Dedicated with Doug Brunt

Megan Abbott: gimlet (2 1/2 ounces gin, 1/2 ounce lime juice, dash simple syrup, garnish with lime wheel)Megan names Detroit's best quality, shares her love and analysis of the hard boiled crime fiction of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, discusses the differences between writing for film and writing a novel, describes her first encounter with novelist James Ellroy, reveals her fandom of Dateline and Keith Morrison, and hints at some upcoming projects.

Megan Marshall: Caipirinha (lime, sugar, cachaca)Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for biography, Megan discusses the distinctions between biography and narrative history, her frustration with historical fiction that is irresponsible and inconsistent with the historical record, her own transition from poetry to biography and the mentors who helped along the way, the evolving notion of feminism, and her favorite book from childhood that she often rereads. 

Jennifer Egan, Jay McInerney, David Grann: (Crystal)Jenny, Jay and David create the Best List of the best books, discuss the stylistic and structural reasons why they love these books, and tell insider stories connected to the books on the list and the authors who wrote them.  

Montel Williams: sparkling water with cranberry juice  Montel reveals the worst thing about being deployed on a submarine, explains how Tom Clancy angered the US Navy with his book THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, describes some of the riveting naval scenes in his book that involve the aircraft carrier INTREPID as well as the much earlier US Navy ship INTREPID (1798) that fought Barbary pirates, recounts the guest he finds most memorable from the Montel Williams Show. 

Carl Hiaasen: gin & tonic (Barr Hill gin, tonic, lime wedge)Carl discusses the talented Vince Vaughn and how he will forever more inhabit the character Yancy, tells how his surroundings in Florida have changed so much since the time of his youth and why that has inspired him to make Florida a recurring ‘character' in his novels, reveals a time that he was nearly eaten by an alligator while floating on an inner tube, shares incredible personal stories with Jimmy Buffett and Warren Zevon, names the book that expanded for him what can be possible to do in a novel, and offers an important piece of advice especially if you live in Florida.

Chris Pavone: Americano (Campari, sweet vermouth, club soda, orange twist)Chris discusses his early career experiences in publishing meetings with Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis and what her work meant to him and other colleagues, the gifts his wife possesses that made her a great CEO for Penguin Random House and that also guided him to a writing career upon recognizing he did not possess those gifts, how his life as an expat inspired his debut novel THE EXPAT, how the first drafts of his novels might end personal friendships unless his wife makes some edits, the importance of writing down the flap copy of your life. 

J.D. Barker: White Russian (2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce Kahlua, 1 ounce heavy cream)J.D. talks about how he stalked and then connected with Stephen King, how his partnership with James Patterson has changed his writing method, the way he has turned his Asperger Syndrome into his secret weapon for writing novels, the landmark publishing imprint of his own within Simon & Schuster and how he worked with CEO Jonathan Karp and the private equity firm KKR to establish the business model for it, the pros and cons of independent publishing and traditional publishing, the remote island that is the setting for his latest ‘Chiller' novel as well as is the setting for his real life.

David Baldacci: sparkling waterDavid names the two most underrated thriller writers, describes the way that planning-then-writing a novel can be similar to Tom Brady practicing-then-playing a football game, reveals the mystery books from his childhood that made him love reading, tells of a peak moment of dejection when he doubted he could ever become a writer, shares the story of a bizarre book signing event, talks about the fragile ‘ecosystem of literature' and offers a terrific piece of advice.

Marcy Dermansky: House of Balloons (2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce Aperol, 1/2 ounce lemon juice, 1/2 ounce grapefruit juice, simple syrup, top with club soda)Marcy talks about the struggles of a working writer including waiting in an unemployment line in New York while holding her newborn baby the week of publication of her novel, her isolating move to Germany and her return to New York where she was a more productive writer, how publishing short fiction can in some ways be more difficult than publishing a novel, and the fact that someone she is friends with on Facebook is the inspiration for a major character in her new novel though he does not know it

Gregory Maguire: Ginger Mojito Mocktail (grated ginger, grated cucumber, mint, lime juice, ginger ale, sparkling water)  Gregory reveals the one book that he later realized had subconsciously guided his reimagining of Oz for his novel WICKED, shares his thoughts on the departures that the adaptations (both stage and film) have taken in reimagining WICKED, names the one children's book that made him want to be a writer, names 3 books every kid should read by age 10, talks about the blurred line between YA and adult fiction, provides some insider details about Elphaba, discusses how his Catholicism influences themes in his writing, tells the story of the very unplanned first meeting of his husband, Andy.

