From Mourning to Making Art: A Conversation With Peter Mendelsund

Jeff is joined by Erin Somers to talk about her terrific new novel, The Ten Year Affair. Then, editor Naomi Huffman on Katherine Dunn, Geek Love, and the new collection of Dunn's work, Near Flesh. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Check out Zero to Well-Read, wherever you get your podcasts. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hachette CEO David Shelley joins Jeff to talk about how Hachette is fighting book bans and censorship, working on greater exclusivity and access, and other issues facing publishing today. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Check out Zero to Well-Read, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over its first century The Guggenheim Fellowships have supported more than 19,000 artists, writers, thinkers, scientists, and makers of ideas and culture in America. In honor of this milestone, The Guggenheim Fellowship at 100, on view at The New York Historical Society through November 30th, shows off correspondence, application materials, cultural objects, and other signs and tokens of what Guggenheim these fellowships and fellows have done. In this episode, Jeff talks to Guggenheim President Edward Hirsch about the fellowships and what they mean. Then, Hanna Pennington, Associate Director and Archivist at the Guggenheim, joins to talk about the work and materials that went into making this exhibition. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff talks with Sasha Bonét about her memoir, The Waterbearers. Then, Jason Diamond joins to talk about his debut novel, Kaplan's Plot. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First Edition returns after a summer hiatus. Amanda Bullock of Portland's Literary Arts talks about how to make a literary festival, Literary Arts growth over the past several years, and advice for book festival attendees. Then, The Atlantic Books editor Boris Kachka joins to talk about The Atlantic's new The Writer's Way series and creating modern book coverage. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. Discussed in this episode: The 2025 Portland Book Festival Literary Arts The Writer's Way Series at The Atlantic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff talks to Adam Aleksic about his new book, Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language. Not sure if you will better or worse about how algorithms, censorship, and influencer culture are shaping language, but you will at least understand it better. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations delivers reading recommendations hand-picked just for you by real human book nerds. Plans start at just $18! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Discussed in this episode: Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language by Adam Aleksic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff talks about Hot Girls with Balls with author Benedict Nguyen. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. The Book Riot Podcast Live at Powell’s on July 9th, 2025 This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff talks to rare-bookseller turned fantasy author Oliver Darkshire about his debut work of fantasy, Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil. Darkshire's breakout memoir of being an accidental rare bookseller is Once Upon a Tome. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. The Book Riot Podcast Live at Powell’s on July 9th, 2025 This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Mendelsund is a writer, book designer, musician, novelist, and painter. And he has two books coming out within just a couple of weeks of each other: Exhibitionist and Weepers. We talk about both in deep, wide-ranging conversation. This is a good one. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. The Book Riot Podcast Live at Powell’s on July 9th, 2025 This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate McKean joins Jeff to talk about her new book, Write Through It: An Insider's Guide to Publishing and the Creative Life. Kate is a literary agent at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency and writes the extremely interesting and popular Agents + Books newsletter. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Discussed in this episode: The Two Kinds of Book Auctions The Book Riot Podcast Live at Powell’s on July 9th, 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices