Page Turners

Hello, 2024, goodbye season 2! We are wrapping up our second season by chatting with the worldwide book-tok sensation and head library kid, Mychal Threets! We chat about how he's not only helping kids with access to books but opening up the conversation around representation as well as helping people rediscover the importance of public libraries. Your ears will thank you! Remember to hit the f...

Episode 14 is out! And just in time to take you into a new year! Today we chat with the 2023 South Dakota Teacher of the Year, Alyssa Cassels! We talk about her role as a music educator as well as how she uses reading to connect with her students both musically and as a way to create a bond with them. Enjoy! Remember to hit the follow button and leave a review! And a huge shout out to the man behi...

Lucky number 13 anyone? We are inching closer to the end of season 2 of the Page Turners podcast but rest assured, this episode and the next two won't let the conversation slow down! Today we hear from University of California President's and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow and member of the Oglala Sioux tribe, Clementine Bordeaux. We chat a lot about representation and mor...

One month from today a new Miss America will be crowned, WHAT!? In honor of the great privilege of getting to set foot on the Miss America stage, episode 12 is will none other than Miss America 2016, Baciliky "Betty" Maxwell! Betty is the third Miss America I've had the opportunity to meet. We chat about all things MAO, being a TikTok sensation, and published author. Enjoy! Remember...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and with it being the most wonderful time of the year, I wanted to give you, my incredible listeners, a gift! And that is the gift of another double feature! For part one today we are chatting with a woman who was born in South Dakota but raised in New Mexico. She shares her journey from growing up poor to becoming a NASA engineer, CEO of Girl Scouts, and a...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and with it being the most wonderful time of the year, I wanted to give you, my incredible listeners, a gift! And that is the gift of another double feature! For part two, I wanted to chat with someone connected to the Dolly Parton Imagination Libray. Joining us for this episode is a woman sharing her love for reading as a liaison for the Dollywood Foundati...

Season 2, episode 9 - woohoo! I can't beleive we are wrapping up another month and inching closer to the end of the year. With that being said, today's episode took place back in July and you'll hear us chat about that but the relevancy of literacy’s impoartance is timeless. Today we chat with post apolcolypic author, Robyn VanDerSys, about her journey to becoming an author. Give it a...

Happy Thanksgiving; readers, writers, and listeners! Today's chat couldn't come at a more perfect time as we chat with Broadway playwright, Larissa FastHorse! Listen as we discuss The Thanksgiving Play and how it shines a light on the importance of representation on and off stage as well as her background with reading. Remember to hit the follow button and leave a review! And a huge shout...

"I like to think of myself as a storyteller." Today's chat is with award-winning author Kate DiCamillo! After meeting her at the South Dakota Book Festival, I knew she would be a great addition to our page-turners lineup. Listen while we chat about perseverance, accessibility, and living in the Midwest! Remember to hit the follow button and leave a review! And a huge shout out to the...

Feeling thankful this November, so this week we're doing a local double feature! Today's discussion (part one, anyway!) takes place with a Rapid City mother, Jan McGrath, who found her passion for reading and storytelling alongside her sons. She chats about making time to block out the other ‘noise’ in our lives and prioritizing reading as a gift rather than a chore. Enjoy! Remember to hit...

Feeling thankful this November, so this week we're doing a local double feature! Today's chat (part two!) is with a man whose journey to becoming an author came from a life-changing voyage of familial exploration starting in South Dakota and making its way to the West Coast. Give a warm welcome to Dylan Moro! Remember to hit the follow button and leave a review! And a huge shout out to the...

Sisterhood! Although not one of the four core values of Miss America, sisterhood bleeds into every aspect of our organization and connects women across the country - today's guest is part of that sisterhood, serving as Miss Utah '21. Sasha Sloan and I discuss Miss America, #BookTok, becoming a published author, and more. Enjoy! Remember to hit the follow button and leave a review! And a hu...

October is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) awareness month, a cause near to mine and my family's hearts. Before listening to this week's episode, understand that this topic may be hard for some to listen to. I am so thankful though to today's guest, Brianne Edwards, who took a terrible tragedy and unspeakable grief and turned it into her life's passion. Listen as we chat about...

We're throwing it back to the 8th grade for this one! I had the chance to chat with my middle school math teacher, Tammy Partlow, for this week's episode - talking about her novel as well as how reading relates to math and all areas of life. This was a good throwback, enjoy! Remember to hit the follow button and leave a review! And a huge shout out to the man behind our music, a fellow SDS...

Hello season 2! Beyond pumped to be back in your speakers and head phones with another set of outstanding guests for the Page Turners podcast! Today we are falling in love with reading with South Dakota movie producer turned author, Sean Covel! Of course, we had to chat about his film, Napoleon Dynamite, but also his journey to becoming an author, all the while learning the importance of literacy....

It's baaaaacccckkkk! Since the end of season 1, a lot has changed - in the best way possible! I won Miss South Dakota 2023, Jericho the Journalism Kitty was finally published, and I have been hard at work doing interviews for SEASON 2 of the Page Turners podcast. Episodes will drop on Thursdays at 11am and we will be hearing from movie producers to children's book authors to TikTok stars!...

Let's wrap up season 1 with episode 15! Today we're falling in love with reading with artist and illustrator Mackenzie Yordy. We discussed our children's book Jericho the Journalism Kitty (not available yet, but soon we hope!) as well as her love for reading despite issues with her sight. Enjoy! And a huge shout out to the man behind our music, a fellow SDSU alumni, Coleton Ginger.

Episode 14! One more episode until we wrap up season 1!  Today we're falling in love with reading with author and Lutheran pastor, Rebecca Ninke. Rebecca and her daughter Kate wrote a children's book together - we talk about their shared passion for reading as well as ideas to increase literacy rates. Hope you enjoy it and please leave a review if you can! And a huge shout out to the man behi...

It's episode 13 time! Today's discussion is with an executive director, former broadcaster, lawyer, and now the author of a political dystopian thriller, The Coin! This week we hear from Bill Earley as he discusses his passion for reading and how that's extended to his family and daughter. Give our discussion a listen! And a huge shout out to the man behind our music, a fellow SDSU alumni, Coleton...

It's episode 12 time! Today's discussion is with another Miss America titleholder! We talk about all things MAO as well as her love for reading. Natalie Biegler is a teen delegate for MAO who's made massive strides for literacy in her community. Give our discussion a listen! And a huge shout out to the man behind our music, a fellow SDSU alumni, Coleton Ginger.

We are back and diving in to episode 11! Today's discussion is another unique one as we speak with an indigenous chef and cookbook author, Sean Sherman! Sean is an Oglala Lakota, James Beard award winning chef, business owner, and non-profit founder. We talked about all things roots and representation, a discussion we can all learn from. Enjoy! And a huge shout out to the man behind our music, a f...

Do a little happy dance, we've made it to episode 10! Today's discussion was actually the first interview I did for the Page Turners podcast and was with the New York Times AND USA Today best selling author, P.C. Cast. I read her series The House of Night growing up and it was sort of a dream come true to pick her brain about being an author and literacy rates. Give it a listen and fan girl alongs...

It's time for episode 9! And it's a bonus one for Black History Month/Reading Month. Today we're falling in love with reading with a personal trainer, motivational speaker, new father and someone challenging themselves to fall in love with reading. Today we chat with Oliver James, who's passion for a better life for himself and his child is beyond inspirational. Give it a listen and then make sure...

Here's episode 8! Today we're falling in love with reading with a poet! I'm loving how the Page Turners Podcast has morphed into a discussion on reading from all types of authors. Today we chat with Natalie Slack, who's passion for reading extends beyond herself and into her children and our community. Check it out! And a huge shout out to the man behind our music, a fellow SDSU alumni, Coleton Gi...

It's episode 7 time! Today we're falling in love with reading with a former teacher and small business owner providing almost 100,000 inclusive books to kids across the country. We hear from Kaitlin Johnstone, the co-founder of Kind Cotton, about access and representation to increase literacy rates and kids passion for reading. Give it a listen! And when you're done, make sure you check out https:...