the 1987 game between the Houston Astro and the San Francisco Giants. The Giants would give up the National League Pennant to St Louis – and not win the World Series until 2010 against the Texas Rangers – 56 years after their last series win. We talked with Lincoln Mitchell whose newest book looks back at the Giants baseball team of 1976 to 1992 -- “The Giants and their City” It was a period when the city of San Francisco was going through hard times – and their baseball team tended to lose. Joining us from California on Zoom was Corey Busch who worked in the office of George Moscone when the mayor was assassinated in 1978. Mr. Busch then joined the Giants front office back when the team was owned by Bob Lurie. The conversation ends with Corey's experience of the 1989 World Series earthquake at Candlestick Park. Baseball fans -- do not miss this one!

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Opening UWS Streets to the arts and hula hoops

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 17:37:02 GMT

Once again BCR recorded on an UWS street; this time we were set up in front of the stoop where Humphrey Bogart played stickball as a kid -- W. 103rd Street -- just down from Broadway. It was an "Earth Day Celebration" organized by Lisa Orman of StreetopiaUWS. While musicians from the MET Orchestra performed, Jody Sperling's Time Lapse Dance gamboled, and the kids rolled hula hoops into our mics, we spoke with long time proponents of the open streets initiative -- including -- Henry Rinehart: former owner of the fantastically popular HENRY’s Restaurant / Jody Sperling / Robin Schatell a founder and director of Open Culture WORKS / Ken Coughlin a safe streets advocate and member of Community Board 7 / Mark Gorton founder of Open Plans, the non-profit home of Streetsblog, Streetfilms and Streetopia UWS / Sara Lind: a candidate for City Council in District 6 and a member of Community Board 7 / and, Christina Weyl a resident of West End Avenue and active supporter of the WEA Open Streets.

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J. Chester Johnson on the Elaine Massacre of 1919

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 20:11:21 GMT

This BCR conversation was quite special for Rebecca and me. We had agreed at the beginning of 2020 to investigate how racism permeates our society, our values, and individual behavior. We continue to want to work on our own complicity in what J. Chester Johnson calls this country's "damaged heritage" which is also the title of his new book. "Damaged Heritage” looks deeply into the 1919 Elaine, Arkansas massacre, when over 100 Black Americans were murdered by White posses and soldiers of the U.S. Military. A central part of this story resides in the relationship Chester had with Sheila Walker; both had family members who were part of the massacre--Chester on the White side and Sheila on the Black. They became close friends. Sheila passed recently and Chester delivered the eulogy at Sheila's memorial. Here is the text of what he said.

Mr. Johnson was educated at Harvard and the University of Arkansas. He was a financial specialist who served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Treasury Department under Jimmy Carter. An essayist and poet, Chester Johnson along with W. H Auden, retranslated the Psalms for The Episcopal Book of Common Prayer.

Last year “Damaged Heritage” was Amazon’s Best Seller for social activism biographies.

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Jeffrey Swann: Pearly Sounds from the Ivories

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 17:51:51 GMT

Concert violinist Rolf Schulte describes pianist, Jeffrey Swann, as a polymath, speaker of several languages, and a magnificent musician. Mr. Swann has won several prestigious piano competitions – including the Queen Elizabeth Piano Competition in Brussels as a young man and then the Ciani Competition in Italy and a prize at the Chopin Competition in Warsaw. The last few years he has run a music festival and teaches at a conservatory in Italy.

Early in his career Mr Swann was also a composer and studied with Darius Milhaud. He has lectured on Wagner at the Bayreuth Festival. Presently, he teaches at NYU Steinhardt School of Music.

A recording with Rolf Schulte and Jeffrey Swann performing Igor Stravinsky’s violin music recorded for the radio in Cologne, West Germany in 1979 is coming out any day now.

After the recording I asked Jeffrey about his thoughts on the future of classic concerts post-COVID19, Here is his response:

It is truly hard to predict how the Covid interruption will effect concert life. Classical music was already in great difficulties even before, actually for at least 30 or 40 years, it has been in a state of declining and older audience bases. So the effect may be positive in that t will bring about radical change from the top. Or it might simply kill the business for good. I refuse to believe that, since I believe in our musical heritage and its value and validity. But the entire model needs to change--but not simply by means of catchy clichés like "diversity".

NOTES BY Alan Winson

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Bergmann & Mullin: 2 Poets :: 1 Sculptor / 1 Painter

Sat, 03 Apr 2021 19:36:21 GMT

PWIIGF podcast brings together two poets who have something in common read and talk about their work. For this episode we consider how word, image and mass interact within the creative artist.

Rick Mullin’s poetry has been published in many journals and anthologies, including The Dark Horse, American Arts Quarterly, The New Criterion, and Rabbit Ears: TV Poems. His collection “Lullaby and Wheel,” was published in 2019 by Kelsay Books. When he was in his mid-30s Rick visited the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and encountered paintings by Matisse, Braque and other Fauve artists that changed his life and he began to paint. Later, he became fascinated with the painter Chaim Soutine and wrote a biography of Soutine in poetry form. Thank you, Rick for joining us.

Sculptor Meredith Bergmann creates public monuments exploring issues of history, social justice, race, human rights, disabilities, and the power of poetry and music. Bergmann’s work is well known in New York City for the FDR Hope Memorial on Roosevelt Island unveiled in 2019 – the September 11th Memorial in Cathedral of St. John the Divine in 2012 – and most recently the “Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument” in Central Park. Meredith Bergmann is also an accomplished poet and poetry critic -- her writing has appeared in Contemporary Poetry, Hudson Review and The New Criterion and she was poetry editor of The American Arts Quarterly from 2006 - 2017

CONTACT; barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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So you wanna talk to your childhood bully

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 14:00:37 GMT

Were you bullied in middle school? Were you the bully? This BCR is for you. We talked with Simone Ellin – a journalist who sought out those in her middle school “cool girl clique” who befriended and then bullied her. Now grown -- some would not talk to her but several did – and her recent re-telling of her experiences in Lilith magazine and the Huffington Post went viral; her Facebook creds skyrocketed. And as she writes in Jmore – “Finally I am the popular girl.”

Also, we spoke with Dieter Wolke, a psychological researcher at The University of Warwick near Coventry, England, who studies the long-term effects of bullying on the bully and victim. His findings may surprise you.

Contact BCR hosts -- Rebecca and Alan -- at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Manhattan's Car Crazy

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 11:44:25 GMT

We live in Manhattan's Upper West Side and Rebecca wants her own car. She has wanted a cute little car -- a Fiat -- for since her "Ruby"-- the sporty plum colored Mercury--died of neglect shortly after we met. I oppose raising another car in our car-infested city and GHG choked world -- but I gave in -- she really, really wants a hunk of well-designed metal. My reasoning? -- If she experiences the trials of city-based car ownership, it will not be long before we will be car-free, once again.

So this BCR R & A is a debate on whether it is a good idea to own a car in the Big Apple. We sat outside 5 Napkin Burger off Broadway and 84th Street -- under a heat lamp -- surround by well-designed, hunks of metal.

Contact Rebecca and Alan at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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James Yee: Ministering to Muslims at Guantanamo

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 21:38:40 GMT

An important topic we have explored over several BCR programs is the work carried out by Witness Against Torture – who for 15 years have actively protested the incarceration of Muslim men from all over the world -- at Guantanamo, Cuba. Since 2002 almost 800 have been detained – most released and now 40 remain – uncharged with a crime. Some have been there going on 20 years in extremely ugly conditions.For this episode we talked with a former U.S. Army Captain who loyally served his country at the Guantanamo Prison, as a Muslim Chaplain. Then at the end of his deployment was wrongly arrested and accused of espionage and threatened with execution. James Yee’s story was documented in the popular press and this story is available in his book “For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire.”

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Black Arts Movement 2021: Eugene Redmond & Darlene Roy

Sat, 13 Feb 2021 18:19:02 GMT

Coming out of the call for “Black Power” in the 1960s by Malcolm X and others, historian and playwright Larry Neal describes a new breed of Black artist taking on the contradictions of the Black person’s experience in the racist West and developing a “black aesthetic.” For this "Poetry--What Is It Good For?" episode, we talked with one of the lead architects of Black Arts Movement [BAM] poetry, Eugene B. Redmond -- the longtime poet laureate of East St. Louis -- and with poet and Redmond colleague Darlene Roy who has run the Eugene B. Redmond Writer's Club of E. St. Louis for several decades. The conversation ranged from the beginnings of BAM within the Black Power era of the 1960s -- to the important poets of the period -- to the changes that were happening in this country as "negro / colored" turned to "Black." Ms. Roy read from her book "Afrosynthesis: A feast of Poetry and Folklore."

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Music to Listen to an Impeachment By

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 22:55:55 GMT

Let it be noted that this Bar Crawl Radio conversation was recorded the day after a U.S. President was impeached for the second time. And for this episode our BCR producer Alina Larson brought together three musical minds who will recommend music you may have not heard of but great to listen to a presidential impeachment by. Jim Harrington is the Pop Music critic for the Bay Area News Group and he told us a story about Daryl Hall -- or was it John Oates? Dawn Sutter Madell just worked on the music for Netflix's recent release -- "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" -- and she told us an embarrassing story that involves Denzel Washington. And Harold Stephan who worked in the famous Unique Music Studio told us a story about John Lennon and Phil Spector.

