Marisa Silver first made waves as a filmmaker, winning a Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. In the last decade she’s transitioned to writing - earning acclaim for her short stories and novels. Today, we over hear a part of Marisa’s new novel Mary Coin a fictional re-imagining of the iconic “Migrant Mother” photo.
Kelly Oxford's irreverent web commentary -- about everything from young motherhood to Madonna -- has earned her 500,000 Twitter followers, and a growing stack of Hollywood deals. This week, her new collection of offbeat personal essays, entitled Everything is Perfect When You're a Liar hits shelves. Here's one that's pure magic.
Michelle Orange’s articles and fiction have appeared in the New York Times, The Nation and McSweeney’s. (She’s also a founding literary editor of The Rumpus.) Her latest collection, “This Is Running For Your Life,” artfully blends personal essay and her love of pop culture, especially film. We overhear an excerpt from “Do I Know You?” which analyzes an identity crisis, of sorts.
Acclaimed musician Todd Snider is known for his folk-rock tunes... and for his onstage stories. Today we overhear him telling one about his brother's hero: Nascar driver Bill Elliott.
Lisa Zeidner has authored five books, including the acclaimed "Layover." Her new, darkly comic novel "Love Bomb" depicts a wedding disaster to end all others. We listen in on the "bride"'s grand entrance.
Writer Sam Lipsyte's pitch-black comedies - like the acclaimed 2010 novel "The Ask" - are filled with lovable lowlifes and schemers. His new short story collection "The Fun Parts" carries on the tradition - with punchlines and gut-punches flying fast and furious. Today we overhear an excerpt from the story "The Republic of Empathy" about the joys of parenting.
Ben Sidran has played piano for Van Morrison, Diana Ross, and Steve Miller, among others - but he's been a jazz-man since the age of six when he started playing in his hometown in Wisconsin. In addition to writing, producing, and performing music, he hosted NPR's Peabody Award-winning Jazz Alive. His newest record Don't Cry for No Hipster got him thinking about his Beatnik days and what it means to be "hip."
Lynne Rossetto Kasper of The Splendid Table tells a Christmas tale of a less-than-splendid dinner party of her own.
Eddie Huang is the restaurateur behind New York’s popular Taiwanese-Chinese bun shop BaoHaus. He also hosts the Vice web series called “Fresh Off the Boat.” It’s an irreverent take on food and ethnic assimilation… much like his celebrated new memoir, of the same title (out 1/29). Today we overhear the tale of his first ‘All-American’ dinner. (New York listeners: catch Eddie and Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio in conversation on Tuesday at the Union Square Barnes and Noble.)