Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Bookshop Podcast
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| Bruce Holsinger On Culpability, AI, And Family Under Pressure | 03 Dec 2025 | 00:41:07 | |
In this episode, I chat with Bruce Holsinger about stories, community, publishing, teaching, and the craft behind his latest novel, Culpability. Bruce brings a rare lens to contemporary fiction. As a medievalist at the University of Virginia, he teaches medieval literature and applies his enthusiasm to craft classes where the basics—point of view, character arcs, structure—become living tools. He explains why paratext—chat logs, interviews, and excerpts from Lorelei’s AI book—lets a novel breathe beyond exposition, capturing how we really encounter the world: through fragmented feeds, competing voices, and the uneasy mix of intimacy and spectacle. Culpability Synopsis: When the Cassidy-Shaws’ autonomous minivan collides with an oncoming car, seventeen-year-old Charlie is in the driver’s seat, with his father, Noah, riding shotgun. In the back seat, tweens Alice and Izzy are on their phones, while their mother, Lorelei, a world leader in the field of artificial intelligence, is absorbed in her work. Yet each family member harbors a secret that implicates them in the accident. During a weeklong recuperation on the Chesapeake Bay, the family confronts the excruciating moral dilemmas triggered by the crash. Noah tries to hold the family together as a seemingly routine police investigation jeopardizes Charlie’s future. Alice and Izzy turn strangely furtive. And Lorelei’s odd behavior tugs at Noah’s suspicions that there is a darker truth behind the incident—suspicions heightened by the sudden intrusion of Daniel Monet, a tech mogul whose mysterious history with Lorelei hints at betrayal. When Charlie falls for Monet’s teenage daughter, the stakes are raised even higher in this propulsive family drama that is also a fascinating exploration of the moral responsibility and ethical consequences of AI. Culpability explores a world newly shaped by chatbots, autonomous cars, drones, and other nonhuman forces in ways that are thrilling, challenging, and unimaginably provocative. Subscribe, share with a reader friend, and tell us: which moment changed how you see the story? | |||
| Laura Resau: The Alchemy of Flowers | 19 Nov 2025 | 00:36:17 | |
In this episode, I'm chatting with author Laura Resau about her novel The Alchemy of Flowers. A walled garden in the south of France. A woman carrying the weight of infertility and the ache of what might have been. An author who believes that myth, nature, and careful attention can turn pain into something living. That’s the ground we walk together with Laura Resau, whose debut adult novel, The Alchemy of Flowers, blends sensory delight with hard-earned hope. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves literary fiction and magical realism, and leave a review to help more readers find the show. What part of your life is ready to turn into flowers? | |||
| Kendra Elliot: Her First Mistake | 25 Aug 2025 | 00:21:51 | |
In this episode, I chat with author Kendra Elliot about her new novel, Her First Mistake. Kendra Elliot has sold thirteen million books, hit the Wall Street Journal top ten bestseller list more than a dozen times, and is a three-time winner of the Daphne du Maurier award. She is an International Thriller Writers' finalist and a Romantic Times finalist. She grew up in the lush and rainy Pacific Northwest. Synopsis of Her First Mistake: Thirteen years ago, Assemblyman Derrick Bell was murdered in his home by an intruder. His wife, Noelle Marshall, was left for dead. The crime was unsolved, but it wasn’t forgotten. Today the FBI is tackling a fresh perspective on the case and looking to Noelle, now a detective for the Deschutes County sheriff’s office, for new clues. It is reopening everything Noelle thought was behind her. Memories of her escape from a traumatic childhood. A marriage that wasn’t the perfect love story she’d been promised. And a husband whose charm and privilege hid a dark side. But Noelle has been hiding something too: a secret about the night Derrick died that she has never told anyone. As past and present and leads and misleads collide, one thing is frighteningly clear. Derrick’s murder wasn’t just unsolved. It’s unfinished. And only the truth—no matter the risk—can save the next victim. | |||
| Trilogy Curated Bookshop & Library | 21 Aug 2023 | 00:49:38 | |
In this episode, I chat with Ahalya Naidu about Trilogy Curated Bookshop & Library which she owns with her partner Meethil Momaya about why they opened a bookshop and library, the importance of books in translation, local authors in Mumbai, and where to get the best chai in India! Trilogy Curated Bookshop & Library Nandita da Cunha, children’s author Em and the big Hoom, Jerry Pinto Susanna’s Granthapura, Ajai P. Mangattu The Indians: Histories of a Civilization, Edited by GN Devy, Tony Joseph and Ravi Korisettar
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| Fonda Lee | 14 Aug 2023 | 00:29:22 | |
In this episode, I chat with Fonda Lee about what prompted her decision to become a serious writer, her innate love and respect for animals, her novella Untethered Sky, and her path from her first finished manuscript to finding an agent and publishing deal. Fonda is a winner of the World Fantasy Award, the Locus Award, and a four-time winner of the Aurora Award (Canada’s national science fiction and fantasy award), as well as a multiple finalist for the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Oregon Book Award. Her novels have garnered multiple starred reviews and appeared on Best of Year lists from NPR, Barnes & Noble, Syfy Wire, and others. Jade City has been translated into a dozen languages, named to TIME Magazine’s Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time, and optioned for television development. She has also written acclaimed short fiction and been an instructor at writing workshops including Viable Paradise and Clarion West. Fonda is a former corporate strategist and black belt martial artist who loves action movies and Eggs Benedict. Born and raised in Canada, she currently resides in the Pacific Northwest. | |||
| Elizabeth L Silver | 07 Aug 2023 | 00:36:38 | |
