A River & Sound Review:

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Past Podcast Productions

Episode 19 - LIVE from Puyallup, WA

Join us for this live production recorded on May 15, 2008 in the Puyallup Public Library in beautiful downtown Puyallup, Washington.  For this episode, we welcome poet Philip Terman, whose new book is Rabbis of the Air, all the way from Western Pennsylvania. With him, we feature fiction writer Elea Carey, whose work has appeared in the story anthology 18 Lies and 3 Truths.  And our musical guest is Patrick Bradshaw.  All that, plus Name That Book and the next episode in our ongoing saga, As the Publishing World Turns.  For more artist bios click here. 

Episode 18

Tune in to this studio podcast as we feature a reading by poet David Huddle from his new book of poems, Glory River.  This episode also includes a review of his book by poet Michael Schmeltzer.  Also joining the show is writer and Tin House editor Lee Montgomery as she reads from her latest book of short stories, Whose World Is This? and talks to us about the delicate task of working as a writer and editor.  And we feature review of independent folk rock musician Kurt Lindsay's latest self-titled CD. 

Episode 17 - LIVE from Portland, OR

This episode was recorded live from Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR.  A great crowd came out and welcomed essayist Brian Doyle, editor of Portland Magazine and author of The Grail: A Year Ambling and Shambling through and Oregon Vineyard in Search of the Best Pinot Noir in the Whole Wide World. Joining him was essayist Ann Whitfield Powers and our musical guest Swingin' Amiss.  Plus we featured a live conversation with the charter members of the East Meets East Meets West Women's Book Club as they discussed their recent reading of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass.  For more bios from the show, click here. 

Episode 16

For this studio produced podcast, we offer a program to help you get over your post-Valentines Day hangover.  We offer stories and interviews that explore the more complex mysteries of that confusing abstraction we all call love.  We hold an interview with poet Lola Haskins, author of Desire Lines: New and Selected Poems.  With her is an interview with musical guest Jerin Falkner, whose new CD is Acoustic Journal One. And we welcome a reading by award-winning essayist Jennifer Culkin.  All that, plus we have another conversation with the charter members of the East Meets East Meets West Women's Book Club. 

Episode 15

We find a way to survive the dark days of January with this studio podcast featuring two Alaskan writers: poet Peggy Shumaker, author of book Blaze with painter Kessler Woodward, and essayist Theresa Bakker.  They are joined by essayist Brenda Miller, who also serves as editor of The Bellingham Review.  You can find a link to the Bellingham Review's writing contests here. 

Episode 14: LIVE SHOW

In this program, recorded live on December 13 at the Puyallup Public Library in Puyallup, Washington features award-winning novelist Garth Stein, whose book How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets won the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award.  Also featured is essayist Joanna Manning from Tacoma and musical guest Kristin Connell whose most recent CD is Second Chances.  All that, plus we held our trademark literary quiz show Name That Book and performed the next episode in our original literary soap opera drama, As the Publishing World Turns.

For more about the show, including bios of our guest artists, click here.

Episode 13

In this studio production we welcome Ann Pancake to the show for an interview and a reading from her new novel, Strange as This Weather Has Been, a story about mountain top removal in West Virginia's Appalachians.  Also in this program is an interview with David Beispeil, editor of Poetry Northwest, and a reading from poet Sharon Bryan.  All that, plus a conversation with the East Meets East Meets West Women's Book Club about Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. 

Episode 12: LIVE SHOW

We recorded this live program of A River & Sound Review on a night when there were 60 mile an hour winds roaring through the Puyallup Valley.  We spent the evening waiting for the power to go out, but it never did and we recorded the entire show, featuring award-winning novelist Karen Fisher (whose novel A Sudden Country was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award in 2006), poet Casey Fuller, and musical guest Wes Weddell.  This show also features our original game show, Name That Book, and the next episode in our little radio soap opera drama, As the Publishing World Turns. 

For more on the show, including artist bios, click here.

Episode 11

This episode is a studio production that features stories, poems, and essays that explore the topic of home--leaving it, returning to it, and learning in it.  We hold an interview with Delaware poet Fleda Brown, whose book Reunion won the 2007 Felix Pollack Prize in Poetry.  We are also joined by Ann Pancake, who reads from her soon to be released novel Strange As This Weather Has Been. All that, plus an essay from Tarn Wilson, poetry from Mark McCaig, and the first ever meeting of the East Meets East Meets West Women's Book Club, who will be reading Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

Click here to order Ann Pancake's novel, or visit her website, www.annpancake.com. 

Episode 10: LIVE SHOW

Listen to our live show taped on Saturday, August 4, just outside the Puyallup Farmer's Market.  We had a theme of the Midwest Out West, as we included a reading from novelist Kent Meyers, author of The Work of Wolves, and poet Adrian Gibbons Koesters.  Musical guest was Kristin Connell.  We also featured our favorite game show, Name That Book, including questions about Mid-Western novelists.  For more on the show, including artist bios, click here.

Episode 9: "On Travelogues"

In this studio podcast, we celebrate the human urge to travel and write about it.  We feature two travelogue essays, one by Joanna Manning, who embarked on a three-day Amtrak ride from Tacoma to Pennsylvania with her one-year-old son, and one by Becky Waller, whose explains why Jack Kerouac's book On the Road still matters 40 years after the author's death.  All that, and the next episode of As the Publishing World Turns. 

Episode 8: "On Paternities"

In this studio podcast, we celebrate the love and wisdom of fathers and grandfathers alike in a show dedicated entirely to stories about paternities. We share with you three personal essays, by Julie H. Case, Anne McDuffie, and Bill Slammon, all reporting the unconventional and sage lessons learned from paternal figures.  Ann Whitfield Powers reads a book review of Elijah Cooper's book, Crawling: A Father's First Year.  And we also offer you our first studio recording of As the Publishing World Turns.  All that, and Name That Book. 

Episode 7: "On Letters" (LIVE PRODUCTION)

In this live production of our show, we examine the lost art of writing letters and sending them through the mail.  Guest artists include essayist Judith Kitchen, poet Allen Braden, student writer Paul Klein, with guitarist and song writer Patrick Bradshaw.  We also hold a live version of Name That Book and the next episode of our original radio soap opera drama, As the Publishing World Turns. 

For more on this show, including details of artist bios and information about where you can buy their books and CDs, click here. 

Episode 6: "On Spring"

In this studio podcast we celebrate the arrival of spring with a collection of spring poetry by Kathleen Flenniken, Jill Johnson, Adrian Gibbons Koesters, and Boyd Benson.  We welcome Seattle folk singer and song writer Wes Weddell for an interview.  We showcased a book review and reading of Marjorie Sandor's collection of essays, The Night Gardener: A Search for Home.  And we finished our show with a gardening essay by Geralyn Stonack. 

For more about Wes Weddell's most recent CD, visit his website at www.wesweddell.com. 

Episode 5: "On Do-It-Yourselfers"

This studio produced program celebrates the spirit of the independent do-it-yourselfer.  First is a story from Peter Lindner, who built a 350-square-foot deck at his mountain cabin.  Our second guest is novelist and publisher Noah Ashenhurst, who reads from his novel Comfort Food.  Also, we welcome an essay from film critic Matt Click. 

For more on Noah Ashenhurst, visit his website at www.noahashenhurst.com.

Matt Click's blog on films and the film industry can be found at rocketnumber09.blogspot.com. 

Episode 4: "Live Show - February 15"

A podcast of our live show where we welcomed award-winning poet Rick Barot, fiction writer Julie H. Case, and student writer Jill Escalera for an evening of fine literary entertainment and genuine hilarity.  Musical guest will be guitarist and singer Jerin Falkner.  Also featured: A River & Sound Review's two celebrated trivia contests: Name That Book and Head to Head Shakespeare Trivia Challenge.  

Click here for artist bios and more details of the show.

Episode 3: "On New Endeavors"

A studio podcast where we dedicate the entire show to the to topic of New Endeavors.  We talked with Michael Schmeltzer about the toils of being a twenty-something poet, and heard essayist Rachel Johnson's remarks on a New Year.  Plus we featured a book review of Jonathan Safron Foer's Everything is Iluminated, by Rebecca Fulton. 

All that, plus a the studio broadcast version of  Name That Book.