Podcasts about Left Bank Books

I was hungry for language. And stories. And how to tell our stories. That's what this book gave me. But let's not make a Bible out of it.Today we meet Kris Kleindienst and we're talking about the queer book that saved her life: Diving Into The Wreck by Adrienne Rich.Kris is a 72-year old queer lesbian writer, bookseller, and activist. She owns Left Bank Books, a 56-year old progressive bookstore in St. Louis, Missouri. Kris edited a collection of activist essays titled This Is What Lesbian Looks Like: Dyke Activists Take on The 21st Century, published by Firebrand Press and winner of a Lambda Literary Award. She was a gold medal winning and 4-time participant in The Gay Games (also the co-founder of Team St. Louis). She has won multiple awards locally, regionally and nationally for my work with Left Bank Books. She is at work on a memoir about growing up in the 50s-60s with a Lesbian mother. Fun fact: She once got high with Armistead Maupin.Diving into the Wreck: Poems 1971–1972 was Adrienne Rich's seventh book of poetry, an anthology of poems described as provocative and which co-won the 1974 National Book Award for Poetry with Allen Ginsberg's The Fall of America. Adrienne Rich (1929-2012) was an award-winning poet and essayist.Special Limited SeriesThis episode is part of a special limited series of episodes featuring only guests who are owners or staff at LGBTQ bookstores. Airing April-June 2025, these episodes will feature six bookstores across the United States and United Kingdom.Today's guest owns Left Bank Books. Opened in 1969 by a group of graduate students at Washington University who wanted to create a place where one could find all kinds of literature, Left Bank Books is the oldest and largest independently-owned full-line bookstore in St. Louis, Missouri. Open seven days a week, Left Bank Books offers a full-line of new and used books, gifts, cards, toys and services. Learn more and get shopping: left-bank.comConnect with Kriswebsite: left-bank.comfacebook: facebook.com/kleindienstBecome an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Join us in helping Lambda Literary raise $20k for The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices to ensure all writers can attend. Donate here: http://bit.ly/3RjW51aSupport the show

Post-Dispatch podcasts page: https://go.stltoday.com/0hfn43 Please consider subscribing: https://go.stltoday.com/9aigz5 In the wake of three managerial firings before Memorial Day, author and longtime baseball writer Scott Miller joins the Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss his new book, "Skipper: Why Baseball Managers Matter (and Always Will)". In his deeply reported work, Miller talks with managers, both current and past, to map the changing landscape of the role as front offices and analytics become more dominant and a perception grips the game that, as Miller writes it so well, lineups are being written for the manager not by the manager. With BPIB host and baseball writer Derrick Goold, Miller discusses the evolution of managers in the game from Sparky to Tony to Bochy, the traits that make a successful manager, and also how those traits have changed and adapted to a game driven more and more by data and run like the big business it is. The two baseball writers also explore what happens to game if, as one executive told Miller in his book, the hiring practices and analytics used in the game leave the majors "with a very homogenous group of managers." The managerial aspirations of Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, and others are explored as a way to avoid that. Miller has covered baseball for the New York Times, Bleacher Report, and many other outlets, and his book shows the depth of his understanding in the game and access to some of the great managers. He watches a Yankee game at the Boone house as Aaron manages; he spends time with Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on the job and with Hall of Fame-bound manager Dusty Baker at the vineyard. Miller also talks with former Cardinals manager Mike Matheny and gains welcome perspective on his tenure during a changing time for the role. Miller's book is available now. On Amazon. At a local independent bookstore like St. Louis' Left Bank Books. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a weekly production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.

