Grating the Nutmeg

Nathaniel Smith and Jon Kozak, students at Central Connecticut State University, dive into the fascinating history of Lithuanian immigrants in New Britain, Connecticut. They explore how these workers built community through saloons amidst industrial struggles. The conversation highlights the tensions between labor movements and the temperance agenda, revealing saloons as hubs of solidarity. They also discuss the impact of pivotal events like the 1907 march for unemployed workers, showcasing the interplay of brewing and labor activism that shaped local culture.

  Artist and author Maurice Sendak was able to achieve significant and enduring success in art and children’s literature during his lifetime. But what secrets did he had to keep from his family, publishers, parents, librarians, and readers as a gay, Jewish man negotiating the field of children’s literature?   Sendak wrote and illustrated books that nurtured children and adults alike. Winner of the 1964 Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are, in 1970 Sendak became the first American illustrator to receive the international Hans Christian Anderson Award, given in recognition of his entire body of work. Sendak’s work has been the subject of several extensive retrospective art shows at prestigious museums across the country. Sendak lived in Ridgefield, Connecticut with his partner Dr. Eugene Glynn for over 50 years.   In this episode, my guest is Dr. Golan Moskowitz, author of Wild Visionary, Maurice Sendak in Queer Jewish Context, published by Stanford University Press in 2021. Dr. Moskowitz is an Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies and a faculty member of the Grant Center for the American Jewish Experience at Tulane University.  He serves as Book Review Editor for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and as director of the Jewish American and Holocaust Literature Symposium. Golan is currently working on a cultural history of Jewish American involvement in the art of drag.   To contact Dr. Mostowitz, please see below: His faculty page: americanjewishexperience.org/gc-scholar/golan-moskowitz/   For speaking inquiries, please contact Tulane University's Jewish Studies Department: jewishstudies@tulane.edu   The Maurice Sendak Foundation: https://www.sendakfoundation.org/   Connecticut Landmarks LGBTQ+ Archives The archival collections of East Haddam’s Palmer-Warner House include the diaries and letters of previous residents Frederic Palmer and his partner Howard Metzger. On view during the museum’s open hours through August 23,2025, “Letters of Unity” explores the evolution of LGBTQ+ communication over more than a century through the stories of Frederic, Howard, and other members of LGBTQ+ communities. From love letters to social media and personal diaries to protest flyers, this display showcases how love, resistance, and solidarity have been expressed through various mediums. Purchase tickets at ctlandmarks.org/properties/palmer-warner-house/     Preservatlon Connecticut LGBTQ+ Historic Sites Survey  Preservation Connecticut, in partnership with scholars and activists, has embarked on documenting Connecticut’s LGBTQ+ sites. Interwoven through these places are stories of resilience, innovation, and the pursuit of equality that transcend the traditional boundaries of class, race, ethnicity, and religion. If you're interested in learning more or contributing to this survey project, please visit www.preservationct.org/lgbtq.   Ridgefield Pride Ridgefield Connecticut Pride  fosters belonging, provides support, and celebrates the LGBTQ+ community in Ridgefield and beyond. Fostering a sense of belonging for LGBTQ+ individuals, their families, and friends and celebrating the richness and diversity of the community. Check out their website for more information at https://ridgefieldctpride.com Grating the Nutmeg Three-part LGBTQ+ Series 2025 Connecticut Explored magazine and our podcast, Grating the Nutmeg, have featured many of the heritage trails that mark the important histories and sites of Connecticut’s people.  Preservation Connecticut has undertaken a survey of LGBTQ+ heritage sites across the state. Now, Grating the Nutmeg and Preservation Connecticut have teamed up to bring you a three-episode podcast series that pairs new research on LGBTQ+ identity and activism with accounts of the Connecticut places where history was made. The episodes include a thriving vegetarian cafe-bookstore run by lesbian feminists in a working-class former factory town, a transgender medical researcher working on an urgent public health issue in the center of Connecticut politics, and a gay, Jewish, best-selling children’s book author in affluent Fairfield County. Our first LGBTQ+ episode, #212, available to listen to now, told the story of feminist and lesbian restaurants from across the country with Dr. Alex Ketchum. We visited Bloodroots, a lesbian-run vegan restaurant in Bridgeport that is celebrating 48 years in business.   Connecticut Humanites The 2025 LGBTQ+ Three-part series received grant support from CT Humanities, connecting people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and public programs. Visit our website to learn about our funding opportunities and capacity building grants. https://cthumanities.org/   -------------------------------------- Like Grating the Nutmeg? Want to support it? Make a donation! 100% of the funds from your donation go directly to the production and promotion of the show. Go to ctexplored.org to send your donation now. And don’t forget that our Second Annual Online Auction is coming up in September.   This episode of Grating the Nutmeg was produced by Mary Donohue and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan at www.highwattagemedia.com/   Follow GTN on our socials-Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and BlueSky.   Follow executive producer Mary Donohue on Facebook and Instagram at West Hartford Town Historian. Join us in two weeks for our next episode of Grating the Nutmeg, the podcast of Connecticut history. Thank you for listening!    

