The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan

Latest Episodes:

Connie Ogle; Miami Herald Writer, Book Reviewer on the Most Notable Books of 2019 Dec 13, 2019

Show notes

“I don’t remember a time that I didn’t read. There’s a legend in my family which I like to believe is true. It probably is not. But my mother, to this day, will tell you that they would put me in a crib at six-months-old with a stack of books so they could sleep late, and they could hear me turning the pages. So I like to think of myself as a prodigy…I’m sure this story is true.” - Connie Ogle. Mitchell and Connie discuss many of their most memorable books of 2019, and The Miami Herald “Readers With Attitude” Facebook page that Connie founded. Recorded at Books and Books in Coral Gables.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lithub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

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Chris Stein, Blondie’s Co-founder on Point of View, his Photographs of New York City Through the Eyes of a Punk Rocker Dec 06, 2019

Show notes

“I was just really lucky that I always had this kind of Zelig position of always being at the right place at the right time. I went to San Francisco in ’67 and ’68…I was at Woodstock…and then I gravitated to the Downtown music scene, opened for The Velvet Underground,” Chris Stein. He talks about his music, New York City Debbie Harry and how they each influenced his photography. Recorded at Miami Book Fair.

https://booksandbooks.com/

https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9780847862184/

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Eve Ensler; How writing The Apology lifted the curse of an abusive father Nov 29, 2019

Show notes

“There’s no justification for what my father did or any perpetrator does. But understanding is critical to transformation. What I wanted to do in this books is to let my father explain to me how he became a kind of man who was capable of

doing what he was doing,” Eve Ensler, Tony Award-winning playwright, activist, and author of The Vagina Monologues, on her newautobiography, The Apology. Recorded at Miami Book Fair.

https://booksandbooks.com/

https://www.eveensler.org/

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Samantha Power, Former United Nations Ambassador on; The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir Nov 22, 2019

Show notes

“I just sort of bristled at the idea of writing a memoir…And I bristled because I feel like you should only write a memoir after you’ve brokered Middle East peace, which last I checked I have not managed, just yet…I realized that in order to capture and keep readers’ attention, there’s nothing like a good story,” Samantha Power, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former Ambassador to the United Nations during the Obama administration. Powers reflects on the lessons learned on human rights, foreign policy, public service, and how to make a difference.

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Cassandra King Conroy; On her new book Tell Me a Story; My Life with Pat Conroy Nov 15, 2019

Show notes

“I didn’t know what I was getting into. My editor called me and said I’m loving it, I love the stories of Pat, but I’ve read it and I don’t know a thing about you. And I said, do you mean I have to talk about myself?” Cassandra King Conroy on her book, Tell Me a Story, a tribute to her late husband, literary icon Pat Conroy. On this episode, she lovingly talks about their first meeting at a literary conference, “the beginning of her spin in a category 5 hurricane called Conroy.” Pat and Cassandra were married for 18 years until his death of pancreatic cancer in 2016.

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Les Standiford on Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago and #FloridaMan Donald Trump Nov 08, 2019

Show notes

“The high walls of Mar-a-Lago and other manses like it were seemingly designed to contain scandal within, as much as keep intruders out,” Les Standiford. On this episode, Standiford talks with Mitchell about his latest book, Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago, and the Rise of America’s Xanadu. From Henry Flagler, Marjory Merriweather Post to President Trump, who acquired Mar-a-Lago for $10-million in 1985 and now declares himself a Florida resident. The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan was recorded at the Books&Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

https://groveatlantic.com/book/palm-beach-mar-a-lago-and-the-rise-of-americas-xanadu/

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Jill Bialosky; Living her Dream as a Poet, Writer, Executive Editor Nov 04, 2019

Show notes

“I wanted people to understand that poetry can be very accessible. A way for readers to find their own story in a poem, to demystify poetry.” Jill Bialosky on her memoir, “Poetry Will Save Your Life.” Mitchell and Jill talk about poetry, writing and being the executive editor at W.W. Norton & Company. She’ll also share her story on Joy Harjo, one of the early poets Bialosky took on, who is now the first Native American to be named U.S. Poet Laureate.

This episode of The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan was recorded at the Coral Gables Art Cinema.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

https://www.jillbialosky.com/

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Sir Salman Rushdie on Quichotte, His Homage to the Cervantes Classic Oct 25, 2019

Show notes

“It was one of those things that is kind of wonderful when it happens, when you discover the book you’re writing in the act of writing it,” Sir Salman Rushdie.The acclaimed author shares how his layered story, its characters, and narrated passages reflect the current state of the world. And the quest for love is at the heart of it. This episode was recorded with a live audience at Miami Dade College.

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Jane Leavy on The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created Oct 18, 2019

Show notes

In The Big Fella, “the definitive biography of Babe Ruth,” author Jane Leavy takes readers inside the life of one of baseball’s most-beloved stars. From his troubled childhood, to becoming “the first celebrity of the mass media era,” Jane shares The Babe’s colorful and touching story on this episode of The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan. Recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

https://www.janeleavy.com/

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Meg Cabot: How Hurricane Irma and a landline phone inspired her new book Oct 11, 2019

Show notes

Author Meg Cabot has sold more than 25-million books worldwide. Her Princess Diaries series was made into two feature films by Walt Disney Pictures, starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews. Her new book No Judgments takes place on “Little Bridge Island” in the Florida Keys, home to beautiful beaches, stunning sunsets, cold margaritas, and massive hurricanes. Meg talks with Mitchell about how real life inspired her story and helped save dozens of pets left behind after Hurricane Irma. This episode of The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan was recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Host: Mitchell Kaplan

Producer: Carmen Lucas

Editor: Lit Hub Radio

https://booksandbooks.com/

https://www.megcabot.com/

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