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In this episode, I chat with Baker Rogers and Mattilyn Kortney, co-owners of Queer Have Books in Colombia, South Carolina.

Nestled in Columbia's historic Arcade Mall, this cozy 680-square-foot sanctuary defines queer not just as gender and sexual identity but as active resistance against all forms of discrimination. The shelves hold carefully curated collections addressing LGBTQ+ experiences alongside works on anti-racism, feminism, and social justice, creating a space where intersectionality isn't just acknowledged but celebrated.

What makes Queer Haven remarkable is how it thrives despite challenging political circumstances. While South Carolina faces potential legislation that could lead to widespread book bans, the shop has leaned into controversy by prominently featuring banned titles. "We have people come in here every day saying 'I've got to get this before it's sold out,'" Baker shares, noting the irony that censorship attempts have actually boosted interest in these books.

Beyond retail, Queer Haven functions as a vibrant community center. In its first year as a brick-and-mortar location, it hosted an impressive 160 events, ranging from book clubs and writing workshops to drag story hours and queer comedy nights.

In a world increasingly dominated by algorithm-driven recommendations and instant delivery, Queer Haven Books represents something profoundly different: human connection, thoughtful curation, and a physical space where marginalized voices are centered rather than silenced. It's not just about selling books—it's about creating community one page at a time.

This episode is brought to you by Saturn Press. Indie Bookshop owners, click here to receive 10% off your first order: www.saturnpress.us

Queer Haven Books

TJ Klune Books

Farrel Covington and the Limits of Style, Paul Rudnick

TJ Klune episode on The Bookshop Podcast

TJ Klune episode on The Bookshop Podcast

Paul Rudnick episode on The Bookshop Podcast

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore, Evan Friss

Pen America Book Bans

The Life Impossible, Matt Haig

The Night Watchman, Louise Erdrich

Stone Butch Blues, Leslie Feinberg

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In this episode, I chat with historian Peniel E. Joseph about his latest book, Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America's Civil Rights Revolution.

Joseph's storytelling prowess brings James Baldwin, Martin Luther King Jn., President Kennedy, and Bobbie Kennedy to vibrant life, not as static icons but as complex humans navigating treacherous terrain.

Particularly fascinating is Joseph's exploration of the forgotten women who shaped the movement—Gloria Richardson, Lorraine Hansberry, Diane Nash—who confronted both racial oppression and patriarchal limitations within activist circles. Their stories provide crucial context for understanding today's intersectional movements.

What resonates most powerfully throughout our conversation is how the struggles of 1963 remain eerily familiar six decades later. As we witness contemporary battles over voting rights and historical memory, Joseph reminds us that reconciliation can only emerge through confronting difficult truths about our past, a lesson America is still struggling to learn.

Peniel E. Joseph

Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America’s Civil Rights Revolution, Peniel E. Joseph

Every Living Thing, Jason Roberts

The Daily Stoic, Ryan Holiday

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This episode is sponsored by Saturn Press!

Hey indie bookshops!

Did you know that greeting cards are a fantastic way for bookshops to boost sales? Saturn Press creates beautiful, handcrafted letterpress cards that customers love to purchase alongside books, helping bookshops grow and thrive.

As a thank you for tuning in to The Bookshop Podcast, Saturn Press is offering indie bookshops 10% off your first order! Just use the code BOOKSHOP10 at checkout and discover how adding cards to your bookshop can make a big difference to your bottom line.

Here's to supporting local bookshops, one card at a time.

https://www.saturnpresscards.com/

In this episode, I chat with Pascale Beale, who shares her culinary journey from a French-English upbringing to becoming a California cookbook author and cooking instructor. Her philosophy on food has evolved significantly over the decades, shifting from traditional French cuisine to a Mediterranean-style approach that emphasizes seasonal vegetables and fish.

The transformation in Pascale's cooking philosophy mirrors broader cultural shifts. Where once her cooking classes featured red meat prominently, today she finds students gravitating toward vegetable-centric, lighter fare. This evolution reflects both the natural influence of California's climate and changing attitudes toward health and sustainability. Her deep commitment to seasonal eating, instilled by her grandmother in the French Alps, remains the foundation of everything she creates.

What makes Pascale's story particularly fascinating is her unconventional path. After fifteen years in property development and financial management, she returned to her first love – cooking – establishing Pascale's Kitchen cooking school in Santa Barbara. Her business background provided unexpected preparation for entrepreneurship, though she notes the challenges of wearing "all the hats" in a small business. The pandemic pushed her creativity further, developing food photography skills that allowed her to shoot her entire "Flavour" cookbook using just her smartphone.

