This Is the Author

In this special In Conversation episode of This Is the Author, Joe Posnanski, author of Why We Love Baseball, chats with his co-narrator (and friend) Ellen Adair. Listen in as they talk about how baseball brought the two of them together, their experiences recording Joe’s book, and the communal aspect of America’s favorite pastime. WHY WE LOVE BASEBALL by Joe Posnanski https://www.penguinrandomhou...

In this episode meet journalist, producer, and researcher Nick McDonell, social worker and founder of Minaa B. Consulting, Minaa B., and Deeper Than Money CEO Chloe Elise. Learn how the tense summer of 2020 inspired Nick McDonell and Minaa B. to write their books and how Chloe Elise prepared to record her audiobook by attending the Eras Tour. QUIET STREET by Nick McDonell https://www.penguinrandom...

In this episode, meet speaker and teacher Sarah L. Sanderson and editor-in-chief of Christianity Today, Russell Moore. Press play to hear Sarah Sanderson compare recording to being in a confessional booth, and discover why Russell Moore purposely did not prepare to record his audiobook. The Place We Make by Sarah L. Sanderson: https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/709751/the-place-we-make/...

In this episode meet award-winning writer Esmeralda Santiago Professor of Shakespeare Studies at King’s College London Farah Karim-Cooper, and the first woman to win the Thurber Prize, Julie Schumacher. Tune in to hear how Farah Karim-Cooper became empowered through recording her audiobook, how Julie Schumacher intentionally included the point of views of undergraduates in her novel, and how the f...

In this episode, meet NASA astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi, journalist Susan Casey, and speaker and educator Michelle Icard. Discover why Susan Casey considers her library her personal nirvana, which events Michelle Icard loves most at her local library, and how Hakeem Oluseyi wrote his book to be a guide for others going through hard times. A Quantum Life (Adapted for Young Adults) by Hakeem Olusey...

In this episode, meet meditation teacher, Reiki Master, and Reset founder Liz Tran; writer, editor, podcast host Andrew Leland; and founder and CEO of the be.come project, Bethany C. Meyers. Hear Liz Tran on the intersection of business and spirituality; Andrew Leland on researching what blindness—and sightedness—means to people around the world; and Bethany Meyers on how helping people was the dr...

In this episode, meet bestselling author and host of the Visionary Souls podcast Sydney Campos, astronomer and astrobiologist Aomawa Shields, PhD, and physician Anupam B. Jena, MD. Tune in to hear about the power of writing for your younger self, the magic of vocal cord lubricating tea, and what it feels like to become deeply immersed in the audiobook recording process. I'm Ascending, Now What? by...

In this episode, meet science writer and editor Christian Cooper, hospice registered nurse Hadley Vlahos, and psychologist and Therapy for Black Girls founder Dr. Joy Harden Bradford. Hear Christian Cooper talk about “nerdiness to go with birdiness,” Hadley Vlahos on revisiting emotional scenes from her book in the studio, and Dr. Joy Harden Bradford on “holding space” for listeners while recordin...

In this episode, meet podcaster, family therapist, and parenting expert Amber Trueblood, bestselling author Helen Ellis, and Emmy-winning writer and television host Teresa Strasser. Press play to hear how these authors prepared to read their audiobooks, and what (or who) they’d love to have with them in the recording booth. The Unflustered Mom by Amber Trueblood https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio...

In this episode, meet reporter and editor Stephanie McNeal, Slow AF Run Club founder Martinus Evans, and science writer Jennifer Ackerman. Dive into influencer culture, hear about the joy of recording “cautionary tales,” and learn what it’s like to perform owl hoots in the studio. These authors certainly weren’t shy about what it was like to record their audiobooks! Swipe Up for More! by Stephanie...

In this episode, meet activist, speaker, and educator Najwa Zebian, spiritual medium George Anderson, and CEO of FieldCraft Survival Mike Glover. Tune in to hear these authors discuss the healing, spiritual, and profound experiences that led to the creation of their audiobooks, and how they hope to personally connect with their listeners. Conversations on Letting Go by Najwa Zebian https://www.pen...

In this episode, meet writer and comedian Samantha Irby, actor, director, and screenwriter Guinevere Turner, and blogger Marcie Alvis Walker. Tune in to hear what it was like for these authors to narrate books about their own lives, and who would cast Christine Baranski as a narrator. Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/690138/quietly-hostile/ When the Wor...

In this episode meet owner of the Savannah Bananas baseball team Jesse Cole, correspondent and NPR host at-large Elise Hu, and bestselling author Ruta Sepetys. Press play to learn which two of these authors describe their recording experience as “thrilling”, and whose studio must-haves are out of the ordinary. Banana Ball by Jesse Cole https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/723072/banana-bal...

In this episode, meet journalist and editor Connie Wang, founder and director of Fugees Family Luma Mufleh, and creative director and fashion designer Aurora James. Hear Connie Wang on how a comment from her mom inspired her memoir, Luma Mufleh on coming-of-age, and Aurora James on the assumptions we make about what it takes to affect change (and how to move beyond them!). Plus, learn what it was...

In this episode, meet author, musician, and professor Warren Zanes, evolutionary biologist Jonathan B. Losos, and bestselling author and journalist Jancee Dunn. What do Bruce Springsteen, cats, and peri-menopause have in common? Tune in to find out. Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/647205/deliver-me-from-nowhere/ The Cat's Meow by Jonathan B. Los...

In this episode, meet writer and actress Alexandra Auder, CNN journalist John Blake, and Live Learn Lovewell founder Emma Lovewell. Hear these authors talk about the process of narrating their memoirs: from the fascinating life experiences that inspired their work, to conveying those experiences in the recording studio. Don't Call Me Home by Alexandra Auder: https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com...

In this episode, meet actress Sheetal Sheth, award-winning writer Ava Chin, and book critic, essayist, and reporter Claire Dederer. Tune in to hear the very personal reasons these authors wrote their audiobooks, and the ways they are working towards more well-rounded representation through their work. ALWAYS ANJALI by Sheetal Sheth https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/721351/always-anjali/...

In this episode, meet reporter Monica Potts, comedian Kountry Wayne,, and writer Elisabeth Sharp McKetta. Go behind the mic with each of these authors to see what inspired them to write their books, what it was like to narrate their own work, and who described the recording process as “twisted” (in the best of ways). THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS by Monica Potts https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/...

In this episode, meet pastor Joshua Ryan Butler and screenwriter and reporter Brianna Holt. Listen in to hear what inspired these authors to write their audiobooks, and who they hope will most benefit from their work. Enjoy! Beautiful Union by Joshua Ryan Butler: https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/712257/beautiful-union/ In Our Shoes by Brianna Holt: https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.c...

In this episode, meet journalist and bestselling author Timothy Egan, author of A Fever in the Heartland, and physician and writer Dr. Anthony Chin-Quee, author of I Can’t Save You. Learn what inspired Timothy Egan to dive into one of the darkest chapters of American history, and how Anthony Chin-Quee rediscovered the life-sustaining power of telling stories. Plus, hear what it was like for them t...

In this episode meet comic, actor, and restaurateur Dan Ahdoot and award-winning poet and essayist Mary Karr. Tune in to learn about the distinctly individual reasons these authors were inspired to write their audiobooks. Undercooked by Dan Ahdoot https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/692780/undercooked/ The Liars' Club by Mary Karr https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/324560/the-li...

In this episode, meet speaker and educator Chrissy King, psychiatrist Pooja Lakshmin, MD, and missionary Katie Davis Majors. Press play to hear about the ways each of these authors have been able to grow and find confidence, and the hopes that they have for their audiobook listeners. Enjoy! The Body Liberation Project by Chrissy King: https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/704696/the-body-li...

In this episode, meet the founder and president of the non-profit Don’t Hide It, Flaunt It, Meg Zucker, Semafor’s business and finance editor Liz Hoffman, and writer Ian Buruma. Listen in to hear each author’s unique take on human stories through the lenses of parenting, the economy, and history. Born Extraordinary by Meg Zucker https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/679123/born-extraordinar...

In this episode, meet Hatch consultancy founder Monica C. Parker, author of The Power of Wonder, Printz Medal winner Daniel Nayeri, author of The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams, and award-winning poet Brenda Shaughnessy, author of Tanya. Tune in to hear about the curiosities that inspired their work, from unlikely mentors, to imagining what it was like to be a merchant on The S...

In this episode, meet marriage and family therapist Vienna Pharaon and therapist and bestselling author Nedra Glover Tawwab. Listen in as these authors describe what led them to write their books, and what it was like to record their audiobooks. The Origins of You by Vienna Pharaon https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/709274/the-origins-of-you/ Drama Free by Nedra Glover Tawwab https://www...