Village Well Podcast
The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.
Episodes
This week on the pod, Jen and Brett sat down with Professor Mo Ogrodnik from NYU. They talked about Mo's new book Gulf, featuring stories from women in the Gulf States. They also covered the impact of international education, shifting geopolitics in the region, and Brett's experience as one of Mo's students.
Mo's Recommendations:
Secondhand Time by Svetlana Alexievich
We Do Not Part by Han Kang
On this very special Mother’s Day episode, Jen and her daughter Allie sat down with Angourie and Kate Rice to talk about their new book Stuck Up and Stupid, a contemporary YA adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. They talked about their work collaborating together, their relationship with each other, and their love for Jane Austin. We hope you enjoy!
The Rices’ Recommendations:
- The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
- My Friends by Fredri...
This week on the pod, Anneliese Judge stopped by to chat with Brett and Neema! She talked about her love of reading, her experience as an actor on Sweet Magnolias, and her inspiration for starting a book club (Who to Judge). We hope you enjoy!
Anneliese’s Recommendations:
- The Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
- Daughter of Daring by Mallory O'Meara
- Tell Me How You Really Feel by Betty Cayouette
The Village Well Podcast is bro...
This week on the pod, Josh and Sam sat down with Professor Leah Litman to talk about her new book Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes. Leah is a professor of Law at the University of Michigan and co-host of the legal podcast Strict Scrutiny. She has a gift for breaking down complicated legal decisions into straightforward summaries, and she sprinkles in a healthy dose of pop...
On this episode of the Village Well Podcast, we sat down with Dave Ehrlich, a Sales Rep from the book publisher Chronicle Books. We talked about the publishing world and exciting new releases for 2025.
Dave's Picks for 2025:
100 Afternoon Sweets by Sarah Kieffer
One Week in January by Carson Ellis
Taste In Music by Luke Pyenson and Alex Bleeker
Palace Costume by Mimi Haddon
They Hold the Line by Dan Paley and Molly Mendoza
A Fearless Eye ...
On this special live episode of the Village Well Podcast, Colin Hinckley sits down with author Philip Fracassi to talk Sci-Fi, Horror, and time travel in his new book The Third Rule of Time Travel. This was a fun one!
The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes eve...
This week we sat down with Sophie and Andrea from Piece by Piece - a nonprofit that teaches those experiencing homelessness how to make mosaic art. We talk about the organization's founding, how its grown over time, and the healing power of art. If you'd like to learn more, head to piecebypiece.orgSophie and Andrea's Recommendations:- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle- Art is the Highest Form of Hope by PhaidonThe Villa...
In this week's episode, we had a lovely chat with local LA Poet Kim Dower. We talked about her new book What She Wants, her experience as an artist and as a businesswoman, and the way the literary world has changed over the decades.Kim's Recommendations:- Exit Opera by Kim Addonizio- Revolutionary Letters by Diane di Prima- Lunch Poems by Frank O'HaraThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books &...
Welcome to the Village Well Podcast. This week, we're recapping our SciFi/Fantasy Book Club's discussion of The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. Special thanks to our lovely Village Well customers Roshni and Joe for joining us! If you'd like to join any of our Book Clubs, check out our events page on villagewell.com. You can also head there to order the titles discussed each episode.
The Village Well Podcast is bro...
This week on the Village Well Podcast we sat down with American Ninja Warrior host and former NFL player Akbar Gbajabiamila! We talked about his book Everyone Can Be a Ninja which covers family, faith, and positive masculinity. Enjoy!
Akbar's Recommendations:
- Will by Will Smith
- A Promised Land by Barack Obama
- Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee...
Welcome to the Village Well Podcast. This week, we're recapping our Book Club's discussion of Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. Special thanks to our lovely Village Well customers Omari and Andy for joining us! If you'd like to join any of our Book Clubs, check out our events page on villagewell.com. You can also head there to order the titles discussed each episode.
The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well B...
This week’s guest is Aida Davis, founder of Decolonizing Design and chief people officer of the Sierra Club. Jen and Neema sat down with Aida to discuss her book Kindred Creation and the work of reclaiming African heritage in the Black community.Aida’s Recommendations:
- Insight & Poems by Huey Newton and Ericka Huggins
- By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The Village Well P...
Welcome to the Village Well Podcast. This week, we're recapping our Sci Fi/ Fantasy Book Club's discussion of Annihilation by Jeff Vander Meer. Special thanks to our lovely Village Well regulars Laura and Alex for joining us!If you'd like to join any of our Book Clubs, check out our events page on villagewell.com. You can also head there to order the titles discussed each episode.The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Villag...
Welcome to the Village Well Podcast (formerly Shelf Talkers). After devastating wildfires swept through Los Angeles, we decided to dedicate an episode to cover the extent of their impact on our community. We interviewed staff and customers about their experiences going through the fires. Whether affected directly or indirectly, we all feel the grief caused by such a generational disaster. We hope that by sharing these stories, our ...
This week’s guest is author, anthropologist, and MacArthur Foundation Fellow Jason de León. We discuss his book Soldiers and Kings (winner of the National Book Award), which covers the world of immigrant smuggling across North and South America. We had a wide-ranging conversation covering US Immigration, Jason's work as an anthropologist, and how the 2024 election will reshape American history. Recommendations - Men We Reaped by ...
This week’s guest is Mirin Fader, sports journalist and author of biographies on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Hakeem Olajuwon. We cover Hakeem's legacy on the court, his devotion to Islam, and Mirin's experience in journalism. Recommendations - Beloved by Toni Morrison - The Friend by Sigrid Nunez - The Sentence by Louise Erdrich - Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA Champion by Mirin Fader Shelf Talkers is a podcast from...
On this special holiday episode, the staff of The Village Well recommends gifts for 2024! See what we picked out below:
Fiction
American Rapture by CJ Leede
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Nonfiction
The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger
Cherished Belonging by Father Greg Boyle
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
Hitler in Los Angeles by Steven J. Ross
Kids
Scythe by Neil S...
This week’s guests are David A Romero and Matt Sedillo, poets, authors, and co-founders of El Martillo Press. We talked about the creative process, making a living as an artist, and the world of indie publishing.
Recommendations
- Real Americans by Rachel Khong
- Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
- City on the Second Floor by Matt Sedillo
Shelf Talkers is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver...
This week’s guest is Father Greg Boyle, a Jesuit priest, founder of Homeboy Industries, and author of the new book Cherished Belonging. In this episode, he shares stories and spiritual lessons from 40 years of working with Homeboy industries.
Father Boyle's Recommendations
- Ordinary Mysticism by Mirabai Starr
- Somehow by Anne Lamott
- Falling Upward by Richard Rohr
- The Healing Path by James Finley
- Turning to the Mystics wi...
This week’s guest is Jesse Katz, a Pulitzer Prize winner and author of The Rent Collectors. We cover his research for the book, the history of street vending in Los Angeles, and issues with the criminal justice system.
Jesse's Recommendations
- Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Evicted by Matthew Desmond
- Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond
Shelf Talkers is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in dow...
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