Arts & Culture

A visit to the home of the Parsons family to witness an annual tradition that’s been passed down through the generations for more than a century - the making of “Maryland Beaten Biscuits”

Writer Rafael Alvarez shares a holiday story about Aunt Lola’s kitchen, a place where the aroma of fresh-baked cookies evokes memories of Christmas-past

And storyteller Therese Lynch recounts an ill-fated Christmas when her boyfriend met her family for the first time – and everything went as wrong as it possibly could

We tour the rowhouse-basement factory of Rheb’s Candies, a family business that’s been supplying Baltimore with confectionary delights for more than ninety years.

From The Stoop, optimist Ron Tanner buys a condemned frat house and gives himself six months to restore it before inviting his extended family to stay for Christmas.

This month Maryland native Alan Gross entered his fourth year in Cuban custody. Why was Gross arrested for providing telecommunications equipment to Cuba's small Jewish community, and why have U.S. efforts to free Gross not been successful? To examine the many angles, Sheilah speaks with Congressman Chris Van Hollen and Dr. Julia Sweig with the Council on Foreign Relations.

Holiday parties abound—what are the best ways to go from day to night?  We ask our style tutor Zoey Washington.

Ted Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) was a storyteller in the grandest sense, spinning yarns and telling fantastical tales that captured the imaginations of generations of children. He was also a cartoonist whose work carried his stories to new heights. His surrealist cartoons were themselves works of art. Dr. Seuss expert Robert Chase Jr., publisher of Dr. Seuss: The Cat Behind the Hat, joins us for an hour on the life and art of this storytelling giant.

Thursday, Dec. 13
The 39 Steps - opening night
A comedic parody of Alfred Hitchcock's thriller, The 39 Steps features four actors playing more than 50 different roles.
Diane Smith directs.
Beth Tifiloh Community Theater
7:00 p.m.

Thursday and Friday, Dec. 13 & 14
Local singer Jennifer Blades performs "Christmas Present", accompanied by pianist James Harp
Germano's in Little Italy
Both sets start 7:30 p.m.

Michael Griffin of Maryland's Department of Assessments and Taxation tells us why you should apply for the Homestead Tax Credit before the December 31st deadline if you haven't already.

An experimental Alzheimer's treatment at Johns Hopkins Medicine uses electricity to stimulate memory centers in the brain. Nathan Sterner talks with professor Paul Rosenberg who's leading the trial at Hopkins.

Tom Hall visits an exhibit at Maryland Institute College of Art honoring influential fiber artist Lenore Tawney.

It’s mid-December, when everyday life—usually busy—can accelerate to unthinkably hectic speed. You can end up rushing from work to an elementary school production of the Nutcracker to a holiday party.  All those different events can require different attire.  What's the best way to go from day to night? 

Zoey on blue.mp3

Zoey on layers.mp3

Tom Hall remembers his friend and colleague, jazz musician Dave Brubeck, who passed away last week just short of his 92nd birthday.  We also listen back to an interview he did with Maryland Morning in 2009.

December 7th & 8th, 2012, on The Signal:  

When he was drafted during the Vietnam War, Jim Karantonis trained to be a medic and he was assigned stateside - in the psych ward at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  The former neuropsychiatric technician joins us to reflect on what he learned from his patients.

Benn Ray of Atomic Books visits with his unique holiday suggestions, including graphic novels, sheet music, a hot new cookbook, and one item that seeks to re-invent the notion of what a book truly is.