Art and Culture

I’m Jim McKeown, welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

Patricia Highsmith died February 4, 1995.  She was an American novelist and short story writer widely known for her psychological thrillers.  The Cry of the Owl is one of my favorites. 

A cathedral in Washington DC was once thought of as being the resting place for the country’s greatest luminaries.

On a cool sunny Saturday in March 1925 a small procession moved through the Washington DC streets toward the National Cathedral from across the Potomac. Once again, Admiral George Dewey was on the move. It had been eight years since huge crowds lined the streets to watch solemnly as his body carried from the Capitol building to Arlington National Cemetery. Now, his widow and son wanted his body relocated to the Cathedral, of which he had been an ardent backer in

“God Gave Me a Song” by the Interdenominational Youth Choir was the launching pad for the great gospel artist Myrna Summer.    Click below to listen to this episode.  Click the title above to read along. 

Listen to this episode's featured song here:

On this edition of Conversations with Creative Waco, meet Mark Long - a long-time Waco resident and commercial writer who is the producer of  The Waco Insider.  Hear his conversation with Kennedy Sam about why he began his events calendar that is heavily focused on live music.  

Also on the program, Doreen Ravenscroft - Director at Waco Cultural Arts Fest.  She and Fiona Bond talk about Arts Fest 2021 and Bridge of Souls, an event that is a special remembrance of community members we have lost to COVID-19.  

Get all the information about great ways to get involved in our community - from great fundraisers and theatre shows, to Fall festivals and getting back to the 80's!

I’m Jim McKeown, welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

I have often tried numerous times to achieve even a minimal amount of skill on a piano.  Thad Carhart’s wonderful book, The Piano on the Left Bank: Discovering a Forgotten Passion in a Paris Atelier, gives me many interesting insights into music.  Thad is a dual citizen of Ireland and the US, and he has spent much of his life in France.  He now lives in Paris with his wife and children.

A jazz age dancer and singer will soon be in the company of famous French philosophers and novelists.

One of the most famous sites in Paris is a Roman style temple called the Pantheon.  When construction on it began in the mid-1700s it was intended to be a church. But, by the time it was finished, the French Revolution was going, so it was repurposed as a final resting place for French luminaries from the worlds of politics, science, and the arts.

The philosophers Voltaire and Rousseau are there; novelists like Victor Hugo and Emile Zola; key politicians like Leon Gambetta and Jean Jaures; scientists like Marie Curie.  On  

The Professional Gospel Singers’ “God Don’t Never Change” is a long-lost gospel treasure. 

I’m Jim McKeown, welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

Nick McDonell is the author of Twelve, The Third Brother, and An Expensive Education, as well as a number of books on political theory and reportage.  His latest book is, The Council of Animals. 

Introducing younger people to classical music is a way to build future audiences.

Click to listen to this episode:

The Greater Bright Morning Star Baptist Church is still making great gospel music in New Orleans after more than 60 years.

Click to listen to this episode:

Listen to the featured song:

Newly appointed CEO of Art Center of Waco, Doug McDurham is the guest on this September 2021 edition of the Central Texas Leadership Series.  Nan Holmes leads the conversation where we learn more about Doug and what led him to this position and what's to come for Art Center of Waco.  

COVID-19 cases remain high in the Waco area.  On this edition of Act Locally Waco you'll hear about where you can go to get vaccinated in addition to some local happenings.  If you do get out and about, we encourage you to practice social distancing and to wear a mask.  

There is a September 11th remembrance scheduled for Saturday morning, the Waco Civic Theatre run of Outside Mullingar begins, Pints and Paws, the Luck of the Draw Scholarship Fundraiser and the Act Locally Waco Book Club events are all included in this episode.

I’m Jim McKeown, welcome to Likely Stories, a weekly review of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

Few things excite me more than a new author with an inspiring novel.  Wayétu Moore is the founder of One Moore Book and is a graduate of Howard University, Columbia University, and the University of Southern California.  She teaches at the City University of New York’s John Jay College and lives in Brooklyn.  She Would Be King is her first novel.

As orchestras prepare for a new season, the audiences of the future are somewhere out there too.

Click to listen to this episode.
Click the title above to read along.