Podcasts about Cleveland Public Library

Dr. Valentino Zullo explores the Cleveland-created superhero's origin story in honor of Superman's 85th birthday. Dr. Zullo and Laura discuss some of the first-ever Superman comics; Superman's early focus on fighting social inequities vs. super villains; how creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster came to dream up the famous superhero; and more.   Since the original episode aired, Superman has come home to Ohio: James Gunn filmed major parts of Superman (2025) in Cleveland and Cincinnati; the Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster Superman Plaza has been unveiled in downtown Cleveland, Siegel and Shuster are featured in a current exhibit at the Maltz Museum, and the premiere of Supergirl in Cleveland will feature a weekend of events with Mariko Tamaki.   Dr. Zullo is now Assistant Professor of English and Co-Director of the Rust Belt Humanities Lab at Ursuline College. He is co-editor-in-chief of Rust Belt Studies and Associate Editor of the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics. He co-founded the Get Graphic! comics discussion program at Cleveland Public Library and is a board member of the Siegel & Shuster Society.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and a transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Twitter or on Facebook.

Gun violence tends to surge during the summer months, and though gun violence in Cleveland dropped by 24% from 2023 to 2024, the city's latest available data, children are still most at risk to die by gun violence. Firearms have been the leading cause of death in teens and children nationwide since 2020. Many major cities around Northeast Ohio have invested a lot into their efforts to reduce gun violence. Cleveland developed its 2026 Summer Safety Plan, which includes citizen outreach, violence interruption programs and street repairs. Last year, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said the city's Violence Intervention & Prevention Strategic Plan helped to reduce gun violence through programs like the Akron Street Team, which meets with those at high risk of engaging in future violence. Additionally, Cleveland Public Library partnered with the Cuyahoga County Office of Violence Prevention and other community partners to provide gun safes and locks to promote gun safety practices. However, some don't think that's enough. After a tragic shooting on Cleveland's west side killed three people this weekend, City Councilman Mike Polensek is calling for a "show of force" from law enforcement. On Wednesday's "Sound of Ideas," we'll talk about gun violence in Northeast Ohio, and how government and community partners are working together to make neighborhoods safer this summer. Guests:- Daniel Flannery, Ph.D., Professor & Director, Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education, Case Western Reserve University- Myesha Watkins, Administrator, Office of Violence Prevention, Cuyahoga County- Eufrancia Lash, President, 100 Black Men of Akron

This summer, Page Count is settling down with a good beach read to take a hiatus—which means we'll be bringing you some select episodes from our extensive backlist, complete with new introductions. First up is one of the first episodes ever produced by Page Count: The Ohio Literary Trail. Follow along as David Weaver, the former executive director of the Ohioana Library Association, and Betty Weibel, author of The Ohio Literary Trail: A Guide, discuss Ohio's literary heritage and offer an audio tour of some of the notable literary sites found around the state.   As mentioned in this episode's introduction, congratulations to Sonia Feldman on the publication of her debut novel. While the June 2 launch party at Loganberry Books is sold out, you can purchase a signed copy of Girl's Girl here. Listen to Page Count's interview with Feldman here.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Page Count is pleased to share an episode of PASSAGES: On Morrison, a new podcast that follows Namwali Serpell on her book tour for ON MORRISON. This episode takes us to Columbus, Ohio, where Serpell was joined by Hanif Abdurraqib in the Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison kickoff event to read and discuss the end of SONG OF SOLOMON. Serpell and Abdurraqib discuss this final passage, the challenges of adapting Morrison's novels for film, the power of intentional ambiguity in writing, and the influence of African folk tales on Morrison's work.    You can buy Namwali Serpell's ON MORRISON at this link and anywhere books are sold.  PASSAGES: On Morrison is a Random House production.    Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Summer is almost here in Northeast Ohio, and with that comes an ambitious "To Be Read" list with fresh books from your favorite bookstore. Their spines ready to be cracked on the edge of a beach, or a comfy chair on your front porch. Perhaps you're an audiobook fan, indulging in the latest volume at 1.5x speed. No matter how you enjoy your literature, our roundtable of book lovers is here to let you know which books are must-reads for Summer 2026. Included in the conversation are the best of Young Adult and Children's books that fit the taste of every kid yearning to earn that personal pan pizza. With Bill Kelly, Adult Programming Manager, Cuyahoga County Public Library; Erica Marks, Senior Director of Outreach & Programming, Cleveland Public Library; Rosa Ransom, Store Manager, Mac's Backs - Books on Coventry; and Michelle Smith, Programming Director, Literary Cleveland

It's a podcast takeover! Five young writers—Moriah, Malikye, Victoria, Jordan, and Wilma—share poems and a story excerpt, all of which are about to be published in Lake Erie Ink's 10th annual Teen Book Project. This year's anthology is titled Lights, Camera, Action, a theme that speaks, in part, to the phenomenon of feeling seen in an online world.   To view the art and read all the writing in the anthology, purchase Lights, Camera, Action via Lake Erie Ink; at a local independent bookstore like Mac's Backs, Loganberry, or Visible Voice; or at the book launch. The book launch for Lights, Camera, Action will take place Tuesday, May 19 at 6pm at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch of Cleveland Public Library and will feature contributor readings and light refreshments. Please RSVP here to attend.   Lake Erie Ink is a nonprofit organization providing creative expression opportunities and academic support to youth in the Greater Cleveland community, including writing workshops, camps, tutoring, school and community programs, and beyond. The organization supports a community where youth discover their voices, share ideas, and inspire each other as valued participants. Visit https://lakeerieink.org to learn more about programs for young writers; resources for students, teachers, and parents; and volunteer opportunities.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Perhaps better than anything else, food has the unique power to transport us back in time and evoke memories, a feeling, or a moment of our lives. In Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees, poet and essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil explores the way food and drink evoke our associations and remembrances-a subtext or layering, a flavor tinged with joy, shame, exuberance, grief, desire, or nostalgia. It is an illustrated, lyrical memoir told in short essays that reminds us all to slow down and reflect on food's universal power to shape who we are, how we connect with others, and the joy of being present.rnrnBorn to a Filipino mother and Malayali Indian father, Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the author of five books of poetry, Bite by Bite is her second essay collection, which was named a Barnes and Noble Best Book of 2024. Aimee is known for her dynamic and joy-filled teaching. For a decade, she served as the poetry editor for Orion and Sierra magazines. A professor of English and Creative Writing for over twenty-five years, she also serves as a firefly guide for Mississippi State Parks.rnrnJoin us at the City Club, and in partnership with the 2026 Cuyahoga County NEA Big Read, as author and poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil sits down with Lit Cleveland's Matt Weinkam to discuss how food marks our experiences and identities and explore the boundaries between heritage and memory.rnrn-----rnrnThis program is part of "BITE INTO BOOKS," the 2026 Cuyahoga County NEA Big Read led by Heights Libraries in collaboration with Cleveland Public Library, Cuyahoga County Public Library, East Cleveland Public Library, Euclid Public Library, Rocky River Public Library, Shaker Library, Westlake Porter Public Library, and various community partners. Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. Dig in at cuyahogareads.org.

