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Escaping the Drawer with Sammy and Annisha

A fun discussion about puppets, children’s literature, libraries, and the age-old cat vs. dog debate? Toucan play at that game—namely, our two special guests Sammy and Annisha!
 
First, we partnered with the Indiana Center for the Book to chat with our friend Sammy, a corduroy puppet in the shape of a toucan who has interviewed Indiana authors for more than a decade. Sammy lives in a drawer but does not want to talk about it! Sammy is a very good reader! Sammy thinks Garfield is a killjoy! Sammy does not know who Jonathan Franzen is! Sammy’s sassiness increases with age! Sammy sees puppets as friends! Although really, what even IS a puppet, anyway?
 
We’re also joined by Annisha Jeffries, the Manager of the Youth Services Department at Cleveland Public Library. Annisha discusses her love of cats, why puppets are helpful for young readers, why libraries matter, and more. She also shares her enthusiasm for Bill Cotter’s books, including DON’T PUSH THE BUTTON and DON’T TOUCH THIS BOOK. Sammy, meanwhile, offers enthusiastic bird praise for author April Pulley Sayre and shares Sayre’s delightful book, BIRD, BIRD, BIRD!
 
Find Sammy’s amazing interviews on the Indiana State Library’s Toucan Tuesdays YouTube playlist, or check out a few of our favorites:
Sammy interviews Leah Johnson!
Sammy interviews Helen Frost and Rick Lieder!
Show and Tell with Sammy!
Sammy interviews Barb Shoup!
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Puppetry at Cleveland Public Library
The Indiana Chant by April Pulley Sayre
BIRD, BIRD, BIRD! by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Gary Locke
RAH, RAH, RADISHES! by April Pulley Sayre
GO, GO, GRAPES! by April Pulley Sayre
DON’T TOUCH THIS BOOK! by Bill Cotter
DON’T PUSH THE BUTTON! by Biller Cotter
Jonathan Franzen’s love of birds
Produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library and hosted by Laura Maylene Walter. For a 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 Twitter or on Facebook.

Acts of Imagination with Will Hillenbrand

Children’s book author and illustrator Will Hillenbrand discusses his origins as a young artist; why “instant art” is a myth; his attempt to kiss a cow for research; his breakthrough after being diagnosed with dyslexia; how his son inspired the Mole and Bear book series; the power of giving voice to ideas; the literary magic available to us in books; the importance of play and joy in art; and why, as a child, he wanted to grow up to be a fire truck.
 
Visit willhillenbrand.com to learn more or follow Hillenbrand on Twitter or Facebook.
 
Books mentioned in this episode:
MIKE MULLIGAN AND HIS STEAM SHOVEL by Virginia Lee Burton
KISS THE COW by Phyllis Root and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
ZEE GROWS A TREE by Elizabeth Rusch and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
SPRING IS HERE by Will Hillenbrand
THE MOLE FAMILY'S CHRISTMAS by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban
STARTING FROM SKETCH by Will Hillenbrand
TURTLE-TURTLE AND THE WIDE, WIDE RIVER by Will Hillenbrand (forthcoming)
CHARLOTTE’s WEB by E.B. White
MIGHTY READER AND THE READING RIDDLE by Will Hillenbrand
THE VOICE IN THE HOLLOW by Will Hillenbrand (coming January 3, 2023)
KATIE AND THE BIG SNOW by Virginia Lee Burton
LITTLE RED by Will Hillenbrand (coming Fall 2023)
 
Produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library and hosted by Laura Maylene Walter. For a 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 Twitter or on Facebook.

Write Sober, Edit Sober with Negesti Kaudo

Negesti Kaudo, author of the debut essay collection RIPE, discusses the art of writing nonfiction; her development as a writer; exploring race, privilege, and the body in on the page; innovative essay structure; embracing work that is uncomfortable; workshop dynamics and etiquette; her job as a Buzzfeed sex toy writer; the joy of writing residencies; and why the popular “write drunk, edit sober” maxim isn’t the best advice for writers.
 
Find Kaudo on Twitter, Instagram, or at kaudonegesti.squarespace.com.
 