This show is filled with musical snippets that will whet your taste and get you ready for the and Impeachment coming to a television near you.

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Catholic Worker: 1936 - 2021 / Tending a NYC Soup Kitchen

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 22:52:11 GMT

Your BCR hosts were surprised and honored when Catholic Worker, Bud Courtney, took us up the wooden stairs of Maryhouse to Dorothy Day's bedroom for our conversation on the Catholic Worker's soup kitchen feeding the the poor and homeless, We were joined by Joann Kennedy who heads up Maryhouse. They told us that Day had lived the last years of her life and died in the room in which we were recording. We talked about Bud's and Joann's commitment to serving their neighbors in need both with food and clothing, as well as humane and respectful moral support.

Early in this BCR episode, we caught-up with Corinne Low of UWS Open Hearts on the plight of the homeless men in the Lucerne Hotel on the UWS of Manhattan.

Email us with your comments at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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BCR & Angst and Daisies: Ending 2020 with friends

Mon, 28 Dec 2020 16:17:49 GMT

This will be our third visit with the hosts of the podcast -- Angst and Daisies -- Caroline Aaron, co-starring in "The Amazing Mrs. Maisel", and Steve Saporito, lawyer and knower of current American politics. We talked a bit about about the state of our country -- some on the Amazon hit series -- and a morsel on our favorite Christmas tunes and films. It was a lot of fun catching up with our new buddies who are now "old" friends.

Contact Rebecca and Alan at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Rhonda Roland Shearer: 1st Responder to 1st Responders-EXTRA

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 20:08:31 GMT

This is a BCR EXTA. Rhonda Roland Shearer was a first responder for the WTC first responders directly after the attack on Sept. 11th, 2001, At the time – she and her daughter London handed out a million dollars in PPE, construction helmets, bolt cutters and other essential equipment that supported those who worked the PIT. IN BCR 119 Rhonda tells that story and talks about her recent efforts at supplying PPE and other lifesaving materials to hospital workers in NYC.

For this BCR extra Ms. Shearer talks about her other interests – as a sculptor of women subjects, media ethics reporter and her work with her scientist husband Stephen Jay Gould for their Art Science Research Laboratory – we begin by talking about revolutions in art – influenced by Marcel Duchamp and fractals which influences modern art -- and the basic differences between male and female geometries

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Rhonda Roland Shearer: 1st Responder to 1st Responders

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 16:39:43 GMT

How was 9/11 like COVID19? Both needed effective PPE. Rhonda Roland Shearer satisfied that need then and now. This is a must listen BCR episode featuring a person who you should know. Soon after the destruction Rhonda and her daughter were at the WTC Pit handing out effective digging and cutting equipment and protective gear to the first responders despite being kicked out by city officials and did so on her own dime - over $1 million. She became a known figure at the WTC site for many months and fought for the dignity of those who died.

Two decades later Rhonda is handing out PPE to hospital workers and vulnerable New Yorkers, through her organization "Cut Red Tape 4 Heroes," and, as in 2001, paid for by money she borrowed and continues to pay back -- over $800,000. She is also a sculptor and co-founder of the Art Science Research Laboratory with her former husband and scientists Stephen Jay Gould.

There was a lot to talk about, and so this BCR119 episode comes to you in two parts. First -- Ms Shearer's work as a sculptor and 1st responder to 1st responders - and second -- her many interests in art and media.

Let us know what you think of BCR programming -- barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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An Elementary School Teacher During COVID

Sat, 05 Dec 2020 20:46:38 GMT

Rebecca McKean and I - Alan Winson - were back at our "studio" in the loft at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar in our Upper West Side neighborhood. Rebecca is an elementary school teacher, and I had watched her conduct distant learning classes in our tiny apartment from our dining room table and listened to her concerns about her students for months and wanted to interview her about the difficulties of teaching as an elementary school teacher during the pandemic. This is one dedicated teacher's experience -- that is repeated throughout the world by these dedicated teachers.

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COVID19 Long-haulers with Nathan Lents

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 19:04:59 GMT

This will be the third visit with scientist and genetics expert -- Nathan Lents. We focused our conversation on the nature of the "long-haul" maladies of those who have had the COVID19 virus. These serious health outcomes are known to effect even those who did not manifest the disease. And we talked to Dr. Lents about the new approach to viral vaccines using the mRNA technique.

We also talked to two COVID19 survivors about their experience during and after contracting the infection. Believe it or Not - this thing is serious.

CONTACT BCR hosts Rebecca McKean and Alan Winson at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Expat Poets from Hispaniola: Rhina P. Espaillat & Jean Dany Joachim

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 15:00:38 GMT

We were joined by two world-class poets from Hispaniola -- Jean Dany Joachim writes in Haitian Creole and Spanish poet Rhina P. Espaillat who left the Dominican Republic as a young girl fleeing the Trujillo massacre of 1937. Their poetry cuts to the bone of the immigrant experience in simple but deeply revealing ways. This episode is a lively conversation with lovely people who interpret their poetry in most accessible performances.

CONTACT: barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Distraction Attractions

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 15:00:41 GMT

It's a great time to wake up and get really distracted. If that is your goal -- then this BCR episode is for you. So if you really want to loosen your brain and drop any hope for serious and focused thought -- tune in and zone out while Rebecca and Alan tell you all about ... what was I saying?

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A Joyous Sound on the Upper West Side

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 14:20:48 GMT

It was the day when we learned that the Biden/Harris ticket had won the Presidential election, and the sounds of elation and joy rose in the street outside our Upper West Side apartment windows. We ran down to West End Avenue with our equipment and quickly set-up to get some testimony from our neighbors about how they were feeling. Up the street 150 people had filled the street and were dancing and yelling as passing cars honked on W. 93rd Street. We could breathe and the unifying breath was saying, "Let the healing begin."

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Election Nite 2020: A Pundit, the Press, and a Poet

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 12:54:05 GMT

WARNING!!! LIBERAL TALK ZONE.

It's the night of the 2020 election, and we did not want to be alone with the results. So, we invited a few knowing friends with whom we were in near total agreement. That's is how we roll:

Lincoln Mitchell is a political pundit and professor at Columbia University -- Poli Sci. We talked with Lincoln about his recent book "San Francisco Year Zero" at BCR #73.

The News Broads Podcast's hosts Gina Cirrito and Lynn White joined us on BCR #95. They are savvy media news veterans and they talk with top political thinkers on their podcast.

Martín Espada is a renowned poet who tells stories of the Puerto Rican diaspora. He and his talented wife Lauren Schmidt had joined us for BCR #88. Essayist, translator, editor, and attorney, Martín pursues social justice. He reads his poem "Litany at the Tomb of Frederick Douglass."

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Buggin' with Rebecca & Alan @ Gebhards

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 14:00:26 GMT

Rebecca and Alan are back at their favorite bar -- Matt Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar on the Upper West Side on W. 72nd Street. It was really good to be back on our old turf recording Bar Crawl Radio. The episode honed in on the behaviors and sounds and bugs that bug us. It was loud and a bit smelly from the fumes on the busy bus-strewned street -- but we had a great time sitting at a real bar and recording our silliness. Contact us at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Opening Hearts to the Homeless

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 14:00:24 GMT

We talked about the issue of NIMBY attitudes in our Manhattan Upper West Side neighborhood and the lack of mayoral leadership in solving the problem of homelessness -- with NYC District 6 Council person Helen Rosenthal, Corinne Lowe, co-founder of UWS Open Hearts, Joshua Parkin, founder of helpNYC, and Da Homeless Hero, a sheltered resident of the Lucerne Hotel.

This is the first in a series of BCR conversations addressing the issue of homelessness in our neighborhood -- with politicians, spiritual and mental health experts, sociologists, UWS neighbors, and the men and women who are living without permanent shelter. It is our goal to raise awareness of the problem and of finding humane solutions that work for the entire community.

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MicroAid International - Redux

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 14:00:42 GMT

Jon Ross, the founder and head of Micro Aid International joined Rebecca and Alan on the patio of Ellington in the Park on a beautiful Autumn afternoon. Jon Ross was with on BCR #36 at Vino Laventino – where we no longer record because the owner kicked Alan out several months ago – but that is another story.

In our previous conversation, we got into some depth on Jon's life and work building single-family, multi-generational homes in third word disaster areas. Now he is carrying out this important work during a global pandemic. Micro/Aid International is a non-profit that goes into third world disaster areas after the NGOs, Government agencies, news media have left and builds single homes by accessing the local economy and resources. Please consider contributing to their efforts.

