The Avid Reader Show

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Today our guest is Matt Young, author of Eat The Apple, published in February by Bloomsbury. I have interviewed so many people from the Clegg agency and have interviewed Bill himself. He is an amazing agent. [insert books?] Eat The Apple is not a novel and it is not a diary and it is not a standard narrative of war or of being a soldier. It is not stream of consciousness nor is it a dialogue on war. It’s more a reliving of a time. A time of Marine training, of three deployments to Iraq, a kind of a dream, a diagram, sometimes in the first person, sometimes in the second, sometimes a picture of Matt’s body and a self-diagnosis of pain, physical and psychic. Sometimes comically. Whatever it may be, or what you feel it may be, it won’t easily be forgotten.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Today our guest is Matt Young, author of Eat The Apple, published in February by Bloomsbury. I have interviewed so many people from the Clegg agency and have interviewed Bill himself. He is an amazing agent. [insert books?] Eat The Apple is not a novel and it is not a diary and it is not a standard narrative of war or of being a soldier. It is not stream of consciousness nor is it a dialogue on war. It’s more a reliving of a time. A time of Marine training, of three deployments to Iraq, a kind of a dream, a diagram, sometimes in the first person, sometimes in the second, sometimes a picture of Matt’s body and a self-diagnosis of pain, physical and psychic. Sometimes comically. Whatever it may be, or what you feel it may be, it won’t easily be forgotten.

Good afternoon and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Our guest today is Gregory Pardlo, author of Air Traffic: A Memoir of Ambition and Manhood in America just published on April 10th by Knopf. Gregory, before his incarnation as an author and memoir-ist wrote, and still writes, poetry. In 2015 Gregory won the Pulitzer Prize for his collection Digest. He has also held fellowships with the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. His first poetry collection was Totem. Air Traffic is a memoir of a brilliant and charismatic father, Gregory’s and his ride and fall. In part because of that fall Gregory joins the Marines, travels across the world, returns to the States and gets a job at his family’s jazz club. The memoir follows Gregory as he creates a life for himself that includes his family but isn’t defined by it. He also recovers from alcoholism and attempts to save his brother Robbie from the same fate. Although Gregory describes many failures in his life that he regrets, he also shares the learning process that has evolved from those. A lot of the story centers around the Delaware Valley, where you my listeners sit right now, so that will help ease you into the narrative and bring back familiar places and times. And oh by the way, Gregory will be speaking at the Free Library downtown tomorrow April 24th at 7:30 PM. So visit the site now for the Library and get tickets if you haven’t done so already.

Good afternoon and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Our guest today is Gregory Pardlo, author of Air Traffic: A Memoir of Ambition and Manhood in America just published on April 10th by Knopf. Gregory, before his incarnation as an author and memoir-ist wrote, and still writes, poetry. In 2015 Gregory won the Pulitzer Prize for his collection Digest. He has also held fellowships with the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. His first poetry collection was Totem. Air Traffic is a memoir of a brilliant and charismatic father, Gregory’s and his ride and fall. In part because of that fall Gregory joins the Marines, travels across the world, returns to the States and gets a job at his family’s jazz club. The memoir follows Gregory as he creates a life for himself that includes his family but isn’t defined by it. He also recovers from alcoholism and attempts to save his brother Robbie from the same fate. Although Gregory describes many failures in his life that he regrets, he also shares the learning process that has evolved from those. A lot of the story centers around the Delaware Valley, where you my listeners sit right now, so that will help ease you into the narrative and bring back familiar places and times. And oh by the way, Gregory will be speaking at the Free Library downtown tomorrow April 24th at 7:30 PM. So visit the site now for the Library and get tickets if you haven’t done so already.

