WYPL Book Talk

Gayle Feldman - Nothing Random

Gayle Feldman has been with the prestigious industry magazine Publisher’s Weekly for over forty years as a writer and a senior editor. She has previously written the memoir, You Don’t Have to Be Your Mother, as well as a look at the publishing industry called Best and Worst of Times: The Changing Business of Trade Books. Today Gayle and I continue our conversation about her newest title. Nothing Random: Bennett Cerf and the Publishing House He Built, which is published by Random House. 

 

Brian Earl - Of Christmases Long, Long Ago

 

Brian Earl to the program today. Brian is the host of the podcast Christmases Past and the author of two books about the holiday, Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions and the recently published, Of Christmases Long, Long Ago: Surprising Traditions from Christmas Past, which is available from Lyons Press. 

Peter Brannen - The Story of CO2..., pt. 2

We welcome Peter Brannen to the program for the final installment of our two-part interview. Peter is a journalist, and his work has appeared in publications such as The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Wired.  His book The Ends of the World, about the five major mass extinctions in Earth's history, was published in 2017. Today we’ll conclude our discussion of his latest title, The Story of CO2 is the Story of Everything: How Carbon Dioxide Made Our World, which is published by Ecco.   

 

Peter Brannen - The Story of CO2..., pt. 1

We welcome Peter Brannen to the program for the first installment of our two-part interview. Peter is a journalist, and his work has appeared in publications such as The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Wired.  His book The Ends of the World, about the five major mass extinctions in Earth's history, was published in 2017. Today we’ll begin our discussion of his latest title, The Story of CO2 is the Story of Everything: How Carbon Dioxide Made Our World, which is published by Ecco.   

 

Eli Cranor - Mississippi Blue 42

 

Eli Cranor is a former professional football player turned crime fiction novelist. His previous novels are Don’t Know Tough, which won the Edgar Award in 2023 for Best First Novel, Ozark Dogs, Broiler, and today we’ll be discussing his most recent title, Mississippi Blue 42, which is published by Soho Crime. 

 

John T. Edge - House of Smoke

 

Food historian and host of TV's TrueSouth John T. Edge returns to Book Talk to discuss his memoir, House of Smoke.

Coltan Scrivener - Morbidly Curious

 

Dr. Coltan Scrivner is a scientist who studies morbid curiosity, or why death and injury demand our attention, ranging from biological instincts to cultural mores. Today we’ll be discussing his new book, Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can't Look Away, which is published by Penguin.

 

Prue Shaw - Dante - The Essential Commedia, pt. 2

 

 

We welcome Dr. Pue Shaw back to the program today for the final of a two-part interview. Dr. Shaw is a retired reader of Italian and Italian Literature, having taught at The University of Cambridge and the University of London. Much of her research is focused on the medieval poet Dante Alighieri. Her books for a general readership are Reading Dante: From Here to Eternity and the recently published Dante: The Essential Commedia, both are published by Liveright. 

Prue Shaw - Dante: The Essential Commedia, pt. 1

 

 

We welcome Dr. Pue Shaw to the program today for the first of a two-part interview. Dr. Shaw is a retired reader of Italian and Italian Literature, having taught at The University of Cambridge and the University of London. Much of her research is focused on the medieval poet Dante Alighieri. Her books for a general readership are Reading Dante: From Here to Eternity and the recently published Dante: The Essential Commedia, both are published by Liveright. 

Eliana Ramage - To the Moon and Back

Eliana Ramage earned her MFA in fiction at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop. Her debut novel is To the Moon and Back and is published by Avid Reader Press. It’s the story of Steph Harper who wants to be the first Cherokee astronaut in space, as well as the sacrifices and drive it requires from her, and how it affects her relationships with her family, partners, and people. 

 

Susan Gregg Gilmore - The Curious Calling of Leonard Bush

Susan Gregg Gilmore has appeared on Book Talk for her three previous novels, Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove, and The Funeral Dress. Today we’ll be discussing her latest title, The Curious Calling of Leonard Bush which is published by Blair.

 

Nat Segaloff - Bogart and Huston

Nat Segaloff has worked in show biz as a publicist, producer, writer and more. His previous titles include: Hurricane Billy: The Stormy Life and Films of William Friedkin, A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison, and Breaking the Code: Otto Preminger Versus Hollywood’s Censors. Today we’ll be discussing his latest book Bogart and Huston: Their Lives, Their Adventures, and the Classic Movies They Made Together which is published by Pegasus. 

Mate Marvel - Human Nature - Part Two

Dr. Kate Marvel is a climate scientist. She earned her PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Cambridge. She conducted post-doc research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, as well as at the Carnegie Institution for Science, and the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. She was a columnist for Scientific American for several years. Today, we’ll finish our two-part discussion of her first book for general audiences, Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet, which is published by Ecco. 

Kate Marvel - Human Nature - Part One

Dr. Kate Marvel is a climate scientist. She earned her PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Cambridge. She conducted post-doc research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, as well as at the Carnegie Institution for Science, and the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. 

 

She was a columnist for Scientific American for several years. Today we’ll have the first of our two-part discussion of her first book for general audiences, Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet, which is published by Ecco. 

Jerry Avorn - Rethinking Medications, Part 2

 

Jerry Avorn is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief Emeritus of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. His previous book is Powerful Medicines: The Benefits, Risks, and Costs of Prescription Drugs, and today we’ll be finishing our discussion of his recent release, Rethinking Medications: Truth, Power, and the Drugs You Take which is published by Simon and Schuster. 

Jerry Avorn - Rethinking Medications, Part 1

 

Jerry Avorn is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief Emeritus of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. His previous book is Powerful Medicines: The Benefits, Risks, and Costs of Prescription Drugs, and today we’ll begin our discussion of his recent release, Rethinking Medications: Truth, Power, and the Drugs You Take which is published by Simon and Schuster. 

Elizabeth Birkelund - A Northern Light in Provence

Elizabeth Birkelund is a novelist whose previous works include The Runaway Wife and The Dressmaker. Prior to writing novels, Elizabeth was a personal finance columnist for Cosmopolitan magazine and a full-time freelance writer for publications such as Glamour, Self, Victoria and Working Woman. Today, we’ll be discussing her recent novel, A Northern Light in Provence, which is published by Ballantine Books.

 

Heather Clark - The Scrapbook

Heather Clark is a biographer, literary critic and novelist. She is the author of Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath, The Grief of Influence: Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, The Ulster Renaissance: Poetry in Belfast 1962 – 1972 and Sylvia Plath, a Very Short Introduction. Today we’ll be discussing her novel, The Scrapbook, which is published by Pantheon Books. 

 

Rickey Fayne - The Devil Three Times

Rickey Fayne is a native of western Tennessee but currently makes his home in the upper Midwest. His fiction has appeared in publications such as The Kenyon Review, The Sewanee, and Guernica. Today we’ll be discussing his debut novel, The Devil Three Times which is published by Little, Brown and Company. 

 

Michael Farris Smith - Lay Your Armor Down

 

Michael Farris Smith is a novelist who has appeared on Book Talk many times discuss his books, including Blackwood and Salvage this World. Today, we’ll be discussing his most recent novel, Lay Your Armor Down which is published by Little, Brown and Company.