Narrative Edge

Michael Jordan's path to greatness was shaped by race, politics, and the consequences of fame. To become the most revered basketball player in America, it wasn't enough for Michael Jordan to merely excel on the court. He also had to become something he never intended: a hero. In this episode, Peter and Orlando delve into a conversation about His Airness with author and Georgia Tech professor, John...

Award-winning CNN journalist John Blake grew up a self-described “closeted biracial person,” hostile toward white people while hiding the truth of his mother’s race. In this episode of Narrative Edge, Peter and Orlando explore a powerful conversation with Blake about racial reconciliation, acceptance, and empathy.

An indelible portrait of a family, The Peach Seed explores how kin pass down legacies of sorrow, joy, and strength. And it is a parable of how a glimmer of hope as small as a seed can ripple across generations. Peter and Orlando explore a conversation with author Anita Gail Jones and learn about the Civil Rights movement in Albany, GA along the way. 

The Allman Brothers Band's "Brothers and Sisters" is iconic. In this episode, Peter and Orlando discuss Alan Paul's deep dive into the time before and after the 1973 album. It was not only the band’s best-selling album, at over seven million copies sold, but it was also a powerfully influential release, both musically and culturally.  And this book has converted one of the hosts into a fan. 

Famed NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly comes to grips with the reality every parent faces: childhood has a definite expiration date.  Peter and Orlando share their thoughts and opinions of Mary Louise Kelly's chronicle of her eldest child’s final year at home.  Plus, we'll hear from Mary Louise herself. 

It’s the summer of 1964 and three innocent men are brutally murdered for trying to help Black Mississippians secure the right to vote. Against this backdrop, twenty-one-year-old Violet Richards finds herself in more trouble than she’s ever been.  Peter and Orlando dive into Anywhere You Run in this episode and talk with Atlanta-based author Wanda Morris. 

Sally Sierer Bethea was one of the first women in America to become a “riverkeeper”—a vocal defender of a specific waterway who holds polluters accountable. In Keeping the Chattahoochee, she tells stories that range from joyous and funny to frustrating—even alarming—to illustrate what it takes to save an endangered river. In this episode, Peter and Orlando discuss the Hooch, an important water sou...

At the height of the John Birch Society’s activity in the 1960s, critics dismissed its members as a paranoid fringe. After all, “Birchers” believed that a vast communist conspiracy existed in America and posed an existential threat to Christianity, capitalism, and freedom. But as historian Matthew Dallek reveals, the Birch Society’s extremism remade American conservatism. After a discussion with D...

LISTEN: Some of the most popular music in the world has roots in Atlanta. In "Rap Capital: An Atlanta Story," author Joe Coscarelli chronicles what it's like to be a rapper in Atlanta today and puts on spotlight on artists such as Migos and Lil Baby. After a discussion with Coscarelli, Peter and Orlando share some of their thoughts and insights on "Rap Capital: An Atlanta Story."

"King: A Life" by Jonathan Eig, the first major biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in decades, is a generational book filled with new information and perspectives from living witnesses, declassified documents, and unheard audio recordings. After a discussion with Jonathan Eig, Peter and Orlando share some of their thoughts and insights on "King: A Life."

Award-winning author Julia Franks' latest novel is the story of two young women contending with unplanned pregnancies in different eras. After a discussion with Julia Franks, Peter and Orlando share some of their thoughts and insights on "The Say So."

"Master Slave Husband Wife" by Ilyon Woo is the true story of two enslaved people from Macon, William and Ellen Craft, who escaped to freedom in 1848. Their escape was not at night or by the Underground Railroad but in plain sight. In this episode, Peter and Orlando break down this remarkable story. This podcast from Georgia Public Broadcasting highlights books with Georgia connections. Hosted by...

Georgia Public Broadcasting's Narrative Edge highlights books with Georgia connections. Hosted by two of your favorite public radio book nerds who also happen to be your hosts of All Things Considered on GPB radio, Orlando Montoya and Peter Biello. In this podcast, they will introduce you to authors, their writings, and the insights behind their stories mixed with their thoughts and ideas on just...