Chatter on Books
198 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days ago - ★★★★★ - 328 ratingsThis weekly podcast will be hosted by Torie Clarke with co-hosts David Aldridge, Jeanne McManus and Michael Kornheiser. Each week, they'll have entertaining interviews with authors, plus lively discussions about what they are reading, what they love and what they hate! This show will be many things, but boring won't be one of them!
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Episodes
Eric Blehm “The Darkest White”
April 09, 2024 14:54 - 1 hour - 27.6 MB“You never know about tomorrow.” Chatter rolls with Torie and COB’s favorite Mayor, Jud Ashman. The eclipse eclipses March Madness. Shout outs to Rob Dundon, Jake, and COB authors in Middleburg Books. They debate the funniest novels (sort of), and Jud briefs the May 18 Gaithersburg Book Festival. Over a hundred authors and events and good weather guaranteed. Plus it’s free. Award winning and thrill seeking author Eric Blehm zooms in with “The Darkest White.” Harrowing and inspiring, his ...
James Grady “The Smoke in Our Eyes”
March 26, 2024 14:39 - 54 minutes - 24.8 MB“The book he was meant to write.” Chatter rolls with David, Torie, and Jamie. March Madness rules and inspires book ideas. Torie spots COB authors in airports and on The Atlantic’s best novels list. Best selling, award winning, and all around cool guy James Grady zooms in to share “The Smoke in Our Eyes.” With his typically brilliant writing and imagination, Grady captures a very modern coming of age story. In Going Local, he chats up the Toole County Library, his favorite place in Shel...
Liza Mundy “The Sisterhood”
March 05, 2024 11:06 - 57 minutes - 26.3 MB“Secrets that should be told.” Chatter rolls in like a lion with David, Torie, Jamie, and special guest Ann Hornaday. In addition to the usual, they’re talking about non-books things like Caitlin Clark – awesome. Award winning Wash Post movie critic Ann Hornaday joins for Oscar buzz and what makes a good book into a good movie (or not!). NYT bestseller Liza Mundy zooms in to share “The Sisterhood,” her revelatory history of the role of women in the CIA. With meticulous research and won...
Louis Ferrante “Borgata: Rise of Empire – A History of the American Mafia.”
February 13, 2024 13:43 - 1 hour - 30.2 MB“It’s really life lessons.” Chatter rolls with David, Torie, and celebrity mixologist Rodney Ferguson. They break down the Super Bowl and marvel at the life well lived by remarkable publisher (think “Jaws,: “The Exorcist,” and “Catcher in the Rye”). Student of life and former Mafia associate Louis Ferrante zooms in to share “Borgata: Rise of Empire, a History of the American Mafia.” Ferrante blends personal anecdotes with a remarkable grasp of history to track the rise of organized crim...
Mark Wish – “Necessary Deeds”
February 06, 2024 11:38 - 40 minutes - 18.8 MB“Ferrari Brain” Chatter rolls with Claude, Torie, and Jamie. They hope the best for King Charles, and Torie gets to rave about Pebble Beach. The “most checked out books” includes “The Snowy Day,” and Jamie’s all over it. Prolific writer and book doctor Mark Wish zooms in to share his (according to Torie) somewhat autobiographical “Necessary Deeds.” Wish’s protagonist is a literary agent turned convict, imprisoned for a crime of passion. “Necessary Deeds” quickly goes down a twisting and...
Chip Reid “Battle Scars”
January 24, 2024 00:02 - 1 hour - 27.9 MB“Effects that last a lifetime.” Chatter rolls into 2024 with David, Torie, and Jamie. They praise Tara VanDerveer, the winningest NCAA basketball coach, break down self-publisher Beatrix Potter, decide that dogs rule and we all have a ton of books. Longtime journalist Chip Reid zooms in to share “Battle Scars.” Twenty years after embedding with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines in the Iraq War, Chip tells their stories of bravery, comradeship, and how the war changed their lives. Terrifying...
Rebecca Renner "Gator Country: Deception, Danger and Alligators in the Everglades"
December 19, 2023 11:35 - 50 minutes - 22.9 MB“Empathy” Chatter rolls into the holidays with David, Torie, Marc Sterne and our favorite Mayor Jud Ashman. Book news (COB authors continue to crush “best of” lists) and holiday gift ideas start things off. Jud pitches us all on poetry – Billy Collins might just be the exception (and who knew Marc was a fan?). Rebecca Renner zooms in with “Gator Country,” her fascinating and beautifully written look at the complex intertwining of people, creatures, and plants all struggling to survive.
Doug Melville “Invisible Generals: Rediscovering family legacy, and a quest to honor America’s first Black Generals.”
December 12, 2023 11:01 - 1 hour - 28.9 MB“They fought.” Chatter rolls into the holidays with David, Torie, and Jamie. They do their own version of “deserted island” (some go practical) and all are conflicted on book recommendations for holiday gift buyers. Just peruse Chatter on Books and you’ll find so many good ones. Business leader, Tommy Hilfiger pal, and former Wienermobile ambassador Doug Melville zooms in to share “Invisible Generals,” his deeply moving story of family, race, and indomitable will. It’s an important sto...
Anne Foster “The Long War on Drugs”
December 08, 2023 10:51 - 54 minutes - 25.1 MBChatter rolls with David, Torie, and Jamie. Favorite childhood toys start things off. They all rave about COB alums who continue to crush “best of 23” lists. It turns out high school students are stealing and reading books — is that a good thing? Historian, teacher and longtime DA friend Anne Foster zooms in to share “The Long War on Drugs.” Beautifully written and meticulously researched, Anne’s book takes a 360 degree and highly illuminating journey around the decades old efforts to com...
Karin Tanabe “The Sunset Crowd”
November 21, 2023 13:28 - 50 minutes - 23.1 MB“Glamour bomb.“ Chatter’s annual family Thanksgiving show rolls with David, Torie, renaissance man Nevin Martell, and celebrity mixologist Rodney Ferguson. They catch up on book news as COB alums Ilyon Woo and David Von Drehele crush “best of 2023” lists. COB fave Karin Tanabe zooms in to share “The Sunset Crowd.” Any time a review has you and Gatsby in the same sentence you know you’ve got something good. Karin’s searing prose and uncanny cultural instincts capture Hollywood fantasies and...
Jen Golbeck and Stacey Colino “The Purest Bond – Understanding the Human-Canine Connection”
November 15, 2023 11:44 - 47 minutes - 21.6 MB“They’re just the best.” Chatter rolls with David, Torie, and her sister from another mother Liz Clarke. They agree no one really understands sign stealing. Of course the Puritans were the first book banners! Dr. Jen Golbeck, creator of the Golden Ratio, and award winning writer Stacey Colino zoom in to share “The Purest Bond – Understanding the Human-Canine Connection.” Golbeck and Colino put the science behind the physical, emotional, and cognitive benefits that come with having a dog i...
Lena Andrews “Valiant Women: The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War II.”
November 07, 2023 11:34 - 52 minutes - 23.9 MB“Making it possible.“ Chatter rolls with Torie and Jamie as David cheers on his beloved American Eagles at their season opener. Torie and Jamie kick around some book news, sort of but mostly talk about gambling. CIA military analyst Lena Andrews zooms in to share “Valiant Women: The extraordinary American servicewomen who helped win World War II.” She tells long neglected stories of the women from every race, creed, and walk of life who served and fought in every service, combat theater,...
Edward Carey “Edith Holler”
October 24, 2023 10:36 - 54 minutes - 24.9 MB“Wasn’t worth the pencil.“ Chatter rolls with David, Torie, and Jamie. Claude recounts his weekend covering the “triathlon of equestrian sports” in Maryland. They review status of the Musk and Sam Bankman-Fried books (Musk still beating SBF), and Torie revels gently about Jann Wenner’s book not doing well. They kick around the latest AI debate: Okay to use authors’s work to “train” AI? Nobody likes it, but nobody knows how to fix it either. Author Edward Carey zooms in to share “Edith Ho...
Bruce Schoenfeld "Game of Edges: The Analytics Revolution and the Future of Professional Sports"
October 10, 2023 10:39 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MB“There is no learning without love.“ Chatter rolls with David, Torie, and Chuck Culpepper. They revisit the women’s world cup in New Zealand and Australia and catch up on the Michael Lewis book about Sam Bankman-Fried (maybe not his best yet?). In the spirit of the baseball playoffs they pick best baseball books ever. Journalist Bruce Schoenfeld zooms in to share “Game of Edges: The Analytics Revolution and the Future of Professional Sports.” He combines masterful storytelling with extr...
Angie Kim “Happiness Falls”
September 26, 2023 09:49 - 1 hour - 28.9 MB“What makes us human?“ Chatter rolls with David, Torie, and Jud Ashman. David wins the Faulkner birthday pop quiz. They break down new books on Elon Musk and Sam Bankman-Fried (two good authors but the subjects?). They cover the good, the bad, and the ugly of blurbs (do they sell books?). COB fave and award winning, best-selling author Angie Kim zooms in to share “Happiness Falls.” Angie combines beautiful writing with a truly original story that prompts thought-provoking insights into wh...
Brando Skyhorse “My Name is iris”
September 19, 2023 18:53 - 52 minutes - 23.9 MB“Choices.” Chatter rolls with David, Torie and Jamie. They rave about Deeshaw Philyah (seven figure deal for two new books) and Nane Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (nominated for National Book Award) and pile on Jann Wenner (what a jerk). Award winning author and teacher Brando Skyhorse zooms in to share “My Name is Iris.” It starts out as one thing and subtly shifts to a searing take on family, identity, and intolerance. Washington Post critic Ron Charles calls it “ominous social satire” and asks “c...
Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray “The First Ladies”
September 12, 2023 11:03 - 48 minutes - 22.1 MB“The best of friends.“ Chatter rolls into fall with favorite alums and powerful friendships. David, Torie, and Louis Bayard share their summer vacations. COB listener Bobby Gottfried has rare good news on book banning. The best of friends and award winning writers to boot, Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray zoom in to share “The First Ladies” about the extraordinary partnership between civil rights activist Mary Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt. As COB alum Sadeqa Johnson said in ...
Philip Jett “Stranded in the Sky: The Untold Story of Pan Am Luxury Airliners Trapped on the Day of Infamy”
August 01, 2023 10:34 - 1 hour - 29.1 MB“Harrowing.” Chatter rolls with Torie, Jud Ashman, Marc Sterne, and Lily Martin. Jud and the Gaithersburg Book Festival team already looking ahead to 2024. Marc schools the gang on big generational changes in tennis and the graciousness of a runner up. Lawyer turned writer Philip Jett zooms in to share “Stranded in the Sky – The Untold Story of Pan Am Luxury Airliners Trapped on the Day of Infamy.” Jett combines meticulous research with deft storytelling. “Stranded in the Sky” brings vi...
Lisa Cornwell “Troublemaker – A memoir of sexism, retaliation, and the fight they didn’t see coming.”
July 26, 2023 00:59 - 48 minutes - 22.1 MB“Fearless.” Chatter rolls with David, Claude, Torie, and newly promoted Content Manager Lily Martin. They kick around more book banning (really? The Bible now?) and more on Threads (we’re there). Lily breaks down YA for the more mature Chatterers and names Leah Johnson as one her favorites in the genre. Award winning athlete and long-time on air host and reporter, Lisa Cornwell zooms in to share “Troublemaker.” She reveals details of her childhood success as an athlete, her battles with ...
Andrew Hoehn & Thom Shanker “Age of Danger – Keeping America Safe in an Era of New Superpowers, New Weapons, and New Threats”
July 18, 2023 21:09 - 55 minutes - 25.3 MB“The future needs a seat at the table.” Chatter rolls with David, Torie, Jamie, and Content Manager Lily. Lily wins the pop quiz on best sellers. Unlikely TikTok star gets the best seller treatment. Lily enlightens again, this time on TikTok’s new publishing arm. Big brains Andy Hoehn and Thom Shanker zoom in to share “Age of Danger – Keeping America Safe in an Era of New Superpowers, New Weapons, and New Threats.” National security veterans of many years, Hoehn and Shanker break down the...
David Von Drehle - The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the remarkable American life of a 109-year-old man
July 11, 2023 13:55 - 56 minutes - 26 MB“Keep making friends.” Chatter rolls into July with Torie, Claude, Renaissance man Nevin Martell and Intern/Content Manager Lily Martin. They marvel at Legos and Nevin’s status as the “Anthony Bourdain of foraging.” Award winning David Von Drehle zooms in from the heartland to share “The Book of Charlie.” David’s neighbor, Dr. Charlie White, thrived through more than a century of change with resilience, grit and ever present stoicism. There are epic journeys, medical innovations, heartac...
Iris Yamashita “City Under One Roof"
June 28, 2023 09:54 - 57 minutes - 26.5 MB"Isolation.“ June races by as Chatter rolls with David, Torie, Jamie, and Intern/Content Manager Lily Martin Current events is up first as they break down subs, Russia and NBA phenoms. Hard to tell who will do better as a presidential candidate – David or Jamie. Academy award nominee Iris Yamashita zooms in to share “City Under One Roof.” Yamashita’s story telling prowess is obvious in her tantalizing and sometimes dark look at a murder in a small town with complex relationships.
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah – “Chain Gang All-Stars”
June 13, 2023 19:54 - 1 hour - 27.9 MB“A different path.” Chatter rolls with David, Torie and NYT writer Joe Drape. They praise the Goddess (aka Dolly), read email (only the good ones), and bemoan the state of horse racing. Award winning and truly original author Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah zooms in to share “Chain Gang All-Stars.” His debut novel, “Chain Gang” pits two women gladiators against each other in a fight for freedom that’s about so much more than you think. Read the footnotes. Adjei-Brenyah’s stunning writing makes ev...
Laura Scalzo "American Arcadia”
June 06, 2023 13:38 - 54 minutes - 25.1 MB“Transendence.“ Chatter rolls with David, Jamie, and Torie. They break down the best of children’s books, the amazing Michael Lewis, and finally get to the loss of lit majors nationwide. Adding significantly to the conversation is Lily Martin, COB’s new intern (or title to be determined). Author Laura Scalzo zooms in the share “American Arcadia.” Ostensibly about four young New Yorkers in 1985, Scalzo’s novel weaves compelling characters and life-changing themes in a truly original way.
Theresa Runstedtler – “Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood and the Generation That Saved the Soul of the NBA”
May 23, 2023 11:09 - 50 minutes - 23.3 MB“Reclaiming history.” Chatter rolls at the Gaithersburg Book Festival with historian, professor, and author Theresa Runstedtler. She shares “Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation That Saved the Soul of the NBA.” Meticulously researched and compellingly written, the book chronicles and corrects the league’s history, both its “dark ages” of the 1970s and subsequent rise. She weaves historical insights and social analysis into a fascinating look at how the game...
Cheryl A Head “Time’s Undoing”
May 16, 2023 10:04 - 53 minutes - 24.5 MB“Truth and hope.” Renaissance man Nevin Martell joins David and Torie to talk food, foraging, and the Gaithersburg Book Festival. They answer emails and talk about life in Washington without Dan Snyder. Award winning writer Cheryl A. Head zooms in to share “Time’s Undoing.” Based on her family’s history, Cheryl expertly weaves one family’s tragedy into a searing portrait of institutional racism and the hope that honesty can produce.
Susan Wels “An Assassin in Utopia: The true story of a nineteenth-century sex cult and a president’s murder”
May 09, 2023 01:28 - 55 minutes - 25.5 MB“Worlds colliding.” Jamie McIntyre and Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman join Torie as Chatter rolls into spring. They bemoan what’s happening in horse racing, learn why Gaithersburg is America’s most diverse city, preview the May 20 Gaithersburg Book Festival, and guess famous authors’ day jobs (Jud kind of wins). Best-selling author, journalist, and historian Susan Wels zooms in to share “An Assassin in Utopia: The true story of a nineteenth-century sex cult and a president’s murder.” In a s...
Dennis Lehane “Small Mercies”
April 25, 2023 11:16 - 1 hour - 29 MB“Hell-bent.” It’s a Chatter hall of fame as David and Torie are joined by Angie Kim, Tope Folarin, and Lou Bayard. They bemoan book banning and admit to acceptance speeches never given. Angie previews “Happiness Falls” coming out in September, and Lou raises the curtain on the upcoming PEN/Faulkner Awards. Award winning and best selling author several times over Dennis Lehane zooms in to share “Small Mercies.” Set in Boston during the explosive desegregation of public schools, “Small Merc...
Matthew Salesses – “Sense of Wonder”
April 18, 2023 09:33 - 52 minutes - 24 MB“Navigation” Torie and David welcome back Mike Croley, award winning author, teacher and golf fanatic. They break down the sale (thank heaven) of the Washington football team, guess who the best-seller on Time’s most influential list is, and play “Can we save this classic?” Cannibalism always helps. Thanks to his friendship with Mike, PEN/Faulkner finalist Matthew Salesses zooms in to share “Sense of Wonder,” his fictional take on the triumphs and challenges of NBA star Jeremy Lin’s ascend...
Ilyon Woo: “MASTER SLAVE HUSBAND WIFE” An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom”
April 11, 2023 11:08 - 55 minutes - 25.5 MB“Love“ Chatter rolls with David, Torie, Jamie, and our favorite Mayor – Jud Ashman. They break down the Masters (sadly good for LIV), and Jud updates everybody on The Gaithersburg Book Festival. Think dozens of authors (including Chatter alums), events, free admission and free parking! It’s May 20 at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg. NYT best selling author Ilyon Woo zooms in to share the remarkable story of Ellen and William Craft, two enslaved people who fled to freedom disguised as a whi...
Emily St. John Mandel “Sea of Tranquility”
March 28, 2023 02:32 - 1 hour - 28.1 MB“Time, being and perspective.” Chatter rolls with a packed house as Angie Kim, Michael Kornheiser and Rodney Ferguson join David, Torie and Claude. Rodney’s just back from Senegal and updates the gang on his men’s book club. The countdown’s on for Angie’s new book “Happiness Falls,” out in September. Michael gives an update on the offspring (books are big with them!) and recalls Chatter’s first take on “Station Eleven.” Speaking of, author Emily St. John Mandel zooms in to share “Sea of Tr...
Alma Katsu “Red London”
March 21, 2023 13:57 - 46 minutes - 21.1 MB“Seductive.” March madness is underway with Torie, David, and returning author (and secret sports fan) Ana Reyes. Chatter welcomes its youngest author, 10 year old Manny Jennings, author of “It’s OK to be Me.” It’s an inspiring book about how he stutters and how he lives his best life every day. COB’s favorite intel author Alma Katsu returns, this time with “Red London,” the gripping and entirely plausible story of spies, turncoats, and post-Putin Russia. And a reminder: Chatter will be...
Ed Aymar “No Home For Killers”
March 07, 2023 12:29 - 59 minutes - 27.1 MB“Families!” Chatter rolls into March with David, Torie and Jud Ashman. Jud debriefs the 2023 Gaithersburg Book Festival on May 20 with dozens of authors and hopefully a special Chatter on Books taping. David shares his Union Station Colleen Hoover experience, and they all marvel at her staying power. Four leaders of the Child2ChildFoundation join in. Inspired by a shared love for books and a desire to help others, these remarkable young women have sent over 60,000 books to children in Nige...
Tiffany McDaniel “On the Savage Side”
February 28, 2023 14:18 - 1 hour - 27.9 MB“Disturbing and inspiring.” Chatter wraps up February with betting, debates and a deeply provocative book. David, Torie, and Jamie revisit Super Bowl betting – the most ever – and its societal impact. They agree on the Roald Dahl censorship debate (it’s all about context). Award winning and brilliantly original Tiffany McDaniel zooms in to share “On the Savage Side.” Called “exceptionally inventive” by the New York Times, McDaniel weaves a magical tapestry of lives connected by addiction b...
Ana Reyes “The House in the Pines"
February 14, 2023 13:09 - 54 minutes - 24.8 MB“Total page turner“ Chatter rolls with a Feb 14 special – sort of. David, Torie and Jamie break down the Super Bowl. All the guys say no romance in their reading history. They cover book recommendations for Valentine’s Day, some are serious, and some are not. Best selling and creative writing teacher of older adults Ana Reyes zooms in. She shares her deeply disturbing and “can’t put it down” “The House in the Pines.” At turns troubling and always mesmerizing, it’s about friendships and me...
David Wright Falade – “Black Cloud Rising”
February 07, 2023 18:02 - 40 minutes - 18.5 MB“Commonality“ David briefs the Super Bowl. Jamie breaks down the “balloon incident.” Torie, David and Jamie play “if you liked this book on Chatter, get this one,” aka book recommendations. They fawn over COB alums Brendan Slocumb and Silas House, both finalists for the 2023 Southern Book Awards. Writer, teacher and semi-pro football player, David Wright Falade zooms in to share “Black Cloud Rising,” about a brigade of Black soldiers in the Civil War. The New York Times calls it “a straigh...
Amita Parikh "The Circus Train”
January 25, 2023 11:34 - 51 minutes - 23.4 MB“The fragility of life.” Claude kicks things off with big literary news. Manny has a book! "It's Okay to Be Me!" , his uplifting story of how he doesn’t let stuttering hold him back. Jamie breaks down ChatGPT for Torie and David with real-life examples from the world of Chatter. Amita Parikh zooms in to share “The Circus Train,” her profoundly moving and entertaining saga of a European circus train under the shadows of war and persecution. Based in World War II, the questions of discrimina...
Andrew Maraniss “Inaugural Ballers – The True Story of the First US Women’s Olympic Basketball Team”
January 18, 2023 12:44 - 52 minutes - 24.2 MB“Changing women’s sports for the next twenty-five years.” Chatter rolls with David, Torie and Torie’s sister from another mother Liz Clarke. They break down “Spare” – who lets somebody put some of that in print? Award winning Andrew Maraniss zooms in to talk about “Inaugural Ballers,” the story of the first U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team. Praised for writing stories with larger social messages, Maraniss uses meticulous research and extensive interviews to tell the story of the unkno...
Buzz Bissinger “The Mosquito Bowl – A Game of Life and Death in World War II”
January 10, 2023 12:00 - 55 minutes - 25.2 MB“They were boys.“ David, Torie and Jamie ring in the new year with chatter about resolutions, reading’s health benefits and the incredible Robert Caro. They talk with Heidi Powell and Hope Harrod of An Open Book Foundation, a terrific DMV organization that connects students with authors, illustrators and their books to foster a lifelong love of books. Iconic writer Buzz Bissinger zooms in to share “The Mosquito Bowl,” superbly researched and passionately written, it’s about brotherhood and...
Silas House – “Lark Ascending”
December 20, 2022 14:48 - 54 minutes - 25 MB“Hope.” Chatter rolls into the holidays with David, Torie and COB fave Michael Croley. Mike shares his piece in Esquire, a tribute to his late brother and the healing power of golf. Award winning and multi-talented author Silas House zooms in to share his latest, “Lark Ascending.” Ostensibly about a boy in a not too distant future dystopia, it’s really about grief and survival and humanity. It’s unlike anything else out there.
Kate Anderson Brower – “Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit and Glamour of an Icon”
December 13, 2022 15:41 - 1 hour - 29 MBDon and Petie Kladstrup – “Champagne Charlie: The Frenchman Who Taught Americans to Love Champagne.” COB has a double header. Wash Post editor and writer and author of the Miss America history “There She Was,” Amy Argetsinger joins David and Torie. They break down Christmas movies and books and the women crushing best sellers lists. Award winning journalists who love wine, baseball and France, Don and Petie Kladstrup, zoom in from Paris to share “Champagne Charlie,” the remarkable story ...
Andrew Sean Greer – “Less is Lost”
December 06, 2022 15:29 - 52 minutes - 23.8 MB“You don’t get a Pulitzer!“ Torie, David and Jamie break down the World Cup, gaslighting, goblin mode and Dylan. Pulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer zooms in to share “Less is Lost.” On the road with Arthur Less, a “minor American novelist,” who’s trying to pay down bills, reconcile relationships and find himself. Along the way there’s a pug named Dolly, an Rv called Rosina and a litany of almost literary events. It’s like Chris Buckley and Hunter Thompson – but better.
Bob Brush “The Piazza – Stories from Piazza Santa Caterina Piccola”
November 22, 2022 15:05 - 58 minutes - 26.6 MB“It takes courage to be an adolescent.“ It’s the annual Thanksgiving Chatter family special! Renaissance man Nevin Martell and celebrity mixologist Rodney Ferguson join Torie for talk about twitter, drinks, and even a few book related topics. Multiple award winner and multi-talented Bob Brush zooms in to share “The Piazza – Stories from Piazza Santa Caterina Piccola.” Lovers, beggars, royalty and more share hopes, desires and fears in the shadow of impending catastrophe. Beautiful writing...
Nghi Vo “Into the Riverlands”
November 15, 2022 11:13 - 46 minutes - 21.2 MB“Intimate and profound.” Torie, David, “Bath Haus” author P.J. Vernon, and awesome storyteller Nghi Vo kick around Dan Snyder selling the Commanders (finally!), whither Twitter and the future of social media. Torie shares yet another Dolly tribute, this time a $100 million award for courage and civility. Then they (finally) turn to books. Hugo award winner and epic storyteller, Nghi shares “Into the Riverlands,” her physically small but thematically huge novella.
Susan Coll - “Bookish People”
November 08, 2022 20:25 - 40 minutes - 18.4 MB“More than you think.” David, Torie and Jamie kick things off with> Dolly, and November notables. They debate “Gone With the Wind’s Pulitzer status. Author Susan Coll zooms in to share “Bookish People.” Think books, relationships, cancel culture gone bad, and appliances with lives of their own. It’s terrific!
Mark Leibovich “Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump’s Washington and the Price of Submission”
October 18, 2022 10:55 - 59 minutes - 27.2 MB“Enablers” Chatter welcomes back the one and only Jeanne McManus. She joins David and Torie to talk painting and scary stories.COB Hall of Famer Mark Leibovich zooms in to share “Thank You for Your Servitude,” his searing account of how once seemingly respectable politicians lost their way, joined a cult and enabled the unthinkable. If you read only one book on politics, this is the one.
LaToya Watkins “Perish”
October 04, 2022 13:05 - 47 minutes - 21.7 MB“The silence was the problem.” Chatter kicks off October with David, Torie and Jamie. Book news covers Maggie Haberman’s new book on Trump (probably won’t buy) and Tom Hanks’ first novel. The pop quiz is on required reading for first years in college. David wins! LaToya Watkins zooms in with “Perish,” her debut novel about family, trauma, race, class, and dysfunction. As many have said, it’s hard to read but impossible to put down.
Dawnie Walton and Deesha Philyaw
September 27, 2022 17:06 - 36 minutes - 16.5 MB“All things short fiction” Claude, David and Torie go a mile wide and an inch deep. They cover COB housekeeping, listener emails, and career advice from David. COB faves Dawnie Walton (“The Final Revival of Opal and Nev”) and Deesha Philyaw (“Secret Lives of Church Ladies”) zoom in. In addition to writing, publishing, and teaching, they’ve launched “Ursa”, a podcast dedicated to all things short fiction and underrepresented writers. Take a listen; it’s really good!
David Maraniss – “Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe”
September 20, 2022 15:34 - 44 minutes - 20.4 MB“Complicated” Marc joins David and Torie for a breakdown on the U.S. Open, the Queen’s funeral, and should we all know who Collen Hoover is? David Maraniss zooms in with “Path Lit By Lightning,” another remarkable book in the Pulitzer Prize winner’s collection of definitive biographies. He goes beyond Thorpe’s legendary athletic accomplishments to capture in riveting detail the story of a complex cultural icon and the broader American Indian experience.
Ann Leary – “The Foundling”
September 13, 2022 10:37 - 52 minutes - 23.9 MB“Like an otter....” David, Torie and Jamie talk back-to-school, but David’s drop off of the first born went well. They talk Dolly, of course, and Claude has a great spinoff idea for the goddess. Best selling author Ann Leary Zooms in to share “The Foundling”. Its back story is as fascinating as the book itself, a fast-paced story of friendships, loyalty and the all-too real institutions that embraced eugenics as a widely accepted practice in the 1920s.