Podcasts about Chicago Public Library

After over a decade of planning and construction, the Barack Obama Presidential Center has officially opened its doors in Chicago's historic Jackson Park. On June 19, 2026—coinciding with Juneteenth—the campus welcomed its first public visitors, marking a symbolic new chapter for the South Side. In this episode, we take a deep dive into what this 19-acre campus represents. From the state-of-the-art museum and the new branch of the Chicago Public Library to the expansive gardens and plazas named after civil rights icons, the Center is designed to be more than just a historical repository. It is a living, breathing community hub intended to inspire future generations. Key discussion points include:The Grand Opening: We recap the star-studded dedication ceremony, featuring performances by Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and Common, and remarks from the Obamas. Campus Features: A breakdown of the free, public spaces—including the John Lewis Plaza, the Women's Garden, and the playground—that are now accessible to the community. Legacy & Impact: How the Center aims to empower local residents and serve as a global hub for leadership and civic engagement. Visiting Information: Essential tips for your trip, including how to book timed entries for the museum and what you can explore for free. Whether you're a local Chicagoan excited to explore the grounds or someone following the Obama legacy from afar, this episode offers a comprehensive look at the architecture, the mission, and the cultural weight of this new American landmark. Join us as we explore how the Obama Presidential Center is "bringing change home" to the South Side.Disclaimer: Campus visiting hours and museum ticketing requirements may vary. Check the official Obama Foundation website for the latest updates before your visit.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/chaos-culture-radio--3078307/support.Follow Chaos Culture Radio for real conversations that move culture forward.New episodes every week.Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

The Obama Presidential Center is opening to the public on Chicago's South Side after more than a decade of planning and construction. The opening coincides with Juneteenth, adding deeper historical significance to the debut of the campus dedicated to the legacy of President Barack Obama. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed with the latest news from a leading Black-owned & controlled media company: https://aurn.com/newsletter Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this special on-location episode of the Anglotopia Podcast, recorded at the Chicago History Museum on the occasion of His Majesty the King's official birthday, Jonathan Thomas sits down with Richard Hyde — His Majesty's Consul General in Chicago and the senior British diplomatic representative across 14 states in the American Midwest. Speaking just before the British Consulate's King's Birthday Garden Party, Richard explains what a Consul General actually does, why Britain doesn't have a National Day, how he approaches representing modern Britain to the heartland of America, and what King Charles's address to a joint session of Congress meant for the Special Relationship. The conversation also uncovers a remarkable piece of Anglo-Chicago history: after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Queen Victoria and 8,000 British donors — including Disraeli, Tennyson, and John Stuart Mill — sent books to Chicago, directly founding the Chicago Public Library. Plus: the Beatles, Frank Lloyd Wright's Welsh roots, Abraham Lincoln's North Wales ancestry, and why Chicago is Richard's favorite city in the world. Note: We had originally planned to do a 100th Q&A for our 100th episode, but a much bigger opportunity arose last week, which we thought was more fitting. We'll do the Q&A soon! Links British Consulate General Chicago Website UK In Chicago on Instagram British Consulate General Chicago on X/Twitter British Embassy Washington DC UK Government in the USA Chicago History Museum Chicago Public Library Foundation Hawksmoor Chicago Celtic Crossings Chicago Chicago Shakespeare Theater America 250 Friends of Anglotopia Club Takeaways The United Kingdom is one of the only countries in the world without an official National Day — which is why British consulates abroad use the King's official birthday in June as their annual celebration, conveniently timed to coincide with Trooping the Colour. Richard Hyde covers 14 American states as Consul General — roughly 25% of the entire United States — including 105 members of the House of Representatives and 28 senators, making the Midwest a critical region for understanding where American politics is heading. After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Queen Victoria personally led a donation drive that saw 8,000 British donors — including Benjamin Disraeli, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and John Stuart Mill — send books to Chicago, directly founding the Chicago Public Library. Victoria's personally signed copy of a biography of Prince Albert is still in the library's special collection. King Charles's address to a joint session of Congress during his America 250 visit was, in Richard's assessment, a masterclass in diplomatic communication — speaking to shared values rather than political divisions and reminding both nations of the deep historical thread connecting Magna Carta to the US Constitution. Frank Lloyd Wright's family were Welsh; Abraham Lincoln's great-great-grandfather came from a small village in North Wales just 40 miles from Richard's hometown of Liverpool; and Anish Kapoor — who designed Chicago's Cloud Gate Bean — is British. Britain's cultural fingerprints are everywhere in Chicago. The British Consulate deliberately chose the Chicago History Museum and the Chicago Public Library Foundation as partners for this year's King's Birthday event to honor the Victorian book donation story — and encouraged guests to donate to the Foundation in the spirit of Queen Victoria's original gesture. Richard argues that British culture in America is simultaneously everywhere and invisible — so deeply embedded in American music, film, language, and history that most Americans don't register it as foreign. The Beatles are the perfect example: four working-class kids from Liverpool whose music plays in every country in the world, including a Chinese restaurant in Somalia in 1998. The Special Relationship, Richard says, is ultimately about 80% agreement — both countries share fundamental values on democracy, freedom, and human rights, and the disagreements, while loud, are at the margins. King Charles's Congress speech focused on that 80%. Richard's most unexpected discovery in Chicago: Midwesterners are the most authentically friendly people he's encountered in 10 overseas postings. They follow up. They text you. They actually become your friends — not just professional contacts. Richard's message to young Americans: spend time abroad. Not a two-week vacation, but a semester, a few months, living in someone else's culture. It will change how you see America — and make you appreciate it far more deeply. Soundbites "I like to joke that Chicago is one of America's two great cities with proper downtowns. Everywhere else is sprawl. But the difference is — in Chicago, the people are nice, the streets are clean, and the food's better." — Richard on why Chicago stands apart. "We're celebrating America 250. We're celebrating the fact that this is the greatest startup in history. We argued a little bit and there was some spilled tea — and despite all of that, 250 years on, no two countries do more together in the world." — Richard on Britain's approach to America 250. "Queen Victoria and 8,000 British donors sent books to Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871 — and that donation directly led to the founding of the Chicago Public Library. Victoria's signed copy is still there. It's a gesture from 1871 that still resonates now." — Richard on the Anglo-Chicago library story. "The King rises above the moment. He was able to come at a challenging time in our relationship and remind Americans — and remind Brits — that there are fundamentally more important things than the moment we're in. And that is our shared values." — Richard on King Charles's Congress speech. "I've been all around the world. I've never really been a great theater-goer. But Ed Hall at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre has kind of infected me. I've become addicted to theater." — Richard on an unexpected Chicago conversion. "The flag in the United States is the symbol of their liberty. Our flag was created from existing countries we already had. So Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland — the Union flag is basically a combination of four different crosses. We didn't have to fight for it." — Richard on why Brits and Americans relate to their flags so differently. "I've lived here almost two years. Of all the places I've lived, this is the easiest place in the world to actually build a network of friends. You can stand in a bar and someone starts talking to you about the Cubs and fundamentally how terrible everyone is at the moment — and they actually follow up." — Richard on Midwestern friendliness. "The longer I stay away and the more I've represented my country overseas, the prouder I am of that country. Warts and all. I'm proud of the history — even the complicated history. You have to understand it, not erase it." — Richard on representing Britain from a distance. "I have to say — I saw Hamilton recently and the best character in Hamilton is the King. Everyone agrees. He has the best songs." — Richard on George III stealing the show. "If you ever get a chance to travel — and I say this to a lot of young Americans — don't mean a two-week vacation. Go spend a semester abroad. Go spend a few months in somebody else's culture. And you'll understand A, that the country you love isn't perfect. But the longer you think about it, the more you'll appreciate what your country does." — Richard's message to young Americans. Chapters 00:21 Introduction — Jonathan sets the scene at the Chicago History Museum on King's Birthday 01:36 Welcome from Richard Hyde — The occasion, Chicago, and what the day means 01:58 Richard's Background — Liverpool, an Indian father, and a career that took him to India, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Texas, and Chicago 02:47 What Surprised Richard Most About Chicago — Midwest vs. Texas, great food, accessibility, and why Chicago rivals New York 04:44 British Things in Chicago — Hawksmoor, Celtic Crossings, Irish pubs, and a Sunday roast worth traveling for 07:08 What Does a Consul General Actually Do? — The difference from an ambassador, 14 states, 25% of the US, and what the job really looks like day to day 10:25 Representing Modern Britain — Multicultural, proud, complicated history, and the gap between Downton Abbey and reality 11:30 The Scope of the Midwest Region — 105 House members, 28 senators, and listening to farmers in South Dakota 15:22 What Is the King's Official Birthday? — Why Britain has no National Day and how the official birthday fills that gap 17:42 The Anglo-Chicago Library Story — The Great Fire of 1871, Queen Victoria, 8,000 British donors, Disraeli, Tennyson, and the founding of the Chicago Public Library 19:49 Chicago's Literary Heritage — Hemingway, Carnegie libraries, and the bookishness of the Midwest 20:15 America 250 — Celebrating the greatest startup in history, spilled tea, and why Britain is all in 22:20 The Founding Fathers as British People — A nuance most Americans don't consider 22:33 King George III in Hamilton — Richard's verdict: the best character, the best songs 23:07 King Charles's Address to Congress — What it meant, how it landed, and the 80% agreement principle 26:02 Getting the King to Chicago — Deep dish dreams and the challenge of a royal itinerary 26:36 The Anglo-Chicago Connection — Frank Lloyd Wright's Welsh roots, Lincoln's North Wales ancestry, Anish Kapoor's Bean, and why British culture in America is invisible because it's everywhere 29:14 The Transatlantic Flow Goes Both Ways — Charles Yerkes and the London Underground, Gordon Selfridge, and Chicago's British legacy 29:46 Does Representing Britain Change How You See It? — Absence, appreciation, complicated history, and Churchill in Fulton, Missouri 33:08 What Richard Champions in the Midwest — The Beatles, Liverpool, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and British music's global reach 35:25 Chicago's Theater Scene — Shakespeare, Kinky Boots, Harry Potter, and how theater became Richard's unexpected passion 36:10 The Tea Question — Richard's honest answer, builder's tea, Yorkshire Tea, and the biscuit problem 37:06 Hadrian's Wall and Health Plans — Jonathan's August walk, no sugar in the tea, and necessity 37:37 Richard's Favorite Thing About Chicago — The people, authentic friendliness, and why this is his best posting in 10 assignments 39:39 The World Cup Question — England's chances, Richard's divided loyalties, Wales, Argentina, and playing in the heat 40:46 Wrap-Up — Thank you to the Chicago History Museum, how to follow the British Consulate General Chicago Video Version

On this episode, Molly Page, @mollypg on instagram, talks about her project visiting all of the branches of the Chicago Public Library, how her writing is how she first fell in love with words, and how adaptations drive most of her reading decisions. We also talk a lot about Chicago and how amazing it is to be a reader in the city!    100 Things to Do in Chicago Before You Die   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy's reading:  Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash  Rental House by Weike Wang    Books Highlighted by Molly: Trust by Hernan Diaz  The Need by Helen Phillips  Don't Go: Stories of Segregation and How to Disrupt It by Tonika Lewis Johnson and Maria Krysan  Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore Lilian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney Starter Villain by John Scalzi  Yearbook by Seth Rogan  Who is This City For?: Architecture, Equity, and the Public Realm in Chicago by Blair Kamin & Lee Bey   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Odyssey by Homer, trans. Emily Wilson  A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan  Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman  All This and More by Peng Shepherd  Hum by Helen Phillips

Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Department of Housing are launching a new $21 million housing program to provide down payment and closing assistance to prospective homebuyers. Host Jacoby Cochran and contributors Jill Hopkins and PJ Walker discuss the details and ask if this is an effective, affordable housing solution. Plus, Summer at Chicago Public Library kicks off this week with celebrations at the regional branches, and where are you taking your people when they visit this summer? Good News: TIP Fest Auditions Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our daily newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Learn more about the sponsors of this June 4 episode: Enjoy Illinois American Writers Museum Chicago Public Library Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Judith Herman is widely known as a defining voice in trauma psychiatry for more than fifty years. Her work bridges the personal and the political, framing trauma as not only an individual experience, but a public health and human rights issue. In this interview with host Patricia Martin, Judith Herman tells the story of how her work evolved, what remains to be done for CPTSD victims, and what all of us can do to create conditions survivors need to heal. Judith Lewis Herman, MD, is Professor of Psychiatry (part time) at Harvard Medical School. For 30 years, until she retired, she was Director of Training at the Victims of Violence Program at The Cambridge Hospital, Cambridge, MA. She is the author of the award-winning books Father–Daughter Incest (Harvard University Press, 1981), and Trauma and Recovery (Basic Books, 1992). She is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Guggenheim fellowship in 1984 and the 1996 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. In 2007 she was named a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Her new book, Truth and Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice, was published in March, 2023. Books by Judith Herman: Patricia Martin, MFA, is the host of Jung in the World. A noted cultural analyst, she applies Jungian theory to her work as a researcher and writer. Author of three books, her work has been featured in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, and USA Today. She holds an MFA in writing and literature from Bennington College and an MA in cultural studies at the University College, Dublin (honors). In 2018, she completed the Jungian Studies Program at the C. G. Jung Institute Chicago where she is a professional affiliate. A scholar in residence at the Chicago Public Library, for the last decade she's been studying the digital culture and its impact on the individuation process. Patricia travels the world giving talks and workshops based on her findings and has a private consulting practice in Chicago. Be informed of new programs and content by joining our mailing list! Support this free podcast by making a donation, becoming a member of the Institute, or making a purchase in our online store! Your support enables us to provide free and low-cost educational resources to all. This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may share it, but please do not change it, sell it, or transcribe it.Executive Producer: Ben LawHosts: Patricia Martin, Judith Cooper, Daniel Ross, Adina Davidson, and Raisa Cabrera2025-2026 Season Intern: Zoe KalawMusic: Peter Demuth

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: Still Waiting For That Library Book You Put On Hold? Driver Shortage Is To Blame: The delay is due to a “temporary reduction in driver availability,” a Chicago Public Library official […]

Johnny Mac shares five good news stories: a Chinese automaker patented a voice-activated car toilet that slides from under the passenger seat, stores waste in a tank with a rotating heating element to evaporate liquid and dry solids, and uses an exhaust fan to manage odors. A University of Oregon study of 20 healthy adults (ages 20–28) compared hot water immersion, traditional dry saunas, and far infrared saunas, finding hot water immersion raised core body temperature the most, boosting blood flow and supporting vascular health when done in moderation. Chicago expanded the “81 Club,” turning public school IDs into Chicago Public Library cards, with pilot usage up 63%. In Switzerland, archaeologists recovered 1,200+ artifacts from a 2,000-year-old Roman-era lake shipwreck. Ohio police found a 91-year-old woman safe, playing Bubble Pop while chasing a high score.John also hosts Daily Comedy NewsUnlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media!  For Apple users, hit the banner which says Uninterrupted Listening on your Apple podcasts app. Subscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories' with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!Get more info from Caloroga Shark Media and if you have any comments, suggestions, or just want to get in touch our email is info@caloroga.com

Psychotherapist Daniel Shaw survived a decade in a cult — then spent 30 years helping victims of traumatic narcissism heal. He talks with host Patricia Martin about the mechanics of subjugation, why “no contact” isn’t always the answer, and how reclaiming dignity supports recovery. Keywords: Narcissism, narcissistic trauma, cult, psychology, recovery Daniel Shaw, LCSW, is a psychotherapist trained in psychoanalysis as well as in trauma-informed psychotherapies, including Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST). He is in private practice in New York City and in Nyack, New York; and Faculty and Supervisor at The National Institute for the Psychotherapies in New York. In his book Traumatic Narcissism: Relational Systems of Subjugation, published by Routledge in 2014 for the Relational Perspectives Series and nominated for the prestigious Gradiva Award, Shaw introduced the traumatic narcissism theory. Shaw's theory focuses on how the “traumatizing narcissist” manipulates victims, causing them to be fearful and insecure at the same time as they are becoming more and more dependent. Unlike with theories of pathological narcissism that focus on treating people with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Shaw's work focuses on helping victims of traumatizing narcissists recover their faith and trust in themselves. His book Traumatic Narcissism and Recovery: Leaving the Prison of Shame and Fear was published in 2021. In 2018, the International Cultic Studies Association awarded Dan the Margaret Thaler Singer Award for advancing the understanding of coercive persuasion and undue influence. A third book, Traumatic Narcissism Theory: A Contemporary Introduction, will be published in 2026. Shaw has for many years been teaching groups of mental health professionals how to understand and use the traumatic narcissism theory to help not only cult survivors, but survivors of all kinds of traumatic narcissistic abuse. Learn more at danielshawlcsw.com. Books by Daniel Shaw: Patricia Martin, MFA, is the host of Jung in the World. A noted cultural analyst, she applies Jungian theory to her work as a researcher and writer. Author of three books, her work has been featured in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, and USA Today. She holds an MFA in writing and literature from Bennington College and an MA in cultural studies at the University College, Dublin (honors). In 2018, she completed the Jungian Studies Program at the C. G. Jung Institute Chicago where she is a professional affiliate. A scholar in residence at the Chicago Public Library, for the last decade she's been studying the digital culture and its impact on the individuation process. Patricia travels the world giving talks and workshops based on her findings and has a private consulting practice in Chicago. Be informed of new programs and content by joining our mailing list! Support this free podcast by making a donation, becoming a member of the Institute, or making a purchase in our online store! Your support enables us to provide free and low-cost educational resources to all. This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may share it, but please do not change it, sell it, or transcribe it.Executive Producer: Ben LawHosts: Patricia Martin, Judith Cooper, Daniel Ross, Adina Davidson, and Raisa Cabrera2025-2026 Season Intern: Zoe KalawMusic: Peter Demuth

Between the 1930s and '50s, Chicago was a hub for Black writers, poets and creatives – an era known as the Chicago Black Renaissance. A number of great literary, music and art names came out of Chicago during this renaissance – including Gwendolyn Brooks, Richard Wright, Margaret Walker, Nat King Cole, Langston Hughes and many more. In the Loop dives into Chicago's poetry scene then and now, with Chicago Public Library's division chief of Archives and Special Collections Chianta Dorsey, Chicago's first Poet Laureate avery r. young and Sudanese-American poet and archivist Israa Abbas. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

Literary hub, polling place, warming center and now… food pantry? Some libraries can do it all. With 81 branches, the Chicago Public Library system is one of the largest and most robust in the world. On today's In the Loop, we look at how libraries are about a lot more than just books with Chris Brown, Chicago Public Library Commissioner, Megan Greenback, Legler Library Assistant Director and Mary Davis Fournier, Executive Director, Public Library Association. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

Chicago Black History Month You cannot tell the history of Chicago without telling the history of Black Chicago. And you cannot tell the history of the United States without the history of Black America.In our first episode back, we dive deep into the origins of Black History Month—long before it was officially recognized—and into the people who fought to ensure Black history was preserved, taught, and honored.Sourceshttps://asalh.org/carter-g-woodson-timeline/https://www.civilandhumanrights.org/the-history-of-black-history-month/https://www.jstor.org/journal/jnegrohistory https://www.wttw.com/playlist/2020/02/13/vivian-harshhttps://naacp.org/https://www.loc.gov/Send us a textSupport the showAlso, catch Dario on the new season of Netflix's "High On the Hog" here!!If you have anything you'd like us to talk about on the podcast, food or history, please email us at ⁠media@77flavorschi.com⁠ WATCH US ON YOUTUBE ⁠HERE⁠! Visit our website ⁠https://www.77flavorschi.com⁠ Follow us on IG: 77 Flavors of Chicago ⁠@77flavorschi⁠ Dario ⁠dariodurhamphoto Sara @sarafaddah

J'orge Garcia loves making things. For several years at the Chicago Public Library, he helped people to design and build their own creations with educational tools like the Finch Robot. With basic coding skills, J'orge and his students could program the little, bird-shaped bot to sing, light up, or drive along a path. The experience inspired him to look for finches in his own neighborhood. On Bring Birds Back, J'orge shares how his passion for technology and nature led him to found the Windy City Bird Lab, a community-science group that's inventing new tools to study urban birds.Listen to the full episode in season 8 of Bring Birds Back!More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Individuation isn’t about becoming better. It’s about becoming whole. At 75, neurologist Oliver Sacks finally integrated the parts of himself he’d kept hidden—his sexuality, his need for love, his domestic life (who knew he kept a library of Jung's work). Bill Hayes talks intimately about Sacks’s late-life transformation which exemplifies Jung’s crucial insight: growth isn’t about fixing what’s broken. It’s about integrating what you’ve exiled. The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in nonfiction, Bill Hayes is a frequent contributor to the New York Times and the author of seven books, including Sleep Demons; Five Quarts; The Anatomist; Insomniac City; and How We Live Now: Scenes from the Pandemic.  His writing has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Review of Books, the New York Times “T” Style Magazine, BuzzFeed, and The Guardian. His most recent book, SWEAT: A History of Exercise, a narrative nonfiction look at exercise from antiquity to the present, is available now wherever books are sold.  Hayes is also a photographer, with credits including The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and the New York Times.  His portraits of his partner, the late Oliver Sacks, appear in the volume of Dr. Sacks's suite of final essays Gratitude.  A collection of his street photography, How New York Breaks Your Heart, was published in 2018 by Bloomsbury.  His photographs are available for sale as limited edition prints exclusively by CLAMP art gallery in New York City. Books by Bill Hayes: Patricia Martin, MFA, is the host of Jung in the World. A noted cultural analyst, she applies Jungian theory to her work as a researcher and writer. Author of three books, her work has been featured in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, and USA Today. She holds an MFA in writing and literature from Bennington College and an MA in cultural studies at the University College, Dublin (honors). In 2018, she completed the Jungian Studies Program at the C. G. Jung Institute Chicago where she is a professional affiliate. A scholar in residence at the Chicago Public Library, for the last decade she's been studying the digital culture and its impact on the individuation process. Patricia travels the world giving talks and workshops based on her findings and has a private consulting practice in Chicago. Be informed of new programs and content by joining our mailing list! Support this free podcast by making a donation, becoming a member of the Institute, or making a purchase in our online store! Your support enables us to provide free and low-cost educational resources to all. This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may share it, but please do not change it, sell it, or transcribe it.Executive Producer: Ben LawHosts: Patricia Martin, Judith Cooper, Daniel Ross, Adina Davidson, and Raisa Cabrera2025-2026 Season Intern: Zoe KalawMusic: Peter Demuth

Holiday Sale: 30% off Downloads & Self-Study CE Courses through Dec 31 Host Patricia Martin explores with guest Peter Demuth, a Jungian analyst, how psychopaths and narcissists construct false selves, their emotional deficits, and why society often rewards their pathology—until individual disorders spiral into collective crises that breach even legal boundaries. Rather than rehashing tired tropes, Demuth strikes original notes on the severest personality disorders, making room for genuine optimism that we can reclaim empathy as our shared human virtue. Books by Peter Demuth: Dr. Peter Demuth is a Clinical Forensic Psychologist & Jungian Psychoanalyst in private practice. He is an international lecturer, as well as an instructor at the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago and has published numerous papers on such subjects as ego strength, the individuation process, and psychopathy. He is a singer-songwriter with 8 full length albums of original introspective folk-pop music and performs regularly in the greater Chicago area. In December of 2023 he released his first book entitled Monsters in Life and Literature. He lives with his wife Karen, 2 cats, and a Golden Retriever in Evanston, Illinois. Patricia Martin, MFA, is the host of Jung in the World. A noted cultural analyst, she applies Jungian theory to her work as a researcher and writer. Author of three books, her work has been featured in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, and USA Today. She holds an MFA in writing and literature from Bennington College and an MA in cultural studies at the University College, Dublin (honors). In 2018, she completed the Jungian Studies Program at the C. G. Jung Institute Chicago where she is a professional affiliate. A scholar in residence at the Chicago Public Library, for the last decade she's been studying the digital culture and its impact on the individuation process. Patricia travels the world giving talks and workshops based on her findings and has a private consulting practice in Chicago. Be informed of new programs and content by joining our mailing list! Support this free podcast by making a donation, becoming a member of the Institute, or making a purchase in our online store! Your support enables us to provide free and low-cost educational resources to all. This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may share it, but please do not change it, sell it, or transcribe it.Executive Producer: Ben LawHosts: Patricia Martin, Judith Cooper, Daniel Ross, Adina Davidson, and Raisa Cabrera2025-2026 Season Intern: Zoe KalawMusic: Peter Demuth

