Central Standard

In this encore presentation: A visit to Nazareth Sweets , which is in a part of Lenexa that's becoming a "Middle Eastern strip," and a culinary instructor talks about a beloved Syrian dish that she grew up eating. Then, the Food Critics search out the best Middle Eastern food in and around KC. Guests: Christine Rossi, teaches Middle Eastern cooking classes at The Culinary Center of Kansas City Christine Boutros, grew up eating Egyptian food Charles Ferruzza, The Independent and Shawnee Mission

A photographer discusses her new book about homelessness in Johnson County, and a comics artist shares his thoughts on the trials and tribulations of the creative process. Plus: an encore presentation our award-winning piece about a man who learns how to hear again after years of deafness. Guests: Sharon Rodriguez , author, Homeless, Not Invisible Grant Snider , author, The Shape of Ideas Rob Jefferson , regained his sense of hearing with a cochlear implant

How do communities come together to share information and solve problems? From searching for a missing child to neighbors cleaning up after a storm, we look at how people take action — and whether changes in technology have affected how they solve problems. Guests: Damon Daniel, President, AdHoc Group Against Crime Roxana Shaffe, Hyde Park resident Lydia DeMonte, Hyde Park Neighborhood Association Seft Hunter, Executive Director, Communities Creating Opportunity

The first modern female-lead superhero film has arrived. There has been a lot of buzz about Wonder Woman , from the female-only opening night viewings, to Patty Jenkins breaking the film industry's glass ceiling as the first female director to climb over $100 million in an opening weekend. By contrast to the television show in the 1970s, what does this new rendition tell us about the evolution of femininity and feminism? Does the new Wonder Woman break gender roles, or enforce them? On this

Between natural disasters, the transformation of farming, and the widespread decline of rural America, the small town of Orrick, Missouri has dwindled to a few square blocks. KCUR's Central Standard has been visiting the edges of our listening area, to learn about communities we don't hear from quite as often. Join us for this trip 30 miles northeast of Kansas City to Orrick, where the town, lead by a new mayor, is all about re-invention. Guests: Roger Thomas , mayor of Orrick, Missouri Cindy

When he first immigrated to KC from Colombia at age 9, it was a shock. Since then, he's become a mainstay in Kansas City's art community as a poet, painter, playwright and mentor. On this show, we get to know José Faus. Guest: José Faus , artist and author, The Life and Times of José Calderon

There's been a lot of talk about the future of Kansas City International Airport . We take a step back from that debate and explore what KCI says about us as a city. Guests: Christopher Schaberg, Associate Professor of English at Loyola University ; author of The Textual Life of Airports ; The End of Airports ; and Airportness: The Nature of Flight Daniel Serda, inSITE planning and Vice Chair of the KCATA Board of Commissioners Michael Mackie , travel writer for My Fave Places Cat Mahari,

It's an iconic summer activity, especially in KC: pulling your car into a big gravel lot and watching movies under the stars. In a time where there are so many ways to consume media, we examine the appeal of the drive-in ... and look at the past, present and future of this particular type of movie theater. Guests: Wes Neal , owner, Boulevard Drive-In Brian Neal , Boulevard Drive-In Loey Lockerby, film critic Mary Morley Cohen, Associate Dean, Graham School , University of Chicago and drive-in

The 25th annual Heart of America Shakespeare Festival is coming soon, and this year, playing the lead in Hamlet is Nathan Darrow, who you may recognize from the Netflix series "House of Cards." We hear about his new role, then meet the family behind Kansas City's Juneteenth Festival , coming up June 17. Plus, meet local singer-songwriter Stephonne Singleton who's performing this Friday at the recordBar . Guests: Nathan Darrow , Kansas City born actor Makeda Peterson , organizer and coordinator,

How a Congolese sculpture , now on display at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, inspired one American artist to explore a new style and tap into her own spirituality. Plus why self-described "adventure artist" Steve Snell set sail on the Missouri River . . . in a cardboard boat . Guests: Renée Stout , artist Rachel Kabukala ​, department assistant, African Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Steve Snell , assistant professor of art, Kansas City Art Institute