Contact Rebecca and Alan at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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"Roll Play" & Trivia on BCR

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 14:00:20 GMT

This BCR episode recorded in front of the regal Greek Orthodox Church on West End Avenue and W. 90th Street in Manhattan's Upper West Side. Rich Collier -- the “High Exalted Mystic Ruler of the Unusually Smooth Productions” -- joined us out on the street for his brand of fresh-air trivia. Rich is a multi-year Emmy-winning host for “Roll Play” – where guests are challenged with trivia about NYC -- now on Create TV. He was a host and producer of “Subway Q & A” – one of the highest rated series in the unfortunately brief history of The Metro Channel – for which he was awarded a dozen NY Emmy Awards and won three in the category “Outstanding on Air Achievement” awards.

The BCR Open Mic attracted several of our neighbors to answer some "Roll Play" style trivia. See how well you can do with Rich's questions -- you are bound to do better than we did.

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We Walk - Park(ing) Day - on West End Avenue

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 14:00:42 GMT

Once again – Bar Crawl Radio’s portable studio is set up on West End Avenue and 92nd Street -- this time for the "We Walk / Park(ing) Day" on-the-street event. And things were buzzing around as as our UWS neighbors too over the street. Local community organizations working for various socially positive changes were represented.

"We Walk" was part of the worldwide "Park(ing) Day" celebration in which walkers and bikers take over "metered curbside parking space for “creative experimentation, political and cultural expression, and unscripted social interaction.” It is organized by the” American Society of Landscape Architects.”

For this BCR episode we talked with reps from Streetopia, Time Lapse Dance, D3 Green Schools, Public Design Commission, former NYC Parks Commissioner -- Andrian Benepe, and State Assembly member -- Linda Rosenthal. It was a busy day but your BCR hosts handled it and had a great afternoon on the Upper West Side.

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The Man and the Challenge

Fri, 04 Sep 2020 21:00:56 GMT

Bar Crawl Radio has finally gone really silly. I had to come up with an idea for this week's podcast and so I was on my bike and I remembered this TV series I used to watch as a kid -- The Man and the Challenge -- and decided to challenge my Upper West Side neighbors to figure out how to survive several death-defying scenerios. They did pretty well but only one actually survived. On a fun scale -- we had a lot of it --

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Conspiracy Theories--This I believe

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 14:00:35 GMT

It's time we just give it up to all of those wonderful, wacky, weirdo conspiracy theories and go along with Rebecca and Alan for one ludicrous and fun-filled romp way past Alice in Wonderland and walk around in the land of the inane and creative. If you are a QAnon-er -- you might just get all down with TAnon -- and become an equal opportunity reviler of authority. Hear us out -- it makes sense and we have the proof. BCR is once again on the street talking with our Upper West Sider neighbors about their favorite conspiracy theories -- and we heard some wild stuff. Did you hear the one about the Denver Airport ....

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Will Manhattan Bars Survive City Government Policy?

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 14:00:55 GMT

Will NYC bars survive? Between early March and early May, over 100,000 small businesses nationwide have shut down and our neighborhood bars in NYC have been hit hard. More than 80 percent of the city’s restaurants and bars did not pay full rent in June, according to the NYC Hospitality Alliance. In this COVID19 moment, it is clear that we must social distance if we are going to beat this corona virus – but at what cost? In general -- NYCers have been doing well -- and we want to get back to enjoying our great bars -- but is it too soon? And what is going to happen to outdoor bar and restaurant business as we enter the fall?

We talked with Matt Gebhard, owner of Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar--our favorite watering spot in the Upper West Side--about his efforts to keep his business afloat in the face of inconsistent and hard-on-business city policies. We were joined by Gebhard's midtown bar manager--Peter Malfatti

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Mentoring Poets: Susana H. Case & Mervyn Taylor

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 14:00:40 GMT

This was a fun +hour talking with two brilliant poets who mentor each other's new work. MERVYN TAYLOR born and lives in Trinidad, and now retired there, Mervyn graduated from Howard and Columbia Universities. He taught at Bronx Community College, The Young Adult Learning Academy, He has published six books of poetry and won the Paterson Poetry Prize for sustained literary achievement. His poetry focuses on the particular and the personal, but there's always somehow the consciousness of the world.

Mervyn suggested that we invite SUSANA H. CASE to the BCR conversation because he found that there was an affinity in their work. Susana has written seven books of poetry and two of her chapbooks have won poetry prizes. Her work appears in many magazines and anthologies. Dr. Case is a professor and Program Coordinator at the NY Institute of Technology.

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Collateral Damage and the CVD19 Collective

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 19:32:16 GMT

Bar Crawl Radio is now on the street at West End Avenue and 92nd Street -- bringing in guests and talking with neighbors on our open mic. For Episode #104 Rebecca and Alan talked about the collateral damage of CVD19 and then had a most unusual guest.

