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04-18-12: A 2012 Interview with Gregg Jones

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"The Philippinos would welcome us with open arms and greet us as liberators."

—Gregg Jones

It's possible to think that I sat down to talk with Gregg Jones about his book 'Honor in the Dust' about ten years too late. Had this book been in circulation back then, we might very well find ourselves in a very different international situation right now. America's first big foreign adventure went every bit as well as our current gig is going, which suggests that we've learned nothing in the interim.

But I have to admit that I knew nothing of the particular corner of history where Jones sets his story, and it is one hell of a story. He and I had a grand time sitting at the big table at KUSP talking about the past and the present, sort of at once. This is a weird and powerful book to read. Jones hews closely to what happened and why. It's a great story with nuanced characters, a fast-paced plot arc and a dramatic trial to wrap it all up. It's also true.

And that informed our conversation. Jones could pull quotes from a hundred years ago that sounded like last years' headline debate. We had a lot of fun talking about this book, and it can never arrive too late. It seems unlikely we have learned from what happened yesterday, let alone one hundred years ago. But the power of literature and storytelling is such that it is possible to learn things from a book that are invisible when they take place right in front of your eyes.

That's the hope at least. Readers can get a good glimpse into why they should run, not walk to pick up 'Honor in the Dust' by following this link to the MP3 audio file of my conversation with Gregg Jones.




04-17-12 UPDATE: Podcast Update: Time to Read Episode 40: Ben Marcus, 'The Flame Alphabet and Heidi Julavits, 'The Vanishers'

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Here's the fortieth episode of my new series of podcasts, which I'm calling Time to Read. The podcasts/radio broadcasts will be of books worth your valuable reading time. I'll try to keep the reports under four minutes, for a radio-friendly format. If you want to run them on your show or podcast, let me know.

My hope is that in under four minutes I can offer readers a concise review and an opportunity to hear the author read from or speak about the work. I'm hoping to offer a new one every week.

The fortieth episode is a look at Ben Marcus, 'The Flame Alphabet' and Heidi Julavits 'The Vanishers.'

Here's a link to the MP3 audio file of Time to Read, Episode 40: Ben Marcus, 'The Flame Alphabet and Heidi Julavits, 'The Vanishers'.




04-16-12: A 2012 Interview with Richard Zacks

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"Roosevelt and Riis were out looking, and if they did find a cop, he was talking to a streetwalker."

— Richard Zacks

Richard Zacks has just the kind of enthusiasm that you'd expect from a man who just returned from a brisk walk through the streets of New York on the 'Island of Vice' — some 117 years ago. Readers should not be surprised to learn that book started as research for a novel. Zacks has really succeeded in creating a non-fiction reading experience that has the feel and fun of a novel.

I spoke with Zacks via an ISDN connection to New York, where he was going to be giving a walking tour later in the day. The book is a real hoot to read, and Zacks brings that sort of fun to the conversation. There are just so many juicy details in here that it is hard to believe that some stuff had to be left out. But there were a few details (ranging towards the rude side of life) that fell on the cutting room floor. I was lucky enough to have Zacks talk about them in our conversation.

The verve that Zacks brings to his written storytelling carries over to his conversational expertise. And while Roosevelt is the center of attention, Zacks and I ranged wide with regards to the topics in the book, including the provenance of the word "groaner" as it applies to beer. In fact, beer gets mentioned enough here that you might want to have one or two ready, provided you're not driving to or from work.

If you're sitting at home ready to tuck into this fabulous novelistic work of non-fiction, you can sit back, serve up and swill a groaner's worth while you prepare for your immersion in the New York of 117 years ago by following this link to the MP3 audio file.


New to the Agony Column

09-18-15: Commentary : William T. Vollman Amidst 'The Dying Grass' : An Epic Exploration of Simultaneity

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with William T. Vollman : "...a lot of long words that in our language are sentences..."