"Bite Into Books" The National Endowment for the Art's "Big Read" is an opportunity for an entire literary community to read a selected title and pair that reading with programming and events tied to the themes of the book. This year, dozens of branches across the Cuyahoga County Public Library as well as the Cleveland Public Library systems read "Bite By Bite: Nourishments and Jambourees" by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, which examines how food and culture are intertwined. Libraries across the region also planned food events, gardening classes and art exhibits to coincide with the community reading program. Thursday on the "Sound of Ideas," we speak to Nezhukumatathil about the book, as well as event organizers from Cleveland Public Library and Heights Libraries. Guests: - Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Author, "Bite By Bite: Nourishments and Jambourees" - Erica Marks, Senior Director of Outreach & Programing Services, Cleveland Public Library - Gale Koritansky, Executive Director, Heights Libraries "The Menu" - Best Restaurants From smashburgers to soup dumplings, from Turkish fried eggs to punk rock chicken, one could argue that Northeast Ohio punches above its weight in terms of culinary delights. That argument is strengthened by Cleveland Magzine's list of "50 Best Restaurants in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio" which was released this week. And this year's list was expanded from 25 to 50. Along with that list, the magazine also released its "Silver Spoon Awards," which are the favorite restaurants as voted by readers. We'll close Thursday's show digging into Cleveland' Magazine's guide. Guests: - Dillon Stewart, Editor, Cleveland Magazine - Christina Rufo, Editorial Assistant, Cleveland Magazine

Andre Norton is one of the pivotal figures in the history of science fiction and fantasy and remains eminently relevant for modern readers. She was a prolific writer, authoring more than 300 titles spanning a career from the 1930s to the 2000s. She was one of the earliest writers to create stories of a post-nuclear apocalyptic dystopia and works of post-humanism yet kept a thread of hope and optimism.   In her lifetime, Andre Norton was recognized by her readers and her peers as a towering figure, receiving a World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement and being named a Grandmaster by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association among other accolades. She was also the first writer to be invited to contribute to the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Sales of Norton's  work in her lifetime rivalled George R. R. Martin, Arthur C. Clarke, and Edgar Rice Burroughs.   And yet, Andre Norton has become somewhat obscure, an unsung Ohio writer who flourished during her lifetime and deserves renewed attention. Today's podcast episode will hopefully entice you to delve into her work and to help fulfill her final words: “I just don't want to be forgotten.”   Don Boozer, Coordinator of the Ohio Center for the Book and Manager of the Literature Department at Cleveland Public Library, hosts this episode. He's joined by Dr. Jeff Karem, a Professor of English at Cleveland State University, to illuminate the life and work and Andre Norton. Dr. Karem received his Ph.D. from Yale University, and his research and teaching focus on exploring the contributions of diverse regional and ethnic writers and works on 20th century American Literature.   To view photographs and documents relating to Norton, see this episode's accompanying blog post, “The Imaginative History of Andre Norton.”   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

In this supernatural spectacular, Laura is joined by her spouse, Peter, for an overnight ghost-hunting expedition at the Thurber House in Columbus. Do they experience any paranormal phenomena? Do they resurrect hazy, decades-old memories of the film Ghost? Do they demonstrate a stunning lack of knowledge about everything from religious philosophy on ghosts to Star Wars, the mechanics of night vision cameras, and beyond? Furthermore, does Laura get freaked out by steam and dress forms and filing cabinets? Does she almost break the recorder by emitting an ear-shattering scream? Finally, just why is the Thurber House, former home of renowned humorist James Thurber, considered haunted? You'll have to listen to find out. Boo!   After joining Laura and Peter on their ghost-hunting adventure, learn more about James Thurber by listening to Page Count's earlier audio tour of the Thurber House. Then, view photos of the house on the accompanying blog post, “Inside the Thurber House.”   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Laura sits down with Tiffany Graham Charkosky, Director of Arts and Culture at Cleveland Public Library, to recap the 2026 Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) Conference in Baltimore in early March. From exploring the bookfair, meeting up with writing friends, attending panels and offsite readings, pushing their social batteries to the limit, and more, they get into it all. Come for the conference recap, but stay for Laura's inexplicable digression into her interest in the Devil. Enjoy.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Grab your ginger ale, your hockey pucks, and your intense sense of longing, because we're heading to the cottage. Cleveland author Sonia Feldman joins us to discuss the Heated Rivalry phenomenon—the hit show and its cultural impact, the art of adapting romance novels, and what it means to be girls who love boys who love boys. We also turn to another form of queer love found in Feldman's forthcoming debut literary novel, Girl's Girl.   Come for the hockey romance but stay for an in-depth discussion covering Feldman's writing process, how she discovered the true heart of her novel midway through writing, why she read the entire manuscript out loud to a friend, how she determined she was ready to query literary agents, and more. Finally, be sure to stick around to the end for some rapid rivalry questions that make us contemplate ginger ale and vodka cocktails, raves vs. book events, favorite Heated Rivalry episodes, and our love of figure skating. See you on the ice for the happily ever after.   Content warning: This episode generally references sex depicted on screen in Heated Rivalry and in romance novels at large.   Sonia Feldman is a recipient of the PEN America PEN/Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers, and her poetry and fiction have been published in literary journals like The Missouri Review, The Southern Review, and Waxwing. She runs Sonia's Poem of the Week, a popular email newsletter. Girl's Girl, her first novel, is forthcoming from Dial Press on June 2, 2026. Sonia lives and writes in Cleveland. Visit her website, follow her on Instagram at @writsonia, and preorder Girl's Girl from Loganberry Books or wherever books are sold. Author photo credit: Lizzy Montana Myers.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Welcome to the dark world of horror author Tracy Cross! In this episode, Cross discusses her Conjure series trilogy, which follows a young girl developing into a powerful Hoodoo practitioner in Louisiana in the late 1800s. In the process, Cross sheds light on the practice of Hoodoo, why she was drawn to writing about this time period and setting, her research process, how Black writers are reclaiming the narrative surrounding Hoodoo and Voodoo, her experiences in an MFA program focusing on popular fiction, why writers must persist, and more.   Content warning: This episode includes a discussion of some dark topics horror writers might research as part of their work, including tanning practices for human skin. Please proceed with caution as needed.   Tracy Cross is a horror author based in Washington, DC. She is author of the Conjure Series (Dark Matter INK), which includes the novels Rootwork (2022), A Gathering of Weapons (2024), and The Legend of Pee Wee Conway (forthcoming 2026). A short story collection, The Journal of Small Hours, is also forthcoming. Her writing has been featured in numerous anthologies, and she has received awards from the Ladies of Horror Fiction and the Horror Writers Association. Follow her in Instagram @tracycrosswrites or visit her website, tracycrossonline.com.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.  

It's the year of Toni Morrison! Our friends at Literary Cleveland, in partnership with Ohio Humanities, are leading a yearlong, statewide celebration of the life, literature, and legacy of Toni Morrison, a Lorain, Ohio, native and the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. With the event kickoff just around the corner on February 18, Page Count is celebrating by rerunning our 2024 exploration of the Toni Morrison Reading Room. Listen to learn more about Morrison's legacy, and then head over to ohiocelebratestonimorrison.org/events to get the scoop on the many incredible events, screenings, discussions, book clubs, and other programs held statewide this year.   To view images from the Toni Morrison Reading Room, visit “Inside the Toni Morrison Reading Room.”   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Daniel Tam-Claiborne recently appeared at Mac's Backs Books in Cleveland to discuss his debut novel, Transplants, which surrounds a Chinese college student and a Chinese American teacher who find themselves uprooted in new lives and cultures. Tam-Claiborne sheds light on his inspiration and process, his philosophy on writing outside one's own experience, the craft of a multi-POV novel, incorporating the real-life trajectory of COVID into his fictional world, exploring identity and belonging in his work, and, naturally, why self-delusion is an important part of the writing life.   This conversation was recorded during an in-person author event hosted by Mac's Backs on November 18, 2025. Order Transplants from Mac's Backs here.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Sportswriter Christine Brennan discusses her latest book, On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports, including how she came to conceive, research, write, and publish the book as an instant New York Times bestseller in only a year. In addition to dissecting Caitlin Clark's career and impact on the WNBA, Brennan also discusses her Toledo upbringing, the art of sports journalism, succeeding in a male-dominated field, the impact of Title IX, what it means when a biography is “unauthorized,” a preview of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan, and more.   Christine Brennan is an award-winning national sports columnist for USA Today, a commentator for CNN, ABC News, PBS NewsHour and NPR, a bestselling author, and a nationally known speaker. Named one of the country's top 10 sports columnists three times by the Associated Press Sports Editors, she has covered the Olympic Games, both summer and winter, since 1984. She is the author of eight books, including Best Seat in the House, the only father-daughter memoir written by a sports journalist. Her latest book, On Her Game, is the bestselling 2025 portrait of basketball star Caitlin Clark. Visit christinebrennan.com and follow @cbrennansports on Instagram,  X, or Facebook for more.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

We're leaving 2025 on a note of failure, mishaps, and shame. That's right: we have bloopers! Listen in to discover that Laura is incapable of saying the word “archivist,” she asks hopelessly clunky questions, she is completely unfamiliar with the 1991 action film Backdraft, she can't recall the podcast introduction she's said literally over 100 times, and she even gets popcorn stuck in her throat right before recording. Also, sometimes the lights go out, the wrong microphone is employed, recorders run low on battery power, and words like “iconography” and “ambiguity” rear their ugly heads. All this and more in our first (and perhaps only ever) bloopers episode.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.  

It's December, it gets dark in the afternoon, and it's freezing here in Ohio…what better time to dive into the cheery topic of rejection? Better yet, how about a clip show of rejection goodies? LOL, you're welcome! This mini episode features clips from seven guests who appeared on Page Count in 2025 and offered some rejection-related insights on everything from submission strategies to the importance of separating the business from the art, writing out of spite, persistence, and beyond. Plus, Laura shares her own rejection stats from 2025. So what are you waiting for? Dust off your cover letter, log into your Submittable account, and take a listen.   The following episodes were excerpted for this rejection extravaganza:   The Art of Editing with The Cincinnati Review Clicking Our Heels Three Times with Dr. Taylor Byas Experimental Fiction with Mary Grimm Page Count Live: Writing Toward Peace with Loung Ung Touring the Paul Laurence Dunbar House Librarians are Superheroes with Karen Henry Clark Speculative Fiction at the Columbus Book Festival   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

