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- [00:00]
Alison Stewart
WNYC Studios is supported by Odoo. When you buy business software from lots of vendors, the costs add up and it gets complicated and confusing. Odoo solves this. It's a single company that sells a suite of enterprise apps that handles everything from accounting to inventory to sales. Odoo is all connected on a single platform in a simple and affordable way. You can save money without missing out on the features you need. Check out Odoo at O d O o dot com. That's O d O o dot com.
- [00:38]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart live from the WNYC Studios in soho. Thanks for sharing part of your day with us. I'm really grateful you're here on today's show. It's book Day. We're gonna speak with two authors who have brand new books out today. Patrick Radden Keefe joins us to talk about his latest, london Falling and Emma Straub to discuss her new novel, American Fantasy. Plus, we will preview this month's get lit event with Cynthia Dupree Sweeney, author of Like Effect. That's the plan. So let's get this started. Today is a massive day for book publishing with tons of novels and works of nonfiction released and available for you guys to buy from your local indie bookseller. Right now, there's Ben Lerner's transcription. Yesterday we spoke with Carol Clare Burke about her novel Yesteryear. There are so many to choose from. So joining me now to discuss some of the biggest books of the spring is all of It. And get lit producer Jordan Loft. Hi, Jordan.
- [01:46]
Jordan Loft
Hi Allison.
- [01:47]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
Listeners, we want to hear from you. What's a book you'd like to recommend? What are you reading and what are you loving? We're taking your book Recommendations now at 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. A couple of rules. Please do not call us if you are driving and also no speakerphone. Plus, we want to let you know that we will post a transcript of this segment tomorrow so you don't have to write things down right away. But remember, no driving and no speakerphone. We'd like to hear from you. Our number is 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. So, Jordan, why is today such a big day for book publishing?
- [02:28]
Jordan Loft
Well, April is really the month where things kick off for the spring publishing season. It's a huge month for book publishing in general. And Tuesday is our pub day for books. Just as a rule of thumb, if you Want to figure out when there are great new books coming out? Go to your local indie bookstore on a Tuesday and they will have a whole stack of new books for you. And because today is the first Tuesday of April, you know those authors and publishing companies are looking to make a big splash with their book at the start of the month. Today is the day to do it. So there's a whole big stack of books that will be landing in your local bookstore today.
- [03:03]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
Let's start out with some of the books that are out today. Big pub day. First, you've got a book for fans of mystery novels. The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clark. Okay, you have to explain who Evelyn Clark is.
- [03:16]
Jordan Loft
Yes. So Evelyn Clark is actually two people. It is their pen name. It's two friends writing a novel together. The first is writer V. E. Schwab, who people might know from her mostly fantasy novels, a very popular writer. And Cat Clark, who has written typically nonfiction and some YA novels. They're friends. They've joined together as this fictional person, Evelyn Clark, to write a mystery novel. It is set on a remote Scottish island. And here's the setup. Six writers are invited to this private island owned by a famous author named Arthur Fletch, where they learn that Arthur is dead and his last book has been left unfinished. And what Arthur is really good at is writing a book with an excellent ending. So these six writers have been recruited by Arthur's publishers to compete to see who can come up with the best ending for his unfinished book. And they might do just about anything to be the winner because it comes with a lot of money and prestige and career resuscitation. A lot of these writers are struggling and are looking to really, really take this prize home. So maybe some murder might ensue.
- [04:24]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
Dun dun, dun. Exactly.
- [04:26]
Jordan Loft
That's the Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke. I think that's the type of book you could read in one day if you really wanted to.
- [04:31]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
I mentioned Ben Lerner. His latest is getting big reviews.
- [04:35]
Jordan Loft
Yes, this is transcription. If you are looking for something you can get today that you could also finish very quickly. This is a slim little novel you could take with you on your spring break. It is about a man heading to conduct one final interview with his mentor. With the mentor is a man in his 90s. He's a very famous person in the arts. But as the man conducting the interview is on his way there, he drops his phone in water and realizes he has no other way around recording this interview, but decides not to tell the subject of the interview that he's not actually able to record. It's about our over reliance on technology. It's about conversation. It's about the art of the interview, about being in the moment. Kirkus Reviews called it full of rich ethical and philosophical questions, as any good Ben Lerner novel is. So that is Transcription also out today.
- [05:28]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
That sounds like a book that I would like.
- [05:30]
Jordan Loft
It does indeed. A book about interviewing.
- [05:32]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
There you go. April's National Poetry Month we've been celebrating here on the show. Are there any new poetry collections you'd like to recommend?
- [05:40]
Jordan Loft
Yes. Julia Alvarez has a new collection out today called Visitations. People probably know her for books like how the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent. This is her first book of poetry in over 20 years. So it's a big deal that she is back to poems. And my understanding is this is almost like a memoir in poems. The poems are going to trace her childhood in the Dominican Republic, her move to the United States and her adjustment to life here. And it's, it's brand new poetry from, from one of the best poets out there to do it who hasn't returned to the medium in a long time. So that's Visitations by Julia Alvarez out today.
- [06:18]
Alison Stewart
My guest is Jordan Loft, get lit producer as well as all of it producer. We are discussing books being published this spring with Jordan, and we want to talk to you as well. What books are you reading and loving? We're taking your book recommendations. Give us a call at 212-433-969-2212. WNYC. Let's talk to Peter in the East Village. Hey, Peter, thanks for making the time to call all of it.
- [06:47]
Peter (Caller)
Yes, I'm, I'm glad to mention the book that I'm reading and most of you might find it not particularly interesting, but the book is entitled St. Mark's is Dead and it's by Ada Calhoun. Now anyone who listens to this station that grew up in New York would probably identify with the subject matter. St. Mark's was a very vibrant place. And what happens is it probably played a role in a pivotal role in the youth movement, breaking away from parental control and whatnot. But she goes into such detail. And she was a young kid back then and she grew up, you know, probably more observant than most of us because we were all high. But the fact is that I think have you ever had her on as a guest?
- [07:38]
Alison Stewart
We have had her on a guest. Yeah.
- [07:40]
Jordan Loft
Yeah. We had her on for her debut novel, crush, a couple years ago
- [07:47]
Peter (Caller)
read and I had to go out and get the book. I mean, the kid is. I think old man is famous, too. Anyway, I just wanted to drop that on the listeners who are now rich and powerful who used to run to the film Ocean, the whole thing, and now they've forgotten that period of their lives. Am I making any sense?
- [08:10]
Alison Stewart
You're making perfect sense, Peter.
- [08:11]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
Thanks a lot.
- [08:12]
Alison Stewart
That's called St. Mark's is the many Lives of America's Hippest Street. It was the hippest street. Let's talk to Meredith from South Orange. Hey, Meredith, thanks for calling, all of it. Tell us what you're reading.
- [08:24]
Meredith / Christina / Laurie (Callers)
Okay. I'm reading the Slip by Lucas Schaeffer. I just actually finished it and it was great.
- [08:31]
Alison Stewart
Tell us what it's about.
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Meredith / Christina / Laurie (Callers)
So it's about a kid in, like, the 1980s who comes to Austin, Texas, and he gets involved in, like, this whole boxing culture. But it's more about, like, mistaken identity, sexual fluidity. It's a little bit of a thriller, but the author's very. Also very humorous, too. So I'm not the best at describing it, but I just. It really. It really kept my interest. It was very poignant and funny, and it was just. It was a really good read.
- [09:08]
Alison Stewart
You did a fine job explaining. Thank you so much. Let's talk to Virginia in Union, New Jersey. Hi, Virginia. Thanks for calling, all of it. You're on the air.
- [09:17]
Virginia / Sima / Rachel (Callers)
Hi. I wanted to tell people about Pod. Pod. It's an incredible story from the point of view of a female dolphin. And it's the life in the ocean. It's astonishing. And it's written for adults. And there's extraordinary research that the author has done. The author is Laleen L, A, L, I, N, E. Last name Paul P, A, U, L, L. But it's a fictional story and there's all kinds of drama.
- [09:57]
Mark / Richard / Arthur / David (Callers)
And,
- [09:59]
Virginia / Sima / Rachel (Callers)
I mean, it's breathtaking and I could never have anticipated it. I really encourage people to read it.
- [10:08]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
Virginia, thank you so much for calling. I would not have expected dolphin drama to be exciting.
- [10:13]
Jordan Loft
Me neither. I love hearing what our listeners are reading for that very reason. You hear about stuff you never would have thought you would have heard today.
