Past Forward

Mike Puican has published poems in Poetry, Bloomsbury Review, Crab Orchard Review, and New England Review, among other journals. He holds an M.F.A. in poetry from Warren Wilson College. He leads poetry workshops at St. Leonard’s House for formerly incarcerated men and at the federal Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago.Central AirNorthwestern University Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

MW Larson is an author, editor, and translator based in Tokyo. His short stories and essays have appeared in Catapult, Colorado Review, Portland Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, Ninth Letter, and Witness. In 2013, he was awarded a Fulbright grant to research his first book, When the Waves Came.When the Waves CameChin Music Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Lynn Downey is a native Californian, and a western historian and writer. She has many books and journal articles under her belt, and her next two books will be about the original American vacation: dude ranching. Lynn lives in California's wine country north of San Francisco.Dudes Rush InPronghorn Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Sandell Morse is the prize-winning author of the memoir, The Spiral Shell, A French Village Reveals Its Secrets of Jewish Resistance in World War II. Morse’s nonfiction has been noted in The Best American Essays series and published in Creative Nonfiction and Ploughshares, and the New England Review among others.The Spiral Shell, A French Village Reveals It's Secrets of Jewish Resistance in World War IISchaffner Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Michelle Caffrey grew up in “Chicagoland” next to O’Hare Airport, dreaming of seeing a larger world. Her dreams were eventually realized, traveling by RV around the United States and later living in Penang, Malaysia. Michelle and her husband then bought a 1906 Dutch barge, the Imagine, and cruised the waterways of Europe, provid- ing stories for her travel memoir, Just Imagine: A New Life on an Old Boat. Michelle has since written two novels as well as Bring Jade Home: A Dog Lost in Yellowstone, her first book with Farcountry Press. Jade: Lost in Yellowstone is her second book with Farcountry Press.Jade: Lost in YellowstoneFarcountry Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Finola Austin, also known as the Secret Victorianist on her award-winning blog, is an England-born, Northern Ireland-raised, Brooklyn-based historical novelist and lover of the 19th century. Bronte's Mistress, the story of the woman who allegedly corrupted her son’s innocent tutor and brought down the entire Brontë family, is her first novel. By day, she works in digital advertising.Bronte's MistressAtria Books, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

With a diverse background in network and syndicated television, writing for cable TV, and playwriting, Mary Ann Cherry has researched and contributed to multiple independent documentaries. She most recently created and maintains an archive for AIDS Healthcare Foundation. She also enjoys a second career as a specialized yoga therapist.Morris Kight, Humanist, Liberationist, Fantabulist: A Story of Gay Rights and Gay WrongsFeral House, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

A freelance writer of middle grade and young adult fiction, Rod Martinez grew up on Marvel Comics and The Twilight Zone. He also had a fascination with American History dating back to grade school. He is the author of The Juniors and regularly speaks at schools, conferences, and libraries promoting a love of the written word.Powerfully Perplexing Presidential ProfilesHistria Books, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

David Muirhead is a freelance journalist and author and founder of Wildside, a South African ecotourism and nature conservation magazine. He has authored several books, including Cat Among the Pigeons, The Curious Case of the Imaginary Tourist, a collection of short stories, and a novel, The Clamour King, published in London. He lives near Cape Town and is married with two children and two grandchildren.Cat Among the Pigeons: A Riotous Assembly of Unrespectable African CreaturesCatalyst Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

