History by a Hair: Richard Kurin on solving the mystery of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings

A tiny strand of reddish hair discovered inside Thomas Jefferson’s personal Bible at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History set in motion a remarkable scientific investigation. Could advances in DNA analysis finally answer one of the most debated questions in American history: whether Jefferson fathered the children of Sally Hemings, the woman he enslaved? In “History by a Hair: Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings &amp; Solving a 200-Year-Old-Mystery,” Smithsonian scholar Richard Kurin tells the story behind this groundbreaking research and what it reveals about Jefferson, the Hemings family and the power of science to illuminate the past. Kurin will discuss the book with Harvard professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annette Gordon-Reed, whose landmark book “The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family” transformed our understanding of the Jefferson-Hemings story. Copies of the book will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner <a href="https://brooklinebooksmith.com/">Brookline Booksmith</a> and Kurin will sign after the conversation.

WBUR CitySpace

Cognoscenti presents: The cultural phenomenon of Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny has captured our collective imagination and attention with his music and the larger than life personality. Fresh from winning <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bad-bunny-grammys-win-boosts-streaming-numbers-1235511114/">album of the year</a> at the Grammys for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/arts/music/bad-bunny-super-bowl-halftime-show-best-worst.html">a historic halftime performance</a> at the Super Bowl, some have argued he is the <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/09/22/debi-tirar-mas-fotos-bad-bunny-music-review">most important pop musician</a> of our time. The music of Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, includes a long lineage of the rhythms of reggaeton and its evolution through the Caribbean, Latin America and the U.S. He also represents a cultural force that reckons with racial politics, LGBTQ rights and the dynamic and complex realities of Puerto Rico. In partnership with Cognoscenti, WBUR’s essay and ideas team, join us for an evening exploring Bad Bunny’s cultural impact, featuring music and video highlights throughout the conversation. Jazmin Aguilera, host and senior audio producer for the Boston Globe, moderates. Panelists<ul><li>Petra Rivera-Rideau — associate professor and chair of American studies at Wellesley College, and co-creator of the <a href="https://www.badbunnysyllabus.com/home">Bad Bunny Syllabus</a></li><li>Wayne Marshall — ethnomusicologist, assistant professor at Berklee College of Music and co-editor of “<a href="https://wayneandwax.com/?page_id=139">Reggaeton</a>.”</li></ul>Copies of Rivera-Rideau’s “P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance” and Marshall’s “Reggaeton” will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner <a href="https://brooklinebooksmith.com/">Brookline Booksmith</a> and the authors will sign following the conversation.

'Mortified' live

Please note: this event is for adults ages 18 and over. Join WBUR and friends for a series of live tapings of your favorite podcasts. Meet the people who are shaping the podcast landscape and be the first to hear their next episode, get a sneak peek of audio left on the cutting room floor or dig deeper into the stories that captivated you. “Mortified” is back — more frighteningly awkward than ever! Hailed as a “cultural phenomenon” by NewsWeek and celebrated for years by the likes of “This American Life,” “The Today Show,” The Onion AV Club and Entertainment Weekly, “Mortified” is a comic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, poems, letters, lyrics, home movies, schoolwork) as shared by their original authors — in front of total strangers. Since 2002, “Mortified” has been curating teen angst artifacts from people like you. The project began when founder David Nadelberg discovered an unsent love letter he wrote as a teenager. The letter sparked an idea and he sent an email to friends asking if anyone wanted to share their childhood writings on stage. That email went viral and soon, responses poured in from strangers near and far. Over two decades later, what started with a single letter transformed into a movement encouraging people everywhere to unearth the strange stuff they created as kids and share them with at least one person. You’d be surprised what you discover in the process. There are a million stories buried in the pages of people’s lives. It's "Mortified's" mission is to help people find them.

