Podcasts about los angeles review

Kristen Ghodsee reads Cathy Porter's translation of an excerpt from Alexandra Kollontai's autobiography. Reflecting on a visit to Narva, Estonia in March of 1896, when she was just 24-years-old, Kollontai describes the event that radicalized her forever. Recent Writings from Kristen Ghodsee:“Clima y Utopía,” El País Semanal, October 17, 2025“Materialists skewers the dating market – but stops too short,” Jacobin Magazine, July 12, 2025“From Democracy to ‘Safety',” Los Angeles Review of Books, July 3, 2025Recent Interviews with Kristen Ghodsee:Meagan Day, “How Manosphere Content Placates Disenfranchised Men,” Jacobin Magazine, May 1, 2025 (Also in Spanish, French, and German)“Der Sozialismus behandelte Frauen besser,” Konkret Magazin, May 2025: 52-52Meagan Day, “Tradwives are a Harbinger of Systemic Breakdown,” Jacobin Magazine, April 27, 2025 (Also in Spanish)Recent writings about Kollontai:Cathy Porter, Alexandra Kollontai: Writings from the StruggleMaria Wiesner, Radikal selbstbestimmt – Ihrer Zeit weit voraus. Was wir von Alexandra Kollontai lernen könnenMridula Manglam, “Across Struggles and Time: If I Could Speak to Alexandra Kollontai.” If you can stomach social media, please request to follow @prof_kristenSend us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word, share with your friends and networks, and consider exploring the following links.Check out Kristen Ghodsee's recent books: Everyday Utopia Red Valkyries Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism Second World, Second Sex Subscribe to Kristen Ghodsee's free, episodic newsletter at: https://kristenghodsee.substack.comLearn more about Kristen Ghodsee's work: www.kristenghodsee.com Kristen R. Ghodsee is the award-winning author of twelve books and Professor of Russian and East European Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

Medaya Ocher and Eric Newman speak with writer Grace Byron about her debut novel, Herculine.  Set between the freelance rat race of New York and an equally cutthroat commune for trans women in rural Indiana, Herculine follows a narrator trying to put her life together.  Featuring demons, conversion therapy,  and blood rites, the novel is part horror part coming-of-age tale. Byron discusses how the book emerged from a memoir project, as well as the joys and struggles of making community and a life as a trans woman. Byron is also a critic and essayist, whose work has appeared in the New Yorker, New York Magazine, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Nation and other publications.

As a child in the foothills of the Himalayas, Priyanka Kumar was entranced by forest-like orchards of diverse and luscious fruit—especially apples. These biodiverse orchards seemed worlds away from the cardboard apples that lined supermarket shelves in the United States. Yet on a small patch of woods near her home in Santa Fe, Kumar discovered a wild apple tree—and the seeds of an odyssey were planted. Could the taste of a feral apple offer a doorway to the wild? In The Light Between Apple Trees: Rediscovering the Wild Through a Beloved American Fruit, Kumar takes us on a dazzling and transformative journey to rediscover apples, unearthing a rich and complex history while illuminating how we can reimagine our relationship with nature.Apples are popular, but in our everyday lives we rarely encounter more than a handful of varieties: of the sixteen thousand apple varieties once celebrated in America, scarcely a fifth remain accessible. Kumar reveals the richness of a hidden world, bringing readers to the vibrant forests and orchards where historic trees still survive. These mature and wild orchards offer more than just fruit: they are havens for creatures from hummingbirds to bears and a living connection to generations past. She brilliantly weaves together science and childhood memories with the apple's storied history, from its roots in Kazakhstan to Spanish orchards in the Southwest and Thomas Jefferson's beloved Monticello fruitery. Kumar shows how—if we follow untamed paths—the tang and texture of an apple can lead us back to the wild. Our guest is: Priyanka Kumar, who is the author of Conversations with Birds, and The Light Between Apple Trees. Her essays appear in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, Orion, and Sierra magazine. She holds an MFA, and has taught at the University of California Santa Cruz and the University of Southern California. Her feature documentary, The Song of the Little Road, is in the permanent collection of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and her awards include an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Award, a New Mexico/New Visions Governor's Award, an International Center for Jefferson Studies Fellowship, and an Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Fellowship. Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, who is a writing coach and freelance editor. She is the producer of the Academic Life podcast, and writes the show's newsletter. Playlist for listeners: Big Box USA In The Garden Behind the Moon Disabled Ecologies Endless Forms The Well-Gardened Mind Welcome to Academic Life, the podcast for your academic journey—and beyond! You can support the show by downloading and sharing episodes. Join us again to learn from more experts inside and outside the academy, and around the world. Missed any of the 275+ Academic Life episodes? Find them here. And thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

As a child in the foothills of the Himalayas, Priyanka Kumar was entranced by forest-like orchards of diverse and luscious fruit—especially apples. These biodiverse orchards seemed worlds away from the cardboard apples that lined supermarket shelves in the United States. Yet on a small patch of woods near her home in Santa Fe, Kumar discovered a wild apple tree—and the seeds of an odyssey were planted. Could the taste of a feral apple offer a doorway to the wild? In The Light Between Apple Trees: Rediscovering the Wild Through a Beloved American Fruit, Kumar takes us on a dazzling and transformative journey to rediscover apples, unearthing a rich and complex history while illuminating how we can reimagine our relationship with nature.Apples are popular, but in our everyday lives we rarely encounter more than a handful of varieties: of the sixteen thousand apple varieties once celebrated in America, scarcely a fifth remain accessible. Kumar reveals the richness of a hidden world, bringing readers to the vibrant forests and orchards where historic trees still survive. These mature and wild orchards offer more than just fruit: they are havens for creatures from hummingbirds to bears and a living connection to generations past. She brilliantly weaves together science and childhood memories with the apple's storied history, from its roots in Kazakhstan to Spanish orchards in the Southwest and Thomas Jefferson's beloved Monticello fruitery. Kumar shows how—if we follow untamed paths—the tang and texture of an apple can lead us back to the wild. Our guest is: Priyanka Kumar, who is the author of Conversations with Birds, and The Light Between Apple Trees. Her essays appear in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, Orion, and Sierra magazine. She holds an MFA, and has taught at the University of California Santa Cruz and the University of Southern California. Her feature documentary, The Song of the Little Road, is in the permanent collection of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and her awards include an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Award, a New Mexico/New Visions Governor's Award, an International Center for Jefferson Studies Fellowship, and an Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Fellowship. Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, who is a writing coach and freelance editor. She is the producer of the Academic Life podcast, and writes the show's newsletter. Playlist for listeners: Big Box USA In The Garden Behind the Moon Disabled Ecologies Endless Forms The Well-Gardened Mind Welcome to Academic Life, the podcast for your academic journey—and beyond! You can support the show by downloading and sharing episodes. Join us again to learn from more experts inside and outside the academy, and around the world. Missed any of the 275+ Academic Life episodes? Find them here. And thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

As a child in the foothills of the Himalayas, Priyanka Kumar was entranced by forest-like orchards of diverse and luscious fruit—especially apples. These biodiverse orchards seemed worlds away from the cardboard apples that lined supermarket shelves in the United States. Yet on a small patch of woods near her home in Santa Fe, Kumar discovered a wild apple tree—and the seeds of an odyssey were planted. Could the taste of a feral apple offer a doorway to the wild? In The Light Between Apple Trees: Rediscovering the Wild Through a Beloved American Fruit, Kumar takes us on a dazzling and transformative journey to rediscover apples, unearthing a rich and complex history while illuminating how we can reimagine our relationship with nature.Apples are popular, but in our everyday lives we rarely encounter more than a handful of varieties: of the sixteen thousand apple varieties once celebrated in America, scarcely a fifth remain accessible. Kumar reveals the richness of a hidden world, bringing readers to the vibrant forests and orchards where historic trees still survive. These mature and wild orchards offer more than just fruit: they are havens for creatures from hummingbirds to bears and a living connection to generations past. She brilliantly weaves together science and childhood memories with the apple's storied history, from its roots in Kazakhstan to Spanish orchards in the Southwest and Thomas Jefferson's beloved Monticello fruitery. Kumar shows how—if we follow untamed paths—the tang and texture of an apple can lead us back to the wild. Our guest is: Priyanka Kumar, who is the author of Conversations with Birds, and The Light Between Apple Trees. Her essays appear in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, Orion, and Sierra magazine. She holds an MFA, and has taught at the University of California Santa Cruz and the University of Southern California. Her feature documentary, The Song of the Little Road, is in the permanent collection of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and her awards include an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Award, a New Mexico/New Visions Governor's Award, an International Center for Jefferson Studies Fellowship, and an Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Fellowship. Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, who is a writing coach and freelance editor. She is the producer of the Academic Life podcast, and writes the show's newsletter. Playlist for listeners: Big Box USA In The Garden Behind the Moon Disabled Ecologies Endless Forms The Well-Gardened Mind Welcome to Academic Life, the podcast for your academic journey—and beyond! You can support the show by downloading and sharing episodes. Join us again to learn from more experts inside and outside the academy, and around the world. Missed any of the 275+ Academic Life episodes? Find them here. And thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/food

Notes and Links to Nishant Batsha's Work       Nishant Batsha is the author of the novel A Bomb Placed Close to the Heart (ecco/HarperCollins). Set between California and New York at the dawn of World War I, A Bomb Placed Close to the Heart is an expansive and poignant story of love, radical ambition, and intellectual rebirth—all drawn from a lost American history.   His first novel, Mother Ocean Father Nation (ecco/HarperCollins) was a finalist for 2023 Lambda Literary Award, longlisted for a 2023 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award, and named one of the best books of 2022 by NPR. It also won Honorable Mention in the prose category of the 2024 Association for Asian American Studies (AAAS) Book Awards.   He is currently at work on a third novel. This project has received monetary support from The de Groot Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts.   Nishant holds a PhD in history from Columbia University where he was a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow. He also works as a ghostwriter for public officials, CEOs, and leaders across various industries. Material he has ghostwritten has appeared in the New York Times and Politico, among other publications. He lives in Buffalo, NY with his wife and two children. Buy A Bomb Placed Close to the Heart   Nishant's Website   BookPage Review for A Bomb Placed Close to the Heart   Interview for Los Angeles Review of Books   At about 1:15, Nishant gives purchasing info for his novel At about 1:45, Nishant talks about his childhood connections to language and literature  At about 4:15, Nishant recounts how he began to embrace history and becoming a historian  At about 7:20, Nishant responds to Pete's comments about connections between his main character Cora and him and other writers with regard to “the intoxication” of writing finding audience At about 9:20, Nishant talks about history and literature and “seeking out sameness”  At about 10:30, Nishant talks about being “so taken” by Marilyn Robinson's Gilead At about 11:40, Nishant shouts out as writers who have thrilled and inspired him, including Sebald and Han Kang At about 14:30, Nishant reflects on Conrad's Heart of Darkness At about 16:50, Pete asks Nishant about seeds for the book At about 19:00, Nishant lays out much of the work of M.N. Roy and Evelyn Trent, inspirations for the book's protagonists, Indra and Cora At about 22:05, Nishant talks about research for his book At about 24:25, Pete lays out some of the book's exposition At about 25:30, Nishant responds to Pete's question about what draws Indra and Cora together  At about 28:10, Nishant reflects on the “in-betweeness” of Cora and how she connects to Indra At about 32:25, Nishant gives background on the Ghadar Party, which is so important in the novel At about 35:15, Nishant responds to Pete's question about how Indra saw “action” and resistance  At about 38:40, Nishant outlines how he sees the novel as a sort of “parlor drama” At about 39:45, Nishant explains the significance of Indra receiving being called “cosmopolitan” as a compliment  At about 42:30, The two discuss the etymology of the term “cosmopolitan” At about 44:40, Pete and Nishant reflect on ideas of consumerism and creativity, and Nishant gives background on the real-life Rachel Crothers At about 46:25, The two discuss the contradictions of Dawson in the novel, based on David Starr Jordan and his views on anti-imperialism and eugenics  At about 49:40, the two reflect on the “strange and weird ideas” of the late 19th and early 20th centuries-a “heady time” and connections to the US military in the Philippines  At about 50:45, Scullion (based on John Osborne Varian) and his views of political and cultural change are discussed, in how the beliefs affect Indra At about 54:00, Nishant discusses ideas of class and caste in connection with Indra At about 58:15, Nishant traces the real-life connection between M.N. Roy and Bal Gangadhar Tilak At about 1:00:20, Nishant reflects on lies as a throughline of the novel, and the “danger” of the lie At about 1:01:20, Pete notes the universal and singular beauty of the book At about 1:02:00, Pete shares one of many examples of the beautiful sentences in the novel, and Nishant talks about his philosophy of writing-sentence length, etc.  At about 1:05:00, Nishant talks about the history and significance of the novel's title 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. His conversation with Hannah Pittard, a recent guest, is up 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, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of flawed characters, protagonists who are too real in their actions, and horror and noir as being where so much good and realistic writing takes place. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.     This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would 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 302 with Ellen Birkett Morris, a second-time guest and the author of Beware the Tall Grass, winner of the Donald L. Jordan Award for Literary Excellence, judged by Lan Samantha Chang, published by CSU Press. She is also the author of Lost Girls: Short Stories, winner of the Pencraft Award and finalist for the Clara Johnson, IAN and Best Book awards. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, AARP's The Ethel, Oh Reader magazine, and on National Public Radio. This episode airs on October 7. Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

In 1907, eight years before she published her first novel, a twenty-five-year-old Virginia Woolf drafted three interconnected comic stories chronicling the adventures of a giantess named Violet—a teasing tribute to Woolf's friend Mary Violet Dickinson. But it was only in 2022 that Woolf scholar Urmila Seshagiri discovered a final, revised typescript of the stories. The typescript revealed that Woolf had finished this mock-biography, making it her first fully realized literary experiment and a work that anticipates her later masterpieces. Published here for the first time in its final form, The Life of Violet blends fantasy, fairy tale, and satire as it transports readers into a magical world where the heroine triumphs over sea-monsters as well as stifling social traditions.In these irresistible and riotously plotted stories, Violet, who has powers “as marvelous as her height,” gleefully flouts aristocratic proprieties, finds joy in building “a cottage of one's own,” and travels to Japan to help create a radical new social order. Amid flights of fancy such as a snowfall of sugared almonds and bathtubs made of painted ostrich eggs, The Life of Violet upends the marriage plot, rejects the Victorian belief that women must choose between virtue and ambition, and celebrates women's friendships and laughter.A major literary discovery that heralds Woolf's ambitions to revolutionize fiction and sheds new light on her great themes, The Life of Violet: Three Early Stories (Princeton UP, 2025) is first and foremost a delight to read. This volume features a preface, afterword, notes, and photographs that provide rich historical, literary, and biographical context. Urmila Seshagiri is Distinguished Professor of Humanities and Professor of English at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is the author of Race and the Modernist Imagination, the editor of the Oxford World's Classics edition of Virginia Woolf's Jacob's Room, and a contributor to the Los Angeles Review of Books. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In 1907, eight years before she published her first novel, a twenty-five-year-old Virginia Woolf drafted three interconnected comic stories chronicling the adventures of a giantess named Violet—a teasing tribute to Woolf's friend Mary Violet Dickinson. But it was only in 2022 that Woolf scholar Urmila Seshagiri discovered a final, revised typescript of the stories. The typescript revealed that Woolf had finished this mock-biography, making it her first fully realized literary experiment and a work that anticipates her later masterpieces. Published here for the first time in its final form, The Life of Violet blends fantasy, fairy tale, and satire as it transports readers into a magical world where the heroine triumphs over sea-monsters as well as stifling social traditions.In these irresistible and riotously plotted stories, Violet, who has powers “as marvelous as her height,” gleefully flouts aristocratic proprieties, finds joy in building “a cottage of one's own,” and travels to Japan to help create a radical new social order. Amid flights of fancy such as a snowfall of sugared almonds and bathtubs made of painted ostrich eggs, The Life of Violet upends the marriage plot, rejects the Victorian belief that women must choose between virtue and ambition, and celebrates women's friendships and laughter.A major literary discovery that heralds Woolf's ambitions to revolutionize fiction and sheds new light on her great themes, The Life of Violet: Three Early Stories (Princeton UP, 2025) is first and foremost a delight to read. This volume features a preface, afterword, notes, and photographs that provide rich historical, literary, and biographical context. Urmila Seshagiri is Distinguished Professor of Humanities and Professor of English at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is the author of Race and the Modernist Imagination, the editor of the Oxford World's Classics edition of Virginia Woolf's Jacob's Room, and a contributor to the Los Angeles Review of Books. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

José Enrique Medina is winner of the 2025 Rattle Chapbook Prize for Haunt Me. He earned his BA in English from Cornell University. His poetry and fiction have appeared in Best Microfiction 2019, The Los Angeles Review, The Tahoma Review, Burnside Review, and many other publications. A VONA fellow and frequent poetry slam judge, he writes with heart, heat, and just the right amount of haunt. He is the founder of the Chickens and Poetry Residency for Writers. When he's not wrangling words, he's usually on his ranch in Los Angeles, chasing after bunnies and baby chicks. Find more info here: https://medinawrites.com/ As always, we'll also include the live Prompt Lines for responses to our weekly prompt. A Zoom link will be provided in the chat window during the show before that segment begins. For links to all the past episodes, visit: https://www.rattle.com/page/rattlecast/ This Week's Prompt: Orange you glad you get to write a prompt poem? Next Week's Prompt: Write a poem about a time you were haunted and how you overcame the experience. The Rattlecast livestreams on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, then becomes an audio podcast. Find it on iTunes, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts.

