Pauletta Hansel provides a poetry reading for Mother’s Day.

Barbara Gray talks with New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais about his new, explosive suspense novel, Suspect.

One sure sign that summer is coming is the announcement of the schedule of plays and musicals coming to the stage of the Showboat Majestic. Tim Perrino and Rodger Pille from Cincinnati Landmark Productions (operator of the Showboat) join Jim Stump in the studio to discuss the line-up which includes “Forever Plaid,” “The Odd Couple,” and more.

If you aren’t already aware, May is Zombie Awareness Month. Maysville, Kentucky resident Robert Kiskaden is an author whose first book is Z-Universe, all about a scientist whose nightmares start to become reality. The author joins Lee Hay on the phone to discuss his nascent writing career and how he came up with the idea for his debut novel.

Fans of local architecture and some of the fascinating history of early Cincinnati will want to learn about the upcoming Betts Longworth Historic District walking tours happening on the fourth Saturday of the summer months. Jane Durrell welcomes in two of the walk organizers: Julie Carpenter, the director of the historic Betts House on Clark Street, and Judith Mann. The 90-minute walks start at 1:00pm at The Betts House and the $10 fee also includes admission to The Betts House.

Our Roberta Schultz has a review of the fascinating new book, Appalachian Toys and Games from A to Z by Linda Hager Park and Pat Banks, published by University Press of Kentucky.

The Modulators have been a popular band in Cincinnati for decades, and included this week, is a song from their 1991 Vivian’s Lounge CD.

No one can write about food, man’s relationship with it, how far we’ve come from what previous generations used to eat, and the hazard much of today’s food is to the human body than Michael Pollan. His newest book is Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation and in it, he returns to the true classic elements of life and food: fire, water, air and earth. He joins Mark Perzel on the phone to talk about his newest work, already a bestselling addition to his previous books: The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food, Food Rules and others.

The final Barrows Conservation Lecture Series presentation at the Cincinnati Zoo takes place Wednesday, May 15 and features renowned polar bear expert Dr. Steven Amstrup. He has been studying polar bears for over 30 years and, as Thane Maynard discovers in this week’s Field Notes, his current work with Polar Bears International is showing some dangerous trends affecting their habitat and ability to feed and survive.

Sitting at the top of Devou Park in Covington, the Behringer Crawford Museum chronicles the history and culture of Northern Kentucky. In addition to a variety of permanent and special exhibits, the Museum hosts a number of special events, none more popular than their summer music series. Laurie Risch, executive director of the museum, and Mark Schalchter, volunteer coordinator of Music@BCM, join Mark Perzel to share some of the upcoming music and displays visitors will be able to enjoy during the summer.