Podcasts about American Library Association

Dolen Perkins-Valdez shares the riveting history behind her new book, Happy Land, the research surprises she uncovered, and how urgency drives her storytelling.In today's Book Gang episode, New York Times bestselling author Dolen Perkins-Valdez joins me to discuss Happy Land, a transporting novel inspired by the true story of a lost kingdom built by freed people in the hills of North Carolina. This dual-timeline story explores land, lineage, and the courage it takes to reclaim what is yours. Dolen's excavation process informs this sweeping novel—even uncovering a few historical inaccuracies along the way. The result is a stunning celebration of Black heritage and a poignant reclamation of overlooked American history that has captivated her readers.In this moving conversation, Dolen and I discuss:Why Dolen feels an urgency behind each book she writes—and how it drives her to shape her manuscriptsThe immersive research that brought the Kingdom community to life, including conversations with local historians and surprising archival discoveries.How the concept of royalty and reclamation shaped the story—and why the roles of Black women in these communities are long overdue for deeper recognition.BONUS BOOK LIST: This week, I'm sharing a companion list of 27 Historical Fiction Book Club Books to Check Out Now, featuring new releases and timeless backlist picks that will spark incredible conversations within your book club.Meet Dolen Perkins-ValdezDolen Perkins-Valdez is the New York Times bestselling author of Wench, Balm, Take My Hand, and her newest novel, Happy Land. Her work has earned honors from the NAACP, the American Bar Association, and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, and she's been recognized as one of the most vital voices chronicling American historical life.In addition to her writing, Dolen is an associate professor of literature at American University. She has introduced modern editions of Twelve Years a Slave and Behind the Scenes, bringing an unflinching dedication to uncovering hidden histories and amplifying overlooked Black stories. She lives in Washington, DC, with her family. Mentioned in this episode:Browse the 2025 MomAdvice Summer Reading Guide (with ads) or download the 48-page reading guide ($7) to support our show. If you are a show patron, please check your inbox for your copy as part of your member benefits. Thank you for supporting my small business!   Download Today's Show TranscriptJoin the June Book Club Chat (The Reckless Oath We Made)BONUS BOOK LIST: 27 Historical Fiction Book Club Books For Your Next MeetingHappy Land by Dolen Perkins-ValdezTake My Hand by Dolen Perkins-ValdezTake My Hand Book Club Discussion on PatreonOcean VuongBlack History Research CommitteeSadie Smathers PattonThe Black Utopians by Aaron RobertsonBlue Ridge Archive Web ExhibitTranscendent Kingdom by Yaa GyasiGood Dirt by Charmaine WilkersonThe Queen of Sugar Hill by Rashonda TateBookshop.org pays a 10% commission on every sale and matches 10% to independent bookstores!Connect With Us:Join the Book Gang PatreonConnect with Dolen on Instagram or her WebsiteConnect with Amy on Instagram, TikTok, or MomAdviceGet My Happy List NewsletterGet the Daily Kindle Deals NewsletterBuy Me a Coffee (for a one-time donation) 

Director and Producer Joe Canuso sits down with us to talk about his life and career in Philly theater.From acting at the Pocket Playhouse in the 70s, performing with dance troupes in the 80s, creating cutting-edge shows for the new Fringe Festival in the 90s, founding and leading Theatre Exile in the 2000s, Joe did brought a darkly comic edge and a driving energy to the Philly theater scene.Along with the playwright Bruce Graham, Joe helped to bring to life the play "The Philly Fan." In this interview, Joe talks about the star of that one-man show, his friend and colleague, the late great Tom McCarthy.For a selection of images and photos from Joe Canuso's career, and many of the plays and production we discuss in this conversation, go to the blog post on our website: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/killer-joe-canuso/For the complete performance 2001 by Jillene Ringle with the Big Mess Orchestra at the Trocadero Theatre, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGvjcWt4YBYOn Sunday, June 29th, from 10 to 11 AM, the author and podcaster Peter Schmitz will be appearing at the Brookline Books stall at the 2025 American Library Association annual conference and exhibition at the Philadelphia Convention Center. If you're a librarian - or a fan of libraries - and are coming to the ALA in Philly this year, please be sure to stop by and say hello!Support the show"Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! Our website: www.aithpodcast.comOur email address: AITHpodcast@gmail.comBluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AITHpodcast© Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.

In this special episode of the Historical Romance Sampler podcast, Olivia Waite joins to discuss the issue of book bans in the United States and their implications for romance readers. Olivia, a queer historical romance author and romance fiction columnist for the New York Times Book Review, shares her insights on how these bans target predominantly queer and BIPOC stories. The episode also explores historical perspectives on censorship and highlights current opportunities for activism. To top it off, Olivia recommends several historical romance books that deal with themes of resistance and political change.   00:00 Introduction and Special Guest Olivia Waite 01:37 Understanding Book Bans in the US 07:01 The Impact of Book Bans on Romance Readers 11:07 Historical Context of Book Bans 13:28 Historical Romance Recommendations 20:05 Modern Activism and How to Get Involved 25:53 Olivia Waite's Current Projects 27:30 Conclusion and Farewell   Find out more about Olivia Waite at https://www.oliviawaite.com/   Get involved in fighting book bans in your community! Check out Every Library (https://www.everylibrary.org/) or American Library Association (https://www.ala.org/bbooks) for more resources.   Find out more about your host Katherine Grant: Instagram (@katherine_grant_romance) TikTok (@katherinegrantromance) Facebook (@Katherinegrantromanceauthor) Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19872840.Katherine_Grant) Bookbub (https://www.bookbub.com/authors/katherine-grant)   Follow HRS on social media! TikTok (@historicalromancesampler) Instagram (@historicalromancesampler)

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode!Originally published in 2018, Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison is a novel that focuses on the life and self-discovery of Mike Munoz, a young working class Mexican American man. In 2022, the American Library Association reported that Lawn Boy was the 7th-most-banned book in the country that year due to LGBTQ+ content and sexually explicit content. Evison touched on several themes in this book. Tune in to hear our thoughts about the book.Support the showBe part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have learned, how the conversation affected you. You can reach Raquel and Jennifer on IG @madnesscafepodcast or by email at madnesscafepodcast@gmail.com.Share the episode with a friend and have your own conversation. And don't forget to rate and review the show wherever you listen!Thanks!

This week you are going to meet Molly and Jane of Content Queen, a two-person Bay Area-based zine publisher. And we are going to talk about all kinds of very hot topics (including literally Hot Topic):Why do Jane and Molly make physical zines rather than virtual/online content in 2025? The answer is important and might get you thinking…How has the kind of “content” we consume (especially the content we READ) changed in the social media era?Two of Content Queen's zines that are explicitly fashion-related:  Stressful, Awkward, Envied: ‘90s and ‘00s Brands From Those Who Wore the Clothes, Worked the Registers, and Modeled for the Catalogs AND Wendy's World, “an immersion into the early-'90s downtown New York world of the ultimate cult indie fashion label, Built by Wendy.”Along the way Molly and Jane will tell us what it's like to vend at a zine fair in 2025 (and why it's different than it used to be).  And we'll wrap it all up by making our trend predictions.  Amanda gets things started with explaining why something as simple as reading is a radical act of resistance in 2025 (and why we need to protect books and libraries).Go order and read Molly and Jane's zines so we can talk about them: contentqueenzine.comFind them on IG: @contentqueenzineJOIN AMANDA FOR THE CLOTHESHORSE BIRTHDAY CRAFTERNOON ON JULY 20!Additional reading:"It's so boring': Gen Z parents don't like reading to their kids - and educators are worried," Alaina Demopoulos, The Guardian."The Elite College Students Who Can't Read Books," Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic.Banned and Challenged Books dashboard, American Library Association.Get your Clotheshorse merch here: https://clotheshorsepodcast.com/shop/If you want to share your opinion/additional thoughts on the subjects we cover in each episode, feel free to email, whether it's a typed out message or an audio recording:  amanda@clotheshorse.worldDid you enjoy this episode? Consider "buying me a coffee" via Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/clotheshorseClotheshorse is brought to you with support from the following sustainable small businesses:Slow Fashion Academy is a size-inclusive sewing and patternmaking studio based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Designer and fashion professor Ruby Gertz teaches workshops for hobbyists and aspiring designers, so that anyone can learn the foundational skills of making, mending, and altering their own clothes. Ruby also provides professional design and patternmaking services to emerging slow fashion brands, and occasionally takes commissions for custom garments and costume pieces. She has also released several PDF sewing patterns for original designs under her brands Spokes & Stitches, and Starling Petite Plus. Check the schedule for upcoming workshops, download PDF sewing patterns, and learn about additional sewing and design services at www.slowfashion.academy.The Pewter Thimble Is there a little bit of Italy in your soul? Are you an enthusiast of pre-loved decor and accessories? Bring vintage Italian style — and history — into your space with The Pewter Thimble (@thepewterthimble). We source useful and beautiful things, and mend them where needed. We also find gorgeous illustrations, and make them print-worthy. Tarot cards, tea towels and handpicked treasures, available to you from the comfort of your own home. Responsibly sourced from across Rome, lovingly renewed by fairly paid artists and artisans, with something for every budget. Discover more at thepewterthimble.comSt. Evens is an NYC-based vintage shop that is dedicated to bringing you those special pieces you'll reach for again and again. More than just a store, St. Evens is dedicated to sharing the stories and history behind the garments. 10% of all sales are donated to a different charitable organization each month.  New vintage is released every Thursday at wearStEvens.com, with previews of new pieces and more brought to you on Instagram at @wear_st.evens.Deco Denim is a startup based out of San Francisco, selling clothing and accessories that are sustainable, gender fluid, size inclusive and high quality--made to last for years to come. Deco Denim is trying to change the way you think about buying clothes. Founder Sarah Mattes wants to empower people to ask important questions like, “Where was this made? Was this garment made ethically? Is this fabric made of plastic? Can this garment be upcycled and if not, can it be recycled?” Signup at decodenim.com to receive $20 off your first purchase. They promise not to spam you and send out no more than 3 emails a month, with 2 of them surrounding education or a personal note from the Founder. Find them on Instagram as @deco.denim.Vagabond Vintage DTLV is a vintage clothing, accessories & decor reselling business based in Downtown Las Vegas. Not only do we sell in Las Vegas, but we are also located throughout resale markets in San Francisco as well as at a curated boutique called Lux and Ivy located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jessica, the founder & owner of Vagabond Vintage DTLV, recently opened the first IRL location located in the Arts District of Downtown Las Vegas on August 5th. The shop has a strong emphasis on 60s & 70s garments, single stitch tee shirts & dreamy loungewear. Follow them on instagram, @vagabondvintage.dtlv and keep an eye out for their website coming fall of 2022.Country Feedback is a mom & pop record shop in Tarboro, North Carolina. They specialize in used rock, country, and soul and offer affordable vintage clothing and housewares. Do you have used records you want to sell? Country Feedback wants to buy them! Find us on Instagram @countryfeedbackvintageandvinyl or head downeast and visit our brick and mortar. All are welcome at this inclusive and family-friendly record shop in the country!Located in Whistler, Canada, Velvet Underground is a "velvet jungle" full of vintage and second-hand clothes, plants, a vegan cafe and lots of rad products from other small sustainable businesses. Our mission is to create a brand and community dedicated to promoting self-expression, as well as educating and inspiring a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle both for the people and the planet.Find us on Instagram @shop_velvetunderground or online at www.shopvelvetundergrou...

Greetings writers! Sarina here. Earlier in May I was surfing social media, as one does, when I came across a story about children's author Erica Perl and an ill-fated school visit. Her scheduled visit to a school was abruptly canceled. After asking a few questions, it was determined that a single parent had objected to… Well, it's hard to say. We'll let Erica tell her story. But you should know that Ms. Perl's twenty years of book publishing have included such salacious titles as When Cookie Met Carrot and A Whale of a Tea Party. (

A conversation with one of the longest-serving and most consequential artistic directors and producers of the modern era of Philadelphia theater history, Sara Garonzik. As we continue our Season Four, we learn about her early years - first as and actor, then as a director, then as a producer at the Philadelphia Theatre Company. And we learn her stories about how she took PTC from a 25-year-long home at the Plays and Players Theatre to the new Suzanne Roberts Theatre on Broad Street. Plus, we learn about how she committed the theater to presenting consequential  modern American playwrights such as Terrence McNally, David Ives and August Wilson, and worked with so many amazing directors, composers and performing artists of the American theater - everyone from Richard Thomas to Billy Porter to Bill Irwin to Kathleen Turner. A blog post on our website, with photos of Sara Garonzik and the opening of the Suzanne Robert Theatre in 2007 on Broad Street is here: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/images-for-episode-100-the-suzanne-roberts-theatre-grand-opening-2007/On Sunday, June 29th, the author and podcaster Peter Schmitz will be appearing at the Brookline Books stall at the 2025 American Library Association annual conference and exhibition at the Philadelphia Convention Center. If you're a librarian - or a fan of libraries - and are coming to the ALA in Philly this year, please be sure to stop by and say hello!Support the show"Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now!To order our book via Bookshop.org - GO HERE Our website: www.aithpodcast.comOur email address: AITHpodcast@gmail.comBluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AITHpodcast© Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.

Hey everyone! Sorry we disappeared. Things have not been great out there, y'all. No book review today, instead we're digging into some Marvel news and rumors.If you want to protect libraries and all of the services they provide to the community, please visit the American Library Association's site to learn how: https://www.ala.org/advocacy/show-up-for-our-libraries

Lauren Willig discusses co-writing and writing cross-genre plus gives us the scoop on her latest novel. Lauren is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty-five works of historical fiction, including Band of Sisters, The Summer Country, The English Wife, the RITA Award-winning Pink Carnation series, and five novels co-written with Beatriz Williams and Karen White. Her books have been translated into over twenty languages, picked for Book of the Month Club, awarded the RITA, Booksellers Best, and Golden Leaf awards, and chosen for the American Library Association's annual list of the best genre fiction. An alumna of Yale University, she has a graduate degree in history from Harvard and a JD from Harvard Law School. She lives in New York City with her husband, two young children, and vast quantities of coffee. Her latest novel is The Girl from Greenwich Street. Learn more at https://laurenwillig.comIntro reel, Writing Table Podcast 2024 Outro RecordingFollow the Writing Table:On Twitter/X: @writingtablepcEverywhere else: @writingtablepodcastEmail questions or tell us who you'd like us to invite to the Writing Table: writingtablepodcast@gmail.com.

Our interview with teacher, writer and director Robert Hedley - the former Chair of the Theater Departments of both Villanova and Temple Universities.In our conversation, we discuss many things - including his early years, his coming to Villanova, his work with playwright David Rabe and producer Joseph Papp, and his work in helping to found The Philadelphia Company (the precursor to the Philadelphia Theater Company).For a full bio of Bob's work, go HERE.(Cover image for this episode is 1976 photo of Robert Hedley directing the actors Carla Belver and John Yinger - during rehearsals in the early years of the Philadelphia Company. Image from the Temple University Special Collections Research Center, George D. McDowell Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Collection.)On Sunday, June 29th, the author and podcaster Peter Schmitz will be appearing at the Brookline Books stall at the 2025 American Library Association annual conference and exhibition at the Philadelphia Convention Center. If you're a librarian - or a fan of libraries - and are coming to the ALA in Philly this year, please be sure to stop by and say hello!Support the show"Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now!To order our book via Bookshop.org - GO HERE Our website: www.aithpodcast.comOur email address: AITHpodcast@gmail.comBluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AITHpodcast© Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.

Author Sarah Schulman talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about her new book “The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity” published by Penguin Random House. Schulman is a longtime social activist from the fight for abortion rights in post-Franco Spain to NYC's AIDS activism in the 1990s to campus protest movements against Israel's war on Gaza and beyond bringing her own experience growing up as a queer female artist in male-dominated culture industries. In these challenging times as our democracy is at a moral crossroad, this must-read book couldn't be more timely. For those who seek to combat injustice, solidarity with the oppressed is one of the highest ideals yet it does not come without complication. In this searing yet uplifting book Sarah delves into the intricate and often misunderstood concept of solidarity to provide a new vision for what it means to engage in this work and why it matters. Here in America with this new administration we're beginning to understand and realize that the only people that will save us from this authoritarian regime are ourselves. Drawing parallels between queer, Jewish, feminist and artistic struggles for justice Schulman challenges the traditional notion of solidarity as a simple union of equals arguing that in today's world of globalized power structures true solidarity requires the collaboration of bystanders and conflicted perpetrators with the excluded and oppressed. Currently in America we are learning that action comes at a cost and it is not always as effective as we would like it to be but doing nothing is far more dangerous. We talked to Sarah about these current issues and her inspiration for writing “The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity”.  Sarah Schulman is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, nonfiction writer and AIDS historian. Her books include The Gentrification of the Mind, Conflict Is Not Abuse and Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987–1993 and the novels The Cosmopolitans and Maggie Terry. Schulman's honors include a Fulbright in Judaic Studies, a Guggenheim in Playwriting and honors from Lambda Literary, the Publishing Triangle, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, the American Library Association and others. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, New York, Harper's Magazine, The Atlantic, The Nation, The New Republic, The New York Times and The Guardian. Schulman holds an endowed chair in creative writing at Northwestern University and is on the advisory board of Jewish Voice for Peace.  For More Info… LISTEN: 600+ LGBTQ Chats @OUTTAKE VOICES

Stephen Graham Jones is the New York Times bestselling author of the novel The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, available from Simon & Schuster. Jones is the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians, My Heart Is a Chainsaw, and I Was a Teenage Slasher. He has been an NEA fellowship recipient and a recipient of several awards including the Ray Bradbury Award from the Los Angeles Times, the Bram Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the Jesse Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Independent Publishers Award for Multicultural Fiction, and the Alex Award from American Library Association. He is the Ivena Baldwin Professor of English at the University of Colorado Boulder. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch Twitter Instagram  TikTok Bluesky 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

My friend Kim loves crime stories from Crime Junkie to Dateline. Me? Not so much. But I enjoy a good, not-too-gory crime story where the bad guy gets it in the end. Since I'm part of a vast cancer community, I hear stories that encourage me and some that make me so upset that I can't sleep. This is one of those stories. In 1898, Pierre and Madam Curie discovered radium. In 1903, Pierre Curie said, "He would not care to be alone with radium in a room as it would burn all the skin off his body, destroy his eyesight, and probably kill him."  In the 1920s, young women (average age 14) were hired to paint radium on watches and clock dials. Radium was fluorescent, so it made the numbers easier to read. However, it was also incredibly toxic and could turn bones into a fragile honeycomb. Fast forward to New Jersey in 1920 to the U.S. Radium Corporation (USRC). The owners and scientists at USRC knew that radium in large amounts was very dangerous. Yet these young girls were told, "After you dip your paintbrush in radium, put the tip in your mouth to make it a finer point before you start painting." When I told my husband how many of these young women died from radium poisoning, he said, "This is murder." Yes, it was murder. But no one went to jail. However, these women did get their revenge. ______ Ground Luxe When I was forced into menopause with my cancer diagnosis, restful sleep NO LONGER HAPPENED FOR ME. One of my podcast guests shared that he has become a great sleeper, partly thanks to grounding sheets. After my skepticism passed, my desperation to sleep took over. I started reading articles, and I discovered that the science is solid. Studies have shown that participants using grounding sheets experience a significant drop in cortisol levels, leading to improved sleep quality and reduced stress.  What did I have to lose? I researched, found the best grounding sheets on the market for the best price, and bought them. It took me a few nights, but I sleep much deeper now. I fall asleep faster and wake up feeling refreshed! I wish someone had told me about these sheets years ago. I contacted the company, and they offered my community a 20% discount! https://groundluxe.com/deborahenos Use the code Enos20 for 20% off. ______ Toups and Co It's happened...I'm putting beef tallow on my face, and my skin looks lush, and it doesn't smell like a hamburger :) I've seen the TikTok videos about beef tallow. I avoided trying it because it sounded like I'd be putting grease on my face. Enough people asked me about it, so I started reading more information and trying out various tallows. There was one company that stood out to me. I feel like I hit a home run with the brand Toups and Co. I first heard of this brand on a friend's podcast (Holistic Hilda with the Weston A Price Foundation). She interviewed the founder, Emily Toups. She was a mom looking for a solution to her child's skin issues. She was frustrated with the lack of progress with drugstore and prescription meds, so she reached out to a local farmer for tallow. The rest, as they say, is history. Her daughter is healed, and my skin looks great, haha! Thank you, Toups Family, for making such excellent products and offering my community a 15% discount. I'm currently using: Frankincense Skim Balm Blue Tansy Body Oil The Nourishing Skin Care Set (this includes skin balm, body oil, tinted lip chap, and a tallow bar—and it's on sale!). Deodorant - it really works! Use the link below for 15% off of your order: https://toupsandco.com/DEBORAHENOS ______ Martinelli Apple Cider I like having a cocktail with girlfriends. And before I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I never gave it a second thought. Alcohol was part of my social life, or I'd have a glass of wine on a flight to chill out. Recent research has made me rethink my choices. Research shared by the Susan G. Komen Center tells us that each cocktail I consume can increase my breast cancer risk by 7%. And 2-3 drinks per day can increase my risk by 20%. This is why I always have Martinelli Apple Cider on hand. It's my favorite Mocktail!

