In this episode of Libromania, a podcast for the book-obsessed, David chats with historian, Christopher Hull, about his new book Our Man Down in Havana: The Story Behind Graham Green's Cold War Novel. Although he's obviously best known for his many wonderful novels (and screenplays), Greene spent most of his adult life working for Great Britain's secret service. He was an adventurer, and a bit of rogue, and in many ways his work in the world of espionage met a deep-seated psychological need. In this episode, David and Dr. Hull cover this back-story (and much more).Be sure to find Our Man Down in Havana wherever you love to buy books -- and be on the lookout for the brand new audio book, out now.Remember: subscribe, rate, review!

Libromania

Graham Greene the Spy, with Christopher Hull

In this episode of Libromania, a podcast for the book-obsessed, David chats with novelist David Joy about what it's like to be a regional novelist and whether that was something he set out to be when he first started writing fiction. They discuss the authors that influenced his work, how his neighbors have responded to his novels, and much more. Remember: subscribe, rate, review!

On the Work of the Regional Novelist, with David Joy

In this episode of Libromania, a podcast for the book-obsessed, David chats with author and teacher Callie Feyen about her book, The Teacher Diaries: Romeo and Juliet, in which she contemplates her time teaching Shakespeare to a group of students who didn't seem ready for it. They discuss her classroom strategies, her own love of Shakespeare, her love of libraries, and much, much more.

Callie Feyen on Teaching Shakespeare

Join David Kern and guest Levi Stahl (marketing director for University of Chicago Press and a wonderful books-based Twitter follow) for a conversation about some great summer reads. They start by chatting about what makes for a good summer read, then dive in to their own lists.Here are some of the books discussed on this show: A Month in the Country, by J. L. CarrNovels and stories by Craig RiceDorothy Dunnett's House of Niccolo series, Lymond Chronicles, and King HereafterThe Canterbury TalesThe Country of the Pointed Firs, Sarah Orne JewettDavid Epstein's Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized WorldA.E. Stallings' “Like”Eric Ambler's Journey into FearP.G. Wodehouse's Carry on JeevesWallace Stegner's Crossing to Safety

The Summer Reading Episode

In which David chats with Paul Sahre, one of the world's foremost book cover designers. Sahre's designed covers for the likes of Chuck Klosterman and Malcolm Gladwell, and he's done updates for Hemingway and Spark, among others. In this conversation, David and Paul discuss the process of designing a cover, some of his favorite covers of all time, and much more. Remember: If you like this episode be sure to subscribe, rate, review! 

Paul Sahre, One of the World's Foremost Book Cover Designers

In this episode, longtime book critic and former editor of Books and Culture, John Wilson, joins the show to discuss the three finalists for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize: Richard Powers' The Overstory, Rebecca Makkai's The Great Believers, and Tommy Orange's There There. They discuss what makes each book appealing, some of their flaws, and what these choices say about the contemporary literature world at-large. Remember: Subscribe, rate, review. 

Discussing the 2019 Pulitzer Prize Finalists with John Wilson

Welcome to Libromania, a podcast for the book-obsessed from the Close Reads Podcast Network. Each week David Kern will be chatting with authors, biographers, designers, collectors, critics and other people who help make book's so worthy of our attention.In this episode, David chats with novelist Christian Kiefer about his new novel, Phantoms, a page-turner that weaves the "splintered stories" of two broken families torn apart by two key twentieth century wars, the cruelty of Japanese internment camps, and the devastation of dishonesty. They chat about Kiefer's writing process, revision and working with editors, the influence of Faulkner on his work, the diversity of bookstores, and much more. Remember: Subscribe, rate, review. Please note: this episode does include bleeps. 

Christian Kiefer on "Phantoms" and the Writing Life

Welcome to Libromania, a podcast for the book-obsessed from the Close Reads Podcast Network. Each week David Kern will be chatting with authors, biographers, designers, collectors, critics and other people who help make book's so worthy of our attention.In this episode David chats with Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson, author of Walker Percy, Fyodor Dostoesvsky, and the Search for Influence (among other books), about Dostoevsky's gambling problem and the impact that it had on his life and his work. They talk about the way he was an open book as a writer, the role of his second wife, Anna, and his seemingly autobiographical novel, The Gambler.Remember: subscribe, rate, review!

Dostoevsky's Gambling Problem (featuring Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson)

Welcome to Libromania, a podcast for the book-obsessed from the Close Reads Podcast Network. Each week David Kern will be chatting with authors, biographers, designers, collectors, critics and other people who help make book's so worthy of our attention.In this episode David chats with Warren Farha, proprietor of one of America's most beloved book stores: Eighth Day Books, in Wichita, Kansas. They talk about the life of a bookshop owner, the landscape of bookshops, choosing books for the stacks, and much more. Make sure you head over to https://www.eighthdaybooks.com/ to learn more. Remember: subscribe, rate, review. 

Eighth Day Book's owner, Warren Farha

Welcome to Libromania, a podcast for the book-obsessed from the Close Reads Podcast Network. Each week David Kern will be chatting with authors, biographers, designers, collectors, critics and other people who help make book's so worthy of our attention.In this episode David chats with Cory MacLauchlin, author of the book Butterfly in the Typewriter, about the tragic and wild story of John Kennedy Toole and his beloved novel, A Confederacy of Dunces. Conversation explores the book's tremendous popularity in Europe, the book's cult following, the dramatic story of Toole's life, his audacious mother, and much more. Remember: subscribe, rate, review. 

The Tragic Story of A Confederacy of Dunces

Welcome to Libromania, a podcast for the book-obsessed from the Close Reads Podcast Network. Each week David Kern will be chatting with authors, biographers, designers, collectors, critics and other people who help make book's so worthy of our attention.In this episode, David chats with renowned typographer, Stephen Banham, about his work on a new font called Sans Forgetica, which was designed in association with RMIT in Australia, in hopes of helping students improve memory retention.They discuss the art of typography, the goals behind the font, how it was conceived, and much more. Remember: subscribe, rate, review!

On Sans Forgetica, a new font to aid memory retention

Welcome to Libromania, a podcast for the book-obsessed from the Close Reads Podcast Network. Each week David Kern will be chatting with authors, biographers, designers, collectors, critics and other people who help make book's so worthy of our attention.In this episode David chats with noted film critics Jeffrey Overstreet and Steven Greydanus about some of the best film adaptations of books. Many of the titles they discuss will be familiar to you. Others not so much. Either way, tune in for a lively conversation about what makes a good film adaptation, the role of the critic in reviewing such movies, and Jeffrey and Steven's top five choices.

On the Best Film Adaptations of Books, with Jeffrey Overstreet and Steven Greydanus

Welcome back to Libromania, a podcast for the book-obsessed. In this episode, David is joined by Heidi White and Tim McIntosh to talk the most romantic books ever written. In honor of Valentine's Days, they each present their 5 favorite romantic books - with a little bit of discussion on what makes a book really, truly romantic.

Libromania Top 5: The Most Romantic Books

Welcome to Libromania, a podcast for the book-obsessed from the Close Reads Podcast Network. Each week David Kern will be chatting with authors, biographers, designers, collectors, critics and other people who help make book's so worthy of our attention.This week, poet Matthew Zapruder, author of Why Poetry, joins the show to discuss his life as a poet. Discussion touches on how he became a poet, his interest in Russian literature, teaching poetry, knowing when a poem is finished, the new Instagram poets, and much more. Subscribe, rate, review. Help us spread the word!

Matthew Zapruder, author of WHY POETRY, on life as a poet

Welcome to Libromania, a podcast for the book-obsessed from the Close Reads Podcast Network. Each week David Kern will be chatting with authors, biographers, designers, collectors, critics and other people who help make book's so worthy of our attention.This week, guests Allison Backous Troy, a writer for IMAGE's "Good Letters" blog, and A.M. Juster, the poetry editor for First Things, join the show to discuss the work and legacy of Mary Oliver, who passed away last week at age 83. They discuss the very personal nature of her work and influence, the way she inspired so many people (inside and outside of the world of poetry writers), and what her passing means for the state of contemporary poetry. Remember: subscribe, rate, review. Help us spread the word. 

Remembering Mary Oliver (with A.M. Juster and Allison Backous Troy)

A podcast for the book-obsessed featuring interviews with contemporary authors, discussions about key figures and movements in literature history, examinations of various genres and current events in the lit world, and celebrations of book nerdom (book stores, book design, book collections, etc.)

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Libromania

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