You've just been handed a rectangular-shaped gift with the telltale heft and size of a book. Who knows what worlds might be contained in that one little object? This holiday season, you can give that same gift of possibility by shopping at an independent bookstore—and Nick and Celeste Polsinelli, the owners of Little Professor Book Center in Athens, Ohio, have plenty of ideas to get you started. In this episode, Nick offers a range of recommendations, from picture books to epistolary novels to talking cats and beyond, to cover every book lover on your list no matter how eclectic their tastes.   Recommended books: How to Be a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery, illustrated by Rebecca Green The Christmas Sweater by Jan Brett Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis D.J. Rosenblum Becomes the G.O.A.T. by Abby White The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa, translated by Louise Heal Kawai Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn The Girl and the Goddess by Nikita Gill A Time of Dread by John Gwynne (Of Blood and Bone series) The Millfield Mine Disaster by Ron W. Luce Enchanted Ground: The Spirit Room of Jonathan Koons by Sharon Hatfield A Place So Deep Inside America It Can't Be Seen by Kari Gunter-Seymour The Bear by Andrew Krivak Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Debut memoirist Tiffany Graham Charkosky discusses the story behind LIVING PROOF: How Love Defied Genetic Legacy, from the medical journey she embarked on after learning she carried a genetic mutation to the years she spent writing and revising the memoir before landing a book deal. Along the way, she also shares the challenges and joys of writing material that is deeply personal, the physical and emotional implications of genetic testing, finding the right structure for her story, searching for a literary agent, how she grappled with the issue of platform as a memoirist, the trajectory of her publishing journey, why Cleveland is such a great place for writers, and the magic of just showing up.   In this episode: Living Proof: How Love Defied Genetic Legacy Literary Cleveland Cleveland Public Library Query Critiques with Devon Halliday Lynch Syndrome Kenyon College “It's Not as Bad as You Think” by Jane Friedman   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

In her new picture book, Sandra Nickel reveals the true genius behind the iconic Tiffany stained glass lamp designs: Clara Driscoll, an Ohio-born artist who managed the “Tiffany Girls” in Louis Comfort Tiffany's studio in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While Driscoll's contributions went unrecognized for decades, we now know she was the artist behind the gorgeous dragonfly, wisteria, poppy, daffodil, and peony lampshade designs, among many others. Nickel shares Driscoll's story in Making Light Bloom: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Lamps alongside the luminous illustrations by Julie Paschkis.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

For our 100th episode, we're traveling back in time: to 1915, the setting of Dan Chaon's latest novel, One of Us, and to September 13, 2025, when this conversation was recorded in front of a live audience at the Literary Cleveland Inkubator Writing Conference. While using his new novel as an example, Chaon discusses the craft of fiction, including voice, setting, point of view, characterization, language, research, revision, and more. From disturbing clowns to ax-wielding sociopaths, telepathic twins, orphan trains, and beyond, this conversation has it all, so step right up and enjoy our 100th episode.   Dan Chaon is the author of Ill Will, a national bestseller that was named one of the ten best books of the year by Publishers Weekly; the short story collection Stay Awake, a finalist for the Story Prize; the national bestseller Await Your Reply; and Among the Missing, a finalist for the National Book Award. His newest novel, One of Us, was published in September 2025 by Henry Holt and Co. Chaon lives in Cleveland. Author photo credit: Géraldine Aresteanu   If you've read this far, that means you're clearly one of us. Say it with me: One of us! One of us! One of us!   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Cleveland-based children's book author Tricia Springstubb takes listeners on an adventure through the wilderness via The Wild Robot—how her granddaughter introduced her to Peter Brown's story, why she loves the novel, and her thoughts on the film adaptation—before discussing her own writing journey. She shares how she came to publish thirteen books since 2010; why she loves writing for young people; the inspiration behind her latest novel, How to Tell a True Story; how she came to write in the new genre “young teen lit;” and more.   Books by Tricia Springstubb: How to Tell a True Story Looking for True   The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe The Cody series Every Single Second Moonpenny Island Mo Wren, Lost and Found What Happened on Fox Street Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures Phoebe and Digger   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Listeners, you're about to slip through a portal to arrive at the 2025 Columbus Book Festival, where Megan Giddings, Ruben Reyes Jr., and Edward Underhill discussed the ins and outs of speculative fiction: why they write it, why they love it, and the challenges and opportunities the genre presents. We've got mysterious doors opening to unknown lands, alternate realties, time slips, and plenty of additional oddities, so step into that portal and don't you dare look back.   Megan Giddings, the author of the novels Lakewood, The Women Could Fly, and, most recently, Meet Me at the Crossroads. Her story collection, Black Arts, is forthcoming in 2026. She is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota.   Ruben Reyes, Jr. is the author of the short story collection There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven and, most recently, the novel Archive of Unknown Universes. Originally from Southern California, he now lives in Brooklyn.   Edward Underhill is the author of the young adult novels Always the Almost, This Day Changes Everything, and In Case You Read This. His latest novel is his first for adults, The In-Between Bookstore. He grew up in Wisconsin and currently resides in California.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Lisa Ampleman, Managing Editor of The Cincinnati Review, offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into a literary magazine's submission review process. By using one poem and one short story recently published in the print journal as examples, she reveals what might catch an editor's eye in the submission queue, how the editing process unfolded after acceptance, and what kind of changes the authors made to their work. In the process, she sheds light on the editor-writer relationship, the collaborative art of literary editing, how The Cincinnati Review manages submissions, her own poetic inspirations, and more.   This conversation was recorded in Spring 2025, and the creative pieces discussed are available to read in The Cincinnati Review. The poem “Ricky Rozay raps ‘put Molly all in her champagne, she ain't even know it'” by Raphael Jenkins was published in Issue 22.1, and Rebecca Barnard's short story, “The Theft,” appeared in Issue 21.2. Digital versions of these issues can be purchased for $5 each.   Lisa Ampleman is the author of three full-length poetry collections—Mom in Space (LSU Press, 2024), Romances (LSU Press, 2020) and Full Cry (NFSPS Press, 2013)—and a chapbook, I've Been Collecting This to Tell You (Kent State University Press, 2012). Her poems have appeared in 32 Poems, Colorado Review, Cortland Review, Ecotone, Georgia Review, The Rumpus, Poetry Daily, and Verse Daily, and her prose in America, Miracle Monocle, museum of americana, and Shenandoah. She is a graduate of the Ph.D. program at the University of Cincinnati.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Julie K. Rubini discusses her biography for young readers, Virginia Hamilton: America's Storyteller, which surrounds one of the most honored American children's book authors of all time. Rubini sheds light on Virginia Hamilton's life and work, including Hamilton's childhood in Yellow Springs, Ohio; her early literary ambitions; the professors at Antioch College and The Ohio State University who gave her direction and encouragement; her years as a budding writer in New York City; how she met Arnold Adoff, the man who would become her husband, fellow author, and biggest supporter; how she came to write children's literature; her writing career's astonishing trajectory; and more. Rubini also shares her own experiences publishing with Ohio University Press and how she founded Claire's Day, an annual children's book festival created in honor of her late daughter.   Julie K. Rubini is also the author of Eye to Eye: Sports Journalist Christine Brennan, Missing Millie Benson: The Secret Case of the Nancy Drew Ghostwriter and Journalist, and Hidden Ohio. Virginia Hamilton: America's Storyteller will represent Ohio at the 2025 National Book Festival as the state's Great Reads from Great Places youth selection.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Travel the museums of the world from America to London to Paris to Berlin to Israel as we search for evidence for the Bible in secular museums! Highlights include the British Museum, the Louvre, the University of Chicago, and even the Cleveland Public Library!

Travel the museums of the world from America to London to Paris to Berlin to Israel as we search for evidence for the Bible in secular museums! Highlights include the British Museum, the Louvre, the University of Chicago, and even the Cleveland Public Library!

This episode celebrates poetry, local voices, parks, biodiversity, and the art of paying attention to the natural world around us. Carrie George and Charles Malone, two co-editors of Light Enters the Grove: Exploring Cuyahoga National Park through Poetry, share how this literary field guide focusing on the plants, animals, and birds found within CVNP came together. From assigning writers species at random (but with some serendipitous results) to publishing unexpected nature poems to encouraging artists to lace up their hiking boots to traverse our national parks, this episode has you covered. Grab your trail guide, splash on some bug spray, and join us for a poetic expedition.   Light Enters the Grove will represent Ohio at the 2025 National Book Festival as part of the Great Reads from Great Places initiative. The print anthology was edited by Charles Malone, Carrie George, and Jason Harris and published by The Kent State University Press in 2024. All poems in the anthology, as well as additional pieces, can be read online at the CVNP Poetic Inventory site. Finally, learn more about Cuyahoga Valley National Park.   Poems shared on the podcast: “White-Tailed Deer” by Benjamin Rhodes “Everyone Knows a Killdeer Means No Harm” by Mary Biddinger “Knuckle” by Conor Bracken “Variation on Wings” by Kortney Morrow “Star Jelly” by Cameron Gordon “Fishing Spider” by Charles Malone “Blight of the American Chestnut” by Carrie George   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

From the songs of Taylor Swift to the skate parks of the Midwest, not to mention pep talks for writers and a guide to Columbus hot spots, this episode has something for everyone. Recorded during a panel discussion at the 2025 Ohioana Book Festival, authors Annie Zaleski, Mandy Shunnarah, Maggie Smith, and Shawnie Kelley discuss the art of nonfiction, including their research, writing, and publishing processes. How does one analyze a songwriter's work without quoting the lyrics? What's it like to eat your way around town in the name of writing research? Why is the Midwest an important part of American skate culture? How does one concoct a recipe for creativity? Finally, who's going to make the horror film Tethered to Word Count? Listen to find out.   Shawnie Kelley is the author of all three editions of the Insiders' Guide to Columbus, as well as several books about Cape Cod and food and travel-related articles appearing in national and international magazines. She owns Wanderlust Tours, a cultural and culinary travel company, and teaches cooking classes for The Mix at Columbus State.   Maggie Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Good Bones, Goldenrod, Keep Moving, and others. Her poems have appeared in Best American Poetry, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Poetry, Ploughshares, the Kenyon Review, and elsewhere. Her latest book is Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life.   Mandy Shunnarah is a Southern-born, Midwest-loving journalist, essayist, poet, and roller-skating enthusiast who calls Columbus, Ohio home. Their work has been featured in the New York Times, Electric Literature, the Rumpus, and more. Midwest Shreds is their first book.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.   Annie Zaleski is the New York Times bestselling author of Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs, as well as books or illustrated biographies about Beyoncé, Duran Duran, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, and many other musicians. She's a Cleveland-based journalist whose work has appeared in dozens of publications, including NPR Music, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Salon, Billboard, and others.

Join us for an audio tour of the Paul Laurence Dunbar House in Dayton, Ohio. Ryan Qualls, Chief of Interpretation and Site Manager, walks listeners through Dunbar's final residence and sheds light on the life and work of this prolific, groundbreaking author. Take a step back into history to learn about Dunbar's early friendship with the Wright brothers; how a pivotal review launched him into literary fame; his dialect poetry; controversies and praise surrounding his writing; his influence on other American authors; and, of course, the house itself, including its furnishings and appliances, along with Dunbar's books, swagger sticks, and more. Finally, Qualls shares a musical interpretation of the poem “On the River” to showcase how Dunbar's poetry might have been performed during his lifetime. To see images from the tour, visit our accompanying blog post.   About Dunbar Born in 1872 in Dayton, Ohio, to formerly enslaved parents, Paul Laurence Dunbar would go on to become one of the first nationally recognized African American poets—and the first to support himself financially through his writing. Over the course of Dunbar's relatively short career, he authored twelve books of poetry, four novels, four short story collections, and two Broadway plays, as well as song lyrics. He died in 1906 at the age of thirty-three from tuberculosis, though his legacy endures today. Dunbar's work has inspired many great American authors, including Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and others.   About the Paul Laurence Dunbar House In 1904, Dunbar's mother, Matilda J. Dunbar, purchased a two-story brick house located at 219 N. Summit Street (since renamed N. Paul Laurence Dunbar Street) in Dayton, Ohio. The house became Dunbar's final residence, and following his death in 1906, Matilda meticulously maintained the house and her son's belongings. Today, the house is owned and managed by the state of Ohio, is part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, and is open to the public for free tours.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Forget actors, rock stars, and elite athletes—on Page Count, the real celebrities are librarians. Karen Henry Clark, the author of the picture book Library Girl: How Nancy Pearl Became America's Most Celebrated Librarian, is here to discuss her friendship with Nancy Pearl, how she came to write a picture book about Pearl's childhood, the research process, her own writing journey, librarian action figures (and controversy!), what it's like to be an introvert tiptoeing in the spotlight, and a lot more.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Listeners, welcome to the fifth dimension. We're joined by Dr. Kim Kiehl, Executive Director of the Ohioana Library Association, to discuss The Twilight Zone and its creator, Rod Serling. We focus on “Mirror Image,” an episode airing in Season 1 of the show's original run, but we also talk about the series at large, Serling's Ohio roots and his writing career, and just why The Twilight Zone remains relevant today. We also discuss cows, clowns, our own doppelgänger experiences, Ohioana's offerings, and more.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Poet and editor Dr. Taylor Byas is here to discuss her award-winning debut poetry collection, I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times. Along the way, she shares insights into writing about place, how The Wiz serves as structural inspiration for the collection, her literary inspirations and heroes, the value of Ph.D. programs in creative writing, her editorial work at The Rumpus, the art of chapbooks, managing expectations as an author, and a lot more. She also offers listeners a special preview of Resting Bitch Face, her second full-length collection forthcoming in August 2025.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

The Ohio House's version of the state budget would reduce state funding for public libraries by more than $100 million over the next two years, compared to the Governor's proposal.

Hilary Plum discusses her new novel, State Champ, which surrounds an abortion clinic employee who goes on a hunger strike to protest her boss's imprisonment. In this far-reaching conversation, Plum sheds light on the spontaneity of art and protest; the history of the hunger strike; the dark joys of writing a complicated, acerbic protagonist; elite athletes; eating disorders; crafting a novel's plot (or not); small press publishing vs. the Big 5 and larger independent publishing houses; the value of MFA programs; and a lot more.     Hilary Plum is the author of six books, including, most recently, State Champ (Bloomsbury, May 2025), an Indie Next List pick. With Zach Savich, Plum edits the Open Prose Series at Rescue Press. With Zach Peckham, she co-hosts the podcast Index for Continuance. She teaches at Cleveland State University and serves as associate director of the CSU Poetry Center.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

As part of Cleveland Public Library's celebrations surrounding the 100th anniversary of Main Library, Page Count honors Linda Anne Eastman, the first woman to lead a large metropolitan library system in the United States. Through letters, documents, photographs, speeches, and other archival material, Cleveland Public Library Archivist Melissa Carr sheds light on Eastman's life and work. From Eastman's first visit to Cleveland Public Library to her fruitful working relationship with William Howard Brett, her many achievements and innovations, her unflagging work ethic, and more, Carr takes listeners on a journey back in time to bring to life an extraordinary woman whose work transformed our library, our city, and the librarian profession at large.   May 6, 2025, marks the 100th anniversary of Cleveland Public Library's Main Library building, which Eastman worked tirelessly to help plan, design, and make a reality. The Library will host a series of events at the downtown campus on Saturday, May 10 to celebrate this milestone. Learn more about the anniversary events here. To view images of Eastman and other archival materials, visit "Celebrating Linda Anne Eastman and Main Library's 100th Anniversary."   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

“And I think that's what reading is… It's a personal interpretation of the story, and it may not be the same as somebody else's. That's the whole idea of a good teacher. There should be different interpretations, and sometimes a student will come up with something that I never thought of.” —Sharon M. Draper  Give a story to twenty kids, and you might get twenty different takeaways. Some will catch the details you didn't even notice. Others will pull out meaning that wasn't intentionally placed, but rings true all the same. Sharon M. Draper writes for everyone and fiercely advocates for students' right to read for themselves.Sharon knows the capacity of a book to transport and transform kids; she was the kid who maxed out her library card every Saturday at the Cleveland Public Library. She then became the teacher who read aloud to even the most skeptical students, and the writer whose bestselling novel "Out of My Mind," which was adapted into a film for Disney+ and remains requisite reading for many middle schoolers year after year. A two-time Coretta Scott King Award winner, Sharon is the author of "Stella by Starlight," "Blended," "Tears of a Tiger," and many, many more.In this episode, "Good Luck, They're Yours: Sharon Draper on Giving Students Room to Read," Sharon discusses what it means to trust readers, how her students helped guide her first book, and seeing her stories banned in classrooms. We also talk about church music, spiked lemonade, and how she ended up with a special library card that gave her access to the library's adult section, even as a child.When we asked Sharon to come up with a reading challenge, she was reluctant to give us a list of must-reads. Maybe that's not surprising, given her past frustrations with inflexible required reading lists. In true teacher fashion, she flipped the assignment and gave us a lesson plan. This week's Beanstack featured Librarian is William Schaller, the middle school librarian at Hoffman Middle School in Houston, Texas, for the past seven years! William shares his secret sauce for getting kids excited about reading. Show ChaptersChapter 1 - The Reader KidChapter 2 - Spike Lemonade and Porch StoriesChapter 3 - Shut Up and Say You Like ItChapter 4 - We Never Say That in the Locker RoomChapter 5 - Student TeachersChapter 6 - Reading ChallengeChapter 7 - Beanstack Featured LibrarianLinksThe Reading CultureThe Reading Culture Newsletter SignupFollow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Sharon DraperSharon Draper InstagramCleveland Public LibraryUp the Down StaircaseSharon M. Draper receiving the National Teacher of the Year AwardBeanstack resources to build your community's reading cultureJordan Lloyd BookeyHost and Production CreditsHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducers: Mel Webb and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jackie Lamport, Jordan Lloyd Bookey

This episode is a look into the silent film history of Cleveland, Ohio. From famous silent film music composers and historic early films to gorgeous movie houses and film storage centers, Cleveland has it all. Join us for a trip to this great silent city!We also discuss the 1925 Constance Talmadge film, "Her Sister from Paris," which was screened at the Cleveland Public Library on March 15, 2025.This episode also features silent film talk with Emily Laurance, the Executive Director of the Cleveland Silent Film Festival and Colloquium. For more info on this great organization, head over clevelandsilentfilmfestival.orgBluesky - @goldensilentscastInstagram - goldensilentscastTwitter/X - @goldensilents1We are also available on YouTube! Please like and subscribe!

Next up in our Literary Screening series is the 2021 film The Tender Bar, an adaptation of J.R. Moehringer's 2005 memoir. RW Franklin, a writer and past Lit Youngstown board member, is here to break down the film, which is a coming-of-age story of a young man finding his place in the world—and his voice as a writer. She also discusses her own writing journey, her decision to use a pen name, the value of workshops, building confidence, writing what scares you, worldbuilding, finding your community as a writer, Lit Youngstown's offerings, and more.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Welcome to the first episode of Literary Screening, a new series that invites Page Count guests to discuss films or television shows with a literary connection. First up is American Fiction, the 2023 adaptation of Percival Everett's novel Erasure. Laura is joined by Matt Weinkam and Michelle Smith of Literary Cleveland to consider how the film satirizes the publishing industry and academia, what it has to say about race and the depiction of Black families in film, comparisons between the book and film adaptation, and a lot more.   Literary Cleveland is a nonprofit organization and creative writing center that empowers people to explore other voices and discover their own. Learn more about the 2025 Cleveland Poetry Festival, which takes place April 25-27 with a theme of The Body Politic; the Inkubator, one of the largest free writing festivals in the country; and more, including dozens of classes and programs for writers of all levels.   Matt Weinkam is the Executive Director of Literary Cleveland. His work has been published in HAD, Denver Quarterly, Sonora Review, New South, DIAGRAM, Jellyfish Review, Split Lip, and Electric Literature. He holds an MA in creative writing from Miami University, an MFA in fiction from Northern Michigan University, and he has taught creative writing as far away as Sun Yat-sen University in Zhuhai, China.   Michelle R. Smith is the Programming Director at Literary Cleveland, as well as a writer, poet, educator, cultural facilitator, and native Clevelander. She is the author of the poetry collections Ariel in Black (2015) and The Vagina Analogues (2020), and the creator of BLAX MUSEUM, an annual performance showcase dedicated to honoring notable Black figures in American history and culture.   Be sure to check out Michelle and Matt's writing. And hey, give us a call if you need to revive a sentence.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Page Count's fourth season kicks off on April 8, 2025! Listen to snippets from just a few of our upcoming episodes featuring the following guests:   Matt Weinkam and Michelle Smith of Literary Cleveland discuss the film American Fiction, Percival Everett, and the economic realities of being a writer. Lisa Ampleman, Managing Editor of The Cincinnati Review, discusses the art of editing by sharing a behind-the-scenes look at the editing process for a poem and short story recently published in the journal. Melissa Carr, Archivist at Cleveland Public Library, brings history to life when discussing pioneering librarian Linda Anne Eastman. Dr. Kim Kiehl, Executive Director of the Ohioana Library Association, discusses The Twilight Zone and creator Rod Serling's Ohio connection. Karen Henry Clark discusses her picture book, Library Girl, which illuminates librarian Nancy Pearl's childhood and library origin story. Dr. Taylor Byas discusses her latest and forthcoming poetry collections, her journey as a poet, and working as an editor of The Rumpus. RW Franklin discusses the film The Tender Bar, Lit Youngstown, and her own writing journey.   Subscribe to Page Count wherever you get your podcasts to listen to these episodes and many more during our fourth season. The season—and our new Literary Screening series—debuts April 8 with an episode focusing on American Fiction with Literary Cleveland staff. A new episode of Page Count drops every two weeks, so stay tuned.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Laura and Don celebrate Page Count's third anniversary by discussing some of their favorite episodes from Season 3, touching on everything from MacArthur geniuses to Annie Oakley, typewriters, graveyards, unicorns, bioluminescence, ghosts, Laura's aversion to clip shows, and a lot more. They also look ahead to Season 4, which will introduce Literary Screening, a new series featuring conversations about films or TV shows with a literary connection. As always, Page Count's upcoming season will include interviews with authors, librarians, publishing professionals, and literary organizers, along with live events, onsite audio tours, and more. Season 4 premieres April 8, 2025, with a trailer dropping March 25.   Laura Maylene Walter is Ohio Center for the Book Fellow at Cleveland Public Library, the host of Page Count, and the author of Body of Stars (Dutton). Don Boozer is the Literature Department Manager at Cleveland Public Library and the Ohio Center for the Book Coordinator.   Episodes Mentioned: Page Count Live with Hanif Abdurraqib & Jacqueline Woodson Page Count Live: Writing Toward Peace with Loung Ung The Center for the Book Is a State of Mind Rediscovering Dawn Powell Exploring the Myth of Annie Oakley with Sara Moore Wagner Carving a Story with Chiquita Mullins Lee & Carmella Van Vleet 100 Years of Writer's Digest Among the Graves in Ohio's Cemeteries Touring the Thurber House New Year's Resolutions for Writers Be a Cockroach at the Columbus Book Festival The Art of Audiobook Narration Making Light with Julia Kuo Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Mary Grimm leads listeners through the tunnels, dreams, purgatories, and ghost towns that appear in her new story collection, Transubstantiation. Along the way, she discusses her literary influences and heroes, experimental writing, story beginnings and endings, publishing short fiction in The New Yorker and beyond, the line between autobiographical fiction and creative nonfiction, setting fictional stories in real places, post-mortem photography, why she loves teaching writing, what makes a good title story in a collection, why she wrote a story in response to the “it was all a dream” trope, and more.   Mary Grimm's previous books include the novel Left to Themselves and the story collection Stealing Time. Her stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Antioch Review, and the Mississippi Review, as well as in a number of journals that publish flash fiction, including Helen, The Citron Review, and Tiferet. Currently, she is working on a series of climate change novellas set in past and future Cleveland.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Quartez Harris is here to discuss his new picture book, Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a Writer, which illuminates Baldwin's childhood and literary foundation. Harris discusses Baldwin's early challenges and support systems, how a young Baldwin found refuge in the library, Baldwin's queer identity, and why glitter serves as a recurring metaphor in Go Tell It. In addition to shedding light on this great author's beginnings, Harris also discusses his own development as a writer—how he came to love poetry after grappling with a learning disability, his writing and editing process for Go Tell It, what he's working on next, and more.   Quartez Harris is a poet, teacher, and author. He was a Baldwin House fellow and named Ohio Poet of the Year for his book We Made It to School Alive, and his poetry has garnered numerous accolades. He spent many years as a second-grade teacher in the Cleveland public school system, and he currently spends his time writing and teaching poetry workshops. He lives in Ohio with his wife and son.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Kelcey Ervick, author of the graphic memoir The Keeper: Soccer, Me, and the Law that Changed Women's Lives, is here to discuss soccer, women's sports, Title IX, connections between goalkeeping and writing, rereading your teenage diaries, research for memoirists, her own evolution from athlete to writer to graphic memoirist, Viking names, and a lot more.   Kelcey Ervick is the author of four award-winning books, including The Keeper (Avery Books/Penguin), a 2025 Choose to Read Ohio selection and winner of a 2023 Ohioana Book Award. Her three previous award-winning books of fiction and nonfiction are The Bitter Life of Božena Němcová, Liliane's Balcony, and For Sale By Owner. She is co-editor, with Tom Hart, of The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Graphic Literature. Ervick has a Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati and is a professor of English and creative writing at Indiana University South Bend. She writes and draws stories of the creative life at her illustrated newsletter, The Habit of Art.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

