Connecticut author and lawyer Anne Howard is known for her work writing true crime, but her recent book is a departure from her prior work.

Today, we talk about her new book that she worked to translate, entitled Escape from Mariupol: A Survivor's True Story. Anne first met Adoriana Marik through mutual friends. They exchanged letters, and Adoriana sent her hand-drawn cards and other artwork over the years.

When the war in Ukraine broke out, Anne was desperate to contact Adoriana to hear that she was safe. What followed was a months-long exchange and a collaborative effort to write a book about her experience.

Adoriana suffers from many symptoms of PTSD. Due to this and a language barrier, Adoriana will not be joining us this hour, but here to tell us about her story, is Anne Howard.

Plus, Joan Donovan is the Research Director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy and author of the book Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America.

Donovan discusses talk the evolution of memes as political devices, and how they shaped the far right.

GUEST:

• Anne Howard: co-author and translator of Escape from Mariupol: A Survivor's True Story
• Askold Melnyczuk: English professor at University of Massachusetts, Boston and author
• Joan Donovan: Research Director for the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University and author of the book Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America

Cat Pastor contributed to this episode which originally aired on February 13 and March 23.

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