University: A Reckoning — Former Columbia President Lee Bollinger on why universities matter

Universities have faced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/trump-university-college.html">unprecedented assaults</a>&nbsp;from the Trump administration, which has withheld billions of research dollars in an effort to exert influence and align the institutions with their political agenda. President Trump and his allies allege that the universities are fostering antisemitism and forcing students into progressive ideological indoctrination. Lee Bollinger, former president of Columbia — one of the universities that has faced attacks — argues that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/05/universities-special-standing/682670/">what the White House is doing</a>&nbsp;is more akin to authoritarian tactics to silence free speech and bring academic freedom to heel. In his new book, “University: A Reckoning,” Bollinger offers a defense of higher education as vital to the success of the United States and a healthy democracy. Join us for a conversation with Bollinger moderated by&nbsp;Morning Edition&nbsp;host&nbsp;Tiziana Dearing. Copies of the book will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner Brookline Booksmith.

WBUR CitySpace

Jack the Whipper with special guest Ses Carny (Livestream Redux)

Did you miss your chance to see Jack Lepiarz (aka Jacques ze Whipper) perform at CitySpace or want to relive the show in all its glory? Now’s the time! We’re combining our 2024 and 2025 performances of Jack’s acclaimed “Secret Show” with special guest Ses Carny into one super-sized livestream redux that you can watch at home. So invite your family and friends over for the ultimate watch party...just maybe don't bring the kids, unless they're very precocious. This show should be considered PG-13 due to innuendo, language and references to drugs and alcohol.

Curated Cuisine: Diane Kochilas on the greatest dishes from Athens

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. Greek food has come a long way since the days of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. The modern metropolis is flush with global influences and ingredients dancing alongside traditional Greek staples. Greek chef and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/show/my-greek-table/">television personality</a>&nbsp;Diane Kochilas, an Athenian for over three decades, has written a new cookbook that dives deep into the savory twists and turns of cuisine in the Greek capital. In “Athens: Food, Stories, Love," she offers a cipher to the changing Mediterranean mecca and also fresh takes on Greek classics. Join us for a conversation and live cooking demonstration with Kochilas moderated by WBUR senior correspondent and host&nbsp;Deborah Becker. Copies of the cookbook will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner <a href="https://brooklinebooksmith.com/">Brookline Booksmith</a>. Kochilas will sign and guests will enjoy braised chickpeas with olives, pistachios, and roasted tomatoes from the book following the conversation. This event is co-produced by Boston University Metropolitan College Programs in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bu.edu/foodandwine/">Food &amp; Wine</a>.

Cognoscenti Presents: The phenomenon of Taylor Swift

Calling all Swifties! Ready to go&nbsp;even deeper&nbsp;into the world of Taylor Swift? Join&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbur.org/opinion/section/cognoscenti">Cognoscenti</a>, WBUR’s ideas and opinions team, and fellow fans for an exciting exploration of the artist who has not only won 14 Grammy Awards but shattered records with the highest-grossing tour&nbsp;and&nbsp;the biggest concert film of all time. Think you know everything about the pop icon? Think again. Get insider scoop from journalist Joanna Weiss, who has dissected every album; Harvard professor Stephanie Burt, whose new book unpacks Swift’s joyful, collaborative brand of genius; and Berklee professor Scarlet Keys, who teaches songwriting through the lens of Swift’s music. Throughout the night, we’ll showcase iconic photos, videos and songs spanning Swift’s entire career to set the mood and spark lively conversation.&nbsp;Cloe Axelson, senior editor of Cognoscenti (and mother of three Swifties), moderates. Copies of Weiss’ book “Taylor Swift: Album by Album,” and Burt’s book “Taylor’s Version: The Poetic and Musical Genius of Taylor Swift” will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner&nbsp;<a href="https://brooklinebooksmith.com/">Brookline Booksmith</a>&nbsp;and Weiss and Burt will sign following the conversation.

'Vibe Check' Live with special guest Carlos Simon

In association with Jan. 29-31 Boston Symphony Orchestra presentations of "Good News Mass." Get tickets for "Good News Mass"&nbsp;<a href="https://https//www.bso.org/events/jan-29-31-lang-simon?performance=2026-01-29-19%3A30">here</a>. Enjoy a live taping of "Vibe Check," the weekly podcast where Saeed Jones (poet and essayist, “How We Fight For Our Lives,” “Alive at the End of the World”) and Zach Stafford (journalist and Tony Award-winning producer, “A Strange Loop”) make sense of what’s going on in news and culture — and how it all feels. Carlos Simon, Deborah and Philip Edmundson Composer Chair for Boston Symphony Orchestra, joins the duo for a conversation on being a composer in America today and the development of his "Good News Mass," a new BSO co-commission that draws deeply on the gospel music he learned growing up in his father’s church. Musical selections from "Good News Mass" will open and close the show.

