Page Count

Literary Screening: The Wild Robot with Tricia Springstubb

Cleveland-based children’s book author Tricia Springstubb takes listeners on an adventure through the wilderness via The Wild Robot—how her granddaughter introduced her to Peter Brown’s story, why she loves the novel, and her thoughts on the film adaptation—before discussing her own writing journey. She shares how she came to publish thirteen books since 2010; why she loves writing for young people; the inspiration behind her latest novel, How to Tell a True Story; how she came to write in the new genre “young teen lit;” and more.
 
Books by Tricia Springstubb:
How to Tell a True Story
Looking for True  
The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe
The Cody series
Every Single Second
Moonpenny Island
Mo Wren, Lost and Found
What Happened on Fox Street
Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures
Phoebe and Digger
 
Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Speculative Fiction at the Columbus Book Festival

Listeners, you’re about to slip through a portal to arrive at the 2025 Columbus Book Festival, where Megan Giddings, Ruben Reyes Jr., and Edward Underhill discussed the ins and outs of speculative fiction: why they write it, why they love it, and the challenges and opportunities the genre presents. We’ve got mysterious doors opening to unknown lands, alternate realties, time slips, and plenty of additional oddities, so step into that portal and don’t you dare look back.
 
Megan Giddings, the author of the novels Lakewood, The Women Could Fly, and, most recently, Meet Me at the Crossroads. Her story collection, Black Arts, is forthcoming in 2026. She is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota.
 
Ruben Reyes, Jr. is the author of the short story collection There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven and, most recently, the novel Archive of Unknown Universes. Originally from Southern California, he now lives in Brooklyn.
 
Edward Underhill is the author of the young adult novels Always the Almost, This Day Changes Everything, and In Case You Read This. His latest novel is his first for adults, The In-Between Bookstore. He grew up in Wisconsin and currently resides in California.
 
Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

The Art of Editing with The Cincinnati Review

Lisa Ampleman, Managing Editor of The Cincinnati Review, offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into a literary magazine’s submission review process. By using one poem and one short story recently published in the print journal as examples, she reveals what might catch an editor’s eye in the submission queue, how the editing process unfolded after acceptance, and what kind of changes the authors made to their work. In the process, she sheds light on the editor-writer relationship, the collaborative art of literary editing, how The Cincinnati Review manages submissions, her own poetic inspirations, and more.
 
This conversation was recorded in Spring 2025, and the creative pieces discussed are available to read in The Cincinnati Review. The poem “Ricky Rozay raps ‘put Molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it’” by Raphael Jenkins was published in Issue 22.1, and Rebecca Barnard’s short story, “The Theft,” appeared in Issue 21.2. Digital versions of these issues can be purchased for $5 each.
 
Lisa Ampleman is the author of three full-length poetry collections—Mom in Space (LSU Press, 2024), Romances (LSU Press, 2020) and Full Cry (NFSPS Press, 2013)—and a chapbook, I’ve Been Collecting This to Tell You (Kent State University Press, 2012). Her poems have appeared in 32 Poems, Colorado Review, Cortland Review, Ecotone, Georgia Review, The Rumpus, Poetry Daily, and Verse Daily, and her prose in America, Miracle Monocle, museum of americana, and Shenandoah. She is a graduate of the Ph.D. program at the University of Cincinnati.
 
Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Celebrating Virginia Hamilton with Julie K. Rubini

Julie K. Rubini discusses her biography for young readers, Virginia Hamilton: America’s Storyteller, which surrounds one of the most honored American children’s book authors of all time. Rubini sheds light on Virginia Hamilton’s life and work, including Hamilton’s childhood in Yellow Springs, Ohio; her early literary ambitions; the professors at Antioch College and The Ohio State University who gave her direction and encouragement; her years as a budding writer in New York City; how she met Arnold Adoff, the man who would become her husband, fellow author, and biggest supporter; how she came to write children’s literature; her writing career’s astonishing trajectory; and more. Rubini also shares her own experiences publishing with Ohio University Press and how she founded Claire’s Day, an annual children’s book festival created in honor of her late daughter.
 
Julie K. Rubini is also the author of Eye to Eye: Sports Journalist Christine Brennan, Missing Millie Benson: The Secret Case of the Nancy Drew Ghostwriter and Journalist, and Hidden Ohio. Virginia Hamilton: America’s Storyteller will represent Ohio at the 2025 National Book Festival as the state’s Great Reads from Great Places youth selection.
 
Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Exploring Cuyahoga Valley National Park through Poetry

This episode celebrates poetry, local voices, parks, biodiversity, and the art of paying attention to the natural world around us. Carrie George and Charles Malone, two co-editors of Light Enters the Grove: Exploring Cuyahoga National Park through Poetry, share how this literary field guide focusing on the plants, animals, and birds found within CVNP came together. From assigning writers species at random (but with some serendipitous results) to publishing unexpected nature poems to encouraging artists to lace up their hiking boots to traverse our national parks, this episode has you covered. Grab your trail guide, splash on some bug spray, and join us for a poetic expedition.
 
