Fans of author and public radio favorite David Sedaris usually experience his stories alone, reading from a printed page or listening to an audiobook or podcast. But on April 18, fans had the opportunity to experience Sedaris's storytelling first-hand, and with a packed audience of hundreds of fans.

  

We hope everyone who attended An Evening with David Sedaris at the Rose State Performing Arts Theatre had an enjoyable evening and got a book signed if they wanted. KGOU raised a little over $8000 from this very successful event. A few photos are posted on our Facebook page.

  

The spring membership drive is shaping up to be KGOU's most successful ever, with more than 1100 renewing and 270 new members pledging their support to KGOU. For the on-air portion of the drive, which concluded April 8, the fundraising goal of $150,000 was reached shortly after 2 p.m. (earliest ever) with pledges continuing to come in! If you haven't contributed yet, you can pledge online anytime.

  

So far this spring, membership pledges total nearly $190,000, another record! We thank everyone who pledged, our fabulous phone volunteers, Café Plaid, Gabarino's Homestyle Italian Restaurant, and Jason's Deli for feeding our volunteers, Joe's Place Wine and Spirits and all the community leaders who offered matching funds to challenge donors.

  

Membership funds pay for programming and daily station operations. At the end of the on-air drive, KGOU General Manager Karen Holp outlined some of the station's needs that would put to use those extra funds raised. One unforeseen expense that we'll have is moving our Oklahoma County transmitter (KROU) to another tower location, necessitated by the impending sale of the tower it's currently located on. As that project progresses, Karen will have more information in her Manager's Desk updates. Stay tuned!

  

  

A segment on KGOU's student-produced program Assignment: Radio has been honored in the Society of Professional Journalists' Mark of Excellence Awards for the region that includes Oklahoma and Texas. Candace Cindell took first place in the Radio Sports Reporting category for her feature on the OU Rowing squad, heard on KGOU in the October 17 episode on campus events. Awards were announced April 9. Her feature now advances to the national round of judging. Congratulations!

  

This Sunday, the Weekend Blues showcases the more sacred side of blues greats, featuring BB King, Shemekia Copeland, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Muddy Waters, Hot Tuna and more. Hard-luck Jim presents an "all gospel" edition of the Weekend Blues this Easter Sunday from 1 - 4 p.m. followed by a "sacred steel" showcase on Beale Street Caravan.

  

Check out what's coming up this week on KGOU's limited run series Headliner Showcase and Sunday Radio Matinee.

  

  

NPR's London correspondent Philip Reeves is crossing England to chronicle the preparations for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. His reports will air on Morning Edition and All Things Considered leading up to the big day. Next week, Phil will be joined by Moscow correspondent David Greene to cover all the news and festivities. All things royal are compiled in a special section at NPR.org.

  

The vast majority of the world's books, music, films, television and art, you will never see. It's simply a statistical fact. Linda Holmes's much-recommended posting on NPR.org's popular culture blog Monkey See laments the overwhelming numbers of important artistic works available, and the limited amount of time we have to search for and take in the best. Read her post and leave your own comments at NPR.org.

  

The fermented soybean paste known as miso has been a staple in Asian kitchens for millennia, and is now becoming more readily available in the U.S. Eve Turrow shares innovative ways to use it in glazes, dressings, and of course, soup. Get recipes on the Kitchen Window page at NPR.org.