A prize-winning journalist, essayist and novelist, Kristen Millares Young serves as Prose Writer-in-Residence at Hugo House. Named a staff pick by the Paris Review, her novel Subduction was called “whip-smart” by the Washington Post, a “brilliant debut” by the Seattle Times and “utterly unique and important” by Ms. Magazine.SubductionRed Hen Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Raised at the heart of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Gerry Robinson grew up hearing fragmented stories about his ancestors. He then devoted nearly twenty years of his life to researching, traveling the country, and reaching back through time to reclaim his heritage. Robinson is a published historical writer and member of Western Writers of America. His debut novel, The Cheyenne Story: An Interpretation of Courage, is the first installment of a three volume series. It is the book many have waited for: a balanced and compelling presentation of Northern Cheyenne history, shared by a member of the tribe and a direct descendant of those involved.The Cheyenne StoryFarcountry Press, 2019A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, S.P. Grogan is an award-winning author, his books include Lafayette, Courtier to Crown Fugitive, and anticipated December release of island thriller, Captain Cooked.Lafayette: Courtier to Crown Fugitive, 1757-1777Histria Books, Addison & Highsmith, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Ava Homa is a writer, journalist, and activist specializing in women’s issues and Middle Eastern affairs. She holds an MA in English and Creative Writing from the University of Windsor in Canada. Her collection of short stories, Echoes from the Other Land, was longlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Prize, and she is the inaugural recipient of the PEN Canada-Humber College Writers-In-Exile Scholarship. She was born and raised in the Kurdistan Province in Iran and now divides her time between Toronto and the Bay Area. Daughters of Smoke and Fire is her debut novel.Daughters of Smoke and FireHarperCollins, Canada / Overlook Press (Abrams Books), US, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

John Fraley worked for the state wildlife agency for nearly forty years, mostly in the forks of the Flathead; he retired in 2017. For thirty-two years he has served as an adjunct instructor at Flathead Valley Community College where he teaches wildlife conservation and other courses.John Fraley has written two previous books on Flathead pioneers within Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness: A Woman’s Way West, in 1998, and Wild River Pioneers, in 2008.Heroes of the BobFarcountry Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

David Carlson has a BA in political science from Wheaton College (Illinois), an M.A. from the American Baptist Seminary of the West (Biblical Theology) and a doctorate from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland (New Testament Studies). Franklin College, a traditional liberal arts college in central Indiana, has been his home for the past thirty-eight years. The fifth mystery in his Christopher Worthy/Father Fortis series, which blends spirituality and crime, will appear in September. His two non-fiction works center on interfaith friendship as an antidote to religious extremism.Entangled in Death: A Christopher Worthy/Father Fortis MysteryCoffeetown Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Donald Vincent received his BA in Writing and Public Relations at Loyola University Maryland and MFA in Poetry from Emerson College. He is also known as Mr. Hip, a music recording artist with music available on all streaming platforms. His music projects include Vegan Paradise (2018), Who Is Mr. Hip (2018), International Hip (2017), and Jokes From My Ex (2015). He teaches English Composition at UCLA and Visual & Media Arts at Emerson College Los Angeles. Originally from the Southeast sector of Washington, DC, he currently lives in LA.Convenient AmnesiaBroadstone Books, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

