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Are we seeing the dawning of Pacific century? And what can its past teach us about its future? We talk with two authors today that feature the Pacific Ocean: first, Simon Winchester talks about his award-winning book, Pacific.
Then we talk with Pamela Rotner Sakamoto about  Midnight in Broad Daylight. It’s the true story of a Japanese-American family sundered by the Pacific Ocean during World War II. Continue reading
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The great travel writer Paul Theroux talks about his latest book, Deep South. It recounts his travels through the back roads of the rural South, talking with people both ordinary and extraordinary about their lives and their communities.
Then political cartoonist Ted Rall talks about his new political biography, Bernie. It examines Bernie Sanders as an agent for change working within the political system. Continue reading
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Journalist Doug Henwood talks about his new book, My Turn: Hillary Clinton Targets the Presidency. It’s an in-depth examination of Hillary Clinton’s record and its implications for her current run for the Presidency. Henwood questions whether Clinton is as progressive as she claims as she runs against a strong challenge from the left. Continue reading
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Bernie Sanders spokesman Jonathan Tasini tells us about his book, The Essential Bernie Sanders. Then, with all the controversy over Sanders’ single payer health care plan, we talk with the economist whose work that plan is based on, Gerald Friedman. Finally, in a lighter vein, we talk with blockbuster mystery writer Sue Grafton about her latest — and reportedly the last — in her Kinsey Milhone series, X. Continue reading
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Two novels reveal the devastating impact of war on families and those families’ resilience in the face of tragedy. First, we talk with Susan Abulhawa about The Blue Between Sky And Water. Then, Jacqueline Sheehan talks about her new novel, The Center Of The World. Continue reading
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Biologist Paul Ehrlich discusses the book he co-wrote, The Annihilation of Nature: Human Extinction of Birds and Mammals and Writers Voice airs one of the year’s Ten Best Shows: our interview with Joseph Luzzi about his memoir, In A Dark Wood. Continue reading
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Andrea Wulf talks about her bestselling new book, The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt’s New World. It’s listed as one of the ten best books of 2015 by the New York Times. Then, we check in with journalist Jack Cushman of Inside Climate News about the historic climate pact out of Paris and how the just-passed omnibus spending bill will affect carbon emissions. Continue reading
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We feature the work of two political cartoonists who have come out with graphic biographies: Ted Rall talks about his new graphic bio of Edward Snowden, Snowden. And then British cartoonist Kate Evans talks about her new graphic biography of the revolutionary leader, Rosa Luxemburg, Red Rosa. Continue reading
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Acclaimed crime novelist Elizabeth George talks about her latest Inspector Lynley novel, A Banquet of Consequences. And then, just in time for Hanukkah, a new noir collection of short stories — Jewish Noir. edited by mystery writer Kenneth Wishnia. Continue reading
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We talk with M.T. Anderson about his new book Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad. It tells the story of how Shostakovich’s 7th Symphony inspired the resistance of the people of Leningrad to one of the most brutal sieges in history, that mounted by Hitler’s Army in World War II.
And with the world climate talks happening in Paris, we consider the intersection between climate change — and terrorism. We air a clip from our 2011 interview with Christian Parenti about his book, Tropic of Chaos.
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We talk with environmental writer David Gessner about his new book about two of the greatest writers — and champions — of the Western wilds, All The Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West. We also re-air a clip from a previous interview with Gessner about his last book, My Green Manifesto.
And finally, we continue our Thanksgiving tradition: Marge Bruchac’s telling of the true story of the holiday. Continue reading
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Feminist sociologist and gender researcher Michael Kimmel talks about the “aggrieved entitlement” of so many white men in America. His book is Angry White Men: American Masculinity at the End of an Era. Then, we look at the rise of rape culture in America with Kate Harding. Her book is Asking For It: The Alarming Rise of Rape Culture–and What We Can Do About It. Continue reading
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LeslÁ©a Newman talks about her latest book of poetry, I Carry My Mother (Headmistress Press, 2015). The elegiac volume is composed of poems chronicling her mother’s last illness and dying, as well as her own grief.
Then, poet Martine Bellen reads from and discusses her new collection, This Amazing Cage of Light: New And Selected Poems (Spuyten Duyvil Press, 2015). Inspired by myth, history and everyday life, her evocative poems explore identity and connection. Continue reading
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Michael Golding talks about A Poet of the Invisible World, his stunning new novel set in 13th century Persia. This fable explores the spiritual path taken by its main character, a Sufi poet with four ears.
Then, Robin Cook tells us about his new medical thriller, Host. It’s about what happens when medical research into the newest class of drugs — biologics — intersects with a greed-driven medical system. Continue reading