MK, one of the cats that lives in Poets Square.
Courtney Gustafson
July 24, 2025
Featured on the July 24th, 2025 edition of ARIZONA SPOTLIGHT with host Mark McLemore:
- Set sail for “Sea Camp”, a new podcast from Emily Kwong and Regina Barber, the hosts of the NPR series “Short Wave”. Find out how they report on the current state of the world’s oceans, including climate change and the surprising ecosystems that have evolved around man-made “trash islands”. "Short Wave" has started a newsletter for listeners to learn more about the ocean. You can sign up here.
Regina Barber (left) and Emily Kwong (right), hosts of NPR's "Short Wave".
NPR / Mahri Shaw
"Sea Camp" is a 2025 summer mini-series produced by the team of the NPR podcast, "Short Wave".
- Meet Courtney Gustafson, the author of “Poets Square: A Memoir in Thirty Cats”. This New York Times best-seller tells Gustafson’s personal story of finding her way in the world and understanding human nature through her experience tending to a colony of feral cats in Tucson.
VIEW LARGER "Poets Square: A Memoir in Thirty Cats" by Courtney Gustafson. Lola in the background is one of the cats who lives in Poets Square. Courtney Gustafson
VIEW LARGER Courtney Gustafson, author of "Poets Square: A Memoir in Thirty Cats". Off Kilter Productions
VIEW LARGER Courtney Gustafson with Dr. Big Butt. Courtney Gustafson
VIEW LARGER Pilaf, Potpie, and Casserole, all cats who live in Poets Square. Courtney Gustafson
VIEW LARGER Quesadilla Jr., one of the cats that lives in Poets Square. Courtney Gustafson
- And, Tony Paniagua talks with Jack Dash and Luke Takata, the authors of a new illustrated book called “The Southwest Native Plant Primer: 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden”. They want to help local gardeners find plants that are colorful, easy to care for, and better for our desert environment. You can learn more here about Jack and Luke’s previous project on the Atascosa Mountains in Pinal County southwest of Tucson.
VIEW LARGER Best friends Luke Takata (left) and Jack Dash in the AZPM Radio Studio. Tony Paniagua / AZPM
VIEW LARGER "The Southwest Native Plant Primer: 235 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden" by Jack Dash, Luke Takata, and Arizona Native Plant Society. Jack Dash, Luke Takata, and Arizona Native Plant Society
Arizona Spotlight airs every Thursday at 8:30 am and 6:00 pm and every Friday at 8:00 pm on NPR 89.1 FM / 1550 AM. You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, or the NPR App. See more from Arizona Spotlight.
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