North Words

Plink! Plink! fizz fizz, this Burlington startup wants you to drink more water

June 23, 2023 04:00 - 18 minutes - 17.4 MB

(Jun 23, 2023) A couple of transplanted Brits in the Champlain Valley are aiming to better hydrate the North Country and eventually the world.

Doug Smith reimagines digital art, tall tales, and "ADK Legends" thanks to AI

June 16, 2023 04:00 - 20 minutes - 18.9 MB

(Jun 16, 2023) On the latest North Words, Mitch Teich takes a wild ride into the world of ADK Legends, the Instagram feed of time-bending Adirondack folklore created by Doug Smith

"How can I still make music without being swallowed by worlds that are ugly and dark?"

June 09, 2023 04:00 - 24 minutes - 33.3 MB

(Jun 9, 2023) The latest music by the Boulay Sisters explores uncharted territory, but still sounds like if Simon and Garfunkel were reinvented as two sisters from Quebec.

From Willsboro to Juneau and back: travels with Joe, the caricature artist

June 02, 2023 04:00 - 21 minutes - 29.1 MB

(Jun 2, 2023) Joe Ferris has been on a months-long solo road-trip, collecting experiences, meeting new friends, and drawing caricatures whenever he decides to stop.

How the North Country helped this woman find her calling in the LGBTQ+ ministry

May 26, 2023 04:00 - 21 minutes - 29.6 MB

(May 26, 2023) Lauren Bennett didn’t grow up religious. But after studying at SLU and a career in community organizing, she’s leading an LGBTQ+ congregation in St. Louis.

North Words bonus episode: May 2023

May 26, 2023 04:00 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MB

(May 26, 2023) Hey, how about 54 minutes and 11 seconds' worth of great North Words content? Here is the May edition of North Words on the radio, long enough for a ride from Potsdam to Paul Smiths, or Plattsburgh to Port Henry. Or between two towns that don't start with "P."

How a flower farm flourished in the harsh climate of the North Country

May 19, 2023 04:00 - 20 minutes - 28.7 MB

(May 19, 2023) This former teacher's passion for flowers has blossomed into a farm that ships flowers to every corner of the U.S.

How this substitute music teacher got 250 kids to write an original song

May 12, 2023 04:00 - 23 minutes - 32.8 MB

(May 12, 2023) Carrie Woodcock unexpectedly became a teacher during the pandemic, and songwriting helped her and her students get through uncertain times.

Can a storytelling app bring tourists back to Warren County?

May 05, 2023 04:00 - 16 minutes - 22.5 MB

(May 5, 2023) These folks are trying to put some of the lesser known towns of the North Country back on the map, and maybe their new app can help.

Doug was a Jehovah's Witness. Now he's a comedian.

April 28, 2023 04:00 - 14 minutes - 20 MB

(Apr 28, 2023) As a kid, Doug Smith only connected with the outside world through TV - stand up specials on Comedy Central and MTV. But what really inspired his own career were the comedians he thought were terrible.

North Words bonus episode: April 2023

April 28, 2023 04:00 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MB

(Apr 28, 2023) For those who like to drink their North Words episodes from the firehose, here's the full April 2023 episode, brought to you in stereophonic splendor for your next long-ish drive or walk or spin on the exercise bike. Enjoy!

From potato farmers to ski resorts: why accurate weather forecasts matter

April 21, 2023 04:00 - 16 minutes - 22.8 MB

(Apr 21, 2023) For decades, the entire state of New York was serviced by only 30 weather stations. But for the last 5 years, one group has been working to change that.

Is it art or is it something else?

April 14, 2023 04:00 - 15 minutes - 21.8 MB

(Apr 14, 2023) The "toilet gardens" of Potsdam have captured the public attention of the North Country and the world. And a documentary that's now available on streaming services chronicles the legal battle of Hank Robar, the man who built them as a protest against the village government. And the question is - are the "toilet gardens" art, or are they something else?

The decline of the American newspaper as told by a North Country editor who lived it

April 07, 2023 04:00 - 18 minutes - 25.4 MB

(Apr 7, 2023) It’s not every small-town newspaper that wins a Pulitzer Prize. But that was the case for the Glens Falls Post-Star in 2009, at a time when the paper had not only grown in size, but in national stature. It was also right in the middle of Ken Tingley’s two decade tenure as editor. His latest book is called "The Last American Newspaper."

North Words bonus episode: March 2023

March 31, 2023 04:00 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MB

(Mar 31, 2023) Just in case you have a longer drive ahead, we're pleased to share the entire, radio-friendly, March 2023 episode of North Words with you. Three interviews, back-to-back-to-back. Audio gold. Enjoy.