On this week's Northeast Newscast, Carter Galloway is joined in the studio with Kansas City Public Library North-East Branch Manager Beccah Rendall and Media Relations and Communications Specialist Anna Bernard to discuss National Library Week, which took place from April 6 through April 12.Rendall and Bernard discuss the importance of National Library Week within the North-East branch and how they celebrate the event. They additionally highlight the role of libraries in the modern age and tension they may face from American cultural issues.For additional information on the KCPL North-East Branch, visit: https://kclibrary.org/locations/north-east. Those curious about National Library Week — including celebrations — can visit the American Library Association's website at: https://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek. 

The Institute of Museum and Library Services has been around for nearly 30 years. It only has about 75 employees and the Trump administration wants to cut that in half. The move isn't sitting well with libraries who receive federal dollars via the IMLS. For why it's suing to restore the agency, the American Library Association's policy chief Alan Inouye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services has been around for nearly 30 years. It only has about 75 employees and the Trump administration wants to cut that in half. The move isn't sitting well with libraries who receive federal dollars via the IMLS. For why it's suing to restore the agency, the American Library Association's policy chief Alan Inouye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael's debut novel, The Boyhood of Cain, has been praised by the Times, the Guardian, the New Yorker and Call Me By Your Name author André Aciman. In this episode we talk about the benefits of not knowing yourself, relentless productivity and the forms of knowledge contained in literature that can't be communicated by AI. Michael is also a non-fiction writer with work published in the Guardian, New Statesman, the Spectator, The White Review and Contrappasso magazine. His short fiction has been longlisted for the BBC National Short Story Prize and shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, among others. Meanwhile, his book-length essay, Go the Way Your Blood Beats, a meditation on truth and desire, won the 2019 Stonewall Israel Fishman Award for Nonfiction (sponsored by the American Library Association).He is also the winner of the 2020 Hubert Butler Essay Prize and was shortlisted for the 2021 Observer/Anthony Burgess Prize for Arts. His essay, ‘Does a Silhouette Have a Shadow?', examining the relationship between mind and body through the lens of chronic illness, is published in anthology On Bodies. Previously he has worked for Just Detention International, a health and human rights organisation that seeks to end sexual abuse in all forms of detention. He served as a commissioner on the Howard League's Commission on sex in prisons – the first of its kind in the UK – which reported in 2015.Get the book here or at your local seller.

Biracial, binational, queer human right activist Jason Jones began his lawsuit against Trinidad and Tobago's British colonial ban on same-gender sex in 2017. It was struck down in 2018, but an appeals court recently overturned that ruling and reinstated the law. Jones has one more chance to appeal that decision (interviewed by David Hunt). And in NewsWrap: transgender professional player Harriet Haynes sues the English Blackball Pool Federation to let her compete in the appropriate gender category, Redmond Sullivan is no longer a member of the Wagner College Iconic Fencing Club after a cisgender opponent refuses to play her, the Trump administration freezes Maine's federal education funding because of the state's trans-inclusive policies, queer-themed titles top the American Library Association's list of most banned books for the fourth consecutive year, the White House refuses to respond to journalists who use preferred pronouns, and more international LGBTQ+ news reported this week by Ret and David Hunt (produced by Brian DeShazor). All this on the April 14, 2025 edition of This Way Out! Join our family of listener-donors today at http://thiswayout.org/donate/

