Podcast appearances and mentions of James Lee Burke

MICHAEL AMOS CODY chats to Paul Burke about his STREETS OF NASHVILLE, new country music, North Carolina, MTV, tragic inspiration for the novel, why done it not whodunnit and Runion.In Streets of Nashville, Ezra MacRae has a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of songs and their writers, and he has moved from the North Carolina mountains to Nashville's Music Row with the dream of becoming part of that songwriting world. Yet just as he is out on the town to celebrate his first good fortune after several years of trying-a staff songwriting contract with an independent music publisher-he witnesses the man who signed on the dotted lines with him gunned down with three others outside his Music Row office. The masked gunman spares Ezra. But why?Michael Amos Cody was born in the South Carolina Lowcountry and raised in the North Carolina highlands. He spent his twenties writing songs in Nashville and his thirties in school. He's the author of the novel Gabriel's Songbook (Pisgah Press) and short fiction that has appeared in Yemassee, Tampa Review, Still: The Journal, and elsewhere. His short story collection, A Twilight Reel (Pisgah Press) won the Short Story / Anthology category of the Feathered Quill Book Awards 2022. Cody lives with his wife Leesa in Jonesborough, Tennessee, and teaches in the Department of Literature and Language at East Tennessee State University.Author blog on Runion: https://michaelamoscody.com/2019/05/24/runion-north-carolina/Mentions: David Joy, Cormac McCarthy, Bruce Springsteen, Bob McDill, Thomas Wolfe, James Lee Burke, Heather Levy, CW Blackwell, Monster City Michael Arntfield, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Robert Southey, Charles Brockton Brown, Peter McDade, Don DeLillo - Great Jones Street.Recommendations: anything by Tony Hillerman and the adaptation of two of his novels for streaming Dark Wind.Paul Burke writes for Monocle Magazine, Crime Time, Crime Fiction Lover and the European Literature Network, Punk Noir Magazine (fiction contribution). He is also a CWA Historical Dagger Judge 2025. His first book An Encyclopedia of  Spy Fiction will be out early 2026.Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023 & 2024 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,

Southern Fiction: Shane Brown & Michael Farris SmithMichael Farris Smith and Shane Brown write what they know. Both could be described as writers of Southern Noir.Smith has had a successful career writing novels, screenplays, and short stories. He is also a musician and leads the local Oxford band, Michael Farris Smith and the Smokes. Their latest release is called Lostville. You can see the film, Chasing Rabbits, on Tubi, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV.Shane Brown is the son of acclaimed author Larry Brown. He is following in his father's footsteps in writing in a similar voice. He has recently landed a publishing deal and his first book will be out soon. Both authors are located in Oxford, a gathering point for creative types. Must be something in the air.Southern noir is a gritty, atmospheric subgenre of fiction that merges the dark, cynical tone of classic noir with the distinct cultural and historical backdrop of the American South. Set in humid, decaying towns or sprawling urban underbellies, it features flawed protagonists—often detectives, drifters, or outcasts—navigating a world of corruption, violence, and moral ambiguity. Infused with Southern Gothic elements, such as grotesque characters and oppressive settings, Southern noir explores themes of racial tension, class struggle, and the lingering weight of history, all wrapped in a sultry, fatalistic vibe. Authors like James Lee Burke and Daniel Woodrell craft taut, evocative tales that pulse with the South's unique blend of beauty and brutality.Join my Supporters Club for $4.99 per month for exclusive stories:https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/what-if-it-s-true-podcast--5445587/support

619. Part 1 of our interview with Rien Fertel. “I'm a Louisiana-born and based writer and teacher. My most recent book, out September 2022, is Brown Pelican, a human history of the very best bird. I've penned three earlier books. The Drive-By Truckers' Southern Rock Opera, #133 in Bloomsbury's 33 1/3 series, about a road trip based on a recent classic album about a road trip. The One True Barbecue: Fire, Smoke, and the Pitmasters Who Cook the Whole Hog, a personal/historical reflection on race, labor, and foodways in the Deep South, came out in 2016 from Simon & Schuster's Touchstone imprint. My first book, Imagining the Creole City, an intellectual and literary study of a circle of writers in nineteenth-century New Orleans, arrived in 2014.” Now available: Liberty in Louisiana: A Comedy. The oldest play about Louisiana, author James Workman wrote it as a celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Now it is back in print for the first time in 221 years. Order your copy today! This week in Louisiana history. March 29, 1962. N.O. Parochial schools ordered to desegregate by Archbishop. This week in New Orleans history. Theodore "Parson" Clapp was born March 29, 1792. He pastored the First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans 1821-1856. This week in Louisiana. 9th Annual Books Along The Teche Literary Festival April 4-6, 2025 317 E. Main St. New Iberia LA 70560 (337) 369-6446 techefest@gmail.com Website Events Various venues will celebrate literature and its impact on the area's culture with storytelling, workshops, readers theatre, music, bourée lessons and tournament, bus and boat tours, a 5K run and food, food, food. Anyone who is familiar with James Lee Burke and his fictional character, detective Dave Robicheaux, knows of New Iberia and our fascinating blend of heritage, hospitality and history. Storytelling Traditions in Acadiana, Parts 1 & 2 — Exploring Fictional Genres & personal stories Divine Dirt: Inspirations, Spiritual Teachings & Gardening Tips! Destination Publication: Turning Travels into Books and Articles I've Got an Idea for a Picture Book! Now What? Dave's Haunts and Jaunts Mystery Bus Tour Postcards from Louisiana. Roz's band plays at Bamboula Listen on Apple Podcasts. Listen on audible. Listen on Spotify. Listen on TuneIn. Listen on iHeartRadio. The Louisiana Anthology Home Page. Like us on Facebook. 

Ralph McAllister reviews three of his favourite books from last year: Our Evenings by Hollinghurst, published by Picador, Cocktails with George and Martha by Philip Gefter, published by Ithaka Press Limited, and Clete by James Lee Burke, published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson.

This week on SouthBound, it's our best of 2024 episode. We're playing clips from host Tommy Tomlinson's favorite guests of the year: author James Lee Burke, YouTube star Landon Bryant and many more. Come join the conversation.

(Originally recorded 10/30/24) Our pre-Halloween/World Series episode for 2024. Bruce was giving live updates on game 6 as the podcast progressed.  Look it up to see how things turned out. We also finally got around to discussing James Lee Burke's Clete.  Opinions were mixed. Stephe kinda looked like Bono which may or may not have been attributable to his concussion.  Yes, he had a concussion. Other topics included: Shellfish Alternate Bonos Conspiracy theory haikus The Many Loves of Dave Robicheaux The 2024 World Series Stephe's conflicted Chiefs/Broncos fandom Donald Trump The Bray Wyatt documentary of Peacock Action figure talk And, of course, What's on Your Desk?"

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

Knife River is the fourth in the award winning Sheriff Ty Dawson series. Set in rural Oregon in the 1970's, a brutal unsolved crime from the past weaves its way into the present and threatens to disrupt the peaceful way of life in this isolated community. Times are changing with the influence of the Vietnam War and social unrest, and a bourgeoning music scene brings “progress” in the name of a music amphitheater and a planned live show in the shadow of the infamous Altamont concert disaster. Ty must prevent a similar outcome while consumed by the mysterious death from the past. The Ty Dawson series is often cast as a blend of Longmire meets Yellowstone in the 1970's. Birtcher's prose is unparalleled. He will transport you back to this more innocent time and fans of James Lee Burke and Larry McMurtry will devour Knife River. In conversation with James L'Etoile for Authors on the Air.

Knife River is the fourth in the award winning Sheriff Ty Dawson series. Set in rural Oregon in the 1970's, a brutal unsolved crime from the past weaves its way into the present and threatens to disrupt the peaceful way of life in this isolated community. Times are changing with the influence of the Vietnam War and social unrest, and a bourgeoning music scene brings “progress” in the name of a music amphitheater and a planned live show in the shadow of the infamous Altamont concert disaster. Ty must prevent a similar outcome while consumed by the mysterious death from the past. The Ty Dawson series is often cast as a blend of Longmire meets Yellowstone in the 1970's. Birtcher's prose is unparalleled. He will transport you back to this more innocent time and fans of James Lee Burke and Larry McMurtry will devour Knife River. In conversation with James L'Etoile for Authors on the Air.

JAMES LEE BURKE chats to Paul Burke about his career, Dave Robicheaux, Flags on the Bayou, Clete, Louisiana, the Diamond Dagger, voices, fentanyl, Knights Errant and cooking for Davy Crockett.  Clete Clete Purcel - private investigator, ex-member of the New Orleans Police Department, and war veteran with a hard shell and just a few soft spots - is Dave Robicheaux's longtime friend and partner in detective work. But he has a troubled past.When Clete leaves his car at the local car wash, only to return to find it ransacked by a group of thugs tied to the drug trade from Mexican cartels to Louisiana, it feels personal - his grandniece died of a fentanyl overdose, and his fists curl when he thinks of the dealers who sold it.Just as Clete starts to trail the culprits, Clara Bow hires Clete as a detective to investigate her scheming, slippery ex-husband, and a string of brutal deaths all link back to a heavily tattooed man who seems to lurk around every corner. Clete is experiencing shockingly lifelike hallucinations and questioning Clara's ulterior motives when he and Dave start to hear rumors of a dangerous substance with potentially catastrophic effects. The thugs who destroyed his car might have been pawns in a scheme far darker than they could've imagined.JAMES LEE BURKE is the author of many novels, and the critically-acclaimed, bestselling Detective Dave Robicheaux series. He won the Edgar Award for both Cimarron Rose and Black Cherry Blues, and Sunset Limited was awarded the CWA Gold Dagger. Two For Texas was adapted for television, and Heaven's Prisoners and In the Electric Mist for film. Burke has been a Breadloaf Fellow and Guggenheim Fellow, has been awarded the Grand Master Award by the Mystery Writers of America and has been nominated for a Pulitzer award. He lives with his wife, Pearl, in Missoula, Montana.Recommends:William Faulkner - The Sound and the FuryFilm - Shane, The Godfather Paul Burke writes for Monocle Magazine, Crime Time, Crime Fiction Lover and the European Literature Network, Punk Noir Magazine (fiction contribution). He is also a CWA Historical Dagger Judge 2024. His first book An Encyclopedia of  Spy Fiction will be out in 2025.Music courtesy of  Guy Hale KILLING ME SOFTLY - MIKE ZITO featuring Kid Anderson. GUY HALEProduced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023& Newcastle Noir 20232024 Slaughterfest, National Crime Reading Month, CWA Daggers

Paul Burke introduces a special show dedicated to the CWA Dagger Awards Evening 4/7/24.Victoria Selman and Imran Mahmood host the evening celebration of all things crime. Lisa Jewell delivers a thought provoking and challenging the key note speech, James Lee Burke and Lynda la Plante accept the life time achievement awards. CWA Chair Vaseem Khan talks about the power of story and all short listed authors and winners are announced.*Full list of winners here: Daggers Award Winners Paul Burke writes for Monocle Magazine, Crime Time, Crime Fiction Lover and the European Literature Network, Punk Noir Magazine (fiction contribution). He is also a CWA Historical Dagger Judge 2024. His first book An Encyclopedia of  Spy Fiction will be out in late 2025.Music courtesy of  Guy Hale KILLING ME SOFTLY - MIKE ZITO featuring Kid Anderson. GUY HALE*Speeches and comments have been significantly edited for this show due to time constraints. The aim has been to keep the spirit of the event and value the contributions of guests, thank you.Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023& Newcastle Noir 20232024 Slaughterfest, National Crime Reading Month, CWA Daggers

The numbers don't lie, James Lee Burke is my favorite guest.

Host Diana Korte speaks with James Lee Burke who is the author of about 40 books written over more than 50 years.   He's best known for two series. One is about the Holland family that's featured in this program about “The House of the Rising Sun.”  We chatted about this book several years ago. The other series that he is best known for features former New Orleans police officer Dave Robicheaux. His continuing story has been told in two dozen books. #24 is “Clete,” published this year. Another 2024 title is “Harbor Lights,” a book of 8 short stories that move from the marshlands on the Gulf of Mexico to the sweeping plains of Colorado. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/booktalk-diana-korte/message

Patrick Millikin in conversation with James Lee Burke

This week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson interviews a legend: the mystery writer James Lee Burke, who has written 46 books and is still going strong at age 87. He's got a new novel out in his Dave Robicheaux series, and he talks to Tommy about that — and a lot more.

