Debut Spotlight with Rachel Barenbaum: Recent Episodes
Rachel Barenbaum
Looking for your next great read?? Debut Spotlight with Rachel Barenbaum interviews the latest and greatest debut authors - usually fiction with some amazing non-fiction thrown in from time to time. You might also catch SUPER authors (non debuts), but not often.
Some favorite authors offer their suggestions for summer reading, plus host Rachel Barenbaum has some books by New England authors to recommend.
A debut novel about Ophir—not her real name—who starts a confessional podcast about her years on the run around the globe. Filled with danger and twists, it’s ultimately a story about immigration and belonging—one unlike any you’ve seen before.
And on the Book Biz, Katherine Center talks about what it takes to hang in the business for 20 years, how the Book Biz has changed, and her newest novel THE SHIPPERS.
In this novel of friendship and hard-won hope, four lives are entangled across time by one story, saved to a floppy disk in the 1980s and destined to ripple across the centuries. For fans of punk rock, robots, 80’s nostalgia, and post-apocalyptic pirates.
And on our Book Biz segment, bookseller Rachel Kanter discusses the boom in audiobooks.
This debut novel, based on a Welsh myth, explores the themes of autonomy and choice when a lonely boy has a magical playmate created for him. It’s a lush, unsettling tale blending romance, horror, and fairytale elements, with a nod to Frankenstein.
And on our Book Biz segment, former Washington Post book critic, Ron Charles, on the future of literary criticism.
A viral dark dystopian romance set in a corrupt surveillance state ruled by the masked elite, following a mercenary who botches the assassination of the president’s son and ends up forced to marry him. Plus, Sarah MacLean discusses romance as the engine of the book industry.
In a saga of survival and the secrets that haunt us, one desperate decision creates a fault line that spans decades and threatens to break a family wide open.
In the wreckage of a fateful Thanksgiving reunion at their Nigerian-American family’s table, four siblings are forced to reckon with the past, take stock of what really matters, and find a way back to each other.
On the Book Biz we talk with Laura McGrath, an English professor at Temple University and the author of the new book, "Middlemen: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction" about the role of agents in publishing today and whether we still need them.
A young woman faces a deadly competition where survival depends on mastering forbidden powers she barely understands. As secrets about her past and the ruling powers emerge, Arvelle must decide whom to trust before the trials—and her enemies—claim her life.
Through intertwining narratives set in both the U.S. and Pakistan, the novel reveals how class, power, and desire trap its characters in cycles of deception and emotional isolation.
And on our segment, The Book Biz, journalist Vauhini Vara, author of "Searches; Selfhood in the Digital Age," discusses how AI is changing writing, reading, and publishing.
In 1938, Fanny Zelshinsky, is deciding whether or not to go through with her upcoming wedding. Meanwhile, Zosia Dror has fled her religious family to become part of a new youth movement. But when artist Wanda Petrovsky goes missing, this unlikely duo works together to find Wanda before it’s too late.
And on our segment, The Book Biz, Rachel Kanter, owner and founder of Lovestruck Books, discusses digital-first publishing.
We all know what happened to Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. But what if she woke up the day after her execution and took it upon herself to seek justice? A fantastical journey through the wilds of England and Tudor history, filled with danger and magic and steeped in Arthurian legend.
EVIL GENIUS is a darkly comedic, surreal noir novel set in 1974 San Francisco, following 19-year-old Celia Dent as she becomes obsessed with murder and desire after a co-worker's death, leading her to challenge her controlling husband and her mundane life.
Also on the show we introduce a new recurring segment: The Book Biz. On this show, Rachel Kanter, the owner and founder of Lovestruck Books, talks about the growth of romance bookstores and how they are changing publishing.
THE COMPLEX moves between the U.S. and modern India to follow the illicit liaisons, real estate dramas, political ambitions and betrayals of a prominent Delhi family, unraveling in the shadow of a nation's transformation.
A conversation with Deesha Philyaw and Gwydion Suilebhan from the prestigious PEN/Faulkner Foundation offering a behind-the-scenes look at what makes a book stand out—and their favorite books you might have missed.
Set in 13th-century Bruges, this historical debut centers on a young woman’s search for faith, agency, and love in a convent—and in a world that wants to silence her.
A sweeping, multi-generational story of a young woman obsessed with becoming an astronaut and escaping her complicated past, and the extraordinary lengths she will go to find space for herself.
The romantasy series that began with “Quicksilver” is back with “Brimstone.” Originally self-published, the series has been picked up by a traditional publisher and is back with more drama, higher stakes, and deadly consequences.