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Nathan Lents on COVID19

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 21:10:29 GMT

BCR is recording in the middle of West End Avenue -- where it is safe - for a conversation with popular scientist Nathan H. Lents, the author of Human Errors: A Panorama of Our Glitches, from Pointless Bones to Broken Genes (2018). Lents also maintains the Human Evolution Blog and writes for Psychology Today under the tagline “Beastly Behavior: How Evolution Shaped Our Minds and Bodies.”

Recently, he has been countering supporters of intelligent design who complain about scientific approaches to effective policies on combatting COVID19 pandemic and in April he survived the disease. Nathan was with us for BCR #16 on our first and only Margarita Crawl.

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Pandemic Films: Why we eat 'em up.

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 16:06:30 GMT

It's seems to be the just-right-moment to stock up on all the essentials, preferably canned or irradiated -- find a cozy indoor spot, conveniently chained with a steel door and no windows -- and wait for it to get dark -- so we can listen for the gurgling sounds of the always ravenous walkers of the night. Life has become much like the pandemic films we so love -- Contagion -- Outbreak -- 28 Days Later -- and even -- The Andromeda Strain [Rebecca and I had to pay for this 1971 film getting ready for this podcast. It is not really interesting except to see how strange an old film can look to 21st Century, COVID19-covered eyes].

Bar Crawl Radio took to the streets -- West End Avenue and 92nd St. -- to ask our neighbors if they liked pandemic films.

If you have an opinion on this question, contact us at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Rethinking NYC: Running for City Council

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 17:10:01 GMT

BCR100-PART 3: For BCR's 100th Episode, we invited two young women running for the NY City Council in the 2021 election. Johanna Garcia is running for a seat in District 10 - Upper Manhattan. She is the daughter of immigrants and mother of three children. As President of the School District's Presidents Council and as President of the Community Education Council, Ms. Garcia opposed extreme testing and the sale of student information to private parties, and highlighted the crisis of lead in NYC schools.

Sara Lind is running for District 6 which is our own Upper West Side, presently headed by Helen Rosenthal. She has a law degree from Univ. of Chicago and worked for asylum seekers. Ms Lind has been working to increase the number of women in government. She worked on the Clinton presidential campaign in '16 and is the Executive Director for 21 '21' focused on electing at least 21 women to the NY City Council.

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Rafael Espinal: Head of the Freelancers Union

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 15:31:43 GMT

BCR100-PART 2: Our second guest for out outdoor podcast on West End Avenue was former NY City Council Member, Rafael Espinal. Rafael is one of our favorite guests. , He has been with us many times and Alan covered his run for City Advocate a year ago. We have celebrated his many accomplishments as City Council Member for District 37 in Brooklyn. And now Rafael Espinal is the leader of the Freelancers Union. We talked about his many accomplishments with a Council Member, his new job as head of the Freelancers Union and possible future political aspirations. Talking with Rafael is always fun.

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MBP Gale Brewer Celebrating UWS Resiliency

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 15:02:37 GMT

BCR100-PART 1: This three-part BCR episode celebrated its 100th episode on a Manhattan street. West End Avenue was closed to traffic and so BCR took to the street to celebrate the resiliency of our UWS Neighbors as we face-down a most deadly pandemic.

PART ONE: Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer talked about her attempts to guide the mayor and governor to make the wisest decisions for our amazing urban population. Did you know that over a period of time Gale and her husband, Cal Snyder, had 35 foster children?
PART TWO: A blast from the past. Former City Council Member, now head of the Freelancers Union Rafael Espinal dropped by, shared a beer, and we caught up with his recent activities as head of the Freelancers Union and looked back on his accomplishments in city government.
PART THREE: We talked with two young women running for the NY City Council in 2021 -- Johanna Garcia for District 10 in Upper Manhattan -- and -- Sara Lind for District #6 -- the Upper West Side.

Also -- with us were our Upper West Side neighbors on the "BCR Kvetch Mic."

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The United States of America: A Racist Country

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 14:00:00 GMT

The ugliness of police brutality aimed at Black Americans cannot be ignored – and cannot be papered over with meagre policy changes. We have to recognize the ugly fact that Racism is at the core of this country – is the ground from which arises white rage against dark skin. Rebecca and I feel it is important that we develop conversations about the enormous issue of white privilege and the near impossibility of white citizens to see the true nature of this country as racist.

For this BCR 101 episode, we had a respectful and confessional talk with two young Black Americans, working in IT -- Kendra Claiborne and Matthew Bishop -- about racism in this country.