- [10:20]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
We'd like to know what you're reading and loving. We're taking your book recommendations. Give us a call at 2124-3396-9212-4433. WNYC. We'd love to have you on the air, but please remember, if you're driving, don't call us and don't call us on speakerphone. We'd like to hear from you on the real phone. 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. We're discussing books being published this spring with all of it and get lit producer Jordan Loft. All right, if I'm looking for a good thriller, what should I look for?
- [10:53]
Jordan Loft
Yeah, there is a new thriller out today called A Killer in the Family by Amin Ahmad. And this one of parallels to the Patrick Raden Keefe true crime book we're going to talk about with him a little bit later. This story follows Ali, a Mumbai party boy as he is described, who is ends up in an arranged marriage with the daughter of a New York City real estate tycoon. His name is Abbas Khan. And so this main character moves to New York and starts his new life with his new wife. But he begins to suspect that something isn't quite right with his new father in law, that there might be something corrupt there and maybe something even potentially dangerous about him. So he starts to investigate this, this world of this real estate tycoon and doesn't like what he finds. So that one, as you'll hear in the Patrick Radden Keefe conversation, has a little bit in common with that true story about underworlds and, and how corruption in a big city can work. That is A Killer in the Family by Amin Ahmad.
- [11:53]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
What about historical fiction?
- [11:55]
Jordan Loft
Yeah, there's a great new debut novel out today again by Ji Young Han. It is called Honey in the Wounded. This is about a group of Korean women who all have special sort of mystical abilities and they are all grappling with the effects of Japanese imperialism in Korea. I get the sense that this might be good for fans of pachinko who really enjoyed exploring those themes of that period of history in Korea, but also for people who enjoy a little bit of magical realism with their historical fiction. It's got a little bit of both and that is out today.
- [12:27]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
All right, we are talking about the International Booker Prize. The shortlist was recently announced. But there's a book that's coming out in in the States today. Could you explain that for me?
- [12:37]
Jordan Loft
Yes, yes. So this is a book that was actually published in the 1990s. But because of how the Booker Prize works, in order for something to be nominated, it has to have been published, I believe in the UK and in English. So this is a novel that was published in the UK a little bit earlier, is being published in the US today. It is translated from French. It is titled the Witch by Marie Endaye and the story follows a Sort of bored housewife who has been living in provincial France with her husband and her two daughters. And although she is bored and is at home with these kids, she's also got the powers of a witch. And her husband has sort of been trying to convince her to suppress these powers for a while.
- [13:20]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
No, but.
- [13:21]
Jordan Loft
Exactly. No. If you're a witch and your husband says stop, maybe divorce. You should think about that.
- [13:29]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
Something else either, maybe. Yeah, exactly.
- [13:31]
Virginia / Sima / Rachel (Callers)
Go ahead.
- [13:31]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
I'm sorry.
- [13:32]
Jordan Loft
No, I love it.
- [13:33]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
It.
- [13:33]
Jordan Loft
I mean. Yeah, exactly. No. And so she decides, you know what? I'm kind of bored. I'm gonna pass some of my. My witchly abilities on to my daughter. So she starts to educate them in her ways, and it doesn't always go so well. And you'll have to read on to find out what happens. But like some of the other books I've recommended so far, this one is really, really quick. You could almost call it more of a novella. It's only 130 pages in English, so also, if you want to be up with your literary friends on. Ooh, I'm reading one of the novels from the shortlist of the International Booker Prize. There you go. That's the Witch by Marie Endaye out today.
- [14:09]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
Let's check in with Laurie, who pulled over. Thank you, Lori, for pulling over.
- [14:14]
Jordan Loft
You're modeling good behavior, Lori. Thank you.
- [14:16]
Meredith / Christina / Laurie (Callers)
Yes, I did.
- [14:19]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
You're on the air.
- [14:20]
Meredith / Christina / Laurie (Callers)
Yes. Yes. So I am super excited to talk about a book that I just finished and I'm hosting book club next month. This is the book that I chose, and it's called Keeper of Lost Children. It's historical fiction, which is my favorite genre. And what I love about this is that I learned something new in history that I didn't know before, which was about the Brown Baby Project. So this was about Post World War II Germany, and it was about children that were left behind in orphanages, oftentimes from African American soldiers and the German women. And it was from no fault of their own, quite honestly, from soldiers that either tried to marry the German women and they were denied permission by the government and by the German women that were ostracized. And,
- [15:14]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
oh, we just lost Laurie. But Laurie, thank you so much for calling in. That sounds really interesting. It's called the Keeper of Lost Children. This said, just about to finish Melissa Auf de Meyer's memoir as a whole, Die Hard. I don't want it to end. Talk to Mark who's calling from Rochester. Hi, Mark, thanks for calling all of it.