Elizabeth Staple: Old Fashioned (water, sugar, bitters with 2 1/2 ounces whiskey, garnish with orange and cherry)After working in media relations for the NFL's New York Giants and the New England Patriots, Elizabeth delivers her debut crime thriller THE SNAP that takes us behind the scenes of an NFL franchise. She discusses the many points of overlap between her fictional character and her real-life work experiences that include fraught office politics, coaching NFL players to handle the press, rescuing inebriated players from nightclubs, and how friends who are still working in the NFL have reacted to the book.

Alissa Wilkinson: Gibson (3 ounces gin, 1/2 ounce dry vermouth, onion)Film Critic for the New York Times, Alissa gives her take on the Oscars, shares some insider info on Siskel and Ebert, discusses the beginning and end of the Golden Age of TV along with some of her favorites from the era, reflects on Joan Dideon's admiration for John Wayne and Barry Goldwater along with her surprising takes on their present day closest equivalents, and identifies why 9-11 was a before-and-after moment for American filmmaking.

David Grann: Mojito (2 ounces white rum, 1 ounce lime juice, sugar, mint, topped with club soda)David discusses his early years covering politics on Capitol Hill, how his mother paved the way for women executives in publishing as the first woman CEO of a major publisher and how she eventually agreed that writing was a good career choice for David, describes conversations with Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese to review details of KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, mentions other authors of narrative history who he admires, identifies his first and most trusted reader of his early drafts, reveals how he organizes his thinking for new projects, names the person from history he'd most like to interview, and gives a tiny and cryptic hint about his upcoming book.

Capt. Karl Anderson: Spanish Manhattan (2 1/2 ounces Pilar rum, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, bitters, garnish with orange rind)Karl tells of the assignment that his parents gave him when he was a young boy that instilled in him the discipline to become a writer, reminisces about the stories of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig fishing and gunning the same territory that he has, shares the process by which he translates the magical moments he's had in nature to film and print, assesses whether Michael Jordan is a good sport-fisherman, and shares some advice from his dad.

Wendy Walker: Greyhound (1 1/2 ounces vodka, 2 1/2 ounce grapefruit juice)Wendy shares the meticulous approach she took to becoming a bestselling author that began with learning what kind of fiction works for the market, describes what she likes about James Patterson's "winning structural formula", describes her early careers as an investment banker with Goldman Sachs and then as a corporate attorney, tells how motherhood brought her out of the workforce then returned her to a career as a novelist, lists the greatest plot twist ever, and reveals the strangest question she's ever gotten at a book event.

Alafair Burke: Vesper Martini (2 ounces gin, 3/4 ounce vodka, 1/2 ounce Lillet Blanc)Alafair reveals the haunting impressions of growing up in Kansas during the active period of the BTK serial killer and how that time influenced her path to practicing law and writing crime novels, how she applies her experience as a DA to the pages of her crime thrillers, the differences between writing the novel and writing for film and TV, how she might pick the perfect writers' room, how her very successful novelist father feels about her very successful novelist career (and which movie stars her father resembles), and offers a great piece of advice at the end of the show (and at the end of the martini).

Spencer Klavan: scotchSpencer discusses the brimming culture of intolerance during his years at Yale, art and morality, the inherently required translation in all communication as concepts move from the soul to the page, the varied interplay between science and religion through the millennia, the different types of scotch, makes some amazing book recommendations and chooses a favorite between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.   

David Coggins: Pilar rum David Coggins discusses Hemingway's escapades on his fishing boat Pilar, the secret history of New York's 21 Club, his process for travel writing and for his Substack: The Contender, what his dad taught him about writing, how there are few Hollywood endings in fishing, the most sought after fishing spot in the world.

Jim Rutenberg: mango spritzer (equal parts mango and club soda)Jim discusses the Murdoch family dynastic succession, the slow decline of the Big 3 News anchors and the rise of digital media, the unsteady state of CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, his time as a reporter for Page 6 during it's zenith, and offers a helpful reminder as we all enter 2025.

Lili Anolik: gimlet (2 1/2 ounces gin, squeezed lime juice, sugar)Lili shares some of the scoop from her terrific biography DIDION & BABITZ including Harrison Ford supplying drugs to much of the 1960s Los Angeles literary scene, Steve Martin's slightly awkward early romantic life, sex with Jim Morrison and Jackson Browne. She also discusses how we can come to understand the identity of a decade retroactively, why some writers continue to be read for many decades while others fade from popularity and that this phenomenon has more to do with circumstances rather than being a final judgement on the quality of the writing, and reveals who would be a terrific actor to play Eve Babitz in film.

Neal Stephenson: mezcal margarita (2 ounces mezcal, 1 ounce Cointreau, lime juice) Neal identifies the two greatest threats to the future of humanity, the most compelling inflection points for alternative history, his process for writing his novels (and shares that he writes by hand), the best sci fi book ever written, the best sci fi movie ever made, and discusses a new philosophy he's started to practice that could save the world.

