POPULARITY
This week, we kick off our new exhibit and content initiative American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture with four writers of speculative fiction: N. K. Jemisin, Matthew J. Kirby, Nnedi Okorafor, and Nghi Vo. Moderated by Michi Trota, the panel of authors discuss religion in their writing, the importance of considering socio-spiritual systems when world-building, [...]
This week, we kick off our new exhibit and content initiative American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture with four writers of speculative fiction: N. K. Jemisin, Matthew J. Kirby, Nnedi Okorafor, and Nghi Vo. Moderated by Michi Trota, the panel of authors discuss religion in their writing, the importance of considering socio-spiritual systems when world-building, and how these influence the ways their characters move through the worlds they create.This conversation originally took place April 22, 2025 and was recorded live at the Harold Washington Library Center in Chicago. We hope you enjoy entering the Mind of a Writer.American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture opens November 2025 at the American Writers Museum in Chicago. Learn more about the exhibit and upcoming programming schedule here. American Prophets is supported by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative.AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOMEMore about the writers:N. K. JEMISIN is a fantasy author and 2020 MacArthur Fellow whose fiction has been recognized with multiple Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards. Most of her works have been optioned for television or film, and collectively her novels, including the Broken Earth trilogy — The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, and The Stone Sky — have sold over two million copies. Her speculative works range widely in theme, though with repeated motifs: resistance and oppression, loneliness and belonging, and Wouldn't It Be Cool If This One Ridiculous Thing Happened. In her spare time she's into tabletop and video games, biking, fanfiction, and urban gardening. She lives and writes in Brooklyn, with her son and two cats.MATTHEW J. KIRBY is the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of numerous books for young readers, including The Clockwork Three, Icefall, The Lost Kingdom, the Dark Gravity Sequence, the Assassin's Creed series Last Descendants, A Taste for Monsters, and Star Splitter. He has also written adult titles for the Assassin's Creed and Diablo video game franchises. He has won the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery, the PEN Center USA award for Children's Literature, and the Judy Lopez Memorial Award.NNEDI OKORAFOR is the author of multiple award-winning and New York Times bestsellers, including Death of the Author, the Binti trilogy, Who Fears Death, and Lagoon, currently in development at Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. She has won every major prize in speculative fiction, including the World Fantasy, Nebula, and Eisner Awards; multiple Hugo Awards; and the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa. Born in Cincinnati to Igbo Nigerian immigrant parents, she now resides in Phoenix, Arizona, with her daughter, Anyaugo.NGHI VO is the author of the novels Siren Queen and The Chosen and the Beautiful, as well as the acclaimed novellas of the Singing Hills Cycle, which began with The Empress of Salt and Fortune. The series entries have been finalists for the Nebula Award, the Locus Award, and the Lambda Literary Award, and have won the Crawford Award, the Ignyte Award, and the Hugo Award. Born in Illinois, she now lives on the shores of Lake Michigan. She believes in the ritual of lipstick, the power of stories, and the right to change your mind. Her latest release is Don't Sleep With the Dead.MICHI TROTA is a five-time Hugo Award-winning Filipino American writer, editor, and narrative expert. Her work explores how to use empowerment, representation, and storytelling to attain collective liberation and to dismantle oppressive institutions, not just survive them. She is the Executive Editor at the environmental justice and advocacy nonprofit Green America and her publications include the Wing Luke Museum 2018-19 exhibit Worlds Beyond Here: Expanding the Universe of APA Science Fiction and Chicago Magazine, and she's been featured in The Guardian, Chicago Tribune, and CNN: Philippines. She is also a member of the Filipino Young Leaders Program 2022 Immersion cohort and a fire performer with Raks Geek/Raks Inferno Fire+Bellydance.
Right now I'm reading a book titled “Star Splitter” written by Matthew J. Kirby. In the book they reference the poem “The Star-Splitter” written by Robert Frost. That's what we are going to read today. Website: http://www.thefightingmoose.com/ Blog https://thefightingmoosepodcast.blogspot.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fighting-moose/id1324413606?mt=2/ Story (PDF): http://ww.thefightingmoose.com/episode444.pdf Reading List: http://www.thefightingmoose.com/readinglist.pdf YouTube: https://youtu.be/7tG4cE8dBmk/ Book(s): “New Hampshire” http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58611 Music/Audio: Artist – Analog by Nature http://dig.ccmixter.org/people/cdk National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): http://www.nasa.gov Song(s) Used: cdk - Sunday by Analog By Nature (c) copyright 2016 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/cdk/53755
Star Splitter By Matthew J. KirbyThe year is 2199 and people can visit deep space, because teleportation is possible. Jessica is going to be with her parents for a year on a planet that has been designated Carver 1061c, to examine it for possible habitation by humans. But she isn't happy about it. She wants to stay on Earth, with her grandparents and her friends. Still, she doesn't appear to have a choice. When she wakes up though, it isn't on the ship, orbiting the planet, but it is on the planet in a lander that has crashed. And she isn't alone. Recommended for grades 8 and up.