This episode is part of a new series, Jung in the World B-Sides, where we go off-road to explore the rugged psychological terrain of our current culture. This episode is part 2 of our interview with Hilde Lynn Helphenstein. Part 1 "Know thyself"—from Socrates to Shakespeare, this wisdom echoed across centuries. But the digital age is turning it inside out. As online influencers rise to fame, persona is overtaking the self. The obsession with self-representation has eclipsed the drive to be true to oneself. What does it mean to live your life as someone else? In this two-part interview, host Patricia Martin talks with the infamous Jerry Gogosian—real name Hilde Helphenstein—about the hidden psychological costs of her seven-year experiment living as her persona and how she clawed her identity back. Watch the video of this interview: https://youtu.be/_EQMW6FI_Sw Hilde Lynn Helphenstein is a visual artist, digital storyteller, and the creative mind behind @jerrygogosian, a popular satirical Instagram meme account that critiques and comments on the global art world through viral images, videos and text pieces. It has since transformed into a community and platform. Patricia Martin, MFA, is the host of Jung in the World. A noted cultural analyst, she applies Jungian theory to her work as a researcher and writer. Author of three books, her work has been featured in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, and USA Today. She holds an MFA in writing and literature from Bennington College and an MA in cultural studies at the University College, Dublin (honors). In 2018, she completed the Jungian Studies Program at the C. G. Jung Institute Chicago where she is a professional affiliate. A scholar in residence at the Chicago Public Library, for the last decade she's been studying the digital culture and its impact on the individuation process. Patricia travels the world giving talks and workshops based on her findings, and has a private consulting practice in Chicago. Be informed of new programs and content by joining our mailing list! Support this free podcast by making a donation, becoming a member of the Institute, or making a purchase in our online store! Your support enables us to provide free and low-cost educational resources to all. This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may share it, but please do not change it, sell it, or transcribe it.Executive Producer: Ben LawHosts: Patricia Martin, Judith Cooper, Daniel Ross, Adina Davidson, and Raisa Cabrera2025-2026 Season Intern: Zoe KalawMusic: Peter Demuth

This episode is part of a new series, Jung in the World B-Sides, where we go off-road to explore the rugged psychological terrain of our current culture. "Know thyself"—from Socrates to Shakespeare, this wisdom echoed across centuries. But the digital age is turning it inside out. As online influencers rise to fame, persona is overtaking the self. The obsession with self-representation has eclipsed the drive to be true to oneself. What does it mean to live your life as someone else? In this two-part interview, host Patricia Martin talks with the infamous Jerry Gogosian—real name Hilde Helphenstein—about the hidden psychological costs of her seven-year experiment living as her persona and how she clawed her identity back. Watch the video of this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqN8oLeQQaQ Hilde Lynn Helphenstein is a visual artist, digital storyteller, and the creative mind behind @jerrygogosian, a popular satirical Instagram meme account that critiques and comments on the global art world through viral images, videos and text pieces. It has since transformed into a community and platform. Patricia Martin, MFA, is the host of Jung in the World. A noted cultural analyst, she applies Jungian theory to her work as a researcher and writer. Author of three books, her work has been featured in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, and USA Today. She holds an MFA in writing and literature from Bennington College and an MA in cultural studies at the University College, Dublin (honors). In 2018, she completed the Jungian Studies Program at the C. G. Jung Institute Chicago where she is a professional affiliate. A scholar in residence at the Chicago Public Library, for the last decade she's been studying the digital culture and its impact on the individuation process. Patricia travels the world giving talks and workshops based on her findings, and has a private consulting practice in Chicago. Be informed of new programs and content by joining our mailing list! Support this free podcast by making a donation, becoming a member of the Institute, or making a purchase in our online store! Your support enables us to provide free and low-cost educational resources to all. This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may share it, but please do not change it, sell it, or transcribe it.Executive Producer: Ben LawHosts: Patricia Martin, Judith Cooper, Daniel Ross, Adina Davidson, and Raisa Cabrera2025-2026 Season Intern: Zoe KalawMusic: Peter Demuth

This week we have a fun episode that examines point of view in memoir. We're talking about personal narrative that falls outside of first person, which means points of view that are second, third, and plural. We consider this style, which used to be far less common in memoir than it is now, with author Elizabeth Crane, whose memoir, This Story Will Change, implements all the points of view to great effect. We had fun with this one and we hope our writer-listeners will have fun experimenting with point of view, too. Don't miss Brooke's underrated Substack post on 5 Ways to Use “You” in Memoir. And especially don't miss this incredible list of publishers that are accepting unsolicited manuscripts for memoir. Thank you, Becker! Elizabeth Crane is the author of four collections of short stories,  two novels, and one memoir. Her work has been translated into several languages and has been featured in numerous publications including Other Voices, Nerve, Ecotone, Swink, Guernica, and many other outlets. She's a recipient of the Chicago Public Library 21st Century Award, and her work has been adapted for the stage by Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater company, and has also been adapted for film. She teaches in the UCR-Palm Desert low-residency MFA program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we have a fun episode that examines point of view in memoir. We're talking about personal narrative that falls outside of first person, which means points of view that are second, third, and plural. We consider this style, which used to be far less common in memoir than it is now, with author Elizabeth Crane, whose memoir, This Story Will Change, implements all the points of view to great effect. We had fun with this one and we hope our writer-listeners will have fun experimenting with point of view, too. Don't miss Brooke's underrated Substack post on 5 Ways to Use “You” in Memoir. And especially don't miss this incredible list of publishers that are accepting unsolicited manuscripts for memoir. Thank you, Becker! Elizabeth Crane is the author of four collections of short stories,  two novels, and one memoir. Her work has been translated into several languages and has been featured in numerous publications including Other Voices, Nerve, Ecotone, Swink, Guernica, and many other outlets. She's a recipient of the Chicago Public Library 21st Century Award, and her work has been adapted for the stage by Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater company, and has also been adapted for film. She teaches in the UCR-Palm Desert low-residency MFA program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patricia Martin and Connie Zweig discuss the nature of shadow work. Before doing shadow work, we live an unexamined life – overeating, criticizing yourself or your partner, blaming someone, procrastinating – which leads to uncontrollable, self-sabotaging behaviors. Connie Zweig, PhD is a retired Jungian therapist and author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow. Her award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends Shadow-work into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. Her book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening, extends shadow-work into religion and spirituality. See her new SUBSTACK for livestreams and new writing: shadowworkawareness.com/about. Books by Connie Zweig: Patricia Martin, MFA, is the host of Jung in the World. A noted cultural analyst, she applies Jungian theory to her work as a researcher and writer. Author of three books, her work has been featured in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, and USA Today. She holds an MFA in writing and literature from Bennington College and an MA in cultural studies at the University College, Dublin (honors). In 2018, she completed the Jungian Studies Program at the C. G. Jung Institute Chicago where she is a professional affiliate. A scholar in residence at the Chicago Public Library, for the last decade she's been studying the digital culture and its impact on the individuation process. Patricia travels the world giving talks and workshops based on her findings, and has a private consulting practice in Chicago. Be informed of new programs and content by joining our mailing list! Support this free podcast by making a donation, becoming a member of the Institute, or making a purchase in our online store! Your support enables us to provide free and low-cost educational resources to all. This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may share it, but please do not change it, sell it, or transcribe it.Executive Producer: Ben LawHosts: Patricia Martin, Judith Cooper, Daniel Ross, Adina Davidson, and Raisa Cabrera2025-2026 Season Intern: Zoe KalawMusic: Peter Demuth

"Olga Dies Dreaming" by Xochitl Gonzalez is the 2025 One Book, One Chicago selection. Chosen by representatives from more than a dozen cultural institutions, the book is the Chicago Public Library's first read by a Puerto Rican author.

"Olga Dies Dreaming" by Xochitl Gonzalez is the 2025 One Book, One Chicago selection. Chosen by representatives from more than a dozen cultural institutions, the book is the Chicago Public Library's first read by a Puerto Rican author.

"Olga Dies Dreaming" by Xochitl Gonzalez is the 2025 One Book, One Chicago selection. Chosen by representatives from more than a dozen cultural institutions, the book is the Chicago Public Library's first read by a Puerto Rican author.

Curious City went out to find the oldest book in circulation at the Chicago Public Library. Turns out, the title is over 200 years old, and you can still check it out.

Send us a textIn a time when stories are under siege, especially those that center queer characters and themes, we're seeing a rise in book bans and legislative efforts aimed at erasing LGBTQ+ experiences from classrooms and libraries. Just last month, The U.S. Supreme Court handed a victory to Montgomery County parents who object, for religious reasons, to the school system's use of LGBTQ+ themed books in classrooms, saying parents should be allowed to opt their children out of such classes. Today In the Den, Sara is joined by Lee Wind, advocate, educator, and author whose work helps fill the shelves with stories LGBTQ+ youth so deeply need. Special Guest: Lee WindLee Wind's superpower is stories – true and fictional – that center marginalized kids and teens and celebrate their power to change the world. Closeted until his 20s, Lee writes the books that would have changed his life as a young gay kid. His Masters Degree from Harvard didn't include blueprints for a time machine to go back and tell these stories to himself, so Lee pays it forward with a popular blog with over 3 million page views (I'm Here. I'm Queer. What The Hell Do I Read?) and books for kids and teens.His latest book is Red and Green and Blue and White, a picture book illustrated by Caldecott-winning illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky (Levine Querido.) It has received five starred trade reviews and the New York Times called it “beautiful.” Lee's middle grade nonfiction No Way, They Were Gay? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves (Lerner Publishing Group/Zest Books), was honored as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection and was selected for the Chicago Public Library's 2021 Best of the Best Books list. He is also the author of the crowd-funded YA novel Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill, featured as a Publishers Weekly Indie Success Story, and one of Publishers Weekly's Top Five Independently Published Middle Grade and Young Adult Books of 2018. With day jobs for the Independent Book Publishers Association (as their director of education and programs) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (as their official blogger), Lee's superhero job is storytelling to empower readers to shine with their own light. Links from the Show: Lee's website: https://www.leewind.org/ Lee's books: https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=lee+wind  Subscribe to Lee's newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/fc7b55fc0636/leewindsignup Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org 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.orgSupport the showConnect with Mama Dragons:WebsiteInstagramFacebookDonate to this podcast

On this episode, Chloe Waryan, a librarian and horror fan, discusses how the job of a librarian affects the reading life, their favorite types of horror books, and the way that an audiobook can work really well for her. You'll learn a bit more about the Chicago Public Library and we discuss the anticipation for the Booker Prize longlist, which came out after this was recorded.    Chloe on Substack  Chloe on Instagram    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy's reading:  Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind by Molly McGhee  They Dream in Gold by Mai Sennaar   Books Highlighted by Chloe: Grey Dog by Elliot Gish Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai Build Your House Around my Body by Violet Kupersmith The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty  A Touch of Jen by Beth Morgan  Uzumaki by Junji Ito  Turtles All the Way Down by John Green   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino  Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids by Jamie Rix  Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz & Stephen Gammell  The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones  Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez  Eynhallow by Tim McGregor  The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander  The South Side by Natalie Y. Moore  Reprieve by James Han Mattson All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews  Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar  Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

Shamus Toomey, Editor in Chief and co-founder of Block Club Chicago, joins Bob Sirott to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Shamus has details on: From 12 People To 4,000: How A Free Pilates Class Took Over Oak Street Beach: Olivia Santelli began leading the Friday sunrise classes last year to help manage her depression and […]

THANK YOU for subscribing to our educational YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@avantgardebooksCelebrate Ty's vivid imagination! Nonstop rain dampens the family's plans to go camping. But with a boost from Ty, the Camp-Out comes out just fine! Rhythmic text, vibrant art, family love, and Black Boy Joy shine on every page of this camping adventure.Ty's Travels: Camp-Out is a Level One I Can Read Comic, which means it's perfect for shared reading with young readers new to graphic novel storytelling. This is a Guided Reading Level (GRL) J.The Ty's Travels series is much acclaimed-—including a Geisel Honor for Zip, Zoom! and Camp-Out is named one of Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best for 2023.

