Prolific author Roxane Gay visits Iowa City April 2nd - 7th as a Writer-in-Residence for this year's Mission Creek Festival. She has two books coming out in 2014. Her fiction and essays appear in dozens of national magazines and in her previously-published book Ayiti.

She's co-editor of Pank Magazine, essays editor of The Rumpus, and she teaches writing at Eastern Illinois University. She'll appear at Prairie Lights Tuesday, April 2nd alongside author John D'Agata. On this episode of "The Studio" Roxane reads one of her stories; Joe Tiefenthaler announces Mission Creek's amazingly full literary lineup; and Sarah Dodson, Executive Editor of Make Literary Productions, reveals the backstory behind the founding of Make: A Literary Magazine. Tune in!

Station manager James Moore and AROUND TOWN host Melinda Arndt talk with New York Times' best-selling author and motivational speaker Brendon Burchard and top internet marketer Joe Polish about their visit to Fairfield and upcoming awards presentation at Dalby Hall in the Argiro Center on MUM campus Friday, March 29th.

"Bartending proved instrumental in how the magazine formed...." Sarah Dodson, Executive Director of Make Literary Productions, reveals the backstory behind the 2005 founding of Make: A Literary Magazine. She also discusses how Make, which she cofounded with writing friends, forges connections among writers and artists spread across the globe. Containing work from writers in the U.S., Mexico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic, the latest issue, Exchange/Intercambio, features work translated from Spanish to English and others translated from English to Spanish. Join us for an fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of a literary journal and the minds of the volunteers whose devotion keeps it relevant and fresh. Sarah and other Make writers will be in Iowa City next week for the Mission Creek Festival.

James Moore speaks with Iowa City's Andre Perry, Mission Creek Festival co-founder

Miriam Katz is a New York based curator and writer. She has organized exhibitions and performances for MoMA PS1, The Kitchen, Art21, Columbia University, and Deloitte Consulting. Ms. Katz has written on the relationship between comedy and art and recently conducted a panel discussion at MoMA on Andy Kaufman's Influence on Contemporary Comedians.

Tim Hawthorne, of Hawthorne Direct talks about his company and the great work he's doing with First Fridays ArtWalk

At 7:30 PM on Sunday, April 7th the McFarland Gaub Violin and Piano Duo will perform three Johann Brahms sonatas at the Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts. Tune in to hear bits of each sonata and Nancy and Gene's discussion of how each one is unique. They'll also give us their predictions about the future of classical music.

Gene and Nancy, husband and wife, are both faculty members in Grinnell College's Music Department. As a pianist, Gene made his New York debut performing Bartok's First Piano Concerto with the Juilliard Orchestra at Lincoln Center. He's given solo piano recitals at Carnegie Hall and many other venues. He's also performed with orchestras in Vienna and Salzburg. A specialist in chamber music, he's performed with many ensembles throughout the U.S. 

KRUU host Keith DeBoer has an informal afternoon chat with Gavin Jones. A singer-songwriter whose sound has been described as a sweet, soft, and unique acoustic folk that shares a melodic lineage with Jeff Buckley, Bon Iver and James Vincent McMorrow. His gentle falsetto and soaring melodies lead listeners to a silent contentment and takes them on a journey through the human heart.  His album, called simply, The Fountain, features homespun tales of relationships, nature, God, honesty, frailty and strength.  A rare and perfect intersection of heart, mind, wood, string and a voice that explores the depths of our universal soul.