1026. Naeem Murr
In this episode of The Other People Show, Brad Listie talks with novelist Naeem Murr about his new book Every Exit Brings You Home, a story set in a Chicago condominium that follows Jamal "Jack" Shaban, a Palestinian diaspora man navigating multiple identities as a husband, flight attendant, and fixer. Murr explains how the novel emerged from a vivid image of a couple in an old Chevy Impala and how his own experiences of displacement inform Jack’s compartmentalized life and fluid sense of self. The conversation also touches on Murr’s broader writing process, the role of place and memory in his work, and the novel’s blend of gentle comedy, tragedy, and themes of home, identity, and belonging.
First Human Ghost on Mars by R.L. Meza (Audio)
In "First Human Ghost on Mars," R.L. Messa narrates a speculative tale of a dead astronaut who becomes the first ghost to set foot on Mars, exploring the disorienting afterlife between worlds. The story follows his struggle to retain humanity...
Shaking Up Jesus History | TC Schmidt
In this episode, host Aaron interviews T.C. Schmidt, an evangelical scholar and author of *Josephus and Jesus: New Evidence for the One Called Christ*. Schmidt explains how Josephus’s disputed passage about Jesus is likely authentic, using large‑scale computer text analysis...
The Science Of Storytelling With Will Storr – TWMJ #1027
In this episode, author and storytelling researcher Will Storr explains how narratives function as psychological transactions that shape belief, identity, and behavior, drawing on neuroscience, psychology, and real‑world examples. He discusses why stories often trump facts, the role of status...
Book Club: "The Book of Burnett"
In this lively book‑club session the hosts and guest Natafe Faye explore the themes of "true self" and personal evolution as presented in *The Book of Burnett*. They discuss how authenticity evolves into a divine higher self, share personal awakenings,...
Excerpt From 'He's the Devil,' By Tobi Coventry
In this story‑time episode of The Other People Show, host Brad Listie introduces Toby Coventry, who reads an excerpt from his debut queer horror novel *He’s the Devil*. The passage follows Simon, a young man whose uneasy cohabitation with a...
283: How Will Project Hail Mary Make the Leap From Book to Silver Screen?
In this episode, host Beth Mund reviews Andy Weir's novel *Project Hail Mary* and speculates on how its three central "characters"—the brilliant but socially awkward Dr. Ryland Grace, the lovable alien Rocky, and the abstract yet pivotal force of time—will...
Better Living Through Dying
In this episode of the Unspeakeasy Podcast, host Megan Daum talks with author and humorist Annabelle Gurwitch about her new memoir, *The End of My Life Is Killing Me*, which chronicles her experience living with stage‑four lung cancer diagnosed during...
Tea, Tales, and Tomes
In this brief 57‑second episode of "Tea, Tales, and Tomes," host Natasha invites listeners into a cozy, book‑loving space where reading and sipping tea go hand in hand. She outlines the show's purpose: to share the joy of reading, help...
Joan Naviyuk Kane : With Snow Pouring Southward Past the Window
In this two‑hour conversation, poet Joan Naviyuk Kane discusses her new collection *With Snow Pouring Southward Past the Window*, exploring themes of home, displacement, colonial erasure, and intergenerational trauma rooted in her Inuit heritage and Alaskan upbringing. She reflects on the...
The Quiet Panic of Turning Thirty
The episode explores the emotional turbulence that often accompanies turning thirty, highlighting how the shared experiences of the twenties give way to divergent life paths such as marriage, parenthood, divorce, and singlehood. It delves into the anxiety of making big...
T Kira Madden on WHIDBEY
In this episode of Poured Over, author T. Cara Madden discusses her debut novel WHIDBEY, which follows three women—two adult survivors of a convicted child‑sex abuser and the abuser’s mother—after the abuser is murdered. Madden explains how the story emerged from...
AWP, DUI, DOA, JFK, WW3, WTF, SMH
In this episode of Brad and Mira for the Culture, the hosts riff on a chaotic week of pop‑culture news and personal anecdotes, from Brad’s first‑time experience at the AWP conference in Baltimore to absurd side‑bars about Rihanna, Britney, and...
Caitlin Breeze on THE FOX HUNT
In this episode, Barnes & Noble bookseller Isabel McConville chats with debut novelist Caitlin Breeze about her new fantasy novel, *The Fox Hunt*. Breeze shares the emotional journey of seeing her manuscript become a physical book, the collaborative design process...
Reader Magnets Are Dead? Why Most Reader Magnets Fail
In this episode, host Thomas interviews author and marketer Laurie Christine about why many reader magnets fail and how to make them work. Laurie explains common mistakes such as using a first‑draft short story or not promoting the magnet, and...
BI 233 Tom Griffiths: The Laws of Thought
In this episode, Tom Griffiths discusses his new book, *The Laws of Thought*, which argues that cognition can be understood through three complementary pillars: logic, probability theory, and neural networks. He explains how logic provides deductive certainty, probability theory extends...
Your Inner Critic Has a Name
In this episode, the host shares a personal strategy for overcoming writer's block by committing to a daily 20‑minute writing sprint, reinforced with a supportive partner and a simple gold‑star reward system. The metaphor of each writing session as a...
Patricia Finn on THE GOLDEN BOY
In this episode of Poured Over, Isabel McConville chats with debut novelist Patricia Finn about her new book *The Golden Boy*. Finn shares the emotional roller‑coaster of seeing her manuscript become a physical book, the intensive editorial process, and the...
"Football," With Chuck Klosterman
In this episode, host and Chuck Klosterman discuss Klosterman's book *Football*, exploring why the sport is a cultural touchstone and how it shapes American identity. Klosterman explains his lifelong fascination with football, from childhood hero Roger Staubach to the sport’s...
Markus Zusak on THE BOOK THIEF
In this hour‑long interview, author Markus Zusak reflects on the 20th anniversary of The Book Thief, discussing its unexpected evolution, the deliberate structure of the novel, and the emotional journey of writing it. He shares anecdotes about characters that were...
Ron Currie on THE SAVAGE, NOBLE DEATH OF BABS DIONNE
Ron Currie appears on the literary podcast Poured Over to discuss his hard‑boiled crime novel, The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne. The conversation, co‑hosted by Isabelle McConville, delves into Currie’s character‑first writing process, his Franco‑American roots, and the novel’s...
Sarah Ruden: A Short History of Bad Ideas About Women
In this episode of Liberating Motherhood, host Zonva Lines talks with classical scholar and translator Sarah Ruden about her new book, *Reproductive Wrongs: A Short History of Bad Ideas About Women*. Ruden traces how patriarchal myths about women’s bodies—from ancient...
Your Author Toolbox: Part 2
The latest release of the Author Toolbox adds dozens of AI‑driven utilities for writers, ranging from PR automation to legal, tax, and editing assistants. All tools are hosted on PatronToolbox.com and organized into categories such as PR, "Not a Professional"...
Tayari Jones on KIN
Tayari Jones joins host Miwa Messer on the Poured Over podcast to discuss her novel *Kin*, a deep dive into mother‑daughter, sister, and friendship bonds in the American South. The conversation expands to Jones’s Atlanta upbringing, her time at Spelman...
1024. Tobi Coventry
Tobi Coventry, a former book scout turned author, released his debut novel "He's the Devil," which was chosen as the February pick for the Otherppl Book Club. Over the past ten years he sourced material for film and television, and...
Marianne Leone's Christina The Astonishing | The Bold Girl the Nuns Couldn’t Break
In this episode Frank Schaefer interviews actress‑writer Mary Ann Leone about her new novel *Christina the Astonishing*, a darkly comic tale of a young Italian‑American girl raised in a strict Catholic environment near Boston. They explore the book’s vivid opening...
