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A unique opportunity to support student literacy through Reading Quest, hone your writing skills and participate in stimulating conversation with wonderful local authors. Coming up this Saturday, September 7th meet eight of New Mexico’s finest authors in the genre of Memoir and Mystery. As a preview, I interview historical mystery writer, Kari Bovee, author of 14 “cosy” mysteries including The Pryce of Murder series, and workshop organizer, memoirist Bettye Kearse author of The Other Madisons: The Lost History of A President’s Black Family. Saturday, September 7th, 9:00 am at Santa Fe Women’s Club. The afternoon session on mystery begins at 1:00 pm with a keynote by Anne Hillerman. Registration details for the full day or half day at bettyekearse.com

Journey down to the Mississippi Gulf Coast of the turbulent 1950s with award-winning author Minrose Gwin and her unforgettable characters with enchanting names like Memory Feather. How does a writer portray the angst and terror and also the beauty of times past? Minrose Gwin has a deft and rich, descriptive style to her prose and composes a picture for us so vivid that might have us swatting (imagined) mosquitos as we read Beautiful Dreamers in our air conditioned living rooms. A fabulous storyteller from Albuquerque to add to our reading list and meet at Books in The Bosque on Sunday, September 8th at 2:00 pm minrosegwin.com

In just over five months, New Mexicans will head to the polls for the state’s primary election, setting the stage for one of the most consequential races on the November ballot: the contest to elect the next governor to succeed incumbent Michelle Lujan Grisham.On this program, the two leading Democratic candidates—former congresswoman and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Bernalillo County District Attorney Samuel Bregman—join Forum hosts Jim Falk and Peter Smith in separate interviews. To allow listeners to compare their views, the same questions were posed to each candidate whenever possible.

A deep, intimate and gentle dive into the journey of a mathematician, loved educator and writer into the Buddhist teachings of mindfulness. Richard Brady joins me with his new book, Short Journey Home: Awakening to Freedom with Thich Nhat Hanh. Richard’s immersion in Judaism, Buddhism and the Quaker tradition uniquely prepare him practice and teach Mindfulness to educators and students even as his personal life is challenged, then and now, by close family members with Alzheimer’s disease.

Finally here with their long-awaited new book, Slow Travel New Mexico: Unforgettable Personal Experiences in The Land of Enchantment, our beloved local travel journalists, Judith Fein and Paul Ross. A guide book like no other from world travelers like no other. What is Slow Travel and how can you carve your own adventurous path in your neighborhood? Begin with an old-fashioned map, stick in a pin and let your imagination and curiosity lead the way, says Judie. Spot something intriguing along the side of the road as you drive? Stop and take a closer look, says Paul. A big, black, hairy creature grazing among cows turned out to be a Yak, native to Nepal ! Slow down, way down, talk to local folks and listen to what they have to say. Want to really dance with wolves? They’re closer by than you think. Be prepared to discard your day’s agenda and discover beauty, deliciousness and new friends. Slow Travel New Mexico, filled with hundreds of Paul’s full color photographs and tales tall and true.unmpress.com and globaladventure.us

Author, journalist and co-founder of The Santa Fe International Literary Festival,Carmella Padilla, explores the intersection of art, culture and history here in NewMexico. Her skills, lifelong knowledge and passion place her in the perfect position to support and nourish many loved and respected local arts organizations and special events. Right now Carmella is working with Santa Fe Reads on their final Big Read event at Santa Fe Convention Center celebrating author Madeline Miller and her book Circe which takes place at 5:00 on Thursday, May 16th and is free and open to the public. The following evening is the opening of this year’s International Literary Festival. During our interview we discuss how the seeds of the Festival were planted and why Santa Fe is such a rich choice and fertile ground for those seeds to thrive and flower. Complete info on the Festival at www.sfinternationallitfest.org and a reminder that students, teachers and librarians can request a free ticket to a presentation of their choice.

It has been 38 years since Natalie Goldberg’s beloved breakthrough book Writing Down The Bones inspired tens of thousands of hesitant writers and seasoned authors. So I am honored that Natalie can join me today in person with Writing on Empty: A Guide to Finding Your Voice. Yet, “Empty,” you ask? How could one of New Mexico’s and the whole country’s most gifted and prolific writers struggle to find her creative voice after publishing at least fifteen books of poetry, Haiku and personal stories and teaching writing practice around the world ? It wasn’t writer’s block, reveals Natalie early in our interview. Writers block is something solid, entrenched, yet really it is fluid and movement of any measure, body and mind, can begin to free the stuckness. Writing on Empty is part memoir, part travel journal, part teaching, storytelling at its best, yet to categorize this book in any genre is to succumb to the image of something set in stone. 160 pages of evocative imagery, Natalie takes us from our sweetest leafy park to Abiquiu Lake and blessed parts of our loved nation in between. Read it over a couple of evenings or savor slowly. Writing on Empty: A Guide to Finding Your Voice. Published by St. Martins and available everywhere, especially at your local bookstores.

With me today is Christina Vo a Vietnamese American who has written an exquisitely crafted memoir with her father, Nghia M. Vo. My Vietnam, Your Vietnam: A Father Flees, A Daughter Returns. Nghia, risking death, torture or imprisonment was miraculously picked up by a small rescue boat a few days after the fall of Saigon in April, 1975 and eventually forged a new life in the United States. Yet like many refugees Christina’s parents never spoke to their children of the horrors of the war and their harrowing escape, even only speaking their native language when Christina and her sister were asleep or out of earshot. So it was after college in the Midwest that Christina began to feel a yearning to discover her rich ancestral roots and journeyed first to Hanoi. The theme of reconciliation runs like a precious gem through our vibrant conversation. My Vietnam, Your Vietnam published by Three Rooms Press.

Travel back in time to some of the most unspoiled, beautiful places on earth with Santa Fe’s own Hampton Sides who transports us across The Wide Wide Sea, the title of his enthralling new book about Captain James Cook’s final voyage. With piercing insight and extraordinary detail we are immersed in the “moral complexity” of this age of enlightenment and adventure and the consequences millions live with today. Meet Hampton at Collected Works in Santa Fe on Tuesday, April 9th at 6:00 pm, in Albuquerque at the main library April 10th at 7:00 and in Taos on Saturday, April 13 at OpCit Books at 2:00.hamptonsides.com

Honored today to be joined by Buddhist Dharma teacher, Cynthia Jurs, celebrating the publication of her book Summoned By The Earth: Becoming A Holy Vessel for Healing Our World. As a young woman, Cynthia undertook a pilgrimage to Nepal to meet a revered, aged Rinpoche who she hoped would answer her heartfelt question, “What can I do to bring healing and protection to the earth?” He told her that his monks would make her small clay pots called Earth Treasure Vases infused with prayers and to bury them in land with the greatest need for healing. With the help and friendship of indigenous and tribal peoples all over the globe Cynthia has taken Earth Treasure Vases to more than 20 countries in the past 30 years. Her story is extraordinary. You can meet her at Collected Works on March 22nd at 6:00 pm and discover the depth and breadth of her global healing quest at gaiamandala.net and at summonedbytheearth.org