Best Jacob Joyce Podcasts (2025)

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Barbara Stark-Nemon, "Isabela's Way: A Novel" (She Writes Press, 2025) 24:33

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2d ago24:33

24:33

In early-seventeenth-century Portugal, Spain, France, and Germany, dangers are plentiful—especially for those of Jewish heritage. Non-Catholics have been expelled from Spain, and the Inquisition has come to Portugal to impose its prohibitions. In Isabela's Way: A Novel (She Writes Press, 2025), fourteen-year-old Isabela, an obedient “New Christian”…

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Olivia Wolfgang-Smith, "Mutual Interest" (Bloomsbury, 2025) 55:45

1d ago55:45

55:45

Olivia Wolfgang-Smith is the author of the novels Mutual Interest (2025) and Glassworks, which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and named a Best Book of the Year by NPR, Apple, and Good Housekeeping. She is a 2024 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Fiction and lives in Brooklyn with her partner. Recommended Books: Hugh Ryan, Whe…

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323 - Job Therapy - Tessa West (rebroadcast) 55:06

1d ago55:06

55:06

Are you unhappy at your job? Are you starting to consider a change of career because of how your current work makes you feel? Do you know why? According to our guest in this episode, Dr. Tessa West, a psychologist at NYU, if you are currently contemplating whether you want to do the work that you do everyday you should know that although this feeli…

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Zilla Jones, "The World So Wide" (Cormorant Books, 2025) 56:30

2d ago56:30

56:30

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with Zilla Jones about her debut novel, The World So Wide (Cormorant Books, 2025). Felicity Alexander should be charming audiences at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, not under house arrest in Grenada in October 1983, as rumours swirl that United States troops are preparing to invade.Born and raised in …

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Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, "The Creation of Half-Broken People" (House of Anansi, 2025) 41:33

3d ago41:33

41:33

In this NBN episode, NBN host Hollay Ghadery speaks with Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu about her phenomenal novel, The Creation of Half-Broken People. (House of Anansi Press, 2025). Stupendous African Gothic, by the winner of Yale University’s Windham–Campbell Prize Showcasing African Gothic at its finest, The Creation of Half-Broken People is the extraord…

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Lucy Black, "A Quilting of Scars" (Now or Never Publishing, 2025) 39:28

7d ago39:28

39:28

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery interviews historical fiction legend Lucy E.M Black about her phenomenal new novel, A Quilting of Scars (Now or Never Publishing, 2025). Filled with the pleasure of recognizable yet distinctively original characters and a deftly drawn sense of time and place, A Quilting of Scars brings to life a story of for…

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Karen Smythe, "A Town with No Noise" (Palimpsest Press, 2025) 34:06

9d ago34:06

34:06

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with Guelph, Ontario author Karen Smythe about Karen's novel, A Town With No Noise (Palimpsest Press, 2025). Samara and J., a struggling young couple, are off to J.’s birthplace, Upton Bay, a small town turned upscale theatre and winery destination. Sam has been hired by an editor friend to write a pr…

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Yiming Ma, "These Memories Do Not Belong To Us" (Mariner Books, 2025) 38:12

11d ago38:12

38:12

Yiming Ma holds an MBA from Stanford and an MFA from Warren Wilson College, where he was the Carol Houck Smith Scholar. His stories and essays appear in the New York Times, The Guardian, The Florida Review, and elsewhere. Born in Shanghai, he now lives in Toronto, New York, and Seattle. Recommended Books; Rita Bullwinkle, Headshot Aube Rey Lescure,…

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322 - Intellectual Humility - Tenelle Porter 1:07:44

16d ago1:07:44

1:07:44

Can intellectual humility be measured? What influences it and affects it, limits it and enhances it? What even is it, scientifically speaking? We explore all of this and then play an episode of How to Be A Better Human featuring psychologist Tenelle Porter telling comedian Chris Duffy how she is researching how to conduct better research into intel…

