This broadcast from the National Writers Series features doctor and author Murray Howe, son of hockey legend Gordie Howe. Murray Howe's book is called "Nine Lessons I Learned from My Father." He talks this hour with WTCM NewsTalk 580 host Ron Jolly. Program produced by Linnaea Melcarek.

Pulitzer-prize winning journalist David Maraniss says he was inspired to write his latest book after watching a now-iconic Chrysler commercial. David Maraniss was born in Detroit and is now an associate editor at the Washington Post. He’s written biographies of Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Vince Lombardi, Roberto Clemente, and others. His newest book, “Once in a Great City,” traces the heyday of Detroit and its decline. He talks with fellow journalist John U. Bacon. Show produced by Linnaea Melcarek.

Jodi Picoult has written ten New York Times number one bestsellers, including "Small Great Things," which was inspired by the real-life experience of an African American nurse working at a Flint hospital, and deals with issues of prejudice, race, and justice. Her latest book is "A Spark of Light." Picoult talks this hour with Detroit News columnist Neal Rubin. Show produced by Linnaea Melcarek.

Amy Goldstein is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and a long-time staff writer at the Washington Post. Her book Janesville: An American Story is about the city of Janesville, Wisconsin, whose General Motors plant closed during the Great Recession. Amy talks this hour with Shannon Henry Kleiber, a radio producer for To the Best of Our Knowledge from Wisconsin Public Radio and PRX. Shannon asked Amy to start off by reading from her book Janesville.
Show produced by Linnaea Melcarek.

Greg Iles is known for his Penn Cage series of thrillers that take place in Natchez, Mississippi. Iles’s newest book, coming out in March of this year, is “Cemetery Road.” It’s a stand-alone novel of friendship, betrayal, and secrets that threaten to destroy a small Mississippi town. Doug Stanton talked with Greg Iles at the Traverse City Opera House in April 2017. At that time, his book “Mississippi Blood” had just been released.  It’s the third book in his Natchez Burning trilogy. Greg Iles began writing the trilogy while recovering from a traffic accident that almost killed him. Doug asked Iles to tell him more about “Mississippi Blood.”

Gillian Flynn is best known as the author of “Gone Girl.” She also wrote the screenplay of the film version. Since then, Gillian has written more for the big and small screen. She co-wrote the screenplay for the 2018 film “Widows,” as well as the TV adaptation of her book “Sharp Objects.” She also wrote the series “Utopia,” which will be released by Amazon this year. Doug Stanton spoke to Gillian at the Traverse City Opera House in April 2013. She told him she loved macabre stories since she was a child, when her father played her movies that were possibly inappropriate for her age.

Keith Gave spent six years in the U.S. Army, where he worked as a Russian linguist for the National Security Agency. When he left the army, Keith became a sports reporter covering hockey for the Detroit Free Press. He didn’t know then how his Russian experience would play a role in his journalism career. Keith explains it all in his book “The Russian Five: A Story of Espionage, Defection, Bribery and Courage.” This hour, Keith talks with fellow author, journalist and hockey fan Tim Rappleye. Keith told Tim that he was working on a new project.

Lynne Olson, Elizabeth Berg, and Elizabeth Letts all join Doug Stanton on the stage of the Traverse City Opera House to talk about their work. Author and journalist Lynne Olson is known for her books about history, especially World War II. Her latest is “Madame Fourcade’s Secret War.” Elizabeth Berg writes novels, such as “Open House” and “The Story of Arthur Truluv.” And Elizabeth Letts writes books of non-fiction and historical fiction. Her latest is about “Wizard of Oz” author Frank L. Baum’s wife, Maud Baum. Doug Stanton asked each author to describe their latest book. Lynne Olson went first.

Daniel Pink specializes in books about business. He has one of the most-viewed TED Talks of all time, “The Science of Motivation,” and he adapted it into a bestselling book, “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.” Daniel’s latest book is “When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.” He talks his hour with Angie Morgan, founder of Lead Star, which is a consulting firm that helps professionals become better leaders. Before getting into business writing, Daniel was involved in politics. For two years, he was the chief speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore. Angie asked Daniel what that was like.