When the civil war in Somalia began, Abdi Nor Iftin was five; he attended a madrassa while providing for his family. Amidst the daily shelling and the famine, Abdi had one escape: American movies and music. He learned of America, and taught himself English, and began to dream of a life in the United States. In Call Me American, Abdi recounts his harrowing, extraordinary, and uplifting story. His love of western culture and music earned him the name “Abdi American.” This became a liability when Islamic extremism took hold of Somalia. Evading conscription by al-Shabaab while secretly filing stories for NPR under penalty of death, he stayed in Somalia until he had no choice but to flee to Kenyan. And then, a stroke of incredible luck: he won the Diversity Visa Lottery. Now a proud and legal resident of Maine and on the path to citizenship this year, Abdi will become one of us.Call Me AmericanKnopf, June 2018A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Kirsten Imani Kasai is the author of The House of Erzulie (Shade Mountain Press, 2018), Ice Song (2009), and Tattoo (Random House, 2011). According to Foreword Reviews, “Kirsten makes the macabre beautiful.” She teaches creative writing and literature at San Diego State University and Southern New Hampshire University.The House of ErzulieShade Mountain Press, 2018A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Aimee Liu is the author of the new novel Glorious Boy. Her other books include the novels Flash House, Cloud Mountain, and Face and the memoirs Gaining: The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders and Solitaire. She holds an MFA from Bennington College and teaches in Goddard College’s MFA in Creative Writing Program at Port Townsend, WA.Glorious BoyRed Hen Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Yi Shun Lai is the author of Not a Self-Help Book: The Misadventures of Marty Wu (2016) and Pin Ups (2020). Adjunct faculty at Bay Path University and Southern New Hampshire University's MFA programs. Columnist, The Writer magazine.Pin UpsHomebound Publications, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Amy Shearn is the author of the novels How Far Is the Ocean from Here, The Mermaid of Brooklyn, and Unseen City. She works as an editor, and her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, and elsewhere. Amy lives in New York City with her two children.Unseen CityRed Hen Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Ellen Meeropol is the author of the novels Her Sister’s Tattoo, Kinship Of Clover, On Hurricane Island, and House Arrest. Recent short fiction and essays are in Solstice Magazine, Lit Hub, Ms Magazine, and Lilith. She grew up in the D.C. area and lives in Western Massachusetts.Her Sister’s TattooRed Hen Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Lara Ehrlich is the author of the short story collection Animal Wife (Red Hen Press, Sept 2020), which won Red Hen’s Fiction Award, judged by Ann Hood. Lara lives in Connecticut with her husband and daughter.Animal WifeRed Hen Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Donna Hemans is the author of two novels: River Woman and Tea by the Sea. Her work has appeared in Electric Literature, Ms. Magazine, Crab Orchard Review, among others. She lives in Maryland and owns the DC Writers Room, a co-working studio for writers.Tea By the SeaRed Hen Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Sasha Abramsky is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared over the past twenty-five years in major newspapers and magazines in the United States and United Kingdom. These include the Nation, the Atlantic, the New Yorker online, Rolling Stone, Mother Jones, the New York Times, the Guardian, the Independent, the Observer, and the New Statesman. Little Wonder is Abramsky’s ninth book. He teaches writing part-time at the University of California, Davis, and lives in Sacramento with his wife and two children.Little Wonder: The Fabulous Story of Lottie Dod, the World’s First Female Sports SuperstarAkashic Books, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Chelsea Catherine is a native Vermonter living in St. Petersburg, FL. Most recently, she won the Mary C Mohr nonfiction award through the Southern Indiana Review and her book, "Summer of the Cicadas," won the Quill Prose Award through Red Hen Press, set for publication in 2020. Summer of the CicadasRed Hen Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Anna Dorn is a writer living in Los Angeles. Her debut novel, Vagablonde, was published by Unnamed Press in May 2020. Her memoir, Bad Lawyer, will be published by Hachette Books in Spring 2021. She has a JD from UC Berkeley Law and an MFA from Antioch University. She is working on a new novel.VagablondeUnnamed Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Mary Lea Carroll worked in travel, the movie business and taught children's creativity. When her husband retired from running his entertainment business and her children grew up and left home she began writing. Prior to that she taught children's creativity and volunteered in the schools and community. At the age of 63, Mary committed to a wild, wishful desire in wanting all the late in life years to have greater meaning. She committed to writing a book.Saint EverywhereProspect Park Books, 2019A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Sebastian Matthews is the author of a memoir, In My Father’s Footsteps, and two books of poetry, We Generous and Miracle Day. His upcoming memoir Beyond Repair: Living in a Fractured State goes on sale from Red Hen Press on August 25, 2020. Mathews lives in Asheville, NC where he teaches at various colleges and universities and DJ's part time at his local community radio station.Beyond Repair: Living in a Fractured StateRed Hen Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Liz Harmer’s first novel, The Amateurs, a speculative novel of technological rapture, was released with Knopf/Vintage in 2019. Her stories, essays, and poems have been published widely. She has been a Bread Loaf fellow, a Journey Prize finalist, and a Canadian National Magazine Award winner.The AmateursKnopf/Vintage, 2019A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Aminah Mae Safi is a Muslim-American writer. She is the author of Not the Girls You're Looking For, Tell Me How You Really Feel and This Is All Your Fault, forthcoming from Feiwel & Friends in October 2020. She has taught at Antioch University and UCLA Extensions.This Is All Your FaultFeiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Cai Emmons is the author of five books of fiction: the novels His Mother’s Son, The Stylist, Weather Woman and the forthcoming Sinking Islands, and a collection of short stories called Vanishing. She has taught at various universities, most recently the University of Oregon. She is now a full-time writer.Sinking IslandsLeapfrog Press, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Gina Fattore is a television writer whose credits include Dare Me, Better Things, Parenthood, Californication, Gilmore Girls, and Dawson’s Creek. Her other writing has appeared in Salon, Lit Hub, Entertainment Weekly, and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and her TEDx talk “Become What You Believe” has more than 16,000 views.The Spinster DiariesProspect Park Books, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Nate Ragolia is an author, publisher and podcaster living in Denver, CO. He recently edited Respirator by Addison Herron-Wheeler and Stolen Futures: Present Danger by M. Drewery. Listen to his podcast, A Vague Idea, via your favorite podcast app.RespiratorStolen Futures: Present DangerSpaceboy Books, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Steve Denehan lives in Ireland with his wife Eimear and daughter Robin. He is a widely published, award-winning poet and the author of two chapbooks and two collections (one forthcoming from Salmon Press). He has been nominated for The Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net and Best New Poet.Miles of Sky Above Us, Miles of Earth BelowCajun Mutt Press, 2019A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Garvin’s debut novel, Symptoms of Being Human, is an ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection, a Lambda Literary Award Finalist, and garnered starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly. His sophomore book, The Lightness of Hands, received a starred review from School Library Journal and is available now.The Lightness Of HandsBalzer + Bray/HarperCollins, 2020A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Jonathan Alexander is a writer in Southern California. When not writing, he is Chancellor's Professor of English at the University of California, Irvine.Creep: A Life, a Theory, an ApologyPunctum Books. 2017A World Without Books was created to help writers connect with readers during the pandemic. This Micro-Podcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you podcast.Without Books®, a division of Heritage Future, is an author-centric book initiative. Our resources support authors. We also provide access to millions of books.

Today we connect with Jake Bernard. This episode was recorded live on December 10 at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, CA.Jake Bernard is a Los Angeles musician. His beach-pop sound has been described as “intoxicating” by Huffington Post penman James Gadsden, as it meshes the more colorful sides of Jason Mraz and John Mayer. This, combined with the incredible impact living in Philadelphia had on him, led to his release of “City of Love” – a critically acclaimed anthem for, and love letter to, the community. On November 12, Jake debuted “this,” a moving first-dance ballad about two people who experience everything and grow old together – dedicated to his cousin Emma and her husband Daniel who were married the night before.Producer: Heritage FutureGuest: Jake BernardAudio: Brew Sessions LiveCreative + Cultural Podcast music composed and performed by Dan ReckardThe Sounds, The Stories is an eclectic music series featuring live performances and entertaining discussions with emerging and established artists. This program is filmed and edited into a short documentary compilation with the audio from each episode recorded and archived as a free educational podcast. Produced in collaboration with our partners at Brew Sessions Live.

Today Chef Daniella Malfitano connects with Chef Noah von Blöm. This episode was recorded live on December 10 at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, CA.Chef Noah von Blöm is best known for ARC, an American Roast House focused on presenting home made foods using only locally sourced, fresh ingredients and artisan-crafted products that deliver original flavors into every dish and cocktail. After opening ARC in 2013, he gained national attention as one of the “most important restaurants to open in America this decade,” according to renowned food journalist, Brad A. Johnson. Blom’s open kitchen demystifies the culinary process and serves to empowering the community with visible transparency and the use of quality, whole ingredients and tried techniques are presented in dishes that do not focus on one particular type of cuisine, but instead on simple, fresh and global flavors.Chef Daniella Malfitano is an integrative nutrition health coach, author of nine cookbooks, host of the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, and creator of the new YouTube channel My Choice Kitchen. With over fifteen years experience in restaurants and culinary media, Chef Daniella is passionate about spreading joy by teaching kids and adults how to make healthy choices in the kitchen.Producer: Heritage FutureHost: Chef Daniella MalfitanoGuest: Chef Noah von BlömAudio: Brew Sessions LiveCreative + Cultural Podcast music composed and performed by Dan ReckardFor The Love Of Food is a culinary focused conversation with local restauranteurs from Orange County hosted by Chef Daniella Malfitano, Author, Integrative Nutrition Coach and creator of the YouTube series My Choice Kitchen. This program is an in-depth conversation about history, inspiration, and community, and how these elements relate to cooking and serving hungry people in this busy industry.