1/ Polars français : Franck Thilliez est-il vraiment le boss ? 2/ Jussi Adler-Olsen, Don Winslow, James Lee Burke : que valent les mastodontes étrangers du printemps ? 3/ Les coups de cœur des invités. Retrouvez un nouveau numéro du Club Le Figaro Culture Présenté par Jean-Christophe Buisson. Julie Malaure, Alexandra Schwartzbrod, Bruno Corty et Philippe Blanchet l'accompagnent en plateau.Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

STIG ABELL chats to Paul Burke about his new crime novel DEATH IN A LONELY PLACE, rural idyll as vest of Vipers, identity, writing a series, love of genre fiction and how crime fiction is a tonic for the soul.DEATH IN A LONELY PLACE In a quiet village, darkness is closing in…A rural paradise…Detective Jake Jackson moved to the countryside for a quieter life. And he finally seems to have his wish – spending his days immersed in nature, and his evenings lazing by the fire.A terrifying secret…But the return of an old case shatters the calm, and pulls him into the shadowy world of a secretive group serving the extravagant whims of the elite.An enemy closes in…As the web around Jake tightens, he must determine who he can really trust in his small community. Or else he will learn just how far the elite will go to protect their secrets.STIG ABELL believes that discovering a crime fiction series to enjoy is one of the great pleasures in life. His first novel, Death Under A Little Sky, introduced Jake Jackson and his attempt to get away from his former life in the beautiful area around Little Sky. This book is the second in the series, and Stig is absolutely delighted that there are more on the way. Away from books, he co-presents the breakfast show on Times Radio, a station he helped to launch in 2020. Before that he was a regular presenter on Radio 4's Front Row and was the editor and publisher of the Times Literary Supplement. He lives in London with his wife, three children and two independent-minded cats called Boo and Ninja (his children named them, obviously).Recommendations Dorothy L Sayers, NGAIO MARSH, Carl Hiaasen, John D Mac Donald, Abigail Dean, Jane Casey, Noted: PD James, Ellis Peters, Elmore Leonard, James Lee Burke, James Ellroy, Colin Dexter. Paul Burke writes for Monocle Magazine, Crime Time, Crime Fiction Lover and the European Literature Network. He is also a CWA Historical Dagger Judge 2023. An Encyclopedia of  Spy Fiction will be out in 2025.Music courtesy of  Guy Hale KILLING ME SOFTLY - MIKE ZITO featuring Kid Anderson. GUY HALE Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023& Newcastle Noir 20232024??

568. We welcome author Lisa Wingate to the podcast to discuss her novel, Book of Lost Friends. “From the bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a dramatic historical novel of three young women searching for family amid the destruction of the post–Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who learns of their story and its vital connection to her students' lives” (NYT). "Louisiana, 1875: In the tumultuous era of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Hannie, a freed slave; Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now destitute plantation; and Juneau Jane, Lavinia's Creole half sister. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following roads rife with vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of stolen inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and siblings before slavery's end, the pilgrimage west reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope" (Wingate). This week in Louisiana history. April 6 1764 First Acadians actually arrived in Louisiana. This week in New Orleans history. On April 6, 1893, Andy Bowen and Jack Burke fought 110 rounds to a draw in New Orleans in the longest prizefight in history. The fight lasted seven hours, 19 minutes. This week in Louisiana. Books Along The Teche Literary Festival March 31, 2023 — April 07, 2024. https://booksalongthetecheliteraryfestival.com Various venues will celebrate literature and its impact on the area's culture with storytelling, workshops, readers theatre, music, bourée lessons and tournament, bus and boat tours, a 5K run and food, food, food. Anyone who is familiar with James Lee Burke and his fictional character, detective Dave Robicheaux, knows of New Iberia and our fascinating blend of heritage, hospitality and history. Amenities Family Friendly Handicapped Accessible Free Parking Street Parking Phone: (337) 369-6446 Email:  techefest@gmail.com Social: Facebook Postcards from Louisiana. Lundi Gras parade. Listen on Apple Podcasts. Listen on audible. Listen on Spotify. Listen on TuneIn. Listen on iHeartRadio. The Louisiana Anthology Home Page. Like us on Facebook. 

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

Conversations with two Edgar Award nominees for Best Novel.

We have on the show today writer Shaye Ogbonna.When not in pursuit of retro sneakers, Shaye Ogbonna can be found worshiping at the Temple of Story. His most recent feature project is the contemporary western feature GOD'S COUNTRY — starring the incomparable Thandiwe Newton.Based on a short story by acclaimed author James Lee Burke, God's Country is a character-driven thriller set in the snowy wilderness of the American West. Thandiwe Newton plays Sandra Guidry, a Black professor living and working in a rural college town. She's also grieving her recently-deceased mother, for whom she'd served as primary caretaker. On the day of the burial, Sandra discovers a mysterious red truck parked in her driveway. She soon learns it belongs to a pair of local hunters seeking to enter the forest behind her house. Sandra turns them away politely but firmly – her experience tells her these are not the sort of men to welcome freely into her world. But they won't take no for an answer, and soon Sandra finds herself drawn into an escalating battle of wills that puts her most deeply-held values to the test.In the television/streaming space, Shaye is currently developing JUMPMEN -- a one-hour drama set in the cutthroat world of the sneaker industry – with Showtime. He is also staffed on Showtime's THE CHI and JJ Abrams's DUSTER on HBO. His feature writing debut — 2017's genre-bending LOWLIFE — opened the 2017 Fantasia Film Festival and became a darling of the genre festival circuit, culminating in its acquisition and worldwide distribution through IFC Midnight.Shaye's creative mission is to center marginalized voices within genre storytelling.Enjoy my conversation with Shaye Ogbonna.

After publishing 41 novels James Lee Burke has a new story collection, his third.

