Completely Booked - Official Podcast of the Jacksonville Public Library

Join us for a Lit Chat with #1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert! Gilbert is the author of books including Eat Pray Love, City of Girls, and Big Magic. She was interviewed by local author and journalist Nikesha Elise Williams about her latest work and her writing process. An audience Q&A followed the interview.

In her critically acclaimed novels and immensely popular nonfiction, Elizabeth Gilbert expands our understanding of creativity, spirituality, and love. Whatever her subject, whether in fiction or nonfiction, Gilbert writes with “a mix of intelligence, wit, and colloquial exuberance that is close to irresistible” (The New York Times Book Review). Her memoir, Eat Pray Love, exploded onto the scene in 2006. A #1 New York Times bestseller, Eat Pray Love famously chronicled the year Gilbert spent traveling the world after a shattering divorce. Translated into more than 30 languages, the book has sold over thirteen million copies, and was adapted into a 2010 film starring Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem.  In the years since, people around the world have looked to Gilbert for guidance in leading brave, authentic, and creative lives. With over 20 million views, her TED Talk on creativity is one of the top 25 most popular of all time. In her nonfiction treatise, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, another instant #1 New York Times bestseller that has sold over one million copies, Gilbert unpacks her own generative process and shares her wise, witty insights into the mysteries of curiosity and inspiration. Her newest bestseller is the novel, City of Girls, a “fiercely feminist” (Esquire) story of a young woman coming into her own in the theater world of 1940s New York. City of Girls debuted at #2 on The New York Times bestseller list, has sold nearly a million copies, and is currently in development at Warner Brothers as a major motion picture. 

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Elizabeth Gilbert

Borrow Liz's books from our collection: https://jkpl.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results?qu=AUTHOR%3D%22elizabeth+gilbert%22&qu=-bedia&te=

Website: http://www.elizabethgilbert.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth_gilbert_writer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GilbertLiz

 

Nikesha Elise Williams

http://www.newwrites.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikesha_elise/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nikesha_elise

Jacksonville Public Library
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Chris Crutcher's first novel, Running Loose, was published in 1983, and by 1984 made USA Today's top ten banned books list, along with nine other long-celebrated novels. He is proud to report that nearly all of his subsequent works have been censored and/or banned somewhere in the great U.S. of A, and that those challenges have earned him two lifetime achievement Intellectual Freedom Awards, one from the National Council of Teachers of English and the other from the National Coalition Against Censorship.

Crutcher first came face to face with his professional destiny and the vibrant, often courageous community that would provide inspiration for his fictional work as a teacher, then director, of a racially-diverse K-12 alternative school in Oakland, California. That and his subsequent twenty-odd years as both a therapist specializing in child abuse and neglect and chairperson for his region's Child Protection Team have informed his thirteen novels and two collections of short stories. In the midst of all that heartbreak and unforgiveable neglect and violence, he says, "new heroes arose" — compelling Crutcher to fashion his stories around them.

Interviewer Stacey Horan left her career as a corporate lawyer to become an award-winning author of young adult novels. Her works include Sycamore Lane, Inland, and The Elixir Vitae Adventures (a five-book series). She also hosts a podcast called The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, which is dedicated to helping book lovers discover new authors. Visit her website at www.staceyhoran.com or find her on social media at @staceyleehoran.

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Chris Crutcher Borrow Chris' books from our collection: https://jkpl.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results?qu=AUTHOR%3D%22chris+crutcher%22&te= Website: http://www.chriscrutcher.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/chriscrutcher

Stacy Horan Website: www.staceyhoran.com Twitter: @staceyleehoran

Jacksonville Public Library Website: jaxpubliclibrary.org Twitter: twitter.com/jaxlibrary Facebook: facebook.com/JaxLibrary Instagram: instagram.com/jaxlibrary YouTube: youtube.com/user/jaxpubliclibraryfl Contact Us: jplpromotions (at) coj.net

Nikesha Elise Williams is a two-time Emmy award winning producer, an award-winning author, and producer and host of the Black & Published podcast. Her latest novel, Beyond Bourbon Street, was awarded Best Fiction by the Black Caucus of African-American Librarians in the 2021 Self-Published eBook Literary Awards. It also received the 2020 Outstanding Book Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. Nikesha's forthcoming book, Mardi Gras Indians, will be published by LSU Press on October 5. A Chicago native, Nikesha is an Editor at Narrative Initiative and a columnist with JAX Today. Her work has also appeared in The Washington Post, ESSENCE, and VOX. She lives in Florida with her family and is working on her next novel.