Few Americans have been as explicit in their warnings about Donald Trump than the St. Louis based writer Sarah Kendzior. Her latest book, The Last American Road Trip, is a memoir chronicling Kendzior's journey down Route 66 to show her children America before it is destroyed. Borrowing from her research of post Soviet Central Asia, Kendzior argues that Trump is establishing a kleptocratic “mafia state” designed to fleece the country of its valuables. This is the third time that Kendzior has been on the show and I have to admit I've always been slightly skeptical of her apocalyptic take on Trump. But given the damage that the new administration is inflicting on America, I have to admit that many of Kendzior's warnings now appear to be uncannily prescient. As she warns, it's Springtime in America. And things are about to get much much hotter. FIVE TAKEAWAYS* Kendzior views Trump's administration as a "mafia state" or kleptocracy focused on stripping America for parts rather than traditional fascism, comparing it to post-Soviet oligarchic systems she studied as an academic.* She believes American institutions have failed to prevent authoritarianism, criticizing both the Biden administration and other institutional leaders for not taking sufficient preventative action during Trump's first term.* Despite her bleak analysis, Kendzior finds hope in ordinary Americans and their capacity for mutual care and resistance, even as she sees formal leadership failing.* Kendzior's new book The Last American Road Trip follows her journey to show her children America before potential collapse, using Route 66 as a lens to examine American decay and resilience.* As an independent voice, she describes being targeted through both publishing obstacles and personal threats, yet remains committed to staying in her community and documenting what's happening. FULL TRANSCRIPTAndrew Keen: Hello everybody, it is April the 18th, 2025, a Friday. I'm thrilled today that we have one of my favorite guests back on the show. I call her the Cassandra of St. Louis, Sarah Kendzior. Many of you know her from her first book, which was a huge success. All her books have done very well. The View from Flyover Country. She was warning us about Trump and Trumpism and MAGA. She was first on our show in 2020. Talking about media in the age of Trump. She had another book out then, Hiding in Plain Sight, The Invention of Donald Trump and the Erosion of America. Then in 2022, she came back on the show to talk about how a culture of conspiracy is keeping America simultaneously complacent and paranoid that the book was called or is called, They Knew. Another big success. And now Sarah has a new book out. It's called The Last American Road Trip. It's a beautifully written book, a kind of memoir, but a political one, of course, which one would expect from Sarah Kendzior. And I'm thrilled, as I said, that the Cassandra of St. Louis is joining us from St. Louis. Sarah, congratulations on the new book.Sarah Kendzior: Oh, thank you. And thank you for having me back on.Andrew Keen: Well, it's an honor. So these four books, how does the last American road trip in terms of the narrative of your previous three hits, how does it fit in? Why did you write it?Sarah Kendzior: Well, this book kind of pivots off the epilog of hiding in plain sight. And that was a book about political corruption in the United States and the rise of Trump. But in the epilogue, I describe how I was trying as a mom to show my kids America in the case that it ended due to both political turmoil and corruption and also climate change. I wanted them to see things themselves. So I was driving them around the country to national parks, historic sites, et cetera. And so many people responded so passionately to that little section, especially parents really struggling on how to raise children in this America that I ended up writing a book that covers 2016 to 2024 and my attempts to show my children everything I could in the time that we had. And as this happens, my children went from relatively young kids to teenagers, my daughter's almost an adult. And so it kind of captures America during this time period. It's also just a travelog, a road trip book, a memoir. It's a lot of things at once.Andrew Keen: Yeah, got great review from Ms. magazine comparing you with the great road writers, Kerouac, of course, and Steinbeck, but Kerouak and Steinback, certainly Kerouack was very much of a solitary male. Is there a female quality to this book? As you say, it's a book as much about your kids and the promise of America as it is about yourself.Sarah Kendzior: Yeah, I think there is in that, you know, I have a section actually about the doomed female road trip where it's, you know, Thelma and Louise or Janet Bates and Psycho or even songs about, you know, being on the road and on the run that are written by women, you know, like Merle Haggard's I'm a Lonesome Fugitive, had to be sung by men to convey that quality. And there aren't a lot of, you know, mom on the Road with her husband and kids kind of books. That said, I think of it as a family book, a parenting book. I certainly think men would like it just as much as women would, and people without kids would like just as people with kids, although it does seem to strike a special resonance with families struggling with a lot of the same issues that I do.Andrew Keen: It's all about the allure of historic Route 66. I've been on that. Anyone who's driven across the country has you. You explain that it's a compilation of four long trips across Route 66 in 1998, 2007, 2017, and 2023. That's almost 40 years, Sarah. Sorry, 30. Getting away my age there, Andrew. My math isn't very good. I mean, how has Route 66 and of course, America changed in that period? I know that's a rather leading question.Sarah Kendzior: No, I mean, I devote quite a lot of the book to Route 66 in part because I live on it, you know, goes right through St. Louis. So, I see it just every day. I'll be casually grocery shopping and then be informed I'm on historic Route 66 all of a sudden. But you know it's a road that is, you once was the great kind of romanticized road of escape and travel. It was decommissioned notably by Ronald Reagan after the creation of the interstate. And now it's just a series of rural roads, frontage roads, roads that end abruptly, roads that have gone into ruin, roads that are in some really beautiful places in terms of the landscape. So it really is this conglomeration of all of America, you know of the decay and the destruction and the abandonment in particular, but also people's, their own memories, their own artistic works, you know roadside shrines and creations that are often, you know pretty off beat. That they've put to show this is what I think of our country. These are my values. This is what, I think, is important. So it's a very interesting journey to take. It's often one I'm kind of inadvertently on just because of where I live and the direction I go. We'll mirror it. So I kept passing these sites again and again. I didn't set out to write this book. Obviously, when I first drove it when I was 19, I didn't know that this was our future. But looking back, especially at technological change, at how we travel, at how trust each other, at all of these things that have happened to this country since this time, it's really something. And that road will bring back all of those memories of what was lost and what remains to be lost. And of course it's hitting its 100th anniversary next year, so I'm guessing there'll be a lot of reminiscing about Route 66.Andrew Keen: Book about memories, you write about that, eventually even your memory will just or this experience of this trip will just be a memory. What does that suggest about contextualizing the current moment in American history? It's too easy to overdramatize it or perhaps it's hard not to over dramatize it given what's happening. I want to talk about a little bit about that your take on America on April the 18th, 2025. But how does that make sense of a memorial when you know that even your memories will become memories?Sarah Kendzior: Yeah, I mean it's hard to talk frankly about what's happening in America now without it sounding over dramatic or hyperbolic, which I think is why so many people were reluctant to believe me over my last decade of warnings that the current crises and catastrophes that we're experiencing are coming, are possible, and need to be actively stopped. I don't think they were inevitable, but they needed to be stopped by people in charge who refused to do it. And so, my reaction to this as a writer, but just as a human being is to write everything down, is to keep an ongoing record, not only of what I witness now, but of what know of our history, of what my own values are, of what place in the world is. And back in 2016, I encouraged everyone to do this because I knew that over the next decade, people would be told to accept things that they would normally never accept, to believe things that they would normally, never believe. And if you write down where you stand, you always have that point of reference to look back towards. It doesn't have to be for publication. It doesn't have to for the outside world. It can just be for yourself. And so I think that that's important. But right now, I think everyone has a role to play in battling what is an authoritarian kleptocracy and preventing it from hurting people. And I think people should lean into what they do best. And what I do best is write and research and document. So that's what I meant. Continue to do, particularly as history itself is under assault by this government.Andrew Keen: One of the things that strikes me about you, Sarah, is that you have an unusual background. You got a PhD in Soviet studies, late Soviet studies.Sarah Kendzior: Anthropology, yeah, but that was nice.Andrew Keen: But your dissertation was on the Uzbek opposition in exile. I wonder whether that experience of studying the late Soviet Union and its disintegration equipped you in some ways better than a lot of domestic American political analysts and writers for what's happening in America today. We've done a number of shows with people like Pete Weiner, who I'm sure you know his work from the Atlantic of New York Times. About learning from East European resistance writers, brave people like Milan Kundra, of course, Vaclav Havel, Solzhenitsyn. Do you think your earlier history of studying the Soviet Union helped you prepare, at least mentally, intellectually, for what's happening in the United States?Sarah Kendzior: Oh, absolutely. I think it was essential, because there are all sorts of different types of authoritarianism. And the type that Trump and his backers have always pursued was that of a mafia state, you know, of a kleptocracy. And Uzbekistan is the country that I knew the most. And actually, you what I wrote my dissertation about, this is between 2006, and 2012, was the fact that after a massacre of civilians... A lot of Uzbekistan's journalists, activists, political figures, opposition figures, et cetera, went into exile and then they immediately started writing blogs. And so for the very first time, they had freedom of speech. They had never had it in Uzbekistan. And they start revealing the whole secret history of Uzbekistan and everything going on and trying to work with each other, try to sort of have some impact on the political process in Uzbekistan. And they lost. What happened was the dictator died, Islam Karimov died, in 2016, and was replaced by another dictator who's not quite as severe. But watching the losing side and also watching people persevere and hold on to themselves and continue working despite that loss, I think, was very influential. Because you could look at Václav Havel or Lech Walesa or, you know, other sort of. People who won, you know, from Eastern Europe, from the revolutions of 1989 and so forth. And it's inspiring that sometimes I think it's really important to look at the people who did not succeed, but kept going anyway. You know, they didn't surrender themselves. They didn't their morality and they didn't abandon their fellow man. And I think that that's important. And also just to sort of get at the heart of your question, yes, you the structure of it, oligarchs who shake down countries, strip them and sell them for parts. Mine them for resources. That model, especially of what happened to Russia, actually, in particular in the 1990s of these oligarch wars, is what I see as the future of the United States right now. That is what they're trying to emulate.Andrew Keen: That we did a show with Steve Hansen and Jeff Kopstein, both political scientists, on what they see. They co-wrote a book on patrimonialism. This is the model they see there. They're both Max Weber scholars, so they borrow from that historic sociological analysis. And Kopstein was on the show with John Rausch as well, talking about this patrimonials. And so you, do you share the Kopstein-Hansen-Rausch analysis. Roush wrote a piece in the Atlantic about this too, which did very well. But this isn't conventional fascism or communism. It's a kind of 21st century version of patrimonialism.Sarah Kendzior: It's definitely not traditional fascism and one of the main reasons for that is a fascist has loyalty to the state. They seek to embody the state, they seek to expand the state recently Trump has been doing this more traditional route somewhat things like wanting to buy Greenland. But I think a lot of what he's doing is in reaction to climate change and also by the way I don't think Trump is the mastermind or originator. Of any of these geopolitical designs. You know, he has a team, we know about some of them with the Heritage Foundation Project 2025. We know he has foreign advisors. And again, you know, Trump is a corporate raider. That is how he led his business life. He's a mafia associate who wants to strip things down and sell them for parts. And that's what they wanna do with the United States. And that, yes, there are fascist tactics. There are fascists rhetoric. You know there are a lot of things that this country will, unfortunately, and has. In common, you know, with, say, Nazi Germany, although it's also notable that of course Nazi Germany borrowed from a lot of the tactics of Jim Crow, slavery, genocide of Native Americans. You know, this has always been a back and forth and America always has had some form of selective autocracy. But yeah, I think the folks who try to make this direct line and make it seem like the 20th century is just simply being revived, I've always felt like they were off because. There's no interest for these plutocrats in the United States even existing as a sovereign body. Like it truly doesn't matter to them if all of our institutions, even something as benign as the Postal Service, collapse. That's actually beneficial for them because then they can privatize, they can mine resources, they can make money for themselves. And I really worry that their goal is partition, you know, is to take this country. And to split it into smaller pieces that are easier to control. And that's one of the reasons I wrote this book, that I wrote The Last American Road Trip because I don't want people to fall for traps about generalizations or stereotypes about different regions of this country. I want them to see it as a whole and that our struggles are interconnected and we have a better chance of winning if we stand by each other.Andrew Keen: Yeah, and your book, in particular, The View from Flyover Country was so important because it wasn't written from San Francisco or Los Angeles or D.C. Or New York. It was written from St. Louis. So in a way, Sarah, you're presenting Trump as the ultimate Hayekian b*****d. There's a new book out by Quinn Slobodian called Hayek's B******s, which connects. Trumpianism and mago with Neoliberalism you don't see a break. We've done a lot of shows on the rise and fall of neoliberalism. You don't say a break between Hayek and TrumpSarah Kendzior: I think that in terms of neoliberalism, I think it's a continuation of it. And people who think that our crises began with Trump becoming the president in 2017, entering office, are deluded because the pathway to Trump even being able to run for president given that he was first investigated by the Department of Justice in 1973 and then was linked to a number of criminal enterprises for decades after. You know, that he was able to get in that position, you know that already showed that we had collapsed in certain respects. And so I think that these are tied together. You know, this has a lot to do with greed, with a, you know a disregard for sovereignty, a disregard human rights. For all of this Trump has always served much better as a demagogue, a front man, a figurehead. I do think, you he's a lot smarter. Than many of his opponents give him credit for. He is very good at doing what he needs to do and knowing what he need to know and nothing more. The rest he gives to the bureaucrats, to the lawyers, et cetera. But he fills this persona, and I do wonder what will happen when he is gone because they've tried very hard to find a successor and it's always failed, like DeSantis or Nikki Haley or whoever. And I kind of wonder if one of the reasons things are moving so, so fast now is they're trying to get a lot of things in under the wire while he's still alive, because I don't think that there's any individual who people have the loyalty to. His cult is not that big. It's a relatively small segment of the country, but it is very intense and very loyal to him. I don't think that loyalty is transferable.Andrew Keen: Is there anything, you know, I presented you as the Cassandra from St. Louis, you've seen the future probably clearer than most other people. Certainly when I first came across your work, I wasn't particularly convinced. I'm much more convinced now. You were right. I was wrong. Is there, anything about Trump too, that surprised you? I mean, any of the, the cruelty? Open corruption, the anger, the hostility, the attempt to destroy anything of any value in America, the fact that they seem to take such great pleasure in destroying this country's most valuable thing.Sarah Kendzior: Yeah, it's extremely sad and no, he doesn't surprise me at all. He's been the same guy since I was a little kid. You know, he was a plot line on children's television shows in the 1980s where as a child, I was supposed to know that the name Trump was synonymous with corruption, with being a tax cheat, with being a liar, you know, these were just sort of cultural codes that I was expected to know. What surprised me more is that no one stopped him because this threat was incredibly obvious. And that so many people in power have joined in, and I'm assuming they're joining in because they would rather be on the side with all that power than be a target of that power, but that they feel apparently no sense of loss, no sense grief for things like the loss of national parks, public education, the postal service, things that most folks like, social security for your elderly parents. Most Americans... Want these things. And most Americans, regardless of political party, don't want to see our country torn apart in this fashion. And so I'm not surprised by Trump. I'm surprised at the extent of his enablers at the complicity of the press and of the FBI and other institutions. And, you know, it's also been very jarring to watch how open they are this time around, you know, things like Elon Musk and his operation taking out. Classified information. The thing is, is I'm pretty sure Trump did all that. I mean, we know Trump did this in his first term, you know, and they would emphasize things like this box of physical written documents in Mar-a-Lago illegally taken. But, you know my mind always just went to, well, what did they do digitally? Because that seems much easier and much more obvious. What did they with all of these state secrets that they had access to for four years? What kind of leverage would that give them? And I think now they're just kind of, they're not bothering to hide anything anymore. I think they set the stage and now, you know, we're in the midst of the most horrible play, the most terrible performance ever. And it's, you can be still crushing at times.Andrew Keen: And of course, the real question is whether we're in the last act. Your book, The Last American Road Trip, was written, mostly written, what, in 2024 from?Sarah Kendzior: 2023.Andrew Keen: 2023. So, I mean, here's, I don't know if you can answer this, Sarah, but you know as much about middle America and middle Americans as anyone. You're on the road, you talk to everyone, you have a huge following, both on the left and the right in some ways. Some of your books now, you told me before we went live, some of your previous books, like Hiding in Plain Sight, suddenly become a big hit amongst conservative Americans. What does Trump or the MAGA people around him, what do they have to do to lose the support of ordinary Americans? As you say, they're destroying the essential infrastructure, medical, educational, the roads, the railways, everything is being destroyed, carted off almost like Stalin carted of half of the Soviet Union back into Asia during the Second World War. What does he have to do to lose the support of Middle America?Sarah Kendzior: I mean, I don't think middle America, you know, by which like a giant swath of the country that's, that's just ideological, diverse, demographically diverse supports him. I mean some do certainly. He's got some hardcore acolytes. I think most people are disillusioned with the entire political system. They are deeply frustrated by Trump. They were deeply frustrated. By Biden, they're struggling to pay bills. They're struggling. To hold on to basic human rights. And they're mad that their leverage is gone. People voted in record numbers in 2020. They protested in record number throughout Trump's first term. They've made their concerns known for a very long time and there are just very few officials really listening or responding. And I think that initially when Trump reentered the picture, it caused folks to just check out mentally because it was too overwhelming. I think it's why voter turnout was lower because the Democrats, when they won, didn't make good on their promises. It's a very simple thing. If you follow through with your campaign platform that was popular, then you're going to retain those voters. If you don't, you may lose them, especially when you're up against a very effective demagogue who has a way with rhetoric. And so we're just in such a bad place, such a painful place. I don't think people will look to politicians to solve their problems and with very good reason. I'm hoping that there are more of a sense of community support, more of sense that we're all in this together, especially as financially things begin to fall apart. Trump said openly in 2014 that he intended to crash the American economy. He said this on a Fox News clip that I found in 2016. Because it was being reprinted all over Russian-language media. They loved this clip because it also praised Putin and so forth. And I was astounded by it. I was like, why in the world isn't this all over every TV station, every radio station? He's laying out the whole plan, and now he's following that plan. And so I'm very concerned about that. And I just hope people in times like this, traditionally, this opens the door to fascism. People become extremely afraid. And in their fear they want a scapegoat, they are full of rage, they take it out on each other. That is the worst possible move right now from both a moral or a strategic view. People need to protect each other, to respect each other as fully human, to recognize almost everyone here, except for a little tiny group of corrupt billionaires, is a victim in this scenario, and so I don't see a big difference between, you know, myself and... Wherever I go. I was in Tulsa yesterday, I was in San Francisco last week. We're all in this together and I see a lot of heartache wherever I go. And so if people can lend each other support, that is the best way to get through this.Andrew Keen: Are you suggesting then that he is the Manchurian candidate? Why did he say that in 2014?Sarah Kendzior: Well, it was interesting. He was on Fox during the Sochi Olympics, and he was talking about how he speaks with Putin every day, their pals, and that Putin is going to produce a really big win for us, and we're all going to be very happy about it. And then he went on to say that the crashing of the economy and riots throughout America is what will make America great again. And this is in February 2014. Fox has deleted the clip, You know, other people have copies. So it is, it's also in my book hiding in plain sight, the transcript of that. I'm not sure, like a Manchurian candidate almost feels, you know like the person would have to be blackmailed or coerced or brainwashed somehow to participate. I think Trump is a true volunteer and his loyalty isn't to Russia per se. You know, his loyalty is to his bank accounts, like his loyalty is to power. And one thing he's been after his whole life was immunity from prosecution because he has been involved or adjacent to such an enormous number of crimes. And then when the Supreme Court granted him that, he got what he wanted and he's not afraid of breaking the law in any way. He's doing what all autocrats do, which is rewrite the law so that he is no longer breaking it. And he has a team of lawyers who help him in that agenda. So I feel like on one sense, he's very. All-American. It's kind of a sad thing that as he destroys America, he's doing it in a very American way. He plays a lot of great American music at his rallies. He has a vernacular that I can relate to that and understand it while detesting everything he's doing and all of his horrific policies. But what they want to turn us into though, I think is something that all Americans just won't. Recognized. And we've had the slipping away of a kind of unified American culture for a while, I think because we've lost our pop culture, which is really where a lot of people would bond, you know, movies, music, all of it became split into streaming services, you know. All of it became bifurcated. People stopped seeing each other as much face to face, you know, during COVID and then that became kind of a permanent thing. We're very fragmented and that hurts us badly. And all we've kind of got left is I guess sports and then politics. So people take all the effort that they used to put into devouring American pop culture or American civic life and they put it into this kind of politics that the media presents as if it's a game, like initially a horse race during the election and now like, ooh, will the evil dictator win? It's like, this is our lives. Like we have a lot on the line. So I wish they would do, they would take their job more seriously too. Of course, they're up paywalled and on streaming sites, so who's watching anyway, but still it is a problem.Andrew Keen: Yeah, it's interesting you talk about this death wish, you mentioned Thelma and Louise earlier, one of the great movies, American road movies, maybe in an odd way, the final scene of the Trump movie will be similar to the, you seem to be suggesting to, I'm not gonna give away the end of Thelmer and Louise to anyone who's watching who hasn't seen it, you do need to see it, similar ending to that movie. What about, you've talked about resistance, Sarah, a one of. The most influential, I guess, resistors to Trump and Trumpism. You put up an X earlier this month about the duty of journalism to resist, the duty to thinkers to resist. Some people are leaving, guys like Tim Snyder, his wife, Marcy Shaw, Jason Stanley, another expert on fascism. You've made it clear that you're staying. What's your take on people like Snyder who are leaving this country?Sarah Kendzior: Well, from what I know, he made a statement saying he had decided to move to Canada before Trump was put in office. Jason Stanley, on the other hand, explicitly said he's moving there because Trump is in office, and my first thought when I heard about all of them was, well, what about their students? Like, what about all these students who are being targeted by ICE, who are being deported? What about their TAs? What about everyone who's in a more vulnerable position. You know, when you have a position of power and influence, you could potentially do a lot of good in helping people. You know I respect everyone's decision to live wherever they want. Like it's not my business. But I do think that if you have that kind of chance to do something powerful for the community around you, especially the most vulnerable people in it who at this time are green card holders, people here on visas, we're watching this horrific crackdown at all these universities. My natural inclination would be to stay and take a stand and not abandon them. And I guess, you know, people, they do things in different ways or they may have their own personal concerns and, you know that's fine. I just know, you know I'm not leaving, you know, like I've got elderly parents and in-laws. I've got relatives who need me. I have a lot of people who depend on me and they depend on me in St. Louis and in Missouri. Because there aren't that many journalists in St. Louis. I think there could be, there are a lot of great writers in St Louis, you know, who have given a chance, given a platform, you could really show you what it's actually like here instead of all these stereotypes. But we're always, always marginalized. Like even I'm marginalized and I think I'm, you know, probably the most well-known in terms of being a political commentator. And so I feel like it's important to stand my ground but also You know, I love this, this state in the city and I love my community and I can't fathom, you know, leaving people in the lurch at a time like this. When I'm doing better, I'm on more solid ground despite being a target of various, you know organizations and individuals. I'm at a more solid down than somebody who's a, you know a black American or an immigrant or impoverished. Like I feel like it is my job to stand up for you know, folks here and let everyone know, you know what's going on and be somebody who they can come to and feel like that's safe.Andrew Keen: You describe yourself, Sarah, as a target. Your books have done very well. Most of them have been bestsellers. I'm sure the last American road trip will do very well, you're just off.Sarah Kendzior: It is the bestseller as of yesterday. It is your bestseller, congratulations. Yeah, our USA Today bestsellers, so yeah.Andrew Keen: Excellent. So that's good news. You've been on the road, you've had hundreds of people show up. I know you wrote about signing 600 books at Left Bank Books, which is remarkable. Most writers would cut off both hands for that. How are you being targeted? You noted that some of your books are being taken off the shelves. Are they being banned or discouraged?Sarah Kendzior: I mean, basically, what's been happening is kind of akin to what you see with universities. I just think it's not as well publicized or publicized at all, where there's not some sort of, you know, like the places will give in to what they think this administration wants before they are outright told to do it. So yes, there is an attempt to remove hiding in plain sight from circulation in 2024 to, you know, make the paperback, which at the time was ranked on Amazon. At number 2,000. It was extremely popular because this is the week that the Supreme Court gave Trump immunity. I was on vacation when I found out it was being pulled out of circulation. And I was in rural New Mexico and I had to get to a place with Wi-Fi to try to fight back for my book, which was a bestseller, a recent publication. It was very strange to me and I won that fight. They put it back, but a lot of people had tried to order it at that time and didn't get it. And a lot of people try to get my other books and they just can't get them. You know, so the publisher always has a warehouse issue or a shipping problem and you know, this kind of comes up or you know people notice, they've noticed this since 2020, you know I don't get reviewed in the normal kind of place as a person that has best selling books one after another would get reviewed. You know, that kind of thing is more of a pain. I always was able to circumvent it before through social media. But since Musk took over Twitter and because of the way algorithms work, it's more and more difficult for me to manage all of the publicity and PR and whatnot on my own. And so, you know, I'm grateful that you're having me on your show. I'm also grateful that, you Know, Flatiron did give me a book tour. That's helped tremendously. But there's that. And then there's also just the constant. Death threats and threats of you know other things you know things happening to people I love and it's been scary and I get used to it and that I expect it but you know you never could really get used to people constantly telling you that they're gonna kill you you know.Andrew Keen: When you get death threats, do you go to the authorities, have they responded?Sarah Kendzior: No, there's no point. I mean, I have before and it was completely pointless. And, you know, I'll just mostly just go to people I know who I trust to see if they can check in on things. I have to be very vague here who are not in the government or in the police or anything like that. I don't think anyone would protect me. I really just don't think anyone could help. You know, one thing is, you know, yes, I'm a prominent critic of Trump and his administration, but I was also a prominent critic of. The DOJ and Merrick Garland for not doing anything about all of these threats and also a critic of Biden and the Democrats for not impeaching quickly, for not being more proactive, for not acting with greater urgency. So I'm targeted by kind of everyone except for people who don't have any power, which is a strange situation to be in because I love my readers and I think that they're wonderful and I'm incredibly grateful for them because my books largely spread through word of mouth. It is scary for me, just as like a mom in Missouri without a lot of resources to be targeted by all of these kind of high profile, wealthy, powerful people. But all I have is my voice and my writing. And so I just do what I can. And that's just the way the cards have been dealt for me and it is what it is, so.Andrew Keen: Later historians write about this period in 50 or 100 years time. How do you think you mentioned the Biden administration, you were critical of them. We haven't talked about Kamala Harris's failed presidential term, which I wasn't particularly impressed with. How much moral responsibility do you think that Biden and Harris should be accused of for Trump too?Sarah Kendzior: Yeah, I mean, well, first of all, I'd be delighted if we have historians in the future. Well, I will be, even if I don't.Andrew Keen: Well, there will be, even if, I don't know, in America, there'll be somewhere.Sarah Kendzior: I is where it'll be some sort of AI creation that just, you know, belches out, make America great again, like, you know, like in The Shining or something, just over and over and over again. But assuming we have real historians that actually assess the situation, I think they are going to be tremendously critical of the Biden administration. I think it may in fact go down as one of the worst of all time. And he will be seen as a Neville Chamberlain-like figure who had the opportunity to stop or slow A number of autocratic practices and either chose to look the other way or to enable them. Because the thing is, in 2016, people were very doubtful that America could become an autocratic state. They hadn't seen this before. A lot of this was new to them. From 2016 through 2021, we saw all that Trump was capable of, and he committed a large multitude of crimes,RetryClaude hit the max length for a message and has paused its response. You can write Continue to keep the chat going.AKplease continueEditHere's the continuation of the transcript:Sarah Kendzior: ...and those crimes, not just him, but his cohort were never held accountable. And what they did during the Biden years was plan all of their next moves. Like you don't suddenly have a gulag for Americans in El Salvador, like just off the top of your head. You know, all of this takes planning. We knew about a lot of the plans, you know, the Democrats campaigned about combating Project 2025. And my question to them was, well, what what if you lose? How are you going to combat it then? You know what, if he gets back, what are you gonna do? They would be so offended. They're like, how dare you, you question us. How dare you question, you know, our plans? They're, like, well, I don't, you don't have a plan. Like, that's my question is what is the plan? And they didn't. And they could have spent those four years creating a bulwark against a lot of the most horrific policies that we're seeing now. Instead, they're kind of reacting on the fly if they're even reacting at all. And meanwhile, people are being targeted, deported, detained. They're suffering tremendously. And they're very, very scared. I think it's very scary to have a total dearth of leadership from where the, not just the opposition, but just people with basic respect for the constitution, our civil rights, etc., are supposed to be.Andrew Keen: You mentioned Project 2025, we've got David Graham on the show next week, who's written a book about Project 2025. Is there anything positive to report, Sarah? I mean, some people are encouraged by the behavior, at least on Friday, the 18th of April, who knows what will happen over the weekend or next week. Behavior of Harvard, some law firms are aggressively defending their rights. Should we be encouraged by the universities, law firms, even some corporate leaders are beginning to mutter under their breath about Trump and Trumpism?Sarah Kendzior: And it depends whether they actually have that power in wielded or whether they're just sort of trying to tamper down public dissent. I'm skeptical of these universities and law firms because I think they should have had a plan long ago because I was very obvious that all of this was going to happen and I feel so terribly for all of the students there that were abandoned by these administrations, especially places like Columbia. That gave in right away. What does hearten me though, you know, and I, as you said, I'd been on this tour, like I was all over the West coast. I've been all over, the Midwest and the South is, Americans, Americans do understand what's happening. There's always this like this culture in media of like, how do we break it to Americans? Like, yeah, well, we know, we know out here in Missouri that this is very bad. And I think that people have genuine concern for each other. I think they still have compassion for each other. I think there's a culture of cruelty that's promoted online and it's incentivized. You know, you can make money that way. You could get clicks that that way, whatever, but in real life, I think people feel vulnerable. They feel afraid, but I've seen so much kindness. I've been so much concern and determination from people who don't have very much, and maybe that's, you know, why people don't know about it. These are just ordinary folks. And so I have great faith in American people to combat this. And what I don't have faith in is our institutions. And I hope that these sort of in between places, places like universities who do a lot of good on one hand, but also can kind of act as like hedge funds. On the other hand, I hope they move fully to the side of good and that they purge themselves of these corrupt elements that have been within them for a long time, the more greedy. Aspects of their existence. I hope they see themselves as places that uphold civic life and history and provide intellectual resistance and shelter for students in the storm. They could be a really powerful force if they choose to be. It's never too late to change. I guess that's the message I want to bring home. Even if I'm very critical of these places, it's never to late for them to change and to do the right thing.Andrew Keen: Well, finally, Sarah, a lot of people are going to be watching this on my Substack page. Your Substack Page, your newsletter, They Knew, I think has last count, 52,000 subscribers. Is this the new model for independent writers, journalist thinkers like yourself? I'm not sure of those 52,00, how many of them are paid. You noted that your book has disappeared co-isindecially sometimes. So maybe some publishers are being intimidated. Is the future for independent thinkers, platforms like Substack, where independent authors like yourself can establish direct intellectual and commercial relations with their readers and followers?Sarah Kendzior: It's certainly the present. I mean, this is the only place or other newsletter outlets, I suppose, that I could go. And I purposefully divorced myself from all institutions except for my publisher because I knew that this kind of corruption would inhibit me from being able to say the truth. This is why I dropped out of academia, I dropped out of regular journalism. I have isolated myself to some degree on purpose. And I also just like being in control of this and having direct access to my readers. However, what does concern me is, you know, Twitter used to also be a place where I had direct access to people I could get my message out. I could circumvent a lot of the traditional modes of communication. Now I'm essentially shadow banned on there, along with a lot of people. And you know Musk has basically banned substack links because of his feud with Matt Taibbi. You know, that led to, if you drop a substack link in there, it just gets kind of submerged and people don't see it. So, you know, I think about Twitter and how positive I was about that, maybe like 12, 13 years ago, and I wonder how I feel about Substack and what will happen to it going forward, because clearly, you Know, Trump's camp realizes the utility of these platforms, like they know that a lot of people who are prominent anti authoritarian voices are using them to get the word out when they are when they lose their own platform at, like, say, the Washington Post or MSNBC or... Whatever network is corrupted or bullied. And so eventually, I think they'll come for it. And, you know, so stack has problems on its own anyway. So I am worried. I make up backups of everything. I encourage people to consume analog content and to print things out if they like them in this time. So get my book on that note, brand new analog content for you. A nice digital.Andrew Keen: Yeah, don't buy it digitally. I assume it's available on Kindle, but you're probably not too keen or even on Amazon and Bezos. Finally, Sarah, this is Friday. Fridays are supposed to be cheerful days, the days before the weekend. Is there anything to be cheerful about on April The 18th 2025 in America?Sarah Kendzior: I mean, yeah, there's things to be cheerful about, you know, pre spring, nice weather. I'm worried about this weekend. I'll just get this out real quick. You know, this is basically militia Christmas. You know, This is the anniversary of Waco, the Oklahoma City bombings, Columbine. It's Hitler's birthday. This is a time when traditionally American militia groups become in other words,Andrew Keen: Springtime in America.Sarah Kendzior: Yeah, springtime for Hitler. You know, and so I'm worried about this weekend. I'm worry that if there are anti-Trump protests that they'll be infiltrated by people trying to stoke the very riots that Trump said he wanted in order to, quote, make America great again and have everything collapse. So everyone, please be very, very careful this weekend heading out and just be aware of the. Of these dates and the importance of these days far predates Trump to, you know, militia groups and other violent extremist groups.Andrew Keen: Well, on that cheerful note, I asked you for a positive note. You've ruined everyone's weekend, probably in a healthy way. You are the Cassandra from St. Louis. Appreciate your bravery and honesty in standing up to Trump and Trumpism, MAGA America. Congratulations on the new book. As you say, it's available in analog form. You can buy it. Take it home, protect it, dig a hole in your garden and protect it from the secret police. Congratulations on the new book. As I said to you before we went live, it's a beautifully written book. I mean, you're noted as a polemicist, but I thought this book is your best written book, the other books were well written, but this is particularly well written. Very personal. So congratulations on that. And Sarah will have to get you back on the show. I'm not sure how much worse things can get in America, but no doubt they will and no doubt you will write about it. So keep well, keep safe and keep doing your brave work. Thank you so much.Sarah Kendzior: Yeah, you too. Thank you so much for your kind words and for having me on again. 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