Told as a letter from mother to daughter, this luminous novel explores a moment of abandonment that stretches from ten days to ten years—and reshapes a family forever.
Maggie: Or A Man and A Woman Walk Into A Bar - When a young mother’s life unravels after a divorce and a cancer diagnosis, she spins her pain into sharp, comedic fiction that’s equal parts heartbreaking and hilarious.
The Bone Thief - When a Native teenager vanishes from her small town, a place with dark ties to an elite historical society, archaeologist Syd Walker is called to investigate.
In this debut novel, eight generations of a Black family in West Tennessee are visited by the Devil himself, each offered a different kind of salvation—while he wonders if redemption is possible for him, too.
A Southern Black family drama unfolds as long-held secrets about a beloved son surface, shaking the foundation of a Mississippi town.
Based on a strange historical anecdote, this novel tells the story of five sisters in18th-century England whose neighbors become convinced they’re turning into dogs.
With Ruben we see a genre-blending, speculative historical novel about revolution and empire, following two families across alternate timelines of the Salvadoran civil war. Plus, a look into the publishing world with Zibby Owens.
“Romantasy” titles from indie presses, along with their enormous fan bases on BookTok, are reshaping the publishing landscape. Jennifer Armentrout is proving that the next giant of fiction doesn’t need a giant publisher. This is the sixth book in the Blood and Ash series- all published by a tiny Indie press that is taking publishing by storm.
Set in Ukraine, an eccentric scientist breeding rare snails crosses paths with sisters posing as members of the marriage industry. As Russia invades, they embark on a wild journey involving kidnapped bachelors and a last-of-its-kind snail.
A novel about a missing teenage boy, cases of fluid and mistaken identity, and the transformative power of boxing.
A coming-of-middle-age novel full of humor and grief. When Abe Jacobs is faced with an unthinkable diagnosis, he follows his fragile hope for a cure to the Mohawk Rez where he grew up. In his family’s hands, Abe just might find hope.
A young Stanford graduate caught between worlds of race and class, glamour and tragedy, a friend’s mysterious death and his own arrest. Pulled into the court system and mandated treatment, he finds himself in an absurd but dangerous situation: his class protects him, but his race does not.
Annie is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib when a massive earthquake hits Portland, Oregon. All she can do is try to walk home. We follow her journey across a transformed city as she reflects on her life and re-considers hope for the future.
In this debut novel, two sisters are betrayed and violently estranged. They must weigh the value of ambition versus familial love and home versus the outside world. An exploration of family bonds in a story of sisterhood in turn-of-the-millennium Singapore.
A coming of age novel about working-class female friendship, set in the schoolyards, nightclubs, and alleyways of a gritty, post-industrial town in Yorkshire, England. Three girls are inseparable, their friendship as indestructible as they are, but as they grow up and away from one another, a long-festering secret threatens to rip the trio apart.
Three star players on a high school football team are accused of violence by another student. Their secrets, and the secrets of their parents, threaten to shatter their entire community in a novel of race, class, and privilege.
Inspired by a true story, “We Would Never” is a gripping murder mystery and an intimate family drama. It explores the issues of loyalty, betrayal, and the blurred line between protecting and forsaking the ones we love most.
When 276 schoolgirls are abducted from their school in Nigeria, a Florida-based lawyer and former POW of the Nigerian Civil War is consumed by memories of his younger sister who went missing during that conflict. “A Season of Light” explores the shaky promise of the immigrant American dream and a family struggling with intergenerational trauma.
Two brothers are living off the grid on the edge of Yellowstone. In dire straits and desperate for money, they accept a dangerous proposition that permanently alters their lives and their relationship to each other.
A novel about marriage and ambition, sexuality and secrecy, and the true costs of building an empire. “Mutual Interest” explores the lives of “three queer misfits turned business titans” during the Gilded Age with immersive period detail and compelling emotional stakes.
“Homeseeking” follows Haiwen and Suchi, two separated lovers through six decades of Chinese history. War, famine, and opportunity take them from Hong Kong, to Taiwan, New York, and LA. This debut novelis a story of family, sacrifice, and loyalty, and of the power of love to endure beyond distance and time.
It's a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn, the only guest who isn’t there for the big event.
A novel about depression, love, the ways women make themselves small, and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, this is a story of desire, suspicion, and obsession between two women staying in the same house in the Dutch countryside during the summer of 1961. An exploration of the legacy of WWII and the darker parts of our collective past.
