Stories from the Grand County Community of Writers is a collaboration between KFFR and the Grand County Library District, with support from the Grand County Library Foundation. Each week through November 7th, an original story or essay will air at 4 pm on Sunday, with a live conversation with the author. The story will play again the following Wednesday morning at 7 am. The stories and essays were selected because of their connections to life in the high country. The entire collection is available for streaming below.
Stories from Local Writers
Written by KFFR on September 19, 2021
Listen Below
KFFR Air Date: Sunday, Sept 12 and Wednesday, Sept 19
Originally appeared in Adventure Journal, Spring 2019
Bio: Martin J. Smith, a veteran journalist and former senior editor of the Los Angeles Times Magazine, is the author of five crime novels and five nonfiction books, including “Going to Trinidad: A Doctor, a Colorado Town, and Stories from an Unlikely Gender Crossroads.” He has won more than fifty newspaper and magazine writing awards, and his novels have been nominated for three of the publishing industry’s most prestigious honors, including the Edgar Award, the Anthony Award, and the Barry Award.
KFFR Air Date: Sunday, Sept. 19 and Wednesday, Sept. 22
Bio: Linda F. Willing is a retired firefighter and former backcountry ranger who divides her time between the mountains of Colorado and New Mexico. She has published short fiction and essays in The Pennsylvania Gazette, the Birmingham Arts Journal, Thema, Alabama Writers’ Conclave and in 2017 won first place in the 405 Fiction contest for the Exposition Review. She is the author of On the Line: Women Firefighters Tell Their Stories.
KFFR Air Date: Sunday Oct. 10 and Wednesday, Oct. 13
Bio: Not only is Kent Gunnfuson a journeyman in several building trades and experienced at managing multistory construction, but he eventually went on to sell real estate and authored the Mountain Real Estate Buyer’s Guide, an insightful reference for buying property in the Rocky Mountains. In 1993 Kent produced and hosted Photo-Talk for Denver Community Television (and two decades later the Internet version of Photo-Talk) and also became an independent producer for (CBS affiliate KCNC-4) and NBC. His segments promoted local artists and were part of Mosaic’s programming that won a national award in 1998 for the top 30 national markets.
KFFR Air Date: Sunday, October 17 and Wednesday, October 20
Bio: Pam retired from a long Civil Engineering career in Boulder to enjoy more time with her family, skiing and hiking in the mountains of Colorado. She is a charter member of the Grand County Community of Writers and enjoys writing essays about local topics and family relationships, as well as current events.
Listen
This essay was read by Kate Elliott of Treehouse Voice Overs.
KFFR Air Date: Sunday, October 24 and Wednesday, October 27
Bio: Anna Szczepanski is a librarian living in Winter Park, Colorado. She is more of a reader than a writer, but enjoys participating in the Grand County Community of Writers. She is also a volunteer DJ at KFFR.
KFFR Air Date: Sunday, November 7 and Wednesday, November 10
Interview with Steve Skinner: Listen
Bio: Ann Heckman has called Grand County home for 39 years. She taught preschool, and public school in Fraser and Granby. Reading and writing are always the highlight of her days. Upon retirement from the public school, Ann volunteered as a docent at the Cozens Museum in Fraser. The Cozens were among the original pioneers of Grand County.
Ann said, ” As I led tours through the Cozens house, I began to feel that that I knew this brave family. The walls spoke to me of their lives and the historical artifacts told the story. I began to write the story in my mind using historical fiction. Walking through the house I put myself into 1873, as William Cozens led his wife and three children over the big mountain to the beautiful valley that became Grand County. In my research, I read many stories about life in 1873, but none told in the voice of the oldest Cozens’ daughter, twelve-year-old Mary. My years teaching elementary school led me to imagine a twelve year old Mary and the family, based on true historical accounts. I used many of the images that Mary had described in her non-fictional diary, Haps and Mishaps, written in 1887.”
Story: Listen
This story is read by Riley Mae Skinner.
KFFR Air Dates: Sunday, November 14 and Wednesday, November 17
Bio: An independent consultant who is committed to freeing writers’ voices, MaxieJane Frazier is the author of creative and academic work. Her recent publications include essays and reviews found in The Line Literary Review, The Willa Cather Review, CONSEQUENCE Magazine, The Routledge Companion to Literature and Food as well as other literary magazines and academic publications. As retired Senior Military Faculty at the Air Force Academy, MaxieJane spent more than twenty years focusing on literature and creative writing. She has a dual-genre MFA in fiction and nonfiction from the Bennington Writing Seminars and a Ph.D. in literature from the University of Delaware. MaxieJane teaches graduate creative writing courses with Southern New Hampshire University. She finds her inspiration and her joy riding her horse, Gus.
KFFR Air Dates: Sunday 11/21 and Wednesday, 11/24
Bio: Lisa is a Global VP with Sotheby’s International Realty. When not traveling for business, Lisa spends as much as possible at her home in Granby Colorado. She loves the Rocky Mountains and enjoys riding her horses, hiking with her dog, paddle boarding and skiing. She is a member of the Grand County Community of Writers and hopes to eventually dedicate more time to writing than reading.
Bandit’s Story: Listen
Read by the author.
Original music by Steve Skinner: “Eddy” off his solo album “Songs from the River.”
The Grand County Library Foundation builds an endowment to ensure the long-term financial health of Grand County’s five public libraries. Information available at gclfoundation.org.
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