Chatter on Books

By Torie ClarkeSociety & Culture Arts Books

Chatter on Books episodes

May 06 Book Festival Palooza and More
Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, Mike Croley, and Jud Ashman. Mike introduces Reggie, the cutest new member of the Chatter family. Staying with animals, Cherie DeVaux, first time female trainer to win the Kentucy Derby, gets her due. Somehow (no featured author?) the team reveals porn star names and why LIV golf is going away. Jud gets us back on track with the May 16 Gaithersburg Book Festival where Torie and Claude get to interview award winning author Jason Mott. Then Torie's on the road to Oyster Bay, N.Y. for the May 16-17 Gold Coast Book Fair where she'll moderate a panel with Isaac Fitzgerald and Bruce Feiler.
47 min
April 28 Berner "Becoming Legend: Get Rich and Leave a Legacy"
"Whatever he does he hits!" Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie and Torie. Claude shares his Sperryville golf success, and David summarizes the NFL draft. Shane Mullen joins from the midwest with two authors nominated for "The Pitch," Tom Lin and Soman Chainani. They're current and creative and inspiring. 21st century renaissance man Berner zooms in to share "Becoming Legend." He calls it an "instructional manual for all aspiring entrepreneurs," and it showcases his remarkable life and success against significant odds. As Snoop Dog said, "I love it when my fellow rap comrades diversify their portfolio with books of information and knowledge."
49 min
April 14 David Wright Falade "The New Internationals"
Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, James Grady, and Chatter's favorite Mayor, Jud Ashman. The wrap up March Madness and Torie's Duke animosity. James Grady's soon to be released "Shadows on Sidewalks" getting terrific buzz. Jud previews the May 16 Gaithersburg Book Festival. Free attendance, free parking, and over 130 authors, workshops, kids' events, poetry competitions and more. COB fave David Wright Falade zooms in to share "The New Internationals," out in paperback and joining David'd impressive, eclectic and impactful work. He writes young adult, non-fiction, and historical fiction with empathy and an academic's rigor. "The New Internationals" captures the colliding, sometimes clashing challenges of race and identity in post-World War II Paris.
53 min
April 01 Charlotte Wood "The Natural Way of Things"
"Women versus nature?" Chatter rolls with Torie, David, and literary icon James Grady. They revel in UConn's win and Torie's roll in it. Is there anything good about AI in writing? Award winning, best selling and favorite Australian author Charlotte Wood zooms in from down under to share "The Natural Way of Things." Originally published ten years ago it's eerily current. Imprisoned in an Australian sheep station, ten women endure horrifying treatment and demonstrate inspiring resilience and humanity.
52 min
March 10 April Reynolds "The Shape of Dreams"
Chatter rolls with Torie and COB fave Erica Wright, and Texas rules the show. Erica's busy with a new novel and book of poetry and will be back soon to chat about both. Daylight Savings screwed Micah Williams of Black Pearl Books who was set to nominate their author for "The Pitch," K.D. Blade. No worries — writer and artist K.D. stepped up and shared "Don't Touch My Hair" and her wonderful world of reading, writing, and drawing. Award winning author and teacher April Reynolds zooms in to share "Shape of Dreams, a mesmerizing dive into murder, friendship, and a 1980s community in crisis. Thank goodness Miss Jordan encouraged April's writing!
44 min
March 03 Mark Hertling "If I Don't Return: A Father's Wartime Journal"
"A gift." Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie. They (finally) break down hockey and romance — and all have their picks for sports romance novels. Shane Mullen of Left Bank Books in St. Louis joins, sharing the store's back story and teasing his picks for "The Pitch." Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling zooms in with "If I Don't Return," his reflections on life lessons shared with his sons. Simultaneously accessible and powerful, "If I Don't Return" offers meaningful advice on facing all of life's challenges. It's about so much more than war.
57 min
February 24 Rebecca Lehmann "The Beheading Game"
"Bad ass." Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, and COB fave Louis Bayard. They revel in the Olympics glow and mourn again Washington Post layoffs, the loss of "Book World" in particular. Poet, teacher, and inspired author Rebecca Lehmann zooms in to share "The Beheading Game." Few are brave enough to tackle the well-trod ground of Anne Boleyn, the first of Henry the Eighth's six wives to lose her head. Lehmann does so with imagination, empathy, and provocative thinking. Could not put it down.
37 min
February 10 Matthew Delmont "Until the Last Gun is Silent: A story of patriotism, the Vietnam War, and the fight to save America's soul."
"Protest and patriotism" Chatter rolls with David, Torie, and COB fave David Maraniss. In light of Washington Post layoffs David A shares his George Solomon (sports god) story. David M would have given a sneak peek at his next work, the life of Jack Johnson, first Black heavyweight boxing champion. Award winning civil rights historian Matthew Delmont zooms in to share "Until the Last Gun is Silent," his meticulously researched and compellingly written look at Black activism during the Vietnam War. Coretta Scott King and Medal of Honor winner Dwight "Skip" Johnson get their rightful place in history.
24 min
January 27 Mark Medley "Live to See the Day: Impossible Goals, Unimaginable Futures, and the Pursuit of Things That May Never Be"
"In the DNA." Chatter rolls through snowmageddon with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie. Nancy Baenen of Arcadia Books returns to nominate their first author for "The Pitch", James DeVita and his book "Sanctuary," post-apocalyptic yet scarily current. Then Mark Medley zooms in to share "Live to See the Day," his empathetic search to answer the question: what keeps people going against insurmountable odds? Over five years, multiple continents, and hundreds of interviews Mark finds the true meaning of hope against the odds. It's fun, inspirational, and we want to take all of Mark's people to dinner!
54 min
January 13 William Rankin "Radical Cartography: How Changing Our Maps Can Change Our World"
"Challenge the status quo." Chatter rolls (fast) into 2026. Torie, Claude, and COB's favorite Mayor Jud Ashman catch up and look ahead to the Gaithersburg Book Festival in May. Elaine Katzenberger of City Lights Booksellers and Publishers introduces Rae Alexandra, first nominee for "The Pitch," the writing contest in which independent book stores nominate an author from their region with a new book out in 2026. Rae's is "Unsung Heroines: 35 Women Who Changed the Bay Area," untold stories of ground breaking women in every walk of life that shaped California. Professor and world renowned cartographer William Rankin zooms in to share "Radical Cartography: How Changing Our Maps Can Change Our World." A fascinating and beautiful look at how maps can — and should — shape our perceptions of the world around us. You'll never look at a map the same again.
45 min

About Chatter on Books

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Chatter On Books is a weekly podcast hosted by Torie Clarke, with co-hosts Claude Jennings and David Aldridge, plus a rotating crew of writers, journalists, and the occasional welcome surprise.