So Many Damn Books

Rumaan Alam zooms around into the online void paradox that is the Damn Library to talk about his new novel, Leave the World Behind. Grocery shopping, writing a glue trap, personal detail, hypertext, and careful language choices, all populate a very far-ranging conversation that veers from teeth to AirBnB foibles. Plus, Rumaan brought Want by Lynn Steger Strong along, and we talk about why it's like a ripe fruit, and that opens up even further avenues, like literary friendships and books as dreams.Get ready to hear a podcast about reading!contribute! https://patreon.com/smdbfor drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.commusic: Disaster Magic(https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christopher and Drew prognosticate and pontificate about the Super Rooster. Drew might have a scoop. Christopher just won't read Wolf Hall. Listen, and then let us know your predictions!contribute! https://patreon.com/smdbfor drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.commusic: Disaster Magic(https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A zoom session with Raven Leilani gets us into all sorts of things, from candles to disco to painting to amorality, and how you have to come to the page as though you don't think anyone will read it. Also nail polish. And so much more. Plus, Raven brought us New People by Danzy Senna, which was tense and surprising and similarly casual about breaking and entering. Let's go.contribute! https://patreon.com/smdbfor drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.commusic: Disaster Magic(https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Megha Majumdar zooms from her library into the virtual Damn Library so that we can all talk about her bestseller, A Burning. We talk about what makes an Amaro, juggling three character's POVs, the life of an editor/writer, and the context of things online, as well as parallels of hope. Plus, we discuss the urgent message of Bad News: Last Journalists in a Dictatorship by Anjan Sundaram, and why any of us write. Zoom, there it is.contribute! https://patreon.com/smdbfor drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.commusic: Disaster Magic(https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christopher and Drew talk about why people might not want to read classics and books from "Best of the Year" lists, and hope folks can learn to trust their reading instincts. Plus, some talk of blueberries, education, difficult sci-fi, and a tiny ode to Aimee Bender. Zoomin' on up.contribute! https://patreon.com/smdbfor drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.commusic: Hotel Hiouchi(https://soundcloud.com/hotelhiouchi)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lindsay Ellis zooms on in to the Damn Library with her recently-NYT-best-selling Axiom's End! We talk ~around~ the plot of her novel, the joys of writing about 2007, who would be allowed to adapt it as a musical, and more. Plus, we talk about the second book in Orson Scott Card's Ender Saga, what to do with authors who turn out to be bad people, and how sometimes you have to write a first book before you can get to the second.contribute! https://patreon.com/smdbfor drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.commusic: Disaster Magic(https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Zoomin' Damn Library welcomes the good friends and co-hosts of Call Your Girlfriend, Aminatou Sow & Ann Friedman, who are both now newly minted authors of Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close. So of course we talk friendship, and how the scientific studies weren't quite there like they thought it would be, and how you write a book together, and about being honest about the hard stuff. Plus, we get to talk about how great Octavia Butler is, and how prescient Parable of the Sower is. Listen up!contribute! https://patreon.com/smdbfor drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.commusic: Disaster Magic(https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Damn Zoom Library hosts Quan Barry, author of the malevolently delightful 80s high school sports movie of a novel, WE RIDE UPON STICKS. She talks about how her witchcraft is home-brewed, how she juggled eleven characters' voices, and how being a poet helped her focus the timing of the book. Plus, she brings Kei Miller's AUGUSTOWN about which everyone gushes! Also the inside scoop on being an awards judge! Oh oh, it's magic!contribute! https://patreon.com/smdbfor drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.commusic: Disaster Magic(https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drew and Christopher chat with Hilary Leichter in three different Damn Libraries for another first of its kind digital episode - our first Zoom guest! We discuss Hilary's novel TEMPORARY which leads to talk about things like gig work, her love of pirates, and how the book started as a short story. Plus, pandemic stuff and how the police need to be defunded, as well as some love for the modern fairy tale constructions of Sabrina Orah Mark's WILD MILK. contribute! https://patreon.com/smdbfor drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.commusic: Disaster Magic (https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drew won the annual Tournament of Books bet and chose Ali Smith for this year's "backlist" episode, so the guys read THE ACCIDENTAL in a nod to this fall's SuperRooster Tournament of ToB Champions. It's still pandemic times, too.(NB: This episode was recorded in late May, just before police brutality protests went national. SMDB proudly stands with the protestors and we believe black lives matter.)contribute! https://patreon.com/smdbfor drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.commusic: Disaster Magic (https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.