Jungian Psychoanalysts Laura Tuley and John White discuss Jungian Analysis in a World on Fire: At the Nexus of Individual and Collective Trauma, a volume of essays, all authored by practicing Jungian psychoanalysts, of which they were the editors. It examines and illuminates ways of working with individual analytic and therapeutic clients in the context of powerful and current collective forces, in the United States and beyond. Our Spring Fundraising Drive is live! Support this podcast by making a donation today. The first $7,000 in donations will be matched! Laura Camille Tuley, PhD (USA) is a Jungian Psychoanalyst in private practice in Madison, Wisconsin. She is the co-editor of Jungian Analysis in a World on Fire: At the Nexus of Individual and Collective Trauma (Routledge, 2024) and has contributed to Psychological Perspectives, Exploring Depth Psychology and the Female Self: Feminist Themes from Somewhere, Mothering in the Third Wave, Art Papers, Hypatia, the New Orleans Review and the APA Newsletter on Feminism and Philosophy. Tuley is a faculty member of the New Orleans Jung Seminar of the IRSJA and the co-editor of the “Clinical Commentaries” and “Film and Culture” features of the Journal of Analytical Psychology. John R. White, PhD's training was in philosophy and he was a philosophy professor for twenty years. As he moved into midlife, he began training as a psychotherapist. He has a Masters in mental health counseling from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He is also a psychoanalyst in the tradition of Carl Jung. He is a member of the Interregional Society of Jungian Analysts (IRSJA) and an associate member of the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis (NAAP). He practices psychotherapy according to psychodynamic, classical Jungian and archetypal approaches and more broadly in all approaches associated with “depth psychology”. Learn more at johnrwhitepgh.org. Edited by Laura Camille Tuley and John R. White: Patricia Martin, MFA, is the host of Jung in the World. A noted cultural analyst, she applies Jungian theory to her work as a researcher and writer. Author of three books, her work has been featured in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, and USA Today. She holds an MFA in writing and literature from Bennington College and an MA in cultural studies at the University College, Dublin (honors). In 2018, she completed the Jungian Studies Program at the C. G. Jung Institute Chicago where she is a professional affiliate. A scholar in residence at the Chicago Public Library, for the last decade she's been studying the digital culture and its impact on the individuation process. Patricia travels the world giving talks and workshops based on her findings, and has a private consulting practice in Chicago. Be informed of new programs and content by joining our mailing list! Support this free podcast by making a donation, becoming a member of the Institute, or making a purchase in our online store! Your support enables us to provide free and low-cost educational resources to all. This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may share it, but please do not change it, sell it, or transcribe it.Executive Producer: Ben LawHosts: Patricia Martin, Judith Cooper, Daniel Ross, Adina Davidson, and Raisa Cabrera2024-2025 Season Intern: Kavya KrishnamurthyMusic: Peter Demuth

Creating isn't just about what you make…it's about who you become. We're back with the brilliant Nana Brew-Hammond for her second visit to Reframe to Create, and this time, it's a full-circle moment.  In Episode 21, Nana shared “How to Stay Committed to an Imperfect Creating Journey.”  And in this episode, we see how that commitment has blossomed.  Nana walks us through the very different experiences she had while writing her two latest books: ✨ Blue– a children's picture book that dives into the rich history of a single color ✨ My Parents' Marriage – an adult novel that explores the complex dynamics of family, love, and identity.   The process of creating each of these works taught Nana different things.  And in this conversation, she shares two key lessons she learned along the way.  Lessons about transformation, flexibility, and what it really means to grow alongside your work. Honestly? This conversation lit something in me. It reminded me that no matter how smooth or bumpy the road, the journey itself is doing something deep and lasting in us.  If you want to experience the joy and power of Nana's work, you can check out both books at nanabrewhammond.com.  You'll be glad you did.   About my guest: Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond is an American-Ghanaian writer of novels, short stories and a poet.   In 2014 she was chosen as one of 39 of Sub-Saharan Africa's most promising writers under the age of 40, showcased in the Africa39 project.  Nana has been featured on MSNBC, NY1, SaharaTV, ARISE TV, and has been published in Ebony Magazine.   Her latest novel for adult readers, My Parents' Marriage, was featured in The New York Times Book Review's July 7, 2024 “...Also Out Now” column, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Booklist, and more.  The author Melissa Rivero called it “a propulsive read that will take hold of you with its honesty, determination, and heart,” while the author Vanessa Walters described it as “an arrestingly evovative story…which dismantles immigrant clichés. Her children's picture book BLUE: A history of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky, illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Daniel Minter, was named among the best of 2022 by NPR, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, Kirkus Reviews, The Center for the Study of Multicultural Literature, Bank Street College of Education, and more.  BLUE is on the 2023-2024 Texas Bluebonnet Master List; it has been honored with the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award® recognizing excellence in writing of non-fiction for children; and it is an NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literature for Chidlren.  It was named to the American Libary Association's 2023 Notable Children's Books and nominated for a 2025 Georgia Chidlren's Book Award.   Brew-Hammond also wrote the young adult novel Powder Necklace, which Publishers Weekly called “a winning debut”, and she edited RELATIONS: An Anthology of African and Diaspora Voices.  Kirkus Reviews called the anthology “smart, generous…a true gift” in its starred review.   Nana is also co-founder of Exit 14, a made in Ghana lifestyle line that has been featured in Vogue.     About: The Reframe to Create podcast is hosted by Joy Spencer, an Executive Leadership and Storytelling Coach, Speaker, and Organizational Development Consultant working with professionals and leaders at all levels within organizations.  Joy leverages over 17 years of experience she gained while working to champion change in social justice movements, including those related to global access to essential medicines and consumer advocacy for online privacy.  This work required a dogged commitment to not merely challenging the status quo, but to reimagining and working towards creating an ideal future.  It is this commitment to creating that has shaped Joy's coaching philosophy and approach today. Using her signature C.R.E.A.T.E. framework, Joy guides her clients through a process to become incomparable in work so they can get paid to be themselves.   Follow Joy on LinkedIn  - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-spencer  

April 23, 2025 - With the ever-growing need to understand ourselves and humanity as a whole, it is necessary to examine the concepts of morality, ethics and universal values as guiding principles of the human condition. With generous support from Y.T. Hwang Family Foundation, The Korea Society presents a Series on Ethics and Common Values. This series promotes the understanding of central themes of our human existence - morality, ethics, personal responsibility, compassion and civility - through a series of lectures by distinguished speakers and conversation with extraordinary individuals who exemplify the universal values in line with the mission of Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation and The Korea Society. The Korea Society and Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation is proud to present Ilyon Woo in a conversation with Ed Park. Ilyon Woo is the New York Times best-selling author of Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom, which won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Biography. Time Magazine called Master Slave Husband Wife an “edge-of-your-seat drama”; The Wall Street Journal pronounced it: “A narrative of such courage and resourcefulness it seems too dashing to be true.... a ‘genuine nail-biter.'” It was one of the New York Times's “10 Best Books of 2023” and People Magazine's “Top Ten Books of 2023,” also named a best book of the year by The New Yorker, Time, NPR, Smithsonian Magazine, Boston, Chicago Public Library, and Oprah Daily. A finalist for a Kirkus Prize, the book was long-listed for the Carnegie Medal, nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards, and supported by a Whiting Creative Nonfiction Writing Grant. Woo is also the author of The Great Divorce: A Nineteenth-Century Mother's Extraordinary Fight Against Her Husband, the Shakers, and Her Times. Her writing has appeared in The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and The New York Times. Woo has traveled the country to speak at bookstores, museums, schools, and book festivals, and she has been featured on such programs as NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and CBS Sunday Morning. She holds a BA in the Humanities from Yale College and a PhD in English from Columbia University. Ed Park is the author of the novels Same Bed Different Dreams (2023), a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and Personal Days (2008), a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. His fiction, essays, and reviews have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, Harper's, The Atlantic, Bookforum, McSweeney's, and many other publications. He is a founding editor of The Believer and the former literary editor of The Village Voice, and has worked in newspapers and book publishing. He currently teaches writing at Princeton University. For more information, please visit the link below: https://www.koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1980-y-t-hwang-family-foundation-series-on-ethics-common-values-a-conversation-with-ilyon-woo

NOTE: Repost of our second most popular episode of the year, Happy Holidays! New York Times bestselling author, Ann Napolitano, spoke with me about overcoming rejection early on, how grief transformed her writing process, and getting that fateful call from Oprah about Hello Beautiful. Ann Napolitano is the New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful which was selected as Oprah's 100th Book Club pick; Dear Edward, an instant New York Times bestseller, a Read with Jenna selection, and an Apple TV+ series; A Good Hard Look, and Within Arm's Reach. Hello Beautiful has been called a “powerfully affecting” (People) family story that asks: Can love make a broken person whole? The Washington Post said of the book, “Another tender tearjerker . . . Napolitano chronicles life's highs and lows with aching precision.” It was named Chicago Public Library's Ten Best Books of the Year and a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Washington Post, Time, Vogue, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, New York Post, She Reads, and Bookreporter. Ann was the associate editor of the literary magazine One Story for seven years, and she received an MFA from New York University. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you're a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Ann Napolitano and I discussed: Her long and rocky road to success How an illness early in life helped her realize she was a writer Why her first published book felt like a proving ground The nine-month approach to planning your next novel How to write the truest sentence possible Why you need to string together as many Xs as you can And a lot more! Show Notes: AnnNapolitano.com Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club): A NOVEL By Ann Napolitano (Amazon) Ann Napolitano Amazon Author Page Ann Napolitano on Twitter Ann Napolitano on Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're heading to Chicago to spend some time with Suzanne Karr Schmidt (PhD Yale) at The Newberry Library. Suzanne is their Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts, she also researches for and creates exhibits, and helps lost books find their way back home. So, if you need a break from the holiday busyness curl up with a steaming mug, close your eyes and imagine a magical world where curiosity can be both inspired and sated, there is a portal that reaches back 5,000 years and contemplates the future, and most importantly has 27.5 miles of bookshelves. Fika will take you there, on this 100th episode. About the Newberry Library - Our collections, programs, and exhibitions are a portal to more than six centuries of human history, from the 15th century to the present. The Newberry welcomes anyone who is eager to learn about who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. Our community of learning includes historians, genealogists, visual and performing artists, writers, graphic designers, teachers, students, and many, many others. A Brief History of the Newberry Walter L. Newberry, a businessman and civic leader in Chicago who died in 1868, left a provision in his will calling for the creation of a “free public library.” Newberry was light on details. He couldn't predict how the library might best serve Chicago by the time it opened. As a result, Newberry staff shaped the institution around the needs of the city. To complement the Chicago Public Library, which had been established in 1872, the trustees decided to found a non-circulating reference library that would be free and open to the public. Before the Newberry opened in 1887, it had no collection to offer visitors. Walter Newberry's own book collection, which might have served as a foundation for the library, had been destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. And so the Newberry's first librarians grew the library's collection from the ground up. Today, the Newberry collection extends across 27.5 miles of shelving in the library stacks. And it's still growing. We acquire and preserve materials that represent a range of perspectives and experiences—including those that historically have been marginalized, misrepresented, or silenced. Learn more about the Newberry at - www.newberry.org About Suzanne Karr Schmidt PhD: Suzanne Karr Schmidt (PhD Yale) is the Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts at Chicago's Newberry Library, where she adds books to the collection and curated exhibitions. Currently also serving as the director of the Movable Book Society, she publishes widely on unusual printed things, particularly on the “Renaissance Pop-Up Book.” She most recently curated the playful Newberry exhibition, Pop-Up Books Through the Ages (March-July, 2023). Previous shows include her co-curated 2020 Newberry exhibition Renaissance Invention: Stradanus's Nova Reperta (including a Renaissance beer collaboration with Sketchbook Brewing), and her 2011 Art Institute of Chicago exhibition Altered and Adorned: Using Renaissance Prints in Daily Life. She is currently working on an upcoming Newberry exhibition about premodern printing on fabric for September 2026. Learn more about Suzanne at - @drkarrschmidt (Bluesky) @Ladydisdaine (Instagram) If you enjoyed this episode of Fika with Vicky please follow us @ - Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/FikawithVicky YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@FikawithVicky Blueskye - https://bsky.app/profile/davehs.bsky.social Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fikawithvicky/

