Writers (Audio)

New Yorker staff writer Michael Specter argues for a new Enlightenment in his newly-released book “Denialism.” From genetically modified grains to pharmaceuticals, Specter contends that Americans have come to mistrust institutions and to view science as a political constituency that isn’t always looking out for the public’s best interest. He champions a renewed approach to new technologies, while acknowledging their limitations and threats, and an end to the war against progress in this time of mankind’s greatest scientific advances. Series: "Voices" [Humanities] [Show ID: 18570]

New York Times best-selling author Van Jones provides a blueprint for re-tooling American industry to create pathways out of poverty and generate national economic recovery in the “The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems.” An American environmental advocate, civil rights activist and attorney, Jones formerly served as special advisor for green jobs for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and is now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and senior policy advisor at Green For All. Series: "Helen Edison Lecture Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 18343]

Bestselling author Michelle Richmond reads from her novels and discusses her writing process to a group at UC Berkeley. She is author of “No One You Know,” the New York Times bestseller, “The Year of Fog,” award-winning story collection, “The Girl in the Fall-Away Dress,” and the novel “Dream of the Blue Room,” a finalist for the Northern California Book Award. Series: "Story Hour in the Library" [Humanities] [Show ID: 18752]

Sara Houghteling reads from her novel “Pictures at an Exhibition” that tells the story of a family of Parisian Jewish art dealers whose art collection is looted during World War II. Series: "Story Hour in the Library" [Humanities] [Show ID: 18543]

Daniel Alarcón is the Associate Editor of “Etiqueta Negra,” an award-winning monthly magazine published in his native Lima, Peru, and a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Latin America Studies at UC Berkeley. In 2007, the journal Granta named Alarcón one of the Best Young American Novelists. Series: "Story Hour in the Library" [Humanities] [Show ID: 18506]

Join contributors to “Black Nature,” the First Anthology of Nature Writing by African-American Poets including the writers Harryette Mullen, Ed Roberson, Evie Shockley, Natasha Tretheway, Camille Dungy and Al Young. They read from their work and participate in a discussion on the literary and environmental issues raised by the new anthology. Series: "Writers" [Humanities] [Show ID: 18356]

Annie Barrows is co-author, with her aunt Mary Ann Shaffer, of “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.” A New York Times bestseller, “Guernsey” has been translated into twenty-six languages and was named one of the “Best Books of 2008” by the Washington Post, TIME magazine, and The Christian Science Monitor, among others. Annie is also the author of the award-winning children’s series “Ivy and Bean” and “The Magic Half.” Series: "Story Hour in the Library" [Humanities] [Show ID: 18505]

You may know Daniel Handler as Lemony Snicket, the author of the widely read sequence of children’s books, “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” His intricate and witty writing style has won him numerous fans for his critically acclaimed literary work and his wildly successful children's books. Series: "Story Hour in the Library" [Humanities] [Show ID: 18504]

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Eavan Boland is one of the foremost voices in Irish literature. Her ten volumes of poetry include Against Love Poetry, which was a New York Times notable book, and New Collected Poems. She is also a noted editor and translator. Her awards include a Lannan Foundation Award and an American Ireland Fund Literary Award. She is a professor of English and Creative Writing at Stanford University. Series: "Lunch Poems Reading Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 17121]

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Lisa Chen earned a BA from UC Berkeley and an MFA from the University of Iowa. Her debut collection of poetry, mouth, received a 2009 award from the Association for Asian American Studies. Sesshu Foster says that Chen’s work “startles with soulful complexity.” Series: "Lunch Poems Reading Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 17126]