Now embarking on a new multimedia cookbook project that combines text, audio, and music, Pascale continues to reinvent how we experience food through media.

Subscribe to hear more conversations with culinary innovators and storytellers who, like Pascale, remind us that food is far more than ingredients – it's about connection, tradition, and the joy of sharing.

Pascale’s Kitchen

Flavour, Pascale Beale

Edible, Santa Barbara

Saturn Press Cards

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In this episode, I chat with book publicist Megan Beatie about book publicity in a revealing conversation about the art and science of literary promotion.

Drawing on over 25 years of experience working with authors ranging from Linda Ronstadt to Tess Gerritsen, Megan shares how the publishing landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation since she began her career. She explains the crucial difference between publicity (earned media) and marketing (paid media), and why authors need to understand both to succeed in today's competitive marketplace.

"I'm only as good as what I'm representing," Megan explains, revealing why passion for the books she promotes has been fundamental to her success. This philosophy has served her well, helping numerous clients achieve bestseller status and prestigious awards, including Danielle Trussoni's recent LA Times Book Prize for Best Mystery Thriller, The Puzzle Master.

For debut authors feeling overwhelmed by marketing expectations, Megan offers practical wisdom: start early (ideally a year before publication), maintain an updated website as your "ground zero," choose social media platforms that match your personality rather than trying to be everywhere, and recognize when to seek professional help instead of attempting DIY publicity.

Beyond tactics, our conversation delves into the deeper value of cultivating genuine relationships with booksellers, fellow authors, and readers. Megan challenges the common "is it worth it?" mindset about events and appearances, encouraging authors to see the long-term value in the connections they make. "If you go to a festival and don't sell a single book but you're on a panel with a better-known author who might give you a blurb for your next book, you just never know."

Whether you're a published author looking to elevate your publicity game, an aspiring writer curious about the business side of publishing, or simply a book lover interested in how your favorite titles find their way to you, this episode offers valuable insights into the evolving art of connecting books with readers in meaningful ways.

Megan Beatie Communications

The Puzzle Master, Danielle Trussoni

The Puzzle Box, Danielle Trussoni

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club, Martha Hall Kelly

The View From Lake Como, Adriana Trigiani

Vianne, Joanne Harris

The Lion Women of Tehran, Marjan Kamali

Join or Die documentary

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In this episode, I chat with Jen Lemberger, co-owner of Chaucer's Books.

Nestled in Santa Barbara's Loreto Plaza sits a literary institution fifty-one years in the making. Chaucer's Books, now under the stewardship of Jen Lemberger and Greg Feitt, stands as a testament to the enduring power of independent bookstores in our communities.

Jen's career started in health research and social epidemiology. She worked with organizations like Direct Relief before pursuing a master's in library science and eventually returning to Chaucer's, where she had once worked part-time alongside Greg. "I like to provide it as evidence for folks that you're not going to have one career," she reflects, offering hope to anyone questioning their professional journey.

The transition came as Mahri Kerley, who had owned Chaucer's since its founding in 1974, turned 80 the same year the bookstore celebrated its 50th anniversary. What makes Chaucer's special isn't just its impressive collection of over 100,000 titles, but the care taken in curating them. As a New York Times reporting bookstore with strong publisher relationships, they strike a balance between bestsellers and niche interests, ensuring depth across all sections. Their booksellers are strategically hired for their diverse reading specialties, creating a knowledge ecosystem where customers can always find someone who speaks their literary language.

Despite challenging retail trends, Chaucer's thrives as both a destination for bibliophiles and a beneficiary of its location near frequently visited establishments. Millennials, Jen notes, have become their fastest-growing demographic.

Whether you're a Santa Barbara local or just passing through, Chaucer's Books offers that irreplaceable feeling of discovery that only comes from wandering through shelves curated by passionate readers who know their community. As Jen's ever-growing "to be read" pile attests, the literary journey never ends—and Chaucer's Books ensures you'll never run out of new worlds to explore.

Chaucer’s Books

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club, Martha Hall Kelly

Colm Tóibín Books

I Know the Whale (A Social Emotional Picture Book for Kids), Robin Yardi

N.K. Jemisin books

Josh Brolin Books

Gunpowder Press

Sojourner Kincaid Rolle

Sue Grafton Books

T.C. Boyle Books

Adrienne Maree Brown Books

Our Beautiful Boys, Sameer Pandya

Christopher Pike Books

My Name is Emilia del Valle, Isabel Allende

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What happens behind the scenes before a book reaches your hands? John Warren pulls back the curtain on modern publishing in this fascinating conversation that travels from his unexpected entry into the industry to where books are headed in our AI-driven future.

Warren's publishing journey began in 1992 when a Mexican publisher hired him to research the US market for Spanish-language books. Three decades later, he's directing the Graduate Program in Publishing at George Washington University, preparing the next generation of publishing professionals with practical, hands-on skills across all aspects of the industry. His approach challenges the traditional "siloed" nature of publishing expertise, producing well-rounded graduates equipped to navigate an evolving landscape.

The conversation takes an illuminating turn when Warren describes metadata as "the DNA of publishing." This largely invisible aspect determines whether readers ever discover your book among millions of others. Warren explains how metadata extends far beyond basic information like title and author to include elements that significantly impact discoverability and sales. For authors and publishers alike, understanding this digital lifeblood has become essential.

Looking toward the future, Warren shares thought-provoking predictions about how AI might transform books themselves—creating dynamic reading experiences where information, images, and even audio narration can be generated on demand. These possibilities exist alongside the vital role of small and medium presses, which Warren celebrates for their risk-taking on diverse voices and translated works.

The discussion also explores how print-on-demand technology and international publishing partnerships are reshaping distribution, breaking down geographical barriers while supporting environmental sustainability. Warren's perspective as both a publishing veteran and classical guitarist offers a uniquely human view of an industry undergoing technological revolution.

Want to understand the invisible forces shaping what you read? This episode provides essential insights for authors, publishers, and curious book lovers alike. Subscribe to The Bookshop Podcast for more conversations with the people who bring books to life.

John W. Warren

Andy Hughes on The Bookshop Podcast

Love in the Time of Self-Publishing: How Romance Writers Changed the Rules of Writing and Success, Christine M. Larson

Pedro Páramo, Juan Rulfo

The Bookmakers, Ze’ev Chafets

Landscape Magazine

Fretboard Journal

11guitarmag

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In this episode, I’m chatting with Vinny Browne from Charlie Byrne's Bookshop in the heart of Galway City, Ireland. At Charlie Byrne’s, you can explore their labyrinthine maze of over 100,000 books: new, second-hand, bargain, and antiquarian.

Vinny takes us behind the scenes of this beloved institution, revealing how its organic growth mirrors the evolution of Irish literary culture itself. "Books have a continuous life," he explains, describing the shop's mission to connect forgotten volumes with new readers who might not yet know they're searching for these exact stories.

What makes Charlie Byrne’s special transcends mere commerce; it's about creating community in an increasingly isolated world. Our conversation expands beyond Charlie Byrne’s to explore Ireland's extraordinary literary ecosystem, particularly how literary journals provide emerging writers their first publishing opportunities. This infrastructure has helped sustain Ireland's remarkable literary tradition throughout decades of cultural and economic change.

Discover why independent bookshops matter now more than ever as spaces of serendipitous discovery that algorithms can never replicate. If you're passionate about books, literary culture, or simply the power of community spaces to enrich our lives, this episode offers a heartwarming glimpse into a world where stories and people find each other in ways both unexpected and profound.

Ready to experience the magic of Charlie Byrne's? Follow The Bookshop Podcast for more conversations celebrating independent bookshops around the world.

Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop

Join or Die Documentary

The Blue Road – Edna O’Brien Story

Jan Carson

Lucy Caldwell

Claire Kilroy

Colin Barrett

Karl Geary

Roddy Doyle

Muriel Spark

Ian Rankin

Walter Macken

Ken Bruen

Claire-Louise Bennett

Claire-Lise Kieffer

Elaine Feeney

Rosin O’Donnell

Colum McCann

Mary Costello

The Stinging Fly

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In this episode, I chat with Tom Muckian about Roe River Books, a thriving independent bookshop in Dundalk, Ireland.

The name itself carries a powerful story of resistance. Tom deliberately named his shop after the world's shortest river as a symbolic counterpoint to Amazon, the world's longest. "I want to be the polar opposite of what Amazon represents," he explains. "I want to be about people and community and recommending books, not algorithms."

Most compelling is Tom's perspective on what makes a great bookseller—understanding that it's not about individual expertise but creating a collective team that connects with readers. "Maybe you don't become a great bookseller individually, but as a collective in a bookshop, as a team, you can become a great bookselling team."

Whether you're passionate about books, interested in Irish culture, or curious about the future of independent retail, Tom's story reminds us why physical bookshops remain vital cultural touchstones in our increasingly digital world. Subscribe now to hear more conversations with remarkable booksellers from around the globe.

Roe River Books

Adam LG Nevill

Louise Phillips

Not Your China Doll, Katie Gee Salisbury

Apeirogon: A Novel, Column McCann

Christine Dwyer Hickey

Ronan Hession

Fiona Scarlett

Adrienne Leavy

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