Best Publiclibrary Podcasts (2025)

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How The Snowy Day Changed Children’s Books 28:22

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3d ago28:22

28:22

The Snowy Day wasn’t the first picture book to feature a Black child as its beloved protagonist, but it might be the most visible. When it came out in 1962, it challenged the publishing industry to champion books that depict kids of color. Today, we find ourselves in a moment not so different from the one Ezra Jack Keats was in when he sat down to …

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I Know What You (Are Still) Read(ing) This Summer 31:44

5d ago31:44

31:44

Send us a text Hamden Library Podcast team members Hannah, Eliza, Matt, Rebecca and Michael discuss their summer reading.By Hamden Public Library

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Lit Chat Interview with Fantasy Author Django Wexler 57:29

8d ago57:29

57:29

Are you a fan of Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, or epic fantasy worlds? In this Lit Chat, local author Michael Regina interviews celebrated fantasy author Django Wexler, the featured guest at this year's Jax Pop Con. Django shares insights into his writing process, his love for tabletop games, and the inspiration behind his latest novel,…

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The Legacy of Howard Zinn's Radical History 21:27

20d ago21:27

21:27

When Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States came out in 1980, it literally rocked the boat. Instead of starting where most histories of the Americas start — on the deck of Columbus’s ship as it approached land — Howard Zinn flipped the script, focusing instead on what the people standing on the shore would have seen. In this episode,…

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Ep. 136: The Books That Made Us 27:28

21d ago27:28

27:28

This month, join Dakota, Lindsey, Stefanie, and Tessa as they discuss the childhood books that helped shape them. Do they still read them? Find answers to that question and more in this episode of Random Lines.

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Reginald Dwayne Betts on Freedom and Poetic Constraint 20:33

24d ago20:33

20:33

Reginald Dwayne Betts is a poet, a lawyer, and the founder and CEO of Freedom Reads, an organization with the goal of bringing a library to every cell block in America. We talked with him about what he read – and wrote – while he was incarcerated, and what it taught him about what it means to be free, to be loved, and to be part of a community. Rea…

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All Ages Readalouds 14:52

29d ago14:52

14:52

Send us a text In this episode, children's librarian Kacie chats with Daron, a professor and reading specialist about reading aloud to older kids. Did you know that research shows some clear - and surprising! - benefits to continuing to read aloud to kids as they grow up? Daron and Kacie share some tips, tricks, and strategies for selecting appeali…

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On Reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X in Prison 25:42

1M ago25:42

25:42

There are so many reasons to read – and reread – The Autobiography of Malcolm X. But for this episode, we’re revisiting the book with the perspectives of readers who are, or were, incarcerated. Malcolm X’s story isn’t just radical for its narrative of change and self-improvement; it also encourages readers to think more critically about the prison …

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N.K. Jemisin on Truth, Education, and Speculation 21:27

1M ago21:27

21:27

N.K. Jemisin is a New York Times-bestselling science fiction and fantasy writer. She’s a Brooklynite, the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, and the first author to win three Best Novel Hugos in a row. We talked to her about Octavia Butler’s influence on her writing, and how she processes the present moment in her own fiction. You can re…

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What Parable of the Sower Taught Us About the Future 26:38

2M ago26:38

26:38

In these unfathomable moments, when the world seems to be falling apart—we often turn to stories for guidance. For the folks in Southern California earlier this year, that story was Parable of the Sower. Readers are returning to the book today because it shows us how speculation – and Afrofuturism in particular – can help us move through the world …

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5 Outro Episode (with Mathew Kerbis, Lisa Hiton, and Daniel Baer) 55:38

2M ago55:38

55:38

Our Queer Poem-a-Day "outro" episode, featuring three "extras" for Year 5! At 02:00: Mathew Kerbis, a board member of The Friends of the Deerfield Public Library, shares details about the local 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, dedicated to enriching the Library’s materials, services, and programs for the members of the community. Mathew shares …

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Ep. 135: Henry Moore and Good and Bad Shakespeare Adaptations 53:04

2M ago53:04

53:04

In this month's episode, Stefanie sits down with archivist Tricia to talk about Henry Moore. Then Stefanie talks with Drew, Rachel A., Tessa, and Elysa about the best and worst Shakespeare adaptations.

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Ocean Vuong 4:27

2M ago4:27

4:27

Day 20: Ocean Vuong reads his poem "The Last Dinosaur.” This poem first appeared in a slightly different form in The Boston Review (2021) and in his collection Time is a Mother (Penguin Press, 2022). Writer, professor, and photographer, Ocean Vuong is the author of The Emperor of Gladness. Born in Saigon, Vietnam and raised in Hartford, Connecticut…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Mark Doty 4:05

2M ago4:05

4:05

Day 19: Mark Doty reads his poem, “A Display of Mackerel,” which first appeared in his collection Atlantis (Harper Perennial, 1995). Mark Doty is the author of nine books of poetry. Fire to Fire: New & Selected Poems, won the National Book Award for Poetry in 2008. Text of today’s poem and more details about our program can be found at: deerfieldli…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Rose Zinnia 4:55

2M ago4:55

4:55

Day 18: Rose Zinnia reads her poem, “I'm Like If Mary Oliver Had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.” This poem was originally published in Poetry (April 2025). Rose Zinnia is a poet, novelist, essayist, teaching artist, editor, and designer. Born in Akron, Ohio, she is the author of Togethering (Ledge Mule Press, 2024), a chapbook of poetry …

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Introducing: Borrowed and Returned 2:14

2M ago2:14

2:14

Borrowed and Returned is a new podcast series that examines what our reading public borrowed in the past, and what we’re all reading now. In conversations with library workers, authors and readers across the country, we’ll return to the books that changed us, and changed America, too. First episode drops July 8, with new episodes coming out weekly.…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Nikky Finney 3:24

2M ago3:24

3:24

Day 17: Nikky Finney reads her poem “Charm,” originally published in her collection The World is Round (InnerLight Publishing, 2003). Nikky Finney is the author of On Wings Made of Gauze; Rice; The World Is Round; and Head Off & Split, which won the National Book Award for Poetry in 2011. Her new collection of poems, Love Child’s Hotbed of Occasion…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Oliver Baez Bendorf 3:39

2M ago3:39

3:39

Day 16: Oliver Baez Bendorf reads his poem “What the Dead Can Do, which was originally published in West Branch (2021), reprinted in Best American Poetry 2022, and in his book Consider the Rooster (Nightboat Books, 2024). Oliver Baez Bendorf is the author of three books of poetry, including Consider the Rooster, a finalist for the 2024 National Boo…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Jayson P. Smith 3:08

2M ago3:08

3:08

Day 15: Jayson P. Smith reads their poem, “I Arrive in a Place with a High Level of Psychic Distress.” Queer Poem-a-Day is honored to be the first publication of this poem. Jayson P. Smith is a poet, dancer, educator, & curator from the Bronx. J is the recipient of fellowships from Hawthornden Foundation, NYFA, The Poetry Project, and Callaloo. The…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Jessica Jacobs 5:17

2M ago5:17

5:17

Day 14: Jessica Jacobs reads her poem, "Saturday Services at the Provincetown Shore" from her book unalone (Four Way Books, 2024). Recorded with permission of Four Way Books. All rights reserved. Jessica Jacobs, a 2025 Guggenheim Fellow, is the author of unalone, poems in conversation with the Book of Genesis (Four Way Books, March 2024); Take Me w…

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Tracing the Legacy of Slavery in Brooklyn 14:03

2M ago14:03

14:03

A new exhibit at BPL's Center for Brooklyn History explores the history and legacy of slavery here in Brooklyn. The team at CBH gathered documents and accounts from people who were touched by slavery in Brooklyn, and traced the descendants of both the enslaved and enslavers. "Trace/s" is up at the Center for Brooklyn History (128 Pierrepont Street)…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Francisco Márquez 3:49

2M ago3:49

3:49

Day 13: Francisco Márquez reads his poem, “The Bulge,” first published in The Adroit Journal (April 2025). Francisco Márquez is a poet from Maracaibo, Venezuela, born in Miami, Florida. His work has been featured in the Yale Review, the Brooklyn Rail, the Slowdown podcast, and the Best American Poetry anthology. He has received support from the Tin…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Jaz Sufi 5:23

2M ago5:23

5:23

Day 12: Jaz Sufi reads her poem, “Ode to My Lover's Sequined Dress.” Queer Poem-a-Day is honored to be the first publication of this poem. Jaz Sufi (she/hers) is a queer Iranian-American poet and arts educator. Her work has been published or is upcoming in Best New Poets, Best of the Net, AGNI, Black Warrior Review, Muzzle, and elsewhere. She is a …

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Gabrielle Calvocoressi 3:28

2M ago3:28

3:28

Day 11: Gabrielle Calvocoressi reads their poem, “Miss you. Would like to take a walk with you” originally published in Poetry (October 2021). Gabrielle Calvocoressi is the author of The Last Time I Saw Amelia Earhart, Apocalyptic Swing (a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize), and Rocket Fantastic, winner of the Audre Lorde Award for Lesbian Poetr…

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Juneteenth 2025 33:27

2M ago33:27

33:27

Send us a text To mark this Juneteenth, Mike spoke with Hamden Black History Committee members Deborah Moxam and Evans Simmons about what the Committee does for the community as well as the library’s upcoming Juneteenth Read-In. Mike also talked to author Jill Marie Snyder about her research into the lives of Black Americans, both pre- and post-Civ…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Jan-Henry Gray 3:59

2M ago3:59

3:59

Day 10: Jan-Henry Gray reads his poem “On Therapy,” first published in the anthology Permanent Record: Poetics Towards the Archive (Nightboat Books, 2025), edited by Naima Yael Tokunow. Jan-Henry Gray is the author of Documents, selected by D.A. Powell as the winner of BOA Editions’ Poulin Poetry Prize, and the chapbook Selected Emails. His poems h…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Timothy Liu 4:24

2M ago4:24

4:24

Day 9: Timothy Liu reads his poem “The Price of Kissing is Your Life,” originally published in the Georgia Review (Spring 2025). Timothy Liu's most recent books of poems are Down Low and Lowdown and Luminous Debris, both out from Barrow Street. A reader of occult esoterica, he teaches at SUNY New Paltz and Vassar College. Text of today’s poem and m…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Lloyd Schwartz 6:00

2M ago6:00

6:00

Day 8: Lloyd Schwartz reads his poem “Who’s On First?” This poem was originally published in Ploughshares (1981) and reprinted in Who's On First: New and Selected Poems (University of Chicago Press, 2021). Lloyd Schwartz is poet laureate of Somerville, the Frederick S. Troy Professor of English Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Boston, an…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Keetje Kuipers 3:18

2M ago3:18

3:18

Day 7: Keetje Kuipers reads her poem “Cremello Horse,” which first appeared in the magazine 32 Poems and was then published in Lonely Women Make Good Lovers (BOA Editions, 2025). Keetje Kuipers’ fourth collection of poetry, Lonely Women Make Good Lovers, was the recipient of the Isabella Gardner Award. Her poetry and prose have appeared in American…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Gaia Rajan 3:35

3M ago3:35

3:35

Day 6: Gaia Rajan reads his poem “Essay on Class,” which originally appeared in Frontier Poetry (2023). Gaia Rajan is the author of the chapbooks Moth Funerals (Glass Poetry Press 2020) and Killing It (Black Lawrence Press 2022). His work is published in the Academy of American Poets' Poem-A-Day, Best New Poets, the Best of the Net anthology, The K…

