I've decided to add a new feature to my "Now" page called "What I'm Reading Now." Why? Quite frankly, I miss contributing book reviews to Around Cincinnati, that culture arts radio show hosted and produced by my good friend Lee Hay. Sadly, my volunteer position as a book reviewer for that NPR affiliate ended with the cancellation of Around Cincinnati in August 2020. I've never been happier than I was over the past 10 years as I was privileged to review academic press titles and anything Appalachian or Kentuckian for WVXU.org.
My high-quality microphone voice was muffled by the pandemic. No one but essential personnel were allowed to record their segments in the studio for several months. Most programming went remote. However, I learned how to video my reviews on my excellent MacBook Pro and then extract an audio file. Lee Hay and I worked out a system for transferring files, she edited my segments for time, the engineers sweetened our sound a little, and we continued through August.
Although the show was cancelled, I still read some good books. Plus I continue to engage with a rich and growing online poetry community. While it's true that my current onboard mic has its limitations, I think I can still muster some reviews that authors might find useful in their quest to communicate. So, I will still tell you what I'm up to on the Now page. You're just going to get a little piece of my reading mind as well.
Brave new world that has such features in it.
Schultz in.