After five years of chronicling all things KZSM in this column, I’ll devote a few words to my other community radio project, “Bookmarked” (Tuesdays 4-5 p.m.). Hundreds of books and hundreds of guests later, the book show I created in 2018 still entertains me and, I hope, our listeners as well.

I’ve analyzed the fiction I know best, but because guests choose books, I’ve also read my way out of my comfort zone with biographies, self-help books, cultural analysis and young adult fantasy — everything from “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo, to “Fat Vampire” by Johnny B. Truant.

Most of all, hosting “Bookmarked” has grounded me in the state and community where I’ve lived for 30 years and never quite felt part of. Books and guests have immersed me in Texas history and in the creativity that abounds in our city and our region. Guest authors have led me through the wild, dangerous landscapes of post-Civil-War Texas: the late Paulette Jiles called in to talk about “Simon the Fiddler”; the amazing Elizabeth Crook came by the studio to discuss “The Which Way Tree” and later “The Madstone.” The late Judy Alter explained that “The Second Battle of the Alamo” was waged between the two dedicated women who saved the building from destruction (but not from controversy!).

Thanks to the ongoing support of the Wittliff Collections at Texas State, especially now-retired Literary Curator Steve Davis, I’ve met and interviewed a range of authors who revealed the Texas of today, often in wonderfully unexpected ways.

Many writers and readers from our local community have shared their works and their insights over the years. Last year, Jerry Whitus introduced his wonderful debut short story collection “The Innocent and Others.” Some readers have become regular guests, and just this year I’m welcoming an alternate host one week each month. Chris Gardner, Associate Professor of English at Austin Community College, has expanded the range of “Bookmarked” to include horror, fantasy and satire.

Poets from “When the River Speaks,” an art and poetry journal published by the San Marcos Public Library, have read from their works on “Bookmarked.” This Tuesday, one of the founders of the journal, award-winning poet E. D. Watson, will join me to read from and talk about her new book, “My Phone Is Full of Cute Cats and Dead Children.”

Join us at 104.1 FM or KZSM.org.