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Chris Albani and Kwame Dawes chat with Dion O'Reilly about KUMI: New-Generation African Poets: A Chapbook Box Set THE LIMITED-EDITION BOX SET is a project started in 2014 to ensure the publication of up to a dozen chapbooks every year by African poets through Akashic Books. The series seeks to identify the best poetry written by African poets working today, and it is especially interested in featuring poets who have not yet published their first full-length book of poetry. The nine poets included in this box set are: Nurain Oládèjì, Sarpong Osei Asamoah, Claudia Owusu, Nome Emeka Patrick, Qhali, Connor Cogill, Feranmi Ariyo, Dare Tunmise, and Adams Adeosun. KWAME DAWES is the author of numerous books of poetry and other works of fiction, criticism, and essays. His most recent poetry collection is Sturge Town which was published by Peepal Tree Press in the UK and W.W. Norton in the US. Dawes is a George W. Holmes University Professor of English and Glenna Luschei Editor of Prairie Schooner. He teaches in the Pacific MFA Program and is the series editor of the African Poetry Book Series, director of the African Poetry Book Fund, and artistic director of the Calabash International Literary Festival. He is a Chancellor for the Academy of American Poets and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Dawes is the winner of the prestigious Windham/Campbell Award for Poetry and was a finalist for the 2022 Neustadt International Prize for Literature. In 2022, Kwame Dawes was awarded the Order of Distinction Commander class by the Government of Jamaica, and in 2024, he was appointed Poet Laureate of Jamaica.CHRIS ABANI's prose includes The Secret History of Las Vegas, Song for Night, The Virgin of Flames, Becoming Abigail, GraceLand, and Masters of the Board. His poetry collections include Smoking the Bible, Sanctificum, There Are No Names for Red, Feed Me the Sun, Hands Washing Water, Dog Woman, Daphne's Lot, and Kalakuta Republic. He holds a BA and MA in English, an MA in gender and culture, and a PhD in literature and creative writing. Abani is the recipient of a PEN USA Freedom to Write Award, a Prince Claus Award, a Lannan Literary fellowship, a California Book Award, a Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, a PEN Beyond Margins Award, a PEN/Hemingway Award, and a Guggenheim fellowship. He won the prestigious 2024 UNT Rilke Prize and was a finalist for the 2024 Neustadt International Prize for Literature. He is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Born in Nigeria, he is currently on the board of trustees, a professor of English, and director of African Studies at Northwestern University.
Send us a textHi, and welcome to The Bookshop Podcast! In this episode, I chat with Joyce Carol Oates about the 2024 republication of her novel Broke Heart Blues by Akashic Books. We explore how nostalgia and adolescent pressures shape her storytelling, with John Reddy Hart at the center—a character in Broke Heart Blues who encapsulates the dual nature of high school fame and the journey from family protector to solitary adult. Joyce lends her unique perspective, rooted in her rural upbringing and experience navigating more affluent circles, to reflect on how external perceptions often clash with self-view.Venture into the enigmatic isolations of celebrity life with insights into iconic figures like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. Joyce shares her reflections on how these stars were often imprisoned by their fame, becoming reflections of their public personas. We also discuss the intricacies of adapting Joyce's novel Blonde into a film, the interconnected worlds of friendship, fashion, the arts, and her friendship with Gloria Vanderbilt.I ask Joyce about teaching, an anchor amidst the creative whirlwind that emerges as a profound pillar of her life. She explains how teaching balances the uncertainties of writing with the gratifying structure of education. This episode celebrates a life committed to the arts, creativity, and the ever-evolving landscape of expression.Joyce Carol OatesPurchase in AustraliaBroke Heart BluesPurchase in the USBroke Heart BluesSupport the showThe Bookshop PodcastMandy Jackson-BeverlySocial Media Links
Today's guest exemplifies perseverance; and not just with his music but with this podcast. There were a few technical issues which have, hopefully, been overcome with clever editing. Welcome the one and only Robyn Hitchcock. He's written a memoir about his life in 1967. In fact, it's called 1967, How I Got There And Why I Never Left. It's a very unique take on a memoir that works so well. But before we hit on the book, Robyn helps me set things up by going over his life BEFORE 1967. He also talks about things that happened AFTER 1967, like forming The Soft Boys and why they broke up and then reunited at one of Matthew Seligman's parties. Robyn talks about his solo career, why he went solo in the first place, and why he considers himself the reverse of an innovator. We also discuss some of the unique aspects of his solo work; like teaming up with Grant Lee Phillips, doing a film project with the late, great Jonathan Demme, and after decades of being a singer/songwriter, releasing an album that is entirely instrumental. Once we do get into the book, itself, there are even more amazing stories, like discovering Bob Dylan, learning a bit about guitar, and attending The Happening with Brian Eno. Did you know Eno was the app, developed in 1967? That's a science fact. Another science fact is how good his memoir is. So go grab it from Akashic Books, Little Brown Books, or wherever you buy books these days. Follow Robyn @robynhitchcockofficial on Instagram & @robynhitchcock on X. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on both. Grab merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Contribute to our coffee fund at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Let's take a trip back to 1967 with Robyn Hitchcock and maybe we won't leave either on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today's guest exemplifies perseverance; and not just with his music but with this podcast. There were a few technical issues which have, hopefully, been overcome with clever editing. Welcome the one and only Robyn Hitchcock. He's written a memoir about his life in 1967. In fact, it's called 1967, How I Got There And Why I Never Left. It's a very unique take on a memoir that works so well. But before we hit on the book, Robyn helps me set things up by going over his life BEFORE 1967. He also talks about things that happened AFTER 1967, like forming The Soft Boys and why they broke up and then reunited at one of Matthew Seligman's parties. Robyn talks about his solo career, why he went solo in the first place, and why he considers himself the reverse of an innovator. We also discuss some of the unique aspects of his solo work; like teaming up with Grant Lee Phillips, doing a film project with the late, great Jonathan Demme, and after decades of being a singer/songwriter, releasing an album that is entirely instrumental. Once we do get into the book, itself, there are even more amazing stories, like discovering Bob Dylan, learning a bit about guitar, and attending The Happening with Brian Eno. Did you know Eno was the app, developed in 1967? That's a science fact. Another science fact is how good his memoir is. So go grab it from Akashic Books, Little Brown Books, or wherever you buy books these days. Follow Robyn @robynhitchcockofficial on Instagram & @robynhitchcock on X. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on both. Grab merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Contribute to our coffee fund at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Let's take a trip back to 1967 with Robyn Hitchcock and maybe we won't leave either on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
City Lights and Akashic Books celebrate the publication of "Joyce Carol Oates: Letters to a Biographer," edited by Greg Johnson, published by Akashic Books. Purchase here: https://citylights.com/new-nonfiction-in-hardcover/joyce-carol-oates-letters-to-a-biograp/ This rich compilation of Joyce Carol Oates's letters across four decades displays her warmth and generosity, her droll and sometimes wicked sense of humor, her phenomenal energy, and most of all, her mastery of the lost art of letter writing. In this generous selection of Joyce Carol Oates's letters to her biographer and friend Greg Johnson, readers will discover a never-before-seen dimension of her phenomenal talent. Whereas her academic essays and book reviews are eloquent in a formal way, in these letters she is wholly relaxed, even when she is serious in her concerns. Like Johnson, she was always engaged in work, whether a long novel or a brief essay, and the letters give a fascinating glimpse into Oates's writing practice. Joyce Carol Oates is the celebrated author of a number of works of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. She is the editor of "New Jersey Noir," "Prison Noir," and "Cutting Edge: New Stories of Mystery and Crime by Women Writers;" and a recipient of the National Book Award, the PEN America Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Humanities Medal, and a World Fantasy Award for Short Fiction. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey. "A Darker Shade of Noir: New Stories of Body Horror by Women Writers" is her latest work. Steve Wasserman is the publisher of Heyday Books. He is a former editor-at-large for Yale University Press and editorial director of Times Books/Random House and publisher of Hill & Wang and The Noonday Press at Farrar, Straus and Giroux. A founder of the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities at the University of Southern California, Wasserman was a principal architect of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books during the nine years he served as editor of the Los Angeles Times Book Review (1996–2005). He has written for many publications, including "The Village Voice," "Threepenny Review," "The Nation," "The New Republic," "The American Conservative," "The Progressive," "Columbia Journalism Review," "Los Angeles Times," and the "(London) Times Literary Supplement." Originally broadcast via Zoom on Thursday, March 18, 2024. Hosted by Peter Maravelis. Made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation. citylights.com/foundation