‘Articles of Interest’ Live

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. “<a href="https://www.articlesofinterest.co/">Articles of Interest</a>,” the critically acclaimed podcast about what we wear, is headed to Boston for a live podcast taping for their new season. Producer and host Avery Trufelman will be joined by Jazmin Aguilera, host and senior audio producer for the Boston Globe, and Joel Christian Gill, cartoonist and chair of Boston University’s Department of Visual Narrative, for a special evening exploring the rich role of fashion design in “Archie Comics” and the impact Archie fashion has had on generations of readers and illustrators. The live taping will include recorded voices of historians and cartoonists along with images of Archie fashions from across the eras. Whether or not you grew up on these comics, this will be a fascinating evening and a preview of the episode before anyone else gets to hear it. Even if you think you don’t care about fashion, this is for you.

 Freedom Lost, Freedom Won: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eugene Robinson traces America’s racial history through his family’s story

Morning Edition&nbsp;executive producer&nbsp;Leah Fleming&nbsp;moderates a conversation with Eugene Robinson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and former op-ed columnist for The Washington Post, about his new memoir, “Freedom Lost, Freedom Won: A Personal History of America.” The book tells our nation’s torturous racial history through Robinson’s own family’s story, from his great-grandfather’s freedom from slavery to his own coming-of-age during the Civil Rights Movement and reaching today’s Black Lives Matter movement, pushing us to consider how far the nation has come — willingly or not — and how far it still has to go. Copies of the book will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner&nbsp;<a href="https://frugalbookstore.net/">Frugal Bookstore</a>&nbsp;and Robinson will sign following the conversation.

Cognoscenti Presents: Recovering from divorce

Lovers Week is a series of events during the week of Valentine's Day destined to make your heart ache, flip, burn and swoon as we explore love lost, love gained and everything that happens in between. In the United States, 41% of first marriages and 60% of second marriages end in divorce. Two thirds of divorced couples go on to remarry. Join&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbur.org/opinion/section/cognoscenti">Cognoscenti</a>, WBUR’s ideas and opinions team, during Lovers Week to explore how divorce has evolved over the decades from a shame-inducing act to, for many, one of liberation. Therapist and divorce expert Oona Metz will share her advice for navigating this often painful journey and coming out the other side; essayist Scaachi Koul will recount her own divorce at the same time she lost her job and her mother was diagnosed with cancer; and author Nicole Graev Lipson will untangle the many challenges facing women navigating marriage and motherhood.&nbsp;Morning Edition&nbsp;host&nbsp;Tiziana Dearing&nbsp;moderates. Copies of Metz’s book,“Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women,” Koul’s book “Sucker Punch” and Lipson’s book “Mothers and Other Fictional Characters: A Memoir in Essays” will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner&nbsp;<a href="https://brooklinebooksmith.com/">Brookline Booksmith</a>&nbsp;and the authors will sign following the conversation.

The B-Side and ‘Love Letters’ present: Matchmaker, matchmaker

Lovers Week is a series of events during the week of Valentine's Day destined to make your heart ache, flip, burn and swoon as we explore love lost, love gained and everything that happens in between. <a href="https://bside.beehiiv.com/">The B-Side</a> and The Boston Globe’s “<a href="https://www.boston.com/category/love-letters/">Love Letters</a>” team are joining forces for the ultimate matchmaking event that’s equal parts science experiment and rom-com plot line. We’ll handpick 35 pairs of singles (ages 24–35) and match them through a very official, extremely serious questionnaire (read: Google form). The grand prize? Going on a blind date with 70 other strangers who are also on a blind date. No pressure! Meredith Goldstein, “Love Letters” columnist and professional confidante, will guide potential couples through a spicy evening with a little help from Cupid and those famous '36 Questions to Fall in Love,” because nothing says “romance” like structured vulnerability and a room full of strangers. We promise — it'll be fun! We’ll wrap the night with a singles mixer, where everyone can mingle, flirt or gently retreat toward the snacks ... whether you’re looking for love, chaos or just a good story to tell on Monday, we’ve got you. Who is this event for?<ul><li>You are aged 24-35.</li><li>You identify as a man and are interested in dating women.</li><li>You identify as a woman and are interested in dating men.</li><li>Gender-nonconforming individuals who still feel connected to one of the genders above in some way are welcome.</li></ul>This event is trans-inclusive. We do not tolerate transphobia at any of our events.

'Mortified' Live: Valentine's Day Edition

Lovers Week is a series of events during the week of Valentine's Day destined to make your heart ache, flip, burn and swoon as we explore love lost, love gained and everything that happens in between. What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with some painfully awkward and true tales of teen lust, love, heartbreak and sensual fanfic? Join the angsty party at “Mortified,” where brave adults share the very real, very terrible, very hilarious journals, poems, letters and lyrics they created as teenagers … in front of an audience 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. "Mortified" helps people find them.

