During his long tenure at WAMC/Northeast Public Radio, Alan Chartock has interviewed interesting people of every stripe. From Governors, Senators and top lawmakers, to newsmakers including World War II heroes and former UN weapons inspectors. Dr. Chartock has also had the chance for in-depth chats with artists, musicians, actors and directors...authors...you name it! Click the links at the right to listen to Alan Chartock Interviews.

Dr. Alan Chartock is professor emeritus at the University at Albany. He hosts the weekly Capitol Connection series, heard on public radio stations around New York. The program for almost twelve years, higlighted interviews with Governor Mario Cuomo and now continues with conversations with state political leaders. Dr. Chartock also appears each week on The Media Project on WAMC and offers commentary on other WAMC programs such as Midday Magazine.

Gordon Travers
Alan is joined by Gordon Travers, chairman of the board at The Mount, Edith Wharton's estate in Lenox, Massachusetts.

 

 

John Markus
Alan is joined by Emmy winning comedy writer John Markus, who helped to create The Cosby Show and now works as a ribmaster.

 

 

Tom Allon
Alan is joined by Tom Allon, a media publisher and Democratic candidate for Mayor of New York City.

 

 

Rich Rosenzweig
Alan is joined by Broadway and jazz drummer Rich Rosenzweig, who moonlights as a screenwriter. Rosenzweig's current work concerns a 19th-century caper in Boston Corners.

 

 

Reverend Dr. Kimora
Alan is joined by Reverend Dr. Kimora, a prison reformer and professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Dr. Kimora teaches classes on criminal justice and corrections and also works with prisoners and parolees. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Minnesota, focusing on cognitive rehabilitation skills in her dissertation.

 

 

Dr. David Ansell
Alan is joined by Dr. David Ansell, chief medical officer at Rush University Medical Center and the author of County: Life, Death and Politics at Chicago's Public Hospital.

 

 

Liz Neumark
Alan is joined by Liz Neumark, CEO of Great Performances, a waitress service for women in the arts founded in 1979. Based in New York City, Great Performances also owns the 60-acre Katchkie Farm, an organic farm in Columbia County, New York.

 

 

Dr. Sandra Steingraber
Alan is joined by acclaimed ecologist and author Dr. Sandra Steingraber to discuss her career and hydraulic fracturing.

 

 

Neely Bruce
Alan is joined by composer and Wesleyan University professor Dr. Neely Bruce, who wrote "The Bill of Rights: Ten Amendments in Eight Motets."

 

 

William Adler
Alan is joined by William Adler, author of The Man Who Never Died: The Life, Times and Legacy of Joe Hill, American Labor Icon.

 

 

Beth Hill and Chris Fox
Alan is joined by Beth Hill, director of Fort Ticonderoga, and Chris Fox, the curator of collections for the historic fort.

 

 

Maureen O'Flynn
Alan speaks with bel canto soprano Maureen O'Flynn, an international opera star who is transitioning to the great American songbook.

 

 

James Barba
Alan welcomes back James Barba, President and CEO of Albany Medical Center, to discuss the hospital and America's health care system at large.

 

 

Ella Baff
Alan is joined by Ella Baff, executive and artistic director of Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival.

 

 

Christine Lavin and Don White
Alan is joined by the funny singer-songwriters Christine Lavin and Don White, who are both also published authors.

 

 

Marcia White
Alan is joined by Marcia White, President and Executive Director of Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

 

 

Dr. Shannon Miller and Dr. Patrick Meek
Alan is joined by Dr. Shannon Miller and Dr. Patrick Meek of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to discuss prescription drug issues.

 

 

Gerri Monaghan
Alan is joined by Gerri Monaghan, co-author of When a Loved One Falls Ill: How to Be an Effective Patient Advocate

 

 

Carole Hyatt
Alan is joined by Carole Hyatt, founder and president of the Leadership Forum.

 

 

Mary Doria Russell
Host Alan Chartock is joined by acclaimed author Mary Doria Russell, author of Doc.

 

 

Liane Hansen
Alan speaks with Liane Hansen, the outgoing host of NPR's Weekend Edition. They discuss her two decades as Sunday host, her future plans, and the role of women in media.

 

 

Dr. Marcel Tuchman
Host Alan Chartock is joined by Dr. Marcel Tuchman, a board certified internist who survived the Holocaust against long odds and describes his experiences in a memoir called Remember: My Stories of Survival and Beyond .

 

 

 

Dr. Gary King
Host Alan Chartock is joined by Harvard professor Gary King, an expert on statistics and governmental redistricting.

 

 

 

Alan Davis
Alan is joined by Dr. Alan Davis, President of SUNY's Empire State College.

 

 

 

Wendy Kopp
Alan is joined by Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for America, to discuss the state of education in America and around the world.