From New York Times-bestselling author James Lee Burke comes a novel set in Civil War-era Louisiana as the South transforms and a brilliant cast of characters – enslaved and free women, plantation gentry, and battle-weary Confederate and Union soldiers – are caught in the maelstrom. About the author James Lee Burke is a New York Times bestselling author, two-time winner of the Edgar Award, and the recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts in Fiction. He's authored thirty-seven novels and two short story collections. He lives in Missoula, Montana. For more info on the book click HERE --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/steve-richards/support

Week of 10/1/23 at the Library - Talpa | Hosts Dylan Posa and Barb Leitschuh go over upcoming events, talk about the Talpa search feature, and for "Barb The Bookie" recommend 'Flags On The Bayou' by James Lee Burke.

Nobody has made more appearances in the Book Nook than James Lee Burke.

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed James Lee Burke, author of FLAGS ON THE BAYOU.   Set in Civil War era Louisiana, Burke's novel provides a kaleidoscope of narrators that reveals the violence, pain, suffering, conflict, and beliefs that haunt the characters in this epic story.  Be sure to click on the hotlink  of James Lee Burke to learn more about the novel and author.Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media:Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreviewInstagram - @diverse_voices_book_reviewTwitter - @diversebookshayEmail: hbh@diversevoicesbookreview.com

Ex-Barrister turned bestselling crime writer, Steve Cavanagh, joins Simon and Matt in the studio. They discuss his brilliant new thriller - 'Kill For Me Kill For You' - his love of James Lee Burke and how this latest book was inspired by Hysmith and Hitchcock. Here comes the science bit: One dark evening in New York City, two strangers meet by chance. Over drinks, Amanda and Wendy realise they have so much in common. They both feel alone. They both drink alone. And they both desperately want revenge against the two men who destroyed their families. Together, they have the perfect plan. If you kill for me, I'll kill for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russell Rowland had the opportunity to do an interview with James Lee Burke for Distinctly Montana Magazine about the work of A.B. Guthrie. Both Russell and James are huge Guthrie fans, and Burke got to know him after he moved to Missoula in the '60s. So Burke has some wonderful stories about Guthrie, but also some terrific insights into the importance of his work. Burke also talks a great deal about his own work.

A series of introspective monologues is brought vividly to life in six stellar performances. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile's Robin Whitten talk about this collection of reflective first-person monologues by soldiers, slave owners, and free and enslaved women. The setting is Louisiana during the late days of the Civil War, and the narrators portray all manner of humanity, delivering deeply felt first-person stories that neatly intertwine. Author James Lee Burke delivers his introduction and epilogue. A reminder of the disastrous results that once arose in a divided nation. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile's website. Published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from BOLINDA. A world-leading audiobook and technology company, Bolinda publishes the greatest books you'll ever hear and inspire people to live their best lives through the power of storytelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want the full episode?Check out yesterday's episode, or download it directly using this link. Sarah Knight, deemed “the Anti-Guru” for her profane approach to giving practical advice, joins the show (again!) to discuss defining life decisions, listening to your intuition, taking initiative, and the importance of having purposeful responsibilities. KEY TOPICSHow defining moments in adulthood impact the way we make decisions.Making decisions when you're stuck between options.Having purposeful responsibilities so you can feel fulfilled.Taking ownership of your decisions, whether others approve of them or not. Order Sarah's book “Grow the F*ck Up: How to Be an Adult and Get Treated Like One”! Check out our last episode with Sarah, Ep.77 I Sarah Knight I Deciding Not to Give a F*ck! CONNECT WITH USwww.decidedlypodcast.com Join us on Instagram: @decidedlypodcast Join us on FacebookShawn's Instagram: @shawn_d_smith Sanger's Instagram: @sangersmith MAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION?At Decidedly Wealth Management, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy. LEARN MOREwww.decidedlywealth.comSUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY DECISION-MAKING TIP EMAIL Join us every Wednesday for more strategies to DEFEAT bad decision-making - one episode at a time! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Grow the F*ck Up: How to Be an Adult and Get Treated Like OneWhat's Passive Income? It's Not What Influencers Say It Is. - The New York Times (nytimes.com) CONNECT WITH SARAH KNIGHTWebsite: www.sarahknight.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahknightauthor  Sarah's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahknightauthor  Sarah's Twitter: https://twitter.com/mcsnugz  Sarah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahknightauthor/  Sarah's Books and Journals: https://sarahknight.com/books/  Sarah's Podcast, No Fucks Given: https://sarahknight.com/podcast/  Sarah's Course, Fuck No!: https://courses.sarahknight.com/  Sarah's Quizzes: https://sarahknight.com/quizzes/  Grow the F*ck Up: How to Be an Adult and Get Treated Like One: https://www.sarahknight.com/books/gtfu/ With more than 3 million copies in print, Sarah Knight's No Fucks Given Guides have been published in thirty-one languages and appeared on bestseller lists all over the world. Known as “the Anti-Guru” for her profane approach to giving practical advice, Knight, a Harvard graduate, worked for fifteen years as a top book editor in New York City with authors such as Chris Cleave, James Lee Burke, Gillian Flynn, David Javerbaum, Jen Kirkman, Jessica Knoll, Emily Nagoski, and many more. In 2015 she left corporate publishing to go freelance, moved to the Caribbean, and wrote The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck, which is currently in development for film with New Line Cinema. Her acclaimed series of “genius” (Vogue), “hilarious” (Real Simple), and “no-nonsense” (Bustle) self-help books includes the runaway hits Calm the Fuck Down and Get Your Shit Together, which spent sixteen weeks on the New York Times bestseller list; as well as accompanying journals and a No Fucks Given page-a-day calendar. Knight's TEDx Talk on “The Magic of Not Giving a Fuck” has 10 million views; she is an in-demand speaker who has headlined events for WarnerMedia, the Marriott Hotel Group, The Wing, and others; and she hosts the popular No Fucks Given podcast, which reached #1 on the Apple Education charts. Sarah Knight lives in the Dominican Republic with her husband and two rescue cats, Gladys and Mister Stussy. She is represented for books, film, and speaking by CAA.