Maureen Callahan: vodka martini (3 ounces vodka, 1/2 ounce dry vermouth, olives)Maureen names the four worst hypocrites in the world today then we debate the world champion from this Final Four (with a special honorable mention), discusses her first job at MTV, describes what it was like to encounter one of the subjects of her “vitriolic” columns at an event in NYC, mentions some shocking facts from her book ASK NOT that have gone unreported about the Kennedy family, and reflects on the debate over “nature v nurture” with regard to both the Kennedy Inheritance and her own family.

Ken Burns: green teaKen names the three people from history that he'd invite to dinner, discusses the responsibility of a documentary filmmaker to remain factual and objective- and how this responsibility is often violated, offers a humanizing view of Hemingway, reflects on the many qualities of da Vinci that have made him a titan among titans through the ages, reveals his process for creating his films. 

Tom Turcich: Old Fashioned (bitters, sugar, whiskey with cherry and orange rind garnish)Tom walked 28,000 miles around the world with his dog and a converted stroller filled with supplies, then wrote a book that records his adventures and reflections. In terrific travel-writing style he reveals his encounter with a pervert before he managed even to walk outside the USA, his strange difficulty at the border with Mexico (going south), his experience with COVID on the Caspian Sea, his favorite moment of the entire seven-year walk, and his surprising revelation about the desirability of travel for a good life. 

Linda discusses founding the sex crimes unit of the Manhattan DA's office - first in the nation - and when Mariska Hargitay and Dick Wolf shadowed her to help develop the concept for the new show Law & Order: SVU, recounts writing her first novels while still working more than full time as a prosecutor, her writing process for her bestselling Alex Cooper novels, addresses the responsibility of filmmakers of the growing number of docu-series that are often fictionalized for dramatic effect and the mounting number of lawsuits against Netflix, her all-star dinner group of top mystery writers (including Nelson DeMille, Lee Child, Harlan Coben and Mary Higgins Clark), and Linda and I make a toast to the memory of the great Nelson DeMille. 

Jay McInerney: CristalJay discusses cocaine and a proposition from Truman Capote (spoiler alert: he escaped), his pioneering use of the 2nd-person in BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY, his best moment ever with a glass of wine, the perfect 3-course meal with wine pairing, what Raymond Carver taught him about writing, getting fired from The New Yorker, squatting in George Plimpton's house, waking up in December 2023 with his home covered in his own blood and remembering nothing.

Nelson DeMille: Dewar's on the rocksNelson talks about John Travolta on the set of General's Daughter, the importance of getting characters right even if not PC, the value of a mentor, how he has managed the loss of his wife Sandy with the help of friends and family. 

Gregg Hurwitz: gin & tonicGregg discusses how Evan Smoak (aka Orphan X) stacks up against Reacher and Bourne, the virtues of Batman and Wolverine, the remaining advantages of humanity over artificial intelligence, how the Shakespearean formula applies to the modern thriller, and which thriller writer he considers his North Star.

Erika Robuck: Bahama Queen (2 1/2 ounces bourbon barreled gin, 1 ounce Grand Marnier, 1 ounce lemon juice, 1/2 ounce pineapple juice, 1/2 ounce passion fruit, 1/2 ounce simple syrup, mint, orange peel)Erika discusses the line between historical fiction and nonfiction in the context of her own books as well as other works of historical fiction like Netflix's THE CROWN, how Roald Dahl made her want to be a writer, how she finds women from the “shadows of history” to write about, and how she successfully moved from her self-published debut to getting an agent and deals from major publishers.

Lea Carpenter: Heineken Lea tells what it was like working alongside JFK Jr at George Magazine in the 1990s, her other formative experiences working at Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope and then for The Paris Review, her discovery upon her father's death that he'd had a career in espionage, how recruiting an asset in espionage is like a marriage proposal, the 4 reasons people work in espionage, what she means by “the crystal meth of purpose.”

Ruth Ware: dry white wine#1 bestselling author Ruth Ware names the two greatest fictional detectives ever, describes the gratitude a former bookseller feels to be a published author, why she made the switch from writing YA fantasy novels to adult crime fiction, her milestones throughout the year to keep an annual publishing pace, how Agatha Christie inspired her own approach to creating an atmosphere for her novels, what she loves about America.

Megyn Kelly: Special Mother's Day episode (martini: 3 ounces gin, dash dry vermouth, olives)Megyn recommends three books for Mother's Day and why she chose each, discusses her love for Dateline and the Real Housewives shows, reveals the identity of the famous actor at a Hollywood Oscars party that Doug mistook for a homeless person, reviews the Barbra Streisand memoir, and offers a piece of Mother's Day advice. 