Ravi sits down with journalist and bestselling author Oliver Burkeman (Meditation for Mortals and Four Thousand Weeks) to explore what it means to live a meaningful life in a culture addicted to optimization. Together, they explore the line between healthy ambition and toxic perfectionism, the “icky middle” of mastery and why it's important to find joy in being an intermediate, and when to embrace creative neglect. Finally, they unpack the struggles of living in the digital era and discuss how we can build healthier relationships with screens. Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570 Learn more about Ravi's novel and upcoming events: GARBAGE TOWN Want to meet Ravi and discuss Garbage Town in person?  RSVP to one of his upcoming events: Join Ravi and former New York congressman Max Rose in Manhattan: RSVP Here! Join Ravi for a book talk in Staten Island: RSVP Here! Join Ravi and Jason Kander at Left Bank Books in St. Louis: RSVP Here! --- Follow Ravi at @ravimgupta Follow The Branch at @thebranchmedia Notes from this episode are available on Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ Lost Debate is available on the following platforms:  • Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lost-debate/id1591300785 • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7xR9pch9DrQDiZfGB5oF0F • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate • Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vTERJNTc1ODE3Mzk3Nw  • iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/ • Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debate

In this special episode, Ravi is joined by Emily Lilley of The Book & Cover to discuss his new novel, Garbage Town, out today. Set in 1990s Staten Island, this coming-of-age thriller follows a group of teens who stumble upon a buried secret and find themselves in a fight for their lives. Ravi and Emily explore the real-life inspiration behind the novel's characters and setting, the nostalgic pull of the pre-digital era, and the complicated beauty of growing up in a small community. They dig into how Ravi built the world of Garbage Town, from the real Staten Island streets of his childhood to the critical moments that give the story its pulse. Ravi also reflects on what the writing process taught him and how it helped him rediscover the texture of everyday moments. Learn more about Garbage Town by visiting www.garbagetownbook.com. Want to meet Ravi and discuss Garbage Town in person? RSVP to one of his upcoming events: Join Ravi and former New York congressman Max Rose in Manhattan: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ravi-gupta-presents-garbage-town-a-novel-ft-max-rose-tickets-1218447432069 Join Ravi for a book talk in Staten Island: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/garbage-town-book-release-party-tickets-1261796450149?aff=oddtdtcreator Join Ravi and Jason Kander at Left Bank Books in St. Louis: https://www.left-bank.com/event/ravi-gupta-garbage-town Check out The Book & Cover on Bookshop.org: HERE Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570 --- Follow Ravi at @ravimgupta Follow The Branch at @thebranchmedia Notes from this episode are available on Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ Lost Debate is available on the following platforms:  • Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lost-debate/id1591300785 • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7xR9pch9DrQDiZfGB5oF0F • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate • Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vTERJNTc1ODE3Mzk3Nw  • iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/ • Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debate

Notes and Links to Deborah Taffa-Jackson's Work          Deborah Jackson Taffa is a citizen of the (Quatzahn) Quechan (Yuma) Nation and Laguna Pueblo. She earned her MFA at the Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa and is the Director of the MFA in Creative Writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Named Top 10 Book of the Year by Atlantic Magazine, and Top 10 Nonfiction Book by Time Magazine. Buy Whiskey Tender   Deborah's Website   Book Review for Whiskey Tender from Washington Post   At about 1:30, Deborah reflects on and expands on her experience in being a finalist for The National Book Award  At about 5:30, Pete shares some laudatory feedback for her memoir and Deborah shouts out Birchbark Books, Collected Works, Left Bank Books, as some great places to buy her book  At about 7:30, Deborah shares some wonderful invitations she's received to discuss her book and her art At about 9:05, Deborah explains how she “reverse-engineered” the book with regard to research and personal stories  At about 10:20, Deborah responds to Pete's questions about her early reading and language life and how her formal and informal education was affected by her family's histories  At about 15:45, Deborah gives background on her “autodidactic,” transformative learning, study, reading, and traveling that helped her   At about 19:00, Deborah traces the throughlines of colonization in seemingly-disparate groups At about 22:20, Deborah discusses the significance of her epigraph on “ceremony” At about 26:25, Billy Ray Belcourt is cited as Pete and Deborah talk about the speculative and aspirational writing  At about 27:55, Pete and Deborah reflect on ideas of indigenous invisibility as evidenced in a memorable scene from Whiskey Tender At about 29:40, Deborah cites a “shocking” study n her college textbook that speaks to how many Americans view Native American women, and how it provided fodder and stimulus for her memoir At about 31:25, the two discuss a flashback scene that begins the book and the idea of “mirages” as discussed in the opening scene At about 35:20, Pete asks Deborah to expand upon a resonant line from her book about meaningful childhood experiences  At about 37:35, Deborah talks about historical silences in her family and in others  At about 39:40, Deborah talks about the intensive historical research done in the last year before the book was published At about 40:55, The two discuss similarities regarding generation gaps in indigenous groups and immigrant and traditionally-marginalized groups  At about 42:40, Deborah talks about the lore of Sarah Winnemucca in her family and “her savvi[ness] and revisionist history At about 46:25, Pete and Deborah talk about the “flattening” of American Indian stories and pivotal government treaties and reneging on deals by the American government   At about 48:00, Pete and Deborah reflect on contemporary connections to previous American policies At about 50:20, The two discuss a representative story about “lateral violence” and belonging and ostracism that affected Deborah at a young age At about 53:00, Counternarratives to myths about indigenous peoples and movement are discussed  At about 57:20,  At about 59:40, Pete is highly complimentary of Deborah's writing about her grandmother's genuine and wonderful nature, and Deborah expands on her grandmother's cancer diagnosis and outlook and lasting influence  At about 1:02:30, Pete highlights a wonderful closing scene about time and place and home      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 255 guest Chris Knapp is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!     This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 276 with Donna Minkowitz, a writer of fantasy, memoir, and journalism lauded by Lilith Magazine for her “fierce imagination and compelling prose.” Her first book, Ferocious Romance, won a Lambda Literary Award for Best Book On Religion/Spirituality, and her most recent memoir was Growing Up Golem, a finalist for both a Lambda Literary Award and Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award. She is also the author of the novel DONNAVILLE, published in 2024.     The episode airs on March 18.  

Katie Lee joins Chris Rongey and Amy Marxkors to share her inspiring journey from hardship to triumph, detailed in her new book. Katie opens up about overcoming addiction, rebuilding her life after homelessness, and navigating personal loss to create the thriving Katie's Pizza & Pasta chain. She discusses her upcoming book reading at Left Bank Books, the launch of a fine Italian food line, and the exciting expansion of her frozen pizza business, now in 1,000 Walmart stores. Don't miss this heartfelt story of resilience, creativity, and passion.

I just got back from St. Louis.   It was my first time there and I met a wonderfully rich collection of people who I'm so excited to introduce you to in a special on-the-ground, in-the-street, from-the-backseat Chapter of 3 Books.   On the way from the airport to the hotel, the driver regaled me with St. Louis trivia from a deep well of St. Louis pride. “Did you know we hosted the World Fair and the Olympics the same year?” he asked. I knew about the World Fair! “Most do,” he said. “But not many know about the Olympics. 1904 was a banner year here. We were the fourth largest city in the US at the time!”   The next day I had time to explore. I knew there was a local bird species that didn't exist anywhere else in the country! The Eurasian Tree Sparrow was one of six species of birds brought to St. Louis in 1870 by German immigrants. The other five died that winter, but the Tree Sparrow still lives near Lafayette Park where it was first released. It has thrived without expanding its range or disrupting the local ecology.   After I got an address to try and find the birds, I hailed an Uber and met Jacqueline, who drove a bus in town for 27 years. When I asked her for the best thing about St. Louis she said, “Nothing! Watch your back or somebody gonna put a bullet in your head.” Our raw conversation touches on the erosion of community, the deprioritization of connection, and how we might find new kinds of support in our disconnected world. “My family is whoever loves on me,” Jacqueline said. “Blood makes you kin but it doesn't make you family.”   I then met Deneane, a 28-year-old single mother of five who does drop-off, pick-up, and evenings solo every day while driving Uber thirty hours a week, working at a cupcake shop, and running a small business online. We went to the Gateway Arch and Left Bank Books together while talking about enduring—after her mom found bruises all over her body, she left her abusive relationship and “found the strength to start over.”   The next morning I gave the talk that sent me down there and then got a final ride to the airport with Albano from Albania, who left his job as a public school teacher in Florida to make more than double as a driver. “Unfortunately,” he said, “if teaching was something others would care about, teachers wouldn't leave the profession.”   I hope you feel a kinetic pulse listening to stories from people whose stories aren't often told. Get ready to laugh, cry, and connect hearts as we tether ourselves to the human connection that exists around us every day.   Let's head down to St. Louis and hang out with Jacqueline, Deneane, and Albano as they share the love and connection we are always searching for on 3 Books.   Let's flip the page to Chapter 136 now… 

November 8, 2023 This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée check in with details about the weekend from deep in the bowels of the Dome at America's Center in St. Louis. Rob Trujillo updates us on his whirlwind weekend in Mexico City, where he filled in on bass for his son, Tye. This wasn't just any substitute gig… he was joining Suicidal Tendencies for a full set for the first time in 27 years!! Renée reports back about two of our Weekend Takeover activities: volunteering with the Metallica Family at the St. Louis Area Foodbank and bowling with fans, the crew, and KSHE radio. Steffan shares stories of personal connections between James and the fans attending his book signing at Left Bank Books for the upcoming release of Messengers: The Guitars of James Hetfield. Last but not least, we get a Metallica Marching Band Competition update, including some clips of a few performances Steff and Renée have enjoyed so far. If you want your school's band to compete, get those entries submitted by November 16! The Metallica Report - your official, weekly guide for all things Metallica, straight from the source. New episode every Wednesday. Suicidal Tendencies: https://suicidaltendenciesofficial.com St. Louis Area Foodbank: https://stlfoodbank.org Left Bank Books: https://www.left-bank.com Messengers: The Guitars of James Hetfield book: http://metallica.lnk.to/Messengers  Metallica Marching Band Competition: https://www.metallicamarchingband.com Enter to win merch pack: https://pantheonpodcasts.com/metallica Wanna be featured on a future episode? Submit your questions or comments: http://metallica.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

November 8, 2023 This week on The Metallica Report… Steffan and Renée check in with details about the weekend from deep in the bowels of the Dome at America's Center in St. Louis. Rob Trujillo updates us on his whirlwind weekend in Mexico City, where he filled in on bass for his son, Tye. This wasn't just any substitute gig… he was joining Suicidal Tendencies for a full set for the first time in 27 years!! Renée reports back about two of our Weekend Takeover activities: volunteering with the Metallica Family at the St. Louis Area Foodbank and bowling with fans, the crew, and KSHE radio. Steffan shares stories of personal connections between James and the fans attending his book signing at Left Bank Books for the upcoming release of Messengers: The Guitars of James Hetfield. Last but not least, we get a Metallica Marching Band Competition update, including some clips of a few performances Steff and Renée have enjoyed so far. If you want your school's band to compete, get those entries submitted by November 16! The Metallica Report - your official, weekly guide for all things Metallica, straight from the source. New episode every Wednesday. Suicidal Tendencies: https://suicidaltendenciesofficial.com St. Louis Area Foodbank: https://stlfoodbank.org Left Bank Books: https://www.left-bank.com Messengers: The Guitars of James Hetfield book: http://metallica.lnk.to/Messengers  Metallica Marching Band Competition: https://www.metallicamarchingband.com Enter to win merch pack: https://pantheonpodcasts.com/metallica Wanna be featured on a future episode? Submit your questions or comments: http://metallica.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bernie Miklasz and Will Leitch with a special edition of Seeing Red. Discussing the Cardinals from Left Bank Books to promote Will's latest book, "The Time Has Come."

Bernie chats with his co-host of the Seeing Red Podcast, Will Leitch. Will offers up his takes on the Cadinals' struggles to start the season and why Matthew Liberatore is critical if the team wants to right the ship. They also discuss Will's new novel, The Time Has Come. Bernie and Will will be hosting a discussion and book signing on Thursday, May 25, at 7 p.m. at Left Bank Books at 399 N. Euclid Ave. in the Central West End.

Books Mentioned The Bandit Queens by Parini Schroff The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi Tea Three Cats Tea by Traveling Tea for Left Bank Books

Amy talks about her Monday night family bourbon tasting, while Michael tells about the experience of taking his friend to his colonoscopy. Plus, we talk with Britt Reyes for Banksyland and Shane Mullen of Left Bank Books.

Left Bank Books owner, Kris Kleindienst joins Debbie and Carol talking about books that are banned and most now are LGBTQ based. 

St. Louis-based author Sarah Kendzior spoke with STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum earlier this week about her new book They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent. Rosenbaum and Kendzior spoke in front of a live audience at the Ethical Society in Ladue. The event was organized by Left Bank Books

In this episode CEO Christina Hawatmeh reads an article by Nicki‘s Central West End Guide about the year time stopped the launch at Left bank books in Saint Louis, Missouri. In June, Left Bank Books held a book signing for St. Louis native Christina Hawatmeh, one of the few in-person author events held since the pandemic began. Coincidentally, the pandemic is precisely what Hawatmeh's book is about. The Year Time Stopped, The Global Pandemic in Photos, features 200 photographs from around the world depicting the beauty and the turbulence of 2020. Hawatmeh, who grew up in West County, now divides her time between New York and L.A. After earning her graduate degree at Columbia University, she was unable to find funding for her start-up idea in New York. She then applied for a St. Louis-based Arch Grant, and in 2015 was awarded $50,000 to build Scopio, a community-based image marketplace, where people around the world share their photographs and stories. “Anyone, anywhere can share images and get hired for their creative skills on Scopio in less than 3 minutes.” To date, 15,000 photographers from 193 countries have posted 1,000,000 photographs on the site. The photographs can be purchased as “high-quality, authentic images, and as NFTs (non-fungible tokens).” Since the launch of Scopio, Hawatmeh has been recognized as the first woman to create an NFT photography marketplace. She was also featured in Business Insider and Forbes Magazine, and finally got that N.Y. recognition she missed out on earlier, when New York Finance named her one of 2021's “Top Entrepreneurs to Follow.” A book wasn't in the plans for Hawatmeh and Scopio CPO Nour Chamoun, but to their surprise their large social media presence attracted the attention of publisher Harper Collins, and so they forged ahead. They sifted through thousands of photographs to find the best that told the story of the tumultuous year. Their book offers “an unforgettable visual history that captures the world's response to major events that defined 2020— from COVID to sweeping movements for racial and social justice.” (Here is a link to portions of the book accompanied by audio from the photographers.)... Watch the full book signing interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FARkf1W1MP8 Read the full article here: https://www.nickiscentralwestendguide.com/2022/08/book-signing-for-former-st-louisan-christina-hawatmeh-at-left-bank-books/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/scopio/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/scopio/support

.  In this episode, the Dads are taking on Mental Health and celebrating all things Movember. Movember is the leading advocate for men's mental and physical health. Every November they run a campaign to grow out your stache and support the cause. Men's mental health isn't talked about enough and there are too many guys suffering in silence. So, the dads tackle the subject with the hope to remove some of the stigma, give great advice, and places where you can get some help. Let's get to it!  2:00—If you're looking for a signed copy (with a book plate-which is a sticker) of Shannon's book The Ultimate Stay-at-Home Dad Manual, head on over to Left Bank Books!   5:50—Jake goes to the one of the most unusual Hardware Stores he's ever been to. Harry J Epsteins. This place is worth a look for how cool it is. The building used to be a bank and they've got tons of unusual stuff!  11:00—Larry went to a different hardware store and found used cleaning supplies and windows. He's going to use the windows because Larry is building a new greenhouse! It looks awesome. Larry also needed a lot of Jake's caulk.  15:40—A new segment for the show is forth coming! Dad Advice from DadCon. Get a snippet of advice from guys we've met along the way. This is a teaser for the next episode! 17:08—Mick's Chicken Update!  19:44—Let's get into mental health. And what better way to get into it than by talking about the Human Centipede series. 22:30—Why is it so hard to talk about our own mental health?  28:00—Here the dads discuss risk factors that may affect our mental health. What are our triggers and how do we deal with them?  37:20—Here we get to the advice given to us by Mark Hedstrom, Executive Director of Movember.  40:00—What are the dad's triggers and how do they manage them to improve their mental health.  45:25—Tips and tricks on how to manage your mental health. But remember, a great place to start is Movember.  Recycled Windows Greenhouse Recycled Windows Greenhouse Extreme ToolsExtreme ToolsExtreme ToolsExtreme ToolsExtreme Tools

Welcome back to It's the Journey for part of my interview with author, Amanda Oliver! Below are the show notes from Episode 50 If you haven't listened to that I'd recommend checking it out first! Did you know your destiny when you were a child? I always admired kids who did, and my next guest is one of those people who knew what she wanted and has been on a path towards her dream nearly all her life! Amanda Oliver knew at the age of 4 that she wanted to be a writer. In this first episode of two amazing episodes, she shares her journey that began with a 4 year old creating her own writer's nook, to an amazing adult who is an award winning writer and is now publishing her first book! In this episode we talk about Amanda's journey to writing OVERDUE: Reckoning with the Public Library. Often in life, the path to what we want isn't a straight line. On her journey to writing this book, Amanda became a professional librarian only to learn how our libraries are filling too many rolls to list for our most vulnerable people. Amanda summed it up the best in an NPR interview in 2019 when she said: “I'm trained in information organization, but nothing...Nothing I learned in my masters program helped me with what being a librarian actually looks like, which was caring for the patrons.” Amanda has been interviewed about libraries and being a librarian for NPR, CBC Radio, The Associated Press, The Guardian, The American Scholar, and American Libraries Magazine. In addition to her own experience she interviewed 75 additional librarians while preparing to write this important book. Listen now to hear her amazing story. I was blown away about all the things librarians have to do, and now I love and cherish them even more. Learn more about Amanda at amandaoliver.com. On her site you can learn about and pre-order her book. (You can also order it at your favorite local bookstore to give them some love. I ordered my copy from Left Bank Books, here in St. Louis) In addition you can find some of her published essays, which are just beautiful. I'm so grateful Amanda took time to talk with me about her book, and in the next episode a bit more about her journey. Don't miss part 2! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carlopodcast/support

Did you know your destiny when you were a child? I always admired kids who did, and my next guest is one of those people who knew what she wanted and has been on a path towards her dream nearly all her life! Amanda Oliver knew at the age of 4 that she wanted to be a writer. In this first episode of two amazing episodes, she shares her journey that began with a 4 year old creating her own writer's nook, to an amazing adult who is an award winning writer and is now publishing her first book! In this episode we talk about Amanda's journey to writing OVERDUE: Reckoning with the Public Library. Often in life, the path to what we want isn't a straight line. On her journey to writing this book, Amanda became a professional librarian only to learn how our libraries are filling too many rolls to list for our most vulnerable people. Amanda summed it up the best in an NPR interview in 2019 when she said: “I'm trained in information organization, but nothing...Nothing I learned in my masters program helped me with what being a librarian actually looks like, which was caring for the patrons.” Amanda has been interviewed about libraries and being a librarian for NPR, CBC Radio, The Associated Press, The Guardian, The American Scholar, and American Libraries Magazine. In addition to her own experience she interviewed 75 additional librarians while preparing to write this important book. Listen now to hear her amazing story. I was blown away about all the things librarians have to do, and now I love and cherish them even more. Learn more about Amanda at amandaoliver.com. On her site you can learn about and pre-order her book. (You can also order it at your favorite local bookstore to give them some love. I ordered my copy from Left Bank Books, here in St. Louis) In addition you can find some of her published essays, which are just beautiful. I'm so grateful Amanda took time to talk with me about her book, and in the next episode a bit more about her journey. Don't miss part 2! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carlopodcast/support

Continuing St. Louis Public Radio political correspondent Jason Rosenbaum's partnership with Left Bank Books, Rosenbaum talks with journalist Eric Michael Garcia about his new book "We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation." The two discuss how the politics of autism have changed, how the vaccine panic of the 1990s and 2000s sowed the seeds of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation — and how pop superstar Sia screwed up royally with how she portrayed nonverbal autistic people.

St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum interviewed St. Louis native Carl Power, the author of the new book Home, Land, Security. It was part of an ongoing partnership that Rosenbaum has had with Left Bank Books to interview authors of fascinating books. Power's book details the concept of deradicalization by traveling around to world to talk to people affected personally by terrorism and white supremacy.

Hi,I start this episode by chatting with Kris Kleindienst, co-owner of Left Bank Books in St. Louis, Missouri, and then head over to California to speak with Joy Lanzendorfer, author of Right Back Where We Started From. Left Bank Books is the oldest and largest independently-owned full-line bookstore in St. Louis, Missouri. They offer a full line of new and used books, gifts, cards, magazines, toys, and services.The staff at Left Bank Books are a fiercely committed group. Many are writers, performers, and artists who personally appreciate the importance of a store like Left Bank, not only to the cultural health of a community but to the health of its creative people, too! Many Left Bankers are involved in other community organizations as volunteers and activists and support issues such as peace, racial justice, civil rights, urban sustainability, education, animal rights, and support for the arts. Joy Lanzendorfer is the author of Right Back Where We Started From, a multigenerational work of fiction that explores the lust for ambition that entered into the American consciousness during the Gold Rush and how it affected our nation's ideas of success, failure, and the pursuit of happiness. Joy's non-fiction work has been in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Poetry Foundation, Ploughshares, NPR, Smithsonian, and Raritan. And Her fiction has appeared in Tin House, The Guardian, Hotel Amerika, Alaska Quarterly Review, and many others. Left Bank BooksThis is What Lesbian Looks Like: Dyke Activists Take on the 21st Century, Kris Kleindienst (Editor)Ruby Fruit Jungle, Rita Mae BrownBraiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall KimmererJoy LanzendorferRight Back Where We Started From, Joy LanzendorferGeorge Sterling Article, Joy LanzendorferJack London Article, Joy LanzendorferWhat's The Story Podcast With Joy LanzendorferJoy Lanzendorfer Keynote Speech at the Southern California Writer's ConferenceBeloved, Toni MorrisonSupport the show

Jia Tolentino in conversation with Julia Turshen about Julia's new cookbook Simply Julia. Thanks to Left Bank Books for hosting this conversation!Jia is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of the essay collection Trick Mirror.Follow-up links:For more about this season's partner, check out BetterThanBouillon.ComTo order a signed copy of Simply Julia  from Oblong Books, head hereFor more about Left Bank Books, who hosted this conversation, head hereFor over 50 more episodes of Keep Calm and Cook On, head hereFor more about Jia Tolentino, head here 

Zibby had the privilege of moderating author Kristy Woodson Harvey’s virtual tour event with Left Bank Books for her new novel, Under the Southern Sky. We recorded this conversation, and are releasing it now as a special episode you won’t want to miss! Purchase your copy on Amazon and Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dMqcLQBookshop: https://bit.ly/2QiP8Sh See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the ‘80s and ‘90s, the Last Call Killer preyed on gay men in New York, but his crimes went nearly unnoticed by the general public at the time. Writer Elon Green seeks to change that with his new book, Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York, which brings new attention to the serial killer and his victims. Event: Green will also be speaking tomorrow night at 6:30 in conversation with Robert Kolker, David Grann, and Sarah Weinman, with moderator Ben Dreyer and emcee, Molly Odintz of CrimeReads, in partnership with Left Bank Books and CrimeReads.

This is the fifty-third episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our guest is journalist, broadcaster, and New York Times Best Selling writer Joan Lunden. We spoke with her via Zoom in October of 2020 about her newest book "Why Did I Come Into This Room?: A Candid Conversation about Aging" by publisher Forefront Books.Joan Lunden was a co-host on Good Morning America for 17 years in the 80s and 90s and is currently a special correspondent at NBC. And among many other things, she’s written eight books as well. In her most recent book, “Why Did I Come Into This Room,” she takes on the subject of aging, specifically in women, and how the seldom discussed issues associated with getting older leaves so many women feeling isolated.However, from minor aches and pains, to major health issues, this new book reflects many of the issues that she’s dealt with...but handled with a sense of humor. We’ll hear more about the book and life experience of journalist, broadcaster, and best selling writer Joan Lunden on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our interviewer this time is Victoria Babu.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Interviewer and producer for this episode - Victoria BabuVideo Editor - Greg KoppSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Paul LangdonPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthorsd

This is the fifty-second episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our guest is journalist Connor Towne O'Neill. We spoke with him via Zoom in October of 2020 about his book "Down Along with That Devil's Bones: A Reckoning with Monuments, Memory, and the Legacy of White Supremacy" by publisher Algonquin Books.Writer Connor Towne O’Neill is a Pennsylvania born journalist that has had work in thoroughly northern publications like New York Magazine, and has been a producer on the Southern history based NPR podcast, “White Lies”. He’s a in instructor at Auburn University in Alabama now and researched and penned the book “Down Along with That Devil’s Bones” after more than 5 years of trying to pick apart some of the reasons why monuments to Confederates are still so common, like ones to the slave-owning, Southern General Nathan Bedford Forrest, the first head of the Ku Klux Klan. In the book he explores not just the odes to Forrest, but to other racist and problematic figures from Southern history. And he digs into how even those from the North, like himself, that wish they were absolved from the current presence of the memorials, could and should feel otherwise. We’ll explore more details of the book and of the life experience of journalist and writer Connor Towne O’Neill on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Paul Schankman.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Interviewer, producer, and editor for this episode - Paul SchankmanSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Ben SmithPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the fifty-first episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our guest is journalist and sports writer Reid Forgrave. We spoke with him via Zoom in October of 2020 about his book “Love, Zac” by publisher Algonquin Books.Writer Reid Forgrave has spent most of his career covering sports. He’s done long form reporting on the Olympics, basketball, and the NFL, and worked with the New York Times, CBS Sports and other organizations. But in his book, “Love, Zac”, he takes on the real life tragic death of a small town, high school football player that was ultimately found to have died from the effects of CTE, or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.Zac Easter took his own life, but left behind enough clues to what he thought was wrong with him so that he would feel like his life had meaning. We’ll find out the impact that Zac’s death had on his family, his home town, the sports community, and our guest as well, writer Reid Forgrave on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Victoria Babu.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Interviewer for this episode - Victoria BabuVideo Editor - Kerry MarksSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Paul LangdonPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the fiftieth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our guest is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and best selling author, Laila Lalami. We spoke with her via Zoom in October of 2020 about her newest book “Conditional Citizens” by publisher Pantheon Books.Laila Lalami is a naturalized US citizen of Arab descent born in Morocco. The professor of linguistics’ pathway to citizenship lasted from 1992 to 2000 and she experienced a wide range of contradictions along the way. She notes in “Conditional Citizens” that she realized while she had to declare herself as ethnically “white” on official paperwork…she didn’t see Arabs existing the same way as other “white” people in the real world.In her memoir that consists of her essays she’s written over the years, she breaks down how “accidents of birth” such as national origin, race, or gender play a large role in shaping the experience of what it means to be “American” to this day. We’ll learn more about this book, other best sellers, and the life of professor and writer Laila Lalami on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our interviewer this time is Anna Crosslin.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Interviewer for this episode - Anna CrosslinVideo Editor - Peter FoggySupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Ben SmithPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the forty-ninth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.The now celebrated and respected lawyer Jill Wine-Banks was a young prosecutor and only woman on the team during the Nixon impeachment hearings. In “The Watergate Girl”, she tells how she elicited this testimony and exchange from the president’s secretary about the missing audio from the famous taped recordings. from that famous revelation, she moved along as a trailblazer throughout her career in law at the US Army, for the state of Illinois, and the American Bar Association. The memoir of the status quo breaking jurist, writer Jill Wine-Banks is our guest on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.A side note and another reminder for context…this conversation was recorded on November 6, 2020…which was just after the 2020 presidential election. It was also after the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump in December of 2019, but before the events around the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021…and subsequent second impeachment of Trump.Our host and interviewer this time is Kathy Bratkowski.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and video producer of this episode - Kathy BratkowskiVideo Editor - Peter FoggySupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Paul LangonPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to The Jewish Book Festival.You can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the forty-eighth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our guest is the Best Selling author Jan Greenberg. We spoke with her in St. Louis in November of 2020 about her newest book “World of Glass: The Art of Dale Chihuly” by publisher Abrams Books. The award winning writer Jan Greenberg has penned books for adults and children about art of all types. From poetry to pottery…ballet to van Gogh, she’s been able to break down interpretations of all of the forms for readers to make the works more accessible to all that encounter them. This time she went into the “World of Glass”, which she wrote with her frequent collaborator Sandra Jordan, and artist Dale Chihuly because of the transformative nature of his work. We’ll hear about her visits to Chihuly’s studio for research on this book, how and why she got started writing about art, how she works with her collaborator and more. Best selling writer Jan Greenberg is our guest on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Angie Weidinger.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and video producer of this episode - Angie WeidingerVideo Editor - Greg KoppSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Ben SmithPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to Left Bank Books and the St. Louis County Library.You can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the forty-fifth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our guest is New York Times Best Selling author Jasper Fforde. We spoke with him via Zoom in October of 2020 about his newest book "The Constant Rabbit" by publisher Viking Books.The British novelist Jasper Fforde writes works of fantasy in what’s been called an “absurdist reality” style. He uses concepts and situations that are grounded in real life, but then he gives himself a “narrative dare” when composing the work, and fuses the two together. The original spark this time produced the book “The Constant Rabbit”. It’s our world, but one with anthropomorphic bunnies that speaks to how humans relate to others…and themselves. We’ll hear about this book, the “Thursday Next” book series and more of the creative life of New York Times Best Seller Jasper Fforde on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Angie Weidinger.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and video producer of this episode - Angie WeidingerVideo Editor - Greg KoppSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Ben SmithPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to Left Bank Books and the St. Louis County Library.You can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the forty-fourth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our guest is the Sunday Times best selling and award winning author Matt Haig. We spoke with him via Zoom in October of 2020 about his newest book “The Midnight Library" by publisher Viking Books.English writer Matt Haig has penned two dozen works…both children’s and adult…fiction and non-fiction in his career as a novelist. He’s worked as a journalist as well. But what he likes to infuse his work with is from a career path he didn’t take. we’ll certainly hear about different philosophies in his book “The Midnight Library”, along with a look into his love of science, libraries, and screen adaptations of his pieces. Award winning author Matt Haig is our guest today on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Carrie Robb.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host of this episode - Carrie RobbVideo Producer - Christina ChastainVideo Editor - Kerry MarksSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Paul LangdonPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to The Novel Neighbor.You can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the forty-third episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our guest is Rachel Howzell Hall. We spoke with her via Zoom in September of 2020 about her newest book "And Now She's Gone" by publisher Macmillan.Rachel Howzell Hall is based in Los Angles and the author of 9 novels and many short stories and essays. She’s written science fiction, mystery, and crime stories featuring the character Lou Norton. But the story in “And Now She’s Gone” is one that really began a long time ago for her. We’ll find out more about the mix of magic, intrigue, and abuse in this latest work. And we’ll her about the literary volunteer efforts and very busy life outside of the page of author Rachel Howzell Hall on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time, Heather Ash.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host of this episode - Heather AshVideo Editor - Kerry MarksSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Ben SmithPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the forty-second episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our guest is New York Times Best Selling British crime novelist Ann Cleeves. We spoke with her via Zoom in September of 2020 about her newest book “The Darkest Evening" by publisher Macmillan.Ann Cleeves is the author of more than 30 books, some of which have spawned two TV series with a third on the way. The BBC has the show “Shetland”, and the station ITV has the very popular show “Vera” based off of Cleeves’ character from her novels, Detective Vera Stanhope. Why does the author think “Vera” has caught on so well with audiences?Our host and interviewer this time, Angie Weidinger.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and producer of the video version of this episode - Angie WeidingerVideo Editor - Greg KoppSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Paul LangdonPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the forty-first episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our guest is New York Times Best Selling author Yaa Gyasi. We spoke with her via Zoom in September of 2020 about her second and newest book “Transcendent Kingdom" by publisher Penguin Random House.Yaa Gyasi was born in Ghana and raised in Huntsville, Alabama as a daughter of immigrant parents. She uses that lived experience in her newest work of fiction to broaden the conversation around the way that many stories are told about newcomers to the United States….this time through the tale of the main character, a neuroscientist named “Gifty". We’ll get into detail about the gripping life and times of Gifty and her family from the book and the real life of our guest Yaa Gyasi in our conversation today with this award winning, New York Times Best Seller on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Tayari Jones.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host of this episode - Tayari JonesVideo Editor - Peter FoggySupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Ben SmithPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the fortieth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our guest is author Elise Hooper. We spoke with her via Zoom in September of 2020 about her third and newest book “Fast Girls" by publisher HarperCollins.Elise Hooper is a writer of historical and biographical fiction. She’s taken on the subjects of women in different periods of history in all of her work…such as the real women of the novel “Little Women”, and early 20th century documentary photographer Dorothea Lange. In “Fast Girls” she focuses on the story behind some of the women on the US Olympic team that competed in the summer games of 1936 in Berlin. we’ll get into detail about three of these athletes and their individual paths to Germany…along with a story about finding the stories when we start our conversation with writer Elise Hooper on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time, Ashley Hasty.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and producer of this episode - Ashley HastySupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Paul LangdonPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the thirty-ninth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our guest is forensic anthropologist, television producer and author Kathy Reichs. We spoke with her via Zoom in June of 2020 about her newest book "A Conspiracy of Bones" by publisher Scribner Books.The 12 seasons of the TV show “Bones” was produced by Kathy Reichs and the title character Temperance Brennan is loosely based on Kathy’s life as a practicing forensic anthropologist. When Kathy started writing the character of Temperance 20 books ago, she was able to bring her experience to the page and make the readers’ experience very authentic. But writing the books changed how she worked in forensics a little bit too.We’ll get into detail about how she details her written work and learn about how she’s remained a prolific writer while working for TV and being an academic. Kathy Reichs is our guest on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time, Paul Shankman.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host, editor, and producer of this episode - Paul ShankmanGraphics - Gregg Kopp & Jayne BallewSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Ben SmithPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the thirty-eighth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our author is New York Times Best Selling writer, Tom Clavin. We spoke with him via Zoom in June of 2020 about his recent book "Tombstone: The Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday and the Vendetta Ride from Hell" by publisher St. Martin's Press.Tom Clavin was a reporter at the New York Times and has written on a variety of topics for prominent magazines like Smithsonian, Golf, and Cosmopolitan. But his series of historical books that focused on the legends from the United States’ westward expansion, helped bring him multiple best sellers. The research and work he did for his final book of the trilogy, “Tombstone”, dispels some of the myths about the OK Corral, but reveals some even more fascinating stories. And the fictionalized print and movie versions of the tales of Doc Holliday and the Earp Brothers almost pale in comparison to what he has discovered. We’ll hear about the more true story of the “Wild West” in today’s conversation with New York Times Best Selling writer Tom Clavin on this edition Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time, Paul Shankman.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host, editor, and producer of this episode - Paul ShankmanGraphics - Gregg Kopp & Jayne BallewSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Paul LangdonPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the thirty-seventh episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our guest is a screenwriter and Booker Prize winning author, Roddy Doyle. We spoke with him via Zoom in June of 2020 about his newest book “Love: A Novel” by publisher Penguin Random House.Roddy Doyle has placed the setting of many of his 11 novels for adults in and around his home stomping grounds of Dublin.“Love: A Novel” continues in that vein. This tale centers around a pub crawl of two 50-year-old drinking buddies of decades. They find that this on night out they try to talk a bit more deeply than they ever have with hopes of continuing a their kinship on a more mature level. The subject of love comes up and they talk about a woman that they knew long ago in their younger days of carousing. Roddy wrote this conversation with some intentional ambiguity. And from their talk about their past object desire, the book hits on the subject of different kinds of love, including love between childhood friends. We’ll hear more about the winding path the book takes AND about the recent screenplay work of award winning writer Roddy Doyle on this edition Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Brenda Madden.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and producer of this episode - Brenda MaddenVideo Editing - Peter FoggyGraphics - Gregg KoppSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Ben SmithPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the thirty-sixth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our author is award winning writer, Bonnie Tsui. We spoke with her via Zoom in June of 2020 about her recent book “Why We Swim” by publisher Algonquin Books. Bonnie Tsui is a frequent contributor to The New York Times and California Sunday Magazine and has previously written a book about some of the “Chinatowns” that are around the US. In her newest offering, however, she’s focusing on humans and their relationship to the water. She’s the daughter of two swimmers and grew up being a competitive swimmer herself.“Why We Swim” takes a look at the stories of a wide range of people from swimmers of all types around the world and goes into the reasons why they…and other humans…seem to have an innate attachment to the water. We’ll go deeper into the subject of people and their draw to H20 in our conversation with award winning writer Bonnie Tsui on this edition Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Here’s our host and interviewer this time, Angie Weidinger.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and producer of this episode - Angie WeidingerVideo Editing - Peter FoggyGraphics - Gregg KoppSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Audio Editing - Ben SmithPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to Surf Simply, St. Louis County Library, and Left Bank BooksYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the thirty-fifth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres. We’re excited to be back after an unplanned hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Since no authors were able to travel, and our partners at the St. Louis County Library and Left Bank Books were physically closed in the early days of social distancing, we were unable to conduct many of the scheduled interviews that we had planned. But, after the initial weeks of the global shutdown, we were able to set up remote video interviews with many authors. And in the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with the audio of these interviews. The sound quality may be slightly different than our previous podcasts, but they all still contain the great content that you’ve come to expect.Our guest this time is Political Journalist Jennifer Steinhauer. We spoke with her via Zoom in June of 2020 about her latest book “The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress” by publisher Algonquin Books.She has been a journalist with the New York Times for over 30 years. Throughout her career she’s written about everything from the West Coast, to politics, business, food, and health care. Since 2010 her main beat has been the US congress and her new book explores the experiences of the women in the 116th congressional freshman class and how the sudden increase in female members has impacted the house and senate. We’ll explore the hurdles many women have to overcome when running for public office, hear how the current social climate and the pandemic have affected the freshmen class, and learn about the history of women in the congress, as Jennifer Steinhauer joins us now on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books. HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org. Host and Video Producer – Victoria Babu Supervising Producer – Julie Winkle Video Editor – Greg Kopp Audio Editor – Paul Langdon Production Support – Jayne Ballew and Christina Chastain HEC Media Executive Director - Dennis Riggs Podcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast Producer – Paul Langdon Podcast Host - Rod Milam You can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors": Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthors Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthors Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the thirty-fourth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres. We’re excited to be able to come back to you after an unplanned hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Since no authors were able to travel, and our partners at the St. Louis County Library and Left Bank Books were physically closed in the early days of social distancing, we were unable to conduct many of the scheduled interviews that we had planned. But, after the initial weeks of the global shutdown, we were able to set up remote video interviews with many authors. And in the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with the audio of these interviews. The sound quality may be slightly different than our previous podcasts, but they all still contain the great content that you’ve come to expect.Our guest this time is Sweden’s “Queen of Crime” Camilla Lackberg. We spoke with her via Zoom in July of 2020 about her latest book “The Golden Cage” by publisher Penguin Random House.Her books have been translated into 40 languages and have sold over 20 million copies around the world. In addition to being one of Europe’s most recognizable crime novelists, she is an entrepreneur, part owner of a jewelry company, co-founder of an investment firm dedicated to helping women start their own businesses, and creator of a popular Swedish soap opera. We’ll hear about her formative years, learn about her inspiration for the characters in her crime novels, and get some insights into how her career and celebrity status has changed her home town as Camilla Lackberg joins us now on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org. Host and Video Producer – Angie Weidinger Supervising Producer– Julie Winkle Video Editor – Greg Kopp Audio Editor- Paul Langdon Production Support – Jayne Ballew and Christina Chastain HEC Media Executive Director - Dennis Riggs Podcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast Producer – Paul Langdon Podcast Host - Rod Milam You can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors": Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthors Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthors Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the thirty-third episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.We’re excited to be back after an unplanned hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Since no authors were able to travel, and our partners at the St. Louis County Library and Left Bank Books were physically closed in the early days of social distancing, we were unable to conduct many of the scheduled interviews that we had planned. But, after the initial weeks of the global shutdown, we were able to set up remote video interviews with many authors. And in the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with the audio of these interviews. The sound quality may be slightly different than our previous podcasts, but they all still contain the great content that you’ve come to expect.Our guest this time is New York Times Best-Selling author Linda Castillo. We spoke with her via Zoom in July of 2020 about her book “Outsider: A Novel of Suspense” available through Macmillan Publishers.She is the author of over 30 novels, including the immensely popular Kate Burkholder Series. We’ll learn more about Kate Burkholder’s past, as it’s explored in Linda Castillo’s latest novel. We’ll also hear how she got interested in Amish society, why she chose to make that the setting of her most popular series, and how a new character introduced in her latest book has been in development since the first Kate Burkholder novel was released over a decade ago, as Linda Castillo joins us now on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books. HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org. Host and Video Producer – Kathy Bratkowski Supervising Producer– Julie Winkle Video Editor – Peter Foggy Audio Editor – Ben Smith Production Support – Jayne Ballew and Christina Chastain HEC Media Executive Director - Dennis Riggs Podcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast Producer – Paul Langdon Podcast Host - Rod Milam You can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors": Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthors Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthors Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the thirty-second episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres. We’re excited to be able to come back to you after an unplanned hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Since no authors were able to travel, and our partners at the St. Louis County Library and Left Bank Books were physically closed in the early days of social distancing, we were unable to conduct many of the scheduled interviews that we had planned. But, after the initial weeks of the global shutdown, we were able to set up remote video interviews with many authors. And in the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with the audio of these interviews. The sound quality may be slightly different than our previous podcasts, but they all still contain the great content that you’ve come to expect.Our guest this time is Pulitzer-prize winning historian Anne Applebaum. We spoke with her via Zoom in July of 2020 about her latest book “Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism” by publisher Penguin Random House.She is a writer for the Atlantic, as well as a Senior Fellow of International Affairs and an Agora Fellow in Residence at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where she co-directs LSE Arena, a program about disinformation and 21st century propaganda. In her new book she uses her expertise in these areas and personal experiences to explore the rise of fascist authoritarianism across the globe and explain how the political landscape’s changes over time have allowed it to happen. In this conversation we’ll learn about the negative effects cultural tribalism has on democracy, explore the ways some world leaders have exploited “cultural despair” for their own gain, and hear how parts of Europe have handled the Covid-19 pandemic as compared to the United states as Anne Applebaum joins us on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books. HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org. Producer – Julie Winkle Host – Brenda Madden Video Editor – Greg Kopp Audio Editor- Paul Langdon Production Support – Jayne Ballew and Christina Chastain HEC Media Executive Director - Dennis Riggs Podcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast Producer – Paul Langdon Podcast Host - Rod Milam You can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors": Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthors Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthors Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the thirty-first episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.We’re excited to be able to come back to you after an unplanned hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Since no authors were able to travel, and our partners at the St. Louis County Library and Left Bank Books were physically closed in the early days of social distancing, we were unable to conduct many of the scheduled interviews that we had planned. But, after the initial weeks of the global shutdown, we were able to set up remote video interviews with many authors. And in the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with the audio of these interviews. The sound quality may be slightly different than our previous podcasts, but they all still contain the great content that you’ve come to expect.Our guest this time is founder and CEO of Organize 365, Lisa Woodruff. We spoke with her via Zoom in July of 2020 about her latest book “The Paper Solution: What to Shred, What to Save, and How to Stop It From Taking Over Your Life” by publisher Penguin Random House.She is a professional organizer, productivity coach, and podcaster. She uses her background in education to help instruct other on how to better organize their living spaces. In this conversation she shares the story of how she became a professional organizer, and we’ll learn what to expect when starting to sort through personal papers as Lisa Woodruff joins us on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org. Video Producer and Host – Victoria Babu Supervising Producer – Julie Winkle Video Editor – Peter Foggy Audio Editor- Ben Smith Production Support – Jayne Ballew and Christina Chastain HEC Media Executive Director - Dennis Riggs Talking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast Producer – Paul Langdon Podcast Host - Rod Milam You can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors": Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthors Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthors Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the thirtieth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.We’re excited to be able to come back to you after an unplanned hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Since no authors were able to travel, and our partners at the St. Louis County Library and Left Bank Books were physically closed in the early days of social distancing, we were unable to conduct many of the scheduled interviews that we had planned. But, after the initial weeks of the global shutdown, we were able to set up remote video interviews with many authors. And in the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with the audio of these interviews. The sound quality may be slightly different than our previous podcasts, but they all still contain the great content that you’ve come to expect.Our guest this time is bestselling author Fiona Davis. We spoke with her via Zoom in July of 2020 about her latest book “The Lions of Fifth Avenue” by publisher Penguin Random House.Her novels all follow a theme, each is a work of historical fiction based around a building in New York City. Her settings have ranged from the Dakota Apartments in the 1880s, to Grand Central Terminal in the 1920s, to the Chelsea Hotel in the 1950s. In “The Lions of Fifth Avenue” her setting is, of course, the New York Public Library. She discusses her writing process as well as how the New York Public Library’s fascinating collections and history have influenced her latest novel on this edition of Talking with Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Producer – Julie WinkleHost – Ashley HastyVideo Editor – Peter FoggyAudio Editor- Ben SmithProduction Support – Jayne Ballew and Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer – Paul LangdonPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the twenty-ninth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.We’re excited to be able to come back to you after an unplanned hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Since no authors were able to travel, and our partners at the St. Louis County Library and Left Bank Books were physically closed in the early days of social distancing, we were unable to conduct many of the scheduled interviews that we had planned. But, after the initial weeks of the global shutdown, we were able to set up remote video interviews with many authors. And in the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with the audio of these interviews. The sound quality may be slightly different than our previous podcasts, but they all still contain the great content that you’ve come to expect. Our guest this time is Wes Moore. We spoke with him via Zoom in July of 2020 about his most recent book “Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of an American City” published by Penguin Random House.He’s an author, combat veteran, and CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, a top poverty fighting nonprofit. But his incredible life story isn’t the focus of this episode’s conversation. Instead, he discusses the life and tragic death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man that suffered a fatal spinal cord injury at the hands of the Baltimore police in April of 2015. Moore’s latest book examines the aftermath of this young man’s death, as told through the experiences of multiple people from different backgrounds. Important topics concerning race, police violence, and the needs for systemic change in the United States are addressed on this edition of Talking with Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Producer – Christian Chastain Host – Kira Banks Video Editor – Christian Chastain and Greg Kopp Audio Editor- Ben Smith Production Support – Jayne Ballew HEC Media Executive Director - Dennis Riggs Talking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast Producer – Paul Langdon Podcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthors Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthors Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the twenty-eighth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.We’re very excited to be able to come back to you after an unplanned hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Since no authors were able to travel, and our partners at the St. Louis County Library and Left Bank Books were physically closed in the early days of social distancing, we were unable to conduct many of the scheduled interviews that we had planned. But, after the initial weeks of the global shutdown, we were able to set up remote video interviews with many authors. And in the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with the audio of these interviews. Now sound quality may be slightly different than our previous podcasts, but they all still contain the great content that you’ve come to expect. Our guest this time is a three-time recipient of the Ellery Queen Readers Award for Best Short Story of the Year and author of over 35 novels, Jeffery Deaver. We spoke with him via Zoom in May of 2020 about his latest book “The Goodbye Man” by publisher Penguin Random House.His books have sold over 50 million copies worldwide, and have featured protagonists including the exceedingly popular quadriplegic detective Lincoln Rhyme, and even fiction’s most famous secret agent James Bond. “The Goodbye Man” is the second book to feature his latest hero, Colter Shaw, an itinerant reward-seeker. We’ll learn about Deaver’s latest thriller, get some insights on the settings of his books, and hear some stories from his years on the road on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books. HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Producer – Julie Winkle Host - Angie Weidinger Video Editor – Greg Kopp Audio Editor- Ben Smith Production Support – Jayne Ballew and Christina Chastain HEC Media Executive Director - Dennis Riggs Talking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast Producer – Paul Langdon Podcast Host - Rod Milam You can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors": Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthors Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthors Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the twenty-seventh episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.We’re very excited to be able to come back to you after an unplanned hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Since no authors were able to travel, and our partners at the St. Louis County Library and Left Bank Books were physically closed in the early days of social distancing, we were unable to conduct many of the scheduled interviews that we had planned. But, after the initial weeks of the global shutdown, we were able to set up remote video interviews with many authors. And in the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with the audio of these interviews. Now sound quality may be slightly different than our previous podcasts, but they all still contain the great content that you’ve come to expect. Our guest this time is renown restaurant critic and former editor of Gourmet Magazine Ruth Reichl. We spoke with her via Zoom in May of 2020 about her latest memoir “Save Me The Plums” published by Random House.Her previous memoirs have been translated into 18 different languages and published all around the world. Considering her impact on food media, it’s no wonder so many people want to know more about her experiences. She’s been blazing new trails throughout her career, from her writings in the New York Times to her tenure as editor for Gourmet Magazine. We’ll learn a little about her current documentary project exploring Covid-19’s impact on the food industry, get her insights into the future of food media, and hear quite a few stories from her latest book on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org. Producer – Julie Winkle Host - Magazine Heather Hughes Huff Video Editor – Peter Foggy Audio Editor- Paul Langdon Production Support - Christina Chastain HEC Media Executive Director - Dennis Riggs Talking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast Producer – Paul Langdon Podcast Host - Rod Milam You can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors": Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthors Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthors Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the twenty-sixth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres. We’re very excited to be able to come back to you after an unplanned hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Since no authors were able to travel, and our partners at the St. Louis County Library and Left Bank Books were physically closed in the early days of social distancing, we were unable to conduct many of the scheduled interviews that we had planned. But, after the initial weeks of the global shutdown, we were able to set up remote video interviews with many authors. And in the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with the audio of these interviews. Now sound quality may be slightly different than our previous podcasts, but they all still contain the great content that you’ve come to expect. Our guest this time is international bestselling author Alex George. We spoke with him via Zoom in April of 2020 about his book “The Paris Hours” published by Flatiron Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers.Before starting his career as an author, he worked as a corporate lawyer in his home country of England, as well as Paris. Now living in Columbia Missouri, he owns his own bookstore, still occasionally practices law, and spends his days writing critically acclaimed novels like “A Good American” and “Setting Free the Kites.” We’ll learn the details of how his latest novel was developed, hear about his life in Europe and the American Midwest, and get insights into his experiences as both an author and a bookshop owner on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books. HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org. Host and Video Producer - Angie Weidinger Video Editor – Greg Kopp Audio Editor- Ben Smith Supervising Producer - Julie Winkle Production Support - Jayne Ballew and Christina Chastain HEC Media Executive Director - Dennis Riggs Talking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast Producer – Paul Langdon Podcast Host - Rod Milam You can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors": Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthors Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthors Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum teams up with Left Bank Books' Shane Mullen once again to interview author Larry Tye. Tye is the author of the new book Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy. It's the definitive biography of the Wisconsin senator who gained historical infamy for his ill-fated crusade against communism. You can buy Tye's book at Left Bank Books by going to left-bank.com — or copying and pasting this address (https://www.left-bank.com/book/9781328959720) into your browser.