09-05-15: Commentary : Susan Casey Listens to 'Voices in the Ocean' : Science, Empathy and Self

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Susan Casey : "...the reporting for this book was emotionally difficult at times..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 213: Susan Casey : Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins

08-24-15: Commentary : Felicia Day Knows 'You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)' : Transformative Technology

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Felicia Day : "I think you have to be attention curators for audience in every way."

08-22-15: Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 212: Felicia Day : You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)

08-21-15: Agony Column Podcast News Report : Senator Claire McCaskill is 'Plenty Ladylike' : Internalizing Determination to Overcome Sexism [Incudes Time to Read EP 211: Claire McCaskill, Plenty Ladylike, plus A 2015 Interview with Senator Claire McCaskill]

Agony Column Podcast News Report : Emily Schultz Unleashes 'The Blondes' : A Cure by Color [Incudes Time to Read EP 210: Emily Schultz, The Blondes, plus A 2015 Interview with Emily Schultz]

08-10-15:Agony Column Podcast News Report : In Memory of Alan Cheuse : Thank you Alan, and Your Family, for Everything

07-11-15: Commentary : Robert Repino Morphs 'Mort(e)' : Housecat to Harbinger of the Apocalypse

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Robert Repino : "...an even bigger threat. which is us, the humans..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 208: Robert Repino : Mort(e)

07-05-15: Commentary : Dr. Michael Gazzaniga Tells Tales from Both Sides of the Brain : A Life in Neuroscience Reveals the Life of Science

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Michael Gazzaniga : "We made the first observation and BAM there was the disconnection effect..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 208: Michael Gazzaniga : Tales from Both Sides of the Brain: A Life in Neuroscience

06-26-15: Commentary : Neal Stephenson Crafts an Eden for 'Seveneves' : Blow It Up and Start All Over Again

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Neal Stephenson : "...and know that you're never going to se a tree again..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 207: Neal Stephenson : Seveneves

06-03-15: Commentary : Dan Simmons Opens 'The Fifth Heart' : Having it Every Way

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Dan Simmons : "...yes, they really did bring those bombs..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 206: Dan Simmons : The Fifth Heart

05-23-15: Commentary : John Waters Gets 'Carsick' : Going His Way

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with John Waters : "...you change how you would be in real life...”

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 205: John Waters : Carsick

05-09-15: Commentary : Jeffrey A. Lieberman, MD and 'Shrinks' : A Most Fashionable Take on the Human Mind

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Jeffrey A. Lieberman, MD : "..its influence to be as hegemonic as it was..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 204: Jeffrey A. Lieberman, MD : Shrinks: The Untold Story of Psychiatry

04-29-15: Commentary : Barney Frank is 'Frank' : Interpersonally Ours

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Barney Frank : "...while you're trying to change it, don't ignore it..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 203: Barney Frank : Frank: A Life in Politics from the Great Society to Same-Sex Marriage

04-21-15: Commentary : Kazuo Ishiguro Unearths 'The Buried Giant' : The Mist of Myth and Memory

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Kazuo Ishiguro : ".... by the time I was writing this novel, the lines between what was fantasy and what was real had blurred for me..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 202: Kazuo Ishiguro : The Buried Giant

04-17-15: Commentary : Erik Larson Follows a 'Dead Wake' : Countdown to Destiny

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Erik Larson : "...said to have been found in the arms of a dead German sailor..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 201: Erik Larson : Dead Wake

04-15-15: Commentary : Peter Bell Reflects 'A Certain Slant of Light' : Strange Stories of Modern Scholars

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2014 Interview with Peter Bell : "...I looked up some of the old books..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 200: Peter Bell : Strange Epiphanies and A Certain Slant of Light

03-14-15: Commentary : Marc Goodman Foresees 'Future Crimes' : Exponential Potential

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Marc Goodman : "...every physical object around us is being transformed, one way or another, into an information technology..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 199: Marc Goodman : Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It

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