 

 

 

Andy Marsh
Alan is joined by Andy Marsh, CEO of Latham-based fuel cell company Plug Power.

 

 

 

Lisette Cooper and David Surrenda
Alan is joined by Lisette Cooper and David Surrenda of Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the Berkshires.

 

 

Liselle LaFrance
Alan is joined by Liselle LaFrance, director of Historic Cherry Hill, one of Albany's most iconic buildings.

 

 

Sara Ogger
Alan is joined by Sara Ogger, Executive Director of the New York Council for the Humanities.

 

 

 

Congressman Herman Badillo
Alan is joined by former Congressman Herman Badillo, the first native Puerto Rican to serve in Congress. Badillo also served as Bronx Borough President and Deputy Mayor.

 

 

 

Joel Rosenthal
Alan is joined by Joel Rosenthal, President of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs.

 

 

Brendan Cox
Alan is joined by Brendan Cox, assistant chief of the Albany Police Department.

 

 

Jay Levy
Alan is joined by Jay Levy, the Western and Central Massachusetts Regional Manager with Eliot Community Human Services. Levy is a social worker and the author of the new book Homeless Narratives & Pretreatment Pathways: From Words to Housing, which is published by Loving Healing Press.

 

 

Dr. Sam Gandy
Alan is joined by Dr. Sam Gandy, Mount Sinai Professor of Alzheimer's Disease Research, Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, and Associate Director of the Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

 

 

Michele Norris
Alan is joined by Michele Norris, host of NPR's All Things Considered and the author of the new memoir The Grace of Silence.

 

 

 

Dr. Richard S. Ostfeld
Alan is joined by the Cary Institute's Dr. Richard S. Ostfeld, author of Lyme Disease: The Ecology of a Complex System.

 

 

Jan Wiener (Hour Two)
Hour Two -- Jan Weiner shares his harrowing tale of survival during WWII with Alan.

 

 

Jan Wiener (Hour One)
Hour One -- Jan Wiener shares his harrowing tale of survival during WWII with Alan.

 

 

Lisa Chamberlain
Alan is joined by Lisa Chamberlain of The Chamberlain Group, which works to create lifelike models for medicinal research. Chamberlain previously worked on effects for television and movies.

 

 

 

Yael Dayan
Alan is joined by Yael Dayan, a longtime journalist and the author of several novels and non-fiction works.

 

 

Richard Gottlieb
Alan is joined by Richard Gottlieb, president and chief engineer of Sunnyside Solar.

 

 

 

Jonathan Lippman
Alan is joined by Jonathan Lippman, Chief Judge of the State of New York.

 

 

Michael Meeropol
Alan is joined by Michael Meeropol, author, economist and son of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, and Miriam Schneir, editor of the new book Final Verdict, about the Rosenbergs.

 

 

Leonard Perlmutter
Alan is joined by Leonard Perlmutter, founder of the American Meditation Institute.

 

 

Paul Browne
Alan is joined by Paul Browne, Deputy Commissioner of Public Information for the New York City Police Department and the former Chief of Staff to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

 

 

Cathy Grier
Alan is joined by singer/songwriter Cathy Grier, also known as NYC Subway Girl.

 

 

Christopher Nave and Sarah Hampson
Alan is joined by Christopher Nave, a doctoral candidate at UC Riverside, and Sarah Hampson, a senior scientist at the Oregon Research Institute, to discuss their new article about how childhood personality influences our lives for decades.

 

Kinney Frelinghuysen
Alan is joined by Kinney Frelinghuysen, director of the Frelinghuysen Morris House and Studio in the Berkshires.

 

 

Alicia Shepard
Alan is joined by Alicia Shepard, who has served as ombudsman for National Public Radio since 2007. They discuss NPR's reporting standards, dealing with online comments, and how the media transformation will influence future programming.

 

Steve Madarasz
Alan is joined by CSEA's Steve Madarasz, to discuss the union's first 100 years, which is now being commemorated in a new book.

 

David Black
Alan is joined by author, screenwriter, producer and journalist David Black, whose new book is The Extinction Event. They discuss Black's long career writing novels and screenplays.

 

Dr. Harry Odabashian
Alan is joined by leading cardiologist Dr. Harry Odabashian of Prime Care Physicians in Albany, New York. They discuss the keys to heart health.

 

Peter Elkind
Alan is joined by author Peter Elkind, whose new book is Rough Justice: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer.

 

 

Fred Hellerman, guitarist of The Weavers
Alan is joined by Fred Hellerman, best known for his time playing guitar for The Weavers. They discuss his long career in the music industry, including performing folk, Vaudeville, publishing, and production.