- [15:36]
Mark / Richard / Arthur / David (Callers)
Hey, Alison, how are you?
- [15:37]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
I'M doing well.
- [15:39]
Mark / Richard / Arthur / David (Callers)
Wonderful. So highly recommend a new book and first book in English by Svetlana Sachkova. It's called the Undead. It's on Melville House Publishing. And it starts with an amazing conceit. A filmmaker wants to do a film, a horror film about Lennon and what would happen if, you know, how Lenin's body's been preserved by God knows what kind of chemicals. What would happen if that body came back to life. Oh, and we had a Lenin zombie. And so the filmmaker, she's making the film and things go horribly awry politically. And so basically this is kind of like a cautionary tale about complicit complicity, complacency and being complicit.
- [16:24]
Peter (Caller)
Sorry.
- [16:24]
Mark / Richard / Arthur / David (Callers)
In at a time of slipping authoritarianism. And it's, you know, highly, highly recommended. It's basically all I can tell you. And it's set in Putin's Russia.
- [16:38]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
Okay.
- [16:38]
Alison Stewart
Can you say the name again?
- [16:40]
Mark / Richard / Arthur / David (Callers)
The Undead. The Unvetlana Svetlana Sachkova, S A T C H K O V A thank
- [16:49]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
you so much, Mark.
- [16:50]
Alison Stewart
We are discussing the books that we are loving and reading right now. We're taking your book recommendations. You can give us a call at 21 9692-212-4433, WNYC. When we come back after the break, we'll get to more books that are out later in this month. You're listening to all of IT on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart.
- [17:20]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
Joining me in studio is all of
- [17:22]
Alison Stewart
it and Get lit producer Jordan Lof.
- [17:24]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
We are talking about. All right. So out later this month is a
- [17:29]
Alison Stewart
familiar name to a lot of us.
- [17:31]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
Her new book was Last Night in Brooklyn. Who are we talking about?
- [17:35]
Jordan Loft
This is Xochil Gonzalez, who you might know from her previous books, Olga Dies Dreaming and the get lit with all of It Book Club selection. Anita DiMonte. Laughs Last one thing I really love about Xochil is she's so good about writing about New York and specifically a changing New York City. She's a Brooklyn native, and so she's really seen how that borough has changed throughout her lifetime and is really interested in capturing that in her fiction. This latest book is about just that. It takes place in 2007 in Fort Greene at a time when the neighborhood is quickly changing and gentrifying. It follows, I believe, either Alicia or Alicia, not sure the correct pronunciation, but it's a young woman who finds herself torn between two different people who arrive in Fort Greene. There's La Garza, who is a fashion designer, who has these epic house parties. She lives across the street from Alicia, and she's this kind of bon vivant inspiration to her. And then there's Alicia's cousin, who is a wealthy banker whose move to the neighborhood sort of symbolizes the changes that Fort Greene is going through. And so she finds herself torn between these two different poles in her life and influences. This one is out April 21st, and I think, like I said, Xochil is just so good at capturing Brooklyn in particular. So I'm glad that this one is focusing on one neighborhood that's called Last night in Brooklyn.
- [18:53]
Alison Stewart
And you should follow her on Instagram too, because she's got a lot to
- [18:56]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
say about a lot of things.
- [18:58]
Jordan Loft
She's great.
- [18:59]
Alison Stewart
The woman who wrote where'd you go, Bernadette has a new one out.
- [19:02]
Jordan Loft
Yes, that is Maria Semple. This is her new novel, Go Gentle. This one is also set in New York City, a different area of our great city. This follows a woman on the Upper west side who is a local philosopher. And this is my favorite part of her character description. She serves as a moral tutor to wealthy twin boys. And she's also got what is described as a quote, coven of devoted women followers who all live in the Ansonia. And they a lot of witches here follow her teachings. That's so true. I don't know that she has mystical powers, but she does have a sort of a cult like influence, let's say, in the philosophy world. But her sort of moral, well ordered life is upended When a new stranger comes into her life. She starts this new romance. He brings her into the world of black market art dealing and international intrigue and crime. So it's sort of about like, how desire can change your life and upend it, for better or for worse. That is Go Gentle and it is out April 21st.