In this episode, I chat with author Elizabeth L Silver about her new novel The Majority, women in the workplace and motherhood, teaching creative writing, and books. Elizabeth has been featured on PBS NewsHour, while her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, New York Magazine, The Guardian, Harper's Bazaar, McSweeney’s, The Dallas Morning News, Literary Hub, The Rumpus, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Millions, among other publications, and she has been a recipient of residencies at several artist colonies in the United States, France, and Spain, including Ucross Foundation, Ragdale, Byrdcliffe Artist Colony, where she was the recipient of the Patterson Fellowship, A Room of Her Own Foundation, where she was a consultant, and the British Centre for Literary Translation. She has also served as a judge for the PEN Center Literary Awards, UCLA’s James Kirkwood Literary Prize, AWP’s Kurt Brown Prize, twice served as a PEN in the Community Teaching Artist through PEN Center USA, where she curated a program teaching creative writing to prisoners in Lancaster, CA, for cancer patients and survivors with The Benjamin Center, and at a halfway house in Los Angeles; she has also served as a mentor in Fiction for AWP's Writer-to-Writer Program, and taught English as a Second Language in Costa Rica, writing and literature at Drexel University and St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. She currently teaches creative writing with the UCLA Writers Program. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, the MFA program in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia in England, and Temple University Beasley School of Law, Elizabeth has also worked as an attorney in California and Texas, where she was a judicial clerk for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, worked on death row cases in Texas, and subsequently in civil litigation in Los Angeles. She continues to keep a foot in the law, and her most recent legal (volunteer) work includes working on asylum cases at the Texas-Mexico border and with survivors of domestic violence in Los Angeles. Elizabeth is also the founder and director of Onward Literary Mentoring, a program that connects writers with award-winning and best-selling authors for individual, tailored writing instruction. | |||
| Paulina Porizkova | 31 Jul 2023 | 00:39:30 | |
In this episode, I chat with Paulina Porizkova about her book No Filter, The Good, The Bad, And The Beautiful, living in an all-male household, crazy weather, and receiving a call from Maria Shriver. Paulina Porizkova was born in Olomouc in 1965 and grew up in the Moravian town of Prostějov, a city dating back to 1141 in what was, at the time, Czechoslovakia. In 1968, during the wake of the Soviet-led invasion, Paulina’s parents escaped Czechoslovakia and settled in Sweden, leaving her behind with her grandmother. Her mother went back to Czechoslovakia to get her daughter, only to be captured and taken to prison, where, because she was pregnant, was put under house arrest with Paulina and her grandmother and soon-to-be-born brother for three years. Amid media coverage, Paulina, her brother, and her mother were later allowed to enter Sweden. However, the rest of her family remained in Czechoslovakia. Her debut novel, A Model Summer, was published in 2007, and her memoir, No Filter, The Good, The Bad, And The Beautiful, was published by The Open Field in 2022.
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| Jenny Xie, Holding Pattern | 24 Jul 2023 | 00:28:39 | |
In this episode, I chat with author Jenny Xie about her debut novel Holding Pattern, exploring intimacy through cuddling, negative space, and books. Her short fiction has appeared in AGNI, Ninth Letter, Joyland, Adroit Journal, Narrative, The Offing, and the Best of the Net Anthology, among other publications. Her writing on design, travel, and culture has been featured in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Architectural Digest, Apartment Therapy, Them, and Dwell, where she was previously the Executive Editor. Jenny holds degrees from UC Berkeley and Johns Hopkins University and is the grateful recipient of fellowships from Bread Loaf, MacDowell, Yaddo, Kundiman, Aspen Words, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Loghaven, and other organizations. Born in Shanghai and hailing from California, Jenny is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. Esquire magazine article on cuddling by Jenny Xie | |||
| A Mini In Between Episode | 23 Jul 2023 | 00:04:25 | |
With Summer in full swing, I thought I’d give you a short mini-in-between episode about one of my favorite places in California, Santa Barbara. Enjoy! In the 1870s, eucalyptus trees were planted on the grounds of what would become known as the American Riviera in Santa Barbara, California. With the arrival of the rail line in 1897, tourists began to venture into the area, and in 1913 the Flying A studio was busy turning out silent movies in the complex they built in the area of Mission, State, Padre, and Chapala Streets in Santa Barbara. By the time they closed in 1922, Flying A produced more than 1200 silent films, primarily Westerns, adaptations of popular novels and stage plays, slapstick comedies, and more. According to the Lompoc Record, from 1912 to 1919, Santa Barbara was considered the film capital of the world. Meanwhile, the eucalyptus trees in the Riviera were flourishing, and the grounds around them were home to a state school. Just across the road, James Warren, President of the County National Bank, built dormitories and several ten-room houses and cottages on his property to house faculty and students. By 1917 the student housing proved unsuccessful, and Mr. Warren announced plans to develop a cottage hotel to cater to the growing tourism market. On February 2, 1918, El Encanto Hotel opened for business. From 1933 to 1950, El Encanto enjoyed increased popularity as a Hollywood hideaway hosting such luminaries as Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, and Hedy Lamarr. Over the years, the hotel changed ownership, and in 2018 LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton acquired Belmond Ltd. The hotel became, El Encanto, a Belmond Hotel. The eucalyptus trees remain, and this year a pair of red-tailed hawks put on a show as they raised their young in a tall tree in front of the pool, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Through the guidance of General Manager Janis Clapoff, this iconic hotel remains an essential destination for the creative and creatively inspired. At El Encanto, guests experience California through scrumptious, locally inspired cuisine, uplifting wellness experiences, classes in the visual arts, and an outstanding literary series. On August 1, the El Encanto Lunch With An Author Literary Series presents novelist and literary scholar Bruce Holsinger. Bruce is the author of the USA Today and Los Angeles Times best-selling novel The Gifted School, which is currently in development as a TV series with NBC/Universal Television. His most recent novel, The Displacements, was hailed by the New York Times as “hypnotic, and a thorough translation to fiction of what it can feel like to live right now.” In 2022, I chose Abdulzarak Gurnah’s Afterlives and Bruce Holsinger’s The Displacements as my two outstanding literary fiction novels. I hope you will join me at El Encanto for lunch with Bruce, followed by our conversation about his writing and The Displacements. These literary events require a reservation and prepayment. Please call our Concierge Team at concierge.ele@belmond.com or call 805 845 5800. I hope to see you there!
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| Otto Penzler, The Mysterious Bookshop | 17 Jul 2023 | 00:43:09 | |
In this episode, I chat with Otto Penzler, owner of The Mysterious Bookshop about publishing, the genre of mystery and crime fiction, female mystery writers, and collecting first editions. The bookshop stocks the finest selection of new mystery hardcovers, paperbacks and periodicals and also features a superb collection of signed Modern First Editions, Rare/Collectible hardcovers and Sherlockiana. The Mysterious Bookshop Crime Clubs The Bookshop Podcast Deborah Crossland Interview (feminism)
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| Deborah Crossland, Author | 10 Jul 2023 | 00:31:06 | |
In this episode, I chat with Deborah Crossland about her new YA novel, The Quiet Part Out Loud, teaching, landing her dream agent, and mythology! The Quiet Part Out Loud, Deborah Crossland The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway, Ashley Schumacher Women Who Run With The Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola Estés, PhD The Heroin’s Journey: Woman’s Quest for Wholeness, Maureen Murdoch | |||
| Petrach's Bookshop, Launceston, Tasmania | 03 Jul 2023 | 00:31:16 | |
In this episode, I chat with Andy Durkin about the family owned and run Petrach's Bookshop, Tasmanian authors, the demographics of Tasmania, and must-see places to visit in the beautiful heart-shape island state of Tasmania, Australia. The growth of the business has been based on one major ideal – customer service. Petrarch’s stocks a wide range of book categories, with special emphasis on Tasmaniania, gardening, cooking, architecture, health, art and many more. Their friendly staff are all avid readers and are happy to recommend a novel, whether it be a new release or a classic from yesteryear. Their fiction categories include crime, fantasy, historical and Australiana as well as bestselling titles, and stock a vast selection of children’s books. The Angry Women’s Choir, Meg Bignell The Last Hermit, Geoff Harwood Kindred: A Cradle Mountain Love Story, Kate Legge The Last Lighthouse Keeper, John Cook ABC News article by Fiona Blackwood, Tasmanian ‘angry farmer’ looks to boost literacy levels after education system disillusionment The Advocate, written by Matt Maloney Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder, Kerryn Mayne Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman Secrets of the Huon Wren, Claire Van Ryn | |||
| Jennifer De Leon | 26 Jun 2023 | 00:35:22 | |
In this episode, I chat with Jennifer De Leon about teaching, learning, her writing, and how reading fiction helps develop empathy. De Leon is a winner of the 2016 Walter Dean Myers Grant, awarded by We Need Diverse Books, and named a 2020 Latinx Trailblazer by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. After a decade teaching in Boston Public Schools, Jenn is now Associate Professor of English at Framingham State University, and instructor in the Creative Writing and Literature Graduate Program at Harvard University. Her stories and essays have appeared in Ploughshares, The Briar Cliff Reviews, Iowa Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, Guernica, and Best Women’s Travel Writing to name a few. Jennifer is the author of Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From and the essay collection White Space: Essays on Culture, Race, and Writing, and editor of the anthology, Wise Latinas: Writers on Higher Education. Her latest YA novel is Borderless. In 2022 Jennifer founded Story Bridge LLC. Story Bridge programs bring people together from all walks of life to shape, share, and hear each other’s unique stories. By the end of the program, every participant walks away with new, unforgettable connections. Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From, Jennifer De Leon White Space: Essays on Culture, Race, & Writing, Jennifer De Leon All You Have To Do, Autumn Allen Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim, Patricia Park The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros
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| San Miguel Writers' Conference: Where Global Voices Unite on Mexican Soil | 18 Aug 2025 | 00:44:53 | |
Hi, and welcome to this episode of The Bookshop Podcast! Step into the vibrant literary heart of Mexico with the San Miguel Writers Conference, where cultural exchange and creative inspiration meet in one of the world's most beautiful cities. Susan Page, founder and president, alongside executive director Jodi Pincus, unveil the magic behind this extraordinary gathering that transforms writers and readers alike. | |||
| Hannah Pittard, Author | 19 Jun 2023 | 00:44:44 | |
In this episode, I chat with Hannah Pittard about her new book, We Are Too Many, styles of writing, divorce, and teaching. | |||
| Charlotte Guest, The Book Bird | 12 Jun 2023 | 00:36:59 | |
In this episode, I chat with Charlotte Guest, manager of The Book Bird, about ethnic diversity in West Geelong, bookselling, local authors, and books! Their eclectic range of books spans children’s, young adult, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, gardening, travel, art, architecture, and cooking. They stock the books reviewed in the national papers and books you’ve never heard of, but when placed in your hands, they just may change your life. The Book Bird thinks of their staff as your literary tour guides. They are knowledgeable and passionate about what they do and will take the time to connect the right books with the right humans. Whether it's in-store recommendations, their review cards, carefully considered displays, or social media posts, all communication at The Book Bird is about sharing the power of books and reading. 10 Best Indie Book Podcasts - Feedspo Link to The Bookshop Podcast episode with Paper Bird, Freemantle Link to The Bookshop Podcast episode with Fuller’s Bookshop, Hobart, Tasmania Link to the Bookshop Podcast episode with Mitchell Kaplan, Books & Books, Florida
