POPULARITY
Categories
National Book Award finalist Sarah Smarsh speaks to managing editor Emily Everett about her career writing memoir, essays, and journalism centered on the experience of the rural working class in the US. Her essay in The Common's fall 2014 issue, “Death of the Farm Family,” became part of her 2018 book Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth, which became an instant New York Times bestseller, was shortlisted for the National Book Award and the Kirkus Prize, and named on President Barack Obama's best books of the year list. Smarsh discusses her most recent book, a collection of essays from 2012 to 2024 titled Bone of the Bone: Essays on America from a Daughter of the Working Class (Scribner, 2024), out this fall in paperback. The conversation ranges from what the media gets wrong about working class Americans to how our understanding of and interest in talking about class and access has changed since the early 2000s. Stick around to hear how Smarsh manages the dual identities of rural Kansas farm kid and nationally recognized writer-commentator on class and culture, and hear what she's working on next. Born a fifth-generation Kansas wheat farmer on her paternal side, Sarah Smarsh is a journalist who has reported for the New York Times, Harper's, the Guardian, and many other publications. Her 2020 book She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. She is a frequent political commentator and speaker on socioeconomic class. A former writing professor, Smarsh has served as a Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and a Pritzker Fellow at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. She lives in rural Kansas, where she is currently at work on a book about the endangered tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Read Sarah Smarsh's essay “Death of the Farm Family” in The Common here. Learn more about her books and work at her website. 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 here, 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
National Book Award finalist Sarah Smarsh speaks to managing editor Emily Everett about her career writing memoir, essays, and journalism centered on the experience of the rural working class in the US. Her essay in The Common's fall 2014 issue, “Death of the Farm Family,” became part of her 2018 book Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth, which became an instant New York Times bestseller, was shortlisted for the National Book Award and the Kirkus Prize, and named on President Barack Obama's best books of the year list. Smarsh discusses her most recent book, a collection of essays from 2012 to 2024 titled Bone of the Bone: Essays on America from a Daughter of the Working Class (Scribner, 2024), out this fall in paperback. The conversation ranges from what the media gets wrong about working class Americans to how our understanding of and interest in talking about class and access has changed since the early 2000s. Stick around to hear how Smarsh manages the dual identities of rural Kansas farm kid and nationally recognized writer-commentator on class and culture, and hear what she's working on next. Born a fifth-generation Kansas wheat farmer on her paternal side, Sarah Smarsh is a journalist who has reported for the New York Times, Harper's, the Guardian, and many other publications. Her 2020 book She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. She is a frequent political commentator and speaker on socioeconomic class. A former writing professor, Smarsh has served as a Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and a Pritzker Fellow at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. She lives in rural Kansas, where she is currently at work on a book about the endangered tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Read Sarah Smarsh's essay “Death of the Farm Family” in The Common here. Learn more about her books and work at her website. 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 here, 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/biography
National Book Award finalist Sarah Smarsh speaks to managing editor Emily Everett about her career writing memoir, essays, and journalism centered on the experience of the rural working class in the US. Her essay in The Common's fall 2014 issue, “Death of the Farm Family,” became part of her 2018 book Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth, which became an instant New York Times bestseller, was shortlisted for the National Book Award and the Kirkus Prize, and named on President Barack Obama's best books of the year list. Smarsh discusses her most recent book, a collection of essays from 2012 to 2024 titled Bone of the Bone: Essays on America from a Daughter of the Working Class (Scribner, 2024), out this fall in paperback. The conversation ranges from what the media gets wrong about working class Americans to how our understanding of and interest in talking about class and access has changed since the early 2000s. Stick around to hear how Smarsh manages the dual identities of rural Kansas farm kid and nationally recognized writer-commentator on class and culture, and hear what she's working on next. Born a fifth-generation Kansas wheat farmer on her paternal side, Sarah Smarsh is a journalist who has reported for the New York Times, Harper's, the Guardian, and many other publications. Her 2020 book She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. She is a frequent political commentator and speaker on socioeconomic class. A former writing professor, Smarsh has served as a Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and a Pritzker Fellow at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. She lives in rural Kansas, where she is currently at work on a book about the endangered tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Read Sarah Smarsh's essay “Death of the Farm Family” in The Common here. Learn more about her books and work at her website. 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 here, 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/american-studies
Charles Yu has written a lot about the nature of reality, how we understand what is real, and the assumptions we make about each other and the universe we live in. Yu’s first novel, “How to live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe,” follows a time machine repairman who is searching for his father who is lost in time and memory. His latest book, National Book Award winning “Interior Chinatown,” takes place in a Chinese restaurant that’s also the set for a police procedural TV show and a sendup of stereotypes of Asian American characters. Yu spoke to us on February 29, 2024 in front of an audience of students from Ida B. Wells High School.
The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience
National Book Award Finalist Amber McBride, spoke with me about finding her authentic voice, getting yelled at by kids, near-death experiences and the story behind her latest novel-in-verse THE LEAVING ROOM. Amber McBride is an award-winning author, poet, and former assistant professor of poetry, writing, and protest literature. Her debut young adult novel, Me (Moth) was a finalist for the National Book Award, 2021 and won the 2022 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent, among many other accolades. Her latest YA novel-in-verse is The Leaving Room, also a 2025 National Book Awards Finalist. “Told from the perspective of a girl hovering between life and death, The Leaving Room is a poignant story about connection, grief, love, and the power of memories.” Amber McBride's middle-grade debut, Gone Wolf, won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. She holds an MFA in poetry from Emerson College, and her poetry has been published in Ploughshares, The Rumpus, DecomP Magazine, Provincetown Arts, and more. [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 this file Amber McBride and I discussed: Overcoming hundreds of rejections early on Finally quitting her assistant professorship to write full time How the loss of her grandfather changed her writing Why anything beyond publishing is icing on the cake How she creates an entire world with a quarter of the words Writing while the world sleeps And a lot more! Show Notes: amber-mcbride.com 76th National Book Awards - Young People's Literature - Finalists The Leaving Room by Amber McBride (Amazon) Amber McBride Amazon Author Page Amber McBride on Threads Amber McBride on TikTok Amber McBride on Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Julia Ioffe joins Peter to discuss her acclaimed new book, Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy, which is a finalist for the National Book Awards. They chart the book's origins to its publication, how Putin's Russia has changed since the early days of Julia's remarkable undertaking, what she discovered while reporting on her native country through a feminist lens, and much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Russian forces attacked an energy facility in the Chernihiv region overnight, leaving its northern part without power and in some cases without water. Power engineers are working to repair the damage and restore electricity. Also, Emmanuel “Meme” del Real, founding member of the Mexican band Café Tacvba, which redefined Latin rock with humor and experimentation, steps into the spotlight with "La Montaña Encendida" ("The Burning Mountain") — his first solo album. And, National Book Award winner Ha Jin is set to publish a new coming-of-age novel set against the backdrop of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Plus, Italy is celebrating the 50th birthday of Pimpa, the beloved Italian children's comic character with a penchant for adventure, this year.Listen to today's Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
For our 100th episode, we're traveling back in time: to 1915, the setting of Dan Chaon's latest novel, One of Us, and to September 13, 2025, when this conversation was recorded in front of a live audience at the Literary Cleveland Inkubator Writing Conference. While using his new novel as an example, Chaon discusses the craft of fiction, including voice, setting, point of view, characterization, language, research, revision, and more. From disturbing clowns to ax-wielding sociopaths, telepathic twins, orphan trains, and beyond, this conversation has it all, so step right up and enjoy our 100th episode. Dan Chaon is the author of Ill Will, a national bestseller that was named one of the ten best books of the year by Publishers Weekly; the short story collection Stay Awake, a finalist for the Story Prize; the national bestseller Await Your Reply; and Among the Missing, a finalist for the National Book Award. His newest novel, One of Us, was published in September 2025 by Henry Holt and Co. Chaon lives in Cleveland. Author photo credit: Géraldine Aresteanu If you've read this far, that means you're clearly one of us. Say it with me: One of us! One of us! One of us! Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.
For our mid-month book news check in for October 2025, we're catching up on the Asian American publishing news for the past 2 months (since we didn't do a mid-month episode in September) as well as checking in on the news about the latest National Book Award nominations as well as some exciting new listings on the NYT bestsellers list!Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:The Radiance by Ayad AkhtarThe Museum of Modern Love by Mariko TurkSir Silly by Gavin Aung ThanEmily Min-ji Makes Kimchi by Meredith Seung Mee Buse; illust. Jenn KocsmierskyThe River of Caregiving by Jocelyn Chung; illust. Sarah GonzalesOf Wind and Dust by Shirin Yim LeosProject Juni by Kaitlyn San MiguelMedusa's Pet Rock by Steph Lau Chrysanthemum's Glow written by Livia Blackburne; illust. Julia Kuo Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim The Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham Born by Sarah LingThe Fallen Sun by C.M. Basma Swimming Lessons for a Mermaid by YongchanWho the Flan Am I? by Kiera Wright-Ruiz and Claudia LamThe Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia by Leia HamBear Wakes Up by Lisa ChowFrankie Lu's Summer of No Regrets by Betty ChangI Shall Master This Family by Kim Roah, Mon, and ANTStudioBook news mentioned on this episode:2025 Finalists for the National Book AwardsAlchemised by SenLinYu debuted at #1 on the New York Time's Hardcover Fiction list on October 12thBooks & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba October 2025 pick is
Shelley Fairweather-Vega is a Seattle-based translator. She’s responsible for the English edition of Uzbek writer Hamid Ismailov’s novel “We Computers.” For that work, Fairweather-Vega is a finalist for a 2025 National Book Award in the translated literature category. She wrote in the afterword to “We Computers,” that she tried to find room in the plot for the poetry, and room for the poetry in the plot. We talk with her about her work and the community of translators around the Puget Sound. Guest Shelley Fairweather-Vega Related Links We Computers: A Conversation with Hamid Ismailov and Shelley Fairweather-Vega - Yale University Press 2025 National Book Awards: Seattle writer, translator longlisted - The Seattle Times Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes. Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jeff and Rebecca applaud the news that Jeff Hiller will be hosting the National Book Awards in November before talking about more book news from the week. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Check out Zero to Well-Read! Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. Discussed in this episode: The Book Riot Podcast Patreon Maggie by Katie Yee wins the Barnes & Noble Discover Award Jeff Hiller will host the National Book Awards First book acquired from The Black List Texas school district bars students from school libraries The Millions fall book preview i Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Vincenzo Latronico is the author of the novel Perfection, available from New York Review Books. Translated by Sophie Hughes. Perfection was longlisted for the National Book Award for Translated Literature and is a finalist for the International Booker Prize. Born in Rome, Vincenzo Latronico studied philosophy at the University of Milan and has since published numerous books in Italian, including The Conspiracy of Doves and Gymnastics and Revolution. In addition to his own writing, he has also translated the work of many writers into Italian including work by George Orwell, Oscar Wilde, and Alexander Dumas. He lives in Milan. Sophie Hughes is a translator of Spanish and Italian literature. Her translation of The Remainder by Alia Trabucco Zerán was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2019, and her translation of Fernanda Melchor's Hurricane Season was shortlisted for the same prize. Her writing and translations have appeared in McSweeney's, The Guardian, The Paris Review, The White Review, Frieze and The New York Times. She lives in the United Kingdom. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Get How to Write a Novel, the debut audio course from DeepDive. 50+ hours of never-before-heard insight, inspiration, and instruction from dozens of today's most celebrated contemporary authors. Subscribe to Brad's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch Instagram TikTok Bluesky Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Wayfinder by Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author Adam Johnson is a gripping story of community and survival centered on one resilient young girl. Adam joins us to talk about storytelling, innocence, navigation, mythology, masculinity, literary fiction and more with host Miwa Messer. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson Parasites Like Us by Adam Johnson The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson Emporium by Adam Johnson The Stand by Stephen King Featured Books (TBR Top Off): The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson Moloka'i by Alan Brennert The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Ben Fountain is far more than just the author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, which won RTB hearts and minds (and the National Book Award) long before it became a weird Ang Lee movie. Back in 2020's lockdown, RTB asked Fountain what was consoling and engaging him. American novels, especially those about Americans abroad (Joan Didion. say) have always done something special for him. Marilynne Robinson's and James Baldwin's work make us confront the reality that's happening around us all the time, “a freaking massacre.” He carried the the (fictional but genuine) facts of Baldwin's If Beale Street Could Talk in his head for forty years. Allen Tate, Fugitive poet (and author most famously of the tricky post-Eliotic 1928 “Ode to the Confederate Dead“) Joan Didion, The Last Thing He Wanted (1996; “a masterpiece of tone and mood and character and profound interiority”; the movie, not so much) Joan Didion, Democracy (1984; she goes “straight after the heart of that mystery, what is America?“) Marilynne Robinson. Listeners, do you prefer her incisive nonfiction (“Poetry of Puritanism“) or the deep, torqued interiority of her first novel, Housekeeping ? Zadie Smith on the amazing, terrifying Americanness of Kara Walker Kara Walker's “A Subtlety” (also referenced in our Silvia Bottinelli episode on food art!) James Baldwin, A Letter to My Nephew (1962) James Baldwin, e.g. If Beale Street Could Talk (Ben loves those Library of America volumes…) Another Country (1962) Giovanni's Room (1956) Sewanee Review, The Corona Correspondence Chronicles of Now George Saunders “A Letter to My Students…." 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
Ben Fountain is far more than just the author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, which won RTB hearts and minds (and the National Book Award) long before it became a weird Ang Lee movie. Back in 2020's lockdown, RTB asked Fountain what was consoling and engaging him. American novels, especially those about Americans abroad (Joan Didion. say) have always done something special for him. Marilynne Robinson's and James Baldwin's work make us confront the reality that's happening around us all the time, “a freaking massacre.” He carried the the (fictional but genuine) facts of Baldwin's If Beale Street Could Talk in his head for forty years. Allen Tate, Fugitive poet (and author most famously of the tricky post-Eliotic 1928 “Ode to the Confederate Dead“) Joan Didion, The Last Thing He Wanted (1996; “a masterpiece of tone and mood and character and profound interiority”; the movie, not so much) Joan Didion, Democracy (1984; she goes “straight after the heart of that mystery, what is America?“) Marilynne Robinson. Listeners, do you prefer her incisive nonfiction (“Poetry of Puritanism“) or the deep, torqued interiority of her first novel, Housekeeping ? Zadie Smith on the amazing, terrifying Americanness of Kara Walker Kara Walker's “A Subtlety” (also referenced in our Silvia Bottinelli episode on food art!) James Baldwin, A Letter to My Nephew (1962) James Baldwin, e.g. If Beale Street Could Talk (Ben loves those Library of America volumes…) Another Country (1962) Giovanni's Room (1956) Sewanee Review, The Corona Correspondence Chronicles of Now George Saunders “A Letter to My Students…." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this third episode in our series on the pantoum, we read and discuss Oliver de la Paz's "Pantoum Beginning and Ending with Thorns," a poem that draws its inspiration from a visual art object as well as the story of migration that shapes the poetic speaker's lived experience. To learn more about Oliver de la Paz, visit his website (https://www.oliverdelapaz.com/). If you love this poem as much as we do, please purchase a copy of The Diaspora Sonnets (https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324092988) (Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2023), which was long-listed for the 2023 National Book Award in Poetry and a finalist for the 2024 Paterson Poetry Prize. Thanks to Liveright and W. W. Norton for granting us permission to read this poem.
Angela Flournoy is the author of the novel The Wilderness, available from Mariner Books. It was longlisted for the National Book Award and is a finalist for the Kirkus Prize. Flournoy's debut novel, The Turner House, was a finalist for the National Book Award, a finalist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, an Indie Next pick, and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her fiction has appeared in The Paris Review, and she has written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Flournoy has taught at the University of Iowa, Princeton University, and UCLA. She lives in New York. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Get How to Write a Novel, the debut audio course from DeepDive. 50+ hours of never-before-heard insight, inspiration, and instruction from dozens of today's most celebrated contemporary authors. Subscribe to Brad's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch Instagram TikTok Bluesky Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Host Jason Blitman talks with Megha Majumdar about her acclaimed second novel, A Guardian and a Thief—recently nominated for the Kirkus Prize and shortlisted for the National Book Award.Conversation highlights include:
The Late Show Book Club chats with Jason Mott, author of the novel "People Like Us," our September book club pick, about writing his next book after winning the National Book Award, how grief and humor are connected, and his favorite books of all time. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sharifah Williams joins Jeff to talk about the 2025 Nobel for Literature, National Book Award finalists and more award season news. Then, Hachette CEO David Shelly talks to Jeff about book banning, inclusivity, and other issues facing the publishing world. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Check out Zero to Well-Read! Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature 2025 National Book Award Finalists Kirkus Prize Announced Baker & Taylor going away? The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson Audition by Katie Kitamura Near Flesh by Katherine Dunn This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lindsey Cornett, Managing Editor of Englewood Press, spoke with authors Sarah Arthur and Mitali Perkins about the value and significance of children's literature for spiritual formation. We discuss how literature connects us to the heart of God, how Mitali and Sarah think about their own audiences as they write, and why adults should be reading children's literature. As always, the conversation wraps up with a discussion of what we've been reading lately.Lindsey Cornett is a loud talker, obsessive coffee drinker, and lover of the written word who lives in Indianapolis with her family. She is the Managing Editor of Englewood Press and a Senior Writer at Indianapolis Moms. You can find her writing at lindseycornett.substack.com. Mitali Perkins is an award-winning author of novels and picture books for young readers, including You Bring the Distant Near; Forward Me Back to You; Rickshaw Girl; and Bamboo People, among others. Her books have been nominated for the National Book Award, have won the South Asia Book Award, and have been listed as Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and School Library Journal. Born in Kolkata, India, Perkins has lived in India, Ghana, Cameroon, Great Britain, Mexico, Bangladesh, Thailand, and the United States. She lives and writes in the San Francisco Bay Area.Sarah Arthur is a fun-loving speaker and the bestselling author of a dozen books for teens and adults, including Once a Queen and Walking with Frodo. Among other nerdy adventures, she has served as preliminary fiction judge for the CT Book Awards, was a founding board member of the annual C. S. Lewis Festival in Northern Michigan, and codirects the Madeleine L'Engle Writing Retreats.Books Mentioned in this Episode:If you'd like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) Once A Queen (Book 1 of the Carrick Hall Novels) by Sarah ArthurOnce a Castle (Book 2 of the Carrick Hall Novels) by Sarah ArthurYou Bring the Distant Near by Mitali PerkinsRickshaw Girl by Mitali PerkinsThe Golden Necklace: A Darjeeling Tea Mystery by Mitali PerkinsSteeped In Stories: Timeless Children's Novels to Refresh Our Tired Souls by Mitali PerkinsThe God-Hungry Imagination: The Art of Storytelling for Postmodern Youth Ministry by Sarah Arthur A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson BurnettThe Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson BurnettCharlotte's Web by E.B. WhiteA Light so Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L'Engle by Sarah ArthurA Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'EnglePeace Like a River by Leif AngerThe Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine PatersonMy Friends by Fredrick BackmanThe Eyre Affair (Thursday Next #1) by Jasper FfordeEmily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace
Angela Flournoy's newest, The Wilderness was on the long list of nominees for the National Book Award, and we believe if you read it, it's easy to see why. The story of four friends growing apart and together, it's a lyrical work of real beauty. Over a series of decades, these four friends tell you in their distinct voices about the important turning points in their lives, giving readers a rich glimpse into what makes them who their are. We talk to Angela about her wonderful novel and then we pivot to Writer's Block, a bookstore with two locations in Florida. Join us. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode: The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy The Turner House by Angela Flournoy Brown Girls, Brownstones by Paule Marshall Beloved by Toni Morrison Workhorse by Caroline Palmer Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dóra Várnaitraduttrice del Premio Nobel László KrasznahorkaiLo scrittore ungherese László Krasznahorkai ha vinto il Premio Nobel per la Letteratura 2025. Gli è stato assegnato dall'Accademia Svedese «per la sua opera avvincente e visionaria che, nel mezzo del terrore apocalittico, riafferma il potere dell'arte».Krasznahorkai ha 71 anni, e nel 2015 vinse l'importante premio letterario Man Booker International. Si parlava di lui come di un possibile vincitore del Nobel da una decina d'anni, e vari suoi libri sono stati pubblicati in italiano da Bompiani. I più noti sono Satantango (1985) e Melancolia della resistenza (1989).Nato a Gyula, autore di romanzi e raccolte di racconti, nel 2015 ha vinto l'International Man Booker Prize, pubblicato in Italia da Bompiani, che ha in catalogo Satantango, finalista al Premio Gregor Von Rezzori e al Premio Strega Europeo 2017, Melancolia della resistenza, Il Ritorno del Barone Wenckheim, vincitore del National Book Award for Translated Literature nel 2019, Guerra e guerra e Seiobo è discesa quaggiù.La motivazione del Nobel a KrasznahorkaiIl premio va allo scrittore ungherese “per la sua opera avvincente e visionaria che, nel mezzo del terrore apocalittico, riafferma il potere dell'arte“.“Sono molto contento di aver ricevuto il Premio Nobel, soprattutto perché questo premio dimostra che la letteratura esiste di per sé, al di là di tutte le aspettative non letterarie, e che viene ancora letta. E a quelli che la leggono infonde una certa speranza nel fatto che la bellezza, la nobiltà e il sublime ancora esistono in sé e per sé. Può dare speranza anche a coloro nei quali la vita è viva appena.Fiducia – anche se sembra che non ve ne sia ragione.” László KrasznahorkaiDiventa un supporter di questo podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/il-posto-delle-parole--1487855/support.IL POSTO DELLE PAROLEascoltare fa pensarehttps://ilpostodelleparole.it/
Guest: Adrienne Mayor is a research scholar in classics and the history of science at Stanford University. She is the author of many books, including The Poison King (a finalist for the National Book Award), The Amazons, and her latest, Mythopedia: A Brief Compendium of Natural History Lore. The book is illustrated by Michele M. Angel, an award-winning watercolorist, illustrator, and graphic designer. The post Geomythology, Folklore, & the Environment appeared first on KPFA.
Ada Limón is the author of seven books of poetry, including Startlement: New & Selected Poems; The Hurting Kind, which was a finalist for the Griffin Prize; The Carrying, which won the National Books Critics Circle Award and was a finalist for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award; and Bright Dead Things, which was named a finalist for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Kingsley Tufts Award. She is the author of two picture books and was the editor of the anthology You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World. She served as the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In Part 2 of our discussion on Harriet Jacobs's Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Written by Herself, editor Evie Shockley returns to discuss her first encounter with this text in graduate school, the book's place in the literary canon and the classroom, and her favorite passage. Evie Shockley is the Zora Neale Hurston Distinguished Professor of English at Rutgers University and the author of Renegade Poetics: Black Aesthetics and Formal Innovation in African American Poetry. For her poetry collections—including suddenly we, semiautomatic, the new black, and a half-red sea—she has been awarded the Shelley Memorial Award, the Lannan Literary Award, and the Holmes National Poetry Prize, has twice won the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, has received an NAACP Image Award, and has been named a finalist for the National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and the LA Times Book Prize. She has served as an editor of jubilat and Feminist Studies, and is Editor for Poetry at Contemporary Literature.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Written By Herself, go to https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393870787.Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
This week, Kelly talks with Reuters reporter and author Ernest Scheyder about critical minerals and his new book: "The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives." Ernest Scheyder is a senior correspondent with Reuters covering critical minerals and the global energy transition. "The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power our Lives," was published in early 2025 by One Signal Publishers/Atria Books. It was longlisted for the 2024 National Book Award and was named the American Energy Society's Energy Book of the Year. He previously wrote about the U.S. shale revolution – drawing on a two-year stint based in oil-rich North Dakota – as well as politics and the environment. Find the book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/War-Below-Lithium-Copper-Global/dp/1668011808/ Find more of Ernest's work here: https://www.reuters.com/authors/ernest-scheyder/ The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on September 30, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown
Yale historian and memoirist Carlos Eire recounts his extraordinary journey from being an 11-year-old Cuban boy in Operation Peter Pan—sent to the United States to escape Fidel Castro's regime—to becoming a National Book Award–winning author and chaired professor at Yale. Eire discusses the painful separation from his family, the challenges of assimilation, and the lifelong tension between his Cuban and American identities, themes he explores in his acclaimed memoirs Waiting for Snow in Havana and Learning to Die in Miami. The conversation also delves into Eire's recent book They Flew: A History of the Impossible, which examines early modern testimonies of levitation, bilocation, and miracles, and how belief, culture, and skepticism shaped their reception. Eire also reflects on Cuban history, the failures of the Castro regime, the broader Hispanic experience in America, and the enduring clash between materialist skepticism and openness to mystery. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk
Karen Russell joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss “The Stone,” by Louise Erdrich, which was published in The New Yorker in 2019. Russell is the author of six books of fiction, including the story collections “Vampires in the Lemon Grove” and “Orange World and Other Stories” and the novels “Swamplandia!,” which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2012, and “The Antidote,” which came out earlier this year and was long-listed for the National Book Award. Russell, the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, was included in the magazine's “20 Under 40” Fiction Issue in 2010. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
This week on The Stacks we are joined by Angela Flournoy to discuss her new book, The Wilderness. Longlisted for the 2025 National Book Award and a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, The Wilderness is an expansive novel that covers the friendship of four black women over the course of twenty years. Today, we discuss maximalism in her writing style, how Angela aimed to write an era-defining novel, and what other works The Wilderness is in conversation with.The Stacks Book Club pick for October is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, October 29th with Angela Flournoy returning as our guest.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/10/1/ep-392-angela-flournoy Connect with Angela: Instagram | WebsiteConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
"I don't want to be whatever version of masculinity y'all keep telling me I have to be. Why are all the benchmarks violent and aggressive? I don't wanna do it. I'm not interested” — Jason ReynoldsWe all inherit scripts about who we're supposed to be. For boys, they often center on toughness, aggression, and hiding their emotions. Jason Reynolds has spent his life questioning those scripts, carving out space for tenderness and love, honoring friendships that offered freedom, and exploring what masculinity might mean beyond the narrow definitions passed down to us. Jason Reynolds is a national treasure. A Newbery Medal winner, a National Book Award finalist, a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, and a two-time National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, he is the beloved author of “Ghost,” “Long Way Down,” “Look Both Ways,” “Twenty-four Seconds From Now,” and so many more. Jason brings expansiveness to his books, illuminating the gentleness, humor, and vulnerability too often left out of stories of boyhood. In this episode, Jason shares his thoughts on masculinity: the good, the bad, and the beautiful. He explains why everyone needs to have a 'tuning fork' friend, reveals how Saturn flipped his life around at age 30, and pays an incredible tribute to the tattooed biker badass who was his loving father.Settle in for a vulnerable, revelatory conversation with an icon of American literature. ***For his reading challenge, Challenging Conventions, Jason has curated a collection of books that push back against the narrow definitions of boyhood and girlhood many of us have come to live by. Peruse selected titles and Jason's full reading challenge for free at thereadingculturepod.com/jason-reynolds.***This week's Beanstack Featured Librarians are not actually librarians, but they are integral members of the literary community who are pioneers when it comes to student voice and writing. They happen to be friends of Jason Reynolds. Kathy Crutcher and Sasa Aakil – from Shout Mouse Press – share about their upcoming book, “Bright Before Us Like a Flame,” which Jason Reynolds called “a gift,” and for which a previous guest of the podcast, Elizabeth Acevedo, wrote the foreword.Show ChaptersChapter 1: AaronChapter 2: It's OK to Say I Love YouChapter 3: It's ComplicatedChapter 4: Growing PainsChapter 5: GirlChapter 6: Cultivating What MattersChapter 7: Reading ChallengeChapter 8: Beanstack Featured LibrarianShow LinksThe Reading CultureThe Reading Culture Newsletter SignupFollow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)Jason ReynoldsJason Reynolds on InstagramGirl by Jamaica KincaidThe Cosby ShowGood TimesBright Before Us, Like a FlameShout Mouse PressBeanstack resources to build your community's reading cultureJordan Lloyd BookeyHost and Production CreditsHost: Jordan Lloyd BookeyProducers: Mel Webb and Lower Street MediaScript Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Although we have featured this wonderful guest and journalist on the Rick Flynn Presents podcast before we have made the decision to rewind this episode so even more audience members can experience this brilliant and highly gifted writer and journalist CLAUDIA ROWE.Longlisted for the 2025 National Book Awards in Nonfiction“An immersive, devastating look at foster children's lives.” (Seattle Times)A compelling exploration of the broken American foster care system, told through the stories of six former foster youth. This powerful narrative nonfiction book delves into the systemic failures that lead many foster children into the criminal justice system, highlighting the urgent need for reform.This book is a must-read for anyone interested in child welfare, social justice, and the transformative power of the best narrative nonfiction.In Wards of the State, award-winning journalist Claudia Rowe's storytelling is both vivid and unflinching, offering readers a deep understanding of the foster care-to-prison pipeline. Through interviews with psychologists, advocates, judges, and the former foster children themselves, Rowe paints a heartbreaking picture of the lives shaped by this broken system.Contact Claudia at www.ClaudiaRowe.com
Yale historian and memoirist Carlos Eire recounts his extraordinary journey from being an 11-year-old Cuban boy in Operation Peter Pan—sent to the United States to escape Fidel Castro's regime—to becoming a National Book Award–winning author and chaired professor at Yale. Eire discusses the painful separation from his family, the challenges of assimilation, and the lifelong tension between his Cuban and American identities, themes he explores in his acclaimed memoirs Waiting for Snow in Havana and Learning to Die in Miami. The conversation also delves into Eire's recent book They Flew: A History of the Impossible, which examines early modern testimonies of levitation, bilocation, and miracles, and how belief, culture, and skepticism shaped their reception. Eire also reflects on Cuban history, the failures of the Castro regime, the broader Hispanic experience in America, and the enduring clash between materialist skepticism and openness to mystery. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk
Jason Mott is the author of two poetry collections, including We Call This Thing Between Us Love and five novels including The Returned, which was a New York Times bestseller and was made into a TV series that ran for two seasons. His novel Hell of a Book was named the winner of the National Book Award for fiction. He has a BFA in fiction and an MFA in poetry from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. His new novel is called People Like Us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The queens descend upon Pittsburgh for a bittersweet (but dishy) tribute for Ed Ochester (1939-2023).Please Support Breaking Form!Review the show on Apple Podcasts here.Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series.James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books.SHOW NOTES:For more about the weekend events and about Ed Ochester's impact on American poetry, read here and here and here.The Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize carries a cash award of $5,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press as part of the Pitt Poetry Series. Submissions are accepted March 1--April 30. For more about Southern Methodist University's Project Poetica, read here. Read more about the George Garrett Award for Outstanding Community Service in Literature here. Damon Young is a writer, critic, humorist, satirist, and (as he says on his website) "professional Black person." He's a co-founder and editor in chief of VerySmartBrothas—coined "the blackest thing that ever happened to the internet" by The Washington Post and recently acquired by Univision and Gizmodo Media Group to be a vertical of The Root—and a columnist for GQ. Visit his website at https://www.damonjyoung.comAccording to CruisingGays.com, the Cathedral of Learning's 2nd and 8th floor bathrooms were popular cruising spots. The International Poetry Forum launched in 1966 with a reading that featured Archibald MacLeish. Since then, alumni of the series include nine Nobel Laureates, 14 Academy Award recipients, 28 U.S. Poets Laureate, 39 National Book Award winners, and 47 Pulitzer Prize winners.Joy Priest is the author of HORSEPOWER (Pitt Poetry Series, 2020), selected by the 19th U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey as the winner of the Donald Hall Prize for Poetry, and the editor of Once a City Said: A Louisville Poets Anthology (Sarabande, 2023). Visit her website here.Check out Pittsburgh's City of Asylum here: https://cityofasylum.orgMonroeville is about 15 miles east of Pittsburgh. Read Ed's poem titled "Monroeville"; several others can be found online at the Poetry Foundation here.Thanks to Nancy Krygowski and Jeffrey McDaniel and Terrance Hayes for putting together an incredible, moving weekend to a brilliant editor, mentor, and friend. We miss you, Ed.
