Say More

Before Lee Pelton was CEO of the Boston Foundation, the Harvard-educated academic spent decades in higher education, notably as president of Emerson College. Now, he’s decided to come forward to discuss his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Some things he does remember, like his community-rich childhood in Wichita, Kan. and his love for his roots. On this episode of Say More, Lee shares with Anna Kusmer the sadness and anxiety of losing his memory, and the beautiful things that bring him solace. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

For years, Smith College historian Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor kept her famous identity away from the classroom. She is the daughter of Richard Pryor, the groundbreaking Black comedian. Then, a classroom encounter forced her to reckon with her dad’s legacy and her complicated relationship to it. Pryor grew up primarily in Boston with her mom, and through the years, developed a strong bond with her dad, who lived in California and died in 2005. On this episode of Say More, Pryor discusses her memoir “Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me.” She talks to host Anna Kusmer about how her dad used the n-word to challenge audiences, why he eventually disavowed the word, and what this journey reveals about racism in America. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

Fears about AI are everywhere you look. Maybe the technology will come for our jobs. Maybe it will come for our potable water. But the biggest loss may be even more crucial: AI is coming for our relationships. It’s nothing less than a “state of emergency,” says Sherry Turkle, a sociologist at MIT, and founding director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self, who has spent nearly 5 decades studying the culture of technology and the ways computers affect our emotional lives. Her new book is called “Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines.” She discusses the digital divide, “pretend empathy” and the emotional impact of chatbots for kids with Anna Kusmer on Say More. Email us at saymore@globe.com

This week, Boston-born Aerosmith announced they were reuniting for two shows, surprising fans after fears they would never play again. This week on Say More, Shirley is joined by Aerosmith’s lead guitarist Joe Perry (who hails from Central Massachusetts) about Aerosmith’s early days playing gigs at proms in the Boston suburbs. They discuss Steven Tyler’s health, Johnny Depp’s house, and what it takes to be a 76-year-old rock star. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

A story about a lesbian bar in Greenfield broke the internet this week. What does it tell us about the future of the Left? Is woke dead? Or did a quirky community story get blown out of proportion? Governor Maura Healey seems overly anxious about her MAGA-adjacent challenger Mike Minogue. Then, the politics panel discusses two key Senate races in New England. PLUS an exclusive interview with Congressman Seth Moulton about his big primary loss against Senator Ed Markey. Email us at saymore@globe.com

Matt Siegel’s 41-year radio run was longer than most marriages. He was the star of Boston radio's top-rated show, Matty in the Morning, on KISS 108. In 2022, he disappeared from the airwaves. Siegel harbors deep feelings about how his legendary career ended, and he’s ready to talk about it. This week on Say More, Siegel discusses Demi Lovato, getting older, and the “woke stuff” that ended his career. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

Massachusetts is full of riches. We have the best schools, world class hospitals, and a great quality of life. So why are tens of thousands of people leaving every year - and taking their companies with them? Where has our mojo gone? This week on Say More, host Shirley Leung talks to Larry Edelman, author of the Trendlines newsletter, about whether Massachusetts can pull off another ‘miracle.’ email us at saymore@globe.com.

The Lindsay Clancy Trial is over, for now, but we can’t stop wondering how and why a mother killed her children after months of psychiatric treatment, appointments, and doctors. This case has brought new international attention for its focus on postpartum mental health. In her kitchen, Clancy had a book called, “Good Moms have Scary Thoughts,” written by a postpartum mental health expert, and used as evidence by the defense that Clancy was seeking help. The author of that book, Karen Kleiman, joins host Anna Kusmer on Say More to discuss the book, intrusive thoughts, and moms on trial. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

Across the board in Massachusetts, older established incumbents successfully fought off younger rivals in Tuesday’s primaries, regardless of political platform. Does this outcome mean it’s impossible to beat a sitting lawmaker? Or does the closeness of some of these races reveal something else? How much does age matter to Massachusetts voters? And why isn’t Massachusetts - a lefty stalwart - seeing the same progressive swing as elsewhere in the country? On this month’s politics panel, Globe Opinion Editor Jim Dao talks about MA primary results with writers Abdallah Fayyad and Joan Vennochi. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

Historian Omer Bartov never set out to be a Holocaust scholar. He started his career asking the question, ‘why do soldiers fight?’ examining the war crimes committed by Germans in World War II. After years of research, he realized his deep dive into the psychology of soldiers was a profound window into understanding the societal conditions that make war crimes and genocide possible. This week on Say More, Bartov talks to opinion editor Jim Dao about his new book called “Israel: What Went Wrong.” Email us at saymore@globe.com.

