The Last Word: Conversations with Writers

You may feel deeply nourished and relaxed after listening to renowned naturalist, Priyanka Kumar, discuss her newest book, The Grassland Queen: An Avian Love Story in The American Plains.  If you can’t easily reach wetlands, a shoreline or our magnificent vast prairies, simply sit peacefully with The Grassland Queen and let your spirits soar with Priyanka, her family, and the long-billed curlew an...

A rare opportunity to hear Palestinian peace activist and author Aziz Abu Sarah who co-authored "The Future is Peace" with his Israeli “brother of the heart,” Maoz Inon after both men lost family in the horrific conflicts. How did they turn their respective grief and rage into close friendship and a passion to bring realistic lasting peace to the Middle East? Joined in the studio by Jewish Israeli...

A brilliant, focused conversation with retired Texas lawyer and “serial creative,” Stan Biderman who, as the son of Holocaust survivors, confronts fundamentalism head on yet surprisingly through humor in his book, The Secularist’s Bible And Other Astonishing Absurdities.  Meet Stan at Collected Works on Sunday, October 11th at 4:30.

Two Cherokee Nation sisters join me today to honor their Great-Great Aunt, poet and Native American Rights activist Ruth Muskrat. Together they have written and illustrated a gorgeous book, Ruth Muskrat and The So-Called Indian Problem. Jen Loren’s gifted storytelling and Rebecca Lee Kunz’ superb illustrations accurately detail their Aunt’s lifelong courage and passion during the time that Native...

An honor today to talk with renowned historian, Dr. Thomas E. Chavez. Former long-time Director of The Palace of The Governors and The National Hispanic Cultural Center, Dr. Chavez discusses his 14th book, A Soliloquy of Some Disconnected Tales. The slim, pocket-size “Soliloquy” reveals intimate insights into the author’s own fascinating life from boyhood to becoming an elder contemplating the not...

A return visit by beloved award-winning Santa Fe poet and long-time teacher of poetry, Barbara Rockman. Here with her most personal and pertinent collection yet, “Night said,” she explores the yearning to know her roots and ancestral wisdom. Together, we recognize how the uncertainties and destructiveness of our current times guide us to rediscover ancient yet familiar traditions and restore the k...

Now in its thirty-third year, New Mexico Book Association supports and brings together, “Dedicated people whose lives and livelihoods involve producing books and providing them to the public.”  If you’re an avid reader that means you!  If you’re a published author or simply enjoy writing with a dream to be published one day, that means you! Designers, publishers, and booksellers highly value the s...

Poet and lifelong activist Demetria Martinez and author, publisher and good-natured humorist Zach Hively return to the KSFR studio for a big celebration. On Saturday, August 15, the wonderful anthology, A Year of New Mexico Poetry launches with 190 local poets side-by-side between its covers: Career poets, Poet Laureates, and debut poets raise their voices in companionable chorus, generosity of sp...

In today's episode Emily Hyland takes us on an intimate, poignant journey through poetry and prose in her new book, My Wise Little Ghost. Created as a dialog between herself and her unborn baby girl, Daisy.  We experience loss and grief and one of the hardest choices Emily, and women around the world, need to make—never, ever, lightly.  Co-owner of Santa Fe’s Yoga Source, Emily teaches movement an...

An inspiring interview with author, filmmaker, philanthropist and advocate for women’s empowerment, Deborah Santana.  Her memoir, Loving The Fire: Choosing Me, Finding Freedom details the challenging path she took to find her soul’s purpose and true identity during her 34-year marriage and especially after divorcing her famous husband, musician Carlos Santana.  Far from being a celebrity “tell all...

Celebrated ethnobotanist, biodiversity pioneer and MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellow, Gary Paul Nabhan joins me today with his life’s work of epic tales, Water in The Desert: A Pilgrimage. Seemingly born with an understanding of interspecies belonging, his youthful adventures and observations became essential knowledge for all of us.  Gary Paul Nabhan will be at Collected Works at 6:00 pm Thursday,...

Do you experience synchronicities, take a last-minute chance or change your mind for the better (or worse)?  Then Christopher Murphy’s memoir, Close Calling: An Unplanned Life is a book you will relish and nod along with.  Funny, true and a bit naughty, filled with his life of adventurous derring-do’s and plenty of derring-don’ts, Christopher is way beyond the veritable cat with nine lives, Yachts...

