Harper Audio Presents

We’re wrapping up the season and the year by taking a look back at our favorite audiobooks from 2019! Subscribe to the podcast here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harp…nts/id806303320 Want the great audiobooks we talked about in this episode? Get your copy here: A Series of Unfortunate Events Vinyl: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062873927/a-series-of-unfortunate-events-the-bad-beginning-vinyl-mp3/ Over the Top: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062906403/over-the-top/ Get A Life, Chloe Brown: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062941244/get-a-life-chloe-brown/ The Dutch House: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062963703/the-dutch-house/ Looking for more podcasts made for booklovers? Book Club Girl: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/book-club-girl/id975697894 The Library Love Fest: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-library-love-fest-podcast/id1378604121 Remember Reading: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/remember-reading-podcast/id1447897366

Seasons Greetings! We're bringing good tidings and interviews with Holiday Romance authors Jill Shalvis and Sarah Morgan! Subscribe to the podcast here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harp…nts/id806303320 Available Now: Wrapped Up In You by Jill Shalvis: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062897794/wrapped-up-in-you/ A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan: https://www.amazon.com/A-Wedding-in-December/dp/B07S39HHW7/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1574204106&sr=1-1-spons

We bring in the big names for this A-List episode with audiobook clips read by Tom Hanks, Demi Moore, and Debbie Harry. Plus, audiobook director and producer Scott Sherratt sits down for an interview. Subscribe to the podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harp%E2%80%A6nts/id806303320 Scott chats about his creative process, how he uses his background in music to make his audiobooks more dynamic, if he gets starstruck, and more! Plus Scott plays a game we call Who Said That? Then, we’ve got audiobook clips from FACE IT written and read by Debbie Harry, THE DUTCH HOUSE written by Ann Patchett and read by Tom Hanks, and INSIDE OUT written and read by Demi Moore. All these titles are available now! Face It: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780060749583/face-it/ The Dutch House: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062963703/the-dutch-house/ Inside Out: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062973429/inside-out/

We get in the Halloween spirit with horror and sci-fi author Joe Hill, who’s thrilling short story collection FULL THROTTLE is on-sale now! Subscribe to the podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harp%E2%80%A6nts/id806303320 Joe chats about how his family would record audiobooks for each other, that time his Dad let gross-out make-up legend Tom Savini babysit him on the set of Creepshow, what actually scares him, and more. Plus, Joe plays a gruesome edition of the Self-Awareness Game, and answers a question from the dreaded Harper Audio Grab Bag! Buy FULL THROTTLE with it’s all-star audiobook cast including Zachary Quinto, Wil Wheaton, Kate Mulgrew, Neil Gaiman, Ashleigh Cummings, Joe Hill, Laysla De Oliveira, Nate Corddry, Connor Jessup, Stephen Lang, and George Guidall : https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062956644/full-throttle/

We celebrate audiobooks with complex language by interviewing narrator Robin Miles about her experience reading the late Zora Neale Hurston’s Barracoon. We also pit the author of the upcoming The Gentleman’s Guide To Getting Lucky Mackenzi Lee against the book’s narrator Christian Coulson, in a game of forgotten phrases from 1700s England. Finally, we play a clip from LuLu Lam’s narration of Thanhha Lai’s Butterfly Yellow, which features heavy use of phonetics and literal language barriers between the main characters. Subscribe to the podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harp%E2%80%A6nts/id806303320

Three fantastic audiobook narrators and real life friends, Graham Halstead, Saskia Maarleveld, and Brittany Pressley share their insight on getting into the world of professional audiobook narration. The Super Friends talk about tips and tricks to a good performance, how they broke into the business, and more! Subscribe to the podcast, here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harp…nts/id806303320

Host of "By The Book" and author of "So You Want To Start A Podcast," Kristen Meinzer joins the pod for an interview about the questions you need to ask when starting a podcast, why vocal fry is a myth, and how to perfect the midwestern accent. Then, stick around to hear Kristen narrate the opening minutes of her audiobook "So You Want To Start A Podcast." Subscribe to the podcast, here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harp%E2%80%A6nts/id806303320

