First Time: First Class - Karen Clanton

Karen Clanton is an attorney whose law degree did not stifle the English major lurking within. She has forged a career as a writer in the legal profession, where she has led complex editorial projects in securities law, women's history and diversity. Karen currently works in a large law firm in the area of Diversity & Inclusion. She is a single mom living on the South Side of Chicago chronicling her adventures through stories told on her back porch (or at the kitchen table when it's cold outside) that end up being heard on stages across the city.

The First Time is CHIRP Radio’s Live Lit and Music series. It pairs a reader’s personal story about a specific "first time" -- a different "first" for each show -- with a song performance. This unique structure allows the story to resonate with audience members as they experience the accompanying song covered by The First Time Four. The band takes special care to perform unexpected song arrangements, so it is hard to tell which the audience enjoys more: the story or the song.

The First Time is produced and directed by Julie Mueller with Assistant Producer Bobby Evers and Host Jenn Sodini. Podcast recorded and produced by Jenn Rourke. Engineering by Tony Baker.

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