{"id":245188,"date":"2026-04-24T19:35:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T19:35:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/245188\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T19:35:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T19:35:07","slug":"on-mondays-show-the-shantyboat-muse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/245188\/","title":{"rendered":"On Monday\u2019s show: The Shantyboat Muse"},"content":{"rendered":"

The poet and educator who coached, encouraged and chastised \u2014 but never coddled \u2014 First Coast writers as varied as Donna Deegan<\/a>, Alan Justiss<\/a> and Jim Draper<\/a> has become a defining feature of the local literary landscape. Though she lost her beloved Trout River houseboat, once home to the Shantyboat Writers Workshop, during Hurricane Irma, she continues to write, goad and inspire. Now 81, she brings some poems and her inimitable story to Studio 2 Monday morning. If you have a memory to share of Lynn or a question for her, you can submit it in advance of the show at firstcoastconnect.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Guest: Lynn Skapyak Harlin, educator, editor and poet<\/p>\n

Change of scenery<\/p>\n

Nearly 40 years after its founding, the legacy of Scenic Jacksonville is visible both in what we see and what we don\u2019t. The organization founded by attorney and civic champion Bill Brinton worked to pass two key citizen amendments to the city\u2019s governing charter. The Billboard Charter Amendment prohibited new billboards countywide and led to the removal of more than 1,600 signs to date. The Tree Protection Amendment required replanting or replacing trees removed for development and established guidelines for protecting the area\u2019s most significant \u201cspecimen\u201d trees. We sit down with the new leader of the longstanding group to find out how they\u2019re planning for the future in a changing political and environmental landscape.<\/p>\n

Guest: Litsa Dawkins, executive director, Scenic Jax<\/p>\n

Out of silence<\/p>\n

A four-generation journey through systemic abuse ends on stage 150 years later, when a playwright finds her voice and tells her story. Silence Unraveled tells the history of Bobbie O\u2019Connor\u2019s great-grandmother Emma Jane, grandmother Trudie and mother Willie Audrey, before working its way down to the author. Along the way, it touches on difficult topics often muted by silence, including physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence and loss. We talk to O\u2019Connor about what it means to confront familial misogyny and, hopefully, destroy the template.<\/p>\n

Guest: Bobbie O’Connor, playwright, performer and social justice advocate<\/p>\n

Fare thee well<\/p>\n

An annual grassroots event created to connect the public with free health and wellness resources kicks off next weekend. Wellfest, founded in 2019, serves as a space for the community to learn about healthier lifestyles through mental, nutritional and physical education and outreach. This year\u2019s event features local businesses, a coffee crawl, collaborative yoga, a clothing swap, live music and more. Partnering with Here Tomorrow, a local mental health provider, the event also offers suicide prevention information and resources. The 8th Annual Beaches Wellfest<\/a> will be May 2 at Johansen Park in Atlantic Beach. The event is free and open to the public.<\/p>\n

Guests:<\/p>\n

Tracy Marko, president of Meraki Wellness and director of WellFestMary Mullahey, health educator and coffee crawl director<\/p>\n

Topics and guests subject to change.<\/p>\n