KPR Presents
KPR Presents is an opportunity to showcase high-profile, thought-provoking lectures, discussions and dialogues recorded throughout the region. There are so many fascinating people who come to this area, everyone from Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor to syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts. KPR Presents is a great way to share some of those lectures with our listeners. We have also been able to expand the program to cover a broad range of topics, including the Kansas Sesquicentennial, the National Day of Listening and the Kansas Reads program sponsored by the State Library of Kansas, just to name a few. Subscribe via your favorite podcast platforms.
Latest Episodes
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Robert Rebein is the author of "The Last Rancher," named a 2025 Kansas Notable Book and winner of the 2025 J. Donald Coffin Memorial Award in Fiction. It's the story of a family trying to hold onto their ranch in western Kansas in the face of financial struggles, a serious accident, and lots of family drama. -
From his early days at KANU to keeping score on NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, award-winning journalist Bill Kurtis retraces his career in this special broadcast from KPR's recent book launch for his new memoir, "Whirlwind: My Life Reporting the News." -
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg battles a rare eye cancer and helps save a historic family farm in her latest book, The Magic Eye: A Story of Saving a Life and a Place in the Age of Anxiety. -
How did an inventor manage to build a subway in New York City...in secret? KPR's own Matthew Algeo tells the story in "New York's Secret Subway: The Underground Genius of Alfred Beach and the Origins of Mass Transit." -
Bill Kurtis: legendary broadcaster, Kansas native, KANU alumnus, and now...author! He joins us to talk about his new memoir, "Whirlwind: My Life Reporting the News," in advance of his Lawrence book launch, September 18th. We also preview the Kansas Book Festival, coming up September 20th in Topeka. -
35 years ago, Senator Bob Dole led a delegation to Kosovo to signal support for the republic's independence movement. Dole Institute of Politics director Audrey Coleman talks about the significance of that historic visit and this year's fall line-up at the Institute. We also hear from Fran Borin, author of "The Spirit of Quindaro," named a Great Read from Great Places book for young readers. -
The Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence is the first stop for "Americans," a new Smithsonian traveling exhibit that looks at how Native Americans stories and images infuse American life and culture. We visit "Americans" with Steve Nowak, director of the Watkins Museum, and Andrew Stockmann, curator of exhibitions. We also preview the Paper Plains Zine Fest, taking place Labor Day weekend in Lawrence. -
The Library of Congress's Center for the Book recently released its annual "Great Reads from Great Places." One of two books representing Kansas this year: "Abolitionist of the Most Dangerous Kind: James Montgomery and His War on Slavery" by Todd Mildfelt and David Schafer. -
The stories of life behind bars, by those living it. We'll hear from the creators of the podcast Ear Hustle, bringing their live show to Lawrence this weekend. Also, Brian Daldorph shares the poetry of former inmate Antonio Sanchez Day. -
As the Menninger Clinic marks its 100th anniversary, Dr. Walt Menninger talks about the clinic, mental health care in the U.S., and lessons learned in his 93 years. We're also joined by Todd Fertig, co-author of "Like What You Do: The Memoirs of Dr. Walt Menninger."
