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Annotated — Arts
Annotated

An audio documentary series about books, reading, and language.

Copyright: © Riot New Media, Inc.

Latest Episodes:

National Novel Writing Month Oct 07, 2019

How a gimmick to write more became one of the biggest literary events online.

This episode is sponsored by:

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones

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The Baby-Sitters Club Sep 03, 2019

The affirming, surprising, and most of all lasting legacy of The Baby-Sitters Club.

This episode is sponsored by:

The Ventriloquists by E.R. Ramzipoor

Circe by Madeline Miller

Links relevant to this episode:

Someday by David Levithan

RWBY After the Fall by E.C. Myers

The Baby-Sitters Club Club Podcast

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The Dream of a Universal Language Aug 05, 2019

What if the whole world spoke the same language? How would it work? Who would be interested in speaking it? In this episode, the dream, the reality, and the hope that is Esperanto.

This episode is sponsored by:

Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett

Relevant links:

Bridge of Words: Esperanto and the Dream of a Universal Language by Esther Schor

Alex Miller's Esperanto YouTube Channel

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The Life-Changing Magic of Reading a Book Jul 01, 2019

Sometimes people refer to a book they really liked as "life-changing." But what if you read a book, and it really did change your life in a big way? In this episode, stories of people reading books and making a big change.

This episode is sponsored by:

The Guest Book by Sarah Blake

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#26: You Are Not Alone Jun 03, 2019

In this episode, the story of the interrupted literary career of Freido Lampe, and how his story reveals the underpinnings of the Nazi obsession with books and literature.

This episode is sponsored by:

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Relevant Links:

At the Edge of the Night by Freido Lampe, translated by Simon Beattie

The Book Thieves by Anders Rydell

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#25: Books Behind Bars, Part 2 May 29, 2019

In a follow-up to our last episode, an extended conversation with Chris Wilson about what reading while in prison can do.

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#24: Books Behind Bars, Part 1 May 06, 2019

There are few places books can be put to better use than in prisons. So why is it so hard to get books into the hands of people in jail? In this episode, we look at how Washington state tried to radically restrict the flow of books into prisons.

This episode is sponsored by:

Relevant links:

Books to Prisoners

Changing Lives Through Literature

The Master Plan by Chris Wilson

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#23: The Prophet Apr 09, 2019

How Khalil Gibran's The Prophet became a quiet cultural powerhouse.

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This episode is sponsored by:

Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliott

The Handmaid’s Tale (Graphic Novel) by Margaret Atwood, illustrated by Renee Nault

Relevant links:

Roger Allers' The Prophet adaptation

Muhammad: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires by Juan Cole

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#22: Drag Queen Story Hour Mar 06, 2019

In this episode, a look at how Drag Queen Story Hour became a public library phenomenon.

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This episode is sponsored by:

The Chef by James Patterson

Relevant Links:

The Official Site of Drag Queen Story Hour

Bix Warden's Drag Queen Story Hour Reading Suggestions

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#21: Viral Feb 04, 2019

In this episode, three stories about books, or parts of books, going viral.

This episode is sponsored by:

The Read Harder Journal

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff and Park Row Books

Related Links:

Rachel Kramer Bussel's Forbes Article on Ben Phillippe's Dedication Going Viral

The Scottish Granny reads The Wonkey Donkey

Craig Smith performing The Wonkey Donkey

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#20: The Very Model of A Modern Major Bookstore Jan 08, 2019

Independent bookstores are doing well. Amazon is now the most valuable company in the world. But what of Barnes & Noble and the big chain bookstore? In this episode, how Barnes & Noble became a dominant force, why its not now, and what the future of the big bookstore could be.

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This episode is sponsored by:

The Similars by Rebecca Hanover

The One You Fight For by Roni Loren

Links discussed in this show:

Jesse's Indigo Powerpoint

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#19: Interlude: Grady Hendrix on ULYSSES Jan 02, 2019

As part of Book Riot's Recommended podcast series, Grady Hendrix talked about what makes Ulysses his favorite book. We present it as an interlude as a follow-up to Annotated episode #4, "The United States v. One Book Called Ulysses."

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This episode is sponsored by The Similars by Rebecca Hanover

Check out the full line-up of Recommended.

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#18: Edna Ferber Dec 06, 2018

In this episode, we profile the most famous American writer you probably never heard of--Edna Ferber.