Good afternoon and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Our guest today is Gregory Pardlo, author of Air Traffic: A Memoir of Ambition and Manhood in America just published on April 10th by Knopf. Gregory, before his incarnation as an author and memoir-ist wrote, and still writes, poetry. In 2015 Gregory won the Pulitzer Prize for his collection Digest. He has also held fellowships with the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. His first poetry collection was Totem. Air Traffic is a memoir of a brilliant and charismatic father, Gregory’s and his ride and fall. In part because of that fall Gregory joins the Marines, travels across the world, returns to the States and gets a job at his family’s jazz club. The memoir follows Gregory as he creates a life for himself that includes his family but isn’t defined by it. He also recovers from alcoholism and attempts to save his brother Robbie from the same fate. Although Gregory describes many failures in his life that he regrets, he also shares the learning process that has evolved from those. A lot of the story centers around the Delaware Valley, where you my listeners sit right now, so that will help ease you into the narrative and bring back familiar places and times. And oh by the way, Gregory will be speaking at the Free Library downtown tomorrow April 24th at 7:30 PM. So visit the site now for the Library and get tickets if you haven’t done so already.

Good afternoon and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Our guest today is Gregory Pardlo, author of Air Traffic: A Memoir of Ambition and Manhood in America just published on April 10th by Knopf. Gregory, before his incarnation as an author and memoir-ist wrote, and still writes, poetry. In 2015 Gregory won the Pulitzer Prize for his collection Digest. He has also held fellowships with the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. His first poetry collection was Totem. Air Traffic is a memoir of a brilliant and charismatic father, Gregory’s and his ride and fall. In part because of that fall Gregory joins the Marines, travels across the world, returns to the States and gets a job at his family’s jazz club. The memoir follows Gregory as he creates a life for himself that includes his family but isn’t defined by it. He also recovers from alcoholism and attempts to save his brother Robbie from the same fate. Although Gregory describes many failures in his life that he regrets, he also shares the learning process that has evolved from those. A lot of the story centers around the Delaware Valley, where you my listeners sit right now, so that will help ease you into the narrative and bring back familiar places and times. And oh by the way, Gregory will be speaking at the Free Library downtown tomorrow April 24th at 7:30 PM. So visit the site now for the Library and get tickets if you haven’t done so already.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Today our guest is Christopher Moore, Author of Noir published just last week by William Morrow. Christopher is the author of over fifteen novels including Lamb, A Dirty Job and You Suck. He has been called “A very sick man, in the best sense of the word” and “The greatest satirist since Jonathan Swift”. Noir is a tough book to describe. Our protagonist is Sammy “two-toes” Tiffin a bartender with a past and then a future (hopefully) that contains one Stilton (the cheese) a knock-out blond bombshell whose picture is on the cover and on the title page of alternating chapters. But things don’t go as planned. Sal, the bar’s owner shows up dead, an Air Force General has some urgent business that falls on Sammy’s shoulders. At the same time we have some visitors from Roswell New Mexico, a secret society and Sammy and his pals, a Chinese sidekick, and a nasty but lovable kid and a black Mamba, (a semi-reliable narrator) all of whom join various other “MIB” types and loads of other fiends and friends to complete a roster of characters, who in this Noir book, coupled with the screwball comedy and mixed with the satire that Christopher so often provides us with lead to hijinks in this delightful romp.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Today our guest is Christopher Moore, Author of Noir published just last week by William Morrow. Christopher is the author of over fifteen novels including Lamb, A Dirty Job and You Suck. He has been called “A very sick man, in the best sense of the word” and “The greatest satirist since Jonathan Swift”. Noir is a tough book to describe. Our protagonist is Sammy “two-toes” Tiffin a bartender with a past and then a future (hopefully) that contains one Stilton (the cheese) a knock-out blond bombshell whose picture is on the cover and on the title page of alternating chapters. But things don’t go as planned. Sal, the bar’s owner shows up dead, an Air Force General has some urgent business that falls on Sammy’s shoulders. At the same time we have some visitors from Roswell New Mexico, a secret society and Sammy and his pals, a Chinese sidekick, and a nasty but lovable kid and a black Mamba, (a semi-reliable narrator) all of whom join various other “MIB” types and loads of other fiends and friends to complete a roster of characters, who in this Noir book, coupled with the screwball comedy and mixed with the satire that Christopher so often provides us with lead to hijinks in this delightful romp.