Free Library Podcast

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Ray Didinger | The Eagles Encyclopedia: Champions Edition with Mark Leibovich | Big Game: The NFL in Dangerous Times Dec 07, 2018

Show notes

Fly Eagles fly! Five-time Pennsylvania Sportswriter of the Year Ray Didinger updated his and late co-writer Robert S. Lyons's bestselling The Eagles Encyclopedia-''the definitive book for any Eagles fan'' (Philadelphia Daily News)-to reflect the quintessential underdog season that led to the Birds' Super Bowl LII victory. Didinger covered the NFL for The Philadelphia Bulletin and the Philadelphia Daily News for more than 25 years, has authored or coauthored ten books about sports and writing, and currently appears on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. Mark Leibovich's books include number-one bestselling This Town, a ''vastly entertaining and deeply troubling'' (The New York Times Book Review) exploration of the political culture in Washington, D.C. Chief National Correspondent for The New York Times Magazine and a former correspondent for The Washington Post, he won the National Magazine Award for profile writing. Venturing beyond the playing field into locker rooms, owners' meetings, draft days, culture wars, and the existential fears about the future of the game, Big Game is an in-depth analysis of professional football at its economic and social peak. Watch the video here. (recorded 10/13/2018)

Ben Fountain | Beautiful Country Burn Again: Democracy, Rebellion, and Revolution Dec 07, 2018

Show notes

In conversation with Dick Polman, "Writer in Residence" at the University of Pennsylvania, national political columnist at WHYY News and contributor to The Atlantic Ben Fountain is the author of The New York Times bestseller Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, ''a bracing, fearless and uproarious satire of how contemporary war is waged and sold to the American public'' (San Francisco Chronicle). It won the National Book Critics Circle Award, was a finalist for the National Book Award, and was adapted by Ang Lee into a popular film. He is also the author of the PEN/Hemingway Award-winning Brief Encounters with Che Guevera. Exploring America's current existential crisis through wide-reaching reportage, Fountain's new essay collection Beautiful Country Burn Again narrates the shocking and polarizing events of the 2016 American presidential election. Watch the video here. (recorded 10/15/2018)

Joseph Ellis | American Dialogue: The Founders and Us Dec 07, 2018

Show notes

In conversation with Jason Freeman, author events producer and editor A ''sure-handed and entertaining guide through the thickets of argument, personality and ideology out of which the American nation emerged'' (The Economist), historian Joseph Ellis won the Pulitzer Prize for Founding Brothers, a thoughtful exploration of the gifted but flawed men who conjured America; and the National Book Award for American Sphinx, a portrait of Thomas Jefferson. His body of work also includes His Excellency: George Washington, First Family: Abigail and John Adams, and Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence. His new book examines the profoundly relevant views of the Founding Fathers as they pertain to the current American landscape of turmoil and division. Watch the video here. Pine Tree Foundation Endowed Lecture (recorded 10/16/2018)

Jill Soloway | She Wants It: Desire, Power, and Toppling the Patriarchy Dec 07, 2018

Show notes

In conversation with Hannah Gadsby The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning creator of the Amazon series Transparent, Jill Soloway is the director of the feature film Afternoon Delight, creator of the series I Love Dick, and was a writer and executive producer for Six Feet Under, How to Make It in America, and United States of Tara. They are also the author of Tiny Ladies in Shiny Pants and founder of the activism groups 5050by2020 and East Side Jews. Pondering the #MeToo movement, gender dynamics, and the nature of inclusion, She Wants It draws on Soloway's own unique truth, including their experience in the entertainment industry and their metamorphosis from a married mother of two to identifying as queer and nonbinary. Watch the video here. (recorded 10/17/2018)

Ben Macintyre | The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War Dec 07, 2018

Show notes

Praised for his ''elegant, jaunty, and very British high style'' (New York Times), Ben Macintyre is the bestselling author of A Spy Among Friends, Agent Zigzag, Operation Mincemeat, and Double Cross, among other books. He has adapted several of these stories into popular documentaries for the BBC. Writer-at-large for The Times of London, Macintyre has twice been nominated for the Edgar Award in ''Best Fact Crime.'' The Spy and the Traitor tells the tale of real-life Russian double agent Oleg Gordievsky, the Soviet Union's top man in London for more than a decade whose disgust with his nation's communist system led him to covertly work with Britain's MI6 to turn the tables on the KGB. Watch the video here. Meelya Gordon Memorial Lecture (recorded 10/18/2018)