Light Enters the Grove will represent Ohio at the 2025 National Book Festival as part of the Great Reads from Great Places initiative. The print anthology was edited by Charles Malone, Carrie George, and Jason Harris and published by The Kent State University Press in 2024. All poems in the anthology, as well as additional pieces, can be read online at the CVNP Poetic Inventory site. Finally, learn more about Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
 
Poems shared on the podcast:
“White-Tailed Deer” by Benjamin Rhodes
“Everyone Knows a Killdeer Means No Harm” by Mary Biddinger
“Knuckle” by Conor Bracken
“Variation on Wings” by Kortney Morrow
“Star Jelly” by Cameron Gordon
“Fishing Spider” by Charles Malone
“Blight of the American Chestnut” by Carrie George
 
Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

From Taylor Swift to Roller Skating at the Ohioana Book Festival

From the songs of Taylor Swift to the skate parks of the Midwest, not to mention pep talks for writers and a guide to Columbus hot spots, this episode has something for everyone. Recorded during a panel discussion at the 2025 Ohioana Book Festival, authors Annie Zaleski, Mandy Shunnarah, Maggie Smith, and Shawnie Kelley discuss the art of nonfiction, including their research, writing, and publishing processes. How does one analyze a songwriter’s work without quoting the lyrics? What’s it like to eat your way around town in the name of writing research? Why is the Midwest an important part of American skate culture? How does one concoct a recipe for creativity? Finally, who’s going to make the horror film Tethered to Word Count? Listen to find out.
 
Shawnie Kelley is the author of all three editions of the Insiders’ Guide to Columbus, as well as several books about Cape Cod and food and travel-related articles appearing in national and international magazines. She owns Wanderlust Tours, a cultural and culinary travel company, and teaches cooking classes for The Mix at Columbus State.
 
Maggie Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Good Bones, Goldenrod, Keep Moving, and others. Her poems have appeared in Best American Poetry, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Poetry, Ploughshares, the Kenyon Review, and elsewhere. Her latest book is Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life.
 
Mandy Shunnarah is a Southern-born, Midwest-loving journalist, essayist, poet, and roller-skating enthusiast who calls Columbus, Ohio home. Their work has been featured in the New York Times, Electric Literature, the Rumpus, and more. Midwest Shreds is their first book.
 
Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.
 
Annie Zaleski is the New York Times bestselling author of Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs, as well as books or illustrated biographies about Beyoncé, Duran Duran, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, and many other musicians. She’s a Cleveland-based journalist whose work has appeared in dozens of publications, including NPR Music, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Salon, Billboard, and others.

Touring the Paul Laurence Dunbar House

Join us for an audio tour of the Paul Laurence Dunbar House in Dayton, Ohio. Ryan Qualls, Chief of Interpretation and Site Manager, walks listeners through Dunbar’s final residence and sheds light on the life and work of this prolific, groundbreaking author. Take a step back into history to learn about Dunbar’s early friendship with the Wright brothers; how a pivotal review launched him into literary fame; his dialect poetry; controversies and praise surrounding his writing; his influence on other American authors; and, of course, the house itself, including its furnishings and appliances, along with Dunbar’s books, swagger sticks, and more. Finally, Qualls shares a musical interpretation of the poem “On the River” to showcase how Dunbar’s poetry might have been performed during his lifetime. To see images from the tour, visit our accompanying blog post.
 
About Dunbar
Born in 1872 in Dayton, Ohio, to formerly enslaved parents, Paul Laurence Dunbar would go on to become one of the first nationally recognized African American poets—and the first to support himself financially through his writing. Over the course of Dunbar’s relatively short career, he authored twelve books of poetry, four novels, four short story collections, and two Broadway plays, as well as song lyrics. He died in 1906 at the age of thirty-three from tuberculosis, though his legacy endures today. Dunbar’s work has inspired many great American authors, including Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and others.
 
About the Paul Laurence Dunbar House
In 1904, Dunbar’s mother, Matilda J. Dunbar, purchased a two-story brick house located at 219 N. Summit Street (since renamed N. Paul Laurence Dunbar Street) in Dayton, Ohio. The house became Dunbar’s final residence, and following his death in 1906, Matilda meticulously maintained the house and her son’s belongings. Today, the house is owned and managed by the state of Ohio, is part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, and is open to the public for free tours.
 
Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Librarians are Superheroes with Karen Henry Clark

Forget actors, rock stars, and elite athletes—on Page Count, the real celebrities are librarians. Karen Henry Clark, the author of the picture book Library Girl: How Nancy Pearl Became America’s Most Celebrated Librarian, is here to discuss her friendship with Nancy Pearl, how she came to write a picture book about Pearl’s childhood, the research process, her own writing journey, librarian action figures (and controversy!), what it’s like to be an introvert tiptoeing in the spotlight, and a lot more.
 
Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Literary Screening: Entering the Twilight Zone with Dr. Kim Kiehl

Listeners, welcome to the fifth dimension. We’re joined by Dr. Kim Kiehl, Executive Director of the Ohioana Library Association, to discuss The Twilight Zone and its creator, Rod Serling. We focus on “Mirror Image,” an episode airing in Season 1 of the show’s original run, but we also talk about the series at large, Serling’s Ohio roots and his writing career, and just why The Twilight Zone remains relevant today. We also discuss cows, clowns, our own doppelgänger experiences, Ohioana’s offerings, and more.
 
Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.

Clicking Our Heels Three Times with Dr. Taylor Byas

Poet and editor Dr. Taylor Byas is here to discuss her award-winning debut poetry collection, I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times. Along the way, she shares insights into writing about place, how The Wiz serves as structural inspiration for the collection, her literary inspirations and heroes, the value of Ph.D. programs in creative writing, her editorial work at The Rumpus, the art of chapbooks, managing expectations as an author, and a lot more. She also offers listeners a special preview of Resting Bitch Face, her second full-length collection forthcoming in August 2025.
 
Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.