Mahjong on a Mission: WBUR edition

<a href="https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2025/09/14/mahjong-moms-trend/">Mahjong is having (another) moment</a>, and you’ve always wanted to learn to play. Here’s your chance! Connect with community, support WBUR and learn to play Hong Kong style mahjong with the Mei Mei Dumplings team and chef <a href="https://www.ireneshiangli.com/">Irene Li</a>! This event is ideal for newbies, beginners and patient intermediates. Mei Mei will provide mahjong sets, printed guides and a 15-20 minute tutorial. We’ll review game setup, game play and talk a little bit about the many varieties of this beloved game. What to bring: We’ll provide snacks and tea – please bring your own reusable mug! If you have a mahjong set, bring that too! Sets will be available for sale if you’d like to purchase one at the event.

Devout: Singer David Archuleta on his journey to live authentically

David Archuleta has been on a yearslong journey to find himself. The pop star who catapulted to fame after finishing runner-up in season seven of “American Idol,” captured adoring audiences with his singing and musical prowess, but underneath was struggling with his identity. In his memoir “Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself,” Archuleta reveals untold stories of emotional abuse and life as a closeted teen in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. WBUR host and senior producer&nbsp;Amory Sivertson&nbsp;will moderate a discussion with Archuleta about&nbsp;<a href="https://people.com/music/david-archuleta-steps-back-from-mormon-church-after-coming-out-as-queer/">his story coming out</a>&nbsp;as a gay man in the LGBTQ community along with the heartbreak and joy of his newfound life&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/david-archuleta-leaving-mormon-church-coming-living-meaningful-life-rcna154751">living authentically</a>. Signed copies of the book will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner&nbsp;<a href="https://brooklinebooksmith.com/">Brookline Booksmith</a>.

Curated Cuisine: Boston’s booming coffee culture

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. Dunkin’ may have captured the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED0-xqCVjJs">meme culture</a>&nbsp;but there’s a bursting world of flavor brewing in Boston’s coffee scene. If you ask local coffee roasters they can likely tell you about farmers they’ve met in Guatemala or Ethiopia, the elevation from which their beans were grown or about the washed or natural process before drying. While Bostonians may drink iced coffee year-round, there is an evolving and evermore discerning palate in the bustling neighborhood coffee shop akin to a wine enthusiast’s interest in a grape’s terroir. Join&nbsp;Dianna Bell,&nbsp;WBUR arts and culture senior editor, in a conversation with three pioneers in the Boston coffee scene. Panelists Pack Katisomsakul — Owner, Newbery Street Coffee Roasters Jaime van Schyndel — Founder, barismo Guests will enjoy coffee tasting and can purchase items from local coffee roasters including, Newbery Street and barismo.

‘What Next’ Live

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. The problem with the news right now? It’s everywhere. And each day, it can feel like we’re all just mindlessly scrolling. It’s why Slate created “<a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/what-next">What Next</a>,” a show to help you make sense of things. When the news feels overwhelming, we’re here to help you answer: What next? Join us for a live taping of “What Next” with host Mary Harris combined with “<a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/what-next-tbd">What Next: TBD</a>,” Slate’s show about technology, power and the future with host Lizzie O’Leary. The pair will bring you a clear-eyed look into the future of the tech industry and the world it’s creating for us to live in.

Curated Cuisine: The Diaspora Spice Co. brings recipes from India and Sri Lanka’s spice farms to your table

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. Spices are more than small jars that sit in your cabinet and make an appearance during meal prep. For Sana Javeri Kadri, CEO of Diaspora Spice Co., and recipe writer Asha Loupy those little jars represent the farmer who toiled in the fields with love to bring you that flavor. Kadri and Loupy have co-authored “The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook,” a new book that celebrates the spices from India and Sri Lanka. The cookbook centers on regenerative farms across South Asia where Kadri and Loupy spent time with the farmers who grow regional spices and the family recipes built on those traditions. Join Tamika Francis, founder of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/foodnfolklore/?hl=en">Food &amp; Folklore</a>, for a conversation with Kadri and Loupy and watch a cooking demonstration from the new collection of 85 recipes. Copies of the book will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner <a href="https://frugalbookstore.net/">Frugal Bookstore</a>, Kadri and Loupy will sign and guests will enjoy a bite from the book 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 📈

S17: interest based

Your guide to everything free in and around Boston. From events, to fairs, to festivals, to outdoors. Joyraft has all the free events happening near you.

100+ free things to do in Boston and beyond

Free things to do in Boston

Free things to do

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