Tag Archives: book show

Podcast

Clayton Page Aldern: Climate Change Is Messing with Our Brains

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In this episode of Writer’s Voice, we talk with Clayton Page Aldern about The Weight of Nature, his groundbreaking new book on the impacts of climate change on our brains — from PSTD to brain-eating amoebas.

Aldern explains how climate-induced stressors are shaping our mental health — harming our judgment, leading to rises in neurodegenerative diseases, and even eroding our capacity to tell truth from lies.

Clayton Aldern is a neuroscientist turned environmental journalist and senior data reporter for Grist. His climate change data visualizations have appeared in a variety of forums, including on the US Senate floor in a speech by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

Connect with Us: Follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on the latest episodes and news. Find us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on X/Twitter@WritersVoice.

Key words: Clayton Aldern, neuroscience, brain science, climate change, global warming, book show, podcast, brain health, PTSD, climate anxiety, Clayton Page Aldern, The Weight of Nature, neurodegeneration, environmental stressors, ALS, Alzheimer’s

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Podcast

Edwidge Danticat on Haiti, Immigration, and Her New Essay Collection WE’RE ALONE

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Episode Description:

In this episode, we talk with celebrated Haitian American writer Edwidge Danticat, author of Brother, I’m Dying and her latest essay collection, We’re Alone.

Danticat shares intimate insights into her writing process, the legacy of colonialism and the immigrant experience. She discusses Haiti’s ongoing struggles, her personal connection to the country, and how the global refugee crisis continues to impact marginalized communities.

Tune in to explore how Danticat bears witness to history through her poignant essays on family, resilience, and the power of storytelling.

We also play a portion of our 2010 interview with Tracy Kidder about his book Mountains Beyond Mountains. It’s about the late great doctor and humanitarian Paul Farmer’s work in Haiti.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

Connect with Us: Follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on the latest episodes and news. Find us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on X/Twitter@WritersVoice.

Key words: Edwidge Danticat, We’re Alone, Haitian American writer, Haiti, colonialism, immigration, refugee crisis, writing process, Tracy Kidder, Paul Farmer, book show, podcast.

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Podcast

Policing Women’s Bodies: Seema Yasmin, UNBECOMING + Jordan Elgrably, STORIES FROM THE CENTER OF THE WORLD

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In this episode of Writer’s Voice, we sit down with Dr. Seema Yasmin to discuss her prescient YA novel, Unbecoming. Dr. Yasmin, a physician, journalist, and director of the Stanford Health Communication Initiative, brings her multifaceted expertise to the conversation. Her new book, set in a dystopian near-future America, explores the challenges faced by two teenage girls, Leila and Noor, as they navigate a society where abortion has been heavily restricted.

Listen to a clip from the interview on YouTube

Then, we talk with Jordan Elgrably, editor of a new collection of stories from the Middle East, Stories From The Center of The World. The stories originally appeared in the Markaz Review.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

Connect with Us: Follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on the latest episodes and news. Find us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on X/Twitter@WritersVoice.

Key words: abortion, reproductive rights, Seema Yasmin, Jordan Elgrably, Middle East, fiction, podcast, podcast, book recommendations, author interview, book podcast, book show, history, writer’s voice

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Podcast

Ending Institutional America: William Bronston, PUBLIC HOSTAGE, PUBLIC RANSOM

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In this episode, we sit down with Dr. William Bronston, a renowned advocate for disability rights and social justice.

Dr. Bronston shares his incredible journey from a young medical student to a leading figure in the fight to protect the rights of people with disabilities. He discusses his experiences working at the Willowbrook State School, his efforts in the deinstitutionalization movement, and the transformative impact of the landmark Willowbrook case.

His book is Public Hostage: Public Ransom: Ending Institutional America.

“Willowbrook was a turning point, not just for the people who lived there, but for the entire movement towards equality and human dignity.” – Dr. William Bronston

Connect with Us: Follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on the latest episodes and news. Find us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on X/Twitter@WritersVoice.

Listen to Bronston read an excerpt from Public Hostage, Public Ransom

Key Words: William Bronston, Willowbrook State School, deinstitutionalization, disability rights

Read more: Ending Institutional America: William Bronston, PUBLIC HOSTAGE, PUBLIC RANSOM

Show Notes

Early Life and Career Beginnings

  • Dr. Bronston’s early inspirations and motivations for pursuing a career in medicine.
  • His first encounters with disability rights issues and the profound impact on his career trajectory.

The Willowbrook State School Experience

  • Detailed account of Dr. Bronston’s work at Willowbrook State School.
  • Shocking conditions and human rights abuses witnessed at Willowbrook.
  • The pivotal role Dr. Bronston played in exposing these conditions to the public.

Advocacy and Legal Battles

  • The landmark Willowbrook case and its implications for disability rights.
  • Dr. Bronston’s collaboration with other advocates, lawyers, and journalists.
  • The process of deinstitutionalization and the shift towards community-based care.