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Nadia Ragbar, "The Pugilist and the Sailor" (Invisible Publishing, 2025) 43:26

18d ago43:26

43:26

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery interview debut Toronto author, Nadia Ragbar, about her novel, The Pugilist and the Sailor (Invisible Publishing, 2025). The Pugilist and the Sailor follows conjoined twins, Bruce and Dougie. Dougie is an ambitious amateur boxer, having dragged his brother into the ring since childhood. Bruce is a bookkeeper…

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Susan Gregg Gilmore, "The Curious Calling of Leonard Bush" (Blair, 2025) 34:07

19d ago34:07

34:07

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with Susan Glimore about her wonderful novel, The Curious Calling of Leonard Bush (Blair, 2025). Young Leonard Bush buries his lost leg and saves his whole East Tennessee town in this winsome and miracle-making novel. When twelve-year-old Leonard Bush loses his leg in a freak accident, he decides to g…

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Emily Adrian, "Seduction Theory" (Little, Brown, 2025) 35:18

19d ago35:18

35:18

Emily Adrian is the author of Seduction Theory (Little, Brown, 2025) Daughterhood, The Second Season, and Everything Here Is Under Control, as well as two critically acclaimed novels for young adults. Her work has appeared in Granta, The Point, Joyland, EPOCH, Alta Journal, Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Millions. Originally from Portland, Or…

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Ham’s Heaven with Ori Gersht 1:07:00

21d ago1:07:00

1:07:00

Listen to Ori Gersht speak about his novel Ham’s Heaven (Warbler Press, 2025). Inspired by the true story of the first great ape in space, it explores the friendship of an ape and his trainer to examine what we do with animals in the name of progress. Drawing on careful research and echoing the existential questions of Kafka’s “Report to an Academy…

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Combatting the Opioid Crisis with Joshua Lynch 20:36

21d ago20:36

20:36

Inspired by his grandfather’s service as a volunteer fire chief, Joshua Lynch joined the fire department at 18 and was soon patrolling the streets of Buffalo as an EMT. At the same time, he was pursuing a path to medical school as a psychology major at the University at Buffalo. That blend of frontline emergency response and human-centered health c…

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Thomas Schlesser, "Mona's Eyes" (Europa Editions, 2025) 25:37

23d ago25:37

25:37

Mona’s Eyes (Europa Editions, 2025) is an enchanting debut novel written by art historian Thomas Schlesser. It tells the story of a 10-year-old girl living in Paris who briefly loses her vision. After much testing, the doctor suggests that Mona might benefit from seeing a psychiatrist, and Mona’s grandfather offers to take her to her appointment ea…

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Maria Dadouch, "I Want Golden Eyes" (U Texas Press, 2025) 25:37

26d ago25:37

25:37

This interview is with one of the translators, M. Lynx Qualey. A girl must save herself and her family after discovering her society's secrets in this sci-fi novel in translation. I Want Golden Eyes (U Texas Press, 2025) is set on the Comoros Islands at the end of this century in a futuristic city called Quartzia, the home of a genetically privileg…

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Meghana V. Nayak, "Tilt: A Novel on Intergenerational Trauma" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2024) 40:37

27d ago40:37

40:37

Kavya is an Indian-American professor and single mother struggling with debilitating panic attacks. Bombarded by flashbacks of cruelty and violence that disrupt her everyday life, she is left with no choice but to confront the intergenerational trauma tormenting her. At first, Kavya finds some relief in piecing together the legacies of her family's…

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Jeremy Gordon, "See Friendship: A Novel" (Harper Perennial, 2025) 52:47

29d ago52:47

52:47

Ahead of looming layoffs within the ongoing decimation of media, Jacob Goldberg, a culture writer in New York, knows what will save him: a podcast. Not just any podcast, but something that will demonstrate his singular thoughtfulness in an oversaturated, competitive market. When Jacob learns the true, tragic circumstances behind the mysterious deat…

