Great Arizona Puppet Theater

A performance of Rapunzel by the Great Arizona Puppet Theater before the pandemic.

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On this episode, the coronavirus pandemic continues to present challenges for creatives.

We’ll talk to a returning guest about it. Plus, we turn our attention to younger audiences and readers, beginning with puppets.

Jake Hoyungowa

Dr. Monica Brown is professor of English at Northern Arizona University where she teaches U.S. Latinx Literature, Chicanx Literature, and African American Literature.

The Great Arizona Puppet Theater in Phoenix has moved to a drive-in model for its shows.

The theater’s co-founder Nancy Smith and her daughter Gwen Bonar who is the assistant artistic director, joined us to talk about the adjustments they’ve made and how some classics have been updated for modernity.

The theater has been operating for 37 years.

Dr. Monica Brown is the daughter of a Peruvian immigrant and teaches multi-ethnic literature at NAU. She’s the author of many children’s books and she joined us to discuss her latest release, “Sharuko,” a Quechua word which means “brave.”  

Finally, Anna Flores is a Latina-American poet, writer, performer and ASU instructor.

Jairo Carreon

Poet, writer, performer and instructor Anna Flores.

We welcome her back after a previous appearance in April 2019.

A lot has changed since then, particularly how writers connect to audiences and even themselves.

We talk about how technology affects her writing process and she gives us a sample of her work inspired by the tenant crisis and letter written to her landlord which was picked up earlier this year by the Nation.

Portions of “Word” have been nominated for an Edward R. Murrow award.

Thanks for listening and your continued support of the literary arts in Arizona and the region!