In 1907, eight years before she published her first novel, a twenty-five-year-old Virginia Woolf drafted three interconnected comic stories chronicling the adventures of a giantess named Violet—a teasing tribute to Woolf's friend Mary Violet Dickinson. But it was only in 2022 that Woolf scholar Urmila Seshagiri discovered a final, revised typescript of the stories. The typescript revealed that Woolf had finished this mock-biography, making it her first fully realized literary experiment and a work that anticipates her later masterpieces. Published here for the first time in its final form, The Life of Violet blends fantasy, fairy tale, and satire as it transports readers into a magical world where the heroine triumphs over sea-monsters as well as stifling social traditions.In these irresistible and riotously plotted stories, Violet, who has powers “as marvelous as her height,” gleefully flouts aristocratic proprieties, finds joy in building “a cottage of one's own,” and travels to Japan to help create a radical new social order. Amid flights of fancy such as a snowfall of sugared almonds and bathtubs made of painted ostrich eggs, The Life of Violet upends the marriage plot, rejects the Victorian belief that women must choose between virtue and ambition, and celebrates women's friendships and laughter.A major literary discovery that heralds Woolf's ambitions to revolutionize fiction and sheds new light on her great themes, The Life of Violet: Three Early Stories (Princeton UP, 2025) is first and foremost a delight to read. This volume features a preface, afterword, notes, and photographs that provide rich historical, literary, and biographical context. Urmila Seshagiri is Distinguished Professor of Humanities and Professor of English at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is the author of Race and the Modernist Imagination, the editor of the Oxford World's Classics edition of Virginia Woolf's Jacob's Room, and a contributor to the Los Angeles Review of Books. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Palestinian-American Human Rights lawyer Noura Erakat & Palestinian-Dutch analyst Mouin Rabbani talk about the new UN report which found that Israel is committing genocide & whether that even matters or changes anything. Then Due Dissidence's Russell Dobular & Keaton Weiss join to talk about Charlie Kirk, his killer & Kirk's relationship to Israel. For the full discussion, please join us on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/posts/patreon-full-139074119 Mouin Rabbani is a researcher, analyst & commentator specializing in Palestinian affairs, the Arab-Israeli conflict & the contemporary Middle East. He has among other positions previously served as Principal Political Affairs Officer with the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Head of Middle East w/the Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, Senior Middle East Analyst & Special Advisor on Israel-Palestine w/the Int'l Crisis Group. Rabbani is Co-Editor of Jadaliyya, & a Contributing Editor of Middle East Report. Noura Erakat is a human rights attorney, Professor of Africana Studies & the Program of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. She recently completed a non-resident fellowship of the Religious Literacy Project at Harvard Divinity School & was a Mahmoud Darwish Visiting Professor in Palestinian Studies at Brown University. Noura is the author of Justice for Some: Law & the Question of Palestine (Stanford University Press, 2019), which received the Palestine Book Award & the Bronze Medal for the Independent Publishers Book Award in Current Events/Foreign Affairs. She is co-founding editor of Jadaliyya & an editorial board member of the Journal of Palestine Studies as well as Human Geography. She's a co-founding board member of the DC Palestinian Film & Arts Festival. She has served as Legal Counsel for a Congressional Subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives, as Legal Advocate for the Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Refugee & Residency Rights, & as nat'l organizer of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. Noura has also produced video documentaries, including "Gaza In Context" & "Black Palestinian Solidarity.” Her writings have appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Nation, Al Jazeera, & The Boston Review. She's a frequent commentator on CBS, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, BBC, NPR, among others. Her awards include the NLG Law for the People Award (2021) & the Marguerite Casey Foundation Freedom Scholar award (2022). Russell Dobular is a New York native, born & raised in Flushing, Queens. He worked in New York's independent theater scene for over 20 years as a writer, director, producer, & theater owner, drove a Hansom Cab in 3 cities & is a licensed tour guide in both NYC & New Orleans. He is currently the co-host of Due Dissidence podcast. Keaton Weiss is the co-host of Due Dissidence podcast on YouTube, Rumble & Spotify. He also writes occasionally on Substack. ***Please support The Katie Halper Show *** For bonus content, exclusive interviews, to support independent media & to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thekatiehalpershow Get your Katie Halper Show Merch here! https://katiehalper.myspreadshop.com/all Follow Katie on Twitter: https://x.com/kthalps Follow Katie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kthalps Follow Katie on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@kthalps

Minna Dubin is the author of 'MUM RAGE: The Everyday Crisis of Modern Motherhood'. Her work has been featured or reviewed in the New York Times, The New Yorker, The Times Sunday Magazine, inews, Oprah Daily, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Electric Literature, and elsewhere. Minna is currently working on her first novel, and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two kids, and no pets because enough is enough.Minna is on Instagram at @minnadubin. You contact her and find links to her published writing on her website minnadubin.com. Minna Dubin has such an important voice in the Motherhood space and I am pretty honoured to talk with her. Learning of Minna's work validated my feelings so much, which really means the world in all my postnatal/motherhood struggles.In this episode we speak about:a bit about Minna, the work she does and who she is as well as a Mum and Author and Essayisttaking time for herselfrelationship/parenting dynamicsbeing stripped of our power while being told that we have itpoetry, burlesque and the arts"making people uncomfortable is great!" and speaking upthe 'needless' caveat of "of course I love my child..." that we so often usethe isolation of matrescence compared to adolescencewhat our rage can tell us!a bit about Minna's experience of motherhoodhow much we Mums really matter and deserve to feel good and moresynaptic pruning; what it is and why it helps to know (to defend against dumb and denigrating comments)Themes: motherhood, rage, identity, birth, matrescenceWe mention Toni Morrison, Amy Taylor-Kabbaz, Dr Sophie Brock, Dr Aurélie Athan, Dr Alexandra SacksAt the end, I read a poem written by Nikita Gill.Did you enjoy this episode? If so, I would really appreciate it if you could please leave a review on the platform that you listen. For more insights and to contact me you can find me on Instagram, and/or on my website: www.lucywyldecoaching.com.

Emily Adrian is the author of Seduction Theory (Little, Brown, 2025) Daughterhood, The Second Season, and Everything Here Is Under Control, as well as two critically acclaimed novels for young adults. Her work has appeared in Granta, The Point, Joyland, EPOCH, Alta Journal, Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Millions. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Emily currently lives in New Haven, Connecticut. Recommended Books: Muriel Spark, Loitering with Intent Justin Taylor, Reboot Erin Somers, Ten Year Affair Chris Holmes is Chair of Literatures in English and Professor at Ithaca College. He writes criticism on contemporary global literatures. His book, Kazuo Ishiguro Against World Literature, is published with Bloomsbury Publishing. He is the co-director of The New Voices Festival, a celebration of work in poetry, prose, and playwriting by up-and-coming young writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Adrian is the author of Seduction Theory (Little, Brown, 2025) Daughterhood, The Second Season, and Everything Here Is Under Control, as well as two critically acclaimed novels for young adults. Her work has appeared in Granta, The Point, Joyland, EPOCH, Alta Journal, Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Millions. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Emily currently lives in New Haven, Connecticut. Recommended Books: Muriel Spark, Loitering with Intent Justin Taylor, Reboot Erin Somers, Ten Year Affair Chris Holmes is Chair of Literatures in English and Professor at Ithaca College. He writes criticism on contemporary global literatures. His book, Kazuo Ishiguro Against World Literature, is published with Bloomsbury Publishing. He is the co-director of The New Voices Festival, a celebration of work in poetry, prose, and playwriting by up-and-coming young writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Emily Adrian is the author of Seduction Theory (Little, Brown, 2025) Daughterhood, The Second Season, and Everything Here Is Under Control, as well as two critically acclaimed novels for young adults. Her work has appeared in Granta, The Point, Joyland, EPOCH, Alta Journal, Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Millions. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Emily currently lives in New Haven, Connecticut. Recommended Books: Muriel Spark, Loitering with Intent Justin Taylor, Reboot Erin Somers, Ten Year Affair Chris Holmes is Chair of Literatures in English and Professor at Ithaca College. He writes criticism on contemporary global literatures. His book, Kazuo Ishiguro Against World Literature, is published with Bloomsbury Publishing. He is the co-director of The New Voices Festival, a celebration of work in poetry, prose, and playwriting by up-and-coming young writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Isaac Butler is an author, critic, theater director, and professor known for his books The Method: How The Twentieth Century Learned to Act and The World Only Spins Forward: The Ascent of Angels in America, co-written with Dan Kois. Butler’s writing has appeared in numerous publications such as New York magazine, The Guardian, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and Slate magazine. For Slate, he also created and hosted the podcast “Lend Me Your Ears”, about Shakespeare and politics, and currently co-hosts “Working”, a podcast about the creative process. Butler’s work as a theater director has been seen on stages throughout the United States and he is the co-creator of “Real Enemies”, which was named one of the best live events of 2015 by the New York Times. Butler currently teaches Theater History and Performance at NYU Tisch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this engaging conversation, David Bryan and Tom Lutz explore the significance of the year 1925 in American literature, discussing its remarkable contributions and the evolution of literary publishing. Lutz shares insights into the founding of the Los Angeles Review of Books, reflecting on the cultural perceptions of literature and the ongoing presence of extraordinary talent in the arts. In their conversation, Tom Lutz and David Bryan explore various themes related to entrepreneurship, cultural perspectives on publishing, the role of nonprofits in literature, and the surprises of the 1920s. They discuss the evolution of gardening and sustainability, the creative process of writing, and the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in literature. The conversation culminates in reflections on the lessons from the 1920s that can inform contemporary society, particularly in the context of rising nationalism and the need for resistance against regressive movements.Tom Lutz (born March 21, 1953) is an American writer, literary critic, and academic, renowned for his contributions to literature and publishing. He is the founding editor-in-chief and publisher of the Los Angeles Review of Books (LARB), which he launched in 2011 to provide a platform for literary criticism and cultural commentary.     After working in various trades, Lutz pursued higher education, earning a B.A. in English and Journalism from the University of Massachusetts. He then obtained a master's degree and a Ph.D. in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University.        Lutz served as a Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside). He retired in 2024 and now holds the title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Throughout his academic tenure, he taught at various institutions, including Stanford University, the University of Iowa, and the University of Copenhagen.     Lutz is the author of numerous books spanning cultural history, travel writing, and fiction. His notable works include:• American Nervousness, 1903: An Anecdotal History (1991)• Crying: The Natural and Cultural History of Tears (1999)• Doing Nothing: A History of Loafers, Loungers, Slackers, and Bums in America (2007), which received the American Book Award in 2008• Born Slippy: A Novel (2020)• Aimlessness (2021)• The Kindness of Strangers (2021)• Portraits: Moments of Intimacy on the Road (2022)His forthcoming works include Still Slippy: A Novel and 1925: A Literary Encyclopedia, both slated for release in 2025

