Dan Piraro is Not a Redneck
Growing up in Tulsa in the 1970's was torturous for Dan Piraro. He felt surrounded by cowboys and Christians. Fancying
Abby Wendle
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“Cardiology” by Niklaus Faith
People on the street perform Niklaus Faith's "Cardiology" and discuss the importance of one dead bug and the universal
Abby Wendle
“thrtthr whthrrthms” by Maria Damon
Hear it first. Subscribe to This Land Radio in iTunes. Poetry is transforming this space. friendly
Abby Wendle
The Dancing Demigod of Tulsa
Catherine Margaret "Skilly" Forsman had a beautiful body. She earned it dancing, which she began shortly after popping
Abby Wendle
Plain Terror
Oklahoma is considered a conservative state these days. But in the early 1900's, Oklahoma had an active leftist
Abby Wendle
Sometimes God is a Frog Puppet
Steve Smith calls himself the clown sandwich between two ministers. Both his father and his son preach. Early in life,
Abby Wendle
[beautiful noise]
Hear it first. Subscribe to This Land Radio in iTunes. A knife slicing a carrot. The toilet flushing. Bubbles.
Abby Wendle
So Long Joe Brainard
John Brainard remembers his brother Joe, a Tulsa-born artist who befriended Frank O' Hara, Andy Warhol, John Ashbery,
Abby Wendle
Poietry To The People: Coming Home by Ken Hada
People around Oklahoma read a poem by Ken Hada. Read more poetry. MusicAutumn Sunset by Jason
Abby Wendle
Stringtown Prison Blues
Former inmates and activist Mary McAnally read "Stringtown Prison Blues" and discuss their experiences with the penal
Abby Wendle
The Green Tree Dervish
Hear it first. Subscribe to This Land Radio in iTunes. For photographer Gaylord Herron, there's "something about
Abby Wendle
Scott Raffe
Scott Raffe is known around the world for his fine art photographs of Circus Flora and Zoppe, an Italian Family
Abby Wendle
The Baby in his Lap
Shantelle Jennings was a child when photographer Larry Clark captured iconic images of her father, Billy Mann, toting
Abby Wendle
Blues Woman in a Man’s World
Danielle Schnebelen plays bass and sings in the band Trampled Under Foot. Here, she talks about a childhood of 4 a.m.
Abby Wendle
The Blues Big Time
Little Joe Mclerran is a old-fashioned bluesman. He's only 30, but he dresses like someone in a black-and-white movie:
Abby Wendle
Ron Padgett Reads “Driveway”
When Ron Padgett heard the poetry to the people segment on his poem "Driveway," he told This Land Press that,
Abby Wendle
Midwifery
Ruth Cobb, a midwife who has been practicing in Oklahoma for more than 35 years, shares stories of her journey to
Abby Wendle
This Highway Life
Author Richard Higgs was a long haul trucker for a year and a half. Here, he shares the perils and isolation of the
Abby Wendle
Racing Around the World
Jack Seehafer grew up bike racing in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He moved to Colorado to coach for Team Type 1. Here, Jack shares
Abby Wendle
Holla for Challah
Rabyne Rogue, a woman converting to Judaism, gets to know the Jewish community through Challah bread baking classes
Abby Wendle
Body Language
American women's fear of body hair, and the pains they take to be rid of it, reveals much about our attitude toward
Abby Wendle
Professor B Looney
Early in life, Steve Smith started working as a chaplain in a children’s hospital. But he quickly began transforming
Abby Wendle
Gramma’s Slaw
Coleslaw isn't what most people would call a delicacy - but it was treated that way in Wes Alexander's family. His
Abby Wendle
“Back Roads” by Laura Brandenburg
In this installment of Poetry to the People, people on the street read Laura Brandenburg's chilling poem, "Back Roads,"
Abby Wendle
Jazz on a Diamond Needle Hi-Fi
Not a poem about jazz. A poem that is jazz. Deborah J. Hunter's "Jazz on a Diamond-Needle Hi-Fi" performed live in
Abby Wendle
Building a Frog
We visit a group of campers who read "Building a Frog," an evocative poem by John Wooley. With the sounds of the
Abby Wendle
Senator David Holt Reads Shakespeare
Listen to Senator David Holt, representative of the 30th District of Oklahoma, read Shakespeare's Sonnet 46 at the 2012
Abby Wendle
Like Water for Soup
Hear it first. Subscribe to This Land Radio in iTunes. Janis Cramer grew up listening to her father's stories
Abby Wendle
Meet Your Meat
A little over a year ago, three friends confronted their meat-eating ways by participating in a field dressing class
Abby Wendle
Sam I Ham
Broadway star and Sand Springs native Sam Harris comes to terms with his four-year-old's messes, boo-boos, monster
Abby Wendle
The Bigheart Times
Louise Red Corn never wanted to own a newspaper. She liked the reporting end of journalism. But after moving to Osage
Abby Wendle
The Green Tree Dervish
For photographer Gaylord Herron, there's "something about trees." He's traveled all over the world photographing
Abby Wendle
To Be Normal
Hear it first. Subscribe to This Land Radio in iTunes. Elliott Heyne returned from war with permanent hearing
Abby Wendle
Kate Kline’s Veggies and Wine
In the 1960s, Kate Kline abandoned normal food and an oppressive marriage for long hair and a vegetarian
Abby Wendle
Bat Watch
Once a year, over a million bats fly to a cave in northwest Oklahoma to give birth. Natasha Ball took a trip to this
Abby Wendle
Cicada III
I am drawn to the empty husk of the Cicada where it clings to the bark of a tree in my backyard. Fearing I will
Scott Aycock
A Reading of Carol Johnson’s “Poet Issues”
Hear it first. Subscribe to This Land Radio in iTunes. Carol Johnson overcomes her fear of poets, then helps one
Carol Johnson
A Reading of Russell Cobb’s “Where the Buffalo Drift”
Hear it first. Subscribe to This Land Radio in iTunes. Russell Cobb drifts toward downtown Tulsa, and the
Russell Cobb
A Reading of Rivka Galchen’s “Severe Storm Watch”
Hear it first. Subscribe to This Land Radio in iTunes. Heroes rise from the McDonald's drive-thru in Rivka
Rivka Galchen
Cheryl Babcock
One of the most innovative architectural structures in the Midwest, Shin’en Kan was a house unparalleled. Bruce Goff
Shawna Lewis
This Land Radio: La Donna’s World
LaDonna Osborn spent her childhood traveling around the world with her evangelical parents, T.L. and Daisy.
This Land
This Land Radio: Episode 1 – Where is Oklahoma?
In our inaugural episode of This Land Radio, we asked the question on every Oklahoman's mind: Where the heck are
This Land
This Land Radio: Bob Wills Is A Hollering Fool
Folklorist Guy Logsdon tells us about Bob Wills, the Texas cotton picker who came to Tulsa and became the
This Land
This Land Radio: Episode 2 – Keeping Bees
Holly Wall talks Russian steak and virgin birth. Mark Brown gets lost in a beehive. Iraq and Afghanistan war
This Land
This Land Radio: Group Fitness by Roxanne Gay
This story was produced in partnership with The Oxford American. More at
This Land
W.T. Brady Court Transcript
In the early 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan had been so active in Tulsa, Oklahoma - doing everything from holding parades to
This Land
This Land Radio: Episode 3 – Sports!
This week, we learn the rules of the game just enough to question them. Russell Cobb tells the story of Johnny
This Land
The Imaginary Oklahoma Podcast
What do you think about when you think about Oklahoma? Imaginary Oklahoma is a new podcast from This Land Press,
This Land
Rebroadcast: This Machine Comes Home
Woody Guthrie visits our studio and gets us on his wavelength. Nora Guthrie asks us to dance. Tiffany Colannino reveals
This Land
This Land Radio: Episode 4 – Sugar and Dirt
This week, we dig. Tom Naples combs the archives for Dust Bowl memories. Holly Wall unearths dinosaur bones in
This Land
This Land Radio: Water Birth by Larina Lavergne
Birthing pools are growing in popularity. But this is the tale of a woman who was born in a kiddie pool on
This Land
The Imaginary Oklahoma Podcast Episode 1: Tom Mix
– Illustration by Jane Radstrom. ***Episode 1 of Imaginary Oklahoma features the story Tom Mix by John
This Land
This Land Radio: Episode 6 – Broken Down Hearted
Episode 6: Broken Down Hearted Show Description: This week, our heart is in a hole. Carol Johnson looks to a
This Land
This Land Radio: One Banshee and One Sunrise
Caldwell O’Keefe was part-owner of and bartender at Nine of Cups, a restaurant and bar on Tulsa’s Boston
This Land
The Imaginary Oklahoma Podcast Episode 2: Tigers of the Oklahoma Pool Halls
– Photograph by Richard Ortega *** Episode 2 of Imaginary Oklahoma features the lovely
This Land
This Land Radio: Episode 7 – Teenagers
Episode Episode 7: Teenagers This week, we meet a rock star on our paper route. Fareedah Shayeb is ecstatic,
This Land
The Imaginary Oklahoma Podcast Episode 3: Stillwater
– Illustration by Michelle Duckworth In episode 3 of Imaginary Oklahoma, Matt Bondurant's mystical and
This Land
This Land Radio: Episode 8 – Radio Potluck
Episode 8 - Radio Potluck This week, our friends each bring a dish. Long Haul Productions sings grace, The
This Land
This Land Radio: Bobby Wants to Get In Touch
Bobby Berryhill served with the Oklahoma National Guard for 16 months in Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s lived on
This Land
The Imaginary Oklahoma Podcast Episode 4: Rest Stop
- Photo by Shane Brown In this episode of Imaginary Oklahoma, Liz Blood reads Caitlin Horrocks’ story of a
This Land
This Land Radio: Episode 9 – This Machine Comes Home
This week, Woody Guthrie visits our studio and gets us on his wavelength. Nora Guthrie asks us to dance. Dance
This Land
THIS LAND RADIO: Hook Echo
With tornado season escalating in states from Oklahoma to Arkansas to Mississippi to North Carolina, This Land Radio is
This Land
This Land Radio: Private Manning Speaks
Private First Class Bradley Manning is currently our nation's most notorious whistleblower--the man many
This Land
The Imaginary Oklahoma Podcast Episode 5: Drinking Games
– Illustration by William Godwin In this episode of Imaginary Oklahoma, Carolyn Parkhurst's story
This Land
This Land Radio: Episode 10 – A Fork in the Road
This week, we go left or we go right. John Hood stands at the vertex and sells us a Coors. Pantoja buys a one way
This Land
This Land Radio: David Sedaris on Aging
In 2013, writer and humorist David Sedaris released a book of essays called "Let's Explore Diabetes with
This Land
The Imaginary Oklahoma Podcast Episode 6: Of All Places
Illustration by Derrick Dent In this episode, writer Lori Ostlund presents a tale about what people think about a
This Land
This Land Radio: Cattle Rustling in God’s Country
Jeff Emerson's ranch was robbed a few summers back. He lost hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cattle.
This Land
This Land Radio: My Baby Left Me
We stopped by the Harmonica Summit at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame and met Brian "Hash Brown" Calloway who
This Land
The Imaginary Oklahoma Podcast Episode 7: The Violinist
*** Illustration by Jeremy Luther In this episode of Imaginary Oklahoma, Emily St. John Mandel's "The Violinist"
This Land
A Reading of Jennie Lloyd’s “Asylum”
Hear it first. Subscribe to This Land Radio in iTunes. Jennie Lloyd descends into Oklahoma's state-run mental
Jennie Lloyd
Robert Coffey, Pediatrician
Photo: Bishop Rick Hollingsworth, with photo of Robert Coffey, MD. Dr. Robert Coffey was friendly and caring just like
Jennie Lloyd
O.T. “Lucky” Lane, Boxer and Navy Seaman
You might think someone with a nickname like “Lucky” had won the lottery or survived a plane crash. Or perhaps it
Jeff Martin
