Chris Boros

Charlottesville author Mary E. Lyons chronicles the history of the Blue Ridge Tunnel and the slave labor that built it in her new book.  She’s our guest for tomorrow’s virtual Books & Brews.  WMRA’s Chris Boros spoke with Mary and asked her to describe the importance of the tunnel.

A new podcast is available on our website called We Made You A Song – it’s a collaboration between WMRA and Harrisonburg’s The Steel Wheels - detailing the band writing and recording songs that were commissioned by fans of the band during the pandemic.  WMRA’s Tina Owens recently spoke with the group’s lead singer and host of the podcast Trent Wagler.  She asked him to describe how this idea was created.

Studying the history of Southern migration is a great way to understand the history of the nation – that’s according to author and historian Ed Ayers.  His new book is filled with hundreds of detailed maps that demonstrate just how diverse the South is by tracking the comings and goings of people since before the birth of the country.  Ed Ayres is our speaker for WMRA's virtu

With uncertainty about schools opening in the Fall, many parents are considering homeschooling as an option.  Teela James is an instructor for CHEC – the Community Homeschool Enrichment Center in Charlottesville.  WMRA’s Chris Boros recently spoke with Teela and he asked her to describe what CHEC is all about.

In 2017, after the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, a special fund was established by the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation.  They released a report detailing how the Heal Charlottesville Fund was able to help the community.  WMRA’s Chris Boros spoke with the foundation’s CEO Brennan Gould and Chris asked her to describe how the fund got started.

Many organizations have had to get creative during these times to continue to serve the community, including American Shakespeare Center in Staunton. 

As hospitals and doctor’s offices work on managing COVID-19, the Harrisonburg - Rockingham Free Clinic has also had to make some changes to adapt to the pandemic. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, artists and performers have been losing work and many have taken their craft online.  The VA Folklife Program recognized this and started the TRAIN program, which pairs master artists with students online. 

The flu pandemic of 1918 lasted from January of that year till about December of 1920, and it infected roughly 500 million people.  But what was life like during that time?  And how did the federal government respond? 

With closed doors and cancellations, many organizations are taking creative steps to continue to serve the community. 

Anxiety and depression are running high these days over concerns of COVID-19.  Charlottesville resident and author Lisa Jakub has written about her own struggles with anxiety and panic attacks.  She recently spoke with WMRA's Chris Boros about some techniques that can calm a racing heart.

Augusta County has declared a state of emergency in response to the threat to public health and safety from the Coronavirus.  The declaration allows the County to make decisions quickly concerning emergency actions.  Tim Fitzgerald is the Augusta County Administrator.

When indigenous people living in the valley and Central Virginia first encountered Europeans they had already established communities with social and political standards with rich cultural traditions. Award-winning historian and professor of History at Virginia Commonwealth University, Gregory Smithers, will discuss the history of Native Southerners at WMRA's Books & Brews March 10 and 11, 2020.

Paul Bugas is an expert on Virginia fresh water fishes.  He covers how to collect, handle, observe, conserve, and protect these unique animals in a new Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Virginia.  He’s our speaker for WMRA’s Books & Brews January 14-15.  Paul recently sat down with WMRA’s Chris Boros who asked him how he started his career researching fish.

Every April, downtown Harrisonburg is home to a DIY music festival called MacRock which supports independent artists and musicians.  It began over twenty years ago as an extension of JMU’s college radio station WXJM.  It’s now independently run by a small group of dedicated music lovers like Grant Penrod who’s been involved with the festival for years.  The application deadline to apply

The tale of Ebenezer Scrooge is timeless with over two dozen film adaptations of Charles Dickens' classic. George C. Scott and Henry Winkler have both starred in the title role.  But for many, the 1970 musical version called Scrooge with Albert Finney stands out from the rest. 

According to author and musician Gayla M. Mills, music brings people together, it enhances the humdrum of daily living and playing it can benefit your life in many ways.  Gayla is the featured author for December's Books & Brews.  She recently spoke with WMRA’s Chris Boros who asked her to describe when music entered her life.

WMRA and James Madison University present The John Grisham Writers Hour with special guest Jon Meacham, an award-winning historian and biographer who writes about the history of division in the United States in his book The Soul of America.  Both writers sat down together on the campus of JMU in September 2019.

Charlottesville resident Lisa Jakub worked as a young actor and starred in major Hollywood movies.  But she gave it all up after an eighteen-year career partly due to anxiety and depression.  In her latest book, Lisa embraces her weird to find answers in dealing with mental health. 

The Smith House Galleries in Harrisonburg, with the Support of Arts Council of the Valley, emphasizes its connection to the community with a space that highlights art from Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.

Dr. Gail Christopher is an award winning social change agent and former Senior Advisor and Vice President of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. 

Virginia’s Kid Pan Alley is on a mission to empower children to create their own music.  The group works with children to give kids an opportunity to work together to write their own song – both music and lyrics.

With conspiracies and Devil’s advocates dominating the scientific field, many are left to ask what scientific discoveries hold truth. As science increasingly becomes disputed, Dr. James Zimring, professor of pathology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, explores in his new book how much people should trust what they read, learn, and observe in our natural world.

On April 16, 2007, 32 people were shot and killed at Virginia Tech.  Journalist Thomas Kapsidelis supervised the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s coverage of the tragedy.  In his new book, Kapsidelis examines the decade after the massacre through the experiences of survivors and those who lost loved ones. 

The Shenandoah Valley is home to vast trees, plants, and wildlife that contribute to the growing Virginia environment. Sari Carp is the Executive Director for the non-profit Sustainability Matters, which works to take initiatives for the environment.