The Free Bin

Harrison joins Brittney and Joshua from Swords & Starships , the Coos Bay Public Library's excellent sci-fi and fantasy podcast (listen wherever you get your podcasts)! The intrepid trio discuss monster and paranormal romance literature in all its myriad manifestations. Content warning for younger or sensitive listeners: This episode deals with human (and non-human) sexuality, so it gets a little...

For The Free Bin's 100th(ish) episode, Harrison welcomes the Library's newest team member (and podcast co-host), Cindy! Cindy shares her favorite book and a very blue soda. In this episode: Found Magazine "The Keeper of Lost Things" by Ruth Hogan "Broadchurch" (TV Series) "Midsomer Murders" (TV Series) "Shetland" (TV Series)

Denyse and Harrison discuss their recent leisure reading endeavors.  In this episode: "The Clockwork Sparrow" by Katherine Woodfine "Long Haul: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers" by Frank Figliuzzi    

Denyse and Harrison celebrate Banned Books Week with a couple of stories from history, a quiz game, and a strange liquid. Joyce causes trouble. "Obscene" material goes down a Canadian's pants. Puritans attempt to solve problems.  Pynchons persist. In this episode: "Ban This Book" by Alan Gratz "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg " The Meritorious Price of Our...

Denyse and Harrison exercise their right of selecting and discuss the complaint tablet(s) to Ea-Nasir--the much-maligned merchant, miscreant, and modern meme. Nanni is furious. Arbituram is confused. Imgur-Sin is tired. In this episode: "Carly Only Eats Carbs" by Katrina Liu " Complaint Tablet to Ea Nasir " (UET V 81) by Nanni "Foreign Trade in the old Babylonian Period" by W.F. Leemans "The Great...

It's readers' advisory time! Harrison briefly shares a few new and newly-acquired items.  In this episode: "The Animator's Survival Kit" by Richard WIlliams "The Great Book of Amber" by Roger Zelazny "Homeland: The War on Terror in American Life" by Richard Beck "Legend" by Marie Lu The "Miss Fortune Mystery" series by Jana DeLeon    

Harrison reads Margaret St. Clair 's humorous fantasy short story " The Autumn After Next " (1960).

Denyse and Harrison wrap up their packed summer schedule by sharing the items they are/will be reading/watching. Inspired by actual events. In this episode: "America Fantastica" by Tim O'Brien "Chain Gang All-Stars" by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah "Fifth Sun" by Camilla Townsend "The Long Game" dir. by Julio Quintana "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick" by Chris Van Allsburg "Stopmotion" dir. by Robert M...

Denyse and Harrison share some road trip memories for American Adventures Month. Denyse feeds a notable hippo and visits a "treesort." Harrison eats a notable hot dog and encounters oversized bovine anatomy among the redwoods.  In this episode: "Beekle" by Dan Santat "Campground Kids" series by C.R. Fulton "Oregon Ghost Towns" by Lambert Florin "Oregon Off the Beaten Path" by Myrna Oakley "Tommy B...

Denyse and Harrison celebrate International Clown Week 2024 with some clown, comedy, and circus-related titles. Denyse shares her family connection to clowning. Clown-shaped gaps in the library collection are identified. The Man in the Yellow Hat continues to confound. Denyse describes a mechanical corndog. Music used during topic introduction: "Circus Tent" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License...

Thanks to a fortuitous geographical mix-up, Harrison has a chat with self-published author and medical student Vinnie Grewal from Toledo, Ohio. Vinnie's current project is a series of novels with overlapping events and characters. Here, he shares details of his inspirations, philosophy, and writing process.  In this episode: " Bruised and Bemused " by Vinnie Grewal "The Fault in Our Stars" by John...

Denyse and Harrison share some books about fish, the sea, and related topics. Denyse becomes a puffin. Harrison gets carried away with fish stuff.  In this episode: "Eyewitness Handbooks: Aquarium Fish" by Dick Mills "Goldfish: A Complete Introduction" by Robert Mertlich "Life on the Rocks" by Juli Berwald "My Pet Goldfish" by Catherine Rayner "Odder" by Katherine Applegate "Puffins" by Colleen Se...

