PBS Books

Ryan O'Dowd, speaking from his experience as the executive director of a large homeless shelter, describes libraries as a place offering more than shelter, but a respite for the homeless population of a community, which is at the crux of the events dramatized by writer, director, and actor Emilio Estevez in his new film, 'The Public.'

Emilio Estevez initially wanted to get started on his new film, 'The Public,' back in 2008. In this interview, filmed at the Miami Dade Public Library, Estevez talks about how the 2008 Recession stalled production, and wound up allowing him to rework the story, improving it and augmenting its relevance.

The film "The Public" premieres Friday, April 5th, and Estevez, who wrote and directed the film, said that librarians assured him that he effectively captured the experience of life inside of a library, while O'Dowd, who is executive director of a large homeless shelter, avowed the same response from those he surveyed.

We spoke with author Aja Gabel; her debut novel, ‘The Ensemble,’ peeks into the competitive and precision-demanding world of professional orchestral musicians. Gabel is an award winning writer who holds a PhD in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Houston.

Amber Tamblyn is an actress, writer, filmmaker, and is a co-founder of the Time's Up movement; her latest book, ‘Era of Ignition,’ comes just a year after her debut novel 'Any Man.' In her career as an actress, she has been nominated for Emmy, Golden Globe, and Independent Spirit awards.

We spoke with Karen Russell here at AWP 2019; her debut novel (2011’s) ‘Swamplandia, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. A native of Miami, but currently based in Portland, Russell’s fiction has made an impression with readers for her balance of the outlandish and the profound, with a mix of magical realism.

In Portland at AWP 2019 with Keith S. Wilson, who is not only an acclaimed poet; he’s also a game designer with Resilient Game Studios. His debut collection of poems, ‘Fieldnotes on Ordinary Love’ (Copper Canyon Press), comes out this May. He also serves as Assistant Poetry Editor at Four Way Review and Digital Media Editor and Web Consultant at Obsidian Journal.

Poets Natalie Diaz and Nikky Finney about #ArtsForJustice, discussing issues like mass incarceration, civil rights, and poetics. Finney has written several books of poetry and is a recipient of a PEN America Open Book Award. Diaz’ first poetry collection, 'When My Brother Was an Aztec,' She is 2018 MacArthur Foundation Fellow, a Lannan Literary Fellow and a NACF Artist Fellow.

We spoke with Ada Limón's today at AWP 2019; her latest poetry collection, 'The Carrying' was featured on PBS Books' Best of 2018 List, and it recently won the 2019 National Book Critics Circle Award for poetry. Limón is the author of five books of poetry, including 'Bright Dead Things,' which was named a finalist for the National Book Award.

Ross Gay, a writer of three books of poetry and winner of both the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2016 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. The American Bookseller's Association listed Gay's newest work, 'The Book of Delights' on their annual Indie Next List.

We're talking to Rebecca Skloot, and her father (and poet), Floyd. Rebecca is the author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,’ while Floyd is a creative nonfiction writer, novelist and poet whose work has won three Pushcart Prizes, a Pen USA Literary Award, two Pacific NW Book Awards, and two Oregon Book Awards.

Morgan Parker, who was recognized by the Los Angeles Times as a "Writer to Watch," and Publisher's Weekly included her book in its Best Poetry of 2019 list. Parker's poetry collection considers the everyday experience of black womanhood, while pushing past a curtain-like trope, often a plot-device in Hollywood films, where black characters are limited.

We sat down with author Mitchell S. Jackson, whose debut novel, 'The Residue Years,' won The Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence and was a finalist for the PEN / Hemingway Award for Debut Fiction. Jackson's new book chronicles four generations of his family, and takes its name from the calculations necessary to navigate gangs, guns, and near-death experiences.

We chatted with Mira Jacob about her new book, 'Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversation,' which came out earlier this week and uses visual content and collages to work through a prevailing atmosphere of divisiveness. Based in Brooklyn, Jacob is also the author of the critically acclaimed novel The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing.

We were in Portland with Lisa Ko, talking about her novel, 'The Leavers,' which won the 2016 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction. Born in Queens (and currently based in Brooklyn), her writing has appeared in The New York Times, O Magazine, and in the Best American Short Stories collection (2016)

Lucia LoTempio is a program manager at City of Asylum, along with Karla Lamb who serves as its senior program manager and volunteer coordinator; they're working to offer sanctuary for exiled or threatened writers. The Pittsburgh-based grassroots organization provides refuge for writers and helps them build a join a community of writers, readers, and neighbors.

Sassafras Lowrey's 2015 novel 'Lost Boi' is a queer punk reimagining of Peter Pan, resituating a classic children's fantasy tale within a subversive alternate reality. Lowrey has won the Lambda Literary Foundation Betty Berzon Emerging Writer Award, and has been featured on the American Library Association Rainbow Book List. She recently relocated here to Portland.

Erica Jong's groundbreaking 1973 debut 'Fear of Flying' ascended her into literary icon status, particularly with its (at that time) controversial portray of female sexuality. She has written more than 20 books, including non-fiction and poetry, and has won the United Nations Award for excellence in literature. We’re here at #AWP2019 discussing her latest, ‘Fear of Dying,’ a spiritual sequel.

We chatted with Chicago-based author Rebecca Makkai, whose third novel won both the Andrew Carnegie Medal and the Stonewall Book Award. Amy Poehler's Paper Kite Productions optioned the novel for a potential TV series last December.

Lilliam Rivera; her novel 'The Education of Margot Sanchez' was nominated for the 2017 Best Fiction for Young Adult Adults (by #YALSA) and has been a featured speaker in countless schools and at several book festivals. Also a teacher of creative writing workshops, Rivera's latest book, Dealing in Dreams, was just released.