Tag Archives: Fiction

Podcast

Rob Okun, on #MeToo VOICE MALE & Ursula K. Le Guin UNREAL AND REAL

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We air part of our 2014 interview with Rob Okun about his book, Voice Male: The Untold Story of the Pro-Feminist Men’s Movement, which is out in a new edition. But first we talk with Okun about #MeToo and #TimesUp — and how men can support that movement.

Then the pioneering science fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin died on January 23. We air our 2012 interview with her about her anthology The Unreal And The Real. Continue reading →

Podcast

Brian Platzer,  BED-STUY IS BURNING & Peter Moskowitz, HOW TO KILL A CITY

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Our theme this episode is gentrification. We talk with Brian Platzer about his novel Bed-Stuy is Burning (Simon and Schuster). It’s about what happens when tensions between gentrifiers and the gentrified explode.

Then we re-air our interview from 2017 with Peter Moskowitz about his book, How to Kill a City: Gentrification, Inequality, and the Fight for the Neighborhood. Continue reading →

Podcast

Katherine Nouri Hughes, THE MAPMAKER’S DAUGHTER & Claire McKinney, DO YOU KNOW WHAT A BOOK PUBLICIST DOES?

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Katherine Nouri Hughes talks about her novel The Mapmaker’s Daughter. It tells the story of a remarkable historical figure of the 16th century, Queen Mother Nurbanu.

We also get advice from book publicist Claire McKinney on how to promote your book. She’s the author of Do You Know What a Book Publicist Does?: A Guide for Creating Your Own Campaigns. Continue reading →

Podcast

Cory Doctorow, WALKAWAY & Zach Roberts on De’Andre Harris Assault in Charlottesville

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When disaster strikes, will we descend into dystopia — or cooperate? We talk with Cory Doctorow about his new work of speculative fiction, Walkaway (Macmillan). It’s an “optimistic disaster novel” about what motivates humans to do good in the face of civilizational crisis.

Then, De’Andre Harris was assaulted August 12 by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia. We talk with videographer and photojournalist Zach Roberts about his witnessing of the assault. His image of the beating (above) went viral. Continue reading →

Podcast

Anthony Horowitz, MAGPIE MURDERS, Saving Net Neutrality & Summer Reading Picks

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Anthony Horowitz talks about his latest novel, Magpie Murders and about writing great mystery fiction. Then, the Battle to Save Net Neutrality is gearing up. We reach back into our archives for some very prescient conversations about the threats to the open internet and what to do about them. We talk with Rebecca McKinnon, author of Consent of the Networked and with Josh Silver, formerly of Free Press. Then we give our picks for summer reading. Continue reading →

Podcast

Thrity Umrigar, EVERYBODY’S SON & Marianne Lavelle, Carl Safina

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Thrity Umrigar talks about her new novel, Everybody’s Son. It’s about the adoption of a poor black child by a powerful rich white family.

Then, we talk with climate journalist Marianne Lavelle about Trump’s Paris pullout and the Exxon shareholder revolt. Finally, we celebrate World Ocean Week with Carl Safina. Continue reading →

Podcast

Corban Addison, A HARVEST OF THORNS & Heather White, COMPLICIT

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Bestselling author Corban Addison discusses his gripping new novel, A HARVEST OF THORNS. It’s a gripping thriller that reveals the ugly underbelly of fast fashion.

Then, Heather White talks about COMPLICIT, the film she co-produced with Lynn Zhang. It’s an explosive undercover exposÁ© about deadly hazards in China’s electronics industry.  Continue reading →

Podcast

Ellen Meeropol, KINSHIP OF CLOVER & Dan Natale, BAD TIDINGS

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Novelist Ellen Meeropol talks about her new work of fiction, Kinship of Clover. Then we talk with filmmaker Dan Natale about his documentary Bad Tidings. It looks at the impact of sea level rise on one vulnerable community in New Jersey. Continue reading →

Podcast

Min Jin Lee, PACHINKO & Suki Kim, WITHOUT YOU THERE IS NO US

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Min Jin Lee talks about her acclaimed new novel Pachinko. It’s a multigenerational saga about a Korean family in Japan that  defies oppression to thrive in a society stacked against them.

Then we air an edited version of our 2015 interview with Suki Kim about her book Without You There Is No Us. It’s her memoir of going undercover with the sons of the North Korean elite. Continue reading →

Podcast

Ceridwen Dovey, ONLY THE ANIMALS & Sally Parry on Sinclair Lewis’ IT CAN’T HAPPEN HERE

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Ceridwen Dovey talks about her wonderful new short story collection Only The Animals (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). These poignant stories are told by the souls of ten literature-loving animals who were killed in the course of human conflict.

Then, a novel from the 1930’s is selling like hotcakes in 2017, as people wonder, “could it happen here”? We talk with Sally Parry, director of the Sinclair Lewis Society about Lewis’ novel about the coming of fascism to America, It Can’t Happen Here (Random House). Continue reading →

Podcast

Melissa Fleming, A HOPE MORE POWERFUL THAN THE SEA & Alan Furst, A HERO OF FRANCE

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Melissa Fleming talks about her book A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee’s Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival. Then Alan Furst returns with a new thriller about the French Resistance during World War II. The book is A Hero of France. Continue reading →

Podcast

Sebastian Barry, DAYS WITHOUT END & Adelia Saunders, INDELIBLE

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Sebastian Barry talks about his acclaimed new novel Days Without End. It won the prestigious Costa Book of the Year prize in January. Then, Adelia Saunders discusses her debut novel, Indelible. It’s about a young woman who can read details of people’s lives written on their skin and the father and son whose secrets and searches become intertwined with hers. Continue reading →

Podcast

Muslim Women’s Voices: Amani Al-Khatahbeh & Susan Abulhawa

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Amani Al-Khatahbeh talks about her new book, Muslim Girl: A Coming of Age. It’s about her experience growing up female and Muslim in America after 9/11 and how that led her to create muslimgirl.com, an online magazine by and about Muslim women.

Then we re-air our 2016 interview with Susan Abulhawa about her novel of a Palestinian family, The Blue Between Sky and Water.  Continue reading →

Podcast

Thomas Frank, LISTEN, LIBERAL & New Fiction Picks

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Thomas Frank talks about his book Listen, Liberal. It’s a scathing look at what’s wrong with the Democratic Party and how it got to the disastrous place it’s in right now. Then we share some our of favorite recent fiction. Continue reading →

Podcast

Ani Tuzman, THE TREMBLE OF LOVE & Terry Tempest Williams, FINDING BEAUTY IN A BROKEN WORLD

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Ani Tuzman talks about her novel based on the life of the 18th century Jewish mystic, the Baal Shem Tov. Its called The Tremble of Love. Then, we re-air an excerpt from our 2008 interview with Terry Tempest Williams about her book, Finding Beauty In A Broken World.   Continue reading →