WORD ON WORDS, A


#101 - The It Girl - Ruth Ware

John Neville, the man convicted of killing April, Hannah Jones’ college roommate, has died in prison. John's death causes Hannah to admit some doubts that she has always had about his conviction. She is forced to ask herself if John Neville didn't kill April, who did? Ruth Ware speaks with J.T. Ellison about her book, THE IT GIRL.

#102 - The Quiet Before - Gal Beckerman

Chosen as one of the 100 Notable Books of 2022 by The New York Times Book Review, Gal Beckerman’s “The Quiet Before” examines the small moments that led to larger political and cultural revolutions. Beckerman looks at how the tools of communication are used to help create change and foster a space where people can engage with one another, imagine, debate, and begin to think up new ideas.

#103 - I Came All This Way to Meet You - Jami Attenberg

“... community is so important. You want someone who can tell you the truth about your work and about your attitude.” Jami Attenberg discusses her book I CAME ALL THIS WAY TO MEET YOU with host Jeremy Finley on NPT's A Word on Words.

#104 - The Kingdoms of Savannah - George Dawes Green

George Dawes Green, author and founder of The Moth and Unchained, discusses his book THE KINGDOMS OF SAVANNAH with host Jeremy Finley on NPT's A WORD ON WORDS. Set in Savannah, Georgia, the book is a mystery about a widow who inherits a detective agency from her husband.

#105 - Lark Ascending - Silas House

“There's necessary violence and necessary darkness. I'm aiming for that hope and that light. To make the reader properly appreciate that hope and light, and crave it, I gotta take them through darkness.” In LARK ASCENDING, Silas House imagines a future that shows the inhumanity and misery this age is in danger of reaching. It is alarming, but in House's hands it is also beautiful and fascinating.

#106 - The Cartographers - Peng Shepherd

“I couldn't stop thinking about what more could happen with that error, that secret, what if it became real?” Author Peng Shepherd imagines a young woman’s journey to discover the secrets of a strange map. Shepherd talks with host J.T. Ellison about her book, THE CARTOGRAPHERS.

#107 - Diary of a Misfit - Casey Parks

“It can be really hard to be yourself in the world, but it can feel worse to be someone that you’re not.” Casey Parks talks with J.T. Ellison about DIARY OF A MISFIT. Heartbreaking and poignant, Parks’ journey to find her grandmother’s friend Roy, a woman who lived as a man, examines a host of issues from opioid addiction and poverty to religion, gender identity, and sexuality.

#108 - Dirtbag, Massachusetts - Isaac Fitzgerald

“It's the things that you don't want to write about. The things that seem a little too hard to look at. That is where I often find the best material is going to be.” Author Isaac Fitzgerald talks with host Jeremy Finley about DIRTBAG, MASSACHUSETTS. This memoir is a captivating look at Fitzgerald’s transgressions, and how those sins make us who we are.

#109 - Memphis - Tara M. Stringfellow

“My dad started reading this poem. I was three. I stopped him. I said, ‘Start over.’ Like, what is this? This is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard in my life! And so we started over, and I stopped him again. I said, ‘I will be a poet. This is for me.’” Tara M. Stringfellow talks with J.T. Ellison about her novel MEMPHIS.

#110 - The Speckled Beauty - Rick Bragg

Acclaimed author Rick Bragg joins host Jeremy Finley for a discussion of "The Speckled Beauty," a book about life with a less-than-perfect canine. Delve into the captivating world of Bragg's memoir-meets-nature writing, where he beautifully intertwines the Southern landscape and human connection to nature and animals. It's a conversation that is both hilarious and inspiring.

#111 - When We Had Wings - Lawhon, McMorris, and Meissner

“They continued to nurse people in the most terrible of conditions and they never lost their resolve or their resiliency.” Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner discuss their historical novel WHEN WE HAD WINGS with host J.T. ELLISON. The bookl is an interwoven tale about a trio of World War II nurses stationed in the South Pacific who go from a dream assignment to war overnight.

#112 - The Devil Takes You Home - Gabino Iglesias

Noir writer Gabino Iglesias talks with host Jeremy Finley about his book THE DEVIL TAKES YOU HOME. Filled with suspense, dark humor, and profound insights into the human condition, THE DEVIL TAKES YOU HOME is a raw and unflinching exploration of the lengths people will go to survive and the consequences that await them.

#113 - We Are the Light - Matthew Quick

Author Matthew Quick talks with host J.T. Ellison about WE ARE THE LIGHT, a novel exploring the complexities of human connection and self-discovery. Quick delves into themes of acceptance, forgiveness, and the transformative power of friendship. With a blend of empathy and wit, Quick’s narrative highlights the resilience of the human spirit and the existence of hope even in the darkest moments.

#114 - The Other Year - Rea Frey

Kate Baker’s beach vacation turns into a heart-stopping ordeal when her daughter Olivia disappears in the water. Rea Frey's THE OTHER YEAR explores parallel timelines: one where Olivia survives and Kate faces the challenges of motherhood, and another where Olivia tragically dies, forcing Kate to navigate grief and anger. It's a gripping tale of love, loss, and the unpredictable twists of life.