Erik Larson: Manhattan (2 1/2 ounces Michter's rye, 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth, dash bitters, cherry, served up)Erik names the person he's written about that he'd most like to be able to meet, talks about what he looks for in a subject for a new book, the stories behind finding the titles to his books so far, the conversations he had with his agent in the 1990s that helped him to find the path to writing his first ever historical narrative nonfiction, the secrets to what he does once inside the archives, the journalistic approach to non-judgment of the people in his books, and gives a clue to the subject for his next book.

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss: EspressoLiz Truss discusses her preference for the emergence of independent journalism and death of traditional media in America as opposed to Britain where the BBC is still dominant, names her favorite few states in America, names the two places in Britain that every American should visit, talks about the stress of the weekly ‘Questions to the Prime Minister', credits JK Rowling for courage under woke fire, recounts her strangest moment in politics.

Admiral James Stavridis: Negroni (1 ounce gin, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, 1 ounce Campari, garnish with orange peel)Admiral Stavridis names the two most terrifying moments of his military career, describes how naval warfare will look in fifty years (or less), the classified military report meant to predict the future that was most off, the Russel Crowe movie that best captures life at sea, how his speculative (not predictive) work of fiction, 2054, describes a looming technological threat to humanity, and names one of the best political books ever written (which is not, on its face, a political book at all).

Andrew Duplessie: Dark N' Stormy (2 1/2 ounces Goslings rum with ginger beer over ice, 2 lime wedges)One of the most popular authors in the world on BookTok, Andrew discusses the ins-and-outs of publishing fiction in new media, as well as contrasts the experience with his debut TOO SCARED TO SLEEP, published by (traditional media) Harper Collins, how he used Flowcode's QR codes on the pages of his hardcover book so that he could include short films/videos as companions to the stories in the printed book, the future convergence of AI, Virtual Reality and book publishing and what possible user experiences could be, how he toggles between writing grisly horror fiction to then joining his wife for dinner, and the authors who inspired his writing career.

Keith O'Brien: Old Fashioned (cube of sugar, dash water, dash bitters, 2 1/2 ounces Knobel whiskey, garnish with cherry and orange peel)Author of the new biography of Pete Rose, CHARLIE HUSTLE, discusses the Ohtani baseball gambling scandal, why the partnerships between professional sports leagues and gambling services are fraught, how the characteristics and that made Pete Rose a great baseball player have made him a failed person, whether the Hall of Fame can treat the personal lives of players separately from their art as players on the field, compares and contrasts the way Pete Rose and Lance Armstrong behaved once caught in lies, and who is the greatest sports announcer of all time. 

James Ellroy: coffeeJames offers an alternative introduction for the show that makes for an interesting contrast, reveals a sexual dalliance between his father and Rita Hayworth, gives honest feedback about the film LA CONFIDENTIAL, discusses his writing process and why he thinks ‘closure is BS'.

Zibby Owens: Aperol Spritz (3 ounces Aperol, 3 ounces prosecco, 1 ounce club soda, garnish with orange slice)Zibby gives the origin story of her hit podcast MOMS DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ BOOKS, the mission of her publishing imprint that has already published more than a dozen books (several bestsellers!), the sneaky "writer's retreat" where she wrote much of her novel BLANK, her writing process, and her approach to new media for the book world.

Edoardo Ballerini: vodka martini, three olivesAward-winning audiobook narrator and actor Edoardo discusses how he went from studying Latin at the Vatican to joining an acting troupe then making his NYC acting debut on LAW & ORDER, identifies which areas of the arts are most immediately under threat from artificial intelligence, tells how the audiobook business has evolved since his first narration in 2007, and how the nuance of reading characters of a different age/race/gender has changed in recent years, explains the goals of the university course on audiobook narration that he teaches, reveals his favorite place in Italy, and tells why we should not go faster than 1x.

Richard Haass: dry martini (3 ounces gin, a few drops of dry vermouth, served up with 3 olives)Richard reveals for the first time a confidential memo regarding the war in Iraq that he hand-delivered to Secretary Powell, why he feels America is in a "uniquely dangerous" time in the world, the TV show that most accurately portrays the Situation Room, how he prepares himself for writing memos, books or briefing presidents, why his book THE WORLD: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION is an important read for all citizens.

Mike Rowe: Manhattan (2 1/2 ounces Knobel whiskey, 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth, bitters, Luxardo cherry)Author (and host) of THE WAY I HEARD IT Mike talks about being fired three times from QVC and hired twice to host The Daily Show for Comedy Central, his thoughts on Jon Stewart and the origins of fake news, his struggles with a childhood stammer and how a music teacher helped him overcome, how podcasting has evolved in the last few years, his terrific book that combines shocking historical events with Mike's unique perspective, the #1 dirtiest job, and some thoughts on the key ingredients for a good life.