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Libby Denkmann

Host, Soundside

About

Libby Denkmann has covered veterans' issues, homelessness, and local politics during her radio journalism career. She became the host of KUOW's Soundside in November 2021. Previously she was a producer, reporter, anchor, and host for stations KIRO, KFI, and KPCC in Seattle and Los Angeles. During a yearlong hiatus from journalism in 2011, she worked as a congressional staffer in Washington, D.C.. Libby was born in Seattle, grew up on the eastside, and graduated from the University of Washington. Her favorite things include soccer, video games, and her dog, Monty.

Location: Seattle

Languages: English, limited Japanese and Portuguese

Pronouns: she/her

Podcasts

Stories

  • vote voting election ballot generic

    Election Day is finally here — have you cast your ballot yet?

    Your ballpoint pen may be getting a workout. Because today is Election Day. You have until 8pm tonight to get to a ballot box. And procrastinators, you are not alone – the Secretary of State’s office says statewide, just about 39% of ballots had been returned as of Monday. That’s lagging behind early voting numbers for the same day in the last midterm election in 2018.

  • caption: Elizabeth Kaye Sortun casts her ballot on Monday, November 7, 2022, outside of the Ballard branch of the Seattle Public Library in Seattle.

    What happens to your ballot after you vote?

    It is election day in Washington state, and while we'll have to wait for returns to answer big questions like will the state have a Republican US senator for the first time since 2001? Who will win the tight Eighth District House race? How many people will bother voting for those unopposed state supreme court justices?

  • caption: Karina Shumate, 21, a college student studying stenography, fills out a voter registration form in Richardson, Texas, on Jan. 18, 2020.

    College voters: Increased importance and expanding turnout

    Since the 2016 presidential election, voter turnout among college students has been steadily increasing. Take the last midterms for example: In 2018, 40 percent of registered college students voted. It’s too early to tell if that trend will continue during this midterm election, but what can this trend tell us about the power of college students as a voting block?
  • caption: Seattle Children Theatre's "The Boy Who Kissed the Sky" is inspired by the childhood of rock legend Jimi Hendrix, who grew up in Seattle's Central District.

    'The Boy Who Kissed the Sky' explores Jimi Hendrix's childhood

    We know a lot about the man Hendrix became: the paratrooper who played in a band during his free time, the backup player for musicians like Sam Cooke, BB King, and Little Richard, and eventually, the world renowned rockstar. But there’s a chapter of Hendrix’s life that has gone largely unexplored: his childhood. A new production from playwright and Seattle Children’s Theatre Creative Director Idris Goodwin is inspired by Hendrix’s childhood growing up in Seattle’s Central District. It’s called “The Boy Who Kissed the Sky.”

  • caption: Throughout her life, Delia Cano touched many parts of Seattle history. From the early days of REI, to the creation of Education for All Act.

    A 'force to be reckoned with,' remembering REI seamstress Delia Cano

    Today, REI has over 15,000 employees, but in the early 1960s, one employee, Delia Cano, a Peruvian immigrant to Seattle, was responsible for sewing many of their earliest products. She recently passed, and KUOW’s Soundside spoke with two of her children about her personal and professional legacy.