Podcast Episodes

Emma Straub celebrates the pleasure of fandom in 'American Fantasy'

Last month, the Wall Street Journal declared this summer to be the era of the “man band.” Those would be boy bands who’ve grown up — think New Kids …

4 months ago

Maggie O'Farrell pulls from the mythology of her own family for 'Land'

Between death and emigration, Ireland lost almost a quarter of its population in the mid 1800s to the Great Hunger. Entire villages starved to death …

4 months, 1 week ago

Ann Patchett lauds the romance of friendship in 'Whistler'

When novelist Ann Patchett is on Big Books and Bold Ideas, watch out. She and host Kerri Miller trade quips, stories, theories and book recommendatio…

4 months, 2 weeks ago

Is Medea misunderstood?

Has mythology given Medea a bad rap? Has her story been distorted because it was more appealing to portray her as a lusty, vengeful, violent woman ma…

4 months, 3 weeks ago

Kate Bowler is not living her best life — and she's OK with that

Kate Bowler is officially over being grateful.

Not because gratitude doesn’t matter. But because it’s been pushed as the latest iteration in a long s…

5 months ago

Kelly Yang's 'The Take' is an anti-aging thriller

On the surface, the main characters in Kelly Yang’s new novel, “The Take,” have little in common.

Ingrid Parker is a rich, white, female movie produc…

5 months, 1 week ago

'Five Weeks in the Country' with Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Anderson

Hans Christian Anderson hoped to find a household straight out of a Charles Dickens novel when he visited the Dickens family at their country home in…

5 months, 2 weeks ago

Family matters when it comes to books

The theme for this spring member drive show is family. We mine the Big Books and Bold Ideas archives for the best conversations with authors who’ve u…

5 months, 3 weeks ago

Lush nature and fathomless loss coexist in 'Under Water'

When Tara Menon describes the underwater world that surrounds an island off the coast of Thailand, her language is both restrained and lush.

“The reef…

5 months, 4 weeks ago

In 'Good People,' the story depends on who's telling it

On the day the Sharafs bury their 18-year-old daughter, the girl’s mother is so bereaved, she can barely stand. The father is so anguished, he nearly…

6 months, 1 week ago