The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan

Introducing The Lit Hub Podcast

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0000

Literary Hub has a new podcast!

Hosted by LH podcasts editor Drew Broussard, this new weekly show goes behind the scenes at Lit Hub, diving deeper into everything interesting, dynamic, strange, and wonderful in literary culture. Featuring appearances by Lit Hub staff, recurring columnists like Kristen Arnett and Maris Kreizman, and special guests talking about the news of the day and so much more.

New episodes every Friday, wherever you get your podcasts.

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Chef Eric Ripert

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 14:16:00 -0000

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John Grisham on Good Fiction and Big Issues

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 12:20:00 -0000

On this edition of The Literary Life, John Grisham is live at Books and Books in Coral Gables for a great night with a room full of readers, basking in the brilliance of a master storyteller. John's new book is The Exchange, and he brings back Mitch McDeer, the hero of The Firm -- and he talks with Mitchell Kaplan about this new book and much, much more.

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Lauren Groff on Writing Her Own Robinson Crusoe

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 11:48:00 -0000

Books & Books recently had the pleasure of hosting three-time National Book Award finalist and best-selling author Lauren Groff, presenting her new novel, The Vaster Wilds. The New York Times calls it “a lonely novel of hunger and survival.” The brilliant Groff reads from her adventure novel and answers questions from her audience of fans. This new episode of The Literary Life was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables.

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Nathan Hill on Music, Marriage, and His New Novel WELLNESS

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 16:50:00 -0000

Nathan Hill is the guest on this edition of The Literary Life. His new novel Wellness is one of the most anticipated books of the year: following his critically acclaimed The Nix, Wellness tells the story of a marriage at its inception and then into its future. Two days after Oprah selected Wellness for her book club, Nathan visited Books and Books and his humor, poignancy, and flat-out brilliance were on display -- on page and stage.

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Kai Bird: Telling the Story of Robert Oppenheimer

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 15:16:18 -0000

Books and Books in Coral Gables, our flagship store, is right across the street from the Coral Gables Cinema. Our indie bookstore so close to this indie cinema is my idea of heaven.

Over the years, we've had many collaborations and just a few weeks ago, during the cinema's first run showing of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, Kai Bird, the co-author of American Prometheus (which Christopher Nolan adapted for his screenplay) joined me for a Q&A following a screening of the film. That Q&A makes up this edition of The Literary Life.

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Dean Koontz on His Life and His Work

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 11:54:16 -0000

Imagine this: my guest has published over 105 novels and has sold over 450 million copies of his books. That's right, 450 million copies. That's the output of Dean Koontz and my revealing conversation with him covers lots of territory: his book collection, his love of reading, his new works, his thoughts on artificial intelligence, his writing process, how he researches, his openness about overcoming his difficult childhood, the impact of his early teachers, and the incredible bond with Gerda, his lifelong love and partner. Dean spoke to me from Southern California while I was at Books and Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

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Campbell McGrath: Reading Poetry Aloud

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 15:57:19 -0000

Campbell McGrath is among South Florida's most revered poets recognized with the MacArthur Genius Award, a Kingsley Tufts poetry Award and by admirers from Robert Pinsky to Elizabeth Alexander. His newest collection is Fever of Unknown Origin and on this edition of The Literary Life, we celebrate its publication with a reading at the Coral Gables location of Books & Books.

Introducing Campbell is Scott Cunningham, executive and artistic director of OMiami, which is building community around the power of poetry.

Campbell McGrath is the author of eleven books of poetry, most recently Nouns & Verbs: New and Selected Poems, and XX: Poems for the Twentieth Century, a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize. His writing has been recognized with a MacArthur Foundation “Genius Award,” a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Witter Bynner Fellowship from the Library of Congress, and a United States Artists Fellowship. He lives with his wife in Miami Beach, and teaches in the MFA program at Florida International University.

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Marc Schulz: The Secret to Living a Happy Life

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 16:00:00 -0000

On this edition of The Literary Life, what makes for a happy life, a fulfilling life? Robert Waldinger and Mark Schulz, the directors of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, have just published The Good Life: Life Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study on Happiness. Their invaluable insights emerge from the revealing personal stories of hundreds of participants in the Harvard study that forms the basis of this new important book.

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Chasten Buttigieg: Imagining a Brighter Future

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 16:00:00 -0000

At a time when the state of Florida has become ground zero for those who want to silence the voices of so many, we at Books & Books found it critical to bring Chasten Buttigieg to the Miami area to celebrate the publication of the young-adult edition of his memoir, I Have Something to Tell You. Chasten was joined in conversation with the Deputy Executive Director of the national LGBTQ Task Force, Mayra Hidalgo Salazar. Pastor Laurie Hafner welcomed our guest on this week's edition of the Literary Life.

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Anne Berest: Exploring History in The Postcard

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 16:00:00 -0000

Anne Berest, the author of The Postcard -- one of the most acclaimed and beloved French novels of recent years -- came to Books & Books and dazzled a room full of readers. Let's join those readers on this episode of The Literary Life.

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Ana Veciana-Suarez: You Can't Wait for Inspiration, You've Got to Write

Fri, 26 May 2023 16:00:00 -0000

Ana Veciana-Suarez is the author of several books, including the historical novel Dulcinea, the young adult novel, Flight to Freedom, and a collection of essays, Birthday Parties in Heaven: Thoughts on Life, Love, Grief, and Other Matters of the Heart. A previous novel, The Chin Kiss King, was nominated for the prestigious IMPAC Award. In 2019 she won a Cintas Fellowship for Creative Writing for her novel-in-progress.

Two of her nonfiction books about the Hispanic media were published by the The Media Institute, a think tank in Washington D.C. Her commentary has been included in several anthologies, and it also has appeared in Reader's Digest, O Magazine, Woman’s Day, The Washington Post Magazine, Parenting, and Latina.

A syndicated columnist for the Tribune Content Agency, she has worked at The Miami Herald, The Miami News, and The Palm Beach Post as education reporter, features writer, projects writer, and editor.

As a journalist, Ana has received several awards for her commentary and feature writing. In addition to the Cintas, she has received a $5,000 Individual Artist Fellowship Award from the state of Florida for fiction writing.

Ana immigrated to Miami at the age of six and lives there with her husband, David Freundlich. She likes to say that her adult children have taught her immeasurable humility.

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Readings from the 2022 PEN America Prison Writing Awards Anthology

Fri, 12 May 2023 13:58:17 -0000

On this edition of The Literary Life, an evening of readings at Books and Books from the 2022 Prison Writing Awards Anthology. The evening was sponsored by PEN America's Prison and Justice Writing Program along with Exchange for Change, a Miami-based organization whose mission is as follows: "We believe in the value of every voice, and we give our students an opportunity to express themselves without the fear of being stigmatized. When everyone has the ability to listen and be heard, strong and safe communities are formed. With a pen and paper, incarcerated students can become agents of social change across different communities in ways they may otherwise have never encountered."

I dare anyone to hear these voices and not be moved and helping them find an audience is among the most gratifying missions I have as a book seller.

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David Grann: diving into history, the trials of a sea voyage, and sailing the Gulf of Pain

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 14:43:00 -0000

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder is confirmation yet again of David Grann's prodigious talent. Like he did in Killers of the Flower Moon and The Lost City of Z, David has taken a story that, while not unknown, is not known enough, and he brings it to life in all its exoticism and savagery.

David Grann is my guest on this episode of The Literary Life, and his talk was recorded in front of a live audience at Books and Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

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Pattie Boyd: Art, Fashion, and Beatlemania

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 16:00:00 -0000

Photographer, model, and muse to two of the greatest musicians of our time, Pattie Boyd is Mitchell’s guest on this edition of The Literary Life. Her new book, My Life In Pictures (published by Real Art Press) is a stunning collection of her personal photographs capturing the essence and zeitgeist of the Bohemian rock and roll world of the 1960s and early ‘70s.

Mitchell spoke to Pattie about all of this and more in front of a live audience at Books and Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

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Shelley Read: Writing With a Deep Sense of Place

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 13:44:00 -0000

On this edition of The Literary Life, it's my hope that listening to Shelly Read (Go as a River) talk about her life in Western Colorado and its influence on her engaging story of Victoria and how she perseveres over three decades, confronting love and disappointment and the harsh and beautiful reality of her life, will compel you to take a chance on this debut. You won't be sorry. As Bonnie Garmus, the author of Lessons in Chemistry, writes: Go as a River is completely unforgettable.

My interview with Shelley was conducted live right before her event at Books and Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

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The Literary Life: In Conversation with the 2022 NBF 5 Under 35 Honorees

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 15:35:00 -0000

On this edition of The Literary Life, join Ruth Dickey, the Executive Director of the National Book Foundation, and a live audience at Books and Books for an evening honoring Alexandra Chang, Joseph Hahn, Crystal Hana Kim and Alyssa Songsiridej, all recipients of the five under 35 prize selected by past National Book Award winners and finalists, or previous five under 35 honorees.

Unfortunately, Claire Sestanovich was not able to make the trip to Coral Gables. This award recognizes young debut fiction writers whose work will undoubtedly be with us for many, many years to come.

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Alisha Fernandez Miranda: What If You Could Explore the What If Jobs of Your Dreams?

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 19:12:32 -0000

Alisha Fernandez Miranda is the author of a coming-of-middle age memoir, My What If Year, coming from Zibby Books in 2023. Detailing her year of unpaid internships in the dream jobs of her childhood, the book follows Alisha on her quest to figure out what might have happened if her life had taken a different path. Her story has been featured in Business Insider and Moms Don’t Have Time to Write.

Alisha is also a co-author of 50 Years: Kinloch Lodge, a culinary celebration of one of the Isle of Skye’s most exceptional hotels, and the host of the award-winning Quit Your Day Job, a new podcast that takes you behind the scenes of your dream jobs.

Alisha is a Cuban-American, born and raised in Miami who has spent her adult life in New York and London. She is currently based in Scotland.

In addition to being an intern, Alisha is the ex-CEO and current Chair at I.G. Advisors, an award-winning social impact intelligence agency that consults to the world’s biggest non-profits, companies and foundations on their philanthropy and social impact. She counts among her clients the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation and UN Women. She speaks and writes regularly on women’s empowerment, social impact and sustainability.

Alisha also built and launched an app called Not My Style, focused on sustainable fashion and is an advisor to economic research firm Fideres. She’s a proud graduate of Harvard University and the London School of Economics.

Alisha loves to read, travel, sing, watch Gilmore Girls, be served coffee in bed by her adoring/long-suffering husband, and hide from her 11-year old twins when they want to play Pokemon. Her writing has been published in Vogue, Romper, The Good Trade, Grazia, Metro, Huffington Post, HerStry and Waterproof, an anthology published in 2021.

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Patricia Engel: How Does It Feel Different to Develop a Voice For a Story Versus a Novel?

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 14:23:00 -0000

Patricia Engel is the author of Infinite Country, a New York Times bestseller and Reese’s Book Club selection; The Veins of the Ocean, winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize; It’s Not Love, It’s Just Paris, winner of the International Latino Book Award; and Vida, a finalist for the Pen/Hemingway and Young Lions Fiction Awards, New York Times Notable Book, and winner of Colombia’s national book award, the Premio Biblioteca de Narrativa Colombiana. She is a recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Her stories appear in The Best American Short Stories, The Best American Mystery Stories, The O. Henry Prize Stories, and elsewhere. Born to Colombian parents, and herself a dual citizen, Patricia is an associate professor of creative writing at the University of Miami.