Barbara Kingsolver | Unsheltered Dec 07, 2018

Show notes

With a ''special gift for the vivid evocation of landscape and of her characters' state of mind'' (New York Times Book Review), Barbara Kingsolver is the author of The Poisonwood Bible, a finalist for both the Pulitzer and the Orange prizes. Her other novels include The Bean Trees, The Lacuna, and Flight Behavior. She is founder of the PEN/Bellwether Prize, winner of the National Humanities Medal, and recipient of the James Beard Award. Unsheltered tells the story of a woman who, amid familial strife and sea change, researches the history of her rural New Jersey home and discovers a kindred spirit in its harried 19th century occupant. Watch the video here. (recorded 10/19/2018)

Julián Castro | An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up From My American Dream Dec 07, 2018

Show notes

In conversation with award-winning broadcaster and journalist Tracey Matisak Former San Antonio mayor and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during President Obama's second term, Julián Castro burst onto the national political stage as the keynote speaker at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Castro's activist mother helped guide him and his twin brother, Joaquín, to Stanford and then Harvard Law School. From there he returned to his native San Antonio, which he helped transform into one of America's leading economies. In An Unlikely Journey, Castro echoes the transcendence and aspirational spirit of Obama's Dreams from My Father, affirming just what it means to be an American during an era of political cynicism and cultural divisiveness. Watch the video here. (recorded 10/22/2018)

Mitch Albom | The Next Person You Meet in Heaven: The Sequel to The Five People You Meet in Heaven Dec 07, 2018

Show notes

''A writer with soul'' (Los Angeles Times) who captures the delicacies of the human condition, author, journalist, screenwriter, and nationally syndicated columnist Mitch Albom is best known for the phenomenon that is Tuesdays with Morrie, the best-selling memoir of all time. His debut novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, sold an only slightly more modest 10 million copies in 35 languages. His other books include Have a Little Faith, The Time Keeper, and The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto. The Next Person You Meet in Heaven reveals the continuing story of Annie, the little girl saved by Eddie, protagonist of the blockbuster original novel. (recorded 10/22/2018)

Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook | Israeli Soul: Easy, Essential, Delicious Dec 07, 2018

Show notes

In conversation with Sam Sifton Acclaimed for ''cooking that bursts with freshly ground spices and complex flavors'' (New York Times), Michael Solomonov brought Middle Eastern, North African, Mediterranean, and Eastern European influences to bear in his Philadelphia flagship restaurant, Zahav, named an ''essential'' restaurant by Eater magazine. Together with partner Steven Cook, his other restaurants include Federal Donuts, Abe Fisher, Dizengoff, The Rooster, and Goldie. Solomonov's honors include 2011 and 2017 James Beard Awards, as well as recognition by Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and Travel + Leisure. Solomonov and Cook's new cookbook is a zesty blend of history, photos, and recipes gleaned from their Israeli travels to bustling seaside cities, sleepy mountain villages, and everywhere in between. Sam Sifton is the food editor of The New York Times and the founding editor of NYT Cooking, the Times's digital cookbook. Formerly the newspaper's national news editor, restaurant critic, and culture editor, he is the author of the cookbooks Thanksgiving: How to Cook It Well and the forthcoming See You on Sunday: Recipes for Family and Friends. Watch the video here. Meelya Gordon Memorial Lecture (recorded 10/23/2018)

René Redzepi and David Zilber | The Noma Guide to Fermentation Dec 07, 2018

Show notes

René Redzepi is chef and co-owner of Copenhagen's Michelin two-star restaurant Noma, recognized an astounding four times as the best in the world. He is one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World and the subject of two full-length documentaries. His book Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine-''an international sensation'' (New York Times)-won International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) and James Beard awards. Former sous-chef at Vancouver's Hawksworth Restaurant, David Zilber has worked at Noma since 2014 and has overseen its famous fermentation lab since 2016. In their new how-to guide, Redzepi and Zilber reveal the techniques used at Noma to bring fermented ingredients to every dish served. Watch the video here. Julie Dannenbaum Culinary Arts Lecture (recorded 10/24/2018)

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