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Today our guest is Christopher Moore, Author of Noir published just last week by William Morrow. Christopher is the author of over fifteen novels including Lamb, A Dirty Job and You Suck. He has been called “A very sick man, in the best sense of the word” and “The greatest satirist since Jonathan Swift”. Noir is a tough book to describe. Our protagonist is Sammy “two-toes” Tiffin a bartender with a past and then a future (hopefully) that contains one Stilton (the cheese) a knock-out blond bombshell whose picture is on the cover and on the title page of alternating chapters. But things don’t go as planned. Sal, the bar’s owner shows up dead, an Air Force General has some urgent business that falls on Sammy’s shoulders. At the same time we have some visitors from Roswell New Mexico, a secret society and Sammy and his pals, a Chinese sidekick, and a nasty but lovable kid and a black Mamba, (a semi-reliable narrator) all of whom join various other “MIB” types and loads of other fiends and friends to complete a roster of characters, who in this Noir book, coupled with the screwball comedy and mixed with the satire that Christopher so often provides us with lead to hijinks in this delightful romp.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Today our guest is Christopher Moore, Author of Noir published just last week by William Morrow. Christopher is the author of over fifteen novels including Lamb, A Dirty Job and You Suck. He has been called “A very sick man, in the best sense of the word” and “The greatest satirist since Jonathan Swift”. Noir is a tough book to describe. Our protagonist is Sammy “two-toes” Tiffin a bartender with a past and then a future (hopefully) that contains one Stilton (the cheese) a knock-out blond bombshell whose picture is on the cover and on the title page of alternating chapters. But things don’t go as planned. Sal, the bar’s owner shows up dead, an Air Force General has some urgent business that falls on Sammy’s shoulders. At the same time we have some visitors from Roswell New Mexico, a secret society and Sammy and his pals, a Chinese sidekick, and a nasty but lovable kid and a black Mamba, (a semi-reliable narrator) all of whom join various other “MIB” types and loads of other fiends and friends to complete a roster of characters, who in this Noir book, coupled with the screwball comedy and mixed with the satire that Christopher so often provides us with lead to hijinks in this delightful romp.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Today our guest is Andrew Santella, author of Soon: An Overdue History of Procrastination, from Leonardo and Darwin to You and Me, published by Del Rey books just last month. Andrew has written for GQ, the NYT Book Review, Slate and Atlantic. He probably could have written more. Soon is a book that will resonate with the vast majority of us. Because most of us are procrastinators. I know Andrew is one because he tells us and because he even postponed this interview and I know I am one because I am reading the last page of his book as I give this introduction. The question is why do we not do what we should be doing and do something else instead or just lay in bed. For instance, while getting ready for this interview, I took off some time to read my email, look at my desk calendar and doodle in the margins, get up to get a sparkling water and rearrange my library. I even checked my bank balance and my Vanguard account, much to my dismay. (I wish I hadn’t). I then ordered new checks. Well Andrew brings us a lot of information and more than a little bit of solace regarding our tendency to put off that which should be done. We get lumped in with such great procrastinators like Charles Darwin, Leonardo Da Vinci Frank Lloyd Wright. Many of these guys and women have done great things while they put off that which they had intended to do. We learn about St. Expedite and his shrine in New Orleans, a shine that we have to wait for since it took so long for Mr. Santella to get there. Even St. Augustine gets into the act.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Today our guest is Andrew Santella, author of Soon: An Overdue History of Procrastination, from Leonardo and Darwin to You and Me, published by Del Rey books just last month. Andrew has written for GQ, the NYT Book Review, Slate and Atlantic. He probably could have written more. Soon is a book that will resonate with the vast majority of us. Because most of us are procrastinators. I know Andrew is one because he tells us and because he even postponed this interview and I know I am one because I am reading the last page of his book as I give this introduction. The question is why do we not do what we should be doing and do something else instead or just lay in bed. For instance, while getting ready for this interview, I took off some time to read my email, look at my desk calendar and doodle in the margins, get up to get a sparkling water and rearrange my library. I even checked my bank balance and my Vanguard account, much to my dismay. (I wish I hadn’t). I then ordered new checks. Well Andrew brings us a lot of information and more than a little bit of solace regarding our tendency to put off that which should be done. We get lumped in with such great procrastinators like Charles Darwin, Leonardo Da Vinci Frank Lloyd Wright. Many of these guys and women have done great things while they put off that which they had intended to do. We learn about St. Expedite and his shrine in New Orleans, a shine that we have to wait for since it took so long for Mr. Santella to get there. Even St. Augustine gets into the act.