My intention inside this episode is to remind you of that big, juicy, audacious creative vision that is all your own. That desire commensurate with the expanse of your power. That idea, project or offer that only feels intimidating because it is a threat to colonial order and the colonized part of us might be sacred of it. As it should be, but let's rest in the fact that this is natural and impermanent. Just like fear is an indication of desire, so is the avoidance of our own audacity. Avoidance is different than procrastination. We procrastinate on certain tasks, because the stakes are usually low. We avoid our audacity, because the stakes are higher than they've ever been. Sometimes we avoid answering the call of our audacious desire because we know it will demand the sort of transformation that changes everything and perhaps that is entirely the point.ResourcesLearn More and Enroll Into the Laboratory of Erotic Engineering to Join Us Inside the Upcoming Workshop, "Create It, Not In The Future, But Now": https://www.seedaschool.com/labSubscribe to the Seeda School Substack: ⁠https://seedaschool.substack.com/⁠Follow Ayana on Instagram: ⁠⁠@ayzaco⁠⁠Follow Ayana on Threads: ⁠⁠@ayzaco⁠⁠Follow Seeda School on Instagram: ⁠⁠@seedaschool⁠Citations“In the context of such enormous structural violence, how was it possible to imagine that a beautiful life is possible? Even more unthinkable was the idea that one might create it, not in the future, but now.” — Saidiya Hartman (Source: Regard for One Another: A Conversation Between Rizvana Bradley and Saidiya Hartman published via the Los Angeles Review of Books on October 8, 2019)Cover Art: Stills from Oscar Micheaux, Swing! (1938) (Library of Congress) (Source: “A Book of Necessary, Speculative Narratives for the Anonymous Black Women of History” by Sarah Rose Sharp, published via Hyperallergic on April 15th, 2019)

This week we're listening back to Eric Newman and Medaya Ocher's interview with the Palestinian poet, short-story writer, and essayist Mosab Abu Toha. Abu Toha is the author of the award-winning collection of poetry, "Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear," as well as the founder of the Edward Said Library in Gaza, which he hopes to one day rebuild. In 2025, Toha was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his series of essays about Gaza in the New Yorker and his work has also appeared in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Review of Books. This conversation took place in 2024 when "Forest of Noise," a collection of poems, grappling with Abu Toha's memories, experiences, and many losses was published. Last week the UN officially declared a famine in Gaza for the first time since the beginning of the war.  

Robert Guffey is a lecturer in the Department of English at California State University – Long Beach. His books include The Expectant Mother Disinformation Handbook (Madness Heart Press, 2024), Cryptopolis & Other Stories (Lethe Press, 2024), Dead Monkey Rum (Planet Bizarro Press, 2023), Operation Mindfuck (OR Books, 2022), Widow of the Amputation & Other Weird Crimes (Eraserhead Press, 2021), Bela Lugosi's Dead (Crossroad Press, 2021), Until the Last Dog Dies (Night Shade/Skyhorse, 2017), Chameleo (OR Books, 2015), and Spies & Saucers (PS Publishing, 2014). A graduate of the famed Clarion Writers Workshop in Seattle, he's written for numerous publications, among them The Believer, The Evergreen Review, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Mailer Review, Rosebud, Salon.com, and TOR.com. In 2024 he was nominated for the prestigious Andrew Carnegie Award for his nonfiction work investigating extremist rightwing movements such as QAnon and Christian Nationalism. Forthcoming from Headpress is his nonfiction cinema book, Hollywood Haunts the World: An Investigation into the Cinema of Occulted Taboos, which covers one hundred years of film history. His website is Cryptoscatology.com.This story originally appeared in Flurb #7, 2009.Narrated by: Doni Nicoll-Duir Doni Nicoll-Duir (nickel-dar) is originally from the Western Slope of Colorado. He has lived in and out of Arizona his whole life and now finds himself settling down in Tucson, AZ. Doni works in the renewable energy sector as a design engineer and permitting specialist. When Doni isn't working on saving the planet, one rooftop at a time, or trying to keep up with his teenage daughter, he can be found cooking, hiking or playing board games with his friends at one of the local breweries.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/starshipsofa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Racing the Shadows – CH Hooks on Can't Shake the Dust In this compelling episode of Read Between the Lines, host Molly Southgate sits down with acclaimed author C.H. Hooks to talk about his powerful new novel, Can't Shake the Dust. The story follows “Little” Bill Lemon III as he struggles to outrun a family legacy filled with hardship, violence, and resilience. From the gritty cages of The Monkey Palace—his grandfather's rough-and-tumble bar—to the questionable ventures of his parents, Little finds his escape on the dirt track every Saturday night. In a car that barely runs, he races not just for victory, but for redemption in the backroads of the South. Hooks masterfully captures the weight of legacy, poverty, and perseverance in a world where there's never enough—money, opportunity, or even soap to wash away the Georgia red dirt. With its heart-pounding scenes and unflinching truths, Can't Shake the Dust is a southern tale you won't forget.

This week marks the beginning of our August round-ups where we choose our favorite episodes from the prior year as we gear up for our new season. We're revisiting two of our personal favorite authors and subjects: craft. Tune into Jane Alison and Jeannine Ouellette to glean insight and inspiration about your writing and the structures, forms, playfulness, and directions it can take when you're attuned to all the possibilities and permutations. Don't miss Janet Fitch's August 19th class. Details are online here. Jane Alison is the author of four novels, as well as Change Me, translations of Ovid's stories of sexual transformation, and Meander, Spiral, Explode, about the craft and theory of writing. Her newest novel is Villa E, about the collision of architects Eileen Gray and Le Corbusier. She is Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Virginia. Jeannine Ouellette is the author of the bestselling Substack Writing in the Dark, a creative community of almost 18K people strong. Her lyric memoir, The Part That Burns, was a 2021 Kirkus Best Indie Book and a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Award in Women's Literature, and her essays and short fiction have appeared widely in anthologies and journals, including Narrative, North American Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, and others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For some, the image of Israel, as a shining example of liberal democratic ideals has been broken by the Netanyahu Government's actions in Gaza since 7 October, 2023. Yet, for others, the positive image projected by Israel has always been a convenient myth, allowing dominant powers within the international community to turn a blind eye to decades of Palestinian suffering.  Academic Saree Makdisi argues that we are living in a culture of denial. He says much of the West is complicit through the act of self-deception. Makdisi offers a possible outcome for both Palestinians and Israelis.   Saree Makdisi is Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles. His most recent books include Tolerance is a Wasteland: Palestine and the Culture of Denial, Reading William Blake and Making England Western. He is also a frequent contributor to The Nation, n+1, and the Los Angeles Review of Books.

Check out this re-air of Episode 49 featuring Callie Hitchcock, a freelance writer and journalist. In this episode, Sarah Rosenthal sits down with Callie to discuss discuss the ups and downs of a freelance career, how she went about building her network, and the ways in which working in podcasting has made her a better journalist.Callie Hitchcock is a writer and graduate of the NYU journalism Master's degree for Cultural Reporting and Criticism. She has published writing in The Believer, The New Republic, Los Angeles Review of Books, Slate, Real Life Magazine, and elsewhere.For a full transcript of this episode, please email ⁠career.communications@nyu.edu⁠.

Thom Francis welcomes Trailer Park Quarterly editor Daniel Crocker to the stage at the Brass Tacks poetry series at The Low Beat in Albany, NY, on July 16, 2019. —— Trailer Park Quarterly is an online zine that “envisions itself as a place for real writing, something that an actual human being might want to read.” The project's editors, Rebecca Schumejda and Daniel Crocker, began in the small press world in the 90s and have published poets work since in both digital and paper formats. On July 16, 2019, Daniel was one of the featured poets at the 1 year anniversary celebration of the Brass Tacks poetry reading series at The Low Beat in Albany. Daniel Crocker is a Missouri-based poet, editor, and educator whose work has appeared in over 100 publications, including The Los Angeles Review and The Chiron Review. He is the author of numerous poetry collections and chapbooks, including Leadwood: New and Selected Poems, and was the first winner of the Gerald Locklin Prize. Crocker also edits The Cape Rock, co-edits Trailer Park Quarterly, and hosts the podcast Sanesplaining, exploring poetry, mental illness, and pop culture. You can read past issues of TPQ at Trailer Park Quarterly dot com. The 16 edition will be released in August.