Curated Cuisine: James Beard Award-winning chef Eric Ripert on finding joy & connection through food

Curated Cuisine is a monthly series examining all things edible, from the chefs cooking the food to the writers reviewing the recipes. Meet the people shaping the food industry, both local and national and enjoy a post-show bite inspired by the conversation. James Beard Award-winning chef and New York Times bestselling author Eric Ripert returns to CitySpace to discuss his new cookbook, “Mindful Cooking: Simple Recipes for Nurturing Body and Soul” with Morning Edition host Tiziana Dearing. In this inspiring exploration of food, health and gratitude, Ripert shares how cooking can become an act of mindfulness and connection. Drawing on his travels to Buddhist monasteries across Japan and Korea, as well as his own culinary traditions, Ripert explores the power of intentional cooking through more than 75 plant-based recipes designed to nourish both body and soul. Copies of the signed book will be available to purchase from our partner <a href="https://brooklinebooksmith.com/">Brookline Booksmith</a>, and guests will enjoy a bite from the book following the conversation.&nbsp;

“Minnesota Neighbors” documentary screening and conversation

Join us for a screening of the new documentary “Minnesota Neighbors.” In the aftermath of the killing of two U.S. citizens by Federal agents, the film profiles Minnesota residents during ICE’s Operation Metro Surge and shows the power of kindness, courage and community-wide peaceful actions as they unite with immigrant neighbors. WBUR reporter Simon Rios moderates a conversation with director Patrice O’Neill and film subject Frederick Melo about how communities can mobilize to stand up for their freedoms and protect democracy.

The Game Show

After an exciting preview at The WBUR Festival, WBUR's game show premieres this October. Tickets are free for this inaugural event. Join us to celebrate the launch of our new series!&nbsp; It's barroom trivia meets Jeopardy! with a whole lot of shouting from the cheap seats. The Game Show puts the crowd in control — hollering clues, calling corrections and steering contestants toward victory (or hilarious defeat). Join us for a night of competition and comedy, with a few lucky audience members pulled onstage to go head-to-head with our notable contestants. Bring your thinking caps and your hollering voices.

Countertenor: Anthony Roth Costanzo on the voice that helped define contemporary opera

One of the world’s most acclaimed opera singers, Anthony Roth Costanzo takes us on a journey through his life, his education in art and the history of his extraordinary voice in his new book, “Countertenor.” He will join former Boston Globe classical music critic and Tufts University music professor Jeremy Eichler to explore the evolution of the countertenor voice — from its roots in the Baroque era to its role in shaping opera today — and the ways this remarkable sound changes our understanding of music, identity and artistic expression. Costanzo will also perform select arias during the event. Copies of the book will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner <a href="https://brooklinebooksmith.com/">Brookline Booksmith</a>, and Costanzo will sign following the conversation.

New York Times Games night with Wyna Liu

Join Wyna Liu, editor of New York Times Games’ hit word game <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections">Connections</a>, for a fun night of wordplay. You’ll get to play Connections live and put your pattern-spotting skills to the test! Plus, hear how Liu dreams up the words, categories and devious twists that make the game so addictive. Come ready to play, and bring your questions for a lively conversation about the making of one of the world’s most popular puzzle games. Copies of Liu’s new book “Connections” will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner <a href="https://lovestruckbooks.com/">Lovestruck Books and Cafe</a> and Liu will sign after the games conclude.

Ten Lives: Data journalist Mona Chalabi explores just how much wealth it takes to be safe in America

<a href="https://monachalabi.com/">Mona Chalabi</a> has spent years using illustrations to translate complex statistics. Now in her new book, “Ten Lives: How What We Have Shapes Who We Are,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist wrestles with the pressing issue of just how much wealth it takes to feel safe in the United States? Chalabi followed 10 people over five years to document how wealth shaped their lives. WBUR senior business reporter Zeninjor Enwemeka will moderate a conversation with Chalabi about those stories and how her own life would intertwine with the subject of her illustrations as she grappled with her own financial safety after her mother’s sudden illness. Copies of the book will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner <a href="https://brooklinebooksmith.com/">Brookline Booksmith</a> and Chalabi will sign following the conversation.

Curated Cuisine: James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Sherman on reclaiming Indigenous foods and traditions

Curated Cuisine is a monthly series examining all things edible, from the chefs cooking the food to the writers reviewing the recipes. Meet the people shaping the food industry, both local and national and enjoy a post-show bite inspired by the conversation. James Beard Award–winning chef Sean Sherman has become one of the foremost voices in the Indigenous food movement, working to reclaim and celebrate the culinary traditions of Native communities across North America. In his cookbook, “Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America,” he explores the richness and diversity of Indigenous cuisines through recipes, history and the stories behind the ingredients and traditions that continue to shape them today. Sherman will join Tamika Francis, founder of Food &amp; Folklore, for a conversation about Indigenous foodways, food sovereignty and the enduring connections between culture, community and the land. Copies of the cookbook will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner <a href="https://brooklinebooksmith.com/">Brookline Booksmith</a>, Sherman will sign and guests will enjoy a bite from the book following the conversation.

