Lisa Barry, the longtime host of WEMU's Art and Soul as well as the local edition of NPR's All Things Considered, passed away unexpectedly on November 30 due to heart complications, according to a blog post by the Ypsilanti radio station's general manager, Molly Motherwell.

She wrote a bit more about Barry today in a post, remembering her as the "heartbeat of WEMU." Mothewell wrote:

Her positive attitude and vibrant personality were her trademark and were well known to all who had the good fortune to cross paths with her. She was a beacon of joy in our community, not only the community of WEMU listeners but the community at large. 

All About Ann Arbor compiled numerous social media posts from Barry's colleagues, friends, and associates paying tribute to her, including this one by her fellow WEMU broadcaster Jessica Webster:

My friend Lisa died unexpectedly yesterday, and I’m inconsolable. Lisa put so much love put in the world, both in her role at WEMU and in her personal relationships.
There are no words to describe the depth of this loss. Instead I’ll share Lisa’s recent words. pic.twitter.com/T19xBVNYio

— Jessica Webster (@A2Jess) December 1, 2021

While most people probably know Barry from her years of hosting All Things Considered, the Washtenaw County cultural community looked forward to the second Thursday of every month when her Art and Soul show aired, featuring interviews with local creators.

Each episode of Art and Soul ran 8 minutes and 25 seconds, and in that short time, Barry would share stories from Washtenaw County's deeply creative constituents and the many cultural events that happen here. It was a tremendous resource. 

Her contributions to the creative community will be forever appreciated and sorely missed.

For more memories of Lisa Barry, WEMU mainstay Michael Jewett and the Michigan Theater's Russ Collins talked about her on the December 2 edition of Cinema Chat.

Christopher Porter is a library technician and the editor of Pulp.