WritersCast

The Fast: The History, Science, Philosophy, and Promise of Doing Without—John Oakes—Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster—Hardcover —9781668017418—320 pages—$30—February 13, 2024—ebook versions available at lower prices If you’re expecting to find a “how to guide to fasting” you will have to look elsewhere. John Oakes is far too good a writer and thinker to […]

The post John Oakes: The Fast: The History, Science, Philosophy, and Promise of Doing Without first appeared on WritersCast .

The Warner Brothers by Chris Yogerst, Foreword by Michael Uslan – University Press of Kentucky – Hardcover – 9780813198019 – 360 pages – $34.95 -September 5, 2023. eBook and audio book versions are also available at lower prices. My grandfather, Jacob Wilk, worked for Warner Brothers as their east coast representative for almost thirty years, […]

The post Chris Yogerst: The Warner Brothers first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks began first as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly talking about the future of publishing, books, and culture. It was great fun talking with people in the book industry about the evolution of publishing in the context of technology, culture, and economics. Over […]

The post Publishing Talks Interview with Jane Friedman of Hot Sheet first appeared on WritersCast .

The Swine Republic: Struggles with the Truth about Agriculture and Water Quality – Chris Jones – Foreword by Tom Philpott – Ice Cube Press – 9781948509404 – 400 pages – $29.99 – June 1, 2023 When I saw the title of this book, I knew I would want to read it. How could I resist? […]

The post Chris Jones: The Swine Republic: Struggles with the Truth about Agriculture and Water Quality first appeared on WritersCast .

The Road Washes Out in Spring: A Poet’s Memoir of Living Off the Grid – Baron Wormser – Brandeis University Press – 9781684581603 – 214 pages – paperback – $24.95 – March 7, 2023 – ebook versions available at lower prices Baron Wormser is a poet and prose writer whose work I have been familiar with […]

The post Baron Wormser: The Road Washes Out in Spring first appeared on WritersCast .

His Majesty’s Airship: The Life and Tragic Death of the World’s Largest Flying Machine — Sam Gwynne — Scribner — 9781982168278 — 320 pages — hardcover — $32.00 – May 2, 2023 — ebook versions available at lower cost Sam Gwynne is the author of the outstanding Empire of the Summer Moon, a book I […]

The post S.C. Gwynne: His Majesty’s Airship interview by David Wilk first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks began as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly talking about the future of publishing, books, and culture. I’ve spent time talking with people in the book industry about how publishing is evolving in the context of technology, culture, and economics. Later this series grew […]

The post Publishing Talks: An Interview with Shouvik Paul of CopyLeaks first appeared on WritersCast .

Poets on the Road – Maureen Owen and Barbara Henning – City Point Press – 9781947951709 – Paperback – 176 pages – $18 – June 6, 2023 – ebook editions available at lower prices This is a special book by two very special poets. I know I am biased. They are both friends of mine, […]

The post Maureen Owen and Barbara Henning: Poets on the Road first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks began as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly talking about the future of publishing, books, and culture. I’ve spent time talking with people in the book industry about how publishing is evolving in the context of technology, culture, and economics. Later this series broadened […]

The post Publishing Talks: Interview with Josh Schwartz of Pubvendo first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks began as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly talking about the future of publishing, books, and culture. I’ve spent time talking with people in the book industry about how publishing is evolving in the context of technology, culture, and economics. Later this series broadened […]

The post Publishing Talks: Interview with Michael Wolfe first appeared on WritersCast .

Missing: A Memoir – Cornelia Maude Spelman – Jackleg Press – 9781737513445 – Paperback – 176 pages – $17.00 – July 15, 2022 – ebook versions available at lower prices Cornelia Maude Spelman is best known as a children’s book author. This memoir of her family was spurred by her meeting with and friendship with […]

The post Cornelia Maude Spelman: Missing: A Memoir first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks began as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly talking about the future of publishing, books, and culture. I’ve spent time talking with people in the book industry about how publishing is evolving in the context of technology, culture, and economics. Some time back, […]

The post Publishing Talks: Interview with Dan Harke of Mayo Clinic Press first appeared on WritersCast .

All of You Every Single One: A Novel – Beatrice Hitchman – Overlook Press – 978-1-4197-5693-1 – Hardcover – 320 pages – $26 – January 4, 2022 – ebook editions available at lower prices This novel is an absolutely riveting book I truly enjoyed. And happily, it introduced me to the work of Beatrice Hitchman, […]

The post Beatrice Hitchman: All of You Every Single One first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks began as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly about the future of publishing, books, and culture. I’ve spent time talking with people in the book industry about how publishing is evolving in the context of fast-changing technology, culture, and economics. Along the way, […]

The post Publishing Talks: Interview with Mark Hurst of Creative Good first appeared on WritersCast .

Immortal Valor: The Black Medal of Honor Recipients of World War II – Robert Child – Osprey – 9781472852854 – 288 pages – hardcover – $30 – January 11, 2022 – ebook edition available at lower prices It is remarkable to realize how few medals of honor were awarded for service during World War II […]

The post Robert Child: Immortal Valor: The Black Medal of Honor Recipients of World War II first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks started as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly talking about the future of publishing, books, and culture. It was great fun talking with people in the book industry about the evolution of publishing in the context of technology, culture, and economics. Later this […]

The post Publishing Talks: Interview with Jane Friedman first appeared on WritersCast .

The Farmer’s Lawyer: The North Dakota Nine and the Fight to Save the Family Farm – Sarah Vogel – Bloomsbury – 9781635575262 – 432 pages – hardcover – $28 – ebook edition available at lower prices – November 2, 2021 Many Americans think of North Dakota and the other prairie states as being conservative culturally […]

The post Sarah Vogel: The Farmer’s Lawyer: The North Dakota Nine and the Fight to Save the Family Farm first appeared on WritersCast .

If You Want to Know How I Got Brainwashed: Story and Paintings – Betsy Dovydenas – City Point Press – 978-1-947951-40-2 – 224 pages – paperback – $24 – ebook edition available at lower prices In many ways, this is a simple story. A woman becomes involved with a small local church and soon finds […]

The post Betsy Dovydenas: If You Want to Know How I Got Brainwashed first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks began as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly talking about the future of publishing, books, and culture. I’ve spent time talking with people in the book industry about how publishing is evolving in the context of technology, culture, and economics. Some years ago, this […]

The post Publishing Talks: Interview with George Slowik, Jr. of Publishers Weekly first appeared on WritersCast .

The Family Chao – Lan Samantha Chang – W.W. Norton – 9780393868074 – 320 pages – Hardcover – $29.00 – February 1, 2022. eBook versions available at lower prices. This is a beautifully written and thoughtfully composed novel about three brothers in a Chinese American family living somewhat awkwardly in a small town in Wisconsin. […]

The post Lan Samantha Chang: The Family Chao (A Novel) first appeared on WritersCast .

At Heaven’s Door – What Shared Journeys to the Afterlife Teach about Dying Well and Living Better – William J. Peters – with Michael Kinsella – Simon and Schuster – 978-1-9821-5042-6 – Hardcover – 248 pages – $26.00 – January 18, 2022 – ebook editions available at lower prices William Peters is a therapist who […]

The post William J. Peters: At Heaven’s Door-What Shared Journeys to the AfterLife Teach about Dying Well and Living Better first appeared on WritersCast .

Iwígara: American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science, The Kinship of Plants and People — Enrique Salmón –Timber Press — 978-1-60469-880-0 — Hardcover – $34.95 – ebook and audio book versions available at lower prices This is a truly incredible and hugely inspiring book for me. Enrique Salmón, a member of the Raramuri tribe from Mexico, […]

The post Enrique Salmón: Iwígara: American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science first appeared on WritersCast .

Banished Children of Eve: A Novel of Civil War New York – Peter Quinn – Empire State Editions (Fordham University Press) – 978-08232-9408-4 – 612 pages – paperback – $17.95 (eBook version is not available for this title) Historical novels based in New York City have always appealed to me. I am not sure why. […]

The post Peter Quinn: Banished Children of Eve: A Novel of Civil War New York first appeared on WritersCast .

Lights Out in Lincolnwood – A Novel – Geoff Rodkey – HarperCollins – 9780063065925 – Paperback – 544 pages – $16.99 – ebook versions available at lower prices I have to admit that I did not expect to really like this book anywhere near as much as I did. I’ve certainly read my share of […]

The post Geoff Rodkey: Lights Out in Lincolnwood (A Novel) first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks began as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly talking about the future of publishing, books, and culture. I’ve spent time talking with people in the book industry about how publishing is evolving in the context of technology, culture, and economics. Some time back, this […]

The post Publishing Talks: Interview with Jeff Deutsch of Seminary Co-op Bookstores first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks began as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly talking about the future of publishing, books, and culture. I’ve spent quite a bit of time over the years talking with people in the book industry about how publishing has evolved in the context of […]

The post Publishing Talks: Interview with Ben Fox of Shepherd.com first appeared on WritersCast .

The Terrible Unlikelihood of Our Being Here – Susanne Paola Antonetta – 978-0-8142-5780-7 – 248 pages – paperback – February, 2021 – Mad Creek Books – $22.95 – ebook editions available at lower prices Sometimes one literally chances across a terrific book; it appears unbidden and takes over one’s complete attention. A surprise appearance in […]

The post Susanne Paola Antonetta: The Terrible Unlikelihood of Our Being Here first appeared on WritersCast .

Darrow’s Nightmare: The Forgotten Story of America’s Most Famous Trial Lawyer (Los Angeles 1911–1913) – Nelson Johnson – 9781948122733 – 360 pages – April 20, 2021 – Hardcover – Rosetta Books – ebook editions available at lower prices One of the great personal joys that working in the book business enables is that I get […]

The post Nelson Johnson: Darrow’s Nightmare-The Forgotten Story of America’s Most Famous Trial Lawyer first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks began as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly talking about the future of publishing, books, and culture. I’ve spent time talking with people in the book industry about how publishing is evolving in the context of technology, culture, and economics. Some time ago, this […]

The post Publishing Talks: Interview with Roxanne Coady of R.J. Julia Booksellers first appeared on WritersCast .

Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold – Ross Benes – 9780700630455 – hardcover – University Press of Kansas – 256 pages – $29.95 – January 26, 2021 – ebook versions available at lower prices Ross Benes is a journalist and author who now lives in New York City. But he was born and […]

The post Ross Benes – Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold first appeared on WritersCast .

Rediscovering Earth: Ten Dialogues on the Future of Nature – conversations with Anders Dunker – OR Books – 9781682195086 – Paperback – 240 pages – $23 – ebook versions available at lower prices Thinking about how to think about climate, earth, humans on it, and the future, are major challenges for all of us who […]

The post Anders Dunker: Rediscovering Earth first appeared on WritersCast .

The FBI Way: Inside the Bureau’s Code of Excellence – Frank Figliuzzi – 9780062997050 – hardcover – HarperCollins – 272 pages – $27.99 – January 12, 2021 – ebook versions available at lower prices If you have been paying attention to the news for the five years since the US elevated Donald J. Trump to […]

The post Frank Figliuzzi: The FBI Way – Inside the Bureau’s Code of Excellence first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks began as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly about the future of publishing, books, and culture. I’ve spent time in conversation with people in and around the book industry talking about its evolution in the contexts of technology, culture, and economics. Later, this […]

The post Publishing Talks: Interview with Angus Yuen-Killick of Red Comet Press first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks began as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly talking about the future of publishing, books, and culture. I’ve spent time talking with people in the book industry about how publishing is evolving in the context of technology, culture, and economics. Later this series broadened […]

The post Publishing Talks: Interview with Kyle Schlesinger of Cuneiform Press first appeared on WritersCast .

Unworthy Republic: The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory – Claudio Saunt – 97800393541564 – paperback – W.W. Norton – 416 pages – $26.95 – February 23, 2021 – ebook versions available at lower prices This is a book that should be required reading for all Americans. Even those of us […]

The post Unworthy Republic: The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory by Claudio Saunt first appeared on WritersCast .

The Brothers Mankiewicz: Hope, Heartbreak, and Hollywood Classics – Sydney Ladensohn Stern- 9781617032677 – University Press of Mississippi – 480 pages – 88 b&w illustrations – October 2019 – Hardcover – $35 – ebook version available at lower prices There are any number of characters and influencers in the history of modern American film-making, but […]

The post The Brothers Mankiewicz: Hope, Heartbreak, and Hollywood Classics by Sydney Ladensohn Stern first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks began as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly talking about the future of publishing, books, and culture. I’ve spent time talking with people in the book industry about how publishing is evolving in the context of technology, culture, and economics. Some time back, this […]

The post Publishing Talks: Interview with Arthur Attwell first appeared on WritersCast .

Surviving Genocide: Native Nations and the United States from the American Revolution to Bleeding Kansas – Jeffrey Ostler – 9780300255362 – Yale University Press – Paperback – 544 pages – September 22, 2020 – $25 – ebook versions available at lower prices “A landmark book essential to understanding American history, Surviving Genocide is an act […]

The post Surviving Genocide: Native Nations and the United States from the American Revolution to Bleeding Kansas: Jeffrey Ostler first appeared on WritersCast .

