ReadMHK Podcast

The focus of this episode is exploring beliefs. Join us as we speak with Reverend Caela Simmons Wood. Caela has a B.A. in History from Kansas State University, a Masters in Theological Studies at Perkins School of Theology at Dallas, and a Masters in Divinity at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. She became ordained in the United Church of Christ in 2010 and became the first female pastor of Manhattan's First Congregational United Church of Christ in 2014.

Caela is passionate about understanding and confronting systemic injustices, especially related to race, sexuality and gender, economic inequality, and environmental stewardship.

The focus of this episode is military life. Join us as we speak with Chad Moreau, a husband and father to four children, and a recently retired Air Force veteran. A native of New Orleans, Chad joined the Air Force following the September 11, 2001 attacks, with assignments in four states, and deployments to six countries.

The focus of this episode is the immigrant experience. Join us as we speak with Rohina and Zohra Safa, two sisters from Ghazni province in Afghanistan. They recently resettled here in Manhattan, Kansas with the help of the Manhattan Afghan Resettlement Team (MART) after they were forced to flee their home when the Taliban took over their country. We also speak with two volunteers from MART, Fatima Jaghoori and Sarah Inskeep, who were both instrumental in helping immigrants from Afghanistan resettle here in Manhattan.

Our inspiration for this episode of the ReadMHK podcast is this year's K-State First Book, Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why by Amanda Ripley. This book reviews not only disasters, both natural and man-made throughout history, but uses those disasters for context to examine how and why people survive, and what we can do to increase our odds of survival. Join us as we speak with Annie Spence, a personal trainer who offers client-centered coaching, based on her years of experience, her degree in Kinesiology, and her broad-reaching professional certifications. Thanks to her previous strength training, Annie survived a traumatic crush injury in New Zealand that led to a six-month hospital stay, left her with 29 screws and three plates in her pelvis and spine, and she eventually had a complete hip replacement. This left Annie with an even greater gratitude for movement, health, and strength.

On this month of the ReadMHK podcast we are focused on Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Join us as we speak with Fanny Fang, a proud first-generation Chinese Kansan, a graduate of New York University, and currently the Chief People Officer of Mama Fang's International Market. Her focus is on carrying out the market's mission to cultivate nourished communities by feeding the human mind, body, and soul.

On this month of the ReadMHK podcast we are focused on poetry. Join us as we speak with Dr. Traci Brimhall, a poet and author of four poetry collections, most recently Come the Slumberless to the Land of Nod. Dr. Brimhall is also an Associate Professor and the Director of Creative Writing at Kansas State University.

On this month of the ReadMHK podcast we are focused on female authors and the important role women have played in our local history. Join us as we speak with Allana Parker, who was previously the Curator of Design for the Riley County Historical Museum and currently serves as the Director. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Manhattan / Riley County Preservation Alliance, Kansas State Historical Society Foundations, Wonder Workshop Children's Museum, and she's the Treasurer for the Kansas Museums Association.

On this month of the ReadMHK podcast we will focus on Black authors. Join us as we speak with Marcus Kidd, who is the General Manager of the the local movie theater and is the Assistant Director for Enrollment Management and Institutional Partnerships for the K-State College of Education. Marcus also teaches Foundations of College Student Success and is involved with the Student Governing Association at K-State.

On this month of the ReadMHK podcast we are focused on books about helping others. Join us as we speak with Jayme Morris-Hardeman, the Executive Director of Thrive! and an Advocate Supervisor for the Sunflower CASA Project.

On this month of the podcast we are focused on books that were published in the last year or two. Join us as we speak with our library Director, Linda Knupp, and our Collection Services Manager, Marcy Allen. Both Linda and Marcy are retiring at the end of the year and we wanted to pick their brains before they go off to explore their interests outside the library.

On this month of the ReadMHK podcast we will focus on Native and Indigenous Authors. Join us as we speak with Dr. Debra Bolton, who directs intercultural learning and development and is faculty in geography, at Kansas State University. In her work, she collaborates with academic and student life colleagues to advance equitable representation of historically excluded or underrepresented identities in higher education.

On this month of the ReadMHK podcast we will focus on Hispanic and Latinx authors, and talk about learning a new language. Join us as we speak with Elsa Valarezo, a full-time language instructor, interpreter, and translator with 20 years of professional experience teaching students English as a second language.

On this month of the ReadMHK podcast we will focus on dystopian fiction, highlighting the K-State First Book choice The Marrow Thieves, by Cherie Dimaline. Join us as we speak with Tara Coleman, K-State First Book Coordinator.