The creative team behind PUSS IN BOOTS (Neil Fishman, Harvey Edelman, and Khristine Hvam) join the pod for an interview about the creative process, creating audiobook musicals like Puss In Boots, how to be a better singer, and more! Plus they take on the Harper Audio Presents Grab Bag! Then, stick around to hear a show-stopping number from the new audiobook musical PUSS IN BOOTS. Narrated by Jim Dale, and performed by a full cast. Subscribe to the podcast, here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harp…nts/id806303320

Julia Quinn, author of the Bridgerton Series, joins the pod to talk about her M.O. as a writer of romance, her time as a contestant on The Weakest Link, and more! Plus she plays a round of the dreaded Self-Awareness Game. Then, it's a romance author roundtable featuring conversations about the craft with Charis Michaels, Alisha Rai, Megan Frampton, and Jennifer Ryan. Subscribe to the podcast, here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harper-audio-presents/id806303320

Josh Gondelman joins the show to talk about his new book of essays NICE TRY, what it's like to bomb on stage, the joys of 90s movie soundtracks, and much more. Subscribe to the podcast here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harp…nts/id806303320 Enter the Kristen Meinzer Podcast Coaching Session Contest, Here: https://startapodcast.pgtb.me/65jXrh

We take a look at books with “four letter words” and lots of asterisks in their titles, in the form of Listening Party and Word Nerd segments! Subscribe to the podcast here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harp…nts/id806303320 Enter to WIN the Listening Party here: http://harperaudio.hc.com/julylisteningparty/ The Listening Party adds a new member and plays clips from five audiobooks including Everything Is F*cked and The Hidden Power of F*cking Up. Then, Fametta Sawyer returns with a brand new Word Nerd with guest Iris McElroy, looking at old-timey curse words.

We explore new sci-fi titles and interview the authors of THE BRINK, James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth! Subscribe to the podcast here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harp…nts/id806303320 James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth chat about the type of sci-fi they like, performing accents for the THE BRINK audiobook, how fame has changed the way Murr films Impractical Jokers, and more! Plus, they try to guess ridiculous sci-fi b-movie plots in a new game titled ‘WHY SCI-FI, WHY?” Then, it’s audiobook clip theatre, as we listen to the opening minutes of THE BRINK, and Ricahrd Kadrey’s latest THE GRAND DARK, narrated by Vikas Adam.

We interview two authors who know how to treat their fans, Dorothea Benton Frank and Susan Mallery! Subscribe to the podcast here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harp…nts/id806303320 Dorothea Benton Frank chats with us from the “Dorothea Benton Frank Fanfest 2019,” about Low Country living and her latest novel Queen Bee. Then we chat with Susan Mallery about which pet is her favorite and her latest novel The Summer of Sunshine and Margot. Finally, we give you the first few minutes of the audiobook for both of our guest’s latest works.

We interview Sasha Alsberg, co-author of Nexus. Subscribe to the podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/harper-audio-presents/id806303320 Lindsay Cummings and Sasha Alsberg follow their bestselling sci-fi space adventure Zenith with the final entry to their Androma Saga, Nexus. Sasha chats with us about the journey of writing with a partner, what’s on her author bucket list, and much more! Stick around for an extended excerpt from the audiobook version of Nexus.

Authors Juliet Grames (The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna) and Catherine Chung (The Tenth Muse) discuss infusing family history into their work, how pregnancy changed their writing, and more. Then they play a new game called Spoiler Alerts. Subscribe to the pod here: exit.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fit…resents%2Fid806303320 We also introduce a new segment from producer Fametta Sawyer, called Word Nerd. Finally, we present you with clips from the audiobooks of The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna and The Tenth Muse!

The HarperAudio team has a LISTENING PARTY featuring audiobooks on vinyl, and you can play at home for a chance to win them all! See the official rules for how to enter, here: http://harperaudio.hc.com/apr19listeningparty/ Subscribe to the pod here: https://exit.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fharperaudio-presents%2Fid806303320 Then, we present an interview between American poet and author of the vinyl collection Love Poems, Nikki Giovanni and journalist Touré.

It's a pod-crossover, as we chat with the authors of Riverdish, Ryan Bloomquist and Sam Gold! Subscribe to the pod here: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/harpe…ents/id806303320 It's a book based on a podcast based on a tv show based on a comic strip. It sounds confusing, but it's actually just fun. Tyler chats with the infectious hosts and authors of Riverdish, Ryan Bloomquist and Sam Gold. Then, we play an early snippet of the upcoming audiobook edition of Riverdish.

We chat with author Greg Iles, and give our audience a chance to win free audiobooks in the Listening Party! Subscribe to the pod here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/harperaudio-presents/id806303320 Then HarperAudio team members Beth and Nathan join to walk the listeners through our first at-home listening contest . We call it THE LISTENING PARTY, and you can see all the official rules of how to enter here: http://harperaudio.hc.com/mar19listeningparty/ Can you identify the secret word that appears in all three of our audiobooks? Then maybe you have what it takes to win the Listening Party!

Love is in the air as we chat with romance author Lisa Kleypas and romance narrator Mary Jane Wells! Subscribe to the pod here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/harperaudio-presents/id806303320 First, Andrew chats with Lisa Kleypas, the author of DEVIL's DAUGHTER. Lisa talks about being published at 21 years old, what she's learned over the course of her career, and more. She also plays a hunger-inducing version of the Self-Awareness Game. Then, narrator Mary Jane Wells talks about breaking into the business, and how to play the accordion poorly but with gusto! Finally, Mary takes a quiz about obscure Regency Romance Vocabulary. Click here for more information about Mary Jane Wells and her one-woman show: https://www.heroinetheplay.com/

On the season 2 premier we celebrate Own Voices with Jerry Craft and Bahni Turpin! Subscribe to our podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/harperaudio-presents/id806303320 First, Andrew chats with Jerry Craft, the author and illustrator of NEW KID. They talk about how the graphic novel was adapted for audio, public school vs. private school, and more. Then, Jerry plays a game about giving good directions, and his son even joins us in the booth. Then, world-class narrator Bahni Turpin subjects herself to her past work, as she plays the Self-Awarness Game. Finally, we hear the first few minutes from the latest audiobook Bahni's narrated - ON THE COME UP, the latest novel from bestselling author of THE HATE U GIVE, Angie Thomas.

Our guest this week on the pod is Gemma Hartley, the author of Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward. Gemma Hartley is a writer, reporter, and author. In September 2017, Gemma wrote an article that went viral, titled Women Aren’t Nags – We’re Just Fed Up. That article was viewed by over 2 billion people and gave voice to the frustration and anger of countless women, breaking the dam on the conversation around emotional labor. Fed Up picks off where the article left off, expanding on the role and impact of emotional labor in our lives. Fed Up is on sale now. Gemma sat down with Ana Maria Alessi, and talked about what she wants the book to accomplish on a national level, why the reach of her article surprised her, the difference between how boys and girls are rewarded for empathy, and more.

At the year's end we chat with Robin Whitten, the editor and founder of AudioFIle Magazine, and one of the voices on their new audiobook review podcast "Behind The Mic." We talk about starting AudioFile, the growth of the audiobook industry and where it will go int he future, and so much more. Click Here to Listen to Behind the Mic: https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/podcast/ And follow the links to listen to our titles that made the list The Other Woman: http://bit.ly/2LrcwoP Day of the Dead: http://bit.ly/2Le5Y0C The Poppy War: http://bit.ly/2A9us3K I'll Be Gone In The Dark: http://bit.ly/2PjCNXo RFK: http://bit.ly/2Gv5qS6 Barracoon: http://bit.ly/2G0QJWK Beautiful Country Burn Again: http://bit.ly/2V3cwAH The Poet X: http://bit.ly/2T3pGeS The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy: http://bit.ly/2CtXrkf The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: http://bit.ly/2CsTCvB

Actress and narrator Zosia Mamet takes over hosting duties this week, interviewing author Jonathan Lethem about his latest novel THE FERAL DETECTIVE. Stick around after the interview, as we give you a sneak peak of the audiobook, with Zosia narrating! Subscribe to HarperAudio Presents on iTunes:https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/harperaudio-presents/id806303320?mt=2

For our special Halloween episode, we sat down with the debut author of THE WITCH OF WILLOW HALL, Hester Fox. Hester chats about her background in museums, why she likes writing in public, why wallpaper made her life difficult, and more!

