All posts by Francesca Rheannon

About Francesca Rheannon

Francesca Rheannon is an award-winning independent radio producer. In addition to hosting Writer's Voice, she's a freelance reporter for National Public Radio and its affiliates. Recipient of the prestigious Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Award for reporting on substance abuse issues for her news series, VOICES OF HIV, produced for 88.5 WFCR public radio in western Massachusetts. She is also finishing a book on Provence (PROVINCE OF THE HEART) and working on a memoir of her father, THE ARGONAUTS.

Podcast

Jennifer Steil, EXILE MUSIC & L. Annette Binder, THE VANISHING SKY

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In today’s show, we discuss two novels about World War II, told from very differing perspectives.

First, Jennifer Steil tells us about her novel Exile Music. It’s the story of a young girl who flees to Bolivia with her family after the Nazis annex Austria in 1938.

Then, a rare depiction of the war from the point of view of an ordinary German family as their lives and society crumble around them: we talk with L. Annette Binder about her novel The Vanishing Sky.

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts!
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Podcast

Sue Monk Kidd , THE BOOK OF LONGINGS & Monique Morris, PUSHOUT

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We talk with Sue Monk Kidd about her novel, The Book of Longings. It’s the story of a brilliant young woman who becomes the wife of Jesus Christ.

Then we re-air our 2016 interview with Monique Morris about her book Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools.

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use!
Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on twitter @WritersVoice.

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Podcast

Elizabeth Wetmore VALENTINE & Carol Anderson, WHITE RAGE

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We talk with Elizabeth Wetmore about her stunning debut novel, Valentine. Ann Patchett called it “a novel of moral urgency and breathtaking prose,” saying “This is the very definition of a stunning debut.”

Then we play excerpts from our 2017 interview with Carol Anderson about her award-winning book White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide.

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use!

Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on twitter @WritersVoice.

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Podcast

Abdul El-Sayed HEALING POLITICS & David Moloney, BARKER HOUSE

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We talk with Dr. Abdul-El Sayed, former Michigan gubernatorial candidate and health director of Detroit’s public health department about his new book, Healing Politics: A Doctor’s Journey Into the Heart of Our Political Epidemic.

Then, a debut novel explores the power dynamics inside a county jail. We talk with David Moloney about his book, Barker House.

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. And if you are listening to our podcast, give us some love on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use.

Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on twitter @WritersVoice.

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Podcast

Barry Sonnenfeld, BARRY SONNENFELD, CALL YOUR MOTHER & Katy Simpson Smith, THE EVERLASTING

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We talk with filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld about his memoir, Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother.

Then Katy Simpson Smith tells us about her new novel of historical fiction, The Everlasting. It’s a quadruple love story spanning two millennia.

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. And if you are listening to our podcast, give us some love on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use.

Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on twitter @WritersVoice.

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Podcast

Tyson Yunkaporta, SAND TALK: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World

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We spend most of the hour talking with Tyson Yunkaporta about his groundbreaking book, Sand Talk : How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World.

Then we air a clip from my 2018 interview with Paul Greenberg, author of The Omega Principle and Four Fish, about sustainable aquaculture.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.
Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show. And don’t forget to like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on twitter @WritersVoice.

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Podcast

Scott Turow, THE LAST TRIAL & Kathryn Levy on the NY Primary

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We spend most of the hour with master of the legal thriller Scott Turow, talking about his latest novel The Last Trial. We also talk with him about some very real cases going on right now.

Then, we hear from a former Writer’s Voice guest, the poet Kathryn Levy, who was involved in a just decided legal case with critical implications for the 2020 election.

Writer’s Voice — in depth progressive conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on twitter @WritersVoice. And remember to rate us on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use!

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Podcast

Alan Hirsch, A SHORT HISTORY OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CRISES & Micah Uetricht, BIGGER THAN BERNIE

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The 2020 presidential election is looming on the horizon. Many fear the outcome will be hotly disputed. Yet neither the United States electoral system nor the Constitution is likely to help us out of the mess. We talk with constitutional scholar Alan Hirsch about his book A Short History of Presidential Election Crises: (And How to Prevent the Next One).

