CityState : Current l Edited by Dana Laverty
Q & A : Luis Hernandez
A conversation with the new host of “ Morning Edition ” and “ Artscape ” on the Public ’ s Radio . By Jenna Pelletier
the business and I understood that working for someone like Torey was going to give me an opportunity to really grow and see what I ’ m capable of . It ’ s one of the best decisions I ’ ve made in my twentyplus-year career .
Rhode Island is completely new to you . So far , what are your impressions of the state ? Coming from Florida , I had to get used to the weather here , obviously . Before I moved , I kept hearing that everyone in New England kind of keeps to themselves , but I ’ ve got to say , people have been so nice . One thing that has been a real challenge is learning how to pronounce names of some places . The first time I had to read Matunuck Oysters on air , I totally botched it , and we got emails about it . I also messed up Woonsocket for the first time , and I know I mispronounce Glocester . But I ’ m learning .
If you ’ re itching to make a big life change , look to Luis Hernandez for inspiration . Last fall , at age fifty , the veteran
radio host and journalist relocated to Rhode Island from Florida after accepting a job at the Public ’ s Radio .
What drew you to the position at the Public ’ s Radio ? I was previously in Miami for eight years hosting a talk show at the public radio station there , and it was great . But it was one of those relationships that had to come to an end , and I ’ m glad it did because you get to a point where you think , “ There ’ s no more growth here .” I was rethinking my life and I had a moment of true midlife crisis . There were a lot of different opportunities that came up , but when I saw the one in Providence , something clicked , mostly because of who runs the station : Torey Malatia . He ’ s a very influential name in
What types of stories do you want to bring to Rhode Islanders ? In general , as a host , you don ’ t have a specific beat ; you get to talk about everything . But some of the bigger topics that I love to cover are education and the environment . One thing that has surprised me is how big the Latin community is in Rhode Island and how fast it ’ s growing . For years , I ’ ve been trying to reach out to that community , which is my own community , and convince them that public radio is a great resource for them . I want them to know that this could be a place for them to have a voice .
When you ’ re not on the air , what do you like to do ? I was an art major in college . I thought I was going to be an animator for Disney , and then I discovered the radio station on campus . The pandemic got me back into art , and I ’ ve been drawing and painting again . It ’ s a meditation for me . I also like to write fiction , which I ’ ve been mostly self-publishing . When I turned fifty and had that midlife crisis , I created a whole list of things I want to do . Now I ’ m working my way through it . There ’ s a lot that Rhode Island has to offer that I ’ ve never tried , and I ’ m ready for it .
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF LUIS HERNANDEZ .
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l JUNE 2023 17