Today we connect with Mary Adams Urashima. This episode was recorded live on December 10 at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, CA.Mary Adams Urashima is a historian and author of Historic Wintersburg in Huntington Beach. She chairs the grassroots preservation effort to save the Furuta Gold Fish Farm and Wintersburg Japanese Mission property in Huntington Beach, known as Historic Wintersburg. Mary identified and named the historic property, which was designated one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2014 and one of America’s National Treasures in 2015. Historic Wintersburg marks more than a century of Japanese American history and represents pioneer arrival and settlement in the American West, Orange County’s agricultural history, pioneer achievement, and the struggle for civil liberties. Mary is a former journalist and freelance writer, with thirty years in media, governmental and public affairs.Jonelle Strickland teaches research writing and first-year composition in the School of Criminal Justice at California State University Long Beach and in the English department at Santiago Canyon College, respectively. She is proud to be a Dreamer Ally and an advocate for all of her students.Producer: Heritage FutureHost: Jonelle StricklandGuest: Mary Adams UrashimaAudio: Brew Sessions LiveCreative + Cultural Podcast music composed and performed by Dan ReckardChapters is a five-part Creative + Cultural Podcast series dedicated to stories surrounding the exclusion, forced removal, and internment of Japanese-Americans. The program also parallels a narrative thread through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).This project was made possible with support from Chapman University, The California Civil Liberties Public Education Program, a state-funded grant project of the California State Library and from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit chapman.edu, library.ca.gov and calhum.org.

Today Chef Daniella Malfitano connects with Chef Craig Brady. This episode was recorded live on November 20 at the Musco Center for the Arts in Orange, CA.Chef Craig Brady is Executive Chef at Haven Craft Kitchen + Bar in Old Towne Orange. He received his formal training in New York City’s French Culinary Institute. His first paid position out of culinary school was at the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach and its flagship restaurant, The Loft. He went on to the Patina Group’s highly acclaimed French bistro, Leatherby’s, and noted Scott’s Seafood at South Coast Plaza. Chef Brady’s reputation led him to Boston to Verace Pizza Napoletana, or VPN, certified enoteca called Posto. This restaurant was praised as among the Best of Boston, and It was here as Chef de Cuisine that Chef Brady developed a love affair with Italian cuisine and philosophy that is still visible in his food to this day.Chef Daniella Malfitano is an integrative nutrition health coach, author of nine cookbooks, host of the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, and creator of the new YouTube channel My Choice Kitchen. With over fifteen years experience in restaurants and culinary media, Chef Daniella is passionate about spreading joy by teaching kids and adults how to make healthy choices in the kitchen.Producer: Heritage FutureHost: Chef Daniella MalfitanoGuest: Chef Craig BradyAudio: Brew Sessions LiveCreative + Cultural Podcast music composed and performed by Dan ReckardFor The Love Of Food is a culinary focused conversation with local restauranteurs from Orange County hosted by Chef Daniella Malfitano, Author, Integrative Nutrition Coach and creator of the YouTube series My Choice Kitchen. This program is an in-depth conversation about history, inspiration, and community, and how these elements relate to cooking and serving hungry people in this busy industry.

Today we connect with Sam Mihara. This episode was recorded live on November 20 at the Musco Center for the Arts in Orange, CA.Sam Mihara is a second-generation Japanese American (Nisei) born and raised in San Francisco. When World War II broke out, the United States government forced Sam, age 9, and his family to move to the Heart Mountain, Wyoming camp. After the war ended, the family returned home to San Francisco. Sam attended UC Berkeley undergraduate and UCLA graduate schools, where he earned engineering degrees. He became a rocket scientist and joined the Boeing Company where he became an executive on space programs. Following retirement, Sam changed careers and is now a regular visiting lecturer at the University of California and is a national speaker on the topic of mass imprisonment in the U.S.Jonelle Strickland teaches research writing and first-year composition in the School of Criminal Justice at California State University Long Beach and in the English department at Santiago Canyon College, respectively. She is proud to be a Dreamer Ally and an advocate for all of her students.Producer: Heritage FutureHost: Jonelle StricklandGuest: Sam MiharaAudio: Brew Sessions LiveCreative + Cultural Podcast music composed and performed by Dan ReckardChapters is a five-part Creative + Cultural Podcast series dedicated to stories surrounding the exclusion, forced removal, and internment of Japanese-Americans. The program also parallels a narrative thread through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).This project was made possible with support from Chapman University, The California Civil Liberties Public Education Program, a state-funded grant project of the California State Library and from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit chapman.edu, library.ca.gov and calhum.org.

Today we connect with Hermano. This episode was recorded live on November 7 at The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, CA.Hermano. is a musical project consisting of Eduardo Ramirez, Daniel Lopez, Charlie Flores, and Noe Ramirez. The group pushes the standard rock musical boundaries a bit further to include elements of blues, jazz and rock n roll. The focus in the last few months has been on recording their upcoming EP and adding flavor and soul to their sets. hermano. is true to their as all members are related.Producer: Heritage FutureGuest: HermanoAudio: Brew Sessions LiveCreative + Cultural Podcast music composed and performed by Dan ReckardThe Sounds, The Stories is an eclectic music series featuring live performances and entertaining discussions with emerging and established artists. This program is filmed and edited into a short documentary compilation with the audio from each episode recorded and archived as a free educational podcast. Produced in collaboration with our partners at Brew Sessions Live.

Today Joel Robinson connects with Manny Escamilla. This episode was recorded live on November 7 at The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, CA.Manny Escamilla grew up at the McFadden Public Library and Jerome Recreation Center in central Santa Ana. He began working for the Santa Ana Public Library in 2004 as part of the White House Award-winning TeenSpace program. In 2015 he was recognized by Library Journal for his work with the Teen Community Historian program to collect, preserve, and share local history. Manny served as a City representative on the Santa Ana Arts & Cultural Master Plan and is running for City Council Ward 4 in the 2019 Special Election.Joel Robinson is a professional naturalist and director of the 13-year-old environmental education charity Naturalist For You. Robinson is a barefoot, bearded educator seeking to empower his community by offering free natural and cultural history activities throughout Southern California, including foraging, birding, tracking, survival skills, storytelling, living history reenactment, habitat restoration consulting, backyard biological surveys and more.Producer: Heritage FutureHost: Joel RobinsonGuest: Manny EscamillaAudio: Brew Sessions LiveCreative + Cultural Podcast music composed and performed by Dan ReckardStreets Of Orange County is an educational program sharing stories about local streets and places, identifying the plants and wildlife in our neighborhoods, and the trails through our parks and mountains. Journey with Joel Robinson and special guests on a series of engaging conversations about the natural and cultural history of Orange County.

