The Librarian Is In Podcast, Biblio File

#TeamEdith: The Librarian Is In Podcast, Ep. 3 by Gwen Glazer, CommunicationsJanuary 21, 2016

Welcome to The Librarian Is In, the New York Public Library's podcast about books, culture, and what to read next.

Our little podcast is three episodes old! This week, Frank and Gwen are joined by the mighty Jennifer Craft from the Mulberry Street branch.

We talk about how to fit more reading into busy schedules, Lin-Manuel Miranda, horror books and movies, childhood favorites, David Bowie, Lin-Manuel Miranda again, and our love for Downton Abbey’s kind Anna and unstoppable Edith.

What We're Reading Now

Extended library hours

The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks (and a bit of the controversy)

Carrie and The Shining

Intensity by Dean Koontz

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larsen

Titanic

The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians by Carla Morris, illustrated by Brad Sneed

Hot Topix

Hamilton cast recording

Behind-the-scenes book about Hamilton planned for April

1776 musical

Downton Abbey

Serial, season 1 and 2

Queen of Earth by Alex Ross Perry, starring Elizabeth Moss

Repulsion by Roman Polanski

The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud and her comments about “likeable” characters

Interviewer: I wouldn’t want to be friends with Nora, would you? Her outlook is almost unbearably grim.

Messud: For heaven’s sake, what kind of question is that? Would you want to be friends with Humbert Humbert? Would you want to be friends with Mickey Sabbath? Saleem Sinai? Hamlet? Krapp? Oedipus? Oscar Wao? Antigone? Raskolnikov? Any of the characters in The Corrections? Any of the characters in Infinite Jest? Any of the characters in anything Pynchon has ever written? Or Martin Amis? Or Orhan Pamuk? Or Alice Munro, for that matter? If you’re reading to find friends, you’re in deep trouble. We read to find life, in all its possibilities. The relevant question isn’t “is this a potential friend for me?” but “is this character alive?”

Guest Star

Jennifer Craft, manager of the Mulberry Street Library in SoHo

NYPL’s Helen Bernstein Book Award

Books potentially included in Jennifer’s parents’ adorable two-person book club: James Michener, Black Sunday by Thomas Harris, Alastair McClain, Leon Uris

She by H. Rider Haggard

The bar at Pravda

Free ebooks! from Project Gutenberg

City of Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg

New York Review of Books reissues

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O’Brien

Arabel’s Raven by Joan Aiken

Jenny book — Jennifer's copy of Arabel's Raven, complete with white call number

Turning Our Pages

Something we learned, something that makes us laugh, or something that inspires us

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Beyond Vietnam” speech, delivered by Lin-Manuel Miranda in Riverside Church at the #MLKNow event and originally written by Vincent Harding

Harding’s Hope & History: Why We Must Share the Story of the Movement

Hemingway exhibit at The Morgan Library & Museum

Hemingway’s must-read list

Thanks for listening, and find us online @NYPLRecommends, the Bibliofile blog, and nypl.org. Or email us at recommendations@nypl.org!

View all posts by Gwen Glazer

Comments

Patron-generated content represents the views and interpretations of the patron, not necessarily those of The New York Public Library. For more information see NYPL's Website Terms and Conditions.

Suggestion

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 23, 2016 - 8:14pm

I enjoy listening to your podcasts so far, but I had a few friendly suggestions. I know that you may be trying to make people aware of new books and unheard of authors, but it can be hard to relate to the discussion when you have never heard of the book or author. It is even harder when you are talking about young adult books, which most adults are not really interested in. I find myself losing interest during those discussions. If you want to call attention to new books and unheard of authors, why not discuss non-fiction? At least the listener may be able to relate to the subject even if he or she never heard of the book or author. Right now I am reading the Goddess Pose, which you recommended on the website and am finding it interesting. It might be interesting to also focus your discussions around themes. During this podcast you talked about Downton Abbey. You could have merged that with a British book theme, for example, whether classic British fiction or new books by British authors, books about British artists, or something else that is more creative (which I am not). I find that a theme for a podcast makes it a little more cohesive.

thank you!

