How I Library

Wayne Wiegand, a library historian and author of works on American library and ALA history, guides listeners through the birth and early power struggles of the ALA. He discusses Melville Dewey's controversial influence, who was included and excluded in early librarianship, women’s rising roles, ALA’s WWI efforts, and how the association centralized power and shaped standards.

In episode 31, show host Phil Morehart from the American Library Association speaks with musician and author Roddy Bottum from the band Faith No More about his recent memoir, “The Royal We.” As cofounder and keyboard player for Faith No More, Roddy was center stage for a music revolution that germinated and grew in underground clubs and bars in the 1980s only to explode into the mainstream in the early 1990s. It was an exciting time for music, but the often-homophobic music industry was another beast, especially if you were a young gay man like Roddy. It led to a personal and professional life that blazed bright with success but also darkened with recklessness, including heroin addiction. In his exceptional, poetic memoir, “The Royal We,” Roddy details this life, from his childhood in Los Angeles, coming-of-age as a young gay man in 1980s punk San Francisco, and musical journeys with Faith No More and other bands to his battles with addiction, friendships with people like Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain, and eventual self-acceptance and becoming a queer icon. Roddy joins the show to discuss “The Royal We” and its writing, his incredible life story, book bans and censorship, and, of course, how he libraries.

In episode 30, show host Phil Morehart from the American Library Association speaks with musician and author Jon King from the legendary post-punk band Gang of Four about his new memoir, “To Hell with Poverty! A Class Act: Inside the Gang of Four.” Gang of Four burst out of England in the years following the first punk rock explosion in the late 1970s with a unique, angular sound that owed as much to funk, dub, art, politics, and philosophy as it did to its punk contemporaries. Gang of Four created a sound unlike any other that would influence REM, Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, The Afghan Whigs, Red Hot Chili Peppers, St. Vincent, Rage Against the Machine, Sleater Kinney, and countless other bands. At the forefront of Gang of Four was Jon King, the band’s vocalist and lyricist, whose memoir, “To Hell with Poverty! A Class Act: Inside the Gang of Four,” charts King’s youth and the band’s volatile trajectory, as well as the socio-political environments and circumstances that birthed British punk and Gang of Four. King joins the show to discuss his book and its writing, the history of Gang of Four, life in post-WWII Britain, the birth of punk and post-punk in England, art, philosophy, book bans, and how he libraries.

In episode 29, host Phil Morehart from the American Library Association speaks with Thien Ho, the district attorney of Sacramento County, California, whose new book, “The People vs. the Golden State Killer,” documents the hunt for and prosecution of serial killer Joseph DeAngelo, aka the Golden State Killer. Thien was the lead prosecutor who led a team of law enforcement from six California prosecutor's offices in the hunt for DeAngelo. "The People vs. the Golden State Killer" is the first official account of how the Golden State Killer was apprehended and put behind bars for life. The book also details Thien’s fascinating personal journey—escaping communist Vietnam on a fishing boat as a child, working his way up from an internship to an elite homicide division, and eventually becoming Sacramento District Attorney. Thien joins the show to discuss his book and the Golden State Killer case, our collective fascination with true crime, his inspiring life story, and of course how he libraries.

In episode 28, show host and I Love Libraries editor Phil Morehart speaks with musician Brian Baker from legendary punk bands Minor Threat, Bad Religion, and more about his new book of photography, “The Road” (Akashic Books, 2025). As the bassist and guitar player for Minor Threat in the 1980s, then-teenage Brian helped create a new form of music—hardcore punk—that would influence the world. His legacy was furthered cemented in the years following Minor Threat’s breakup, which saw him playing in the bands Dag Nasty, Samhain, The Meatmen, Government Issue, Junkyard, and more before joining long-running punk stalwarts Bad Religion in 1994—a position he holds to this day. Brian’s musical bone fides are unquestionable, but he has another passion that is just now being recognized and celebrated: photography. Brian has been taking photographs on Bad Religion tours and personal travels for years, and the photos have been collected in the impressive new volume, “The Road.” Brian joins the show to discuss his photography, “The Road” and its impetus, the legacy of punk rock, book bans, and, of course, how he libraries.

