Library Talks

Feed your brain every Sunday with the best live conversations from The New York Public Library. An eclectic mix of voices and perspectives, Library Talks features your favorite writers and the ones you’ll love next. Hosted by NYPL live event programmer, Aidan Flax-Clark.

Envisioning 'A People's Future of the United States' 02/10/2019

Envisioning 'A People's Future of the United States' Howard Zinn’s seminal 1980 work "A People’s History of the United States" challenged dominant narratives of our country’s past by uncovering its darker truths; nearly 40 years later, a new collection of speculative fiction, "A People’s Future of the United States" challenges our visions of tomorrow. Like Zinn's work, this collection of stories centers on the experiences of traditionally marginalized communities. The collection's co-editor, Victor LaValle, speaks with four contributors— Maria Dahvana Headley, N.K. Jemisin, Alice Sola Kim, and Sam J. Miller—about the fantasies and projections for the future of the country. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/8574860

Jason Rezaian's 544 Days in an Iranian Prison 02/03/2019

Jason Rezaian's 544 Days in an Iranian Prison Jason Rezaian is an American journalist and author of a new memoir. In 2014, while reporting in Tehran for the Washington Post , he was arrested and wrongfully convicted of espionage by Iranian authorities. Rezaian recounts his experience in "Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison—Solitary Confinement, a Sham Trial, High-Stakes Diplomacy, and the Extraordinary Efforts It Took to Get Me Out." Rezaian sat down with New Yorker editor David Remnick for a conversation about his experience, the books he read in prison that were most comforting, and his experience coming home after incarceration. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/8488712

The Banished Immortal 01/27/2019

The Banished Immortal Internationally bestselling author Ha Jin discussed his latest book—a new biography about legendary eighth-century Chinese poet, Li Bai. Ha Jin read some of the poet's lesser known works, and described Li’s unconventional lifestyle which he researched for his book, "The Banished Immortal." From the poet’s life-long interests in swordsmanship and celestial bodies, to his excessive drinking, rumors of manslaughter, and the numerous myths about is death—Ha Jin sheds new light on the poet and why he is still loved today. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/8387309

Seeing and Being Seen in Sally Wen Mao's 'Oculus' 01/20/2019

Seeing and Being Seen in Sally Wen Mao's 'Oculus' Sally Wen Mao is the author of "Oculus," a collection of poems that explores sight and being seen, futuristic worlds and historical figures. She completed this collection during her Cullman Center Fellowship at NYPL in 2016-2017. In conversation with fellow poet, Jenny Xie, Mao shared some of the archival materials she used in her research, including those of the first Chinese American actress Anna May Wong. They discussed Asian American futurism, representation in Hollywood, and how a Solange concert at the Guggenheim inspired one of her poems. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/8310161

Maria Popova's A Velocity of Being 01/13/2019

Maria Popova's A Velocity of Being Maria Popova & Claudia Bedrick curated an anthology of letters and original illustrations by 121 of the most interesting and inspiring culture-makers alive today. "A Velocity of Being," Popova's project that was eight years in the making, asked each contributor to write a letter to a young reader about the power of reading. To celebrate the book’s release, contributors took to the stage at The New York Public Library to share what they wrote. Featured readings and performances by: Jad Abumrad, Sophie Blackall, Alexander Chee, Mohammed Fairouz, Adam Gopnik, Paul Holdengräber, Sarah Kay, Dawn Landes, Morley, Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie, and Naomi Wolf. All proceeds from "A Velocity of Being" will benefit the public libraries of New York City. Read more about the book on Brain Pickings. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/8211719

Satirizing America in 'Friday Black' 01/06/2019

Satirizing America in 'Friday Black' Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah sheds light on a modern day America full of racial violence, greed, and heartbreak in his debut collection of short stories, "Friday Black." Focusing on the struggles of young black men and women, his characters fight to survive with their humanity intact. In conversation with writer Mychal Denzel Smith, Adjei-Brenyah discuses his approach to writing satire, the perils of capitalism, and how to stay hopeful while creating dystopian fiction. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/8139035

The Librarian Is In with Eric Klinenberg 12/30/2018

The Librarian Is In with Eric Klinenberg Our friends from NYPL's The Librarian Is In podcast recorded their first-ever live episode, featuring NYU sociologist and author Eric Klinenberg. His new book "Palaces for the People" looks at how shared public spaces like gardens, child-care centers, and—yep, you guessed it—libraries are essential to maintaining a healthy democratic society. Klinenberg talks about his research at NYPL's Seward Park branch, social infrastructure, and what books he's reading with podcast hosts and librarians, Gwen and Frank. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/8009738

Neil Gaiman Reads "A Christmas Carol" (Rebroadcast) 12/19/2018

Neil Gaiman Reads "A Christmas Carol" (Rebroadcast) To celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Dickens' classic, we're rebroadcasting this very special reading by writer and comic book author, Neil Gaiman. His live performance from 2013 uses a rare prompt copy that belonged to Charles Dickens himself and now resides in The New York Public Library. Dickens marked it up and annotated it for the express purpose of performing the story in front of an audience, which he did regularly in the 1850s and 1860s. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7968176

A Reporting Life in Latin America 12/16/2018

A Reporting Life in Latin America Award-winning journalist Alma Guillermoprieto delivered this year's annual Robert B. Silvers lecture, a series named in honor of the co-founding editor of The New York Review of Books. In her lecture titled “Among the Drug Dealers, Criminals, Rapists: A Reporting Life in Latin America,” Guillermoprieto shares insights from her 40 years of experience. Born in Mexico, Guillermoprieto came to New York in 1965 to join the Martha Graham dance studio. By the late 1970s, she had left dance to cover the Central American civil wars as a journalist. Since then she has written extensively about Latin America for The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, and National Geographic. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7933037

Magical Realism with Wayétu Moore 12/09/2018

Magical Realism with Wayétu Moore Wayétu Moore's debut novel explores African diasporic identity through historical fiction and magical realism. In a conversation with Buzzfeed writer, Isaac Fitzgerald, Moore talks about the stories behind her new book "She Would Be King": the history of her native Liberia and the childhood stories her family used to tell her. Moore says, "I grew up hearing stories that always included someone disappearing or shapeshifting or casting a spell...when I moved to America these things were relegated to Disney, but back home, that just wasn't the case." /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7839971

John McPhee's Album Quilt 12/02/2018

John McPhee's Album Quilt In his seventh collection of essays, The Patch, master non-fiction writer John McPhee shares a montage of stories and reflections that range from a visit to the Hershey chocolate factory to encounters with Oscar Hammerstein, Joan Baez, and Mount Denali. Calling on his signature devotion to structure, McPhee has winnowed this body of work to present a random assembly he calls an “album quilt,” a memoir as only he could write it. He spoke with Paul Holdengräber about the arc of his life and career. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7734017

How Congress Really Works...Or Doesn't 11/25/2018

How Congress Really Works...Or Doesn't Wyatt Cenac moderates a panel of Washington insiders and journalists about the mechanics of Congress, the archetypes for today's lawmakers, and advice on how constituents can ensure their representatives take action. Featuring Washington Post senior congressional correspondent Paul Kane and ProPublica's Derek Willis, Stevens Institute of Technology assistant professor of political science Lindsay Cormack, When We All Vote communications director and former Congressional Black Caucus staffer Stephanie L. Young, and James Wallner, R Street senior fellow and former congressional staffer, /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7647566

James Baldwin's Children's Book 11/18/2018

James Baldwin's Children's Book Did you know that when James Baldwin was writing "If Beale Street Could Talk" he was also writing a children's book? "Little Man, Little Man" was inspired by his young nephew and was first published in 1976. At the time, it got mixed reviews, went out of print and was largely forgotten. But 40 years later, that book has been republished. Baldwin's niece and nephew, Aisha Karefa-Smart and Tejan "TJ" Karefa-Smart stopped by the Schomburg for Research in Black Culture to talk about their childhood and memories of their uncle. Joining them were the co-editors of the new edition of the book, Jennifer DeVere Brody and Nicholas Boggs. Their conversation was moderated by author and National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Jacqueline Woodson. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7591202

Susan Orlean's Ode to Libraries 11/11/2018

Susan Orlean's Ode to Libraries More than 30 years after a fire destroyed 400,000 books at the Los Angeles Public Library's Central Library, journalist Susan Orlean re-examines the tragedy in "The Library Book." Orlean has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1992; her quest to piece together the events surrounding this little-known tale was fueled by her relentless curiosity, a love of reading, and a profound appreciation for the democratic institution of the library. "Libraries are remembering for a whole culture," she said. "That's what books do for all of us—preserve memory." /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7503125

