Nonfiction Episodes

In this interview, I chat with Pamela Lamp about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Do the Next New Thing, how she came up with the ideas for her book, writing a book, how hard it can be to make friends as an adult, her blog Who I Met Today, and much more. Pam's recommended reads are: Let's Call Her Barbie by Renee Rosen One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune Thanks so much to those of you who have donated to the show. Donate to the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Venmo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want to...

In this interview, I chat with Martha Barnette about Friends with Words, her interest in words and word origins, hosting A Way With Words, what a call-out show is and how it works, her favorite questions she is asked on her show, writing this memoir, her title, and much more. Martha's recommended reads are: Orbital by Samantha Harvey Clear by Carys Davies Enough is Enuf by Gabe Henry Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In this interview, I chat with Nathalia Holt about ⁠The Beast in the Clouds⁠⁠, how the panda bear was the large mammal unknown to science, the Roosevelt brothers' unlikely but successful excursion, how they changed the way the world viewed conservation, how she learned about this story, finding a publisher for this tale, and much more. Nathalia's recommended reads are: Palace of Deception by Darrin Lunde On a Mission: The Smithsonian History of U.S. Women Astronauts by Valerie Neal ...

In this interview, I chat with Judith Viorst about ⁠⁠⁠ Making the Best of What's Left , living the fifth fifth of your life, dealing with loneliness and redefining happiness, what surprised her the most when writing this one, her cover, the importance of community, reader response, and much more. Judith's recommended reads are: Avid Reader by Robert Gottlieb The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar Looking for some great winter reads? Check ou...

In this interview, I chat with Chloe Dalton about Raising Hare, why she decided to write this memoir, her relationship with Hare, how her habits and lifestyle changed as a result of this relationship, our interactions with wild animals, what she learned from these experiences, her working relationship with Angeline Jolie, and much more. Chloe's recommended reads are: The Women by Kristin Hannah The Future by Naomi Alderman The Glass Maker by Tracy Chevalier The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami ...

In this interview, I chat with Sy Montgomery about What the Chicken Knows, her title and cover, why she loves chickens so much, what she wants her readers to take away from this book, how each flock has its own vibe, and much more. Sy's recommended reads are: Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death by Susana Monso Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton Want to know which new titles are publishing in January - May of 2025? Check out our third Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehe...

In this interview, I chat with Julie Satow about When Women Ran Fifth Avenue, deciding to write about these women, her research, getting the cover right, how her title came about, and much more. Julie's recommended reads are: Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan All the Summers in Between by Brooke Lea Foster Seven Summer Weekends by Jane L. Rosen Anna Bright Is Hiding Something by Susie Orman Schnall Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my Summer Reading Guide Preview or my comple...

In this interview, I chat with Ann Leary about I've Tried Being Nice, why she decided to write this essay collection, how she is trying to no longer be a people pleaser, how hard it can be to get along with people as an introvert, why your priorities change as you get older, and much more. Ann's recommended reads are: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote The Collector by John Fowles Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my Summer Reading Guide Preview or my complete printable 12-page 2024...

In this interview, I chat with Clare Mackintosh about I Promise It Won't Always Hurt Like This, how grief changes your identity, structuring this memoir, how her titles and cover came about, the differences and similarities in writing crime fiction and a memoir, and much more. Clare's recommended reads are: A Manual for Heartache by Cathy Rentzenbrink The Madness of Grief by Richard Coles The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World by Laura Mai Messina Want to know which new titles are publish...

In this interview, I chat with Deborah Jackson Taffa about Whiskey Tender, telling an intersectional story, portraying blended backgrounds versus oversimplifying the Native experience, weaving history into her own story, what surprised her the most when she was writing her memoir. her title and cover, and much more. Deborah's recommended reads are: Shutter by Ramona Emerson The Missing Morningstar by Stacie Shannon Denetsosie The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters The Strange Beautiful by Carla...

In this interview, I chat with Julie Chavez about Everyone But Myself, her publishing journey including working with Zibby Books, what surprised her the most about writing a memoir, how involved the editing process can be, her title and cover, and much more.

In this interview, I chat with Mackenzie Funk about The Hank Show, how he first learned about Hank Asher and then decided to write about him, how our personal data is accumulated and used today and how it all began, his research, the initial way that this data collection was put to use, and much more.

In this interview, I chat with Jen Golbeck and Stacey Colino about The Purest Bond, how they came to write this book together, the physical, cognitive, emotional and social benefits of owning a dog, the gorilla basketball video on YouTube, creating the Golden Ratio, the science behind the human/dog relationship, and much more.

In this interview, I chat with Matt Singer about Opposable Thumbs, writing about Siskel & Ebert, how the two were trailblazers and the legacy they left, where the show can be watched today, whether it is best to read a book before or after watching the screen adaptation, and much more.

In this interview, I chat with Laurence Leamer about Hitchcock's Blondes, why he decided to write this book, his research, interviewing Eva Marie Saint and Kim Novak, the upcoming screen adaptation of Capote's Women, what surprised him the most when writing this one, and much more.

In this interview, I chat with Meg Kissinger about While You Were Out, why she decided to write this book, how the health care system often fails those with mental illness, what surprised her the most when writing this memoir, living with parents who have mental illnesses, her title and its significance, and much more.

In this interview, I chat with Greg Glasgow and Kathryn Mayer about Disneyland on the Mountain, how they learned about Mineral King and decided to write about it, Walt Disney's vision for a ski resort, putting the Mineral King project in context within the larger Disney arena and the environmental movement, their research, and much more. Greg's recommended reads are: A Chateau Under Siege by Martin Walker Cosmic Scholar: The Life and Times of Harry Smith by John Szwed Kathryn's r...

In this interview, Elizabeth and I discuss It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway, narrating her audiobook, getting the Prologue right and why she had to rewrite it many times, her favorite essay in the collection, New York City during the pandemic, and much more.

In this interview, Kim and I discuss Lexington, his impact on the sport of horse racing today, what happened to Lexington after he retired from racing, elk antlers and their significance in racing, horse racing in the 1800s, and much more.

In this interview, Ava and I discuss Mott Street, the Chinese Exclusion Act, her family's close connection to Mott Street and how 49 of her family members have lived in this one building on the street, the importance of oral histories, how she is a 5th generation Chinese-American, and much more.

In this interview, Alex and I discuss Seventy Times Seven, what constitutes justice, eliminating the death penalty for children, her title and its meaning, forgiveness, how different individuals approach a tragedy and why, and much more.

In this interview, Rory and I discuss There Will Be Fire, creating a roadmap regarding the history of the British/Irish conflict, how religion is really a social and political signifier in the conflict, writing true crime, how security changed in the United Kingdom after Brighton, and much more.

In this interview, Laura and I discuss Stash, why she decided to write this book, how tricky memory is, overcoming her addiction to Ambien, providing input on her book's cover, her podcast The Only One in the Room, and much more.

In this interview, Christie and I discuss B.F.F., all of the book's great pre-publication press, why friendships were so hard for her, social media's impact on relationships, how the title and cover came about, how her family responded to this book, and much more.