Edgar B. Herwick III

Reporter

WGBH News

Edgar runs WGBH's Curiosity Desk, where he aims to dig a little deeper (and sometimes askew) into topics in the news and looks for answers to questions posed by the world around us. His radio features can be heard on WGBH's Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and he can also be heard regularly with Jim and Margery on Boston Public Radio. His television features can be seen regularly on Greater Boston. Each Friday, he takes 89.7 listeners back in time with his feature, "This Week in Massachusetts History."  His radio debut came in second grade when he voiced a public service announcement urging drivers to watch out for "him and his friends" walking to and from school. Given the signal strength of WMBT radio in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania and the population density of his native Schuylkill County, it's possible — though not particularly likely — that someone other than his parents heard it. After stints as a bartender, photographer and actor — and a 5-year run at the Philadelphia Museum of Art — he joined the WGBH Radio family in 2007. Over the years at WGBH, Edgar has been something of a utility player — hosting live segments, producing features, specials and live music broadcasts; creating web features; and emceeing live events like the Boston Summer Arts Weekend.He holds degrees in history and communications from Villanova University in Philadelphia and once lost big on an episode of the TV game show "Jeopardy!" Edgar prefers tea over coffee, late nights over early mornings and the Beatles over the Stones (though he's never understood why the Kinks aren't ever included in that conversation). When not at work, he can most likely be found playing, listening to, reading about or dancing to music. 


Mercy Brown's grave

It’s not just witches. New England has a history with vampires, too.

Arts, Culture & Media

The Mercy Brown incident was the last known case of The New England Vampire panic. This particular brand of folklore was a variant on a practice born in places like Romania, Hungary and Germany.

Portrait of Tchaikovsky by Nikolai Kuznetsov

How Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 got its 1875 world premiere in Boston

Music
Guns at West Point

How gun culture permeates our everyday language

Culture
Nicholas McCarthy 2

With one hand, this pianist makes us think about classical music in a new way

Music
Mars

Mars brought them together. Now, they want to be the the first couple to live there.

Science
Ordnance

In Massachusetts, old military explosives washing ashore is just another day at the beach

Conflict

The remnants of World War II naval exercises continue to pop up on beaches around New England.

German U-boat

When World War I hit America’s shores

Conflict

In the summer of 1918, a quiet stretch of Cape Cod became a target in World War I.