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Jason Diamond reads an excerpt from "The Sprawl", with sound design and music composition from Xander Marsden.Jason Diamond is the founder of the website Vol. 1 Brooklyn and has worked as Editor and Writer at outlets such as Flavorwire, Men's Journal, Rolling Stone, and Insidehook.com. He's written for the New York Times, Outside, The Paris Review, Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, The Wall Street journal, New Republic, Vice, Tablet, The Awl, Pitchfork, McSweeney's, NPR, and more. His memoir Searching for John Hughes was published in 2016. The Sprawl is his second book.Xander Marsden is a singer and songwriter living in LA. He is 15 years old.This episode is brought to you by:Great Courses Plus is the premier video-on-demand service for lifelong learners. Storybound listeners get a month of unlimited access for free by going to thegreatcoursesplus.com/storybound.Betterhelp is a platform that provides affordable, private online counseling anywhere, anytime. Storybound listeners get 10% off your first month by going to betterhelp.com/sb.Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Noé Álvarez reads an excerpt from "Spirit Run", with sound design and music composition from Daniel Frankhuizen of Locator.Noé Álvarez was born to Mexican immigrant parents and raised working-class in Yakima, Washington, which are both topics covered in detail in his book, which – btw – is a debut. And some debut it was, garnering a Starred Review in Publisher's Weekly and an Editor's Choice Selection from the New York Times. This is one of those rare stories that skirt the edge of travel, adventure, outdoors, family memoir, and spiritual. Locator is the solo project of cellist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Frankhuizen. By putting the cello in the driver seat melodically, texturally, and emotionally, Locator cuts out a unique path between contemporary classical and electronic minimalism.This episode is brought to you by:WW Norton, the publisher of Lydia Millet's A Children's Bible, which was named a Top 10 Book of 2020 by the New York Times. Betterhelp is a platform that provides affordable, private online counseling anywhere, anytime. Storybound listeners get 10% off your first month by going to betterhelp.com/sb.Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Lisicky reads an excerpt from "Later: My Life at the Edge of the World", with sound design and music composition from Jordan Warmack.Paul is the author of five books. He has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment of the Arts, and he teaches in the MFA program at Rutgers University-Camden. Paul's work has been praised everywhere from the New York Times and Slate to the Los Angeles Times and the Boston Globe. Jordan Warmack is a member of Whiston and Warmack.This episode is brought to you by:WW Norton, the publisher of Lydia Millet's A Children's Bible, which was named a Top 10 Book of 2020 by the New York Times. Betterhelp is a platform that provides affordable, private online counseling anywhere, anytime. Storybound listeners get 10% off your first month by going to betterhelp.com/sb.Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlie Jane Anders reads an excerpt from "Victories Greater Than Death", with sound design and music composition from Oginalii.Charlie Jane Anders is the author of Victories Greater Than Death, the first book in a new young-adult trilogy coming in April 2021, along with the forthcoming short story collection Even Greater Mistakes. Her other books include The City in the Middle of the Night and All the Birds in the Sky. Her fiction and journalism have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Slate, McSweeney's, Mother Jones, the Boston Review, Tor.com, Tin House, Conjunctions, Wired Magazine, and other places.Oginalii is comprised of Emma Hoeflinger, Ryan Quarles, Simon Knudtson, and Emma Lambiase. Together, they create a sound that can’t be pinned down; sludgy-psyche-rock meets technical talent that surpasses initial expectations.This episode is brought to you by:WW Norton, the publisher of Lydia Millet's A Children's Bible, which was named a Top 10 Book of 2020 by the New York Times. Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andy Greenberg reads an excerpt from his book "Sandworm", with sound design and music composition from Locator.Andy Greenberg is a senior writer for WIRED, covering security, privacy, and information freedom. He’s the author of the book Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin’s Most Dangerous Hackers. The book and excerpts from it published in WIRED won a Gerald Loeb Award for International Reporting, a Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Cornelius Ryan Citation for Excellence from the Overseas Press Club. Locator is the solo project of cellist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Frankhuizen. By putting the cello in the driver seat melodically, texturally, and emotionally, Locator cuts out a unique path between contemporary classical and electronic minimalism.This episode is brought to you by:WW Norton, the publisher of Lydia Millet's A Children's Bible, which was named a Top 10 Book of 2020 by the New York Times. Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madhuri Vijay reads an excerpt from her novel "The Far Field", with sound design and music composition from French Cassettes.Madhuri Vijay was born and raised in Bangalore. She is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize, and her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Best American Non-Required Reading, Narrative Magazine, and Elle India, among many other publications. The Far Field is her first book, and won the second JCB Prize for Literature, India’s most prestigious literary award. French Cassettes are a harmony driven power pop rock quartet out of the Bay Area. Their new album, Rolodex, is just out and can be found at fullfrenchy.com. This episode samples their song, Utah. This episode is brought to you by Chanel. A visionary woman who's influence on the arts continues even today, Gabrielle Chanel created her life and her legend on her own terms. Discover her story at insidechanel.com.Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Junot Díaz reads his short story "Aurora", with sound design and music composition from Y La Bamba.Junot Díaz was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New Jersey. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Drown; The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award; and This Is How You Lose Her, a New York Times bestseller and National Book Award finalist. He is the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, PEN/Malamud Award, Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Guggenheim Fellowship, and PEN/O. Henry Award. A graduate of Rutgers College, Díaz is currently the fiction editor at Boston Review and the Rudge and Nancy Allen Professor of Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the cofounder of Voices of Our Nation Workshop.Y La Bamba has been many things, but at the heart of it is singer-songwriter Luz Elena Mendoza’s inquisitive sense of self. Their fifth record, Mujeres, carries on the Portland-based band’s affinity for spiritual contemplation, but goes a step further in telling a story with a full emotional spectrum. Coming off Ojos Del Sol, one of NPR’s Top 50 Albums of 2016, Mujeres exhibits the scope of Mendoza’s artistic voice like never before. “Soy como soy,” Mendoza says, and that declaration is the bold— even political— statement that positions Mujeres to be Y La Bamba’s most unbridled offering yet.This episode is brought to you by:Acorn TV. Try Acorn TV free for 30 days, by going to Acorn.TV and using promo code "STORYBOUND" to get your first 30 days for free,Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Storybound is a radio theater program designed for the podcast age. Hosted by Jude Brewer and with original music composed for each episode, the podcast features the voices of today’s top literary icons reading their essays, poems, and fiction. Brought to you by Lit Hub Radio and The Podglomerate. Season 3 will begin publishing next Tuesday, December 8th.Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/shows/storybound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ruth Reichl reads a selection of Letters to the Editor from Thanksgiving issues of Gourmet Magazine, with sound design and music composition from Tim Karplus.Ruth Reichl was Editor in Chief of Gourmet Magazine from 1999 to 2009. Before that she was the restaurant critic of both The New York Times (1993-1999) and the Los Angeles Times (1984-1993), where she was also named food editor. As co-owner of The Swallow Restaurant from 1974 to 1977, she played a part in the culinary revolution that took place in Berkeley, California. In the years that followed, she served as restaurant critic for New West and California magazines. She has authored the critically acclaimed, best-selling memoirs Tender at the Bone, Comfort Me with Apples, Garlic and Sapphires, and For You Mom, Finally, which have been translated into 18 languages. In 2014 she published her first novel: Delicious! Ms. Reichl has been honored with 6 James Beard Awards.Tim Karplus has been working as a professional musical jack-of-all-trades in Portland, Oregon for the last 9 years. When he's not playing guitar, bass, drums or keyboards with noted Portland acts such as Haley Johnsen, The Weather Machine, and Anna Tivel, Tim can be found teaching music lessons, writing songs, and producing recordings at various studios in the greater Portland area. Currently, Tim is working on a solo record while sound-mixing for the Storybound podcast.This episode is brought to you by Chanel. A visionary woman who's influence on the arts continues even today, Gabrielle Chanel created her life and her legend on her own terms. Discover her story at insidechanel.com.Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephanie Danler reads a second excerpt from her memoir "Stray" (the first can be found here) with sound design and music composition from Tim Karplus.Stephanie Danler is a novelist, memoirist, and screenwriter. Her memoir, Stray, was just published by Knopf on May 5, 2020. She is the author of the international bestseller, Sweetbitter, and the creator and executive producer of the Sweetbitter series on Starz. Her work has appeared in the Sewanee Review, Vogue, The New York Times Book Review, and The Paris Review Daily. Her nonfiction received an Honorable Mention in Best American Essays 2018, and her criticism won the 2019 Robert B. Heilman award from the Sewanee Review. She is based in Los Angeles, California.Tim Karplus has been working as a professional musical jack-of-all-trades in Portland, Oregon for the last 9 years. When he's not playing guitar, bass, drums or keyboards with noted Portland acts such as Haley Johnsen, The Weather Machine, and Anna Tivel, Tim can be found teaching music lessons, writing songs, and producing recordings at various studios in the greater Portland area. Currently, Tim is working on a solo record while sound-mixing for the Storybound podcast.This episode is brought to you by:Audible. Visit Audible.com/Storybound or text Storybound to "500-500" for a free audiobook.Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back with another bonus episode this week, this time featuring Jacke Wilson's excellent The History of Literature podcast. This is the show for anyone who loved English class – twice a week Jacke discusses a topic, book, or author that has made a name for themselves in literary canon and dissects it like a Wikipedia page mixed with your favorite professor. With empathy and intelligence, the history of literature podcast devotes episodes to everything from the life and works of giants like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky to light-hearted topics like the best of the bard and overrated, the books you don't need to read. In this bonus episode, Jacke takes a look at the astonishing story of Alexandrew Dumas, author The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, whose own father (who was born into slavery before becoming a four-star general in Napoleon's army) led a life as adventurous as any fictional character.If you enjoy this episode, look up the History of Literature podcast wherever you listen to podcasts and hit subscribe. With more than 250 episodes, you're bound to find some topics of interest. Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We hope you're enjoying Storybound so far, because we have a lot more wonderful episodes to share with you in the coming weeks and months. We're going to be taking a couple weeks off as we prepare for season 3, but we didn't want to leave your podcast feeds empty. Our friends at the Israel Story podcast have created a wonderful audio story from Israeli writer Etgar Keret, and we wanted to share it with you.Their regular programming was disrupted due to COVID, so they began recording stories of everyday Israeli's during the pandemic and released them in a beautiful and just complete mini series called Alone Together. To celebrate this, we've asked them if we could run a special episode from the series, and they've graciously agreed. Enjoy, and subscribe to Israel Story today at this link.Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We hope you're enjoying Storybound so far, because we have a lot more wonderful episodes to share with you in the coming weeks and months. We're going to be taking a couple weeks off as we prepare for season 3, but we didn't want to leave your podcast feeds empty. Our friends at Pushkin Industries produce another podcast called The Chronicles of Now, hosted by Ashley C. Ford, and we wanted to share it with you.Short fiction torn from today’s headlines. Each week, our favorite authors write an original story inspired by the news. Featuring Curtis Sittenfeld, Roxane Gay, Colum McCann, Carmen Maria Machado and more. Because in a world gone haywire, sometimes art is the only thing to make sense of it all. Subscribe today by clicking this link.This episode is brought to you by:W.W. Norton, publisher of Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane. Get you copy wherever books are sold, now available in paperback.Audible. Visit Audible.com/Storybound or text Storybound to "500-500" for a free audiobook.Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil Klay reads an excerpt from his forthcoming novel "Missionaries," with sound design and music composition from Tim Karplus. .Phil Klay is a veteran of the US Marine Corps. His short story collection Redeployment won the 2014 National Book Award for Fiction. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and elsewhere. He currently teaches fiction at Fairfield University.Tim Karplus has been working as a professional musical jack-of-all-trades in Portland, Oregon for the last 9 years. When he's not playing guitar, bass, drums or keyboards with noted Portland acts such as Haley Johnsen, The Weather Machine, and Anna Tivel, Tim can be found teaching music lessons, writing songs, and producing recordings at various studios in the greater Portland area. Currently, Tim is working on a solo record while sound-mixing for the Storybound podcast.This episode is brought to you by:W.W. Norton, publisher of Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane. Get you copy wherever books are sold, now available in paperback.Audible. Visit Audible.com/Storybound or text Storybound to "500-500" for a free audiobook.Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yaa Gyasi reads an excerpt from her novel "Transcendent Kingdom," with sound design and music composition from Tim Karplus. .Yaa Gyasi was born in Ghana and raised in Huntsville, Alabama. Her debut novel, Homegoing, was awarded the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Award for best first book, the PEN/Hemingway Award for a first book of fiction, the National Book Foundation’s “5 under 35” honors for 2016, and the American Book Award. She lives in Brooklyn. Tim Karplus has been working as a professional musical jack-of-all-trades in Portland, Oregon for the last 9 years. When he's not playing guitar, bass, drums or keyboards with noted Portland acts such as Haley Johnsen, The Weather Machine, and Anna Tivel, Tim can be found teaching music lessons, writing songs, and producing recordings at various studios in the greater Portland area. Currently, Tim is working on a solo record while sound-mixing for the Storybound podcast.This episode is brought to you by:W.W. Norton, publisher of Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane. Get you copy wherever books are sold, now available in paperback.Audible. Visit Audible.com/Storybound or text Storybound to "500-500" for a free audiobook.Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yaa Gyasi reads an excerpt from her novel "Transcendent Kingdom," with sound design and music composition from Tim Karplus. .Yaa Gyasi was born in Ghana and raised in Huntsville, Alabama. Her debut novel, Homegoing, was awarded the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Award for best first book, the PEN/Hemingway Award for a first book of fiction, the National Book Foundation’s “5 under 35” honors for 2016, and the American Book Award. She lives in Brooklyn. Tim Karplus has been working as a professional musical jack-of-all-trades in Portland, Oregon for the last 9 years. When he's not playing guitar, bass, drums or keyboards with noted Portland acts such as Haley Johnsen, The Weather Machine, and Anna Tivel, Tim can be found teaching music lessons, writing songs, and producing recordings at various studios in the greater Portland area. Currently, Tim is working on a solo record while sound-mixing for the Storybound podcast.This episode is brought to you by:W.W. Norton, publisher of Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane. Get you copy wherever books are sold, now available in paperback.Audible. Visit Audible.com/Storybound or text Storybound to "500-500" for a free audiobook.Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yaa Gyasi reads an excerpt from her novel "Transcendent Kingdom," with sound design and music composition from Tim Karplus. .Yaa Gyasi was born in Ghana and raised in Huntsville, Alabama. Her debut novel, Homegoing, was awarded the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Award for best first book, the PEN/Hemingway Award for a first book of fiction, the National Book Foundation’s “5 under 35” honors for 2016, and the American Book Award. She lives in Brooklyn. Tim Karplus has been working as a professional musical jack-of-all-trades in Portland, Oregon for the last 9 years. When he's not playing guitar, bass, drums or keyboards with noted Portland acts such as Haley Johnsen, The Weather Machine, and Anna Tivel, Tim can be found teaching music lessons, writing songs, and producing recordings at various studios in the greater Portland area. Currently, Tim is working on a solo record while sound-mixing for the Storybound podcast.This episode is brought to you by:W.W. Norton, publisher of Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane. Get you copy wherever books are sold, now available in paperback.Audible. Visit Audible.com/Storybound or text Storybound to "500-500" for a free audiobook.Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda Stern reads an excerpt from her memoir "Little Panic," with sound design and music composition from Haley Lynn.Amanda Stern is the host of the Bookable podcast and the founder of the popular literary event series Happy Ending at Joe’s Pub in New York City, Stern is also a writer. Happy Ending ran for more than a decade and was selected as New York’s best book-related series by New York Magazine, The Village Voice and NY Press. The New York Times Magazine singled out Stern as a force keeping “downtown New York alive.”With a voice that silences every crowd and lyrics that cut you in two, Hayley Lynn has gained momentum as one of Portland's top singer-songwriters. Hayley's sound echoes the work of Ani Difranco with the bite and grit of Elle King and Fiona Apple.  She's written over 200 songs and released her first debut EP 'Hypnotize' in 2016. This episode is brought to you by:W.W. Norton, publisher of Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane. Get you copy wherever books are sold, now available in paperback.Audible. Visit Audible.com/Storybound or text Storybound to "500-500" for a free audiobook.Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Megan Angelo reads an excerpt from "Followers," with sound design and music composition from Tim Karplus.Megan Angelo has written about television, film, women and pop culture, and motherhood for publications including The New York Times (where she helped launch city comedy coverage), Glamour (where she was a contributing editor and wrote a column on women and television), Elle, The Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire, and Slate. She is a native of Quakertown, Pennsylvania and a graduate of Villanova University. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her family. FOLLOWERS is her first novel. Tim Karplus has been working as a professional musical jack-of-all-trades in Portland, Oregon for the last 9 years. When he's not playing guitar, bass, drums or keyboards with noted Portland acts such as Haley Johnsen, The Weather Machine, and Anna Tivel, Tim can be found teaching music lessons, writing songs, and producing recordings at various studios in the greater Portland area. Currently, Tim is working on a solo record while sound-mixing for the Storybound podcast.This episode is brought to you by:W.W. Norton, publisher of Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane. Get you copy wherever books are sold, now available in paperback.Audible. Visit Audible.com/Storybound or text Storybound to "500-500" for a free audiobook.Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Garth Greenwell reads an excerpt from "Cleanness," with sound design and music composition from Ryan Dann of Holland Patent Public Library.Garth Greenwell is the author of What Belongs to You, which won the British Book Award for Debut of the Year, was longlisted for the National Book Award, and was a finalist for several other prizes, including the PEN/Faulkner Award and the LA Times Book Prize. His new book of fiction, Cleanness, was published in January and has been named a Best Book of 2020 so far by Time, Esquire, Entertainment Weekly, and the BBC. A 2020 Guggenheim Fellow, he lives in Iowa City. Ryan Dann is a sound designer and composer based in Brooklyn, New York. His resume ranges from festival circuit short films like The Music Lesson to composing all the original music for Joe Pera Talks With You, a comedy on Adult Swim, and producing podcasts through the Podglomerate network. He recently won the Brave+Bold Award at the Sarah Awards and has been in the process of pitching an original audio drama to Audible. Sandwiched in between these projects, he’s been working on a second album for his personal music project, Holland Patent Public Library.This episode is brought to you by:W.W. Norton, publisher of Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane. Get you copy wherever books are sold, now available in paperback.Catapult, publisher of What Happens at Night by Peter Cameron. Get your copy wherever books are sold.Farrar, Straus and Giroux, publisher of Luster by Raven Leilani. Get your copy wherever books are sold.Raycon. Get 15-percent off your order of Raycon earbuds at buyraycon.com/storybound.Audible. Visit Audible.com/Storybound or text Storybound to "500-500" for a free audiobook.Storybound is hosted by Jude Brewer and brought to you by The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Let us know what you think of the show on Instagram and Twitter @storyboundpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices