Chatter rolls into groundhog day with David, Torie and Jamie. They discuss football (another good weekend), kind reviews and best sellers by city. The Paris Bookseller author Kerri Maher shares her take on Sylvia Beach, legendary owner of Shakespeare and Company and publisher of Ulysses.  It’s about epic literary friendships and the tremendous risks Beach took by publishing James Joyce’s banned novel.  The personal, professional, and literary impacts are huge.

“How do we forgive?”

Football and festivals kick off Chatter this week. David debriefs an amazing weekend of games. Gaithersburg Mayor and Book Festival Founder Jud Ashman joins to talk year three of the Festival – in person this time we hope! Segment B is no debate – why ban books?  This time it’s in prisons. Associated Press calls Lisa Gardner one of the best psychological thriller writers ever. We agree. Back with One Step Too Far, Lisa shares the “didn’t see that coming” chilling tale of a search for a missing man in Wyoming wilderness.  It’s about so much more than the search.

“Grief is like water.”

Jamie McIntyre’s back, off the injured reserve list. The gang raves about Claude (again and appropriately). They debate words that should be banished, and Torie thanks reviewers. Journalistic icon Steve Roberts zooms in with stories from Cokie -  A Life Well Lived, his loving tribute to his wife of 53 years.  His intimate look at Cokie as mother, wife, journalist and friend makes you laugh and cry. And it definitely inspires.

“So much more than a crime story.”

Chatter kicks off 2022 with awards, fake names and a compelling novel. David, Torie and COB alum Ed Aymar rave about Claude’s Marconi Award. The group discusses the ins and outs of pseudonyms. The pop quiz is a tie! Former bar owner/criminal defense investigator/English teacher and current lawyer James Kestrel (AKA someone else) zooms in from Hawaii to talk about his new novel Five Decembers. It’s got crime, corruption, war, romance and praise from Stephen King, the NYT and many more.

“Words matter.”

Chatter rocks and featured COB authors rock even more. Creatures of Passage ( “Best of 2021” by Washington Post and NPR) author Morowa Yejide joins David and Torie. They talk fame and fortune (David’s first book?) and if an apology is enough (nope). Thanks to Alex Dobert, Barrett Holmes Pitner zooms in to talk about The Crime Without a Name, his eye-opening and thought provoking take on how we could find a new way to talk about culture nd racism in America.

“Everything I know about pageants I learned from Tony Kornheiser.”

World traveler Chuck Culpepper joins David and Torie. They reflect on Bob Dole and Fred Hiatt, ponder sports and China, and agree that AI is inevitable. Author Amy Argetsinger zooms in to talk about There She Was, her meticulously researched and highly entertaining look behind the scenes at the Miss America pageant for the last 100 years.

“I don’t know.”

Chatter takes on WTF about the WFT, and debate if you can separate an artist from their controversy as Washington Post reporter and author Kyle Swenson joins David and Torie. Featured author Katharine Blake zooms in to chat about The Uninnocent: Notes on Violence and Mercy, her deeply personal and passionate and provocative look at crime, justice and forgiveness.

“Only too realistic.“

A very special edition of Chatter as best-selling author (so many times over) Ken Follett Zooms back in.  With David and Torie he debriefs Never, his very real take on small mistakes turning into modern-day international catastrophes. From the West Wing to the Sahara Desert and Beijing, this one is hard to put down.

“It’s more about us than them.”

Denison Prof Mike Croley zooms in from flyover land to join David and Torie. They bemoan Beloved deniers and debate sports curses. Mike wins the pop quiz, but nobody knew Amelia Earhart wrote poetry. Best-selling and revered author Susan Orlean talks On Animals, a collection of essays about tigers, whales, rabbits and her own backyard chickens. Sometimes funny and sometimes sad, the stories are always insightful and reflective of the power of relationships across species.