Sarah Knight, deemed “the Anti-Guru” for her profane approach to giving practical advice, joins the show (again!) to discuss defining life decisions, listening to your intuition, taking initiative, and the importance of having purposeful responsibilities. KEY TOPICSHow defining moments in adulthood impact the way we make decisions.Making decisions when you're stuck between options.Having purposeful responsibilities so you can feel fulfilled.Taking ownership of your decisions, whether others approve of them or not. Order Sarah's book “Grow the F*ck Up: How to Be an Adult and Get Treated Like One”! Check out our last episode with Sarah, Ep.77 I Sarah Knight I Deciding Not to Give a F*ck!DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THE FULL EPISODE?Check out the brief highlight clip!Listen by searching Ep.83 HIGHLIGHT I Getting feedback and acting on it! or use this direct download link. CONNECT WITH USwww.decidedlypodcast.com Join us on Instagram: @decidedlypodcast Join us on FacebookShawn's Instagram: @shawn_d_smith Sanger's Instagram: @sangersmith MAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION?At Decidedly Wealth Management, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy. LEARN MOREwww.decidedlywealth.comSUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY DECISION-MAKING TIP EMAIL Join us every Wednesday for more strategies to DEFEAT bad decision-making - one episode at a time! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Grow the F*ck Up: How to Be an Adult and Get Treated Like OneWhat's Passive Income? It's Not What Influencers Say It Is. - The New York Times (nytimes.com) CONNECT WITH SARAH KNIGHTWebsite: www.sarahknight.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahknightauthor  Sarah's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahknightauthor  Sarah's Twitter: https://twitter.com/mcsnugz  Sarah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahknightauthor/  Sarah's Books and Journals: https://sarahknight.com/books/  Sarah's Podcast, No Fucks Given: https://sarahknight.com/podcast/  Sarah's Course, Fuck No!: https://courses.sarahknight.com/  Sarah's Quizzes: https://sarahknight.com/quizzes/  Grow the F*ck Up: How to Be an Adult and Get Treated Like One: https://www.sarahknight.com/books/gtfu/ With more than 3 million copies in print, Sarah Knight's No Fucks Given Guides have been published in thirty-one languages and appeared on bestseller lists all over the world. Known as “the Anti-Guru” for her profane approach to giving practical advice, Knight, a Harvard graduate, worked for fifteen years as a top book editor in New York City with authors such as Chris Cleave, James Lee Burke, Gillian Flynn, David Javerbaum, Jen Kirkman, Jessica Knoll, Emily Nagoski, and many more. In 2015 she left corporate publishing to go freelance, moved to the Caribbean, and wrote The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck, which is currently in development for film with New Line Cinema. Her acclaimed series of “genius” (Vogue), “hilarious” (Real Simple), and “no-nonsense” (Bustle) self-help books includes the runaway hits Calm the Fuck Down and Get Your Shit Together, which spent sixteen weeks on the New York Times bestseller list; as well as accompanying journals and a No Fucks Given page-a-day calendar. Knight's TEDx Talk on “The Magic of Not Giving a Fuck” has 10 million views; she is an in-demand speaker who has headlined events for WarnerMedia, the Marriott Hotel Group, The Wing, and others; and she hosts the popular No Fucks Given podcast, which reached #1 on the Apple Education charts. Sarah Knight lives in the Dominican Republic with her husband and two rescue cats, Gladys and Mister Stussy. She is represented for books, film, and speaking by CAA.

Sarah Knight, deemed “the Anti-Guru” for her profane approach to giving practical advice, joins the show to discuss boundaries, to-do list management, and building habits that serve you and breaking the ones that don't.Want the full episode? Check out yesterday's episode, or download it directly using this link. KEY TOPICS Holding consistent boundaries so people don't walk all over you. Building habits for the “Want Tos” so they can come off your to-do list. Shortening your to-do list into a must-do list. Bending people to your will so you can do what you want and need to do.CONNECT WITH USwww.decidedlypodcast.com Join us on Instagram: @decidedlypodcast Join us on FacebookShawn's Instagram: @shawn_d_smith Sanger's Instagram: @sangersmith MAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION?At Decidedly Wealth Management, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy. LEARN MOREwww.decidedlywealth.comSUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY DECISION-MAKING TIP EMAIL Join us every Wednesday for more strategies to DEFEAT bad decision-making - one episode at a time! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Marie Kondo's books Ep.75 I Jason Feifer I Deciding to Embrace Change CONNECT WITH SARAH KNIGHT Website: www.sarahknight.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahknightauthor Sarah's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahknightauthor Sarah's Twitter: https://twitter.com/mcsnugz Sarah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahknightauthor/ Sarah's Books and Journals: https://sarahknight.com/books/ Sarah's Podcast, No Fucks Given: https://sarahknight.com/podcast/ Sarah's Course, Fuck No!: https://courses.sarahknight.com/ Sarah's Quizzes: https://sarahknight.com/quizzes/ With more than 3 million copies in print, Sarah Knight's No Fucks Given Guides have been published in thirty-one languages and appeared on bestseller lists all over the world. Known as “the Anti-Guru” for her profane approach to giving practical advice, Knight, a Harvard graduate, worked for fifteen years as a top book editor in New York City with authors such as Chris Cleave, James Lee Burke, Gillian Flynn, David Javerbaum, Jen Kirkman, Jessica Knoll, Emily Nagoski, and many more. In 2015 she left corporate publishing to go freelance, moved to the Caribbean, and wrote The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck, which is currently in development for film with New Line Cinema. Her acclaimed series of “genius” (Vogue), “hilarious” (Real Simple), and “no-nonsense” (Bustle) self-help books includes the runaway hits Calm the Fuck Down and Get Your Shit Together, which spent sixteen weeks on the New York Times bestseller list; as well as accompanying journals and a No Fucks Given page-a-day calendar. Knight's TEDx Talk on “The Magic of Not Giving a Fuck” has 10 million views; she is an in-demand speaker who has headlined events for WarnerMedia, the Marriott Hotel Group, The Wing, and others; and she hosts the popular No Fucks Given podcast, which reached #1 on the Apple Education charts. Sarah Knight lives in the Dominican Republic with her husband and two rescue cats, Gladys and Mister Stussy. She is represented for books, film, and speaking by CAA.