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred Premiere, Matthew J. Kirby's Diablo Short StoryWhen Akarat Came to Nahantu, Diablo: Book of Prava Coming Soon, New Comic Book Day Preparation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Chapter 3 Podcast - For Readers of Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Romance
This week we are continuing with our Witcher Book Series Read-Along! Today we are discussing Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski, book 1 in the Witcher series. Looking for a book mentioned in the episode? Check here! *Note that all links are affiliate links from which we earn a commission to support the podcast Book Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski: https://amzn.to/40g5XuU Books from On My Radar Blood Debts by Terry J Benton-Walker: https://amzn.to/40g5PLW The Blood Gift by NE Davenport: https://amzn.to/40fxtZq The Wishing Pool and Other Stories by Tananarive Due: https://amzn.to/43JPz8Q The Warden by Daniel M. Ford: https://amzn.to/3mF0ss5 Star Splitter by Matthew J Kirby: https://amzn.to/3KMlUTT That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams: https://amzn.to/41mgKoz Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok @Chapter3Podcast or watch episodes on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy6yRiktWbWRAFpByrVk-kg Interested in early access to episodes, private Discord channels and other perks? Consider joining the Chapter 3 Patreon! Co-Hosts Bethany: https://www.youtube.com/c/beautifullybookishbethany Liene: https://www.youtube.com/c/LienesLibrary Izzy: https://www.youtube.com/c/HappyforNow
What is it about the street urchin character that's so entertaining? Chloe and Honor discuss with this 2010 debut novel by Matthew J. Kirby.
Get your tissues ready, folks! No buzzer beaters. No brackets. Just a bunch of books that will absolutely make you cry. Adam and Jill are joined by Christina and Rickie to take a deep dive into some emotional reads. We also break the tension A LOT with jokes. Does Christina still cry? You'll have to listen to find out! Books mentioned in this episode Me Before You by JoJo Moyes Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner Everything is Horrible and Wonderful by Stephanie Wittels Wachs We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah Beautiful Boy by David Sheff Shrill by Lindy West Room by Emma Donoghue A Taste for Monsters by Matthew J. Kirby He by John Connolly Atonement by Ian McEwan Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
As video games continue to captivate kids around the world, Scholastic AFK—or "Away From Keyboard"—books aim to harness that gaming passion, and convert it into a literacy tool. To learn more about this initiative, we sat down with Michael Petranek, an executive editor at Scholastic, and Matthew J. Kirby, the author of the Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants series. They tell us about what they love about gaming as well as some of the many benefits these books provide to growing readers: they encourage time away from screens, while also supporting reading and literacy by keeping fans engaged in the worlds they love. Additional resources: Learn more about AFK See all of our AFK books Learn more about Matthew J. Kirby Read more about the study around Assassin's Creed Discover Mode Guests: Michael Petranek is an executive editor at Scholastic Matthew J. Kirby is the author of Last Descendants: An Assassin's Creed Novel Series Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan Produced by Emily Morrow
As video games continue to captivate kids around the world, Scholastic AFK—or "Away From Keyboard"—books aim to harness that gaming passion, and convert it into a literacy tool. To learn more about this initiative, we sat down with Michael Petranek, an executive editor at Scholastic, and Matthew J. Kirby, the author of the Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants series. They tell us about what they love about gaming as well as some of the many benefits these books provide to growing readers: they encourage time away from screens, while also supporting reading and literacy by keeping fans engaged in the worlds they love. Additional resources: Learn more about AFK See all of our AFK books Learn more about Matthew J. Kirby Read more about the study around Assassin's Creed Discover Mode Guests: Michael Petranek is an executive editor at Scholastic Matthew J. Kirby is the author of Last Descendants: An Assassin's Creed Novel Series Special thanks: Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan Produced by Emily Morrow
Children’s book author, Matthew J. Kirby talks about creating his book series, “The Assassin’s Creed” that’s based on the computer game of the same name and Katharine Newton – mom, grandma, and educator - discusses her favorite book “Wonder” a story that hits close to home.
Literacy expert, Nell Duke, discusses ways we can help our children engage with literature, and children’s book author, Matthew J. Kirby talks about his process in writing stand-alone books as opposed to a series.
Author Matthew J. Kirby talks about how he creates his stories, based on what piques his interest at the moment. And, poet Janet Wong, shares how she discovered the joy of poetry as an adult.
Jennifer Wimmer gives us tips on how to engage children with the world and author Matt Kirby talks about how he enjoys writing books on a variety of subjects.
Matthew J. Kirby appears at the 2013 Library of Congress National Book Festival. Speaker Biography: Matthew J. Kirby is the critically acclaimed author of the middle-grade novels "Icefall," which won the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery; "The Clockwork Three"; "Infinity Ring Book 5: Cave of Wonders," published in September 2013; and "The Lost Kingdom," also published in September 2013. He was born in Utah and grew up in Maryland, California and Hawaii. He currently lives in Utah, where he is working on his next novel. For captions, transcript, and more information visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6092
And here is part 2 of the epic Listener Q&A, 2013 edition. Author Matthew J. (Matt) Kirby and I field your excellent questions about the writing life and process. See here for part one and the episode’s home post, complete with show notes and links. As always, the easiest way to get new episodes and [&hellip
It’s an extremely epic episode of This Creative Life, so epic that I had to split the audio file into two parts. Because of the way my feed works, I believe I need to make this into two separate blog posts. This one contains part one. It’s a Listener Q&A episode! I haven’t done one in [&hellip