Read. Return. Repeat. : A ReadICT Podcast

In this episode, co-hosts Sara Dixon and Daniel Pewewardy take a deep dive into category 1: A Book with a Non-Human Narrator. Joining them on the podcast is author and filmmaker C. Robert Cargill, author of post-apocalyptic robot westerns Sea of Rust and its prequel, Day Zero. From robot morality to the history of swearing to why Isaac Asimov was a pessimist, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s3e2.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

Opening Season 3 of the podcast, co-hosts Sara Dixon and Daniel Pewewardy talk with Arielle Zibrak, Associate Professor of English and Gender & Women's Studies at the University of Wyoming to discuss the topic of Category 4: Guilty Pleasures. Zibrak, who is also author of the book Avidly Reads: Guilty Pleasures, discusses the concept of shame and media consumption and why we should never feel bad about the things we love. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s3e1.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

In this bonus episode recorded before a live audience, co-hosts Sara Dixon and Daniel Pewewardy join Suzanne Perez and Beth Golay from the KMUW podcast Books & Whatnot to celebrate the 2023 kickoff of the #ReadICT challenge. A departure from the usual podcast format, these book aficionados and fellow podcasters talk about the history of the challenge and explore each category and how it might be approached differently by readers. This episode is full of great recommendations for each category (including some from a few very brave audience members) as well as their own reading plans for #ReadICT 2023! Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s3e0.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

In this episode, co-hosts Sara Dixon and Daniel Pewewardy close out Season 2 of the podcast by exploring category 12: A Book by An Author Visiting Wichita in 2022. Joining them is author Silas House, who visited Wichita in late October to promote his most recent novel, Lark Ascending. Silas talks about what inspires him to write about climate catastrophes, how music and poetry influence his writing, his favorite authors and more. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s2e9.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

In this episode, co-hosts Sara Dixon and Daniel Pewewardy dive deeper into category 4: A Book About a Culture or Topic You’re Unfamiliar With. Joining them is Rebekah Taussig, author of Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary, Resilient, Disabled Body (who is also from Kansas!) to discuss a topic that may be unfamiliar to a lot of people beyond media depictions: living with a disability. From navigating the world not built for bodies like hers, to writing, to becoming a new mother during a pandemic, Rebekah shines light on a topic that is still widely misunderstood. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s2e8.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

In this episode in honor of Banned Books Week, co-hosts Sara Dixon and Daniel Pewewardy recorded a special edition of the podcast in front of a live audience to talk about why we celebrate Banned Books Week and the importance of the freedom to read. They are joined by Wichita Public Library Director Jaime Nix and Watermark Books & Café owner Sarah Bagby. Joining them virtually as the special guest is Sherman Alexie, author of The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian, published in 2007, which has consistently appeared on the list of frequently challenged books since 2008. Sherman talks about his experience as an indigenous writer, how he feels about writing a book that has been frequently challenged and even joins Sara and Daniel for a couple of banned book games! Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s2e7.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

In this episode, co-hosts Sara Dixon and Daniel Pewewardy tackle category 3: A Book That Intimidates You. Joining them is Dr. Francis Connor, an Associate Professor of English at Wichita State University. They talk about Shakespeare, Classics, how people’s relationships to reading and books have changed in the past six-hundred years and why we should read more books that intimidate us. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s2e6.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

In this episode, co-hosts Sara Dixon and Daniel Pewewardy explore category 9, a book about immigration through the lens of food. Joining them on the podcast is Nina Mukherjee Furstenau, a food journalist and author of the 2014 Kansas Notable Book Biting Through the Skin: An Indian Kitchen in America’s Heartland. A first-generation immigrant who moved to Pittsburg, Kansas from India as a young child in the 1960s, Ms. Furstenau shares her in experience of growing up as an immigrant in the heart of the American Midwest, how she stays connected to her culture through food and how we can learn about people through the foods we share. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s2e5.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

