Hey Amarillo

A conversation with Alex Hunt, the director of the Center for the Study of the American West at West Texas A&M University. A student of Panhandle history, Dr. Hunt is fascinated by Amarillo's connection with the West and the American frontier. We discuss everything from ranching and local hiking trails to how Amarillo's refugee population today compares to the original pioneers in the 1800s. This episode is sponsored by ROI Online and Amarillo National Bank.

A conversation with Amber Morgan, the creative young entrepreneur behind the Mani-Camper, an Amarillo-based mobile nail art studio that has been getting attention across the U.S. Like many young creatives, Amber moved away from Amarillo following high school. But after beginning to build a career in New York City, she came back home—and that's when things really started rolling. This episode is sponsored by ROI Online.

A conversation with Eric Barry, an opera tenor whose career has taken him all over the world. A native of Sundown, Texas, who was trained at Yale University, Eric has recently returned to Amarillo after having been based on the East Coast. He and host Jason Boyett discuss how his WTAMU professors "discovered" his natural talent, the downside of a traveling career, and Eric's recent decision to return home to Amarillo. This episode is sponsored by ROI Online.

A conversation with Sheldon Chick, an Amarillo native and the co-writer and producer of Bomb City. This award-winning film opens nationwide February 9 and chronicles the life and death of Amarillo's Brian Deneke. Recorded a few days before the film's Amarillo premiere, Sheldon and host Jason Boyett discuss the filmmaking process, how Amarillo has changed since 1997, and why the events of Bomb City are still relevant today. This episode is sponsored by ROI Online.

A conversation with Jessie Story, a wildlife videographer and filmmaker based in Amarillo. While attending WTAMU, Jessie co-created the PBS program Texas Wild, and has since been working as an independent freelancer who specializes in wildlife. She and host Jason Boyett discuss how she stumbled into her career, why she loves snakes and bats more than cuddlier species, and how she gets such amazing photos of skittish animals. This episode is sponsored by ROI Online.

A conversation with Reagan Wilcox, former lead graphic designer at Hillside Christian Church and now owner-operator of The Union Hall Workspace. Reagan and host Jason Boyett discuss her career as a designer, why her work for a megachurch involved more than just "making the bulletin," and about launching her new endeavor—Amarillo's only coworking space. In "Eight Straight," Reagan endorses an entire Amarillo neighborhood. This episode is sponsored by ROI Online.

A conversation with Jonathan Baker, novelist, essayist, publishing veteran, HPPR personality and former standup comedian. Baker and host Jason Boyett discuss his winding career path from Amarillo through Chicago and New York and back to West Texas, why NYC and the Panhandle are more alike than you'd think, and why we "flatlanders" need to rediscover our pioneer-maverick personalities. We discuss Baker's Colloquium article, "It's Hell, and I Like It." This episode is sponsored by ROI Online.