An ode to Arizona columnist Clay Thompson, the original Valley 101 respondent

Valley 101

One of the most recognizable writing styles in Arizona history came from Clay Thompson.

The Iowa transplant captured the hearts of readers with his Valley 101 column in the Arizona Republic for almost 20 years. Punctuated by the iconic Rodin statue, "The Thinker," Thompson wrote thousands of quippy columns and answered questions from readers about everything from cactuses to hiccups.

Thompson's writing style was recognizable and even bordered on snarky, calling his bosses "masters" and referring to readers as "you people."

About a year after he passed, this podcast was born to carry on the great work that he created. It was formed to help newcomers and natives alike better understand what makes Arizona so unique. Similarly to podcasting, Thompson had a way to speak directly to an audience.

As Valley 101 rounds closer to its 300th episode, Julia Wallace, Ed Montini and Arizona Republic reporter Richard Ruelas reflect on what made Thompson special and highlight the service he did for Arizona journalism.

In this episode you can hear readings from "Great Big Book of Life," "Occupy Gooberville" and "Try Not to Worry About It," collections of his columns.

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