This Is the Author

In this episode of This Is the Author, meet creator of SmittenKitchen.com Deb Perelman and writer and stand-up comic Ilana Long. Discover how Deb Perelman chose her very favorite recipes among her “forever staples,” and go deep into the pandemic-era pickleball craze and the joys of voicing characters with Ilana Long. Enjoy! Smitten Kitchen Keepers: A Kitchen Counter Conversation by Deb Perelman: h...

In this episode of This Is the Author, meet writer and multimedia storyteller LaTonya Yvette and lead pastor of Shoreline City Church Earl McClellan. Hear LaTonya Yvette reflect on the importance of preserving vulnerability, and learn why Earl McClellan is excited to break barriers alongside his listeners Stand in My Window by LaTona Yvette https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/671892/stand-in-...

In this episode, meet the founder of Well-Read Black Girl Glory Edim, media consultant and former DJ and television host Elliot Mintz, and artist and public speaker Dylan Scholinski. Hear how each of these authors prepared physically (and mentally!) to record their audiobooks, and what they are most excited for listeners to hear. Gather Me by Glory Edim: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/57...

In this episode, meet novelist, playwright, and screenwriter Susan Minot, poet, translator, and editor, Emily Jungmin Yoon, and health psychologist and speaker Kari Leibowitz. Hear Susan Minot on how she prepared for recording, Emily Jungmin Yoon on what surprised her about reading her poetry in the studio, and Kari Leibowitz on the stories she most enjoyed sharing aloud. Don't Be a Stranger by Su...

In this episode, meet YouTube video creator and podcast host MrBallen and writer Jon Waterman. Learn what these authors found most surprising about recording their audiobooks, and what they can’t wait for listeners to hear. MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious by MrBallen: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/742533/mrballen-presents-strange-dark-and-mysterious-by-stories-by-mrballen-...

In this episode, meet sobriety coach Christy Osborne, naturopath clinician Dr. Nicole Cain, and career coach Megan Hellerer. Tune in to hear how each of these authors wrote the books that they themselves needed. Plus, find out who recently loved listening to All the Colors of the Dark. Love Life Sober by Christy Osborne https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/736905/love-life-sober-by-christy-osb...

In this episode, meet ecologist Mark Easter and host of the podcast Exvangelical Blake Chastain. Hear Mark Easter reflect on his favorite chapter to narrate, learn what Blake Chastain is most excited for listeners to hear, and learn what surprised them both most about recording their audiobooks. The Blue Plate by Mark Easter https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/774476/the-blue-plate-by-mark-ea...

In celebration of International Podcast Day (September 30th), we’re revisiting some of our (many!) favorite interviews from Season 9 of This Is the Author. We’ve found the humor in the difficult with Spencer Henry, Madison Reyes, and KB Brookins, we’ve enthused over children’s books with Chanel Miller and George Takei, and we’ve thought a little deeper with Anne Lamott. We love talking with our au...

In this episode, meet speaker and host of the In-Joy Life podcast Mattie Jackson, well-being educator and self-healing guide Nakeia Homer, and comedian, actress, and producer Leanne Morgan. Hear Mattie Jackson on writing a faith-based resource for navigating grief, Nakeia Homer on the healing power of emotions in the recording booth, and Leanne Morgan on what she’s most excited for listeners to he...

In this episode, meet author Abi Maxwell, investigative journalist Emily Witt, and “America’s favorite government teacher” Sharon McMahon. Press play to discover which of these authors describes recording her audiobook as a “magic spell,” who wished they brought candy into the studio, and whose Minnesota accent “got in the way” of pronouncing some words. Enjoy! One Day I'll Grow Up and Be a Beauti...

In this episode, meet journalist Melissa Petro, activist and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project Valarie Kaur, and founder and creative director of Morbid Anatomy Joanna Ebenstein. Tune in to hear about the specific moments in time that inspired these authors to write their books, what it was like to record their audiobooks, and so much more. Shame on You by Melissa Petro: https://www.pengui...

In this episode, meet educator Leslie M. Martino, founder of the Jude 3 Project Lisa Victoria Fields, and psychotherapist and bible teacher Dr. Sarita T. Lyons. Hear from Leslie M. Martino on the joyful intersection between parenting and teaching, Lisa Victoria Fields on the struggle to reconcile faith with experience, and Dr. Sarita T. Lyons on writing the book she wanted to read. Plus, hear what...

In this episode, meet filmmaker and actor Desiree Akhavan, astrobiologist and theoretical physicist Sara Imari Walker, and co-hosts of the Obitchuary podcast Spencer Henry and Madison Reyes. Go behind the mic to hear what inspired these authors, what surprised them most about recording their audiobooks, and what they are most excited for listeners to hear. You're Embarrassing Yourself by Desiree A...

In this episode, meet poet and playwright Vincent Toro, New York Times correspondent Thomas Fuller, and journalist Barbara Bradley Hagerty. Hear how reading his audiobook helped Vincent Toro experiment with poetry performance, learn what special food Thomas Fuller ate before his recording sessions, and hear Barbara Bradley Hagerty describe the visceral experience of reliving her book as she read i...

In this episode, meet pastor Oneka McClellan, Haiti Country Director for the UN World Food Programme Jean-Martin Bauer, and writer and former professional soccer player Georgia Cloepfil. Hear what inspired each of these authors to write their books, and what surprised them about reading their audiobooks. Plus, navigating tongue-twisters, emotions, and other vulnerable moments in the studio. Born R...

In this episode, meet writer and lecturer Zara Chowdhary, former attorney and bestselling author Tara M. Stringfellow, and marine biologist Jasmin Graham. Listen in as these authors share insights into their works, and what made recording their audiobooks feel enriching, cathartic, and even magical. The Lucky Ones by Zara Chowdhary: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/733872/the-lucky-ones-by...

In this episode, meet novelist Kevin Barry, novelist and poet Olivia Gatwood, and novelist and filmmaker Ruth Ozeki. Listen in as these authors share what felt most revealing, most humbling, and most like time travel in the process of recording their audiobooks. Plus, what they can’t wait for listeners to hear. The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743397/the...

In this episode, meet paleontologist John Long, writer and entrepreneur Nathaniel Eliason, and CEO of Soulcast Media Jessica Chen. Tune in to hear what these authors hope to teach listeners about sharks, cryptocurrency, and workplace communication. The Secret History of Sharks by John Long https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/714624/the-secret-history-of-sharks-by-john-long/9780593909454/ Cryp...

In this episode, meet independent editor and writer Alizah Holstein, writer and activist Jessica Goudeau, and journalist Nellie Bowles. Listen in to hear what big life moments inspired these authors to write their audiobooks, and how they would describe their time in the recording studio. My Roman History by Alizah Holstein: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/697279/my-roman-history-by-aliza...

In this episode, meet writer Brea Baker, founder and CEO of Babes Ciera Rogers, and writer and former Executive Editor of Teen Vogue Samhita Mukhopadhyay. Tune in to hear the beautiful story behind Brea Baker’s book Rooted, what Ciera Rogers is most excited for listeners to hear, and why Samhita Mukhopadhyay calls the experience of recording her audiobook “meditative.” Rooted by Brea Baker https:/...

In this episode, meet writer, producer, and podcaster Priyanka Mattoo, actor, film producer, and film director Griffin Dunne, and speaker and former journalist Jess H. Gutierrez. Hear these authors share what it was like to fully inhabit their memoirs in the audio booth, and the recording moments that surprised and delighted them most. Plus, more behind-the-scenes details on what only audiobook li...

In this episode, meet therapist and founder of The Embodiment Institute Prentis Hemphill, writer and podcast producer Glynnis MacNicol, and hospice nurse Julie McFadden. Hear these authors on how they prepared to record their audiobooks, what it was like to get vulnerable behind the mic, and their favorite recording moments. What it Takes to Heal by Prentiss Hemphill https://www.penguinrandomhouse...

In this episode, meet Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer Jon Meacham, founder and CEO of Khan Academy Salman Khan, and economic commentator Kyla Scanlon. Hear Jon Meacham on writing the life of President George H.W. Bush, Salman Khan on how artificial intelligence can have a positive impact on education, and Kyla Scanlon on helping lay people understand what’s going on in the contemporary economy....

S9 E16: In this episode, meet former Apple executive and one of Fortune’s “Most Powerful Women” Denise Young, founder of The New Happy company Stephanie Harrison, and writer and cultural worker KB Brookins. Press play to hear about the unique way Denise Young prepared to record, the two big problems that inspired Stephanie Harrison to write her book, and what KB Brookins is most excited for listen...

In this episode, meet Vanessa Angélica Villarreal, physician and Levels Health co-founder Casey Means, and culture, science, and nature writer Lucy Jones. Tune in to hear the one word Vanessa Angélica Villarreal would use to describe her recording experience, what Casey Means is most excited for her listeners to hear, and what inspired Lucy Jones to write her book about motherhood. Magical/Realism...