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A Chat with Steve Lopez, Whose Bestselling "The Soloist" Is the "One Book, One Tulsa" Selection

Aired on Thursday, September 15th.

On this edition of StudioTulsa, we listen back to a 2008 discussion with author and journalist Steve Lopez about his bestselling nonfiction account, "The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music." At that time, this book -- which explores themes of mental illness, homelessness, artistic inspiration, and creativity -- had just come out; it was later the basis for major motion picture of the same title. Now, the Mental Health Association Oklahoma's 2016 National Zarrow Mental Health Symposium, in collaboration with the Tulsa City-County Library, has announced a community-wide reading initiative, entitled "One Book, One Tulsa," that is focused on this book. Thus Mr. Lopez will soon be in Tulsa to discuss "The Soloist," answer questions from the audience, and sign copies of this book at a free presentation on Wednesday the 28th. This event begins at 7pm, and it happens at the newly remodeled Central Library (at 5th Street and Denver Avenue). Also, on the following night, Thursday the 29th -- and again at 7pm, at the TCCL's Central Library -- there will be a free screening of the film "The Soloist" (starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx). Both events are open to the public, but reservations are required. You can call 918-549-7323 to make a reservation, or for more information.

Rich Fisher passed through KWGS about thirty years ago, and just never left. Today, he is the general manager of Public Radio Tulsa, and the host of KWGS’s public affairs program, StudioTulsa, which celebrated its twentieth anniversary in August 2012 . As host of StudioTulsa, Rich has conducted roughly four thousand long-form interviews with local, national, and international figures in the arts, humanities, sciences, and government. Very few interviews have gone smoothly. Despite this, he has been honored for his work by several organizations including the Governor's Arts Award for Media by the State Arts Council, a Harwelden Award from the Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa, and was named one of the “99 Great Things About Oklahoma” in 2000 by Oklahoma Today magazine.
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