Sarah Knight, deemed “the Anti-Guru” for her profane approach to giving practical advice, joins the show to discuss boundaries, to-do list management, and building habits that serve you and breaking the ones that don't. KEY TOPICS Holding consistent boundaries so people don't walk all over you. Building habits for the “Want Tos” so they can come off your to-do list. Shortening your to-do list into a must-do list. Bending people to your will so you can do what you want and need to do.DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THE FULL EPISODE?Check out the brief highlight clip!Listen by searching Ep.77 HIGHLIGHT I Stop saying "yes" when you should say "no", or use this direct download link.CONNECT WITH USwww.decidedlypodcast.com Join us on Instagram: @decidedlypodcast Join us on FacebookShawn's Instagram: @shawn_d_smith Sanger's Instagram: @sangersmith MAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION?At Decidedly Wealth Management, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy. LEARN MOREwww.decidedlywealth.comSUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY DECISION-MAKING TIP EMAIL Join us every Wednesday for more strategies to DEFEAT bad decision-making - one episode at a time! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Marie Kondo's books Ep.75 I Jason Feifer I Deciding to Embrace Change CONNECT WITH SARAH KNIGHT Website: www.sarahknight.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahknightauthor Sarah's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahknightauthor Sarah's Twitter: https://twitter.com/mcsnugz Sarah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahknightauthor/ Sarah's Books and Journals: https://sarahknight.com/books/ Sarah's Podcast, No Fucks Given: https://sarahknight.com/podcast/ Sarah's Course, Fuck No!: https://courses.sarahknight.com/ Sarah's Quizzes: https://sarahknight.com/quizzes/ With more than 3 million copies in print, Sarah Knight's No Fucks Given Guides have been published in thirty-one languages and appeared on bestseller lists all over the world. Known as “the Anti-Guru” for her profane approach to giving practical advice, Knight, a Harvard graduate, worked for fifteen years as a top book editor in New York City with authors such as Chris Cleave, James Lee Burke, Gillian Flynn, David Javerbaum, Jen Kirkman, Jessica Knoll, Emily Nagoski, and many more. In 2015 she left corporate publishing to go freelance, moved to the Caribbean, and wrote The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck, which is currently in development for film with New Line Cinema. Her acclaimed series of “genius” (Vogue), “hilarious” (Real Simple), and “no-nonsense” (Bustle) self-help books includes the runaway hits Calm the Fuck Down and Get Your Shit Together, which spent sixteen weeks on the New York Times bestseller list; as well as accompanying journals and a No Fucks Given page-a-day calendar. Knight's TEDx Talk on “The Magic of Not Giving a Fuck” has 10 million views; she is an in-demand speaker who has headlined events for WarnerMedia, the Marriott Hotel Group, The Wing, and others; and she hosts the popular No Fucks Given podcast, which reached #1 on the Apple Education charts. Sarah Knight lives in the Dominican Republic with her husband and two rescue cats, Gladys and Mister Stussy. She is represented for books, film, and speaking by CAA.

Picking up from last week's discussion of parables, this episode takes on the question of narrative, storytelling, and fiction. Does the fact that Jesus teaches in parables tell us anything about the value of literature? Should we avoid reading made-up stories in favor of factual books, or are there truths that can only be grasped by way of fiction? Mark and Cameron tackle these questions and more.Mentioned in this episode:Cameron refers to Eugene Vodolaskin's 2012 novel Laurus and Zane Grey's classic western Riders of the Purple Sage (1912). He also mentions Wendell Berry. Mark cites Flannery O'Connor, Graham Greene, and Walker Percy. He also throws in James Lee Burke and Georges Simenon.

Jason P. Reed, founder of New Bayou Books and the author of two recent novels set in Acadiana joined Discover Lafayette to share his goal of sparking a renaissance of new, modern fiction that features South Louisiana.  A native of Eunice LA, Jason graduated from USL, served a stint with the Peace Corps, then joined the Air Force right after 9/11. He currently lives in Belgium where he works for the U. S. Department of Defense as a civilian. Jason has an interesting and informed perspective on South Louisiana, especially after living away for so long. He says South Louisiana stands out as a “wonderfully weird, welcoming place in a country that is becoming ever more homogeneous.” Many native South Louisianians can take for granted how unique our region is. He has found that people around the U. S. and internationally are hungry to know more about our part of the world. And to satisfy that hunger, Jason has found his calling to encourage other authors to write about contemporary life in South Louisiana. "In South Louisiana, we have our own food, our own music, we even have our own visual art, but we have work to do when it comes to modern, contemporary literature that speaks to the region. Certainly, there are giants in the field, such as James Lee Burke. But not many others that feature South Louisiana. To address that shortage, Jason founded New Bayou Books and is looking to partner with other writers to assist in publishing their works. "My calling is to be the guy who creates that spark that inspires the writers who may be the ones the next generation remembers. There are not nearly enough fictional stories about South Louisiana." Jason P. Reed's first book, Tattoos and Tans, is about Curtis Laroux, a tattoo artist who had lived away for ten years and moved back to Eunice to open the town's first tattoo parlor, causing much consternation among local business owners. Jason established New Bayou Books to encourage writers to write about South Louisiana in contemporary times, not just a look back at historical events. Writers are encouraged to send Jason P. Reed their submissions at revolution@newbayoubooks.com. Jason has set a goal for himself to write five books by his 50th birthday and expects to publish his third novel in early 2023. "I believe in two things: 1) There are amazing, unknown writers hiding in the shadows of every parish in South Louisiana. I want to inspire them to get serious about their writing, and 2) There is a market for these books. Think about the advantage of buying locally. The market for South Louisiana literature is based upon the same premise." Jason's main message for aspiring writers is, "You don't need permission to put your work out to the world. There are all sorts of inexpensive, even free publishing tools. When I wrote my first book, I was expecting to have to shop it around to publishers because that was the traditional way I learned in college. Today, there are no barriers to entering the market as an independent publisher." And this sums up why he founded New Bayou Books: "I believe in the punk rock ethos of 'Do it yourself.' If it's worth doing, do it. Get involved and do something." Jason P. Reed's second book, All Saints Day of the Dead, tells the story of Constance Miller who fled West Virginia and joined friends in Lafayette, Louisiana as they prepared for the annual Black Pot Festival and All Saints' Day. "All hell breaks loose on Halloween night and it takes a visiting Deacon from Vietnam, an ex-nun, and the boys from a Cajun band to pull Constance through." The cover was designed by his friend, Toby Frey. The book is available from New Bayou Books or on Amazon. In closing, we thank Jason P. Reed for his passion for contemporary fictional literature and his drive to assist other writers in their journey. It is our pleasure to share his message: "There should be more literature that represents what life is like today in South Louisiana.