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Tracy Kidder on How One Doctor Brought Healing to the Homeless

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 19:33:48 -0000

Tracy Kidder has won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the Robert F. Kennedy Award, among other literary prizes. His books include Mountains Beyond Mountains, Strength in What Remains, The Soul of a New Machine, House, Among Schoolchildren, Old Friends, Hometown, and A Truck Full of Money.

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Emma Straub on Being Present, No Matter Where You Are

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 17:09:27 -0000

Emma Straub is the New York Times-bestselling author of four other novels--All Adults Here, Modern Lovers, The Vacationers, and Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures--and the short story collection Other People We Married. Her books have been published in twenty countries. She and her husband own Books Are Magic, an independent bookstore in Brooklyn, New York.

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Quentin Tarantino on How He Never Intended to Write a Book of Film History

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 14:35:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Quentin Tarantino to discuss his first work of nonfiction, Cinema Speculation, out now from Harper.

Quentin Tarantino was born in 1963 in Knoxville, Tennessee. He is the writer-director of nine feature films, the winner of two Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay, and the author of the novel Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Cinema Speculation is his first work of nonfiction.

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Dani Shapiro on the Fifteen Year Journey of Signal Fires

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 12:52:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Dani Shaprio to discuss her latest novel, Signal Fires, out now from Knopf.

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Dani Shapiro s a best-selling novelist and memoirist and host of the podcast Family Secrets (now in its seventh season). Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vogue, and Time. She has taught at Columbia and New York University and is the co-founder of the Sirenland Writers Conference. She lives in Litchfield County, Connecticut.

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David Maraniss on the Afterlife of Jim Thorpe

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 13:13:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by David Maraniss to discuss his latest book, Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe, out now from Simon & Schuster.

David Maraniss is an associate editor at The Washington Post and a distinguished visiting professor at Vanderbilt University. He has won two Pulitzer Prizes for journalism and was a finalist three other times. Among his bestselling books are biographies of Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Roberto Clemente, and Vince Lombardi, and a trilogy about the 1960s—Rome 1960; Once in a Great City (winner of the RFK Book Prize); and They Marched into Sunlight (winner of the J. Anthony Lukas Prize and Pulitzer Finalist in History).

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Cory Doctorow: Why Our Current Tech Monopolies Is All Thanks to Ronald Reagan and Robert Bork

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 19:58:48 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Cory Doctorow to discuss his latest book, Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We’ll Win Them Back, out now from Beacon Press.

Cory Doctorow is a bestselling science fiction writer and activist. He is a special advisor to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, with whom he has worked for 20 years. He is also a visiting professor of computer science at the Open University (UK) and of library science at the University of North Carolina. He is also a MIT Media Lab research affiliate. He co-founded the UK Open Rights Group and co-owns the website Boing Boing. He is the author of more than 20 books, including novels for adults and young adults, graphic novels for middle-grade readers, picture books, nonfiction books on technology and politics, and collections of essays.

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Ibram X. Kendi on Why Our Children Need to Be Told the Stories of Slavery and Colonialism

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 11:47:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Dr. Precious Symonette, Miami-Dade County Teacher of the Year and creative writing teacher, is joined by Ibram X. Kendi to discuss his latest book, Magnolia Flower, out now from One World.

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University and the founding director of the BU Center for Antiracist Research. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a CBS News racial justice contributor. He is the host of the new action podcast Be Antiracist. Dr. Kendi is the author of many highly acclaimed books including Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, making him the youngest-ever winner of that award. He has also produced five straight #1 New York Times bestsellers, including How to Be an Antiracist, Antiracist Baby, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, co-authored by Jason Reynolds. In 2020, Time magazine named Dr. Kendi one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was awarded a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the Genius Grant.

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Jonathan Escoffery on How Nella Larsen’s Helga Crane Influenced His Debut Collection

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 14:16:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Jonathan Escoffery to discuss his debut collection, If I Survive You, out now from MCD.

Jonathan Escoffery is the recipient of the 2020 Plimpton Prize for Fiction, a 2020 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship, and the 2020 ASME Award for Fiction. His fiction has appeared in The Paris Review, American Short Fiction, Prairie Schooner, AGNI, Passages North, Zyzzyva, and Electric Literature, and has been anthologized in The Best American Magazine Writing. He received his MFA from the University of Minnesota, is a PhD fellow in the University of Southern California’s PhD in Creative Writing and Literature Program, and in 2021 was awarded a Wallace Stegner Fellowship in the Creative Writing Program at Stanford University. If I Survive You is his debut book.

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Christopher M. Finan: How to Battle Book Banning in Your Own Community

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 13:57:14 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Christopher M. Finan to discuss his new book, How Free Speech Saved Democracy: The Untold History of How the First Amendment Became an Essential Tool for Securing Liberty and Social Justice, out now from Steerforth Press.

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Christopher M. Finan has been involved in the fight against censorship for 35 years. He is executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship and the former president of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression. After working as a newspaper reporter, he studied American history at Columbia University, where he received his Ph.D. in 1992. He is the author of Alfred E. Smith: The Happy Warrior, Drunks: An American History, and From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America, winner of the American Library Association’s Eli M. Oboler Award.

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Javier Zamora: You Can't Simply Make Art From Your Trauma to Heal Yourself

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 12:39:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Javier Zamora to discuss his memoir, Solito, out now from Hogarth Press.

Javier Zamora was born in El Salvador in 1990. His father fled the country when he was one, and his mother when he was about to turn five. Both parents’ migrations were caused by the U.S.-funded Salvadoran Civil War. When he was nine Javier migrated through Guatemala, Mexico, and the Sonoran Desert. His debut poetry collection, Unaccompanied, explores the impact of the war and immigration on his family. Zamora has been a Stegner Fellow at Stanford and a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard and holds fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

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Dwyer Murphy on the Romantic Optimism in L.A. and South Florida Crime Novels

Sat, 13 Aug 2022 14:54:03 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Dwyer Murphy to discuss his debut novel, An Honest Living, out now from Viking.

Dwyer Murphy is a New York-based writer and editor. He is the editor-in-chief of CrimeReads, Literary Hub’s crime fiction vertical and the world’s most popular destination for thriller readers. He practiced law at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City, where he was a litigator, and served as editor of the Columbia Law Review. He was previously an Emerging Writer Fellow at the Center for Fiction. His writing has appeared in The Common, Rolling Stone, Guernica, The Paris Review Daily, Electric Literature, and other publications.

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Monique Roffey: How to Write About Colonialism Without Talking About Colonialism

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 13:38:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Monique Roffey to discuss her novel, The Mermaid of Black Conch, out now from Knopf.

Monique Roffey is a senior lecturer in creative writing at the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is the author of seven books, four of which are set in Trinidad and the Caribbean region. The Mermaid of Black Conch won the 2020 Costa Book of the Year Award and was short-listed for several other major prizes. Roffey’s work has appeared in The New York Review of Books, Wasafiri, and The Independent. She was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and educated in the United Kingdom. Her website is moniqueroffey.com.

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Blitz Bazawule on Why Crop Rotation Is The Perfect Metaphor For the Creative Mind

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 10:58:00 -0000

This week, The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan revisits a Books & Books virtual event with multidisciplinary artist Blitz Bazawule in conversation with Beasts of Prey author Ayana Gray. Bazawule’s debut novel, The Scent of Burnt Flowers, set in the mid-1960s, tells the story of a Black couple, Melvin and Bernadette, who have fled the United States for Ghana after Melvin kills a racist assailant in self-defense. “The literary world has given me so much in terms of freedom and the ability to zig-zag though the world of time and space, in a way I probably could never do in another medium,” said Bazawule. The filmmaker, musician and now author is currently directing the musical adaptation of The Color Purple movie.

The Scent of Burnt Flowers is available at Books & Books.

BLITZ BAZAWULE is a multidisciplinary artist born in Ghana. His feature directorial debut, The Burial of Kojo, premiered on Netflix via ARRAY Releasing. He co-directed Beyoncé’s Black Is King, which earned him a Grammy nomination. Bazawule is set to direct the musical version of The Color Purple for Warner Bros. His artwork has been featured at the Whitney Biennial. He is also a TED senior fellow and a Guggenheim fellow. The Scent of Burnt Flower is his debut novel.

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How Frank O'Hara Brought a Father and Daughter Closer Together

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 13:28:00 -0000

Ada Calhoun is the New York Times bestselling author of St. Marks Is Dead, Wedding Toasts I'll Never Give, and Why We Can't Sleep. She has written for the New York Times, the New Republic, and the Washington Post.

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Geraldine Brooks on the Beauty of Implausible Truth

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 11:53:27 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Geraldine Brooks to discuss her latest novel, Horse, out now from Viking.

Geraldine Brooks is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel March and the international bestsellers The Secret Chord, Caleb’s Crossing, People of the Book, and Year of Wonders. She has also written the acclaimed nonfiction works Nine Parts of Desire and Foreign Correspondence. Born and raised in Australia, Brooks lives in Massachusetts.

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Ottessa Moshfegh: Why Do I Write About Such Darkness?

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 13:34:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, at a live event at Books & Books, special guest Amanda Keeley is joined by Ottessa Moshfegh to discuss her latest novel, Lapvona, out now from Penguin Press.

Ottessa Moshfegh is a fiction writer from New England. Eileen, her first novel, was shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Man Booker Prize, and won the PEN/Hemingway Award for debut fiction. My Year of Rest and Relaxation and Death in Her Hands, her second and third novels, were New York Times bestsellers. She is also the author of the short story collection Homesick for Another World and a novella, McGlue. She lives in Southern California.

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Mark Kurlansky: Why Short Stories are Pure Storytelling

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 11:18:34 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Mark Kurlansky to discuss his latest book, The Importance of Not Being Ernest: My Life with the Uninvited Hemingway, out now from Books & Books.

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Mark Kurlansky is the New York Times bestselling author of Milk!, Havana, Paper, The Big Oyster, 1968, Salt, The Basque History of the World, Cod, and Salmon, among other titles. He has received the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Bon Appétit‘s Food Writer of the Year Award, the James Beard Award, and the Glenfiddich Award. He lives in New York City.

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Hernan Diaz: Why Are Novels About Wealth Almost Absent From the Literary Canon?

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 13:14:09 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Hernan Diaz to discuss his latest book, Trust, out now from Riverhead Books.

Hernan Diaz is the author of two novels translated into more than twenty languages. His first novel, In the Distance, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award. He has also written a book of essays, and his work has appeared in The Paris Review, Granta, Playboy, The Yale Review, McSweeney’s, and elsewhere. He has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Award, the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, and a fellowship from the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers.

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Alexander Maksik No Longer Condemns Metafictional Novels

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 13:52:23 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Alexander Maksik to discuss his latest book, The Long Corner, out now from Europa Editions.

Alexander Maksik is the author of three previous novels: You Deserve Nothing (Europa, 2011), a New York Times and IndieBound bestseller; A Marker to Measure Drift, which was a New York Times Notable Book; and Shelter in Place (Europa, 2016), named one of the best books of the year by the Guardian and the San Francisco Chronicle. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Pushcart Prize, and the Andrew Lytle Prize, as well as fellowships from the Truman Capote Literary Trust and the Corporation of Yaddo.

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Steve Almond on the Myth of Reaganism

Fri, 27 May 2022 22:42:50 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Steve Almond to discuss his latest book, All the Secrets of the World, out now from Zando.

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Steve Almond is the author of ten books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football. He teaches Creative Writing at the Neiman Fellowship at Harvard and Wesleyan, as well as Hugo House, Grub Street, and numerous literary conferences. His essays and reviews have been widely published in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, GQ, The Wall Street Journal, Poets & Writers, Tin House, and Ploughshares. His journalism has received numerous awards including the top national prize for feature writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. His short stories have been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories, Best American Mysteries, Best American Erotica, and The Pushcart Prize. He serves as a literary correspondent for WBUR and appears on numerous podcasts. He lives in Arlington, Massachusetts.

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Don Winslow Is Hopeful For the Future

Fri, 20 May 2022 12:14:31 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Don Winslow to discuss his latest book, City on Fire, out now from William Morrow.

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Don Winslow is the author of twenty-two acclaimed, award-winning international bestsellers, including the New York Times bestsellers The Force and The Border, the #1 international bestseller The Cartel, The Power of the Dog, Savages, and The Winter of Frankie Machine. Savages was made into a feature film by three-time Oscar-winning writer-director Oliver Stone. The Power of the Dog, The Cartel, and The Border sold to FX to air as a major television series, and The Force is soon to be a major motion picture from 20th Century Studios. A former investigator, antiterrorist trainer, and trial consultant, Winslow lives in California and Rhode Island.

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Peter Balakian on How the Transmission of Trauma Across Generations Informs His Poetry

Sat, 14 May 2022 11:23:07 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Peter Balakian to discuss his latest poetry collection, No Sign, out now from University of Chicago Press.

Peter Balakian is the author of Black Dog of Fate, winner of the PEN/Martha Albrand Prize for Memoir and a New York Times Notable Book, and June-tree: New and Selected Poems 1974-2000. He is the recipient of many awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship. He holds a Ph.D. in American Civilization from Brown University and teaches at Colgate University, where he is a Donald M. and Constance H. Rebar Professor of the Humanities.

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Douglas Stuart on the Strangeness of Sharing Your Own Grief and Loss in Fiction

Fri, 06 May 2022 13:24:21 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, at a live event at Books & Books, Connie Ogle interviews Douglas Stuart to discuss his new novel, Young Mungo, out now from Grove Atlantic.

Douglas Stuart is a Scottish-American author. His New York Times-bestselling debut novel Shuggie Bain won the 2020 Booker Prize and the Sue Kaufman Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. It was the winner of two British Book Awards, including Book of the Year, and was a finalist for the National Book Award, PEN/Hemingway Award, National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize, Kirkus Prize, as well as several other literary awards. Stuart’s writing has appeared in the New Yorker and Literary Hub.

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What Kind of Bookstore Browser Are You?

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 12:45:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Jeff Deutsch to discuss his new book, In Praise of Good Bookstores, out now from Princeton University Press, from a live event at Books & Books.

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Jeff Deutsch is the director of Chicago’s Seminary Co-op Bookstores, which in 2019 he helped incorporate as the first not-for-profit bookstore whose mission is bookselling. He lives in Chicago.

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What's Happening With the Literary Community in Ukraine?

Fri, 15 Apr 2022 10:38:00 -0000

Joining Mitchell Kaplan from Ukraine is Marjana Savka and Victoria Amelina, with Askold Melnyczuk in Boston.

Marjana Savka was born in Kopychyntsi, Ternopil oblast, in 1973. She published her first poetry collection, Naked Riverbeds, at the age of twenty-one. Eight other books, for which she received several awards, have appeared since then, including four poetry collections and three children’s books. A former actress and journalist, she edited We and She, an anthology of poems by female writers from Lviv, Ukraine, where she lives. She cofounded, with her husband, the Old Lion Publishing House. Marjana is the winner of “Torch” award (1998) and the International Vasyl Stus Prize (2003).

Victoria Amelina is an award-winning writer living in Ukraine and the US. She was born in 1986 in the city of Lviv, Ukraine. Before becoming a writer, she worked in high tech as an engineering manager; she holds an MS degree in Computer Science. In 2014 she became a laureate of the Ukrainian National Literary Award Koronatsiya Slova, and released her debut novel “Fall Syndrome, or Homo Compatiens” that was shortlisted as one of the best books of the year according to the LitAkcent and Valerii Shevchuk literary awards. Her second novel “Home for Dom” won the Best Prose Book award at Zaporizhya Book Festival, and was shortlisted for numerous awards including LitAkcent Book of the Year, Lviv City of UNESCO Literary Award, and European Union Prize for Literature.

Askold Melnyczuk’s book of stories, The Man Who Would Not Bow, appeared in 2021. His four novels have variously been named a New York Times Notable, an LA Times Best Books of the Year, and an Editor’s Choice by the American Library Association’s Booklist. He is also co-editor of From Three Worlds, an anthology of Ukrainian Writers. His published translations include work by Oksana Zabuzhko, Marjana Savka, Bohdan Boychuk, and Ivan Drach. His shorter work, including essays, stories, and reviews, have appeared in The Threepenny Review, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Times Literary Supplement (London), The Los Angeles Times, The Harvard Review and elsewhere. He’s received a three-year Lila Wallace-Readers’ Digest Award in Fiction, the McGinnis Award in Fiction, and the George Garret Award from AWP for his contributions to the literary community. As founding editor of Agni he received PEN’s Magid Award for creating “one of America’s, and the world’s, leading literary journals.” Founding editor of Arrowsmith Press, he has taught at Boston University, Harvard, Bennington College and currently teaches at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

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Diana Abu-Jaber on How Life Begins Each Time You Find a New Place

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 07:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Diana Abu-Jaber to discuss her new book, Fencing With the King, out now from W.W. Norton.

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Diana Abu-Jaber is the award-winning author of seven books of fiction and nonfiction, including Crescent and The Language of Baklava. She lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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Dr. Olha Poliukhovych and Askold Melnyczuk on the War in Ukraine

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 11:06:00 -0000

Joining Mitchell Kaplan from Ukraine is Dr. Olha Poliukhovych, writer, philosopher, and professor of humanities at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukraine’s oldest university. From Boston, Askold Melnyczuk, acclaimed novelist, short story writer, founding member of Writers for Democratic Action, and co-editor of From Three Worlds, an anthology of Ukrainian writers. "When I read or hear the news from abroad, I see Ukrainian crisis, conflict, Ukrainian-Russia conflict…It’s not a conflict; it’s war,” said Dr. Poliukhovych.

Dr Olha Poliukhovych holds a Ph.D. in Literature from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA). She is an associate professor at the Department of Literature of NaUKMA. Olha Poliukhovych is a co-founder and managing editor of the Kyiv-Mohyla Humanities Journal. In 2017–2018 she was a Fulbright Fellow at the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute of Harvard University. In 2020 she co-founded the NGO New Ukrainian Academic Community (Kyiv).

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What Are You Blurbing, Deesha Philyaw?

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 21:03:08 -0000

When Deesha Philyaw stans see that she’s read and endorsed a book, big chances are, they're buying that book. “The thing I wanna say about blurbing, first, is it could be a full-time job. I’m happy to share these books with you today but for each one there are two that I couldn’t say yes to blurbing, just because I didn’t have time…The blurbs are really important so I try to do as many as I can,” shared Deesha. On this new episode of The Literary Life, you’ll hear Mitchell and Deesha talk about so many great books, perfect timing for the long weekend. So, listen and take a look at the list below, and follow the link to your new favorite book. This episode was recorded in sunny Miami, where Deesha is warming up from Philadelphia winter.

Deesha Philyaw's debut short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, won the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the 2020/2021 Story Prize, and the 2020 LA Times Book Prize: The Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction and was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction. She is currently adapting The Secret Lives of Church Ladies for HBO Max, working together with Tessa Thompson’s production company, Viva Maude. Deesha was chosen to be the John and Renée Grisham Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi in the fall of 2022.

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Julie Otsuka on Writing Her Most Personal Story

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 08:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks with Julie Otsuka about her new novel, The Swimmers, out next month from Knopf.

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Julie Otsuka was born and raised in California. She is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, and her first novel, When the Emperor Was Divine, won the 2003 Asian American Literary Award and the 2003 American Library Association’s Alex Award. Her second novel, The Buddha in the Attic, was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2011 and won the 2012 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the 2011 Langum Prize in American Historical Fiction. The Buddha in the Attic was an international best seller and the winner of the prestigious Prix Femina Étranger in 2012, and the Albatros Literaturpreis in 2013. She lives in New York City.

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Elisa New and Richard Blanco on the Diversity of American Poetry

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 19:05:11 -0000

Richard Blanco, inaugural poet for Barack Obama’s second term as president and Elisa New, creator, director and host of PBS’s Poetry in America series, are Mitchell Kaplan’s guests this week. Richard's poem, "Looking for the Gulf Motel," is featured as season three of the acclaimed series begins.

“The episode with Richard is a wonderful example of the opportunity we had to really get into the cultural life of Cuban-American families,” said Elisa. “Often people say “I don’t get poetry” and I ask, when was the last time that you read a poem? Maybe 20 years? It’s not that you don’t get poetry, you haven’t given it a chance probably since high school,” said Richard. “I’m a big champion of humanities. Poetry in America is taking poetry out there, letting people have access to it in ways they might not have otherwise,” he added.

To bring Richard’s poem to life, the episode includes home movies from his family, illustrations and special guest, his friend Gloria Estefan, who sings throughout the interview with Elisa.

Listen to this special conversation recorded in New York and Miami, and watch the Poetry in America episode -- and please, support the arts!

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Anjanette Delgado, Yaddyra Peralta, and Mia Leonin on the Literature of Uprootedness

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 08:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Anjanette Delgado, Yaddyra Peralta, and Mia Leonin to discuss their new anthology, Home in Flordia: Latinx Writers and the Literature of Uprootedness, out now from University Press of Florida.

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Anjanette Delgado is a Puerto Rican writer and journalist based in Miami. She is the author of The Heartbreak Pill and The Clairvoyant of Calle Ocho. She has written for the New York Times “Modern Love” column, Vogue, NPR, HBO, the Kenyon Review, Pleiades, the Hong Kong Review, and others.

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Kerri Maher on How a Paris Bookseller Changed the Course of Literature

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 15:46:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Kerri Maher about her latest book, The Paris Bookseller, out now from Berkley Books.

Kerri Maher is the author of The Girl in White Gloves, The Kennedy Debutante, and, under the name Kerri Majors, This Is Not a Writing Manual: Notes for the Young Writer in the Real World. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and was a writing professor for many years. She now writes full-time and lives with her daughter and dog in a leafy suburb west of Boston, Massachusetts.

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What Are You Reading: Connie Ogle

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 14:07:00 -0000

“Some people don’t want to read about younger people, because they can’t relate to it. But for me, reading a book like Open Water or Sally Rooney’s book Beautiful World, Where Are You, it’s like looking at the lifestyle of people who live on a different planet. That’s how much older I am now, but it’s really interesting to me because people in their twenties look at life differently than I do.” This week, in a new ongoing series on The Literary Life, What Are You Reading, Mitchell Kaplan and Miami Herald‘s Connie Ogle discuss what books she’s read or looking forward to read this year.

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Valerie Miles on the Craft of Curating Translators

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 12:04:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Valerie Miles about two of her recent new works, the anthology A Thousand Forests in One Acorn: An Anthology of Spanish-Language Fiction, out now from Open Letter Books, and the translation of Cremation by Rafael Chirbes, out now from New Directions Publishing.

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Paul Auster on the One Poem That He Can't Get Out of His Head

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 11:10:24 -0000

On this week's episode, live from the Miami Book Fair, Mitchell Kaplan talks with Paul Auster about his masterful new book, Burning Boy: The Life and Work of Stephen Crane, out now from Henry Holt and Co.

Paul Auster is the bestselling author of 4 3 2 1, Sunset Park, Invisible, The Book of Illusions, and the New York Trilogy, among many other works. In 2006 he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize for Literature. Among his other honors are the Prix Médicis étranger for Leviathan, the Independent Spirit Award for the screenplay of Smoke, and the Premio Napoli for Sunset Park. In 2012, he was the first recipient of the NYC Literary Honors in the category of fiction. He has also been a finalist for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (The Book of Illusions), the PEN/Faulkner Award (The Music of Chance), the Edgar Award (City of Glass), and the Man Booker Prize (4 3 2 1). He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. His work has been translated into more than forty languages. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

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Bob Spitz on Writing the Definitive History of the Greatest Rock Band of All Time

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 19:57:00 -0000

This week on The Literary, Mitchell Kaplan talks with Bob Spitz about his new biography, Led Zeppelin.

Bob Spitz is the award-winning author of the biographies Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child and The Beatles, both New York Times bestsellers, as well as seven other nonfiction books and a screenplay. He helped manage Bruce Springsteen and Elton John at crucial points in their careers. He’s written hundreds of major profiles of figures, ranging from Keith Richards to Jane Fonda, from Paul McCartney to Paul Bowles.

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Amor Towles on How Peter Matthiessen Inspired Him To Write

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 10:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Amor Towles about his latest novel, The Lincoln Highway, out now from Viking.

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The Cultural History of the Miami Book Fair

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 12:24:00 -0000

This week, Mitchell Kaplan talks with Miami Book Fair program director Lissette Mendez and Madeline Pumariega on the almost 40 years of the Fair, how it's changed over the years, and how this year will be conducted.

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Books for Those on Your 2021 Holiday List From Mitchell Kaplan and the Books & Books Team

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 10:36:00 -0000

Mitchell Kaplan has been a bookseller and has owned the independent bookstore Books & Books for almost 40 years. Enter The Literary Life where every Saturday you’ll hear candid conversations with Mitchell and his guests. If you love books, writers or are a passionate reader, this podcast is for you. Listen to this week’s episode to hear the Books & Books team talk about some of their favorite books for everyone on your holiday list. Shop the recommendations here from Mitchell, head book buyer Gaël LeLamer, children's and YA buyer Cristina Russell, and events and marketing director Cristina Nosti.

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Tananarive Due on Reinventing Black Horror

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 12:16:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Tananarive Due about her latest novel, The Between, out now in paperback from Harper Perennial.

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Tananarive Due is an award-winning author who teaches Black Horror and Afrofuturism at UCLA. She is an executive producer on Shudder’s groundbreaking documentary Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror. Her books include Ghost Summer: Stories, My Soul to Keep, and The Good House. She and her late mother, civil rights activist Patricia Stephens Due, co-authored Freedom in the Family: a Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights. She is married to author Steven Barnes, with whom she collaborates on screenplays. They live with their son, Jason.

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Lauren Groff on Exploring the Many Meanings of Matrix in Her New Novel

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 11:13:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Lauren Groff about her new novel, Matrix, out now from Riverhead Books.

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Lauren Groff is a two-time National Book Award finalist and the New York Times bestselling author of the novels The Monsters of Templeton, Arcadia, and Fates and Furies, and the short story collections Delicate Edible Birds and Florida. She has won the Story Prize and has been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Groff’s work regularly appears in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and elsewhere, and she was named one of Granta’s 2017 Best Young American Novelists.

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Investigative Journalist Julie Brown on Exposing Jeffrey Epstein

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 04:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Julie Brown about her new book, Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story, out now from Dey Street Books.

Julie K. Brown is an investigative reporter with the Miami Herald. During her 30-year career, she has worked for a number of newspapers, focusing on crime, justice and human rights issues. As a member of the Herald’s prestigious Investigative Team, she has won dozens of awards, including a George Polk Award in 2018 for “Perversion of Justice,” a series that examined how a rich and powerful sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein, managed to arrange a secret plea deal and escape life in prison—even though he was suspected of sexually abusing more than 100 underage girls and young women. The series, and her subsequent dogged coverage of the case in 2019, led to the resignation of President Trump’s labor secretary, Alex Acosta, Epstein’s arrest on new federal charges in New York and reforms in the way that prosecutors treat victims of sex crimes.

Brown previously won acclaim for a series of stories about abuses and corruption in Florida prisons. The stories led to the resignations of top agency officials, firings of corrupt corrections officers and an overhaul in the treatment of inmates with mental and physical disabilities, as well as women in Florida prisons. That series also won a Polk Award. A native of Philadelphia, she is a graduate of Temple University.

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Jonathan Plutzik on Why a Hotel Should Be a Space for Creativity

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 13:42:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to The Betsy hotel owner Jonathan Plutzik about its history in Miami Beach and why a hotel should be a space for comfort and healing through the arts.

Jonathan Plutzik retired as a Vice-Chairman of Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB), in 2003, after a 25-year career. His responsibilities included oversight for the firm’s work with U. S. state and local governments, international privatization initiatives, investment banking activities in Washington, D.C. and global financial services. He also led the CSFB team that provided advisory services to the City of New York during the city's financial crisis. From 2003 to 2005 Jonathan served as Chairman of Firaxis Games, a leading computer game company and home of Civilization, the widely acclaimed strategy game. Jonathan’s philanthropic work is considerable. He has a long legacy of charitable leadership as Chairman of the Board of the CORO New York Leadership Center, with additional Executive Leadership service to UJA-Federation of NY (including having served as a member of the Board and Executive Committee and Director of the Caring Commission, and he was Chair of the UJA-Federations Connect to Caring initiative.) He also serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, is on the Board of Directors of Fannie Mae and recently accepted a position on the founding board of Planet Word, a new Washington, D.C.-based museum that is dedicated to and focused on Language Arts. Jonathan received his B.A. from Brandeis University and his M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Jonathan is Co-President of the PG Family Foundation in NYC, and principal owner of The Betsy-South Beach, (www.thebetsyhotel.com), a hotel known for its community-based philanthropic work and its commitment to arts and culture.

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Sandra Cisneros on Opening Up the Dialogue With People We Love

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 18:15:00 -0000

On this weeks episode, Mitchell talks with renowned author Sandra Cisneros about her new book, Martita, I Remember You.

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Les Standiford on Why the Circus Is Key to Understanding Who We Are

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 11:23:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Les Standiford about his new book, Battle for the Big Top, out now from PublicAffairs Books.

Les Standiford is the author of several critically acclaimed books, including Last Train to Paradise, Meet You in Hell, and Bringing Adam Home. His book, The Man Who Invented Christmas, was a New York Times 'Editors' Choice' and was made into a feature film starring Christopher Plummer and Dan Stevens in 2018. He is a Professor of English and Founding Director of the Creative Writing Program at Florida International University and holds a MA and PhD in literature and creative writing from the University of Utah. He attended the US Air Force Academy and Columbia School of Law and is a former screenwriting fellow and graduate of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. He lives in Miami, Florida.

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Patricia Engel on the Natural Human Instinct to Migrate

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 04:00:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Literary Life>, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Patricia Engel about her new book, Infinite Country, out now from Avid Reader Press.

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Catherine Raven: Why We're More Like Animals Than We Think

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 12:34:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Catherine Raven about her book, Fox and I: An Uncommon Friendship, out now from Spiegel & Grau.

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Kathie Klarreich: How Working with Prisoners Has Changed My Life

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 04:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Kathie Klarreich, founder and executive director of Exchange for Change, a nonprofit that offers writing classes in South Florida correctional institutions, about the organization’s new anthology, HEAR US: Writings from the Inside During the Time of COVID.

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Ross King on the Man Who Changed Bookselling

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 12:56:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Ross King about his new book, The Bookseller of Florence, out now from Grove Atlantic.

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Louis-Philippe Dalembert: "Migration Is Part of My Story"

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 11:51:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Haitian poet Louis-Philippe Dalembert about his new novel, The Mediterranean Wall (tr. Marjolijn de Jager), out now from Schaffner Press.

Buy the book from Books and Books

Louis-Philippe Dalembert (born December 8, 1962 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti) is a Haitian poet and novelist, who writes in both French and Haitian creole. His works have been translated into several languages. He now divides his home between Berlin, Paris and Port-au-Prince. He has received several prizes and awards for his work, among them, the Grand Priz de poésie de la Ville D'Angers for his poetry collection, Et le soleil se souvient, a residency at the Villa Medicis in Rome, and the Prix RFO du livre for his novel, L'Autre Face de la Mer. He is also known to be an avid soccer fan.

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Richard Flanagan on Writing (and Rewriting) Through the Devastating Bushfires in Tasmania and Australia

Fri, 09 Jul 2021 12:03:00 -0000

On today's episode ofThe Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Richard Flanagan about his new novel, The Living Sea of Waking Dreams, out now from Knopf.

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Quentin Tarantino, Debut Novelist

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 12:33:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to acclaimed filmmaker Quentin Taranton about his first work of fiction, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, out now from Harper Perennial.

Buy the book now from Books & Books.

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Joshua Henkin on Writing for the Long Haul

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 12:53:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Joshua Henkin about his new novel, Morningside Heights, out now from Pantheon.

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M.J. Fievre on Becoming a Haitian Writer in America

Fri, 18 Jun 2021 11:44:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Haitian writer M.J. Fievre about her latest book, Badass Black Girl: Quotes, Questions, and Affirmations for Teens, out now from Mango.

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The Books & Books Staff Picks Their Summer Reads

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 12:23:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Books & Books' Gaël LeLamer, Cristina Russell, and Cristina Nosti about what they're recommending this summer.

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Peter Osnos on Becoming a War Correspondent in Vietnam

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 13:57:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Peter Osnos about his book, An Especially Good View: Watching History Happen, forthcoming from Platform Books.

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Why You Won't Catch Ralph Nader Whining About Food

Fri, 21 May 2021 12:38:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Ralph Nader about his new cookbook, The Ralph Nader and Family Cookbook: Classic Recipes from Lebanon and Beyond, out now from Akashic Books.

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Cambria Gordon on the Lost Art of Penmanship

Fri, 14 May 2021 13:44:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Cambria Gordon about her new book, The Poetry of Secrets, out now from Scholastic Press.

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Hanif Abdurraqib on Censoring the Desires of Whiteness in Storytelling

Fri, 07 May 2021 12:10:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Hanif Abdurraqib about his new book, A Little Devil in America, out now from Random House.

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Scott Berg and Alex Belth on the Timelessness of Jon Bradshaw's Journalism

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 12:36:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Ocean Is Closed.

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Russell Banks on the Transformative Magic of South Florida

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 12:13:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Russell Banks, author of Foregone, out now from Ecco Books.

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Fred Guttenberg on Gun Reform and the Hope of Young People

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 13:10:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Fred Guttenberg about his new book, Find the Helpers: What 9/11 and Parkland Taught Me about Recovery, Purpose, and Hope..

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P. Scott Cunningham on Miami's Poetry Scene

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 13:00:00 -0000

On today's episode ofThe Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to P. Scott Cunningham about organizing the O, Miami Book Festival.

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Jen Spyra on Balancing the Zany with the Emotional

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 11:36:00 -0000

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Jen Spyra about her new book, Big Time, out now from Random House.

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Jenny Lawson on How Falling Apart Can Bring us Together

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 12:50:00 -0000

“On the cover of my book, is a portrait that one of my friends, Omar Rayyan did. His strange, whimsical paintings of people carrying their own horrible-looking beasties, to me is 100-percent what it’s like dealing with mental illness,” Jenny Lawson. On this episode, Jenny shares her openness and humor with Mitchell Kaplan. BROKEN (in the best possible way) is her new short stories collection. Recorded in Miami and San Antonio.

