Luke X. Martin
Culture EditorAs culture editor, I oversee KCUR’s coverage of race, culture, the arts, food and sports. I work with reporters to make sure our stories reflect the fullest view of the place we call home, so listeners and readers feel primed to explore the places, projects and people who make up a vibrant Kansas City.
I was born in Manhattan, Kansas, and raised in Wichita where I fell in love with public radio listening to member station KMUW. I got my start pulling early morning DJ shifts at the student-run radio station KJHK while studying English at the University of Kansas.
I was previously an intern for KCUR's Up To Date, and joined the staff as associate producer in 2016. I have reported on government and politics in the Chicago metro area, and national security and defense in Washington. My work has appeared online at UPI.com, The Daily Caller, Politics Daily and The Pitch.
I have a master’s of journalism from the Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University. If you see me along a running trail or track in Kansas City, please offer me some water or a high five.
My email is luke@kcur.org.
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The Kansas City Chiefs, who overcame multiple injuries prior to and during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, were hosting the AFC Championship for the fifth year in a row. They'll face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Feb. 12. -
Hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil spilled out of the Keystone Pipeline in north-central Kansas, and cleaning it up will be especially difficult. Plus: Kansas nursing homes are facing allegations of neglect, even after receiving rewards for more thoughtful care.
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Kansas City has long held a reputation as a center of blues music and culture. But as elder musicians pass away, one Kansas blues festival appears to have reached its conclusion. Plus, Kansas City's first bicycle collective has transformed junk into reliable rides for 15 years.
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Don Henry was a 1930s college kid from Dodge City, Kansas, who left everything he knew to join the fight against fascism. His life moved one music professor to put the story down in song.
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What is believed to have started as a mulch fire spread to both sides of Interstate 470.
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As the Springfield photographer prepares to fill a Kansas City gallery with her work, collectors on both coasts are identifying with what's universal about southwestern Missouri.
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Artist Tom Corbin was chosen for the job by a committee that included members of the Truman family. His statue of the 33rd president, who was from Independence, Missouri, was dedicated this week.
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Whether it's a torta, a BLT, bánh mì or a grinder you're craving, here's where to find the best in the metro.
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As temperatures climb, so do cravings for anything cold. From sweet to savory, and everything in between, Kansas City's food scene has almost all palates covered.
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The project, which goes beyond well-known historical mainstays like baseball, jazz and barbeque, highlights local African Americans who influenced Kansas City, and national, history.
