Siouxland Public Media Interviews and Features

I’m Mark Munger and you are listening to Check it Out.

A ship set in ice. An axe. A giant disappearing into arctic waters. Such are the uncommon beginnings to an uncommon Western. In the Distance by Hernan Diaz approaches one of the great American genres with a cold but intense embrace.

The Kee Live Music Festival gets underway Friday in Cherokee, the University of Okoboji Winter Games cranks up Thursday, and there are two new exhibits at the Clay County Heritage Center. In the metro area, MLK Day is Monday and the NAACP is putting on a big event at The First Congregational Church. Find out more on our first Cultural Continuum of the year.

This weekend, the Morningside Piano Recital Series features a special trio that will perform together for the first time. Stephanie March (cello) and Yi-Yang Chen (piano) first met as undergraduates at the Eastman School of Music. Later, as a graduate student at Nortwestern University, March met Parker Gaims (clarinetist), where the two performed together as well as studied. Following their academic careers, March maintained a close relationship with both Chen and Gaims as music and careers took them to various parts of the globe.

This is Kelsey Patterson with the Sioux City Public Library and you’re listening to Check It Out. Lately, I’ve been really drawn to reading wintery works of crime fiction and wanted to share with you, two of my favorites. Today, I’m recommending The Hunting Game by Helene Tursten and The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley. Apparently, I’m also a fan of books with the word “hunting” in the title, but I won’t even try to analyze what that says about me or my reading habits.

This is Kelsey Patterson with the Sioux City Public Library and you’re listening to Check It Out.

The Director of the Sioux City Art Center is stepping down early in 2020.  Al Harris-Fernandez took time to talk to Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer right before Christmas about his plans for retirement and his thoughts on art and his accomplishments during his career.

How have we evolved as readers? Whch trends picked up steam? What were the most sought out books in the last ten years? Jenn and Kelsey reflect back on the last decade to address these questions.

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol was recorded live at Lamb Arts Regional Theatre on December 20, 2019. 

Credits:

Diana Wooley was our Narrator and Director.

Russ Wooley played Scrooge.

Bryan Deck was Bob Cratchet.
Karen Sowienski and David Madson were our ghosts.

The rest of the cast included Brian Hamman, Wayne Blum, Rick Myers, Donny Short, Krystal Deck, Brock Bourek, Matt Cihak, Mary Madsen, Peyton Machan, and Rosie Markham.  

What is the true cost of eBooks and audiobooks for libraries? What is Bridges? How does the Macmillan embargo affect libraries? In this installment of The First Fifty Pages, Jenn & Kelsey invite Becky Heil, District Consultant from the State Library of Iowa, to help address these questions and further discuss Libby.

In part one of the Libby series, Jenn and Kelsey dive into the app, which lets users borrow eBooks and audiobooks from their local library. Special guest Alex Watters, City Councilmember of Sioux City, helps Jenn and Kelsey discuss why audiobooks are so popular right now, whether listening is the same as reading and Libby hacks.