Are you looking for a page-turner of a book? Tune in for an inspiring discussion with Ava Dellaira on her new novel Exposure. Moments with Marianne airs in the Southern California area on KMET1490AM & 98.1 FM, an ABC Talk News Radio affiliate! Ava Dellaira is the author of the critically acclaimed young adult novels In Search of Us and Love Letters to the Dead, which was named Best Book of the Year by Apple, Google, BuzzFeed, the New York Public Library and the Chicago Public Library. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow, and the University of Chicago. She grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and now lives in Altadena, CA with her husband and their two young children.  https://avadellaira.comFor more show information visit: www.MariannePestana.com#book #newbook #bookclub #mustread #fiction #ZibbyBooks

In this KEEN ON Andrew Keen special, guest host David Masciotra interviews Andrew about his controversial book Cult of the Amateur. While David generously describes it as prescient, Andrew focuses more on what the 2007 book got blatantly wrong - like dismissing Google's $1.5 billion acquisition of YouTube. Duh. What both David and Andrew agree on, however, is that the book'sn focus on the damage that the supposedly “democratizing” Web 2.0 revolution did to both our culture and politics is still of massive significance. Perhaps it might be time for a 20th anniversary rewrite, a Cult of the Amateur 2.0 for our brave new AI world. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.David Masciotra is an author, lecturer, and journalist. He is the author of I Am Somebody: Why Jesse Jackson Matters (I.B. Tauris, 2020), Mellencamp: American Troubadour (University Press of Kentucky), Barack Obama: Invisible Man (Eyewear Publishers, 2017), and Metallica by Metallica, a 33 1/3 book from Bloomsbury Publishers, which has been translated into Chinese. In 2010, Continuum Books published his first book, Working On a Dream: The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen. His next book, Exurbia Now: Notes from the Battleground of American Democracy, is scheduled for publication from Melville House Books in 2024. Masciotra writes regularly for the New Republic, Washington Monthly, Progressive, the Los Angeles Review of Books, CrimeReads, No Depression, and the Daily Ripple. He has also written for Salon, the Daily Beast, CNN, Atlantic, Washington Post, AlterNet, Indianapolis Star, and CounterPunch. Several of his political essays have been translated into Spanish for publication at Korazon de Perro. His poetry has appeared in Be About It Press, This Zine Will Change Your Life, and the Pangolin Review. Masciotra has a Master's Degree in English Studies and Communication from Valparaiso University. He also has a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from the University of St. Francis. He is public lecturer, speaking on a wide variety of topics, from the history of protest music in the United States to the importance of bars in American culture. David Masciotra has spoken at the University of Wisconsin, University of South Carolina, Lewis University, Indiana University, the Chicago Public Library, the Lambeth Library (UK), and an additional range of colleges, libraries, arts centers, and bookstores. As a journalist, he has conducted interviews with political leaders, musicians, authors, and cultural figures, including Jesse Jackson, John Mellencamp, Noam Chomsky, all members of Metallica, David Mamet, James Lee Burke, Warren Haynes, Norah Jones, Joan Osborne, Martín Espada, Steve Earle, and Rita Dove. Masciotra lives in Indiana, and teaches literature and political science courses at the University of St. Francis and Indiana University Northwest. Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