Interviewer Yvette Angelique Hyater-Adams is a poet, teaching artist, and proven culture change strategist. She publishes, curates, and facilitates storytelling for healing, creating art, for consciousness-raising, and advocacy. Her most recent work is a digital poetry chapbook: Something Old, New, Borrowed, and The Blues. As a recovering bank executive and management consulting firm CEO, Yvette runs a social arts practice, Narratives for Change, LLC. Writing poetry and essay, teaching, and activism is central to her social arts practice. She teaches creative writing for women and girls, and Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) for social justice thought leaders. Yvette is on the editorial board for Practicing Social Change for Applied Behavioral Science. She is a volunteer for TEDx Jacksonville as a curator and speaker coach. She is the Chair of the Board of Directors for Alternate ROOTS, a social justice organization for artists and cultural organizers. Yvette lives with her banker-jazz musician husband in Atlantic Beach, FL.

Sign Up for Library U to hear about the latest Lit Chats and catch them live! — https://jaxpubliclibrary.org/library-u-enrollment

Nikesha Elise Williams Borrow Nikesha's books from our collection: https://jkpl.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results?qu=nikesha+elise+williams&te= Website: http://www.newwrites.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nikesha_Elise

Yvette Angelique Website: https://www.yvetteangelique.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/yhyater

Jacksonville Public Library Website: jaxpubliclibrary.org Twitter: twitter.com/jaxlibrary Facebook: facebook.com/JaxLibrary Instagram: instagram.com/jaxlibrary YouTube: youtube.com/user/jaxpubliclibraryfl Contact Us: jplpromotions (at) coj.net

Mackenzi Lee holds a BA in history and an MFA in creative writing from Simmons college. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling Montague Siblings series, which kicked off in 2017 with The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, which was a New York Times bestseller, an ABA bestseller, has been optioned for film by Greg Berlanti for HBO, was a 2018 Stonewall Honor Book, and won the New England Book Award.

Mackenzi is also the author of Bygone Badass Broads, a collection of short biographies of women in history you probably don't know about but definitely should, based on her viral twitter series of the same name; and The History of the World in 50 Dogs, which is the same thing but dogs. She is currently finishing a series with Marvel detailing the origin stories of fan-favorite antiheroes from the MCU and comics-iverse, including Loki, Nebula, and Gamora. In 2020, Mackenzi was included on the Forbes 30 under 30 media list. Her short fiction and nonfiction has appeared in the Boston Globe, Atlas Obscura, Teen Vogue, and Bust magazine, among others.

Interviewer Kay Huggins is a creative, the owner of Aphelion Editing and Consulting, and the host of The Raindrop Corner Podcast. As a longtime resident of Jacksonville, Florida, they have sought to support local artistry, foster thought-provoking content, and aid in human rights advocacy. For over a decade, their life has been dazzled with project management, technology industries, logistics, writing, and production. Through the intersectionality of Kay's craft, they aim to champion the community by providing a platform to marginalized groups. Currently, Kay is writing their debut novel and enjoying leisure moments with their wife and fur babies.

Sign Up for Library U to hear about the latest Lit Chats and catch them live! — https://jaxpubliclibrary.org/library-u-enrollment

Mackenzi Lee Borrow Mackenzi Lee's books from our catalog: https://jkpl.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results?qu=AUTHOR%3D%22mackenzi+lee%22&te= Website: http://www.mackenzilee.com/

Kay Huggins Website: https://www.kaylareneehuggins.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kayisadragon

Jacksonville Public Library Website: jaxpubliclibrary.org Twitter: twitter.com/jaxlibrary Facebook: facebook.com/JaxLibrary Instagram: instagram.com/jaxlibrary YouTube: youtube.com/user/jaxpubliclibraryfl Contact Us: jplpromotions (at) coj.net

Brit Bennett is the author of the dazzling coming of age novel The Mothers and the National Book Award nominated novel, The Vanishing Half, which was also longlisted for an Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. Bennett was named a 5 Under 35 honoree by the National Book Foundation and the book was longlisted for the NBCC John Leonard First Novel Prize and the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction. Her work has also been featured in the New York Times, The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and The Paris Review. While an undergraduate at Stanford, she won the Bocock/ Guerard and Robert M. Golden Thesis prizes for her fiction. Earning her MFA at University of Michigan, she won a Hopwood Award in Graduate Short Fiction as well as the 2014 Hurston/ Wright Award in College Writing. Her conversations are as memorable as her writing and give audiences a window into her craft while exploring broader themes of race and systemic injustice.

Interviewer Nikesha Elise Williams is a two-time Emmy award winning producer, an award-winning author, and producer and host of the Black & Published podcast. Her latest novel, Beyond Bourbon Street, was awarded Best Fiction by the Black Caucus of African-American Librarians in the 2021 Self-Published eBook Literary Awards. It also received the 2020 Outstanding Book Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. Nikesha is a Chicago native and she attended The Florida State University. Nikesha writes full time with bylines in The Washington Post, ESSENCE, and VOX.

Sign Up for Library U to hear about the latest Lit Chats and catch them live! — https://jaxpubliclibrary.org/library-u-enrollment

Brit Bennett
Borrow Brit Bennett's books from our catalog: https://jkpl.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results?qu=AUTHOR%3D%22brit+bennett%22&te=
Website: https://britbennett.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/britrbennett

Nikesha Elise Williams
Borrow Nikesha Elise Williams' books from our catalog: https://jkpl.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results?qu=AUTHOR%3D%22nikesha+williams%22&te
Website: newwrites.com
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise

Jacksonville Public Library
Website: jaxpubliclibrary.org
Twitter: twitter.com/jaxlibrary
Facebook: facebook.com/JaxLibrary
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In her new book of historic photographs, Jada Wright-Greene celebrates the homes of African Americans throughout the state, including cabins, shotgun homes, and two-story residences in Jacksonville and beach homes in American Beach and Butler Beach. Join us to learn more about these homes and the process of researching their histories!

Jada Wright-Greene is a writer, independent museum professional, lecturer, museum activist, and Black history lover. She is the Founder & President of Heritage Salon, the first and only electronic magazine dedicated to promoting Black museums, historical sites, and homes and telling the stories of Black history. Jada was raised in Jacksonville, Florida, and is an alumnus of Bethune-Cookman University, Michigan State University, and Johns Hopkins University. Jada recently fell in love with her home state of Florida's Black history, and she is on a mission to share the stories of Black Floridians.

Interviewer Ennis Davis is a certified senior planner who holds a degree in Architecture from Florida A&M University. He is the author of the award-winning books Reclaiming Jacksonville, Cohen Brothers: The Big Store and Images of Modern America: Jacksonville. A mayoral appointee to the Northeast Florida Regional Transportation Commission, Davis has served with various organizations committed to improving urban communities, including the American Planning Association and the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. A 2013 Next City Vanguard, Davis is a co-founder of Modern Cities and TransForm Jax, and a former citizen member of the Florida Times-Union editorial board.

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Jada Wright-GreeneBorrow Jada Wright-Greene's book from our catalog Website: jadawrightgreene.com Twitter: @jadawgreene

Ennis DavisWebsite: thejaxsonmag.com and moderncities.com Twitter: @thejaxsonmag

Jacksonville Public LibraryWebsite: jaxpubliclibrary.org Twitter: twitter.com/jaxlibrary Facebook: facebook.com/JaxLibrary Instagram: instagram.com/jaxlibrary YouTube: youtube.com/user/jaxpubliclibraryfl Contact Us: jplpromotions (at) coj.net

If you love living in Florida, and love to be annoyed at "Florida Man", you will definitely want to check out our upcoming Lit Chat with New York Times bestselling author Craig Pittman! Pittman writes fondly of the strange state we call home and all the interesting people who make it famous. Thanks to the Friends of the Beaches Branch Library for sponsoring this Lit Chat!

Craig Pittman is a native Floridian, an author, a podcaster and an award-winning environmental reporter. Born in Pensacola, he graduated from Troy State University in Alabama, where his muckraking work for the student paper prompted an agitated dean to label him "the most destructive force on campus." In 31 years at the Tampa Bay Times, Pittman covered a variety of beats and several natural disasters, including wildfires, hurricanes and the Florida Legislature. He now writes a weekly column for the Florida Phoenix and is co-host of the popular podcast "Welcome to Florida." He's the author of six non-fiction books about Florida, including the New York Times bestseller Oh, Florida: How America's Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country and Cat Tale: The Wild Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther, which Garden & Gun magazine named one of the 20 best books of 2020. His most recent one, published in September 2021, is The State You're In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife. He lives in St. Petersburg with his wife and two children.

Interviewer Bill Delaney is a writer, editor and higher education professional from Jacksonville whose work focuses on the culture and history of the First Coast. Delaney is the author of the guidebook Secret Jacksonville, and is co-owner and editor of the publications Modern Cities, TheJaxsonMag.com and Edible Northeast Florida Magazine. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in English from the University of North Florida.

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Craig PittmanBorrow Craig Pittman's books from our catalog Website: craigpittman.com Twitter: @craigtimes

Bill DelaneyWebsite: thejaxsonmag.com Twitter: @Tacachale

Jacksonville Public LibraryWebsite: jaxpubliclibrary.org Twitter: twitter.com/jaxlibrary Facebook: facebook.com/JaxLibrary Instagram: instagram.com/jaxlibrary YouTube: youtube.com/user/jaxpubliclibraryfl Contact Us: jplpromotions (at) coj.net

Dawnie Walton left Jacksonville after high school to pursue a successful career in magazines. Now she returns to town to chat with us about her first novel, which features a music magazine editor on a mission to discover the truth about an enigmatic music duo – a mission which includes a quick trip to Northeast Florida!

Dawnie Walton is the author of the novel The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, a "spectacular debut" (Publisher's Weekly, starred review) that has been named one of 2021's most anticipated books by Essence, Vogue, The Oprah Magazine, Elle, The Independent, Lit Hub, PopSugar, The Millions, and Hypebae. Her work as a fiction writer and journalist explores identity, place, and the influence of pop culture. A MacDowell Colony fellow (2015), a Tin House Scholar (2017), and a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop (MFA, 2018), she has worked as an executive-level editor for magazine and multimedia brands including Essence, Entertainment Weekly, Getty Images, and LIFE. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, she lives in Brooklyn.

Interviewer Nikesha Elise Williams is a two-time Emmy award winning producer, an award-winning author, and producer and host of the Black & Published podcast. Her latest novel, Beyond Bourbon Street, was awarded Best Fiction by the Black Caucus of African-American Librarians in the 2021 Self-Published eBook Literary Awards. It also received the 2020 Outstanding Book Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. Nikesha is a Chicago native and she attended The Florida State University. Nikesha writes full time with bylines in The Washington Post, ESSENCE, and VOX.

Sign Up for Library U to hear about the latest Lit Chats and catch them live! — https://jaxpubliclibrary.org/library-u-enrollment

Dawnie WaltonBorrow Dawnie Walton's books from our catalog Website: dawniewalton.com Twitter: @dawniewalton

Nikesha Elise WilliamsBorrow Nikesha Elise Williams' books from our catalog Website: newwrites.com Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise

Jacksonville Public LibraryWebsite: jaxpubliclibrary.org Twitter: twitter.com/jaxlibrary Facebook: facebook.com/JaxLibrary Instagram: instagram.com/jaxlibrary YouTube: youtube.com/user/jaxpubliclibraryfl Contact Us: jplpromotions (at) coj.net

Andres Rojas was born in Cuba and came to the U.S. at age 13. He's been writing poetry since just about then, has an MFA and a JD from the University of Florida, and currently works for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He is also the poetry editor for Compose.

Interviewer Tim Gilmore counts Andres Rojas as one of his favorite poets on a bookshelf with nearly 1000 volumes of poetry. He is also the author of 20 books and several works for the stage, and is the founder of the literary arts festival JaxbyJax.

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Andres RojasBorrow Andres Rojas's books from our catalog Twitter: @okaporia

Tim GilmoreBorrow Tim Gilmore's books from our catalog Website: jaxpsychogeo.com Twitter: @tim_gilmore

Jacksonville Public LibraryWebsite: jaxpubliclibrary.org Twitter: twitter.com/jaxlibrary Facebook: facebook.com/JaxLibrary Instagram: instagram.com/jaxlibrary YouTube: youtube.com/user/jaxpubliclibraryfl Contact Us: jplpromotions (at) coj.net

Alyssa Day is the pen name (and dark and tortured alter ego) of author Alesia Holliday. As Alyssa, she is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author with more than a million books sold, and she writes the Warriors of Poseidonand Cardinal Witches paranormal romance series and the Tiger's Eye Mysteries, a paranormal mystery series. As Alesia, she writes comedies that make readers snort things out of their noses, and is the author of the award-winning memoir about military families during war-time deployments: Email to the Front. She has won many awards for her writing, including Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA award for outstanding romance fiction and the RT Book Reviews Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Paranormal Romance novel of 2012.

Interviewer Valerie Bowman's debut novel was published in 2012. Since then, her books have received starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. She's been an RT Reviewers' Choice nominee for Best First Historical Romance and Best Historical Romance Love and Laughter. Two of her books have been nominated for the Kirkus Prize for fiction.

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Sign Up for Library U to hear about the latest Lit Chats and catch them live! — https://jaxpubliclibrary.org/library-u-enrollment

Alyssa DayBorrow Alyssa Day's books from our catalog Website: alyssaday.com Twitter: @alyssa_day

Valerie BowmanBorrow Valerie Bowman's books from our catalog Website: valeriebowmanbooks.com Twitter: @valeriegbowman

Jacksonville Public LibraryWebsite: jaxpubliclibrary.org Twitter: twitter.com/jaxlibrary Facebook: facebook.com/JaxLibrary Instagram: instagram.com/jaxlibrary YouTube: youtube.com/user/jaxpubliclibraryfl Contact Us: jplpromotions (at) coj.net