It's Monday, April 14th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus U.S. missionary abducted at gunpoint while preaching in South Africa Josh Sullivan, a U.S. Baptist missionary, was kidnapped at gunpoint as he preached Thursday evening at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, South Africa, reports International Christian Concern. According to police, four masked gunmen entered the church late last night during a prayer meeting with about 30 attendees. The assailants stole two cell phones before abducting the 45-year-old pastor and taking him in his own vehicle, a silver Toyota 4Runner. The car was later found abandoned about a mile from the church.   A husband and father of six, Sullivan has been a missionary in South Africa since 2018. Sullivan and his family are members of Fellowship Baptist Church, an independent Baptist church in Maryville, Tennessee, where Sullivan has been on staff. His wife and children are among those who witnessed the kidnapping. Here at The Worldview, we're reminded of the inspiring words of Christ following Peter's bold affirmation. In Caesarea Phillipi, Peter said that Christ was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” That's when Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, that upon that revelation, He would build His church, and “the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Join me and pray that the Lord would honor Josh Sullivan's preaching and safely restore him to his family. China raises duties on US goods to 125% Last Friday, China hiked its tariffs on imports of U.S. goods to 125%, hitting back at Donald Trump's decision to single out the world's No.2 economy for higher duties, while dismissing the U.S. president's tariff strategy as "a joke," reports Reuters. Investors had been waiting to see how Beijing would respond to Trump's move on Wednesday to effectively raise tariffs on Chinese goods to 145% while announcing a 90-day pause on tariffs on dozens of other countries' goods. Last year, China purchased $150 billion of U.S. goods. White House Press Secretary prays to Jesus before briefing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is the youngest person to ever serve the president in that capacity at the age of 27. Not only is she an articulate champion for President Donald Trump and the “Make America Great Again” agenda, but she is also an unashamed follower of Jesus Christ. Listen to this simple, powerful, and unapologetic prayer to her Savior  just moments before she walks into the lions' den of the White House Press Briefing. LEAVITT: “Lord Jesus, please give us the strength, the knowledge, the ability to articulate our words, have fun, and be confident. In Jesus' name, Amen.” Gone are the days that a lesbian God-hater stands at that podium. Judge: Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil can be deported Last Friday, an immigration judge in Louisiana ruled that Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil can be deported from America because he is a national security risk following his pro-Hamas demonstrations at Columbia, reports the Associated Press. Immigration Judge Jamee Comans gave the green light to the Trump administration's desire to deport Khalil.  Without such deportation, the government contended that his presence posed “potentially serious foreign policy consequences.” Colorado Governor signs anti-gun law Democratic Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a self-professed homosexual who has entered into a faux marriage with his “husband,” has dealt a heavy blow to Coloradans' Second Amendment freedom by signing Senate Bill 3 into law, reports the Colorado State Shooting Association. This oppressive permit-to-purchase scheme is a direct attack on their Second Amendment rights, afflicting Coloradans with bureaucratic hurdles to block their God-given liberties, President George Washington declared, “The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference—they deserve a place of honor with all that's good.” RFK, Jr vows to know causes of autism epidemic by September As he sat in Trump's Cabinet meeting, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke to the autism epidemic and what he proposed to do about it. KENNEDY: “The autism rates have gone from one in 31 from one in 10,000 when I was a kid. At your direction, by September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic.” Kennedy noted that HHS has “launched a massive testing and research effort that's going to involve hundreds of scientists from around the world.”  Once they have identified the causes, hopefully by September, HHS will advocate for the elimination of those exposures. Libraries partner with Planned Parenthood to offer free sex health resources And finally, if you thought the library was a place to borrow books for a research paper or read the local daily paper, think again! Twelve Sacramento, California Public Libraries now feature “sexual health resource cabinets” inside public libraries to give the public, including children, access to items like condoms, Sexually Transmitted Diseases tests, and pregnancy tests, reports CBS News. These cabinets are being stocked by none other than Planned Parenthood, America's Abortion Giant, which killed 392,715 pre-born babies in 2023 alone.  In fact, QR codes on the free literature not only enables library patrons to easily find their local Planned Parenthood affiliate, but also to get their immoral worldview through their God-forsaken website. Michael Reed, a parent, was disturbed by the easy access to the sexual health resource cabinets, especially for kids. REED: “It's a little shocking. It seems a little inappropriate just to target children that way.” But Todd Deck, the community engagement services manager for Sacramento Public Libraries, thought the libraries were doing something wonderfully noble. DECK: "We want to remove the stigma around these resources. Libraries are essential to healthy, thriving communities. So, having resources that are of interest and needs of that community is really critical. I do believe it is our responsibility to help have an informed community regardless of the topic -- that way people can make informed decisions about their health." Greg Burt, Vice President of the California Family Council, rejected the librarian's absurd worldview. BURT: “Now parents would have to be concerned. Instead of coming back with a book, they're going to come back with a condom. “This is really about cutting parents out. It's about sexualizing our kids at younger and younger ages.” In Matthew 18:6, Jesus said, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in Me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Not surprisingly, the cabinets have been re-stocked multiple times since being installed six weeks ago as they have been set up both in the library's main hub and in the adult section. Elizabeth Johnston, a Christian mother of 10, is not surprised by the hostility to a Judeo-Christian worldview at the library. The American Library Association's one-time president Emily Drabinski, who served from July 2022 to 2024, was a self-avowed “Marxist lesbian.” She wrote a paper on “queering the catalogue” and said wildly inflammatory things about parents who do not want their children to read sexually inappropriate literature. So, keep in mind, the library is no friend of the family. Enter with caution. Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, April 14th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Michael Castleman, author of the book The Untold Story of Books. San Francisco freelance journalist Michael Castleman grew up in a suburb of New York City, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan, and earned a Masters of Journalism from UC Berkeley.   During a 50-year career, he has written 3,000 magazine and web articles and 19 books. Fourteen of his books deal with health and sexuality. Two were named Health Books of the Year by the American Library Association. One was nominated for Sex Book of the Year by the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. Four of Castleman's books are mystery novels set in San Francisco that draw on the city's rich history. And one is his latest, The Untold Story of Books, which Library Journal called “concise, engrossing, and immensely readable.” After just eight weeks in print, it went into a second printing.   In my book review, I stated The Untold Story of Books is a look at publisher from the days before the Gutenberg press to present. And if you are afraid that this is going to be dry material, then you are mistaken! He does an amazing job of keeping readers glued to the pages.   He also debunks the myth that the "good ol' days" of publishing were good. In fact, he shows that publishing has always been difficult, has always dealt with piracy, and has always made it difficult for authors to make money writing.   I was most interested in publishing as it is today simply because I'm an author today. I love how he showed that having a book published is no longer the difficulty. Instead, because the gatekeepers to publishing have been removed, the struggle is now getting heard over all the noise. Anyone interested in books, publishing, writing, or history is sure to love this book.   Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1   Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3576519880426290 You can follow Author Michael Castleman Website: www.mcastleman.com FB: @Michael Castleman LinkedIn: @Michael Castleman   Purchase The Untold Story of Books on Amazon: Paperback: https://amzn.to/3QlsHqL Ebook: https://amzn.to/42ZS0X4   Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor IG: @terimbrown_author X: @terimbrown1   #michaelcastleman #theuntoldstoryofbooks #nonfiction #writerscraft #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview *As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Mark Schaefer is a digital marketing consultant, a globally recognized keynote speaker, a futurist, a university educator, a renowned expert in marketing and personal branding, and the bestselling author of many books, including "Belonging to the Brand," "Marketing Rebellion," "Known," and "Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World". His blog, {grow} is hailed as one of the top marketing blogs in the world and he is also the host of The Marketing Companion, one of the top 10 marketing podcasts on iTunes. He has also appeared on many national television shows and periodicals including the Wall Street Journal, Wired, The New York Times, CNN, National Public Radio (NPR), CNBC, the BBC, and CBS News, and he is a regular contributing columnist to The Harvard Business Review. Connect with Mark Schaeffer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markwschaefer/ Buy the book, “Belonging to the Brand”: https://www.amazon.com/Belonging-Brand-Community-Marketing-Strategy-ebook/dp/B0BQCRN6JQ Blog: https://businessesgrow.com/ Podcast: The Marketing Companion Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-IKcl_my7vQ What if you could build a community around your brand or business? What if I told you that you can cultivate an engaged, supportive community of fans around your business where people clamor to buy anything you offer and never leave because your community is such an important part of their lives and identities? My guest, Mark Schaefer is the author of Belonging to the Brand, Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy.  In an age of AI and automation where even many global brands are losing market share and relevance, Mark believes that community is the last refuge for preserving our humanity and ensuring brands, businesses, and non-profits stand out. As Mark explains in his book, and as we discussed in this episode, building a community goes way beyond simply amassing a following. Social media followers and casual readers or viewers are a weak relational link. According to Mark Schaefer, the real magic happens when you're able to bring people together so they connect to one another and find a sense of belonging within your brand community. Once you create a community, your organization becomes a home for your audience – a place where they find meaning. And, a sense of meaning is often what is missing from many people's lives today. For all of our technological advancements and social progress, many people feel lonely or socially isolated. As Mark says in his book, we humans are “wired for community,” which can be hard to find in a world that is so virtual and where remote work is common. The demand for community has, perhaps, never been greater than at any time in human history. If you can help fulfill your audience's need for belonging and community, then you will acquire a tribe of loyal supporters and repeat customers. According to Mark's thesis, which I believe is correct, building a community is how organizations can make the greatest impact and drive the biggest outcomes if they're willing to put in the time and work into making their community grow. Creating a community requires long-term thinking and an investment of time and energy, but it will pay off for those who commit to it, as Mark explains on the podcast and in his book.  In this conversation, Mark and I spoke about the importance of community from both a marketing and a sociological perspective. He also shared interesting case studies of people who found success by building communities around their brands. From a business and marketing standpoint, having your own community on an owned channel also strengthens your brand long-term, dramatically increases customer loyalty and retention, and lessens your reliance on the whims of social media algorithms and changing markets.  In this episode, we discussed his “Belonging to the Brand,” published in 2022, but you should also check out his new book that just came out, "Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World." Connect with Mark Schaefer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markwschaefer/ Buy the book, Belonging to the Brand: https://www.amazon.com/Belonging-Brand-Community-Marketing-Strategy-ebook/dp/B0BQCRN6JQ  Learn more: https://businessesgrow.com/ Buy his new book, Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World: https://www.amazon.com/Audacious-How-Humans-Marketing-World/dp/B0DSHRN3PC#:~:text=Mark%20Schaefer's%20%22Audacious%22%20is%20a,AI%20by%20a%20million%20watts.  Mark Schaefer is a globally recognized keynote speaker, educator, business consultant, and author. His blog {grow} is hailed as one of the top marketing blogs in the world. Mark has worked in global sales, PR, and marketing positions for more than 30 years and provides consulting services as Executive Director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions. Mark has advanced degrees in marketing and organizational development, holds seven patents, and is a faculty member of the graduate studies program at Rutgers University. For three years, Mark studied under the late Peter Drucker (a world-renowned consultant and author known as the founder of modern management). He is one of the world's most popular business-related keynote speakers, taking the stage at some of the largest industry and corporate conferences including SXSW, Dell World, the American Bar Association Annual Conference, and many others. He has spoken in 35 different countries. Mark is also well-known for developing corporate marketing strategies and marketing workshops. His clients range from successful start-ups to global brands such as Adidas, Johnson & Johnson, GE Life Sciences, Pfizer, The U.S. Air Force, and the UK Government. Mark is the bestselling author of ten other books: Belonging to the Brand: Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy: This book was number one in both marketing and advertising categories and provides a spellbinding view of the future of marketing. Cumulative Advantage: How to Build Momentum for your Ideas, Business, and Life Against All Odds — This book explores the art and science of momentum Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins — Some reviewers note this might be the most influential marketing book of the decade. KNOWN: How to Build and Unleash Your Personal Brand in the Digital Age — World's number one book on personal branding. The Content Code — Named one of the top five marketing books of the year by INC Magazine. Social Media Explained — Essential primer on social media marketing. Return on Influence — First book ever written on influencer marketing. Named to the elite list of top academic titles of the year by the American Library Association, which declared it an “essential” and “pathfinding” book. Born to Blog — All-time bestselling book on blogging! LESSONS — Collection of essential essays on embracing chaos. The Tao of Twitter – Best-selling book on Twitter in the world. Mark's books have been used as textbooks at more than 70 universities, have been translated into 15 languages, and can be found in more than 750 libraries worldwide. He is the founder and co-host of The Marketing Companion, one of the top 10 marketing podcasts on iTunes. The show has been downloaded more than 1.5 million times. Mark is also a popular and entertaining commentator and has appeared on many national television shows and periodicals including the Wall Street Journal, Wired, The New York Times, CNN, National Public Radio, CNBC, the BBC, and CBS News. He is a regular contributing columnist to The Harvard Business Review. Learn more: https://businessesgrow.com/  

In this week's episode of The Watchung Booksellers Podcast, journalists Candy J. Cooper and Dale Russakoff share their excitement in the triumphs of journalistic writing.Candy J. Cooper is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and winner of the Selden Ring Award for Investigative Reporting. She is the author, most recently, of Shackled: A Tale of Wronged Kids, Rogue Judges, and A Town that Looked Away, which was recently named a 2025 honoree by the American Library Association's YALSA award for young adult nonfiction. She also wrote Poisoned Water: How the Citizens of Flint Michigan Fought for Their Lies and Warned the Nation, named a 2020 top 10 young adult book by the New York Public Library. She has been a staff writer for four newspapers, including The Detroit Free Press and the San Francisco Examiner. Dale Russakoff spent twenty-eight years as a reporter for the Washington Post, covering politics, education, social policy, and other topics. From 1994 to 2008, she served in the Post's New York Bureau, where she covered the NYC metropolitan area, including Newark, New Jersey. Dale Russakoff grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, and began her career as a reporter for The Alabama Journal and later The Atlanta Journal. In 2015 she published THE PRIZE:  Who's in Charge of America's Schools, a New York Times bestseller, and a finalist for the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize for a work of nonfiction. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey, with her husband Matthew Purdy, an editor at The New York Times. Resources:Waiting for Superman Books:A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events.The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ. The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Art & design and social media by Evelyn Moulton. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids' Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch!Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.comSocial: @watchungbooksellersSign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

Send us a textIn the bonus episode, Beth, Brittany, and Stephanie sit down with the current ALA President, Cindy Hohl, to discuss National Library Week and the upcoming ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition.Click here to learn more about the ALA Annual.

Thirty Below: The Harrowing and Heroic Story of the First All-Women's Ascent of Denali by Cassidy Randall Amazon.com The gripping story of a group of female adventurers and their treacherous pioneering ascent of Denali. Excerpted in Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, and Men's Journal, and named one of the most noteworthy books of the month by the Washington Post Cassidy Randall draws on extensive archival research and original interviews to tell an engrossing, edge-of-the-seat adventure story about a forgotten group of climbers who had the audacity to believe that women could walk alone in extraordinary and treacherous heights. Grace Hoeman dreamed of standing on top of Denali. The tallest peak in North America, the fierce polar mountain loomed large in many climbers' imaginations, and Grace, a doctor in Alaska, had come close to the top, only to be turned back by altitude sickness and a storm that took the lives of seven fellow climbers in one remorseless blow. Other expeditions denied her a place because of her gender, and when a letter arrived from a climber in California named Arlene Blum, who'd also been barred from expeditions—unless she stayed in base camp and cooked for the men, Grace got a defiant idea: she would organize and lead the first-ever all-female ascent of the frozen Alaskan peak. Everyone told the “Denali Damsels,” as the team called themselves, that it couldn't be done: Women were incapable of climbing mountains on their own. Men had walked on the moon; women still had not stood on the highest points on Earth. But these six women were unwilling to be limited by sexists and misogynists. They pushed past barriers in society at large, the climbing world, and their own bodies. And then, when disaster struck at the worst time on their expedition, they could either keep their wits and prove their mettle, or die and confirm the worst opinions of men.About the author Cassidy Randall is an award-winning writer who tells stories on the environment, adventure, and people who expand human potential. She's the author of the new survival epic THIRTY BELOW: The Harrowing and Heroic Story of the First All-Women' s Ascent of Denali; and THE HARD PARTS with Paralympian Oksana Masters, which won an Alex Award from the American Library Association and was listed as one of the best sports books of the year by the Times. Her stories have appeared in Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, National Geographic, the New York Times, TIME, Outside, and Men's Journal, among others. Her work has been awarded the Lowell Thomas Gold Medal in Adventure Writing, short-listed for the True Story Award, and included in The Year's Best Sports Writing.