Today Jonelle Strickland connects with Luis Gómez, Tony Ortuno, and Olivia Zoey Martinez. This episode was recorded live on November 7 at The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, CA.Luis Gómez moved to the United States at the age of 14 from Veracruz, Mexico and currently works at the LGBT Center OC as the Immigration Resources Specialist. He joined the Center’s team in 2015 after obtaining his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine. A beneficiary of the California Dream Act and DACA, Luis provides immigration resources to local LGBTQ individuals and fosters increased awareness and understanding about the intersectionalities of the immigrant and LGBTQ communities.Jonelle Strickland teaches research writing and first-year composition in the School of Criminal Justice at California State University Long Beach and in the English department at Santiago Canyon College, respectively. She is proud to be a Dreamer Ally and an advocate for all of her students.Producer: Heritage FutureHost: Jonelle StricklandGuest: Luis Gómez, Tony Ortuno, and Olivia Zoey MartinezAudio: Brew Sessions LiveCreative + Cultural Podcast music composed and performed by Dan ReckardChapters is a five-part Creative + Cultural Podcast series dedicated to stories surrounding the exclusion, forced removal, and internment of Japanese-Americans. The program also parallels a narrative thread through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).This project was made possible with support from Chapman University, The California Civil Liberties Public Education Program, a state-funded grant project of the California State Library and from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit chapman.edu, library.ca.gov and calhum.org.

Today we connect with Kira Lise. This episode was recorded live on October 24 at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton, CA.Kira Lise is an up and coming indie pop singer/songwriter based out of Orange County, whose music is inspired by strands of folk, jazz, and psychedelic rock. Her songwriting showcases the variety of different genres she listens to and mashes them together to create her own unique sound.Producer: Heritage FutureGuest: Kira LiseAudio: Brew Sessions LiveCreative + Cultural Podcast music composed and performed by Dan ReckardThe Sounds, The Stories is an eclectic music series featuring live performances and entertaining discussions with emerging and established artists. This program is filmed and edited into a short documentary compilation with the audio from each episode recorded and archived as a free educational podcast. Produced in collaboration with our partners at Brew Sessions Live.

Today Chef Daniella Malfitano connects with David Fuñe. This episode was recorded live on October 24 at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton, CA.David Fuñe serves as Corporate Executive for Salt Creek Grille, a bi-coastal, premium casual dining concept with five iconic restaurants in California and New Jersey, and Pickled Monk, a new, contemporary gastropub experience in Downtown Fullerton. Fuñe was at the forefront of the gourmet food truck trend when he owned and operated Vizzi, which was featured on The Cooking Channel’s “Food Truck Revolution.” He has also been featured in several broadcast cooking demonstrations, food documentaries, instructional videos, and shows, including “Chopped” on The Food Network.Chef Daniella Malfitano is an integrative nutrition health coach, author of nine cookbooks, host of the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, and creator of the new YouTube channel My Choice Kitchen. With over fifteen years experience in restaurants and culinary media, Chef Daniella is passionate about spreading joy by teaching kids and adults how to make healthy choices in the kitchen.Producer: Heritage FutureHost: Chef Daniella MalfitanoGuest: David FuñeAudio: Brew Sessions LiveCreative + Cultural Podcast music composed and performed by Dan ReckardFor The Love Of Food is a culinary focused conversation with local restauranteurs from Orange County hosted by Chef Daniella Malfitano, Author, Integrative Nutrition Coach and creator of the YouTube series My Choice Kitchen. This program is an in-depth conversation about history, inspiration, and community, and how these elements relate to cooking and serving hungry people in this busy industry.

