The Common WBUR

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. 

Tucked underneath the bustling Cambridge Common restaurant near Porter Square is the Lizard Lounge, a longtime gathering place for Greater Boston's poetry scene. Since 1998, the venue has hosted a weekly event that combines curated poetry performance with live, improvisational jazz. The venue celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, and the retirement of Jeff Robinson, the leader behind the musical stylings that accompany this iconic poetry night.

WBUR's Cristela Guerra joins The Common for more on Robinson's legacy, and what's next for the Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam.

Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. 
Insects are disappearing at a concerning rate — from 1% to 2% in many places, and up to 10% in others. Some of those insects are pollinators, which are key players in supporting 35% of our food supply. Today, those pollinators, like bees and butterflies, need our help.

WBUR Senior Climate and Environment Correspondent Barbara Moran joins The Common with more on the importance of pollinators, and a guide to what you can do to support pollinators in your own yard, garden or even from your apartment fire escape.


Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. 
Public libraries have evolved over the decades to connect people with far more than books on shelves. Many libraries, including those within the Boston Public Library system, often fill gaps in social services.

Boston Public Libraries' Michael Colford, director of library services, joined The Common to discuss how the robust resources of the city's libraries can help you out in unexpected ways.


Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is currently working on our transition to a weekly show. We’ll be back this summer with new episodes. In the meantime, here’s one from our archives. 
The Black population in Greater Boston continues to grow, especially in communities outside of the city, and it's becoming one of the most diverse Black populations of any metro area in the nation. This is according to a new report from Boston Indicators and Embrace Boston titled, Great Migration to Global Immigration: A Profile of Black Boston.

Report co-author James Jennings joins The Common for a deeper look at how the region's Black population continues to grow and change.


Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Today’s episode is another from the vault. It’s our conversation with WBUR’s José Massó, host of ¡Con Salsa!, which has been on the air for nearly 50 years.

Jose stopped by the studio last year after he made Amplify Latinx’s inaugural ALX100 list, which recognizes leaders from the Massachusetts Latinx community. We discussed the ALX100 honor and ¡Con Salsa's! impact on Greater Boston over the decades.

Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Team Common is hard at work preparing for our new weekly schedule starting soon. But in the meantime, we’re bringing you some episodes from our archives to help you get your local news fix.

In this episode, first published about a year ago, we talk to HEESU, the singer-songwriter behind our theme song, ME. HEESU, who originally hails from Seoul, was WBUR’s 2021 Tiny Desk Contest favorite and is a Berklee College of Music alum.

HEESU joined us to talk about her music, her influences and her experiences studying music in Boston.

Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.