We continue our celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary with Brenda S. Cox: Austen expert, scientist, and author of the new book Fashionable Goodness, which explores how Austen wove deep moral truths into her characters’ lives, shedding light on the faith and values that shaped her work. Join us for an insightful discussion on Austen’s enduring moral lessons, her faith, and the timeless wisdom embedded in her novels plus a special introduction from Breckyn Wood, host of the official JASNA podcast: Austen Chat!

Jane Austen inspired millions… but who inspired her? That is the question rare books dealer and author Rebecca Romney set out to explore in her new book Jane Austen’s Bookshelf. Join Roberta Panjwani as she sits down to talk with Rebecca about the lives and works of the women writers Austen admired, the fascinating world of rare books, and the stories they still have to tell.

Roberta sits down with RPL director Lorri Steinbacher and “What’s in a Name?” journalist and essayist Jeannette Cooperman for a lively and thought-provoking conversation about the power of names. From given names and nicknames to hyphenation and reinvention, the trio explores how names shape identity, carry meaning, and spark emotion. At the heart of the discussion is The Names, a brilliant new novel by Florence Knapp that raises big questions about who we are—and who we might become. Things we talked about in this episode: Jeannette Cooperman “Naming Names: From Birth Names to Stage Names, from HUAC to Gravestones, Why Your Name becomes a Form of Fate”  by Jeannette Cooperman from The Common Reader The Names by Florence Knapp Episode Credits: Our thanks to Jeannette Cooperman and Lorri Steinbacher for joining us today.  You can learn more about Jeannette at jeannettecooperman.wordpress.com and her essays for The Common Reader at commonreader.wustl.edu/authors/jeannette-cooperman/ The 1964 clip of “What’s Your Name?” was performed by Don & Juan A Bend in the Road is written, hosted, and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims. Our Assistant Producers for this episode are Melissa Egan and Elias Rosner.  Our Editors are Roberta Panjwani and Elias Rosner.  Our Technical Directors and Audio

Singer/songwriter Gary Solomon was just 19 when he found himself in the crowd at The Last Waltz—The Band’s iconic 1976 farewell concert. Filmed by Martin Scorsese and widely considered the best concert film of all time, it was stacked with legends like Robbie Roberston, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, and Neil Diamond. In this episode, Gary shares what it was like to witness that historic night firsthand, and digs into other iconic shows that shaped a generation—from Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue to Simon & Garfunkel’s 1981 Central Park reunion. This is music history through the eyes of someone who lived it. Things we talked about in this episode: The Last Waltz documentary (1978); live show from 1976 The Band: Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson & Richard Manuel) Bob Dylan and The Band during The Last Waltz Joni Mitchell and Neil Young sing “Helpless” during The Last Waltz The Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco Gary Solomon’s upcoming dates for The THE BAND Band Gary Solomon’s Bob Dylan show Episode Credits:  Our thanks to Gary Solomon for joining us in the studio today. You can learn more about Gary and his upcoming dates with “The Band’s” shows

1993, when Sue Rodin saw gender inequality in her workplace, she didn’t just get frustrated—she took action. Tapping into her network, she founded Women in Sports and Events (WISE), an organization built to support and elevate professional women in the sports industry. More than 30 years later, WISE is still going strong, with 25 chapters across the U.S. and Canada and over 6,000 members. Rodin has been called an “Eternal Optimist”—and today, you’ll see why. Things we talked about in this episode: WISE (Women In Sports Events) Women in the Business of Sports — Then and Now WISE Executive Leadership Institute: Rodin Scholarship She’s Got Game podcast with Swin Cash Julie Foudy Episode Credits:  Our thanks to Sue Rodin for joining us today in the studio. For information about WISE please visit: wiseworks.org A Bend in the Road is written, hosted, and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims. Our Assistant Producers for this episode are Melissa Egan and Elias Rosner.  Our Editors are Elias Rosner and Roberta Panjwani. Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Matt Giannotti and Elias Rosner. Our Digital Media Producer is Melissa Egan. Original Music is written and performed by Diane Sims. Logo

This is a rebroadcast of episodes 6 & 7 from October 19, 2022.  What power does poetry have to help us navigate the challenges of life? How do we approach art and how does it approach us? Join our guest host Diane Sims for a journey through these questions, and many others, with Pádraig Ó Tuama in an episode so big, we had to split it into two. In Part 1, Pádraig Ó shares his relationship with art, reconciliation and the ongoing road toward finding ourselves. In Part 2, we dig into the questions of acceptance and identity Pádraig grappled with as a youth growing up in Ireland, and in the tall shadow of the Catholic Church, and what innate sensibility gave him the fortitude to step into those headwinds, instead of turning away, with a brief stop in the land of knitable television near the end. For those new to Pádraig’s work, he is an Irish poet and the host of the hugely popular podcast Poetry Unbound – now on its sixth season – as well as a theologian and conflict mediator. For those new to Pádraig’s work, he is an Irish poet and the host of the hugely popular podcast Poetry