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A celebration of Toni Morrison with two of Ohio’s most revered poets and authors as Hanif Abdurraqib and Dionne Custer Edwards discuss the influences of Toni Morrison’s work on their own and celebrate the importance of her legacy as writers and Ohioans. Toni Morrison Day is celebrated on February 18th in Ohio, commemorating the birth of the literary giant and possibly “the greatest Ohioan we’ve ever had,” as Hanif Abdurraqib remembers her. Morrison often used Ohio as a setting for her novels, from examining the influences and disparities of White and Black families living in post-Depression era Lorain in The Bluest Eye to exploring the insidious reach of slavery over the Ohio River in Beloved. Toni Morrison’s writing shed the white gaze and centered stories that explored the terrors, hopes, and dreams of Black lives and communities.  Hanif Abdurraqib - a 2021 MacArthur Genius' Grant Recipient - is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His poetry has been published in Muzzle, Vinyl, PEN American, and various other journals. His essays and music criticism have been published in The FADER, Pitchfork, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. He is the author of the poetry collections The Crown Ain't Worth Much, a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Prize, and A Fortune For Your Disaster, which won the 2020 Lenore Marshall Prize, and the essay collections They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, named a best book of the year by Buzzfeed, Esquire, NPR, Oprah Magazine, Paste, CBC, The Los Angeles Review, Pitchfork, and The Chicago Tribune, among others; Go Ahead In The Rain: Notes To A Tribe Called Quest, a New York Times Bestseller, a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, and longlisted for the National Book Award; and A Little Devil In America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance, which was shortlisted for the National Book Award. He is a graduate of Beechcroft High School. Dionne Custer Edwards is a writer, educator, and the Director of Learning & Public Practice at the Wexner Center for the Arts. Her work in the arts and education spans 25 years, including nearly two decades at the Wex where she pioneered several groundbreaking education programs that include Pages, an art and writing program serving hundreds of high school students a year from across central Ohio. Dionne has received acknowledgments and awards that include professional fellowships with Americans for the Arts, the Jefferson Center for the Arts, and a GCAC Arts Educator of the Year. Dionne is co-editor of a forthcoming book series by Ohio State University Press, On Possibility: Social Change and the Arts + Humanities, with the first issue due out in 2023. Special thanks to fo/mo/deep for lending us their song, "Bourbon Neat" for the podcast! Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at BexleyLibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across social media platforms @bexleylibrary

The best of 2022!  Special thanks to fo/mo/deep for lending us their song, "Bourbon Neat" for the podcast! Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across platforms @bexleylibrary   Here is the list of highlighted items from the BPL staff: Fiction Books Olga Dies Dreaming - Xochitl Gonzalez Flung Out of Space - Grace Ellis The Fervor - Alma Katsu You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty - Akwaeke Emezi This Time Tomorrow - Emma Straub Non-Fiction Books I’m Glad My Mom Died - Jeanette McCurdy Wastelands: The True Story of Farm Country on Trial - Corban Addison Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries - Rick Emerson Youth 0-3 yrs The Hair Book - LaTonya Yvette and Amanda Jane Jones 3-6 yrs My Parents Won’t Stop Talking! - Emma Hunsinger and Tillie Walden Mermaid Kenzie: Protector of the Deeps - Charlotte Sherman and Geneva Bowers  Sports Heroes: Inspiring Tales of Athletes Who Stood Up and Out - Mia Cassany and Iker Ayestaran  Middle graders  A Taste of Magic - J. Elle A Duet for Home - Karina Yan Glaser Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl - Julie Kagawa Teen Iron Widow - Xiran Jay Zhao Honorable Mentions We Made It All Up - Margot Harrison Once Upon a K-Prom - Kat Cho Loveless - Alice Oseman Board Games Builders & Biomes Draftosaurus Movies The Batman Everything Everywhere All at Once Top Gun: Maverick Nope Video Games Elden Ring Raft Stray Music Madison Cunningham - Revealer Wilco - Cruel Country Natalia Lafourcade - De Todas las Flores Julian Lage - View with a Room

Vampire Week is here! Plucked from our blog, Julianna tells us about her favorite vampire movies and everything the library has to offer this week. Julianna mentions some of her favorite vampire movies. Here’s a list of them:  Interview with the Vampire Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust The Lost Boys A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night Nosferatu Only Lovers Left Alive Let the Right One In Hotel Transylvania Bram Stoker’s Dracula Let the Right One In Special thanks to fo/mo/deep for lending us their song, "Bourbon Neat" for the podcast! Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at BexleyLibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across social media platforms @bexleylibrary

