I had such a great conversation with Brian Foo, web developer and artist at NYPL Labs, a few weeks ago. We talked about oral history, data visualization, and the public domain. NYPL Labs has been working on making public domain documents more available, and has created a few examples for creative ways to remix them. My favorite is probably Navigating the Green Book, which maps itineraries for different routes based on data found in The Green Book, a travel guide for black travelers from the 30s to the 60s.
I found it by clicking around the NYPL Public Domain Visualization, so I feel as if fate has brought me to this podcast a bit, since randomly clicking this one fascinating book out of 187,000 seems really fortuitous. I hope you'll have a listen to our conversation!
Listen here: http://latenightlibrary.org/brian-foo-nypl-labs/
Showing posts with label Late Night Library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Late Night Library. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Late Night Conversation - Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib
Last month, I was lucky enough to be able to interview poet, essayist, and now MTV columnist Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib about the writing life and his new book, The Crown Ain't Worth Much, out from Button Poetry at AWP next weekend. The book is really great, and if you'll be at AWP, you should definitely stop by their booth and pick up your copy. After asking to interview him about his poetry, I remembered that I'd actually read one of his essays before I knew he was a poet, and so it was really interesting to me to come at his work from both of those angles, and talking to him about it was fantastic. I hope you'll enjoy our conversation as much as I did!
Have a listen here: Hanif Willis Abdurraqib on Late Night Conversation
Have a listen here: Hanif Willis Abdurraqib on Late Night Conversation
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
New Late Night Conversations - Odilia Galván Rodríguez, John Matteson, and Sarah A. Chrisman
This winter, I've had the chance to talk to some fascinating people for Late Night Conversation. I'm very delayed in posting these, but I hope you'll take some time to listen to them now, if you haven't already!
This month, I was able to speak with Odilia Galván Rodríguez about her important new anthology, Poetry of Resistance: Voices for Social Justice. We spoke about what makes poetry such a good medium for social change, and the fascinating story of collaboration, technology, and social justice that went into the creation of this book. Listen here.
In January, I spoke with John Matteson, Pulitzer Prize winner and editor of The Annotated Little Women. I've loved Little Women since I was in middle school, and I still practically swoon when I see a clip from the 1994 movie, so it was really wonderful to hear some of the book's backstory and ephemera from an expert on the Alcott family. Listen here.
And in December, I was lucky enough to talk to Sarah A. Chrisman about her newest book, This Victorian Life. Sarah recounts what it’s like to explore nineteenth-century culture and technologies from the inside out, living with her husband as they would have in the 1800s. We spoke about women's rights, outsiders' reactions to her choices, and the nineteenth-century trend she wishes would catch on again. I especially loved hearing her clock in the background, and having her say, "We set our days by its ticking." Listen here.
This month, I was able to speak with Odilia Galván Rodríguez about her important new anthology, Poetry of Resistance: Voices for Social Justice. We spoke about what makes poetry such a good medium for social change, and the fascinating story of collaboration, technology, and social justice that went into the creation of this book. Listen here.
In January, I spoke with John Matteson, Pulitzer Prize winner and editor of The Annotated Little Women. I've loved Little Women since I was in middle school, and I still practically swoon when I see a clip from the 1994 movie, so it was really wonderful to hear some of the book's backstory and ephemera from an expert on the Alcott family. Listen here.
And in December, I was lucky enough to talk to Sarah A. Chrisman about her newest book, This Victorian Life. Sarah recounts what it’s like to explore nineteenth-century culture and technologies from the inside out, living with her husband as they would have in the 1800s. We spoke about women's rights, outsiders' reactions to her choices, and the nineteenth-century trend she wishes would catch on again. I especially loved hearing her clock in the background, and having her say, "We set our days by its ticking." Listen here.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Late Night Conversation - Patty Crane
I was lucky enough to interview the brilliant Patty Crane a few weeks ago, and ask her about her translation of Tomas Tranströmer's poetry. We had an awesome conversation and it was really wonderful to have her in the studio in person. (She came all the way from Massachusetts!) I'm so glad we got to meet for this interview, and I hope our paths will cross again soon.
Have a listen here: Late Night Conversation.
Have a listen here: Late Night Conversation.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Late Night Conversation - Carolina De Robertis
I interviewed Carolina De Robertis, author of The Gods of Tango last month and got to hear more about her beautiful, lush book and her research process. The book is rich with the cultural history of Buenos Aires, tango, and the hidden stories of immigrants. I hope you'll have a listen here.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Late Night Conversation - Kay Wyma
I had such fun talking to Kay Wyma about her second book, I'm Happy For You (Sort Of. Not Really.) last month for Late Night Conversation. The book talks about ways to break free from our culture of comparison, and she has some great suggestions, even as she admits it can be difficult when we're surrounded by social media all day. In our conversation, we talked about some immediate strategies to put in play when you find yourself comparing, about whether artists and writers are particularly susceptible to comparison, and a bit about Kay's incredible career trajectory from banker and White House staffer to mother and author.
I hope you'll have a listen here!
I hope you'll have a listen here!
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Late Night Debut - Monica McClure and Dorothea Lasky
I was lucky enough to be asked to return to my Late Night Library roots with Late Night Debut this month, and discuss Monica McClure's beautiful debut, Tender Data, with Dorthea Lasky. Dottie and Monica are both incredible people, and it was so fun to talk about Monica's book with Dottie, and then to sit in and listen to their interview. On the subway home, Dottie and I talked about astrology. Is there a better way to pass the time on the L train?
I hope you'll have a listen!
I hope you'll have a listen!
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
New Late Night Conversations - Rachel Hadas, Gabriel Bamgbose, and Monica Ong
This spring, I had the pleasure of interviewing three fantastic poets for Late Night Conversation.
In April, I spoke to the incomparable Rachel Hadas about inspiration, illness, and language.
In May, I sat down with Nigerian poet Gabriel Bamgbose to talk about oral poetry, music, and how he balances teaching and academic work with creative work.
And most recently, in June, I spoke with Monica Ong about her debut book, medicine, and how the visual arts inspire her work.
I hope you'll have a listen to all three, because each of these poets is incredible in their own way.
In April, I spoke to the incomparable Rachel Hadas about inspiration, illness, and language.
In May, I sat down with Nigerian poet Gabriel Bamgbose to talk about oral poetry, music, and how he balances teaching and academic work with creative work.
And most recently, in June, I spoke with Monica Ong about her debut book, medicine, and how the visual arts inspire her work.
I hope you'll have a listen to all three, because each of these poets is incredible in their own way.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Late Night Conversation - Jonathan Lee
I was lucky enough to interview Jonathan Lee about A Public Space and his great work as their associate editor over at Late Night Library last week. They just released their first book, a translation copublication with Greywolf Press, Karate Chop, and so it was great to hear about that project, and to discuss some of Jonathan's own work.
I hope you'll have a listen over here: http://latenightlibrary.org/jonathan-lee-a-public-space-magazine/
I hope you'll have a listen over here: http://latenightlibrary.org/jonathan-lee-a-public-space-magazine/
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Late Night Conversation - James McCorkle
James was one of my partner's advisers in college, and I had the joy of meeting him at a conference we both went to a few years ago. When I read his most recent book, The Subtle Bodies, I know instantly that I wanted to talk to him about his influences, especially the visual art that comes across so powerfully in the book.
I'm very excited to have had the chance to do just that for a recent Late Night Conversation. Have a listen here: http://latenightlibrary.org/james-mccorkle/.
I hope you enjoy the interview, and that you'll check out The Subtle Bodies soon! (And insider tip: no one has won the book giveaway contest yet, so if you don't have a copy, you still have time to enter to win!)
I'm very excited to have had the chance to do just that for a recent Late Night Conversation. Have a listen here: http://latenightlibrary.org/james-mccorkle/.
I hope you enjoy the interview, and that you'll check out The Subtle Bodies soon! (And insider tip: no one has won the book giveaway contest yet, so if you don't have a copy, you still have time to enter to win!)
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Late Night Conversation - mensah demary
Will I ever post one of these on time again? Perhaps, but today is not the day. Instead, today is the day I post about my great interview with mensah demary, the brilliant editor-in-chief behind Specter.
We spoke about the conception of Specter, based on a practical vision to bring the work of marginalized writers to light, as well as mensah’s personal literary adventures. Have a listen here: http://latenightlibrary.org/mensah-demary-specter-magazine/.
We spoke about the conception of Specter, based on a practical vision to bring the work of marginalized writers to light, as well as mensah’s personal literary adventures. Have a listen here: http://latenightlibrary.org/mensah-demary-specter-magazine/.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Late Night Conversation - Anne Beate Hovind
When I first heard about the Future Library project, I was immediately enthralled. It's a combination of many things I love: Margaret Atwood, Norway, public art, forests, publishing, and legacy. You can only imagine how excited I was when Anne Beate Hovind agreed to let me interview her for Late Night Conversation about all these things and more. Anne is the project manager on the piece, and it was fascinating to talk to her about the nitty gritty details of what goes into a major project like this.
I hope you'll have a listen here: http://latenightlibrary.org/anne-beate-hovind-future-library/.
I hope you'll have a listen here: http://latenightlibrary.org/anne-beate-hovind-future-library/.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Late Night Conversation - Pamela Paul
I was thrilled when Pamela Paul agreed to let me interview her for Late Night Conversation, because she's a person I really respect and whose career path has been an inspiration to me. Pamela is editor of the New York Times Book Review and author of The Starter Marriage and the Future of Matrimony, Pornified, and Parenting, Inc. Most recently, she edited By the Book: Writers on Literature and the Literary Life from The New York Times Book Review.
We had an excellent conversation about her path to becoming an author
and editor, the future of book reviews, and how she and the staff are
working towards diversity in the reviews. I hope you'll have a listen here.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Late Night Conversation - Angela Bole
Another slightly late post, but I wanted to let you know that we published a Late Night Conversation with Angela Bole of the Independent Book Publishers Association last month. Angela runs a fantastic organization and was a dream to talk to. We discussed the future of the book, the logistics of self-publishing, and how the IBPA can help both publishers and individual authors. I hope you'll have a listen here!
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Late Night Conversation - Lizzie Harris & Amy Meng Podcast
One of my favorite podcasts yet is up today on Late Night Conversation. I interviewed Lizzie Harris and Amy Meng of Bodega Magazine. In addition to editing poetry for a really incredible online magazine, they're both geniuses, and interviewing them was a blast. I hope you'll have a listen and enjoy! And, there's still time to enter our book giveaway and win a copy of Lizzie's debut book, Stop Wanting, so if you haven't bought your own yet, definitely go ahead and enter right away.
| Amy and Lizzie being wonderful |
| Our recording session at One Thousand Birds studio |
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Late Night Conversation - Lisa Lucas Podcast
This is embarrassingly delayed, but I didn't want to let another day pass without letting you know that last month, I interviewed the incredible Lisa Lucas, publisher of Guernica Magazine, about the magazine, the obstacles and rewards of the nonprofit publishing world, and Guernica’s new print issue. I hope you'll have a listen!
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Reading Recap - Battle of the Books
Did you get a chance to come out to our Battle of the Books? If you did, I hope you had as much fun as I did! And if you didn't, now's your chance to listen to our final two readings! You can have a listen on Late Night Conversation now.
