June 19, 2014 / Modified jun 19, 2014 10:53 p.m.

Arizona Spotlight for June 20, 2014

Soul food, music and freedom at annual Juneteenth celebration; anthropologists share secret history of agave; poet Dorothy Parker inspires one-woman show; retired Tucsonan living his "dream deferred" as a volunteer.

Crowd at Juneteenth SPT An indoor-outdoor festival, Juneteenth features live entertainment, games, crafts and information.
Laura Markowitz

Featured on the June 20th, 2014 edition of ARIZONA SPOTLIGHT with host Mark McLemore:

  • Laura Markowitz meets attendees at the 44th annual Tucson celebration of Juneteenth, an American holiday that includes soul food, music, and conversations about freedom...

  • Between them, Paul and Suzanne Fish have more than 90 years of experience as experts on ancient Hohokam culture. Though they have retired as professors at the University of Arizona, their love of field work and their contributions to the Arizona State Museum continue. Tony Paniagua talks with them about the history of the agave plant in Southwestern agriculture...

  • “The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue.” Today, poet Dorothy Parker is remembered more for her outspoken wit than her unconventional life. Mark McLemore talks with actress Lesley Abrams about writing and starring in a new one-woman show called Dorothy Parker's Last Call...

  • Meet Abe Lackow, a retired Tucsonan who is fulfilling his lifelong passion for biology as a volunteer at the Arizona - Sonora Desert Museum, in a story from Minneapolis-based radio producer Nancy Rosenbaum...

Listen:

ARIZONA SPOTLIGHT airs every Friday at 8:30 am and 6:00 pm, and every Saturday at 5:00 pm, on NPR 89.1 FM / 1550 AM.

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