Chatter on Books

By Torie ClarkeSociety & Culture Arts Books

Chatter on Books episodes

December 17, 2025 Steve Israel & Steve Vogel
Steve Israel - "The Einstein Conspiracy"

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Steve Vogel - "A Task Force Called Faith: The Untold Story of the U.S. Army Soldiers Who Fought for Survival at Chosin Reservoir — and Honor Back Home"

Chatter rolls into the holidays with Claude, David, Torie, and icon James Grady. They pre-sneak Jim's book out in 2026 and rave about two COB alums, Charlotte Wood and Tevi Troy. Both make major "best of 25" lists. Then it's time for the two Steves. First up is Steve Israel, former Congressman and current author and owner of Theodore's Books. His latest, "The Einstein Conspiracy" is a page turning take based on actual events that pit FBI agents against undercover Nazi operatives. Second Steve up is Steve Vogel, COB alum and author this time of "A Task Force Called Faith," as ever with Vogel, meticulously researched and beautifully written. "Task Force" tells the true and tragic story of Army soldiers who fought in the toughest battle of the Korean War and then decades restoring their rightful place in history.
40 min
December 02, 2025 Eugenia Cheng "Unequal: The Math of When Things Do and Don't Add Up"
Group Therapy

Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie. Torie pitches Rob Dundon's wonderful cause in honor of his mother Cathy (go to: alt.org/goto/CathysLegacy/2025. The gang makes holiday gift recommendations. Scientist in Residence at the School of Art Institute in Chicago Eugenia Cheng zooms in to share "Unequal — The Math of When Things Do and Don't Add Up," It's about so much more than numbers and certainty. It's about nuance and perspective and understanding.
37 min
November 25, 2025 Thomas Dann "Midnight in Memphis"
"Unfinished Business" Chatter rolls live in an undisclosed secure location in the DMV with Claude, David, Torie, and Renaissance man Rodney. It's "boy time" as Rodney extols the virtues of his men's book club. Charter member Thomas Dann joins to share "Midnight in Memphis," a mystery set in 1950s Memphis. A Southern noir "Midnight" is a nuanced look at race, political turmoil, and relationships in both. As Scott Turow put it, Dann uncovers the "enticing, sometimes lurid, mysteries that always seemed to lurk beneath the surface of the old south."
38 min
November 11, 2025 DeMaurice Smith "Turf Wars: The Fight For the Soul of America's Game"
"More than football." Chatter goes live at Caddies on Cordell, the DMV's premier sports bar, with Claude, David, Torie, S.L. Price and DeMaurice Smith, longtime head of the National Football League Players Association. They break down the latest sports gambling scandal (nobody's shocked and all are worried about the impact). Smith shares "Turf Wars," the ultimate insiders look at the biggest battles between football owners and players.
59 min
November 07, 2025 Ann E. Butler "Wife, Mother, Spy: An Extraordinary Life Filled With Ordinary Days"
"Extracting information." Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie. They cover Claude's equine role and the NBA cheating scandal. (Who knew the mob was still so active!). Nancy Baenen of Arcadia Books joins to chat up her iconic Wisconsin book store and dispense advice on "The Pitch," the 2026 Chatter on Books writing competition. Ann E. Butler zooms in to share "Wife, Mother, Spy," her exceptional book about an extraordinary life. CIA operative and mother of five, Butler juggled parenting around the globe AND recruited spies, gleaned intelligence and protected the country. We're in awe.
42 min
October 14, 2025 Mary Roach "Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy"
"An interesting planet." Chatter rolls with Claude, David and Torie. They reveal Claude's latest acting role in the mansion murders podcast and continue working on "The Pitch," Best selling, wicked smart, and very funny Mary Roach zooms in to share "Replaceable You." Forget what you think you know about human anatomy and how we replace/fix/grow new body parts. "Replaceable You" means never looking at a pig the same way again. It's terrific!
40 min
September 30, 2025 Hannah Pittard "If You Love It, Let It Kill You"
Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie and Jamie (fresh from Vegas). Get wells for Dolly the Goddess kick things off, and the gang shares thoughts on the Ryder Cup and boisterous American fans. The award winning, best selling, and very funny Hannah Pittard zooms in to share her latest novel, "If You Love It, Let It Kill You." Drop the couples therapy and buy this book. Pittard nails relationships, artistic expression, and making ordinary things profound. Not to mention the best talking cat ever.
47 min
September 16, 2025 Susan Morrison "Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live"
"The definitive biography." Chatter rolls back with Claude, David, Torie, and COB fave James Grady. They hit summer highlights, why Barnes & Noble is on a roll, and ideated Chatter's soon-to-be writing competition (working title: The Pitch). Susan Morrison zooms in with "Lorne," a decade long look at the man at the center of Saturday Night Live. It's the ultimate "fly on the wall" experience and a walk through fifty years of entertainment, and culture, and politics, and life.
44 min
July 15, 2025 James Grady "American Sky"
"All the old ghosts are leaving town…" Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie and COB fave Lou Bayard. Lou goes playwright, and David sheds a tear (a happy one) over TNT. Award winning, best selling and all around cool guy James Grady zooms in to share his latest, "American Sky." Epic and sweeping and so much more significant than your average coming of age story. Grady's portrait is, as Lou puts it "…indelibly, the portrait of a nation — an epic canvas that always feels intimate…"
59 min
July 08, 2025 S.L. Price "The American Game: History and Hope in the Country of Lacrosse"
"History and hope." Chatter rolls live at Wonderland Books in Bethesda, Maryland. Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie chat with Wonderland owner Gayle Weiswasser. She gives the lowdown on how the store is doing; foot traffic, sales, and community hub all flourishing. S.L. Price (aka Scott) takes a seat to share his latest "The American Game — History and Hope in the Country of Lacrosse." Revered by many as one of the all time great sportswriters, Scott examines the history, culture and geopolitics of the game. Meticulously researched, "The American Game" is a fascinating look at a sport whose evolution explains so much about the country.
56 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.