Podcast

The Free Library Podcast is an easy way to participate in the author events and lectures that take place at the Central Library. Visit Author Events to find upcoming events.

Recent Episodes

  • Natalie Diaz | Postcolonial Love Poem with Denice Frohman

    • Recorded Apr 21, 2021

    Natalie Diaz is the author of When My Brother Was an Aztec , an “ambitious . . . beautiful” ( New York Times ) American Book Award–winning poetry collection that ruminates on her sibling’s drug addiction. A former professional basketball player,… more

    Author Events  Body, Mind and Spirit  Literature  Poetry 

  • Larry Krasner | For the People: A Story of Justice and Power 

    • Recorded Apr 20, 2021

    In conversation with Chris Jackson, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, One World; and  Khadijah Costley White, Assistant Professor in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Rutgers University Winning on a platform of prison reform in a city… more

    Author Events  Biography and Autobiography   Citizenship  Law  Philadelphia  Philadelphia History  General Research  History 

  • Phillip Lopate | The Golden Age of the American Essay: 1945-1970

    • Recorded Apr 15, 2021

    In conversation with Carrie Rickey, writer and former film critic for The Philadelphia Inquirer Phillip Lopate’s “observant, elegiac, and far-reaching” ( New York Times ) essay collections include Bachelorhood , Against Joie de Vivre , and… more

    Author Events  Literature  General Research 

  • Sonia Sanchez | Collected Poems

    • Recorded Apr 13, 2021

    In conversation with M. Nzadi Keita, Poet-in-Residence, Associate Professor; co-coordinator, African-American/Africana Studies at Ursinus College, and author of Brief Evidence of Heaven: Poems from the life of Anna Murray Douglass Referred to by… more

    African American  Author Events  Biography and Autobiography   Body, Mind and Spirit  Philadelphia  Philadelphia History  Poetry 

  • Blake Bailey | Philip Roth: The Biography

    • Recorded Apr 12, 2021

    In conversation with Don Winslow, New York Times bestselling author of The Border , The Force ,  The Cartel, Power of the Dog , Savages,  and  Broken , his new collection of six short novels. Blake Bailey is acclaimed for his “meticulously… more

    Author Events  Biography and Autobiography   Fiction  Literature 

  • Richard Thompson | Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice 1967-1975

    • Recorded Apr 8, 2021

    NOTE: SIGNED BOOKS ARE NOW SOLD OUT. ALL TICKETS BOUGHT AFTER 5:50 P.M (EST) ON EVENT DAY ARE FOR ENTRY WITH AN UNSIGNED BOOK INCLUDED. PURCHASE TICKETS In conversation with musician, novelist, and teacher Wesley Stace “One of rock’s MVPs since… more

    Author Events  Biography and Autobiography   Music  Performing Arts 

  • Quiara Alegría Hudes | My Broken Language

    • Recorded Apr 7, 2021

    In conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel Introduced by Virginia Sanchez Quiara Alegría Hudes won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play  Water by the Spoonful , a story of “shimmering, sustaining warmth” ( New… more

    Author Events  Biography and Autobiography   Literature  Movies & Television  Performing Arts  Philadelphia History  General Research 

  • Walter Isaacson | The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race

    • Recorded Apr 6, 2021

    Pine Tree Foundation Lecture In conversation with Tracey Matisak, award-winning broadcaster and journalist “A renaissance man…driven by a joyful desiredrive to discover” ( The Times of London ), Walter Isaacson is the author of definitive and… more

    Author Events  Biography and Autobiography   Environment and Nature  Genealogy  General Research  Science 

  • Reem Kassis | The Arabesque Table: Contemporary Recipes from the Arab World

    • Recorded Apr 5, 2021

    In conversation with Deb Perelman Reem Kassis is the author of  The Palestinian Table , a guide to Middle Eastern cooking woven together through recipes, regional history, and three generations of family traditions. Praised by fellow… more

    Author Events  Biography and Autobiography   General Research  History  Culinary Literacy  Cooking and Nutrition 

  • Jonathan Zimmerman and Signe Wilkinson | Free Speech: And Why You Should Give a Damn

    • Recorded Apr 1, 2021

    In conversation with Bob Mankoff, cartoonist, cartoon and humor editor for  Esquire, and former cartoon editor, The New Yorker Across the political spectrum, throughout history, the U.S. public has demanded the suppression of ideas and images… more

    Author Events  Citizenship  Law  Newspapers, Magazines, & Journals  History 

Find More Episodes

20th & Vine - Backstage with Gish Jen.

This month we're featuring Gish Jen who visited the Free Library of Philadelphia to discuss her latest novel The Resisters. The author spoke backstage with Laura Kovacs about the roll books play in her life. 20th & Vine features behind-the-scenes conversations from the Free Library of Philadelphia's award-winning Author Events series. Subscribe now for more videos with your favorite authors.

Top 10 Podcasts for March 2021

  1. Yaba Blay
    Yaba Blay
  2. Charles Kenny
    Charles Kenny
  3. Jill Scott
    Jill Scott
  4. Madeleine Dean and Harry Cunnane
    Madeleine Dean and Harry Cunnane
  5. Beth Kephart
    Beth Kephart
  6. Joby Warrick
    Joby Warrick
  7. Viet Thanh Nguyen
    Viet Thanh Nguyen
  8. Don Lemon
    Don Lemon
  9. Hala Alyan
    Hala Alyan
  10. Kate Masur
    Kate Masur

Recent Videos from Author Events

  1. Madeleine Dean and Harry Cunnane
  2. Yaba Blay
  3. Beth Kephart
  4. Brontez Purnell
  5. Amelia Pang
  6. Michael Eric Dyson
  7. Maria Kefalas
  8. Elizabeth Kolbert
  9. Victor Wooten
  10. John Ghazvinian