Karl Marlantes was one of the first ever guests of  National Writers Series in 2010, when he came to talk about his first book, “Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War.” That book draws on Karl’s experiences as a Marine in Vietnam. His latest novel, “Deep River,” is inspired by the history of his ancestors, who immigrated to Washington from Finland in the early 20^th century. Karl talks this hour with fellow author and veteran, Benjamin Busch. Benjamin asked Karl to talk about the difficult process of getting his first book published.

David Maraniss is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and biographer. He’s written books about Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Vince Lombardi, and others. David last visited Traverse City in 2016, when he came to talk about his book “Once In A Great City: A Detroit Story.” His latest book delves into the personal history of his family. “A Good American Family” tells the story of David’s father, Elliott Maraniss, who was accused of being a communist informant during the McCarthy red scare era of the 1950s. David talks this hour with author and commentator John Bacon. John asked David if writing a book about his own family was different than writing his other books.

Jeffrey Eugenides’s first novel, “The Virgin Suicides,” was made into a movie directed by Sofia Coppola. “Middlesex,” his next novel, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His most recent book is a collection of short stories called “Fresh Complaint.” Jeffrey visited Traverse City in 2011 and talked with fellow author Jeremy Chamberlin. At that time Jeffrey’s book “The Marriage Plot” had just been released. Jeremy asked Jeff to talk about growing up in Detroit in the 1960s and 70s.

Aarti Shahani is a technology reporter for National Public Radio based in Silicon Valley. Her family immigrated to the United States from India in the 1980s. Aarti thrived in her new country and earned a scholarship to an elite private school. But her father was arrested for mistakenly selling watches to a drug cartel, which led to years of entanglement in the legal system. These experiences inspired Aarti to write her memoir, “Here We Are: American Dreams, American Nightmares.” Aarti talks this hour with WDET News Director Jerome Vaughn. Jerome asked Aarti to talk about how she came to write her book.

The Curse of Oak Island is a TV show on the History Channel, currently in its seventh season. It’s also now a book by journalist Randall Sullivan. Randall first wrote about the island for Rolling Stone in 2004. In the book, he goes deeper into the long history of treasure hunting on the island, and delves into the many theories about what’s buried there. One of the creators and stars of the TV show is engineer and entrepreneur Marty Lagina. Randall and Marty talk this hour with Patrick Livingston, News Director for TV stations WPBN and WGTU in Traverse City. Patrick asked Randall why people are so interested in Oak Island.

Susan Orlean is the author of ten books and numerous magazine articles. She’s best known for her book “The Orchid Thief,” which was the inspiration for the movie “Adaptation,” starring Meryl Streep as Susan. Her latest book, about the 1986 fire at the Los Angeles Public Library, and libraries in general, is called “The Library Book.” Susan talks this hour with Anne Strainchamps, host and co-creator of the public radio program To the Best of Our Knowledge. Anne asked Susan to start off by reading from “The Library Book.”

Nelson DeMille has written twenty-one novels, including “Plum Island,” “The Charm School,” and “The Cuban Affair.” His book “The General’s Daughter” was made into a movie starring John Travolta. Nelson’s latest book, “The Deserter,” is a collaboration with his son Alex, who is a screenwriter and film editor. Nelson and Alex talk this hour with WTCM NewsTalk 580 radio host Ron Jolly. Ron asked Nelson to talk about a time in his life before he became a writer, serving in the U.S. Army in Vietnam.

Author Peter Matthiessen died in 2014. During his lifetime, he wrote over thirty books. He’s well-known for his nonfiction like “The Snow Leopard,” which traces his journey to the Tibetan plateau in the Himalayas. He also wrote fiction, with novels like “At Play in the Fields of the Lord,” the Watson trilogy, and “Far Tortuga.” Peter’s final book was the 2014 novel “In Paradise.” His official biography, called “True Nature,” is currently being written and is scheduled to be published by Knoph/Pantheon in 2022. Peter visited Traverse City in 2010 and talked with Doug Stanton on the stage of the City Opera House. Doug asked Peter how he got the idea to write his book “In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,” about American Indian activist Leonard Peltier.

Author and filmmaker Garth Stein is best known for his novel, “The Art of Racing in the Rain.” In 2019, that book was made into a movie starring Kevin Costner as the voice of the dog, Enzo. Garth’s latest book is “A Sudden Light.” In 2020, he’ll release his first graphic novel series, called “The Cloven.” Garth visited Traverse City in 2015 and talked with journalist and artist Sarah Bearup-Neal on the stage of the City Opera House. Sarah asked Garth to talk a little about his work making and producing films.

