Rex Buchanan

Ever wonder what the Plains Indians used for food? If you answered bison or buffalo, you are partially correct. There's no denying the importance of bison in the diet of Plains Indians but wild plants also complimented their diet. A KU professor's book explores the prairie turnips, chokecherries and other wild foods that can still be found and eaten today.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the deadliest aviation disaster in Kansas history. The tragedy took place in Wichita. Commentator Rex Buchanan recently visited a memorial that honors the victims.

Kansas hasn't always looked the way it looks today. It's been changing. A new book pinpoints changes across Kansas and the Great Plains using a technique called rephotography. Commentator Rex Buchanan reviews the book One Hundred and Fifty Years of Change on the Great Plains by University of Kansas biologist Town Peterson.

The Kansas Flint Hills has lost one of its strongest voices. Author Jim Hoy died Saturday, February 22, 2025. The 86-year-old professor and prolific writer died within hours of son, Josh.

A new exhibit at the Spencer Museum of Art, called "Native Fashion," is getting high praise from someone who says he doesn't know, understand or even care about fashion. Hear why Commentator Rex Buchanan is so enthralled with this exhibit, even though he is no slave to fashion himself.

There's something compelling about visiting historic sites, particularly places where sad and tragic events unfolded. Commentator Rex Buchanan visits two places that conjure up dark images from America's distant and not so distant past.

A new book examines the natural world inside the Kaw basin, that area of land that drains into the Kansas River. The book is called In the Country of the Kaw, by James Locklear. Commentator Rex Buchanan gives us his review.

People from all across the country are coming to Kansas to see a bird. The lesser prairie chicken used to roam the Great Plains by the millions, but now... the population has dwindled to around 25,000. Commentator Rex Buchanan recently took some out-of-state folks to see the rare bird in its native habitat.

Ever been to a museum in a foreign country and discovered an item on display from your own neck of the woods? Depending on the object and the exhibit, it can be hard to know how to feel about seeing that item. Commentator Rex Buchanan talks about a trip to a museum in Great Britain where he discovered an object on display from his own home state.

A new book details the life and times of a Pulitzer Prize winning author Willa Cather, who wrote novels about life on the Great Plains. KPR Commentator Rex Buchanan reviews the book Chasing Bright Medusas, by Benjamin Taylor.