What does justice mean when a mentally ill person takes a life? Before Lindsay Clancy killed her three children in Duxbury, there was another case. In 2018, a mother in Brockton, Latarsha Sanders, killed her two young sons while in the midst of a psychotic episode. But the tragedy didn’t end with their deaths. A dubious interrogation and a jury trial portraying Sanders as “evil” resulted in a first degree murder verdict. Boston Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham revisits the trial with an overflowing reporter’s notebook. She shares her findings with Say More’s Shirley Leung. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

Read Yvonne’s 7-part series from the Boston Globe here.

Read an update to the story here.

When Michelle Wu was first elected mayor, she promised to transform Boston’s streets. Her plans for bike lanes and public transit were ambitious but achievable, she said. Now, 5 years later, street safety advocates are wondering, what happened? Wu’s streets champion, Jascha Franklin-Hodge, left city hall last year. After months of reflection, Franklin-Hodge talks to Say More’s Anna Kusmer about why progress is so hard in Boston, and why people deserve better. Email us at saymore@boston.com.

America is ruled by old people. And it’s not just our elected officials. Median voting age is well above the national average. Yale University professor Sam Moyn has a word for this: Gerontocracy. This week on Say More, Moyn talks to opinion editor Jim Dao about how the US’s Gerontocracy became so strong, and how we can possibly get out of it. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

Read Sam Moyn’s essay for Globe Opinion here.

Who was the first Masshole? It’s a question that dogged Boston Globe feature writer Billy Baker, resulting in some serious research. This week on Say More, Billy comes on the show with Globe reporter Emily Sweeney to discuss the origins and deeper meaning of the phrase. They discuss their Boston childhoods, the fading Boston accent, and how Good Will Hunting changed South Boston forever. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

Maine keeps grabbing national attention. First it was the unexpected rise and fall of economic populist Graham Platner, a serious contender for Maine’s senate seat. Now begins the race to find a new nominee to run against incumbent Susan Collins, whose own campaign is being marred by the chaotic violence of federal ICE agents, including the tragic killing of a young man. On this month’s politics panel, opinion editor Jim Dao talks to writers Abdallah Fayyad and Joan Vennochi about Maine, Iran and bike safety in Boston. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

Chelsea High School in Massachusetts is around 90 percent Latino, and the city has been ground zero for ICE raids in the Boston area. On the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, we wanted to know how teachers were talking to their students about American history and how it relates to the American present. On this third and final installment of PATRIOTISM IS A VERB, host Anna Kusmer talks to Chelsea High history teacher Byron Williams about framing the complex history of the US to students and why the Declaration of Independence is still a radical document. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

If you ask Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley about her relationship with America, she doesn't mince words, “it’s complicated.” Pressley has come to develop strong feelings of patriotism that are rooted in love for American people and the promise of the American ideals of equality and justice. On this second episode of PATRIOTISM IS A VERB, Pressley discusses the verbs that are most patriotic to her: things like lawmaking, protest, and dissent. She also talks about the ways Black people have pushed America to be better since its founding. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

This July 4th, liberals are faced with an awkward milestone. The country’s 250th anniversary requires our attention, and yet, the state of national politics brings only angst and despair. This month on Say More, we bring you the series PATRIOTISM IS A VERB, about the ways liberals who are uncomfortable with the idea of patriotism and reclaim their love of country. In this first episode, host Anna Kusmer talks to Yale Historian Beverly Gage about the power of a good American road trip, and her new book This Land is Your Land. Gage says although the national mood is fraught, our big birthday provides a perfect moment for us to reset our relationship with the country. Email us at saymore@globe.com.

And tune in next week for an interview with Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley where she talks about why she thinks, ‘dissent is patriotic.”

Despite every prediction of endless traffic, grumpy residents and societal collapse, Boston hosting the World Cup has been downright delightful. The biggest surprise for many has been the Tartan Army, a truly shocking influx of Scottish fans in our streets, drinking all our beer and eating all our ranch dressing. This week on Say More, Shirley Leung talks to Globe NFL writer Ben Volin who has been moonlighting as the paper’s chief soccer correspondent and covering all seven World Cup games in Massachusetts. He talks futbol, the future of the sport in the US, and what makes the World Cup so special. Email us at saymore@globe.com

Scandal-ridden Graham Platner easily defeated Governor Janet Mills to become the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Maine. Will his controversies hurt him with voters? How has the Trump era changed the way voters respond to political scandal? This week on Say More’s politics panel, Globe opinion writer Abdallah Fayyad and Joan Vennochi compare Platner’s campaign to another scandalous Democrat in Boston, Rachael Rollins, who is running to reclaim her role as Suffolk County District Attorney. Then, they discuss a compromise on Massachusetts rent control and the World Cup in Boston. Email us at saymore@globe.com