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| Paul Rudnick | 05 Jun 2023 | 00:54:42 | |
Happy Global Gay Pride Month! Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style, Paul Rudnick Playing the Palace, Paul Rudnick | |||
| Mairi Oliver, Lighthouse Books, Edinburgh | 29 May 2023 | 00:43:51 | |
In this episode, I chat with Mairi Oliver, owner of Lighthouse Books, about radical bookshops, feminist writers in Edinburgh, how the world can seem overwhelming, and books! The bookshop carries 10,000 titles across most genres, from politics, history, fiction, and travel writing to Children’s books, crafts, and cookery. We are particularly passionate about radical, left-wing, and Scottish politics, intersectional feminism, revolutionary history, environmentalism, LGBT+ writing, poetry, and translated fiction. Lighthouse Books is committed to playing its part in building a greener, fairer, kinder tomorrow. Love That Journey for Me: The Queer Revolution of Schitt’s Creek, Emily Garside There Is Nothing So Whole as a Broken Heart, Cindy Milstein (editor) Radical Mourning, Cindy Milstein (editor) Caliban and the Witch, Sylvia Federici The Bookshop Podcast Interview With Ross Bradshaw, Fives Leaves Bookshop
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| Heidi Stemple, Children's Author | 22 May 2023 | 00:43:45 | |
In this episode, I chat with Heidi Stemple about her writing practice, the rules and skills needed to write children's books, having a celebrity writing mother (Jane Yolen), and keeping the writing business in the family! Heidi lives and writes on a big old farm in Massachusetts that she shares with one very large cat who lives inside, and a dozen deer, a family of bears, three coyotes, two bobcats, a gray fox, tons of birds, and some very fat groundhogs who live outside. Once a year she calls owls for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. The Life And Crimes Of Hoodie Rosen, Isaac Blum A Time to Dance, Padma Venkatraman All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto, George M. Johnson | |||
| Monica Diodati and Rachel Stuckey-Slaton, Two Friends Books | 15 May 2023 | 00:30:42 | |
In this episode, I chat with Two Friends Books owners Monica Diodati and Rachel Stuckey-Slaton about Bentonville, Arkansas, local authors, books they love, and what they learned about bookselling during the pandemic. Monica and Rachel curate a selection of books from authors and publishers they love passing on to their customers. At Two Friends Books, customers can also enjoy a book with a glass of wine, beer, or coffee. The bookshop carries natural and organic wines, Airship coffee, a rotating selection of beers, and locally made baked goods. Nora Goes Off Script, Annabel Monaghan A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting, Sophie Irwin The Dead Romantics, Ashley Poston Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer | |||
| Fonda Lee | 08 May 2023 | 00:29:22 | |
In this episode, I chat with Fonda Lee about what prompted her decision to become a serious writer, her innate love and respect for animals, her novella Untethered Sky, and her path from her first finished manuscript to finding an agent and publishing deal. Fonda is a winner of the World Fantasy Award, the Locus Award, and a four-time winner of the Aurora Award (Canada’s national science fiction and fantasy award), as well as a multiple finalist for the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Oregon Book Award. Her novels have garnered multiple starred reviews and appeared on Best of Year lists from NPR, Barnes & Noble, Syfy Wire, and others. Jade City has been translated into a dozen languages, named to TIME Magazine’s Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time, and optioned for television development. She has also written acclaimed short fiction and been an instructor at writing workshops including Viable Paradise and Clarion West. Fonda is a former corporate strategist and black belt martial artist who loves action movies and Eggs Benedict. Born and raised in Canada, she currently resides in the Pacific Northwest. In The Lives Of Puppets, TJ Klune
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| Claire Harris, Manager of Lutyens & Rubinstein Bookshop | 01 May 2023 | 00:28:57 | |
In this episode, I chat with Claire Harris, manager of Lutyens and Rubinstein Bookshop, about how the demographics of Notting Hill affect the curation of the bookshop, their bespoke services, independent stores in the area, and books! The emphasis for the curation of the bookshop is on excellence in writing and narrative across a broad range of genres. The core stock was assembled by canvassing hundreds of readers – writers, publishing contacts, and friends (both adults and children) about which books they would most like to find in a bookshop. Every book stocked has its place because somebody loves and recommends it. Shop Manager Claire Harris and Partnerships Manager Tara Spinks joined the bookshop team before opening and are supported by Children’s Buyer Caroline Eade and Booksellers Christy Matthews and Ella Wright. Lutyens and Rubinstein Bespoke Services Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan | |||
