So Many Damn Books
A blessing, a curse, a podcast, since 2014. Christopher (@cdhermelin) invites folks to the Damn Library to talk about reading, literature, publishing, and trying to make it through the never-dwindling stack of things to read. All with a themed drink in hand. Recorded at the Damn Library in Brooklyn, NY. For show info, book lists, and drink recipes, follow @somanydamnbooks and visit somanydamnbooks.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Our old pal Drew (of Voyage into Genre) is back! We talk about how the internet used to be, how Drew broke his slump, some literal tea discussion, RPG and video games, and general book chatter. The usual, served up just how you like it, in podcast form.
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
for drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.com
music: Disaster Magic
(https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic)
Fiona Warnick, author of the charming novel The Skunks, drops by to talk animals and metaphor, how her creative writing program helped her with this book, writing smooth, and more than that, because we also get into Sheila Heti’s Alphabetical Diaries, which inspires a deeper dive into the work of Heti and her influence.
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
for drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.com
Christopher goes through some stuff he read and some stuff he wants to read. Got any modern pirate book recommendations?
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
for drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.com
music: Disaster Magic
(https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alexandra Tanner shares the Damn Library physical space, sitting in the chair across from me and everything. She discusses her sibling’s influence on Worry, writing for an audience of one, money, moms, and more. Plus, she brings Kathryn Scanlan’s Aug 9 - Fog for book club. Listen closely and you’ll hear books mentioned now and again.
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
for drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanyda...
Damn Library co-owner Sarah sits to chat about all the things that makes one pick up a book only to put it back down again. A list of reading pet peeves that touches on everything from subject matter, to stylizations, tropes, design choices, and more.
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
for drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.com
music: Disaster Magic
(https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic)
Rachel Lyon returns to talk about her new novel, Fruit of the Dead, and how it wasn’t always a Persephone myth retelling, she found that along the way. Plus, we get into the “generative fill” of reading, and I pontificate on dust mote fiction, inspired by the fetid summer heat within the pages of Tessa Hadley’s The Past. Read along!
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
for drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnboo...
GennaRose Nethercott returns to talk about her brand new story collection Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart, stealing details from her friends, telling stories from the periphery, and how each tale in the book is about yearning. Also, thanks to Sabrina Orah Marks’ Happily, we discuss all form of fairy tales, and how they can tubocharge your selling power, you just have to ask us how. Real good listenin’!
contribute! https://patre...
Kirsten Bakis makes her podcast airwave debut to discuss her brand new novel, King Nyx. And it’s a doozy. Kirsten reflects on sideways stories and how she first “met” the real life inspiration for her main character, and some reflections on how things have changed in publishing since she first debuted 27 years ago with her modern classic, Lives of the Monster Dogs. Listen up and listen good!
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
f...
Marie-Helene Bertino returns to the Damn Library to discuss her latest triumph, Beautyland. Marie-Helene goes into how she creates some of the book's indelible, otherworldly moments, and why the book's writing process was charmed. Plus, she brought along The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a book that is much more powerful when you're not translating it for french class. Books are back, baby!
contribute! https://patre...
Into the Damn Library Sarah and Christopher go again, to review their respective years on reading, pull out the highlights, and make plans for the year to come.
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
for the full gift list, every drink recipe, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.com
music: Deck The Halls Chris Hayes Music Remix
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat...
Sarah joins Christopher in the Damn Library she co-owns to drink martinis and talk about good ideas for holiday gifting, from books to subscriptions to games to cocktail accoutrements and more.
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
for the full gift list, every drink recipe, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.com
music: Disaster Magic
(https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic)
Drew Broussard, Hudson valley author, Golden Notebook bookseller, host of Voyage Into Genre, and former host of this show, jumps into his old chair in the Damn Library and it’s like he never left.
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
for drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.com
music: Disaster Magic
(https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...
Amy Kurzweil stops into the Damn Library, physically, to talk about the physical object of her new graphic memoir, Artificial: A Love Story, which largely concerns AI. We discuss capturing the details of her screens, the open question of the future, and what we keep from the past to get there. Plus, we delve into the many joys of Jason Lutes’ Berlin, a modern masterpiece.
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
Edan Lepucki visits the virtual Damn Library by the power of the internet to discuss her intergenerational time travel novel, Time’s Mouth. We get into all the fun stuff, like time travel mechanics, Reichian therapy, making fortresses, Santa Cruz, and how she’s seeing her career at this point. Plus, we talk about The Possibilities by Yael Goldstein-Love, a book that Edan helped name.
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
Jennifer Baker steps into the physical reality of the Damn Library and thankfully brings along her infectious laugh and passion for books. We chat all about the long road of writing her new novel Forgive Me Not, her hopes for how it’s received, and how curiosity drives her fiction while anger can drive her nonfiction. Plus, she brought along Akwaeke Emezi’s incredible Pet. A perfect visit!
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
Mona Awad visits the Damn Library via the casual magic of web video for a third go round, this time for her bedeveling, garnet-bedazzled Rouge. She talks about putting her characters through the ringer, horror stories showing you a path, Tom Cruise, beauty cults, and more. Plus, both Mona and Christopher extoll the many virtues of Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi, and how it came at exactly the right time.
contribute! https://patreon.com/s...
Stacey Mei Yan Fong drops into the Damn Library for a slice of pie and a pie-inspired cocktail and lots of impassioned talk of pie and baking and her new cookbook 50 Pies 50 States. Plus, behind the scenes of morning shows! And Stacey introduces Christopher to the joys of John Waters through his memoir Carsick. Have a slice!
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
for drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.com
music:...
Henry Hoke makes a visit to the physical space of the Damn Library to talk his novel Open Throat, and allowing P-22 to become “me-22,” as well as the rest of his work, plus the novella Potted Meat by Steven Dunn, and the power of short weird books in general.
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
for drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.com
music: Disaster Magic
(https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic)
I’m just hanging out in the Damn Library talking about some books I just got in the mail, and the books I’m taking on vacation. Is this a good idea? Only time will tell.
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
for drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.com
music: Disaster Magic
(https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...
Into the Damn Library Christine Grillo zooms, and what do we talk about? Her inventive, touching, hopefully not too prescient Hestia Strikes a Match, plus all that went into it, like parents and politics and fireplace decor. Plus, she brings along the archly funny and itself harrowing Good Behaviour by Molly Keane. Books, you better believe it!
contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb
for drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: soman...
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