Writing Residency Resources
Poets & Writers Conferences and Residencies Database
Fee-Free Writing Residencies
Family-Friendly Writing Residencies
BOMB Residency Roundup
 
Produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library and hosted by Laura Maylene Walter. For a 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 Twitter or on Facebook.

Making History Personal with Derf Backderf

Celebrated graphic novelist Derf Backderf discusses his latest book, KENT STATE: FOUR DEAD IN OHIO, which documents the fatal May 4, 1970 shooting at Kent State University. Backderf sheds light on this event’s history and its aftermath; his decision to tell the story through the point of view of the four slain students (Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer, and William Schroeder) and a Guardsman; his research and writing processes; the evolution of his career; his view of the current landscape for graphic novels; his favorite independent bookstores; and more.
 
KENT STATE: FOUR DEAD IN OHIO is the Ohio Center for the Book’s 2022 Great Reads from Great Places selection for adult readers and will represent Ohio’s literary heritage at the 2022 National Book Festival on September 3.
 
Derf Backderf’s previous books include MY FRIEND DAHMER, TRASHED, and PUNK ROCK AND TRAILER PARKS. Learn more at derfcity.com and buy KENT STATE at your favorite independent bookstore. Mac's Backs sells personalized, signed copies of Backderf's books.
 
For full show notes and a 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 Twitter or on Facebook.
 

Friendship and Snails with Tracy Subisak

Children’s book illustrator and author Tracy Subisak discusses JENNY MEI IS SAD, a picture book about the support friends can offer in times of sadness. Subisak shares the genesis of this story, how she became a children’s book author and illustrator, the connection between creativity and vulnerability, how illustrators work with an agents, a preview of some of her forthcoming books, and her advice for young artists.
 
JENNY MEI IS SAD is the Ohio Center for the Book’s 2022 Great Reads from Great Places children’s book selection and will represent Ohio’s literary heritage at the 2022 National Book Festival on September 3.
 
Books mentioned in this episode:
JENNY MEI IS SAD, written and illustrated by Tracy Subisak
AMAH FARAWAY, written by Margaret Chiu Greanias and illustrated by Tracy Subisak
SORRY, SNAIL, written and illustrated by Tracy Subisak, is forthcoming in 2023
MIXED-UP MOONCAKES, written by Erica Lyons and Christina Matula and illustrated by Tracy Subisak, is forthcoming in 2024
Learn about Subisak’s other books at http://tracysubisak.com.
 
For a 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 Twitter or on Facebook.

Author Alley Preview

This bonus episode celebrates Author Alley, an annual book fair held at Loganberry Books in Cleveland. Harriett Logan discusses the history of Author Alley and provides a preview of some of this year’s offerings. Next, five participating authors (Nicole D. Miller, James Redwood, Megan Neville, Jason Lady, and Tricia Springstubb) share a bit about their books. You can meet these authors but also many others by coming to Loganberry Books on August 6 for the BIPOC showcase; August 13 for the fiction, poetry, and ephemera showcase; and August 20 for the nonfiction and illustrated works showcase. The event runs from noon to 4pm on each day.
 
Here is the full list of participating 2022 Author Alley authors, and here’s an article about Otis the cat’s retirement from Loganberry.
 
Finally, mark your calendars for our first-ever live podcast event, which will take place at 3:30pm on Saturday, September 10 at Literary Cleveland’s Inkubator conference. "Page Count Live: Advice for the Career-Minded Writer" will feature an interview with award-winning short story author and NEA Fellow Liz Breazeale. Register for the free Inkubator conference and attend this live taping of Page Count.
 
For a transcript of this episode, visit the episode page at https://ohiocenterforthebook.org/podcast. To get in touch, follow Ohio Center for the Book on Twitter @cplocfb or email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org and put “podcast” in the subject line.

Unicorn-Level Books with Two Dollar Radio

Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf discuss the beginnings and evolution of Two Dollar Radio, an independent publisher, bookstore, and vegan café based in Columbus, Ohio. They share insight on starting a small press without a budget or connections; the origin of the “Two Dollar Radio” name; the benefits of being based outside of New York; what they look for when acquiring manuscripts; how they manage submissions; why they accept unsolicited and unagented manuscripts; their publisher mentoring program; publisher consolidation and industry challenges; why bookstore visitors are greeted by a unicorn mural; how a limerick by Lemony Snicket came to grace their menu; and a DIY spirit that extends to the bookstore and café, where Eric and Eliza have had a hand in making everything themselves, from the books to the furniture to the food.
Mentioned in this episode:
 
The Book of X by Sarah Rose Etter
They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib
I Will Die in a Foreign Land by Kalani Pickhart
Crapalachia by Scott McClanahan
Binary Star by Sarah Gerard
Two Dollar Radio Guide to Vegan Cooking: The Pink Edition by Jean-Claude van Randy and Speed Dog (with Eric Obenauf)
Purple Palm Press
Akashic Books
 
For a transcript of this episode, visit the episode page at https://ohiocenterforthebook.org/podcast. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org and put “podcast” in the subject line. Find us on Twitter @cplocfb.

Second Generation Stories with Jyotsna Sreenivasan

Author Jyotsna Sreenivasan discusses the power of second-generation stories; Indian American stereotypes in fiction; tips for writing dialogue and expressing the internal thoughts of a character whose first language is not English; writing and publishing without an MFA; freeing herself from the pressure to publish; transforming a novel into a novella; the long road of revision; and how her latest book, the story collection These Americans, came to be.
 
Mentioned in this episode:
And Laughter Fell From the Sky (William Morrow)
These Americans (Minerva Rising Press)
Second Generation Stories: Literature by Children of Immigrants
Pioneer Girl by Bich Minh Nguyen
The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts by Maxine Hong Kingston
Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
Barack Obama’s early journey as an author
For full show notes and a transcript of this episode, visit the episode page at https://ohiocenterforthebook.org/podcast. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org and put “podcast” in the subject line.

Counting Words with Brandi Larsen

We’re getting meta on the pod by talking about page counts in published books and, by extension, word counts in unpublished manuscripts. What is an acceptable word-count range for a novel or memoir, and why does word count matter at all? Writer, speaker, and former Penguin publishing executive Brandi Larsen shares the economic rationale for common page-count ranges in published books and offers tips for writers penning their own manuscripts. While there’s always wiggle room and the occasional exception, there’s a reason why writers might run into trouble when trying to publish a 50,000-word novel or a 200,000-word memoir with a traditional publisher—and this episode will illuminate why.
 
Brandi Larsen is a writer and speaker building a more inclusive publishing landscape. Her work at Penguin Random House helped create NYT bestsellers, and her journalism pieces earned Emmy nominations. Her talks about publishing, leadership, and grief inspire audiences from Zoom to Harvard. She serves as the board president for Literary Cleveland and writes books and essays. Uncultured: A Memoir publishes September 20, 2022 and is available to pre-order now. Learn more at BrandiLarsen.com and @brandilarsen on social media.
 
For full show notes and a transcript of this episode, visit the episode page at https://ohiocenterforthebook.org/podcast. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org and put “podcast” in the subject line.

Crafting a Story Collection with Christopher Gonzalez

Christopher Gonzalez discusses his debut story collection, I’m Not Hungry But I Could Eat, as well as his writing process, flash fiction techniques, literary magazine editing, literary Twitter, the art of putting together a story collection, small press publishing vs. the Big 5, revision, reality TV, leaning into your own weirdness as a writer, and more.
 
Mentioned in this episode:
“On Chicken Tenders” by Helen Rosner 
Barrelhouse 
Santa Fe Writers Project (SFWP)
“And Another and Another and Another Glass of Rosé” in Catapult
Love Is Blind 
The Bachelorette
Race and the Bachelor franchise
Reality TV
Twitter tips for writers
Nafissa Thompson-Spires
Roxane Gay
Raven Leilani
 
Host: Laura Maylene WalterPresented by: Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library
 
For a transcript of this episode, visit the episode page at https://ohiocenterforthebook.org/podcast. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org and put “podcast” in the subject line.