Best Publiclibrary Podcasts (2025)

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BONUS: Masters of the Gardening Universe 45:51

9d ago45:51

45:51

Send us a text This is the second episode of the podcast in April, because... well, we just couldn’t stop ourselves! Spring is here and it’s time for many of us to start working on our gardens, if we haven’t already. To give us all some tips and ideas, Ryan talked to two Master Gardeners who are also Master Composters, Diane Dynia and Wes Meeker. I…

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Ep. 133: National Library Week and National Poetry Month 29:54

10d ago29:54

29:54

This month join Kate, Lindsey, Rachel A., Stefanie, and Tessa as they talk about books they've enjoyed through the years, and poetry.

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Voices in Verse - National Poetry Month 47:48

16d ago47:48

47:48

Send us a text This month we are celebrating National Poetry Month. In addition to our staff reading some of their favorite poems and our interview with Franz Douskey, the Hamden poet laureate, one of our patrons was kind enough to call in and read two of her original poems. We also have a fun little quiz segment entitled “Taylor or Edgar” in which…

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Lit Chat Interview with Rebecca Brenner Graham 56:57

26d ago56:57

56:57

Interview with a Debut Author This January, we spoke with the author of Dear Miss Perkins: A Story of Frances Perkins's Efforts to Aid Refugees from Nazi Germany. Released on January 21, 2025, this new book is a fascinating portrait of the progressive female trailblazer and US Secretary for Labor who navigated the foreboding rise of Nazism in her b…

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66: Dr. Jo Freer on Thomas Pynchon & Gravity's Rainbow 1:06:40

1M ago1:06:40

1:06:40

A conversation with Dr. Jo Freer, a leading scholar on the work of American novelist Thomas Pynchon. I'm currently leading our Library’s Classics Book Discussion Seminar series on Pynchon’s 1973 masterpiece Gravity’s Rainbow and Dr. Freer’s work has been incredibly helpful for me in understanding this challenging novel and Pynchon’s work as a whole…

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Lit Chat Interview with Civil Rights Activist & Author Rodney Hurst, Sr. 59:42

2M ago59:42

59:42

Black and Brilliant Local Author As the sixteen-year-old President of the Jacksonville Youth Council NAACP, he was one of the leaders of the 1960 sit-in demonstrations that culminated in the infamous and violent Ax Handle Saturday. Hurst's first book, the award-winning It Was Never About a Hot Dog and a Coke®!, tells that story. Hurst’s fourth book…

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Lit Chat Interview with Author Sheila Athens 56:31

3M ago56:31

56:31

A First Coast Romance Sheila Athens writes smart contemporary fiction set where the South meets the Sunshine state. Her stories are about women seeking to find the peace we all deserve. Readers are drawn to her work because they believe that everyday heroes can make a difference in our world. Featured Book: Mae Van Dorn's Perfect Storm All thirty-f…

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Lit Chat Interview with Author and Filmmaker Morgan Jerkins 56:01

3M ago56:01

56:01

A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots New York Times bestselling and National Magazine Award-winning author Morgan Jerkins will be at the Main Library this October to discuss Wandering in Strange Lands, the powerful story of her journey to understand her northern and southern roots, the Great Migration, and the displacement of black …

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Winter 15:57

4M ago15:57

15:57

Send us a text This episode is centered on winter. Our roving correspondent, Matt, asked our staff to tell us their favorite things about the season. Then Dave reads a poem by Robert Frost. And finally we wrap things up by talking about our favorite books, movies and anything else from 2024. Matt also discusses seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a …

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Lit Chat Interview with Mexican Gothic Author Silvia Moreno-Garcia 58:01

5M ago58:01

58:01

Mexican Gothic Author Comes to Jacksonville Silvia Moreno-Garcia, the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic, is coming to Jacksonville for Hispanic Heritage Month. Her latest novel is a historical drama set in Hollywood, following three different point of view characters all tied to the production of a movie inspired by the Biblical s…

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Ep. 132: Holiday Traditions 38:12

5M ago38:12

38:12

This month join Giselle, Kate, Maddie, Rachel G., Shelly, Stefanie, and Tessa as they discuss holiday traditions such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Krampus, and Jolabokaflod.

