The KNOM Read Along: familiar voices telling unfamiliar stories. Every Friday, a different member of the Nome community joins host JoJo Phillips in sharing a special story. A short conversation/interview generally follows. An amalgam of poetry, oral narratives, and unpublished writing, the Read Along interweaves words with music to provide some warmth for listeners as their week draws to a close
THIS WEEK: Artist and Organizer Abe Flores joins the program to read a short from Donald Barthelme and to discuss the future of organizing in an uncertain America.
LAST WEEK: To celebrate the Summer Solstice this weekend, we’re re-airing our Winter Solstice episode from late December.
Also: a commemoration for Juneteenth and accompaniment by the Selah Jubilee Singers.
We welcome a Nomeite, well respected, and talented storyteller onto the program: MaryJane Inuukshaak Litchard
MaryJane has shared her work with KNOM before, most recently she recorded an Elder Voices episode with us in December of 2019, but today marks the first time she’s appeared on the Read Along.
Raman Mama joins the Read Along today. Raman is a comedian, musical artist, and cultural critic based out of Brooklyn, NY.
On the program, Raman is sharing an essay from the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr: “The other America.”
The KNOM Read-Along airs every Friday at 4:15.
KNOM’s lead reporter Emily Hofstaedter joins the program to read an essay from Joan Didion: Holy Water.
Les Brown returns to the Read Along to share a story from TC Boyle.
No conversation to follow.
Les Brown (pictured right) is KNOM’s premier vowel mechanic and sound engineer.
He has appeared on the Read Along a record five times.
Ken Liu (http://kenliu.name) is an American author, translator, and screenwriter. A winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards for his writing, he is also the author of The Legends of Luke Skywalker, a Star Wars novel.
Liu is reading a story about futurism and climate change from his newest collection, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories. A conversation will follow.
Today, a familiar voice returns. Bethel’s own, Don Rearden, is stepping outside of his comfort zone of fiction to read a few of his poems from National Poetry Months Past.
Don’s a celebrated author of uniquely Alaskan stories. His most recent novel, The Raven’s Gift, has (unfortunately) become more relevant than ever. In the book, through the eyes of a western Alaskan schoolteacher, we witness a fictional epidemic as it spreads across the 49th state. Stick around for the end of the show today, where we’ll talk about the historical context of the Raven’s Gift, and whether Don wishes he ever wrote that book in the first place.
As for the poetry, we’ll be hearing at least two pieces today. Thunderbirds and Thinking Small, and the Seal Oil Salesman. Each poem is accompanied by a short conversation.