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Pandemic-Styled Classrooms

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 14:00:23 GMT

This country has two social crises – the coronavirus pandemic – and – social unrest caused by white racism. Added to that – our government has no coherent, effective policy to help us move forward. These social and health upheavals have impacted our children’s education. For this Bar Crawl Radio episode, we are talking with two educational leaders whose organizations are working to establish equity and justice for poor Brown and Black children – Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters – and – Jasmine Gripper of Alliance for Quality Education.

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Call Me Rebecca

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 14:00:56 GMT

BCR has gone to the streets -- West End Avenue and 92nd Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan -- to be precise. We set up an open mic in the middle of the asphalt and have been taking testimony from UWSers about how they are doing. AND -- one of the BCR hosts makes a life-changing announcement -- proving one more time that it is never too late to change your life. It is part of the 'Don't Be a 'Becky' Movement" #amnotbecky

For her husband of many decades this is going to be difficult, but he has been given a one-person dispensation. He is one lucky guy.

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The Church and Social Justice

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 14:00:47 GMT

Recently, a dear friend sent us her son’s new book about his work in the field of social justice in poor and Black communities in the Chicago area – and elsewhere. At the end of Seeds of Justice Alex Tindal Weisendanger writes: “We can transform our churches and our churches can transform the world”

This BCR episode features Alex and two other Christian leaders working for social justice. This BCR episode was co-produced by Alina Larson.

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Upsides to a Pandemic

Fri, 12 Jun 2020 14:00:00 GMT

Becky and I are hunkered down at the Windermere Chateau Bar overlooking beautiful West End Avenue to talk about how social isolation has a positive side. We spent some time earlier in the week at the Street level Bar talking to our neighbors taking a late afternoons stroll -- and asked "How you doin'?" We will continue to collect their testimony for future BCR episodes.

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Broads "Casting" the News

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 14:00:10 GMT

Bar Crawl Radio hosts interview the interviewers -- members of The News Broads Podcast. A breezy conversation with three media savvy ladies about their experiences of talking with the biggest movers in journalism and entertainment on their podcast produced by David Levin.

Judy Licht -- Co-founder of firstcomesfashions.com; Commentator on WNBC's "Power Panel" ; Cohosted "Living in Style" for Martha Stewart; Creator of "Full Frontal Fashion" television series -- and more.
Lynne White -- Three-time Emmy award winning journalist.
Gina Cirrito - Former entertainment Producer at Fox News, covering all the red carpet biggie events.

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Escape OR Release?

Fri, 29 May 2020 15:16:56 GMT

Once again -- Becky and I are hunkered down in the Windermere Hotel Chateau Bar overlooking lovely West End Avenue. Another large crowd gathered near to the BCR mics as we talked about escaping the tribulations of life. Along the way Becky revealed the truth about our marriage -- and I decided her truth was not fake. This episode features one of my favorite entertainers --Jimmy Durante -- who continues to make me laugh -- a dinka doo.

Contact Becky and Alan at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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3 Poets 4 Peace: The Gendered Voice

Fri, 22 May 2020 14:00:44 GMT

"Poetry! What is it good for?" is a BCR series in which Becky and I have conversations with important poets. This episode opens with a rendition of "America the Beautiful" performed by the students of the Curtis Institute of Music [see Hunkered Down ??? for a conversation with the conductor Robert Kahn]. This conversation with the "3 Poets 4 Peace" is a follow up of BCR #92 in which we talked about poems addressing war. For this episode we investigated the gendered voice of poetry -- trying to discern the unique qualities of the male and female. The examples here tend to feature coitus and so ...

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3 Poets 4 Peace: Against War

Fri, 15 May 2020 14:00:08 GMT

In 2002 this country began a war against the Taliban in Afghanistan -- 18 years later – that war continues. Three New York poets, Veronica Golos, Angelo Verga, and Chris Brandt decided that we could not stand by and bemoan U.S. policies. They organized events in which poets expressed their opposition to war’s destruction of life, and efforts to create understanding of life -- in language. Takes this opportunity to visit with three poets sharing their artful, deeply felt, and gut-wrenching language opposing war.

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Becky & Alan Play with PAIN

Fri, 08 May 2020 14:00:27 GMT

Becky and I had a lot of fun with this one -- maybe Becky, the Dominatrix, had a bit more fun. We all deal with pain -- but all pain is not bad. This is a totally unofficial -- absolutely unscientific and subjective investigation of pain -- good and bad. For those of you who are a bit queasy, you may want to avoid the end of this episode as Becky puts me through a variety of pain tests. WARNING: DO NOT TRY THESE EXPERIMENTS AT HOME. We are professional podcasters and know what we are doing. NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED DURING THIS PODCAST.

