Page Count

If you’ve ever wondered about the process of turning your book into an audiobook, or what it takes to work as an audiobook narrator, then this episode is for you. Danielle Muething and Gary Leo Smith, two professional narrators based in Ohio, share a behind-the-scenes look at the art of audiobook narration. They discuss everything from how to get started as a narrator, how much money narrators can...

Denise Phillips, the owner of Gathering Volumes , an independent bookstore in Perrysburg, Ohio, offers holiday gift recommendations for readers of all ages and interests. From eels to dragons, baked goods, murderbots, Toni Morrison/Buffy the Vampire Slayer mashups, and a lot more, listen to get some holiday shopping ideas for the book lover in your life.   Books Denise recommends: Once You Go This...

Author and illustrator Julia Kuo discusses her picture book Luminous: Living Things That Light Up the Night, which won the 2024 Floyd’s Pick Book Award. She shines a light on bioluminescence, the mysteries of the open ocean, squids and glowworms and jellyfish, illustration career paths, her journey to becoming an author, and the art of making our own light.   Julia Kuo is the author and illustrato...

Halloween is right around the corner, so grab your pumpkin spice lattes and join us as we explore Ohio’s cemeteries with Ian Adams, Randall Lee Schieber, and Robin L. Smith, the photographers and author, respectively, of This Place of Silence: Ohio’s Cemeteries and Burial Grounds . Our guests discuss the process of photographing and writing about cemeteries in every county in Ohio, cemetery art an...

Page Count hit the road in July to record a panel interview with authors and podcasters Rob Harvilla, Libby Kay, and Alex Rowland in front of a live audience at the Columbus Book Festival. Listen in as Rob, Libby, and Alex discuss their work, offer tips for other writers and podcasters, define “podcast princess,” share mistakes and lessons learned, reveal why the Columbus Book Festival was one of...

In celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University, David Hassler, the Bob and Walt Wick Executive Director of the Wick Poetry Center, sheds light on the Center’s history, programs, and community impact while also sharing a few poems and discussing highlights from the recent anniversary events.   Robert Wick, a sculptor and former art department faculty m...

Brian Schoen, Ph. D., and Timothy G. Anderson, Ph. D., the editors of Settling Ohio: First Peoples and Beyond, discuss Ohio’s history, the inspiration for and genesis of Settling Ohio, their process for putting the book together, academic publishing, and more. Settling Ohio: First Peoples and Beyond was Ohio Center for the Book’s 2024 Great Reads from Great Places selection for adult readers and r...

Chiquita Mullins Lee and Carmella Van Vleet, authors of the picture book You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce! , discuss the life, art, and significance of Elijah Pierce, a celebrated, self-taught Black folk artist known for his wood carvings. They share how their book grew out of Lee’s play about Elijah Pierce, their collaborative writing process, their experience viewing Pierce’s carvings at the Columbus M...

Poet Sara Moore Wagner takes listeners on a deep dive into the life and legend of Ohio-born sharpshooter Annie Oakley. As the subject of Wagner’s latest poetry collection, LADY WING SHOT, Oakley appears as an allegorical figure whose stories are built on both fact and fiction—a woman irrevocably connected to the myth of the American West, the cult of fame, feminism and gender roles, and the histor...

What do ghosts, unicorns, The New Yorker, and wild wallpaper patterns have in common? James Thurber, of course. Laura and Don take Page Count on the road to give listeners an audio tour of the Thurber House in Columbus, where Leah Wharton, operations director, and Steve Andersson, a docent and educator, shed light on the life and work of the American humorist James Thurber. In the process, they se...

It’s summertime, and writers, you know what that means: it’s conference season! To celebrate, we’re speaking with Leah Stewart, the director of the Sewanee Writers’ Conference , one of the best and most prestigious writing workshops in the country. Stewart shares how the conference works, the changes she’s made since taking the reins as director, tips for applying, why summer conferences are valua...

Straight from “the mothership of all libraries,” Guy Lamolinara, head of the Library of Congress Center for the Book, joins Laura and Don to discuss how his career evolved from aspiring dentist to journalist to thirty-four-year veteran of the Library of Congress, his formative years in Cleveland, the network of Center for the Book state affiliates, the upcoming the National Book Festival, and much...

Writer’s Digest Editor-in-Chief Amy Jones opens the magazine’s archives to take us back to a time when typewriters were king, paying markets for short stories abounded, and song sharks lurked in the literary waters. Tune in to learn what has changed in the last 100 years for writers—and what hasn’t. (Spoiler: Rejection is a constant. Typewriters and SASEs? Not so much.) In the process, explore the...

Hemingway called her his favorite novelist. Gore Vidal directed attention back to her work after her death. Even Rory Gilmore was spotted reading her novels in Gilmore Girls. Who was Dawn Powell, and why isn't her work more widely known? Dr. Jennifer Swartz-Levine, Professor of English and Dean of the School of Arts, Education, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Lake Erie College, helps us redisco...

In a special episode recorded before a live audience at the 2024 Ohioana Book Festival, Jacqueline Woodson and Hanif Abdurraqib discuss their latest books, their artistic influences, how they define “making it” as a writer, what it was like to win the MacArthur Fellowship, how they navigate their public roles as authors, how libraries impacted their lives, and more.   Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, e...

Page Count’s third season kicks off on May 21! Listen to snippets from just a few of our upcoming episodes featuring the following authors and experts:   Amy Jones, Editor-in-Chief of Writer’ Digest, dips into the magazine’s archives to consider what has changed in the literary world—and what hasn’t—in the last 100 years. Jacqueline Woodson and Hanif Abdurraqib discuss their latest books, what it...

Laura and Don celebrate Page Count’s second anniversary by sharing some of their favorite episodes along with a few fun facts. For example, did you know that this is the sixtieth Page Count episode? Or that cotton is the traditional gift for second anniversaries? Or that Laura is only in this for the fame and glory? Finally, Don and Laura offer a quick preview of what's in the works for Page Count...

David Weaver, executive director of the Ohioana Library Association, makes his second appearance on the podcast to discuss the upcoming Ohioana Book Festival. In addition to sharing festival highlights, including a special live Page Count conversation featuring Hanif Abdurraqib and Jacqueline Woodson, Weaver discusses his work with Ohioana, his upcoming retirement, and Ohio’s contributions to the...

In celebration of the paperback release of her latest novel, Alchemy of a Blackbird, Claire McMillan discusses the art and life of Remedios Varo, historical fiction, surrealism, and Pamela Colman Smith, the artist behind the world’s most famous tarot deck. She also dives into the alchemy of writing, from finding the perfect title to writing “drawer novels” and beyond. Finally, McMillan answers que...

We’re pleased to share this Writers Unplugged event featuring Cleveland author Susan Petrone. Jen Jumba of Cleveland Public Library conducted this interview in person on February 7, 2024, to discuss Petrone’s latest novel, the power of music, the unreliability of memory, the thrill of finding yourself in a book, and, of course, the falafel and milkshakes at Tommy’s.   Writers Unplugged is a Clevel...

Brian Broome, author of the debut memoir Punch Me Up to the Gods, discusses growing up in rural Ohio, how he was discovered by a literary agent at a storytelling event, how he navigates writing about family, how he approaches structure and revision, and the story in his memoir that made Laura cringe the hardest (that’s a compliment). Broome also answers questions from Page Count listeners surround...

In honor of Toni Morrison Day on February 18, Page Count took a field trip to Lorain Public Library to tour the Toni Morrison Reading Room . Cheri Campbell, Local History and Archives Librarian, guides listeners through the room while providing history, lore, and anecdotes about Morrison’s life and storied literary career. From Morrison’s time growing up in Lorain (including how she got hired, fir...

We’re honored to share this episode of Wild Precious Life, a Cleveland-based podcast hosted by Annmarie Kelly, to remember the life and work of Echo Brown. Brown was the celebrated author of BLACK GIRL UNLIMITED , THE CHOSEN ONE , and the one-woman play, BLACK VIRGINS ARE NOT FOR HIPSTERS . She died in 2023, at the age of thirty-nine, after a long illness. In this episode, which originally aired i...

Author and Writer’s Digest editor-at-large Jessica Strawser answers publishing questions from Page Count listeners, defines “book club fiction,” shares insights gleaned from her career as a six-time novelist, and discusses her latest novel, THE LAST CARETAKER.   Strawser is the author of the book club favorites  ALMOST MISSED YOU , NOT THAT I COULD TELL , FORGET YOU KNOW ME ,  A MILLION REASONS WH...

In a live episode recorded at the Lit Youngstown Fall Literary Festival, Ross Gay and Alison Stine discuss joy, trash, the art of writing quickly and without pressure, novel drafting, revision, writerly obsessions, creating art in a burning world, and, of course, why we must bring each other French fries.    Ross Gay is the author of four books of poetry: Against Which ;  Bringing the Shovel Down...