This episode is sponsored by:

Penguin Random House Audio

Penguin Random House Audio's Holiday Guide

Books mentioned in this episode:

So Big by Edna Ferber

Ferber and Her Circle by Julie Gilbert

Mood Indigo by Ed Ifkovic

Other links:

Annotated on Instagram

Book Riot's All the Books Podcast

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#17: Is Reading Endangered? Nov 01, 2018

People don't read as much as they used to. At least that's what people say. But is it true? And if they are reading less, why does it matter? Or does it matter? And the internet is bad for reading right? These questions in this episode.

This episode is sponsored by:

Park Row Books and Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners by Gretchen Anthony

Penguin Random House Audio

Relevant links:

Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in the Digital Age by Maryanne Wolf

Part of Our Lives: A People's History of the American Public Library by Wayne Wiegand

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Annotated on Twitter

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#16: The Patron Saint of Libraries Oct 02, 2018

The story of how Andrew Carnegie transformed the public library in America.

This episode is sponsored by:

Vampires Like It Hot by Lynsay Sands

A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney

Relevant Links:

Carnegie Libraries by George Bobinski

Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw

Part of Our Lives: A People's History of the American Public Library by Wayne Wiegand

Annotated on Instagram

Annotated on Twitter

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#15: Touch of Genius Sep 02, 2018

The story of how Louis Braille brought reading to the blind.

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This episode is sponsored by:

The Dutch Wife by Ellen Keith

The Summer List by Amy Mason Doan

Links discussed in this episode:

The National Braille Press

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#14: Used Jul 17, 2018

Last month, a large used book collection and distribution company suddenly went out of business, leaving a hole in the local used book ecosystem. In this episode, we follow that story into the modern world of used book-selling.

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This episode is sponsored by:

Warlight written by Michael Ondaatje, author of The English Patient and read by British actor Steve West

Do This For Me written and read by Eliza Kennedy

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#13: La Cote Basque, 1965 Jun 12, 2018

In 1975, Truman Capote published a short story in Esquire magazine that led a New York socialite to commit suicide and the fallout effectively ended Capote's literary career. This is the story of the story, "La Cote Basque 1965."

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This episode is sponsored by:

Penguin Random House Audio

Gun Love by Jennifer Clement and read by Imani Parks

Further Reading:

The Ten Restaurants that Changed America by Paul Freedman

Tru Life by Danny Heitman

Truman Capote by George Plimpton

Capote: A Biography by Gerald Clarke

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#12: Democracy by the Book May 28, 2018

Last fall, a woman with no prior political experience decided to run for city commission in her small college-town. So she went to the library, checked out a book called How to Win a Local Election. And she did. This is her story and the story of the book that helped her win.

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This episode is sponsored by:

Penguin Random House Audio

The Punishment She Deserves written by Elizabeth George and read by award-winning narrator Simon Vance

Win the 10 Best Books About Books of 2017

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#11: The Nobel Crisis May 15, 2018

In a shocking development, the 2018 Nobel Prize for Literature will not be awarded. In this episode, we explore what happened, how it happened, and what might happen still.

This episode is sponsored by:

Penguin Random House Audio

Educated written by Tara Westover and read by Julia Whelan

Further Reading:

The Nobel Prize in Literature: Where Do We Go From Here? by Erika Kern

The Nobel Prize by Burton Feldman

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#10: The Original Gone Girl Apr 30, 2018

The story of the strange 11-day disappearance of Agatha Christie: what did happen, what didn't happen, and what might have happened.

This episode is sponsored by:

TryAudiobooks.com

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

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#9: How to Hack the New York Times Bestseller List Apr 16, 2018

Last summer, an unknown book came out of nowhere to debut at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list for Young Adult books. Its short time at the top exposed some flaws in bestseller lists and provoked questions about why we care so much about bestsellers.

This episode is sponsored by:

TryAudiobooks.com

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

Further reading:

Constance Grady on the bestseller list landscape

Lila Shapiro's profile of Lani Sarem

Lila Shapiro's profile of Justina Ireland

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#8: The Dictionary War Apr 02, 2018

In this episode, the story of Merriam-Webster's Third Edition, and fight about language it caused.

This episode is sponsored by:

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon

If you have a moment, rating and/or review Annotated on Apple Podcasts is the best way to help get the word out about the show. If you have questions or comments about the show, email us at annotated@bookriot.com.

