Dear Oklahoma, a 12 episode podcast brought to you by the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program at the OSU Library, the Center for Poets and Writers at OSU-Tulsa, and KOSU radio features writers who engage Oklahoma themes in their works.
Listen to Dear Oklahoma:
In this episode, Emily and Lindsey chat with Kelly Burley from KOSU radio about the premise for the show, its mission, and the upcoming season. Emily and Lindsey explain how they ended up covering the Oklahoma Teacher’s Walkout in 2018 and reflect on what it means to inspire the next generation of Oklahoma writers.
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In this episode, poet and actor Deborah J. Hunter reads two poems based on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre that she wrote and performed in Tara Brooke Watkins’ play, “Tulsa 21: Black Wall Street.” Lindsey and Emily talk to Deborah about what it means to confront this violent and hidden moment of Oklahoma’s history through poetry.
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In this episode, National Book Award finalist Brandon Hobson reads from his new novel-in-progress, Terlingua, live at Soul City Gastropub in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Brandon chats with Lindsey and Emily about his reasons for setting stories in small-town Oklahoma and discusses his explorations of Native identity and gender in his works.
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In this episode, Kate Strum reads her Pushcart Prize-nominated essay, “Spiritual Affliction: A Thank You Note to Oklahoma.” Lindsey and Emily talk to Kate about the meaning of home, why the poetry of Simon Ortiz matters, and the occasional hazards of telling neighbors that you’re a writer.
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In this episode, poet Clem Heard, a 2018 Tulsa Artist Fellow for the Literary Arts, reads a piece he created especially for our podcast. Clem, a New Orleans native, talks to Lindsey and Emily about food and poetry, finding balance in one’s writing life, and the advice he has for those who are getting to know Oklahoma.
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In this episode, author Hannibal Johnson shares a poem and an essay that addresses what’s necessary to improve Oklahoma’s relationship with diversity and inclusion. Hannibal talks to Lindsey and Emily about our shared humanity, the power of asking “what if,” and he emphasizes the importance of making people feel valued and respected.
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In this episode, we’ll hear Dinah Cox, author of the award-winning short fiction collection Remarkable (BOA editions), read a story about Ross and Harriet, who find love, sort of, in “The Old-Fashioned Way.” Dinah gives Lindsey and Emily her take on writing Oklahoma stories, creating characters with an ‘Oklahoma neighbor voice,’ and putting small town strife to good use in her fiction.
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In this episode, fiction author Chris Murphy shares a piece called, “An Annual Report of the Seasons,” that is both moving and timely. Chris, a native of the Boston area, gives Lindsey and Emily his impressions of the Oklahoma weather, explains why he loves firefly season in Tahlequah, and mentions that he likes writing late at night with the window open (weather permitting, of course).
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Poet John Andrews, author of Colin Is Changing His Name (Sibling Rivalry Press) and a 2018 Oklahoma Book Award finalist, reads a poem he created for our podcast and tells us the reason he stays in Oklahoma. John chats with Lindsey and Emily about his experiences as a gay man in Oklahoma and shares how he reconnected with the man who would become his husband after moving to Stillwater.
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In this live episode, we celebrate Teresa Miller’s induction into the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame. This induction ceremony features a conversation with Rilla Askew and Teresa Miller. Special guest P.C. Cast, who is a number one New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, introduces Rilla and Teresa and explains why Teresa has been instrumental to her successful writing career.
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