Writer's Voice with Francesca Rheannon
285 episodes - English - Latest episode: 1 day ago - ★★★★★ - 19 ratingsFrancesca Rheannon talks to writers of all genres about matters that move us and make us think.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Buzzy Jackson, TO DIE BEAUTIFUL & A Story from Province of the Heart
August 03, 2023 22:10 - 59 minutes - 27.3 MBBuzzy Jackson tells us the story of the anti-Nazi saboteur, Hannie Schaft and the lessons it holds for us as we confront fascism today. Her novel based on true events is To Die Beautiful. Then Francesca reads a short excerpt from her own father’s story of resistance in the same war.
Ava Chin, MOTT STREET & Tanis Rideout, THE SEA BETWEEN TWO SHORES
July 21, 2023 23:43 - 1 hour - 27.5 MBAva Chin tells us about her stunning family memoir/history of the Chinese Exclusion Act in America, Mott Street: A Chinese American Family’s Story of Exclusion and Homecoming. Then we talk with Tanis Rideout about her new novel The Sea Between Two Shores. It’s about two families, one Canadian and one from an island in Vanuatu, who must deal with the legacy of colonialism in the South Pacific and the responsibilities they have to each other.
Annalee Newitz, THE TERRAFORMERS & Doug Tallamy, NATURE’S BEST HOPE
July 13, 2023 13:46We talk with Annalee Newitz about their new sci-fi novel, The Terraformers. Taking place some 60,000 years in the future on a planet far, far away it pits a motley crew of designer sentient life forms, including neo-Neanderthals, talking moose, sentient trains, journalist cats and gender-diverse Homo sapiens, against the greedy corporation that wants to gentrify their planet. Then we talk with ecologist Doug Tallamy about the Young Reader’s Edition of his bestseller, Nature’s Best Hope. The b...
Jeff Goodell talks climate change in THE HEAT WILL KILL YOU FIRST & Suing the Fossil Fuel Industry
July 06, 2023 21:30 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MBWe talk with Jeff Goodell about how climate change is causing extreme heat that is pushing Planet Earth beyond habitable boundaries. Also, Lynn Zinser talks about climate liability lawsuits.
Talking the Trumpocene with Jeff Sharlet & A Review of Dennis Lehane’s Small Mercies
June 30, 2023 00:04 - 55 minutes - 25.6 MBWe talk about the rise of mass fascism in America with Jeff Sharlet. His book is The Undertow. Also, a review of Dennis LeHane's new novel, Small Mercies.
Justice for Immigrant Children with Sylvia Rodriguez-Vega & Ram Dass with Amy Beutens
June 22, 2023 15:52 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MBFamily separation continues to devastate the lives of children, as explored in Sylvia Rodriguez-Vega's book, Drawing Deportation: Art and Resistance among Immigrant Children. This poignant work delves into the traumatic experiences faced by immigrant children and showcases the healing power of art in their recovery. In another thought-provoking book, You Are The Universe: Ram Dass Maps The Journey, Amy Beutens brings to life the profound teachings of renowned spiritual teacher Ram Dass. With ...
Writer, Humanist and Physician Abraham Verghese, THE COVENANT OF WATER & CUTTING FOR STONE
June 16, 2023 21:19 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MBAs a physician I'm perhaps more aware than most people of how perilous our everyday lives are and how quickly they could transition to something quite disastrous. And I think in America especially we exist in a sort of denial of our mortality…As a result we are very shocked when any hint of tragedy comes our way.
Transcript of Interview with Jane Marshall for Writer’s Voice with Francesca Rheannon
June 08, 2023 19:07Transcript of Interview with Jane Marshall for Writer’s Voice with Francesca Rheannon HOST INTRO: The Happy Valley, the mythical Shangri-La.  What can real-life Happy Valleys teach us? “I feel like if we can spend time in a place like one of these Happy Valleys that still holds these wisdom cultures that had … Continue reading Transcript of Interview with Jane Marshall for Writer’s Voice with Francesca Rheannon →
Transcript of Interview with Jane Marshall for Writer’s Voice with Francesca Rheannon
June 08, 2023 19:07Transcript of Interview with Jane Marshall for Writer’s Voice with Francesca Rheannon HOST INTRO: The Happy Valley, the mythical Shangri-La. Â What can real-life Happy Valleys teach us? “I feel like if we can spend time in a place like one of these Happy Valleys that still holds these wisdom cultures that had … Continue reading Transcript of Interview with Jane Marshall for Writer’s Voice with Francesca Rheannon →
Jane Marshall, SEARCHING FOR HAPPY VALLEY & A Story from Francesca
June 08, 2023 18:26 - 58 minutes - 26.7 MB"I feel like if we can spend time in a place like one of these Happy Valleys that still holds these wisdom cultures that had these technologies and these systems that survived thousands and thousands of years before industrialization, that maybe we can learn how to respect the land again."
Peggy Orenstein, UNRAVELING & Katy Simpson Smith, THE WEEDS
June 01, 2023 15:21 - 1 hour - 28 MBWe talk with Peggy Orenstein about her book, UNRAVELING and Katy Simpson Smith tells us about her new novel, THE WEEDS.
Media Literacy: Allison Butler’s MEDIA & ME. Also, EGG with Lizzie Stark
May 25, 2023 22:09 - 5 MBWe talk about media literacy with Allison Butler (The Media and Me). Also, Lizzie Stark enlightens us all about eggs. Her book is Egg: A Dozen Ovatures. The post Media Literacy: Allison Butler’s MEDIA & ME. Also, EGG with Lizzie Stark appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Media Literacy: Allison Butler’s MEDIA & ME. Also, EGG with Lizzie Stark
May 25, 2023 22:09 - 5 MBWe talk about media literacy with Allison Butler (The Media and Me). Also, Lizzie Stark enlightens us all about eggs. Her book is Egg: A Dozen Ovatures.
An Intimate Portrait of MLK, Jr.: Jonathan Eig, KING
May 19, 2023 18:20 - 55 minutes - 25.6 MBJonathan Eig discusses his acclaimed new biography, "KING: A Life," on Writer's Voice. This captivating portrait of the civil rights leader offers fresh insights and an intimate perspective.
Americans and the English Language with Ilan Stavans, THE PEOPLE’S TONGUE
May 11, 2023 23:23 - 59 minutes - 27 MBWe talk with Ilan Stavans about his anthology, THE PEOPLE’S TONGUE: Americans and the English Language. The post Americans and the English Language with Ilan Stavans, THE PEOPLE’S TONGUE appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Americans and the English Language with Ilan Stavans, THE PEOPLE’S TONGUE
May 11, 2023 23:23 - 27 MBWe talk with Ilan Stavans about his anthology, THE PEOPLE’S TONGUE: Americans and the English Language.
The Case For Climate Hope: Joëlle Gergis, HUMANITY’S MOMENT
May 04, 2023 21:57 - 27 MBWe spend the hour with IPCC climate scientist Joëlle Gergis, talking about her powerful and moving book, Humanity's Moment: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope.
The Case For Climate Hope: Joëlle Gergis, HUMANITY’S MOMENT
May 04, 2023 21:57 - 59 minutes - 27 MBWe spend the hour with IPCC climate scientist Joëlle Gergis, talking about her powerful and moving book, Humanity's Moment: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope. The post The Case For Climate Hope: Joëlle Gergis, HUMANITY’S MOMENT appeared first on Writer's Voice.
What’s Happening To Our Microbiome: THE INVISIBLE EXTINCTION with Sarah Schenck and Steven Lawrence
April 27, 2023 18:19 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MBWe talk with Sarah Schenck and Steven Lawrence about their film The Invisible Extinction. It’s about the threats to our life-supporting microbiome and the scientists racing to save our vanishing microbes before it's too late. The post What’s Happening To Our Microbiome: THE INVISIBLE EXTINCTION with Sarah Schenck and Steven Lawrence appeared first on Writer's Voice.
What’s Happening To Our Microbiome: THE INVISIBLE EXTINCTION with Sarah Schenck and Steven Lawrence
April 27, 2023 18:19 - 26.8 MBWe talk with Sarah Schenck and Steven Lawrence about their film The Invisible Extinction. It’s about the threats to our life-supporting microbiome and the scientists racing to save our vanishing microbes before it's too late.
How To Save The Planet, Collectively & Individually: Stephen Markley, DELUGE, plus Peter Kalmus & Darr Reilly
April 20, 2023 01:46 - 59 minutes - 27 MBWe talk with Stephen Markley about his acclaimed new novel about the climate crisis, The Deluge. It lays out the different paths that may be taken to changing the political will to tackle climate, the unintended consequences they lead to, and the twists and turns of political, ecological and individual fates that intertwine and react with each other. Then we talk about what we can do in our own lives to protect our planet from climate disaster. We air excerpts from our interviews with Peter ...