In this episode, co-hosts Sara Dixon and Daniel Pewewardy dive into category 6, a book based on mythology or folklore. Joining them is Thomas Yeahpau (also known as That Native Thomas), a Kiowa and Apache Storyteller and author of the 2016 novel The Last Pow-Wow, which he co-wrote with Steven Paul Judd. They talk about the importance of storytelling, why it resonates with so many people, and how traditional stories are still relevant in the modern world. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s2e4.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

In this special episode of the ReadICT Podcast, hosts Sara Dixon and Daniel Pewewardy celebrate the joy of rereading your favorite books, and with the help of the wonderful library staff here at Wichita Public Library, have many great recommendations to share with all you fellow book lovers! To share this book love, they talk with Director of Libraries Jaime Prothro for a fun and candid discussion about their love of books, libraries and of course, what their favorite book to reread is! Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s2e3.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

In this episode, co-hosts Sara Dixon and Daniel Pewewardy explore the topic of mental illness with guest Zack McDermott, author of the memoir Gorilla and the Bird: A Memoir of Madness and a Mother's Love. Zack, who grew up in Wichita, talks about his book, how his mom inspires him, his love/hate relationship with his hometown, and shares his experiences living with Bipolar I disorder. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s2e2.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

In this premiere episode of season 2, co-hosts Sara Dixon and Daniel Pewewardy interview debut author Kate Khavari, Wichita native and author of the upcoming historical mystery novel, A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons, due out on June 7, 2022. They discuss the differences between self-publishing and working with a large publisher, how she juggles writing while being a stay-at-home mom, her advice for aspiring writers, and more. Episode Transcript and Show Notes: http://wichitalibrary.org/BooksMore/Podcast/Pages/rrr_s2e1.aspx New to #ReadICT? Join the challenge! For more information visit wichitalibrary.org/readict.

Dr. Catherine John, chair of the Africana Studies Department at the University of Rhode Island, joins Sara to talk about her love of reading and literature, her teaching style, experiences in Jamaica, and more. For a list of books mentioned in this episode, visit https://catalog.wichitalibrary.org/rs/83666.

Sarah Bagby, owner of Watermark Books and Café, joins Sara to talk about the love of reading, owning an independent bookstore, the ReadICT reading challenge, and more. For a list of books mentioned in this episode, visit https://catalog.wichitalibrary.org/rs/82931.

Local cartoonist, comic strip artist, writer, and orthodontist Grant Snider joins Sara to talk about art, inspiring illustrators, what it is like to get a book published, and more. For a list of books mentioned in this episode, visit https://catalog.wichitalibrary.org/rs/82374.

Eric Norris, State Librarian for Kansas, joins Sara to talk about the Kansas Notable Books project, the State Library of Kansas, and library services offered to all Kansans. For a list of books mentioned in this episode, visit https://catalog.wichitalibrary.org/rs/81828.

Deborah Caldwell-Stone from the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom joins Sara to talk about challenged and banned books, intellectual freedom, Banned Books Week, and more. For a list of books mentioned in this episode, visit https://catalog.wichitalibrary.org/rs/81117.

Jami Frazier Tracy, curator of collections at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, joins Sara to talk about Wichita history, the museum and the building that houses it, local history books, and more. For a list of books mentioned in this episode, visit https://catalog.wichitalibrary.org/rs/80480.

Todd Volkmann, exhibit caretaker at the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit, joins Sara to discuss books about animals, some of the history of and animals at the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit, and more. For a list of books mentioned in this episode, visit https://catalog.wichitalibrary.org/rs/79933.

Prisca Barnes, author and CEO of Storytime Village, joins Sara to discuss the love of reading, representation in literature, the 1958 Dockum sit-in, and more. For a list of books mentioned in this episode, visit https://catalog.wichitalibrary.org/rs/79048.

Suzanne Perez, Opinion Editor at the Wichita Eagle, joins Adult Programming Librarian Sara McNeil to discuss the origins of the ReadICT reading challenge, give book recommendations, and explore the world of books and libraries in this inaugural Wichita Public Library podcast episode. For a list of books mentioned in this episode, visit https://catalog.wichitalibrary.org/rs/78552.