Ongoing Efforts and Future Vision

  • Reflections on the progress made in disability rights since the Willowbrook case.
  • Current challenges and areas needing attention in the fight for equality and justice for people with disabilities.
  • Dr. Bronston’s vision for the future of disability rights.

Watch Geraldo RIvera’s documentary, Willowbrook: The Last Disgrace

Podcast

Audrea Lim, FREE THE LAND & Carleen Madigan, THE BACKYARD HOMESTEAD

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In this episode, we sit down with Audrea Lim, author of Free the Land: How We Can Fight Poverty and Climate Chaos.

Audrea traces the connections between land commodification and many of America’s most pressing issues: ecological collapse, climate change, systemic racism, gentrification and economic inequality. Through powerful examples and thoughtful analysis, she shows how land ownership and control are key to understanding and addressing these problems.

Then we re-broadcast our 2009 interview with Carleen Madigan about The Backyard Homestead: Produce All the Food You Need On Just a Quarter Acre! The book was so successful, it went on to spark a whole series of Backyard Homestead books.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

Connect with Us: Follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on the latest episodes and news. Find us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on X/Twitter@WritersVoice.

Read The Transcript

Key words: land ownership, Audrea Lim, backyard homesteading, Carleen Madigan, podcast, nonfiction, podcast, book recommendations, author interview, book podcast, book show, history, writer’s voice, Francesca Rheannon

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Podcast

Uncovering Hidden Histories: Claire Wills on Family Secrets and National Scandals

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Episode Description

In this episode of Writer’s Voice, host Francesca Rheannon sits down with acclaimed author Claire Wills to discuss her deeply personal and historically insightful book, Missing Persons or My Grandmother’s Secrets.

Wills shares her journey of uncovering family secrets surrounding an “illegitimate” pregnancy in 1950s Ireland and exploring the broader national scandal of mother and baby homes.

Through a blend of memoir and historical analysis, Wills illuminates the complex social forces that shaped perceptions of legitimacy and the devastating impact of secrecy on countless lives.

Then we re-play our interview from March of this year with Claire Coughlan about her mystery novel, Where They Lie. It centers around a clandestine abortion clinic in 1960’s Ireland.

And we continue our series of poetry readings from Mosab Abu Toha’s book, Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza.

Connect with Us: Follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on the latest episodes and news. Find us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on X/Twitter @WritersVoice.

Key Words: Claire Wills, Mother and Baby Homes, unwed mothers, abortion, podcast, author interview, book show, Ireland, Claire Coughlan, abortion rights

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Podcast

Brad Gooch on The Radiant Life of Keith Haring & more

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We talk with Brad Gooch about his acclaimed new biography of Keith Haring, RADIANT: The Life and Line of Keith Haring. Then we listen back to a clip of Gooch talking with us in 2017 about his biography, Rumi’s Secret: The Life of the Sufi Poet of Love.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

Find us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram and Threads @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on X/Twitter @WritersVoice.

Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show.

Key words: biography, Keith Haring, Rumi, Brad Gooch, podcast, author interview, history, book show

Read more: Brad Gooch on The Radiant Life of Keith Haring & more

Keith Haring: Breaking Barriers

In the 1980s, the subways of New York City were covered with art. In the stations, black matte sheets were pasted over outdated ads, and unsigned chalk drawings often popped up on these blank spaces.

These temporary chalk drawings numbered in the thousands and became synonymous with a city as diverse as it was at war with itself, beset with poverty and crime but alive with art and creative energy. And every single one of those drawings was done by Keith Haring.

Haring was one of the most emblematic artists of the 1980s. Part of an iconic cultural crowd that included Andy Warhol, Madonna, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Haring broke down the barriers between high art and popular culture, creating work that was accessible for all and using it as a means to provoke and inspire radical social change.

Haring died of AIDS in 1990. To this day, his influence on our culture remains.

RADIANT: Brad Gooch’s Definitive Biography of Haring

Brad Gooch’s biography of Keith Haring, Radiant, brings Haring’s brilliant but tragically short life to light, painting a vivid picture of the life and times of his subject. Gooch was granted access to Haring’s extensive archive to write a biography that will become the authoritative work on the artist.

About the Author

Brad Gooch is a poet, novelist, and biographer. In addition to Radiant and Rumi’s Secret: The Life of the Sufi Poet of Love (we play an excerpt from our 2017 interview with Gooch about Rumi’s Secret) he’s the author of biographies of Flannery O’Connor and Frank O’Hara; as well as several other works, including memoir, poetry and fiction.

Podcast

A Jazz-Age Murder That Toppled Gotham’s Mayor

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The Rundown

We talk with Michael Wolraich about his book, The Bishop And The Butterfly: Murder, Politics, And The End Of The Jazz Age. Then, we re-air part of our conversation with Paul Kix about You Have To Be Prepared To Die Before You Can Begin To Live: Ten Weeks In Birmingham That Changed America.  And we read a poem by Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha, who was abducted by the IDF and brutally beaten before a global outcry resulted in his release.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

Find us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram and Threads @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on X/Twitter @WritersVoice. Read transcripts at the Writer’s Voice Substack.

Key Words: Michael Wolraich, Jazz Age, history, writers voice, podcast, book recommendations, author interview, book podcast, book show, book excerpt, creative nonfiction, poetry, Black History Month

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Podcast

Hope For The Climate Crisis: Michael Mann, OUR FRAGILE MOMENT

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We talk with world-renowned climate scientist Michael Mann about climate, past, present and future. His book is Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons from Earth’s Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis.

The world is largely past climate denialism (except for the Republican Party and its fascist leader Donald Trump.) But what has replaced it is climate doomism — the notion that it’s just too late to do anything about climate disruption, so we might as well continue with business as usual.

But as Michael Mann tells us, it’s not too late to avert climate apocalypse — and there is resilience in the climate system, if we can just give it enough support to kick in.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

Find us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram and Threads @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on X/Twitter @WritersVoice. Read transcripts at the Writer’s Voice Substack.

Key words: climate change, climate crisis, global warming, climate science, Michael Mann, podcast, book recommendations, author interview, book podcast, book show, writer’s voice, Francesca Rheannon

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Podcast

Douglas Preston & Emma Donnoghue, FOURTEEN DAYS

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We talk with authors Douglas Preston and Emma Donoghue about a collaborative novel whose characters — and their stories — are each written by a different, major literary voice: Fourteen Days: An Unauthorized Gathering.

Then, we remember Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday by airing some of our conversation with Jonathan Eig, about his biography, King: A Life. Listen to the whole interview here.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

Find us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram and Threads @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on X/Twitter.

Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show.

Key Words: writer’s voice, podcast, book recommendations, author interview, book podcast, book show, book excerpt, fiction, Douglas Preston, Emma Donoghue, Covid pandemic.

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Podcast

Cory Doctorow, THE LOST CAUSE

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We talk with Cory Doctorow about his new novel The Lost Cause, “a solarpunk science fiction novel of hope amidst the climate emergency.” It imagines an America where another better world is possible, while confronting the evils of today.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

Find us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram and Threads @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on X/Twitter.

Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show.

Read the transcript

Key Words: writer’s voice, podcast, book recommendations, author interview, book podcast, book show, book excerpt, fiction, cli-fi, Cory Doctorow, Green New Deal, climate change

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Podcast

Carl Safina, ALFIE AND ME & Charlotte Dennett, FOLLOW THE PIPELINES

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What an owl taught a famed ecologist about a deadly human misconception. Also, the role of oil in the Israel/Palestine conflict.

We talk with ecologist Carl Safina about his book, Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe. It’s about how a tiny ragged ball of fluff taught a famed ecologist about a deadly human misconception.

Then, do the endless wars around oil include the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Charlotte Dennett’s book Follow The Pipelines is about the deadly politics of the great game for oil. We talk with her about how those deadly politics are a hidden factor in the West and Israel’s dealings with the Palestinians.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

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Key Words: Carl Safina, Charlotte Dennett, Israel, Palestine, owls, oil, podcast, book recommendations, author interview, book podcast, book show, creative nonfiction, environment, writer’s voice

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Podcast

Brant MacDuff, THE SHOTGUN CONSERVATIONIST

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Is hunting actually good for the environment? That’s what conservationist Brant MacDuff says. We spend the hour with him talking about his book, The Shotgun Conservationist: Why Environmentalists Should Love Hunting.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

Read transcripts and subscribe at the Writer’s Voice Substack 

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Key words: hunting, conservation, Brant MacDuff, podcast, book recommendations, author interview, book podcast, book show, creative nonfiction, writer’s voice, Francesca Rheannon

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Podcast

Gloria Dickie, EIGHT BEARS & Sonja Swift, ECHO LOBA, LOBA ECHO

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We talk with Gloria Dickie about bears and how people relate to them, for good and for ill. Her book is Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future.

Then, we talk about another iconic imperiled species: wolves. Sonja Swift tells us about her book: Echo Loba, Loba Echo: Of Wisdom, Wolves and Women.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

Find us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram and Threads @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on X/Twitter @WritersVoice. Read transcripts and subscribe at the Writer’s Voice Substack.

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Key words: Gloria Dickie, bears, Sonja Swift, wolves, endangered species, podcast, book recommendations, author interview, book podcast, book show, creative nonfiction, writer’s voice, Francesca Rheannon Continue reading →

Podcast

Tan Twan Eng, THE HOUSE OF DOORS & Kerri Maher, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL

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We talk with celebrated Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng about House of Doors, his spellbinding new novel about love and betrayal, colonialism and revolution, storytelling and redemption.

Then, novelist Kerri Maher tells us about her novel, All You Have To Do Is Call. It’s about the Jane Collective, the 1970s clandestine abortion service in Chicago.

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

Find us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram and Threads @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on X/Twitter @WritersVoice.
Read transcripts and subscribe at the Writer’s Voice Substack

Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show.

key words: Tan Twan Eng, Kerri Maher, abortion, reproductive choice, podcast, book recommendations, author interview, book podcast, book show, fiction, history, writer’s voice, Francesca Rheannon

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