The podcast returns with author of MAN OF WAR and co-founder of the American Warrior Initiative, Sean Parnell Sean talks about his move from non-fiction to fiction, his aim to make Eric Steele a new hero worth looking up to, the differences between how American military and other foreign militaries are viewed by their country, and more! When a man from Eric Steele’s past attacks a military convoy and steals a nuclear weapon, Steele and his superiors at the White House are blindsided. Moving from Washington, DC, to the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, Steele must use his considerable skills to hunt this rogue agent, a former brother-in-arms who might have been a friend, and find the WMD before it can reach the United States—and the world is forever changed.

Jim DeFelice joins the podcast to discuss his new book about the history of the Pony Express, WEST LIKE LIGHTNING. Jim talks about how screwed up congress was during that period of time, just how good of a horse rider you had to be to get a job with the Pony Express, who talked him into writing a book about this topic, and more! The thrilling narrative history of one of the most enduring icons of the American West, the Pony Express, from the #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of American Sniper—an exciting tale of daring young men pushing limits to the extremes across the vast, rugged, and unsettled American West.

Christopher Moore returns to the podcast to discuss his latest sarcastically satiric novel, NOIR Christopher discusses how Bugs Bunny influenced Noir, talks about his goal to write books that he’d like to read while in the bathtub, plays a game of “what’s my agenda?” and much more. San Francisco. Summer, 1947. A dame walks into a saloon . . . It’s all very, very Noir. It’s all very, very Christopher Moore.

Elizabeth Acevedo joins the podcast to chat about her new novel-in-verse, The Poet X Elizabeth discusses a range of topics including how The Poet X is both her story and a universal coming of age for young girls, her experience of discovering poetry at a young age, the process of going from writing poems to a novel, and so much more. Fans of Jacqueline Woodson, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds will fall hard for this astonishing #ownvoices novel-in-verse by an award-winning slam poet, about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth.

Nikki GIovanni joins the podcast to chat about her new collection of poetry A GOOD CRY In the interview Nikki chats about recording her older poems, the feeling that we don't cry enough, women in religion, and much more. In A Good Cry, Nikki takes us into her confidence, describing the joy and peril of aging and recalling the violence that permeated her parents’ marriage and her early life. She pays homage to the people who have given her life meaning and joy: her grandparents, who took her in and saved her life; the poets and thinkers who have influenced her; and the students who have surrounded her. Nikki also celebrates her good friend, Maya Angelou, and the many years of friendship, poetry, and kitchen-table laughter they shared before Angelou’s death in 2014.

A Clip From MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS read by Kenneth Branagh by Harper Audio Presents

This week Ana Maria Allessi sits down with O’Reilly Media founder and author of WTF?, Tim O’Reilly. They discuss how technology platforms can show us how to deal with economic inequality, what Uber and Lyft teach us about cognitive augmentation in jobs, Tim’s experience with policy makers, and so much more. In today’s economy, we have far too much dismay along with our amazement, and technology bears some of the blame. In this combination of memoir, business strategy guide, and call to action, Tim O'Reilly, Silicon Valley’s leading intellectual and the founder of O’Reilly Media, explores the upside and the potential downsides of today's WTF? technologies.

This week we sit down with the legendary author of Tales of the City, Armistead Maupin to discuss his memoir Logical Family Reflecting on the profound impact those closest to him have had on his life, Maupin shares his candid search for his "logical family," the people he could call his own. "Sooner or later, we have to venture beyond our biological family to find our logical one, the one that actually makes sense for us," he writes. "We have to, if we are to live without squandering our lives." From his loving relationship with his palm-reading Grannie who insisted Maupin was the reincarnation of her artistic bachelor cousin, Curtis, to an awkward conversation about girls with President Richard Nixon in the Oval Office, Maupin tells of the extraordinary individuals and situations that shaped him into one of the most influential writers of the last century. Maupin sits down for an interview with Ana Maria Allessi to discuss where he wants to be buried when he dies, writing letters to a girl who fell down a well, his awkward oval office interaction with Richard Nixon, and so much more.