Steve chats with Lindsay Cronk and Maria McCauley, the 2025 candidates for President of the American Library Association, about how they got started in librarianship, their visions of leadership, why they wanted to run for ALA President, digital equity and advocacy, and who inspires them. Read the transcript! Lindsay Cronk currently serves as a member … Continue reading 281: ALA Presidential Candidates (2025)

In this episode we are joined by Neal Shusterman!Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty award-winning books for children, teens, and adults, including Challenger Deep, which won the National Book Award, Courage to Dream, a Sydney Taylor Honor Book, Scythe, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book, the Unwind Dystology, which won more than thirty domestic and international awards, and the highly acclaimed novels, Dry, and Roxy which he co-wrote with his son, Jarrod   For his body of work, Neal won the 2024 Margaret A. Edwards Award, and the ALAN Lifetime Achievement Award. His novel, Unwind, has become part of the literary canon in many school districts across the country-and has won more than thirty domestic and international awards. Many of his novels are in development as TV series and movies.Shusterman has also received awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, and has garnered a myriad of state and local awards across the country. His talents range from film directing, to writing music and stage plays, and has even tried his hand at creating games.Shusterman has earned a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. As a speaker, he is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give him a unique approach to writing, and his novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor. Neal lives in Jacksonville, Florida, but spends much of his time traveling the world speaking, exploring, and signing books for readers. . Visit Neal at www.storyman.com, facebook.com/NealShusterman, and on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter @nealshustermanPurchase his latest book, All Better Now here: https://bookshop.org/a/19191/9781534432758This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Listen In: conversation & cultivation, a writing program from award-winning authors Elana K. Arnold and Nina LaCourLearn more at ninalacour.comSupport the show

Take #36! Welcome to SEASON 5 of Listen! I chat with my lovely guest Eliot Schrefer—he is aNew York Times bestselling author, is a science writer, has twice been a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, received the Stonewall Honor for best LGBTQIA+ teen book, and received the Printz Honor for best young adult book from the American Library Association. What a LIST.Eliot and I discuss the themes of mental health and intimacy inThe Darkness Outside Usand new sequelThe Brightness Between Us, dive into the power of media in processes of catharsis and identity formation, explore the complexity of life and our hidden selves in literature, and more. Welcome to...Listen!

In America is in the Heart, Carlos Bulosan describes his good fortune at landing a job in a library where he could be close to books: “I was beginning to understand what was going on around me, and the darkness that had covered my present life was lifting.” Ursula Le Guin writes of a library's sacredness: “its accessibility, its publicness.” She calls the public library a public trust, and continues: “A great library is freedom,.” We're honored to be joined in conversation with Emily Drabinski, past president of the American Library Association, and a brilliant and intrepid defender of the public square.

Send us a textDrag Story Hour is a global movement that brings the magic of storytelling, the art of drag, and the power of inclusion to libraries, schools, and community spaces, creating environments where kids can celebrate diversity, explore their imaginations, and embrace the beauty of self-expression. This week In the Den, Sara and Drag Story Hour's inaugural executive director Jonathon Hamilt discuss everything from the joy drag story  hour brings to children and families to addressing the challenges it faces to the ways in which drag story hours are changing the narrative about drag and LGBTQ+ representation in ways that are educational, empowering, and downright fun.Special Guest: Jonathan HamiltJonathan Hamilt (he/him) is the Executive Director of Drag Story Hour and co-founder of the NYC Chapter in 2016. Hamilt is the first Executive Director of the organization, taking it from a loose string of a few state's events to a national 501 c 3 with an international chapter network. He has spoken at Harvard, Yale, the Medical Library Association, the American Library Association, Public Library Association, School Library Journal, and SXSWEDU Conference. His activism spreads outside the work with Drag Story as his Drag persona "Ona Louise" hosts drag charity bingos across NYC. Ona Louise's personal goal is healing her inner child by offering affirming and accepting programming for kids which teaches them that it's more than okay to be different and they are loved no matter what!Links from the Show:Drag Story Hour's website: https://www.dragstoryhour.org/ Join Mama Dragons here: www.mamadragons.orgMama Dragons on FB: https://www.facebook.com/mamadragons Mama Dragons on IG: https://www.instagram.com/themamadragons/ In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org. Connect with Mama Dragons:WebsiteInstagramFacebookDonate to this podcast

We are all in the attention economy.Louise Karch (pronounced CARSH) makes sure good people like us break out not blend in.Louise is delighted to speak us. She has a special fondness for environmental educators having been an Outward Bound Instructor.For over a decade, she also was a career management professional, She was honoured to study with and support Richard Bolles, the author of the bestselling career/life planning in history, What Color Is Your Parachute.It was Richard Bolles who inspired Louise to write guidebooks. Louise is the award-winning author of Word Glue, and head cheerleader and one of the co-authors of the global mega-hit The Carbon Almanac, It's Not Too Late (Penguin Random House),Louise's most recent book, First Aid for Fairies: From Rain to Rainbows, is an uplifting steampunk-inspired guide that helps teens shift from stress to strength It's been nominated for the American Library Association's MIchael Princz award.Louise has mentored leaders in 71 countries and edu-tained audiences from Australia to the Arctic. She prefers being warm.You can find Louise at…Word GlueFirst Aid for FairiesInterview Database with Addendum for Environmental Educators RESOURCES MENTIONEDWhat color is your parachute? (2022)*Transitions (2019)*Brag! Toot Your Own Horn Without Blowing It*Outward Bound (Canada)Outward Bound (USA) ASSESSMENTInstitute on CharacterJackson Vocational Interest SurveyGallup CliftonStrengths Finder CREDITS:Producer: Tania MarienMusic: So Far So Close by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License;SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License.Subscribe to Transferable Solutions.Talaterra is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Commissions earned support the publication Transferable Solutions.Contact Us

Welcome to episode 89! I am back from my podcast hiatus! I didn't mean to be away so long! And though I was absent from the podcast, if you follow me on socials and my newsletter, so many things have happened. It's been over a year, friends, where there was quite a bit of change in our household. It was a year of deadlines, a move this summer, and getting set up—it was a whole big thing, having to get used to new schedules, while trying to have balance. We all know how that's so hard.But I'm happy to be back, and hopefully will now be in a groove in which I can get some fantastic authors and creators into this virtual studio. I've have missed this space, missed connecting with other folks in this avenue.But to get down to business! I'm so excited to introduce Piper Huguley, where we discussed American Daughters. Piper G. Huguley's biographical historical fiction, By Her Own Design: a novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register tells the inspiring story of the Black fashion designer of Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress. By Her Own Design was a Booklist top 100 Editor's Choice selection for 2022, was named one of the top 100 books of 2022 in Canada by the Globe and Mail newspaper and was selected as the historical fiction winner for 2022 by the American Library Association's Reading Council.She is also the author of Sweet Tea, a contemporary romance about food and history (of course) and the author of two historical romance series: “Migrations of the Heart”, about the Great Migration and “Home to Milford College”. Her next historical fiction book, American Daughters (2024), is the story of the decades-long interracial friendship between Alice Roosevelt and Portia Washington, the rebel teenage daughters of President Theodore Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington, respectively. She is a literature professor at Clark-Atlanta University and blogs about the history behind her novels at http://piperhuguley.com . She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and son. In this conversation, we discussed the idea of a  “way” into a story and Piper's research process. We talked about historical women and their passions and Piper's thoughts about historical accuracy. Finally, she talked about who of the two characters she endeared to the most.***Preorder LETTERS FROM THE TRAIL, out on February 25, 2025Note: some links are affiliate linksContact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.comPlease check out her website for podcast submissions

SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-2025-sydney-taylor-book-awards.html TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/g5yluS6SsAbhu4hkoKy62TZUgac?utm_source=copy_url  The winners of the 2025 Sydney Taylor Book Awards, recognizing the best Jewish children's and young adult literature of the year, were announced on January 27, 2025 at the American Library Association's Youth Media Awards event. Aviva Rosenberg is the current chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, and she joined us to discuss the 2025 winners of the award. LEARN  MORE: Sydney Taylor Book Awards ALA's YouTube channel, where you can watch a recording of the announcement Heidi's unofficial 2025 Sydney Taylor shortlist Get more Jewish kidlit news & calls to action in The Book of Life Substack newsletter 2025 SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARDS Scroll down to see all the winning titles listed, with links to any past podcast appearances by the authors on The Book of Life.   FYI, the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour will take place in early February, and I will be interviewing Joshua S. Levy about Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop. Details will appear soon at JewishLibraries.org.   Picture Book Winner: An Etrog from Across the Sea by Deborah Bodin Cohen and Kerry Olitzky, illustrated by Stacey Dressen McQueen, published by Kar-Ben Middle Grade Winner: The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival by Estelle Nadel, Bethany Strout, and Sammy Savos, illustrated by Sammy Savos, published by Roaring Brook Press Young Adult Winner: Night Owls by A.R. Vishny, published by HarperCollins Podcast interview with A.R. Vishny forthcoming - watch this space  ~~~ Picture Book Honors Joyful Song by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Susan Gal, published by Levine Querido Podcast interview with Lesléa and Susan about Joyful Song: June 2024 Rising by Sidura Ludwig, illustrated by Sophia Vincent Guy, published by Candlewick Amazing Abe: How Abraham Cahan's Newspaper Gave a Voice to Jewish Immigrants by Norman H. Finklestein, illustrated by Vesper Stamper, published by Holiday House The Tree of Life: How a Holocaust Sapling Inspired the World by Elisa Boxer, illustrated by Alianna Rozentsveig, published by Rocky Pond Books Middle Grade Honors Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar, published by Nancy Paulsen Books Podcast interview with Ruth about Across So Many Seas: May 2024   Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop by Joshua S. Levy, published by Katherine Tegen Books Podcast interview with Josh about The Jake Show: August 2023 Just Shy of Ordinary by A.J. Sass, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Podcast interview with A.J. about Ellen Outside the Lines: June 2023 Young Adult Honors Trajectory by Cambria Gordon, published by Scholastic Press The Forbidden Book by Sacha Lamb, published by Levine Querido Podcast interview with Sacha about When the Angels Left the Old Country: January 2023   ~~~~ Picture Book Notables Mr. Katz and Me by Marc Kornblatt, illustrated by Nanette Regan, published by Apples & Honey Press Everybody's Book: The Story of the Sarajevo Haggadah by Linda Leopold Strauss, illustrated by Tim Smart, published by Kar-Ben Podcast interview about the Sarajevo Haggadah, with Geraldine Brooks about People of the Book: April 2008   Sharing Shalom by Danielle Sharkan, illustrated by Selina Alko, published by Holiday House Middle Grade Notables  Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II by Adam Gidwitz, published by Dutton Books for Young Readers Podcast interview with Adam about Max in the House of Spies: July 2024   Things That Shimmer by Deborah Lakritz, published by Kar-Ben Podcast interview with Deborah about the Friends for LQ Auction: August 2023   Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf by Deke Moulton, published by Tundra Books Podcast interview with Deke about Benji Zeb: November 2024   Young Adult Notables The Ballerina of Auschwitz: Young Adult Edition of The Choice by Dr. Edith Eva Eger with Esme Schwall, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers Inkflower by Suzy Zail, published by Walker Books Australia ~~~~ 2025 Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award Winner:"When You Write Back" by Hanna R. Neier The Sydney Taylor Book Awards are sponsored by Jo Taylor Marshall,  daughter of All-of-a-Kind Family author Sydney Taylor. I interviewed Jo Taylor Marshall on The Book of Life in January 2024 CREDITS: Produced by Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel Co-sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries Sister podcast: Nice Jewish Books Theme Music: The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band Newsletter: bookoflifepodcast.substack.com Facebook Discussion Group: Jewish Kidlit Mavens Facebook Page: Facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast Instagram: @bookoflifepodcast Twitter: @bookoflifepod Support the Podcast: Shop or Donate Your feedback is welcome! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode!Welcome to the 1st installment of our Banned Books Series! In this episode, we discuss George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto. This is a beautiful and important book. Tune in to hear our reactions to and understanding of All Boys Aren't Blue. Afterwards, let us know your thoughts about the book.  George M. Johnson (they/them) is an Emmy nominated, award-winning, and bestselling Black nonbinary author and activist. They have written on race, gender, sex, and culture for Essence, the Advocate, BuzzFeed News, Teen Vogue, and more than forty other national publications. George has appeared on BuzzFeed's AM2DM as well as on MSNBC. They are also a proud HBCU alum twice over and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. Their debut memoir, All Boys Aren't Blue, was a New York Times bestseller and garnered many accolades. It was the second-most banned book of 2022 in the United States, according to the American Library Association. For their work fighting book bans and challenges, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) honored George with its Free Speech Defender Award, and TIME Magazine named them one of the “100 Next Most Influential People in the World.”Support the showBe part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have learned, how the conversation affected you. You can reach Raquel and Jennifer on IG @madnesscafepodcast or by email at madnesscafepodcast@gmail.com.Share the episode with a friend and have your own conversation. And don't forget to rate and review the show wherever you listen!Thanks!

The Jack Carr Book Club December Book of the Month is THE SHADOW OF WAR, a book that explores a pivotal moment in history through the masterful storytelling of Jeff Shaara.   In The Shadow of War, Shaara brings to life the intense and complex lead-up to the Cuban Missile Crisis. From the Russian engineers racing against time to construct missile facilities in Cuba, to the U.S. Navy commanders enforcing the "quarantine," to the behind-the-scenes decisions of JFK, Bobby Kennedy, and Nikita Khrushchev—this work offers a gripping, multi-perspective look at a crisis that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.   Meticulously researched and vividly written, The Shadow of War is not just a story of conflict but a study in leadership, strategy, and human resilience during one of the most dangerous standoffs in history. Jeff Shaara is a bestselling American author known for his historical novels that vividly bring pivotal moments of history to life. Jeff is a four-time recipient of the American Library Association's "William Young Boyd Award" for Excellence in Military Fiction for Gods and Generals, To the Last Man, The Frozen Hours, and most recently, The Eagle's Claw.  To learn more about Jeff, follow him on Facebook @jshaara or visit his website www.jeffshaara.com.  SPONSORS CRY HAVOC – A Tom Reece Thriller https://www.officialjackcarr.com/books/cry-havoc/  Bravo Company Manufacturing: Visit us on the web at http://jackcarr.co/bcm and on Instagram @BravoCompanyUSA.com  BCM Jack Carr MOD 4 pistol grip. Get yours here-https://bravocompanyusa.com/bcm-jack-carr-mod-4-pistol-grip-black/ SIG: Sig Sauer 1911 X. Learn more here-https://www.sigsauer.com/1911-xfull.html Jack Carr Gear: Explore the gear here - https://shop.officialjackcarr.com/ 

Prof Diane Rasmussen McAdie and Dan Kleinman spoke about the nefarious actions that the American Library Association takes to covertly expose children to age-inappropriate content, and what Dan does to fight it. Read the write-up at: https://www.ukcolumn.org/video/we-do-it-for-the-children-how-to-fight-sexual-grooming-in-libraries-with-dan-kleinman-of

How do neighbourhoods shape economic opportunities for children? Listen to Jason Mitchell discuss with Professor Stefanie Deluca, Johns Hopkins University, about why neighbourhoods matter for creating social mobility; some of the outcomes and challenges in her recent paper, “Creating Moves to Opportunity”; and what it takes to create more high-opportunity zones, so families don't have to continually uproot and move. Professor Stefanie DeLuca is the James Coleman Professor of Sociology and Social Policy at the Johns Hopkins University, director of the Poverty and Inequality Research Lab, and Research Principal at Opportunity Insights at Harvard University. She is one of the foremost qualitative mixed methods researchers on housing and higher education policy. Professor DeLuca co-authored Coming of Age in the Other America, which was named an Outstanding Academic Title from the American Library Association, and won the William F. Goode Award from the American Sociological Association. Stefanie has also been awarded a National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Fellowship and a William T. Grant Foundation Scholars Award. She serves on a Federal Research Advisory Commission at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and was named Scholar of the Year by the National Alliance of Resident Services in Assisted and Affordable Housing.

Today's book is: That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America (Bloomsbury, 2024) by Amanda Jones, which offers her story of life as a small-town librarian. One of the things she values most about books is how they can affirm a young person's sense of self. So in 2022, when she caught wind of a local public hearing that would discuss “book content,” she knew what was at stake. Schools and libraries nationwide have been bombarded by demands for books with LGTBQ+ references, discussions of racism, and more to be purged from the shelves. She spoke out that night at the meeting. Days later, she woke up to a nightmare that is still ongoing. Her decision to support a collection of books with diverse perspectives made her a target for extremists using book banning campaigns-funded by dark money organizations and advanced by hard right politicians-in a crusade to make America more white, straight, and "Christian." But she wouldn't give up without a fight: she sued her harassers for defamation and urged others to join her in the resistance. Mapping the book banning crisis occurring all across the nation, That Librarian draws the battle lines in the war against equity and inclusion, calling book lovers everywhere to rise in defense of our readers. Our guest is: Amanda Jones, who is the school librarian at the same school she attended as a child. She is the author of That Librarian: Fighting Book Banners in Today's America. She was the 2021 School Library Journal Co-Librarian of the Year, a 2021 Library Journal Mover and Shaker, and the 2020 Louisiana Librarian of the Year. She presents nationally and internationally on the importance of certified school librarians, book joy, and why every child deserves to see themselves reflected in the books on library shelves. Amanda has received intellectual freedom awards from the American Library Association, American Association of School Librarians, and Louisiana Library Association. She is the Executive Director of the Livingston Parish Library Alliance, and a co-founding member of Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship. She lives in Louisiana with her husband, daughter, and their cat. Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, who is the producer of the Academic Life podcast. Listeners may enjoy this playlist: Books, Antisemitism, and a Viral Tweet Stitching Freedom What to Know About Book Banning : A Discussion with the National Coalition Against Censorship Before and After the Book Deal Welcome to Academic Life, the podcast for your academic journey—and beyond! You can support the show by posting, assigning or sharing episodes. Join us to learn from experts inside and outside the academy, and around the world. Missed any of the 225+ Academic Life episodes? Find them here. And thank you for listening! 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