In which co-hosts Kenny and Sam talk to Professor Lee Konstantinou about Tolkien's right-wing (or neo-reactionary) fans in Silicon Valley. Lee's essay Mythic Capital: How Tolkien is Whispering in the Ears of America's Most Powerful Men, is out now from Arc. Long-time listeners will know that this is our third time talking about this subject -- our first episode on the subject, from November 2022, can be found here, and our second, from July 2024 about then-VP nominee JD Vance, can be found here.Lee Konstantinou is a Professor of English at the University of Maryland whose writing has been featured in Slate, Arc, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among others.More Lee:Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, Strangers in a Strange Land: Science-fictional Notes on the "Abundance" AgendaCool Characters: Irony and American FictionSomething is Broken In Our Science FictionFurther reading/listening:Tally (Spectre, 8/24) - Tolkien's Deplorable CultusCanavan (Dissent, 1/25) - Tolkien Against The GrainKakutani (NYT, 5/25) - Why Silicon Valley's Most Powerful People Are So Obsessed With HobbitsDouthat (NYT, 6/25) (audio) - Peter Thiel and the AntichristGellman (The Atlantic, 11/23) - Peter Thiel is Taking A Break From DemocracyAlexander (Substack, 5/25) - Moldbug Sold OutGabor (Phenomenal World, 2/25) - How To DOGE USAIDLeave us a review! Send us an email at entmootpod@gmail.com! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lee Matthew Goldberg- Miles in Time - Book 1: Solve the Mystery, Save the Future. This is episode 771 of Teaching Learning Leading K12, an audio podcast. Lee Matthew Goldberg is the Anthony, Lefty, and Prix du Polar nominated author of fifteen novels including THE ANCESTOR and THE MENTOR, and THE GREAT GIMMELMANS along with his five-book DESIRE CARD series and the RUNAWAY TRAIN trilogy.  MILES IN TIME came out May 2025.  After graduating with an MFA from the New School, he's been published in multiple languages and his writing has also appeared as a contributor in CrimeReads, Pipeline Artists, LitHub, Chicago Quarterly Review, Electric Literature, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Jewish Book Council, The Millions, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, LitReactor, Mystery Tribune, The Nerd Daily, Monkeybicycle, Fiction Writers Review, Cagibi, Necessary Fiction, the anthology Dirty Boulevard, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Maudlin House and others.  His pilots and screenplays have been finalists in Script Pipeline, Book Pipeline, Stage 32, We Screenplay, the New York Screenplay, Screencraft, and the Hollywood Screenplay contests.  He is the publisher of Fringe Press, the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series and lives in New York City. Our focus today is Lee's latest book - Miles in Time, Book 1: Solve the Mystery, Save the Future Cool read! Great characters! Awesome conversation! Thanks for listening! Thanks for sharing! Before you go... You could help support this podcast by Buying Me A Coffee. Not really buying me something to drink but clicking on the link on my home page at https://stevenmiletto.com for Buy Me a Coffee or by going to this link Buy Me a Coffee. This would allow you to donate to help the show address the costs associated with producing the podcast from upgrading gear to the fees associated with producing the show. That would be cool. Thanks for thinking about it.  Hey, I've got another favor...could you share the podcast with one of your friends, colleagues, and family members? Hmmm? What do you think? Thank you! You are AWESOME! Connect & Learn More: https://leematthewgoldberg.com/ https://wisewolfbooks.com/2025/03/miles-in-time-miles-in-time-book-1-by-lee-matthew-goldberg https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXQQQT74?tag=w0a653-20&geniuslink=true https://www.amazon.com/Time-Fixers-Travel-Mystery-Miles-ebook/dp/B0F643RXQ8?ref_=saga_dp_bnx_dsk_dp https://www.instagram.com/leematthewgoldberg/ https://bsky.app/profile/leematthewgoldberg.bsky.social https://www.tiktok.com/@leematthewgoldberg https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8001634.Lee_Matthew_Goldberg https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lee-Matthew-Goldberg/author/B00RPF06TS?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1627313638&sr=8-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Length - 32:31

In this episode, we delve into the controversial and complex world of deep seabed mining. We feature a panel of experts from the Wonderful World Festival in Norway in 2024 [https://www.wonderfulworld.no/] discussing the environmental, economic, and geopolitical implications of extracting minerals from the ocean floor. Marine Scientists, a documentary filmmaker, mining industry officials debate the need for and consequences from extracting rare earth minerals for renewable energy technologies. Discover the unknowns of the deep sea, the ethical considerations, and the potential impact on future generations. Join us as we explore whether the pursuit of these resources is truly necessary and the role of storytelling in shaping our understanding of the ocean's mysteries. We start with an introduction by panel moderator, Anders Dunker. Next are excerpts from a TED Talk by Sandor Mulsow, Marine Geologist from Chile. Also included is the trailer of the documentary film DEEP Rising, which he is featured in. Sandor Mulsow TED Talk https://youtu.be/tIg1M0b43jQ?si=_SWZ6pZs-S9lSNA1 Then we feature excerpts from the panel, that can be listened to in its entirety here… The Deep Sea and the Mining Business: https://youtu.be/qPm1HdyvYaM?si=nw6sSrWN_8DP0A_Y For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Resources/Articles: Anders Dunker [https://www.andersdunker.com/] is a Norwegian writer and philosophical journalist based in Los Angeles and an associate professor at Oslo International School of Philosophy. In contributions across a range of publications, including Le Monde Diplomatique, Ny Tid, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, he writes about nature, technology, social change, and the planetary future. He is the editor of the book series 'Futurum' at Existenz Forlag and a regular contributor and board member in the Norwegian Writers' Climate Campaign, as well as a collaborator in Technophany – A Journal of Philosophy and Technology. In 2019, he published Rediscovering Earth (Spartacus and O/R books). In 2022, his collection of essays, Thinking on the Planet, was published by Existenz Publishers. Unknown Territory is his third book. Sandor Mulsow, Marine Geologist, long-time member of the International Seabed Authority, the UN's own body for safeguarding the health of the oceans. He is a professor at Universidad Austral de Chile, and was featured in the documentary film DEEP RISING. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandor-mulsow-b98a2214/?originalSubdomain=cl] Other Members of the panel Matthieu Rytz, filmmaker, visual anthropologist, director of the documentary DEEP RISING [https://www.deeprising.com/] Kaja Lønne Fjærtoft, marine biologist and Global Head of Policy at Deep Sea Mining at WWF Norway Øystein Bruncell Larsen - COO Loke Marine Minerals of Norway Rune Høyvik Rosnes, Seabed Intervention technologist, economist and business developer, Deep C Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He writes a column on PBS SoCal called High & Dry [https://www.pbssocal.org/people/high-dry]. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 239

Today we continue the Summer Echoes Series with a story by Kimberly Elkins. Kimberly is the author of the novel, WHAT IS VISIBLE, which was a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and named to several Best of 2014 lists. She's written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Iowa Review, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Glamour, Slice, The Cincinnati Review, and Best New American Voices. She was a Finalist for the National Magazine Award, and has also won a New York Moth StorySlam. You can find her on X @GoodWordGirl. Kimberly's story was originally published in The Cincinnati Review and is the most unique essay I think we've ever gotten. It uses second person point of view and still, it's vulnerable. It's short. It's mighty. It's amazing.Writing Class Radio is hosted by Allison Langer and Andrea Askowitz. Audio production by Matt Cundill, Evan Surminski, Chloe Emond-Lane, and Aiden Glassey at the Sound Off Media Company. Theme music is by Justina Shandler.There's more writing class on our website including stories we study, editing resources, video classes, writing retreats, and live online classes. Join our writing community by following us on Patreon. A transcript of this episode is available here.Check out all the classes we offer on our website, writingclassradio.com.Join the community that comes together for instruction, an excuse to write, and the support from other writers. To learn more, go to www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio. Or sign up HERE for First Draft for a FREE Zoom link.There's no better way to understand ourselves and each other, than by writing and sharing our stories. Everyone has a story. What's yours?