This week’s episode features author, journalist, television commentator, and longtime Washington Insider, Sally Quinn. In FINDING MAGIC, Sally Quinn speaks frankly about her varied, provocative spiritual experiences—from her Southern family of Presbyterians and psychics, to voodoo lessons from her Baptist nanny, her trials as a hospitalized military kid in Japan as the Korean War begins, to her adventures as a Post reporter and columnist and her experience as one of the first female news anchors on national television; her battles with the Nixon administration, Watergate, and other scandals that have rocked the nation; her courtship and long marriage to one of the most authoritative figures in the media; her role as the capital’s most influential hostess; and her growing fascination with religious issues. Quinn sits down for an interview with Ana Maria Allessi to discuss the decision to include the word “magic” in the title of the book, her marriage to Ben Bradlee, how to recognize synchronicity, and much more!

Katy Tur is a broadcast journalist and the NBC News correspondent who was tasked with following Donald Trump's presidential campaign. In her new book, UNBELIEVABLE, Tur recounts her experience on the campaign trail. From day 1 to day 500, Tur documented Trump’s inconsistencies, fact-checked his falsities, and called him out on his lies. In return, Trump repeatedly singled Tur out. He tried to charm her, intimidate her, and shame her. At one point, he got a crowd so riled up against Tur, Secret Service agents had to walk her to her car. Tur sits down for an interview with Ana Maria Allessi to discuss the difficulty of reading Trump’s tweets for the audiobook, why political reporters don’t vote, her decision not to use a ghostwriter, and much more.

Rounding out our Summer of Excerpts is Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, and read by Derek Perkins Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas. You can buy the audiobook of Sapiens now at audible http://adbl.co/2gCHmwp

Another installment of our Summer of Excerpts, this week we feature the audiobook of SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi and performed by Kate Simses. The gripping first installment in New York Times bestselling author Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series. One touch is all it takes. One touch, and Juliette Ferrars can leave a fully grown man gasping for air. One touch, and she can kill. No one knows why Juliette has such incredible power. It feels like a curse, a burden that one person alone could never bear. But The Reestablishment sees it as a gift, sees her as an opportunity. An opportunity for a deadly weapon. You can listen to the audiobook of SHATTER ME in its entirety at Audible, where it is currently on sale.

Continuing our Summer of Excerpts, this week’s episode features the audiobook NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE US by Stephanie Powell Watts, and performed by Janina Edwards. It’s THE GREAT GATSBY brilliantly recast in the contemporary South: a powerful first novel about an extended African-American family and their colliding visions of the American Dream. You can listen to the audiobook of NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE US in its entirety over at Audible, where it is currently on sale.

Continuing our Summer of Excerpts, this week's episode features the audiobook of Hunger by Roxane Gay. From the New York Times best-selling author of Bad Feminist, a searingly honest memoir of food, weight, self-image, and learning how to feed your hunger while taking care of yourself. You can listen to the entire audiobook of Hunger by purchasing it at Audible, where it is currently on sale.

This week on the pod, we listen to an exciting clip from the audiobook of DUNKIRK by Joshua Levine, and performed by Jonathan Keeble The Battle of Dunkirk, in May/June 1940, is remembered as a stunning defeat, yet a major victory as well. The Nazis had beaten back the Allies and pushed them across France to the northern port of Dunkirk. In the ultimate race against time, more than 300,000 Allied soldiers were daringly evacuated across the Channel. This moment of German aggression was used by Winston Churchill as a call to Franklin Roosevelt to enter the war. Now, historian Joshua Levine explores the real lives of those soldiers, bombed and strafed on the beaches for days on end, without food or ammunition; the civilians whose boats were overloaded; the airmen who risked their lives to buy their companions on the ground precious time; and those who did not escape. Box office stats say you probably already saw the major motion picture from Christopher Nolan, so now get the whole story! Buy the audiobook of DUNKIRK on audible, where it is currently on sale

On this week's episode, we listen to a clip from the audiobook of THE ALICE NETWORK by Kate Quinn, and performed by Saskia Maarleveld In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption. You can buy the audiobook of THE ALICE NETWORK on Auidble, where it is currently on sale!

