Rumble Strip
Society & Culture
About
Good conversation that takes its time, hosted by Erica Heilman.
Episodes
- Ladies' Day at Vermont Quick Lube
Vermont Quick Lube is where I've been getting my oil changed for years, because I love it there. They are fast and nice and they offer coffee. Everyone at Vermont Quick Lube is always in a good mood, even in November or January. Recently I…
- A Requiem for Larry Massett
From The Kitchen Sisters Presents: Pioneering radio artist Larry Massett, a producer's producer, who led listeners into unexpected worlds and influenced so many in public radio and beyond, died last year at the age of 80. The Kitchen Siste…
- I Eat the Marshmallow
This is a same-day reaction to this morning’s story called: A springtime show about how about the economy that partly explains why we feel ashamed. That story features a wonderful listener in Scotland who is a money manager and made some f…
- A Springtime Show about the Economy that Partly Explains why We’re Ashamed
This is a conversation with a money manager in Scotland who has given a great deal of thought to why many of us feel confused and ashamed about our financial lives. After the What Class are You? shows, I often receive interesting commentar…
- Hold On
This is a story about a song. Six years ago, seventeen-year-old Finn Rooney killed himself in his home in Walden, Vermont. A couple days later, his community held a bonfire in the parking lot of Hazen Union High school in Hardwick. Hundred…
- What class are you, Habib and Arwa?
I met Arwa and Habib Meiloud because they’re Anne’s kids and Anne works at the post office in the village here in East Calais. They live in the house right across the road from the post office. Arwa and Habib’s father is from Mauritania an…
- What class are you Kaye?
Kaye Phipps lives in Montpelier, Vermont. Right now she works as a custodian at a local grocery store. She’s also been a florist, a housekeeper, and a house cleaner. But even though she’s sometimes working multiple jobs, she often comes up…
- What class are you Jules?
Jules Guillemette grew up on their family farm in Lamoille County, Vermont, which has been in the family nearly 100 years. Since then, Jules has worked as a chef, a meat cutter and now they're an electrician. In this episode, we talk about…
- What class are you Trudy?
What Class are You? is a periodic series I make for Vermont Public, which started back in 2022. I wanted to talk with people about growing political and cultural divides without talking about politics or cultural divides. I had no idea how…
- The Thanksgiving Show
This is a show about Thanksgiving, and what it sounds like. It is made entirely of your recordings. Thank you everyone for sending me recordings. We have made a show that sounds like the whole damn country. Or a lot of it.
- Thanksgiving show SAMPLER
A couple days ago I asked you to send me some recordings from Thanksgiving. I figured I'd give you a little better sense of what I'm looking for. Happy Thanksgiving all! Erica
- Let's Make a Show about Thanksgiving
Let's make a show about Thanksgiving. I have always wanted to do this, and the time has come. Anyone who is willing, I would love you to record a voice memo this week about your holiday. Stories, anecdotes, songs...I don't know. You don't…
- An American Life
Music for this show is by Brian Clark, who is awesome.
- The Party
Thank you Phil Edfors of Vermont Public for cleaning up the whale recordings. This was no small feat and I am grateful. The whales were recorded for an oceanic soundscape project at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
- Joslyn House Revisited
Credits Thanks to all the residents who talked with me, and the beautiful Arlene and Becky Wright , managers of the house. My friend Kelly Green produced this show with me. She’s great at this PLUS she’s a great defense attorney! If you're…
- A Barn Update with Forrest Foster
I stopped in to visit with Forrest Foster about his barn project. Here's our conversation.
- Tractor Pull
Williams Family Field of Dreams Tractor Pulls
- Susan Randall. Hold the Line
A couple weeks ago my friend Susan Randall came to visit. She’s a private investigator and we’ve been friends for thirty years and every now and then we get together and compare notes on our lives, and on what the hell is going on. Sometim…
- Zombie Snails
Bryan's substack, Chasing Nature Bryan's article about the zombie snails and some wicked video
- Jay Allison on Why We Should Save Public Radio
Links: Adopt a Station: Where you can donate to your local public radio station or find stations to support Transom: The place where good radio begins Recent New York Times interview with Bill Siemering about the fate of public radio Infor…
- Ladies' Pond
The women in this show are: Clare Dolan, Holly Rae Taylor, Alison Bechdel, Deb Fleischman, Annie Greensfelder, Rosana Vestuti and Tamar Cole. Thanks to all the kids and families and dogs and loons and crows that were there that day on the…
- What class are you Susan Ritz?
This is the last episode in season 6 of What Class are You?, a periodic series I make for Vermont Public. Susan Ritz grew up in a wealthy family in Minnesota. For the past 36 years, she's lived in central Vermont, where she writes books an…
- What Class are You Kytreana Patrick?
Today, episode 4 of season SIX of What Class are You?, a periodic series I make for Vermont Public about living in the American class system. In today’s episode, we revisit Kytreana Patrick, who was a guest from the first class series back…
- What Class are You Dan Sedon?
Dan Sedon has been working as a criminal defense attorney in Vermont, where he works with poor people and rich people and all the people in between. In this latest episode of What Class are You?, reporter Erica Heilman talks with Dan about…
- What Class Are You Sharon Plumb?
What Class Are You? is a periodic series I make for Vermont Public about our lives in the American class system. Sharon Plumb works for a statewide nonprofit in the outdoor recreation sector. She lives in East Montpelier with her husband a…
- Ralph Figures He Might Have to Work til he's Dead
This is a series I make for Vermont Public . Thank you to Vermont Public for allowing me to run this series on Rumble Strip.
- What Now Sounds Like: The Rapture
This is the fourth episode of What Now Sounds Like, a periodic series comprised entirely of your recordings from all over the world, in which we try to capture these strange times in audio. In this show you hear from Bryce in New York City…
- Hardwick State
This was the inaugural year of Hardwick State, a weekend long university in Hardwick, Vermont, organized by the Civic Standard, and designed to take place during the awfulest time of the year. People from around Hardwick become professors…
- Death in Venice
Death in Venice is a story Larry Massett produced in the early 80s. Joe Frank narrates, and Larry wrote and performed all the music.
- A New Old Barn for Forrest Foster
We're raising money to rebuild Forrest Foster's barn. This is a very short story (plea) about it. And here is the GoFundMe!!
- A Night on Mount Shasta
Larry Massett was driving up through northern California toward Oregon and ended up spending a little more time at Mt. Shasta than he'd had in mind. Thankfully he had his flashlight in his trunk.
- Drag Out
This is the second show for LARRY MASSETT TRIBUTE WEEK. Larry Massett owned two Porsches, and he talked about them all the time. His friend, Joe Frank, in addition to being one of the greatest radio producers of all time, was a BMW guy. Th…
- The Eyes of Sibiu
Larry Massset died last week. He was my mentor and my favorite radio producer. His stories was insane and brilliant and heretical and sublime. I wouldn’t have become a radio producer without his guidance and his stories to inspire me. I’m…
- The Haskell Library. A Story about Awful Behavior at the Canadian Border
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House was intentionally built to straddle two nations and two communities. Three quarters of the building is in Stanstead, Quebec and one quarter is in Derby Line Vermont, and it's been the local library…
- Health Insurance is Hard
This is a show about the challenges of getting health insurance and understanding health insurance and paying for health insurance and using health insurance…even for those of us without major medical challenges. It stars my friends Justin…
- What Now Sounds Like, the AI Isn't Smart Edition
Recordings: In this show you hear from Carolyn and her neighbors on Coits Gore Road in Vermont, Amanda in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, dogs in Atlanta, Jeff Sharlet interviewing Pastor Pete in Holiday City, Ohio, Heather’s kids i…
- 2 Seconds of Peace
T.O. got out of prison in Rutland a couple weeks ago, after a six and a half year bid. I met T.O. through my private investigator friend Susan Randall in May, 2017. He’d been a client of hers in a federal public defender case. T.O.’s been…
- What Now Sounds Like Episode 2
Here is episode 2 of What Now Sounds Like, a show I make that is entirely comprised of your recordings. Desperate times call for desperate show methods. I'm hoping that shows made up of all of us will help us all feel less alone. In this s…
- What Now Sounds Like
What Now Sounds Like is made by all of us. You send me recordings that sound like this time we're living in, and I make shows with them. It could be an argument, your thoughts in the middle of the night, your songs and hummings....a record…
- Diffuse Despair
The world is chaotic. Systems are failing, towns are burning. If you need to make an appointment with your doctor you may have to wait til July. So it's time to make a show about it all. I implore you to record moments of your day and send…
- What Class are you Tankhun?
What Class Are You? is a periodic series about the ways that socioeconomic class shapes our lives. Thankun Thongjunthoug’s parents each moved alone to the United States from Thailand in their early twenties to make a new life for themselve…
- What Class Are You Katrin?
What Class Are You? is a periodic series about the ways that socioeconomic class shapes our lives. Today, Episode 4. Katrin Tchana lives in Lyme, New Hampshire, right next to Dartmouth College. Katrin is a social worker, and currently work…
- What Class Are You Ingrid?
What Class Are You? is a periodic series about the ways that socioeconomic class shapes our lives. Today, Episode 3...Ingrid Jonas. I met Ingrid Jonas through my friend Marilyn. Ingrid is a retired Vermont state police trooper. She started…
- What Class Are You Mark?
What Class Are You? is a periodic series about the ways that socioeconomic class shapes our lives, even though we don’t like to talk about it. I make this series for Vermont Public and I’ll be running the new shows on RS all this week. Mar…
- What Class Are You Damian Renzello?
What Class Are You? is a periodic series about the ways that socioeconomic class shapes our lives, even though we don’t like to talk about it. I make this series for Vermont Public and I’ll be running the new shows on RS all this week. Fir…
- Thanks for Sharing
Forrest Foster found a new old truck, thanks to you listeners. We drove around and talked about the truck and about Forrest's new job and I complained about feeling old. Happy Holidays and thank you for your generosity. Happy Holidays to a…
- Erika Bruner, Midwife for Pets at the End
Things have been pretty grim around here. I lost my cat Zu Zu and she was only two and a half and she left behind her brother Kenny and Kenny and I aren’t doing so great. So. I’m going to play a story I made for Vermont Public about Erika…
- Thank you For the Best Birthday Present Ever
We raised ALL the money for Forrest's new old truck and we are so GRATEFUL!!!
- Help Forrest Foster Get a New Old Truck
After the last show, a lot of people asked me how they might help Forrest Foster. So I called his friend Steve Gorelick and we set up a Go Fund Me....
- Forrest Foster is getting done...for now.
Forrest Foster is a dairy farmer in Hardwick, Vermont. Two months ago he sold his cows. He didn't want to do it. But his barn doesn't meet code so he lost his license. He can't keep the wood furnace burning in the house while he's doing ch…