Hap Cawood was for many years the editor of the editorial pages for the Dayton Daily News. Hap is the author of the novel "The Miler." His daughter Shuly is a prolific writer. Shuly writes poetry, prose, fiction, non-fiction, essays, short stories, and memoir. Over the years that I have hosted the program I have interviewed fathers and daughters but never at the same time. For example, James Lee Burke has made many appearances on the show. His daughter Alafair Burke has too. I would love to interview them together. I doubt that will ever happen though. When I had the chance to have Hap and Shuly together in the studio I knew that it could be something special. I surprised them when I suggested that perhaps they might want to interview one another. I did not give them any advance warning about my plans. Even so, they still agreed to do it. So that's what we did!

Lauren Korn chats with prolific author of the American West James Lee Burke about his latest novel, ‘Every Cloak Rolled in Blood.'

Lauren Korn chats with prolific author of the American West James Lee Burke about his latest novel, ‘Every Cloak Rolled in Blood.'

Director Julian Higgins discusses his new film, God's Country, with fellow director Chloe Okuno in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Higgins discusses pulling off night exteriors on a small budget, the year hiatus during production, and the power of an impassioned letter. Based on a James Lee Burke's short story "Winter Light" and his own short film of the same name, Higgins' feature tells the story of a college professor who finds herself drawn into an escalating battle of wills after she confronts two hunters who claim they're just passing through. Please note: spoilers are included. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/November2022/GodsCountry_QnA_0922.aspx

We're all Golden Eagles here. Gemma is away on festival assignment, so filling in for her we've got Letterboxd senior editor and Weekend Watchlist co-host Mitchell Beaupre! Slim and Mitchell are joined by Julian Higgins, director and co-writer of God's Country—his neo-Western debut feature which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival and is hitting theaters September 16 from IFC Films. We also dive deep into Julian's four favorite films: Rashomon, Chimes at Midnight, The Return and Foxcatcher. Plus: Julian growing up with college professor cinephile parents; why he's never seen a single Star Wars movie (hint: those two things are related); why is everyone in Rashomon sweating so much?; Toshiro Mifune is the last 30 seconds of a bag of Skittles; Slim (still) isn't a Shakespeare person; the relentless pursuit of making a juicy period epic; going “full on Orson Welles”; Thandiwe Newton having bigger balls than Slim; “We all gotta play by the same rules if this is gonna work”; Julian being afraid of reading reviews from writers he loves; Mitchell watching Foxcatcher in the heart of Du Pont country; rich people can get away with anything; ornithologist, philatelist, philanthropist; nostalgia for HD DVD and how they made Slim's dad cry and Julian's childhood hero Basil Rathbone. Credits: This episode was recorded in Los Angeles, Delaware and Pennsylvania, and edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Booker: Brian Formo. Transcript by Sophie Shin. Art by Samm. Theme: ‘Vampiros Dancoteque' by Moniker. Lists and links: The Letterboxd list of films mentioned; The Emperor and the Wolf: The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune by Stuart Goldbraith IV; The Criterion Collection's HQ page; Julian's Instagram, Winter Light by James Lee Burke; New Novel, New Wave, New Politics: Fiction and the Representation of History in Postwar France by Lynn A. Higgins—Julian's mother Reviews of Rashomon by Esther Rosenfield and DallasFrance, Chimes at Midnight by Alyssa Heflin, God's Country by Brian Tallerico, The Return by Marcissus

On Saturday, July 16 the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers teamed up to host a vitual event--an interview of mystery writer James Lee Burke by fellow mystery writer (and RMMWA member) David Heska Wanbli Weiden.  This is the audio from that event.  To watch the interview on YouTube, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6FSMzELysg    

Lise McClendon's Bennett Sisters Mysteries are for anyone wanting to lose themselves in the magic of France with heart-warming family stories involving – like Jane Austen's Bennetts – five daughters. Hi there, I'm your host Jenny Wheeler, and in Binge Reading today Lise talks about the latest book in the series, Château Des Corbeaux, or in English, Castle of Ravens. Pascal's dreams of owning his own vineyard come crashing down with a murder very close to home. We've got some exciting FREE books offers - a Booksweeps Historic Romance Giveaway - enter the draw for a library and a n E-Reader - and a Mystery in July author promotion with mysteries free for download. Both are limited time offers so get in now! ENTER BOOKSWEEPS HISTORIC ROMANCE GIVEAWAY YES PLEASE TO JULY MYSTERIES Links for these books and all the details for other subjects discussed in this episode can be found on our website, www.thejoysofbingereading.com. Join our weekly newsletter so that you've got a prompt every week on what's newly posted and what's coming next. And don't forget to check out Binge Reading on Patreon for exclusive bonus content for less than a cup of coffee a month at www.patreon.com/thejoysofbingereading. Links for this episode: Lise McClendon Books in Order:https://www.fictiondb.com/author/lise-mcclendon~21845.htm The Bennett Sisters Cookbook: https://www.amazon.com/Bennett-Sisters-French-Cookbook-Mysteries/dp/1792884850 Thalia Press: https://lisemcclendon.com/the-books/thalia-press/ Alice Hoffman: https://alicehoffman.com/ James Lee Burke: https://www.jamesleeburke.com/ Ellen McGarrahan: Tow Truths and a Lie: www.Amazon.com/Two-Truths-Lie-Ellen-McGarrahan/dp/0812998669  William Deverell:Arthur Beauchamp legal thrillers: Stung:   https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55407906-stung Martin Walker: To Kill A Troubadour: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58467284-to-kill-a-troubadour Where to find Lise McClendon: Web site:  https://lisemcclendon.com/ Facebook:  @LiseMcClendon Author Twitter:  @LiseMcClendon:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lise-mcclendon What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.com for important mentions. But now, here's Lise. Introducing mystery author Lise McLendon Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Lise, and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us. Lise McClendon - popular mystery author Lise McClendon: Thank you for having me, Jenny. Jenny Wheeler: You have written a wonderfully lively series of French mysteries. We are talking about the latest one today, which is Château des Corbeaux, Castle of Ravens, which is just out. Theoretically, it's number 17 in the series, but we'll talk a little bit about some of the slight complications within that 17. At the beginning, you had five strong-willed sisters who are all lawyers as their father and grandfathers were before them. When you started out, did you have any idea of how long these five sisters were going to be running? Lise McClendon: Absolutely not. I envisioned five books, one featuring each sister. I wrote the first one, a New York publisher gave me some money to write it, and then he decided he didn't like it, so I ended up going independent, but that took a little while. Then it seemed like it was just a standalone because Blackbird Fly, the first book, is more of a women's fiction than a mystery. It's a lot of self-discovery, a lot of reinventing yourself after a tragedy. In that way it stands alone, or it could stand alone, and it did for about five years. Then I decided to go back and revisit the characters again. After I did a walking tour in France, in Burgundy, with a group of women, I decided I would have the sisters going on a walking tour together. That's how it got started again. Merle's shock of sudden widowhood