1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left (Akashic Books, 2024) explores how that pivotal slice of time tastes to a bright, obsessive-compulsive boy who is shipped off to a hothouse academic boarding school as he reaches the age of thirteen--just as Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited starts to bite, and the Beatles's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band explodes. When he arrives in January 1966, Robyn Hitchcock is still a boy pining for the comforts of home and his family's loving au pair, Teresa. By December 1967, he's mutated into a 6'2? tall rabid Bob Dylan fan, whose two ambitions in life are to get really high and fly to Nashville. In between--as the hippie revolution blossoms in the world outside--Hitchcock adjusts to the hierarchical, homoerotic world of Winchester, threading a path through teachers with arrested development, some oafish peers, and a sullen old maid--a very English freak show. On the way he befriends a cadre of bat-winged teenage prodigies and meets their local guru, the young Brian Eno. At the end of 1967, all the ingredients are in place that will make Robyn Hitchcock a songwriter for life. But then again, does 1967 ever really end? Robyn Hitchcock is a rock 'n' roll surrealist. Born in London in 1953, he describes his songs as "pictures you can listen to." Hitchcock has floated at a tangent to the mainstream for nearly five decades, and his songs have been performed by R.E.M., the Replacements, Neko Case, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Lou Barlow, Grant-Lee Phillips, Sparklehorse, and Suzanne Vega with the Grateful Dead, among others. Hitchcock lives in London with his wife Emma Swift and two cats, Ringo and Tubby. Robyn on Twitter. Bradley Morgan is a media arts professional in Chicago and author of U2's The Joshua Tree: Planting Roots in Mythic America. He manages partnerships on behalf of CHIRP Radio 107.1 FM and is the director of its music film festival. His forthcoming books are Frank Zappa's America: Music, Satire, & the Battle Against the Christian Right (LSU Press, Spring 2025) and U2: Until the End of the World (Palazzo Editions, Fall 2025). Bradley Morgan on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left (Akashic Books, 2024) explores how that pivotal slice of time tastes to a bright, obsessive-compulsive boy who is shipped off to a hothouse academic boarding school as he reaches the age of thirteen--just as Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited starts to bite, and the Beatles's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band explodes. When he arrives in January 1966, Robyn Hitchcock is still a boy pining for the comforts of home and his family's loving au pair, Teresa. By December 1967, he's mutated into a 6'2? tall rabid Bob Dylan fan, whose two ambitions in life are to get really high and fly to Nashville. In between--as the hippie revolution blossoms in the world outside--Hitchcock adjusts to the hierarchical, homoerotic world of Winchester, threading a path through teachers with arrested development, some oafish peers, and a sullen old maid--a very English freak show. On the way he befriends a cadre of bat-winged teenage prodigies and meets their local guru, the young Brian Eno. At the end of 1967, all the ingredients are in place that will make Robyn Hitchcock a songwriter for life. But then again, does 1967 ever really end? Robyn Hitchcock is a rock 'n' roll surrealist. Born in London in 1953, he describes his songs as "pictures you can listen to." Hitchcock has floated at a tangent to the mainstream for nearly five decades, and his songs have been performed by R.E.M., the Replacements, Neko Case, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Lou Barlow, Grant-Lee Phillips, Sparklehorse, and Suzanne Vega with the Grateful Dead, among others. Hitchcock lives in London with his wife Emma Swift and two cats, Ringo and Tubby. Robyn on Twitter. Bradley Morgan is a media arts professional in Chicago and author of U2's The Joshua Tree: Planting Roots in Mythic America. He manages partnerships on behalf of CHIRP Radio 107.1 FM and is the director of its music film festival. His forthcoming books are Frank Zappa's America: Music, Satire, & the Battle Against the Christian Right (LSU Press, Spring 2025) and U2: Until the End of the World (Palazzo Editions, Fall 2025). Bradley Morgan on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history
1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left (Akashic Books, 2024) explores how that pivotal slice of time tastes to a bright, obsessive-compulsive boy who is shipped off to a hothouse academic boarding school as he reaches the age of thirteen--just as Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited starts to bite, and the Beatles's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band explodes. When he arrives in January 1966, Robyn Hitchcock is still a boy pining for the comforts of home and his family's loving au pair, Teresa. By December 1967, he's mutated into a 6'2? tall rabid Bob Dylan fan, whose two ambitions in life are to get really high and fly to Nashville. In between--as the hippie revolution blossoms in the world outside--Hitchcock adjusts to the hierarchical, homoerotic world of Winchester, threading a path through teachers with arrested development, some oafish peers, and a sullen old maid--a very English freak show. On the way he befriends a cadre of bat-winged teenage prodigies and meets their local guru, the young Brian Eno. At the end of 1967, all the ingredients are in place that will make Robyn Hitchcock a songwriter for life. But then again, does 1967 ever really end? Robyn Hitchcock is a rock 'n' roll surrealist. Born in London in 1953, he describes his songs as "pictures you can listen to." Hitchcock has floated at a tangent to the mainstream for nearly five decades, and his songs have been performed by R.E.M., the Replacements, Neko Case, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Lou Barlow, Grant-Lee Phillips, Sparklehorse, and Suzanne Vega with the Grateful Dead, among others. Hitchcock lives in London with his wife Emma Swift and two cats, Ringo and Tubby. Robyn on Twitter. Bradley Morgan is a media arts professional in Chicago and author of U2's The Joshua Tree: Planting Roots in Mythic America. He manages partnerships on behalf of CHIRP Radio 107.1 FM and is the director of its music film festival. His forthcoming books are Frank Zappa's America: Music, Satire, & the Battle Against the Christian Right (LSU Press, Spring 2025) and U2: Until the End of the World (Palazzo Editions, Fall 2025). Bradley Morgan on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/performing-arts
1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left (Akashic Books, 2024) explores how that pivotal slice of time tastes to a bright, obsessive-compulsive boy who is shipped off to a hothouse academic boarding school as he reaches the age of thirteen--just as Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited starts to bite, and the Beatles's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band explodes. When he arrives in January 1966, Robyn Hitchcock is still a boy pining for the comforts of home and his family's loving au pair, Teresa. By December 1967, he's mutated into a 6'2? tall rabid Bob Dylan fan, whose two ambitions in life are to get really high and fly to Nashville. In between--as the hippie revolution blossoms in the world outside--Hitchcock adjusts to the hierarchical, homoerotic world of Winchester, threading a path through teachers with arrested development, some oafish peers, and a sullen old maid--a very English freak show. On the way he befriends a cadre of bat-winged teenage prodigies and meets their local guru, the young Brian Eno. At the end of 1967, all the ingredients are in place that will make Robyn Hitchcock a songwriter for life. But then again, does 1967 ever really end? Robyn Hitchcock is a rock 'n' roll surrealist. Born in London in 1953, he describes his songs as "pictures you can listen to." Hitchcock has floated at a tangent to the mainstream for nearly five decades, and his songs have been performed by R.E.M., the Replacements, Neko Case, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Lou Barlow, Grant-Lee Phillips, Sparklehorse, and Suzanne Vega with the Grateful Dead, among others. Hitchcock lives in London with his wife Emma Swift and two cats, Ringo and Tubby. Robyn on Twitter. Bradley Morgan is a media arts professional in Chicago and author of U2's The Joshua Tree: Planting Roots in Mythic America. He manages partnerships on behalf of CHIRP Radio 107.1 FM and is the director of its music film festival. His forthcoming books are Frank Zappa's America: Music, Satire, & the Battle Against the Christian Right (LSU Press, Spring 2025) and U2: Until the End of the World (Palazzo Editions, Fall 2025). Bradley Morgan on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography
1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left (Akashic Books, 2024) explores how that pivotal slice of time tastes to a bright, obsessive-compulsive boy who is shipped off to a hothouse academic boarding school as he reaches the age of thirteen--just as Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited starts to bite, and the Beatles's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band explodes. When he arrives in January 1966, Robyn Hitchcock is still a boy pining for the comforts of home and his family's loving au pair, Teresa. By December 1967, he's mutated into a 6'2? tall rabid Bob Dylan fan, whose two ambitions in life are to get really high and fly to Nashville. In between--as the hippie revolution blossoms in the world outside--Hitchcock adjusts to the hierarchical, homoerotic world of Winchester, threading a path through teachers with arrested development, some oafish peers, and a sullen old maid--a very English freak show. On the way he befriends a cadre of bat-winged teenage prodigies and meets their local guru, the young Brian Eno. At the end of 1967, all the ingredients are in place that will make Robyn Hitchcock a songwriter for life. But then again, does 1967 ever really end? Robyn Hitchcock is a rock 'n' roll surrealist. Born in London in 1953, he describes his songs as "pictures you can listen to." Hitchcock has floated at a tangent to the mainstream for nearly five decades, and his songs have been performed by R.E.M., the Replacements, Neko Case, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Lou Barlow, Grant-Lee Phillips, Sparklehorse, and Suzanne Vega with the Grateful Dead, among others. Hitchcock lives in London with his wife Emma Swift and two cats, Ringo and Tubby. Robyn on Twitter. Bradley Morgan is a media arts professional in Chicago and author of U2's The Joshua Tree: Planting Roots in Mythic America. He manages partnerships on behalf of CHIRP Radio 107.1 FM and is the director of its music film festival. His forthcoming books are Frank Zappa's America: Music, Satire, & the Battle Against the Christian Right (LSU Press, Spring 2025) and U2: Until the End of the World (Palazzo Editions, Fall 2025). Bradley Morgan on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/music
1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left (Akashic Books, 2024) explores how that pivotal slice of time tastes to a bright, obsessive-compulsive boy who is shipped off to a hothouse academic boarding school as he reaches the age of thirteen--just as Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited starts to bite, and the Beatles's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band explodes. When he arrives in January 1966, Robyn Hitchcock is still a boy pining for the comforts of home and his family's loving au pair, Teresa. By December 1967, he's mutated into a 6'2? tall rabid Bob Dylan fan, whose two ambitions in life are to get really high and fly to Nashville. In between--as the hippie revolution blossoms in the world outside--Hitchcock adjusts to the hierarchical, homoerotic world of Winchester, threading a path through teachers with arrested development, some oafish peers, and a sullen old maid--a very English freak show. On the way he befriends a cadre of bat-winged teenage prodigies and meets their local guru, the young Brian Eno. At the end of 1967, all the ingredients are in place that will make Robyn Hitchcock a songwriter for life. But then again, does 1967 ever really end? Robyn Hitchcock is a rock 'n' roll surrealist. Born in London in 1953, he describes his songs as "pictures you can listen to." Hitchcock has floated at a tangent to the mainstream for nearly five decades, and his songs have been performed by R.E.M., the Replacements, Neko Case, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Lou Barlow, Grant-Lee Phillips, Sparklehorse, and Suzanne Vega with the Grateful Dead, among others. Hitchcock lives in London with his wife Emma Swift and two cats, Ringo and Tubby. Robyn on Twitter. Bradley Morgan is a media arts professional in Chicago and author of U2's The Joshua Tree: Planting Roots in Mythic America. He manages partnerships on behalf of CHIRP Radio 107.1 FM and is the director of its music film festival. His forthcoming books are Frank Zappa's America: Music, Satire, & the Battle Against the Christian Right (LSU Press, Spring 2025) and U2: Until the End of the World (Palazzo Editions, Fall 2025). Bradley Morgan on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture
1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left (Akashic Books, 2024) explores how that pivotal slice of time tastes to a bright, obsessive-compulsive boy who is shipped off to a hothouse academic boarding school as he reaches the age of thirteen--just as Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited starts to bite, and the Beatles's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band explodes. When he arrives in January 1966, Robyn Hitchcock is still a boy pining for the comforts of home and his family's loving au pair, Teresa. By December 1967, he's mutated into a 6'2? tall rabid Bob Dylan fan, whose two ambitions in life are to get really high and fly to Nashville. In between--as the hippie revolution blossoms in the world outside--Hitchcock adjusts to the hierarchical, homoerotic world of Winchester, threading a path through teachers with arrested development, some oafish peers, and a sullen old maid--a very English freak show. On the way he befriends a cadre of bat-winged teenage prodigies and meets their local guru, the young Brian Eno. At the end of 1967, all the ingredients are in place that will make Robyn Hitchcock a songwriter for life. But then again, does 1967 ever really end? Robyn Hitchcock is a rock 'n' roll surrealist. Born in London in 1953, he describes his songs as "pictures you can listen to." Hitchcock has floated at a tangent to the mainstream for nearly five decades, and his songs have been performed by R.E.M., the Replacements, Neko Case, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Lou Barlow, Grant-Lee Phillips, Sparklehorse, and Suzanne Vega with the Grateful Dead, among others. Hitchcock lives in London with his wife Emma Swift and two cats, Ringo and Tubby. Robyn on Twitter. Bradley Morgan is a media arts professional in Chicago and author of U2's The Joshua Tree: Planting Roots in Mythic America. He manages partnerships on behalf of CHIRP Radio 107.1 FM and is the director of its music film festival. His forthcoming books are Frank Zappa's America: Music, Satire, & the Battle Against the Christian Right (LSU Press, Spring 2025) and U2: Until the End of the World (Palazzo Editions, Fall 2025). Bradley Morgan on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies
1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left (Akashic Books, 2024) explores how that pivotal slice of time tastes to a bright, obsessive-compulsive boy who is shipped off to a hothouse academic boarding school as he reaches the age of thirteen--just as Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited starts to bite, and the Beatles's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band explodes. When he arrives in January 1966, Robyn Hitchcock is still a boy pining for the comforts of home and his family's loving au pair, Teresa. By December 1967, he's mutated into a 6'2? tall rabid Bob Dylan fan, whose two ambitions in life are to get really high and fly to Nashville. In between--as the hippie revolution blossoms in the world outside--Hitchcock adjusts to the hierarchical, homoerotic world of Winchester, threading a path through teachers with arrested development, some oafish peers, and a sullen old maid--a very English freak show. On the way he befriends a cadre of bat-winged teenage prodigies and meets their local guru, the young Brian Eno. At the end of 1967, all the ingredients are in place that will make Robyn Hitchcock a songwriter for life. But then again, does 1967 ever really end? Robyn Hitchcock is a rock 'n' roll surrealist. Born in London in 1953, he describes his songs as "pictures you can listen to." Hitchcock has floated at a tangent to the mainstream for nearly five decades, and his songs have been performed by R.E.M., the Replacements, Neko Case, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Lou Barlow, Grant-Lee Phillips, Sparklehorse, and Suzanne Vega with the Grateful Dead, among others. Hitchcock lives in London with his wife Emma Swift and two cats, Ringo and Tubby. Robyn on Twitter. Bradley Morgan is a media arts professional in Chicago and author of U2's The Joshua Tree: Planting Roots in Mythic America. He manages partnerships on behalf of CHIRP Radio 107.1 FM and is the director of its music film festival. His forthcoming books are Frank Zappa's America: Music, Satire, & the Battle Against the Christian Right (LSU Press, Spring 2025) and U2: Until the End of the World (Palazzo Editions, Fall 2025). Bradley Morgan on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day
Daniel Rachel's new book Too Much Too Young, the 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism, and the Soundtrack of a Generation (Akashic, 2024) presents the definitive history of 2 Tone Records. In 1979, 2 Tone Records exploded into the consciousness of music lovers in Britain, the US, and beyond, as albums by the Specials, the Selecter, Madness, the English Beat, and the Bodysnatchers burst onto the charts and a youth movement was born. 2 Tone was Black and white: a multiracial force of British and Caribbean musicians singing about social issues, racism, class, and gender struggles. It spoke of injustices in society and fought against rightwing extremism. It was exuberant and eclectic: white youths learning to dance to the infectious rhythm of ska and reggae, crossed with a punk attitude, to create an original hybrid. The idea of 2 Tone was born in Coventry, England, and masterminded by a middle-class art student, Jerry Dammers, who envisioned an English Motown. Dammers signed a slew of successful artists, and a number of successive hits propelled 2 Tone onto Top of the Pops and into the hearts and minds of a generation. However, infighting among the bands and the pressures of running a label caused 2 Tone to bow to the inevitable weight of expectation and recrimination. Over the following years, Dammers built the label back up again, entering a new phase full of fresh signings and a beautiful end-piece finale in the activist hit song “(Free) Nelson Mandela.” Told in three parts, Too Much Too Young is the definitive story of a label that for a brief, bright burning moment shaped British, American, and world culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Daniel Rachel's new book Too Much Too Young, the 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism, and the Soundtrack of a Generation (Akashic, 2024) presents the definitive history of 2 Tone Records. In 1979, 2 Tone Records exploded into the consciousness of music lovers in Britain, the US, and beyond, as albums by the Specials, the Selecter, Madness, the English Beat, and the Bodysnatchers burst onto the charts and a youth movement was born. 2 Tone was Black and white: a multiracial force of British and Caribbean musicians singing about social issues, racism, class, and gender struggles. It spoke of injustices in society and fought against rightwing extremism. It was exuberant and eclectic: white youths learning to dance to the infectious rhythm of ska and reggae, crossed with a punk attitude, to create an original hybrid. The idea of 2 Tone was born in Coventry, England, and masterminded by a middle-class art student, Jerry Dammers, who envisioned an English Motown. Dammers signed a slew of successful artists, and a number of successive hits propelled 2 Tone onto Top of the Pops and into the hearts and minds of a generation. However, infighting among the bands and the pressures of running a label caused 2 Tone to bow to the inevitable weight of expectation and recrimination. Over the following years, Dammers built the label back up again, entering a new phase full of fresh signings and a beautiful end-piece finale in the activist hit song “(Free) Nelson Mandela.” Told in three parts, Too Much Too Young is the definitive story of a label that for a brief, bright burning moment shaped British, American, and world culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history
Daniel Rachel's new book Too Much Too Young, the 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism, and the Soundtrack of a Generation (Akashic, 2024) presents the definitive history of 2 Tone Records. In 1979, 2 Tone Records exploded into the consciousness of music lovers in Britain, the US, and beyond, as albums by the Specials, the Selecter, Madness, the English Beat, and the Bodysnatchers burst onto the charts and a youth movement was born. 2 Tone was Black and white: a multiracial force of British and Caribbean musicians singing about social issues, racism, class, and gender struggles. It spoke of injustices in society and fought against rightwing extremism. It was exuberant and eclectic: white youths learning to dance to the infectious rhythm of ska and reggae, crossed with a punk attitude, to create an original hybrid. The idea of 2 Tone was born in Coventry, England, and masterminded by a middle-class art student, Jerry Dammers, who envisioned an English Motown. Dammers signed a slew of successful artists, and a number of successive hits propelled 2 Tone onto Top of the Pops and into the hearts and minds of a generation. However, infighting among the bands and the pressures of running a label caused 2 Tone to bow to the inevitable weight of expectation and recrimination. Over the following years, Dammers built the label back up again, entering a new phase full of fresh signings and a beautiful end-piece finale in the activist hit song “(Free) Nelson Mandela.” Told in three parts, Too Much Too Young is the definitive story of a label that for a brief, bright burning moment shaped British, American, and world culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/music
Daniel Rachel's new book Too Much Too Young, the 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism, and the Soundtrack of a Generation (Akashic, 2024) presents the definitive history of 2 Tone Records. In 1979, 2 Tone Records exploded into the consciousness of music lovers in Britain, the US, and beyond, as albums by the Specials, the Selecter, Madness, the English Beat, and the Bodysnatchers burst onto the charts and a youth movement was born. 2 Tone was Black and white: a multiracial force of British and Caribbean musicians singing about social issues, racism, class, and gender struggles. It spoke of injustices in society and fought against rightwing extremism. It was exuberant and eclectic: white youths learning to dance to the infectious rhythm of ska and reggae, crossed with a punk attitude, to create an original hybrid. The idea of 2 Tone was born in Coventry, England, and masterminded by a middle-class art student, Jerry Dammers, who envisioned an English Motown. Dammers signed a slew of successful artists, and a number of successive hits propelled 2 Tone onto Top of the Pops and into the hearts and minds of a generation. However, infighting among the bands and the pressures of running a label caused 2 Tone to bow to the inevitable weight of expectation and recrimination. Over the following years, Dammers built the label back up again, entering a new phase full of fresh signings and a beautiful end-piece finale in the activist hit song “(Free) Nelson Mandela.” Told in three parts, Too Much Too Young is the definitive story of a label that for a brief, bright burning moment shaped British, American, and world culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Daniel Rachel's new book Too Much Too Young, the 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism, and the Soundtrack of a Generation (Akashic, 2024) presents the definitive history of 2 Tone Records. In 1979, 2 Tone Records exploded into the consciousness of music lovers in Britain, the US, and beyond, as albums by the Specials, the Selecter, Madness, the English Beat, and the Bodysnatchers burst onto the charts and a youth movement was born. 2 Tone was Black and white: a multiracial force of British and Caribbean musicians singing about social issues, racism, class, and gender struggles. It spoke of injustices in society and fought against rightwing extremism. It was exuberant and eclectic: white youths learning to dance to the infectious rhythm of ska and reggae, crossed with a punk attitude, to create an original hybrid. The idea of 2 Tone was born in Coventry, England, and masterminded by a middle-class art student, Jerry Dammers, who envisioned an English Motown. Dammers signed a slew of successful artists, and a number of successive hits propelled 2 Tone onto Top of the Pops and into the hearts and minds of a generation. However, infighting among the bands and the pressures of running a label caused 2 Tone to bow to the inevitable weight of expectation and recrimination. Over the following years, Dammers built the label back up again, entering a new phase full of fresh signings and a beautiful end-piece finale in the activist hit song “(Free) Nelson Mandela.” Told in three parts, Too Much Too Young is the definitive story of a label that for a brief, bright burning moment shaped British, American, and world culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture
Daniel Rachel's new book Too Much Too Young, the 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism, and the Soundtrack of a Generation (Akashic, 2024) presents the definitive history of 2 Tone Records. In 1979, 2 Tone Records exploded into the consciousness of music lovers in Britain, the US, and beyond, as albums by the Specials, the Selecter, Madness, the English Beat, and the Bodysnatchers burst onto the charts and a youth movement was born. 2 Tone was Black and white: a multiracial force of British and Caribbean musicians singing about social issues, racism, class, and gender struggles. It spoke of injustices in society and fought against rightwing extremism. It was exuberant and eclectic: white youths learning to dance to the infectious rhythm of ska and reggae, crossed with a punk attitude, to create an original hybrid. The idea of 2 Tone was born in Coventry, England, and masterminded by a middle-class art student, Jerry Dammers, who envisioned an English Motown. Dammers signed a slew of successful artists, and a number of successive hits propelled 2 Tone onto Top of the Pops and into the hearts and minds of a generation. However, infighting among the bands and the pressures of running a label caused 2 Tone to bow to the inevitable weight of expectation and recrimination. Over the following years, Dammers built the label back up again, entering a new phase full of fresh signings and a beautiful end-piece finale in the activist hit song “(Free) Nelson Mandela.” Told in three parts, Too Much Too Young is the definitive story of a label that for a brief, bright burning moment shaped British, American, and world culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies
Paralysis from the chest down as a result of serving in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War may sound like devastation beyond reconciliation, but for Ron Kovic, it became a transformative and politically enlightening experience. The two-tour veteran amplified his activism a few years after being discharged from the army with honest and insightful writing about what serving in this war was truly like. His best-selling memoir, “Born on the Fourth of July,” was published in 1976 and later was made into a film adaptation directed by Oliver Stone. He continued his activism, most notably with his second book, “Hurricane Street,” following his nationwide organization of the American Veteran Movement, which fought for improved conditions in VA hospitals. Akashic Books recently published Kovic's third book in his autobiographical trilogy— “A Dangerous Country: An American Elegy.”
