Episodes

  • S10 E34: Austin Channing Brown and James Delbourgo

    S10 E34: Austin Channing Brown and James Delbourgo
    Aug 26 2025
    In this episode, meet author and speaker Austin Channing Brown, author of Full of Myself, and historian James Delbourgo, author of A Noble Madness. Learn what inspired each of these authors to write their books, and what it was like for them to record their audiobooks. Full of Myself by Austin Channing Brown https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/742511/full-of-myself-by-austin-channing-brown/audio/ A Noble Madness by James Delbourgo https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/798395/a-noble-madness-by-james-delbourgo/
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    11 mins
  • S10 E33: Johnathan Walton, Angus Fletcher, and Dr. Vonda Wright, MD

    S10 E33: Johnathan Walton, Angus Fletcher, and Dr. Vonda Wright, MD
    Aug 19 2025
    In this episode, meet authors Johnathan Walton, Angus Fletcher, and Dr. Vonda Wright. Discover how Johnathan Walton went from being the victim of a con artist to teaching others how to defend against scammers, hear Angus Fletcher on surprise pronunciation lessons in the studio, and listen to Dr. Vonda Wright on confronting the realities of aging for women, and the audiobook that changed her life. Anatomy of a Con Artist by Jonathan Walton https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/745592/anatomy-of-a-con-artist-by-johnathan-walton/9798217075898/ Primal Intelligence by Angus Fletcher https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/740110/primal-intelligence-by-angus-fletcher/9798217076987/ Unbreakable by Dr. Vonda Wright https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777365/unbreakable-by-vonda-wright-md/9780593736586/
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    17 mins
  • S10 E32: Thomas Chatterton Williams, Robert B. Reich, and Kaila Yu

    S10 E32: Thomas Chatterton Williams, Robert B. Reich, and Kaila Yu
    Aug 13 2025
    In this episode, meet Thomas Chatterton Williams, author of Summer of Our Discontent, Robert B. Reich, author of Coming Up Short, and Kaila Yu, author of Fetishized. Hear Thomas Chatterton Williams on the pivotal and complex meaning of the summer of 2020, Robert Reich on what he would most like listeners to understand, and Kaila Yu both on what inspired her to write her memoir, and how she would describe her recording experience. Summer of Our Discontent by Thomas Chatterton Williams: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/704632/summer-of-our-discontent-by-thomas-chatterton-williams/audio Coming Up Short by Robert B. Reich: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/763803/coming-up-short-by-robert-b-reich/audio Fetishized by Kaila Yu: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738645/fetishized-by-kaila-yu/audio
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    20 mins
  • S10 E31: Zadie Smith and Nick Laird, Anne Waldman, and Fannie Flagg

    S10 E31: Zadie Smith and Nick Laird, Anne Waldman, and Fannie Flagg
    Aug 5 2025
    In this episode, meet authors Zadie Smith and Nick Laird, Anne Waldman, and Fannie Flagg. Hear Zadie Smith and Nick Laird on writing a book for their children and working together in the studio, discover why poet Anne Waldman describes recording her audiobook as a “sonic investigation,” and learn what Fannie Flagg is most excited for listeners to hear. In the Wild by Zadie Smith and Nick Laird https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777195/in-the-wild-by-zadie-smith-and-nick-laird-illustrated-by-magenta-fox/audio/ Mesopotopia by Anne Waldman https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/690646/mesopotopia-by-anne-waldman/audio/ Something to Look Forward To by Fannie Flagg https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/767921/something-to-look-forward-to-by-fannie-flagg/9798217159581/
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    15 mins
  • S10 E30: Sarah Hartshorne, Aymann Ismail, and Tre Johnson

    S10 E30: Sarah Hartshorne, Aymann Ismail, and Tre Johnson
    Jul 28 2025
    In this episode, meet comedian and content creator Sarah Hartshorne, Slate staff writer and president of AMEJA Aymann Ismail, and writer Tre Johnson. Hear Sarah Hartshorne on being her own dream narrator, Aymann Ismail on the cinematic scene he’s most excited for listeners to hear, and Tre Johnson on the difference between recording an audiobook and reading one’s work in person. You Wanna Be on Top? by Sarah Hartshorne: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/750064/you-wanna-be-on-top-by-sarah-hartshorne/audio Becoming Baba by Aymann Ismail: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/719995/becoming-baba-by-aymann-ismail/audio Black Genius by Tre Johnson: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/690733/black-genius-by-tre-johnson/audio
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    16 mins
  • S10 E29: David Gate, Jennifer Pastiloff, and Whitney Hanson

    S10 E29: David Gate, Jennifer Pastiloff, and Whitney Hanson
    Jul 21 2025
    In this episode, meet poet David Gate, author and public speaker Jennifer Pastiloff, and poet Whitney Hanson. Hear David Gate on why he’s excited for listeners to hear poems on audio, Jennifer Pastiloff on why now was the time to write Proof of Life, and Whitney Hanson on what made recording her audiobook a reflective experience. Plus, find out which author prepared for their day in the studio by binge watching Severance. A Rebellion of Care by David Gate https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/768719/a-rebellion-of-care-by-david-gate/9798217075997/ Proof of Life by Jennifer Pastiloff https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/734285/proof-of-life-by-jennifer-pastiloff/9798217012015/ Climate by Whitney Hanson https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/776365/climate-by-whitney-hanson/9798217071678/
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    17 mins
  • S10 E28: Jo Firestone, Talia Pollock, and Scott Ellsworth

    S10 E28: Jo Firestone, Talia Pollock, and Scott Ellsworth
    Jul 14 2025
    In this episode, meet actress and comedian Jo Firestone, writer and speaker Talia Pollock, and historian Scott Ellsworth. Hear how Jo Firestone’s book was born from the “unstoppable urge to combine” two of her most-loved interests, Talia Pollock on appreciating the power of word choice and language in the recording booth, and Scott Ellsworth on the personal and cultural importance of libraries. Murder on Sex Island by Jo Firestone: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/789705/murder-on-sex-island-by-jo-firestone/audio The Problem with Being a Person by Talia Pollock: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/690816/the-problem-with-being-a-person-by-talia-pollock/audio/ Midnight on the Potomac by Scott Ellsworth: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743267/midnight-on-the-potomac-by-scott-ellsworth/audio
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    19 mins
  • S10 E27: Anne Marie Chaker, Adam Aleksic, and Katie Gatti Tassin

    S10 E27: Anne Marie Chaker, Adam Aleksic, and Katie Gatti Tassin
    Jul 8 2025
    In this episode, meet Wall Street Journal reporter-turned-professional bodybuilder Anne Marie Chaker, linguist and “Etymology Nerd” creator Adam Aleksic, and host of the Money with Katie podcast Katie Gatti Tassin. Hear Anne Marie Chaker on the power of weightlifting and exploding the myth of the “skinny ideal,” Adam Aleksic on how recording his audiobook was a “vocal marathon,” and Katie Gatti Tassin on how she prepared for recording her audiobook, and what she’s most excited for listeners to hear. Lift by Anne Marie Chaker https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/709922/lift-by-anne-marie-chaker/9798217077014/ Algospeak by Adam Aleksic https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/776856/algospeak-by-adam-aleksic/9798217078066/ Rich Girl Nation by Katie Gatti Tassin https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/749103/rich-girl-nation-by-katie-gatti-tassin/9798217016174/
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    14 mins