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Jonas Hassen Khemiri, "The Sisters" (FSG, 2025) 55:01

29d ago55:01

55:01

Jonas Hassen Khemiri is the author of six novels, seven plays, and a collection of short stories and essays. His work has been translated into more than thirty-five languages. The Family Clause was a finalist for the National Book Award for translated literature, and Invasion! Won an Obie Award for best script. His work has appeared in The New York…

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Lynda Williams, "The Beauty and the Hell of It and Other Stories" (Guernica, 2025) 23:38

1M ago23:38

23:38

The Beauty and the Hell of It and Other Stories (Guernica, 2025) conjures up images of women who struggle through difficult transitions, unpleasant encounters, or ghastly boyfriends and husbands. One woman is a lesbian who sees the man who raped her a decade before, another suffers from bipolar disease, and a third is harassed by her professor. Som…

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Catherine Merridale, "Moscow Underground" (HarperColins, 2025) 33:41

1M ago33:41

33:41

Moscow Underground (HarperCollins, 2025) by Dr. Catherine Merridale is a sweeping novel of life, death and politics in the quicksand world of Stalin's tyranny. Moscow's glittering new subway is under construction at last. The first line will run through the centre of the city, cutting deep through Moscow soil. But futures cannot be created without …

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321 - Easy Crafts for the Insane - Kelly Williams Brown (rebroadcast) 1:18:08

29d ago1:18:08

1:18:08

This episode is about suicide prevention and awareness. Author Kelly Williams Brown tells us about her book, Easy Crafts for the Insane, in which she recounts how, after she gained fame and success as a NYT bestselling author, her world came apart. Then an anti-anxiety-drug-induced manic state nearly ended her life. 988 Suicide Prevention Month Kel…

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Lily Lloyd Burkhalter, "Raffia Memory," The Common Magazine (Spring, 2025) 31:22

1M ago31:22

31:22

Lily Lloyd Burkhalter speaks to managing editor Emily Everett about her essay “Raffia Memory,” which appears in The Common’s spring issue. Lily talks about traveling to the Cameroon Grassfields to research the rituals and production of ndop, a traditional dyed cloth with an important role in both spiritual life and, increasingly, economic life as w…

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Alina Adams, "Go On Pretending" (History Through Fiction, 2025) 26:20

1M ago26:20

26:20

In Go On Pretending (History Through Fiction, 2025) Rose Janowitz is surprised to get a production job with a radio soap opera and stunned to fall in love with the show’s African American leading man. She’s a pioneer of the 1950s golden age of television, challenged to hide Jonas Cain’s identity and their romance, especially from her boss Irna Phil…

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Alejandro Puyana, "Freedom Is a Feast" (Little, Brown, 2024) 54:06

1M ago54:06

54:06

In 1964, Stanislavo, a zealous young man devoted to his ideals, turns his back on his privilege to join the leftist movement in the jungles of Venezuela. There, as he trains, he meets Emiliana, a nurse and fellow revolutionary. Though their intense connection seems to be love at first sight, their romance is upended by a decision with consequences …

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Nan Z. Da, The Chinese Tragedy of King Lear (Princeton UP, 2025) 29:38

1M ago29:38

29:38

I’m Nicholas Gordon, host of the Asian Review of Books podcast, done in partnership with the New Books Network. On this show, we interview authors writing in, around, and about the Asia-Pacific region. King Lear, one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, starts with Lear dividing up his kingdom between his three daughters: Goneril, Regan and Cord…

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320 - Misguided - Matthew Facciani 1:08:55

1M ago1:08:55

1:08:55

What is misinformation? How does it differ from disinformation or just plain ‘ole propaganda? How do we protect ourselves from people with nefarious intentions using all of these things to affect our thoughts, feelings, and behavior? That’s what we discuss in this episode with Matthew Facciani, social scientist and author of Misguided: Where Misinf…