So how can The Dude and The Boss save America? According to the cultural critic, David Masciotra, Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski and Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen, represent the antithesis of Donald Trumps's illiberal authoritarianism. Masciotra's thesis of Lebowski and Springsteen as twin paragons of American liberalism is compelling. Both men have a childish faith in the goodness of others. Both offer liberal solace in an America which, I fear, is about to become as darkly surreal as The Big Lebowski. Transcript:“[Springsteen] represents, as cultural icon, a certain expression of liberalism, a big-hearted, humanistic liberalism that exercises creativity to represent diverse constituencies in our society, that believes in art as a tool of democratic engagement, and that seeks to lead with an abounding, an abiding sense of compassion and empathy. That is the kind of liberalism, both with the small and capital L, that I believe in, and that I have spent my career documenting and attempting to advance.” -David MasciotraAK: Hello, everybody. We're still processing November the 5th. I was in the countryside of Northern Virginia a few days ago, I saw a sign, for people just listening, Trump/Vance 2024 sign with "winner" underneath. Some people are happy. Most, I guess, of our listeners probably aren't, certainly a lot of our guests aren't, my old friend John Rauch was on the show yesterday talking about what he called the "catastrophic ordinariness" of the election and of contemporary America. He authored two responses to the election. Firstly, he described it in UnPopulist as a moral catastrophe. But wearing his Brookings hat, he's a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, described it as an ordinary election. I think a lot of people are scratching their head, trying to make sense of it. Another old friend of the show, David Masciotra, cultural writer, political writer. An interesting piece in the Washington Monthly entitled "How Francis Fukuyama and The Big Lebowski Explain Trump's Victory." A very creative piece. And he is joining us from Highland Indiana, not too far from Chicago. David. The Big Lebowski and Francis Fukuyama. Those two don't normally go together, certainly in a title. Let's talk first about Fukuyama. How does Fukuyama explain November the 5th? DAVID MASCIOTRA: In his. Well, first, thanks for having me. And I should say I watched your conversation with Jonathan Rauch, and it was quite riveting and quite sobering. And you talked about Fukuyama in that discussion as well. And you referenced his book, The End of History and the Last Man, a very often misinterpreted book, but nonetheless, toward its conclusion, Fukuyama warns that without an external enemy, liberal democracies may indeed turn against themselves, and we may witness an implosion rather than an explosion. And Fukuyama said that this won't happen so much for ideological reasons, but it will happen for deeply psychological ones, namely, without a just cause for which to struggle, people will turn against the just cause itself, which in this case is liberal democracy, and out of a sense of boredom and alienation, they'll grow increasingly tired of their society and cultivate something of a death wish in which they enjoy imagining their society's downfall, or at least the downfall of some of the institutions that are central to their society. And now I would argue that after the election results, we've witnessed the transformation of imagining to inviting. So, there is a certain death wish and a sense of...alienation and detachment from that which made the United States of America a uniquely prosperous and stable country with the ability to self-correct the myriad injustices we know are part of its history. Well now, people--because they aren't aware of the institutions or norms that created this robust engine of commerce and liberty--they've turned against it, and they no longer invest in that which is necessary to preserve it.AK: That's interesting, David. The more progressives I talk to about this, the more it--there's an odd thing going on--you're all sounding very conservative. The subtitle of the piece in the Washington Monthly was "looking at constituencies or issues misses the big point. On Tuesday, nihilism was on display, even a death wish in a society wrought by cynicism." Words like nihilism and cynicism, David, historically have always been used by people like Allan Blum, whose book, of course, The Closing of the American Mind, became very powerful amongst American conservatives now 40 or 50 years ago. Would you accept that using language like nihilism and cynicism isn't always associated--I mean, you're a proud progressive. You're a man of the left. You've never disguised that. It's rather odd to imagine that the guys like you--and in his own way, John Rauch too, who talks about the moral catastrophe of the election couple of weeks ago. You're all speaking about the loss of morality of the voter, or of America. Is there any truth to that? Making some sense?DAVID MASCIOTRA: That's a that's a fair observation. And Jonathan Rauch, during your conversation and in his own writing, identifies a center right. I would say I'm center left.AK: And he's--but what's interesting, what ties you together, is that you both use the L-word, liberal, to define yourselves. He's perhaps a liberal on the right. You're a liberal on the left.DAVID MASCIOTRA: Yes. And I think that the Trump era, if we can trace that back to 2015, has made thoughtful liberals more conservative in thought and articulation, because it forces a confrontation and interrogation of a certain naivete. George Will writes in his book, The Conservative Sensibility, that the progressive imagines that which is the best possible outcome and strives to make it real, whereas the conservative imagines the worst possible outcome and does everything he can to guard against it. And now it feels like we've experienced, at least electorally, the worst possible outcome. So there a certain revisitation of that which made America great, to appropriate a phrase, and look for where we went wrong in failing to preserve it. So that kind of thinking inevitably leads one to use more conservative language and deal in more conservative thought.AK: Yeah. So for you, what made America great, to use the term you just introduced, was what? Its morality? The intrinsic morality of people living in it and in the country? Is that, for you, what liberalism is?DAVID MASCIOTRA: Liberalism is a system in and the culture that emanates out of that system. So it's a constitutional order that creates or that places a premium on individual rights and allows for a flourishing free market. Now, where my conception of liberalism would enter the picture and, perhaps Jonathan Rauch and I would have some disagreements, certainly George Will and I, is that a bit of governmental regulation is necessary along with the social welfare state, to civilize the free market. But the culture that one expects to flow from that societal order and arrangement is one of aspiration, one in which citizens fully accept that they are contributing agents to this experiment in self-governance and therefore need to spend time in--to use a Walt Whitman phrase--freedom's gymnasium. Sharpening the intellect, sharpening one's sense of moral duty and obligation to the commons, to the public good. And as our society has become more individualistic and narcissistic in nature, those commitments have vanished. And as our society has become more anti-intellectual in nature, we are seeing a lack of understanding of why those commitments are even necessary. So that's why you get a result like we witnessed on Tuesday, and that I argue in my piece that you were kind enough to have me on to discuss, is a form of nihilism, and The Big Lebowski reference, of course--AK: And of course, I want to get to Lebowski, because the Fukuyama stuff is interesting, but everyone's writing about Fukuyama and the end of history and why history never really ended, of course. It's been going on for years now, but it's a particularly interesting moment. We've had Fukuyama on the show. I've never heard anyone, though, compare the success of Trump and Trumpism with The Big Lebowski. So, one of the great movies, of course, American movies. What's the connection, David, between November 5th and The Big Lebowski? DAVID MASCIOTRA: Well, The Big Lebowski is one of my favorite films. I've written about it, and I even appeared at one of the The Big Lebowski festivals that takes place in United States a number of years ago. But my mind went to the scene when The Dude is in his bathtub and these three menacing figures break into his apartment. They drop a gerbil in the bathtub. And The Dude, who was enjoying a joint by candlelight, is, of course, startled and frightened. And these three men tell him that if he does not pay the money they believe he owes them, they will come back and, in their words, "cut off your Johnson." And The Dude gives them a quizzical, bemused look. And one of them says, "You think we are kidding? We are nihilists. We believe in nothing." And then one of them screams, "We'll cut off your Johnson." Well, I thought, you know, we're looking at an electorate that increasingly, or at least a portion of the electorate, increasingly believes in nothing. So we've lost faith.AK: It's the nihilists again. And of course, another Johnson in America, there was once a president called Johnson who enjoyed waving his Johnson, I think, around in public. And now there's the head of the house is another Johnson, I think he's a little shyer than presidents LBJ. But David, coming back to this idea of nihilism. It often seems to be a word used by people who don't like what other people think and therefore just write it off as nihilism. Are you suggesting that the Trump crowd have no beliefs? Is that what nihilism for you is? I mean, he was very clear about what he believes in. You may not like it, but it doesn't seem to be nihilistic.DAVID MASCIOTRA: That's another fair point. What I'm referring to is not too long ago, we lived in a country that had a shared set of values. Those values have vanished. And those values involve adherence to our democratic norms. It's very difficult to imagine had George H. W. Bush attempted to steal the election in which Bill Clinton won, that George H. W. Bush could have run again and won. So we've lost faith in something essential to our electoral system. We've lost faith in the standards of decency that used to, albeit imperfectly, regulate our national politics. So the man to whom I just refered, Bill Clinton, was nearly run out of office for having an extramarital affair, a misdeed that cannot compare to the myriad infractions of Donald Trump. And yet, Trump's misdeeds almost give him a cultural cachet among his supporters. It almost makes him, for lack of a better word, cool. And now we see, even with Trump's appointments, I mean, of course, it remains to be seen how it plays out, that we're losing faith in credentials and experience--AK: Well they're certainly a band of outlaws and very proud to be outlaws. It could almost be a Hollywood script. But I wonder, David, whether there's a more serious critique here. You, like so many other people, both on the left and the right, are nostalgic for an age in which everyone supposedly agreed on things, a most civil and civilized age. And you go back to the Bushes, back to Clinton. But the second Bush, who now seems to have appeared as this icon, at least moral icon, many critics of Trump, was also someone who unleashed a terrible war, killing tens of thousands of people, creating enormous suffering for millions of others. And I think that would be the Trump response, that he's simply more honest, that in the old days, the Bushes of the world can speak politely and talk about consensus, and then unleash terrible suffering overseas--and at home in their neoliberal policies of globalization--Trump's simply more honest. He tells it as it is. And that isn't nihilistic, is it?DAVID MASCIOTRA: Well, you are gesturing towards an important factor in our society. Trump, of course, we know, is a dishonest man, a profoundly dishonest--AK: Well, in some ways. But in other ways, he isn't. I mean, in some ways he just tells the truth as it is. It's a truth we're uncomfortable with. But it's certainly very truthful about the impact of foreign wars on America, for example, or even the impact of globalization. DAVID MASCIOTRA: What you're describing is an authenticity. That that Trump is authentic. And authenticity has become chief among the modern virtues, which I would argue is a colossal error. Stanley Crouch, a great writer, spent decades analyzing the way in which we consider authenticity and how it inevitably leads to, to borrow his phrase, cast impurity onto the bottom. So anything that which requires effort, refinement, self-restraint, self-control, plays to the crowd as inauthentic, as artificial--AK: Those are all aristocratic values that may have once worked but don't anymore. Should we be nostalgic for the aristocratic way of the Bushes?DAVID MASCIOTRA: I think in a certain respect, we should. We shouldn't be nostalgic for George W. Bush's policies. I agree with you, the war in Iraq was catastrophic, arguably worse than anything Trump did while he was president. His notoriously poor response to Hurricane Katrina--I mean, we can go on and on cataloging the various disasters of the Bush administration. However, George W. Bush as president and the people around him did have a certain belief in the liberal order of the United States and the liberal order of the world. Institutions like NATO and the EU, and those institutions, and that order, has given the United States, and the world more broadly, an unrivaled period of peace and prosperity.AK: Well it wasn't peace, David. And the wars, the post-9/11 wars, were catastrophic. And again, they seem to be just facades--DAVID MASCIOTRA: We also had the Vietnam War, the Korean War. When I say peace, I mean we didn't have a world war break out as we did in the First World War, in the Second World War. And that's largely due to the creation and maintenance of institutions following the Second World War that were aimed at the preservation of order and, at least, amicable relations between countries that might otherwise collide.AK: You're also the author, David, of a book we've always wanted to talk about. Now we're figuring out a way to integrate it into the show. You wrote a book, an interesting book, about Bruce Springsteen. Working on a Dream: the Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen. Bruce Springsteen has made himself very clear. He turned out for Harris. Showed up with his old friend, Barack Obama. Clearly didn't have the kind of impact he wanted. You wrote an interesting piece for UnHerd a few weeks ago with the title, "Bruce Springsteen is the Last American Liberal: he's still proud to be born in the USA." Is he the model of a liberal response to the MAGA movement, Springsteen? DAVID MASCIOTRA: Well, of course, I wouldn't go so far as to say the last liberal. As most readers just probably know, writers don't compose their own headlines--AK: But he's certainly, if not the last American liberal, the quintessential American liberal.DAVID MASCIOTRA: Yes. He represents, as cultural icon, a certain expression of liberalism, a big-hearted, humanistic liberalism that exercises creativity to represent diverse constituencies in our society, that believes in art as a tool of democratic engagement, and that seeks to lead with an abounding, an abiding sense of compassion and empathy. That is the kind of liberalism, both with the small and capital L, that I believe in, and that I have spent my career documenting and attempting to advance. And those are, of course, the forms of liberalism that now feel as if they are under threat. Now, to that point, you know, this could have just come down to inflation and some egregious campaign errors of Kamala Harris. But it does feel as if when you have 70 some odd million people vote for the likes of Donald Trump, that the values one can observe in the music of Bruce Springsteen or in the rhetoric of Barack Obama, for that matter, are no longer as powerful and pervasive as they were in their respective glory days. No pun intended.AK: Yeah. And of course, Springsteen is famous for singing "Glory Days." I wonder, though, where Springsteen himself is is a little bit more complex and we might be a little bit more ambivalent about him, there was a piece recently about him becoming a billionaire. So it's all very well him being proud to be born in the USA. He's part--for better or worse, I mean, it's not a criticism, but it's a reality--he's part of the super rich. He showed out for Harris, but it didn't seem to make any impact. You talked about the diversity of Springsteen. I went to one of his concerts in San Francisco earlier this year, and I have to admit, I was struck by the fact that everyone, practically everyone at the concert, was white, everyone was wealthy, everyone paid several hundred dollars to watch a 70 year old man prance around on stage and behave as if he's still 20 or 30 years old. I wonder whether Springsteen himself is also emblematic of a kind of cultural, or political, or even moral crisis of our old cultural elites. Or am I being unfair to Springsteen?DAVID MASCIOTRA: Well, I remember once attending a Springsteen show in which the only black person I saw who wasn't an employee of the arena was Clarence Clemons.AK: Right. And then Bruce, of course, always made a big deal. And there was an interesting conversation when Springsteen and Obama did a podcast together. Obama, in his own unique way, lectured Bruce a little bit about Clarence Clemons in terms of his race. But sorry. Go on.DAVID MASCIOTRA: Yeah. And Springsteen has written and discussed how he had wished he had a more diverse audience. When I referred to diversity in his music, I meant the stories he aimed to tell in song certainly represented a wide range of the American experience. But when you talk about Springsteen, perhaps himself representing a moral crisis--AK: I wouldn't say a crisis, but he represents the, shall we say, the redundancy of that liberal worldview of the late 20th century. I mean, he clearly wears his heart on his sleeve. He means well. He's not a bad guy. But he doesn't reach a diverse audience. His work is built around the American working class. None of them can afford to show up to what he puts on. I mean, Chris Christie is a much more typical fan than the white working class. Does it speak of the fact that there's a...I don't know if you call it a crisis, it's just...Springsteen isn't relevant anymore in the America of the 2020s, or at least when he sang and wrote about no longer exists.DAVID MASCIOTRA: Yes, I agree with that. So first of all, the working class bit was always a bit overblown with Springsteen. Springsteen, of course, was never really part of the working class, except when he was a child. But by his own admission, he never had a 9 to 5 job. And Springsteen sang about working class life like William Shakespeare wrote about teenage love. He did so with a poetic grandeur that inspired some of his best work. And outside looking in, he actually managed to offer more insights than sometimes people on the inside can amount to themselves. But you're certainly correct. I mean, the Broadway show, for example, when the tickets were something like a thousand a piece and it was $25 to buy a beer. There is a certain--AK: Yeah and in that Broadway show, which I went to--I thought it was astonishing, actually, a million times better than the show in San Francisco.DAVID MASCIOTRA: It was one of the best things he ever did.AK: He acknowledges that he made everything up, that he wasn't part of the American working class, and that he'd never worked a day in his life, and yet his whole career is is built around representing a social class and a way of life that he was never part of.“Not too long ago, we lived in a country that had a shared set of values. Those values have vanished. And those values involve adherence to our democratic norms.” -DMDAVID MASCIOTRA: Right. And he has a lyric himself: "It's a sad, funny ending when you find yourself pretending a rich man in a poor man's shirt." So there always was this hypocrisy--hypocrisy might be a little too strong--inconsistency. And he adopted a playful attitude toward it in the 90s and in later years. But to your point of relevance, I think you're on to something there. One of the crises I would measure in our society is that we no longer live in a culture of ambition and aspiration. So you hear this when people say that they want a political leader who talks like the average person, or the common man. And you hear this when "college educated" is actually used as an insult against a certain base of Democratic voters. There were fewer college-educated voters when John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan ran for president, all of whom spoke with greater eloquence and a more expansive vocabulary and a greater sense of cultural sophistication than Donald Trump or Kamala Harris did. And yet there was no objection, because people understood that we should aspire to something more sophisticated. We should aspire to something more elevated beyond the everyday vernacular of the working class. And for that reason, Springsteen was able to become something of a working-class poet, despite never living among the working class beyond his childhood. Because his poetry put to music represented something idealistic about the working class.AK: But oddly enough, it was a dream--there's was a word that Springsteen uses a lot in his work--that was bought by the middle class. It wasn't something that was--although, I think in the early days, probably certainly in New Jersey, that he had a more working-class following.DAVID MASCIOTRA: We have to deal with the interesting and frustrating reality that the people about whom Springsteen sings in those early songs like "Darkness on the Edge of Town" or "The River" would probably be Trump supporters if they were real.AK: Yeah. And in your piece you refer to, not perhaps one of his most famous albums, The Rising, but you use it to compare Springsteen with another major figure now in America, much younger man to Ta-Nehisi Coates, who has a new book out, which is an important new book, The Message. You seem to be keener on Springsteen than Coates. Tell us about this comparison and what the comparison tells us about the America of the 2020s.DAVID MASCIOTRA: Well, Coates...the reason I make the comparison is that one of Springsteen's greatest artistic moments, in which he kind of resurrected his status as cultural icon, was the record he put out after the 9/11 attack on the United States, The Rising. And throughout that record he pays tribute, sometimes overtly, sometimes subtly, to the first responders who ascended in the tower knowing they would perhaps die.AK: Yeah. You quote him "love and duty called you someplace higher." So he was idealizing those very brave firefighters, policemen who gave up their lives on 9/11.DAVID MASCIOTRA: Exactly. Representing the best of humanity. Whereas Ta-Nehisi Coates, who has become the literary superstar of the American left, wrote in his memoir that on 9/11, he felt nothing and did not see the first responders as human. Rather, they were part of the fire that could, in his words, crush his body.AK: Yeah, he wrote a piece, "What Is 9/11 to Descendants of Slaves?"DAVID MASCIOTRA: Yes. And my point in making that comparison, and this was before the election, was to say that the American left has its own crisis of...if we don't want to use the word nihilism, you objected to it earlier--AK: Well, I'm not objecting. I like the word. It's just curious to hear it come from somebody like yourself, a man, certainly a progressive, maybe not--you might define yourself as being on the left, but certainly more on the left and on the right.DAVID MASCIOTRA: Yes, I would agree with that characterization. But that the left has its own crisis of nihilism. If if you are celebrating a man who, despite his journalistic talents and intelligence, none of which I would deny, refused to see the humanity of the first responders on the 9/11 attack and, said that he felt nothing for the victims, presumably even those who were black and impoverished, then you have your own crisis of belief, and juxtaposing that with the big hearted, humanistic liberalism of Springsteen for me shows the left a better path forward. Now, that's a path that will increasingly close after the victory of Trump, because extremism typically begets extremism, and we're probably about to undergo four years of dueling cynicism and rage and unhappy times.AK: I mean, you might respond, David, and say, well, Coates is just telling the truth. Why should a people with a history of slavery care that much about a few white people killed on 9/11 when their own people lost millions through slavery? And you compare them to Springsteen, as you've acknowledged, a man who wasn't exactly telling the truth in his heart. I mean, he's a very good artist, but he writes about a working class, which even he acknowledges, he made most of it up. So isn't Coates like Trump in an odd kind of way, aren't they just telling an unvarnished truth that people don't want to hear, an impolite truth?DAVID MASCIOTRA: I'm not sure. I typically shy away from the expression "my truth" or "his truth" because it's too relativistic. But I'll make an exception in this case. I think Coates is telling HIS truth just as Trump is telling HIS truth, if that adds up to THE truth, is much more dubious. Yes, we could certainly say that, you know, because the United States enslaved, tortured, and otherwise oppressed millions of black people, it may be hard for some black observers to get teary eyed on 9/11, but the black leaders whom I most admire didn't have that reaction. I wrote a book about Jesse Jackson after spending six years interviewing with him and traveling with him. He certainly didn't react that way on 9/11. Congressman John Lewis didn't react that way on 9/11. So, the heroes of the civil rights movement, who helped to overcome those brutal systems of oppression--and I wouldn't argue that they're overcome entirely, but they helped to revolutionize the United States--they maintained a big-hearted sense of empathy and compassion, and they recognized that the unjust loss of life demands mourning and respect, whether it's within their own community or another. So I would say that, here again, we're back to the point of ambition, whether it's intellectual ambition or moral ambition. Ambition is what allows a society to grow. And it seems like ambition has fallen far out of fashion. And that is why the country--the slim majority of the electorate that did vote and the 40% of the electorate that did not vote, or voting-age public, I should say--settled for the likes of Donald Trump.AK: I wonder what The Dude would do, if he was around, at the victory of Trump, or even at 9/11. He'd probably continue to sit in the bath tub and enjoy...enjoy whatever he does in his bathtub. I mean, he's not a believer. Isn't he the ultimate nihilist? The Dude in Lebowski?DAVID MASCIOTRA: That's an interesting interpretation. I would say that...Is The Dude a nihilist? You have this juxtaposition... The Dude kind of occupies this middle ground between the nihilists who proudly declare they believe in nothing and his friend Walter Sobchak, who's, you know, almost this raving explosion of belief. Yeah, ex-Vietnam veteran who's always confronting people with his beliefs and screaming and demanding they all adhere to his rules. I don't know if The Dude's a nihilist as much as he has a Zen detachment.AK: Right, well, I think what makes The Big Lebowski such a wonderful film, and perhaps so relevant today, is Lebowski, unlike so many Americans is unjudgmental. He's not an angry man. He's incredibly tolerant. He accepts everyone, even when they're beating him up or ripping him off. And he's so, in that sense, different from the America of the 2020s, where everyone is angry and everyone blames someone else for whatever's wrong in their lives.DAVID MASCIOTRA: That's exactly right.AK: Is that liberal or just Zen? I don't know.DAVID MASCIOTRA: Yeah. It's perhaps even libertarian in a sense. But there's a very interesting and important book by Justin Tosi and Brandon Warmke called Why It's Okay to Mind Your Own Business. And in it they argue--they're both political scientists although the one may be a...they may be philosophers...but that aside--they present an argument for why Americans need to do just that. Mind their own business.AK: Which means, yeah, not living politics, which certainly Lebowski is. It's probably the least political movie, Lebowski, I mean, he doesn't have a political bone in his body. Finally, David, there there's so much to talk about here, it's all very interesting. You first came on the show, you had a book out, that came out either earlier this year or last year. Yeah, it was in April of this year, Exurbia Now: The Battleground of American Democracy. And you wrote about the outskirts of suburbia, which you call "exurbia." Jonathan Rauch, wearing his Brookings cap, described this as an ordinary election. I'm not sure how much digging you've done, but did the exurbian vote determine this election? I mean, the election was determined by a few hundred thousand voters in the Midwest. Were these voters mostly on the edge of the suburb? And I'm guessing most of them voted for Trump.DAVID MASCIOTRA: Well, Trump's numbers in exurbia...I've dug around and I've been able to find the exurbian returns for Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Arizona. So three crucial swing states. If Kamala Harris had won those three states, she would be president. And Trump's support in exurbia was off the charts, as it was in 2020 and 2016, and as I predicted, it would be in 2024. I'm not sure that that would have been sufficient to deliver him the race and certainly not in the fashion that he won. Trump made gains with some groups that surprised people, other groups that didn't surprise people, but he did much better than expected. So unlike, say, in 2016, where we could have definitively and conclusively said Trump won because of a spike in turnout for him in rural America and in exurbia, here, the results are more mixed. But it remains the case that the base most committed to Trump and most fervently loyal to his agenda is rural and exurban.AK: So just outside the cities. And finally, I argued, maybe counterintuitively, that America remains split today as it was before November the 5th, so I'm not convinced that this election is the big deal that some people think it is. But you wrote an interesting piece in Salon back in 2020 arguing that Trump has poisoned American culture, but the toxin was here all along. Of course, there is more, if anything, of that toxin now. So even if Harris had won the election, that toxin was still here. And finally, David, how do we get rid of that toxin? Do we just go to put Bruce Springsteen on and go and watch Big Lebowski? I mean, how do we get beyond this toxin?DAVID MASCIOTRA: I would I would love it if that was the way to do it.AK: We'll sit in our bathtub and wait for the thugs to come along?DAVID MASCIOTRA: Right, exactly. No, what you're asking is, of course, the big question. We need to find a way to resurrect some sense of, I'll use another conservative phrase, civic virtue. And in doing--AK: And resurrection, of course, by definition, is conservative, because you're bringing something back.“Ambition is what allows a society to grow. And it seems like ambition has fallen far out of fashion.” -DMDAVID MASCIOTRA: Exactly. And we also have to resurrect, offer something more practical, we have to resurrect a sense of civics. One thing on which--I have immense respect and admiration for Jonathan Rauch--one minor quibble I would have with him from your conversation is when he said that the voters rejected the liberal intellectual class and their ideas. Some voters certainly rejected, but some voters were unaware. The lack of civic knowledge in the United States is detrimental to our institutions. I mean, a majority of Americans don't know how many justices are on the Supreme Court. They can't name more than one freedom enumerated in the Bill of Rights. So we need to find a way to make citizenship a vital part of our national identity again. And there are some practical means of doing that in the educational system. Certainly won't happen in the next four years. But to get to the less tangible matter of how to resurrect something like civic virtue and bring back ambition and aspiration in our sense of national identity, along with empathy, is much tougher. I mean, Robert Putnam says it thrives upon community and voluntary associations.AK: Putnam has been on the show, of course.DAVID MASCIOTRA: Yeah. So, I mean, this is a conversation that will develop. I wish I had the answer, and I wish it was just to listen to Born to Run in the bathtub with with a poster of The Dude hanging overhead. But as I said to you before we went on the air, I think that you have a significant insight to learn this conversation because, in many ways, your books were prescient. We certainly live with the cult of the amateur now, more so than when you wrote that book. So, I'd love to hear your ideas.AK: Well, that's very generous of you, David. And next time we appear, you're going to interview me about why the cult of the amateur is so important. So we will see you again soon. But we're going to swap seats. So, David will interview me about the relevance of Cult of the Amateur. Wonderful conversation, David. I've never thought about Lebowski or Francis Fukuyama, particularly Lebowski, in terms of what happened on November 5th. So, very insightful. Thank you, David, and we'll see you again in the not-too-distant future.DAVID MASCIOTRA: Thank you. I'm going to reread Cult of the Amateur to prepare. I may even do it in the bathtub. I look forward to our discussion.David Masciotra is an author, lecturer, and journalist. He is the author of I Am Somebody: Why Jesse Jackson Matters (I.B. Tauris, 2020), Mellencamp: American Troubadour (University Press of Kentucky), Barack Obama: Invisible Man (Eyewear Publishers, 2017), and Metallica by Metallica, a 33 1/3 book from Bloomsbury Publishers, which has been translated into Chinese. In 2010, Continuum Books published his first book, Working On a Dream: The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen.His 2024 book, Exurbia Now: Notes from the Battleground of American Democracy, is published by Melville House Books. Masciotra writes regularly for the New Republic, Washington Monthly, Progressive, the Los Angeles Review of Books, CrimeReads, No Depression, and the Daily Ripple. He has also written for Salon, the Daily Beast, CNN, Atlantic, Washington Post, AlterNet, Indianapolis Star, and CounterPunch. Several of his political essays have been translated into Spanish for publication at Korazon de Perro. His poetry has appeared in Be About It Press, This Zine Will Change Your Life, and the Pangolin Review. Masciotra has a Master's Degree in English Studies and Communication from Valparaiso University. He also has a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from the University of St. Francis. He is public lecturer, speaking on a wide variety of topics, from the history of protest music in the United States to the importance of bars in American culture. David Masciotra has spoken at the University of Wisconsin, University of South Carolina, Lewis University, Indiana University, the Chicago Public Library, the Lambeth Library (UK), and an additional range of colleges, libraries, arts centers, and bookstores. As a journalist, he has conducted interviews with political leaders, musicians, authors, and cultural figures, including Jesse Jackson, John Mellencamp, Noam Chomsky, all members of Metallica, David Mamet, James Lee Burke, Warren Haynes, Norah Jones, Joan Osborne, Martín Espada, Steve Earle, and Rita Dove. Masciotra lives in Indiana, and teaches literature and political science courses at the University of St. Francis and Indiana University Northwest. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we look into a crucial topic that intersects social work and library services—how libraries can navigate crises and ensure the safety of both staff and patrons through trauma-informed de-escalation techniques. Joining us is Dr. Margaret Ann Paauw, an assistant professor at Eastern Michigan University and a licensed clinical social worker with over a decade of experience. Dr. Paauw has a rich background in working with individuals experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, and serious mental illness. She served as a library social worker for the Chicago Public Library for several years and was a founding member of the PLA Social Work Task Force. She co-authored the bestselling PLA publication “A Trauma-Informed Framework for Supporting Patrons” and also delivers crucial training and support to library staff across the country. Dr. Paauw's new book, “Navigating Difficult Situations in Public Libraries: The PLA Guide to Trauma-Informed De-Escalation,” (available in late 2024/early 2025) will serve as a comprehensive guide for library staff on addressing trauma and mental health issues among patrons. Here we explore key concepts from her book, such as trauma-informed care, the escalation cycle, and effective de-escalation techniques to maintain a safe environment for everyone in the library. We also discuss how library staff can recognize and manage burnout and compassion fatigue, and much more.

