Light On Light Through
Paul Levinson talks about TV, movies, politics, social media, outer space, good food, science fiction; occasionally reads from his science fiction stories, plays concerts of his music, interviews other authors
Episodes
Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 421, in which I interview Mitt Witten about his new novel 51%. In all seriousness, I consider this cyberpunk novel in the same league as Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and George Orwell's 1984.
Relevant links:
- my written review of 51%
- get the novel here
- Cass Sunstein about Orwell's 1984
- Rob Sawyer's novel Flashforward
- my novelette "The Chronology Protection Case"
Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 420, in which I interview Deana Weibel about her new book, The Ultraview Effect. I consider Deana the Margaret Mead of outerspace -- find out why in this interview.
Relevant links:
- More about The Ultraview Effect here
- Touching the Face of the Cosmos -- the anthology with Deana's Weibel's "Pennies from Heaven"
- Paul Levinson's reviews of For All Mankind and Star City
- Interview wit...
Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 419, in which I review Solvej Balle's On the Calculation of Volume (Vols 1-4).
Relevant links:
- written review of Solvej Balle's On the Calculation of Volume (Vols 1-4)
- It's Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles
- McLuhan in an Age of Social Media
Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 418, in which I interview Dan Abella about The Philip K. Dick Film Festival to take place in New York City, March 13-14, 2026.
Relevant links:
- Philip K. Dick Film Festival details
- my interview with Rufus Sewell about The Man in the High Castle TV series
- my novelette The Chronology Protection Case ... short film adapatation of The Chronology Protection Case by Jay Kensinger ... Edgar-no...
Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 417, in which Sarah Clarke Stuart and her husband Jonathan Oakes join me and my wife Tina Vozick in a conversation about Sarah's debut novel, Song of the Unsung Mushroom, published January 15, 2026 by Connected Editions (a boutique publisher that I and Tina created and operate).
At times joining our conversation are Alexis Stuart (who created the cover for Sarah's novel), Susan Clarke...
Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 416, in which I review the The Beatles Anthology 2025 documentary.
Relevant links:
- my written review of Anthology 2025
- my 2024 podcast review of Beatles '64
- my 1972 article in The Village Voice: Murray the K in Nostalgia's Noose
- my 1971 article in The Village Voice: A Vote for McCartney
- my 1972 song Murray the K's Back In Town
- my 2024 novel It's Real Life: An Alternate History o...
Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 415, in which I interview Brooklyn Demme about Paul Thomas Anderson's movie One Battle After Another, in which Brooklyn played a minor role. But in a movie this great, every role is important.
Relevant links:
- my review of One Battle After Another
- Simon Vozick-Levinson's A Guide to the Revolutionary Music in 'One Battle After Another' in Rolling Stone, Septemb...
Welcome to Light On Light Though episode 414, the complete "radio documentary" on WFDU-FM from 1977 -- "Life & Death of a 20th Century Troubadour" -- in which Josh Meyrowitz and I discuss the life, death, and timeless impact of Phil Ochs and his music.
Welcome to Light On Light Through episode 413, in which I interview Mike Grynbaum about his book Empire of the Elite: Inside Condé Nast, the Media Dynasty That Reshaped America, which was just published today. Condé Nast is the publisher of The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Vogue, GQ, Wired, and other iconic magazines, so we had a lot to talk about.
- order Empire of the Elite
- Maureen Dowd interviews Mike Grynbaum at the 92nd Street ...
Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 412, in which I interview Tom Cooper about his new book Wisdom Weavers: The Lives and Thought of Harold Innis and Marshall McLuhan published on May 1, 2025 by Connected Editions.
A group of 51 scholars from the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, and Poland gathered on May 1 via Zoom -- a mini global village -- to see this interview with Tom Cooper. The interview and subsequent Q&A ...
Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 411: I returned to Captain Phil's Planet on WUSB (Stony Brook University) Radio the other day to talk to Captain Phil about Tom Cooper's new book, Wisdom Weavers: The Lives and Thought of Harold Innis and Marshall McLuhan, to be pubished by Connected Editions (my publishing company) on May 1.
As we discussed in the interview, I'll be interviewing Tom about his book via Zo...
Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 410, in which I interview Kingsley Marin and Massimo Seriale, two freshmen at Fordham University, who have created and edit a new publication (independent of the University), The Polar.
More about The Polar here.
Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 409, in which I interview Simon Vozick-Levinson, Deputy Editor of Rolling Stone, about the magazine's list of the 100 Best Protest Songs of All Time. We talk in particular about Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, and Sam Cooke, and also discuss the importance of publications like Rolling Stone standing up for democracy in these politically troubling times.
As a special treat, at the end of this i...
Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 408, and my in-depth interview with Lance Strare about his new book, Not A, Not Be &C.
Relevant links:
- Get a copy of Not A, Not Be &C
- Come see Lance, Thom Gencarelli, and me talking about Lance's book at The Players in Manhattan on 19 February 2025 at 6pm. More information about this book launch, including FREE registration, here
- Frank LoBuono's Facebook page -- where h...
Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 407, and my in-depth interview with Sarah Seltzer about her novel, The Singer Sisters.
Relevant links:
- Get a copy of The Singer Sisters
- My review of The Singer Sisters
- Sarah Seltzer personal appearances at JCC-MidWestchester (Scarsdale, NY) February 28, and JCC-Rockland (West Nyack, NY) March 12
- Dramatic reading from It's Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles with Paul Levi...
Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 406, and my in-depth interview with Rolling Stone writer David Browne about his masterful book, Talkin' Greenwich Village. We talk at length about Dave Van Ronk, Joni Mitchell, Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, The Blues Project, Bob Lind, and a little less about many others, including Hegel and his spirit of an age.
Relevant links:
- Get a copy of Talkin' Greenwich Village
- My review of Talkin' Gr...
Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 405: Howard Margolin invited me to join him on his Destinies: The Voice of Science Fiction show (on WUSB Radio) in a dramatic reading from the second chapter of my 2024 novel, It's Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles. Here's the reading, with some commentary before and after by me.
Relevant links:
Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 404, in which I review A Complete Unknown, the new Bob Dylan biopic, which my wife and I went to see on its opening day, Christmas, in New York.
Relevant links:
- my written review of A Complete Unknown
- Frank LoBuono's podcast interview with Terri Thal, Dylan's first manager
- my written review of Jack Dann's The Fiction Writer's Guide to Alternate History ... my podcast interview with...
Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 403, in which I interview Jared Moshe about his movie Aporia, a time-travel movie on Hulu that explores, in a way I've never seen before, the wrenching ethical dilemmas that arise when you try to change the past.
Relevant links:
- my written review of Aporia
- Aporia on Hulu
- more about Jared Moshe here
- my best-known time travel novel
- my best-known alternate history novel
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