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#7: Saving Shakespeare Mar 19, 2018

In this first episode of season 2 of Annotated, the story of how Shakespeare was saved for posterity by two of his friends and a cagey publisher.

This episode is sponsored by Penguin Random House Audio. Visit TryAudiobooks.com/bookriot for great listening recommendations.

For further reading, we suggested Emma Smith's The Making of the First Folio.

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#6: Love, Punctuation, and the Oxford Comma Sep 14, 2017

In this episode, an investigation of the Oxford comma that starts, improbably, with a love story. This episode is sponsored by: The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston Devastation Road by Jason Hewitt

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#5: The 17-Year-Old Who Invented Science Fiction Aug 24, 2017

In this episode, the story of how a 17-year-old named Mary Godwin came to write Frankenstein and in doing so write the first great work of science fiction. This episode is sponsored by: Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters Seeing Red by Sandra Brown

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#4: The United States V. One Book Called "Ulysses" Aug 10, 2017

In this episode, the story of how an unlikely cast of characters brought James Joyce's Ulysses to America, got it legalized, and changed how we understand what literature can do. This episode is sponsored by: You Don't Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie The Lost Woman by Sara Blaedel You can keep up with Annotated between episodes with photos, facts, and trivia on Instagram (@annotatedfm) and Twitter (@annotatedfm). This episode was written and directed by Jeremy Desmon and produced by Jeff O'Neal. Sound editing and design by Kyle O'Neal. Special production assistance from Rita Meade and Blair Anderson. Enormous thanks to Kevin Birmingham author of The Most Dangerous Book: The Battle for James Joyce's Ulysses. and Maya Lang, author of The 16th of June. You can subscribe to Annotated in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or in your podcast player of choice.

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#3: The World's Most Glamorous Librarian Jul 27, 2017

In this episode: the life of Belle da Costa Greene, the most glamorous and influential librarian in early 20th Century America, who kept a life-long secret that would have ended her career. This episode is sponsored by: Careers for Women by Joanna Scott Blame by Jeff Abbott You can keep up with Annotated between episodes with photos, facts, and trivia on Instagram (@annotatedfm) and Twitter (@annotatedfm). Special thanks to: Andrea Mays, author of The Millonaire & The Bard Heidi Ardizzone, author of An Illuminated Life This episode was written and produced by Jeff O’Neal and directed by Jeremy Desmon. Sound editing and design by Kyle O’Neal. Special production assistance by Rita Meade. ___________________________ You can subscribe to Annotated in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or in your podcast player of choice.

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#2: How Did Independent Bookstores Avoid Going Extinct? Jul 13, 2017

In this episode, we look at the remarkable turnaround in independent bookstores in the U.S. After thousands closed from 1995 to 2008, over the last decade more bookstores are setting up shop...and staying open. How did it happen? And will it continue? This episode is sponsored by: Before the Fall by Noah Hawley Less by Andrew Sean Greer You can keep up with Annotated between episodes with photos, facts, and trivia on Instagram (@annotatedfm) and Twitter (@annotatedfm). This episode was written and produced by Jeff O’Neal and directed by Jeremy Desmon. Sound editing and design by Kyle O’Neal. Special production assistance from Sharifah Williams, Blair Anderson and Rita Meade. Our thanks to Josh Christie of Print: A Bookstore in Portland, Maine, Oren Teicher of the American Booksellers Association, Prof Ryan Rafaelli of Harvard’s Business School and Noelle Santos of The Lit Bar, coming soon to The Bronx.

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#1: Is It 1984 Yet? Jun 29, 2017

In this inaugural episode, we consider the resurgence of interest in George Orwell's 1984, and the story of how 1984 came to be in the first place. This episode is sponsored by: Al Franken: Giant of the Senate by Al Franken Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed To enter the giveaway of all twelve of the books sponsoring this season of Annotated, go here. Malka Older's debut novel is Infomocracy. Michael Shelden's biography of George Orwell is Orwell: The Authorized Biography.

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Annotated Ep. #0: Introducing Annotated Jun 21, 2017

This is a teaser/preview of the first episode of Annotated, Book Riot's new audio documentary series about books, reading, and language. Episode 1 will be released June 29th and explore the history and continuing influence of George Orwell's 1984. This six-episodes season of Annotated is presented by Hachette. You can keep up with Annotated between episodes with photos, facts, and trivia on Instagram (@annotatedfm) and Twitter (@annotatedfm).

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