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Lit Chat Interview with Writer & Musician Daryl Gussin 48:55

6M ago48:55

48:55

Zinester Talks Fanzines, Community Daryl Gussin is a writer and musician who has been awkwardly standing around at punk shows for the last twenty-something years. Thankfully at some point in his late teens, he decided to become a little more productive and has been working on zines, setting up shows, and playing in bands consecutively since then. H…

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Horror Roundtable Discussion 21:41

6M ago21:41

21:41

Send us a text Four librarians, one table, lots of horror books (and movies)! Find out what Ryan, Jenny, Matt, and Mike think will scare your socks off this Halloween season.By Hamden Public Library

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Lit Chat Interview with Top Chef Personality & Author Kenny Gilbert 1:01:50

7M ago1:01:50

1:01:50

Chef Kenny Offers New Takes on Southern Cuisine Chef Kenny Gilbert is best known for his appearance on “Top Chef” Season seven, where he displayed a big personality and instantly became one of the most likable "cheftestants" to date. He is also the author of the new cookbook, Southern Cooking, Global Flavors (2023), which includes tips and techniqu…

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65: Richard Powers, author of Playground 1:02:06

7M ago1:02:06

1:02:06

Richard Powers talks about his new novel Playground (W. W. Norton & Co., 2024). Playground gives us a masterful braided narrative of lives devoted to oceanography, computer programming, art, and literature, taking us from French Polynesia to right here in Illinois. Powers is the author of fourteen acclaimed novels, including Orfeo (2014), The Overs…

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Ep. 131 Columbus Hauntings 38:53

7M ago38:53

38:53

Join Dakota, Drew, Kate, and Rachel A. as they tell some of the creepier stories about Columbus.

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Banned Books Week 48:00

7M ago48:00

48:00

Send us a text Banned Books Week was established by the American Library Association in 1982 to reaffirm the freedom to read and to highlight the harms of censorship, and is usually held in the last week of September. On this episode, Ryan talks to Sam Lee, co-chair of the Connecticut Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee, about cens…

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Lit Chat Interview with "Prairie Man" Author Dean Butler 1:00:40

8M ago1:00:40

1:00:40

Dean Butler is an actor, producer, and director best known for his role as Almanzo Wilder (the man Laura Ingalls married) in Little House on the Prairie, based on the beloved Little House book series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. He appeared in the final four seasons of the show, the spin-off show Little House: A New Beginning, and the three pos…

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64: Lois Baer Barr, author of The Tailor's Daughter 44:52

8M ago44:52

44:52

Lois Baer Barr—a poet and fiction writer living just next door to us in Riverwoods, IL—on her new novel The Tailor’s Daughter (Water’s Edge Press, 2023). The Tailor’s Daughter uses Barr’s familial memories and prodigious research to explore the life of a Jewish immigrant family making their lives in Louisville, KY in the interwar years. Encompassin…

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Ep. 130: Science Fiction and Fantasy 20:55

8M ago20:55

20:55

This month join Maddie, Dakota, and Ollie as they discuss the nuances of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. What are they? Are the same? Different? Listen to find out.

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Lit Chat with Award-Winning Graphic Novelist Nate Powell 1:01:56

8M ago1:01:56

1:01:56

Nate Powell began self-publishing as an Arkansas teenager in 1992. Now, he is a National Book Award-winning cartoonist best known for his work on the ground-breaking graphic novel memoir series, March, with civil rights icon John Lewis. An inside story of the Civil Rights Movement told through the eyes of one of its most iconic figures, it was a #1…

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I Know What You Read This Summer 17:23

9M ago17:23

17:23

Send us a text This month our roving reporters Kacie and Matt asked staff and younger patrons "What have you been reading this summer and how did you feel about it?" You will hear their honest answers in this episode. Enjoy... and let us know what you've been reading!By Hamden Public Library

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Lit Chat Author Interview with Debut Novelist Alejandro Nodarse 55:57

9M ago55:57

55:57

Debut Florida Author Brings the Magic City to Jacksonville "I am, first and foremost, a Miamian. No physical location has done more to shape my personal and artistic sensibilities than the Magic City," Alejandro Nodarse said in a recent interview. "Miami is, unquestionably, very different from its neighboring Floridan cities, and I am a product of …

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Ep. 129 - Summer Reading Challenge 18:13

9M ago18:13

18:13

This month join Lindsey, Maddie, and Dakota as they discuss how our Summer Reading Challenge played out this year. And stay tuned to find out what next year's Summer Reading Challenge theme is.

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Lit Chat Interview with Bestselling Environmental Writer Jeff Goodell 1:00:37

9M ago1:00:37

1:00:37

You May Never See a Hot Summer Day the Same Way Again... Jeff Goodell is a New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World, which was picked as a New York Times Critics' Top Book of 2017, as well as one of Washington Post's 50 Notable Works of Nonf…

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Roundtable Book Discussion! 42:56

10M ago42:56

42:56

Send us a text What books would you want with you on a desert island? What book do you think deserves to be thrown into the fires of Mt. Doom? What movies are better than the books they're based on? The podcast team tackles these tricky questions and lots more in this month's episode.By Hamden Public Library

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Ep. 128 - Mystery Fiction Subgenres 40:59

10M ago40:59

40:59

This month join Maddie, Rachel A, and Stefanie as they discuss the subgenres of Mystery. They hit on Noir, Cozy, Paranormal, and Thriller, and talk about books with twists you won't see coming.

