Connections

The enduring legacy of Jane Austen

By Beth Adams,

Brenda Tremblay, Veronica Volk, Julie Williams

Published August 22, 2025 at 1:42 PM EDT

Four women wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman front left has long blonde hair and is wearing a bright blue sweater and navy pants; a woman front right has long blonde hair and is wearing glasses, a light blue cardigan, black dress, black tights and black shoes; a woman back left has long brown hair and is wearing a blue and white striped button-down shirt; a woman back right has long brown hair and is wearing glasses and a grey and purple baseball shirt.

1 of 3 — (foreground) guest hosts Beth Adams and Brenda Tremblay, (background) Dawn Kellogg and Lindsay Warren Baker on "Connections"

(foreground) guest hosts Beth Adams and Brenda Tremblay, (background) Dawn Kellogg and Lindsay Warren Baker on "Connections" on Friday, August 22, 2025

Gary Pudup / WXXI News

A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair sits in front of a gray backdrop wearing a black shirt and beaded necklace.

2 of 3 — Mary Mintz

Mary Mintz

Jeff Watts/Jeff Watts / Provided

A smiling woman with glasses and long brown hair.

3 of 3 — Cherie Messore

Cherie Messore

Provided

Two smiling women stand in front of a city backdrop in a radio talk studio: a woman at left has long blonde hair and is wearing glasses, a blue cardigan, black dress, black tights and black shoes; a woman at right has long blonde hair and is wearing a bright blue sweater, blue pants and black shoes. — Brenda Tremblay and Beth Adams guest hosting "Connections" on Friday, August 22, 2025

Jane Austen was born 250 years ago, but her work continues to entertain, delight, and inspire generations of readers. WXXI News' Beth Adams and WXXI's Classical Brenda Tremblay, both superfans of the author, guest host this hour.

Our hosts and their guests will celebrate her timeless works, remarkable life, and enduring legacy.

Our guests:

Dawn Kellogg, superfan
Cherie Messore, superfan
Mary Mintz, president of the Jane Austen Society of North America
Lindsay Warren Baker, co-writer of "Austen's Pride: A New Musical of Pride and Prejudice"

Connections

Beth Adams

Beth Adams joined WXXI as host of Morning Edition in 2012 after a more than two-decade radio career. She was the longtime host of the WHAM Morning News in Rochester. Her career also took her from radio stations in Elmira, New York, to Miami, Florida.

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Brenda Tremblay

Brenda Tremblay bolts out of bed every weekday morning at 4:00 a.m. to present classical music on Classical 91.5 FM, streaming at wxxi.org. (The broadcast starts at 6:00 a.m. with birdsong, inspired by the BBC.) She’s an NEA Fellow who’s interviewed musical luminaires such as Renée Fleming, Yo-Yo Ma, and Steve Reich. She also produces and hosts the RPO radio concerts and other local productions, and works with the Center for Public Affairs to create arts and cultural coverage for all media services. Her productions have earned three Gracies from the Association of Women in Radio and Television, many AP awards, and a national Gabriel Award.

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Veronica Volk

Veronica Volk is a senior producer and editor for WXXI News.

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Julie Williams

Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.

See stories by Julie Williams