Maureen Harvie

Morgan Smith, sharing how the French New Wave film, Band of Outsiders, changed his course in life. You can find more stories like this, as well as information about live Stoop events, here.

From playing basketball in South Baltimore to churning out pints of cool mint chocolate chip and sweet honey graham. We speak with two of the founders of Taharka Brothers Ice Cream, Sean Smeeton and Carroll Skipwith, about the company’s start, its roots in the community, and the universal appeal of ice cream. 

Forgetting someone’s name, getting caught with spinach in your teeth. We all experience cringe worthy moments, but some people seem never to grow out of their awkward teenage years. Psychologist Ty Tashiro tells us why these mishaps happen and why some people are more awkward than others. His new book is Awkward: The Science of Why We’re Socially Awkward and Why That’s Awesome.

Teens who have lost someone they love may feel angry or overwhelmed, struggle to ask for help and withdraw from their friends. The nonprofit Roberta’s House aims to let young people know they are not alone in grief, and help them develop tools to work through their grief and rebuild their lives. We speak to Dorenzer Thomas, coordinator of youth and school-based services at Roberta’s House, volunteer Mary Dorsey, and three young people who tell us what they’ve gained from activities at Roberta’s House.

Two wind farms off the coast of Ocean City could be supplying electricity for tens of thousands of Maryland homes in a few years, now that Maryland regulators have OK’d a subsidy through a charge on utility customers’ bills. The projects are required to make big investments in steel fabrication and upgrading the former Sparrows Point shipyard. Advocates predict wind power will create thousands of jobs here, especially if Maryland moves faster than other east-coast states to build an offshore-wind industry. We’ll discuss the prospects with Paul Rich, director of project development for U.S. Wind, and Liz Burdock, executive director of the Business Network for Offshore Wind.

Since the 1970s, archaeologists have sifted through the debris of St. Mary’s City, the capital of colonial Maryland. What have they learned from the bits of pottery and brick they’ve discovered? We ask Historic St. Mary’s City’s Chief Archeologist Travis Parno and ‘field school’ assistant Sarah McCoy. Then, Director of Research Henry Miller shares the mystery of three lead coffins discovered while excavating a chapel in 1990.

Ticket info for Tidewater Archaeology Weekend (July 29-30) is here.

Steve Walker shares a Stoop story about a broken drive shaft, a pretty girl, and a large chocolate milkshake. You can listen to more stories and learn about Stoop shows at stoopstorytelling.com.

One scoop or two? Cup or cone? You can’t go wrong with ice cream--whether it’s plain vanilla or an exotic mélange of candy and fudge. From the birth of the ice cream truck to the origin of the root beer float, we get a pop culture history of this delectable dessert from Amy Ettinger, author of the new book, "Sweet Spot: An Ice Cream Binge Across America".

Why is it important for each Baltimore neighborhood to understand the dozens of statistics that describe it and its people--where they live, how long it takes them to get work, how many of the homes around them are vacant? We ask Seema Iyer of the University of Baltimore, driving force behind the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance, how such data can predict where things are going, not just trace the past. And we ask consultant Alyce Myatt about GeoLoom, a new interactive map that tracks elements of art and culture in every corner of the city.

Whether you are lazing by the pool or passing time at the airport, summer is a great time to get lost in a good book. Deborah Taylor of the Enoch Pratt Free Library shares selections that appeal to adults--thrillers, memoirs, and more. And Jamie Watson of the Baltimore County Public Library has ideas for books to catch the interest of children, teens, and reluctant readers.