Podcast
Check This Out with Rachel Barenbaum
Hosted by Rachel Barenbaum · EN
From New Hampshire Public Radio and the PEN/ Faulkner Foundation, Check This Out is a literary series where host Rachel Barenbaum dives deeply into the works of emerging and diverse authors.
19episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep 162 NHPE Susan Donovan Bernhard: WESTERLY
1w ago00:49:52Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →Ep. 161 NHPR Tolani Akinola: LEAVE YOUR MESS AT HOME + Laura B. McGrath discusses literary agents
2w ago00:50:21Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →Ep. 160 NHPR Stacia Stark: WE WHO WILL DIE
3w ago00:45:08Tap to summarizeA 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.
Transcribe →Ep. 159 NHPR Daniyal Mueenuddin : THIS IS WHERE THE SERPENT LIVES + Vauhini Vara Discusses AI
4w ago00:52:57Tap to summarizeThrough 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.
Transcribe →Ep. 158 NHPR Judy Batalion: THE LAST WOMAN OF WARSAW + Rachel Kanter of Lovestruck Books
May 100:49:53Tap to summarizeIn 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.
Transcribe →Ep. 157 NHPR Rebecca Lehman: THE BEHEADING GAME
Apr 2400:52:00Tap to summarizeWe 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.
Transcribe →Ep. 156 NHPR Claire Oshetsky & Rachel Kanter: EVIL GENIUS and Lovestruck Books
Apr 1700:50:09Tap to summarizeEVIL 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.
Transcribe →Ep. 155 NHPR Karan Mahajan: THE COMPLEX
Apr 1000:49:45Tap to summarizeTHE 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.
Transcribe →Ep. 154 NHPR: Holiday Episode with Deesha Philyaw and Gwydion Suilebhan
Dec 1300:50:01Tap to summarizeA 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.
Transcribe →Ep. 153 NHPR Janet Rich Edwards: CANTICLE
Dec 600:50:59Tap to summarizeSet 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.
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