Wichita Launch: ARISE Honored for Audie Winning Role as TJ Scriptbook Read and Listen Premieres at Watermark Books

The event was hosted by historian and novelist Jillian Forsberg, who interviewed her father, Grant Overstake — co-author and executive producer of The Real Education of TJ Crowley audio drama.

WICHITA, Kan. (Jan. 22, 2026) —An enthusiastic audience gathered at Watermark Books & Café Thursday night for the launch of The Real Education of TJ Crowley: Coming of Age on the Redline — now published in a full Scriptbook Edition designed for immersive, “read + listen” storytelling experience.

Thanks to the tech-savvy support of Lynne Graham, Watermark’s Marketing & Events Coordinator, co-author and producer-director May Wuthrich made a surprise cameo via Zoom.

The event, hosted by co-author and executive producer Grant Overstake and his daughter, historian Jillian Forsberg, marked the hometown return of a story that has earned national recognition.

The full-cast audio drama adaptation swept the audiobook industry’s top honors in 2025 — winning the Audie Award for Best Young Adult Audiobook, the AudioFile Earphones Award, and the IPPY Award for Outstanding Audiobook of the Year.

Launching the Listening Series

This event marked the kickoff of the Real Education Project Listening Series, supported by a Cultural Funding Activation Grant from the City of Wichita. In the months ahead, the Project will bring this powerful “read + listen” model into schools, libraries, churches, and neighborhood centers across the city.

A Coming-of-Age Story in a Divided Time

Radio broadcaster John Wright.

Set in Wichita during the turbulent summer of 1968, The Real Education of TJ Crowley follows a 13-year-old boy caught between the bigotry he’s inherited at home and the truth he’s beginning to see for himself. As civil rights tensions rise and a Black family moves in next door, TJ hears haunting music drifting across the fence and begins to question everything he’s been taught. When he decides to step across that dividing line, he enters a world filled with risk, revelation, and the chance to know better and do better.

ARISE members from left, Kathy Crocker, Barbara Turner, and Sheila Brown Kinnard

The listening crowd responded with heartfelt emotion to selected scenes with laughter, stillness, and visible reflection as the voices, music, and script combined into a fully lived experience.

“The sound was amazing. The response was phenomenal. Everyone could feel it,” said one organizer. “It was a great beginning.”

A Family Story, A City’s Story

One of the highlights of the evening was the onstage dialogue between host Forsberg and her father. An author and historian herself, Forsberg opened the program with a personal reflection: “Even with a master’s degree and living in Wichita for over 15 years, I didn’t know this part of our community’s history.”

What followed was a heartfelt exchange about a 12-year journey that began in 2014, when The Real Education of TJ Crowley was first inspired by the lives of two Wichita icons — the late Dr. Val Brown Sr. and his wife, Josephine “Mama Jo” Brown. That inspiration led to the novel’s publication in 2018 and, in time, its transformation into a full-cast audio drama — a richly layered production featuring sound design, music, and emotional depth, created for a truly shared experience.

ARISE members Dylan Wilson and Joyce Wilson, with the original TJ Crowley novel.

The evening was lovingly dedicated to Mama Jo, who passed away last month at the age of 96, whose work as an educator, musician, and founder of ARISE continues to inspire generations. Her spirit was unmistakably present in the voices, stories, and joyful pride shared throughout the night.

A Scriptbook Built for Shared Experience

The new Scriptbook Edition, as Jillian Forsberg explained, “is designed to be paired with the audio, grounding us in the story with eyes and ears engaged.” Built for classrooms, book clubs, and community spaces, it blends reading and listening into a fully immersive experience.

This edition features the complete screenplay from the award-winning drama and offers a powerful entry point into Wichita’s redlining history—inviting reflection, conversation, and change across generations.

A Joyful Celebration of Local Talent

James Stauffer proudly displays the Audie Award he helped win as a tenor in ARISE.

One of the most joyful and memorable moments of the evening came when members of the ARISE Ensemble and local cast members gathered for photos with the Audie Award trophy, brought home from the national gala in New York City last spring.

Known as the highest honor in the audiobook industry — the “Oscars of audio” — the award was proudly displayed at the event, offering the Wichita community a chance to literally hold the recognition they helped earn.

Smiles, laughter, and even a few tears filled the room as those who helped bring the story to life took turns posing with the trophy — a moving celebration of shared artistry and hometown pride.

The ARISE Ensemble’s negro spirituals, portraying the Fisk Jubilee Singers, give the nine-hour audio drama its emotional core. Their performances earned praise from AudioFile Magazine, which honored the production with its coveted Earphones Award for excellence in audio storytelling.

Honoring Local Cast Members

Two local cast members were honored during the evening’s program:

Veteran broadcaster John Wright, who voiced the radio announcer in the audio drama, brought more than 40 years of Wichita radio experience — including long tenures at KFDI and KQAM — to his first dramatic role. Wright and Overstake have been friends since their days as classmates and teammates at Wichita Heights High School.

Also recognized was Sheila Brown Kinnard, member of the ARISE Ensemble and daughter of Josephine “Mama Jo” Pace Brown. Kinnard portrayed Mrs. Lorraine Washington, a role inspired by her mother’s remarkable life and legacy — blending personal history with performance in one of the story’s most emotionally resonant roles.

“This was an unforgettable evening,” said Overstake, who sings with his wife Claire in ARISE, invited 12 years ago by founder Jo Brown. “We’re honored by the awards and very excited about what’s ahead for this project here in Wichita and beyond.”

Order the Scriptbook online or in-store at Watermark Books & Cafe’

What’s Next: Join the 2026 Listening Series

The Real Education Project is inviting co-sponsors and partners to co-host future events in Wichita.
Interested organizations can contact: TheRealEducationProject@gmail.com