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Pride 2025 1:08:19

3M ago1:08:19

1:08:19

Send us a text In honor of Pride month, our new podcast team member, Eliza, recorded a couple of great interviews with two members of the LGBTQ+ community, Tony Ferraiolo and Jillian Celentano. Tony and Jillian are both very engaging, dynamic speakers, and I hope that you get as much out of listening to them as I did. TW: Suicide, gender dysphoria…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Rick Barot 3:49

3M ago3:49

3:49

Day 5: Rick Barot reads his poem “Pleasure,” which appears in his recent book, Moving the Bones. Rick Barot's most recent book of poems is Moving the Bones, published by Milkweed Editions in 2024. His previous book, The Galleons, was longlisted for the National Book Award. He lives in Tacoma, Washington, and directs the Rainier Writing Workshop, th…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: S. Brook Corfman 3:46

3M ago3:46

3:46

Day 4: S. Brook Corfman reads her poem “Before & After.” The poem first appeared in Pigeon Pages (2020), in a slightly different form. S. Brook Corfman is the author of My Daily Actions, or The Meteorites, one of The New York Times Best Poetry Books of 2020, finalist for the Leslie Feinberg Award for Trans and Gender-Variant Literature, and winner …

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Marcelo Hernandez Castillo 5:11

3M ago5:11

5:11

Day 3: Marcelo Hernandez Castillo reads his poem “Eclogue: A Field Guide and Cure.” The poem was published in the recent anthology Like A Hammer: Poets on Mass Incarceration (Haymarket Books, 2025). Marcelo Hernandez Castillo is the author of Children of the Land: a Memoir (Harper Collins); Cenzontle (BOA Editions), winner of the A. Poulin, Jr. pri…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Faylita Hicks 5:16

3M ago5:16

5:16

Day 2: Faylita Hicks reads their poem “A Gxrl's Trip Home.” This poem was originally published in A Map of My Want (Haymarket Books, 2024). Faylita Hicks (she/they) is a writer, interdisciplinary artist, Hoodoo practitioner, and cultural strategist exploring the intersections of social justice and spirituality. They are the author of A Map of My Wa…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5: Jericho Brown 3:08

3M ago3:08

3:08

Day 1: Jericho Brown reads his poem “Duplex.” This poem was originally published in The Progressive Magazine (2019). Jericho Brown is the author of The Tradition, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. He is also a recipient of the MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. Text of today’s poem and more details about our program can be found at: deerfieldlib…

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Ep. 134: PRIDE Reads 28:55

3M ago28:55

28:55

Join Dakota, Drew, Rachel A., Savannah, and Stefanie as they talk about their favorite queer stories.

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Lit Chat Interview with USA Today Bestselling Author Kelly Mustian 1:00:50

3M ago1:00:50

1:00:50

A Haunting Southern Story Set in the Wild Mississippi Delta Four years after Kelly Mustian's USA Today bestselling debut novel, The Girls in the Stilt House, started appearing on "must-read" lists and earning starred reviews, the author is set to release her much-anticipated second novel on April 1, 2025. Like her first, The River Knows Your Name i…

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Queer Poem-a-Day, Year 5 Trailer 4:37

3M ago4:37

4:37

We’re back for year five of Queer Poem-a-Day! Queer Poem-a-Day is a unique podcast series for Pride Month, presenting a public archive of original poems written and read by contemporary LGBTQIA+ poets. For this fifth year, we’ll be sharing a poem each weekday in June. Get exciting with this audio collage "cento" trailer, featuring some of the voice…

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Level Up at Your Library 21:07

3M ago21:07

21:07

Send us a text It's almost summer reading time already! Jenny and Matt, along with some help from other staff members, explain how we can all participate and have fun leveling up at the library this summer and beyond. This episode also goes above and beyond summer reading with some insider information to help you become library super users! We've g…