Jane Carmichael Everitt, Light Opera OK Co-Founder
One of the great benefits of being an artist, especially in the realms of performance and the recording arts, is that
Jeff Martin
Richard Belcher, Air Traffic Controller
Air traffic controllers are famously subjected to tremendous stress, but they may also be the most under-appreciated
Michael Mason
Cheryl Benford, Educator
From the sounds of it, Cheryl Benford was the kind of teacher who transcended her career by embracing both the daily
Michael Mason
Gary Lee Hahn, Waiter at Brownie’s Hamburger Stand
People come and go. We are born and then we die. It’s a simple equation. But places are different. And the
Michael Mason
Coleman Davis, Tulsa Teamster
There’s tough, and then there’s Teamster tough. With his tenacity and stubborn demeanor, C. Coleman Davis
Michael Mason
Carl “Uncle Zeb’ Bartholomew, Children’s Show Host & Filmmaker
If you were raised in Tulsa in the seventies, the name “Uncle Zeb” probably carries a mythic quality. The Uncle Zeb
Michael Mason
Josef Peter Hardt, Mr. Oktoberfest
You can’t live through October in Tulsa without someone asking you if you plan to attend Oktoberfest. Going on its
Michael Mason
Kristine Dixon, Realtor and Poetry Enthusiast
Most Tulsans who knew Kristine Dixon probably remember her as a realtor for McGraw Davisson Stewart, but many of her
Michael Mason
Grant Hastings, Inventor of Hasty Bake Charcoal Oven
There was once a time in America when summers didn’t automatically include grilling in the backyard, and then Grant
Michael Mason
Larry Dalton, Pianist
Tulsa has its hometown celebrities; Larry Dalton was certainly one of them. As a popular pianist, he was known for his
Michael Mason
Maurice Pianalto, Square Dance Caller
Maurice “Big Daddy” Pianalto. Auto mechanic. Italian. Okie. Square dance caller. Those few words are enough to make
Michael Mason
Heather Harp Howland, Diva
During the day, Heather Harp Howland was the larger-than-life personality who operated the England & Harp antique
Michael Mason
Charles “Chuck” Schnake, Public Relations Visionary
You only need to take a quick look around Tulsa to see Chuck Schnake’s fingerprints. They’re on your PikePass, your
Michael Mason
William Z. Duncan, Tough Veteran, Kind Principal
His students adored him, but few of them would ever know that their principal, William “Burma Bill” Duncan was part
Michael Mason
Oral Roberts, Televangelist and University Founder
Tributes to Oral Roberts flooded the airwaves after his passing. His son Richard said that he received hundreds of
Michael Mason
Goodbye Kavek, Polar Bear at the Tulsa Zoo
Today we're republishing an episode of This Land Radio's precursor, Goodbye Tulsa. In this segment, Karen Dunn,
Michael Mason
Betsy Horowitz, Civic Activist
If you lived in Tulsa through the seventies and eighties, you either loved or hated Betsy Horowitz. Today, you’re
Michael Mason
David MacKenzie, Anachronism
David MacKenzie was a fine arts critic and reporter for the Tulsa World who died in October of 2008. In this episode of
Michael Mason
Robert “Dr. Bob” Aikman, Obstetrician
With an estimated 27,000 baby deliveries during his career as a Tulsa obstetrician, it’s hard to believe that Robert
Michael Mason
Roger Swift, Barbershop Singer & Jazz Afficianado
If you look into the life and career of Roger B. Swift, you’ll a man of skill and accomplishment. He was a US Navy
Michael Mason
Bill Brown, Band Teacher & Jazz Musician
William Joseph “Bill” Brown was a musician and a music teacher, but to call him either is something of a misnomer.
Michael Mason
Billy Joe Daugherty, Pastor
The website at Victory Christian Center said their pastor had “graduated.” Press releases noted his passing,
Michael Mason
Bell’s Amusement Park
New York has its Coney Island; Tulsa had its Bell’s Amusement Park. Founded in 1951, Bell’s rapidly became the
Michael Mason
Ernest Wiemann, Blacksmith
When Ernest Wiemann first opened his metalcraft business in 1940, he probably didn't anticipate that it would forge the
Michael Mason
Chet Baker – Jazz Trumpeter
His music is legendary throughout the world, but, like many other artists, hardly recognized at home. Chet Baker spent
Michael Mason
Robert Lucy, Committed Teacher
Community college occupies a strange place in our culture—it’s sort of an academic Limbo, a time and experience
Michael Mason
E.W. Redmond, The Kite Gypsy
Among kite enthusiasts, E.W. Redmond was a celebrated artist. But as his friend Pam Vrooman suggests, he had achieved a
Michael Mason