Today's book is: That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America (Bloomsbury, 2024) by Amanda Jones, which offers her story of life as a small-town librarian. One of the things she values most about books is how they can affirm a young person's sense of self. So in 2022, when she caught wind of a local public hearing that would discuss “book content,” she knew what was at stake. Schools and libraries nationwide have been bombarded by demands for books with LGTBQ+ references, discussions of racism, and more to be purged from the shelves. She spoke out that night at the meeting. Days later, she woke up to a nightmare that is still ongoing. Her decision to support a collection of books with diverse perspectives made her a target for extremists using book banning campaigns-funded by dark money organizations and advanced by hard right politicians-in a crusade to make America more white, straight, and "Christian." But she wouldn't give up without a fight: she sued her harassers for defamation and urged others to join her in the resistance. Mapping the book banning crisis occurring all across the nation, That Librarian draws the battle lines in the war against equity and inclusion, calling book lovers everywhere to rise in defense of our readers. Our guest is: Amanda Jones, who is the school librarian at the same school she attended as a child. She is the author of That Librarian: Fighting Book Banners in Today's America. She was the 2021 School Library Journal Co-Librarian of the Year, a 2021 Library Journal Mover and Shaker, and the 2020 Louisiana Librarian of the Year. She presents nationally and internationally on the importance of certified school librarians, book joy, and why every child deserves to see themselves reflected in the books on library shelves. Amanda has received intellectual freedom awards from the American Library Association, American Association of School Librarians, and Louisiana Library Association. She is the Executive Director of the Livingston Parish Library Alliance, and a co-founding member of Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship. She lives in Louisiana with her husband, daughter, and their cat. Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, who is the producer of the Academic Life podcast. Listeners may enjoy this playlist: Books, Antisemitism, and a Viral Tweet Stitching Freedom What to Know About Book Banning : A Discussion with the National Coalition Against Censorship Before and After the Book Deal Welcome to Academic Life, the podcast for your academic journey—and beyond! You can support the show by posting, assigning or sharing episodes. Join us to learn from experts inside and outside the academy, and around the world. Missed any of the 225+ Academic Life episodes? Find them here. And thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Today's book is: That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America (Bloomsbury, 2024) by Amanda Jones, which offers her story of life as a small-town librarian. One of the things she values most about books is how they can affirm a young person's sense of self. So in 2022, when she caught wind of a local public hearing that would discuss “book content,” she knew what was at stake. Schools and libraries nationwide have been bombarded by demands for books with LGTBQ+ references, discussions of racism, and more to be purged from the shelves. She spoke out that night at the meeting. Days later, she woke up to a nightmare that is still ongoing. Her decision to support a collection of books with diverse perspectives made her a target for extremists using book banning campaigns-funded by dark money organizations and advanced by hard right politicians-in a crusade to make America more white, straight, and "Christian." But she wouldn't give up without a fight: she sued her harassers for defamation and urged others to join her in the resistance. Mapping the book banning crisis occurring all across the nation, That Librarian draws the battle lines in the war against equity and inclusion, calling book lovers everywhere to rise in defense of our readers. Our guest is: Amanda Jones, who is the school librarian at the same school she attended as a child. She is the author of That Librarian: Fighting Book Banners in Today's America. She was the 2021 School Library Journal Co-Librarian of the Year, a 2021 Library Journal Mover and Shaker, and the 2020 Louisiana Librarian of the Year. She presents nationally and internationally on the importance of certified school librarians, book joy, and why every child deserves to see themselves reflected in the books on library shelves. Amanda has received intellectual freedom awards from the American Library Association, American Association of School Librarians, and Louisiana Library Association. She is the Executive Director of the Livingston Parish Library Alliance, and a co-founding member of Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship. She lives in Louisiana with her husband, daughter, and their cat. Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, who is the producer of the Academic Life podcast. Listeners may enjoy this playlist: Books, Antisemitism, and a Viral Tweet Stitching Freedom What to Know About Book Banning : A Discussion with the National Coalition Against Censorship Before and After the Book Deal Welcome to Academic Life, the podcast for your academic journey—and beyond! You can support the show by posting, assigning or sharing episodes. Join us to learn from experts inside and outside the academy, and around the world. Missed any of the 225+ Academic Life episodes? Find them here. And thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

This week, Billboard Magazine award-winning broadcaster Burke Allen on Big Time Talker, who is live from the American Library Association's annual conference in San Diego. Guest Patricia Miller discusses her book series, The Mysterious Tales of the Unexplained, a collection of cozy mysteries targeted at middle school readers. With three volumes already released and a fourth on the way, each book contains four separate whodunits, illustrated by middle school and high school students. Patricia shares her passion for mysteries, inspired by her love of Agatha Christie's works, and how she incorporates a blend of paranormal and ghostly elements into her stories. In addition to her writing, Patricia is a seasoned mental health therapist with over 35 years of experience, and she discusses how her deep understanding of human behavior informs her character development. While her books focus on middle grade readers, she mentions that fans of all ages, including adults, enjoy her work. Patricia also talks about her plans to write books for parents and therapists to help teach children mental health skills through a series based on dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). The episode offers insights into both Patricia's writing process and her dual career in mental health. Burke Allen's Big Time Talker Podcast is sponsored by Speakermatch; subscribe today and get new episodes each week! 

 This week, Billboard Magazine award-winning broadcaster Burke Allen's Big Time Talker podcast features an interview with Kevin D. Miller, an award-winning author who shares his fascinating journey from web developer to novelist. Kevin recounts how a family secret, uncovered through newspaper research, led to the creation of his debut book Heart of Steel. This true crime story about his grandfather, a complex figure with a dark past, became the foundation for Kevin's writing career. Despite initially doubting his ability to write, Kevin fell in love with storytelling and hasn't stopped since. The conversation also touches on Kevin's Timepiece series, blending time travel and adventure, as well as his novel Tacoma, a disaster thriller set against the backdrop of a catastrophic volcanic eruption. Kevin reveals the extensive research behind his books, including his dedication to portraying historical and cultural accuracy, particularly in his Native American-focused book White Sky's Black Mingo. With a passion for history and storytelling, Kevin also shares insights into the writing process and how his wife Annette plays a key role as his critique partner. Recorded live at the American Library Association's annual conference in San Diego, the episode highlights Kevin's diverse writing career and his commitment to crafting engaging, well-researched stories. Burke Allen's Big Time Talker Podcast is sponsored by Speakermatch; subscribe today and get new episodes each week!

Send us a textIn this podcast episode, I sit down with author Amy Truebloog to discuss her writing career and more. *******Amy True, also writing as Amy Trueblood is a celebrated and award-winning author.In her latest book, “Meet Me in Ivy Falls,” she brings her formidable writing talents to the adult contemporary romance market.Some of Amy's awards include Award-Winning Historical Fiction: Amy True's book (writing as Amy Trueblood) Across a Broken Shore won the 2020 Gold Medal for Historical Fiction in the Independent Publisher Book Awards and the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards. Her work has also been recognized by the American Library Association, with “Across a Broken Shore,” being named a 2020 Best Feminist Book in Children's Literature. Junior Library Guild Selections: Both “Nothing But Sky” and “Across a Broken Shore,” were selected as Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections. Amy grew up near Disneyland, which sparked her interest in storytelling from a young age. She graduated with a degree in journalism and has experience in advertising and entertainment. She's an active member of the writing community, extremely active on social media, and a frequent participant at romance conventions. Her journey to publication was not straightforward, facing challenges and rejections before successfully publishing her books. This dedication and perseverance provides an engaging talking point with audiences.Books by Amy True: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amy-True/author/B0CVQZVR27?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=trueBooks by Amy Trueblood: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amy-Trueblood/author/B07664V7N4?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1723756980&sr=8-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true*******If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at Dauna@bettertopodcast.comThis episode is on YouTube:https://youtu.be/ROlH2MAqQ8EFollow us on Social MediaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_d.m.needom/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettertopodcastwithdmneedomHave a question or want to be a guest on the podcast email: dauna@bettertopodcast.comHave a question for our producer Rich Zei contact him at rich.zei@thirdearaudio.comIntro and Outro music compliments of Fast SuziTo see upcoming guests click here: https://www.dmneedom.com/better-topodcast©2024 Better To...Podcast with D. M.NeedomSupport the Show.Support the show

Small and rural libraries don't always have the same resources and opportunities that urban libraries do. But they still have big ideas about how to serve their communities—and, as we hear in Episode 98, they find ways to realize them. At Burlingame (Kans.) Community Library, sensory spaces and a new loanable resource collection are improving the lives of patrons with disabilities and their families. Meanwhile, at North Liberty (Iowa) Library, staffers are moderating discussions on hot-button topics that are getting community members to open up, listen to one another, and connect. Both libraries have received funding from the American Library Association's Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) grant program. Learn more about LTC grant-funded projects throughout the US in “Libraries Transforming Communities, One Year Later,” published in the November/December 2024 issue of American Libraries.

In this Fanbase Feature, The Fanbase Weekly co-host Bryant Dillon and special guests Ashley V. Robinson (writer, Jupiter Jet, Aurora and the Eagle / podcast host – Geek History Lesson), Matthew Noe (Lead Collection & Knowledge Management Librarian for Harvard Medical School – Countway Library, board member of the Graphic Medicine International Collection and the American Library Association, Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table), and Jack Phoenix (librarian, writer – Maximizing the Impact of Comics in Your Library: Graphic Novels, Manga, and More) participate in a thorough discussion regarding Godzilla (1954) in light of the film's 70th anniversary, with topics including how the film explores humanity's arrogance regarding nuclear weapons, how American attitudes regarding the film differ from Japanese perspectives, how we use stories to culturally cope with mass traumas, and more. (Beware: SPOILERS for Godzilla abound in this panel discussion!)

Today we're talking about the need for a writer to be resilient over the long haul of a career and my guest is A.S. KingA.S. King has been called “One of the best Y.A. writers working today” by The New York Times Book Review and is one of YA fiction's most decorated. She is the only two-time winner of the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Award (2020 for Dig and 2024 for The Collectors) and has won the LA Times Book Prize for Ask the Passengers. In 2022, King received the ALA's Margaret A. Edwards Award for her lifetime achievement to YA literature and 2023, she accepted the ALAN Award for "artistry, courage and outstanding contributions to YA literature."Amy – which is her real name – has taught for years in MFA programs and is working on her PhD in creative literatureI wanted to talk to Amy because I heard from a mutual friend – Caroline Leavitt – that Amy's publisher had made a change to her promotional team just weeks before the launch of her newest book, Pick the Lock, which one reviewer described as "a punk opera, a primal scream, and a portrait of a family buried in lies."Many of our listeners are trying to get their foot in the door with their first book, or to get a career off the ground with their second or third and here is someone who has written 15 books, who is at the top of her game, and who still has things like this happen – which is to say things that go wrong, things that don't go her way.I thought a conversation about what it feels like at this stage in a career would be illuminating – and was I sure right. Let's get to it.Find A.S. King at AS-King.comHeads up!Join me—KJ—for Novelmber, which is very hard to pronounce but is my word for reclaiming my writing space in November. Think NaNoWriMo, our version—daily challenges and stretch goals, formatted by you, for you.There will be write-alongs, posts, a massive Google spreadsheet for sharing goals and updating progress, thoughts on how hard this is, and more than you want to know about why I need this regroup so badly. All writers, every genre, welcome.This is sign-up only—I don't plan to spam the whole #AmWriting community with my wails of writerly distress daily for an entire month—but it's also for everyone who wants in. I hope you'll join me—I don't want to go this alone.Don't worry, signing up is simple! Here's how:Click here to go to your #AmWriting account, and when you see this screen, toggle “Novelmber” from “off” (grey) to “on” (green).THAT'S IT!Once you set that up, you'll get all future Novelmber emails. Any audio or video will show up in those, along with write-along schedules.You'll also want to add yourself to the Google Sheet where we'll all record our overall goal, day's goals, daily progress and what we're feeling. I've started it off.Join me, help me, let's make Novelmber WORK! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area. Today, Emily features a conversation with writer and art historian Bridget Quinn. Bridget discusses her latest book 'Portrait of a Woman,' which delves into the life of Adelaide Le Béliard, a pioneering 18th-century artist. She shares her journey of discovering Adelaide's work, her challenges in a male-dominated Royal Academy, and her rivalry with Marie Antoinette's painter, Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun. The episode also includes an exploration of how art and letters were used to reconstruct Adelaide's story and a touching discussion of how Bridget's own experiences shaped her writing. This episode highlights essential themes of art, feminism, rivalry, and the force of Adelaide's will against significant odds.About Author Bridget Quinn:Bridget Quinn is author of the books She Votes: How U.S. Women Won Suffrage, and What Happened Next, an Amazon Editors' pick for Best History books 2020, and the award-winning Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art and Made History (in That Order), an Amazon pick for Best Art & Photography Books 2017 and a 2018 Amelia Bloomer List selection of recommended feminist literature from the American Library Association. Translated into four languages, in 2018 Broad Strokes was a national finalist for best art book of the year in Ukraine. NPR's Susan Stamberg calls it “a terrific essay collection” with “spunky attitudinal, SMART writing,” marking the second time “attitudinal” has been used about her work (first: Kirkus 1996). Her current book is Portrait of a Woman: Art, Rivalry & Revolution in the Life of Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, more than thirty years in the making.Raised on the high plains of Montana with six brothers, two sisters, a devout and sporty mother and a WWII Marine-turned-lawyer father, in a home surrounded by cows and nuclear missile silos, she's lived since in Norway, New York, Oregon and California. She's taught art history, history and writing for more than two decades; worked in museums and for galleries and private collections; worked at climbing gyms on both coasts, and was a researcher for the first several ESPN X Games, covering rock climbing, ice climbing, BMX freestyle and downhill mountain biking.A graduate of New York University's Institute of Fine Arts and a regular contributor to online arts magazine Hyperallergic, she's a nationally sought-after speaker on women and art. She is a contributing editor to On the Seawall, and the former co-host of The GrottoPod: Writers on Writing. An avid sports fan and Iron(wo)man triathlete, her Narrative magazine essay “At Swim, Two Girls” was included in The Best American Sports Writing 2013. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family, dogs, and hella bikes.Visit Bridget's  Website:  BridgetQuinnAuthor.comFollow  on Instagram:  @BQuinnterestLearn more about and purchase Portrait of a Woman - CLICK HERE--About Podcast Host Emily Wilson:Emily a writer in San Francisco, with work in outlets including Hyperallergic, Artforum, 48 Hills, the Daily Beast, California Magazine, Latino USA, and Women's Media Center. She often writes about the arts. For years, she taught adults getting their high school diplomas at City College of San Francisco.Follow Emily on Instagram: @PureEWilFollow Art Is Awesome on Instagram: @ArtIsAwesome_Podcast--CREDITS:Art Is Awesome is Hosted, Created & Executive Produced by Emily Wilson. Theme Music "Loopster" Courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 LicenseThe Podcast is Co-Produced, Developed & Edited by Charlene Goto of @GoToProductions. For more info, visit Go-ToProductions.com

GDP Script/ Top Stories for October 25th  Publish Date: October 25th     From the BG AD Group Studio Welcome to the Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast.  Today is Friday, October 25th and Happy Birthday to Bobby Knight  ***10.25.24 - BIRTHDAY – BOBBY KNIGHT***  I'm Keith Ippolito and here are your top stories presented by Gwinnett KIA Mall of Georgia.  Largest Jackpot In Georgia Lottery History Sold In Buford  Norcross Apartment Fire Displaces 20 Residents  Trump Rallies Supporters During Stop In Gwinnett  All of this and more is coming up on the Gwinnett Daily Post podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen daily and subscribe!  Break 1: KIA MOG (07.14.22 KIA MOG)    STORY 1: POWERBALL: Largest Jackpot In Georgia Lottery History Sold In Buford  A single Powerball ticket sold in Buford, Georgia, matched all six numbers to win a $478.2 million jackpot, the largest in Georgia Lottery history. The ticket, a Quik Pik, was purchased at Quick Mart on Buford Dam Road. The winner can choose between an annuitized prize of $478.2 million or a lump sum of $230.6 million, both before taxes. This win surpasses the previous state record held by a Mega Millions winner. The Quick Mart will receive a $50,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. Powerball drawings occur three times a week, and winners have 180 days to claim their prize.  STORY 2:   Norcross Apartment Fire Displaces 20 Residents  A fire at The Elliot Apartments in Norcross on Wednesday afternoon displaced several families. The blaze, reported around 3:44 p.m., involved heavy flames from a three-story building. Firefighters responded quickly, initially believing a child was trapped, but later found the apartment vacant. The fire was controlled by 4:19 p.m., with no injuries reported. Utility companies secured the area, and apartment managers coordinated with the American Red Cross to assist the 20 displaced tenants. The fire's cause remains undetermined.  STORY 3:  Trump Rallies Supporters During Stop In Gwinnett  Former President Donald Trump addressed supporters in Duluth, Georgia, echoing Ronald Reagan's famous question, "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" His speech focused on criticizing the Biden administration's handling of issues like inflation and the border crisis, claiming America is worse off since his presidency. Trump promised to implement policies like increasing tariffs, outlawing sanctuary cities, and boosting domestic oil production if re-elected. The rally, organized by Turning Point Action, featured notable figures like Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Trump and other speakers urged attendees to vote during Georgia's early voting period, emphasizing the importance of winning the state in the upcoming election.    We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.874.3200 for more info.  We'll be right back    Break 2: Tom Wages (08.05.24 OBITS_FINAL)    STORY 4:  Gwinnett Stripers To Host Food Drive During 'Flick or Treat' event  The Gwinnett Stripers are hosting their annual "Flick or Treat" event at Coolray Field on Saturday, combining Halloween fun with a charitable cause. From 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., attendees can enjoy trick-or-treating and a screening of "Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," while also supporting The Salvation Army of Gwinnett County by donating non-perishable food items for hurricane relief efforts. The event, which includes games and prizes, aims to aid those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as local families in need. Admission is $2 in advance and $5 on the day, with free parking available.  STORY 5:  Gwinnett County Public Library Named A Top Innovator  The Gwinnett County Public Library has been honored as a Top Innovator for 2024 by The Urban Libraries Council for its New Start Entrepreneurial Incubator. This program, funded by Google and the American Library Association, provides business training and mentorship to formerly incarcerated individuals, helping them start their own businesses. The initiative, recognized for its originality and measurable outcomes, was one of only six libraries nationwide to receive this award. The program exemplifies how libraries are evolving to meet urban community needs, focusing on workforce and economic development. Other winners include libraries in San Francisco, Virginia Beach, Miami-Dade, Denver, and Toronto.     Break 3:    STORY 6:     National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Is Saturday  On Saturday, residents can safely dispose of unwanted prescription medications during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, organized by the Gwinnett County Police Department and the DEA. This initiative aims to prevent medication misuse and opioid addiction by encouraging people to remove unnecessary drugs from their homes. Drop-offs can be made at police headquarters or nearby precincts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Liquids, syringes, sharps, and non-prescription drugs are not accepted. No appointment is needed, and no questions will be asked about the medications. More details are available at GwinnettCounty.com.  STORY 7:  Hands of Christ Duluth Co-Op To Host Day Of Service  The Hands of Christ Duluth Co-Op is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a community service event on Saturday, inviting volunteers to plant 1,000 daffodil bulbs at their new location on Rogers Bridge Road. This initiative, in partnership with Daffodils4Hope, aims to raise awareness for cancer survivorship. The co-op recently moved to a 9,000-square-foot warehouse and has seen a 20% increase in people served this year. They successfully raised $10,000 for food, matched by the Community Foundation of Northeast Georgia. The planting event runs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and volunteers can sign up online.    We'll have final thoughts after this.    Break 4: Ingles Markets (Cereal Options) 1    Signoff –   Thanks again for hanging out with us on today's Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at www.gwinnettdailypost.com  Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  Produced by the BG Podcast Network     Show Sponsors:  www.ingles-markets.com    www.wagesfuneralhome.com   www.kiamallofga.com      #NewsPodcast #CurrentEvents #TopHeadlines #BreakingNews #PodcastDiscussion #PodcastNews #InDepthAnalysis #NewsAnalysis #PodcastTrending #WorldNews #LocalNews #GlobalNews #PodcastInsights #NewsBrief #PodcastUpdate #NewsRoundup #WeeklyNews #DailyNews #PodcastInterviews #HotTopics #PodcastOpinions #InvestigativeJournalism #BehindTheHeadlines #PodcastMedia #NewsStories #PodcastReports #JournalismMatters #PodcastPerspectives #NewsCommentary #PodcastListeners #NewsPodcastCommunity #NewsSource #PodcastCuration #WorldAffairs #PodcastUpdates #AudioNews #PodcastJournalism #EmergingStories #NewsFlash #PodcastConversations   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cindy Hohl, the current president of the American Library Association, says the political temperature surrounding book bans has remained at a boiling point. Over the last year of her tenure, Hohl has witnessed librarians exit the profession due to increased stress, ridicule and public pressure to remove certain titles from their libraries–particularly those related to race and LGBTQ+ identity. Although these battles are particularly pronounced in hot spots like Florida and Texas, they're being fought in communities all over the country. In today's episode, NPR's Andrew Limbong speaks with Hohl about what librarians can and can't do to push back against this cycle of censorship and what it's like to lead through times of crisis.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This week is Banned Books Week, which draws attention to the number of book ban attempts in U.S. schools and libraries. So far, in 2024, the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 414 attempts to censor books, with 1,128 unique titles challenged. American Library Association President Cindy Hohl joins the show to talk about who is trying to rid people of reading these books and why. She also discusses what the ALA and other groups are doing to fight back.  Order the new Write About Now book @ bit.ly/BackStories

For Banned Books Week this year, we're returning to our award-winning series, Borrowed and Banned. Because the fight isn't over. In 2023, the American Library Association documented a 65% increase in the number of book titles challenged across the country. Listen to the first episode of the series about what happened in one Oklahoma town when their freedom to read was challenged. And how one teacher's response caught the nation's attention.Read the transcript here, and check out the following resources:Like what you hear? Listen to the rest of Borrowed and Banned, our award-winning podcast, series by visiting this page.We've got a week of programming around Banned Books Week this year. Check out our calendar and attend an event in Brooklyn!On October 19, 2024, libraries across the country are coming together for a Freedom to Read Day of Action. Learn more about how you can join!