Harrison shares some historical fiction selections, struggles with his microphone levels, and drinks nothing. In this episode: "The Armor of Light" by Ken Follett "Berlin" by Jason Lutes "Bone Walker" by Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear "His Majesty's Dragon" by Naomi Novik "The Glutton" by A.K. Blakemore "The Memoirs of Cleopatra" by Margaret George "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Folle...

Denyse brings some titles to celebrate Juneteenth, and Harrison brings a red beverage! In this episode: "An American Story" by Kwame Alexander "Box" by Carole Boston Weatherford "How Do You Spell Unfair?" by Carole Boston Weatherford "Indigo Dreaming" by Dinah Johnson "Moses" by Carole Boston Weatherford "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia "The Real History of Juneteenth" by Elliott Smith "...

Harrison quickly shares some nonfiction recommendations to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. In this episode: "The Allies" by Winston Groom "Citizen Soldiers" by Stephen E. Ambrose "D-Day" by Stephen E. Ambrose "Easy Company Soldier" by Sgt. Don Malarkey with Bob Welch "June 6, 1944: The Longest Day" by Cornelius Ryan  "Smithsonian World War II Map By Map" edited by Rupa Rao "X Troop" by...

Muriel King from the Lincoln County Genealogical Society (LCGS) stops by to talk about her work and share some events and resources!  In this episode: Lincoln County Genealogical Society

Local author Ricky Dyson shares an original short story about a very special dog.

Denyse and Harrison are joined by Susan Vaslev from Enchanted Forest theme park in Salem, Oregon. As the eldest daughter of park creator Roger Tofte, Susan has tended the family business from its very first day through the challenges of COVID and beyond. In this casual chat, Susan shares details of the park's early days, her process for creating all the stage shows and music for the park, the role...

Harrison shares a five-question true-or-false quiz about Smokey Bear, who turns 80 this year! In this episode: "Decades" Smokey Bear PSA

April is National Poetry Month! Denyse and Harrison share a few favorite poems and poets. Denyse serves an opaque, brown liquid. In this episode: "Beneath a Blue Umbrella" by Jack Prelutsky "8 Mile" dir. by Curtis Hanson "The Essential Rumi" by Jelaluddin Rumi (translated by Coleman Barks with John Moyne) "Follow the Recipe" by Marilyn Singer "A Maze Me" by Naomi Shihab Nye "Smoke From This Altar"...

Harrison reads the humorous short story, " The Eyes Have It, " by Philip K. Dick .

Harrison reads " The Bee-Man ," by Alice Dunbar Nelson ( née Alice Ruth Moore) .

Denyse and Harrison share the cultural works that held their attention this week. Denyse dissects a pop star's corpus. Harrison loses an old game. Swifties affect the bead economy, and also the regular economy. A werewolf falls repeatedly. Bus drivers hit the jackpot. Danny's mysterious condition worsens.  In this episode: Killer Instinct (1994) Metalocalypse Taylor Swift

Denyse and Harrison celebrate Women's History Month with a selection of books for readers of all ages! In this episode: "Agent Sonya" by Ben MacIntyre "Amerlia Earhart: The Legend of the Lost Aviator" by Shelley Tanaka "Amazons of Black Sparta" by Stanley B. Alpern "Dangerous Jane" by Suzanne Slade "Daniela and History's Women Pirates" Susanna Isern "Finish the Fight!" by Veronica Chambers "Empres...

Denyse and Harrison discuss one of the 20th century's most fascinating cases of cultural exchange. No spoilers!   In this episode: "Chemirocha (I)" by Cherwo Arap Korogorem and Bekyibei Arap Mosonick "Chemirocha (II)" by Charondet Arap Ng'asura and Kipsigis men "Chemirocha (III)" by Chemutoi Ketienya with Kipsigis girls "In a Kenyan Village, A 65-Year-Old Recording Comes Home" (June 28, 2015) by R...