In episode 27, show host Phil Morehart from the American Library Association speaks with two writers who capture unique aspects of the Indigenous American experience in their work: Kyle Edwards and Angeline Boulley. Kyle Edwards is an award-winning Anishinaabe journalist and writer from the Lake Manitoba First Nation in Manitoba, Canada, and a member of the Ebb and Flow First Nation. He’s the managing editor at Native News Online, a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, and a 2021 Nieman Visiting Fellow at Harvard University. Kyle’s debut novel, "Small Ceremonies," is a poignant coming-of-age story that follows a group of Native high school students from Winnipeg’s North End, a remote area at the border of Canada's eastern woodlands and central prairies. It’s a story of friendship, hope, fear, and struggle in the waning days of high school when the future is uncertain, scary and hopeful; a story of growing up forgotten, urban, poor, and Indigenous; and a story about hockey. Kyle joins the show to discuss “Small Ceremonies” and its influences, his work as a journalist, the importance of telling the stories of Indigenous peoples, and how he libraries. Angeline Boulley, an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, is a storyteller who writes about her Ojibwe community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Her debut novel, "Firekeeper's Daughter" (2021), is a New York Times bestseller and recipient of many international accolades, including the ALA Printz and Morris Awards; the YA Goodreads Choice Award; and the Walter Award for Outstanding Children's Literature. It was also named one of the top 100 young adult novels of all time by Time magazine. Angeline’s new novel, "Sisters in the Wind," is a fascinating mystery about an Ojibwe teen who has been on the run since her father’s death and the dark secrets that arise when she finally stops to confront her past—one that’s found her a ward of the foster care system, unsure of her own identity, and literally fighting to survive against unknown actors. Angeline joins the show to discuss “Sisters in the Wind,” her research process, writing Indigenous American stories, book bans, and how she libraries.

In episode 26, show host Phil Morehart from the American Library Association speaks with author and illustrator Grace Lin. Grace is the award-winning creator of scores of beloved books for kids, including the National Book Award finalist, "When the Sea Turned to Silver;" the Newbery Honor title, "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon;" and the Caldecott Honor title, "A Big Mooncake for Little Star.” Grace’s work has earned her the American Library Association’s Children's Literature Legacy Award. She also hosts several podcasts devoted to children’s literature. Grace’s new book for young readers (and her first novel in nine years), "The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon," is based on Chinese folklore and follows a mythical stone lion cub who accidentally escapes from the realm of the spirits and his quest to return home and save his family. Grace joins the show to discuss her new book and its influences, her work as an illustrator, her podcasts, book bans, and of course, how she libraries.

In this special Halloween episode, show host Phil Morehart from the American Library Association speaks with Jerry Drake, author of “Hazel Was a Good Girl: Solving the Murder That Inspired Twin Peaks.” In the summer of 1908 near Troy, New York, the body of a young woman was found in a pond in a secluded rural area outside of the city. Her name was Hazel Drew, and her unsolved murder has confounded investigators and the curious for more than 100 years. One of whom was TV writer Mark Frost, who together with filmmaker David Lynch, found inspiration in Drew’s case when they created the groundbreaking TV show “Twin Peaks,” which begins with the unsolved murder of a young woman found in a body of water. Drew’s murder has fascinated people, inspired local ghost stories, and birthed numerous investigations. One of those is documented in the book “Hazel Was a Good Girl: Solving the Murder That Inspired Twin Peaks” by author and cold case investigator Jerry Drake. Drake joins the show to discuss the book and his research, why Hazel Drew has kept a grip on us for more than 100 years, the ghost stories attached to the murder, and of course, how he libraries.

In episode 24, show host and I Love Libraries editor Phil Morehart speaks with one of today’s leading creators of scary literature, author Joe Hill-just in time for Halloween! Hill is the bestselling author of the novels "The Fireman," "NOS4A2," "Horns," "Heart-Shaped Box," "Strange Weather,” and the acclaimed story collections, "Full Throttle" and "20th Century Ghosts." He is also the Eisner Award-winning writer of the seven-volume comic book series, "Locke & Key." Much of his work has been adapted for film and TV, as well, including “Locke & Key,” “In the Tall Grass,” and “The Black Phone.” Hill joins the show the discuss his first novel in nine years, “King Sorrow,” a sprawling, intercontinental tale of modern-world dangers, dark academia, and the unexpected consequences of revenge that follows six friends—one of whom works in a library—who dabble in the occult and are (unfortunately) successful when they call up an evil entity that demands human sacrifice in return for its services. He also gets into his favorite horror movies and novels, writing for comic books, seeing his work adapted by others, book bans, and, of course, how he libraries.

George Takei, renowned actor and LGBTQ activist, discusses his new graphic novel, "It Rhymes with Takei," which chronicles his journey from a Japanese-American internment camp to a prominent social advocate. He candidly shares the challenges of hiding his sexuality in Hollywood and the liberation he felt after coming out. Takei reflects on the progressive vision of Star Trek and its missed opportunities for LGBTQ representation. He also recounts his love story with Brad, highlighting the importance of marriage equality and libraries in his life.