Today Jonelle Strickland connects with Dr. Kristine Dennehy and Dr. Ester E. Hernàndez. This episode was recorded live on October 24 at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton, CA.Dr. Kristine Dennehy is a history professor at California State University Fullerton, with a specialization in Japanese and Korean history. A Connecticut native, Dr. Dennehy majored in Japanese language at Georgetown University, completed her M.A. in Asian Studies at Sophia University in Tokyo, and received her Ph.D. in history at UCLA (2002) with a dissertation entitled “Memories of Colonial Korea in Postwar Japan.” In 2008-09, Dr. Dennehy served Historical Adviser for an oral history project interviewing over 80 Japanese-American veterans who had served in the Military Intelligence Service during the Allied Occupation of Japan (1945-1952) as interpreters and translators.Dr, Ester E. Hernàndez earned her Ph.D. in Social Science at UC Irvine and is a professor Chicana/o Latina/o Studies at CalStateLA. She has published on Salvadoran migration and remittances in social science journals such as the Journal of American Ethnic History and Economy & Society. Born in El Salvador, she serves on the board of directors of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) and is the co-editor of the anthology U.S. Central Americans: Reconstructing Memories, Struggles and Communities of Resistance (University of Arizona Press) about 1.5 and second generation Centroamericanas/os and U.S. Central Americans.Jonelle Strickland teaches research writing and first-year composition in the School of Criminal Justice at California State University Long Beach and in the English department at Santiago Canyon College, respectively. She is proud to be a Dreamer Ally and an advocate for all of her students.Producer: Heritage FutureHost: Jonelle StricklandGuest: Dr. Kristine Dennehy and Dr. Ester E. HernàndezAudio: Brew Sessions LiveCreative + Cultural Podcast music composed and performed by Dan ReckardChapters is a five-part Creative + Cultural Podcast series dedicated to stories surrounding the exclusion, forced removal, and internment of Japanese-Americans. The program also parallels a narrative thread through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).This project was made possible with support from Chapman University, The California Civil Liberties Public Education Program, a state-funded grant project of the California State Library and from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit chapman.edu, library.ca.gov and calhum.org.

Today we connect with Harlis Sweetwater. This episode was recorded live on October 6 at the Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center in Anaheim, CA.Harlis Sweetwater is a national touring artist. His music appeared on Itunes Top 200 Best Selling Blues Albums with songs charting in the Top 200 Blues charts in the U.S., Sweden, Ireland and New Zealand. In 2018 his band was voted “Best Rock Band” in OC Weekly’s Readers Choice issue. Now moving into an exciting, new and fresh direction, Harlis crosses over, mixing multi genres like alternative rock, latin beats/vibes, soul and rock, all while keeping the gritty, soulful vocals and searing guitar playing he is known for.Producer: Heritage FutureGuest: Harlis SweetwaterAudio: Brew Sessions LiveCreative + Cultural Podcast music composed and performed by Dan ReckardThe Sounds, The Stories is an eclectic music series featuring live performances and entertaining discussions with emerging and established artists. This program is filmed and edited into a short documentary compilation with the audio from each episode recorded and archived as a free educational podcast. Produced in collaboration with our partners at Brew Sessions Live.

Today Chef Daniella Malfitano connects with Chef Shachi Mehra. This episode was recorded live on October 6 at the Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center in Anaheim, CA.Chef Shachi Mehra blends Western and Indian cultures to create artful dishes that successfully marry tradition with modernity. An ardent supporter of local farmers and sustainable practices, she takes great care in sourcing her ingredients. Born in India, her early family experiences helped to develop and shape her love of food and appreciation for balance, in flavors and in life. She served as Sous Chef at the award-winning Bombay Club in Washington, D.C.; opening Sous Chef at Bocanova in Jack London Square in Oakland, CA; and Executive Sous Chef at Junnoon in Palo Alto, where Chef Shachi was named one of five ‘Rising Stars’ by Gentry Magazine.Chef Daniella Malfitano is an integrative nutrition health coach, author of nine cookbooks, host of the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, and creator of the new YouTube channel My Choice Kitchen. With over fifteen years experience in restaurants and culinary media, Chef Daniella is passionate about spreading joy by teaching kids and adults how to make healthy choices in the kitchen.Producer: Heritage FutureHost: Chef Daniella MalfitanoGuest: Chef Shachi MehraAudio: Brew Sessions LiveCreative + Cultural Podcast music composed and performed by Dan ReckardFor The Love Of Food is a culinary focused conversation with local restauranteurs from Orange County hosted by Chef Daniella Malfitano, Author, Integrative Nutrition Coach and creator of the YouTube series My Choice Kitchen. This program is an in-depth conversation about history, inspiration, and community, and how these elements relate to cooking and serving hungry people in this busy industry.