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Harriet Jacobs, "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" (Norton, 2025) 1:12:40

2M ago1:12:40

1:12:40

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is the stirring autobiography of Harriet Jacobs, a mother and fugitive, detailing her harrowing escape from enslavement, seven years hiding in an attic crawl space, and the racism she faced in freedom. Forgotten for decades after its original, 19th century publication, Jacobs’ story was so harrowing and so brav…

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Nell Stevens, "The Original" (Norton, 2025) 53:35

2M ago53:35

53:35

Nell Stevens is an award-winning author of memoir and fiction. Her work has been awarded the Somerset Maugham Award, longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and shortlisted by the BBC National Short Story Award. She is the author of two novels, The Original and Briefly, a Delicious Life, and two memoirs: Bleaker House and Mrs Gaskell & Me. Her writin…

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Joyce Hinnefeld, "The Dime Museum" (Unbridled Books, 2025) 28:58

2M ago28:58

28:58

The Dime Museum (Unbridled Books, 2025) is a novel spanning several generations, told in stories that begin in the early 1900s and end during the 2020 pandemic. Set in Chicago, Reading and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Europe, the linked stories tell an overall tale of how the rich and the poor survive in a challenging modern world. Charlie, who’…

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Kathleen Waites, "The Faithful Ones" (Invictus, 2025) 45:50

2M ago45:50

45:50

The Faithful Ones (Invictus Press, 2025) chronicles a rarely explored intersection in World War II history—the entanglement of the U.S. military, conscientious objectors, and state mental institutions. The novel unfolds in 1941, where the working-class in Port Richmond, Philadelphia, debate duty to country versus loyalty to conscience. Despite his …

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Megan Cummins, "Atomic Hearts" (Ballentine Books, 2025) 51:51

2M ago51:51

51:51

Sixteen and living in a small Michigan town, Gertie is harboring a secret heavy enough to fracture her closest friendship. She and Cindy have been bonded since birth by the fact their fathers are addicts, and their unsteady home lives are a little easier when they’re together, sprawled on a trampoline with pilfered vodka and dreams of moving to New…

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Michelle De Kretser, "Theory & Practice" (Catapult, 2025) 1:03:10

2M ago1:03:10

1:03:10

Michelle de Kretser was born in Sri Lanka and lives in Australia on unceded Gadigal land. She writes fiction but has also published a short book about Shirley Hazzard's work. Theory & Practice, her seventh novel, recently won Australia's Stella Prize for writing by women. Theory and Practice is set in 1986, when “beautiful, radical ideas” are in th…

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319 - Love Factually - Eli Finkel and Paul Eastwick 1:06:08

2M ago1:06:08

1:06:08

Two psychologists who study love, relationships, and human mating behavior pick apart the movie "The Notebook" and tell us what it gets right and what it gets wrong when it comes to portraying how humans actually, truly think, feel, and behave. Eli Finkel and Paul Eastwick are the cohosts of the Love Factually podcast, a show that discusses the rom…

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Jan Dost, "Safe Corridor" (DarArab, 2025) 32:11

2M ago32:11

32:11

A bold, unforgettable novel of war, imagination, and survival. Thirteen-year-old Kamiran is fleeing the collapse of Syria when his body begins to harden literally—turning to chalk. As his transformation unfolds, he pours his memories, secrets, and darkly funny confessions into a piece of chalk he stole at school. Through the eyes of this precocious…

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Mark Vernon, "Awake!: William Blake and the Power of the Imagination" (Hurst & Co., 2025) 46:04

2M ago46:04

46:04

In the 200 years since Blake's death, the visionary artist, poet and writer has become a household name, often beloved. Yet many struggle to comprehend his kaleidoscopic ideas; how they speak to human longings and the challenges of living in anxious times. Philosopher and psychotherapist Mark Vernon provides a fresh route into Blake, taking him at …

