Dinner & A Book
Gail Martin
For twenty-four years, Gail Martin has guided viewers through journeys of imagination and taste as producer and host of Dinner & A Book, WNIT’s locally produced program where stories leap from the page to the plate. Her sense of adventure is fueled by stacks of books (more than 130 a year)that introduce her to remarkable people, distant lands and unexpected insights into the human spirit.
Through the show, she’s shared the genius of Richard Feynman with Doug Farmwald, explored Cyprus’ divided past with Laura Horst, walked Chicago’s Mango Street with her grandchildren and Sandra Cisneros, and even joined Bill Firstenberger in discovering the timeless music of Hoagy Carmichael. For Gail, books are not only companions but pathways to discovery, connection, and self-reflection and she warmly invites audiences to share the journey.
A former professor of French at Goshen College, St. Mary’s College, and Indiana University South Bend, Gail brings an educator’s curiosity and rigor to everything she does. Beyond the classroom and studio, she has been a tireless advocate for community institutions, developing fundraising strategies for WNIT, Ruthmere, and Wellfield Botanic Gardens, where her work earned national PBS awards.
Her civic contributions are equally notable: she has served on the boards of the Salvation Army, Wellfield, Rotary, and the Elkhart Concert Club, and she has traveled to Africa and India to participate in polio immunization efforts. Among her many honors, Gail helped raise funds to restore the historic Havilah Beardsley House, received Indiana University South Bend’s Lewis S. Armstrong Award, and became the first woman honored with the Business Award from IUSB’s Department of Business & Economics.
From the classroom to the television studio, from local boardrooms to international service, Gail Martin embodies a life of curiosity, generosity, and adventure - qualities that continue to shape every episode of Dinner & A Book.
April Lidinsky
April has worked for decades in higher education in our community and has written and performed commentaries for WVPE for 24 years. As a lifelong reader and adventurous cook, she relishes the opportunity to host episodes of Dinner and a Book.
Drawing on her academic and personal interests, she has featured guests and books that speak to the diversity of human experience. Kathy Burnette, founder and owner of the local, independent bookstore Brain Lair Books has been a repeated guest, with books that range from Becky Chambers' science fiction to Curtis Chin's memoir, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant. April's guests also include community change-makers such as Aaron Nichols of the South Bend Civic Theatre, Jody Klinedinst of Oh Mamma's on the Avenue cheese shop, and Ben Futa, founder and owner of The Botany Shop.
This season, April is excited to welcome back some familiar faces. Those include Dalila Huerta, for a conversation about reparations in Maura Cheeks' novel, Acts of Forgiveness, and Marchelle Pettit for a timely discussion of I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times, by Mónica Guzman, to name a few. April has also had enormous fun working with new guests who bring their professional and readerly acumen to the WNIT kitchen, including Chef Dont'e Shaw of PostBoy in New Buffalo, WNIT's Sam Centellas, Willow Wetherall of Downtown South Bend, and a St. Joseph Public Library featured author Yvonne Castañeda. Drawing on experts in biochemistry, literature, history, journalism, theater, and enthusiasts of the wide range of human experience, April sees the WNIT kitchen as the perfect place to stir up interest in new authors and new recipes that can make life more delicious for all of us.