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Carol Edgarian: 'Every Book, You Have to Woo Your Readers Again'

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 14:34:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Carol Edgarian about her new novel, Vera, out now from Scribner.

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Dantiel W. Moniz on Writing Stories That Are Felt in the Body

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 14:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Dantiel W. Moniz about her new book, Milk Blood Heat, out now from Grove Press.

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Tim Dorsey on Writing About Florida as a Floridian

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 13:17:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Tim Dorsey about his new book, Tropic of Stupid, out now from William Morrow & Company.

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Gabriel Byrne on Tracing His Memories Through Past and Present, Fact and Imagination

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 12:54:00 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Gabriel Byrne about his new book, Walking with Ghosts, out now from Grove Press.

________________________________

This episode of The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan was recorded between Miami and Maine. Subscribe now on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you find your podcasts!

Gabriel Byrne was born in Dublin and has starred in over 80 films for some of the cinema’s leading directors. He won a Golden Globe for his performance on HBO’s In Treatment. On Broadway he won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actor and has been nominated twice for the Tony Award. He lives in Manhattan and Maine.

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Maika and Maritza Moulite on What Real Allyship Looks Like

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 14:44:36 -0000

On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Maika and Maritza Moulite about their new book, One of the Good Ones, out now from Inkyard Press.

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Paul Yamazaki on His Fifty Years at City Lights Booksellers

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 12:29:00 -0000

“I was very politically active, particularly in the sixties. It’s kind of an unusual story…I think I am the only independent bookseller, that I am aware of, that came straight from jail to bookselling,” Paul Yamazaki, Principal/Chief Buyer at City Lights Booksellers, an official historic landmark in San Francisco. Yamazaki talks with Mitchell Kaplan about working with City Lights co-founder Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, freedom of expression, and that time in jail. Recorded in Miami and San Francisco.

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Daniel Halpern on the Secret Sauce of Ecco Press

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 13:44:23 -0000

John Fowles. Annie Dillard. Russell Banks. Raymond Carver. Carolyn Forché. Richard Ford, Louise Glück. Anthony Bourdain. What do all of these writers have in common? They and many more have all been published by Daniel Halpern. On today’s episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell talks to publisher and poet Daniel Halpern about ushering 2021 and celebrate him and the fiftieth anniversary of his publishing imprint, Ecco Press.

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David Hopen on Translating the Pardes Legend to Modern Times

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 13:02:39 -0000

On today's episode, Mitchell talks to David Hopen about his debut novel, The Orchard, and the balance between secular involvement and rigorous tradition in modern Orthodox Judaism.

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The Team at Books & Books Recommends Their Holiday Picks

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 14:02:00 -0000

On today's episode, Mitchell's joined by Books & Books colleagues Cristina Nosti, Gaël LeLamer, and Christina Russell to discuss their favorite books of the year to add to your holiday gift list.

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Deesha Philyaw on the Pleasure of Writing the Lives of Dissatisfied Women

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 14:00:00 -0000

On today's episode, Mitchell talks to Deesha Philyaw about her National Book Award nominated collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, publishing a book during a pandemic and writing about dissatisfied women.

Deesha Philyaw's writing on race, parenting, gender, and culture has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, McSweeney's, the Rumpus, Brevity, TueNight, and elsewhere. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, she currently lives in Pittsburgh with her daughters.

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Carlos Lozada: What Were—and What Now Are—We Thinking?

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:21:38 -0000

This week on The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplantalks with Carlos Lozada about his new book, What Were We Thinking: A Brief Intellectual History of the Trump Era. They discuss what led to writing the book, the current election results, and what is going to happen next in America.

Carlos Lozada is the nonfiction book critic of The Washington Post and winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for criticism.

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What Must Happen Next? Russell Banks, Edwidge Danticat, Richard Blanco, and Fernand Amandi on the Current Election

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 21:28:45 -0000

Post-election, there are still urgent questions of the political and legal moment that must be addressed. Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Russell Banks, Edwidge Danticat, Richard Blanco, and Fernand R. Amandi to discuss what just happened and what must happen next, especially on how the Democratic party can connect with Trump voters across America.

RUSSELL BANKS, twice a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, is one of America’s most prestigious fiction writers, a past president of the International Parliament of Writers, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His work has been translated into twenty languages and has received numerous prizes and awards, including the Common Wealth Award for Literature. He lives in upstate New York and Miami, Florida.

EDWIDGE DANTICAT is the author of numerous books, including Everything Inside: Stories (Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, The Story Prize and the 2020 Vilcek Prize in Literature), The Art of Death, a National Book Critics Circle finalist; Claire of the Sea Light, a New York Times Notable Book; Brother, I’m Dying, a National Book Critics Circle Award winner and National Book Award finalist; The Dew Breaker, a PEN/Faulkner Award finalist and winner of the inaugural Story Prize; The Farming of Bones, an American Book Award winner; Breath, Eyes, Memory, an Oprah’s Book Club selection; and Krik? Krak!, also a National Book Award finalist. A 2018 Neustadt International Prize for Literature winner and the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” grant, she has been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, and elsewhere.

RICHARD BLANCO is the award-winning author of several books. Blanco’s poetry collections include City of a Hundred Fires, Directions to the Beach of the Dead, and How to Love a Country. He currently serves as the first-ever Education Ambassador for the Academy of American Poets and is a member of the Obama Foundation’s advisory council.FERNAND R. AMANDI is the managing partner of Bendixen & Amandi, the nation’s leading multilingual and multiethnic public opinion research and strategic communications consulting firm. Mr. Amandi is also an MSNBC contributor, instructor at the University of Miami, and host of the #StrangeDaysPodcast.

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Pete Souza on When Generosity of Spirit Reigned in Politics

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 18:11:00 -0000

This week, in lieu of the upcoming election, we revisit our conversation with Pete Souza, the former White House Staff Photographer to President Barack Obama, discuss his world famous photos, his *Shade Instagram,* special moments in the Obama White House and what’s to come in American politics.

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Jill McCorkle on the Voice She Channels When It's Time to Write a Rant

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 12:38:20 -0000

On this episode of The Literary Life, Jill McCorkle talks with Mitchell Kaplan about her new book, Hieroglyphics, and the role of a writer in difficult times.

This episode of The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan was recorded between North Carolina and Miami. Subscribe now on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you find your podcasts!

Jill McCorkle’s first two novels were released simultaneously when she was just out of college, and the New York Times called her “a born novelist.” Since then, she has published six novels and four collections of short stories, and her work has appeared in Best American Short Stories several times, as well as The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. Five of her books have been New York Times Notable books, and her most recent novel, Life After Life, was a New York Times bestseller. She has received the New England Booksellers Award, the John Dos Passos Prize for Excellence in Literature, and the North Carolina Award for Literature. She has written for the New York Times Book Review, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, Garden and Gun, the Atlantic, and other publications. She was a Briggs-Copeland Lecturer in Fiction at Harvard, where she also chaired the department of creative writing. She is currently a faculty member of the Bennington College Writing Seminars and is affiliated with the MFA program at North Carolina State University.

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Fri, 17 Jul 2020 11:28:23 -0000

International bestselling author Kevin Kwan talks with Mitchell Kaplan about his new novel, Sex and Vanity, his follow-up to Crazy Rich Asians.

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Nicholas Griffin on The Year of Dangerous Days: Riots, Refugees and Cocaine in Miami 1980

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 13:00:08 -0000

Journalist and award-winning author, Nicholas Griffin, talks with Mitchell Kaplan about the most dangerous year in Miami’s history, 1980. From the Mariel boatlift, cocaine cowboys to the deadly riots that followed the acquittal of four police officers in the death of Arthur McDuffie, a Black, 33-year-old insurance salesman…A relevant and timely conversation recorded in Florida and the Dominican Republic.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Justin Alvarez, Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

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Ottessa Moshfegh: The Strange Responsibility of Holding Death in Your Hands

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 11:30:11 -0000

The author of My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Homesick for Another World and Eileen, joins Books & Books' events coordinator, Cristina Nosti, for a virtual conversation on bookstores, craft, isolation, film, humor, art, love and death. Moshfegh talks in-depth and reads from her latest novel of haunting, metaphysical suspense, Death in Her Hands, about an elderly widow whose life is upturned when she finds a cryptic note on a walk in the woods. Recorded in Coral Gables and Pasadena.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Justin Alvarez, Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

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Curtis Sittenfeld on Why She Decided to Take on Hillary Clinton

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 13:23:55 -0000

“It was a very interesting experience for me writing in the first-person. So I put on a blonde wig and a pantsuit every morning for three years…I actually mean that metaphorically,” Curtis Sittenfeld. On this episode, Curtis talks with Mitchell about RODHAM, her all too real, alternate biography of Hillary Clinton. Recorded in Minneapolis and Miami.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Justin Alvarez, Lit Hub Radio

Order at: https://booksandbooks.com/

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James McBride on “The America that I write about when I write my books”

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 13:17:37 -0000

Bum-Bum, Elephant, Hot Sausage, and Sportcoat. Just a few of the characters created by the brilliant mind of James McBride, for his latest novel, Deacon King Kong. A soulful conversation with Mitchell Kaplan, with a little jazz piano on the side, courtesy of McBride. Yes, he is also an accomplished musician. Recorded in Miami and New Jersey.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Justin Alvarez, Lit Hub RadioA beautiful

https://booksandbooks.com/

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Megha Majumdar: Holding on to Humor During Times of Oppression

Fri, 12 Jun 2020 19:05:39 -0000

When Megha Majumdar began writing her debut novel, A BURNING, her “question for the book was, how do people still dream, make jokes and strive, even in conditions of great oppression?” Majumdar joins Mitchell Kaplan for a deeply introspective conversation. Recorded in Miami and Brooklyn.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Justin Alvarez, Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

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Former Black Panther, Albert Woodfox, on His 43 Years in Solitary Confinement

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 12:32:28 -0000

Accused of a crime he says he did not commit, Albert Woodfox endured years of brutal beatings and racial taunting by prison guards. Locked down in a cell, 9 ft. long and 6 ft. wide, Woodfox endured 43 years in solitary confinement. During the most devastating weeks in this country’s history, we revisit his story of survival. Recorded at Books&Books in Coral Gables, Florida, on May 17, 2019.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Justin Alvarez, Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

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Robert Kolker on Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family

Fri, 29 May 2020 11:59:00 -0000

Hidden Valley Road is journalist and author Robert Kolker’s riveting account of the Galvin family, with 12 children, six of whom were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Kolker shares their heartbreaking, yet ultimately hopeful story, with Mitchell Kaplan. Recorded in Miami and Brooklyn.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Justin Alvarez, Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

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The Ultimate Literary Bucket List

Fri, 22 May 2020 13:27:59 -0000

James Mustich, book-seller, editor and writer, on his “must-read guide to must-reads.” Mustich talks with Mitchell Kaplan about curating his classic, 1,000 BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU DIE, and how the list continues to grow every day.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Justin Alvarez, Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

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John Grisham, the Best-Selling Thriller Writer in the World

Fri, 15 May 2020 12:33:34 -0000

After practicing law for nearly 10 years, John Grisham, turned to writing, inspired by a testimony he overheard. Grisham has since sold more than 300-million books. On this episode he talks with Mitchell Kaplan about his latest murder mystery, CAMINO WINDS. Recorded virtually in Florida and Virginia.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Justin Alvarez, Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

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The History of Pharma in Times of Crisis