And many thanks to Julia Fierro, for her incredible hosting prowess, and to our incredible reader/author teams, who made the evening so wonderful:
And many thanks to Julia Fierro, for her incredible hosting prowess, and to our incredible reader/author teams, who made the evening so wonderful:
- Kelli Dunham, reading from Hum by Jamaal May
- Clifford Thompson, reading from Know the Night by Maria Mutch
- Robin Black, reading from The Wax Bullet War by Sean Davis
- Chelsea Drake, reading from The Anatomy of Dreams by Chloe Benjamin
- Kate Racculia, reading from Josh Booton’s The Union of Geometry & Ash
- Mira Jacob, reading from Adrianne Harun’s A Man Came Out of a Door in the Mountain
- Mike Scalise, reading from Justin St. Germain’s Son of a Gun: a memoir
- Scott Cheshire, reading from Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You
| Me, explaining a bit about Late Night Library. (Photo credit: Roger Arnold) |
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| Mira Jacob reading from A Man Came Out of a Door in the Mountain (Photo Credit: Tori De Leone) |
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| Kelli Dunham giving a phenomenal reading of Jamaal May’s Hum (Photo Credit: Tori De Leone) |
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| The Final Four with host Julia Fierro! (right to left: Mira Jacob, Scott Cheshire, Julia, Mike Scalise, and Kate Racculia) (Photo Credit: Tori De Leone) |
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| Scott Cheshire, accepting the championship belt on behalf of Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You (Photo credit: Tori De Leone) |
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| Celeste Ng wearing her championship belt! |
Monday, September 15, 2014
Upcoming Reading - Battle of the Books
Late Night Library's 2014 Annual Battle of the Books is nearly here, and I'm very excited to be co-hosting with Julia Fierro!
Battle of the Books is a bracket-style competition pitting debut books against each other until a champion emerges worthy of the Late Night Library Championship Belt. Published authors and seasoned book industry professionals will take on the challenge of reading selections from another author's debut work. We're featuring some incredible people, so I hope that you'll join us!
September 18, 2014 | 6:30pm | Pacific Standard | 82 Fourth Avenue | Brooklyn, NY
Featuring readings from:
Chloe Benjamin is the author of The Anatomy of Dreams, which has been long-listed for the 2014 Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize. Her writing is published or forthcoming in The Atlantic, The Millions, PANK and elsewhere. She lives in Madison, WI and on the internet.

Josh Booton’s first book, The Union of Geometry & Ash, was published by Bear Star Press in 2013. He is the recipient of the Dorothy Brunsman Poetry Prize and the Keene Prize in Literature, as well as three grants from the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Foundation.
Sean Davis is a writer and artist. He is also a Purple Heart recipient and Iraq War veteran. His art hangs in the heart of the Alberta Arts District in Portland, Oregon. His words have appeared in numerous publications. His memoir, The Wax Bullet War, is out in bookstores now.
Justin St. Germain is the author of Son of a Gun: a memoir, which won the 2013 Barnes & Noble Discover Award in Nonfiction. He lives in the Twin Cities.
Adrianne Harun’s most recent book is a novel, A Man Came Out of a Door in the Mountain. Her stories have been published widely and listed as notable in both Best American Short Stories and Best American Mystery Stories. She lives in Port Townsend, Washington.
Jamaal May is the author of Hum (AJB), recipient of the American Library Association’s Notable Book Award, Foreword Review’s Book of the Year Silver Medal, and an NAACP Image Award nomination. In 2014 he received a dozen honors including a Pushcart Prize and Kenyon Review Fellowship. Jamaal co-directs OW! Arts with Tarfia Faizullah.
Maria Mutch is the author of Know the Night, a memoir about a boy who doesn't speak, a 1930s polar adventure and jazz, published by Simon & Schuster. Her short fiction and essays have appeared in Poets & Writers, Guernica, Necessary Fiction, Fiction Writers Review, Bayou Magazine and Literary Mama, among others.
Celeste Ng is the author of the novel Everything I Never Told You (Penguin Press). Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, One Story, Five Chapters, Gulf Coast, The Millions, and elsewhere, and has won the Pushcart Prize. To learn more about her, visit celesteng.com or follow her on Twitter (@pronounced_ing).
Read by:
Robin Black is the author of the story collection If I loved you, I would tell you this which was a finalist for the Frank O'Connor International Short Prize; as well as the critically acclaimed novel Life Drawing, which is long-listed for the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize. 
Scott Cheshire received his MFA from Hunter College, and teaches writing for The Sackett Street Writers' Workshop. He is the author of High as the Horses' Bridles, his first novel. He lives in New York City.

Chelsea Drake graduated with a B.A. in journalism and creative writing from Fredonia, where she was a recipient of the Mary Louise White Fiction Award. Her work has been published in Buffalo Spree Magazine and Rhode Island Monthly. She works at a literary agency and writes both fiction and nonfiction.

Kelli Dunham is the genderqueer nurse-comic-author-ex-nun hybrid so common in modern Brooklyn. She is also an RN and the author of five books of humorous non-fiction, including two children’s books being used by Sonlight conservative home schooling association in their science curriculum.

Mira Jacob is the author of the novel, The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing (Random House). She is the co-founder of the much-loved Pete’s Reading Series in Brooklyn, where she spent 13 years bringing literary fiction, non-fiction, and poetry to the city’s sweetest stage. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, documentary filmmaker Jed Rothstein, and their son.

Kate Racculia is a writer living in Bethlehem, PA. She is the author of two novels, Bellweather Rhapsody, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2014, and This Must Be the Place, published in 2010 by Henry Holt & Company. She has her MFA from Emerson College, has taught novel writing at GrubStreet in Boston, and posts many pictures of her cat on the Internet.
Mike Scalise’s work has appeared in Agni, Indiewire, Ninth Letter, Paris Review, Wall Street Journal, and other places. He’s an 826DC advisory board member, has received fellowships and scholarships from Bread Loaf, Yaddo, and the Ucross Foundation, and was the Philip Roth Writer in Residence at Bucknell University.
Clifford Thompson received a Whiting Writers’ Award for nonfiction in 2013 for Love for Sale and Other Essays. His essays on books, film, jazz, and American identity have appeared in The Threepenny Review, Commonweal, and elsewhere. He is the author of a novel, Signifying Nothing (2009), and a memoir, Twin of Blackness, scheduled for 2015.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Late Night Conversation - Danniel Schoonebeek Podcast
It was a joy to interview Danniel Schoonebeek, a poet and friend I deeply respect, a few weeks ago. We talked about his recent cross-country book tour, and while I'm all about logistics, he's all about the meaning behind it, and it was a discussion that I hope you'll enjoy.
Plus, we're giving away a signed copy of his book, American Barricade, so if you haven't already read it, now is a great chance to get your hands on it. Have a listen here.
Plus, we're giving away a signed copy of his book, American Barricade, so if you haven't already read it, now is a great chance to get your hands on it. Have a listen here.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
New Position - New York City Manager at Late Night Library
I am really excited to announce my new position as New York City Manager for Late Night Library. You've probably noticed that I've been doing an interview for them once a month, and that's one of my responsibilities now - hosting an episode of Late Night Conversation each month. I'm also handling all of our New York staff, and helping them to coordinate our NY-based shows and programs, and doing a healthy dose of fundraising as well.
I've been in the position since late March, and I'm really excited about all we've accomplished so far. Our executive director, Paul Martone, is an incredibly supportive and inspiring boss. He also works full-time, so he's understanding about my limitations, but his passion for the organization and its mission is palpable and pushes me to do the best work I can. Plus, everyone on staff is intelligent, interesting, and devoted to books. Being able to work with a great group of people, on some amazing programs, in support of writers and book culture? Pretty much a dream come true.
I hope you'll check out the site and listen to some podcasts soon!
I've been in the position since late March, and I'm really excited about all we've accomplished so far. Our executive director, Paul Martone, is an incredibly supportive and inspiring boss. He also works full-time, so he's understanding about my limitations, but his passion for the organization and its mission is palpable and pushes me to do the best work I can. Plus, everyone on staff is intelligent, interesting, and devoted to books. Being able to work with a great group of people, on some amazing programs, in support of writers and book culture? Pretty much a dream come true.
I hope you'll check out the site and listen to some podcasts soon!
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