On this episode, Emily McClanathan, a Chicago Public Library superuser, discusses her love of character-driven stories and excellent prose. She also talks about how reading has helped her become a better writer, as she writes both book reviews and theater reviews in Chicago. We get into some shared loves and Emily gets to share a hot take about a book she thinks is overrated.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy's reading:  The God of the Woods by Liz Moore  Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay  Headshot by Rita Bullwinkle    Books Highlighted by Emily::  The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield  The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho by Paterson Joseph  Nerd: Adventures in Fandom from This Universe to the Multiverse by Maya Phillips  My Mess is a Bit of a Life: Adventures in Anxiety by Georgia Pritchett  Born to be Mild: Adventures for the Anxious by Rob Temple Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller by Oliver Darkshire Everybody's Favorite: Tales From the World's Worst Perfectionist by Lillian Stone One in a Millenial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In by Kate Kennedy  This is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch: The Joy of Loving Something - Anything - Like Your Life Depends on It by Tabitha Carvan  The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free by Linda Kay Klein    Other Books Mentioned in the Episode: All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray  Better the Blood by Michael Bennett  Return to Blood by Michael Bennett  Any Human Heart by William Boyd  Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell  The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell  All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr  Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen  Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen  The Eye of the World: Book One of the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan  David Copperfield by Charles Dickens  Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson  The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein  Zorrie by Laird Hunt  Wolf Hall by Emily Mantel  Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally  Washington Black by Esi Edugyan 