Fri, 08 May 2020 11:54:00 -0000

Investigative journalist Gerald Posner talks about the DNA of the pharmaceutical industry and how finding a vaccine or treatment can rescue its since tarnished reputation. His new book is PHARMA: Greed, Lies, and the Poisoning of America. Recorded virtually in Miami, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

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Julia Alvarez Examines Her Life as a Writer

Fri, 01 May 2020 13:36:13 -0000

“The book stays with somebody in a way that not a lot of narratives do. Afterlife could be about this time, as well.” Beloved Dominican author, Julia Alvarez takes about her first novel in 14 years. Livestreamed between South Florida and Vermont.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

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Nick Flynn on What Art Can and Cannot Reflect

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 21:02:00 -0000

On this episode Nick Flynn talks with Mitchell about his new book, Stay: threads, conversations, collaborations, a mixed-media retrospective and self-portrait through's collaborations over the years, including photographer Amy Arbus, actor Robert De Niro, filmmaker Paul Weitz, and artists John Baldessari and Marilyn Minter. This is episode was livestreamed between Miami and outside New York City.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

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Mark Kurlansky on His Most Important Environmental Writing Yet

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 18:20:12 -0000

“The ocean is losing its ability to feed the animals that live in it. This is the scariest thing I’ve ever learned,” author and journalist Mark Kurlansky. On this episode he talks with Mitchell about the impact of climate change on food supplies and sea life. Kurlansky is currently social distancing with his family in New York City. His new book is SALMON: A Fish, the Earth, and the History of Their Common Fate. This is episode was livestreamed between Miami and New York City.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

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Fri, 13 Mar 2020 12:02:39 -0000

Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign mastermind, David Plouffe, shares his advice on how to defend against misinformation online, creating and spreading content, and motivating all citizens to get out and vote on November 3, 2020. His new books: A Citizen’s Guide to Beating Donald Trump and Ripples of Hope, a middle-grade nonfiction project about the United States' election process.

This episode of The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lithub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/617053/a-citizens-guide-to-beating-donald-trump-by-david-plouffe/

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Amy Fine Collins on The International Best-Dressed List: The Official Guide

Fri, 06 Mar 2020 14:20:45 -0000

Vanity Fair special correspondent and author, Amy Fine Collins, talks about her fascinating life as a writer, model and muse to many designers, most notably Geoffrey Beene. Her new book, The International Best-Dressed List: The Official Guide, is “the ultimate source for fashion mavens, Instagram followers and celebrity worshipers.” Much fashion history in this episode of The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan. Recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lithub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9780847864133/

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Gish Jen on Her Dystopian Novel, The Resisters: AutoAmerica, Surveillance and Baseball

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 13:06:34 -0000

In The Resisters, the dystopian future is all too real. Author Gish Jen talks about growing up as the daughter of Chinese immigrants, her Ivy League education, life as a writer, and how becoming an empty nester gave her the space to research and write her acclaimed novel. The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lithub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611024/the-resisters-by-gish-jen/

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Florida author Craig Pittman on How the Florida Panther Was Brought Back From Near Extinction

Fri, 21 Feb 2020 14:03:30 -0000

Craig Pittman: “The original inhabitants of Florida regarded panthers…they thought they were the *cat of god.* The settlers were petrified of them and shot them on site. Things started to turn around in 1981, Florida school children picked the panther as our official state animal. By 1995 they were virtually extinct.” Pittman talks about his new book, Cat Tale and the unprecedented scientific experiment that succeeded in saving the panthers, with unexpected ramifications. This episode of The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lithub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

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The Female Gen Exer’s Guide Through Middle Age Angst

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 14:49:36 -0000

In Why We Can’t Sleep, one of the women interviewed by Ada Calhoun is called Florida Girl. “She basically told me my favorite quote in the whole book. She was talking about how it’s terrible, all these things you’re dealing with at this stage of life…Divorce, money stuff, health. It’s all terrible but she started to see it as “terrible fun.” And I just loved that expression.” Ada shares her fascinating life stories with Mitchell Kaplan on this episode of The Literary Life. Recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lithub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

https://www.adacalhoun.com/

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Meet Susan Isaac’s New Heroine From Her Latest Thriller, Takes One to Know One

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 05:00:00 -0000

Susan Isaacs, author of thirteen novels, including Any Place I Hang My Hat and Compromising Positions, talks with Mitchell about how she became a writer. “I didn’t know writing was in my future until I had to look for a job,” she said. After graduating from Queens College, she “landed a job at Seventeen magazine, writing advice to the lovelorn under the name of Abigail Wood.” On this episode, she shares her thoughts on the significance of a book’s opening lines, how she crafts her stories, favorite authors, and creating Corie Geller. Recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lithub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

https://groveatlantic.com/book/takes-one-to-know-one/

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Slaying Goliath; Diane Ravitch's Fight to Save our Public Schools

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 14:15:08 -0000

Diane Ravitch has been called a hero in her dedication to preserving public school education. On this episode, she talks with Mitchell about the “Disrupters,” who are funding privatization and believe schools should be run like businesses. And the “Resisters,” a powerful group of volunteer parents, teachers, students, bloggers and leaders who are fighting back to successfully keep alive their public schools. Are school voucher programs a viable solution? Ravitch shares her thoughts on this and more. Recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lithub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

https://dianeravitch.com/about-diane/

Sat, 04 Jan 2020 13:57:57 -0000

“2020 will see many wonderful books being published. Today I‘m joined by three of the greatest readers around, who have the job of knowing just what those books are…Books & Books Head Buyer, Gael LeLamer, Cristina Russell, Head Buyer for Children’s and Young Adult Books and Cristina Nosti, Events and Marketing Manager, will talk about new books to expect as the year unfolds.” - Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books & Books. Also, host of this podcast. Recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lithub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

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Chef Allen Susser, innovator of New World Cuisine, on his new book: Green Fig and Lionfish, Sustainable Caribbean Cooking

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 14:31:43 -0000

The James Beard Foundation recognized Allen Susser as Best Chef in America, 1994. The acclaimed chef sits down with Mitchell to talk about helping the ecosystem with recipes from his new cookbook, Green Fig and Lionfish. “Let me first say, that lionfish is delicious, but it also is an invasive species, a danger to our environment. I am a big proponent of and work with getting people to understand what sustainable seafood is…If we don’t pay attention to what we do with the quality of our environment, we’re going to be in trouble with our food supply,” Allen Susser. Recorded at Books and Books in Coral Gables.

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Connie Ogle; Miami Herald Writer, Book Reviewer on the Most Notable Books of 2019

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 14:52:54 -0000

“I don’t remember a time that I didn’t read. There’s a legend in my family which I like to believe is true. It probably is not. But my mother, to this day, will tell you that they would put me in a crib at six-months-old with a stack of books so they could sleep late, and they could hear me turning the pages. So I like to think of myself as a prodigy…I’m sure this story is true.” - Connie Ogle. Mitchell and Connie discuss many of their most memorable books of 2019, and The Miami Herald “Readers With Attitude” Facebook page that Connie founded. Recorded at Books and Books in Coral Gables.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lithub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

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Chris Stein, Blondie’s Co-founder on Point of View, his Photographs of New York City Through the Eyes of a Punk Rocker

Fri, 06 Dec 2019 05:00:00 -0000

“I was just really lucky that I always had this kind of Zelig position of always being at the right place at the right time. I went to San Francisco in ’67 and ’68…I was at Woodstock…and then I gravitated to the Downtown music scene, opened for The Velvet Underground,” Chris Stein. He talks about his music, New York City Debbie Harry and how they each influenced his photography. Recorded at Miami Book Fair.

https://booksandbooks.com/

https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9780847862184/

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Eve Ensler; How writing The Apology lifted the curse of an abusive father

Fri, 29 Nov 2019 16:24:00 -0000

“There’s no justification for what my father did or any perpetrator does. But understanding is critical to transformation. What I wanted to do in this books is to let my father explain to me how he became a kind of man who was capable of

doing what he was doing,” Eve Ensler, Tony Award-winning playwright, activist, and author of The Vagina Monologues, on her new autobiography, The Apology. Recorded at Miami Book Fair.

https://booksandbooks.com/

https://www.eveensler.org/

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Samantha Power, Former United Nations Ambassador on; The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 13:46:00 -0000

“I just sort of bristled at the idea of writing a memoir…And I bristled because I feel like you should only write a memoir after you’ve brokered Middle East peace, which last I checked I have not managed, just yet…I realized that in order to capture and keep readers’ attention, there’s nothing like a good story,” Samantha Power, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former Ambassador to the United Nations during the Obama administration. Powers reflects on the lessons learned on human rights, foreign policy, public service, and how to make a difference.

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Cassandra King Conroy; On her new book Tell Me a Story; My Life with Pat Conroy

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 12:34:13 -0000

“I didn’t know what I was getting into. My editor called me and said I’m loving it, I love the stories of Pat, but I’ve read it and I don’t know a thing about you. And I said, do you mean I have to talk about myself?” Cassandra King Conroy on her book, Tell Me a Story, a tribute to her late husband, literary icon Pat Conroy. On this episode, she lovingly talks about their first meeting at a literary conference, “the beginning of her spin in a category 5 hurricane called Conroy.” Pat and Cassandra were married for 18 years until his death of pancreatic cancer in 2016.

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Les Standiford on Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago and #FloridaMan Donald Trump

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 05:00:00 -0000

“The high walls of Mar-a-Lago and other manses like it were seemingly designed to contain scandal within, as much as keep intruders out,” Les Standiford. On this episode, Standiford talks with Mitchell about his latest book, Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago, and the Rise of America’s Xanadu. From Henry Flagler, Marjory Merriweather Post to President Trump, who acquired Mar-a-Lago for $10-million in 1985 and now declares himself a Florida resident. The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan was recorded at the Books&Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

https://groveatlantic.com/book/palm-beach-mar-a-lago-and-the-rise-of-americas-xanadu/

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Jill Bialosky; Living her Dream as a Poet, Writer, Executive Editor

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 13:12:43 -0000

“I wanted people to understand that poetry can be very accessible. A way for readers to find their own story in a poem, to demystify poetry.” Jill Bialosky on her memoir, “Poetry Will Save Your Life.” Mitchell and Jill talk about poetry, writing and being the executive editor at W.W. Norton & Company. She’ll also share her story on Joy Harjo, one of the early poets Bialosky took on, who is now the first Native American to be named U.S. Poet Laureate.