This is the twenty-fifth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.We’re very excited to be able to come back to you after an unplanned hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Since no authors were able to travel, and our partners at the St. Louis County Library and Left Bank Books were physically closed in the early days of social distancing, we were unable to conduct many of the scheduled interviews that we had planned. But, after the initial weeks of the global shutdown, we were able to set up remote video interviews with many authors. And in the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with the audio of these interviews. Now sound quality may be slightly different than our previous podcasts, but they all still contain the great content that you’ve come to expect. Today, our author is an intelligence expert and award winning creator of 5 novels, Alma Katsu. We spoke with her via Zoom in April of 2020 about her book “The Deep” by publisher Penguin Random House.This writer of horror and historical fiction has had her work published in 10 different languages around the world. But her career before writing for public consumption was with the NSA, CIA, and other intelligence agencies in the United States. Given that background, she knows how important it is to get facts correct. And with that in mind, before she took on her most recent book about the twin ocean liners the Titanic and the Britannic, she had to really think through what she was getting herself into. We’ll hear about that story of “The Deep”, talk a bit about her earlier work on the subject of The Donner Party, and learn more about her writing process. Award winning author Alma Katsu joins us now on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Here’s our host this time is Victoria Babu.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and Video Producer - Victoria BabuVideo Editor - Kerry MarksAudio Editor- Paul LangdonSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew and Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

Earlier this week, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum spoke with Elizabeth Shackelford — the author of the new book The Dissent Channel: American Diplomacy in a Dishonest Age. It was part of a live event for Left Bank Books. You find out more about Shackelford's work by going here: https://www.left-bank.com/event/elizabeth-shackelford-dissent-channel

This is the twenty-fourth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.We’re still back with you after an unplanned hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. After the initial weeks of the global shutdown, we were able to set up remote video interviews with many authors. And in the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with the audio of these interviews. Now sound quality may be slightly different than our previous podcasts, but they all still contain the great content that you’ve come to expect.Today, our author is an award winning, #1 New York Times Bestselling creator of over 20 novels, Chris Bohjalian. We spoke with him via Zoom in April of 2020 about his book “The Red Lotus” by publisher Knopf Doubleday.This Vermont based writer has been a published novelist since 1995. And like most writers, he gets ideas from his own experiences and hobbies. With the oddly prescient and timely “The Red Lotus”, after he figured out that part of the locale would be in southeast Asia, he turned his one of his past-times into research to help him fill in his story. And he mixed a bike trip with interviews with emergency room doctors and epidemiologists to come up with the thriller that provides mystery in the characters, and a knowing fear for the reader since we are all now in the middle of a global pandemic. Author Chris Bohjalian joins us now on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Angie Weidinger.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and Producer - Angie WeidingerVideo Editor - Greg KoppAudio Editor - Ben SmithSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the twenty-third episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.We’re very excited to be able to come back to you after an unplanned hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Since no authors were able to travel, and our partners at the St. Louis County Library and Left Bank Books were physically closed in the early days of social distancing, we were unable to conduct many of the scheduled interviews that we had planned. But, after the initial weeks of the global shutdown, we were able to set up remote video interviews with many authors. And in the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with the audio of these interviews. Now sound quality may be slightly different than our previous podcasts, but they all still contain the great content that you’ve come to expect. Today, our author is the #1 New York Times Bestselling creator of over 30 works in the international thriller genre, James Rollins. We spoke with him via Zoom in April of 2020 about his book “The Last Odyssey” by publisher Harper Collins.“Two books a year for the last 20 years,” is how this practicing veterinarian has spun off his interest in writing into a full-blown successful literary career. And his signature series of books “Sigma Force” has taken up the largest area of focus for his writing. In “The Last Odyssey”, as usual, he draws inspiration from his fondness for myths and stories from around the world. This time, the Abrahamic religions caught his attention and he was driven by their views of The End Times.In this interactive, virtual interview we’ll learn more about this newest book, his coming work, his process for writing, and some more about his many interests. Author James Rollins is our guest this time on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is the author events coordinator for the St. Louis County Library, Carrie Robb.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host - Carrie RobbAudio Editor- Paul LangdonSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

Summary:   This week we watch the poetic masterpiece Daughters of the Dust, a 1991 film written, directed and produced by Julie Dash, which tells the story of three generations of Gullah women living in a village on Saint Helena Island in South Carolina. Daughters of the Dust was named one of the most significant films of the last 30 years by Indiewire, it was the inspiration for Beyonce’s Lemonade, the first feature film directed by an African-American woman distributed in the U.S. It is a classic film by a brilliant talent that has long gone underappreciated.    Show notes:   Daughters of the Dust on Criterion    Lemonade syllabus reading list (Left Bank Books)   Uprising & Abolition: Angela Davis on Movement Building, “Defund the Police” & Where We Go from Here (Democracy Now)   Julie Dash Made a Movie. Then Hollywood Shut Her Out. (NYTimes)   Solange, "Cranes in the Sky" (YouTube)     Recommendations: Lisa: Queer Eye, Season 5 (Netflix) Andrea W.: Witch Prophet, DNA Activation (music) Andrea G.: DOXA Documentary Film Festival from June 18 - 26 (online film festival) Music credits: "Good Times" by Podington Bear From Free Music Archive CC BY 3.0   Theme song "Pyro Flow" by Kevin Macleod From Incompetch CC BY 3.0 Intro bed:"OLPC" by Marco Raaphorst Courtesy of Free Music Archive CC BY-SA 3.0 NL Pop This! Links: Pop This! on TumblrPop This! on iTunes (please consider reviewing and rating us!) Pop This! on Stitcher (please consider reviewing and rating us!) Pop This! on Google PlayPop This! on TuneIn radioPop This! on TwitterPop This! on Instagram Logo design by Samantha Smith Pop This! is two women talking about pop culture. Lisa Christiansen is a broadcaster, journalist and longtime metal head. Andrea Warner is a music critic, author and former horoscopes columnist. Press play and come hang out with your two new best friends. Pop This! podcast is produced by Andrea Gin and recorded at the Vancouver Public Library's wonderful Inspiration Lab.  

Nine of the top 10 books on the New York Times' nonfiction bestseller list are about race, or racism. And local book stores are seeing a similar surge. Jeffrey Blair of Eye See Me African American Children's Bookstore and Danielle King of Left Bank Books joined host Sarah Fenske to describe what they're seeing, and share their picks.

This is the twenty-second episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.We’re very excited to be able to come back to you after an unplanned hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Since no authors were able to travel, and our partners at the St. Louis County Library and Left Bank Books were physically closed in the early days of social distancing, we were unable to conduct many of the scheduled interviews that we had planned. But, after the initial weeks of the global shutdown, we were able to set up remote video interviews with many authors. And in the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with the audio of these interviews. Now sound quality may be slightly different than our previous podcasts, but they all still contain the great content that you’ve come to expect. Today, our author is a New York Times economic reporter and writer, Eduardo Porter. We spoke with him via Zoom in March of 2020 about his book “American Poison: How Racial Hostility Destroyed our Promise” by publisher Penguin Random House.Being an economic reporter and having focused on the cost that people are willing to pay for things in their everyday lives in his first book “The Price of Everything”, Eduardo Porter wanted his second book to focus on how the United States seemed to be unwilling to pay as much for a social safety net as compared to its peer nations. But the path to writing that book lead him down the road to why that unwillingness exists…Race.And throughout the book he dives into how and why those lines have diminished the potential that the US has. We’ll hear some of these details, talk about some possible solutions, and learn a bit about the life of reporter and writer Eduardo Porter on this edition Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Christina Chastain.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Producer, Host, and Video Editor - Christina ChastainAudio Editor- Ben SmithSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This week we had a chat with bookseller Shane Mullen from Left Bank Books, located in St. Louis, Missouri. We talked about the bookstore, what you can expect when visiting, how Shane got involved in bookselling and so much more.  We also had a chat with author Margo Orlando Littell about her latest novel The Distance From Four Points, and Jennifer Chiaverini about her latest novel Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters. We also shared some new releases that will be available in bookstores during the week of Monday, June 1st.***BiblioLifestyle newsletter subscribers are the first to know all the podcast happenings, get free goodies in the mail and they can enter for the chance to win free books. Every Friday you’ll get a special treat in your inbox filled with inspirational content, book recommendations, self-care tips, original interviews and things we think you’ll enjoy. The best part? You will only receive ONE email per week and it will be an amazing 5-minute read or less! Get our free weekly delivery - bibliolifestyle.com. A list of all the books mentioned in the show can be found at bibliohappyhour.com . To find an independent bookstore near you or when you're traveling, visit bibliofinder.com. For as little as $1/month you can tune in to the rest of our "meet the bookseller" conversation, listen to our “off the cuff” discussions with authors we've had on the show,  get our tailored “top shelf” book recommendations, behind the scenes content, perks and more when you become a supporter on Patreon. Join us at patreon.com/bibliofinder. 

Co-Host Jennifer Hillier joins Eric for talks with legendary Sara Paretsky and thriller writer Reece Hirsch. Plus Staff Picks from Left Bank Books and Mysterious Galaxy All music use by permission under the creative commons license. Music in this episode includes: Sunday by Otis McDonald Grand Navy Plaza by Silent Partner Blue Break by Silent Partner Buddy Guy by Podington Bear Foundation by Vibe Tracks Dollar Dub by Midnight North

This is the twenty-first episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our author is documentary filmmaker and writer of books about Hollywood history, Robert Matzen. We spoke with him as he was on tour in November of 2019 with his book “Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II” by publisher GoodKnight Books.Robert Matzen was working on his second book in the mid-2010s about Hollywood actors during World War II, when he learned that Audrey Hepburn actually lived in German occupied The Netherlands throughout the conflict. It had been believed that she’d been part of the Dutch resistance during that time, but Robert, ever the documentarian, couldn’t find any definitive writings that could confirm that OR much about her life during that time. The reason…her parents’ pre-war sympathies and activities. Even with press questions at time, they yielded nothing.But later he was able to connect with the sons of Audrey Hepburn and spend a great deal of time in The Netherlands to unearth the details of the decade’s hidden subject and write about it himself first…to his amazement. We’ll learn about some of these details, how they were gotten, and how Audrey Hepburn’s life as a child in a war zone lead her to her support children suffering in conflicts around the world as an adult in our conversation with filmmaker and writer Robert Matzen on this edition Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Here’s our host and interviewer this time, Paul Schankman.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host, editor, and producer of this episode - Paul SchankmanPhotography - Peter Foggy, Ken CalcaterraAudio - Paul LangdonEditor and Graphics - Jayne Ballew and Gregg KoppSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the twentieth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our author is a culture reporter for the New York Times and four time book author Dave Itzkoff. We spoke with him as he was on tour in November of 2019 with his then brand new book “Robin” a biography of Robin Williams by publisher Pan Macmillan.Dave Itzkoff is a journalist that has covered the worlds of film, theatre, TV, and pop culture…and he would need to use his knowledge of all of those worlds to take on the subject of the comedian and actor Robin Williams when he decided to write his biography. The multi-talented artist that died back in 2014 had previously given some interviews with Itzkoff back in 2008 and 2009. Those talks coupled with more than another 100 interviews with family and friends, helped Dave learn about the ways that Williams connected to his fame and his fans. He also learned about the darker world of depression and addiction that Willams occupied. We’ll take a deep dive into the career of the iconic comedian and actor Robin Williams and learn about his journey through Hollywood and later life. Culture writer Dave Itzkoff on this edition Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Angie Weidinger.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and producer of this episode - Angie WeidingerPhotography - Peter Foggy, Ken Calcaterra, and John RossAudio - Ben SmithEditor and Graphics - Jayne BallewSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Christina Chastain and Jayne BallewHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the nineteenth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Our author is award winning investigative journalist Ben Westhoff. We spoke with him as he was on tour in September of 2019 with his then brand new book “Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Are Creating the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic” by publisher Grove Atlantic.But after following that thread of information, he found himself tracking down the source of the additives to China, tracing the spread of the synthetic drug throughout the world, and testifying in the halls of the Congress about the manufacture, use, abuse, and effect of fentanyl in the United States. We’ll learn about investigative journalist Ben Westhoff’s deep journey through the illicit drug world and hear some stories about the lives of the businesses and people effected by it on this edition Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Brenda Madden.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and producer of this episode - Brenda MaddenPhotography - Peter Foggy and Ken CalcaterraAudio - Ben SmithEditor and Graphics - Kerry MarksSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Christina Chastain and Jane BallewHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the eighteenth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our author is independent film and television producer and writer Marra Gad. We spoke with her as she was on tour in November of 2019 with her book “The Color of Love: A Story of a Mixed-Race Jewish Girl” by Agate Publishing.Marra Gad was born as the product of a relationship between an unwed black father and white Jewish mother in Chicago, Illinois, and was adopted into an all white Jewish family in 1970 at three days old. As an obviously mixed race child of the time, she grew up standing out in the close knit Jewish community and synagogue of her adopted parents and in the city of Chicago in general. But her parents were firmly behind her and against all people that couldn’t understand that she was who she was. But the strain from too much attention was always with her.But with explicit backing, she found a way to always seek paths of connection to those that were racist and hurtful to her…even those in her own family that she was once close with when they were willing and able to receive her love. We’ll take a deep dive into the unique life of producer and author Marra Gad, our guest on this edition Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Brenda Madden.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and producer of this episode - Brenda MaddenPhotography - Peter Foggy and Ken CalcaterraAudio - Ben SmithEditor and Graphics - Kerry MarksSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Christina Chastain and Jane BallewHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to the St. Louis Jewish Book FestivalYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the seventeenth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our author is the New York Times Best Selling writer Dr. Michael Roizen. We spoke with him as he was on tour in November of 2019 with his book “What to Eat When: A Strategic Plan to Improve Your Health and Life Through Food” by publisher The National Geographic Society.Dr. Roizen is a board certified anesthesiologist and internist, and the chief wellness officer of the Cleveland Clinic, an academic based medical center in Cleveland, Ohio. He became a 5-time New York Times Best Selling author with a series of books from his RealAge service of personal health tools for the general public. He has made many media appearances over the years and been part of the Dr. Oz Show for several episodes. In this new book “What to Eat When” that he penned with fellow doctor Michael Crupain, he talks about new research that showed him that timing of eating also effects people’s overall health.We’ll go over his findings and prescription for changing the way that everyone eats so that they can maximize their health. Dr. Michael Roizen is our guest on this edition Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books. Our host and interviewer this time is Victoria Babu.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and editor of this episode - Victoria BabuPhotography - Peter Foggy and Jim ChambersAudio - Ben SmithEditor - Greg KoppSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Christina Chastain and Jane BallewHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to the St. Louis Jewish Book FestivalYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the sixteenth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our guest is a journalist, psychotherapist, and New York Times best selling author Lori Gottlieb. We spoke with her as she was on tour in November of 2019 for her book “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” by publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.Lori Gottlieb’s professional career has taken her from film development, to TV writing and production in the 1990s with NBC, to medical school, to journalism, and to psychology later on. And now with her behind-the-scenes look into the life of a therapist in the book “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” being adapted to a TV series, she’s coming full circle…back to the media world. She very much wants to tell stories about real life and to help lead people to take care of their mental health like they would other aspects of their well-being.And between this book, her column in “The Atlantic”, her public speaking work, and her therapy practice she’s on a mission to have as many people as possible realize that they too are worthy and deserve to be helped and heard in order to live a more healthy life over all. Psychologist, journalist, and New York Times Best Selling author Lori Gottlieb on this episode of Talking with Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books. Our host and interviewer this time is Christina ChastainHEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and editor of this episode - Paul SchankmanPhotography - Peter Foggy and Ken CalcaterraGraphics - Jane Ballew and Greg KoppSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Editor - Paul LangdonPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to the St. Louis Jewish Book FestivalYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the fifteenth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our author is famed fashion designer Issac Mizrahi. We spoke with him at the Jewish Community Center in St. Louis as he was on tour in November of 2019 with his book “I.M.: A Memoir” by publisher Macmillian.This world famous fashion designer and TV personality started off his life in Brooklyn, New York in the 1960s as one of three children in an observant Syrian-Jewish family. His father was in the clothing business and gave him a sewing machine when he was 10 and he eventually went to school at the famed LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts and Parsons School of Design in Manhattan. His eventual voyage to fame in the very liberal and open worlds of high fashion and television performance was far from smooth, especially given the very conservative background he came from. One of the big things that he did not get from his home life was...optimism.But he's found out that living his life in full has taught and continues to teach him what he did not get growing up. We’ll hear about the other eclectic things that life has taught this man of many talents…designer, TV show host, business owner, and author Issac Mizrahi on this episode of Talking with Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books. Our host and interviewer this time is Paul Schankman.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and editor of this episode - Paul SchankmanPhotography - Peter Foggy and Ken CalcaterraGraphics - Jane Ballew and Greg KoppSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Editor - Paul LangdonPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to the St. Louis Jewish Book FestivalYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the fourteenth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our author is a Newberry award winning writer Erin Entrada Kelly. We spoke with her at the HEC Media studios as she was on her summer book tour in September of 2019 when her book “Lalani of the Distant Sea” was hot off the presses.This New York Times Best Selling children’s book writer was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana and started off her career as a journalist in The South. She then relocated to the American Northeast and became an author in 2015 and only 2 years later in 2017, she won the Newberry award for her third book, “Hello, Universe”. Writing for and being able to relate to middle schoolers and young people is clearly a passion for Erin Entrada Kelly. And she knows that being able to provide a sense of belonging in book form for her audience is very important. And in the book we’ll learn about and talk about today, “Lalani of the Distant Sea”, we’ll hear about the trials of adolescent girls and boys through a lens of fantasy. That and how this award winning Filipino American writer’s career came to be and how she plays her role in the world. New York Times Best Selling and Newberry Award winning author Erin Entrada Kelly on this episode of Talking with Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Brenda Madden.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host of this episode - Brenda MaddenPhotography - Peter Foggy and Ken CalcaterraEditor & Graphics - Kerry MarksAudio - Ben SmithSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew and Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Editors - Ben SmithPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This fourteenth episode of "Talking with Authors" features a conversation with New York Times Best Selling and Newberry Award winning author Erin Entrada Kelly and her book "Lalani of the Distant Sea".

This is the thirteenth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our author is New York Times best selling writer Marty Makary, M.D. We spoke with him as he was touring the United States talking about his book “The Price We Pay: What Broke the American Healthcare System - and How to Fix It”. This one-on-one was done in October of 2019.More than a writer, Dr. Makary is an oncology and gastrointestinal surgeon plus a teacher of public health policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland. Through all of his contact with his patients, he knows that the trust that people have with doctors is one of the most critical components in promoting good public health. But given the way that people are forced to interact with the financial part of healthcare system, Dr. Makary knows that trust can become eroded because of that interaction. He strongly feels that there needs to be public accountability for hospitals that are involved in what he calls price gauging.In spite of that doctor has optimism for what the future of healthcare could be in the US…and he has a prescription for some “common sense” solutions for some of the biggest woes. We’ll see what the prognosis is during this interview with the New York Times best selling writer Marty Makary on this episode of “Talking with Authors” from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Paul Schankman.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and editor of this episode - Paul SchankmanPhotography - Peter Foggy and Ken CalcaterraGraphics - Greg KoppSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew and Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Editors - Paul LangdonPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the twelfth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today our author is a Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Award winning science fiction writer Ann Leckie. We spoke with her in December of 2017, shortly after the release of her book “Provenance”, part of the “Ancillary” universe of books from the publisher Orbit that made her beloved by readers of the science fiction genre.This New York Times Best Selling author’s rise to sci-fi stardom began with her first novel “Ancillary Justice” in 2013 and kicked off her award winning career. The “Imperial Radch” trilogy continued with “Ancillary Sword” in 2014 and “Ancillary Mercy” in 2015 and featured sharply tuned characters dealing with ancient alien cultures. And while “Provenance” is set on the other side of the same universe as the “Ancillary” books, Leckie wrote the protagonist, Ingray, with an atypical attitude for a lead in that world…one that may be more relatable to most of us down here on Earth.We’ll learn about that new tack on a sci-fi hero and the change of focus to antiquity smuggling and forgery in “Radch Space", plus we’ll hear about the real world road taken by Ann Leckie to the worlds she creates on this episode of Talking with Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books. Our host and interviewer this time is Brenda Madden.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host of this episode - Brenda MaddenPhotography - Cecil Corbett and Chris CrossEditor & Graphics - Greg KoppSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew and Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Editors - Ben SmithPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to Maryville University, St. Louis Public Radio, 90.7 KWMU, TechArtistaYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the eleventh episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Our author this time is a two time Newberry award winning writer Kate DiCamillo. We spoke with her at the Ladue Middle School in Ladue, Missouri as she was on her summer book tour in 2018. We talked with her about her then most current book, “Raymie Nightingale” by Candlewick Press…as well as her then upcoming companion book, “Louisiana’s Way Home”.New York Times Best Selling author Kate DiCamillo’s wildly popular first published novel “Because of Winn-Dixie” was eventually adapted into a movie in 2005. Her first Newberry award came for her book “The Tale of Despereaux” in 2004, and she repeated the accomplishment with the book “Flora & Ulysses” in 2014. In the world of children’s literature she writes picture and early chapter books, as well as novels, like “Raymie Nightengale”. She knows how important it is to keep the voices of her characters true to what her young readers will accept…and that’s usually putting the stories in the third person. But one of her characters for a subsequent book kept calling out to her and made her break format and write a book in the first person for the first time since "Because of Winn-Dixie".That book went on to be “Louisiana’s Way Home”, a stand-alone, companion novel to “Raymie Nightengale” the main subject of our interview. We’ll also talk about the road to becoming a published writer and how this self-described introvert loves getting to see the young readers she writes for in-person. All of that and more on this episode of Talking with Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books featuring the award winning, New York Times Best Selling, and former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Kate DiCamillo. Our host and interviewer this time is Brenda Madden.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host of this episode - Brenda MaddenPhotography - Peter Foggy and Quinsonta BoydEditor - Kerry MarksGraphics - Greg KoppSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew and Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Editors - Paul LangdonPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to Ladue Middle SchoolYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the tenth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Our author this time is 100 plus million book selling and Edgar award winning crime writer Patricia Cornwell. We spoke with her as she was touring the United States talking about her 22nd crime novel in her Kay Scarpetta series, “Flesh and Blood” by Harper Collins Books. This one-on-one was done in November of 2014.Patricia Cornwell started out working with words professionally as a reporter in North Carolina in the late 70s. She began doing feature work, but eventually moved to the the crime beat where she eventually won an award for a series on prostitution. By the time she started writing novels in 1984, her news background lead her to want to make her imagined subjects as real as possible…so she began to take an almost participatory journalistic approach to her novels.And from the position of authority that she writes from having actually learned the skills of many of her characters has helped her revolutionize the crime genre, not just in literature, but on television as well…where she’s often credited for greatly influencing the rise of forensic science being popular in crime dramas on the air. We’ll hear about the hugely popular “Kate Scarpetta” series of books and life beyond the printed word for our guest, Edgar Award winning, best selling writer Patricia Cornwell on this episode of “Talking with Authors” from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Cordell Whitlock.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host of this episode - Cordell WhitlockPhotography - Tom Newcomb, Peter Foggy, and Jayne BallewEditor and Graphics - Taunia Allen MasonSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew HEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Editors - Ben SmithPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to Maryville University and St. Louis Public RadioYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the ninth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Our author this time is New York Times best selling writer Piper Kerman. We spoke with her as she was touring the United States talking about her non-fiction book “Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison” by Spiegel and Grau/Random House books, less than a year after the debut of the fictionalized Netflix program “Orange is the New Black” based on her life. This one-on-one was done in September of 2014.Piper Kerman was born in Boston and had a family full of educators, attorneys, and doctors. But through a relationship she had with a girlfriend in her 20s, she became involved in the drug trade and was eventually convicted of felonious drug trafficking and money laundering. Her memoir of her time in federal prison became the book “Orange Is the New Black”. The on-screen version of her life in the most-watched series on Netflix that most people are familiar with is a little different than her reality.We’ll learn about the differences between her lived experience and the adaptation, her post-incarceration pursuit of prison reform, and her life as a public speaker now on this episode of “Talking with Authors” from HEC Media and HEC Books. Our host and interviewer this time is Brenda Madden.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and producer of this episode - Brenda MaddenPhotography - Cecil Corbett and D.J. RockwellEditor and Graphics - Gregg KoppSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Helen HedrickHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Editors - Paul LangdonPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to Maryville University and St. Louis Public RadioYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

50 years ago, a group of Wash U grad students opened up a book store. It was full of anti-war books, Rolling Stone magazines, and all kinds of reading material that you couldn't find anywhere else. Today, it's St. Louis' biggest independent book store, surviving both the commercial book store boom and bust, and the online (read: Amazon) explosion. Meet St. Louis sat down with Kris Kleindienst and Jarek Steele about the spirit that's kept Left Bank alive for five decades as well as why it's been essential to the fabric of St. Louis' culture. We talk about how to recommend a book, why diversity matters in a book store, and why Left Bank has the hardest entrance exam in the literature industry. Sit back, plug in, and enjoy!

