Your Shelf or Mine

Becky, Austin, and Jennifer discuss various poets and their own personal experiences with poetry. Discussed topics and poets include: E.E. Cummings Shel Silverstein Chen Chen Kwame Alexander William Stafford Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Foundation Mary Oliver and more! Introductory reading "Some Things I Like" by Lemn Sissay Other readings: "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein "Ask Me" by William Stafford "Mountain Dew Commercial Disguised as a Love Poem" by Matthew Olzmann "Fire" by Matthew Dickman "In the Desert" by Stephen Crane  

Becky and Austin discuss the work of children's author Kate DiCamillo including: The Puppets of Spellhorst The Beatrice Prophecy Mercy Watson to the Rescue Raymie Nightingale and more! New Yorker profile: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/09/18/what-kate-dicamillo-understands-about-children Betsy Bird review: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2024/03/08/review-of-the-day-ferris-by-kate-dicamillo/ Ann Patchett at Literary Arts: https://literary-arts.org/archive/ann-patchett-cheryl-strayed/   

Becky, Jo, Jakob, and Austin talk about the books from this past season's book clubs including:  Secret Explorers series by DK and SJ King Rainbow Days series by Valerie Bolling Miles Lewis King of the Ice by Kelly Starling Lyons Time Villains by Victor Piñeiro Courtney Changes the Game and Courtney Friendship Superhero by Kellen Hertz Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis The Book of Difficult Fruit by Kate Lebo The Sentence by Louise Erdrich The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez Knock Out by Sarah MacLean Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and more!

Becky, Austin and Jakob discuss the work of author Kekla Magoon including: The Rock and the River, X, Revolution in Our Time, How It Went Down, The Minus-One Club, and Chester Keene Cracks the Code. Introductory reading from Revolution In Our Time. 

Becky and Jakob talk about the work of author N.K. Jemison, particularly her novel "The Fifth Season." Introductory reading from "The Fifth Season." 

Becky and Austin talk about the work and life of Shirley Jackson, including: "The Lottery and Other Stories," "The Haunting of Hill House," "We Have Always Lived in the Castle," and more! Introductory reading from "We Have Always Lived in the Castle."

Where Becky, Jakob, and Austin talk about the work of Maggie Stiefvater! Including: "The Raven Boys;"  "Shiver;"  "The Scorpio Races;"  and more! introductory excerpt from "The Scorpio Races." 

Becky, Austin, and Heather M. talk about the life and work of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.! Including: "Slaughterhouse-Five" (1969);  "Player Piano" (1952);  "A Man Without a Country" (2005);  "Breakfast of Champions" (1973) "Welcome to the Monkey House" (1968) "Hocus Pocus"(1990) "Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time" documentary (2021);  Salman Rushdie's essay "What Kurt Vonnegut's 'Slaughterhouse-Five' Tells Us Now": https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/what-kurt-vonneguts-slaughterhouse-five-tells-us-now "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson;  "Civilwarland in Bad Decline" by George Saunders; and more!

In this special Longview Centennial episode, Becky talks to Mark and Roger Peters about their father, Amos J. Peters, who constructed the Nutty Narrows Bridge in 1963. They share about their family, their father's legacy, the history of the Nutty Narrows Bridge, and other Peters Construction projects that have had a lasting impact on our community, particularly Campus Towers.  Learn more about Squirrel Fest on their website here: https://lvsquirrelfest.com/ Nutty Narrows wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutty_Narrows_Bridge Longview Library digital archive http://contentdm.longviewlibrary.org/ search "Nutty Narrows." Content is being continually added to the archive!

Becky, Jo, and Austin can't get enough Judy Blume. We talk about: "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret," the book;  "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret," the movie;  "Forever";  "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing";  "Blubber";  "Judy Blume Forever," the documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neWsO1Rk_q0  and more! Learn about Judy's editor Dick Jackson: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/81494-dick-jackson-remembered.html  Charlamagne Tha God Conversation with Judy Blume: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HihS5EPb6o  Katie Couric interview: https://katiecouric.com/podcast/next-question/judy-blume-forever-documentary-banned-books/  Judy Blume archives at Yale: https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/11/resources/11190  SNL Kotex Classic sketch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBlR7qVQ0X8  Read with Jenna selected Summer Sisters for August 2023: https://www.today.com/popculture/read-jenna-book-club-pick-august-2023-t292373  Austin mentions "The Invisible Bridge" by Rick Perlstein introductory reading from "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret"

Where Austin, Jakob, and Jo talk about the work and style of David Sedaris including:  "Me Talk Pretty One Day,"  "Holidays on Ice,"  "The Best of Me,"  "Happy-Go-Lucky,"  "Calypso,"  and more!  

In this special Centennial episode, Becky and Jo talk with Diane Burch and Karen Rasmussen, two daughters of late Longview community stalwart Archie Anderson. In 2000, the former Highlands Park on Alabama Street, between 22nd and 21st Avenues, was renamed Archie Anderson Park in his honor. 

On this Longview Centennial episode, Becky talks to Robert Mumford and Gary Schmauder about their December 9, 2012 wedding, what it was like to be the first gay couple married in Cowlitz County, and their hopes for the future of Longview. 

with Jennifer Jensen! Where we talk about:  Elena Ferrante;  The Lost Daughter (book);  The Lost Daughter (movie);  My Brilliant Friend (book);  My Brilliant Friend (HBO series);  The Lying Life of Adults (book);  The Lying Life of Adults (Netflix series)  and more! Introductory reading from "The Lying Life of Adults." 

Becky and Austin talk to journalist Andre Stepankowsky, who was part of the staff at the Longview Daily News that won a 1981 Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Mt. St. Helens story. Andre retired from the Daily News in 2020 and currently writes the Lower Columbia Currents substack at https://andrestepankowsky.substack.com/ as well as a column for the Columbia River Reader. 

Where Becky, Jakob, and Austin talk about: Jacqueline Woodson;  Brown Girl Dreaming;  Red at the Bone;  The World Belonged to Us;  National Poetry Month;  and more!

Where Becky and Austin talk about: Edith Wharton;  The Mount;  Mr. Jones;  Edith Frome;  The House of Mirth;  The Custom of the Country and mention:  Inventing Anna https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/my-favorite-anti-semite-edith-wharton https://www.newyorker.com/books/second-read/what-edith-wharton-knew-a-century-ago-about-women-and-fame-in-america Introductory reading from "The House of Mirth."  

Becky and Angela talk to Joseph Govednik from the Cowlitz County Historical Museum about World War II and Longview. Visit the museum in person at 405 Allen Street in Kelso or online at: https://cowlitzcountyhistory.org/

With Jo Dallas! Where we talk about: Julia Quinn; Netflix’s Bridgerton; The Duke and I; The Viscount Who Loved Me; And more!

Becky and Angela talk to Sue Piper, editor of the Columbia River Reader, and Hal Calbom, author of their upcoming book "Empire of Trees: America's Planned City and the Last Frontier." "Empire of Trees" takes a look at Longview's 100 year history and builds off of Hal's column "People + Place."  Visit Columbia River Reader online: http://crreader.com/