Today, we celebrate the 40th Anniversary edition of Santa Fe on Foot: Walking America’s Favorite City with locally-beloved author, Elaine Pinkerton Coleman. Now in its brand new fifth edition, Santa Fe on Foot has been diligently updated to include newer neighborhoods and near-town trails. The lovely, original illustrations, hand-drawn maps and unexpected historical details still delight readers....

An honor to be with the twenty-fifth Poet Laureate of the United States, Arthur Sze, to discuss his extraordinary signature project as Poet Laureate, Transient Worlds: On Translating Poetry. A beautiful and concise volume that celebrates the language of poetry from ancient to modern times around the globe. Arthur is joined by gifted writer and translator, Kareem James Abu-Zeid who will be one of s...

An insightful and very relatable conversation with thirty-fifth generation New Mexican, Deb Haaland, discussing her memoir, “A Voice Like Mine.”   Before she led the State Democratic Party to victory, served in the US House of Representatives and was appointed by Joe Biden to Secretary of Interior, Deb Haaland’s life was often filled with daunting personal challenges that tested her faith and cour...

Twenty-five years ago, Jane Buyers held a critical banking position with J.P. Morgan Chase in Lower Manhattan and witnessed the horrific attacks on the World Trade Center. Her intimate and gripping memoir, Eight Septembers: A Woman on Wall Street from 9/11 to Lehman, chronicles not only that day’s events but how she and her team-all in shock-helped to secure the worldwide banking system in the sub...

Is there really a difference between actual physical fear and everyday irrational fears?  Our body may not recognize any difference and prepares to defend itself in the same ways. So surmises Toltec Nagual, don Miguel Ruiz Jr. in his new book The Poisoned Arrow: A Toltec Guide to Overcoming Fear, a small and very readable guide largely based on his own personal experiences and those of his beloved...

A gorgeous show today exploring the life and music of the brilliant Henry Mancini. Santa Fe author Stacia Raymond takes us on a journey with The Pink Panther, Peter Gunn and gracefully along Moon River in her delicious biography, Grace Notes, a novel based on the life of Henry Mancini. Known as Hank to all his many friends, he was a many-layered man not just of rare musical talent but of integrity...

Pay close attention listeners because Your Data Will Be Used Against You. That’s the alarming title of George Washington University Law School Professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson’s extremely timely new book. With the subtitle, Policing in The Age of Self-Surveillance, we explore the growing dangers and opportunities, rights (and wrongs) in this age of personal devices that we enjoy to track our live...

Make sure you have some tasty food to look forward to when you listen to today’s interview with noted author Hafeez Lakhani.  His new novel, Abundance, is in many ways an honoring of all the hard-working immigrant families who form the backbone of our cities and towns and contribute to our rich cultural milieu with their traditions, beliefs, music and food. A multi-layered story for our time writt...

Fascinating conversation with multi-award-winning poet Donald Levering ahead of the multi-media production of Man-Moth & The Gospel of Possibility.  Collaborating with artist Barbara Mehlman, musicians Gary Barton and Joe West, Donald Levering and a creative team plan to intrigue, astonish and entertain by presenting the Man-Moth poems in their unique, “prespeak-swapout-repeat-doubledown” styl...

Honoring National Poetry Month beginning with Santa Fe's own Wayne Lee making a return appearance to the KSFR studios.  Wayne has been writing his entire adult life and includes a piece from 1972 in his evocative new collection, Beautiful Foolishness.  Listen deeply as his voice resonates, conjuring images of nature, animals, and of daily life's treasured moments, perceived through his sensitive e...

Hold on tight listeners because today I'm joined by Jack Ratliff with his debut memoir Riding The White Bull: The Making of A Navy SEAL.  What kind of bravado possessed a young man to take on several of the most dangerous occupations in the world from riding the rodeo circuit, battling wildfires and training with the US Navy’s Underwater Demolition Team to become a Navy SEAL?  You’ll be fascinated...

As spring approaches, an intriguing and light-hearted conversation with singer, harpist, composer and author Carol Calvert. As an ordained Bishop in the Independent Catholic Church, a scholar of ancient Celtic spirituality and a member of The Order of Ovates, Bards and Druids, we explore this heady mix of beliefs and practices. And especially her lovely book Beitha’s Sound, a delightful “fairy tal...

In the midst of today’s terror and turmoil these 23 minutes with Annie Bloom may help you breathe a little easier as you drop deeply into stillness. Annie, who has been a wilderness guide for 35 years, tells some of her stories in Buffalo Dreamer: A Lifetime of Wilderness Vigils. How do we face our fears alone in the wilderness at night—without our cell phones? How can being immersed in the natura...