Curated Cuisine: The joy of cookies with James Beard Award-winning chef Joanne Chang

Curated Cuisine is a monthly series examining all things edible, from the chefs cooking the food to the writers reviewing the recipes. Meet the people shaping the food industry, both local and national and enjoy a post-show bite inspired by the conversation. James Beard Award-winning baker, co-owner of the acclaimed Flour bakery and beloved cookbook author Joanne Chang returns to her first baking love: cookies. Known as the “cookie girl” during her time at Harvard, Chang celebrates a lifetime of baking in her new book, "The Joy of Cookies: New Classics and Old Favorites to Share." On Point senior producer Paige Sutherland moderates a conversation with Chang about the recipes in the book, tips every home baker should know and stories behind the cookies she’s shared throughout her life. Copies of the cookbook will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner <a href="https://brooklinebooksmith.com/">Brookline Booksmith</a>, Chang will sign and guests will enjoy cookies from the book follow

Fixing the T: A conversation with MBTA general manager and CEO Philip Eng

The World Cup games in Foxborough were one of the biggest and most high profile tests of the MBTA and for its general manager and CEO Phillip Eng. After <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/07/19/metro/mbta-commuter-rail-world-cup-foxborough/">successfully transporting</a> nearly 20,000 riders during the games, Eng and the MBTA are back to work upgrading aging equipment and improving stations in an effort to increase reliability. What’s next for the transit system and how will Eng and his team make the most of a <a href="https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/mbta-phil-eng-upgrades-funding-fares/3890340/">flush new budget</a> announced by Governor Maura Healey? Tiziana Dearing, host of WBUR’s Morning Edition, sits down with Eng for a conversation about his time leading the MBTA <a href="https://www.wbur.org/upnext/2026/05/01/phil-eng-world-cup-two-jobs">while also serving</a> as interim transportation secretary and the future of transportation.

Bound for Boston: An evening of new musicals

Join us for an insider's look at what's on the horizon for musical theatre! Curated by <a href="https://speakeasystage.com/">SpeakEasy Stage Company</a> and <a href="https://somerledarts.org/">Somerled Arts</a> as part of their partnership focused on the development of new musicals in Boston, this evening will feature five exciting writing teams currently working on new shows. Hear from the writers about their musicals and their writing processes and then get a sneak peek at performances from the new works. Broadway legend <a href="http://lizcallaway.com/">Liz Callaway</a> will emcee the evening. Guests will also enjoy a reception with complimentary bites following the show. Cash bar. “Alice Bliss,” Music by Jenny Giering, Lyrics by Adam Gwon, Book by Karen Hartman “By Any Other Name,” Book &amp; Lyrics by Deborah Zoe Laufer, Music &amp; Additional Lyrics by Daniel Green “The Homefront,” Book by Malika Oyetimein and Jenny Stafford, Music and Lyrics by Sam Salmond “Nothing to See Here,” Book by Dave Holstein, Music &amp; Lyrics by Alan Schmuckler “Roja,” by Jaime Lozano and Tommy Newman

‘Radiolab’ presents ‘Viscera: Gripping tales of the human body’

Join WBUR and friends for a series of live tapings of your favorite podcasts. Meet the people who are shaping the podcast landscape and be the first to hear their next episode, get a sneak peek of audio left on the cutting room floor or dig deeper into the stories that captivated you. “Viscera” is a “Radiolab” series exploring the weird, wonderful and often grotesque mysteries of the human body. By taking audience members along a journey into questions we have about our own bodies, a visceral experience is guaranteed. From the bowels of hell, comes an odor of death and decay, a scent that has long been known throughout human history as the sign of doom. In this live taping, “Radiolab” correspondent Dr. Avir Mitra and senior producer Matt Kielty will grab hold of this horrible smell — born of a long-overlooked chemical element — and venture from the hospital room, to the battlefield; from the inside of your head, to the farthest reaches of space, to show you how something we’ve always thought was bad, may in fact be very, very good. Past installments of “Viscera” series include “<a href="https://radiolab.org/podcast/the-elixir-of-life">The Elixir of Life</a>,” a conversation exploring the ancient symbiotic experience of breastfeeding, “<a href="https://radiolab.org/podcast/how-to-save-a-life">How to Save a Life</a>,” delving into the science of cardiac arrest and “<a href="https://radiolab.org/podcast/antibiotic-apocalypse">Antibiotic Apocalypse</a>," a search for answers to an alarming rise in antibiotic resistance bacteria.