Mike Dyer, Curator of Maritime History at Mystic Seaport Museum, dives deep into the world of whaling in New England. He discusses the brutal realities and innovative practices of the whaling industry, including the remarkable craftsmanship behind cask-making and scrimshaw. Dyer highlights the significance of the Charles W. Morgan, the last American whaling ship, and the diverse roles of whaling crews and their families. The conversation uncovers the colossal impacts of whaling, reflecting on its legacy in American history and industry.

Ellery Leary, the official park historian of Putnam Memorial State Park and a member of its Friends and Neighbors, discusses the often-overlooked Redding Encampment of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. They explore the brutal winter conditions faced by soldiers and the diverse contributions of women, Native Americans, and people of color. Ellery also highlights innovative projects that preserve these stories, including a National Park Service grant and a QR code app designed for the sight-impaired, making history accessible to all.

  Connecticut Explored and our podcast, Grating the Nutmeg, have featured many of the heritage trails that mark the important histories and sites of Connecticut’s people. Preservation Connecticut has undertaken a survey of LGBTQ+ heritage sites across the state. Now, Grating the Nutmeg and Preservation Connecticut have teamed up to bring you a three-episode podcast series that pairs new research on LGBTQ+ identity and activism with accounts of the Connecticut places where history was made. The episodes include a thriving vegetarian cafe-bookstore run by lesbian feminists in a working-class former factory town, a transgender medical researcher working on an urgent public health issue in the center of Connecticut politics, and a gay, Jewish, best-selling children’s book author in affluent Fairfield County.   In this episode, Dr. Alex Ketchum, author of Ingredients for Revolution: A History of American Feminist Restaurants, Cafes, and Coffeehouses, published by Concordia University Press in 2022, reveals the history of women-owned restaurants in the 1970s and 1980s that had a feminist mission. In a first-ever overview of feminist cafe subculture, Ketchum’s book details the role eateries played in social justice movements, including women’s and LGBTQ+ liberation, and food justice. And we will highlight Bloodroot, the almost 50-year-old lesbian-feminist bookstore, collective, and vegetarian restaurant in Bridgeport.   Dr. Ketchum is Assistant Professor at McGill University's Institute for Gender, Sexuality, Feminist Studies, and the Director of the Just Feminist Tech and Scholarship Lab, co-editor of Queers at the Table: An Illustrated Guide to Queer Food (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022), and creator of The Feminist Restaurant Project: thefeministrestaurantproject.com Follow Dr. Ketchum on her social media pages- bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/aketchum22.bsky.social   @aketchum22.bsky.social instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/dr.alexketchum/ @dr.alexketchum   To find out more information on Bloodroot Restaurant, check out these sources: Restaurant Website https://www.bloodroot.com/ Public Broadcasting Interview with the founders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtxLyIqYhxQ Documentary Trailer “A Culinary Uprising: The Story of Bloodroot” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh2K7RAeBf4   This episode of Grating the Nutmeg was supported by Preservation Connecticut, preserving the state’s heritage for 50 years and a Quick Grant from CT Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, programs, and collaboration with other organizations. CTH is supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources.   Connecticut Landmarks LGBTQ+ Archives The archival collections of East Haddam’s Palmer-Warner House include the diaries and letters of previous residents Frederic Palmer and his partner Howard Metzger. On view during the museum’s open hours through August 23,2025, “Letters of Unity” explores the evolution of LGBTQ+ communication over more than a century through the stories of Frederic, Howard, and other members of LGBTQ+ communities. From love letters to social media and personal diaries to protest flyers, this display showcases how love, resistance, and solidarity have been expressed through various mediums. Purchase tickets at https://ctlandmarks.org/properties/palmer-warner-house/   The Palmer-Warner House will host a thought-provoking free community panel discussion on queer independence on Saturday, July 12 from 1 pm-4 pm. This panel will offer the opportunity to connect with diverse voices from across generations as they reflect on past, present, and future LGBTQ+ resilience, self-determination, and community support. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and celebrate the strength of queer identities. Register at https://114536.blackbaudhosting.com/114536/Queer-Independence-Discussion-Panel   ---------------------------------------------------- Like Grating the Nutmeg? Want to support it? Make a donation! 100% of the funds from your donation go directly to the production and promotion of the show. Go to ctexplored.org to send your donation now.   This episode of Grating the Nutmeg was produced by Mary Donohue and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan at https://www.highwattagemedia.com/   Follow GTN on our socials:  Facebook,Instagram, Threads, and BlueSky.   Follow executive producer Mary Donohue on Facebook and Instagram at West Hartford Town Historian. Join us in two weeks for our next episode of Grating the Nutmeg, the podcast of Connecticut history. Thank you for listening!  

Eric Jay Dolan, an accomplished author with a focus on maritime history, dives into the compelling world of American whaling. He discusses how whale oil powered the Industrial Revolution and the significant role of New England ports like New London. The podcast uncovers the gritty realities of whaling sailors and their economic struggles, while highlighting the resilience of the women who managed households during long voyages. Dolan also connects historical whaling logbooks to modern climate science, showcasing their relevance today.

  In this episode, host Mary Donohue visits the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, a place that includes stellar architecture, art by some of the most renowned artists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and an exhibition that tells the story of Waterbury’s rise as a manufacturing powerhouse. The Mattatuck Museum is an art and regional history museum on the Green in downtown Waterbury, that started out as a historical society in 1877.   Our guest is Rebecca Lo Presti, Assistant Curator. She served as the curator for “ The Art of Leisure” an exhibit that is up now until June 15, 2025. From pencil sketches of working-class families picnicking to paintings done by Americans on the European Grand Tour, the exhibit shows how artists depicted recreation, relaxation, and travel in their work.  They also talk about what else you’ll see at museum when you visit including the artwork of American masters associated with Connecticut such as Anni Albers, Alexander Calder and Frederic Church. And, on the quirkier side, the museum is also home to a button gallery displaying 10,000 buttons -miniature works of art collected from around the globe.   A big thanks to Becca Lo Presti, Asst. Curator and  Tanya Labeck, Marketing & Media Coordinator at the Mattatuck Museum. Visit the museum before June 15th to see the Art of Leisure, but remember that any time is a good time to go! You’ll always find something interesting, beautiful or inspiring on display. Find out more at their website at mattmuseum.org/   To learn more about Waterbury’s industrial history, go to the Connecticut Explored website at  ctexplored.org/   ----------------------------------------------------------                               Like Grating the Nutmeg? Want to support it? Make a donation! 100% of the funds from your donation go directly to the production and promotion of the show. Go to ctexplored.org to send your donation now.   This episode of Grating the Nutmeg was produced by Mary Donohue and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan at highwattagemedia.com/   Follow GTN on our socials-Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and BlueSky.   Follow executive producer Mary Donohue on Facebook and Instagram at WeHa Sidewalk Historian. Join us in two weeks for our next episode of Grating the Nutmeg, the podcast of Connecticut history. Thank you for listening!            

Natalie Belanger, an expert from the CT Museum of Culture and History, shares the inspiring story of Mary Hall, Connecticut's first female attorney and founder of the Good Will Club. They delve into Hall's revolutionary impact on youth welfare in Hartford during the 19th-century reform movement. Listeners will discover how the Good Will Club laid the groundwork for youth clubs across America and Hall's pioneering journey in breaking legal barriers, highlighting the enduring legacy she left for future generations.

Gwen North Reiss, a historian and author specializing in mid-century modern architecture, joins Mary Dunne, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer and passionate homeowner, to discuss the beauty of New Canaan’s iconic homes. They dive into the community’s efforts to save these treasures from demolition and share insights into the unique designs that epitomized an era. The conversation reveals the challenges of renovating these gems while preserving their integrity, plus anecdotes that celebrate architectural heritage and the nostalgia tied to these homes.

  In her new book, Book and Dagger, How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of the World, Dr. Elyse Graham tells the story of academics, like Yale literature professor Joseph Curtis, who hunted down German spies and turned them into double agents, and Sherman Kent, a Yale history professor who rose to become the head of analysis for all of Europe and Africa.   At the start of World War II, the United States found itself in desperate need of an intelligence agency. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a precursor to today’s CIA, was quickly formed—and in an effort to fill its ranks with experts, the OSS turned to academia for recruits. Suddenly, literature professors, librarians, and historians were training to perform undercover operations and investigative work-and these surprising spies would go on to profoundly shape both the course of the war and the future CIA with their efforts.   This episode’s guest is Dr. Elyse Graham, professor in the English Department at Stony Brook University and the author of four books. Dr.Graham is available for book talks-find the link to her website here:     https://www.elyse-graham.com/   -------------------------------------------------- Like Grating the Nutmeg? Want to support it? Make a donation! 100% of the funds from your donation go directly to the production and promotion of the show. Go to ctexplored.org to send your donation now. Get your copy of Connecticut Explored magazine, in print and digital editions now so you don’t miss the Summer issue! https://www.ctexplored.org/ Each issue offers a photo essay, feature-length stories you can sink your teeth into, and shorter stories you can breeze through—plus lots of beautiful, large historic images. We include oral histories, stunning museum objects, must-see destinations, and more. From Colonial history to pop-culture, you’ll find it all in this magazine This episode of Grating the Nutmeg was produced by Mary Donohue and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan at https://www.highwattagemedia.com/    Follow GTN on our socials-Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and BlueSky.   Follow executive producer Mary Donohue on Facebook and Instagram at WeHa Sidewalk Historian. Join us in two weeks for our next episode of Grating the Nutmeg, the podcast of Connecticut history. Thank you for listening!