Author Interview

'Talk Smack to a Hurricane' is a book of poetry exploring the relationship between its author, LYNNE LAMPE, and her mother who was diagnosed with schizophrenia: "despite all of the difficulties, we had a really great love for each other." Lynne reads 'The Tutorial' at [2:52] and 'Filtered' at [4:08]. March 20, 2023

When something you believe in doesn't go your way, the tendency is to ration the final answer in your favor ('oh, it didn't happen because of such and such', for example). So why do we do that? Author and MU professor emeritus, JOHN HOWE, takes us down the 'escalation of commitment' rabbit hole on today's show. March 9, 2023

Missouri's first poet laureate, WALTER BARGEN, reads two parts of 'Living in the Amphibious World' from his 2009 book, 'Days Like This Are Necessary: New and Selected Poems'. He says, "for some reason, I was tuned in to this red-eyed tree frog!" March 2, 2023

Author/poet BARBARA LEONHARD's new book, 'Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir', is a tribute to her mother - who died at the age of 89 from Alzheimer's Disease - and their life together. Barbara shares with us a poem from the book she calls 'The Caregiver's Craft' at [5:50]. February 15, 2023

Clinical psychologist-turned-author GERRY HEISLER, PhD, joins us to talk about his book, 'Relationship Boot Camp', which takes a deep dive into "navigating relationships in a modern world." The research and the stories shared in this book are based on Dr. Heisler's many years of experience as a therapist. February 3, 2023

Meet onetime mid-Missouri resident and now *published* author, GINGER ROBINSON! Ginger's book, 'A Fairy Tale', is finally available for the world to read, and if you like stories that have a little bit of drama with a side of redemption, you're going to want to pick this one up! Also, MARILYN McLEOD, League of Women Voters, invites everyone to get to know their state legislators (some of them brand new following last November's election) by way of pre-recorded interviews! (4:09) January 4, 2023

Author, cancer survivor and all around good guy, JOE DILLARD, is helping us kick off the new year with his honest sense of humor, and a little bit of self-bragging- and rightfully so: Joe just received an honorary doctorate of science degree from the University of Missouri! Plus, Joe reads an original writing called 'A Dog Named Booze'. January 3, 2023

It's our first show of the new year, and the fifth time we're doing a Today's Farmer Closing Thought roundup with author/poet WALTER BARGEN! Listen as he recites lines like "as we stare out, we stare inward"; and "what worlds we walk, feeling safe, until the ice cracks"; and "all I remember is that I once walked on the backs of gods." January 2, 2023

Author and MU professor, JOHN HOWE, says one of the ways that people's views of inflation is distorted has to do with where they get their news. It's something called confirmation bias, and John says being aware that we all have one is the first step to maybe (hopefully!) finding a way to "counter-balance it". December 1, 2022

Election Day is just around the corner - are you ready?! If not, League of Women Voters Columbia-Boone County president MARILYN McLEOD encourages anyone seeking more information to check out the League's own website before you head to the polls. Also, Mizzou Academy's KATHRYN FISHMAN-WEAVER and STEPHANIE WALTER are "excited" to talk to us about their new book, Connected Classrooms, which looks at building and maintaining student-teacher relationships in an every-growing online world. (4:58) November 3, 2022