Annotated

Annotated

An audio documentary series about books, reading, and language.

Episodes

October 7, 2019 21 mins
How a gimmick to write more became one of the biggest literary events online. This episode is sponsored by: Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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The affirming, surprising, and most of all lasting legacy of The Baby-Sitters Club. This episode is sponsored by: The Ventriloquists by E.R. Ramzipoor Circe by Madeline Miller Links relevant to this episode: Someday by David Levithan Yumi Sakugawa RWBY After the Fall by E.C. Myers The Baby-Sitters Club Club Podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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August 4, 2019 26 mins
What if the whole world spoke the same language? How would it work? Who would be interested in speaking it? In this episode, the dream, the reality, and the hope that is Esperanto. This episode is sponsored by: Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett Relevant links: Bridge of Words: Esperanto and the Dream of a Universal Language by Esther Schor Alex Miller's Esperanto YouTube Channel See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...
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Sometimes people refer to a book they really liked as "life-changing." But what if you read a book, and it really did change your life in a big way? In this episode, stories of people reading books and making a big change. This episode is sponsored by: The Guest Book by Sarah Blake See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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June 3, 2019 24 mins
In this episode, the story of the interrupted literary career of Freido Lampe, and how his story reveals the underpinnings of the Nazi obsession with books and literature. This episode is sponsored by: We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde Relevant Links: At the Edge of the Night by Freido Lampe, translated by Simon Beattie The Book Thieves by Anders Rydell Annotated on Instagram See...
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May 29, 2019 15 mins
In a follow-up to our last episode, an extended conversation with Chris Wilson about what reading while in prison can do. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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May 6, 2019 19 mins
There are few places books can be put to better use than in prisons. So why is it so hard to get books into the hands of people in jail? In this episode, we look at how Washington state tried to radically restrict the flow of books into prisons. This episode is sponsored by: Whatbooks Relevant links: Books to Prisoners Changing Lives Through Literature The Master Plan by Chris Wilson Follow Annotated on Instagram See omnystudio.c...
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April 9, 2019 23 mins
How Khalil Gibran's The Prophet became a quiet cultural powerhouse. Follow Annotated on Instagram! This episode is sponsored by: Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliott The Handmaid’s Tale (Graphic Novel) by Margaret Atwood, illustrated by Renee Nault Relevant links: Roger Allers' The Prophet adaptation Muhammad: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires by Juan Cole See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...
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March 6, 2019 19 mins
In this episode, a look at how Drag Queen Story Hour became a public library phenomenon. Follow Annotated on Instagram! This episode is sponsored by: TBR The Chef by James Patterson Relevant Links: The Official Site of Drag Queen Story Hour Bix Warden's Drag Queen Story Hour Reading Suggestions See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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February 4, 2019 25 mins
In this episode, three stories about books, or parts of books, going viral. This episode is sponsored by: The Read Harder Journal The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff and Park Row Books Related Links: Rachel Kramer Bussel's Forbes Article on Ben Phillippe's Dedication Going Viral The Scottish Granny reads The Wonkey Donkey Craig Smith performing The Wonkey Donkey Annotated on Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...
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Independent bookstores are doing well. Amazon is now the most valuable company in the world. But what of Barnes & Noble and the big chain bookstore? In this episode, how Barnes & Noble became a dominant force, why its not now, and what the future of the big bookstore could be. Follow Annotated on Instagram! This episode is sponsored by: The Similars by Rebecca Hanover The One You Fight For by Roni Loren Links discussed in this sh...
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January 2, 2019 10 mins
As part of Book Riot's Recommended podcast series, Grady Hendrix talked about what makes Ulysses his favorite book. We present it as an interlude as a follow-up to Annotated episode #4, "The United States v. One Book Called Ulysses." Follow Annotated on Instagram! This episode is sponsored by The Similars by Rebecca Hanover Check out the full line-up of Recommended. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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December 5, 2018 28 mins
In this episode, we profile the most famous American writer you probably never heard of--Edna Ferber. This episode is sponsored by: Penguin Random House Audio Penguin Random House Audio's Holiday Guide Books mentioned in this episode: So Big by Edna Ferber Ferber and Her Circle by Julie Gilbert Mood Indigo by Ed Ifkovic Other links: Annotated on Instagram Book Riot's All the Books Podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...
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November 1, 2018 21 mins
People don't read as much as they used to. At least that's what people say. But is it true? And if they are reading less, why does it matter? Or does it matter? And the internet is bad for reading right? These questions in this episode. This episode is sponsored by: Park Row Books and Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners by Gretchen Anthony Penguin Random House Audio Relevant links: Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in the ...
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October 2, 2018 24 mins
The story of how Andrew Carnegie transformed the public library in America. This episode is sponsored by: Vampires Like It Hot by Lynsay Sands A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney Relevant Links: Carnegie Libraries by George Bobinski Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw Part of Our Lives: A People's History of the American Public Library by Wayne Wiegand Annotated on Instagram Annotated on Twitter Review Annotated on Apple Podcasts See om...
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September 1, 2018 22 mins
The story of how Louis Braille brought reading to the blind. Follow Annotated on Instagram! This episode is sponsored by: TBR The Dutch Wife by Ellen Keith The Summer List by Amy Mason Doan   Links discussed in this episode: The National Braille Press Review Annotated on Apple Podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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July 17, 2018 28 mins
Last month, a large used book collection and distribution company suddenly went out of business, leaving a hole in the local used book ecosystem. In this episode, we follow that story into the modern world of used book-selling. Follow Annotated on Instagram! This episode is sponsored by: Warlight written by Michael Ondaatje, author of The English Patient and read by British actor Steve West Do This For Me written and read by Eliza...
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June 12, 2018 20 mins
In 1975, Truman Capote published a short story in Esquire magazine that led a New York socialite to commit suicide and the fallout effectively ended Capote's literary career. This is the story of the story, "La Cote Basque 1965." Follow Annotated on Instagram! This episode is sponsored by: Penguin Random House Audio Gun Love by Jennifer Clement and read by Imani Parks Further Reading: The Ten Restaurants that Changed America by ...
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May 28, 2018 16 mins
Last fall, a woman with no prior political experience decided to run for city commission in her small college-town. So she went to the library, checked out a book called How to Win a Local Election. And she did. This is her story and the story of the book that helped her win. Follow Annotated on Instagram! This episode is sponsored by: Penguin Random House Audio The Punishment She Deserves written by Elizabeth George and read by ...
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May 15, 2018 21 mins
In a shocking development, the 2018 Nobel Prize for Literature will not be awarded. In this episode, we explore what happened, how it happened, and what might happen still. This episode is sponsored by: Penguin Random House Audio Educated written by Tara Westover and read by Julia Whelan Further Reading: The Nobel Prize in Literature: Where Do We Go From Here? by Erika Kern The Nobel Prize by Burton Feldman Follow Annotated on...
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