Success isn’t just about talent or intelligence – it’s about how we handle our emotions. Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, says emotional regulation is a skill, one that can be taught and practiced like any other. This hour, he joins us to talk about why our feelings matter, what happens when we ignore them, and how adults can get better at managing them. We’ll also hear how schools across Connecticut are helping kids build emotional intelligence from a young age. Marc Brackett: Ph.D., founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, author of “Dealing with Feeling: Use Your Emotions to Create the Life You Want.” Where We Live is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode. This episode originally aired on December 1, 2025.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s an old saying that goes “you are what you eat.” You might take that phrase with a grain of salt, but doctors agree: what we eat affects our blood pressure, blood sugar, cardiovascular health and more. It's knowledge that's generations old — food as a source of nourishment and healing. Essentially, food can act as medicine. From Ayurveda and Chinese herbs to modern-day food pharmacies — what we put on our plates impacts our health. But what can we do about it? Especially with inflation inching upward, seven-in-ten Americans say the cost of healthy food can be out of reach. We explore solutions. GUESTS: Dr. Anusha Sehgal: a classically trained Ayurvedic physician based in Boston Dr. Ulysses Wu: Chief Epidemiologist at Hartford Healthcare Skip Lewis: resident of Hartford living with polycystic kidney Disease David Juros: Operations Manager of Food4Health Clinic at Hartford Healthcare Jessica Soto: a patient at Hartford Healthcare. She was a recipient of the Food for Health Clinic at Hartford Healthcare Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It all started with a typo. Anelise Chen was going through a difficult divorce. Her career and job security was tenuous. She just got into a bike accident leaving her with bruised ribs, and she received a text from her mom: “Clam down! Just clam down.” This typo inspired a journey of healing: a journey that included retreating, diving into her family history and learning everything she could about the life of a clam, and other mollusks, some of the most resilient species on our planet. She joins us for the hour to talk about her new book "Clam Down: A Metamorphosis." GUESTS: Anelise Chen: author of "Clam Down: A Metamorphosis" and Associate Professor at Columbia University Where We Live is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here at Where We Live, this was a big year for books. Not only did we get the chance to speak with some terrific authors, we also launched our Where We Read newsletter, a destination for die-hard book lovers and the literary curious alike. Today, we are going to listen back to a few of our favorite author conversations. We hear from Connecticut natives Ocean Vuong and Wally Lamb. Listen back to their full interviews below: Wally Lamb's new book, 'The River Is Waiting,' explores prison injustice and forgiveness Connecticut native Ocean Vuong has a deep love for Hartford GUESTS: Ocean Vuong: writer, professor and author of "The Emperor of Gladness" Wally Lamb: author of "The River Is Waiting." He is also the author of "She’s Come Undone" and "I Know This Much Is True." Where We Live is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What meal brings you back to childhood? This hour, two local children’s authors share how their young protagonists find meaning in the kitchen, using food as a tool to explore culture, loss, and belonging.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cat Shen has been hosting Where We Live long enough for the show to use a fork, and yet very little is known about her. In this hour, technical producer and partner-in-mischief Dylan Reyes sits down with Cat to get the inside scoop on the reporter turned host. The pair discuss some of their favorite songs, defining life moments and what it means to be the face of a show that's celebrating 20 years on Connecticut Public Radio in 2026. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Milk Tea — Yuji Ohno (ft. Akari Dritschler Happy Happy Christmas — Drax (commonly known as it is a mystery) Complicated — Avril Lavigne Magpie — Peach Pit The Moon Represents My Heart — Teresa Teng (鄧麗君 — Deng Lee Jun) Uprising — Muse Mr. Resetti — insaneintherainmusic Ganja Smugglin — The Expendables Goofy Goober Rock — Tom Rothrock I'm Yours — Jason Mraz Sparkle (movie version) — RADWIMPS Or, find it all in this playlist! Where We Live is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Connecticut native and bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert’s new memoir, "All the Way to the River," tells the story of her late partner, Rayya Elias. The two began as fast friends, then fell in love. But as they faced tragedy together, their shared struggles with addiction put them on a collision course with catastrophe. This hour, Gilbert joins us to talk about Rayya — “the love of her life” — and what she discovered about herself, about love, and about the sanctity of truth in writing this deeply personal memoir. Guest: Elizabeth Gilbert: author of the new memoir, "All the Way to the River." She is also the author of several other bestselling novels including "Eat, Pray, Love" and "City of Girls." This episode originally aired on Sep. 11, 2025. Where We Live is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From a mass shooting in Australia that left 15 people dead, to a shooting at Brown University that killed two students, the world has been rocked by gun violence at the end of 2025. In the U.S., 125 people die from a gun injury, and more than 200 people are shot and wounded each day, according to the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety. In Connecticut, there were at least 339 incidents of gun violence this year. The outpouring of shock and grief following the shootings was expected and understandable. But what is it like for young people to live with the constant fear of guns in their environments or the threat of mass shootings? Guests: Nelba Márquez-Greene: Mother of Ana Grace, killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. Community Scholar, Yale School of Public Health. Renee Beavers: Hospital violence intervention specialist (HVIP), Connecticut Children’s. Stacey Mayer: Director of Advocacy, Policy & Outreach at CT Against Gun Violence. Malini Parikh: Student, Hopkins School, New Haven. President of the CT Against Gun Violence Youth Council. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tuesday is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth. This hour, we celebrate the beloved author's work, and look at why her six novels have endured for centuries. Plus, we hear from a horticulturalist about her love of gardens, and talk with a local historical clothing expert about fashion in Austen's time. GUESTS: Barbara Benedict: Charles A. Dana Professor of English at Trinity College Tara Key: Manager of Reference and Instruction at the New Canaan Library Jana Milbocker: Garden designer, lecturer, and writer Kandie Carle: Known as “The Victorian Lady,” is an actress and historian Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why does Christmas bring out the ghosts? This hour, we dig into the world of Charles Dickens and Mark Twain, and the Victorian obsession with spiritualism that shaped so many holiday tales. We also explore two Connecticut productions of A Christmas Carol to see how performers keep this annual tradition fresh. GUESTS: Wesley Broulik: producing artistic director, Times Fool Company Cynthia Rider: managing director, Hartford Stage Emma Gerstein: assistant manager of interpretation & living history coordinator, The Mark Twain House & Museum Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Millions of people in our country live with a chronic condition. From syndromes affecting our hearts and brains, to pain and inflammation, chronic illnesses can be hidden to the world, but are all too real for patients. Today, we dive deep into how culture and politics affect our bodies. We explore perceptions of what illness looks like (or doesn’t look like). And we'll ask what it takes for a patient to become an advocate, both for themself and for others. Are you or someone you love living with a chronic condition? We want to hear from you. Guests Eshani Surya: Author of Ravishing, a novel that explores the intersection of the beauty industry and chronic illness Jennifer Lunden: Author of American Breakdown: Our Ailing Nation, My Body’s Revolt, and the Nineteenth-Century Woman Who Brought Me Back to Life – An Illuminating Investigation into Chronic Illness and Environmental Ecosystems Lauren Stiles: Founder, Dysautonomia InternationalSupport the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Changing federal guidance on vaccines has Connecticut health officials in an uproar. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine committee recently altered long-standing guidance on how newborns are vaccinated. Meanwhile, doctors say more patients fear vaccine side effects, which doctors are addressing on a case-by-case basis during consultations. Public health experts are concerned that fear and confusion could bring back diseases that the U.S. had forgotten. We’ll dig into the history of vaccines in America, check in with Connecticut doctors and ask the state's top public health official what's next. Guests: Jason L Schwartz: associate professor at the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Yale School of Public Health; associate Professor in the History of Medicine, Yale University. Dr. Manisha Juthani: commissioner, Connecticut Department of Public Health Dr. David Banach: head of infection prevention at UConn Health Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.