In a special episode recorded before a live audience at the Inkubator writing conference, Laura interviews Loung Ung, whose bestselling memoirs detailing her experiences under the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia have moved readers worldwide. Ung discussed the genesis of her writing life, writing in a child's voice for an adult audience, writing and publishing in English as a nonnative English speaker, overcoming anxiety about sharing her family's story, how she met Angelia Jolie and came to co-write the screenplay adaptation of First They Killed My Father, her experiences with the filming process in Cambodia, how others can start on the activist's path, what it means to write toward peace, and more.     This conversation was recorded on September 20, 2024 at Cleveland Public Library as part of Literary Cleveland's free Inkubator writing conference. Loung Ung is an author, lecturer, and activist who has devoted her life to advancing human rights and equality in Cambodia and around the world. She is the author of the memoir First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers (HarperCollins 2000), which tells the story of her survival under the Khmer Rouge regime, as well as Lucky Child and Lulu in the Sky, additional memoirs published by HarperCollins. She is currently working on a novel. In 2013, Ung expanded her activism as a writer for Girl Rising, a documentary film about girls' education around the world. First They Killed My Father was adapted into a Netflix movie in 2017 by director by Angelina Jolie from a screenplay co-written by Jolie and Ung.   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

We're wrapping up 2024 by offering New Year's resolutions for writers inspired by advice offered this year by some of Page Count's guest authors: Ross Gay, Claire McMillan, Alison Stine, Jacqueline Woodson, Hanif Abdurraqib, Brian Broome, Sara Moore Wagner, Chiquita Mullins Lee, Leah Stewart, Rob Harvilla, Libby Kay, David Hassler, and Alex Rowland. From writing in new places to finding inspiration, letting go of perfection, making new writing friends, and beyond, these twelve resolutions can help writers start 2025 on a positive and productive note.   12 Resolutions for Writers: Let go of perfection. (Page Count Live: Trash & Delight with Ross Gay & Alison Stine) Protect your in-progress writing as necessary. (Alchemy of Writing with Claire McMillan) Don't be precious about where you write—and make good use of the available time you have to work, no matter how limited. (Page Count Live: Trash & Delight with Ross Gay & Alison Stine) Don't let a fixation on awards, publications, or recognition affect your writing process. (Page Count Live with Hanif Abdurraqib & Jacqueline Woodson) Write outside of yourself and consider other perspectives—as well as the reader's experience. (Cringe & Controversy with Brian Broome) Leave your writing desk to go out into the world to research and experience new things. (Exploring the Myth of Annie Oakley with Sara Moore Wagner) Don't put pressure on yourself to publish on a certain timeline. (Carving a Story with Chiquita Mullins Lee & Carmella Van Vleet) When the going gets tough, remember the beneficial parts of the writing life. (At the Sewanee Writers' Conference with Leah Stewart) Try not to take yourself so seriously, and don't beat yourself up if you make a mistake. (Be a Cockroach at the Columbus Book Festival) Make a new writing friend. (Be a Cockroach at the Columbus Book Festival) Find inspiration in your daily life. (40 Years of Poetry with David Hassler) Be resilient in your writing life. Better yet, be unkillable, like a cockroach. (Be a Cockroach at the Columbus Book Festival)   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

When thinking of entrepreneurs who serve as community champions, Connie Hill-Johnson and Kevin Johnson take this role to another level. Their life-long investments in economic development, volunteer efforts, and philanthropic contributions have left an indelible mark on Northeast Ohio. What can we learn from two of Cleveland's biggest champions on the progress made and work yet to be done--particularly concerning BIPOC entrepreneurship and leadership?rnrnConnie Hill-Johnson has been the Owner and Managing Director of Visiting Angels Senior Home Care for more than 20 years; and since 2022, Connie has served as the Chair of the Board of The Cleveland Foundation--the first Black woman elected to the position. She also served as co-chair of the successful city-wide Cleveland Reads campaign with the Cleveland Public Library.rnrnKevin Johnson is Managing Partner at NexGen Interactive, LLC, a technology consultancy. He has held countless roles over the years in areas of engineering, IT, and management here in Northeast Ohio and across the globe.rnrnTogether, Connie and Kevin were instrumental in producing The Soul of Philanthropy Cleveland (TSOPCLE) in 2019 and also launched the Cleveland Black Equity and Humanity Fund.

In July 2024, Cindy Hohl was inaugurated as the next President of the American Library Association (ALA). As a member of the Santee Sioux Nation in Nebraska, she is the second Native American woman to serve as ALA President. During her term, she plans to focus on four main pillars of librarianship: intellectual freedom, literacy, learning, and leadership. "There has never been a better time to serve our communities within the roles of librarianship and we stand united in our mission to ensure equal access to information for all," said Hohl.rnrnHohl also plans to lead the creation of an informational toolkit to address Missing, Murdered, Indigenous Women and People in the United States when communities need information to conduct searches for their missing loved ones, or to share information outside of the community.rnrnIn partnership with Cleveland Public Library, and in honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day, the City Club's Cynthia Connolly will sit down with Cindy Hohl to discuss the crucial role of libraries in fostering a sense of civic responsibility through diverse representation and community engagement.