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Lit Chat Interview with Historical Fiction Author Jennifer Coburn 57:33

4M ago57:33

57:33

A Tale of Resistance... Based on a Real Story Hannah longs for the days when she used to be free, but now, she is a Jewish prisoner at Theresienstadt, a model ghetto where the Nazis plan to make a propaganda film to convince the world that the Jewish people are living well in the camps. But Hannah will do anything to show the world the truth. Along…

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BONUS: Masters of the Gardening Universe 45:51

4M ago45:51

45:51

Send us a text This is the second episode of the podcast in April, because... well, we just couldn’t stop ourselves! Spring is here and it’s time for many of us to start working on our gardens, if we haven’t already. To give us all some tips and ideas, Ryan talked to two Master Gardeners who are also Master Composters, Diane Dynia and Wes Meeker. I…

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Ep. 133: National Library Week and National Poetry Month 29:54

4M ago29:54

29:54

This month join Kate, Lindsey, Rachel A., Stefanie, and Tessa as they talk about books they've enjoyed through the years, and poetry.

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Voices in Verse - National Poetry Month 47:48

4M ago47:48

47:48

Send us a text This month we are celebrating National Poetry Month. In addition to our staff reading some of their favorite poems and our interview with Franz Douskey, the Hamden poet laureate, one of our patrons was kind enough to call in and read two of her original poems. We also have a fun little quiz segment entitled “Taylor or Edgar” in which…

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Lit Chat Interview with Rebecca Brenner Graham 56:57

5M ago56:57

56:57

Interview with a Debut Author This January, we spoke with the author of Dear Miss Perkins: A Story of Frances Perkins's Efforts to Aid Refugees from Nazi Germany. Released on January 21, 2025, this new book is a fascinating portrait of the progressive female trailblazer and US Secretary for Labor who navigated the foreboding rise of Nazism in her b…

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66: Dr. Jo Freer on Thomas Pynchon & Gravity's Rainbow 1:06:40

5M ago1:06:40

1:06:40

A conversation with Dr. Jo Freer, a leading scholar on the work of American novelist Thomas Pynchon. I'm currently leading our Library’s Classics Book Discussion Seminar series on Pynchon’s 1973 masterpiece Gravity’s Rainbow and Dr. Freer’s work has been incredibly helpful for me in understanding this challenging novel and Pynchon’s work as a whole…

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Lit Chat Interview with Civil Rights Activist & Author Rodney Hurst, Sr. 59:42

6M ago59:42

59:42

Black and Brilliant Local Author As the sixteen-year-old President of the Jacksonville Youth Council NAACP, he was one of the leaders of the 1960 sit-in demonstrations that culminated in the infamous and violent Ax Handle Saturday. Hurst's first book, the award-winning It Was Never About a Hot Dog and a Coke®!, tells that story. Hurst’s fourth book…

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Lit Chat Interview with Author Sheila Athens 56:31

6M ago56:31

56:31

A First Coast Romance Sheila Athens writes smart contemporary fiction set where the South meets the Sunshine state. Her stories are about women seeking to find the peace we all deserve. Readers are drawn to her work because they believe that everyday heroes can make a difference in our world. Featured Book: Mae Van Dorn's Perfect Storm All thirty-f…

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Lit Chat Interview with Author and Filmmaker Morgan Jerkins 56:01

7M ago56:01

56:01

A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots New York Times bestselling and National Magazine Award-winning author Morgan Jerkins will be at the Main Library this October to discuss Wandering in Strange Lands, the powerful story of her journey to understand her northern and southern roots, the Great Migration, and the displacement of black …

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Winter 15:57

7M ago15:57

15:57

Send us a text This episode is centered on winter. Our roving correspondent, Matt, asked our staff to tell us their favorite things about the season. Then Dave reads a poem by Robert Frost. And finally we wrap things up by talking about our favorite books, movies and anything else from 2024. Matt also discusses seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a …