Curated Cuisine: Black Forager Alexis Nikole Nelson on turning plants, flowers and fungi into tasty meals

The produce aisle can seem boring compared to the incredible plants you can find walking in your neighborhood park. But what plants are edible? Leave that to Alexis Nikole Nelson, better known as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/blackforager/?hl=en">Black Forager</a> to her millions of fans on social media. Nelson has now thoughtfully collected her expansive <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToQSuOerRos">plant-finding wisdom</a> into “Happy Snacking, Don't Die! Foraging and Vegan Recipes with Black Forager (A Cookbook),” which shares the same name as her popular catchphrase. In it, Nelson offers both a practical guide and delightful recipes like magnolia snap cookies, dandelion root coffee and fried milkweed buds. WBUR arts and culture reporter Arielle Gray will sit down with Nelson to discuss her new book and foraging adventures. Signed copies of the book will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner Brookline Booksmith. Guests who purchase a book bundle ticket or a book onsite will be able to join a photo line following the conversation.

S22: conversations

Wondering what to do in Boston? Places to eat? Free activities? Good for a group? Date night spot? Girls night out? The best things to do? Ask Joyraft!

Best places to go in Boston? Things to do? Places to eat?

Questions & answers about things to do in Boston

Recs 💬

Community recs 💬

S4: top picks

The most fun, cool and unique things to do in Boston. Can’t miss events, shows and experiences. Concerts, restaurants, bars, free things in Boston and beyond.

The most fun and cool events happening around Boston

Hot and new things to do in Boston

Hot & new

Hot & new 🔥

S11: happening this weekend

What to do in Boston this weekend? From festivals, concerts, performances, free events, screenings and more, Joyraft has the best things to do in Boston.

25+ things to do in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville this weekend

Things to do in Boston this weekend

This wknd

This weekend for you

S21: roundups

Our top picks: outdoor dining, free events, spring festivals, best bars, upcoming concerts, museum parties - the latest in and around Boston.  Slug: joyraft-top-picks-best-things-to-do-boston-ma

Top picks of the best things to do in and around Boston

Joyraft picks: Boston’s best things to do

Roundups ⭐️

Curated by Joyraft ⭐️

S28: calendar experiences

This week in Boston

This week in Boston 📆

This week 📆

S20: c+d experiences

Discover new, unique events and experiences happening in and around Boston. Perfect for date night, good for a group or with a friend. Be the first to know.

The newest events happening in and around Boston

The newest events on Joyraft

Just added

Just added to Joyraft

S16: editor picks

The most unique and can’t miss things coming up in Boston / Cambridge / Somerville and beyond. Festivals, food, drinks, fairs, concerts, art and free activities.

Unique and Can’t Miss Things to Do in Boston

Can’t-miss things to do in Boston 🚨

Can't-miss things to do 🚨

S2 (A): top experiences

The most popular things to do on Joyraft. Concerts, restaurants, bars, events, parties, openings, kid friendly, date ideas, free things in Boston and beyond.

Top 20 things to do in Boston

Top 20: Joyraft’s most popular

Top 20

Top 20 on Joyraft

S3 (A): trending experiences

Discover can’t miss events and things to do in Boston. The most fun, unique and cool events coming to the Boston area this spring and summer.

The hottest events happening in Boston

Trending events on Joyraft

Trending 📈

S19: interest based

Kid-friendly events in Boston

S18: interest based

Where to eat and drink in Boston? Joyraft has Boston’s newest bars, restaurants and specials. Drinks and pre fixe dinner menus. Cambridge & Somerville too.

Where

wburcityspace

Experiences