Jim Foster: Conversations On The Coast

Authors from around the world discuss their book with host Jim Foster. "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" aired for over two decades on radio stations in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Wisdom From Philosphy to Neuroscience by Stephen S Hall

Stephen S. Hall, author of "Wisdom: From Philosophy to Neuroscience," talks about the ability we have to change the activity in our brain by exercising it like a muscle.  The full interview from a 2010 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

12-21
01:38

Journey from the Land of No by Roya Hakakian

Roya Hakakian, author of "Journey from the Land of No: A Girlhood Caught in Revolutionary Iran," talks about what it was like to live through the Iran revolution, how everything changed later on, and how difficult it was for her father to leave everything behind in coming to America.  The full interview from a 2004 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. Photo: royahakakian.com.

12-14
04:28

The Condition by Jennifer Haigh

Jennifer Haigh, author of "The Condition," talks about how a woman named Gwen with Turner's syndrome overcomes unusual obstacles that come along with the diagnosis, and how her mother and father struggle to protect and raise their daughter.  The full interview from a 2008 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. Photo: jennifer-haigh.com.

12-07
03:27

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Lev Grossman, author of "The Magicians," talks about the difference between Quentin Coldwater, the main character in his novel, from that of Harry Potter.  The full interview from a 2009 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. Photo: levgrossman.com.

11-30
02:57

Seaworthy by Linda Greenlaw

Linda Greenlaw, author of "Seaworthy: A Swordboat Captain Returns to the Sea," reads an expert from the book illustrating her relationship with swordfish and what they are all about.  The full interview from a 2010 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. Photo: lindagreenlawbooks.com.

11-23
01:59

Bloodroot by Amy Greene

Amy Greene, author of "Bloodroot," reads several short excerpts from the novel set on remote Bloodroot Mountain within the eastern Tennessee mountains.  The full interview from a 2010 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

11-16
04:22

Hotel Secrets by Peter Greenberg

Peter Greenberg, author of "Hotel Secrets from the Travel Detective: Insider Tips on Getting the Best Value, Service, and Security in Accomodations from Bed-and-Breakfasts to Five-Star Resorts," talks about how a traveler can find the best deal for a hotel room by calling hotels directly.  The full interview from a 2005 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

11-09
02:00

Glass Tiger by Joe Gores

Joe Gores, author of "Glass Tiger," discusses an excerpt of the novel in which an assassination was attempted on a newly-elected President, and how American politics changed over the years in how many elected officials stay in public office for their entire lives.  The full interview from a 2006 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

11-02
03:22

Dorothea Lange A Life Beyond Limits by Linda Gordon

Linda Gordon, American Historian and Author of "Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits," talks about how photographer Dorothea Lange helped show that documentary photography could also be art and about Lange's unique ability to capture her subject's natural state.  The full interview from a 2009 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

10-26
03:50

Intuition by Allegra Goodman

Allegra Goodman, author of the novel "Intuition," talks about the pressure that scientists in the book face in order to fund their important research projects at their independent science labs.  The full interview from a 2006 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: allegragoodman.com.

10-19
02:57

Errors and Omissions by Paul Goldstein

Paul Goldstein, law professor and author of the novel "Errors and Omissions," talks about the struggle that the main character has with alcohol and about the twist in the book where Wall Street was behind the Hollywood blacklisting era.  The full interview from a 2006 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

10-12
04:14

Indian Winter by Jane Laura Goldsmith

Jane Laura Goldsmith, author of the novel "Indian Winter," reads an excerpt from the book when a surprising discovery is revealed, and also talks about the unique relationship between the main character, fourteen-year-old Winona, and a Native American named Bell whom she finds herself attracted to.  The full interview from a 2013 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

10-05
05:37

And My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You by Kathi Kamen Goldmark

Kathi Kamen Goldmark, author of the novel "And My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You," talks about what it was like to finish her first novel and the challenges of writing books while keeping other steady work at the same time.  The full interview from a 2006 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

09-28
03:56

Tea for Ruby by Sarah Ferguson with illustrations by Robin Preiss Glasser

Robin Preiss Glasser, illustrator of "Tea for Ruby," talks about what happens when the main character, Ruby, visits grandma's house to learn how to transform from the person she is to the person she hopes to be.  The book was written by Sarah Ferguson The Duchess of York, and the full interview from a 2008 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

09-21
02:48

And the Dark Sacred Night by Julia Glass

Julia Glass, author of "And the Dark Sacred Night," reads an excerpt from the novel that gives context from the perspective of the main character's single teenage mother as he tries later in life to search for the identity of his biological father.  The full interview from a 2014 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: Robert Costa.

09-14
03:53

Kyra by Carol Gilligan

Carol Gilligan, psychologist and author of the novel "Kyra," talks about how the main character in the novel redefines the 'structure' in her therapy in order to get to the real truth behind events in her life.  The full interview from a 2008 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

09-07
02:40

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia," talks about the importance of pleasure and devotion in life and the need for a steady balance to keep them strong.  The full interview from a 2007 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: elizabethgilbert.com.

08-31
02:01

Changing Light by Nora Gallagher

Nora Gallagher, author of "Changing Light," talks about her love of New Mexico and the wide variety of cultures who lived in Los Alamos during the creation of the first atomic bomb.  The full interview from a 2007 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: noragallagher.org.

08-24
04:28

Dark Voyage by Alan Furst

Alan Furst, author of "Dark Voyage," talks about what it meant for those aboard a Dutch ship who suddenly found themselves aboard a "tramp freighter" when it was taken over by Britain on the eve of World War 2.  The full interview from a 2004 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

08-17
01:56

The Same but Different by Dr. Joan A. Friedman

Dr. Joan A. Friedman, psychotherapist, twin, and author of "The Same but Different: How Twins Can Live, Love, and Learn to Be Individuals," talks about how it is possible that love and resentment can happen at the same time between twins.  The full interview from a 2015 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: joanafriedmanphd.com.

08-10
01:40

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