On this week’s episode, we listen to a clip from the audiobook version of PAX by Sara Pennypacker. The story of a boy and his pet Fox, separated by war, this beautifully wrought, utterly compelling novel about the essential truths that define us and the devastating costs of war, is destined to become a beloved classic. You can buy the audiobook of PAX on audible, where it is currently on sale!

When Mary Kubica introduced the suspense element to her writing with The Good Girl, she knew she had found her style. Now a Master of Suspense, Mary Kubica weaves her most chilling thriller to date in Every Last Lie - one that explores the dark recesses of a mind plagued by grief and shows that some secrets might be better left buried. Ms. Kubica and Ana Maria Allessi sat down at the ABA’s 2017 Winter Institute to discuss Mary’s new book, how to come up with original twists, and her background as a writer.

Megan Whalen Turner's favorite thing about being a writer is that she can give away her creative output while still keeping it on a shelf at home. Her Queen's Thief novels are rich with political machinations, battles, dangerous journeys, divine intervention, power, passion, revenge, and deception. The author sits down with Harper Audio’s Ana Maria Allessi to discuss writing, publishing and her latest stand-alone novel, “Thick As Thieves.”

Jodi Lynn Anderson’s MIDNIGHT AT THE ELECTRIC tell the story of three women – two from different eras of the early 20th century, one from the future – being linked both by their actions and a “very long-lived tortoise.” Anderson says that she likes “to write about magic that’s very realistic,” which was a “constant thread while writing this book.” Grief, love, faith, a “magical glass globe”, and how one’s life can impact others carry a thread between the novel’s three distinct protagonists. Ms. Anderson and Ana Maria Allessi sat down to discuss this title and the author’s writing life at the ABA’s 2017 Winter Institute.

Jamie Harrison sets her novel in 1905 Livingston Montana because, contrary to popular belief, it was a place of sophistication and flux similar to our world today. THE WIDOW NASH is about a woman who reinvents herself under a new identity. It poses the question, is this cowardice or courage? Harrison has lived in Montana for almost 30 years and writes when not plying her trade as a technical editor. She’s the daughter of author Jim Harrison.

Daniel Wallace believes his protagonist in EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES, Edsel Bronfman, is the first character he's ever created who "can exist outside the covers of the book." Wallace discusses his new "coming-of-age-late" novel and talks about finding underlying messages in his works after the fact, in today’s interview with Ana Maria Allessi.

Susan Burton tells HarperAudio Presents that lectures and appearances are familiar territory, something she had to master as founder and Executive Director of “A New Way Of Life.” But now they’re in the service of her first book, a memoir entitled “Becoming Ms. Burton.” Burton intends the audience for her addict-to-activist story to include women in prison, because she offers a new vision for their life after incarceration. However, all audiences will gain insight from this story of getting on your feet and giving back.

Lisa Ko’s debut novel THE LEAVERS takes a poignant look at the detainment of undocumented immigrants and the devastating emotional effects it has on their American-born children, who often end up being adopted by families outside of their background. Lisa discusses the novel, her background as a storyteller, and the need for more diverse writers in American literature of today’s episode, recorded at the ABA Winter Institute in January 2017.

"I’ll quit next week" became Laura McBride's motto when her life became too difficult and too busy for writing. The irresistible project was 'Round Midnight, the story of four very different women whose lives come together after sixty years. The setting for their interaction is Las Vegas, McBride's home for nearly 30 years. Speaking with Harper Audio's Ana Maria Allessi at the Winter Institute, McBride reveals some of her greatest strengths and weaknesses as a writer.

Benjamin Ludwig's debut novel GINNY MOON revolves around the title character, a fourteen-year-old girl adopted from the foster care system who is plotting an escape. Ludwig's own daughter is autistic and was adopted as a pre-teen by Benjamin and his wife, though the similarities between her and Ginny Moon begin to diverge after those facts. Today, Ludwig expands upon his parenting and writing backgrounds and dives into his mindset while writing in the voice of an autistic high school student.

Marina Benjamin hopes that people say that her new book THE MIDDLEPAUSE "completely redefines the debate about aging for women." Her approach is to look at aging as "an embodied experience, and put the body very much back in the frame." She took the time to sit down with Ana Maria Allessi at the 2017 ABA Winter Institute to discuss these ideas and others about the changing opportunities women encounter as they progress through their middle years.