The Librarian Is In
The New York Public Library’s podcast about books, culture, and what to read next.
Join Rhonda and Frank as they discuss this week's book club episode, The Autobiography of Red.
Join Rhonda and Frank as they discuss what they read this week!
Frank and Rhonda talk about the latest book club pick: Hound of the Baskervilles. And they're joined by YA librarian Joe Pascullo who shares some of his YA picks!
Join Rhonda and Frank this week as they discuss what they've read!
Join Frank and Rhonda as they discuss The Stories of John Cheever.
Happy New Year! Frank and Rhonda kick off the new year by...being Frank and Rhonda. How's that, you say? An hour of musical theater references, interesting books, and great conversation! Join us as they discuss the first books they read on their own for 2021.
Frank and Rhonda close out the year with another book club episode - this time from the NYC Books We Love list: Bodega Dreams by Ernesto Quiñonez.
This week Frank and Rhonda discuss what they've been reading in their free time!
Join Frank and Rhonda as they discuss this month's book club pick and their love of Barbara Streisand!
Join Frank and Rhonda as they discuss the books they read this week!
Join Frank and Rhonda as they discuss this month's book club pick, The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler!
Bonjour! Rhonda and Frank are back to discuss what they've read this week.
Join Frank and Rhonda as they discuss this month's book club pick: The Turn of the Screw by Henry James!
Happy Fall! Rhonda and Frank are ready for Spooky Season! This week they check in with each other and discuss what they've been reading!
Join Frank and Rhonda this week as they discuss Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None!
Join Frank as he welcomes YA librarian Susen Shi to discuss great new YA books. Rhonda will be back next week and she and Frank will be discussing our next 125 Books We Love book pick!
Join Frank and Rhonda as they discuss what they read this week!
Frank and Rhonda discuss An Extraordinary Union, by Alyssa Cole.
Join Rhonda and Frank as they discuss their non-book club reading picks this week!
Frank and Rhonda discuss Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Rhonda and Frank chat with Ellen MacInnis, a children's librarian in NYPL to discuss the TRANSform NYPL project and pass along book recommendations from the Trans and Gender Non Conforming book list that they and fellow librarians put together.
Rhonda and Frank discuss their personal reading picks for the week and announce next month's book club pick.
This week Frank and Rhonda discuss The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson.
Wilkommen! Join Frank and Rhonda this week for a little bit of musical theater and their personal book picks. Don't forget to get a copy of next week's Book Club pick - The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson!
Happy May! This week is Frank and Rhonda check in with each other, as we pass the 1 month mark of podcasting while social distancing. We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. It's hard not to feel a little bit of cabin fever, especially as the weather warms. Do you find yourself dreaming of getting away? Get away for a bit with Rhonda and Frank as they discuss this month's pick from the NYPL's 125 Books We Love List, Denis Johnson's Train Dreams.
Hello fellow social distancing book enthusiasts! How y'all doing? Does anyone know what day it is? What week? Is it still March?
We hope everyone is staying safe and finding ways to stay sane as we navigate this unique and scary time together.
Escape with us for a bit while Frank and Rhonda discuss how they've been holding up and the importance of structure during this time.
This week our hosts share what they've been reading while staying at home.
Hey all, happy April! Thanks for joining us again for another episode of The Librarian Is In! This week Frank and Rhonda are discussing A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor from the NYPL's 125 Books We Love List to read and discuss. We hope you had the chance to read along, too.
Frank and Rhonda practice social distancing together (but separately!) to discuss the books they've read this week. We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this uncertain time. Settle in for a bit and listen to your favorite librarians discuss what they like to read (and listen to!) when they're stuck at home!
Frank and Rhonda discuss their non-125 list book picks this week!
Hi all! Thanks for joining us. This week is our inaugural book club episode! As they mentioned last episode, Frank and Rhonda picked Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin off the NYPL's 125 Books We Love list to read and discuss. We hope you had the chance to read along too. So without further ado - click "play" and be transported to 1950s Paris...
Didja miss us?! We missed you too! Thanks for joining us on the new season of The Librarian Is In. Our good pal Frank joins us again and welcomes our new co-host Rhonda Evans. Longtime listeners will remember Rhonda from her guest appearance on a previous episode! Rhonda shares with Frank some of her librarian background, favorite genres to read, and information about which branch she currently works, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Frank and Rhonda also discuss their top 5 picks on the New York Public Library's 125 Books We Love List!
For the last episode of 2019, Gwen surprises Frank by reading one of his all time favorite books, Frank delves into the world of Trust Exercise and Gwen shares a personal announcement. Stay warm on those windswept moors everybody, and we'll see you in 2020!
Come stare moodily out a lonely window with us! Frank falls into a book trance after reading a French novel with a double meaning in its title, and Gwen unpacks a heartbreaker about a woman who leaves Jamaica for Brooklyn.
Frank is feeling all the feelings about a book of experimental prose poetry, Gwen is charmed by a semi-autobiographical YA story, and everyone has "Let It Go" stuck in their heads now. You're welcome!
Frank reads 19th-century Russian verse out loud for a solid two minutes. What more could you want in this world? Plus: Ben Platt, call us. Maybe.
Your hosts wax rhapsodic about two of their mainstay favorite authors. Plus: Gwen takes "cozy intellectual" suggestions from a listener's email and Frank discovers a YouTube celebrity crush.
Third time's the charm! Gwen and Frank join the fine folks from the Overdue podcast to discuss Ken Kesey's 1962 novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
We all love libraries, but what books do you just NEED to own? Frank coins a new genre, Gwen falls for a book about mistakes, and they both share some deep thoughts about the oxford comma.
This Week’s Books:
The Grammarians by Cathleen Shine
The Other’s Gold by Elizabeth Ames
Dreyer's English : An Utterly correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer
Book synergy abounds with two titles that explore the sometimes dark, sometimes funny, sometimes supernatural relationship between parents and children. Plus, a listener question about "leisure reading" proves to be more complicated than it first seems.
Books Discussed:
Lanny by Max Porter
A Life's Work: On Becoming a Mother by Rachel Cusk
This week it's Frank and Gwen's turn in the hot seat. They recently joined the Books on the Subway Podcast with Hollie and Rosy for a discussion about all things books and libraries, and we're bringing you that episode this week. Make sure to check them out at www.booksonthesubway.com.
A look at how some libraries reflect the communities they're a part of through their special collections. Plus, Gwen's son weighs in on a children's book with some very un-scary dragons and Frank dives into some mind-bending stories about alternate realities and the nature of consciousness.
This weeks titles:
Rise of the Earth Dragon by Tracey West
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
Frank and Gwen do a deep dive into their summer reading pick, Mona Awad's new novel, Bunny—a dark satirical take on female friendship, loneliness, desire, and creative writing MFA programs. Alert: spoilers! tons of 'em!
Tell us what everybody's talking about in your world of books and libraries! Suggest Hot Topix(TM) by email or voice memo to podcasts[at]nypl.org or call 507-NYPL-LIB.
Do you dog-ear? Use bookmarks or sticky notes? Write notes in margins? Or do you—heaven forbid—underline? We delve deep into the ethical implications of leaving your mark on library books. Plus: two new summer reads and one musical cue.
Suggest Hot Topix(TM) or tell us what you think about summer reading!
Email podcasts[at]nypl.org or call 507-NYPL-LIB.
To prequel or not to prequel? Frank and Gwen debate the new installment of the Hunger Games franchise and two very different books about life in two very different places.
Suggest Hot Topix(TM) or tell us what you think about summer reading! Email podcasts[at]nypl.org or call 507-NYPL-LIB.
Frank and Gwen announce their return date plus reveal their Summer Reading Challenge
What's the opposite of a book slump? We're calling it a flare, and Gwen is on one. She and Frank have a flurry of adult book recommendations, from dystopian novels to innovative science fiction.
What we are reading now
The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Semiosis by Sue Burke
Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl
The Sparsholt Affair by Alan Hollinghurst
Another crossover episode with our fine friends from the Overdue podcast! Frank and Gwen join Craig and Andrew in Philadelphia to discuss the 1956 novel Peyton Place. Is it a classic? A soap opera? A groundbreaking statement about sexuality? Is it “ripe, hotly passionate, but fickle” — the first line of the book? You decide.
Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
More Peyton Place...
- TV and film available from the Library
- Unbuttoning America A Biography of Peyton Place by Ardis Cameron
- The Vanity Fair essay about Metalious that we mentioned
- Her NYT obituary
If you liked this episode, check out our first TLII/Overdue collab: "Lord of the Guys," back in January 2017!
This week we take you back to our first-ever live show, recorded in Frank's very own Jefferson Market Library! Gwen and Frank talk to Eric Klinenberg, sociologist and author of a new book about libraries and social infrastructure. Plus: the audience offers an invaluable assist during the guessing game.
Guest Star: Eric Klinenberg
Palaces for the People by Eric Klinenberg
More of his work in our catalog and on his website
$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn Edin
Books by Barbara Ehrenreich
O Cafe in Greenwich Village (and pão de queijo)
It's the first-ever Reading Challenge episode! Gwen and Frank assigned books to each other to read and discuss on the air. Hijinks ensue...
Book Recommendations
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Ava Gardner: 'Love Is Nothing' by Lee Server
Also mentioned:
Our fourth episode, when Gwen flipped out on Frank for not having read Harry Potter.
Several of Ava's movies, available from NYPL:
The Golden Girls of MGM by Jane Ellen Wayne
Pottermore online
That great tweet about girls with frizzy hair (warning: language!)
This week: a rebroadcast of one of our favorite episodes. Gwen and Frank take a deep, emotional dive into Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro's 'Never Let Me Go.'
This episode is brought to you by our soon-to-be-rival podcast, dreamed up by YA librarian Crystal Chen—who's also this week's guest! All rights reserved by her! We talk musicals, poetry, what it really means to create a list of "best" books, and professional development for library staff members.
Book Recommendations
NYPL's Best Poetry Books (and our most recent best books lists)
Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice by Bill Browder
Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright
Bad Blood Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
Kiss Number 8 by Colleen A.F. Venable
Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
Also recommended:
The Woodstock Library in the Bronx
ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response
"VEEP" and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"
Gwen and Frank tackle one book that feels comforting and homey; one that's distinctly unsettling; and one that's somewhere in between. Plus: A stranger on the train helps us deconstruct the genius of J-Patt.
Book Recommendations
Your Duck Is My Duck: Stories by Deborah Eisenberg
The Farm by Joanne Ramos
Also mentioned:
Emily Blunt and the rest of the cast going down the bathtub slide!
Everything Doris Day
Dr. Carla Hayden sits down with Gwen and Frank to discuss what it really means to lead the Library of Congress—which, by the way, isn't only FOR Congress. Plus: lessons she learned from storytime, how she organizes her home library, and the first time she ever saw herself reflected in a book.
It's the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and Jason Baumann—NYPL curator and Grand Marquessa of All Things Stonewall—joins Gwen and Frank to discuss the Library's new anthology about the uprising and its role in the LGBTQ civil rights movement. And then he walks us through some yoga breathing, and it's legit.
Book Recommendations
The Stonewall Reader in our catalog and the NYPL shop
Love and Resistance: Out of the Closet Into the Stonewall Era in our catalog and the NYPL shop
City of Night by John Rechy
City Boy: My Life in New York during the 1960s and 70s (and more books) by Edmund White
The History and Practices of Hatha Yoga by James Mallinson
Also mentioned:
Kay Tobin Lahusen's photographs in our Archives & Manuscripts Division
Jason's first appearance on The Librarian Is In (episode 2!)
And check out more of the exhibition and the rest of the Library's Stonewall coverage at nypl.org/stonewall50.
Aminatou Sow, writer and co-host of the popular podcast "Call Your Girlfriend," talks with Gwen and Frank about poetry, the mental treadmill of the Internet, and her childhood best friend: the librarian.
Book Recommendations
Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry by Imani Perry
Magical Negro by Morgan Parker
If They Come for Us by Fatimah Ashgar
Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics by bell hooks
Also mentioned:
"won't you celebrate with me" by Lucille Clifton
"Final Notations" by Adrienne Rich can be found in her collection, An Atlas of the Difficult World
What makes a place home? Frank follows a book rec from a listener and discovers a powerful memoir that makes him rethink the American dream. Gwen's book is a new fairytale retelling... sort of... that involves feudalism and magical gingerbread and... well, maybe you should just have a listen.
Book Recommendations
Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarsh
Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi
Also mentioned:
The recent Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America by Eliza Griswold
The Netflix series "Working Moms"
The network TV show "The Rookie"
Our Poetry Bonanza has arrived! In this episode --titled to pay homage to Frank's favorite Emily Dickinson stanza-- he and Gwen get to read and hear poetry recommendations from their listeners.
Listener Poetry Recommendations:
"My Mother Says I am Sickening" in The New Kid On the Block: Poems by Jack Prelutsky
“Good Hot Dogs” by Sandra Cisneros in A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poems for Children by Caroline Kennedy
"Why I Am Not a Good Kisser" in Selected Poem by Mary Ruefle
"Kal" in If They Come for Us by Fatima Asghar
The title poem in What the Living Do: Poems by Marie Howe
"What Resembles the Grave But Isn't" by Anne Boyer
IRL by Tommy Pico
The title poem in Inventory by Dionne Brand
"I want a dyke for president" by Zoe Leonard
"Girls of the Wild" in Wild Embers by Nakita Gill
"Fold" in You & Yours by Naomi Shihab Nye
"Scientific Romance" by Tim Pratt
"Where the Mind is Without Fear" from Gitanjali (Song Offerings) by Rabindranath Tagore
Also mentioned:
Gwen and Frank meet a handful of characters who aren't bothered by what other people think. Plus: the pros and cons of reading reviews, the extra voice in translations, and the no-person's-land between picture books and middle-grade fiction.
Book Recommendations:
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated from the Japanese by Ginny Tapley Takemori
Sarah Berman's Closet by Maira Kalman
The Princess in Black series by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, art by LeUyen Pham
Also mentioned:
The End of Eddy and History of Violence by Édouard Louis
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
NYPL's Poem in Your Pocket Day
Shrill — the Hulu series and the book by Lindy West
How on earth can you read when you have a newborn? Stephanie Anderson—a new mom and a professional book selector for NYPL and the Brooklyn Public Library—comes to talk about the shifting habits of a reader with a new baby. Plus: Frank channels Supernanny! Again.
Book Recommendations:
Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy by Angela Garbes
Cesearian Section: An American History of Risk, Technology and Consequence by Jaqueline H. Wolf
The board books: Bunny Roo, I Love You by Melissa Marr and Global Babies
Also mentioned:
The New York Times article on cute aggression—why you want to squish and eat that baby!
In the Witch Elm by Tana French
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Happyland by J. Robert Lennon
The films Back to the Future and The Terminator
Angela Garbes' article, "The More I Learn About Breast Milk, the More Amazed I Am"
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, illustrated by Lauren Childs
Bull by David Elliott
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Greek mythology and contemporary fiction join forces this week! Gwen and Frank read two books that make readers ask, what would you do—or, what should you do?
Book Recommendations:
Golden Child by Claire Adam
The audiobook of Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube: Chasing Fear and Finding Home in the Great White North by Blair Braverman
Also mentioned:
A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipaul
Mythology by Edith Hamilton
The Odyssey , translated by Emily Wilson
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
Here Come the 123s! by They Might Be Giants, and also please watch the amazing video of the "Never Go to Work" song (guaranteed to change your life for the better)
Okay, what's the deal with librarians and musical theater? This week's guest, newly minted children's librarian Kevin Kelley, traces his origin story back to the stage. He also discusses kids' books about the queer experience and offers up a brand-new first for the guessing game.
Book Recommendations:
New Kid by Jerry Craft
The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg
Non-Book Recommendations:
"The Prom," a musical now playing on Broadway (LOTS of dancing!)
Have a laugh with the podcast "Throwing Shade"
And look back at episodes of "Gilmore Girls... still so enjoyable.
Also mentioned:
Go the Way Your Blood Beats: On Truth, Bisexuality and Desire by Michael Amherst
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Hurricaine Child by Kheryn Callender
Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
Five, Six, Seven, Nate! by Tim Federle
Feminasty: The Complicated Woman's Guide to Surviving the Patriarchy Without Drinkng Herself to Death by Erin Gibson
Over 200 years ago, a teenage girl started a literary legacy that continues to haunt us today. Why do we still keep telling this story and how does it reflect our darkest fears? The New York Public Library's curators join monster theory scholars and best-selling authors to trace the history of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley’s classic. This special podcast episode unpacks the genius of Shelley’s novel, its origins and evolution—from the British Romantics to Black Lives Matter—to uncover how it’s helped us better understand ourselves, our humanity, and our future.
Audre Lorde and Pat Parker were close friends who fought fiercely for social justice. In this episode, Frank and Gwen discuss a powerful book of letters between the two Black feminist poets.
Book Recommendation
Sister Love: The Letters of Audre Lorde and Pat Parker 1974-1989, ed. by Julie Ensure
More by Audre Lorde and Pat Parker:
The Complete Works of Pat Parker, ed. by Julie Enszer
Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde
The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde includes the poem "Power" mentioned in the epsiode.
I Am Your Sister: Collected and Unpublished Writings of Audre Lorde includes the essay "There is No Heriarchy of Oppression"
Get rowdy with Roxanne Coady, indie bookstore owner and host of the Just the Right Book podcast. Roxanne finds common ground with Frank and Gwen, talking about places where people seek connection and community with books at their heart.
Roxanne's Book Recommendation
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Also mentioned:
A Drinking Life by Pete Hamill
Lucky by Alice Sebold
Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Guilded Age by Tim Wu
The Common Good by Robert Reich
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Embers by Sándor Márai
You can visit Roxanne's bookstore, RJ Julia, in Madison, Conneticuit and check out one of their events. And definitely have a listen to her podcast Just the Right Book for more book recommendations and interviews with a wide-range of authors and guests. (Including Frank and Gwen!)
Gwen's quest to learn more about Carol Channing took both her and Frank to a place where divas and dames truly reign- Broadway! Plus: Frank's book taps into the cultural obsession with visiting the past (repeatedly) to figure out the future, leading us into the arms of "Russian Doll" creator Natasha Lyonne.
Book Recommendations
Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater by Eddie Shapiro
The Heavens by Sandra Newman
Non-Book Recommendations
Check out the new Netflix series "Russian Doll," and you'll obsess over it too!
And watch "Happy Death Day" for more time loops, laughs and life on other planes.
Books have lives too! Frank and Gwen take a break from talking about the words on the page and get into the stories of items in NYPL's archives. In this specially curated tour, meet the Mary Poppins doll that made peace between author and illustrator, hear about a woman spymaster during the Civil War, and find out what limp vellum is. Plus: Nancy Drew has a secret.
Guest: Meredith Mann, Librarian for Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books at NYPL
You can learn more about the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division here. Also check out Meredith's blog posts to discover more about NYPL's living artifacts. There is even one on marcas del fuego (marks of fire) and the Mexico City imprint that is discusssed in this episode.
Meredith's Book Recommendation
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
... or the joy of evolution? Frank's book traces the whole history of humankind and Gwen's is a short narrative about big changes. Plus: You can't talk about joy without talking about Christine Baranski. It's the law.
Book Recommendations
Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala
Sapiens: A brief history of humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Non-Book Recommendation
The pure and consuming joy of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Book synergy abounds! Frank rediscovers Anne Frank's diary in a newly released graphic novel, Gwen becomes obsessed with a group of time-traveling historians, and everyone absorbs the small details of day-to-day lives during World War II.
Book Recommendations
Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation, adapted by Ari Folman and illustrated by David Polonsky
Blackout by Connie Willis (All Clear is the second book in the series, plus much more of her work in the catalog)
Non-Book Recommendations
Sandhya Menon's Twitter post that helped Gwen understand how people feel when you mispronounce their names.
Frank and Gwen celebrate the life and work of Mary Oliver by reading a handful of her poems and doing something she might approve of—letting it all go and singing about dogs.
Have you ever truly grieved over the loss of someone in a book? Together with Eric Molinsky, host of the Imaginary Worlds podcast, Frank and Gwen dive into the psychology of readers' responses to character deaths. Don't worry, it's not as depressing as it sounds! Maybe!
Guest Star: Eric Molinsky
Eric's podcast, Imaginary Worlds, the "Imaginary Deaths" episode, the fanfiction episode, and the Madeline Miller episode
Some books with deaths we've mourned:
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
- Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
- The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin (the Red Wedding is in the third book, A Storm of Swords)
More recommendations:
- "Dr. Who" -- the David Tennant season
- The Song of Achilles and Circe by Madeline Miller
- Sabrina the Teenage Witch (available in many formats at the Library) and Riverdale (always)
Gwen gets fired up about reading—you guessed it—new fiction this year, while Frank dips into the backlist of a new favorite author. Plus: New Year's resolutions, The Bachelor, and the best short stories of 2018.
Book Recommendations
Best American Short Stories 2018, ed. by Roxane Gay
The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley
Encocylopedia Britannica's quick summary of "Beowulf"—or check out lots of versions of the actual poem from the Library
Non-Book Recommendations
- The panel Gwen is speaking on at ALA Midwinter: “So You Want to Podcast." Come say hi!
- Vice
- Nina LaCour's podcast, Keeping a Notebook
- The Bachelor
Glory Edim, creator of the coolest book club on the Internet, joins Frank and Gwen to discuss book clubs and beyond! They talk about Well-Read Black Girl, empowered storytelling, the potentials and pitfalls of making book recommendations, Black writers in the diaspora and the canon... and focusing on the things that unite us all. Happy new year, friends!
Aca-scuse me? It's an impromptu celebration of our favorite feel-good a capella movie... and, oh yeah, some book recommendations, too. Frank goes for a soul-searching memoir about spirituality and religion, and Gwen suggests a fantastical flipbook for kids.
Welcome to our first-ever live show, recorded in Frank's very own Jefferson Market Library! Gwen and Frank talk to Eric Klinenberg, sociologist and author of a new book about libraries and social infrastructure. Plus: the audience offers an invaluable assist during the guessing game.
Aristotle famously (er, probably) said that anger is a gift, and Gwen's been given one this year: Rebecca Traister's book about the power of women's rage, "Good and Mad." Plus, Frank finds more presents in The New Yorker archives and NYPL announces its year-end Best Books lists.
We're obsessed with libraries loaning unconventional items: seeds, toys, tools, clothes, games, museum passes... and sculptures. Local artist Wendy Richmond joins Gwen and Frank to talk about her work and her new installation, which encouraged patrons to take home her incredible sculptures of her own hands.
Check out our live show on Dec. 4!
Frank and Gwen will be talking to Eric Klinenberg, author of Palaces for the People, at Frank's own Jefferson Market Library! Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 6:30 p.m. -- click here for all the details.
Whether you're cooking turkey for 20 or opting out of Thanksgiving entirely, books about food are always in season. Frank and Gwen talk about their favorite cookbooks and chef memoirs with NYPL's resident foodie, Jeanne Hodesh, and offer some family recipes of their very own.
Check out our live show on Dec. 4!
Food memoirs:
- The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food by Judith Jones
- Memories of a Lost Egypt by Colette Rossant
- Blood, Bones, & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton
- Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser
- The audiobooks of Anthony Bourdain
- Tender at the Bone, Comfort Me with Apples, and Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichel
More recommendations:
- The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen (and the Moosewood archives at Cornell University Library)
- Fannie Farmer cookbooks
- The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
- Salt Fat Acid Heat
And few more books that Jeanne wanted to mention:
- My Soul Looks Back by Jessica B. Harris
- Consider the Oyster and Long Ago in France by MFK Fisher
- My Life in France byJulia Child
What makes a good story time? Anthony Murisco, youth librarian extraordinaire, joins Frank and Gwen to talk all things kids and books. Plus: everyone's favorite lazy cartoon cat, a true stumper of a guessing game, and a flurry of pop-culture recommendations.
In This Episode:
Anthony's library: The Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library
NLS: The National Library Service for the blind and physically handicapped
A book Anthony likes for storytime: Jump by David McPhail
NYPL's Best Books for Kids and Teens and Anthony's 2017 list with Bookshare links
"Book That Talk and Books You Touch": Jill Rothstein's TLII episode about technology for print-disabled patrons
Kris Jenner... and All Things Kardashian (and her cookbook)
Fake Blood by Whitney Gardner
Jabberwalking by Juan Felipe Herrera
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by Roberto Aguierre-Sacasa (and RIVERDALE!)
Garfield: The Complete Works, 1978-1979 (coming soon to the Library!)
A library podcast about a book about libraries? Sign us up! Frank goes meta this week with an in-depth review of Susan Orlean's new page-turner, and and Gwen sees an author of children's classics in a new light.
Frank & Gwen's Recommendations
The Library Book, The Orchid Thief, and several other books by Susan Orlean
Check out the Library Talks podcast (after Sunday, Nov. 11) to hear an interview with Orlean!
The works of Canadian children's author Robert Munsch:
And “The Story Behind ‘Love You Forever’ Is Probably Not What You Thought”
It's almost Election Day. Do you know where your voting rights are? Christopher Famighetti, professor at Jefferson Market University, joins Frank and Gwen for an in-depth convo about voting — and what libraries have to do with it. Plus: a different take on Tolstoy and the surreal films of Luis Buñuel.
It's almost Halloween, and it got so creepy we scared Gwen away. Frank braves the gore with Isaiah Pittman, horror aficionado and adult services librarian at NYPL. They talk scary books AND movies.
Book Recommendations
Paperbacks From Hell: The twisted history of 70's and 80's horror by Grady Hendrix
The Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell
Night Shift by Stephen King
20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Final Girls: A novel by Riley Sager
The series-- Anno Dracula by Kim Newman
You Were Neve Really Here by Jonathan Ames and the film adaptation
Non-Book Recommendations
Kanopy-- stream movies for free with you NYPL card!
Check out Gas Station Horror, the monthly improv show in NYC that turns bad horror movies into comedy.
Gwen and Frank tackle a near-future dystopian novel about space colonization and a sobering work of journalism about the fallacy of modern philanthropy. Plus: why pho is objectively the best food ever.
Frank and Gwen's Recommendations
Haaaave you read "The Yellow Wallpaper" yet? Try the Insta Novel!
Frank's old favorites: Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith, Pure Hollywood and Other Stories by Christine Schutt, I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
Foe by Iain Reid
Winners Take All by Anand Giridharadas, and his recent conversation with Joy-Ann Reid
His previous book, The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas, which won NYPL's Bernstein Award in 2015
Frank and Gwen are all about feminist texts this week. They go back in time with the classic short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper" — which is also NYPL's newest Insta Novel — and then hit the present (hard) with "Red Clocks." In between, there's a beautiful picture book for kids. Plus: Frank figures out a literary puzzle.
When we asked our book experts about books that changed their lives, we fell in love with their picks — and we wanted you to hear what they had to say, in their own voices. Plus: Frank and Gwen add their own childhood game-changers.
Check out the full list: 40 Books that Changed Librarians' Lives
Gwen and Frank discover two very different alternate worlds that speak to our present times. Their seemingly mismatched books offer stellar writing and clever takes on fantasy, dystopias and cringe-worthy identity politics. Plus: Frank has some, um... words for the author of his book.
Book Recommendations
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Adjustment Day by Chuck Palahniuk
Rosa Caballero-Li, manager of Ask NYPL, has all the answers! Rosa tells Frank and Gwen about the ins, outs, ups, and downs of the Library's multifaceted reference service, staffed by real-live human people. Plus: a story within a story presents some guessing game twists.
Need assistance? Have a question? Get in touch with Ask NYPL.
Book Recommendation
Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado
Non-Book Recommendations
"Lots of People Love ‘To Kill A Mockingbird.’ Roxane Gay Isn’t One of Them."
The album "Dirty Computer" by Janelle Monae
The best way to support this podcast is with a gift to The New York Public Library. Click here to donate.
Which books do you wish you'd read in high school? Frank and Gwen offer up some ideas and then move on to city novels with urban themes and a picture book about a dog who tries to be a fork. Plus: what to do if you can't get enough of the Queer Eye guys.
Book Recommendations
"NYT: If You Could Add One Book to the High School Curriculum, What Would It Be?"
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
Bull by David Elliott
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
The City and the City by China Miéville
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
Non-Book Recommendations
Short videos of the Queer Eye guys on YouTube, such as 9 Things They’ve Never Done Before (in which Jonathan and Tan bedazzle a tie), a round of Never Have I Ever, and a bizarre social-media compliment battle.
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter, Gwen and Frank fall hard for the wise and wonderful Vanessa Zoltan of the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast! We talk Harry and Jane, try the spiritual practice of lectio divina, discuss the healing power of romance novels, figure out Frank's Tinder profile... get ready for some serious revelations.
Vanessa's book recs:
- My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
- Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout
Frank and Gwen get a visit from BridgeUP, NYPL's holistic academic support program for NYC teens. They talk to a teen scholar and program leader about this unique library initiative, what students want and need outside the classroom, and everything that goes into getting them where they want to go in life.
Discussed this week:
BridgeUp's podcast on Latino stereotypes
Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott
1984 by George Orwell
The new HBO series "Random Acts of Flyness"
Answer: anything! Frank and Gwen discuss why for-profit businesses cannot and should not take libraries' place in society. Plus, recommendations for two small books that contain very big worlds.
Book Recommendations
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elizabeth Tova Bailey
The Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson
Oleg Kagan's opinion piece about how libraries are not companies, and more information about Forbes deleting the original op-ed.
The best way to support this podcast is with a gift to The New York Public Library. Click here to donate.
It's our third annual Summer Reading Challenge! This year, Frank and Gwen picked America Is Not the Heart, a debut novel by Elaine Castillo, about language and love and revolution and family and the meaning of home—it's about everything, and it's incredible.
Frank and Gwen break down romance novel stereotypes with fellow NYPL librarian Anne Rouyer. The genre often gets dismissed as fluff, but romance can subvert the traditional confines of gender, power, class, and more. (Gay Regency, anyone?)
Anne's Recommendations
Social Intercourse by Greg Howard
The Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah Maclean
Unmasked by the Marquess and It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan (for those who love Me Before You by Jojo Moyes)
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison
And for a non-book recommendation: 'Hiyori's Bed & Breakfast'
We're finding our midsummer vacation reading groove! Gwen is spectacularly awed by a debut novel and Frank gets drawn into a thriller (with a dash of reader real-estate jealousy).
Our Book Recommendations
"There There" by Tommy Orange
"One Dark Throne" by Kendare Blake
Transcription by Kate Atkinson
"The Incendiaries" by R.O. Kwan
"The Woman in the Window" by A.J. Finn
Non-Book Recommendations
Frank: The film "Shadow of a Doubt"
Gwen: These seriously comfortable boxer briefs
We're 100 episodes old! Frank and Gwen mark their centennial by responding to listener messages and revisiting some favorite themes. Plus: a list of our favorite episodes for new (or new-ish) listeners.
It's time again for our Summer Reading Challenge! In this mini-episode, Frank and Gwen pick a book to dive into together and invite you to read along with them, so place those library holds for a copy of "America Is Not the Heart" by Elaine Castillo. Discussion to air August 9!
Gwen is so moved by one of the three poems she brings to the studio that she can't even read it (she tried!). And Frank is transported by a novel about a marriage in Nigeria he can't NOT talk about it. Plus: the perils of social media and why Frank feels he is pretty much free of FOMO.
Frank's Book Recommendation
Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo
You can also listen to the author discuss this book on the NYPL podcasts here.
Gwen's Poetry Recommendations
“Airplanes” by Maggie Smith, in the Spring/Summer issue of Ninth Letter
“Ghazal: America the Beautiful” by Alicia Ostriker, and the Dear Poet video series of her reading her own work
"Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver
Gwen and Frank discover some surprising pieces of family history when Rhonda Evans, Electronic Resources Librarian at NYPL, arrives in the studio with a pile of documents and connects the dots from long-ago paper trails. Plus: Guessing game shenanigans.
Frank and Gwen share thoughts and reading recommendations about immigration, families, and children at the border. Plus: Frank asks what-if and Gwen ponders three recent books on motherhood.
Dr. Shayne Figueroa joins Frank and Gwen to discuss books and food nostalgia, Amish soul food (it's a thing!), and how NYC's free school lunch program is attempting to lift an age-old stigma. Plus: Frank's secret childhood eating habits and another guessing-game stumper.
Frank and Gwen revisit the recent Booker Prize winner, Lincoln in the Bardo, as Frank gets serious about the afterlife and our understanding of history. Then Gwen turns the studio in a sauna with a gay Regency romance packed with period details and subplots that add depth to the steamy novel.
Gwen and Frank get a visit from Elisa Garcia, Supervising Librarian of Teen Services at the Bronx Library Center, who brings the guessing-game drama and recommendations galore. Plus: Elisa talks about moving to and growing up in the Bronx, the global influence of '90s hip-hop, and all around back-in-the-day coolness.
Frank confesses his sometimes-complicated relationship with certain books and his bouts of book insecurity. Plus: What happens when Frank and Gwen serendipitously read the same book around the same time but don't quite remember it the same way? And an unpublished work from the early 1930s finallly gets the recognition it deserves.
Saraciea Fennell, founder of the Bronx Book Festival, joins Frank and Gwen to talk about bringing this event to the borough and the line-up for this weekend. Plus: how Saraciea found her way into the publishing world, zombies, Jane Austen, and a whole bunch of her favorite children's, YA, and fantasy reads.
What's the opposite of a book slump? We're calling it a flare, and Gwen is on one. She and Frank have a flurry of adult book recommendations, from dystopian novels to innovative science fiction.
What happens when you tap the musical talents of NYPL's librarians? Frank and Gwen get to relive their professional recording cameos with Sean Ferguson, manager of Chatham Square Library and a driving force behind the Library's new album for kids.
Another crossover episode with our fine friends from the Overdue podcast! Frank and Gwen join Craig and Andrew in Philadelphia to discuss the 1956 novel Peyton Place. Is it a classic? A soap opera? A groundbreaking statement about sexuality? Is it “ripe, hotly passionate, but fickle” — the first line of the book? You decide.
Frank and Gwen's discussion with Dan Kois on Angels in America continues (an epic conversation in two parts!) Plus: a trip to The New York Public Library of Performing Arts in the Upper West Side. Doug Reside, Curator of the Billy Rose Theatre Division, gives a tour of the collections and pulls out some Angels ephemera to help put the play in its historical context.
Dan Kois is a writer and editor for Slate. His recent book is called "The World Only Spins Forward: The Ascent of Angels in America." It's a collection of oral histories, beautifully arranged by Kois and his co-author, Isaac Butler. Together they interviewed nearly 250 people about the iconic Pulitzer Prize-winning play—directors, producers, and actors from Broadway to small town theatre productions. Kois talks to Gwen and Frank about creating the book, the enduring impact of Angles in America, and getting the inside scoop from Tony Kushner himself.
Frank dives into the dark and depraved world of noir, explains the basics of the genre and delivers a saucy read from one of his favorite books. Gwen does some detective work herself, taking us on her journey of a book rec that takes a dark turn of it's own! Plus: radio drama, man tears, and some classic YA literature.
Frank and Gwen headed to Philadelphia and brought home the sights, sounds, and book recommendations of the Public Library Association's 2018 conference. Plus, hard-hitting journalism: Is breakfast the most important meal of a librarian's day?
Gwen and Frank share books recs for bedtime—good reads for kids of all ages and one read that's definitely for grown-ups only... Plus, if you're at the Public Librarians Association Conference in Philadelphia (March 22nd-23rd) come find Frank and Gwen for even more talk about reading recs, pick up some podcast swag and share what books are stacked up on on your bedside table!
Friday March 23rd at 11am and 2pm in the PLA Press Room in the Convention Center, 3rd level, Room 303 A.
Frank and Gwen chat with New York Times Features Reporter, Steven Kurutz about his recent Literary Hub essay, "In Praise of the Small Town Library." It's part coming-of-age story, part love letter to his hometown library in Renovo, Pennsylvania. Plus: book rituals, a wild non-book recommendation, and the enduring charm of an unconventional librarian.
Fred and Barney... er, Frank and Gwen are reading books with different approaches to the same question: Who are you and what do you want out of life? (This episode has nothing to do with The Flintstones after the first 30 seconds, but the puns cannot be denied.)
Actor Sharon Washington joins us to talk about her one-woman play "Feeding the Dragon," based on her experience growing up inside a New York Public Library branch in the 1970s. She tells us about her childhood in the library after hours, and what it's like to share her story on stage. Plus: horror movie recs, and getting judgy on "Law and Order."
RuthAnn Deveney from the Diverse Books Club gives us a behind-the-scenes look at her group's themes and book picks, her love of spreadsheets, and her Philly-specific sandwich recommendations. Plus: What will Frank say (or not say) when he goes on The View?
All the complexities of the city so nice, they named it twice! Frank goes deep into nostalgia territory, digging up childhood memories, classic accents, and urban anxieties. Gwen follows with a real-life tale of greed and gumption at a famed NYC hedge fund.
Gwen asks, "Is this poem about God?" and Frank is (nearly) brought to tears as they untangle the divine and the bawdy (and naughty) in two John Donne poems. Luckily Dr. Carolyn Broomhead joins them for some much needed poetry therapy. Together they traverse language, imagery and the backstory of the divine Dr. D.
It's World Read Aloud Day, and Gwen and Frank are hearing voices from ghosts and robots. But they still manage to keep it together to recommend some books and play an extra round of their guessing game.
Books and reading are the foundation of any library but your local librarian is doing so much more: computer help, test prep and yes, even knitting. This week, Gwen and Frank talk to Erin Horanzy, an Adult Programming Librarian at NYPL's Francis Martin Library in the Bronx. Enjoy!
We want to hear from you! Please share your thoughts with us in this short survey: www.nypl.org/podcastsurvey
IS Margaret Atwood a bad feminist? Yeeeeeesh, we don't know. Frank and Gwen talk about the allegations against Aziz Ansari and then, thankfully, move onto books: nonfiction about young immigrants from El Salvador and a novel about a sci-fi dating experiment. Also, help us out by taking our survey at nypl.org/podcastsurvey!
This week, Gwen and Frank take on books ranging from the collapse of modern civilization to a murder "how-done-it" told exclusively from the point of view of a perspicacious fetus.
Get the full list of books discussed at www.nypl.org/podcast.
Want to broaden your reading horizons this year? Librarian extraordinaire Meredith Mann joins Frank and Gwen to debate the pros and cons of annual reading challenges. Plus: secret database magic, sci-fi written by robots, and our favorite British bakers. Get links to the books discussed in the episode at nypl.org/podcast.
Pam Nogales, a Ph.D. candidate at New York University, joins Gwen and Frank to talk about her newest class for Jefferson Market University—the free classes at Jefferson Market that are taught by college professors and open to everyone. They talk the history of politically radical immigrants in America, play the guessing game, and much more.
Gwen and Frank take on "Cat Person," the New Yorker story that turned the Internet upside down, and make some book recs based on its tone and subject.
Get a full rundown of episodes and links to the books discussed at www.nypl.org/podcast.
Frank didn't feel well this week, but he's figuring out to be happy anyway while Gwen dives into cozy Chanukah romance and Kwanzaa picture books. And did we mention Frank didn't feel well?
Spoiler alert: They barely exist! Frank and Gwen talk to librarian and advocate Angie Manfredi about the missing fat kids (and adults) in literature, the importance of body diversity in books, and the danger of creating a monolith of marginalized voices.
Gwen goes nuts for an alt-history about hippo ranching (IT COULD HAVE BEEN A REAL THING!), and Frank goes nuts for a memoir by incomparable actor and role model Gabourey Sidibe.
Settle in with your turducken and check out our 2017 Best Books for Kids and Teens! Take a deep dive into NYPL's annual lists, with committee members Grace Yamada and Grace Dwyer debating their favorites and recommending titles.
Get links and the full list of episodes at www.nypl.org/podcast
Gwen and Frank take a deep, emotional dive into a masterpiece by this year's Nobel Prize winner in Literature: Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go.
Get the full list of episodes at www.nypl.org/podcast.
Frank has a creepy middle-grade/YA novel that's great for adults, and Gwen has a not-at-all-creepy chapter book for preschoolers and early readers that's sure to also delight parents.
Gwen and Frank are both struggling to find the perfect book this week — and coming up with some ideas about how to do it. Plus: the glory that is Ilana Glazer.
Happy Halloween! Attended by demonic shrieking, adult services librarian Isaiah Pittman horrifies Gwen and Frank with scary book and film recommendations!
Against his better judgment, the producer of the Librarian Is In joins Gwen and Frank to talk books, tattoos, and how the podcast came to be.
This week Gwen and Frank tackle wonderlands, "What Girls are Made Of," mid-life crisises, and no easy ways out...
New NYPL librarian Jenny Chisnell joins the show to talk artist books, The New York Book Fair, and enough of her extraordinarily varied interests and recommendations that Gwen and Frank are immediately exhausted!
Find links to the books discussed and back episodes at www.nypl.org/podcast.
Frank and Gwen traverse the globe and beyond this week, with two dystopian YA books about life on other planets and a memoir about international travel, journalism, and feminism. Plus: Banned Books Week and, yes, Belinda Carlisle.
Podcasts are red/Podcasts are blue/This episode's all poetry/We hope you like it too!
What happens when you get My Brother's Husband, A Lost Lady, and Frog and Toad Together in the same room? Find out as Gwen and Frank discuss gay manga, Willa Cather, J.D. Salinger, and Arnold Lobel's classic books for children!
Frank and Gwen are beyond thrilled to talk to Nancy Pearl, a.k.a. America's Librarian, a.k.a. the guru of readers' advisory, a.k.a. OUR HERO.
On the show this week: Gwen reads a book that makes her see the world a little differently and Frank gets so lost in his book that time disappears.
This week Gwen and Frank wander wondrously through the wonderland of Dance led by the dazzling Linda Murray, Lead Curator of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of NYPL's Library for the Performing Arts. So, let's boogie! Get links to everything discussed in this episode at www.nypl.org/podcast.
Frank and Gwen tackle two powerful narratives of self-acceptance -- and then take respite in a roller derby comic and a love story.
A 30-year-old book remains intensely relevant for today's world, Gwen rediscovers Dorothy Parker AND reading Pooh to her pre-schooler and Frank raps!...(sort of).
Get links to all the books discussed and full list of episodes at nypl.org/podcast, click on The Librarian Is In.
Frank and Gwen learn about the Library's work with patrons with print disabilities with Jill Rothstein, chief librarian at the Andrew Heiskell Braille & Talking Book Library. Plus: More book recommendations than we've ever crammed into any episode, probably ever.
Get the full list of books at www.nypl.org/podcast.
This week, it's all in how you look at it. Feminism, space, time, language, aliens and a whole lot more.
For our second Summer Reading Challenge, Gwen and Frank chose a book for each other that they thought they'd love but would never read otherwise. This year, a strange symmetry emerged as they chose oddly complementary books: a novel about the antics of ancient Greek students and a modern-day translation of ancient Roman myths.
Who's up for some dubious morality? We're all about the scandal this week, as Frank and Gwen tackle controversial essays, what makes a "beach read," and, um, porcupines in library book drops.
The hosts of WNYC's Nancy podcast join Gwen and Frank for a conversation about queer books, making podcasts, and Xena Warrior Princess... and they Skyped in from their vacation, no less!
Subscribe to Nancy wherever you get Podcasts, we highly recommend it.
(This episode has some less than perfect audio, which is particularly embarrassing given our super professional radio guests. We promise it's still a great episode, and we're sorry!)
How gay is Sci-Fi anyway? Gwen and Frank welcome Casey Maher, leader of the LGBTQ Sci-Fi Book Crew meetup (held at the Jefferson Market Library)! They discuss everything from technology and gaming to science fiction (of course) right on up to Hemingway.
The fantastic Sona Charaipotra sits down with Frank and Gwen to talk representation and what it's like to see (or not see) your own experiences reflected in a book. Plus: Archie and Riverdale, Bollywood, Hollywood, and a lot of geeking out over our favorite YA authors.
Wherein we discuss reading (and acting!) Anton Chekhov, the influence of Agatha Christie, and the controversial merits of Go, Dog. Go!
Join us as we embark on our Summer Reading Challenge!
We're swinging from heavy, major, important nonfiction to the frothiest and most delightful YA romance this week.
Our annual spelling bee, words we can't pronounce, a trio of music recommendations, and of course what we're reading now.
Sweet-sad poems, ghosts of the Village Past, and melancholy post-Victorian tales of ruined childhoods in creeepy cults... But we manage to have a little fun, too.
Libraries and activism with Cory Eckert, one of the joint chiefs of Storytime Underground! We go in-depth on libraries as non-neutral spaces and how children's librarians stand up for social justice. Plus: recommendations for romance novels and two brand-new picture books.
The triumph and tragedy of Jim Thorpe, the difficulty of Henry James, and the ferocity of Emily Dickinson and Camille Paglia. Bonus: Barbra Streisand's underground wonderland!
The founders of Black Girls Create join us to talk about what it's like to be a black girl nerd, defaulting to whiteness in books and pop culture, nerds vs. geeks vs. dweebs, feminism and visibility and representation -- and, of course, sooooo much Harry Potter.
We’re going weekly! One week, Gwen and Frank will talk books, culture, and what to read next. On alternate weeks they’ll welcome a very special guest. Let us know what you think! This week: mesmerizing short stories, our Margaret Atwood obsession, and creepy/awesome young adult fiction.
Reena Glazer of the Pro Bono Institute joins Frank and Gwen to talk about lawyers in the library and recommendations for great nonfiction about pro bono legal work. Plus: Purple diaries, yellow cable cars, and colorful characters.
(Sorry! A previous version of this episode was buggy, but we fixed it. Take a listen, it's a good one!) Wait, Super Model? Absolutely, but also: Super Librarian! Gwen and Frank talk to Outreach Services Librarian Shauntee Burns about her work with schools, her long and varied career at NYPL and her attendance at one very famous NYC high school!
How do libraries help immigrants and underserved communities? Find out with NYPL's very own Adriana Blancarte-Hayward. Plus: major love for great journalism, time travel, ghosts, Frank's hair, frozen yogurt, and Salt 'n Pepa.
Frank and Gwen dive into two very different romance novels with NYPL librarians Annie Lin and Kate Fais. Plus: a super-clean podcast, a binge-watch-able show, and a gender-bending picture book.
With books on the Syrian refugee crisis and American "hillbilly" culture, Frank and Gwen are looking for a deeper undstanding of the world here at home, and abroad. Also, dinosaurs. And then, the inimitable Nancy Aravecz, NYPL trainee and library-school student, joins us to talk about the core principles of libraries and the equal-opportunity learning at Jefferson Market University.
Overdue in NYC! Frank and Gwen welcome Andrew and Craig of the Overdue podcast for a deep dive into William Golding's 1954 classic, Lord of the Flies. Every reader for him/her/reallyjustHIMself...
Happy new year! Christopher Platt joins Gwen and Frank to talk about hate crimes, privacy and transparency, and how to start a revolution from your local library. Plus: Project Gutenberg reads, our technological future, and our crush on Carla Hayden.
Welcome to our Very Special Holiday Mini-Episode! We talk about our families' book-giving traditions, Santa stress, and a few random gift suggestions.
Children's librarian Louise Lareau joins Frank and Gwen to talk about NYPL's annual Best Books for Kids list and why you should say "underpants" during first-grade storytime. Plus: Eve Babitz, Joan Didion, Zadie Smith, joy, suffering, existentialism, etc., etc.
Gwen and Frank are joined by Sarah Ball from NYPL's Correctional Services unit to talk about library services for people in jail or prison. Plus: what we're reading, books we're thankful for, and a whole lot of Frank's singing.
Lynn Lobash, manager of Readers Services, peels back the curtain how how to make great book recommendations—and puts Gwen and Frank to the recommendations test.
As fall sets in and Halloween approaches, things get a little creeeeeeepy in the studio as Frank and Gwen bravely welcome horror expert and YA librarian Brian Stokes.
Manga madness overtakes the podcast when Frank and Gwen are joined by YA librarian Chantalle Uzan. Plus: Love for Liesel... not so much for Lionel Shriver.
Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga, and Roo join Frank and Gwen in the studio this wee... just kidding. But we have the next best thing: Michael Inman, curator of NYPL's Rare Book Division, who tells us about the restoration of the Library's historic Winnie-the-Pooh dolls. Plus: children's and YA books galore, and queens of all kinds.
Frank and Gwen are joined by Julia Pistell, co-host of the Literary Disco podcast! We play multiple rounds of guess-the-book, talk about whaling ships and virtual reality and Garfield Minus Garfield, and offer a bazillion book recommendations.
Humidity can't exist in outer space! Beat the heat by blasting off into orbit with Frank and Gwen's brand-new segment. Plus: Do audiobooks "count" as reading?
Up for some agony? Frank and Gwen chat about suffering in literature and movies, debate the gender politics of picture books, and hang out with one of our funniest guests ever: Genoveve Stowell, manager of NYPL's new 53rd Street branch.
Learn more at nypl.org/podcast
Gwen can barely contain herself this week when she and Frank are joined by Biz Ellis, one of the hosts of the One Bad Mother podcast, to talk kids and parents and books. And Biz's 6-year-old daughter makes a book recommendation!
Find show notes and more at nypl.org/podcast
It's the first-ever Reading Challenge episode! Gwen and Frank assigned books to each other to read and discuss on the air. Hijinks ensue...
Amanda Nelson, managing editor of Book Riot and host of BR's own book recommendation podcast, joins Frank and Gwen to discuss book recommendations. (What else?)
Find show notes and more at nypl.org/podcast
Frank and Gwen keep it local this week, from a fashion show at Jefferson Market and Open Book Night with Mid-Manhattan's Elizabeth Waters to a great read about the city's Chintz Age and a karaoke trip around Broadway.
Margaret H. Willison, a.k.a. The Coolest Funniest Pop-Culture-iest Librarian Ever, joins Gwen and Frank this week for the ultimate high/low-culture episode.
Along with Susen Shi from Mid-Manhattan Library, Frank and Gwen reveal their librarianship origin stories on this week's episode. Plus: Self-help books, plays in print, and the legacy of the Indigo Girls.
Learn more: nypl.org/podcast
Frank and Gwen turn the tables on NYPL's Jessica Strand this week, interviewing the host of Books at Noon about the coolest authors she's ever interviewed herself. Plus: Prince's book-related legacy and Frank's best Carson impression.
Doug Reside from NYPL’s Library for the Performing Arts joins Gwen and Frank to talk about the Bard and the Great White Way. He even raps a teeny tiny bit from Hamilton.
Gwen and Frank discuss books that defy description and throw reality for a loop. Longtime residents of Harlem, Greenwich Village, the Bronx, and more get shout-outs in an interview with NYPL's Alex Kelly about the Library's oral history projects. Plus, Times Square and the attack of the Elmos. (Elmoes? Elmii?)
Who's ready to relive some traumatic moments from childhood?! We go toe-to-toe with the winner of the tri-library spelling bee: NYPL's very own Rob Kelley.
Also! After taping Rob discovered that both 'pimiento' and 'pimento' are acceptable ways to spell the pepper that stuffs an olive and wanted us (and you) to know. So, now we all know, and you'll see why that is significant in this week's episode.
Earnestness sets in when Singing Children's Librarian Emily Lazio joins us to talk about courage and encouragement, children's classics, and a cool new trend in picture books. Music by Podington Bear: "All Hot Lights" & "Ideas"
We're heading back to the '70s this week! Shola Lynch (of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture) joins us to talk about film, art, collecting history, and what it's like to hug Bert from Sesame Street.
Taboo subjects in adult and children's books alike abound on our fifth episode. Plus, find out what makes a "rare book" rare with our very own rare book librarian, Jessica Pigza.
Go behind the scenes at BookOps, the Library's special secret spy agen— er, the "technical services" unit. Also: the Helen Ellis/Shirley Jackson/Anita Brookner triumvirate, Frank's shocking Harry Potter confession, and more.
We talk about how to fit more reading into busy schedules, Lin-Manuel Miranda, horror books and movies, childhood favorites, David Bowie, Lin-Manuel Miranda again, and our love for Downton Abbey’s kind Anna and unstoppable Edith.
We talk about feminist comics, The Golden Girls, squids and snails, intellectualism, and -- yes -- cloning George Clooney. Plus Frank and Gwen are joined by NYPL's very own Jason Baumann.
Hello, listeners! "The Librarian is In" is the New York Public Library's new podcast about books, culture, and what to read next. On this, the very first episode, your hosts Frank and Gwen talk about book shame, their reading origin stories, the glory of Jefferson Market, and why some young people are saying "swell" without irony.