Barbara J. Taylor, author from Scranton, speaking with WVIA's News Director Julie Sidoni, about her new novel titled, "Rain Will Break No Bones," a Kaylie Jones Book issued by Akashic Books. There will be a book event on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at noon at Barnes & Noble, 421 Arena Hub Plaza in Wilkes-Barre. For more information and other events: www.barbarajtaylor.com/
RON KOVIC served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. He was paralyzed from his chest down in combat in 1968 and has been in a wheelchair ever since. Along with Oliver Stone, Kovic was the coscreenwriter of the 1989 Academy Award–winning film based on Kovic's best-selling memoir Born on the Fourth of July (starring Tom Cruise as Kovic). Hurricane Street (2016) detailed Kovic's efforts to organize the American Veterans Movement in 1974, fighting for better treatment of injured and disabled veterans. His latest work is A Dangerous Country.Ron Kovic, author of Born on the Fourth of July and one of the country's most powerful and passionate antiwar voices, completes his Vietnam Trilogy with this poignant, inspiring, and deeply personal. Maggie has an extended conversation with Ron Kovic about his new book which completes his Vietnam Trilogy and his deep and personal story of his time in Vietnam, returning home and how his political views shifted tremendously. Source: https://www.akashicbooks.com/author/ron-kovic/Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_KovicHost Maggie LePique, a radio veteran since the 1980's at NPR in Kansas City Mo. She began her radio career in Los Angeles in the early 1990's and has worked for Pacifica station KPFK Radio in Los Angeles since 1994.Support the show
In this episode, Scott Rettberg is joined by novelist and professor of Emerging Media and Digital Art at Southern Oregon University, Robert Arellano. They discuss the history of hypertext and Robert's breakthrough hypertext novel. References Coover, Robert. 1992. “The end of Books”. Essay. New York Times. https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/98/09/27/specials/coover-end.html. Coover, Robert. 2023. Open House. OR Books. Coover, Robert. 1993. “Hyperfiction: Novels for the Computer”. Essay. New York Times. https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/98/09/27/specials/coover-hyperfiction.html?_r=4. Gillespie, W., Rettberg, S., Stratton, D., & Marquadt, F. 1999. The Unknown. [Hypertext fiction]. Web. http://unknownhypertext.com/. ELMCIP. n. d. “TP21CL” https://elmcip.net/event/technology-platforms-21st-century-literature. Arellano, R. 1996. Sunshine '69. [Hypertext]. Web. SonicNet. https://bobbyrabyd.github.io/Sunshine69/noflash.html. Eastgate Systems. 1987. Storyspace. http://www.eastgate.com/storyspace/. Klimas, C. 2009. Twine. https://twinery.org/. Jackson, S. 1995. Patchwork Girl. [Hypertext]. Eastgate Systems. Arellano, R. 2001. Fast Eddie: King of the Bees. Akashic Books. Arellano, R. 2009. Havana Lunar. Akashic Books. Rettberg, S. 2018. Electronic literature. John Wiley & Sons. Coover, R. 1992. Hypertext Hotel. [Hypertext]. MOO. Landow, G. P. 1992. Hypertext: The convergence of contemporary critical theory and technology. Johns Hopkins University Press.
In The Doors Unhinged, New York Times bestselling author and legendary Doors drummer John Densmore offers a powerful exploration of the “greed gene”—that part of the human psyche that propels us toward the accumulation of more and more wealth, even at the expense of our principles, friendships, and the well-being of society. This is the gripping account of the legal battle to control The Doors's artistic destiny. In it, Densmore looks at his conflict with his bandmates over the right to use The Doors's name, revealing the ways in which this struggle mirrors and reflects a much larger societal issue: that no amount of money seems to be enough for even the wealthiest people.The Doors continue to attract new generations of fans, with more than one hundred million albums sold worldwide and counting, and nearly twenty million followers to the band's social media accounts. As such, Densmore occupies a rarefied space in popular culture. He's beloved by artists across the decades for his fierce, uncompromising dedication to art. His writing consistently earns accolades and has appeared in a range of publications, such as the Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone. As his friend and American novelist Tom Robbins recently said to him, “If you keep writing like this, I'll have to get a drum set.”This is an incredibly timely and important volume in a contemporary world that is increasingly consumed by an insatiable profit motive. John Densmore has given us a blueprint for an approach to life and culture that is not driven by greed.Source: https://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/doors-unhinged/Source: https://www.vromansbookstore.com/Vromans-presents-John-Densmore-with-Fred-Armisen-discussing-The-Doors-UnhingedHost Maggie LePique, a radio veteran since the 1980's at NPR in Kansas City Mo. She began her radio career in Los Angeles in the early 1990's and has worked for Pacifica station KPFK Radio in Los Angeles since 1994.Support the show
In this episode, the Crew ventures to the end of the road to chat with journalist-turned-thriller author Andrew Welsh-Huggins. In "The End of the Road," Myles's testimony should have landed Pryor, their one-eyed ringleader, in jail after a botched bank robbery, but Pryor escaped unscathed while Myles served time. Now, determined to leave his criminal past behind, Myles must kill Pryor to start anew. A violent clash between them leaves Myles in critical condition, prompting his girlfriend Penny to seek revenge and a chance at a normal life. Meanwhile, Pryor and his gang plan their biggest heist targeting an Ohio bank, with Penny in pursuit. As Pryor leaves chaos in his wake, this fast-paced rural noir showcases Andrew Welsh-Huggins' mastery of suspense and vivid characters, set in the heart of the Midwest. Praise for The End of the Road: A Library Journal Best Thriller Book of the Year "An elegant crime story … packed with quirky, entertaining characters and told in flowing prose that has a life of its own…. Recommend this to action fans and to anyone who can respond to golden―if blood-soaked―prose."― Booklist "A crackerjack crime yarn chockablock with miscreants and a supersonic pace." ― Kirkus Andrew Welsh-Huggins is a reporter for the Associated Press in Columbus, Ohio by day and author of seven books in the Andy Hayes private eye series, featuring a former Ohio State and Cleveland Browns quarterback turned investigator, by even earlier in the day. He is the editor of the Columbus Noir anthology from Akashic Books, and the author of two nonfiction books, No Winners Here Tonight, the definitive history of Ohio's death penalty, and Hatred At Home, about the terrorism prosecution of three Ohio friends. His mystery fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Weekly, and Mystery Tribune among others.
This episode it's time for One Book One Podcast as we discuss the novel Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey. We talk about spoilers, horse operas, spoilers, relationships, spoilers, queer coming-of-age stories, and spoilers. Plus: Spoilers! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards The Book We Read Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey Other Media We Mentioned River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Wikipedia) Once Upon a Time in Mexico (Wikipedia) The Walking Dead (TV series) (Wikipedia) Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells Links, Articles, and Things Horse Opera Episode 029 - Westerns Smart Bitches Trashy Books review of Upright Women Wanted Between the Coats: A Sensitivity Read Changed my Life by Sarah Gailey Jam's Upright Women Wanted film cast comprised of internet tabletop roleplayers: Esther: Becca Scott Cye: Erika Ishii Bet: Krystina Arielle Leda: Ashley Johnson Amity: Aabria Iyengar 12+ International Noir Books by BIPOC Authors Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers' Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here. Easy Motion Tourist by Leye Adenle The Blue Bar by Damyanti Biswas The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo, translated by Chi-Young Kim The Carnivorous City by Toni Kan Real World by Natsuo Kirino, translated by Philip Gabriel Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius, translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles A Death in Denmark by Amulya Malladi Nothing Is Lost by Cloé Mehdi, translated by Howard Curtis Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Morena-Garcia My Annihilation by Fuminori Nakamura, translated by Sam Bett I Do Not Come to You by Chance by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo, translated by Louise Heal Kawai Plus many in the Akashic Books noir series, including: Kingston Noir edited by Colin Channer Haiti Noir edited by Edwidge Danticat Manila Noir edited by Jessica Hagedorn Nairobi Noir edited by Peter Kimani Baghdad Noir edited by Samuel Shimon Give us feedback! Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read! Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email! Join us again on Tuesday, October 3rd get ready for Halloween because we'll be talking about the genre of Horror! Then on Tuesday, November 7th we'll be discussing the non-fiction genre of Crafts and Crafting!
