![]() They offer a personal insight into the life of a local, but also into the mind of a Smithie. She tells me, “We get caught up in conversation.” Acharya always invites the guest post-show to dinner with her and her friends.īoth Amrita and her show are special. ![]() Amrita navigates and meanders 120 minute conversations, often with laughter from both her and the guest. Listening to each broadcast, I am amazed at how easily they flow. “I’m interested in the relationship my guests have with Western Mass, ecologically, musically, architecturally…” She sees the 413 community as an interconnected and overlapping web of communities. The connections between space and people, loosely construed, define “413.” Furthermore, I think her astute ability to observe how humans interact within and connect to the areas they inhabit is what makes the show so interesting. When reflecting on the perpetual motion of her life she said, “Sometimes you mistake being busy for being happy… When I do have a still moment, it becomes, like, ‘what do I do?’”Īlthough her upbringing in such a metropolitan environment may have led her to lead a busy life, I speculate that the anonymity of New Yorkers is what makes her interested in the distinctly unique inhabitants of Western Mass. She then inspires me to use virtual reality in the imaging center for my final project. I tell her I am an art major and she advises me to go to the town dumpster to find materials for my assignments. She reads history books and biographies of architects.Īmrita seems to utilize everything and anything. She throws parties with themes like “Flip Phone” (think 2000’s electronic waste land). She is funny, charismatic and her happiness is infectious. She’s trying to become the announcer for Smith’s home basketball games as she likes watching contact sports. She attends city council twice a month (for fun) and is especially interested in Northampton’s Transportation and Parking Commission. Born and raised in Manhattan, New York, Amrita sits on her house council and competes on Smith’s squash team. What is perhaps more intriguing than “413”’s eclectic guests is Acharya herself. Others carefully and articulately wonder out loud. Some shy away from these direct questions with witty remarks. From spending time interviewing and researching each guest prior to the live show, she is able to ask more in-depth and personal questions. The conversations flow as Acharya presses on about guests’ family, upbringing and connection to the Pioneer Valley. She occasionally plays relevant music or lets them play their instruments. Then they will discuss any/all aspects of who they are. First the guests are introduced and Acharya explains their meeting. And, for some reason, they have all let this determined, intelligent and deeply curious Smithie into their lives.Īcharya writes about the formation of the broadcast, “Like in any method of storytelling there needs to be a consistent logic in the way you write your story.” Although no two episodes are ever the same, she formulates a narrative to present. To find more guests, she asks people, “Who is the strangest person you know?” But she also simply meets people on the street, trying to scope out the locals. Elliotte.Īcharya seems to be attracted to the weird and eclectic. These people, now her friends, have names like Ruvie-aka-God’s-Wisdom. When I ask her about these locals, she talks about them casually but intimately, often with admiration. She interviews painters, musicians, skaters, gardeners, Department of Public Works workers and more. “This means following them to important places in their lives, meeting family and friends who are important and collecting experiences with them… The show isn’t an interview, but a culmination of a series of interviews woven into a live conversation.” “I get to know the guests over a few months,” Acharya said. “413” was previously broadcasted over the 91.9FM WOZQ airwaves but is now a biweekly podcast posted on The Sophian website. In our first article, Isabelle D’Amico ’23 writes about Amrita Acharya ’22 and her podcast, “413 Ethnography.” Not only do you learn about the process of producing the podcast, but you also get a sense of Acharya’s infectious energy - how she comes to be so invested in the Northampton community she ardently documents.Īmrita Acharya ’22 describes her weekly radio show, “413 Ethnography,” as an “exploration of Western Mass niches.” Every Saturday afternoon, Acharya brings in a Pioneer Valley Local to interview. The new Arts & Culture column, “Artist Statement” features the artistic passions and preoccupations of the Smith community and beyond.
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