Kathy Ritchie likes to talk about things that make most people uncomfortable — like menopause.
On this episode of Word,”poets and storytellers have an opportunity to perform in the Valley, plus we feature young adult travel and romance set in Arizona, as well as a YA fantasy/romance rooted in dark magic.
Sept. 26, 2023
KJZZ's Word podcast is having a literary costume contest for this Halloween! Submit photos and and a description of your costume by x for a chance to win a KJZZ swag bag. Winners will be announced x.
Sept. 26, 2023
On this Season 10 opener, it’s all about anecdotes. We feature conversations about minor league baseball; the only Latino governor of Arizona, Raúl Héctor Castro, affectionately known as Raúlito; plus tales of the legendary troubadour Bob Dylan.
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→ Subscribe to the Word podcast
Sept. 12, 2023
On this episode of Word, it’s the season-ender! We discuss reading events beyond the upcoming Juneteenth holiday that offer a deeper connection to why it’s celebrated. Plus, a literary convo from Kenya happened while on "vacation," and I returned to the Valley to discuss a debut novel from an ASU professor emerita.
June 13, 2023
On this episode, a Diné writer releases her first novel. Plus, we examine an international true-crime story by a Valley poet-turned sleuth. And, we extend a bow to Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a day at the Kentucky Derby.
May 30, 2023
Coming up on this episode, musician Lizzo is the subject of a new graphic short story series. Plus, a linguist argues for bad language … "Like, literally, dude." And, a rapid-fire play examines the search for love and dignity by single Black females.
May 9, 2023
National Poetry Month continues on this episode of Word, which also features crime fiction, a novel set in 1940s Harlem, plus a memoir from journalist and NPR's All Things Considered co-host Marie Louise Kelly.
April 18, 2023
Country music in the West and poetry reverberate the sounds of spring in this episode of Word, a podcast about literature in Arizona and the region.
April 4, 2023
Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2023 KJZZ haiku contest.
This year's theme: What's something you want to reset in your life?
Jamie Galloway's poem "Dormancy Reset" was randomly selected as this year's winner.
Feb. 28, 2023
Shakespeare, hiking in Arizona, poetry on vinyl and a haiku winner share some thematic space on this KJZZ podcast about literature in Arizona and the region. It's hosted by Tom Maxedon.
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→ Listen to more episodes of Word
Feb. 28, 2023
On this episode of Word, a Valley resident turns experience as a former prison inmate into a graphic novel. Plus, addiction to an anti-anxiety drug leads to a debut mystery. Plus, the haiku train is still running down the tracks and as the KJZZ Annual Haiku Writing Contest keeps on chugging.
Feb. 14, 2023
Coming up on this Season 9 opener of Word, wanna get off this planet? A new sci-fi novel examines the implications of doing so and what it means for sustainability by those of us who choose to stay on it.
Plus, it’s Black History Month.
Why are representations of it lacking in Arizona?
Finally, February means National Haiku Writing Month (NaHaiWriMo), and the 2023 KJZZ Haiku Writing Contest.
Feb. 1, 2023
Coming up on this Season 8-ender of Word, we go on a show bender with highlights spanning the entire run-of-show from where it started on the island of Guam in 2016 until now.
Dec. 20, 2022
On this penultimate episode of Word for 2022, a local creative peppers the episode with perseverance, imagination, elevation and empowerment while asking the question: “Who do we owe?”
Dec. 6, 2022
What does the NEA Big Read program, NaNoWriMo and Linda Ronstadt have in common? Find out on this episode of Word, a KJZZ podcast about literature in Arizona and the region.
Nov. 22, 2022
What do an Old West mystery/fantasy novel, a former transgender firefighter and NaNoWriMo have in common? Find out on this episode of KJZZ's Word. It's a podcast about literature in Arizona and the region.
Nov. 8, 2022
What do outlaws, dysfunctional family outings and a Scottish bookstore have in common? Find out on this episode of Word. It's a KJZZ podcasted hosted by Tom Maxedon.
Oct. 25, 2022
What does kid lit and the courage of a Mexican woman journalist have in common?
Questions like these are explored on Word. It’s a KJZZ podcast about literature in Arizona and the region.
Oct. 4, 2022
What do vampires, poetry and Agatha Christie have in common? Find out in this episode of Word, a podcast hosted by KJZZ's Tom Maxedon about literature in Arizona and the region.
→ More episodes of Word
→ More episodes of Word
Sept. 20, 2022
What do detectives, mobsters, jazz musicians, and fall have in common? Those are some of the themes we explore on the Season 8 opener of Word. It’s a podcast about literature in Arizona and the region hosted by KJZZ’s Tom Maxedon.
Sept. 6, 2022