| Annabelle Gurwitch | 24 Apr 2023 | 01:05:30 | |
In this episode, I chat with Annabelle Gurwitch about her career in acting, speaking, and writing, her experience with SPY (Safe Place For Youth), her first publishing story, and her new book You're Leaving When? In both her speaking and writing, Annabelle uses personal stories and humor to illuminate issues in the social zeitgeist including "harnessing resilience and learning how life’s disappointments can teach you about the things that matter most” (Tara Parker Pope, New York Times). She's written for The New Yorker, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, and Hadassah amongst other publications. Her five books include The New York Times bestseller and Thurber Prize finalist I See You Made an Effort. She was the longtime cohost of Dinner & a Movie on TBS and a regular commentator on NPR. She's performed on the Moth Mainstage, at Carolines on Broadway, and at arts centers around the country. Her acting credits include: Seinfeld, Murphy Brown, Boston Legal and Dexter and once in while she returns to acting playing a rabbi on Better Things on FX or a therapist for an FBI agent in Michael Bay’s Ambulance. She's been featured in Time Magazine’s annual “10 Ideas That are Changing the World,” GMA, Real Time with Bill Maher, CBS Early Morning, Oprah, and PBS Newshour. Annabelle had been chronicling living with stage iv lung cancer and inequities in healthcare in the New York Times and Washington Post since her out-of-the-blue diagnosis during covid. She's given patient advocate talks at scientific conferences around the globe including: Vienna, Rome, and Brisbane. She co-hosts Tiny Victories, a podcast, dedicated to appreciating small mercies and minor triumphs. She's guest lectured and taught essay writing and storytelling at The School of the New York Times, University of CA Redlands graduate writing program, Miami Dade Community College, Thurber House, George Washington U, Maine Media College, and University of Dayton, Ohio. You’re Leaving When? Adventures in Downward Mobility, Annabelle Gurwitch Annabelle Gurwitch: Real Time With Bill Maher | |||
| Livia Manera Sambuy, In Search of Amrit Kaur | 17 Apr 2023 | 00:46:57 | |
In this episode, I chat with journalist, documentarian, and author Livia Manera Sambuy about her new book In Search of Amrit Kaur, the difficulties of researching her subject, her work as a journalist, and Indian culture. Livia Manera Sambuy is an Italian writer whose book of profiles of American writers, Don't Write About Me, was published in 2015. She has been a staff writer at the literary pages of the Italian national daily Corriere della Sera for more than twenty years and is the author and co-director of two documentary films on Philip Roth. She divides her time between Paris and Tuscany. In Search of Amrit Kaur, Livia Manera Sambuy Council on Foreign Relations (child marriage USA)
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| From Advertising to Italy: Pinch Me, by Barbara Boyle | 11 Aug 2025 | 00:38:27 | |
In this episode, I chat with Barbara Boyle about her memoir, Pinch Me. After decades crafting commercials and campaigns for global giants like Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson, Barbara was drawn to a completely different path. Her story begins with a magical honeymoon visit to the Piedmont region of Italy, where, gazing over terracotta rooftops with morning coffee in hand, she felt an undeniable pull: "I need to live here." That feeling—equal parts recognition and revelation—set in motion a complete life transformation. Dancing on my Own Two Feet, Jenn Todling | |||
| Jan Smedh and Stina Björkelid, The English Bookshop, Uppsala, Sweden | 10 Apr 2023 | 00:37:40 | |
In this episode, I chat with Jan Smedh, co-owner of The English Bookshop in Uppsala, Sweden, and the events manager Stina Björkelid about what it's like to live in Sweden during the winter months, the history of the area, and how reading fiction develops empathy and tolerance. Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austin Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style, Paul Rudnick Gloriana: Or The Unfulfill’d Queen, Michael Moorcock
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| Daniela Barani, Albion Road Book Club | 03 Apr 2023 | 00:35:32 | |
In this episode, I chat with Daniela Barani about living in Verona, global travels, languages, and books! Daniela Barani is an English book club and event planner in Verona, a member of the library committee in Sommacampagna, and an Educational Consultant for Oxford University Press. She is an avid supporter of independent bookshops and runs the Albion Road Book Club in Verona, Italy. | |||
| E.A.Aymar, Author | 27 Mar 2023 | 00:30:40 | |
In this episode, I chat with E.A. Aymar about his latest novel No Home For Killers, the D.C. Noir at the Bar series, and the Latino BIPOC thriller writing community. Ed Aymar was born in Panama and now lives in the D.C. area, where he runs the D.C. Noir at the Bar series, and his column, “Decisions and Revisions,” appears monthly in the Washington Independent Review of Books. | |||
| Candi Milo, Voiceover Actor, Author | 20 Mar 2023 | 00:44:22 | |
