Laurel Guild Yancey and Tonya Ward Singer met in person on Juneteenth weekend in 2022. Here they stand on the rooftop of the Moffatt-Ladd house where Prince Whipple, Guild Yancey's ancestor, lived enslaved by William and Catherine Moffatt Whipple, Ward Singer's ancestors.(Courtesy / Tonya Ward Singer) Genealogy can reveal surprises in our family tree. A few years ago, a collection of old family letters led to a discovery that connected two strangers across the country who learned their family histories were connected by slavery in New Hampshire: one, the descendant of a man who was enslaved in ..read more

Aube Rey Lescure is the author of the new novel River East, River West. In the days following this interview, Rey Lescure's book was shortlisted for the 2024 Women's Prize for Fiction, the only debut novel on the 2024 shortlist. River East, River West is about an American woman, Sloan, who moves to China in the 1980s, has a daughter, and marries a Chinese man. Using alternate timelines and perspectives, we see 2007 China through the eyes of Alva, Sloan's teenage daughter with a Chinese father. In the 1985 timeline, we see China through the eyes of Alva's stepfather, Lu Fang, who was a blue co ..read more

Barnstar(Courtesy photo) Live from the Word Barn airs Fridays at 8 p.m. and again Sundays at 6 p.m. on NHPR and NHPR.org This week we're pleased to feature Barnstar!, a Boston-area band who just released a new album, Furious Kindness. It's an innovative and boundary-pushing approach to bluegrass, with originals and re-worked covers from artists including Van Morrison and Patty Griffin. This is NOT your grandpa’s bluegrass ..read more

The exterior of the SNHU Arena in Manchester.(Dan Tuohy / NHPR File Photo ) This story was originally produced by the New Hampshire Bulletin, an independent local newsroom that allows NHPR and other outlets to republish its reporting. New Hampshire is one of 29 states and the District of Columbia that have signed on to a federal lawsuit against Ticketmaster, alleging its practices have hurt consumers and venues by monopolizing the live entertainment industry. “Live Nation must be held accountable,” Attorney General John Formella said in a statement, naming Ticketmaster’s parent company ..read more

Folk Classics Across the Globe Friday, May 24th, 2024 from 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Join us for an hour of never-before recorded folk songs from Iran, Venezuela, Ukraine, and Russia. The music we will hear was composed and/or arranged by composers from these countries. The musicians that perform these selections are also from their respective countries. We'll be exploring the intersection of folk and classical music, while also placing the spotlight on present-day communities. Fur, Feathers, and Flutes Friday, May 31st, 2024 from 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Do our pets have a special connection with Classical mus ..read more

Fireworks over Portsmouth, New Hampshire. File photo.(Dan Tuohy / NHPR ) Stay in the know about weekend happenings in the Granite State: Sign up for the Weekender newsletter. For even more events, visit NHPR's community calendar. And don't forget to check the New Hampshire forecast before you head out. The Squam Lakes Association is hosting a birdwatching event focused on the spring warbler migration on Saturday.( Squam Lakes Association / Courtesy) “Spring Awakening” through Sunday, May 26 at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth. More info. An Evening with Richard Dreyfuss ..read more

The India Association of New Hampshire welcomed spring with its Vasant Festival this weekend at Nashua High School South. The Vasant Festival was hosted by the India Association of NH.(Jackie Harris / NHPR ) Jyoti Sharma is part of the India Association of New Hampshire, which hosts the annual event. She says India is a diverse country, and this is a place for the diaspora to share their cultural heritage. "What we are doing here is just felicitating the Indian community to come and share their talents, especially the kids over here," she said. "They go to a lot of, you know, dance classes, m ..read more

(www.palmerphotography.co.uk) Leo Vardiashvili is the author of the brand new novel Hard by a Great Forest. His debut novel, it is set in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Vardiashvili takes us to Georgia through a character named Saba, who escaped the Civil War in the 1990s and fled to London. Now in his twenties, he returns to search for his father and brother, who have both disappeared. Saba's journey takes us through big swaths of Georgia, where we hear how the war affected so many, leaving soil soaked in blood. It's dark, but there is light, and there is love, and there is hope. Much ..read more

<b>&nbsp;<i>Fellow Pynins</i> are Dani Aubert &amp; Ian George</b>(Courtesy photo) Featuring banjo, mandolin and acoustic guitar, Fellow Pynins is an award winning contemporary folk duo that play hauntingly beautiful originals and re-worked traditional ballads ..read more

The Thing in the Spring music festival returns to Keene this weekend.(Jim Murphy / Nova Arts) Stay in the know about weekend happenings in the Granite State: Sign up for the Weekender newsletter. For even more events, visit NHPR's community calendar. And don't forget to check the New Hampshire forecast before you head out. The Hood Museum of Art is hosting a Multilingual Day program on Saturday.(Hood Museum of Art / Courtesy ) The Thing in the Spring from Thursday, May 16 through Sunday, May 19 at Nova Arts in Keene. More info. Shemekia Copeland on Friday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Jimm ..read more