 

Dr. Sidney Simon
Alan is joined by Dr. Sidney Simon, Professor Emeritus at UMass-Amherst, an author and expert on progressive education. And he was also Alan's 10th grade teacher.

 

Dr. Michael Aziz
Alan is joined by Dr. Michael Aziz, who is out with a new diet called The Perfect 10, which stresses the importance of hormone management to your health..

 

Father Kevin Mullen
Alan is joined by Siena College president Father Kevin Mullen, himself a 1975 graduate of the school.

 

 

Dr. William Schlesinger
Host Alan Chartock is joined by Dr. William Schlesinger, president of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. They discuss the Cary's ongoing scientific projects, and how the Cary is using its findings to influence public policy.

 

Michael Kaiser
Alan is joined by Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser, who stopped at The Linda in Albany as part of his nationwide Arts in Crisis tour.

 

Michael Munger
Alan is joined by Michael Munger, Duke political science chair and 2008 Libertarian candidate for governor. They discuss Munger's recent criticism of Andrew Cuomo's tenure at HUD and Munger's experience running as a third-party candidate.

 

Lloyd Constantine
Alan is joined by former Eliot Spitzer advisor Lloyd Constantine, who has documented the fall of the New York Governor in his new book, Journal of the Plague Year: An Insider's Chronicle of Eliot Spitzer's Short and Tragic Reign.

 

Dr. Robert Holub
Alan is joined by Dr. Robert Holub, Chancellor of UMass-Amherst and a longtime German scholar and professor.

 

 

Jon Lipsky
Alan is joined by playwright and childhood friend Jon Lipsky, whose new book is Dreaming Together: Explore Your Dreams by Acting Them Out. Alan and Jon have been friends for more than 50 years.

 

Anita Walker
Alan is joined by by Anita Walker, executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, to discuss funding the arts in an increasingly difficult economic climate.

 

Lynne Olson
Host Alan Chartock is joined by author Lynne Olson to discuss her new book, 'Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour.'

 

Christopher Pyle
Alan is joined by professor and author Christopher Pyle of Mt. Holyoke College, whose book Getting Away With Torture explores how the Bush administration illegally pursued torture against captives.

 

T.R. Reid
Alan is joined by author and journalist T.R. Reid, whose book The Healing of America chronicles Reid's experiences with different health care systems around the world.

 

Allison Stanger
Alan is joined by Allison Stanger, professor of political science at Middlebury College and author of One Nation Under Contract: The Outsourcing of American Power and the Future of Foreign Policy.

 

Gina Kolata
Alan is joined by New York Times science and health reporter Gina Kolata, author of Rethinking Thin: The New Science of Weight Loss -- and the Myths and Realities of Dieting.

 

Dr. James Gozzo
Alan is joined by Dr. James Gozzo, President of the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. They discuss the school's growth during Gozzo's tenure and his vision for the future.

 

Dr. Joyce Vergili
Alan is joined by Dr. Joyce Vergili, a doctor of education in nutrition education, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator, and an adjunct assistant professor at Teachers College at Columbia University, where she is assisting in the development of an online Masters program in diabetes education.

 

David Kaczynski, Gary Wright and Patricia Fennell
Alan is joined by David Kaczynski, Gary Wright and Patricia Fennell to discuss the effects of trauma on the human mind. Wright, a survivor of Unabomber attack, has formed an unlikely friendship with David Kaczynski, the Unabomber's brother. Patricia Fennell is an expert on chronic illnesses and trauma.

 

David Bianculli
David Bianculli is a longtime syndicated TV critic, a frequent contributor and guest host of NPR's Fresh Air, and author of Dangerously Funny, a new biography on the Smothers Brothers.

 

Lynn Pasquerella
Alan is joined by the incoming president of Mt. Holyoke College, Lynn Pasquerella, who becomes the South Hadley, Massachusetts' school's 18th president in July. They discuss her hopes for the institution and Pasquerella's background as a philosopher and medical ethicist.

 

Susan Scrimshaw
Alan is joined by new Sage Colleges president Susan Scrimshaw, an expert social scientist who grew up in Latin America and has forged a career as a professor and administrator.

 

Lloyd Constantine
Alan is joined by corporate lawyer and Eliot Spitzer confidante Lloyd Constantine to discuss his book Priceless, about the credit card cartel he helped to break up.

 

Tony Trischka
Alan is joined by Tony Trischka, one of the premier banjo players in the world, who discusses his rise from childhood in upstate New York to the top of the folk and bluegrass worlds.

 

Jay Gallagher
Alan is joined by veteran Albany reporter Jay Gallagher, the author of The Politics of Decline. Gallagher is battling pancreatic cancer and has spent the months since his diagnosis chronicling his fight on a blog and writing his memoirs. They also discuss the state of politics at the Capitol.