This episode of The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan was recorded at the Coral Gables Art Cinema.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 04:00:00 -0000

Jennine Capó Crucet’s My Time Among the Whites is full of exchanges, that lay bare the ways power and money and race and class work in America in a way that’s serious but that can also be bitingly funny,” Anna North, Vox. Capó Crucet shares her American experiences growing up in Hialeah, Florida, her years as a student at the Ivy League Cornell University, her thoughts on Disney World and her new life as an associate professor (Department of English and the Institute for Ethnic Studies) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This episode of The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lopez

Editor: Lit Hub Radio

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Edwidge Danticat on “Everything Inside,” her anticipated collection of vividly imagined stories about community, family, and love

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 14:56:00 -0000

“I have been working on these stories for a long time, some of them are more recent. I really love that in a short story you can have sort of a limited universe, there’s so much economy and so much layering. I keep working on them no matter what else I’m doing,” Edwidge Danticat. “Everything Inside” is an eight-story collection with the common themes of diaspora, love and Danticat’s birthplace, Haiti. She‘ll share how it all came together with her long-time friend, Mitchell Kaplan, on this episode of The Literary Life. Recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lit Hub Radio

Links: https://booksandbooks.com/

https://lithub.com/

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/570151/everything-inside-by-edwidge-danticat/9780525521273/

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Ayşe Papatya Bucak on “The Trojan War Museum,” her debut story collection influenced by her beloved Turkish American heritage

Fri, 30 Aug 2019 08:53:30 -0000

“I was always drawn to writing. My mom loves books, my dad loved movies. They were both big story people.” Born in Istanbul, Turkey, raised in Havertown, Pennsylvania, Papatya’s stories are an intersection between her American life and the way that “Turkishness” pops up in her life. Mitchell and Papatya talk about her influential authors, the O. Henry Award, life as a professor and more. This episode of The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lit Hub Radio

Links: https://booksandbooks.com/

https://lithub.com/

https://www.aysepapatyabucak.com/

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 04:00:00 -0000

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 04:00:00 -0000

“One of the great joys of book selling is the start of the summer selling season. It’s a season when readers seem to have a bit more time to catch up on the books they’ve put off from earlier in the year, where they discover the plethora of new books that seem to come out from May through August,” Mitchell Kaplan. His all-star cast of booksellers from Books & Books got together to share their own summer reading recommendations. Join Mitchell, Gaël, and the three Cristinas, for their own curated lists of summer favorites. This conversation was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

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Mamta Chaudhry, on the debut of her first novel, “Haunting Paris”

Fri, 07 Jun 2019 04:00:00 -0000

Mamta Chaudry arrived at the University of Florida, to begin her master’s degree program as a broadcast journalism student. “To people in Florida, Calcutta seemed so exotic, but to me Gainesville was so exotic.” Chaudhry shares her journey from her life in Calcutta, her days at the University of Florida, a career as a host in classical music radio, and meeting her husband at a communications seminar. Her first novel, “Haunting Paris,” is described as “a timeless story of love and loss, transformed when a bereaved pianist discovers a mysterious letter among her late lover’s possessions, launching her headlong into a decades-old search for a child who vanished in the turbulence of wartime Paris.”Mamta and Mitchell’s conversation was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lit Hub Radio

Links: https://booksandbooks.com/

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/600213/haunting-paris-by-mamta-chaudhry/9780385544603/

https://rusoffagency.com/fiction/haunting-paris/

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Albert Woodfox, on “Solitary,” his story of transformation and hope

Fri, 31 May 2019 12:57:16 -0000

“A man who would not be broken. Not by more than 40 years of solitary in Angola (the Alcatraz of the south in Louisiana) not by maddening injustice in courts, not by beatings, isolation, or loneliness.” Barry Scheck, The Innocence Project. Released after 43 years, for a crime he says he did not commit, Albert Woodfox is the longest-standing solitary confinement prisoner in the U.S. He shares his remarkable story…growing up in poverty in Louisiana, survival in prison, and how he is advocating to seek prison reform, along with his co-counsel, Carine Williams. On this compelling episode of “The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan.” This conversation was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lit Hub Radio

Links: https://booksandbooks.com/

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/04/books/review-solitary-albert-woodfox.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/04/books/review/albert-woodfox-solitary.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/11/us/on-tortuous-road-to-freedom-angola-three-inmate-albert-woodfox-bides-his-time.html

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Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, on “Friday Black,” his acclaimed debut book

Fri, 24 May 2019 04:00:00 -0000

“Friday Black” has been described by Tommy Orange as “a dystopian story collection as full of violence as it is of heart.” On this episode, Adjei-Brenyah shares with Mitchell why his book is “a lot about family, trying and figuring out ways to make it.” Colson Whitehead chose Adjei-Breynah as a National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35" honoree, 2018. Mitchell and Adjei-Brenyah enjoy an engaging conversation on growing up in a New York suburb, his job in a mall shop, his Syracuse MFA professor, George Saunders, and his exciting new works. This conversation was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lit Hub Radio

Links: https://booksandbooks.com/

https://www.nanakwameadjei-brenyah.com/

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/23/books/review/-nana-kwame-adjei-brenyah-friday-black.html

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Sat, 13 Apr 2019 05:00:00 -0000

April is National Poetry Month. Mitchell celebrates with P. Scott Cunningham, founder of O, Miami, one of the most significant poetry events in the country. Mitchell and Scott talk about the past, present and exciting future of poetry, as well as Scott’s new book, “Ya Te Veo.” All this while enjoying a delicious brunch from The Café at Books&Books. Please listen, share and comment on our podcast landing page or on our social media: @BooksandBooks (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ http://www.omiami.org/

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Irvine Welsh, from “Trainspotting” to his latest book, “Dead Men’s Trousers”…

Sat, 06 Apr 2019 07:38:44 -0000

Scottish author Irvine Welsh has a new book. The controversial, acclaimed writer of “Trainspotting,” which became a cult film classic, joins Mitchell on this episode of “The Literary Life” podcast. From geopolitics, economics, education, culture and being a part-time Miami resident, Irvine shares his philosophical thoughts with Mitchell. And, of course, his latest book, “Dead Men’s Trousers,” the grand finale of “Trainspotting.” A very *interesting* episode. This conversation was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Please listen, share and comment on our podcast landing page or on our social media: @BooksandBooks (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://irvinewelsh.com/

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David Thomson, film writer and on his latest book: “Sleeping with Strangers; How the Movies Shaped Desire”

Sat, 30 Mar 2019 13:00:41 -0000

Author David Thomson, called by “Atlantic Monthly” as “The greatest living film critic and historian,” is Mitchell’s guest on this episode of “The Literary Life.” Thomson has written more than twenty books, including any cinephile's must-have, “The New Biographical Dictionary of Film.” He shares some of his favorite films, actors, how cinema has evolved and most of all, his latest book, Sleeping with Strangers; How the Movies Shaped Desire. This conversation was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Please listen, share and comment on our podcast landing page or on our social media: @BooksandBooks (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/533506/sleeping-with-strangers-by-david-thomson/9781101946992/

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Lisa See on her new novel, The Island of Sea Women

Sat, 23 Mar 2019 07:59:44 -0000

Acclaimed author, Lisa See joins Mitchell for a deep, and often humorous, conversation about her Chinese-American ancestry, her mother, the writer Carolyn See, and her acclaimed books On Gold Mountain, Shanghai Girls, and her latest, The Island of Sea Women. This conversation was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Please listen, share and comment on our podcast landing page or on our social media: @BooksandBooks (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://www.lisasee.com/books-new/the-island-of-sea-women/

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Taylor Jenkins Reid, on her new rock ’n’ roll novel, Daisy Jones and the Six

Sat, 16 Mar 2019 09:00:43 -0000

Taylor Jenkins Reid joins Mitchell for a trippy conversation on her just released novel, *Daisy Jones and the Six.* Set in the 70’s era of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, Taylor’s Daisy debuted at #3 as a New York Times bestseller. Inspired by music legends like Fleetwood Mac, Patti Smith, Springsteen, Debby Harry...so real there’s a Daisy Jones soundtrack on Spotify. Hear all about it on this episode of “The Literary Life.”. This conversation was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Please listen, share and comment on our podcast landing page or on our social media: @BooksandBooks (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://taylorjenkinsreid.com/ https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Taylor-Jenkins-Reid/408067962

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Part 2: Dave Cullen, best-selling author of “Columbine,” on his latest book, “Parkland,” and more

Sat, 09 Mar 2019 08:55:22 -0000

On part two of this new The Literary Life podcast episode, acclaimed author of Dave Cullen, continues his conversation with Mitchell about his new book, “Parkland.” This intimate, deeply moving exchange follows the extraordinary teenage survivors who became activists, pushing back against the NRA and Congressional leaders, inspiring millions of Americans to join their grassroots #neveragain movement. Cullen talks about his influential authors and a sneak peek at his upcoming book. This conversation was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Please listen, share and comment on our podcast landing page or on our social media: @BooksandBooks (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/22/books/review/dave-cullen-parkland-best-seller.html https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103234226

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Dave Cullen, best-selling author of “Columbine,” on his latest book, “Parkland”

Sat, 02 Mar 2019 08:43:51 -0000

On part one of the latest The Literary Life podcast episode, acclaimed author of Dave Cullen, has a candid conversation with Mitchell about his new book, “Parkland.” This intimate, deeply moving exchange follows the extraordinary teenage survivors who became activists, pushing back against the NRA and Congressional leaders, inspiring millions of Americans to join their grassroots #neveragain movement. Cullen also shares his experience writing the best-selling “Columbine,” his detailed account of the 1999 mass shooting, released 10 years ago. This conversation was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Please listen, share and comment on our podcast landing page or on our social media: @BooksandBooks (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/22/books/review/dave-cullen-parkland-best-seller.html https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103234226

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James Grippando, from trial lawyer to best-selling author…on his latest thriller: The Girl in a Glass Box

Sat, 23 Feb 2019 05:15:47 -0000

On his latest podcast episode, Mitchell welcomes former trial lawyer, New York Times best-selling author and winner of the Harper-Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, “Jim” Grippando. Jim has advice for aspiring writers, talks about his own writing process, and new thriller, “The Girl in the Glass Box.” Along with dessert from The Café, Mitchell and Jim also share what they’re reading these days, on this episode of *The Literary Life.* This conversation was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Please listen, share and comment on our podcast landing page or on our social media: @BooksandBooks (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://www.jamesgrippando.com/ https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062657831/the-girl-in-the-glass-box/

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Marlon James, on his anticipated novel, *Black Leopard, Red Wolf.

Sat, 16 Feb 2019 10:25:49 -0000

Man Booker Prize-winner, Marlon James, sits down with Mitchell and shares many things, such as what inspires him, his favorite books and growing up in Jamaica reading “anything he can get his hands on.”. *Black Leopard,* part one of a trilogy, will soon become a film. Great book, great episode! This conversation was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Not to be missed! Please listen, share and comment on our podcast landing page or on our social media: @BooksandBooks (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/08/books/review/marlon-jamess-john-crows-devil.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/08/books/review/marlon-james-talks-about-his-epic-new-trilogy.html

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Ian Rankin, Scottish crime writer, on his latest novel: “In a House of Lies”

Sat, 09 Feb 2019 09:39:52 -0000

Ian Rankin, “the dean of Scottish detective fiction” and the creator of “tartan noir,” discusses his latest book, “In a House of Lies.” In conversation with David Leiwant…on this episode of “The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan.” This exciting conversation was recorded with the audience in attendance at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Not to be missed! Please listen, share and comment on our podcast landing page or on our social media: @BooksandBooks (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Sturmer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://www.ianrankin.net/about/

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Fruit of the Winter Institute: Mitchell discusses the buzz books for spring and summer of 2019

Sat, 02 Feb 2019 10:07:59 -0000

Straight from the Winter Institute which took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mitchell reveals and discusses some of the most talked about titles and authors. Recorded at Mitchell’s home…and when you listen to this episode, you’ll know why. Please listen, share and comment on our podcast landing page or on our social media: @BooksandBooks (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://www.bookweb.org/ https://www.bookweb.org/wi2019/winter-institute-2019

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Min Jin Lee…Best-selling author of “Pachinko,” on her Korean roots, life as a writer, her upcoming book and much more.

