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In 1856, William Henry Perkin, an 18-year old chemistry student at the time, was trying to synthesize malaria drug, when accidentally developed a purple dye. This dye is believed to be one of the first steps of chemistry taking over the world.

What living in a world made from chemicals means for "The Sensitives".

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Jes Baker on making self-love a part of the pandemic; and a Summer 2020 insect update from "The King of Sting", Justin O. Schmidt.
Steve Roach in his adopted home, the desert.

Composer Steve Roach believes "The music is the medicine".

Also on Arizona Spotlight: How the podcast "Epilogue" tells the story of one woman's suicide, and the family she left behind; plus a very short story about love adrift at sea by Aurelie Sheehan.
Yvonne Montoya

How the arts survive challenging times.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Meet the new director of the Arts Foundation for Tucson & Southern Arizona; how the mother & son collaboration "Stories from Home: Covid-19 Addendum" came to be; and fostering creativity in a virtual space.
A participant of the July 4th March for Justice in Tucson

What Americans need to talk about.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Meet 1A's new host Jenn White; voices from the Tucson March for Justice; and Doug 'Cosmo' Clifford rediscovers a "Magic Window".
Ryan Parker Knox (left) and Joseph McGrath performing "The Mark on the Wall" by Virginia Woolf in the AZPM radio studio.

Rogue Radio presents Virginia Woolf's "The Mark on the Wall"

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Tucson Samaritans' 18 year mission continues; and how the border wall endangers the future of the Sonoyta mud turtle.
A Black Lives Matter mural painted by Robbie Lee Harris June 2020 at Tucson's Rialto Theatre.

You may know how you feel about a social issue, but have you asked yourself why?

Also on Arizona Spotlight: A Tucson nurse on being a coronavirus survivor; the stage lights are back on at Invisible Theatre; and a look back at the cinematic paradox of "La Jetée".
Life casts can be a powerful tool for self-exploration, says Paul Weir, a key organizer of Tucson's annual All Souls Procession.

Behind the Mask

Also on Arizona Spotlight: A plea on behalf of sacred lands threatened by border wall construction; and a sincere thank you to comic book legend Dennis J. O'Neil.
Tucson candlelight vigil for George Floyd, held at the Dunbar Center on June 1st, 2020.

Adiba Nelson asks “What will it take for America to understand the pain of Black women?”

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Preserving the hidden history of one of Tucson's oldest Black communities; SpaceX launches a new era in space travel; and - was Speedway Boulevard ever really the ugliest street in America?
In his book "At the Center of All Beauty: Solitude and the Creative Life", Fenton Johnson uncovers what role did solitude play in the lives of famous writers, thinkers and artists.

"At the Center of All Beauty": Author Fenton Johnson on the connection between solitude and creativity

Also on Arizona Spotlight: How a DNA test revealed a sensitive family secret; and essays from two young women about the changes the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to their lives.
A scene from the film "DUSTWUN", written and directed by Genevieve Anderson.

DUSTWUN - A film about life, death & trust on the U.S. / Mexico border.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: How Imago Dei Middle School is building community with food; and - can a borderlands hotel that has survived a century endure the COVID-19 pandemic?
Alex Ciavarelli and Rudy Marquez are the acoustic swing duo The Django Shredders.

Spotlight Session: The Django Shredders take classic Gypsy jazz to the next level.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: How a food bank in Phoenix is offering assistance to as many as 8 families every 90 seconds.
Adiba Nelson with her daughter Emory.

“'Rona needs to stay away!”: How a single mother stays resilient.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Free meals for our community; and an interview with César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, author of "Migrating to Prison: America's Obsession with Locking Up Immigrants".
Produce from one of the vendors at the Heirloom Farmers Markets at Rillito Park.

How Farmers Markets are surviving - and evolving - during the pandemic.

Also on Arizona Spotlight:The Arts Foundation makes emergency relief grants available to local artists; a conversation with food writer & former EMT Jane Stern; and a short story from Aurelie Sheehan.
John Coinman in the desert.

Spotlight Session: John Coinman

Also on Arizona Spotlight: how to build community resilience in the midst of the crisis.
"The Decameron" by Franz Xaver Winterhalter.

What "The Decameron", a Medieval Italian masterpiece, can tell us about life during a pandemic.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Why a Tucsonan named Taylor chose to get involved in the conflict in Syria; and Frank Figliuzzi speaks on putting Taylor's story in context with U.S. foreign policy.
The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

Food bank starting 'drive-through' distribution and prepping for increased need

The organization also says it has increased its hygienic practices and canceled one of its top fundraising events of the year.

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