Santa Fe is a place of rich cultural traditions that are honored each year because of people who care deeply about the city’s history and preservation. One group that is part of that mission is La Sociedad Folklórica, a nonprofit organization that has been around for 90 years.

First started in 1935 by Cleofas Jaramillo, the organization was originally a small meet up for other women to showcase their historic fashions with relationship building and putting on shows. It has since evolved into a women’s group that provides opportunities for the community to experience traditional folklore through its dances, language, recipe books and more.

On the latest podcast episode of “Conversations Different,” host Inez Russell Gomez is joined by La Sociedad Folklórica’s past president and current member Gloria Kahn. Kahn discusses the group's efforts to preserve Spanish Colonia-era traditions in Santa Fe, the challenges of attracting younger members and shares about its upcoming Baile de Cascarones event happening Saturday, May 9, at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.

In the episode, Kahn also talks about some of the Northern New Mexico recipes and sayings that have been published by La Sociedad Folklórica and how they still draw interest from today’s generations.

Editor’s note: This episode of “Conversations Different” happened to be Ms. Kahn’s first time ever on a podcast — and she’s in her 90s! We commend her for the enthusiasm and willingness to talk about one of her life passions.

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The feeling of impending doom is an emotion that many Americans have felt since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025. Not knowing what’s next for the country as this administration carries out a high velocity of policy changes in such a short period of time has left some people’s spirits very low. The worries come as prospects of Democrats retaking Congressional power surge, but is that enough to reassure people?

As best-selling author and progressive activist Rebecca Solnit puts it in the title of her new book — the beginning comes after the end.

Solnit, who will be appearing at this year’s Santa Fe International Literary Festival, joins the latest “Conversations Different” podcast episode to discuss with host Inez Russell Gomez her newly released book The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change.

According to the book’s summary, Solnit writes about the political and social movements over the last few decades to share how people have responded to change and how the common takeaway from those movements has been to create a new world that embraces community, culture and diversity. It’s advice Solnit says is extremely relevant in today’s political times.

In the episode, Solnit also talks about the state of our current politics, explains how her essay inspired the term “mansplaining” and what her message for this year’s literary festival — May 15-17 — will be.

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Political conflict between the United States and Venezuela has been an issue for quite some time but within the past year, tensions have been especially high.

What started off as U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean that were alleged to be transporting drugs transpired into a military operation months later to capture and jail Venezuelan President Nicholás Maduro on narcoterrorism charges. The capture of Maduro came as a surprise to many, especially for retired foreign diplomat Brian Naranjo.

Naranjo, who served in the U.S. Department of State and at embassies in Venezuela, Canada and Mexico, said he was “utterly horrified” to see Maduro’s capture on the news and warned Maduro’s succesor may usher in his same radical agenda.

On the latest podcast episode of “Conversations Different,” host Inez Russell Gomez is joined by Naranjo to discuss his views on the U.S.-Venezuela conflicts ahead of his talk at the World Affairs Forum in Santa Fe that runs April 30–May 1. He shares what the conflicts have meant to him as a former official who has experience dealing with these types of relations.

In the episode, Naranjo also talks about his ties to Northern New Mexico and how his grandfather Emilio Naranjo, known as one of the last political patrónes, inspired him to pursue a life of public service.

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