Three authors with fascinating and atypical histories talk about works they published in 2015:

Actor and activist Wendell Pierce put an indelible mark on the TV landscape with his role as William “Bunk” Moreland on the iconic television series, “The Wire.” He has produced and acted in movies, TV, and theater. This year, he made his debut in the literary world, with his book, "The Wind in the Reeds." It’s a meditation on his return to his hometown of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, where he performed in a staging of the play “Waiting for Godot” in the Lower Ninth Ward. At Wordstock this year, Wendell Pierce spoke with Think Out Loud’s Dave Miller.

Alicia Jo Rabins: Mystic Ideas and a Modern Sensibility

Portland’s Alicia Jo Rabins is a renaissance woman - she writes mystical poetry, she’s a gifted storyteller, she composes and performs beautiful song cycles about Biblical women for her rock band project, called Girls in Trouble, and she’s a Jewish scholar. At Wordstock this year, Rabins talked with OPB’s reporter Conrad Wilson and read the title poem of her award-winning new book, “Divinity School,” about the emotional pitfalls of a contemplative life. You can see her reprise her critically lauded song cycle about the economy, called “A Kadish for Bernie Madoff,” on December 4 and 5 at Disjecta.

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Jesse Eisenberg Emerges as a Humorist

Jesse Eisenberg is best known for starring in movies such as “The Social Network” and “Zombieland.” But he’s quickly gaining attention for his writing as well, in the form of both plays and humor. In 2015 alone, Eisenberg starred in three films, spent two months acting in an off-Broadway play of his own writing, and released his first book, "Bream Gives Me Hiccups: and Other Stories." It takes its name from a series of restaurant reviews he penned for The New Yorker from the perspective of a privileged child. Eisenberg spoke with OPB’s Aaron Scott at Wordstock.