Prairie Journal

How did Alfred Beach manage to build a subway in New York City...in secret?  KPR's own Matthew Algeo tells the story in "New York City's Secret Subway: The Underground Genius of Alfred Beach and the Origins of Mass Transit."

Prairie Paws Animal Shelter serves Ottawa, Emporia, Manhattan, and the surrounding communities.  Vanessa Cowie is CEO of Prairie Paws, in KPR's Community Spotlight for September.  

During National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, we talk to the authors of "Hope and the Winds of Grief: A Story of Healing After Losing a Loved One to Suicide."  This children's book and related materials were created by Stacey Lamb and Scott Emmons.  Also, a conversation with Karen Russell, author of The Antidote, recently long-listed for the National Book Award.

The Kansas Book Festival's Tim Bascom and Kathleen Morgan join us to preview this year's Festival -- a day of writers, readers, music, food and fun --  coming up September 20th in Topeka. 

Bill Kurtis: legendary broadcaster, Kansas native, KANU alumnus, and now...author!  He joins us to talk about his new memoir, "Whirlwind: My Life Reporting the News," in advance of his Lawrence book launch, September 18th. We also preview the Kansas Book Festival, coming up September 20th in Topeka.

35 years ago, Senator Bob Dole led a delegation to Kosovo to signal support for the republic's independence movement.  Dole Institute of Politics director Audrey Coleman talks about the significance of that historic visit and this year's fall line-up at the Institute.  We also hear from Fran Borin, author of "The Spirit of Quindaro," recently named a Great Read from Great Places book for young rea...

How do we portray America...and the first Americans? A new traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian makes its first stop in Kansas -- and the nation -- at the Watkins Museum of History in downtown Lawrence.  Also, we preview the Paper Plains Zine Fest, taking place Labor Day weekend in Lawrence.

The Library of Congress has recently released its annual Great Reads from Great Places list.  Representing Kansas this year: "Abolitionist of the Most Dangerous Kind: James Montgomery and His War on Slavery," by Todd Mildfeld and David Schafer.  

The stories of life behind bars, from those people living it.  We'll hear from the creators of the podcast Ear Hustle as they bring their live stage show to Lawrence next week.  Also, local author Brian Daldorph talks about the poetry of former inmate Antonio Sanchez Day.   

Humans have hurt the environment, but we can help heal it, too. In this episode of Up from Dust from the Kansas News Service, we talk to Kansans who are helping clean up the Kaw River.  We'll also hear from the creators of the documentary "Hot Times in the Heartland," which tells the story of climate change in Kansas.

As the Menninger Clinic marks its 100th anniversary, we visit with renowned psychiatrist Dr. Walt Menninger about the clinic, the trajectory of mental health care in the U.S., and lessons learned in his 93 years.  We're also joined by Todd Fertig, co-author of "Like What You Do: The Memoirs of Dr. Walt Menninger."

Not enough staff, uncertain funding, technology challenges...just a few of the issues facing election officials today.  Election experts explore those issues in the Bolstering Elections Initiative, sponsored  by the Dole Institute of Politics and the Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate.

Renowned journalist Bill Moyers passed away recently at the age of 91.  In this special encore broadcast, we revisit his remarks at the Bennett Forum on the Presidency in 2016,  where he was joined by presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Ian Shaw takes us back to 1892 and the infamous failed double bank robbery in Coffeyville, Kansas, the bloody end of the Dalton Gang, and the surprising story of the gang's lone survivor.

We celebrate Pride Month with the story of the fight for LGBTQ rights at the University of Kansas in the 1970s. We also visit with Matt Keenan of Kansas Legal Services, KPR's Community Spotlight organization for June.

Meet Matthew Algeo, the new local host of Morning Edition on Kansas Public Radio.  

Six days of movies, music, and more -- it's a sneak peek at the 2025 Free State Festival with Festival director Marlo Angell.  We also hear from Backer Hamada, co-director of the documentary "Trauma: The New Epidemic." And we meet KPR's new Morning Edition host, Matthew Algeo.

Seventy years ago, the town of Udall was devastated by an F5 tornado -- the deadliest in Kansas history.  Jim Minick revisits the summer of 1955 in his book, Without Warning: The Tornado of Udall, Kansas. Also, this month marks the 20th and final Symphony in the Flint Hills.  We'll visit with Sandy Carlson, program manager of the Symphony's Signature Event, taking place Saturday, June 14th in Chas...

Having more trouble concentrating than you used to? Best-selling author Johann Hari explores our attention crisis in "Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention -- and How to Think Deeply Again."  Also, we visit the Topeka-Shawnee County Public Library's newly-designed children's room and Dr. Drab's Lab.

The State Library of Kansas has just announced this year's Kansas Notable Book Award winners -- 15 of the best new books by Kansans or about Kansas.  KPR's Kaye McIntyre previews the 2025 books with State Librarian Ray Walling and Kansas Notable Books facilitator Brett Rurode.

KPR's Community Spotlight this month is on the No Stone Unturned Foundation of Manhattan.  The Foundation supports a state-of-the-art pediatric center aimed at helping to ensure that all children can reach their full potential.  KPR's J. Schafer visits with their executive director Kelly Keogh.

The State Library of Kansas has just released its 2025 Kansas Notable Books list, 15 of the best new books by Kansas authors or about Kansas.  State Librarian Ray Walling and Notable Books facilitator Brett Rurode give us a sneak peek at this year's batch. We also revisit a conversation with 2024 Kansas Notable winner Sarah Edgerton, author of Daughter of Chaos.  And we visit the No Stone Unturned...

Our Kansas Notable Book series continues with Nghiem Tran's haunting novella, "We're Safe When We're Alone."  Also, KPR's Laura Lorson visits with Rachel McCarthy James, author of "Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder."

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly on motherhood, soccer, and her book, It Goes So Fast, now out in paperback.  Also, the story of the University of Kansas Jayhawk, and a conversation with Ada Límon who just completed her second term as U.S. Poet Laureate.

As we mark the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War, we hear from Kansas veterans about their military service in Vietnam.  It's a special encore presentation of "Kansas Stories of the Vietnam War," a statewide oral history project sponsored by Humanities Kansas.