Even as We Breathe, A Novel – Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle – 9781950564064 – University Press of Kentucky – Hardcover – 240 pages – September 2020 – $24.95 – ebook versions available for sale at lower prices This has been a good year to read fiction, and I am really pleased to have discovered this author. […]

The post Even as We Breathe, A Novel: Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle first appeared on WritersCast .

Old friend and colleague John O’Brien, founder of Review of Contemporary Fiction and Dalkey Archive Press passed away on November 21st. John and I had many mutual friends in literature and similar tastes and interests, and his vision of writing and books led me to learn about many writers whose work I would otherwise never […]

The post Publisher and editor John O’Brien has died first appeared on WritersCast .

American Gospel, A Novel – Lin Enger – 978-1-5179-1054-9 – University of Minnesota Press – Hardcover – 248 pages – October 27, 2020 – $24.95 – ebook versions available for sale at lower prices I read Lin Enger’s last novel, High Divide, a few years ago and was really taken with his writing and the […]

The post American Gospel, A Novel: Lin Enger first appeared on WritersCast .

The Vanishing Sky (A Novel) – L. Annette Binder – 9781635574678 – Bloomsbury Publishing – Hardcover – 288 pages – July 21, 2020 – $27.00 – ebook versions for sale at lower prices I did not know what to expect when I started reading The Vanishing Sky. Initially, I was looking forward to reading a […]

The post The Vanishing Sky (A Novel) by L. Annette Binder first appeared on WritersCast .

Why We Revolt: A Patient Revolution for Careful and Kind Care – Victor Montori, MD – 9781893005624 – Mayo Clinic Press – paperback – 192 pages – $14.99 – September 29, 2020 – ebook versions available at lower prices Victor Montori is an incredibly empathetic and kind clinician, whose commitment to creating a better form […]

The post Why We Revolt: A Patient Revolution for Careful and Kind Care by Victor Montori MD first appeared on WritersCast .

A couple years ago, in the process of researching the mostly unknown and under-appreciated New Yorker writer Robert M. Coates, I reached out to Roger Angell, who knew Coates during his many years of writing for and working at The New Yorker (and whose mother, Katharine Sergeant Angell White, and stepfather, E.B. White, knew Coates […]

The post Writerscast: David Wilk interviews Roger Angell first appeared on WritersCast .

Mating in Captivity: A Memoir – Helen Zuman – 9781631523373 – She Writes Press – paperback – 248 pages – May 8, 2018 – $16.95 – ebook versions for sale at lower prices When I was in my younger hippie Whole Earth Catalog reading period of life, I became intensely interested in communes and alternative […]

The post Helen Zuman: Mating in Captivity [A Memoir] first appeared on WritersCast .

Blackwood: A Novel – Michael Farris Smith – 9780316529815 – Little Brown – Hardcover – 256 pages – March 3, 2020 – $27.00 – ebook versions for sale at lower prices This is pretty much a stunningly written book. I discovered the writing of Michael Farris Smith serendipitously through the southern culture magazine, Garden & […]

The post Blackwood: A Novel by Michael Farris Smith first appeared on WritersCast .

Crooked Hallelujah – Kelli Jo Ford – 978-0-8021-4912-1 – Grove Press – Hardcover – 304 pages – July 14, 2020 – $26.00 – ebook versions available at lower prices. Kelli Jo Ford’s novel is a deeply rewarding read. Comparisons to the work of Louise Erdrich are inevitable and unavoidable (and Kelli Jo mentioned Louise in […]

The post Crooked Hallelujah: Kelli Jo Ford first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks began as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly talking about the future of publishing, books, and culture. I’ve spent time talking with people in the book industry about how publishing is evolving in the context of technology, culture, and economics. Some time back, […]

The post Publishing Talks: David Wilk Interviews Howard Junker about Zyzzyva first appeared on WritersCast .

At the Center of All Beauty: Solitude and the Creative Life – Fenton Johnson- 9780393608298 – W.W. Norton – Hardcover – 256 pages – March 10, 2020 – $26.95 – ebook versions available at lower prices So much of the pleasure of conducting this podcast for all these years has been (and continues to be) […]

The post Fenton Johnson – At the Center of All Beauty: Solitude and the Creative Life first appeared on WritersCast .

Publishing Talks began as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly talking about the future of publishing, books, and culture. As every media business continues to experience disruption and change, I’ve spent time talking with some of the people involved in our industry about how publishing […]

The post Publishing Talks: David Wilk interviews Mary Gannon of CLMP first appeared on WritersCast .