This is the eighth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our author is the former cabinet Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano. We spoke with her about her book “How Safe Are We?: Homeland Security Since 9/11” by PublicAffairs Books in February of 2019 at Spot Studios in St. Louis, Missouri.As the third full-time head of the Department of Homeland Security since its creation post September 11th, Secretary Napolitano is very well versed about the threats that the United States faces: foreign states acting against US interests, transnational terror organizations, and domestic groups wishing to disrupt the lives of the American public directly being among the many threats on the list. But she says while people don’t often think of climate change and security in the same sentence, they ought to.In this wide-ranging interview, we’ll hear about how she approached dealing with these challenges during her 4 plus year stint in office during the Obama administration and how it compares to how things are being handled now during the Trump administration. That and more from the former governor & cabinet secretary, and current President of the California University system and writer Janet Napolitano on this episode of “Talking with Authors” from HEC Media and HEC Books. Our host and interviewer this time is Paul Schankman.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and producer of this episode - Paul SchankmanPhotography - Cecil Corbett and John RossEditor - Paul SchankmanGraphics - Gregg KoppSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Editors - Ben SmithPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to Spot StudiosYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the seventh episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our author is a New York Times best selling crime writer Karin Slaughter. We spoke with her as part of a tour for her book “Pieces of Her” by Harper-Collins Book. This interview conducted in August of 2018 at the Hilton Saint Louis Frontenac.Karin Slaughter was born in Georgia and is very well known for her two groupings of books, the “Will Trent Series” and the “Grant County Series”…both of which are set in her home state. Karin’s desire to create written works was apparently born with her in the South. When she was a little girl, she used to make little short stories with as few as 10 pages where her sisters were characters, but they didn’t always come off so well on paper. The paying consumer group of one of all of those stories was her father. She says he always supported her pursuit of storytelling. But that support had a cut off point...living at home after graduation.After working a large number of "terrible" jobs while she wrote, she finally got a publisher. Now she’s 18 novels into her career of writing about crime in the real and fictionalized versions of the Peach State. We’ll learn about her reasons for setting her thriller stories in Georgia, her process of writing, and her undying support of libraries of all kinds. Edgar-nominated and New York Times best selling writer Karin Slaughter is our guest on this episode of “Talking with Authors” from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Victoria Babu.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host and producer of this episode - Victoria BabuPhotography - Peter Foggy and Jeff WhiteEditor - Kerry MarksGraphics - Gregg KoppLocation Producer - John BakerSupervising Producer - Julie WinkleProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina ChastainPodcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Editors - Paul LangdonPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to the Hilton St. Louis FrontenacYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the sixth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our author is Hollywood actor, humorist, woodworker, and New York Times best selling writer Nick Offerman. He sat down with us for an interview in September of 2016 at the Goebel & Company Furniture woodworking shop in St. Louis, Missouri.“Good Clean Fun: Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop” is only one of 4 books that Nick has penned or helped pen. But his work as a writer isn’t what the Illinois native is best known for. Most people know him as the character Ron Swanson from the hit TV show “Parks and Recreation". Ron Swanson is a self-described “man’s man”. A hairy, bearded man. A flannel wearing, Canada and France hating political libertarian man. And while Nick Offerman embodies that role for the camera and has shades of his true self show through, like his love of working with wood, Nick, the real person isn’t one dimensional. In this wide-ranging interview, we’ll hear about how he spends his time in real life his wife, fellow Hollywood actor Megan Mullally, with his very real woodworking shop in southern California, and we’ll learn how his midwestern roots have shaped his life and his book “Good Clean Fun”.Our host and interviewer this time is Angie Weidinger.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host of this interview - Angie WeidingerSupervising Producer - Julie WinklePhotography - Spot MPGVideo Editor and Graphics - Gregg KoppProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Editors - Paul LangdonPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to Goebel & Company FurnitureYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the fifth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our author is journalist and writer, Sarah Kendzior. She sat down with us for a discussion in February of 2018 at one of her alma maters Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.Sarah Kendzior is a Connecticut born, St. Louis based international journalist whose education in anthropology and career as a reporter in Europe, Russia, and the US led her to publish the book “The View from Flyover Country: Dispatches from the Forgotten America” from Flatiron Books. This book is a collection of essays that she wrote for the network Al Jazeera English between 2012 and 2014 and it covers the increasingly difficult state of the lives and careers of American citizens from the perspective of people who don’t live on the East and West coasts of the country. Our conversation will cover those topics that she says were reported on journalistically. But Ms. Kendzior is also well known to write online and speak on television about a wide range of subjects while notedly giving her studied opinion on the matters.The US presidency, the start of the Black Lives Matters movement, the current state of academia, and more, is what we’ll hear about from our guest, journalist, cultural commentator, and writer Sarah Kendzior on “Talking with Authors” from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host and interviewer this time is Victoria Babu.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host of this interview - Victoria BabuSupervising Producer - Julie WinklePhotography - Pete Foggy and Jeff WhiteVideo Editor and Graphics - Kerry MarksProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Editors - Ben Smith and Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to Maryville University, and St. Louis Public Radio, 90.7 KWMUYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the fourth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres.Today, our author is journalist and New York Times best selling writer Charles Fishman. We spoke with him as part of a book tour for his latest work “One Giant Leap: The Impossible Mission that Flew Us to the Moon” in July of 2019….50 years to the month after the first historic words transmitted from the surface of the moon were heard, "Houston...Tranquility Base here...the Eagle has landed."Charles went from being a little kid in 1969 repeatedly listening to that call from Neil Armstrong on the moon to capsule communicator Charlie Duke on Earth on a phonograph record, to being a journalist with multiple beats, including being a space reporter with the Washington Post. When writing this book, he didn't want to tell the stories of the 21 individuals that flew to the moon during NASA’s Apollo program. They've already been widely told. In “One Giant Leap”, he wanted to tell some of the stories of the more than 400,000 people on Earth that were involved in the entire Apollo program. We'll talk about those stories as well as thoughts on the state of space travel today from journalist and writer Charles Fishman on this episode of “Talking with Authors”. Our host and interviewer this time is Angie Weidinger.HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org.Host of this interview - Angie WeidingerSupervising Producer - Julie WinklePhotography - Pete Foggy and Ken CalcaterraVideo Editor - Kerry MarksSound - Paul LangdonProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsTalking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast Producer - Rod MilamPodcast Editors - Paul Langdon and Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamThanks to NASA for the audio clip of the moon landing from July 20, 1969You can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

If you have more time to read this summer, consider picking up a book written by St. Louisans or set in Missouri. Left Bank Books' Shane Mullen shares some of this year's biggest local releases that might interest readers of all ages.

This is the first ever episode of “Talking with Authors” where we’ll be talking to a variety of best selling authors spanning genres — authors like Judy Blume, Brad Meltzer, Janet Napalitano, and so many more. HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri, and with the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch all of these video interviews on hecmedia.org.Today, our author is Emmy Award Nominee and writer Jenna Fischer. She sat down with us for this discussion in March of 2018 at the Marriot St. Louis Grand Hotel.We’ll hear how the now famous St. Louisian went from being passionate about one subject area growing up, and on to becoming a star in Hollywood and landing the role of Pam Beesly in the hit TV show “The Office”. She decided to write her book “The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide” to ease the path for others who might be like her growing up…finding themselves wanting to become a performer when it wasn’t necessarily their original plan.Jenna Fischer is our first guest on “Talking with Authors” from HEC Media and HEC Books. Our interviewer is Angie Weidinger.You can see this interview as well at https://hecmedia.org/posts/jenna-fischer-shares-hollywoods-secretsHost and Producer - Angie Weidinger Video Editor and Graphics - Greg Kopp Supervising Producer - Julie WinklePhotography - Spot Media Production GroupProduction Support - Jayne Ballew and Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsPodcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast Editors - Ben Smith and Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the third episode of “Talking with Authors” where we’ll be talking to a variety of best selling authors spanning genres — authors like Judy Blume, Janet Napalitano, and so many more. Today, our author is New York Times best selling writer Brad Meltzer. We spoke with him in January of 2019 as part of a book tour for his then latest work “The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington” on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.Brad Meltzer is a writer of many genres…from children’s books and comics, to television and political thrillers. But his book that he’ll discuss at length today, “The First Conspiracy”, is his first foray into non-fiction. Here, he heads back to the time period before the end of the Revolutionary War and through the early days of the United States where George Washington had to set up an entire operation to counter a probable attempt against his life. We'll also hear about other items he uncovered in his research for this book, plus have a wide ranging discussion about his in-person contact with other former US Presidents, his connection to 9/11, and his “I Am…” series of children’s books on this episode of “Talking with Authors” from HEC Media and HEC Books.Our host this time is Angie Weidinger.You can see this interview as well at https://hecmedia.org/posts/adventures-in-writing-with-brad-meltzerHEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri, and with the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch all of these video interviews on hecmedia.org.Host and Editor of the video version of this program - Angie WeidingerSupervising Producer - Julie WinklePhotography - Pete Foggy and Ryan FitzgeraldGraphics - Gregg KoppProduction Support - Jayne Ballew & Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsThe Talking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast Editor - Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

This is the second episode of “Talking with Authors” where we’ll be talking to a variety of best selling authors spanning genres — authors like Judy Blume, Brad Meltzer, Janet Napalitano, and so many more. Today, our author is journalist and writer, Alexis Clark. She sat down with us for a discussion in July of 2018 at the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes Jewish College in St. Louis, Missouri.We interviewed Ms. Clark at a nursing school. Why? Because the extremely unlikely, non-fiction story that she researched and published, “Enemies in Love”, tells the tale of a World War II era, Black, American Army nurse and her relationship with a captured German POW in the United States while the hostilities were still going on. The story of how these two people that would never have met, if not for the extremes in the societies on both sides of that war, is what we’ll hear about from our guest, journalist and writer Alexis Clark on “Talking with Authors” from HEC Media and HEC Books. Our host is Paul Schankman.You can see this interview as well at https://hecmedia.org/posts/the-unlikely-romance-of-a-black-nurse-and-a-german-p-o-w-in-world-war-twoHEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri, and with the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch all of these video interviews on hecmedia.org.Host and Editor of the video version of this program - Paul SchankmanSupervising Producer - Julie WinklePhotography - Pete Foggy and Ryan FitzgeraldGraphics - Gregg KoppFamily photos courtesy of Chris AlbertProduction Support - Christina ChastainHEC Media Executive Director - Dennis RiggsThe Talking with Authors Podcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast editors - Paul Langdon and Rod MilamPodcast Host - Rod MilamSpecial thanks to the Goldfarb School of Nursing, Maryville University, and St. Louis Public Radio, 90.7 KWMUYou can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors":Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

Left Bank Books is turning 50 this year. Co-owner Kris Kleindienst talks about the shop’s storied history with St. Louis Public Radio’s Rachel Lippmann. Located in St. Louis’ bustling Central West End neighborhood, the independent bookseller got its start in 1969 when a group of Washington University graduate students set out to create a place where one could find all kinds of literature. Left Bank will formally celebrate its 50-year milestone in October.

Before she became a celebrity, a war hero and civil rights activist, Josephine Baker was a girl growing up in early 20th-century St. Louis. Historical fiction writer Sherry Jones has a new book out inspired by Baker’s remarkable life and is headed to her late heroine’s hometown this week to discuss it at Left Bank Books. Jones talks about the book, “Josephine Baker’s Last Dance,” and the woman behind it, with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jeremy D. Goodwin.

Kea Wilson — Communications Manager at Strong Towns — discusses what her time as a bookseller at Left Bank Books in the St. Louis taught her about making local businesses a third place, including what building a third place actually looks like, how third places are more economically resilient, and how you can make your local business a third place.  

Umar Lee discusses #CaneloGGG, #STL name change, Botham Jean, Julia Salazar in New York, liars, authenticity, and the recent protest of Deray McKesson during a presentation of his new book at Left Bank Books.

Van sat down with comics writer and new novelist Charles Soule in front of a live audience to discuss writing, comics and his new book, THE ORACLE YEAR. Part of Left Bank Books, Archon SF convention, and the St Louis Public Library's authors series. Be a part of the White Rocket Entertainment family by becoming a patron of the shows: https://www.patreon.com/vanallenplexico Brought to you by White Rocket Entertainment. http://www.plexico.net Follow Charles on Twitter @CharlesSoule and Van @VanAllenPlexico    

Host Don Marsh talked with St. Louis-based journalist and author Sarah Kendzior at Left Bank Books on April 17. 

David will be speaking at SPACE Architecture + Design this Thursday. The event is free and open to the public, but you are asked to please click here to register. The event is presented by nextSTL and Left Bank Books. Copies of Chain of Title will be available to purchase. _________ In this episode we speak with David Dayen, author of Chain of Title: How Three Ordinary Americans Uncovered Wall Street's Great Foreclosure Fraud, published in May of this year. David was awarded the Studs and Ida Terkel Prize, awarded annually to a first-time author who demonstrates a "commitment to exploring aspects of America that are underrepresented by mainstream media". We discuss the broad, national foreclosure crisis, which was (and is) really is criminal mortgage fraud. The centuries old basic tenant of American land ownership is being undermined. At times, who owns a home can't be proven. Millions of Americans have experienced foreclosure, some are still in their homes, banks have paused proceedings in places where home prices have not yet rebounded. While the "crisis" may seem to be our rearview mirror, its effects are long lasting and will take decades to be resolved. While centered in the "sand states" of Florida, Arizona, Nevada, and California, where the majority of new home construction occurred in the past decade, cash out, interest-only, and adjustable rate mortgages were (and are) common in Missouri. In St. Louis, mortgage products often focused on the African-American homeowner, who may have had equity in their homes. David Dayen is a journalist who writes about economics and finance. He is a contributing writer to Salon.com and The Intercept, and a weekly columnist for The Fiscal Times and The New Republic. He also writes for The American Prospect, Vice, The Huffington Post, and more. He has been a guest on MSNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, Russia Today, NPR, Pacifica Radio and Air America Radio. He lives in Los Angeles, where prior to writing about politics he had a 15-year career as a television producer and editor. Chain of Title: How Three Ordinary Americans Uncovered Wall Street's Great Foreclosure Fraud David Dayen recent articles and more on Tumblr

Join us live in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, as we catch up with author Ian Doescher on his William Shakespeare's Tragedy of the Sith's Revengebook tour. Ian is joined by the St. Louis Shakespeare at Left Bank Books as they perform excerpts, discuss the writing of the books, and the influence of Shakespeare. Live from Left Bank Books, this is the podcast you're looking for!-----------------------------------------------Help support Coffee With Kenobi via our Patreon page!Purchase your Coffee With Kenobi tee shirt here! Purchase the official #CWK coffee mug here-----------------------------------------------www.coffeewithkenobi.comContact Us: feedback@coffeewithkenobi.com------------------------------------------------

Now in paperback, Justin Cronin’s hit novel The Passage is a breathtaking tale of catastrophe and survival. This mesmerizing work of sacrifice and hope, tells an epic story of a girl given the chance to save humanity. Award-winning and acclaimed author Justin Cronin’s ambitious vision and powerful prose combine and create the perfect summer read. Stephen King says, "Read this book and the ordinary world disappears." Watch Justin Cronin speak about the inspiration behind his work and read a key passage from the novel about an important character. This presentation is part of the Maryville Talks Books series, which is co-sponsored by Left Bank Books, Maryville University, HEC-TV, and St. Louis Public Radio.

Now in paperback, Justin Cronin’s hit novel The Passage is a breathtaking tale of catastrophe and survival. This mesmerizing work of sacrifice and hope, tells an epic story of a girl given the chance to save humanity. Award-winning and acclaimed author Justin Cronin’s ambitious vision and powerful prose combine and create the perfect summer read. Stephen King says, "Read this book and the ordinary world disappears." Watch Justin Cronin speak about the inspiration behind his work and read a key passage from the novel about an important character. This presentation is part of the Maryville Talks Books series, which is co-sponsored by Left Bank Books, Maryville University, HEC-TV, and St. Louis Public Radio.

Joelle Charbonneau slummed her way over to the DSD Podcast HeadQuarters and Pawn Shoppes to talk with Jay about her new book: SKATING AROUND THE LAW from Minotaur, which goes on sale the last week of September.According to Joelle: SKATING AROUND THE LAW is a comedic/cozy style mystery about a city girl who returns to her hometown in order to sell the roller rink she inherited. Only she doesn’t count on finding a dead body in a rink toilet. Now she’s stuck in a town she can’t stand with a sheriff who is better at gardening than solving crimes. With the help of her sexually active grandfather, a sexy large animal vet and an ex-circus camel, she has to track down the killer before the killer tracks her down.Joelle is ON TOUR:Sept. 28th - 7:00 - 9:00 pm - Partners and Crime - Greenwich Village, New York City. I will be signing with the fabulous Hilary Davidson and Joshua CorinSept. 30th - 7:00 - 9:00 pm - Left Bank Books - 10th St. Location, St. Louis, MOOct. 1st     - 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. - Millikin University Bookstore - Decatur, ILOct. 2nd    - 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. - Read Between The Lynes - Woodstock, ILOct. 2nd    - 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. - SKATING RELEASE PARTY The Orbit Skate Center, Palatine, IL.  Books provided by The Booktable Oak Park At 7:00 the skating beings.  The evening will be an Old Time Skaters Reunion with lots of former and current artistic skaters in attendance.  (Including my mom!) Organ skating music will accompany the skating.  Entrance to the signing is free.  Skating is $4 plus rental.  (If you don't have your own skates.)           Oct. 3rd    - 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. - The Reader's Loft - Green Bay, WIOct. 7th    - 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. - The Tattered Cover - Highlands Ranch, COOct. 12     - 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Book Passage - Corte Madera, CA   I will be signing with NY Times Best Selling Author Brenda NovakOct 14-17   - Bouchercon Mystery Conference - San FranciscoOct. 23     - 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. - Murder By The Book - Houston, TX  I will be signing with Best Selling author JoAnna KarlThe music from the podcast is "Love You In The Fall" from Paul Westerberg, available on iTunes.AS ALWAYS:You can get the podcast by1. Right-clicking on the title up there at the top (or, if you have one of those Apple computers, whatever you people do)2. Visiting the iTunes music storeor3. Visiting the Feedburner page.