A special Check This Out episode featuring three librarians from around the state chatting about their favorite books of the year and offering suggestions for this holiday reading season.
We also discuss how librarians feel about audiobooks — does it count as reading? Plus, the explosion of "Young Adult" titles and whether the name should be changed, how libraries decide which books to put on their shelves, and the pros and cons of self-publishing.
A beautiful, tender, yet searing debut novel about intergenerational fractures and coming of age, following a young woman who immigrates to the United States from the Philippines and finds herself adrift between familial expectations and her own desires.
An unlikely production of Euripides in a prison quarry, set in ancient Greece with a contemporary Irish accent. As funny as it is moving, the novel is an ode to the power of art in a time of war and brotherhood in a time of enmity.
Based on (mostly) true events, "The Bullet Swallower" is a magical realism western about violence and revenge, a story that asks who pays for the sins of our ancestors, and whether it is possible to be better than our forebears.
In this historical fantasy novel, a group of passengers set out on the Trans-Siberian Express train, in a journey across a magical landscape known as “the Wastelands.” Can they trust each other even as the rules seem to be changing?
The third season of in-depth author interviews continues with Essie Chambers, author of "Swift River."
Longlisted for The Center for Fiction 2024 First Novel Prize, there’s a lot to unpack in this novel. Sixteen year old Diamond is the only Black person in the town of Swift River, stuck in a town she hates it as much as it hates her.
Her mother is a drug addict who can’t pay the bills, and making things even worse, Diamond is buried in an obese body she can’t escape, a symbol of the generational trauma that weighs on her every single day.
"Swift River" focuses on three generations of women in one family, the trauma they endure and pass on.
It also shows us the hope Diamond holds for her future, and a historic setting in a northern ‘sundown town,’ a town where Black people are only allowed to pass through during the day.
Set around Maine’s Penobscot Reservation, a novel about one man’s family, divided, like the river that separates him from his childhood home. The novel is about belonging, the shifting nature of memory - and bloodlines. Shortlisted for The Center for Fiction 2024 First Novel Prize.
A heartfelt epic about friendship, betrayal, and redemption during three transformative decades in Iran.
Kaliane Bradley's debut is a time travel romance, a spy thriller, a workplace comedy and a testament to what we owe each other in a changing world.
In Andrew Boryga's debut "Victim," the protagonist is a hustler from a family of hustlers. He learns to talk about his background in just the right way to open doors to an elite college and writing gigs. The novel asks: What does real diversity look like?
“Blank” by Zibby Owens follows the story of Pippa Jones, a fortyish former literary sensation who fears she will be a one-hit wonder. Her solution to writer's block is an idea her 12-year old son came up with as a joke.
"The Extinction of Irena Rey" is the new novel by famed translator Jennifer Croft. Eight translators arrive at a house in a primeval Polish forest on the border of Belarus. It belongs to the world-renowned author Irena Rey, and they are there to translate her magnum opus, Gray Eminence. But within days of their arrival, Irena disappears without a trace.
Inci Atrek brings readers a seductive and lyrical debut novel. “Holiday Country" follows a young woman’s dangerous summer romance during an idyllic vacation on the Aegean coast.
Set against the backdrop of developing modern China, Aube Rey Lescure’s “River East, River West” is part coming-of-age tale and part family and social drama. It follows two generations searching for belonging and opportunity in a rapidly changing world.
Rachel Barenbaum interviews author Leo Vardiashvili’s about his debut novel“Hard By a Great Forest” – a story about a man who fled the Republic of Georgia in the midst of war. It’s a unique tale about the traumas of war and the lasting effects of those families driven not just to survive, but to remember, love and live.
Rachel Barenbaum interviews author Maura Cheeks who talks about her new novel Acts of Forgiveness. Set in a speculative America, readers navigate a world where the government has approved reparation payments for black Americans – but only if they can prove they are descended from slaves.
Vauhini Vara's story collection, THIS IS SALVAGED, has been named by The New Yorker, Publisher’s Weekly, Vox, and the New York Public Library as one of the best books of the year.
Host Rachel Barenbaum sits down with her colleagues from the Howe Library in Hanover, New Hampshire to discuss their favorite reads from 2023.
This week on Check This Out, host Rachel Barenbaum sits down with Emma Törzs, author of "Ink Blood Sister Scribe." Törzs' debut novel will soon be available in 13 languages. It's a fast paced, magical book about two estranged half-sisters tasked with guarding their family's library of magical books. They work together along with a stranger, a magical scribe, to unravel a deadly secret at the heart of their collection. It's a tale of familial loyalty and betrayal and the pursuit of magic and power.
Törzs says swaths of the story were inspired by her family’s Hungarian roots, and by what it took for them to survive the Holocaust.
Episode 109. You may know Ayana Mathis from her debut novel, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie. Published 11 years ago, the excitement and noise around that debut took up all the space and energy Mathis had to write fiction. Her new second novel is called The Unsettled. It’s a mother-daughter-son story that braids two narratives - one from the south and one from the north.
John Manuel Arias is a queer Costa Rican-American poet and writer who has lived in the U.S. and in Costa Rica where, as he reports, he shared a house with his grandmother and four ghosts. His debut novel, Where There Was Fire, burst onto the scene in August 2023.
Set in Costa Rica, this story follows several generations of women in one family — mothers and daughters — alternating between their lives in the 1960s and the 1990s.
The novel focuses on one major event that reverberates and haunts each generation: a fire that burnt down a banana plantation and in which a father goes missing.
This single event tears the family apart and gives rise to ghosts that keep the characters pushing for answers. Who started the fire? What happened to a missing husband? To a dead mother? Where There Was Fire is about love and secrets, reconciliation and redemption, all focused around the biggest question of all: What is the price of a banana?
This week, host Rachel Barenbaum sits down with Angie Kim, author of the novel "Miracle Creek." Kim was named a finalist for the New American Voices Award. Her latest work, "Happiness Falls" follows the story of family in crisis, after a father goes missing — and the only person who knows what happened to him is the family's non-verbal 14 year old son, Eugene.
In this conversation, Angie Kim shares her inspiration for "Happiness Falls," which tackles fascinating questions of love, language, and human connection.
This week, host Rachel Barenbaum sits down with Tania James, author of the novels "The Tusk That Did the Damage" and "Atlas of Unknowns." Her latest work, "Loot," has been named to the longlist of the 2023 National Book Award in fiction.
In this conversation, Tania James shares her inspiration for "Loot," which gives readers a front-row seat to 18th and 19th century imperialism as seen through the eyes of an artisan toy maker who begins his journey in 1794 in Mysore, India.
Check this Out features lively conversations with up and coming authors, and serves as a platform for diverse voices and stories to be heard. NHPR and The Howe Library are proud to be able to bring these conversations into your homes and headphones.
Episode 105. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah on the launch of his phenomenal debut CHAIN-GANG ALL-STARS. Do not miss this book of this author!
Episode 104. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Claire Jimenez on the launch of her debut, WHAT HAPPENED TO RUTHIE RAMIREZ?
Rachel Barenbaum interviews Priya Guns on the launch of her debut novel, YOUR DRIVER IS WAITING.
Rachel Barenbaum interviews debut author Jenny Jackson on the launch of her Instant New York Times Best Seller PINEAPPLE STREET.
Rachel Barenbaum interviews Patricia Park on the launch of her debut YA novel IMPOSTER SYNDROME.
Episode 100. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Ruben Degollado on the launch of his debut novel, THE FAMILY IZQUIERDO. Don't miss this interview of this amazing book!!
Episode 99. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Elena Armas on the launch of her new novel THE AMERICAN ROOMMATE EXPERIMENT. Elena is a brilliant writer who started by self publishing - and grew into a TikTok sensation. After exploding sales, she was picked up by a big publisher and both of her books have been NYTimes instant bestsellers. Don't miss this book or this author!!
Episode 98. Rachel Barenbaum interviews debut author Belinda Huijuan Tang about her novel A MAP FOR THE MISSING. Don't miss this amazing book!!
Episode 97. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Kelly J. Ford on the release of her new novel REAL BAD THINGS. This interview is a part of the new literary series CHECK THIS OUT at the Howe Library.
Episode 96. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Jonathan Escoffery on the launch of his debut IF I SURVIVE YOU. This book is already nominated for the National Book Award. Do not miss the book or this interview!
Episode 95 Rachel Barenbaum interviews E.B. Bartels on the launch of her debut GOOD GRIEF. Don't miss this amazing author or interview!!
Episode 94. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Felicia Berliner on the launch of her debut, SHMUTZ. Don't miss it!!
Episode 93. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Zibby Owens on the launch of her debut memoir, BOOKENDS. Do not miss this amazing author or her memoir!!
Episode 92. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Katie Gutierrez on the launch of her debut MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW. This book is fantastic. Don't miss it or this amazing author.
Episode 91. Rachel Barenbaum interviews John Vercher on the launch of his second novel, AFTER THE LIGHTS GO OUT. Don't miss this amazing book or interview.
Episode 90. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Vauhini Vara on the launch of her debut novel THE IMMORTAL KING RAO. This book was unbelievable!! Do not miss this interview.
Episode 89. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Karen Winn on the launch of her debut novel OUR LITTLE WORLD. Don't miss it!!
Episode 88. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Courtney Maum on the launch of her debut memoir THE YEAR OF THE HORSES. The book is heartbreaking and uplifting - brilliant. Don't miss this interview.
Episode 87. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Boris Dralyuk on the launch of his debut poetry collection, MY HOLLYWOOD. Don't miss this amazing interview or collection.
Episode 86. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Kate Quinn on the launch of her new novel THE DIAMOND EYE. This author and this novel are incredible. Do not miss them!!
Special Episode: Caroline Leavitt interviews Rachel Barenbaum on the launch of Rachel's second novel, ATOMIC ANNA.
Episode 85. Author Spotlight. Don't miss this episode!! Rachel Barenbaum interviews Ellen Alpsten on the launch of her second book THE TSARINA'S Daughter, book two in the trilogy.
Episode 84. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Alex Segura on the launch of his novel SECRET IDENTITY. Don't miss this interview!!
Episode 83. Author spotlight. Jennifer Haigh discusses her latest, MERCY STREET, with Rachel Barenbaum. This book is INCREDIBLE. Do not miss it. And don't miss the bonus - writing advice and tips from Jennifer.
Episode 82. Debut author Renee Branum talks about her amazing debut DEFENESTRATE with Rachel Barenbaum.
Episode 81. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Destiny O. Birdsong on the launch of her debut NOBODY'S MAGIC. Don't miss this interview or this amazing book!!
Episode 80. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Sequoia Nagamatsu on the launch of his debut HOW HIGH WE GO IN THE DARK. Don't miss it.
Episode 79 Gwen E. Kirby talks to Rachel Barenbaum about her debut short story collection: SHIT CASSANDRA SAW. This collection and this author are amazing! Don't miss it.
Episode 78. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Clare Chambers on the launch of her eight novel: SMALL PLEASURES. This amazing book was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction. Don't miss it!!
Episode 77. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Mina Seçkin on the launch of her debut novel: THE FOUR HUMORS. Don't miss it.
Episode 76. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Jenna Blum on the launch of her debut memoir, WOODROW ON THE BENCH. Don't miss this fantastic interview!
Episode 75. Rachel Barenbaum interviews David Hoon Kim on the launch of his debut PARIS IS A PARTY, PARIS IS A GHOST.
Episode 74. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Zoraida Córdova on the launch of her adult debut, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina. Don't miss the amazing author. She talks about writing for Star Wars and magical realism.
Episode 73. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Judy Bolton-Fasman on the launch of her debut memoir: ASYLUM.
Rachel Barenbaum interviews the brilliant and lovely Honorée Fanonne Jeffers about her debut novel - THE LOVE SONGS OF W.E.B. DU BOIS.
Episode 71. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Rachel Yoder on the launch of her debut, NIGHTBITCH.
Episode 70. Rachel Barenbaum interviews the incredible and brilliant Charlotte McConaghy on the launch of her new book ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES. McConaghy is the aithor of MIGRATIONS - named Amazon's best book of the year.
Episode 66. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Dariel Suarez on the launch of his debut novel, THE PLAYWRIGHT'S HOUSE.
Episode 65. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Zakiya Dalila Harris on the launch of her debut, THE OTHER BLACK GIRL.
Episode 64. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Rahul Raina on the launch of his debut: HOW TO KIDNAP THE RICH.
Episode 63. Rachel Barenbaum interviews debut author Dawnie Walton on the launch of her debut novel, THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & Nev.
Episode 62. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Judy Batalion on the launch of her debut, THE LIGHT OF DAYS: The untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos.
Episode 61. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Jennifer Saint on the launch of her debut, ARIADNE.
Ep 60. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Donna Freitas on the launch of her debut literary fiction - her first adult novel - THE NINE LIVES OF ROSE NAPOLITANO.
Episode 59 Chanda Prescod-Weinstein discusses her debut, THE DISORDERED COSMOS, with Rachel Barenbaum.
Episode 58. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Sanjena Sathian on the launch of her debut novel, GOLD DIGGERS.
Episode 57 Rachel Barenbaum interviews Denny S. Bryce on the launch of her debut novel, WILD WOMEN AND THE BLUES.
Episode 56. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Andrew Graff on the launch of his debut novel, RAFT OF STARS.
Episode 55. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Naima Coster on the launch of her novel WHAT'S MINE AND YOURS.
Episode 54. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Kate Quinn on the launch of her incredible new book THE ROSE CODE.
Episode 53. Rachel Barenbaum interviews W.S. Winslow on the launch of her debut, THE NORTHERN REACH.
Episode 52 Katherine Seligman. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Katherine on the launch of her debut, AT THE EDGE OF THE HAIGHT.
Episode 51 Una Mannion : A CROOKED TREE Rachel Barenbaum interviews Una on the launch of her debut novel
Episode 50 Lori Banov Kaufmann: REBEL DAUGHTER. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Lori on the launch of her debut.
Episode 49 Zibby Owens: MOMS DON'T HAVE TIME TO Rachel Barenbaum interviews Zibby Owens on the launch of her debut, a quarantine anthology.
Episode 48 Nancy Johnson: THE KINDEST LIE. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Nancy Johnson on the launch of her debut novel THE KINDEST LIE.
Episode 47 Ashley Audrain: THE PUSH. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Ashley Audrain on the launch of her debut novel, THE PUSH.
Episode 46 Te-Ping Chen: LAND OF BIG NUMBERS. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Te-Ping Chen on the launch of her debut story collection LAND OF BIG NUMBERS.
Episode 45 Desmond Hall: YOUR CORNER DARK. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Desmond on the launch of his debut novel.
Episode 43. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Mateo Askaripour on the launch of his debut, Black Buck.
Episode 42. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Julie Carrick Dalton on the launch of her debut WAITING FOR THE NIGHTSONG.
Episode 41. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Victoria Gosling on the launch of her debut novel BEFORE THE RUINS.
Episode 40 Robert Jones, Jr.: THE PROPHETS. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Robert Jones, Jr. on the launch of his debut.
Episode 39 Sophie Cousens: THIS TIME NEXT YEAR. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Sophie Cousens about her debut novel THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.
Episode 38 David Hopen: THE ORCHARD. Rachel Barenbaum interviews David Hopen about his debut novel THE ORCHARD.
Episode 37 Crissy Van Meter: CREATURES. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Crissy Van Meter on the launch of her debut paperback. This books is incredible.
Episode 36 Rachel Barenbaum interviews Ellen Alpsten on the launch of her debut TSARINA. This is the first fictional account of Catherine I - not Catherine the Great and it is incredible.
Episode 35 Rachel Barenbaum interviews Susie Yang on the launch of her debut WHITE IVY. Part thriller and part character study you will not want to put this book down.
Episode 34 Michelle Bowdler: IS RAPE A CRIME? Rachel Barenbaum interviews Michelle Bowdler about her new memoir. It is a personal story, an investigation and a memoir. It will blow you away.
Episode 33. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Max Gross on the launch of his debut THE LOST SHTETL. This book is hilarious but the humor underlies a dark underside and deep questions.
Episode 32 Miriam Udel: HONEY ON THE PAGE. Rachel Barenbaum interviews Miriam on the launch of her new book, a collection of Yiddish children's literature translated and selected by Miriam.
Episode 31 Anaïs Mitchell talks to Rachel Barenbaum about her debut book, WORKING ON A SONG, The Lyrics of Hadestown. Mitchell is as kind and brilliant as she seems. She even sings one of the verses cut before the show made it to Broadway!
Episode 30. K-Ming Chang discusses her debut: BESTIARY. This fantastic novel is part queer love, part coming of age and part immigration story - all wrapped in myths and animals. It has already been longlisted for the Center For Fiction First Novel Prize. K-Ming has been named one of the National Book Foundation's 3 Under 35.
Episode 10 Megha Majumdar discussed her debut, A BURNING with Rachel Barenbaum. One text can ruin a life.
Episode 27 Katie Mack talks about THE END OF EVERYTHING (Astrophysically Speaking) with Rachel Barenbaum. Will it be the big crunch, heat death, big rip vacuum decay or the bounce that gets us??
Rachel Barenbaum interviews Natalie Zina Walschots on the launch of her debut, HENCH. Get ready for a woman who crunches the numbers and realizes super heroes aren't worth it. We discuss morality, the death ray and diversity. Don't miss this amazing author and tremendous book!
Ep. 28. Guy Raz: HOW I BUILT THIS. Guy talks to Rachel Barenbaum about crying on the bathroom floor, getting up and working hard. We love GUY RAZ!!