From the Archives : Brandon Shimoda : The Grave on the Wall
In this archival episode, poet and writer Brandon Shimada discusses his memoir The Grave on the Wall, which traces his grandfather’s World War II internment at Fort Missoula and situates it within a broader history of U.S. detention sites—from Indian‑War forts...
Alan Cumming on Alasdair Gray's Lanark
In this episode of Book Club, actor Alan Cumming guides listeners through Alasdair Gray’s seminal novel Lanark, exploring its split narrative of a gritty Glasgow reality and a surreal dystopian realm. Cumming reflects on the book’s anarchic structure, its vivid language,...
Cameron Sullivan on THE RED WINTER
The Poured Over podcast released a new episode featuring author Cameron Sullivan discussing his novel The Red Winter. The conversation explores the novel’s blend of French history, the Beast of Gévaudan myth, and a dark, supernatural love story. Co‑host Jenna...
Excerpt From 'Clutch,' By Emily Nemens
Emily Nemens appears on the Otherppl with Brad Listi podcast to read an excerpt from her sophomore novel, Clutch. The episode is part of Story Time, a series showcasing authors reading their work, and highlights Nemens’s literary pedigree, including her New...
Joy Harjo and Tracy K. Smith – "This World Is Full of Everything Good, Everything Beautiful."
Joy Harjo and Tracy K. Smith, former U.S. Poet Laureates, held a vibrant conversation at Symphony Space in New York celebrating their new books, *Girl Warrior* and *Fear Less*. The dialogue framed poetry as a technology for navigating grief, mystery,...
Anna Quindlen on MORE THAN ENOUGH
Anna Quindlen discusses her new novel *More Than Enough* on the *Poured Over* podcast, describing it as a tender exploration of self‑discovery later in life. The conversation, hosted by Brenda Allison, weaves in topics such as friendship, motherhood, chosen family,...
Báyò Akómoláfé : Selah
In this episode of Between the Covers, host David Naiman interviews philosopher‑poet Bayo Akomolafe about his new aphoristic reader Selah, a collage of short pieces that disrupts linear thought and invites readers into a space of radical incompleteness. Akomolafe explains...
How to Become a Professional Writer With Joanna Penn
Joanna Penn emphasizes that becoming a professional writer hinges on adopting a business mindset rather than relying on age or talent. She advises authors to draft a business plan early, treat revenues above $20,000 as a signal to formalize bookkeeping,...
Book Club: What Theo Taught Me About Slowing Down
The review explores Allen Levi’s novel *Theo of Golden*, where an 84‑year‑old Portuguese newcomer, Theo, discovers 92 portrait sketches of a small Southern town’s residents and sets out to deliver each one personally. The narrative unfolds as a quiet, devastating...
Michael Pollan on A WORLD APPEARS
Michael Pollan’s new book *A World Appears* delves into consciousness, weaving together plant biology, human cognition, and philosophical inquiry. In a recent interview with Chris Gillespie, he expands on sentience, theory of mind, and the parallels between AI and the...
1023. Emily Nemens
Emily Nemens, author of the Tin House novel Clutch, gained early acclaim with her debut The Cactus League, which was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and featured on NPR and Lit Hub’s 2020 favorites lists. Her short fiction...
Post-Traumatic Growth, Creative Marketing, And Dealing With Change with Jack Williamson
Jack Williamson, a psychotherapist and former music‑industry executive, discusses how personal trauma can become a catalyst for creative growth and how indie authors can apply lessons from the music sector’s disruptive evolution. He outlines post‑traumatic growth strategies, warns against shiny‑object...
Jo Nesbø on WOLF HOUR
Jo Nesbø joined the Poured Over podcast to discuss his latest novel, Wolf Hour, a dark psychological crime thriller. The conversation, hosted by Chris Gillespie and mixed by Harry Liang, delved into the book’s exploration of a murderer’s mind, as well as Nesbø’s personal...