Dear Oklahoma

In this episode, National Book Award finalist Brandon Hobson reads from his new novel-in-progress, Terlingua, live at Soul City Gastropub in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Brandon chats with Lindsey and Emily about creating fictional characters who crave connection by any means necessary, his reasons for setting stories in small-town Oklahoma, his explorations of Native identity and gender in his works, and why he eschews labels such as "writer."

In this episode, poet and actor Deborah J. Hunter reads two poems based on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre that she wrote and performed in Tara Brooke Watkins' play, "Tulsa 21: Black Wall Street." Lindsey and Emily talk to Deborah about the use of the word "massacre" versus "riot" and discuss what it means to confront this violent, painful, and hidden moment of Oklahoma's history through poetry.

In this episode, Emily and Lindsey chat with Kelly Burley from KOSU radio about the premise for Dear Oklahoma, its mission, and the upcoming season. Emily and Lindsey explain how they ended up covering the Oklahoma Teacher's Walkout earlier this spring and reflect on what it means to inspire the next generation of Oklahoma writers. Listeners will hear poets Clem Heard and Deborah J. Hunter discuss their favorite teachers, as well as teacher-politician John Waldron read his powerful Dear Oklahoma letter.