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Today our guest is Andrew Santella, author of Soon: An Overdue History of Procrastination, from Leonardo and Darwin to You and Me, published by Del Rey books just last month. Andrew has written for GQ, the NYT Book Review, Slate and Atlantic. He probably could have written more. Soon is a book that will resonate with the vast majority of us. Because most of us are procrastinators. I know Andrew is one because he tells us and because he even postponed this interview and I know I am one because I am reading the last page of his book as I give this introduction. The question is why do we not do what we should be doing and do something else instead or just lay in bed. For instance, while getting ready for this interview, I took off some time to read my email, look at my desk calendar and doodle in the margins, get up to get a sparkling water and rearrange my library. I even checked my bank balance and my Vanguard account, much to my dismay. (I wish I hadn’t). I then ordered new checks. Well Andrew brings us a lot of information and more than a little bit of solace regarding our tendency to put off that which should be done. We get lumped in with such great procrastinators like Charles Darwin, Leonardo Da Vinci Frank Lloyd Wright. Many of these guys and women have done great things while they put off that which they had intended to do. We learn about St. Expedite and his shrine in New Orleans, a shine that we have to wait for since it took so long for Mr. Santella to get there. Even St. Augustine gets into the act.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Today our guest is Andrew Santella, author of Soon: An Overdue History of Procrastination, from Leonardo and Darwin to You and Me, published by Del Rey books just last month. Andrew has written for GQ, the NYT Book Review, Slate and Atlantic. He probably could have written more. Soon is a book that will resonate with the vast majority of us. Because most of us are procrastinators. I know Andrew is one because he tells us and because he even postponed this interview and I know I am one because I am reading the last page of his book as I give this introduction. The question is why do we not do what we should be doing and do something else instead or just lay in bed. For instance, while getting ready for this interview, I took off some time to read my email, look at my desk calendar and doodle in the margins, get up to get a sparkling water and rearrange my library. I even checked my bank balance and my Vanguard account, much to my dismay. (I wish I hadn’t). I then ordered new checks. Well Andrew brings us a lot of information and more than a little bit of solace regarding our tendency to put off that which should be done. We get lumped in with such great procrastinators like Charles Darwin, Leonardo Da Vinci Frank Lloyd Wright. Many of these guys and women have done great things while they put off that which they had intended to do. We learn about St. Expedite and his shrine in New Orleans, a shine that we have to wait for since it took so long for Mr. Santella to get there. Even St. Augustine gets into the act.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another edition of The Avid Reader. Today our guest is Jody Fields, author of The Winter Station published in January by Little Brown. Jody has Also written The Crimson Portrait and the very popular The Fig Eater. She is also a screenwriter and has edited for NYT Magazine and American Vogue. So, The Winter Station is set in Kharbin in about 1910. Kharbin is a kind of wasteland city in a freezing climate, sharing a culture that interweaves Russians and Chinese and a political influence by the Japanese. Which seems confusing but which is explained quite succinctly. The story is based on a real Manchurian plague. People are dying everywhere, their deaths are covered up by the autocrat General Khorvat and others, while the Baron our hero works with his quirky and sneaky confidante and friend Andreev and the dwarf Chang, who deals In the event you did not receive my last, tea ceremony as well as in providing knowledge. The Baron also says a lovely wife but also rivals like Dr. Wu who do not approach the plague with same type of logic and reason as does the Baron. It’s a thriller, mystery and kind of true story that Jody weaves into a really readable story that reminds us of the past and makes us think carefully about our future.