Saleh, the narrator of Out of Mesopotamia (Akashic Books, 2020), is a middle-aged Iranian journalist who moonlights as a writer for one of Iran's most popular TV shows but cannot keep himself away from the front lines in neighboring Iraq and Syria. There, the fight against the Islamic State is a proxy war, an existential battle, a declaration of faith, and, for some, a passing weekend affair. After weeks spent dodging RPGs, witnessing acts of savagery and stupidity, Saleh returns to civilian life in Tehran but finds it to be an unbearably dislocating experience. Pursued by his official handler from state security, opportunistic colleagues, and the woman who broke his heart, Saleh has reason to again flee from everyday life. Surrounded by men whose willingness to achieve martyrdom both fascinates and appalls him, Saleh struggles to make sense of himself and the turmoil in his midst. An unprecedented glimpse into "endless war" from a Middle Eastern perspective, Out of Mesopotamia follows in the tradition of the Western canon of martial writers--from Hemingway and Orwell to Tim O'Brien and Philip Caputo--but then subverts and expands upon the genre before completely blowing it apart. Drawing from his firsthand experience of being embedded with Shia militias on the ground in Iraq and Syria, Abdoh gives agency to the voiceless while offering a meditation on war that is moving, humane, darkly funny, and resonantly true. AJ Woodhams hosts the "War Books" podcast. You can subscribe on Apple here and on Spotify here. War Books is on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Saleh, the narrator of Out of Mesopotamia (Akashic Books, 2020), is a middle-aged Iranian journalist who moonlights as a writer for one of Iran's most popular TV shows but cannot keep himself away from the front lines in neighboring Iraq and Syria. There, the fight against the Islamic State is a proxy war, an existential battle, a declaration of faith, and, for some, a passing weekend affair. After weeks spent dodging RPGs, witnessing acts of savagery and stupidity, Saleh returns to civilian life in Tehran but finds it to be an unbearably dislocating experience. Pursued by his official handler from state security, opportunistic colleagues, and the woman who broke his heart, Saleh has reason to again flee from everyday life. Surrounded by men whose willingness to achieve martyrdom both fascinates and appalls him, Saleh struggles to make sense of himself and the turmoil in his midst. An unprecedented glimpse into "endless war" from a Middle Eastern perspective, Out of Mesopotamia follows in the tradition of the Western canon of martial writers--from Hemingway and Orwell to Tim O'Brien and Philip Caputo--but then subverts and expands upon the genre before completely blowing it apart. Drawing from his firsthand experience of being embedded with Shia militias on the ground in Iraq and Syria, Abdoh gives agency to the voiceless while offering a meditation on war that is moving, humane, darkly funny, and resonantly true. AJ Woodhams hosts the "War Books" podcast. You can subscribe on Apple here and on Spotify here. War Books is on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history
Saleh, the narrator of Out of Mesopotamia (Akashic Books, 2020), is a middle-aged Iranian journalist who moonlights as a writer for one of Iran's most popular TV shows but cannot keep himself away from the front lines in neighboring Iraq and Syria. There, the fight against the Islamic State is a proxy war, an existential battle, a declaration of faith, and, for some, a passing weekend affair. After weeks spent dodging RPGs, witnessing acts of savagery and stupidity, Saleh returns to civilian life in Tehran but finds it to be an unbearably dislocating experience. Pursued by his official handler from state security, opportunistic colleagues, and the woman who broke his heart, Saleh has reason to again flee from everyday life. Surrounded by men whose willingness to achieve martyrdom both fascinates and appalls him, Saleh struggles to make sense of himself and the turmoil in his midst. An unprecedented glimpse into "endless war" from a Middle Eastern perspective, Out of Mesopotamia follows in the tradition of the Western canon of martial writers--from Hemingway and Orwell to Tim O'Brien and Philip Caputo--but then subverts and expands upon the genre before completely blowing it apart. Drawing from his firsthand experience of being embedded with Shia militias on the ground in Iraq and Syria, Abdoh gives agency to the voiceless while offering a meditation on war that is moving, humane, darkly funny, and resonantly true. AJ Woodhams hosts the "War Books" podcast. You can subscribe on Apple here and on Spotify here. War Books is on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies
Saleh, the narrator of Out of Mesopotamia (Akashic Books, 2020), is a middle-aged Iranian journalist who moonlights as a writer for one of Iran's most popular TV shows but cannot keep himself away from the front lines in neighboring Iraq and Syria. There, the fight against the Islamic State is a proxy war, an existential battle, a declaration of faith, and, for some, a passing weekend affair. After weeks spent dodging RPGs, witnessing acts of savagery and stupidity, Saleh returns to civilian life in Tehran but finds it to be an unbearably dislocating experience. Pursued by his official handler from state security, opportunistic colleagues, and the woman who broke his heart, Saleh has reason to again flee from everyday life. Surrounded by men whose willingness to achieve martyrdom both fascinates and appalls him, Saleh struggles to make sense of himself and the turmoil in his midst. An unprecedented glimpse into "endless war" from a Middle Eastern perspective, Out of Mesopotamia follows in the tradition of the Western canon of martial writers--from Hemingway and Orwell to Tim O'Brien and Philip Caputo--but then subverts and expands upon the genre before completely blowing it apart. Drawing from his firsthand experience of being embedded with Shia militias on the ground in Iraq and Syria, Abdoh gives agency to the voiceless while offering a meditation on war that is moving, humane, darkly funny, and resonantly true. AJ Woodhams hosts the "War Books" podcast. You can subscribe on Apple here and on Spotify here. War Books is on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature
تاریخ شکر؛ از میز اشراف اروپایی تا دزدان دریایی کاراییب گردآوری و روایت: ارشیا عطاری تدوین: طنین خاکسا موسیقی تیتراژ: مودی موسوی (اینستاگرام | توییتر) طراح گرافیک: تارا نباتیان اسپانسر: میسویک کد تخفیف ۲۰ درصدی خرید محصولات میسویک: luxiranoff.af اینستاگرام چیزکست | توییتر چیزکست | تلگرام چیزکست وبسایت چیزکست حمایت مالی از چیزکست ارتباط مستقیم: chizcast@outlook.com منابع این قسمت Buttery, N. (2022). A dark history of Sugar. Pen & Sword History. Walvin, J. (2019). Sugar: The World Corrupted, from slavery to obesity. Robinson. Smith, A. F. (2015). Sugar: A global history. Reaktion Books. Forbes, C. (2022). A tall history of sugar. Akashic Books.
Author Nolan Knight is known for his books including Gallows Dome, The Neon Lights Are Veins, and Beneath the Black Palms. He hails from Los Angeles and is a fourth-generation Angeleno. Nolan previously worked as a staff writer for the prominent music publication, L.A. Record. His short fiction has been featured in various respected publications such as Akashic Books, Thuglit, Crimespree Magazine, Shotgun Honey, Tough, and Needle. He currently resides in Long Beach.
"ONE MAN'S TALE OF DEPRESSION, PSYCHIC TORMENT AND A BUS TOUR OF THE HOLOCAUST." --- On this episode of Salt Lake Dirt I was thrilled to have author Jerry Stahl on the show. Jerry has been one of my favorite writers since I first discovered his novel I, Fatty (a novel about the silent film star Fatty Arbuckle told as a memoir) nearly 20 years ago. Meeting him for the first time and being able to experience his humor and kindness made this episode a special one for me. His new book Nein, Nein, Nein! will be released July 5 on Akashic Books. I absolutely loved the new book and I'm confident you will too. Jerry has some upcoming book events. You can find that information below. Thanks for listening. Kyler
Nelson George is an established author and filmmaker with a passion for telling stories of the black experience in America. George is the author of several ground breaking histories of African American music, including Where Did Our Love Go: the Rise and Fall of the Motown Sound, The Death of Rhythm & Blues and Hip Hop America. He has published two collections of music journalism, Buppies, BBoys, Baps & Bohos: Notes on Post-Soul America and the The Nelson George Mixtape, which is available through Pacific Books. www.pacificpacific.pub. As a novelist he has written several popular novels with music themes (The Accidental Hunter, The Plot Against Hip Hop, The Lost Treasures of R&B, To Funk and Die in LA). The fifth book in the D Hunter music noir series, The Darkest Hearts, was published by Akashic Books in August 2020. In television, George was a producer on the Emmy Award winning The Chris Rock Show (HBO), a producer on Hip Hop Honors (VH1), executive producer of the high rated American Gangster crime series (BET) and a writer on A Grammy Salute to The Sounds of Change (CBS) in 2021 He has directed a number of documentaries including Finding the Funk (VH1), The Announcement (ESPN), and Brooklyn Boheme (Showtime). George was a producer on the award winning documentary on black music executive Clarence Avant, The Black Godfather (Netflix). His theatrical documentary on ballerina Misty Copeland is called A Ballerina's Tale. His most recent docs are Say Hey, Willie Mays! (HBO MAX) and Thriller 40 (Sony Music). Currently he is editing a documentary called a Great Day in Hip Hop Revisited, parts of which have been screened at various museums and is an executive producer on documentary series about Tupac Shakur, Dear Mama, directed by Allen Hughes that will air on FX in 2023. Nelson does most of his work through his production company, Urban Romances. He post regularly on his Substack titled The Nelson George Mixtape.
In this episode Dan sits down with Johnny Temple, longtime bassist of Soulside and Girls Against Boys as well as founder of independent publisher Akashic Books. The discussion ranges from hitting the road after decades away in the case of Soulside, to the ethos motiviation and spirit behind Akashic Books and their one of a kind catalog.
Almost a decade ago, I met Karen Osborne at my first ever CASE conference. Today, I have privilege of picking her brain on two very important topics—board diversification and stewardship. Karen and I agree that the overall thread we continue to pull in this episode is about being planful with everything you do. Karen believes in the power of philanthropy, generosity, and service. She built her career around these passions not only as a major and principal gifts officer, vice president, speaker, teacher, consultant, and coach, but also as a donor, volunteer, and board member. For eighteen of Karen's forty-four professional years, she held leadership positions–Director of Major Gifts, Director of Development, and VP for College Advancement–at colleges and universities. For the past 26 years, Karen served first as President and now Senior Strategist at The Osborne Group, an international management, consulting, and training firm. Karen enjoys a rich volunteer life. The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) awarded her the Crystal Apple for Outstanding Teaching and Public Speaking, and the Ashmore Award for Outstanding Service to the Profession. In addition to volunteering for professional organizations, she serves on the governing board of Easterseals Florida. Karen is a suspense and mystery writer. Getting It Right, Akashic Books, published in June 2017. Award-winning and best-selling Tangled Lies, Black Rose Writing, launched July 22, 2021. Reckonings, Black Rose Writing, released June 16, 2022. Her weekly video Vlog, What Are You Reading? What Are You Writing? showcases authors and other creatives. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/devdebrief/support
After a three-month hiatus for Crime Fiction Picks of the Month, host Hopeton Hay and Crime Fiction Picks cohosts Scott Montgomery, Molly Odintz, and Amanda Moore opened the podcast discussing how they came together to edit or contribute stories to AUSTIN NOIR, a short story collection being published in May 2023 by Akashic Books. The rest of the show topics with time stamps were as follows: At the 8:07 mark they discussed their summer crime fiction pick, THE DEVIL TAKES YOU HOME by Gabino Iglesias,]. At the 17:58 they discussed their September crime fiction picks: Scott picked HELL AND BACK by Craig Johnson, Molly selected KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE by Deanna Raybourn, Amanda chose THEY COME AT KNIGHT by Yasmin Angoe, and Hopeton picked VALLEY OF SHADOWS by Rudy RuizAt the 24:28 they discussed their latest projects.Follow the Crime Fiction Picks of the Month hosts on Twitter:Hopeton - @diversebookshayMolly- @mollsotov89Amanda - @amoorebooksConnect with Scott on Facebook and be sure to check out CrimeReads where Molly serves as senior editor.
Hosted by Andrew Keen, Keen On features conversations with some of the world's leading thinkers and writers about the economic, political, and technological issues being discussed in the news, right now. In this episode, Andrew is joined by Jerry Stahl, author of Nein, Nein, Nein!: One Man's Tale of Depression, Psychic Torment, and a Bus Tour of the Holocaust. JERRY STAHL has written ten books, including the best-selling memoir Permanent Midnight, made into a movie with Ben Stiller; the essay collection OG Dad; and the novels Pain Killers; I, Fatty; Perv; Plainclothes Naked; Happy Mutant Baby Pills; and Bad Sex on Speed. A Pushcart Prize-winning author, Stahl's work has appeared in Esquire, Vice, the Believer, Tin House, Los Angeles Review of Books, and the New York Times, among other places. He has written extensively for film and television, including HBO's Hemingway & Gellhorn, which earned a Writers Guild Award nomination; Bad Boys II; and the cult classic Dr. Caligari; series credits include Maron, CSI, and Escape at Dannemora, for which he received an Emmy nomination. Stahl's writing has been widely translated, and he has taught with the InsideOUT Writers program for incarcerated youth, edited The Heroin Chronicles for Akashic Books, and participated in the documentary series, San Quentin Film School. He has two daughters, and lives with artist Zoe Hansen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Navy veteran André Lewis Carter writes fiction, poetry, essays, and plays in the urban sprawl of Portland, Oregon. His work has appeared in Soft Cartel, Page and Spine, and Down in the Dirt magazines. André's one act play, "Reaction," was staged at the Last Theater Conference in Valdez, AK. "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" is his debut novel. andrelewiscarter.com The book is available at Amazon, Barns and Noble, Akashic Books, Bookshop.org, and on Audible. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wvuncommonplace/message
Jerry Stahl is the author of the memoir Nein, Nein, Nein!: One Man's Tale of Depression, Psychic Torment, and a Bus Tour of the Holocaust, available from Akashic Books. Stahl has written ten books, including the best-selling memoir Permanent Midnight, made into a movie with Ben Stiller; the essay collection OG Dad; and the novels Pain Killers; I, Fatty; Perv; Plainclothes Naked; Happy Mutant Baby Pills; and Bad Sex on Speed. A Pushcart Prize–winning author, Stahl's work has appeared in Esquire, Vice, the Believer, Tin House, Los Angeles Review of Books, and the New York Times, among other places. He has written extensively for film and television, including HBO's Hemingway & Gellhorn, which earned a Writers Guild Award nomination; Bad Boys II; and the cult classic Dr. Caligari; series credits include Maron, CSI, and Escape at Dannemora, for which he received an Emmy nomination. Stahl's writing has been widely translated, and he has taught with the InsideOUT Writers program for incarcerated youth, edited The Heroin Chronicles for Akashic Books, and participated in the documentary series, San Quentin Film School. He has two daughters, and lives with artist Zoe Hansen. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly literary podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Launched in 2011. Books. Literature. Writing. Publishing. Authors. Screenwriters. Etc. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch @otherppl Instagram YouTube Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Francelia Belton's love of short stories came from watching old Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents television shows in her youth. Her fiction has appeared in various publications, including "Dreaming of Ella" in Denver Noir by Akashic Books, and most recently, "Red Riding in the Hood" in Bizarre Bazaar by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. Francelia's short story, “Knife Girl,” was a finalist in the 2020-2021 ScreenCraft Cinematic Short Story Competition and a semi-finalist in the 2021 Outstanding Screenplays Shorts Competition. Her short story, "The Brotherhood of Tricks and Tricks" was a quarterfinalist in the 2022 ScreenCraft Cinematic Short Story Competition. She also published a collection titled, Crime & Passion: Three Short Stories. Francelia s an active member of Sisters in Crime and has served as Vice President and President for the Colorado chapter. She is also a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Crime Writers of Color, and Short Mystery Fiction Society. You can read more of her stories at https://Francel.Be/Writing-Stories. For video versions of these podcasts, follow: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBP81nfbKnDRjs-Nar9LNe20138AiPyP8 Intro Music by Moby Gratis: https://mobygratis.com/ Outro Music by Dan-o-Songs: https://danosongs.com/
Cynthia Swanson writes literary suspense, often using historical settings. Her debut novel, The Bookseller, was a New York Times best seller, an Indie Next selection, and the winner of the 2016 WILLA Literary Award for Historical Fiction. Swanson's second novel, the USA Today best seller The Glass Forest, was noted in Forbes as being one of “Five Novels with a Remarkably Strong Sense of Place.” She is the editor of the anthology Denver Noir, publishing May 3, 2022 from Akashic Books. Cynthia lives with her family in Denver. Connect with her on Instagram (cynswanauthor), Twitter (@cynswanauthor), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CynthiaSwanson), and at cynthiaswansonauthor.com. More about Akashic Books: http://www.akashicbooks.com/ For video versions of these podcasts, follow: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBP81nfbKnDRjs-Nar9LNe20138AiPyP8 Intro Music by Moby Gratis: https://mobygratis.com/ Outro Music by Dan-o-Songs: https://danosongs.com/
Tim McLoughlin is the author of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms: Stories and Essays on Akashic Books. He was a peace officer for three decades in the New York City criminal […]
Remember sleep? Long, uninterrupted sleep, in your own bed? If you ping-pong around from room to room, hear the pitter patter of toddler feet at night, or wake up with a toe up your nose, you're not alone. So, what can you do to save your sanity? And with so much conflicting advice, what is the best approach to get your little ones into their bed….and help them stay there? Because the knock-on effects can at this age can be huge; developmental, emotional, and mental. Maggie Dent talks to sleep whisperer Dr Chris Seton, sleep researcher Dr Fallon Cook, gets advice from Carly Grubb from The Beyond Sleep Training Project, and learns a trick or two from the formerly very sleep deprived actor Noni Hazelhurst. More info: Noni Hazelhurst reads Go the F*ck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach, 2011, Akashic Books. This episode contains some strong language.
