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Word S4 E2: Puppets, Children's Literature And Zoomoetry

You’ve committed to ensuring this podcast about the literary arts in Arizona and the region continues, now into its fourth season.

“Word” has grown as a direct result of your contributions to KJZZ.

Consider a gift of $10, $20, maybe even $30 per month to help ensure this kind of programming reaches a wide audience.

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Whatever is in your budget is the right amount.

On this episode, the coronavirus pandemic continues to present challenges for creatives.

We’ll talk to a returning guest about it. Plus, we turn our attention to younger audiences and readers, beginning with puppets.

The  Great Arizona Puppet Theater in Phoenix has moved to a drive-in model for its shows.

The theater’s co-founder Nancy Smith and her daughter Gwen Bonar who is the assistant artistic director, joined us to talk about the adjustments they’ve made and how some classics have been updated for modernity.

The theater has been operating for 37 years.

Dr. Monica Brown is the daughter of a Peruvian immigrant and teaches multi-ethnic literature at NAU. She’s the author of many children’s books and she joined us to discuss her latest release, “Sharuko,” a Quechua word which means “brave.”  

Finally,  Anna Flores is a Latina-American poet, writer, performer and ASU instructor.

We welcome her back after  a previous appearance in April 2019.

A lot has changed since then, particularly how writers connect to audiences and even themselves.

We talk about how technology affects her writing process and she gives us a sample of her work inspired by the tenant crisis and letter written to her landlord which was picked up earlier this year  by the Nation.

Portions of “Word” have been nominated for an Edward R. Murrow award.

Thanks for listening and your continued support of the literary arts in Arizona and the region!

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Tom Maxedon was the host of KJZZ’s Weekend Edition from 2017 to 2024.