In this episode, I chat with voiceover actor and author Candi Milo about her memoir Surviving The Odd, her childhood in a halfway house, homelessness, mental illness, and alcoholism. She is honored to have taken the mantle from the legendary late June Foray as the voice of Granny for all of Warner Brothers Animation projects, including Space Jam 2: A New Legacy with LeBron James. She is an Annie Award nominee best known for voicing Deter in DEXTER’s Laboratory and The Flea in Mucah Lucha, among other well-known characters in hundreds of film and television projects, including Looney Tunes Cartoons. On stage, she starred alongside Jennifer Holiday in the first touring production of “Dreamgirls,” directed by Michael Bennett. Candi also gives inspirational talks about her unusual childhood and how it has informed her as a performer and mother. She is a passionate advocate for people dealing with mental illness and homelessness and the author of Surviving the Odd. Bill Graham Present: My Life Inside Rock and Out, Bill Graham, Robert Greenfield | |||
| Katya Cengel, Journalist, Author | 13 Mar 2023 | 00:32:55 | |
In this episode, I chat with Katya Cengel about her life as a journalist, interviewing refugees from Cambodia, and her book Exiled: From the Killing Fields of Cambodia to California and Back. She is the author of Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) 2020 winner and Foreword Indies 2019 winner From Chernobyl with Love: Reporting from the Ruins of the Soviet Union (Potomac, 2019); Exiled: From the Killing Fields of Cambodia to California and Back (Potomac, 2018) and 2013 Kentucky Literary Award finalist Bluegrass Baseball: A Year in the Minor League Life (Nebraska, 2012). She has been awarded grants from the International Reporting Project, the International Women’s Media Foundation, and the International Center for Journalists. Her series on the families of the Lost Boys of Sudan received a second place feature writing Society of Professional Journalists Green Eyeshade Award and her 2017 article My brother’s killer is now my friend was named one of BBC’s “Best big reads of 2017”. Her second book, Exiled, is included in a California State Library curated permanent collection. Katya Cengel Bluegrass Baseball: A Year in the Minor League Life, Katya Cengel | |||
| Jane Yolen, Author | 06 Mar 2023 | 00:29:07 | |
In this episode, I chat with author Jane Yolen about her new book, The Scarlet Circus, short stories, and romance! | |||
| Mervyn Sloman, The Book Lounge, Cape Town | 27 Feb 2023 | 00:39:19 | |
In this episode, I chat with Mervyn Sloman, owner of The Book Lounge, about how shipping affects the supply chain, local authors, the diverse population of Cape Town, and his favorite book to hand-sell to customers. | |||
| Michael Moorcock | 20 Feb 2023 | 00:54:21 | |
In this episode, I chat with author Michael Moorcock about growing up in London during WW II, his life as a journalist, writing Gloriana, Or The Unfulfill'd Queen, and his latest music. He has been the recipient of several lifetime achievement awards, including the Prix Utopiales, the SFWA Grand Master, the Stoker, and the World Fantasy, and has been inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. He has been awarded the Nebula Award, the World Fantasy Award, the John W. Campbell Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Guardian Fiction Prize, and has been shortlisted for the Whitbread Award. He has been compared to Balzac, Dickens, Dumas, Ian Fleming, Joyce, and Robert E. Howard, to name a few. The Faery Queene, Edmund Spenser Gloriana: Or, the Unfulfill’d Queen, Michael Moorcock Live At The Terminal Café, Michael Moorcock & The Deep Fix Byzantium Endures: The First Volume of the Colonel Pyat Quartet, Michael Moorcock Laughter of Carthage: The Second Volume of the Colonel Pyat Quartet, Michael Moorcock Jerusalem Commands: The Third Volume of the Colonel Pyat Quartet, Michael Moorcock Vengeance of Rome: The Fourth Volume of the Colonel Pyat Quartet, Michael Moorcock The Citadel of Forgotten Myths, Michael Moorcock
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| Zibby Owens, Author, Publisher, Owner Of Zibby Bookshop | 13 Feb 2023 | 00:28:17 | |
In this episode, I chat with Zibby Owens about opening Zibby's Bookshop, Zibby Media, curating her bookshop, and books! She was celebrated as “New York’s Most Powerful Book-fluencer” by New York Magazine. Owens is a regular contributor to "Good Morning America" and other broadcast outlets. She is the author of the memoir Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Literature, the children’s book, Princess Charming, and the editor of two anthologies. Owens is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Business School. She lives in New York with her husband, Kyle Owens of Morning Moon Productions, and her four children. Follow her on Instagram @zibbyowens. Zibby Books Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Literature, Zibby Owens My What If Year, Alisha Fernandez Miranda The Language of Goldfish, Zibby Oneal The Love You Save: A Memoir, Goldie Taylor Stone Cold Fox, Rachel Koller Croft
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| TJ Klune | 06 Feb 2023 | 00:50:21 | |
In this episode, I'm chatting with author TJ Klune about his new book In The Lives Of Puppets, the importance of libraries and indie bookshops, the two people who sparked his love of writing, and books! In The Lives Of Puppets, TJ Klune Chris Sickels – Red Nose Studio The House In The Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune Under The Whispering Door, TJ Klune Christopher Finan (NCAC) Interview on The Bookshop Podcast Elizabeth Bluemle, The Flying Pig Bookstore, interview on The Bookshop Podcast | |||
| Bookworm Phoenix: Lucy Yu, Owner Yu & Me Books | 04 Aug 2025 | 00:34:27 | |
In this episode, I chat with Lucy Yu, founder and owner of Yu & Me Books. Trained as a chemical engineer, her life took an unexpected turn during the pandemic when grief from losing a close friend led to deep reflection about her purpose. "I'm here on earth to do art and foster love," she realized, and from this epiphany, You and Me Books was born—the first female Asian American-owned bookstore in New York City's historic Manhattan Chinatown. Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder, Gabor Maté Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex Ptsd with Internal Family Systems, Frank Anderson Asymmetry, A Novel, Lisa Halliday Grief Is the Thing with Feathers, Max Porter Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America’s Civil Rights Revolution, Peniel E. Joseph
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| Tim Jarvis, Fullers Bookshop | 30 Jan 2023 | 00:32:23 | |
In this episode, I'm chatting with Dr. Tim Jarvis, director of Fullers Bookshop, about taking over the 103-year-old bookshop, local authors, what to see around Hobart, and books! Clive Tilsley bought Fullers in 1982 and 1992 and moved the bookshop back to Collins Street. In 1996 the Afterword Café was established on the mezzanine level of the shop – this moved Fullers onto another level of business. In 2001, Fullers opened a second shop in Launceston in the north of the state, where Clive spent 13 years establishing the brand in a very competitive book-buying market. In 2009 the Hobart shop moved again – up the road to a bright new space (with a fabulous view of the mountain). In 2014, Fullers sold its Launceston shop, and at the same time, Clive moved back to Hobart. In the 30 years under Clive’s guidance, Fullers has confirmed its status as a leading bookseller in Tasmania and a fundamental component of the cultural landscape of the state. In 2021 Tim Jarvis took over ownership, steering the bookshop through the pandemic, and continuing the tradition of Fullers Bookshop being a hub of the community, offering a wide range of author events, readings, books clubs, and publishing. The Little Lotus Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is, Justin E. H. Smith
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| Deborah Levine Herman, Author | 23 Jan 2023 | 00:36:27 | |
In this episode, I'm chatting with Deborah Levine Herman about the republication of her book, Spiritual Writing, The Seven Lessons of Soul Odyssey, being okay with rejection, and building your author platform. As a mystic, Deborah combines the spiritual journey with the writer’s path. She teaches that the act of writing connects people with their higher selves, and therefore the Source. Deborah is a former literary agent, a publisher, and intuitive writing coach. She is also the bestselling author of thirteen books and has dedicated her 25-plus year career in publishing to writer education. She is the author of Spiritual Writing from Inspiration to Publication 2nd Edition. Through this timely book, Deborah helps writers discover their spiritual writing path. Her book helps spiritual writers answer the question: which kind of spiritual writer are you? Spiritual Writing: From Inspiration To Publication, Deborah Levine Herman | |||
| Jenny McCann, Bear Bookshop | 16 Jan 2023 | 00:25:20 | |
In this episode, I'm chatting with Jenny McCann, director of Bear Bookshop in Smethwick, U.K., about her career as an English teacher, why she opened a children's bookshop, her favorite children's books to hand-sell, and how to encourage children to read. Santa’s Christmas Countdown, Kath Jewitt, Sebastian Braun The Jolly Christmas Postman, Allan Ahlberg, Janet Ahlberg Little People, BIG DREAMS, Maria Isabel Vegara Anisha, Accidental Detective, Serena Patel, Emma McCann The Girl of Ink & Stars, Kiran Millwood Hargrave The Heartstopper Series, Alice Oseman Daughter of the Pirate King, Tricia Levenseller Peepo Books, Allan Ahlberg, Janet Ahlberg Each Peach Pear Plum, Allan Ahlberg, Janet Ahlberg The Wind in the Willow, Kenneth Grahame Illumisaurus, Lucy Brownridge, Carnovsky | |||
| Marie Moser, The Edinburgh Bookshop | 09 Jan 2023 | 00:39:55 | |
In this episode, I'm chatting with Marie Moser, owner of The Edinburgh Bookshop, about children's books, local authors, and illustrators, Edinburgh, and her favorite books to hand-sell to customers. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams Notes on a Nervous Planet, Matt Haig Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus | |||
| Emily Moore, Library of Congress | 02 Jan 2023 | 00:26:08 | |
In this episode, I'm chatting with Emily Moore, Curator at the Library of Congress, about an exciting event happening in January 2023. Daytime event listing: https://www.loc.gov/item/event-407442/making-the-modern-book-the-aramont-library/2023-01-19/ Evening roundtable listing: https://www.loc.gov/item/event-407444/live-at-the-library-artists-approach-the-book/2023-01-19/ A Time of One's Own: Histories of Feminism in Contemporary Art, Catherine Grant | |||
| Terry Craven, Desperate Literature, Madrid | 26 Dec 2022 | 00:33:22 | |
In this episode, I'm chatting with Terry Craven from Desperate Literature in Madrid about his art, working at Shakespeare & Company in Paris, the Desperate Literature Short Literature prize, and his life in Madrid. Desperate Literature is a new international bookshop in Madrid, Spain. Along with the very best collection of used English books in the city, the shop also carries a large selection of quality books in Spanish, French, and a variety of other languages. Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize The Living Mountain, Nan Shepherd Jan Carson on The Bookshop Podcast Sara Baume on The Bookshop Podcast | |||