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Aatish Taseer, "A Return to Self: Excursions in Exile" (Catapult, 2025) 46:06

2M ago46:06

46:06

In 2019, famed journalist and writer Aatish Taseer was thrown out of India. Soon after he wrote a cover article for Time calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi the country’s “divider in chief,” New Delhi decided to revoke his residency. That sent Aatish on a journey across the world–to places like Turkey, Spain, Mexico and Sri Lanka–to explore identi…

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Therí Alyce Pickens, "What Had Happened Was" (Duke UP, 2025) 1:19:32

2M ago1:19:32

1:19:32

In her debut poetry collection, What Had Happened Was, Therí Alyce Pickens investigates the complex structures of Black storytelling. Addressing topics ranging from Black life, popular culture, and history to individual encounters with emotion, love, and chronic disability, Pickens crafts and questions the stories we tell ourselves about who we are…

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Rehearsals for Dying 1:00:11

2M ago1:00:11

1:00:11

Deena stepped out of the shower and opened her towel in the steam. “Does my breast look weird?” These words irrevocably change the lives of writer Ariel Gore and her wife. As they descend into a world of doctors and tests, medications and insurance, sickness and treatments and hope and pain and more, they discover just how little they truly knew—de…

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Political Disclosure in the Classroom | Harry Brighouse and Tony Laden (Higher Ed) 22:42

2M ago22:42

22:42

Should professors share their political views with their students? What happens to students when they do? Today's show is about how decisions around disclosure affect teaching, learning, and trust. Featuring Harry Brighouse and Tony Laden with Daisy Jagoditsh, Max Patterson, and Avra Reddy. Produced by Jennifer McCord and Carrie Welsh. Written by J…

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Benoit Berthelier and Immanuel Kim, "Hidden Heros: Anthology of North Korean FIction" (Anthem, 2025) 45:15

2M ago45:15

45:15

Hidden Heroes (Anthem Press, 2025) offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the lives of ordinary North Koreans through a collection of short stories by renowned DPRK authors. Spanning from the 1980s to the present, these works explore the theme of the “hidden hero,” a popular moniker in the DPRK to describe the average citizen who navigates the com…

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Saad Omar Khan, "Drinking the Ocean" (Buckrider Books, 2025) 32:18

2M ago32:18

32:18

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery chats with the wonderful Saad Omar Khan about his debut novel, Drinking the Ocean (Wolsak & Wynn, 2025). The day after his thirty-third birthday, Murad spots a familiar face at a crowded intersection in downtown Toronto. Shocked, he stands silently as Sofi, a woman he’d fallen in love with almost a decade ag…

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Cynthia Blakeley, "The Innermost House: A Memoir" (Bright Leaf, 2024) 54:00

2M ago54:00

54:00

The Innermost House: A Memoir (Bright Leaf, 2024) is a stunning account of year-round life on the windswept shores of Cape Cod, threaded with meditations on memory, forgetting, and identity. About The Innermost House, Publishers Weekly writes, “Salt air and the limits of memory animate this heartrending debut. . . . Readers will be captivated.” She…

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Sanjena Sathian, "Goddess Complex" (Penguin Press, 2025) 40:50

2M ago40:50

40:50

Sanjana Satyananda, the main character of Sanjena Sathian’s novel, Goddess Complex (Penguin Press, 2025), is a bit of a mess. She’s back in the States after a spell in India, ending her marriage with her actor husband when he wanted kids…and she didn’t. Her friends are starting to settle down–and wondering when Sanjana will do the same. And, distre…

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Mariah Rigg, "Target Island," The Common (Spring, 2025) 39:33

2M ago39:33

39:33

Mariah Rigg speaks to managing editor Emily Everett about her story “Target Island,” which appears in The Common’s spring issue. “Target Island” is a story from her short story collection Extinction Capital of the World, out August 5 from Ecco; both focus on the islands of Hawai’i. Mariah talks about the process of writing and revising this story a…