- [20:08]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
All right, we're having another book about having an affair. Like our get lit book. This is called Permanence.
- [20:15]
Jordan Loft
Yes, this one I'm really excited about. This one follows two people having an affair. Frances, who is married with children, and Clara, who is unmarried. They've been having an affair and one morning they wake up to find themselves in a strange apartment that they've never been to before. In a city that is designed to let people in affairs live openly as a couple. And so suddenly they don't have to be secretive anymore. They can just live their lives as they would like to. But is that what they really want? How long will Clara and Frances enjoy their new novel? I mean, their new life together. And before it starts to feel like a trap. One blurb about the book said it reads like a dream that is secretly a nightmare, which seems like a really good way to describe this one. And I'm realizing I forgot to write down exactly who the author is. So that is what I frantically googling as we are sitting here. I believe it's Sophie McIntosh, but let me just double check. And that is, yes, I AM Right, Sophie McIntosh. And that one is out April 21st. That is permanence. I'm really excited to pick that one up.
- [21:35]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
This text says I'm reading Freya's Garden by Mary Dockre Miller. It tells the story of an enigmatic female figure in Beowulf, medieval feminist tale. This one said, I just finished the memoir by Carol Radiswell. All that remains. It is just a beautifully written point, heartbreaking story of surviving two of the greatest tragedies of her life, but also for a generation, witnessing yet another tragedy for the Kennedy family. Let's talk to Richard in Jersey City. Hi, Richard, thanks for taking the time to call all of it. You're on the air.
- [22:08]
Mark / Richard / Arthur / David (Callers)
I am on the air.
- [22:09]
Peter (Caller)
I pulled over. I'm going 60 miles an hour in my kitchen. I wanted to give a shout out to Barry Walters new books. It's called Mighty Real and it's so
- [22:22]
Mark / Richard / Arthur / David (Callers)
new that Mighty History of LGBTQ music 1969-2000. And it's so new, I don't even have my copy yet.
- [22:32]
Peter (Caller)
I've only been reading bits of it on the Internet.
- [22:35]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
That sounds like an interesting, interesting book title and book subject.
- [22:39]
Alison Stewart
Thank you so much for calling, Richard.
- [22:41]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
You know, follow the speed limit in your kitchen. Let's talk to Sima in Peter Coopen village. Hi, Seema. Thank you so much for calling all of us.
- [22:49]
Virginia / Sima / Rachel (Callers)
Hi, it's Sema. Glad to be on. I just want to tell you about this wonderful memoir I'm reading by Ved Mehta. He was a New Yorker writer for 30 years. He wrote for the New Yorker under William Shawn. I think William Shawn was the third editor of the magazine, which happens to be be my favorite magazine. And this is a wonderful story of it's called Remembering Mr. Shawn's New Yorker, the Invisible Art of Editing. And it's a wonderful memoir of New York, the social culture, the literary culture. A number of authors that we've all read are mentioned who were contemporaries of method who became blind at a very young age and managed to go to Oxford and to Harvard. And he left when working on a PhD because he really liked working with William Shawn, who was a very nurturing editor who worked this way with all of his writers. It's a wonderful memoir and as I said, a social history of for those who love the New Yorker magazine.
- [24:09]
Alison Stewart
Thank you so much, Sima, for calling in. Let's talk to Rachel in Port Washington. Hi, Rachel. Thanks for making the time to call. All of it.
- [24:18]
Virginia / Sima / Rachel (Callers)
Thank you so much for taking my call. And I pulled over and parked before I called.
- [24:23]
Jordan Loft
Right on.
- [24:26]
Virginia / Sima / Rachel (Callers)
The book that I am currently reading is the first book in the new series by a husband and wife team who write under the name Ilona Andrews. It's called this Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. And it's the story of a young woman who has read and reread her favorite fantasy books and one day wakes up in the kingdom of her book. And the story is how she survived and uses her knowledge of the way
- [24:59]
Meredith / Christina / Laurie (Callers)
the storyline goes to manipulate events and
- [25:02]
Virginia / Sima / Rachel (Callers)
to survive and thrive. And I have read everything that this author has written and I have loved every single book they have written.
