Packy Malley has made his mark on the region, from being the longtime co-owner of Malley’s chocolates, of which his family’s business is a beloved Northeast Ohio institution, to being a reggae DJ and starting the Midwest Reggae Fest in 1992.
But nine months ago, he said goodbye for now to the Midwest and joined the Peace Corps, where he was assigned a two-year stint in Jamaica, in part because of his familiarity with and love of reggae culture.
Packy Malley is coming back to Northeast Ohio briefly to host a benefit concert, Dec. 30 at the Beachland Ballroom, for the Jamaican villagers he works with, in his role as a Sustainable Agricultural Facilitator.
To kick off Thursday's "Sound of Ideas," host Jenny Hamel will chat with Packey Malley and learn all about his work in Jamaica.
Later in this hour, we’ll revisit a couple of our favorite conversations from 2023, including interviews with national NPR All Things Considered hosts Ari Shapiro and Mary Louise Kelly. Both journalists have new books out, which focus on their work at National Public Radio, the news they share on air and the struggle for work-life balance.
And finally, we'll share our conversation about NPR’s “Books We Love” for 2023.
Guests:
-Packy Malley, Sustainable Agricultural Facilitator, U.S. Peace Corps
-Ari Shapiro, All Things Considered Host, NPR
-Mary Louise Kelly, All Things Considered Host, NPR
-Rick Jackson, Former host, Sound of Ideas, Ideastream Public Media
-Andrew Limbong, Arts Desk Reporter and Book of the Day podcast host, NPR
-Drew Maziasz, Coordinating Producer, Ideastream Public Media
