Tag Archives: Big Talk

Phil Ford is the author of “Dig: Sound and Music in Hip Culture.” He takes the reader on a tour of the cutting edge world of jazz musicians, Beat writers, and style arbiters who make up what is hip. Ford is a professor of musicology at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. His interests range far beyond the narrow …

Like countless people before her, Shelly Westerhausen came to Bloomington to study at Indiana University and wound up staying here. A vegetarian since she was a young girl, Shelly grew up in a town that didn’t even have a vegetarian restaurant. She was drawn to Bloomington by our town’s diverse and varied eateries. She has blogged about cooking for years …

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has gained national attention for reviving his once-dying city and for his spirited run for Democratic National Committee chair this past winter. Major publications and television news programs have speculated on his chances to become a valid candidate for his party’s nomination for president in 2020. In the midst of a cross state tour this …

Prisons are a big business in America today. A number of recent books have addressed the burgeoning inmate population as well as the growing profits to be had in what many are calling the “prison industrial complex.” A group of activists in Bloomington hopes to remind us that prison inmates still are human beings and they’ve created the radio program …

The John Hartford Memorial Festival, a celebration of bluegrass music and its many variations, is happening now through Saturday night in Bean Blossom. WFHB’s Hondo Thompson is the new main stage emcee, taking over for the legendary Sam Jackson. The veteran host allowed Thompson to introduce American roots star Pokey LaFarge last year and now Thompson has replaced the retired …

An article about a bike ride through New Zealand in an airline magazine inspired Ron Eid to dive into the then-changing world of journalism. Now, more than thirty years later, journalism is still in the process of becoming — although what it’s becoming hasn’t yet been fully determined. Eid is in the forefront of new media here in South Central …

Five years ago two Indiana University alumni and one student at the time started making their own soap in the kitchen of the apartment the three shared. Now, their soap is sold in grocery and specialty stores around the region and is used in numerous hand-washing stations in restaurants and companies in and around Bloomington. The three, Mohammed A. Mahdi, …

Jeff Isaac is an opinionated scholar. A professor of political science at Indiana University, he has written many books, is a regular contributor to respected journals, and takes to social media to share his feelings and bring political science just a bit closer to the average person. He grew up in a typical New York City neighborhood, playing stickball and …

Michael Waterford is an explorer, writer, and adventure entrepreneur. He’s hoping to set the speed record for paddling the length of the Mississippi River in a canoe. The Mississippi is the world’s fourth longest river, coursing more than 2500 miles from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Michael was drawn to grueling expeditions when he crossed Europe and Asia on …

Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard has been helping feed hungry people in Bloomington for nearly two decades. One in five people in Monroe County is food insecure, meaning they may not know where their next meal is coming from. Stephanie Solomon is the director of outreach and education for the food pantry. She helps clients learn to make nutritious, inexpensive meals and …