No Extra Words one person's search for story

Special 25: Sharing a New Project With You

*tap tap* Is this thing on? It's been an unexpectedly long hiatus but while I consider what this show will look like in the future I invite you to listen to Episode 1 of a new project my kid and I cooked up together. Stay in touch!

E121 The Missing Episode

E127 Raising Readers

E126 Me and Indie Bookstores

E125 I Learned About Poetry the Wrong Way (and so did you)

E124 My Journey With Graphic Novels

E123 Reading About Bad Guys

E122: Reading, Writing, and the F Word - Faith

E120: Reading Goals....to have or not to have

Today's Book Recommendation You Didn't Ask For is Walking on Water by Madeleine L'Engle   Other books discussed today: Ronit & Jamil by Pamela L. Laskin No One Ever Asked by Katie Ganshert Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas The Soul of Baseball: a road trip through Buck O'Neil's America by Joe Posanski Called to Create by Jordan Raynor   My #theunreadshelfproject2019 picks (that I know about now): February: Lots of Candles, Plenty of ...

E119: Bring on Season 3!

New style for a new phase of the show! Featuring a recap of nErDCamp Bellingham 2019 and today's Book Recommendation You Didn't Ask For: Goin' Someplace Special by Patricia McKissack.

Special #24: 24 Books of Advent Part 4

Join the conversation on Instagramand Goodreads! Today's books on the Advent theme of "Love" are: Christmas in America by Nancy S. Grant. Crescent Books, 1991. The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming: a Christmas Story by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Lisa Brown. McSweeney's Books, 2007. Mince Pie and Mistletoe by Phyllis McKinley, illustrated by Harold Berson. J.B. Lippincott Company, 1959. Come Let Us Adore Him by Robert J. Morgan. Thomas Nelson, 2005. The Biggest, Most Beautifu...

Special #23: 24 Books of Advent Part 3

Join the book conversation over on Instagramand Goodreads! Today's books on the Advent theme "Joy" are:  It's Christmas, David! by David Shannon. The Blue Sky Press, 2010. Merry Christmas Mom and Dad by Mercer Mayer. Western Publishing Company, Inc., 1993. The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Janet Samuel. WorthyKids/Ideals, 2011. The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell, illustrated by Sergio Leone. Watertower Books, 1962. A Child is Born by Margaret Wise...

Special #22: 24 Books of Advent Part 2

The conversation continues on Goodreads and Instagram! Today's books on the Christmas theme of peace are: Santa Clauses: short poems from the North Pole by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Chuck Groenink. Carolrhoda Books, 2014. Winter Lights: a season in poems and quilts by Anna Grossnickle Hines. Greenwillow Books, 2005. Amazing Peace: a Christmas Poem by Maya Angelou. Random House, 2005. A Different Kind of Christmas by Alex Haley. Doubleday, 1988. The Christmas Day Kitten by James ...

Special #21: 24 Books of Advent Part 1

Today's books: The Father Christmas Letters by J.R.R. Tolkien. George Allen & Unwin, 1976. Santa's Crash-Bang Christmas by Steven Kroll, illustrated by Tomie DePaola. Xerox Education Publications, 1977. Frosty the Snow Man retold by Annie North Bedford, illustrated by Corinne Malvern. Western Publishing, Inc., 1977 (28th Printing.) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Barbara Shook Hazen, illustrated by Richard Scarry. Western Publishing, Inc., 1976. Santa's Toy Shop, adapted by Al De...

E118: The BSC is You and Me

Today's books are: The Baby-Sitters Club (series) by Ann M. Martin. Scholastic, 1986-2000 Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2003. Other books mentioned on today's episode: Harry: a history by Melissa Anelli. Penguin Group, 2008. Dear Genius: the letters of Ursula Nordstrom, edited by Leonard S. Marcus. HarperCollins, 2000. (my apologies for my mistake in the episode. Ursula Nordstrom was with Harper & Row, not Random House.) I'll Get There. It Better...

E117: Anne of Green Gables Part 5

Today's books are: Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery. McClelland and Stewart, 1921. The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson. Random House, 2016. Other things discussed today: Hardcore History podcast The War Poets at Westminster Abbey John McRae The text of "The Piper" from The Blythes are Quoted  

E116: Anne of Green Gables Part 4

Today's books are: Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery. McClelland, Goodchild, and Stewart, 1917. Betsy's Wedding by Maud Hart Lovelace. Thomas Y Crowell Co., 1955. Other things discussed today: Episode 112, when we first talked about Betsy A list of the Betsy books The "Anne With an E" TV series. The 1980s Kevin Sullivan Anne miniseries Nancy Pearl, rock star librarian Tammy Duckworth and her newborn daughter in the U.S. Senate

E115: Anne of Green Gables Part 3

Today's books are: Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery. L.C. Page & Co., 1915. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Roberts Brothers, 1868-1869. Other things discussed today: #12daysofannestagram on Instagram ProposalGate! Who copied who? Here's a blog post on the topic or skip right to the video (bad quality.) Louisa May Alcott as covered by The History Chicks Some wild speculation on the men in Louisa May Alcott's life. Tune in next episode for Anne's House of Dreams with B...

E114: Anne of Green Gables Part 2

Today's books are: Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery. L.C. Page & Company, 1909. What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage. Avon Books, Inc., 1997. Other things discussed today: #12daysofannestagram The history of Oprah's book club. Camp Nanowrimo

E113: Anne of Green Gables Part 1

Today's books are: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. L.C. Page & Company, 1908 Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery. Frederick A. Stokes, 1923. Other things discussed today: #12daysofannestagram Instagram accounts @carrottoppapershop and @thebooksellersdaughter The History Chicks episode on L.M. Montgomery Anne movies: the 1919 silent film, the 1934 film (yes, that actress did change her name to "Anne Shirley" for the role, and the 1985 miniseries. The Anne of Green Ga...

Special #20: Librarian Life #1: A Guy Named Dewey OR How the Library World Got In Order (and why it matters)

A special episode in which I tell you the story of a guy named Dewey (or sometimes Dui,) some numbers, and the democratization of American libraries. Here's an overview of all the categories and call numbers. See you soon for the first of our Anne of Green Gables summer series. In the meantime, are you following the #12DaysofAnnestagram? You should be, because it is delicious...

E112: Two Girls Named Betsy

Today's books are: "B" is for Betsy by Carolyn Haywood. Harcourt, Brace, & Co., 1939. Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace. HarperCollins, 1940. Blog posts about Carolyn Haywood from the Free Library of Philadelphia: Part 1 Part 2 Complete list of Betsy-Tacy books with synopses Thank you for being here for this our 3rd anniversary episode. Find our first anniversary episode here. And our second anniversary episode here.

Special #19: My Thoughts on "The Great American Read"

Watch the full 2 hour PBS launch special here. Check out the full list of nominees. Find me on Goodreads and join the conversation.

E111: On Being a Little Boy

Today's books are: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Viking, 1962. A Poem for Peter by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Viking, 2016. Other things discussed in this episode: Ezra Jack Keats's former collaborator talks about him. Andrea Davis Pinkney's website.

E110: Poets in Picture Books

Today's books are: Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude by Jonah Winter. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2009. (not pictured) A River of Words: the story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2008. Pablo Neruda: poet of the people by Monica Brown. Henry Holt and Company, 2011. Other links and notes from the show: Some notes on the current Golden Age of Picture Books    Horn Book's history of the picture book biography.  The Sibe...

E109: Real Poetry, No Pretension

Today's books are: Hip Hop Speaks to Children: a celebration of poetry with a beat, edited by Nikki Giovanni. Sourcebooks, Inc., 2008 Out of Wonder: poems celebrating poets by Kwame Alexander. Candlewick Press, 2017. Links to some of the things we talked about today: poets.org on National Poetry Month Last year's Poetry Month conversation with poet Kelly Russell Agodon on No Extra Words Poet James Berry, who was featured in Hip Hop Speaks to Children Tupac as most profane hip h...

E108: Women Writers on Baseball

Today's books are: Squeeze Play: a novel by Jane Leavy. Doubleday, 1990. (Not pictured. In his younger days, my little baseball fan tore the cover off my copy.) Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Simon & Schuster, 1997. She Loved Baseball: the Effa Manley story by Audrey Vernick. Balzer & Bray, 2010. Other books mentioned: Queen of the Diamond: the Lizzie Murphy story by Emily Arnold McCully. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2015. Girl Wonder: a baseball story in nine inning...

E107: Where Do Books Come From?

Today's books are: A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005 Little Leaders: bold women in black history by Vashti Harrison. Little, Brown, and Company 2017. Other books I spoke of quite a bit are: Carver: a life in poems by Marilyn Nelson. Front Street, 2001. How I Discovered Poetry by Marilyn Nelson. Dial Books, 2014. Links to some things we talked about today. The interview where Marilyn Nelson discussed the initial discussion about Emmett Ti...

E106: Old Friends

Today we're talking about a book we once knew well. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1962. Thank you to today's special guest who stopped by to talk Wrinkle with me. Check out his other appearance on the show.  

E105: How I Came to Love Historical Fiction

Today's books: Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. HarperCollins, 1932. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. HarperCollins, 1935. Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder. HarperCollins, 1933. On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder. HarperCollins, 1937. By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder. HarperCollins, 1939. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. HarperCollins, 1940. Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder...

E104: A Tale of Two Toy Rabbits

Today's books are: The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco. Doubleday, 1922. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. Candlewick Press, 2006.

E103: Tell Your Story

Today's books are: Charles and Emma: the Darwins' leap of faith by Deborah Heiligman. Henry Holt & Company, 2008. Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street by Roni Schotter. Scholastic, Inc., 1997. Some things we talked about today: Deborah Heiligman's interview with Brown's alumni magazine. Deborah Heiligman's husband Jonathan Weiner Roni Schotter's website Other sources used for this episode include: Washington Post Article about Charles and Emma  Interview with Deborah Heiligm...

E102: Wild Things and Why Scary Matters

Today's books are: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. HarperCollins, 1963. A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz. Dutton Books for Young Readers, 2010. Read this fabulous article on the career of children's book editor Ursula Nordstrom. Her collection of letters, Dear Genius, is very high on my to-read list. You must see Maurice Sendak on The Colbert Report. Here's the link to Part 1. And Part 2. Find out about Adam Gidwitz and his life goals on his website. Last and mo...

E101: Travel Books that Slow You Down

Today we're talking book pairings and why this is the new format. Today's books are: Never in a Hurry: essays on people and places by Naomi Shihab Nye. University of South Carolina Press, 1996 When Wanderers Cease to Roam: a traveler's journal of staying put by Vivian Swift. Bloomsbury, 2008. Naomi reads her poem "Please Describe How you Became a Writer." Full transcript of Naomi's "On Being" interview with Kristen Tippett. Vivian's 2013 interview Vivian's delightful blog For i...

E100: All the Things

"An Ode to Rejection" is by Marlene Woods, copyright 2018, used with permission. Marlene originally published this poem on her website iloveyougram.com. Read Marlene's bio. Special guest in studio today: James! The books James talked about are: Pocketful of Nonsense by James Marshall. Little Golden Books, 1992 Not a Box by Antoinette Portis. HarperCollins, 1996 President Squid by Aaron Reynolds. Chronicle Books, 2016 My First Book of Baseball by Sports Illustrated Kids. Sports Illu...

E99: Women Writers on Choice

It was my privilege to put together this episode on an important topic and I can't begin to express my gratitude to our contributors and to my wonderful support community who made it possible. "Family Planning" is by Tina Tocco, copyright 2005, used with permission. It was originally published in Harper Palate Winter/Spring 2013 issue. Read Tina's bio and her her previous contributions to the show. "Choose" is by Mary O'Keefe Brady, copyright 2017, used with permission. Read Mary's bio. ...

E98: A Sucker for Silent Communication

There are things we say, things we don't say, and things we say no one hears. The writer's buddy, "The Quizzical Lizard," is able to tell her what he really wants. By Anna Kander, copyright 2017, used with permission. Visit Anna's website. When the world falls apart it is the "Death of a Small Civilization." By Brittany Bronson, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Brittany's bio.

E97: Poetry Month Field Trip Revisited

Today we close out our Best of No Extra Words series with the best of 2017, which means we are once again headed out on the road for a poetry field trip and we're bringing some short fiction along for the ride. This episode features all of Episode 79 with a new editor's commentary. For those who love books, they become almost human beings standing there in their "Dust Jackets." By Samantha Dutton, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Samantha's bio. Some things just cannot be escap...

E96 Curmudgeons and Incorrigibles Revisited

The second in a three part series of reruns celebrating No Extra Words history...because if you don't know your No Extra Words history you are doomed to repeat it. Today we revisit Episode 51: Curmudgeons and Incorrigibles. Witness the creative destruction of “A New Heart.” By Mitchell Krockmalnik Grabois, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read his bio. Grocery clerks are always the ones who hear your rants in “Blu-Ray/DVD.” By Daniel Maluka, copyright 2016, used with permission. Rea...

Special #18: The NaNoWriMo Detox 2017

After sharing with you my prep work for this year's madcap novel writing adventure, I had to pop back in and tell you how it went and what happened. My goal tracker did change over the month. Here's the original version, here's my midmonth edit, and here's what it looked like on the day that I finished. For highlights of The Great Train Write-in, check out the show notes for this episode.

E95: The Microfiction Triumviarate Revisited

Happy holidays! Today we start a 3-part series where we revisit favorite moments from the show's history. Our first repeat is Episode 6: The Microfiction Triumvirate. This episode, the shortest in the show's history, contains only stories less than 400 words long. In “On/Off” by Taylor Eaton, a small boy uses a magical power no one else can see. Copyright 2015 by Taylor Eaton, used with permission. Read Taylor's bio. In “Selkie” by Lisa Falzon, a mythical creature does not do what the my...

E94: Too Late?

Timing is everything. The "Laundromat" is not what you expected. By Paul Rousseau, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Paul's bio. Things look different from the "Beyond." By Francis DiClemente, copyright 2015, used with permission. Originally published in The Siren's Call, issue #24, December 2015. Visit Francis's website. The third part of our three-part NaNoWriMo segment. Are you writing? How? Be my buddy! is there just one story of how "He Died?" By A. Elizabeth Herting, c...

E93: Scary Stories of a Different Sort

Happy Halloween, No Extra Words style! Caught by cops will never feel the same after you've had a little "Night Vision." By Michael Anthony, copyright 2017, used with permission. Read Michael's bio. For our segment today, Part 2 of my NaNoWriMo prep journey. Click here to see the spreadsheet I've created to help me track my word goals. You probably wouldn't want your significant other to try "The Experiment" on you. By T.E. Cowell, copyright 2015, used with permission. Previously publi...

E92: Damaged Goods

We're showing where all the broken pieces are. Carefully prepping which face we show the world in "Kintsugi." By Jaclyn Tan, copyright 2017, used with permission. Visit Jaclyn's website. New segment! I talk all about my NaNoWriMo prep. Learn all about NaNoWriMo and be my writing buddy. With love sent to our friends in Vegas, we survive a long night "All the Hard Ways." By Dan Hernandez, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Dan's website.

E91: Beauty in the Broken

Clarissa's meticulously organized life wanders off track in "The Planner." By Catherine Moscatt, copyright 2017, used with permission. Read Catherine's bio. Tears are the weapon in "Reading a Letter." By J. Franklin, copyright 2017, used with permission. Read her bio. Nonfiction break: "Death of a Luna Moth." By Paul Rousseau, copyright 2017, used with permission. Read Paul's bio. Click here and here to see photos of the luna moth taken by Paul.  We are all made of stardust and there...

E90: A Liar's Duplicity

Good and bad are closer together than you think. She didn't know what "The Law of Buoyancy" would come to mean in her family. By Brittni MacKenzie Dale, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Brittni's bio. He's lost "26" but won't lose anymore. Buy Guy Wilkinson, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Guy's bio.  

E89: Hold Hands and Stick Together

The back to school episode is so much more than that. It's the lesson that's not in the curriculum but one we all remember learning in "Read Across America." By Jeff Bakkensen, copyright 2010, used with permission. Read Jeff's bio. Today's commentary was inspired by Robert Fulgham's All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Read an excerpt here. The podcast mentioned is The Stoop Podcast. Today's writing spaces segment features Audra Kerr Brown, who first appeared on Episode 47....

E88: Seeing the Divine

What do you see when you look into the eye of humanity? A chance encounter with a stranger on a train makes a woman wonder who is friend and who is stranger in "The Good Samaritan." By Mary J. Breen, copyright 2011, used with permission. Read Mary's bio. First round of a new segment! "I'm a Meme Writer" features "After I Finished my Salad..." by Kris Baker Dersch, copyright 2017. Rental of a place sight unseen leads to "The Lonely Key." By Joan MacIntosh, copyright 2016, used with perm...

Special #17: An Important Call for Submissions

I'm here on a special episode to ask women writers to share stories about an issue important to all of us. Literature is a powerful thing and in 2018 we are going to be brave and tackle big truths head-on.

E87: Crack the World Open

The world is always on the verge of exploding and reinventing itself. "A Town Built on Salt" is on a shaky foundation indeed. By Windy Lynn Harris, copyright 2014, used with permission. This piece was originally published in Crack the Spine in April 2015, issue 147. Visit Windy's website. Hanako's world is very small and carefully observed, but observers miss things in "Hanako Learns to Count." By Sean Patrick Whiteley, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Sean's bio. Today's Wr...