Submitted by Gwen Glazer on January 26, 2016 - 10:28am

Awesome -- thank you so much for this thoughtful comment! We will discuss it and take your suggestions into consideration.

response to Anonymous

Submitted by Damian (not verified) on January 30, 2016 - 12:03pm

Dear Anonymous, Isn't the point of discussing unheard of authors/titles to bring awareness to them? That is why they are discussing unheard of authors --- to bring attention to them. Certainly this is the story with many famous authors ... they were once unheard of, people began reading and talking about them, and then more of the world knew of them. How else are you going to learn about unheard of authors? The same with YA books; discussing young adult books brings worthy attention to them because there is some amazing YA literature out there that should be read by adults. Not only that but, maybe, adults want to know more about YA lit for their teen sons/daughters, or their students if they're teachers for example. There are so many reasons to discuss YA lit. It is not just for young adults, just as children's fiction is not just for children. Good podcast NYPL. Damian

thanks

Submitted by Gwen Glazer on February 1, 2016 - 1:14pm

Thank you, Damian! Totally agree about adults reading great YA books. We're trying for a good balance; stay tuned and thank you for listening!

YAY picture books

Submitted by Guest (not verified) on March 16, 2016 - 7:29pm

I am an elementary school librarian. I love that you reviewed a picture book. I am purchasing a copy for the library asap. I am a huge fan of Downton as well, and appreciated your discussion and insightful viewpoints (YAY kindness). Keep up the great work!

Hi Gwen, Frank and the

Submitted by Lauren (not verified) on January 28, 2016 - 10:29am

Hi Gwen, Frank and the producer, I am so excited to have discovered this podcast, I have laughed out loud in the library listening to it...on low volume of course. Your show has already inspired me to read more books this year and to promote lighter reading to my stressed out academic library patrons. Does the show have a schedule of when new episodes will be posted? I have enjoyed all the segments and I hope Gwen gets a chance to catch up on Downton! Thanks for being so inspiring, Lauren

thank you!

Submitted by Gwen Glazer on January 28, 2016 - 3:29pm

Lauren, thank you so much! We're taping the podcast every other week, and the goal is to have it come out on Thursdays... so keep an eye out next week! And thanks again for your feedback; so great to know people are listening and enjoying.

Im very happy to discover

Submitted by Viviana (not verified) on January 30, 2016 - 10:31pm

Im very happy to discover this podcast!! its interesting and make me to read more and more....you also are so fun!!!...kisses from Argentina

wahoo!

Submitted by Gwen Glazer on February 1, 2016 - 1:14pm

Thank you so much, Viviana! xo

iTunes

Submitted by Andrew (not verified) on January 30, 2016 - 11:52pm

This new podcast doesn't come up when I search for NYPL on iTunes. Instead I have to know or remember the name. Which I don't.

ugh, you're right!

Submitted by Gwen Glazer on February 1, 2016 - 1:15pm

Hi Andrew -- you're totally right, and The Producer is working on it! In the meantime, it comes up if you search for "New York Public Library" or "The Librarian Is In" (our maybe-not-that-memorable name).

So glad I found you two

Submitted by Emily (not verified) on April 6, 2016 - 12:08am

Confession: I was seeking out (pro) Edith Crawley talk in the wake of the Downton Abbey finale, and there you were. And now, I've listened to most of the episodes. You two are glorious! Keep up the good work!

yay!

Submitted by Gwen Glazer on April 6, 2016 - 3:53pm

Thank you so much! Great to hear from another Edith supporter... #TeamEdithForever

Friendly Suggestion

Submitted by Kailey (not verified) on May 16, 2016 - 5:59pm

As I listen, I like to click on the links below! But alas - they take me there within this window! Could you program your links to open in new tabs? Thanks!

a few suggestions

Submitted by Gwen Glazer on May 17, 2016 - 2:13pm

Hello! Thanks for your comment -- unfortunately, I think that's just the way our website works, but there might be a way around it. If you're using a PC, you could right-click and choose "open link in new window" or hold down the ctrl button while clicking. If you're on a Mac, you can hold down the command button. Does that help at all?

Coudersport!!

Submitted by Nicholette (not verified) on July 16, 2016 - 10:35am

I'm not sure anyone will check this since its been over half a year since this podcast but I'm going back and listening to old episodes because I just found the podcast. But! I wanted to say - please tell Jennifer I live in Virginia now but I grew up in Smethport! And that I got to meet John Rigas, who ran Adelphia before it went bust. How exciting to hear about Potter County on an NYPL podcast! Thank you guys!