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Mary Jo Bang 3:11

10M ago3:11

3:11

Day 20: Mary Jo Bang reads her poem “Mary Jo in the Time of Sappho.” We are honored to be the original publication of this poem. Mary Jo Bang is the author of nine books of poems—including A Film in Which I Play Everyone, which was nominated for a Lammy Award, A Doll for Throwing, and Elegy, which received the National Book Critics Circle Award. Sh…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Armen Davoudian 2:57

10M ago2:57

2:57

Day 19: Armen Davoudian reads his poem “Saffron,” from his new collection The Palace of Forty Pillars, also published in The Atlantic (2024). Armen Davoudian is the author of the poetry collection THE PALACE OF FORTY PILLARS (Tin House) and the translator, from Persian, of HOPSCOTCH by Fatemeh Shams (Ugly Duckling Presse). He grew up in Isfahan, Ir…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Esther Lin 3:18

10M ago3:18

3:18

Day 18: Esther Lin reads her poem "Praise the Scaffold in Rouen Cathedral.” We are honored to be the first publication of this poem. Esther Lin was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and lived in the United States as an undocumented immigrant for 21 years. Her forthcoming book _Cold Thief Place_ is the winner of the 2023 Alice James Award. She has bee…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Sebastian Merrill 4:55

10M ago4:55

4:55

Day 17: Sebastian Merrill reads his poem “To My Ghost :: Float” from his book GHOST :: SEEDS (Texas Review Press, 2022). Sebastian Merrill’s debut collection GHOST :: SEEDS was selected by Kimiko Hahn as the winner of the 2022 X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize, published by Texas Review Press in November 2023. A winner of the 2024 Stonewall Honor Book - B…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Matthew Gellman 3:44

10M ago3:44

3:44

Day 16: Matthew Gellman reads his poem “Beforelight,” originally published in Passages North, 2018. Matthew Gellman is the author of a chapbook, Night Logic, which was selected by Denise Duhamel as the winner of Tupelo Press' 2021 Snowbound Chapbook Award. His first book, Beforelight, was selected by Tina Chang as the winner of the A. Poulin, Jr. P…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Cindy Juyoung Ok 3:08

10M ago3:08

3:08

Day 15: Cindy Juyoung Ok reads her poem “Claim.” They originally published the poem in Conjunctions Issue 75 (Fall 2020). Cindy Juyoung Ok is the author of Ward Toward from the Yale Series of Younger Poets and an assistant English professor at the University of California Davis. Text of today’s poem and more details about our program can be found a…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Yinlin Zhao 7:29

10M ago7:29

7:29

Day 14: Yinlin Zhao reads its poem “The Mpreg Poem.” We are honored to be the poem’s first publication. Yinlin Zhao (he/it/go for it, truly) is a writer/student out on the East Coast and on the world wide web. All the stuff it makes is probably about robots, bugs, or a secret third thing. His work has been published in warning lines literary, Homin…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Séamus Isaac Fey 2:37

10M ago2:37

2:37

Day 13: Séamus Isaac Fey reads his poem “Edwin says I deserve to be loved with precision” which appears in their new collection decompose (Not a Cult Media, 2024). Séamus Isaac Fey (he/they) is a Trans writer living in LA. Currently, he is the poetry editor at Hooligan Magazine, and co creative director at Rock Pocket Productions. His debut poetry …

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Fatimah Asghar 3:20

11M ago3:20

3:20

Day 12: Fatimah Asghar reads their poem “The Ocean is Trynna Fuck,” originally published in the American Poetry Review, 2023. Fatimah Asghar is an artist who spans across different genres and themes. They have been featured in various outlets such as TIME, NPR, Teen Vogue and the Forbes 30 Under 30 List. They are the author of If They Come For Us a…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Joshua Garcia 4:37

11M ago4:37

4:37

Day 11: Joshua Garcia reads “Epistle (Deluge)” which first appeared in New South and appears in his new collection Pentimento. Joshua Garcia is the author of Pentimento (Black Lawrence Press 2024). His poetry has appeared in Ecotone, The Georgia Review, Passages North, Ploughshares, and elsewhere. He holds an MFA from the College of Charleston and …

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: p. hodges adams 2:32

11M ago2:32

2:32

Day 10: p. hodges adams reads their poem “pêche d'enfer,” originally published in the New Orleans Review, 2022. p. hodges adams is a michigander poet who received their MFA in creative writing from the university of virginia, where they currently teach as a lecturer. their work can be found in cutbank, fourteen poems, december magazine, and elsewhe…

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Lit Chat Interview with Award-Winning Author Siera London 58:52

11M ago58:52

58:52

Hallmarky Romance with Some Light Spice Siera London says, "I write sassy, sensual heroines." Whether it's the Forbidden series, Fiery Fairy Tales, The Bachelors of Shell Cove, you're sure to find plenty of heat, humor, and a rollercoaster of emotions. Dubbed a "Hallmarky romance with a little extra heat" by author Lizzie Shane, London's latest boo…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Jimin Seo 3:53

11M ago3:53

3:53

Day 9: Jimin Seo reads his poem “Richard Wakes Up in The Middle of The Night” forthcoming from his book OSSIA (Changes, 2024). Jimin Seo was born in Seoul, and immigrated to the US to join his family at the age of eight. He is the author of OSSIA, a winner of The Changes Book Prize. His poems can be found in Action Fokus, The Canary, annulet, Pleia…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Amelia Ada 4:47

11M ago4:47

4:47

Day 8: Amelia Ada reads an excerpt from her collection Hard and Glad, forthcoming from DOPAMINE/Semiotext(e) May 2026. Amelia Ada is a trans poet and essayist, and she is currently a doctoral candidate in literature and creative writing at the University of Southern California. Her writing has appeared widely in journals, and she is the co-creator …

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Mark Wunderlich 3:18

11M ago3:18

3:18

Day 7: Mark Wunderlich reads his poem “No Horse.” We are honored to be the first publisher of this poem. Mark Wunderlich is the author of four collections of poems, the most recent of which is God of Nothingness published by Graywolf Press. His other collections include The Earth Avails, winner of the Rilke Prize, Voluntary Servitude, and The Ancho…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Angel Nafis 3:15

11M ago3:15

3:15

Day 6: Angel Nafis reads her poem “Why R&B First Thing in the Morning, Why R&B Above All,” originally published on The Rumpus in 2015. Born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Angel Nafis is a writer and the author of BlackGirl Mansion (Red Beard Press/ New School Poetics, 2012). She earned her BA at Hunter College and her MFA i…

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Summer Reading 20:16

11M ago20:16

20:16

Send us a text It's June and we are all about summer reading! Starting June 17, patrons of all ages can participate in our summer reading programs. Learn all about them in this episode featuring comprehensive interviews with our staff!By Hamden Public Library

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Gabrielle Bates 3:45

11M ago3:45

3:45

Day 5: Gabrielle Bates reads her poem “Intro to Theater,” which appears in her collection Judas Goat (Tin House, 2023) [and an an earlier version of it appeared in Ploughshares]. Gabrielle Bates is the author of Judas Goat (Tin House, 2023), named Electric Lit's top poetry book of the year and an NPR Best Book of 2023. Originally from Birmingham, A…

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Ep. 127 - Juneteenth, Summer Reading, and Pride 20:01

11M ago20:01

20:01

Join Dakota, Maddie, Ollie, Tessa, and Stefanie as they talk about Juneteenth, Summer Reading, and Pride.

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Richard Siken 4:53

11M ago4:53

4:53

Day 4: Richard Siken reads his new poem Cover Story, originally published in Pithead Chapel, which will appear in his forthcoming book I Do Know Some Things (Copper Canyon Press, 2025). Richard Siken is a poet, painter, and filmmaker. His book Crush won the 2004 Yale Series of Younger Poets prize, selected by Louise Glück, a Lambda Literary Award, …

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Leslie Sainz 4:15

11M ago4:15

4:15

Day 3: Leslie Sainz reads her poem “At the Center of the Story & Utterly Left Out”, originally published in The Common (2023). Leslie Sainz is the author of Have You Been Long Enough at Table (Tin House, 2023), a finalist for the 2024 Audre Lorde Award. The daughter of Cuban exiles, her work has appeared in the Academy of American Poets’ Poem-a-Day…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: Eduardo C. Corral 3:14

11M ago3:14

3:14

Day 2: Eduardo C. Corral read the title poem of his 2020 collection Guillotine (Graywolf Press). Eduardo C. Corral is the son of Mexican immigrants. He’s the author of Guillotine, published by Graywolf Press, and Slow Lightning, which won the 2011 Yale Series of Younger Poets competition. He’s the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Lannan Foun…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 4: jason b. crawford 4:12

11M ago4:12

4:12

Day 1: jason b. crawford reads their poem “Untitled 1975-86.” We are honored to be the first publication of this poem. jason b. crawford is a writer born in Washington DC, raised in Lansing, MI. Their debut Full-Length Year of the Unicorn Kidz is out from Sundress Publications. They are a 2023 Lambda Literary Emerging LGBTQ Voices fellow. Their sec…

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