The Five Senses of the Wildscape with Nancy Lawson & A Mystery about Pandora’s Box with Susan Stokes Chapman
April 14, 2023 15:24 - 57 minutes - 26.4 MBWe talk with Nancy Lawson about her book, Wildscape: Trilling Chipmunks, Beckoning Blooms, Salty Butterflies, And Other Sensory Wonders Of Nature. It’s about the vibrant web of nature outside our back door—where animals and plants perceive and communicate using marvelous sensory abilities we are only beginning to understand. Then, a novel links the Pandora myth to a young namesake in Jane Austen’s London — and a mystery that must be solved. Susan Stokes Chapman tells us about Pandora. The ...
The Five Senses of the Wildscape with Nancy Lawson & A Mystery about Pandora’s Box with Susan Stokes Chapman
April 14, 2023 15:24 - 57 minutes - 26.4 MBWe talk with Nancy Lawson about her book, Wildscape: Trilling Chipmunks, Beckoning Blooms, Salty Butterflies, And Other Sensory Wonders Of Nature. It’s about the vibrant web of nature outside our back door—where animals and plants perceive and communicate using marvelous sensory abilities we are only beginning to understand. Then, a novel links the Pandora myth to a young namesake in Jane Austen’s London — and a mystery that must be solved. Susan Stokes Chapman tells us about Pandor...
The Wonders of Beavers: Leila Philip, BEAVER LAND plus Transgender Appreciation Day: Mimi LeMay, WHAT WE WILL BECOME
April 07, 2023 15:05 - 58 minutes - 26.9 MBWe talk with Leila Philip about beavers, a keystone species that we need to protect as we face the challenges of climate chaos. Her book is Beaver Land: How One Weird Rodent Made America. And we honor International Day of Transgender Visibility The post The Wonders of Beavers: Leila Philip, BEAVER LAND plus Transgender Appreciation Day: Mimi LeMay, WHAT WE WILL BECOME appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Elsa Panciroli on mammal evolution, BEASTS BEFORE US & gardening author Maggie Stuckey, THE CONTAINER VICTORY GARDEN
March 30, 2023 23:33 - 57 minutes - 26.4 MBWe talk with Elsa Panciroli about BEASTS BEFORE US: The Untold Story of Mammal Origins and Evolution. Then, we kick off the gardening season talking with gardening book author Maggie Stuckey about The Container Victory Garden: A Beginners Guide To Growing Your Own Groceries. The post Elsa Panciroli on mammal evolution, BEASTS BEFORE US & gardening author Maggie Stuckey, THE CONTAINER VICTORY GARDEN appeared first on Writer's Voice.
How The Democrats Lost Their Soul & The End of the American Dream: Ed Burmila & Alissa Quart
March 23, 2023 19:18 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBWe talk with Ed Burmila about his book, Chaotic Neutral: How the Democrats Lost Their Soul in the Center. Then, Alissa Quart of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, tells us about Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream. The post How The Democrats Lost Their Soul & The End of the American Dream: Ed Burmila & Alissa Quart appeared first on Writer's Voice.
A Personal History of Modern Ireland with Fintan O’Toole
March 17, 2023 00:50 - 59 minutes - 27 MB"Religion and politics are pretty important things in and of themselves, but when you fuse them into a single identity, it actually becomes pretty toxic." The post A Personal History of Modern Ireland with Fintan O’Toole appeared first on Writer's Voice.
A Personal History of Modern Ireland with Fintan O’Toole
March 17, 2023 00:50 - 27 MB"Religion and politics are pretty important things in and of themselves, but when you fuse them into a single identity, it actually becomes pretty toxic." The post A Personal History of Modern Ireland with Fintan O’Toole appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Celebrating Reproductive Choice: Felicia Kornbluh, A WOMAN’S LIFE IS A HUMAN LIFE & Dolen Perkins-Valdez, TAKE MY HAND
March 10, 2023 00:49 - 58 minutes - 26.9 MBWe center our episode on the fight for reproductive choice. Our first guest is Felicia Kornbluh. Her book, A Woman's Life Is A Human Life, chronicles the spell-binding story of how the first law legalizing abortion in the US was passed—in New York in 1970. But it also tells a second parallel story, the fight for reproductive justice, protecting poor women against involuntary sterilization. The post Celebrating Reproductive Choice: Felicia Kornbluh, A WOMAN’S LIFE IS A HUMAN LIFE & Dolen P...
Stewart Udall and The Politics of Beauty with John de Graaf & Tony Mazzochi, Labor Leader And Environmentalist
March 02, 2023 21:14 - 59 minutes - 27 MBStewart Udall served as the Secretary of the Interior under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson from 1961 to 1969. During his time in office, he helped create national parks, protected wilderness areas, and advocated for conservation efforts. Udall was instrumental in passing important environmental legislation, such as the Wilderness Act of 1964 and the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965. The post Stewart Udall and The Politics of Beauty with John de Graaf & Tony Mazzochi, Labor Leade...
Celebrating Black History Month: Interview with Biographer James McGrath Morris on Ethel Payne, First Lady of the Black Press
February 24, 2023 19:56 - 59 minutes - 54 MBListen to the story of Ethel Payne, star reporter and Washington Press Corps correspondent for the Chicago Defender, the black press’ paper of record from the years of the Great Migration through the civil rights movement. The post Celebrating Black History Month: Interview with Biographer James McGrath Morris on Ethel Payne, First Lady of the Black Press appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Exploring Grief, Sisterhood & Sport: Chetna Maroo, WESTERN LANE & Black History Month: Ta-Nahisi Coates, THE BEAUTIFUL STRUGGLE
February 16, 2023 20:27 - 56 minutes - 25.9 MBWe speak with Chetna Maroo about her debut novel, Western Lane. It’s a beautifully written coming of age story about a young girl and her British Indian family who are trying to come to terms with the recent death of the family matriarch. Then, for Black History Month, we hear my 2008 interview with Ta-Nahisi … Continue reading Exploring Grief, Sisterhood & Sport: Chetna Maroo, WESTERN LANE & Black History Month: Ta-Nahisi Coates, THE BEAUTIFUL STRUGGLE → The post Exploring Grief, Sisterhoo...
How To Reckon With Patriarchy: V, RECKONING & Black History Month: DaMaris Hill, A BOUND WOMAN IS A DANGEROUS THING
February 09, 2023 21:46 - 58 minutes - 26.6 MBV comes to a reckoning with the patriarchy that undergirds the violence done to women, to peoples and the planet. And Damaris Hill helps us celebrate Black History Month. The post How To Reckon With Patriarchy: V, RECKONING & Black History Month: DaMaris Hill, A BOUND WOMAN IS A DANGEROUS THING appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Heinz Insu Fenkl, SKULL WATER & Stephanie Wear, EAT UGLY
February 02, 2023 19:19 - 57 minutes - 26.2 MBHeinz Insu Fenkl talks about his autobiographical novel Skull Water. Then we learn about "eating ugly" to save the planet with marine scientist Dr. Stephanie Wear. The post Heinz Insu Fenkl, SKULL WATER & Stephanie Wear, EAT UGLY appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Ray Nayler, THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SEA & Victor Navasky Remembered
January 26, 2023 22:38 - 1 hour - 33 MBWe talk with Ray Nayler about The Mountain In The Sea and we remember Victor Navasky. The post Ray Nayler, THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SEA & Victor Navasky Remembered appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Maya K. van Rossum, THE GREEN AMENDMENT & David Margolick on MLK, Jr.
January 20, 2023 16:43 - 57 minutes - 26.3 MBWe talk about the Green Amendment movement with Maya van Rossum. And our conversation with David Margolick remembers MLK, Jr. The post Maya K. van Rossum, THE GREEN AMENDMENT & David Margolick on MLK, Jr. appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Danielle Klode, KOALA & Russell Banks, VOYAGER
January 14, 2023 17:16 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MBNatural history writer Danielle Klode tells us all about koalas and we remember novelist Russell Banks. The post Danielle Klode, KOALA & Russell Banks, VOYAGER appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Danielle Clode, KOALA & Russell Banks, VOYAGER
January 14, 2023 17:16 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MBNatural history writer Danielle Clode tells us all about koalas and we remember novelist Russell Banks. The post Danielle Clode, KOALA & Russell Banks, VOYAGER appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Dr. Ann-Christine Duhaime, MINDING THE CLIMATE & Darr Reilly, The Carbon C.R.E.W. Project
January 06, 2023 00:36 - 55 minutes - 25.6 MBUsing neuroscience to move the needle on climate action. Also, the Carbon Crew Project brings friends and neighbors together to create personal climate action plans. The post Dr. Ann-Christine Duhaime, MINDING THE CLIMATE & Darr Reilly, The Carbon C.R.E.W. Project appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Jeff Lowenfels, TEAMING WITH BACTERIA & Best of 2022
December 29, 2022 22:02 - 56 minutes - 25.9 MBWe talk with Jeff Lowenfells about his book on the soil microbiome, Teaming WIth Bacteria. Then we revisit some of our best interviews of 2022. The post Jeff Lowenfels, TEAMING WITH BACTERIA & Best of 2022 appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Holiday Special: THE FOOD PHILOSOPHE, A Story for the Solstice
December 23, 2022 13:01 - 28 minutes - 13 MBFrancesca Rheannon reads her Winter Solstice story "The Food Philosophe" The post Holiday Special: THE FOOD PHILOSOPHE, A Story for the Solstice appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Elsa Sjunneson, BEING SEEN & Kathryn Nicolai, NOTHING MUCH HAPPENS
December 22, 2022 18:55 - 57 minutes - 26.2 MBWe talk with Elsa Sjunneson about disability rights. Then Kathryn Nicolai tells us about how to train our brains to sleep. The post Elsa Sjunneson, BEING SEEN & Kathryn Nicolai, NOTHING MUCH HAPPENS appeared first on Writer's Voice.
James Vincent, BEYOND MEASURE & Simon Winchester, LAND
December 15, 2022 17:36 - 58 minutes - 26.9 MBJames Vincent talks about his book Beyond Measure: The Hidden History Of Measurement From Cubits To Quantum Constants. And Simon Winchester discusses his book, Land: How the Hunger for Ownership Shaped the Modern World. The post James Vincent, BEYOND MEASURE & Simon Winchester, LAND appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Devra Lehmann, SOCRATES & Seema Yasmin, WHAT THE FACT?
December 08, 2022 15:29 - 58 minutes - 26.9 MBDevra Lehmann tells us about Socrates: A Life Worth Living. And Dr. Seema Yasmin about her guide to disinformation, What the fact: Finding The Truth In All The Noise. The post Devra Lehmann, SOCRATES & Seema Yasmin, WHAT THE FACT? appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Omolola Ogunyemi, JOLLOF RICE AND OTHER REVOLUTIONS & Noviolet Bulaweyo, GLORY
December 01, 2022 16:09 - 59 minutes - 27 MBWe talk with two emerging feminist novelists from the African continent, Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi and NoViolet Bulaweyo. The post Omolola Ogunyemi, JOLLOF RICE AND OTHER REVOLUTIONS & Noviolet Bulaweyo, GLORY appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Douglas Rushkoff, SURVIVAL OF THE RICHEST & Tyson Yunkaporta, SAND TALK
November 17, 2022 22:33 - 1 hour - 38.3 MBDouglas Rushkoff discusses his book, Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires. Tyson Yunkaporta talks about Indigenous thinking. His book is Sand Talk. The post Douglas Rushkoff, SURVIVAL OF THE RICHEST & Tyson Yunkaporta, SAND TALK appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Kirk Wallace Johnson, THE FISHERMAN AND THE DRAGON & Diane Wilson, AN UNREASONABLE WOMAN
November 09, 2022 22:40 - 59 minutes - 27.2 MBWe hear about a small town on the Texas coast set on fire by hatred, xenophobia, and ecological disaster— and the woman who fought to save it. The post Kirk Wallace Johnson, THE FISHERMAN AND THE DRAGON & Diane Wilson, AN UNREASONABLE WOMAN appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Laura Kaplan, JANE & Helen Shiller, DARING TO STRUGGLE, DARING TO WIN
November 03, 2022 14:52 - 59 minutes - 27.1 MBLaura Kaplan tells us about the legendary abortion service Jane and Helen Shiller talks about organizing for social justice. The post Laura Kaplan, JANE & Helen Shiller, DARING TO STRUGGLE, DARING TO WIN appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Philip Schultz, COMFORTS OF THE ABYSS & Carey Gillam on Paraquat and Parkinson’s
October 27, 2022 21:08 - 57 minutes - 26.2 MBPhilip Schultz talks about his book Comforts of the Abyss & investigative journalist Carey Gillam discusses the link between paraquat and Parkinsons. The post Philip Schultz, COMFORTS OF THE ABYSS & Carey Gillam on Paraquat and Parkinson’s appeared first on Writer's Voice.
Emi Nietfield, ACCEPTANCE & Anthony Horowitz, MAGPIE MURDERS
October 20, 2022 18:55 - 5 MBEmi Nietfield talks about her powerful memoir, Acceptance. And we re-play our 2017 conversation with Magpie Murders author Anthony Horowitz as PBS Mystery airs the his TV adaptation. The post Emi Nietfield, ACCEPTANCE & Anthony Horowitz, MAGPIE MURDERS appeared first on Writer's Voice.