Owen dives into the history of banning books, reasons books are challenged, and he even recommends his favorite challenged title. Here is a list of all the books Owen mentions: Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini Looking for Alaska by John Green Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Special thanks to fo/mo/deep for lending us their song, "Bourbon Neat" for the podcast! Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at BexleyLibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across social media platforms @bexleylibrary

Pamela Espinosa de los Monteros, Assistant Professor and the Latin American, Iberian, and Latino/a Studies Librarian at The OSU University Libraries, and Patti Vocal, The OSU Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) Outreach Coordinator, discuss the importance of bringing authentic Latinx and Latin American stories into K-12 classrooms through children's literature. Pamela and Patti talk to us about the CLAS BookBox project and share tips on how we can all celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month which is celebrated annually from September 15 - October 15. Discover more Hispanic Heritage Month resources here. Special thanks to fo/mo/deep for lending us their song, "Bourbon Neat" for the podcast! Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across social media platforms @bexleylibrary

Jack Marchbanks sits down with Dionne Custer Edwards, Scott Woods, and Is Said for a discussion about Black poetry using James Weldon Johnson's groundbreaking anthology The Book of American Negro Poetry as a springboard. Dionne Custer Edwards is a writer, educator, and the Director of Learning & Public Practice at the Wexner Center for the Arts, Scott Woods is a poet, writer, and the founder and director of the performing arts organization Streetlight Guild, and Columbus poetry legend Is Said, has received the King Arts Complex Legends & Legacies Award and was inducted into the Lincoln Theater Hall of Fame.  This program is generously funded by Jack Marchbanks and The Kridler Family Fund at The Columbus Foundation. Special thanks to fo/mo/deep for lending us their song, "Bourbon Neat" for the podcast! Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across platforms @bexleylibrary

Ohio State University Eastern European experts, Theodora Dragostinova, Marianna Klochko, and Mykyta Tyshchenko, to try and make sense of the evolving crisis in Ukraine following the Russian invasion. The panel discussed the history and progression of the conflict, the ensuing humanitarian crisis, and the international repercussions of the events. Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across platforms @bexleylibrary

The best of 2021!   Special thanks to fo/mo/deep for lending us their song, "Bourbon Neat" for the podcast! Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across platforms @bexleylibrary   Here is the list of highlighted items from the BPL staff: Books American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears by Farah Stockman Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide by Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead The Guncle by Stephen Rowley The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois By Honorée Fanonne Jeffers Youth/Teen Books Woodland Dance by Sandra Boynton B is for Bison! by Greg Paprocki  Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty Every Little Kindness by Marta Bartolj  Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham  Dog Man: Mothering Heights by Dav Pilkey Max and the Midnights by Lincoln Peirce Super Sidekicks by Gavin Than Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters, by Chris and Laura Samnee Lotería by Karla Arenas Valenti Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori Lee Tristan Strong Keeps Punching by Kwame Mbalia Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds The Infinite by Patience Agbabi Don’t Breathe a Word by Jordyn Taylor The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzie Lee Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer Movies Loki Falcon and the Winter Soldier Wandavision Black Widow Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Eternals Jungle Cruise Cruella Suicide Squad Godzilla vs Kong Army of the Dead Red Notice The Harder They Fall Malignant Quiet Place Part Two Candyman Halloween Kills Luca  Mitchells vs The Machines Space Jam: A New Legacy No Time To Die Roadrunner Judas and the Black Messiah Minari Cry Macho Dune Green Knight Music Moontype - Bodies of Water Sarah Jaroz - Blue Heron Suite Genesis Owusu - Smiling with No Teeth Aaron Frazer - Introducing…

New York Times best seller, Natalie D Richards, sat down with Josh to talk about Five Total Strangers becoming a Big Library Read, her book Seven Dirty Secrets coming out this month, and the inspiration for her writing. Visit her website, instagram, and twitter for up-to-date information about her work. Special thanks to fo/mo/deep for lending us their song, "Bourbon Neat" for the podcast! Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across platforms @bexleylibrary

Kristopher and Gretchen Armstrong sit down with Josh to talk about their literary journal Tomorrow and Tomorrow, how it highlights artists from Bexley, the importance of mixtapes, and ghost stories that are too unsettling for the campfire.  Join writers and artists highlighted in Tomorrow and Tomorrow's "Ghosts" issue at Austen & Company (or virtually!) on November 4th for an evening of readings and conversation! Special thanks to fo/mo/deep for lending us their song, "Bourbon Neat" for the podcast! Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across platforms @bexleylibrary

LC Johnson, founder and CEO of Zora's House, shares her journey from the dream (literally!) of a co-working-community-space for women of color in Columbus to the bright future ahead for Zora's House. LC talks about how she, with the support of community, made it through one of the most challenging and uncertain times of her life.    Follow Zora's House across platforms @zorashouse614 and at https://zorashouse.com/ Follow LC Johnson @no1doesitlikeLC Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.orgFollow Bexley Public Library across platforms @bexleylibrary

Ron Holmes of fo/mo/deep talked to Josh about the ever-evolving sound of the band, expressing emotion instrumentally, and the beauty of 70s music. They listen to the songs "Bourbon Neat" and "Maple St" from their latest record Syzygy. Visit their website, instagram, and facebook for up-to-date information about the band.   Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across platforms @bexleylibrary

Seth Alexander and Frankie Wantuch of the Largemouth Brass Band sat down with Josh to talk about traditional New Orleans Jazz, working in a band with eight members, and deep listening. They listen to the songs "Night Lightning" and "Taracula" from their latest record Repilot. Visit their website, instagram, and facebook for up-to-date information about the band. Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across platforms @bexleylibrary

Dave and Leanna Buker, of Dave Buker and the Historians, talk with Josh about the evolution of their band, what makes a good cover song, and Ringo's biggest strength as a Beatle. They listen to the songs "It Moves in the Dark" and "Joanna" from their latest record, It Moves in the Dark.   Visit www.davebukerhistorians.com for up-to-date information about the band and follow them on their social media platforms at the handles below: facebook: @davebukerhistorians instagram: @dbukerhistorians twitter: @davebukermusic Check out Dave's podcast, Hour of Our Time Podcast, too!   Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across platforms @bexleylibrary

Grace Ellis, a New York Times-bestselling comic book writer of The Lumberjanes, Moonstruck, Batwoman, and more, talks with Leann about writing comics for and featuring girls, how living in Ohio influences her work (she's not moving to LA), and her upcoming first foray into writing a graphic novel for adults. The Babysitter's Club also gets a special mention.    ----more---- Follow Grace Ellis across platforms @gracecellis on Twitter and check out her website: http://www.ohheygraceellis.com/   Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.org   Follow Bexley Public Library across platforms @bexleylibrary

Pulitzer Prize Winner Connie Schultz joins Leann for a discussion of her work as a journalist and columnist for over twenty years, the transition to fiction writing, and what it's like to be a living Ohio icon. After this episode the BPL Podcast will be on a brief hiatus for the summer! Join the BPL Virtual Book Club in discussing Connie Schultz's The Daughters of Erietown (out in paperback now) on Wednesday, July 7, 2021. https://bexley.libnet.info/event/5102269 ----more---- Follow Connie Schultz across platforms @connieschultz on Twitter and @schultz_connie on Instagram. Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across platforms @bexleylibrary

Tisa Watts, the founder of the Columbus Garden School and Master Gardener with over 20 years of experience in landscaping and horticulture, talks to Leann about moving back to Ohio to start a gardening school, native plants, her passion for teaching others, and shares tips for gardeners of any skill level. ----more---- Learn more about Tisa Watts and the Columbus Garden School at https://www.columbusgardenschool.com/ Follow CSG on Facebook. Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across platforms @bexleylibrary

Columbus poet Barbara Fant discusses her current work with the Harmony Project, Transit Arts, and Paging Columbus, as well as her experience on the slam poetry scene and the role faith plays in her writing. ----more---- Learn more about Barbara at https://www.barbarafant.com/ Follow Barbara on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram Be sure to check out Barbara at MTSO's The Art of Justice event on April 30th, 2021. Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across platforms @bexleylibrary  

Prolific journalist and bestselling author Susan Orlean joins Jeff and Leann for a special podcast episode in anticipation of her upcoming Bexley Community Author Series virtual event on April 27th, 2021. Orlean discusses how her unpretentious Midwestern roots shaped her as a writer (she’s from Ohio!) and then dives deep on her inspirations for The Library Book & The Orchid Thief. Plus, she talks about her new book, On Animals, due to be released in Fall 2021. ----more---- Register for the 2021 Bexley Community Author Series Virtual Event with Susan Orlean on April 27th at 7pm here: https://bexley.libnet.info/event/4903433 Find out about upcoming Bexley Public Library events at https://www.bexleylibrary.org Follow Bexley Public Library across platforms @bexleylibrary  

Sharon Udoh discusses her work as Enrollment Coordinator at the Arts & College Preparatory Academy, a model charter school combining academics and interdisciplinary arts instruction in Columbus. Sharon talks about the importance of diversity in education, creating support systems for first-generation Americans, and accepting the experiences and narratives of students. We also discuss her collaboration with Chamber Brews (led by recent BPL Podcast guest Devin Copfer) to create Udoh's original composition, Dig. ----more---- Learn more about the Arts & College Preparatory Academy at https://artcollegeprep.org/ Find Sharon Udoh's work as Counterfeit Madison at https://counterfeitmadison.com/ View Chamber Brews performing Dig and other original compositions at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3956905920998011