EPISODE 597 - Kate Woodworth - Little Great Island, A Story of a Commuity of fishing families to the lobsters and the butterflies impacted by Climate ChangeKate Woodworth is the award-winning author of the novel Racing into the Dark, which Publishers Weekly said, “hits the mark repeatedly with emotional truths and fluid prose” and which Kirkus Reviews called, “vivid and honest, dramatic and without pat resolutions: an impressive debut”.A passionate lover of the natural world, Kate is the author of essays on the impact of climate change on fishing and farming that have been published by the Climate Fiction Writers League and on her Substack, “Food in the Time of Climate Change.” Her novel about love, community, and climate change, Little Great Island, has been called “an extraordinary achievement and a pure pleasure to read” by National Book Award and PEN/Faulkner Award winner Ha Jin. Kate is the founder and creative force behind “Be the Butterfly”, a grassroots climate action initiative that invites everyone to do one small thing to help mitigate climate change. Kate received her MFA from Boston University.Little Great IslandOn Little Great Island, climate change is disrupting both life and love.After offending the powerful pastor of the cult where she's lived for a decade, Mari McGavin must flee with her six-year-old son. With no money and no place else to go, she returns to the tiny Maine island where she grew up—a place she swore she'd never see again. There Mari runs into her lifelong friend Harry Richardson, one of the island's summer residents, now back himself to sell his family's summer home. Mari and Harry's lives intertwine once again, setting off a chain of events as unexpected and life altering as the shifts in climate affecting the whole ecosystem of the island…from generations of fishing families to the lobsters and the butterflies.Little Great Island illustrates in microcosm the greatest changes of our time and the unyielding power of love.“An uplifting and grown-up novel in which two lost souls find love and purpose”—Kirkus Reviews“…utterly grounded and achingly empathetic, developed with gorgeous, flowing prose and a steady, sometimes heart-wrenching plot.”—Booklisthttps://katewoodworth.com/Support the show___https://livingthenextchapter.com/podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca
On this episode of Shelf Care: The Podcast, host Susan Maguire sits down with two of our favorite Sara(h)s. First, librarian and Booklister Sara Martínez talks about REFORMA's National Book Award winner and tips for Spanish-language collection development. Then, Sarah Hunter, Editor, Books for Youth and Graphic Novels, drops some book suggestions perfect for fall reading. Here's what we talked about: REFORMA.org Pura Belpré Award REFORMA's 2024 National Book Award (includes longlist and shortlist) Malas, by Marcela Fuentes Spanish Sure Bets for Adult Readers: Summer 2025 ALA Free Pass Program Spanish-language book stores: Liberías Gandhi in Mexico, Casa del Libro in Spain America Reads Spanish newsletter Guatemalan Rhapsody, by Jared Lemus Brother Brontë, by Fernando A. Flores Starling House, by Alix E. Harrow By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land, by Rebecca Nagle Loudmouth: Emma Goldman vs. America (a Love Story), by Deborah Heiligman Angelica and the Bear Prince, by Trung Le Nguyen, art by the author Cat Nap, by Brian Lies, art by the author Popo the Xolo, by Paloma Angelina Lopez, illustrated by Abraham Matias The Witch in the Tower, by Júlia Sardà, illustrated by the author The Queen in the Cave, by Júlia Sardà, illustrated by the author More Weight: A Salem Story, by Ben Wickey, art by the author
In this episode of Diverse Voices Book Review, host Hopeton Hay welcomes back the acclaimed author Walter Mosley for an insightful discussion about his latest novel, GRAY DAWN, the 17th installment in the Easy Rawlins series. In the interview, Walter Mosley discusses the origins and development of his character Easy Rawlins, emphasizing the importance of representing the struggles and resilience of Black Americans through his novels. Additionally, Mosley reflects on writing about characters who strive to live their best lives despite the obstacles they face.Walter Mosley is one of America's most celebrated writers. He was given the 2020 National Book Award's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, named a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America, and honored with a Grammy, a PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award, and several NAACP Image Awards. As an executive producer, he adapted his novel, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, for AppleTV+ and serves as a writer and executive producer for FX's “Snowfall.”Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media:Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreviewInstagram - @diverse_voices_book_reviewX - @diversebookshayEmail: hbh@diversevoicesbookreview.com
Mga ka-linya, iba naman setup natin ngayon. Wala tayo sa Linya-Linya HQ, at wala rin sa TPN Studio. Nandito tayo ngayon sa gitna ng ganda, ginhawa, at hiwaga ng Puerto Princesa sa Palawan. At syempre, special din ang guest natin. Hindi lang basta writer, hindi lang basta doktor. He's both — isang makata at manggagamot. Award-winning poet, essayist, lyricist, performance poet, at Medical Doctor for Public Health. Laki sa Maynila, pero may roots din ang pamilya sa Cuyo, Palawan. Finalist ng National Book Award ang kanyang librong Ang Kartograpiya ng Pagguho, at ilang beses nang kinilala sa Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. Mga kaibigan, kasama natin ngayon — Doc Ralph Fonte, a.k.a. Doc Loaf!Malaman ang kwentuhan natin kasama sya-- tungkol sa kasaysayan at kagandahan ng Palawan, sa naging lakbay nya sa larangan ng medisina at literatura, sa halaga ng mga salita, ng mga kuwento, ng pagtulak sa mga adbokasiya't mga ipinaglalaban. Naibahagi nya rin ang isinasagawa nilang taunang Pawikaan Writers Workshop, para sa tuloy-tuloy na paglinang sa pagsusulat ng mga Palaweño. Samahan nyo kami ni Doc Loaf sa kwentuhang ito. Listen up, yo!
Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare were both born in 1564, rising from working-class origins finding success in the new world of the theater. But before Shakespeare transformed English drama, Marlowe had already done so—with Tamburlaine the Great and the introduction of blank verse to the stage. As Stephen Greenblatt argues in his new biography, Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival, virtually everything in the Elizabethan theater can be seen as “pre- and post-Tamburlaine.” Shakespeare learned from Marlowe, borrowed from him, and even tried to outdo him. Beyond his theatrical innovation, Marlowe was a poet, provocateur, and likely spy whose turbulent life was cut tragically short. In this episode, Greenblatt explores Marlowe's audacious works, his entanglements with power and secrecy, and his lasting influence on Shakespeare and the stage. From the Shakespeare Unlimited podcast. Published September 23, 2025. © Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. This episode was produced by Matt Frassica. Garland Scott is the executive producer. It was edited by Gail Kern Paster. We had help with web production from Paola García Acuña. Leonor Fernandez edits our transcripts. Final mixing services are provided by Clean Cuts at Three Seas, Inc. Stephen Greenblatt is Cogan University Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University. He has written extensively on English Renaissance literature and acts as general editor of The Norton Anthology of English Literature and The Norton Shakespeare. He is the author of fourteen books, including The Swerve, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and Will in the World, a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Host Jason Blitman talks to 2025 Kirkus and National Book Award longlisted author Angela Flournoy about her newest book, THE WILDERNESS. Highlights include:
Jeff and Rebecca talk about the week's book news, from Trump flimsy lawsuit against PRH and The New York Times (and why it matters, flimsy as it is), break down a couple of award lists, do some Jefftionary entries, and more. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Ready for a cozy, bookish autumn? Let Tailored Book Recommendations help you find your next favorite read with handpicked suggestions from professional book nerds. Get started today from just $18! The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Check out Zero to Well-Read! Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The National Book Awards fiction longlist is here Finalists for the 2025 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize Trump sues NYT and PRH How “actual malice” works in defamation Scholastic launches streaming service Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arudhati Roy Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In Part 1 of our discussion on Harriet Jacobs's Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Written by Herself, we welcome editor Evie Shockley to discuss the author's family background, lively language as a storyteller, and influence on Shockley's own creative process as a poet. Evie Shockley is the Zora Neale Hurston Distinguished Professor of English at Rutgers University and the author of Renegade Poetics: Black Aesthetics and Formal Innovation in African American Poetry. For her poetry collections—including suddenly we, semiautomatic, the new black, and a half-red sea—she has been awarded the Shelley Memorial Award, the Lannan Literary Award, and the Holmes National Poetry Prize, has twice won the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, has received an NAACP Image Award, and has been named a finalist for the National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and the LA Times Book Prize. She has served as an editor of jubilat and Feminist Studies, and is Editor for Poetry at Contemporary Literature.To learn more or purchase a copy of the Norton Library edition of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Written By Herself, go to https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393870787. Learn more about the Norton Library series at https://wwnorton.com/norton-library.Have questions or suggestions for the podcast? Email us at nortonlibrary@wwnorton.com or find us on Twitter at @TNL_WWN and Bluesky at @nortonlibrary.bsky.social.
Writer Omar El Akkad joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss his recent nonfiction book, One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, which was just nominated for the National Book Award in nonfiction. El Akkad talks about developing the arc of the book, which addresses how Israel's genocide in Gaza led to his “breaking away from the notion that the polite, Western liberal ever stod for anything at all.” He explains how he conceptualized the West as a young man moving from Egypt to Qatar to Canada and finally the U.S. He also talks about how he can no longer vote for Democrats simply because they are “the lesser evil.” He reflects on how to talk to children about naming and understanding the world as it really is. El Akkad reads from One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/ This podcast is produced by V.V. Ganeshananthan, Whitney Terrell, and Moss Terrell. Omar El Akkad One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This What Strange Paradise American War Omar El Akkad on Genocide, Complicit Liberals, and the Terrible Wrath of the West | Literary Hub Omar El Akkad on X: "One day, when it's safe, when there's no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it's too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this." Others: Suzanne Nossel, PEN America Leader, to Leave Embattled Organization - The New York Times (October 31, 2024) A Campus for All | Faculty & Academic Affairs (University of Minnesota) Holocaust Scholar Raz Segal Loses Univ. of Minnesota Job Offer for Saying Israel Is Committing Genocide | Democracy Now! (June 18, 2024) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Notes and Links to Ursula Villarreal-Moura's Work A native of San Antonio, Texas, Ursula Villarreal-Moura is the author of two works of fiction. Her debut novel Like Happiness is a finalist for The Rudolfo Anaya Fiction Award, longlisted for The Crook's Corner Book Prize, selected as an Indie Next Pick, and was named a Best Book of 2024 by NPR, San Francisco Chronicle, ELLE, and Them. Math for the Self-Crippling, her flash fiction story collection, was a small press bestseller and has been taught at numerous universities. Her stories, essays, and interviews can be found in Lit Hub, Electric Literature, Story, Alta Journal, and The Rumpus, among others. She is a longtime advocate of reading diversely and of Land Back. Buy Like Happiness Ursula's Website Book Review for Like Happiness from NPR At about 30:50, Ursula expands on “subverting” ideas of teenage rebelliousness and daughter/parent relationships At about 34:40, Pete talks about Happiness, M. Dominguez's book, as an “oasis” At about 35:15, Ursula responds to Pete's questions about Tatum “using her voice” and revisiting past events with Mateo At about 36:20, The two discuss the initial email correspondence between Tatum and Mateo At about 37:40, Ursula responds to Pete's question about At about 39:40, Pete remarks on the literary world's idiosyncrasies, and Ursula shares an amazing story about the National Book Awards and some writing industry “slipper[iness]” At about 42:05, Pete and Ursula reflect on book readings and their myriad crowds; Ursula shares a cool summary of seeing Sigrid Nuñez speak At about 44:00, Ursula expands on Pete's wondering and asking about Mateo and Tatum's early relationship and ideas of a platonic and perhaps unequal relationship At about 47:35, Ursula gives background on real-life parallels to the nunnery portrayed in the novel At about 49:00, Ursula talks about the juxtaposition of Mayumi and Valeria as reflections of Tatum's naivete and growth At about 51:10, Ursula talks about the “limbo” that governs Tatum's reaction to early indications of Mateo's possible womanizing At about 54:05, Pete wonders about Tatum being in denial and also aware that Mateo may be guilty of charges, and Ursula talks about the Kitty Genovese story and it “always staying with [her]” At about 55:15, Ursula expands on her interest in the “bystander effect” and how this phenomenon has played out with outreach for Gaza At about 56:50, Pete asks Ursula about the importance of Tatum staying in New York At about 59:00, Ursula responds to Pete's question about the pull of teachers and teaching in Tatum's life At about 1:01:30, the two discuss the phases of life and subtleties of the Mateo and Tatum relationship At about 1:02:10, Pete talks about Tatum reading Maria Luz's account of the abuse inflicted by Mateo At about 1:3:00, Pete asks Ursula about writing the phases of the relationship At about 1:06:00, Pete and Ursula talk about Tatum's writing her own account of his time with Mateo and if her “ ‘complicated feelings' ” are helping to “sanitize” Mateo's behaviors 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 297 with Cynthia Miller-Idriss, who is an opinion columnist for MSNBC and writes for The New York Times, The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, Politico, USA Today, The Boston Globe, and more. The episode airs today, Sept 16, Pub Day for Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism. 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.
Book Riot's managing editor Vanessa Diaz joins Rebecca for a discussion about the National Book Awards longlists, authors' big settlement from Anthropic, and exciting adaptation news. Then, Vanessa takes Rebecca on a journey down the literary rabbit hole. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. Ready for a cozy, bookish autumn? Let Tailored Book Recommendations help you find your next favorite read with handpicked suggestions from professional book nerds. Get started today from just $18! Discussed in this Episode: Anthropic agrees to pay $1.5 billion to settle book piracy lawsuit, but the judge has delayed it, citing concerns 2025 National Book Awards longlists are rolling out Audition is being adapted Annotated episode: The Original Gone Girl Agatha Christie: A Mysterious Life by Laura Thompson Ruth by Kate Riley The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
443. Liz Gilbert on Loving Without Losing Yourself Glennon and Liz Gilbert go deeper into Liz's relationship with Rayya, into the tender, messy, miraculous place where caring for someone else pushes hard against caring for yourself. They talk about the quiet traps of codependency, the heartbreak of giving away your power, and the transformative freedom that comes when you turn to a higher voice for guidance. Listen to the first part of our conversation here. About Elizabeth: Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of nine previous works of fiction and nonfiction, which collectively have sold more than 25 million copies worldwide, spent more than 250 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and been translated into more than fifty languages. She has been a finalist for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the PEN/Hemingway Award. With more than 20 million views of her TED Talk and 2.7 million followers on her social media accounts, she continues to be one of the most beloved and influential writers of our age.. Her new memoir: ALL THE WAY TO THE RIVER: Love, Loss, and Liberation is available now.
All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome esteemed author Eliezer Sobel as guest to the show. About Eliezer Sobel: Eliezer is the author of The Silver Lining of Alzheimer's: One Son's Journey Into the Mystery, as well as two picture books for people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, Blue Sky, White Clouds: A Book for Memory-Challenged Adults, and L'Chaim! Pictures to Evoke Memories of Jewish Life. He has also published Minyan: Ten Jewish Men in a World That is Heartbroken, selected by National Book Award winner John Casey as the winner of the Peter Taylor Prize for the Novel, among 400 entries. Also, The 99th Monkey: A Spiritual Journalist's Misadventures with Gurus, Messiahs, Sex, Psychedelics and Other Consciousness-Raising Experiments; Wild Heart Dancing: A One-Day Personal Quest to Liberate the Artist & Lover Within; The Dark Light of the Soul/Encounters with Gabrielle Roth; an e-book titled Why I Am Not Enlightened, and he blogs for PsychologyToday.com. Eliezer has also led creativity workshops and silent meditation retreats around the U.S.; he is a certified teacher of Gabrielle Roth's 5Rhythms® conscious movement practice; has served as a hospital chaplain; was the publisher of two magazines, The New Sun and the Wild Heart Journal; served as Music Director for several children's theater companies on both coasts, and taught music in two alternative high schools. Also an amateur painter, he and Shari reside in Red Bank, New Jersey with their two cats, Shlomo and Nudnick.
442. Elizabeth Gilbert on Losing the Love of Her Life Elizabeth Gilbert comes to Glennon's home to talk about her love with Rayya Elias—the joy, the devastation, and the truth-telling that came after. Liz opens up about the brutal reality of addiction—Rayya's drug addiction and her own love addiction—and how their secret lives collided. This is a conversation about intimacy, betrayal, codependency, survival, and recovery. And it's about how even the hardest truths, once spoken, can set us free. About Elizabeth: Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of nine previous works of fiction and nonfiction, which collectively have sold more than 25 million copies worldwide, spent more than 250 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and been translated into more than fifty languages. She has been a finalist for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the PEN/Hemingway Award. With more than 20 million views of her TED Talk and 2.7 million followers on her social media accounts, she continues to be one of the most beloved and influential writers of our age.. Her new memoir: ALL THE WAY TO THE RIVER: Love, Loss, and Liberation is available now.
Few institutions are as secretive, controversial, and consequential as the CIA. From covert Cold War operations to the war on terror, America's spy agency has been both praised for keeping the country safe and condemned for its failures and abuses. Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and historian Tim Weiner joins us to unpack that complicated history and discuss his new book, The Mission, which traces how the CIA has struggled to adapt espionage in the 21st century. Weiner is also the author of the National Book Award–winning Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA, Enemies: A History of the FBI. In this conversation, we explore the agency's origins, its Cold War and post-9/11 record, and the lessons of Iraq, torture, and Afghanistan. We discuss the biggest threats facing the U.S. today—including China's massive intelligence apparatus, estimated to be 20 times the size of the CIA, and how Beijing's ambitions differ from Russia's. We discuss whether intelligence leaders believe the biggest threat to US national security is internal or external. And, Weiner breaks down the concerns over President Trump's approach to the agency—and what happens when intelligence is shaped, or warped, by politics.