Host Jason Blitman talks with author Dylin Hardcastle about their new book A Language of Limbs. They explore what it means to be fully present, and Dylin offers insights into the fascinating history of Claude Cahun, the pioneering French artist and writer, then reflects on their experience living in an all-trans household. Dylin opens up about their relationship with their aunt and the transformative journey of self-discovery and identity. The episode continues with Guest Gay Reader Benedict Nguyễn, who discusses her current reads and introduces her latest book, Hot Girls with Balls.Dylin Hardcastle (they/them) is an award-winning author, artist, and screenwriter. They are the author of Below Deck (2020), Breathing Under Water (2016), and Running Like China (2015). Their work has been published to critical acclaim in eleven territories and translated into eight languages. A Language of Limbs won the Kathleen Mitchell Award through Creative Australia. The novel has been optioned by Curio (Sony Pictures) and is in development.Benedict Nguyễn is a dancer and gym buff who works as a creative producer in live performance. She's written for The Baffler, BOMB, Los Angeles Review of Books, Vanity Fair, The Brooklyn Rail, The Margins, and other publications. In 2022, she published nasty notes, the redacted-email zine on freelance labor. Hot Girls with Balls is her first novel. @xbennybooBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE July Book: Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me PARTNERSHIP!Use code READING to get 15% off your madeleine order! https://cornbread26.com/ WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

Hello, my name is Eric LeMay, a host on New Books in Literature, a channel on the New Books Network. Today I interview Jennifer Kabat. Kabat is writer I've followed and admired for decades. T.S. Eliot once said of Henry James, "He had a mind so fine that no idea could violate it." Kabat has a mind so sweeping, so generous that no detail escapes it. She writes of history, ecology, art, science, time, place, and epochs with a painter's attention and a poet's heart. Her latest book is called Nightshining: A Memoir in Four Floods (Milkweed, 2025). She is also the author of The Eighth Moon: A Memoir of Belonging and Rebellion. Her writing has appeared in McSweeney's, BOMB, The New York Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Believer, Virginia Quarterly Review, Granta and The White Review, among many others. Today, she takes us from the first trees to appear on our plant to the aspirations of scientists amid the Cold War to the floods that ravaged her hometown, where she also serves on her local fire department. Enjoy my conversation with Jennifer Kabat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

Hello, my name is Eric LeMay, a host on New Books in Literature, a channel on the New Books Network. Today I interview Jennifer Kabat. Kabat is writer I've followed and admired for decades. T.S. Eliot once said of Henry James, "He had a mind so fine that no idea could violate it." Kabat has a mind so sweeping, so generous that no detail escapes it. She writes of history, ecology, art, science, time, place, and epochs with a painter's attention and a poet's heart. Her latest book is called Nightshining: A Memoir in Four Floods (Milkweed, 2025). She is also the author of The Eighth Moon: A Memoir of Belonging and Rebellion. Her writing has appeared in McSweeney's, BOMB, The New York Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Believer, Virginia Quarterly Review, Granta and The White Review, among many others. Today, she takes us from the first trees to appear on our plant to the aspirations of scientists amid the Cold War to the floods that ravaged her hometown, where she also serves on her local fire department. Enjoy my conversation with Jennifer Kabat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Hello, my name is Eric LeMay, a host on New Books in Literature, a channel on the New Books Network. Today I interview Jennifer Kabat. Kabat is writer I've followed and admired for decades. T.S. Eliot once said of Henry James, "He had a mind so fine that no idea could violate it." Kabat has a mind so sweeping, so generous that no detail escapes it. She writes of history, ecology, art, science, time, place, and epochs with a painter's attention and a poet's heart. Her latest book is called Nightshining: A Memoir in Four Floods (Milkweed, 2025). She is also the author of The Eighth Moon: A Memoir of Belonging and Rebellion. Her writing has appeared in McSweeney's, BOMB, The New York Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Believer, Virginia Quarterly Review, Granta and The White Review, among many others. Today, she takes us from the first trees to appear on our plant to the aspirations of scientists amid the Cold War to the floods that ravaged her hometown, where she also serves on her local fire department. Enjoy my conversation with Jennifer Kabat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Pria Anand speaks to managing editor Emily Everett about her story “The Elephant's Child,” which appears in The Common's spring issue. The piece is a vivid retelling of a Hindu myth, the origin story of the elephant-headed god Ganesh. Pria talks about the process of writing and revising many versions of this ancient myth, why she felt inspired by it, and how her literary writing intersects with her career as a neurologist. Pria also discusses her debut book, The Mind Electric: A Neurologist on the Strangeness and Wonder of Our Brains, out this month from Simon & Schuster. The book explores how story and storytelling can illuminate the rich, complex gray areas within the science of the brain, weaving case study, history, fable, and memoir. Pria Anand is a neurologist and the author of The Mind Electric, out from Simon & Schuster in the U.S. and Little, Brown in the U.K. Her stories and essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Time Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Ploughshares, and elsewhere. She is a graduate of Yale University and Stanford Medical School, and she trained in neurology, neuro-infectious diseases, and neuroimmunology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Massachusetts General Hospital. She is now an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine, and she cares for patients at the Boston Medical Center. ­­Read Prias's story “The Elephant's Child” in The Common at thecommononline.org/the-elephants-child. Order The Mind Electric in all formats via Simon & Schuster at simonandschuster.com/books/The-Mind-Electric/. Learn more about Pria at www.priaanand.com. The Common is a print and online literary magazine publishing stories, essays, and poems that deepen our collective sense of place. On our podcast and in our pages, The Common features established and emerging writers from around the world. Read more and subscribe to the magazine at thecommononline.org, and follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook. Emily Everett is managing editor of the magazine and host of the podcast. Her new debut novel All That Life Can Afford is the Reese's Book Club pick for April 2025. Her work has appeared in The New York Times Modern Love column, the Kenyon Review, Electric Literature, Tin House, and Mississippi Review. She was a 2022 Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellow in Fiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Pria Anand speaks to managing editor Emily Everett about her story “The Elephant's Child,” which appears in The Common's spring issue. The piece is a vivid retelling of a Hindu myth, the origin story of the elephant-headed god Ganesh. Pria talks about the process of writing and revising many versions of this ancient myth, why she felt inspired by it, and how her literary writing intersects with her career as a neurologist. Pria also discusses her debut book, The Mind Electric: A Neurologist on the Strangeness and Wonder of Our Brains, out this month from Simon & Schuster. The book explores how story and storytelling can illuminate the rich, complex gray areas within the science of the brain, weaving case study, history, fable, and memoir. Pria Anand is a neurologist and the author of The Mind Electric, out from Simon & Schuster in the U.S. and Little, Brown in the U.K. Her stories and essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Time Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Ploughshares, and elsewhere. She is a graduate of Yale University and Stanford Medical School, and she trained in neurology, neuro-infectious diseases, and neuroimmunology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Massachusetts General Hospital. She is now an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine, and she cares for patients at the Boston Medical Center. ­­Read Prias's story “The Elephant's Child” in The Common at thecommononline.org/the-elephants-child. Order The Mind Electric in all formats via Simon & Schuster at simonandschuster.com/books/The-Mind-Electric/. Learn more about Pria at www.priaanand.com. The Common is a print and online literary magazine publishing stories, essays, and poems that deepen our collective sense of place. On our podcast and in our pages, The Common features established and emerging writers from around the world. Read more and subscribe to the magazine at thecommononline.org, and follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook. Emily Everett is managing editor of the magazine and host of the podcast. Her new debut novel All That Life Can Afford is the Reese's Book Club pick for April 2025. Her work has appeared in The New York Times Modern Love column, the Kenyon Review, Electric Literature, Tin House, and Mississippi Review. She was a 2022 Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellow in Fiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Pria Anand speaks to managing editor Emily Everett about her story “The Elephant's Child,” which appears in The Common's spring issue. The piece is a vivid retelling of a Hindu myth, the origin story of the elephant-headed god Ganesh. Pria talks about the process of writing and revising many versions of this ancient myth, why she felt inspired by it, and how her literary writing intersects with her career as a neurologist. Pria also discusses her debut book, The Mind Electric: A Neurologist on the Strangeness and Wonder of Our Brains, out this month from Simon & Schuster. The book explores how story and storytelling can illuminate the rich, complex gray areas within the science of the brain, weaving case study, history, fable, and memoir. Pria Anand is a neurologist and the author of The Mind Electric, out from Simon & Schuster in the U.S. and Little, Brown in the U.K. Her stories and essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Time Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Ploughshares, and elsewhere. She is a graduate of Yale University and Stanford Medical School, and she trained in neurology, neuro-infectious diseases, and neuroimmunology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Massachusetts General Hospital. She is now an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine, and she cares for patients at the Boston Medical Center. ­­Read Prias's story “The Elephant's Child” in The Common at thecommononline.org/the-elephants-child. Order The Mind Electric in all formats via Simon & Schuster at simonandschuster.com/books/The-Mind-Electric/. Learn more about Pria at www.priaanand.com. The Common is a print and online literary magazine publishing stories, essays, and poems that deepen our collective sense of place. On our podcast and in our pages, The Common features established and emerging writers from around the world. Read more and subscribe to the magazine at thecommononline.org, and follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook. Emily Everett is managing editor of the magazine and host of the podcast. Her new debut novel All That Life Can Afford is the Reese's Book Club pick for April 2025. Her work has appeared in The New York Times Modern Love column, the Kenyon Review, Electric Literature, Tin House, and Mississippi Review. She was a 2022 Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellow in Fiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

“ It's a really dangerous time we're living through, and I do think that when we talk about these progressive policies, a huge problem in the US is that we still have a lot of stigma left over from the Cold War that keeps us from really great ideas because they're branded as socialist or communist. And I've seen, in the time I've been a journalist for the past 15 years, how that stigma has slowly faded. And you see that younger people are more and more interested in these ideas, whether or not they're considered socialist.”Natasha Hakimi Zapata is an award-winning journalist, translator, and university lecturer based in Europe. She is the author of Another World Is Possible: Lessons for America From Around the Globe. Her articles appear regularly in The Nation, In These Times, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She is the former foreign editor of Truthdig and has received several Southern California Journalism and National Arts & Entertainment Journalism awards, most recently in 2024 for her work as a foreign correspondent.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