Then, Bernie Sanders has indicated he’s probably done running for president. What’s next for the Political Revolution? Micah Uetricht discusses the book he co-authored with Meagan Day, Bigger Than Bernie: How We Go from the Sanders Campaign to Democratic Socialism.

Writer’s Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. And like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on twitter @WritersVoice.

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Web Extras

Michael Klare: Covid-19 Is Forcing Us to Rethink How We Consume Energy

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With COVID19 causing lockdowns throughout the globe, demand for oil has plummeted. The bottom has fallen out of the petroleum market. What long term impacts could that have on how we power our economies?

To find out, Francesca called up energy policy analyst Michael Klare. His article “Covid-19 Is Forcing Us to Rethink How We Consume Energy” appeared in the Nation magazine.

Listen here for our interview with Klare about another article about the impact of the pandemic: Covid-19’s Third Shock Wave: The Global Food Crisis.

 

Podcast

Rory MacLean, PRAVDA HA-HA & Michael Klare, Covid-19 & The Food Crisis

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We talk with Rory MacLean about his new book, Pravda Ha-Ha: True Travels to the End of Europe. MacLean travels from Russia and the former Soviet Union states to uncover what has happened since the Fall of the USSR thirty years ago.

Then, the COVID19 pandemic has crashed the world oil market. That might be a good thing for US consumers, but could it be causing a global food crisis? We talk with defense correspondent for the Nation, Michael Klare. He tells us about his latest article for the Nation: Covid-19’s Third Shock Wave: The Global Food Crisis.

Writer’s Voice — in depth progressive conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use. It really helps others find the show.

Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice.

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Podcast

William Evans, WE INHERIT WHAT THE FIRES LEFT & Matt Stoller, Antitrust After the Coronavirus

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We talk with poet William Evans about his powerful new collection of poetry, We Inherit What the Fires Left.

Then, anti-trust policy analyst and author Matt Stoller tells us about his blog post, Antitrust After the Coronavirus: A Government of Corporate Monopolies. Continue reading →

Podcast

Carl Safina, BECOMING WILD & Margaret Klein Salamon, FACING THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY

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Renowned ecologist and writer Carl Safina joins us to talk about his new book, BECOMING WILD: How Animal Cultures Raise Families, Create Beauty, and Achieve Peace.

Then, we talk with Margaret Klein Salamon, founder of The Climate Mobilization about her book FACING THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY: How To Transform Yourself With Climate Truth (with Molly Gage).

Writer’s Voice — in depth progressive conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use.

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Podcast

Deborah Paredez, YEAR OF THE DOG & Vincent Emanuele, The New Normal

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We talk with poet Deborah Paredez about her new volume of poetry, Year of the Dog. It bears powerful witness to the legacy of war, violence and the struggle for social justice.

Then, whither the Left in a moment of institutional meltdown? We talk with writer, activist and Iraq War veteran Vincent Emanuele about his article in Counterpunch, The New Normal: Cascading and Multilayered Crises.

Writer’s Voice — in depth progressive conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or whatever podcast app you use!

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Web Extras

What Happens After Bernie? A Conversation with Micah Uetricht

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Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign two days ago. The suspension left many grassroots organizations that had endorsed him wondering where to go from here. Francesca speaks with Micah Uetricht, co-author of Bigger Than Bernie, about it. Continue reading →

Podcast

Helen Fremont, The Escape Artist & Branko Marcetic on Tara Reade & Joe Biden

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We talk with Helen Fremont about her stunning new memoir, The Escape Artist. It’s about the toxic influence of closely held secrets on the glue that should hold families together — and about how trauma echoes down the generations.

Then, Bernie Sanders ended his presidential run this week, leaving Joe Biden the only remaining candidate in the race. We air an interview we did last week with Branko Marcetic about how the Democratic Party is handling allegations of sexual assault against Biden. (It was also published on the WV website as a Web Only Extra.)

Writer’s Voice — in depth progressive conversation with writers of all genres. On the air since 2004. Rate us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. And like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon or find us on twitter @WritersVoice.

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