All posts by Francesca Rheannon

About Francesca Rheannon

Francesca Rheannon is an award-winning independent radio producer. In addition to hosting Writer's Voice, she's a freelance reporter for National Public Radio and its affiliates. Recipient of the prestigious Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Award for reporting on substance abuse issues for her news series, VOICES OF HIV, produced for 88.5 WFCR public radio in western Massachusetts. She is also finishing a book on Provence (PROVINCE OF THE HEART) and working on a memoir of her father, THE ARGONAUTS.

Podcast

David Margolick, THE PROMISE AND THE DREAM & Alex Perry, THE GOOD MOTHERS

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We talk with David Margolick about his groundbreaking examination of the relationship between Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. The book is The Promise and the Dream.

Then, Alex Perry discusses his book, The Good Mothers: The True Story of the Women Who Took on the World’s Most Powerful Mafia. It’s a feminist saga of true crime and justice that shows the power of women, even against the most ruthless of enemies. Continue reading →

Podcast

Our Eroding Democracy: Steven Levitsky, Ted Rall, Harmon Leon

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We talk with Steven Levitsky, co-author of How Democracies Die. Then, political cartoonist Ted Rall and author Harmon Leon tell us about their book, Meet The Deplorables: Infiltrating Trump America. Continue reading →

Podcast

Larry Tye, BOBBY KENNEDY & Stephen Kiernan, THE BAKER’S SECRET

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This week, we commemorate two momentous June 6 anniversaries. First, we explore the life of Bobby Kennedy, a life cut short on June 6, 1968. We talk with Larry Tye about his superb biography of Robert F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon.

Then, we honor D-Day (June 6, 1944) by talking with Stephen Kiernan about his novel The Baker’s Secret. It tells the story of a remarkable young woman who keeps her neighbors alive until the D-Day invasion liberates their Normandy town from Nazi Occupation.

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Podcast

Two Masters of Crime Fiction: Elizabeth George & Anthony Horowitz

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We talk with Elizabeth George about the latest in her Inspector Lynley series, The Punishment She Deserves. Then, Anthony Horowitz of Foyle’s War, House of Silk and the Alex Rider mysteries tells us about his new book, The Word Is Murder. It’s a meta-mystery romp that invites the reader in behind the scenes of writing mystery fiction. Continue reading →

Podcast

Jay Wertz, THE WORLD TURNS TO WAR & Susan Abulhawa, The Blue Between Sky and Water

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Jay Wertz tells us about his pictorial book about World War II, The World Turns To War.

Then, in the wake of last week’s events in Gaza, we re-air our 2015 interview with Susan Abulhawa about her novel The Blue Between Sky and Water. It’s the story of one Palestinian family from the day of the Naqba, or expulsion from Israel, in 1948 to today. Continue reading →

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Lauren Markham, The Far Away Brothers & Others on Immigration

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Lauren Markham talks about The Far Away Brothers (Crown 2017), her spellbinding story of two young migrants from El Salvador and the life they are making in America. Then, we hear poet Eduardo Corral read his poem, In Colorado, My Father Scoured and Stacked Dishes. And finally, we talk with singer-songwriter Don Arbor about his welcome song to immigrants Everyone Comes From Somewhere. Continue reading →

Podcast

Chloe Benjamin, The Immortalists, Matt Haig, How To Stop Time, & Vandana Shiva, Creative Civil Disobedience

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We talk with Chloe Benjamin about her bestselling novel, The Immortalists. (Penguin Random House.) It’s about four siblings who, in childhood, learn the dates of their death. Or do they? Then, could there be people among us whose lifespan is nearly a millennium? Matt Haig talks about his latest novel, How To Stop Time (Penguin Random House.) And finally, we talk with the great environmental philosopher and advocate Vandana Shiva. A new book of interviews with her, Creative Civil Disobedience, is out from Actes Sud.

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Web Extras

Vandana Shiva, CREATIVE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

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Vandana Shiva is a force of nature — and a force for nature. Winner of the alternative Nobel Prize, the Right Livelihood Award, Shiva has been at the forefront of the food sovereignty movement; Her greatest fights have been against GMOs and the patenting of seeds that have bankrupted small farmers throughout the world. As Vandana Shiva says, “Life is not an invention.” Continue reading →

Podcast

Kathryn Levy, REPORTS & Mark Eleveld, THE SPOKEN WORD REVOLUTION REDUX

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We talk with poet Kathryn Levy about her latest poetry volume Reports (New Rivers Press, 2013). Then we hear an extended excerpt from my 2008 interview with Mark Eleveld about the anthology and CD set he edited, The Spoken Word Revolution Redux (Sourcebooks Press., 2007.) Continue reading →

Podcast

Menno Schilthuizen, DARWIN COMES TO TOWN & George Kourounis, ANGRY PLANET

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We talk with evolutionary biologist Menno Schilthuizen about his book Darwin Comes To Town (Picador Press 2018).

Then, adventurer and documentarian George Kourounis travels the planet to witness the impact of climate change. He tells us about the revival of his TV series Angry Planet (KCET and LINK TV.) Continue reading →

Podcast

Mark Hertsgaard, How Big Wireless Made Us Think That Cell Phones Are Safe & Philip Schultz, LUXURY

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April is Poetry Month! We talk with poet Philip Schultz about his latest poetry collection, Luxury.

Then, investigative journalist Mark Hertsgaard tells us about the explosive new report he co-wrote with Mark Dowie, “How Big Wireless Made Us Think That Cell Phones Are Safe.”

Finally, poet Kathryn Levy reads from her latest collection, Reports. (We’ll air our full interview with her in two weeks.)

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Podcast

Ronen Bergman, RISE AND KILL FIRST & Norman Finkelstein GAZA

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We talk about Israel’s long and secret history of assassination with Ronen Bergman. His book is Rise and Kill First (Random Penguin House, 2018.) Then, Norman Finkelstein tells us about the devastating impact of Israeli policy on the civilian population of Gaza. His book is Gaza: An Inquest Into Its Martyrdom. Continue reading →

Podcast

Sarah Zaske, ACHTUNG BABY & Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, THE DEEPEST WELL

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We talk with Sarah Zaske about what the Germans can teach us about raising kids. Her book is Achtung Baby: An American Mom on the German Art of Raising Self-Reliant Children.

Then, what’s the impact of adverse childhood experiences on health across the lifetime? Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris discusses her book The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity.

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Podcast

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, LOADED & Gregg Levine on Fukushima Daichi Radiation

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Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz tells us about her new book,  Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Amendment.

Then we talk with journalist Gregg Levine about his special investigation for The Nation Magazine into the deaths and illnesses afflicting US sailors exposed to radiation from the Fukushima Daichi meltdown. It’s titled “Seven Years on, Sailors Exposed to Fukushima Radiation Seek Their Day in Court.”

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