- [25:11]
Alison Stewart
Thank you so much for calling in. We are talking about your favorite books. What are you loving? What are you reading on this day when so many books come into the world and being published. Our guest is get lit producer and all of it producer Jordan Loff, who has a stack of books on your desk. All right, we've got a a recommendation from a woman who's known in ya.
- [25:33]
Jordan Loft
Yes, this is Rainbow Rowell, who is loved for her YA fiction, but her new one is for adults. It is titled Cherry Baby. It is about a woman named Cherry whose husband has created this popular comedic web show called Thursday that's really taken off in popularity. It's becoming a movie. And the main character in the movie is a caricature of Cherry herself and she doesn't really love the way she's being portrayed. And suddenly as this character takes off, Cherry's being recognized everywhere. She ends up leaving her husband. She has to start over just as he's sort of becoming this famous Hollywood figure. But soon Cherry meets this guy who remembers her from the past but knows nothing about this new fictional character that depicts her. It's a fun love story. It's being billed as Rainbow Rowell's sexiest novel yet.
- [26:26]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
It's spicy.
- [26:27]
Jordan Loft
And Allison is here to say it's spicy. I will tell you that much. You heard it from the source. And one thing I like is that it's a spicy love story that features a plus sized woman which you don't often get to see in fiction these days. So I love that about Rainbow Rowell's stories, she's always very size inclusive. That's a big part of her ethos as a writer. And that one is out April 14th. And Alison Stewart says it's spicy, a little spicy. So maybe that makes you want to pick it up. I don't know.
- [26:53]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
We're gonna keep up the spice alert with A Private Man.
- [26:56]
Jordan Loft
Yes. This is a debut novel out April 14 by Stephanie C. Kuia. It is based on her grandparents story of their love story. It is about an affair that happens between a Catholic priest and a female feminist theologian in 1960s England. Ooh, spicy. And you can imagine that is not something very accepted at that time. And the story also heads into the future as their grandson sort of puts together the pieces of the story of his grandparents past. That is out April 14th. It is called A Private man. And I think that's my last spicy recommendation. I'm sorry for everyone looking for more
- [27:39]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
spice, go get yourself a glass of water while we take more calls. Yeah, this is Christina who is calling us from Maplewood. Hi Christina, thanks for calling all of it.
- [27:49]
Meredith / Christina / Laurie (Callers)
Thank you. This is one of my favorite things is like talking about books and learning books. So perfect, perfect. Segment I'm reading a book called the Gales of November and it is about the Edmund Fitzgerald boat that went down in 1975. It's a fiction book and I don't normally read fiction, but the story focuses on the kind of the economy of the Great Lakes and really how important they are to keeping commerce going through, pushing material from Lake Ontario all the way to Lake Superior. But one of the great things about the book is not everybody knows of what happened in the boat going down. But the chapters really give the stories of each one of the crew members and the captain. So you really learn of who was on the boat and what their lives were about when the ship went down. So it's kind of multifaceted and I'm not done I know how it's going to end, but it's been a really enjoyable book.
- [29:06]
Alison Stewart
That's called the Gales of the Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Thank you for calling in, Christina. David is calling us from Windsor Terrace. Hi, David. What are you reading lately?
- [29:18]
Mark / Richard / Arthur / David (Callers)
Hi. This is not exactly unknown to your avid readers, but the Loneliness of Sonny and Sonya by Kiran Desai, which was much praised when it came out last year. It should have been praised more. It's a love story. Its settings are here in New York City, in Queens, in Manhattan. There's a stand in for Bennington College in Vermont. There's Goa in India and Venice in Italy. And it's a story about expats, the expat experience. But it's also, what do we do with our aging parents and how do we relate to them and what are our responsibilities and what is love? I mean, I've been reading for eight decades. This went into my top five. It's really. It's so, so good.
- [30:02]
Alison Stewart
Oh, David, thank you for the recommendation we had on Kiran Desaia.
- [30:06]
Jordan Loft
We did. And she spent 20 years working on that novel, which is amazing. And I think about half of it was left on the cutting room floor. And when you see the size of that book, you know, she put a lot of work into it. And I just want to add that that book had a really fun. It's about all the things that the caller just described, but had a really fun subplot about a recipe for, like, chicken skewers that made me so hungry every time they read about it that I went to a go in restaurant after I finished reading the novel, and it got me thinking. Maybe someone should start a book club where you read a book and then go to a restaurant inspired by the location.
- [30:41]
Alison Stewart
Oh, I was in that book club.
- [30:43]
Jordan Loft
Were you really?
- [30:43]
Alison Stewart
I was in that book club. It was really fun.
- [30:45]
Jordan Loft
That's, like, so excellent. I would like to join. If anyone wants to do that with me, let me know.
- [30:52]
Alison Stewart
We got a text here. Annabelle Gerwitz. The end of My life is killing me. Lung cancer essays. It's also very humorous. Let's get to Arthur because we didn't get a chance to talk to Arthur. Arthur's calling from East Orange. Hi, Arthur. Thank you for holding. You're on the air.
- [31:07]
Mark / Richard / Arthur / David (Callers)
Hi, Allison.
- [31:07]
Alison Stewart
Hi.
- [31:08]
Mark / Richard / Arthur / David (Callers)
Hi. I want to recommend to everybody a book called no Obvious Distress by Amanda Quaid. Came out. Came out summer of last year. And it. It sounds dire. It's a. It's a. It's a verse memoir. Uses various forms of poetry, including erasure and haiku and. And anagrams. And it tells a story about, in her life of getting a very unusual cancer and the treatment for it. But the thing that makes the poem, the book so astonishing is that it's really a book about joy, joy in words, joy in language. It takes place in New York, more or less. And there are lots of characters in her life that come into the poems in one way or another to illuminate a point about her life or the way that she's treated or the way that she feels about things. And I can only tell you this about that, which is that, first of all, it's the best poetry book I've read in a long time. And I read a lot of poetry books. And another poet I know, Gregory Crosby, said of this book and of Amanda, that poetry has been waiting for Amanda Quaid. And now she's here. I just, I can't say much more about it than that. But it's a wonderful book. I read it all in one sitting, which I've never done, usually just read two or three poems at a time. And I just sat there and read the whole thing from beginning to end. And it got dark and I was sitting outside and had to go in. So that's a good sign out there. It's called. Yeah, it was Amanda Quaid's no Obvious Distress.
- [32:42]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
That's a good signal when it gets dark when you're reading.
- [32:45]
Virginia / Sima / Rachel (Callers)
Absolutely.
- [32:45]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
Let's get some nonfiction in before we wrap up. For fans of music, this is a big one for them.
- [32:52]
Jordan Loft
Yes. There is a new biography of the Rolling Stones coming out by Bob Spitz, who is a previous full bio guest. For fans of the show who know that we do this biography series, this great in depth interview that Alison Spearheads, we spoke with Bob about his Led Zeppelin biography a couple years ago. It was great fun. This one is a deep dive into the history of the Rolling Stones. It's a great book for anyone who loves rock and roll history. And I know we're a little ways out from Father's Day, but that, that seems like a surefire win for a lot of the dads in your life. If you're looking for a new book to get them, that one is out April 21st. Rolling Stones by Bob Sp I'm really
- [33:30]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
interested in this book about Mary Kay.
- [33:33]
Jordan Loft
Yes, I'm really excited about this one, too. This is titled Selling Opportunity, the Story of Mary Kay by Mary Lisa Gavenas. And it tells the story of Mary Kay Ash, the founder of Mary Kay. I have to say, I know very little about her. I only know, you know, Mary Kay as the brand that people try to sell you out of their car. But this is about Mary Kay Ash herself. She was married at the 16. She was a grandmother by the age of 34. And she didn't start Mary Kay until she had been divorced twice, widowed three times, had had this whole life. Yes.
- [34:05]
Alison Stewart
Wow.
- [34:06]
Jordan Loft
And then began the Mary Kay Company. So it's the story of the beginning of her life and her ascent through this company that she founded in a tiny little storefront in Texas that grew into this behemoth and that is out on April 28th.
- [34:21]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
And we have for lovers of history,
- [34:24]
Alison Stewart
there's a new book pegged to the 250th anniversary of the American Revol Revolution by a name that you will recognize probably.
- [34:31]
Jordan Loft
Yes. This is from another all of it. Full bio Guest Beverly Gage, who won a lot of acclaim for her recent biography of J. Edgar Hoover titled G. Mann. This new one is titled this Land is your Land, A road trip through US history. And it's her tour through 13 different sites where American history is preserved and litigated, from museums to battle reenactments to roadside attractions. And through this book, she's looking to explore how Americans understand our history and the areas where we are critical of ourselves or not. This one actually is also out today if you're looking to grab a new history book. And I think, you know, we're all sort of grappling with this 250th anniversary. How do we think about our country and our history in this moment? And I think Beverly Gage is a good person to sort of steer that ship if you're looking for for something to think about.
- [35:23]
Alison Stewart
All right. Any other books that you want to mention that are coming up?
- [35:26]
Jordan Loft
Oh, in May. May is another big book month. I want to just give a shout out to a local author. Well, he's originally from Scotland, but he does live here, Douglas Stewart. You may know him from his Booker Prize winning novel, Shuggie Bain. His new one is John of John. It is out May 5. It follows a closeted gay man returning to his home on a farm in remote islands in Scotland where he has to learn how to live and get along with his ultra religious father and his ailing grandmother. All his novels are very sensitive. They're full of family drama and emotional turmoil. And I think he's just a beautiful writer. And that one is John of John by Douglas Stewart. It is out May 5th.
- [36:08]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
This says I'm late to the party, but has anyone mentioned the new Tana French? Can't wait to read the Keeper, which is the third in a series that started with the Searcher and then the Hunter, about a retired Chicago policeman, Count, who moves to a small town in Ireland and the complex and colorful people he comes to like and love and fear. Plus, there's always a murder to be solved.
- [36:28]
Jordan Loft
That's right. There's a new one. Yes.
- [36:30]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
Out this month, and it says, I'm reading Opus by Gareth Gore. It's about the Roman Catholic group who were initially funded by Banco Popular Spain and a group that ran the bank out of money. It's also about the group's beginning and why it is so conservative. It's important to read because there are judges on SCOTUS who are members of the group. The author of the Project 2025 as well. Oh, that's a variant. That's called Opus by Gareth Gore. We got this really nice text that says lake Effect on audiobook is fantastic.
- [37:01]
Jordan Loft
Wow.
- [37:02]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
That is our get lit pick for this month. Tell us a little bit about it. We've got Cynthia Dupree on Zoom waiting to talk to us about the book. But you also wanted to talk about the newsletter as well.
- [37:12]
Jordan Loft
Yes, yes. I feel like I'll let Cynthia Dupriz Sweeney tell us most about her book since she is the best person to share. But that is our selection this month. It is Lake Effect by Cynthia Dupree Sweeney. It is about a woman named Nina who is living in Rochester in the 70s and she's a little bit bored in her marriage. A friend gives her a book called the Joys of Sex and maybe an affair starts from there and changes her family's life forever. So I will let Cynthia take it from there. But if you hear just from this description and you're like, oh, I want to go check out this book to read right now. Well, thanks to our partners at the New York Public Library, you can do just that. You can head to wnyc.org getlit you'll find instructions on how to borrow the book. You can get your tickets to our April 27th get lit event with Cynthia. And also you can subscribe to the get lit newsletter, which is where you can find book recommendations. Get lit updates you'll see from the newsletter today is a list of some of the recommendations we had today on the show. You can subscribe by heading to wnyc.org getlitnewsletter if you would like to subscribe. And I'm so excited that Cynthia is coming up right after this.
- [38:26]
Alison Stewart
Jordan Loff is the producer of all of it and Get Lit. Thank you so much for your recommendations.
- [38:32]
Jordan Loft
Thanks, Alison. And thanks so much to our listeners.
- [38:34]
Alison Stewart
And remember, the transcript for this segment will be up up tomorrow.
- [38:39]
Jordan Loft
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Peter (Caller)
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Jordan Loft
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- [39:11]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
And Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual.
- [39:17]
Meredith / Christina / Laurie (Callers)
Even if it means sitting front row
- [39:20]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
at a comedy show.
- [39:21]
Virginia / Sima / Rachel (Callers)
Hey, everyone.
- [39:21]
Jordan Loft
Check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date?
- [39:24]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual to together.
- [39:28]
Jordan Loft
We're married.
- [39:29]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
Me to a human, him to a bird.
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Jordan Loft
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- [39:38]
Host (possibly Alison Stewart or another main host)
Liberty.