| Paula Marantz Cohen, Author | 19 Dec 2022 | 00:34:12 | |
In this episode, I'm chatting with Dr. Paula Marantz Cohen about empathy, Shakespeare, teaching, and her book Of Human Kindness: What Shakespeare Teaches Us About Empathy. Cohen is the author of four nonfiction books and five novels and is the producer of the documentary film, Two Universities and the Future of China. Her play, The Triangle, about John Singer Sargent, Henry James, and Edith Wharton, was a finalist in the Julie Harris Playwriting Competition. Her essays, stories, and reviews have appeared in The Yale Review, The American Scholar, The Southwest Review, the Times Literary Supplement, Raritan, The Hudson Review, and other publications. She writes a weekly online column, “Class Notes,” for The American Scholar and is the host of The Drexel Interview, a TV show based in Philadelphia that is broadcast on over 350 local stations, including 150 PBS stations, throughout the country. Cohen holds a B.A. in French and English from Yale College and a Ph.D. in English Literature from Columbia University. Of Human Kindness: What Shakespeare Teaches Us About Empathy, Paula Marantz Cohen Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century, Jennifer Homans Thick: And Other Essays, Tressie McMillan Cottom
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| Rosamund De Le Hey, Mainstreet Trading Company | 12 Dec 2022 | 00:36:28 | |
In this episode, I'm chatting with Rosamund De Le Hey, the co-owner of Mainstreet Trading Company, about opening a general store, the four things she wanted to make sure her store included to draw in customers, Bookshop.org, and books! Invisible Child, Andrea Elliott Eastbound, Maylis De Kerangal (author) Jessica Moore (translator) Mend the Living, Maylis De Kerangal (author) Jessica Moore (translator) The Golden Mole, Katherine Rundell Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer Mad Honey, Jodi Picoult, and Jennifer Finney Boylan Where There’s A Will, Emily Chappell
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| Stephanie Cotsirilos, Author | 05 Dec 2022 | 00:29:59 | |
In this episode, I'm chatting with author Stephanie Cotsirilos about her novella My Xanthi, Greek heritage, The Writer's Hotel, and books! My Xanthi, Stephanie Cotsirilos Night of the Living Rez, Morgan Talty | |||
| The Library of Congress with Stephanie Stillo and Marianna Stell | 28 Nov 2022 | 00:31:06 | |
In this episode, I’m back at the Library of Congress chatting with Stephanie Stillo and special guest Marianna Stell about the Giant Bible of Mainz, scribes, the digitalization of medieval manuscripts, and books! Stephanie Stillo is the Curator of the Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection and Aramont Library in the Rare Book and Special Collection Division. Marianna Stell is a Reference Librarian, Rare Books and Special Collections Division, and Medievalist at the Library of Congress. From the Vaults! Library of Congress The Giant Bible of Mainz To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, John O’Donahue The Island of Missing Tree, Elif Shafak Diagramming Devotion, Jeffrey F Hamburger
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| From Medicine to Fiction: Danielle Teller's Literary Journey | 28 Jul 2025 | 00:26:51 | |
In this episode, I chat with Danielle Teller about how her creative journey defies conventional wisdom about career paths. From Yale-trained pulmonologist studying lung disease to acclaimed novelist, her story demonstrates how life's unexpected turns might lead us exactly where we're meant to be. The Elements of Eloquence, Mark Forsyth | |||
| Linda Kass, Owner Of Gramercy Books | 21 Nov 2022 | 00:38:39 | |
In this episode, I'm chatting with Linda Kass, co-owner of Gramercy Books in Bexley, Ohio, about her career as a journalist and author, the four ingredients needed to create an excellent indie bookshop, and Pelotonia! Their inviting space includes a new café concept from Kittie’s, featuring Stumptown coffee, breakfast items, savory and sweet snacks, and their iconic cupcakes. | |||
| David Ebenbach, Author, Poet, Teacher | 14 Nov 2022 | 00:35:03 | |
In this episode, I'm chatting with author and poet David Ebenbach about his new poetry collection What's Left To Us By Evening, publishing, his creative process, and his short story The Guy We didn't Invite to the Orgy. David’s now the author of nine books of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, and his work has picked up awards along the way: the Drue Heinz Literature Prize, the Juniper Prize, the Patricia Bibby Award, and more. Born and raised in the great city of Philadelphia, these days David does most of his writing in Washington, DC, where he lives with his family—because he uses a laptop now, he doesn’t keep them awake with his typing—and where he works at Georgetown University, promoting inclusive, student-centered teaching at the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship, and teaching creative writing and literature at the Center for Jewish Civilization and creativity through the Master’s in Learning, Design, and Technology Program. | |||
| Ellen Pall, Author | 07 Nov 2022 | 00:29:37 | |
In this episode, I'm chatting with author Ellen Pall about her new novel Must Read Well, her career as a journalist, and the craft of writing. The Rising Tide: A Vera Stanhope Novel, Ann Cleeves Mercury Pictures Presents, Anthony Marra Intimacies: A Novel, Katie Kitamura
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