12:00 In a small town, an unlikely trio attempts to bridge the political divide
1:00 Kafka Prize winner
In the town of West Bloomfield, a longtime Republican Trump supporter is working alongside two unlikely allies: a pair of Democrats who disagree with him on many issues. Tim Schiefen is an auto mechanic who argues that, yes, Trump supporters and Democrats can co-exist -- even get to like one another. When Schiefen felt shut out by the Republican Party in his desire to run for town supervisor, he called the Democrats. To his surprise, they took his call, and now he's campaigning for supervisor while supporting two Democrats who are running for town board. Our guests will discuss getting past their differences; the importance of getting to know people in real life, not just on screens; and political alliances in the age of division.
In studio:
- Birgit Coffey, candidate for West Bloomfield town council
- Julie Eveleigh, candidate for West Bloomfield town council
- Tim Schiefen, candidate for West Bloomfield supervisor
Then in our second hour, how do we engage with our guilt and grief? Author Claire Oshetsky explores these themes in Poor Deer, a novel that tells the story of a young girl whose best friend died mysteriously. The girl is growing up through the struggle of denial, sadness, confusion -- and eventually, a kind of confrontation with truth. It's a wildly inventive story that is both unique and relatable, and it earned Oshetsky the 2025 Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize from the University of Rochester. Oshetsky is visiting Rochester this week and is one of our guests.
In studio:
- Claire Oshetsky, author of the award-winning Poor Deer
- Chad W. Post, co-founder and publisher of Open Letter Books
- Taylor Thomas, founder and owner of Archivist Books
"Connections with Evan Dawson" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