Charles Guy wants you to rethink how you feel about the tuba

March 31, 2023 04:00 - 17 minutes - 23.4 MB

(Mar 31, 2023) What comes to mind when you think about the tuba? Maybe a German guy in lederhosen, playing an oompah tune at Oktoberfest. Or a concert band playing a patriotic John Phillip Sousa song on July 4th. Well... Charles Guy would like you to reconsider your image of the tuba.

Changing the world one compost machine at a time

March 24, 2023 04:00 - 18 minutes - 25.1 MB

(Mar 24, 2023) Spring is here, and even though it’ll be a while before all the snow is gone, it’ll be composting season before you know it. I had great plans to feed my backyard composter through the winter, but gave them up as soon as it was covered by a backyard snowbank. Recently, I had the chance to sit with three people who are setting out to change the composting landscape of the Adirondacks... and maybe someday, the entire state of New York. John Culpepper, his daughter Katie Culpepp...

"Why have I come to the Las Vegas of the Adirondacks?"

March 17, 2023 04:00 - 15 minutes - 21.8 MB

(Mar 17, 2023) A lot of folks take selfies in front of signs at landmarks, like the Las Vegas sign, or Welcome to Canada or Grand Canyon National Park. But have you ever taken a photo in front of an entrance to the Adirondack Park? The blue line encompasses an area larger than some states, yet it holds a different place in the hearts of Americans than other great natural places. This week on the North Words podcast, writer Matt Dallos talk about his new book "In the Adirondacks," and the ...

What to do when a former President sleeps over at your house

March 10, 2023 05:00 - 18 minutes - 25.2 MB

(Mar 10, 2023)

Listening to the Wallflowers and finding catharsis in songwriting

March 03, 2023 05:00 - 17 minutes - 24.6 MB

(Mar 3, 2023) Kingston, Ontario singer-songwriter Julia Finnegan might be youthful in age, but her music will have a familiar vibe to Gen X children of the ‘80s and ‘90s. And her playful lyrics call on songs and artists who were on the charts well before she was born - from Derek and the Dominos to America, and from Bob Dylan... to Jakob Dylan. Finnegan’s most recent album is called “Listen to the Wallflowers,” a title which works both as a metaphor, and as a literal tribute to the younger D...

Unraveling small-town American life for people from outside the U.S.

February 24, 2023 05:00 - 13 minutes - 19 MB

(Feb 24, 2023) How do you describe your part of the North Country to people who live in other places? Chances are good that you’d talk about the Adirondacks or the St. Lawrence River. Maybe the snow, or hockey, or Fort Drum. Or it could be SUNY Potsdam or Plattsburgh. How about Stewart’s ice cream or a pizza place you like? For years, North Country writer Ginger Henry Kuenzel has been taking on an even greater challenge. She describes life in her tiny community on Lake George to people wh...

You are now leaving the Adirondacks. But why? Two transplants prove there's always something happening here.

February 17, 2023 05:00 - 16 minutes - 23.3 MB

(Feb 17, 2023) If you ever travel to places like New York City, Boston, or Montreal, it can seem like there are theaters and concert venues on every street corner. So many events going on all the time. When we’re holed up in Potsdam or Keene or LaFargeville, it might feel like the only active culture at hand is in the yogurt in your refrigerator. But you know, there are always things happening in the North Country, even if they can be tricky to find. That's a problem that North Country tran...

Should I stay or should I go? Exploring our hometowns on North Words.

February 10, 2023 05:00 - 20 minutes - 28.3 MB

(Feb 10, 2023) The North Country. We love this place, and yet we hate it. It's a conflict that is both charming and one that can drive people away. And it's not unique to northern New York. Writer Idra Novey's conflicting attitudes towards her own Rust Belt town were a major inspiration for her latest novel, "Take What You Need." In this episoide, Novey talks with host Mitch Teich about the book and the difficult questions that lie beneath it in this politically polarized era in rural America.

First Person: Connecting the dots in North Country medicine; reconsidering Benedict Arnold; and a "really kind of magical" EP

January 28, 2022 05:00 - 54 minutes - 74.3 MB

(Jan 28, 2022)

First Person: "Cannabusiness" program at SUNY Potsdam, measuring coaches' perceptions of their players, a new album seven years in the making

September 24, 2021 04:00 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MB

(Sep 24, 2021)

First Person: A conversation with new SLU President Kate Morris, diversity in children's literature, adult proms in Plattsburgh

August 27, 2021 04:00 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MB

(Aug 27, 2021)

Episodes