“ It's a really dangerous time we're living through, and I do think that when we talk about these progressive policies, a huge problem in the US is that we still have a lot of stigma left over from the Cold War that keeps us from really great ideas because they're branded as socialist or communist. And I've seen, in the time I've been a journalist for the past 15 years, how that stigma has slowly faded. And you see that younger people are more and more interested in these ideas, whether or not they're considered socialist.”Natasha Hakimi Zapata is an award-winning journalist, translator, and university lecturer based in Europe. She is the author of Another World Is Possible: Lessons for America From Around the Globe. Her articles appear regularly in The Nation, In These Times, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She is the former foreign editor of Truthdig and has received several Southern California Journalism and National Arts & Entertainment Journalism awards, most recently in 2024 for her work as a foreign correspondent.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

“ It's a really dangerous time we're living through, and I do think that when we talk about these progressive policies, a huge problem in the US is that we still have a lot of stigma left over from the Cold War that keeps us from really great ideas because they're branded as socialist or communist. And I've seen, in the time I've been a journalist for the past 15 years, how that stigma has slowly faded. And you see that younger people are more and more interested in these ideas, whether or not they're considered socialist.”Natasha Hakimi Zapata is an award-winning journalist, translator, and university lecturer based in Europe. She is the author of Another World Is Possible: Lessons for America From Around the Globe. Her articles appear regularly in The Nation, In These Times, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She is the former foreign editor of Truthdig and has received several Southern California Journalism and National Arts & Entertainment Journalism awards, most recently in 2024 for her work as a foreign correspondent.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

“ It's a really dangerous time we're living through, and I do think that when we talk about these progressive policies, a huge problem in the US is that we still have a lot of stigma left over from the Cold War that keeps us from really great ideas because they're branded as socialist or communist. And I've seen, in the time I've been a journalist for the past 15 years, how that stigma has slowly faded. And you see that younger people are more and more interested in these ideas, whether or not they're considered socialist.”Natasha Hakimi Zapata is an award-winning journalist, translator, and university lecturer based in Europe. She is the author of Another World Is Possible: Lessons for America From Around the Globe. Her articles appear regularly in The Nation, In These Times, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She is the former foreign editor of Truthdig and has received several Southern California Journalism and National Arts & Entertainment Journalism awards, most recently in 2024 for her work as a foreign correspondent.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

“ It's a really dangerous time we're living through, and I do think that when we talk about these progressive policies, a huge problem in the US is that we still have a lot of stigma left over from the Cold War that keeps us from really great ideas because they're branded as socialist or communist. And I've seen, in the time I've been a journalist for the past 15 years, how that stigma has slowly faded. And you see that younger people are more and more interested in these ideas, whether or not they're considered socialist.”Natasha Hakimi Zapata is an award-winning journalist, translator, and university lecturer based in Europe. She is the author of Another World Is Possible: Lessons for America From Around the Globe. Her articles appear regularly in The Nation, In These Times, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She is the former foreign editor of Truthdig and has received several Southern California Journalism and National Arts & Entertainment Journalism awards, most recently in 2024 for her work as a foreign correspondent.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

“ It's a really dangerous time we're living through, and I do think that when we talk about these progressive policies, a huge problem in the US is that we still have a lot of stigma left over from the Cold War that keeps us from really great ideas because they're branded as socialist or communist. And I've seen, in the time I've been a journalist for the past 15 years, how that stigma has slowly faded. And you see that younger people are more and more interested in these ideas, whether or not they're considered socialist.”Natasha Hakimi Zapata is an award-winning journalist, translator, and university lecturer based in Europe. She is the author of Another World Is Possible: Lessons for America From Around the Globe. Her articles appear regularly in The Nation, In These Times, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She is the former foreign editor of Truthdig and has received several Southern California Journalism and National Arts & Entertainment Journalism awards, most recently in 2024 for her work as a foreign correspondent.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

“ It's a really dangerous time we're living through, and I do think that when we talk about these progressive policies, a huge problem in the US is that we still have a lot of stigma left over from the Cold War that keeps us from really great ideas because they're branded as socialist or communist. And I've seen, in the time I've been a journalist for the past 15 years, how that stigma has slowly faded. And you see that younger people are more and more interested in these ideas, whether or not they're considered socialist.”Natasha Hakimi Zapata is an award-winning journalist, translator, and university lecturer based in Europe. She is the author of Another World Is Possible: Lessons for America From Around the Globe. Her articles appear regularly in The Nation, In These Times, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She is the former foreign editor of Truthdig and has received several Southern California Journalism and National Arts & Entertainment Journalism awards, most recently in 2024 for her work as a foreign correspondent.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

This week Grant and Brooke consider images as enhancements to memoir. Historically publishers have tended to regard images in memoir with reservation, but that's been changing in recent years. Guest Jennifer Croft's recent memoir, Homesick, is accompanied by her own Polaroids. When should photos be included, or central? And what are some other memoirs that have been improved by the addition of images? Whether to include images involves many considerations—from your reader, to style, to the interplay between words and image, and Jennifer Croft offers thoughtful insights around this and more. Jennifer Croft is the author of the illustrated memoir, Homesick, and the translator of Polish of Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk's Flights, for which she won the 2018 International Booker Prize. She won a 2022 Guggenheim Fellowship for her novel The Extinction of Irena Rey, the 2020 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing for Homesick. She is a founding editor of The Buenos Aires Review and has published her own work and numerous translations in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Granta, VICE, n+1, Electric Literature, Lit Hub, BOMB, and many more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling, award-winning author, and founder of the LA Review of Books, Tom Lutz, returned to talk with me about life in the French countryside, his writer's residency, and the greatest year in literary history, 1925. He's a Professor Emeritus of Creative Writing at UC Riverside, and the author of multiple bestselling and award-winning titles – translated into dozens of languages – including Doing Nothing (American Book Award winner), Crying, American Nervousness, 1903 (both New York Times Notables), and Born Slippy, his first novel. His latest, 1925: A Literary Encyclopedia, is described as an “… exploration of one of the richest moments in our literary and cultural history .… an explosion of literary innovation, from the rise of modernist masterpieces like Mrs. Dalloway and The Great Gatsby to a boom in pulp fiction.” Besides founding the Los Angeles Review of Books, "... a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and disseminating ... engaging writing on every aspect of literature, culture, and the arts," Tom also founded The LARB Radio Hour, The LARB Quarterly Journal, The LARB/USC Publishing Workshop, and LARB Books. He and his wife now run a residency for writers and artists in St. Chamassy, in France's Dordogne region. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you're a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In Part Two of this file Tom Lutz and I discussed: Adjusting to the life of a country gentleman and all the great wines Why he cares less than ever about what people think of his work The legion of classic texts that came out of one of the most prolific years in history How 1925 birthed so much progress for American culture Why literature is the R&D wing of human enterprise, especially in 2025 And a lot more! Show Notes: 1925: A Literary Encyclopedia by Tom Lutz TomLutzWriter.com⁠ All things ⁠LARB⁠ French Presse - St.-Chamassy Writers' Residency: A quiet place to live and work in the French countryside. ⁠Tom Lutz's Amazon Author Page⁠ ⁠Tom Lutz on Facebook⁠ ⁠Tom Lutz on Instagram⁠ ⁠Tom Lutz on Twitter⁠ Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlotte Osborne Mason was one of the biggest benefactors of the Harlem Renaissance but her patronage came with a cost. While she gave noted luminaries Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston monthly stipends to make art, she wanted a say in what the art would be in order to realize her vision: a flaming bridge to connect America to Africa. Strange Country cohosts Beth and Kelly talk about this strange rich white lady who believed she knew more about being Black than the artists she supported with strings. Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands Cite your sources: Boyd, Valerie. “About Zora Neale Hurston.” Zora Neale Hurston, 18 September 2024, https://www.zoranealehurston.com/about/. Accessed 7 May 2025. Hosie, Rachel. “Powerful people act as if they've suffered a traumatic brain injury, find scientists.” The Independent, 26 June 2017, https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/powerful-people-brain-injury-traumatic-empathy-mirroring-keltner-study-science-a7807946.html. Accessed 13 June 2025. “When Hurston Had a (Mule) Bone to Pick with Hughes.” Proquest, 20 June 2018, https://about.proquest.com/en/blog/2018/when-hurston-had-a-mule-bone-to-pick-with-hughes/. Kaplan, Carla. Miss Anne in Harlem: The White Women of the Black Renaissance. HarperCollins, 2013. Panovka, Rebecca. “A Different Backstory for Zora Neale Hurston's “Barracoon.”” Los Angeles Review of Books, 7 July 2018, https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/different-backstory-for-zora-neale-hurstons-barracoon/. Accessed 7 May 2025.  

