GenX Book Club: Saturn's Favorite Music (featuring Laura Lee)
Release Date: 07/02/2025
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GenX Journeys
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GenX Journeys
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GenX Journeys
In this month’s GenX Book Club, Paul Stroessner, Suzanne Mattaboni, and Del Roehling dive into Michael Koresky’s heartfelt memoir-meets-film-critique, Films of Endearment: A Mother, a Son, and the ‘80s Films That Defined Us. Koresky revisits ten female-driven films of the 1980s with his mother, using them as a lens to explore family, loss, identity, and how movies shape the way we see the world. The discussion covers: How films like 9 to 5, Terms of Endearment, Aliens, and Baby Boom look different when revisited decades later Reflections on workplace inequality, motherhood, identity,...
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GenX Journeys
Originally released: April 13, 2017 In this special Throwback Thursday episode, Paul and Robert are joined by the legendary Doug McCoy—host of the now-retired McCoyCast podcast network, which included shows like Never Seen It, Crazy Creepy Cool Movies, and In the Theater. Doug also wrote the eBook TV in My Time. While none of Doug’s past content is currently available online, we’re thrilled to preserve this conversation as a tribute to his fantastic contributions to the retro podcasting world. Inspired by Doug’s podcast Never Seen It, this episode takes the same approach: at least one...
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GenX Journeys
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GenX Book Club: Saturn's Favorite Music (featuring Laura Lee)
GenX Journeys
In this episode, we’re joined by the wonderfully multi-talented Laura Lee, author of Saturn’s Favorite Music. Laura’s creative path has been as eclectic as her writing: she’s the author of 21 books across biography, humorous reference, fiction, and children’s literature, and has worked as a professional mime, improvisational comic, and radio announcer. These days, she splits her time between writing and traveling with ballet master class tours alongside her partner, artistic director of the Russian Ballet Foundation. Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as having “a dry,...
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Throwback Thursday: '80s Movie Villains
GenX Journeys
Originally Released: March 22, 2017 It’s time to root for the bad guys—just this once. This week’s Throwback Thursday is part of a special crossover event put together by The 80s League, a collaborative effort started by Dave from 80s Reboot Overdrive. The League brought together several blogs and podcasts (including Return to the ’80s) to celebrate all things retro—and this month’s theme is ’80s Movie Villains! In this episode: Paul reviews the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot (Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, and crew). Robert and Paul discuss Robert’s then-controversial article,...
info_outlineIn this episode, we’re joined by the wonderfully multi-talented Laura Lee, author of Saturn’s Favorite Music. Laura’s creative path has been as eclectic as her writing: she’s the author of 21 books across biography, humorous reference, fiction, and children’s literature, and has worked as a professional mime, improvisational comic, and radio announcer. These days, she splits her time between writing and traveling with ballet master class tours alongside her partner, artistic director of the Russian Ballet Foundation.
Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as having “a dry, humorous tone” that makes her a “charming companion,” Laura brings warmth and wit to our conversation about her latest novel.
About the Book
Saturn’s Favorite Music takes us back to the summer of 1992, following Clara Jane, an alternative music-loving broadcast graduate starting her first radio job at a small station in northern Michigan. While dreaming of rock-star radio fame, Clara navigates quirky small-town life, morning show banter, and the looming threat of automation replacing the human touch in broadcasting. Brimming with 90s nostalgia, the novel explores music, friendship, and how technology changes creative careers and relationships—a theme that’s as timely today as ever.
“Saturn’s Favorite Music is a fun voyage back to the days of analog radio with all of its skipping records and clashing egos… highly relevant in the age of AI.”
In This Episode
🎧 Topics We Discuss:
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How Laura’s fascinating career led her to writing
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Behind-the-scenes stories from working in radio: splicing tape, voicing commercials, and old-school technology
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Crafting a character-driven story and ensuring cover details match the narrative
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Morning show banter
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Laura’s own experience as a morning DJ
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Music genres and how our listening habits have become more individualized
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Meeting music artists in real life
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Paul’s Saturn’s Favorite Music Spotify playlist featuring songs mentioned in the book
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The humorous chaos of being mistaken for both a pet-loss grieving author and a psychic named Laura Lee
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A nostalgic dive into one of the earliest viral audio rants: Casey Kasem’s famous meltdown
🎶 Listen to the Playlist!
Want to hear the music woven through Saturn’s Favorite Music? Check out Paul’s companion playlist on Spotify featuring songs mentioned in the book! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0PVKnKsAcNKvdSfmwtMUoe?si=c110e9c965b9418a
📚 Learn More About Laura Lee:
🌐 Website: https://www.lauraleeauthor.com/
More from the GenX Book Club Crew
📖 Suzanne Mattaboni (Author of Once in a Lifetime)
🔹 Get her book anywhere books are sold, including Kindle Unlimited and onceinalifetimenovel.com
🔹 Visit her at suzannemattaboni.com
🔹 Follow Suzanne:
- 📷 Instagram: @suzannemattaboni80s
- 🐦 X: @suzmattaboni
- 📘 Facebook: Suzanne Mattaboni
🎙️ Del Roehling (Host of 80s at 8 on 91.1 WEDM FM)
🔹 Tune in to 80s at 8 for all your favorite throwback tunes
🔹 Get your daily dose of ‘80s news on the 80s at 8 Facebook page
💡 Connect with GenX Journeys
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🐦 Twitter/X: @Returntothe80s
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💡 Whether you’re a die-hard ‘80s fan, a nostalgia lover, or just someone who enjoys a great book club discussion, this episode is packed with fun, wisdom, and plenty of throwback vibes.
📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share with fellow GenXers!