On this episode, Mawuli Grant Agbefe and I discuss his love for fascinating non-fiction, including one of my absolute favorite books ever that he recommended to me in January! We also discuss our shared love of being readers in Chicago, based on the gorgeous places to read and the incredible resource the Chicago Public Library is.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy's reading:  The Nix by Nathan Hill  The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne    Books Highlighted by Mawuli:  The Official Preppy Handbook by Jonathan Roberts, Carol McD. Wallace, Mason Wiley, and Lisa Birnbach The Deficit Myth: Modern Monetary Theory and the Birth of the People's Economy by Stephanie Kelton  Grace Will Lead Us Home: The Charleston Church Tragedy and the Hard, Inspiring Journey to Forgiveness by Jennifer Berry Hawes  Mean Girl Feminism: How White Feminists Gaslight, Gatekeep, and Girlboss by Kim Hong Nguyen  Ordinary Notes by Christina Sharpe Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup's Quest to End Privacy as we Know it by Kashmir Hill How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith  Bullshit Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber    Other Books Mentioned in the Episode: All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   How the Other Half Banks: Exclusion, Exploitation and the Threat to Democracy by Mehrsa Baradaran  Take Ivy by Shosuke Ishizu and Toshiyuki Kurosu His Name is George Floyd by Toluse Olorunippa and Robert Samuels  Columbine by Dave Cullen  The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff

We go searching for the oldest book in circulation at the library, and find out how a title avoids the book “weeding” process.

Carolyn Kassnoff is an illustrator who creates artwork under the name It'll Glow On You. She was the Chicago Public Library's Maker in Residence, and has studied almost every kind of art under the sun, including papercutting and neon sign bending. She is currently working on a Chicago music venue journal. She has about 200 close dog best friends, and you've probably seen her on the north side walking dogs sized anywhere from a yorkie to a newfoundland. She DJs occasionally on CHIRP, designs shirts and graphics for the station, and is also the person who picks up your donated records and cds. The First Time is a live lit and music series recorded at Martyrs in Chicago's North Center neighborhood. Each reader tells a true first tale, followed by any cover of the storyteller's choosing, performed by our house band, The First Time Three. The First Time is hosted by Jenn Sodini. Production provided by Andy Vasoyan, Noah Janes, and Executive Producer Bobby Evers. Podcast produced by Andy Vasoyan. Recorded by Tony Baker.

Send me your writing and publishing questions!Ava Dellaira's adult debut novel, Exposure, comes out with Zibby Books on September 10th, 2024. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed young adult novels In Search of Us and Love Letters to the Dead, which was named Best Book of the Year by Apple, Google, BuzzFeed, the New York Public Library and the Chicago Public Library. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow, and the University of Chicago. She grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and now lives in Altadena, CA with her husband and their two young children.INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTSThe challenges of writing in identities that aren't your own (and the risks involved in writing outside your own point of view)Where Ava's story ideas originate, and what she aimed to tackle through writing ExposureAva's editing process preferences, including how she views the editing process and ensures she receives feedback most positivelyDifferent approaches for when to start one's next book CONNECT WITH AVAWebsite: https://avadellaira.comInstagram: @ava.dellairaExposure  (Zibby Books, Sept 2024) Love Letters to the Dead  (Square Fish, 2015)In Search of Us  (Square Fish, 2020)WHAT AVA'S READINGAll Fours by Miranda July Victim by Andrew BorygaWHAT ELIZABETH'S READINGThe New Menopause by Marie Claire HaverELIZABETH'S BOOK REC OF THE WEEKCutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese MOCKUP SHOTS DEALI've used MockUp shots for years to create attention-grabbing images great for social media. It usually costs $207, but they're offering a 60% discount on lifetime access with lifetime updates. It's a great way to get an unheard-of price on a product that will make you money and that you will end up using all the time.Click Here for 60% off >>Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry. Available wherever podcasts are available: Apple PodcastsSpotify YouTube Let's Connect! InstagramWebsite Email the show: elizabeth [at] elizabethlyons [dot] comThe podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores.To see all the ways we can work together to get your book written and published, visit publishaprofitablebook.com/work-with-elizabeth

In Episode 95, Call Number highlights ways libraries are practicing and promoting sustainability. First, American Libraries Managing Editor Terra Dankowski pays a visit to the Sulzer Regional branch of Chicago Public Library, which hosts a repair café every month. At these events, participants bring household items in need of mending to the library. Volunteers with toolkits fix the items, sparing them from the landfill. Next, members of ALA's Sustainability Round Table share what their libraries do to help the environment. Finally, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial speaks with Dan Wilson, deputy director of Claude Moore Health Sciences Library at University of Virginia in Charlottesville. They discuss one-page disaster plans—what they are and why your library might need one. Is there a story or topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know at callnumber@ala.org. You can also follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter), SoundCloud, or Spotify and leave a review on iTunes. We welcome your feedback.

According to David Masciotra, the real battleground for the future of American democracy lies in that no-man's land between suburban and rural America - what he calls the “exurb”. It's here, Masciotra argues in his new book EXURBIA NOW, that we can find the pathologies of a 21st century American totalitarianism. The America that Masciotra finds in these outer suburbs is the antithesis of Tocqueville's small town America - a fragmented, alienating place without public space or communal interaction. What Masciotra uncovers is Marjorie Taylor Greene's America and this grey often overlooked zone between suburb and countryside, he suggests is the Gettysburg of American democracy, the battleground which will determine the fate of the Republic in the 2020's and beyond.David Masciotra is an author, lecturer, and journalist. He is the author of I Am Somebody: Why Jesse Jackson Matters (I.B. Tauris, 2020), Mellencamp: American Troubadour (University Press of Kentucky), Barack Obama: Invisible Man (Eyewear Publishers, 2017), and Metallica by Metallica, a 33 1/3 book from Bloomsbury Publishers, which has been translated into Chinese. In 2010, Continuum Books published his first book, Working On a Dream: The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen. His next book, Exurbia Now: Notes from the Battleground of American Democracy, is scheduled for publication from Melville House Books in 2024. Masciotra writes regularly for the New Republic, Washington Monthly, Progressive, the Los Angeles Review of Books, CrimeReads, No Depression, and the Daily Ripple. He has also written for Salon, the Daily Beast, CNN, Atlantic, Washington Post, AlterNet, Indianapolis Star, and CounterPunch. Several of his political essays have been translated into Spanish for publication at Korazon de Perro. His poetry has appeared in Be About It Press, This Zine Will Change Your Life, and the Pangolin Review. Masciotra has a Master's Degree in English Studies and Communication from Valparaiso University. He also has a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from the University of St. Francis. He is public lecturer, speaking on a wide variety of topics, from the history of protest music in the United States to the importance of bars in American culture. David Masciotra has spoken at the University of Wisconsin, University of South Carolina, Lewis University, Indiana University, the Chicago Public Library, the Lambeth Library (UK), and an additional range of colleges, libraries, arts centers, and bookstores. As a journalist, he has conducted interviews with political leaders, musicians, authors, and cultural figures, including Jesse Jackson, John Mellencamp, Noam Chomsky, all members of Metallica, David Mamet, James Lee Burke, Warren Haynes, Norah Jones, Joan Osborne, Martín Espada, Steve Earle, and Rita Dove.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

rich past and vibrant culture. As the CEO and chief storyteller at Chicago Mahogany Tours, he's turned his love of everything Chicago into an Emmy Award-winning celebration of his mission to make sure history doesn't repeat itself. He shares with Jeanne how his devotion to Chicago history started: why he compares his child-raising philosophy to bowling; how he uses the power of history to cross bridges; how history hurts and his goal to change it; and why he feels he owes Chicago more than he could ever give back. Shermann "Dilla" Thomas is an urban historian and CEO/Chief Storyteller at Chicago Mahogany Tours as well as a contributor to WBEZ-Radio. He uses his passion and insider knowledge of Chicago's history, architecture, and culture to bring the city to life with his captivating storytelling. Dilla is an Emmy Award-winning, self-taught historian who was named the City of Chicago's Tourism Ambassador of the Year by Choose Chicago; Public Narrative named Dilla the 2022 Studs Terkel Uplifting Voice recipient and The Chicago Public Library awarded Dilla the 21st Century Award for his recent achievements in promoting Chicago to the world. Dilla has been independently studying the history of Chicago for over 20 years, and his candid and truthful reflection of that history can be felt in his videos and presentations. He embodies the essence of the city and reverberates his message everywhere that "Everything Dope About America Comes From Chicago".x - @6figga_dilla IG- @6figga_dilla TikTok- @6figga_dilla FB- 6figga_dilla

Thursday is the deadline to apply to run for your local school council. The councils help drive big decisions across Chicago's schools like approving how funds are allocated and evaluating and selecting principals. They're also one of the main ways students, parents, and neighbors can get involved. That's why we're revisiting our conversation from the fall with Chalkbeat Chicago editor Becky Vevea to learn about why having robust LSCs is important. Some Good News: Apply to be a Chicago Public Library maker-in-residence Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Become a member of City Cast Chicago. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times bestselling author, Ann Napolitano, spoke with me about overcoming rejection early on, how grief transformed her writing process, and getting that fateful call from Oprah about Hello Beautiful. Ann Napolitano is the New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful which was selected as Oprah's 100th Book Club pick; Dear Edward, an instant New York Times bestseller, a Read with Jenna selection, and an Apple TV+ series; A Good Hard Look, and Within Arm's Reach. Hello Beautiful has been called a “powerfully affecting” (People) family story that asks: Can love make a broken person whole? The Washington Post said of the book, “Another tender tearjerker . . . Napolitano chronicles life's highs and lows with aching precision.” It was named Chicago Public Library's Ten Best Books of the Year and a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Washington Post, Time, Vogue, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, New York Post, She Reads, and Bookreporter. Ann was the associate editor of the literary magazine One Story for seven years, and she received an MFA from New York University [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you're a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Ann Napolitano and I discussed: Her long and rocky road to success How an illness early in life helped her realize she was a writer Why her first published book felt like a proving ground The nine-month approach to planning your next novel How to write the truest sentence possible Why you need to string together as many Xs as you can And a lot more! Show Notes: AnnNapolitano.com Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club): A NOVEL By Ann Napolitano (Amazon) Ann Napolitano Amazon Author Page Ann Napolitano on Twitter Ann Napolitano on Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While you're picking up your next cozy read at your local library, don't forget all the other things your library card can get you: passes to city attractions, seeds for starting a garden, and more. To remind you, we're revisiting a conversation we had earlier this summer with Patrick Molloy, government and public affairs director for the Chicago Public Library, and Manning branch manager Alejandra Santana. Some Good News: “What Time Is It?” opens Friday at Chicago Art Department in Pilsen. Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year the Chicago Public Library system is celebrating 150 years of service to Chicagoans, and a lot has changed in the last century and a half. With a library card, Chicago residents can stream movies and music, get digital magazine subscriptions, listen to audiobooks, and so much more! Reset turns to a CPL branch manager, Kendall Kidder-Goshorn, to learn tips and tricks to make the most of your library card.

We all know you can get books at the library. But your library card can get you way more than you think, from passes to city attractions to seeds for starting a garden. Patrick Molloy is government and public affairs director director for the Chicago Public Library, and Alejandra Santana manages the Manning branch on the Near West Side. They're here to help us make the most of this free resource. Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices