On the Season One Finale of Neighborhood Bookstore, historian and journalist April White discusses her narrative nonfiction book THE DIVORCE COLONY.
This episode particularly warms my heart. First, it is the culmination of all our work to make season one of Neighborhood Bookstore happen. Second, I have known this author, April White, since high school. It is such a privilege to see her career blossom and to chat about her amazing book.On this episode:
- Accidentally writing a Feminist narrative
- Recording the forgotten corners of American history
- How 19th century “paparazzi” made it possible to research the Divorce Colony
- Writing a women’s story, a frontier story, a story about scandal, a railroad story, a western, and a history book
- Deadwood in the days after Wild Bill Hickok’s murder
- The amazing record keeping of Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- What The Divorce Colony can tell us about our lives today
- Coming off of Smithsonian Magazine, the Washington Post, Boston Globe Magazine, Philly Magazine, and Atlas Obscura
- The emergence and (maybe) the end of no-fault divorce
- Following your curiosity back through history
Special thanks to: my co-host, Craig Duster, owner and head ne’er-do-well at my favorite used bookstore Pop Art Books Culture. Craig always brings an enthusiastic, important, and original perspective to our interviews; my co-producers Eliza Osborn and Julie Cancio Harper, who helped this show get off the ground as well as cross the finish line; I must acknowledge the (uncredited) feedback I received from Robert Osborn, who surfed the first big wave of podcast production and shared his wisdom and experience with me; my narrator, Adam Federman, who donated his time and craft in between jobs in Los Angeles; my guests, who made time and space to talk with me about their craft and their experiences: James Grady, Christopher Barzak, Abby Vandiver (aka: Abby Collette), Peter Brandvold, David Morrell, and April White; and most of all, I must thank you, reader and listener, for showing up, for sharing community with me, and for providing encouragement and feedback. I enjoyed spending time with you so much.Neighborhood Bookstore podcast will be back, after a brief hiatus, for Season Two.You’re going to love it.