Remember sleep? Long, uninterrupted sleep, in your own bed? If you ping-pong around from room to room, hear the pitter patter of toddler feet at night, or wake up with a toe up your nose, you're not alone. So, what can you do to save your sanity? And with so much conflicting advice, what is the best approach to get your little ones into their bed….and help them stay there? Because the knock-on effects can at this age can be huge; developmental, emotional, and mental. Maggie Dent talks to sleep whisperer Dr Chris Seton, sleep researcher Dr Fallon Cook, gets advice from Carly Grubb from The Beyond Sleep Training Project, and learns a trick or two from the formerly very sleep deprived actor Noni Hazlehurst. More info: Noni Hazlehurst reads Go the F*ck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach, 2011, Akashic Books. This episode contains some strong language.
Tragic and violent comeuppance born from hubris is as old as Ancient Greece. Join me as I discuss Lori Roy's sinister Florida noir tale "Chum in the Water," which appears in the Akashic Books collection Tampa Bay Noir, with the author herself on this episode of the Florida Book Club.
John Vercher THREE-FIFTHS interviewed by Paul Burke. John Vercher is a writer currently living in the Philadelphia area with his wife and two sons. He holds a Bachelor's in English from the University of Pittsburgh and an MFA in Creative Writing from the Mountainview Master of Fine Arts program.His fiction has appeared on Akashic Books' Mondays are Murder and Fri-SciFi. and he is a contributing writer for Cognoscenti, the thoughts and opinions page of WBUR Boston. Two of his essays published there on race, identity, and parenting were picked up by NPR, and he has appeared on WBUR's Weekend Edition. His non-fiction has also appeared in Entropy Magazine. You can find him on his website www.johnvercherauthor.com and on Twitter at @jverch75THREE-FIFTHS Set against the backdrop of the simmering racial tension produced by the LA Riots and the O.J. Simpson trial, comes this powerful hardboiled noir of violence and obsession. Pittsburgh, 1995. When Bobby's best friend Aaron returns from prison a newly radicalized white supremacist, Bobby feels even more conflicted about hiding his own identity as a biracial Black man. During the night of their reunion, Bobby witnesses Aaron mercilessly assault a young Black man with a brick. In the wake of this horrifying act of violence, Bobby must conceal his unwitting involvement in the crime from the police, as well as battle his own personal demons.Three-Fifths is a harrowing story about racism and brutality that is more urgent now than ever.Authors referenced by John: Brian Broome PUNCH ME UP TO THE GODSJesmyn Ward, Colson Whitehead, James Baldwin, Wiley Cash, Stieg Larsson, Ta-Nehisi Coates.Episode produced by Junkyard DogMusic courtesy of Southgate and LeighCrime Time
This week on the pod we got to sit down with Levi Rogers, who is an old and dear friend of ours! Levi has an MFA from Antioch University Los Angeles and a Bachelors of English from the University of Utah. In July of 2018 Rogers attended The Tin House Summer Workshop and is currently working with the new broadside literary journal Meow Meow Pow Pow as a blog editor. He's published essays, poetry, and reviews in Entropy, Sojourners, Lunch Ticket, Drunk Monkeys, Akashic Books, Hoot, Daily Coffee News, and Devour Magazine, amongst others. He owns and runs a coffee roasting company, La Barba Coffee, in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he lived for the last eight years before moving to Portland, Oregon. He lives with his wife Cat, his daughter Evangeline, his dog Amelie, and two cats–Chicken and Waffles. Utah! A Novel is his first book and is available in 2021 from Atmosphere Press. He is also working on a book about faith, depression, and belonging called All We Can Hope For in This Dark and Beautiful World: Memoirs on Belonging Connect with Levi at his website https://levirogersisafraud.com/ Pre-order Levi's novel Utah : https://levirogersisafraud.com/books/
Michael Zadoorian joined us on this episode to talk about "The Narcissism of Small Differences," his latest novel. We also discuss his life as a childfree man who is already in his 60s, and his insights are quite interesting. If you want to read his book go grab a copy on the Akashic Books website, www.akashicbooks.com where the code ZADOORIAN30 will get you a 30% discount. If you'd like to learn more about the author, visit Michael's website here: www.michaelzadoorian.com. You can also watch our show on YouTube! Search for Childfree Girls to see the full episode! Remember to send us an email to childfreegirls@gmail.com if you want to get in touch with us because you have a question, a comment, a suggestion... anything you can think of, we WANT TO KNOW! Follow us on our social media accounts: www.facebook.com/childfreegirls www.instagram.com/childfreegirls www.youtube.com/c/childfreegirls www.twitter.com/childfreegirls
In this week's episode, Johanna and Nathan are joined by co-authors of the hot-off-the-press Loving Sports When They Don't Love You Back: Dilemmas of the Modern Sports Fan, Jessica Luther and Kavitha A. Davidson, to chat about what it means to be a fan as moral and ethical dilemmas complicate the sports that we seem to love so dearly. In the first part of the episode, Jessica and Kavitha walk us through the compelling connections between the books key arguments and everything we are currently witnessing in sport – from the pandemic to racial injustice and white supremacy and to the powerful labor mobilizations we are seeing in the sporting world. The discussion then shifts to where sports fans and fandom fits into all of this as we ask, “what responsibilities do fans have in this moment?” The episode concludes with reflections form Jessica and Kavitha on harm done by the Olympics and its governing bodies and their own fandom as it relates to sport. This is an episode you surely do not want to miss. Kavitha Davidson is a sportswriter for The Athletic, and former writer for ESPNW and Bloomberg. Her work has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and NBC News Think, and among many others. She is also the host of The Athletic's podcast, The Lead. Jessica Luther is a journalist, co-host of the Burn It All Down podcast, and Ph.D candidate in Physical Culture and Sport Studies at the University of Texas-Austin. Her work has appeared in countless venues such as ESPN Magazine, New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Buzzfeed, and on and on. She is the author of Unsportsmanlike Conduct: College Football and the Politics of Rape (2016, Akashic Books). Together, they are the authors of the BRAND NEW book
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