Vick Mickunas speaks with author James Lee Burke.

Andy Straka is an award-winning mystery author whose latest book, Split City, features identical twins who are also former pro bowling champions. When one of them is called upon by the small Midwest town sheriff to identify the other's body in the morgue, as you can imagine, all hell breaks loose.Hi there, I'm your host Jenny Wheeler, and today in Binge Reading Andy talks about the similarities between his own life and the characters in his story. He too is an identical twin who spent a lot of his youth in the local bowling alley. As usual, we have a great giveaway of free books to offer you–this time a selection of clean and uplifting historical romance. Details of where to download them are in the show notes or on the Binge Reading Facebook page at www.thejoysof binge reading.com or https://www.facebook.com/JennyAtBingeReading https://books.bookfunnel.com/escape_into_history/1lcyxeuzfl Don't forget exclusive bonus content on the Binge Reading on Patreon page – like hearing Andy's answers to the Five Quickfire Questions. You can hear those by becoming a Binge Reading on Patreon supporter for the cost of less than a cup of coffee a month. We would love to have you as a supporter. It takes a lot of work to put this together every week and although my time is not paid, it would be great to get a little extra benefit for supporting our sound crew, the people who transcribe the page, and our podcast hosts. Details at www.patreon.com/thejoysofbingereading Links to be found in this episode The Weird World of Extreme Ironing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowling_Alone Twin Cities: ttps://www.amazon.com/New-Hampshire-Vs-Vermont-Sibling/dp/0965250202) Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowling_Alone Raymond Chandler: The Big Sleep https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2052.The_Big_Sleep Falconry: https://www.n-a-f-a.com/page/What_is_Falconry Dashiel Hammett: The Maltese Falcon: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29999.The_Maltese_Falcon Jeffrey Deaver: https://www.jefferydeaver.com/ Mary Kay Andrews: https://marykayandrews.com/ Brian Freeman: The Deep Deep Snow, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52282213-the-deep-deep-snow Claire Huffacker: The Cowboy and The Cossack, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220812. Lee Goldberg, Gated Prey http://leegoldberg.com/books/ Leif Enger Virgil Wander https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39027388-virgil-wander AND Peace Like A River: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227571.Peace_Like_a_River Viet Thanh Nguyen: The Sympathizer, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1229277604 William Gibson: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/10003/william-gibson/ James Lee Burke: https://www.jamesleeburke.com/ Dave Robicheaux: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Robicheaux Anthony Doerr: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Cloud-Cuckoo-Land/Anthony-Doerr/9781982168438 C.J. Box: https://www.cjbox.net/ Amazon's new Jack Reacher series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSycMV-_Csw Where to find Andy Straka Website: https://www.andystraka.com/Email: andy@andystraka.com What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions. But now, here's Andy. Introducing mystery author Andy Straka Mystery Author - and falconer -Andy Straka with one of his birds Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Andy, and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us. Andy Straka: Thanks Jenny. I appreciate you having me on. Jenny Wheeler: You are an award-winning and bestselling author whose latest book, Split City, is book one in a new series called Jesus Spares. It's about identical twin brothers who have both been professional bowlers. I understand there is a big injection of personal biography into that backstory. Tell us about that. Andy Straka: I grew up in upstate New York,

462. Part 1 of our talk with Jari Honora about researching genealogy in New Orleans and Louisiana. Jari is a genealogist working in New Orleans helping connect people to their past. He provides genealogical and historical research services to the general public. He specializing in families and institutions in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. You can follow his research at his Blog CreoleGen. According to Mark Roudané, "Mr. Honora has thoroughly researched my Roudanez family history, providing me with information that goes far beyond typical online investigation. His expertise, knowledge of the archives, and attention to historical clues and context is incredible. What's more, he is an engaging and well prepared public speaker. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!" This week in Louisiana history. March 26, 1803. Laussat arrives in Louisiana to take control of colony for Napoleon. This week in New Orleans history. On March 26, 1860, the city council (by Ordinance #5044) authorized the Surveyor to draw up plans showing all unoccupied land owned by the city that was not set apart for public use. The law further authorized the Auctioneer, under the supervision of the Finance Committee of the Council, to sell those properties. This week in Louisiana. Books Along The Teche Literary Festival April 1-3, 2022 View Website 317 E. Main St. New Iberia LA 70560 Various venues will celebrate literature and its impact on the area's culture with storytelling, workshops, readers theatre, music, bourée lessons and tournament, bus and boat tours, a 5K run and food, food, food. Anyone who is familiar with James Lee Burke and his fictional character, detective Dave Robicheaux, knows of New Iberia and our fascinating blend of heritage, hospitality and history. Family Friendly, Handicapped Accessible, Free Parking. Postcards from Louisiana. Utility Brewing with Dean Norton & Joanne Galli.Listen on iTunes.Listen on Google Play.Listen on Google Podcasts.Listen on Spotify.Listen on Stitcher.Listen on TuneIn.The Louisiana Anthology Home Page.Like us on Facebook.