Kansas City has no shortage of civic leaders, authors, artists and activists. Many are frequent guests on KCUR's Up To Date, where we catch up on their work and expertise.
But sometimes, we just want to have a casual conversation, so we ask them five questions, or maybe a few more.
Tricia Rojo Bushnell, executive director of the Midwest Innocence Project, joined Up To Date to discuss what she's been reading, streaming and more.
What are you reading these days?
I'm actually currently reading Brandon Sanderson's "Wind and Truth." It's book five of the Stormlight Archives for the other fantasy nerds out there. It came out last month.
Are you a fantasy reader?
I am. I like to read fantasy novels and sort of what I like to call "nonsense books" in my free time.
I read so much for my job that I like to just be able to escape in my free time.
What are you watching on TV?
Well, over the weekend, we just finished "Somebody, Somewhere" on HBO.
It's got Manhattan, Kansas, in it, so we should all be watching it, right?
What are you listening to right now?
In terms of podcasts, I really love learning about pop culture or reading about pop culture, so I do listen to "Pop Culture Happy Hour" and then also "Culture Study."
But I will say, if for folks who like wrongful convictions... I'm in the third season, but the first two seasons are definitely what I would highly recommend in podcasts, which is "In the Dark."
It's an investigative journalism series looking back on what caused these issues in the criminal legal system — the first season talking about the sex offender registry, the second season talking about the wrongful conviction of Curtis Flowers.
And this third season is investigating a murder that happened in Afghanistan that hadn't really been investigated. But the journalism is incredibly powerful.
What's your favorite local restaurant?
I like to go to Westport Cafe. It's close to me. It's a place where you can go and you recognize people and they see you on the regular.
- Tricia Rojo Bushnell, executive director, Midwest Innocence Project
