April 1 Guests: Stephen King, Haruki Murakami, and The Easter Bunny!

Listen on April 1 as Marc and John have a four-way conference call with our guest authors . . . really . . . we're not making any of this up . . . following a discussion of book news and the recently released Blood Will Out by Walter Kirn.  If you miss it you'll be a lesser person.

World's Best Interviews Ever and of All Time: Gurganus, Lisicky!

Listen to episodes 21 and 22 of the award-winning broadcast, with guest authors Paul Lisicky and Allan Gurganus!

Also in 21, Marc and John discuss the Morning News Tournament of Books and debate who's the better recidivist male between Updike's Rabbit or Henry Bech.  One of John and Marc's cherished students, Trisha, calls in with a question, and one of Marc and John's parents, Jack Nardone, shares his thoughts on Erik Larson's Devil in the White City!

In 22, our co-hosts highlight their favorite fiction characters of all time AND ever, and they share their love of McSweeney's and other American literary magazines . . . at least those worthy of mention.  (Our co-hosts, after all, have to be aware of the ripple effects of their statements on unstable governments and fragile economies!)

Don't worry -- it's okay you missed it -- but catch up before next Tuesday!

Susan Orlean Talked to Us!

It's true.  Marc and John were skeptical but once they witnessed her proficiency on the topics of the German Shepherd breed, artistic performance on Twitter, and rare exotic flowers, they knew it had to be none other than Susan Orlean!  Listen to Episode 20 and their live interview, as well as a discussion of the Association for Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) conference in Seattle, WA and B.J. Novak's "One More Thing" in the context of literary humor.

Then . . . take next week to catch up on past episodes as John and Marc will be enjoying Spring Break by . . . er . . . teaching and grading.  Next up on 3/18, author Paul Lisicky and a discussion of John Updike's literary legacy!  Listen . . . and call in . . . but first read, then ask.  (Huh?)

Coming Up: Pam Houston (2/25) and Susan Orlean (3/4)!

Our episodes with outstanding author guests DJ Paul V, Helen Frost, Heather Jacobs, and Elissa Schappell are up in our archives, accessible at the link above!

This Tuesday we're ecstatic to be speaking with Pam Houston, author of Contents May Have Shifted and other works of fiction, and a renowned teacher and speaker.  We'll also be discussing the rather spectacular success or failure (depending on who you ask) of Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch . . . and we'll challenge the NY Times Bookends authors James Parker and Rivka Galchen to an arm wrestling match for not mentioning Marc and John among their literary bad boys.

AND . . .  we'll be waiting for your questions live at 4:15!

Season 2 Authors to Include Schappell, Gurganus, and Hawthorne!

Poor Marc and John.  They've been talking books since their last episode on December 17th but you haven't been listening!  Part of the reason you haven't been listening is they haven't been broadcasting!  So join them again on Tuesday, January 28th LIVE from 3:30 to 4:30 on wxlv.org and iheart.com for their next talk about books in a pretention- and cliche-free zone, or click on the link above for the podcast to follow.  Enter at your own risk!

The author lineup is nothing short of astounding, thanks to (frankly) the generosity of our authors.  We can't wait!  (It's tentative so don't get too far ahead of yourselves.)

1/28:  Paul Vitagliano, or DJ Paul V, author of "Born This Way"

2/4:  Helen Frost, author of "Keesha's House"

2/11:  Heather Jacobs, editor of "Big Fiction"

2/18:  Elissa Schappell, novelist, editor, essayist

2/25:  Pam Houston, author of "Contents May Have Shifted"

3/4:  Nathaniel Hawthorne, screenwriter, miscellaneous crew

3/11:  (Spring Break!)

3/18:  Paul Lisicky, author of "Unbuilt Projects"

3/25:  Allan Gurganus, author of "Local Souls"

4/1:  Eric Spitznagel, journalist, writer, editor

4/8:  Caketrain Editors

4/15:  Alexander Hamilton, founding father of the United States

4/22:  Aaron Burr, a better shot

The author interview is our signature segment but as you know week-to-week we'll also be covering book news and discussing what we're reading.  And don't forget to CALL IN between 4:15 and 4:30 of our live broadcasts at 610.799.4141 or 610.799.1891.  We want to hear from you!

WE'RE BACK!

The good news:  we're back!  The bad news:  climate change.

There's so much to summarize from our first season of Read First, Ask Later, including the extraordinarily wonderful authors who have called in, but I think this says it all.

In the Bridget Jones Diary trivia contest in Episode 14, Marc LOST to John (and Susan Petrole, our guest questioner) and paid the consequences.  By a hair!  Actually it was many hairs.  In short, his students were dumbfounded (most), disgusted (some), disquieted (a few), and impressed (one or two).

Thanks again to our first season authors:  Douglas James Troxell, Mark Canter, Sarah DiCello, Julianna Baggott, Alissa Nutting, Jesus of Nazareth, Elizabeth Crane, Vu Tran, A.T. Grant, Herman Melville, C.J. Hribal, Scott Beatty, Darin Strauss, Jerome Lucido, Howard Bryant, and Richard Davies.

What's coming next?  Well, as we're negotiating royalties we have to stay hush hush.  By royalties we mean effusive thank you's and the delivery of listeners / readers in Kazakhstan and Indonesia.  And by negotiating we mean begging.  And by hush hush we mean we'll tell you tomorrow.  Until then, followers and listeners.  

Now get back to your reading . . . 

Bridget Jones Trivia Loser to Shave

I know we've kept our discussion light to date but please pardon us for a moment as we reflect on a very serious matter during this holiday season . . .

Our Beards!

Inspired by baseball players in Oakland and Boston, and as part of No-Shave November, Marc and John have been crafting and caring for these precious facial features more carefully than Mr. Miyagi did his Bonsai trees.  (It's a cultural reference from the 80s, young people, you know, before you were a consideration, and posting a link would require us to reflect on our advancing age.)

In a development we hardly understand, November was also Movember, in celebration of the mustache.  This seems to us an unnecessary conflation on behalf of the facial hair community, so much facial hair excitement all in one month, but we also see the mustache as -- though a symbol of unbridled virility in this guy and that guy -- a worthy consequence of losing a critical Read First, Ask Later contest.

So . . . for our end-of-the-year episode, on December 17th, listen in as Marc and John answer trivia questions related to the rich, elaborate, and complicated world of all things Bridget Jones, as a winner is decided.  The exact terms:                                                                 the winner chooses the style in which the loser will shave.

Again, extended adolescents, relevant google terms are mustache, mutton chops, and the connector.  Or just watch a movie from the 70s.  For the record, we're not saying which movies.And stay tuned for pictures of the build up -- mostly of crumbs and dander in our beards -- and the contest itself, all a precursor to a stylistic precedent in the arena of facial hair.

You know, in addition to books, stuff that really matters.