Andro Linklater came out to Yellow Springs to talk about his study of the history of land surveying in our region. This fascinating book shows readers how our landscape was formed by the survey methods that were employed and how those measurement techniques varied in different regions. Down south they did things rather differently. Linklater was quite familiar with the surveying parties who completed the mapping of our region. He knew about how a surveyor named Ludlow did a great job mapping out

18 years ago I attended an event here in Yellow Springs called "Community Voices." One of the performers that evening was a gentleman who had recently moved to the village. Ira Brukner recited his poem "Questions" and I was captivated. After that I spent many months trying to persuade him to appear on the program. Finally, he agreed to make an appearance. And what an appearance it was! Ira began the proceedings by reciting "Questions" for our radio audience. It took him ten minutes to do it and

John Mauceri was heading to Dayton to be the guest conductor for the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and that presented a wonderful opportunity to interview this eminent artist. We discussed his book "Maestros and Their Music - the Art and Alchemy of Conducting" and it was truly invigorating and educational to hear what he had to say about his views on the art of conducting and some of his experiences from a long and distinguished career. John had so much to share that day that we actually ran

Alafair Burke returned to the show to discuss her latest novel "The Better Sister." I had her on the show last year for her book "The Wife" and even though these are stand-alone works there is definitely a linkage between them. This is a murder mystery/domestic thriller that will have her readers nervously flipping pages late into the night. If you are a fan of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series the name Alafair probably rings a bell. Well, Dave's daughter Alafair Robicheaux has many

Do you love animals? Have you had some companion animals in your life that were really special creatures? Then you need to check out my interview for this truly wonderful book. The Book Nook on WYSO is presented by the Greene County Public Library with additional support from Washington-Centerville Public Library , Clark County Public Library , Dayton Metro Library , Wright Memorial Public Library , and Microsun Lamps .

The city of Dayton has changed a lot over time. In his book "Lost Dayton, Ohio" Andrew Walsh describes many of the forces that have impacted neighborhoods and buildings in the Gem City. Some of the things that have caused the greatest changes to the layout of Dayton and the structures in the city have been urban renewal, the construction of highways, and the massive destruction that was caused by the Great Dayton Flood of 1913. The book is filled with wonderful photos of forgotten neighborhoods

Lisa Scottoline made the transition from being an attorney to becoming a novelist in 1994 when she published her first legal thriller. I hosted my first author interviews on WYSO in 1994 so I feel like Lisa and I have been on parallel paths. Lisa appeared on some of those early programs and it has been a wonderful thing to observe as she has become one our best-selling authors. She's also one of the hardest working writers that I know. Her latest effort, "Someone Knows," is a sinuously plotted

I just looked up Dave Barry's new book on Amazon and noticed that it is the #1 best seller in the "Mid-Life Management" category. I wish I had known to mention that to Dave when I interviewed him. I'm certain he would have had something funny to say about that. The last time I had him on the program it was 1997 and Dave was on the leading edge of high-tech with his book "Dave Barry in Cyberspace." Dave was 48 and he was very amusing that day. Now Dave is 70 and he's starting to become somewhat

Lois Walker West remembers the way things used to be. In her memoir "The Appalachian Way in Coal Country" she recalls a simpler life that her family lived in a remote hollow in Kentucky during the waning days of the Great Depression. The family lived on a hillside. There was no electricity and no running water. They burned coal for heat and went to their spring house for water. You could not drive to their house. They did not own a car. The family grew lots of their own food. They had a big

If you are someone who looks for author interviews on the radio, TV, internet or wherever then you probably have noticed many programs tend to feature mostly fiction or primarily non-fiction. Over the years that I have been talking to authors I have tried to include a variety of selections from both fiction and non-fiction categories. Non-fiction can sometimes take us to different levels of learning and insight. When we look at history we can experience many aspects of our humanity that are