Building Gene's Dispensary: Community, Curation, and Creating New Art Spaces in Los Angeles with Keith J Varadi In this wide-ranging conversation on What's My Thesis?, host Javier Proenza welcomes artist, curator, and writer Keith J. Varadi, founder of Gene's Dispensary, for an illuminating discussion on forging alternative pathways in the contemporary art world. Through candid reflection, Varadi shares their journey from painting to sound art, music, and ultimately to the establishment of their independent gallery space in Los Angeles—a project that has rapidly become a vibrant hub for creative cross-pollination. Drawing on years of experience as both a practicing artist and an accomplished curator—with writing credits in Carla, Flash Art, Kaleidoscope, and Los Angeles Review of Books—Varadi discusses how health challenges, a deep commitment to community-building, and a rigorous interdisciplinary ethos led to the creation of Gene's Dispensary. Operating in the heart of Los Angeles at 2007 Wilshire Boulevard, Unit 820, Gene's Dispensary takes inspiration from DIY spaces, Black Mountain College, and the inclusive spirit of early L.A. dispensary culture. Over the course of the episode, Varadi reflects on studying at Rutgers and Virginia Commonwealth University, their experience living in New York and Pittsburgh, and the evolving sense of belonging they found upon relocating to Los Angeles. Topics explored include the challenges and possibilities of starting an art space without institutional funding, building a collector base from scratch, integrating musicians, comedians, and writers into gallery programming, and the nuances of L.A.'s cultural landscape compared to New York. Highlights include a behind-the-scenes look at Gene's Dispensary's chess tournaments, multidisciplinary performances, and the gallery's mission to dissolve boundaries between visual art and other forms of creative practice. Varadi also offers insight into the gallery's namesake, paying homage to socialist leader Eugene V. Debs and affirming a commitment to equitable practices within the art market. Whether you are an artist seeking alternative models of sustainability, a curator interested in community engagement, or simply an art lover curious about the dynamic intersections of creativity in Los Angeles, this episode offers a compelling portrait of persistence, generosity, and invention. Visit Gene's Dispensary:

Day 11: Gabrielle Calvocoressi reads their poem, “Miss you. Would like to take a walk with you” originally published in Poetry (October 2021).  Gabrielle Calvocoressi is the author of The Last Time I Saw Amelia Earhart, Apocalyptic Swing (a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize), and Rocket Fantastic, winner of the Audre Lorde Award for Lesbian Poetry. Calvocoressi is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships including a Stegner Fellowship and Jones Lectureship from Stanford University; a Rona Jaffe Woman Writer's Award; a Lannan Foundation residency in  Marfa, TX; the Bernard F. Conners Prize from The Paris Review; and a residency from the Civitella di Ranieri Foundation, among others. Calvocoressi's poems have been published or are forthcoming in numerous magazines and journals including The Baffler, The New York Times, POETRY, Boston Review, Kenyon Review, Tin House, and The New Yorker. Calvocoressi is an Editor at Large at Los Angeles Review of Books, and Poetry Editor at Southern Cultures. Works in progress include a non-fiction book entitled, The Year I Didn't Kill Myself and a novel, The Alderman of the Graveyard. Calvocoressi was the Beatrice Shepherd Blane Fellow at the Harvard-Radcliffe Institute for 2022 - 2023. Calvocoressi teaches at UNC Chapel Hill and lives in Old East Durham, NC, where joy, compassion, and social justice are at the center of their personal and poetic practice. Their new collection of poetry, The New Economy, will be released from Copper Canyon in 2025.   Text of today's poem and more details about our program can be found at: deerfieldlibrary.org/queerpoemaday/ Find books from participating poets in our library's catalog.  Queer Poem-a-Day is a program from the Adult Services Department at the Library and may include adult language.  Queer Poem-a-Day is founded and co-directed by poet and professor Lisa Hiton and Dylan Zavagno, Adult Services Coordinator at the Library and host of the Deerfield Public Library Podcast. Music for this fifth year of our series is “L'Ange Verrier” from Le Rossignol Éperdu by Reynaldo Hahn, performed by pianist Daniel Baer. Queer Poem-a-Day is supported by generous donations from the Friends of the Deerfield Public Library and the Deerfield Fine Arts Commission.

Matthew Specktor is the author of the novels American Dream Machine and That Summertime Sound, and the nonfiction books The Sting and Always Crashing in the Same Car. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Paris Review, The Believer, Tin House, Vogue, GQ, Black Clock, and Open City. He has been a MacDowell Fellow and is a founding editor of the Los Angeles Review of Books. He resides in Los Angeles. On this episode of Little Atoms he talks to Neil Denny about his latest book The Golden Hour: A Story of Family and Power in Hollywood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Notes and Links to Vanessa Saunders' Work       Vanessa Saunders is a writer living in New Orleans. She teaches as a Professor of Practice at Loyola University New Orleans. She was the editor-in-chief of Helium Journal from 2013 to 2016. Her writing has appeared in Writer's Digest, Writer's Chronicle, Seneca Review, Sycamore Review, Los Angeles Review,  Nat. Brut, Entropy, PANK, Passages North, Stockholm Review of Literature and other journals.​​ She is at work on a novel of magical realism about whiteness and a book-length prose poem about the ethics of authorship.  Buy The Flat Woman   Vanessa's Website At about 1:45, Vanessa recommends places to buy her book, including Baldwin Books At about 2:55, Vanessa responds to Pete's question about her expectations for the Pub Day and beyond versus the realities At about 5:20, the two discuss Kafka's Metamorphosis and his parables and connections to Vanessa's The Flat Woman, as well as absurdities and allegory At about 9:30, Vanessa gives background on her early reading and writing, including her grandfather's and Sylvia Plath's influences, and Anne Carson's influence on The Flat Woman At about 13:30, Vanessa explains the unique British library system At about 15:25, Vanessa responds to Pete's questions about At about 16:35, Vanessa mentions Kelly Link, Sarah Rose Etter, Aimee Bender, and Hadriana in my Dreams as contemporary writers and writing that inspires him At about 18:20, Pete and Vanessa shout out the generosity and greatness of Aimee Bender, and Vanessa talks about meetings with inspiring writers At about 19:20, Pete shouts out Antonya Nelson's “In the Land of Men” for the 1,987,231 time in Chills at Will history At about 19:55, The two discuss the book's epigraph and seeds for the book At about 22:40, Vanessa expands upon stewardship and community and the environment in the formulation of her book At about 24:20, Pete wonders about Vanessa's decision to avoid naming her characters At about 26:40, Pete asks Vanessa  At about 29:10, the two discuss the lengthy “setups” that are chapter titles, or “headlines” At about 32:20, “leaky boundaries” and the family dynamic, including the absent father, are discussed At about 33:35, “Terrorism” and government cover-up in the book and its couching is discussed; Vanessa talks about birds as “indicator species,” as she learned from a group of “elite ornithologists” (!!!) with whom she lived At about 36:40, Vanessa talks about perpetual archetypes and storylines for “female villainy” At about 37:40, Bird grief and research and animals as stand-ins for humans as discussed in the book is explored by Vanessa At about 41:10, Vanessa, in explaining her views of animals and things and dominion, references a wonderful Louise Gluck line  At about 42:35, Pete and Vanessa discuss Bay Area history, anthropology. and its effects on their mindsets and writing At about 44:00, The two talk about the “patriarch[al]” POPS Cola, and the protagonist's early life after her mother is arrested and convicted  At about 45:45, Vanessa expands on the patriarchal society and the 2024 election's connections to the systemic misogyny on display in the book At about  49:50, The protagonist, depicted 10 years as “The woman,” and Part II are described, as well as the “chaotic aunt” and more ugly realities that confront the woman At about 51:45, Vanessa cites inspiration from an interview with Toni Morrison regarding family alienation  At about 53:10, Vanessa explores connections between humor and speculative fiction At about 54:10, The woman's earliest interactions with and attractions to the man are discussed At about 55:10, Vanessa responds to Pete's question about the man being drawn to Elvis, with a trip down memory lane of a San Francisco that may no longer exist  At about 59:20, Vanessa talks about setting the woman as working at the very company that has imprisoned her mother  At about 1:01:25, Vanessa responds to Pete's question about the grisly displays of hurt and dead animals, and the two discuss ideas of entertainment and willful (or not) ignorance about the brutality in Gaza and climate change At about 1:05:00, Pete complements Vanessa for humor on the page and asks if the man has “discovered the manosphere”  At about 1:08:35, Vanessa talks about social justice being “commodified” At about 1:10:40, Vanessa talks about initial hesitat[ion] in depicting the man as having some assorted wisdom, along with many horrible traits At about 1:11:40, Vanessa discusses a famous writer, who is not related to her :(  At about 1:13:00, Another Maurice Carlos Ruffin shoutout At about 1:14:20, Movie actors for the book's characters! At about 1:16:10, “You are hearing me talk”-Al Gore 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 270 guest Jason De León 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 285 with The Philharmonik, Episode 58 guest, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, lyricist, music producer and genre defining artist. Recently, he has been nationally and globally recognized after winning the 2023 American Song writer contest and NPR's 2024 Tiny Desk Contest for his song “What's It All Mean?” The episode marks the one-year anniversary of his NPR Tiny Desk Contest win. This will be released on May 16.