A History of Voter Suppression with Carol Anderson 11/04/2018

A History of Voter Suppression with Carol Anderson Carol Anderson is an historian, educator, and author of "White Rage." Her latest book, "One Person, No Vote," is a timely survey of how voting rights have been rolled back in this country following the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder. Dr. Anderson's work exposes racially biased voter suppression methods happening today. Joining Dr. Anderson was Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad, a professor of History, Race and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and former Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7412780

A Modern-day Gothic Horror Story 10/28/2018

A Modern-day Gothic Horror Story The bestselling English novelist of "The Essex Serpent," Sarah Perry, stopped by the Library to talk about her newest novel,"Melmoth." The books origins lie in an obscure 19th-century Gothic novel of the same name and an illness that upended her life. She discussed how the earlier novel and her personal experiences combined to birth the phantasmagoric nightmare at the heart of Melmoth's plot. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7330139

Making Movements Intersectional 10/21/2018

Making Movements Intersectional Darnell L. Moore and Charlene Carruthers are two dynamic leaders and organizers committed to intersectional liberation in movements for Black lives. They are also friends and writers. Moore and Carruthers recently spoke at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and read from each other's recent works: Moore's debut memoir "No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free", and Carruthers's "Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, & Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements." /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7223759

Why Men Fight with Thomas Page McBee 10/14/2018

Why Men Fight with Thomas Page McBee While training for a charity boxing match at Madison Square Garden, writer Thomas Page McBee gained insight into how masculinity operates in the ring and in society— McBee became the first known trans man to box in the historic venue. He stopped by the Library to talk about this experience, the subject of his new book Amateur: A True Story About What Makes a Man. Amanda Hess, a critic-at-large for the New York Times joined McBee to discuss the meaning of toxic masculinity,violence, and what it means to be a "real man." /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7166981

Righteous Rage with Rebecca Traister 10/07/2018

Righteous Rage with Rebecca Traister In her new book, "Good and Mad" Rebecca Traister uncovers the history of women's anger in American politics—from the suffragettes to #MeToo. She argues that this collective fury is often the hidden force that drives political change, but rarely has it ever been hailed as fundamentally transformative or patriotic. To discuss her book and what it says about our current political state, Traister was joined by Aminatou Sow, co-host of the podcast "Call Your Girlfriend." /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7134662

The Secret Memoir of Bill Cunningham 09/30/2018

The Secret Memoir of Bill Cunningham When famed fashion and society photographer Bill Cunningham died in 2016, he left behind not only an incredible archive of New York Times columns and photographs, but two identical copies of a secret memoir that he apparently hoped someone would find. His family discovered the book, which Cunningham himself titled Fashion Climbing. The Library celebrated its release with the book’s editor, Christopher Richards, and New Yorker critic Hilton Als, who wrote its preface. They were joined by artist and co-founder of Paper, Kim Hastreiter, who was a close acquaintance of the late photographer. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7104866

The Elite Charade of Changing the World 09/23/2018

The Elite Charade of Changing the World The world’s leading philanthropists are constantly working to “make the world a better place,” leading passionate campaigns against everything from climate change to poverty that had once been the province of governments. Journalist Anand Giridharadas asks whether those rich and powerful people who have most benefitted from “our highly inequitable status quo” are in fact the best candidates to take on these challenges. When are their solutions democratic and universal, and when do they reflect and support the biases that introduced the inequity in the first place? In conversation with Joy-Ann Reid, political analyst for MSNBC and host of “AM Joy,” Giridharadas discussed his new book, “Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World,” a call to action—for elite and everyday citizens alike—to build more egalitarian institutions. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7076089

Looking for the Real Lolita 09/16/2018

Looking for the Real Lolita Vladimin Nabokov's "Lolita" is one of the most widely-read classics of twentieth century; however, few are familiar with the true story of an eleven-year-old-girl named Sally Horner, whose story bears an eerie resemblance to that of Nabokov's Dolores Hayes. In "The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel that Scandalized the World," author Sarah Weinman traces the connections between these two girls and their stories. Weinman stopped by NYPL to revisit her research using the Nabokov Papers that question the role of facts within fiction. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7046997

Notes from the Reading Life: Tim Gunn and Min Jin Lee 09/09/2018

Notes from the Reading Life: Tim Gunn and Min Jin Lee Tim Gunn is the Emmy Award-winning former producer of "Project Runway," where for 16 seasons he mentored contestants with charm and care. But when he isn’t busy making it work, chances are he has his nose in a book. In a live conversation series presented in collaboration with the National Book Foundation, Gunn spoke about some of the most powerful books in his life, the reads that have stayed with him since his early teens. His conversation partner: fellow avid reader—and best-selling novelist—Min Jin Lee, whose most recent book, Pachinko, was a finalist for the National Book Award. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/7020133

The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire 09/02/2018

The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire Before the Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2016, there was The Up Stairs Lounge fire. Author Robert Fieseler sets the largely overlooked tragedy of the Up Stairs Lounge arson that killed 32 people in its rightful historical place with "Tinderbox:The Untold Story of The Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation." The 1973 mass murder dragged a closeted, blue-collar gay community into the national public eye, that shortly after was forgotten—until now. Fieseler discussed how he discovered this story, his research in New Orleans, and other findings in his book with Eric Marcus, creator and host of the award-winning book and podcast "Making Gay History." /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/6993504

Coming This Sunday: New Name, New Look 08/28/2018

Coming This Sunday: New Name, New Look Exciting news! Starting next episode, "The New York Public Library Podcast" will be renamed "Library Talks." We'll still be featuring the same public talks recorded live at NYPL with today's top writers and thinkers—we're just updating with a new logo, name, and release date. Weekly episodes will now be released Sunday mornings to round out the weekend and inspire you for the week ahead. Stay tuned for the new changes in your feed this Sunday September 2nd! Questions or comments? You can contact us at podcasts@nypl.org /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/6974727

There's No Such Thing As Now 08/21/2018

There's No Such Thing As Now Carlo Rovelli is an Italian theoretical physicist. In his new book, The Order of Time, Rovelli asks "Why do we remember the past and not the future…What ties time to our nature as persons, to our subjectivity?" Rovelli is the head of the Quantum Gravity group at the Centre de Physique Théorique of Aix-Marseille University and has devoted his life's work to understanding what time might truly be. Author and philosopher, Jim Holt spoke with Rovelli about the past, future, and why there isn't exactly a "now." /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/6935487

Two Sisters' Path Toward Radical Islam 08/14/2018

Two Sisters' Path Toward Radical Islam Norwegian journalist Åsne Seierstad's most recent book, Two Daughters: A Father, his Daughters, and their Journey into the Syrian Jihad, is a heart-pounding thriller tracing the radicalization of two teenage girls. In 2013, the two Somali youth abandoned their family and their adopted home in Oslo to travel into Syria and become part of a jihadist movement. As soon as they disappeared, their father dedicated his existence to finding them and bringing them home. Seierstad explains the family narrative, her sources, and the ethical concerns of telling their complicated story. The best way to support this podcast is with a gift to The New York Public Library. Click here to donate. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/6919660

Chronicling Illness with Porochista Khakpour and Eileen Myles 08/07/2018

Chronicling Illness with Porochista Khakpour and Eileen Myles For as far back as she can remember, writer Porochista Khakpour has been sick. She was recently diagnosed with late-stage Lyme disease and has written her first memoir about her illness, Sick. Khakpour sat down with one of her literary heroes Eileen Myles for a conversation about her experience with the disease and how it has affected her as a writer, activist, and lover of New York City. Khakpour says "it's a diaristic book and I wanted there to be a lot of honesty... a lot of capturing myself, not at my best but at my worst." The best way to support this podcast is with a gift to The New York Public Library. Click here to donate. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/6895016

Love and Lanyards with Billy Collins 07/31/2018

Love and Lanyards with Billy Collins Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins stopped by the Library earlier this Spring to read some of his work, share a few tips on the creative process, and land a few jokes. He sat down with Paul Holdengräber for a conversation about their favorite writers and his career, from the back pages of Rolling Stone magazine to the Library of Congress. Plus, Collins reads some of his recent work. The best way to support this podcast is with a gift to The New York Public Library. Click here to donate. /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/6867895

Literacy is a Human Right with The World in Words Podcast 07/24/2018

Literacy is a Human Right with The World in Words Podcast Earlier this spring, our friends from The World in Words Podcast recorded a live show at NYPL's very own Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library. The podcast, hosted by is about languages and the people who speak them. For this special episode, hosts Nina Porzucki and Patrick Cox shared stories about the history of Braille, why whale calls go viral like pop songs, and the difficulties of preserving languages in the U.S. through generations. Subscribe to The World in Words Podcast /episode/index/show/newyorkpubliclibrary/id/6842732

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