Sat, 26 Jan 2019 09:09:14 -0000

Min Jin Lee's novel, "Pachinko" was a finalist for the National Book Awards for Fiction, a The New York Times Bestseller, a Top 10 Books of the Year for BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the NYPL The New York Public Library, and, on more than 75 best books of the year lists in 2017. Now she joins Mitchell for a fascinating conversation on this new episode of The Literary Life. Recorded at Books and Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Please listen, share and comment on our podcast landing page or on our social media: @BooksandBooks (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Danny Varela Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://www.minjinlee.com/

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Dani Shapiro…on her thought-provoking new memoir, “Inheritance”

Sat, 19 Jan 2019 10:17:01 -0000

Ancestry, identity and a stunning family secret revealed. Author Dani Shapiro joins Mitchell for an extraordinary conversation about her new memoir, “Inheritance” on this new episode of The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan. Please listen, share and comment on our podcast landing page or on our social media: @BooksandBooks (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://danishapiro.com/books/inheritance/

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Lisa Lucas, Executive Director of the National Book Foundation…

Sat, 12 Jan 2019 06:35:00 -0000

Go behind-the-scenes at The National Book Foundation with Executive Director Lisa Lucas. From identifying finalists to selecting the recipients of the coveted National Book Award... Join Mitchell and Lisa on this fascinating new episode of *The Literary Life.* Recorded at Miami Book Fair 2018. Please listen, share and comment on our podcast landing page or on our social media: @BooksandBooks (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://www.nationalbook.org/ https://www.nationalbook.org/awards-prizes/national-book-awards-2018/ https://lifehacker.com/im-national-book-foundation-executive-director-lisa-luc-1820856799

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Tayari Jones. Oprah’s Book Club author, award-winning writer, acclaimed essayist and much more…

Sat, 05 Jan 2019 09:39:51 -0000

Tayari Jones, award-winning writer, essayist and professor joins Mitchell on this new episode of The Literary Life podcast. Her latest best-selling novel, *An American Marriage,* was selected by Oprah’s Book Club and is on President Obama’s top 10 books list, 2018. Tayari shares what inspired her to write this acclaimed book, growing up in Atlanta, her typewriter collection, and that call from Oprah. Please listen, share and comment on our podcast landing page or on our social media: @BooksandBooks (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://www.tayarijones.com/about/

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Tina Brown…author, talk-show host and legendary former editor at Vanity Fair

Sat, 29 Dec 2018 08:24:32 -0000

On this episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell’s guest is Tina Brown, author of “The Diana Chronicles” and “The Vanity Fair Diaries.” Brown was also editor at “Vanity Fair,” “The New Yorker” and founding editor of “The Daily Beast.” Mitchell and Brown share an exciting conversation about her life as a media legend and so much more. Listen and share with your friends. Recorded at Miami Book Fair 2019. Follow on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @booksandbooks. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://www.businessinsider.com/tina-brown-vanity-fair-daily-beast-women-in-the-world-2018-4 https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/04/tina-brown-on-vanity-fair-princess-diana-womens-rights-and-weinstein.html https://womenintheworld.com/

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Les Standiford, historian, author and Director of Florida International University’s Creative Writing Program

Sat, 22 Dec 2018 06:39:00 -0000

On this special episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell is joined by long-time friend, Les Standiford for a conversation about growing up in Ohio, finding his calling in life as a writer, teaching, upcoming projects and his favorite novel. Please listen, share and comment on @BooksandBooks’ Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ http://www.les-standiford.com/

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Best Books of 2018 and Holiday Book Recommendations

Sat, 15 Dec 2018 06:42:00 -0000

The Two Cristinas join Mitchell on this week's episode of The Literary Life. Books & Books’ very own Director of Events & Marketing, Cristina Nosti, and Children's Book Buyer, Cristina Russell, talk best books of 2018 and make some great last-minute recommendations for all of the book lovers on your shopping list. And there’s a special appearance by the newest member of the Books & Books family - Baby Rafa Russell! You’ll hear him in the background. Recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ Thank you Cristina Nosti and Cristina Russell for joining us on this episode of The Literary Life.

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Jason Reynolds, National Book Award-nominee, from our Miami Book Fair Series

Sat, 08 Dec 2018 06:07:00 -0000

Author, Jason Reynolds joins Mitchell on this episode of The Literary Life. From Jason’s early life as a kid who really did not like to read, to becoming a best-selling author and literary star. An inspiring conversation not to be missed. Recorded at Miami Book Fair 2018. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://www.jasonwritesbooks.com/ https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Jason-Reynolds/403685768

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Doris Kearns Goodwin, PulitzerPrize-winning author and presidential historian, from our Miami Book Fair Series

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 14:49:57 -0000

On this episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell welcomes his friend, American biographer, historian, and political commentator, Doris Kearns Goodwin. The two discuss her life as a presidential historian, best-selling author, her latest book, “Leadership in Turbulent Times” and its connection to today's own times. Recorded at Miami Book Fair 2018. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ https://doriskearnsgoodwin.com/about-doris/

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Oren Teicher, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, on indie bookstores and their cultural significance.

Sat, 24 Nov 2018 06:44:00 -0000

Go behind the scenes for a fascinating conversation that is perfectly timed in celebration of Small Business Saturday, November 24th. Mitchell’s guest, Oren Teicher, shares his knowledge of, and passion for, independent bookselling. They will also discuss the launch of this year’s #IndiesGiveBack campaign by best-selling author, Jason Reynolds, at Miami Book Fair 2018. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ bookweb.org https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/

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Pete Souza, former White House Staff Photographer to President Barack Obama, talks about his latest best-seller, “Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents”

Sat, 17 Nov 2018 06:49:00 -0000

Pete Souza, White House Staff Photographer to President Barack Obama, will be kicking off a special seven episode series titled “The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan: Recorded at the Miami Book Fair 2018.” Mitchell and Pete Souza discuss his world famous photos, his *Shade Instagram,* special moments in the Obama White House and what’s to come in American politics. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer, Chaliwa Music + Sound Links: https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9780385341004 https://www.petesouza.com/content.html?page=2 https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/23/books/pete-souza-shade-obama-trump.html Pete Souza! Thanks for joining us on The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan.

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Jeff Abbott on his latest thriller, the challenges of losing his home, and entering the world of writing for film and television.

Sat, 10 Nov 2018 06:43:00 -0000

Mitchell is joined by the masterful suspense novelist, Jeff Abbott, as he talks about his early influences growing up in East Texas, his development as a writer and the challenges of bringing his books to film and television. The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan is recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer, Chaliwa Music + Sound Links: https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9780385341004 https://jeffabbott.com/books/ Jeff Abbott! Thanks for joining us on The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan.

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All about The Miami Book Fair

Sat, 03 Nov 2018 05:26:00 -0000

Exploring the books, authors and history of The Miami Book Fair, Mitchell is in conversation with Lissette Mendez and Marci Cancio-Bello, responsible for programming of TMBF. With over 600 authors attending, this year’s Fair takes place November 11th-18th and is celebrating its 35th anniversary. The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan is recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer, Chaliwa Music + Sound Links: https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9780385341004 https://www.miamibookfair.com/ Lissette Mendez and Marci Cancio-Bello! Thanks for joining us on The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan.

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Michael Reynolds on Elena Ferrante, HBO, and the mission of Europa Editions

Sat, 27 Oct 2018 05:12:00 -0000

Michael Reynolds talks with Mitchell about his journey from Australia to becoming publisher of Europa Editions to bringing Elena Ferrante to bestsellerdom across the world and to HBO as a limited series. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer, Chaliwa Music + Sound Links: https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9780385341004 https://www.europaeditions.com/ https://www.hbo.com/my-brilliant-friend Michael Reynolds! Thanks for joining us on The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan.

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Johnny Temple on his journey to Akashic Books.

Sat, 20 Oct 2018 14:31:45 -0000

Johnny Temple, the founder and publisher of Akashic Books, joins Mitchell in a freewheeling conversation about Caribbean writing, indie publishing, politics, and the music that started him on his path down the road less traveled. Recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer, Chaliwa Music + Sound Links: https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9780385341004 http://www.akashicbooks.com/ http://www.akashicbooks.com/author/johnny/ Johnny Temple! Thanks for your permission to use your “Girls Against Boys” song “Disco Six Six Six” and for joining us on this episode.

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Debra Dean, bestselling author of “The Madonnas of Leningrad,” on writing, acting and teaching MFA students.

Sat, 13 Oct 2018 08:23:00 -0000

Debra Dean joins The Literary Life discussing her new book, a biography of the artist Jan Yoors and his two wives, teaching MFA students, and her life as an actress. In an engaging conversation with Mitchell, Debra explores the transition *albeit temporary* from fiction like her bestselling “The Madonnas of Leningrad,” to non-fiction, while giving us insight into the making of a writer and teacher. Recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer, Chaliwa Music + Sound Links: https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9780385341004 https://www.debradean.com/ Thanks for joining us, Debra Dean!

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Rick Bragg, the great story teller…

Sat, 06 Oct 2018 05:02:00 -0000

On this episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell’s guest, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Rick Bragg, shares colorful stories about his southern roots, his career as a journalist and the voices that have informed his books including his latest, “The Best Cook in the World, Tales from My Momma’s Table.” Recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer, Chaliwa Music + Sound Links: https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9780385341004 https://www.facebook.com/rickbraggauthor/ https://www.southernliving.com/community/rick-bragg-southern-journal-0 Thanks for joining us, Rick Bragg!

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Gary Shteyngart on his latest book, Lake Success

Sat, 29 Sep 2018 13:01:03 -0000

A smart, humorous and very relevant conversation with book writer Gary Shteyngart on growing up in Russia, his Twitter account, his watch collection, politics and the inspiration for his latest book, Lake Success. This conversation between Mitchell and Gary was recorded inside The Café at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer, Chaliwa Music + Sound Links: https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9780385341004 http://www.garyshteyngart.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPwrEPvSjm0

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Walter Mosley on his unique childhood, an appreciation of Edwidge Danticat, philosophy and his latest book, John Woman.

Sat, 22 Sep 2018 05:33:00 -0000

This week Mitchell shares his deep dive conversation with author Walter Mosley from the Café at Books & Books. Insightful, philosophical, political, with stories from his very unique childhood, Walter joins The Literary Life on the publication of his latest novel, John Woman. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer, Chaliwa Music + Sound Link: https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9780385341004 http://www.waltermosley.com/

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Talking about new books…

Sat, 15 Sep 2018 05:23:00 -0000

Gaël LeLamer, head buyer at Books & Books joins Mitchell to discuss new books just out…or coming soon. From novels, historical fiction, biographies, fiction, non-fiction to the first graphic novel nominated for the Man Booker Prize, Sabrina. And a few surprises. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer, Chaliwa Music + Sound Link: https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9780385341004 https://www.miamibookfair.com/

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Brad Meltzer on his fiction, histories, comics and the importance of family and friends…

Sat, 08 Sep 2018 05:09:00 -0000

Mitchell engages Brad Meltzer in a freewheeling conversation on subjects ranging from his bestselling novels to his life long passion for comics. His candor about his early influences and the state of our national political discourse is refreshingly told with anecdotes about his friendships with people as diverse as Joseph Ellis, Dave Barry and Barbara Bush. He gives us an intimate view of what went into the making of his own literary life. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer, Chaliwa Music + Sound Links: http://bradmeltzer.com/ https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9780385341004

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Annie Barrows on the new film adapted from her novel, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society…

Sat, 01 Sep 2018 14:32:59 -0000

Novelist Annie Barrows joins Mitchell on the eve of the Netflix premiere of the film version of her novel, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which was produced by Mitchell and his partner Paula Mazur. Learn what it took to make the film, Annie’s reaction to it, and also many other aspects of her literary life. Links: https://www.netflix.com/title/80223371 https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9780385341004 http://anniebarrows.com/about/ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/

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Dave Barry...

Sat, 25 Aug 2018 04:00:00 -0000

Dave Barry talks about his books, his early writing life, what brought him to Miami, playing guitar in a rock and roll band and much, much more. As only he can. Links: http://davebarry.com/ https://booksandbooks.com/ Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer