© 2026
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Scam Advisory: We have been made aware that an online entity is posing as Joe Donahue to invite authors and other creatives onto our radio shows. The scammers then attempt to charge guests an appearance fee for exposure/publicity.
Please note: WAMC does not charge guests to appear on the station and any email about appearing on a WAMC program will come from a wamc.org email address.

Music journalist Erin Osmon's new book is 'Won’t Back Down: Heartland Rock and the Fight for America'

Ways To Subscribe

In the new book ‘Won’t Back Down: Heartland Rock and the Fight for America,’ music journalist Erin Osmon takes a closer look at the genre often seen as quintessentially American. Popularized by artists like Bruce Springsteen and Ton Petty, Heartland Rock has long told stories of labor, longing, and life on the margins. But Osmon argues that beneath those familiar themes lies a more complicated history one in which these songs had been used to express both solidarity and division.

Stay Connected
Joe talks to people on the radio for a living. In addition to countless impressive human "gets" - he has talked to a lot of Muppets. Joe grew up in Philadelphia, has been on the area airwaves for more than 25 years and currently lives in Washington County, NY with his wife, Kelly, and their dog, Brady. And yes, he reads every single book.
Related Content
  • 'Diamond Fever!' is a bit of a departure from Steve Sheinkin's other books and is perfect for emerging readers. Both shorter and faster paced, it also features an engaging mixture of prose and comics from renowned illustrator Jon Chad. With these additions, readers will fully immerse themselves in the Great Diamond Hoax of 1872, a time full of deception, fortune, and greed.Steve Sheinkin and Jon Chad will be at Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga for a talk and signing about 'Diamond Fever' on Monday, May 18, 2026, at 6:00pm. northshire.com. You’re listening to the RT on WAMC.
  • So, what can we do to feel better about our relationship with money? Financial expert and strategist Lev Mandel has a new book and a workbook out called ‘Money is Weird.’ It offers a place to unpack your history, explore habits, and experiment with new ones; maybe even feel ok about it all. To actually feel confident and safe about your relationship with money.
  • Berkshire Concert Choir, a 100+ voice community chorus based in Pittsfield MA, will perform 'Questions and Answers: American Echoes,' which addresses the American experience through the lens of a diverse program of music that asks and answers questions on May 9th and 10th.On the surface "Q & A" music has the fun of a puzzle, but the program digs deeper into the essential American freedom to question and to hold diverse perspectives, through choral classics, pop and rock from Marvin Gaye, Dolly Parton, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, to Civil Rights era classics from Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger.