The poet and educator who coached, encouraged and chastised — but never coddled — First Coast writers as varied as Donna Deegan, Alan Justiss and Jim Draper has become a defining feature of the local literary landscape. Though she lost her beloved Trout River houseboat, once home to the Shantyboat Writers Workshop, during Hurricane Irma, she continues to write, goad and inspire. Now 81, she brings some poems and her inimitable story to Studio 2 Monday morning.
Guest: Lynn Skapyak Harlin, educator, editor and poet
Change of scenery
Nearly 40 years after its founding, the legacy of Scenic Jacksonville is visible both in what we see and what we don’t. The organization founded by attorney and civic champion Bill Brinton worked to pass two key citizen amendments to the city’s governing charter. The Billboard Charter Amendment prohibited new billboards countywide and led to the removal of more than 1,600 signs to date. The Tree Protection Amendment required replanting or replacing trees removed for development and established guidelines for protecting the area’s most significant “specimen” trees. We sit down with the new leader of the longstanding group to find out how they’re planning for the future in a changing political and environmental landscape.
Guest: Litsa Dawkins, executive director, Scenic Jax
Out of silence
A four-generation journey through systemic abuse ends on stage 150 years later, when a playwright finds her voice and tells her story. Silence Unraveled tells the history of Bobbie O’Connor’s great-grandmother Emma Jane, grandmother Trudie and mother Willie Audrey, before working its way down to the author. Along the way, it touches on difficult topics often muted by silence, including physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence and loss. We talk to O’Connor about what it means to confront familial misogyny and, hopefully, destroy the template.
Guest: Bobbie O'Connor, playwright, performer and social justice advocate
Fare thee well
An annual grassroots event created to connect the public with free health and wellness resources kicks off next weekend. Wellfest, founded in 2019, serves as a space for the community to learn about healthier lifestyles through mental, nutritional and physical education and outreach. This year’s event features local businesses, a coffee crawl, collaborative yoga, a clothing swap, live music and more. Partnering with Here Tomorrow, a local mental health provider, the event also offers suicide prevention information and resources. The 8th Annual Beaches Wellfest will be May 2 at Johansen Park in Atlantic Beach. The event is free and open to the public.
Guests:
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Tracy Marko, president of Meraki Wellness and director of WellFest
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Mary Mullahey, health educator and coffee crawl director
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