Podcast Episodes Interviews, Show Notes, and Transcripts

Ben Pauli, a Kettering University Political Science Professor, is a water rights activist. Pauli embedded himself with a group of Flint residents during the Flint Water Crisis. This is the group that brought the tainted Flint drinking water problem to the public's attention. The group also was successful in advocating that government fix the cause of the toxic water problem. Professor Pauli discusses the historical activism that helped Flint survive economically and environmentally for almost 10...

The Life of Mr. Flint, Charles Stewart Mott . Charles Stewart Mott (1875-1973) was an American businessman and philanthropist born in Flint, Michigan. He is best known for his involvement in the automobile industry and his philanthropic work. Mott began his career as a clerk in his family's business, which manufactured carriage and automobile parts. He eventually took over the company and expanded it into a major parts supplier to the automotive industry. Mott was also involved in developing the...

Troubadour Neil Woodward is an instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and folk historian who helps preserve Michigan musical traditions. He is often heard at historic Crossroads Village, Michigan, near Flint in the summer months. Neil holds the title -- State Troubadour. In 2003, the Michigan Legislature officially named Neil Woodward Michigan’s Troubadour in recognition of his lifelong commitment to preserving Great Lakes folk music and culture. Besides Woodward's performances at Genesee County's...

Flint Poet Laureate Semaj Brown gives a fascinating reading of her environmental injustice poems. Poet Semaj Brown shares stories of working with the child victims of the Flint Water Crisis. Brown is on a mission to help heal the trauma victims in Flint, Michigan. Semaj Brown is an amazingly accomplished woman who is a poet, author, playwright, and educator; she was named the first poet laureate of Flint, Michigan, in 2019. In 2021, she received an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship. ...

Marquise Gray, the former Michigan State Spartan, is now the head basketball coach at Flint Beecher High School. Marquise Gray has excelled at every level of his sport, including coaching and professional basketball. Gray played at Michigan State from 2005-to 09. Marquise Gray has blazed a remarkable trail in basketball. He is currently the acting Athletic Director, head basketball coach, and a teacher for the Beecher Community Schools. Gray's Flintstone values of grit, hard work, and excellence...

Dave Liske discusses his new book "The Flint Coney: A Savory History." Learn about the history of the Flint food culture and love affair with the Flint-style Coney Island hot dog. In a lively interview with author Dave Liske who shares recipes, secrets, and myths about Flint and Detroit's legendary coney island hot dogs. The history of Flint's food culture has taken a backseat to Flint's manufacturing of automobiles. But the origins and rapid expansion of the number of Macedonian Coney shops in ...

Michael J. Thorp Has Stories to Tell about His Life in Mid-Michigan Television and Radio. Michael Shares Curious Tales from His Latest Book Former WJRT TV-12 morning anchor Michael J. Thorp has been a familiar voice to the people of Mid-Michigan for nearly 50 years. He shares the story of his life and career along with his work in radio and television. Michael is also a published author of 6 books about Michigan. Did I forget to say, a juror in a murder trial of the century in Genesee County? M...

Jan Worth-Nelson, former editor of the East Village Magazine, shares stories about the colorful history of the iconic Flint publication The East Village Magazine started about the same time as Michael Moore's Flint Voice back in the 1970s. Today, the magazine has become a brilliant piece of journalism each month, covering hyper-local government meetings and thoughtful essays from some of Genesee County's best writers. Jan Worth-Nelson is a retired University of Michigan-Flint English Professor w...

In this interview, Connor discusses his newest novel, the 4th in the series "Urbantasm." The series is set in deindustrialized Flint, Michigan. Connor Coyne is a writer living and working in rust belt Flint, Michigan, a town devastated by deindustrialization. Connor spent his teenage years in Flushing, Michigan. Connor represented Flint's 7th Ward as its artist-in-residence for the National Endowment for the Arts, Our Town grant. In this grant, artists engaged ward residents to produce creative...

What does it mean to be a Flintstone? Rustbelt Flint, Michigan, residents and expatriates, call themselves Flintstones. They discuss their community identity and its rust belt revival. Podcast guests include Judge Duncan M. Beagle, Sandra Branch of the Flint Public Art Project, John Daly of the City of Flint Department of Transportation, Cindy Johns of Carriage Town Ministries, and Rico Phillips, a retired Flint Firefighter. This podcast explores the unusual adoption of a community identity take...

CS Mott was a giant in automotive history. Author Ed Renahan discusses the remarkable life of Charles Stewart Mott. "The Life of Charles Stewart Mott" is a fascinating and comprehensive look at the life of one of the world's most successful capitalists. Charles Stewart Mott (1875-1973) was an American businessman and philanthropist born in Flint, Michigan. He is best known for his involvement in the automobile industry and his philanthropic work. Mott began his career as a clerk in his family's ...

Cindy Johns discusses homelessness and the causes of homelessness in the Flint area. Carriage Town Ministries began in 1950 as the Flint Rescue Mission on the banks of the Flint River at Grand Traverse Street. The organization has been working to find solutions to poverty and homelessness for 70 years. The community has supported the work of the organization throughout those years. Many faithful Flint area churches and individuals recognize the calling of Matthew 25 to be ministers to the hungry...