Recorded at the Windermere Chateau Bar -- Masks NOT REQUIRED.

Email us at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Becky & Alan: RAGE @ a New Bar

Fri, 01 May 2020 14:00:55 GMT

WARNING: Corona virus is mentioned -- in passing -- in this podcast.

Announcing -- the official opening of the Windermere Chateau Bar and Grill --the new gathering place on West End Avenue. Masks are optional. Stupidity is celebrated. Meet Bob and Delores -- the arguing couple. Betsy -- the pansexual service person. And -- along with Becky and Alan -- consider your inner rage.

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From Prison to College: Second Chances

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 14:00:10 GMT

Bar Crawl Radio hosts, Rebecca McKean and Alan Winson spoke with two young men, recently released from Otisville Medium Security Prison—Sam Johnson and Christopher Lee -- and with Professor Richard Hoehler from John Jay College who teaches in the Prison to College Pipeline – an educational program founded by English Professor Baz Dreisinger and administered by the college's Prisoner Re-entry Institute [PRI].

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Poets Martin Espada & Lauren Schmidt

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 14:00:19 GMT

OK -- sit down -- calm your busy mind -- and get ready to listen to two amazing poets read and talk about their work. Martin Espada is a world-renowned poet; he tells the stories of the Puerto Rican diaspora experience. Lauren Schmidt's poems live on the ground -- and are raw and brave, exposing the sacred lives of the oppressed and the unspoken secrets of familial love. And -- Lauren and Martin are married; this is the first time they talk about how their work and relationship mesh. Readings include selections from Lauren's recent publication Filthy Labors and several of Espada's most endearing works, including -- "Heal the Cracks in the Bell" -- and -- "Alabanza." This BCR episode concludes with this loving couple reading a favorite poem of the other. No kidding -- this is a treat!

BCR #89 was recorded on the Porch at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar.

Let Becky and Alan know what you think of BCR programming at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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Being Rude: The Rules and Exceptions

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 14:00:21 GMT

A CORONA-FREE PODCAST.

Relax and get lost in a conversation between Becky and Alan on the topic of rudeness -- how to handle the rude adult and the rude child. Learn about what are the most effective comebacks when someone is rude to you. How to come out on top when someone tries to hurt your feelings. Here are the important lessons on how to squash that rude cell phone talker at a bar or that person who accuses you of being a bad mother or blurts out something about your hat. It is time to get even.

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On P.A.U.S.E. with "Angst & Daisies" Podcast - Take 2

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 12:59:25 GMT

This is for the historians: It's New York City - early spring -- 2020 -- and the Big Apple is on P.A.U.S.E. Bars are closed -- but BCR pushes on. Becky and I had a wonderful conversation with Caroline and Steve of the Angst & Daisies Podcast via Skype. Steve Saporito is a Broadway producer and Caroline Aaron is a co-star of "The Amazing Mrs. Maisel."

The conversation ranged from surviving these perilous times - to the impossibility of producing a T.V. show during a pandemic - to tips on keeping Corona V from our doorstep.

If you like what you hear, let us know at barcrawlradio@gmail.com

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4 Ways 2 Protest

Fri, 20 Mar 2020 14:00:56 GMT

Remember the scene in “Gypsy” when Rosalind Russell plods down the theatre aisle yelling at her daughter – “Sing out, Louise! Sing out!!” Well – wouldn’t you know it – there’s an activist group called “Sing Out, Louise” -- inspired by the election of The Don to protest through parody songs “in the key of F you.” That’s their line -- not ours.

We gathered--seven of us--on the Porch of Gebhard’s Beer Culture Bar for this Bar Crawl Radio conversation with representatives of four very different progressive, activist groups -- all inspired by the last election to speak-out – act-out – write-out – and sing-out – against President Drumpf and his crooked crumbling cronies. We talked with leaders of "Sing Out, Louise," "Markers for Democracy," "Learn as Protest," and "The Shrill Collective" and learned about the best way to keep our sanity in the ague of Trump -- GET INVOLVED AND PROTEST.

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Tiny Evils

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 14:00:08 GMT

We sat at the bar at 5Napkin on W. 84th Street, and I looked around at a somewhat crowded bar and restaurant and wondered how it is we were all there together as COVID19 swirled around us. But Becky and I are dedicated to podcasting, and so we put our bodies on the line for our loyal listeners and talked about "TINY EVILS." We asked the question that have alluded great minds: Does EVIL exist, and, if so, what is it? And we came up with an answer -- sort of -- and I -- Alan Winson -- revealed my evil act of the day. Stick around to the end of this BCR episode for an evil pleasure of an evil act by a usually good -- nice -- person.