Steve Luxenberg is a journalist, editor, and author. He last visited Traverse City in 2014 when he spoke on the stage of the City Opera House about his book “Annie’s Ghosts.” Steve’s latest book is “Separate: The Story of Plessy Versus Ferguson, and America’s Journey from Slavery to Segregation.” It tells the story of the landmark 1896 Supreme Court case that shaped the nation’s “separate but equal” race policies for over half a century. Steve talks this hour with Interlochen Public Radio Morning Edition host Dan Wanschura. Dan asked Steve how long it took to write his latest book.

Terry McMillan is a bestselling author known for her novels that feature female African American characters. Two of them, “Waiting to Exhale” and “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” were made into major motion pictures. Her latest book is “It’s Not All Downhill from Here.” Terry appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event. She spoke with Detroit’s director of arts and culture, Rochelle Riley. In the second half of our program today, we’ll hear a discussion with lawyer and author of legal thrillers Scott Turow. He talks with news director for TV station WPBN, Patrick Livingston.

You might say David Blight is absorbed with the life of abolitionist Frederick Douglass. David, who's an author, teacher and historian, has written three books about him. His latest is called “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom.” It won the Pulitzer Prize for History, and is now being adapted into a movie for Netflix, produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. David appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event. He spoke with author and director of Arts and Culture for the city of Detroit, Rochelle Riley. In the second half of the program, we’ll hear a discussion with Miles Harvey, who'll tell you all about "The King of Beaver Island." Miles’s latest book is called “The King of Confidence." It’s about James Strang, who founded an offshoot Mormon colony on the island after the death of founder Joseph Smith. Miles Harvey appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event and talked with fellow author Jeremiah Chamberlin.

When many people think about National Geographic, they think of wildlife photography, and the stacks of magazines their parents collected. Editor-in-chief Susan Goldberg thinks that’s fine, but people should also think about National Geographic’s reporting on topics like gender and climate change. Before her current job, Susan Goldberg was a reporter for several newspapers, including the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Detroit Free Press, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Susan wrote the introduction to the book “Women: The National Geographic Image Collection.” She spoke with Doug Stanton at a virtual National Writers Series event. Later in the program, we'll hear from Molly Wizenberg. Molly Wizenberg had been married to a man for ten years, when one day she found herself attracted to a woman. Her latest memoir, “The Fixed Stars,” tells the story of Molly’s journey of self-discovery that followed. Molly talked with acupuncturist and storyteller Elon Cameron during a virtual National Writers Series event. 

Chasten Buttigieg is best known for being the husband of former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. Chasten grew up in Traverse City, where he found life as a gay teenager difficult. He’s written a memoir about his experiences, called “I Have Something to Tell You.” Chasten appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event and spoke with writer and acupuncturist Elon Cameron. In the second half of the program, Christopher Haugh and Jordan Blashek are friends. Chris is a Democrat, and Jordan is a Republican. When they became friends several years ago, this didn’t seem that strange. But these days, being friends with those you disagree with politically is more difficult. Chris and Jordan decided to write a book about a series of road trips they took together, crossing the country and talking with people all across the political spectrum. It’s called “Union: A Democrat, A Republican, and a Search for Common Ground.” Chris and Jordan appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event and spoke with Detroit News columnist Neal Rubin. 

May 2020 marked the 50^th anniversary of the Kent State shootings. Ohio National Guardsmen killed four students and wounded nine others during an anti-Vietnam war protest. At that time, Bob Giles was managing editor of the Akron Beacon Journal. His team reported on the shootings, both while it was happening and the aftermath. Now Bob has written a book about the incident called “When Truth Mattered.” Bob appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event. He spoke with former host of Michigan Radio’s “Stateside,” Cynthia Canty. Cynthia asked Bob why anti-war protests had become so common by May of 1970.

Martha Teichner has been a correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning since 1993. Her new book is called “When Harry Met Minnie.” It’s about a chance encounter in Martha’s life that led to deep friendships—between people, and between bull terriers. Martha was born in Traverse City and donated family land in Leelanau County to create the Teichner Preserve on Lime Lake. She appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event and spoke with Cynthia Canty, former host of Michigan Radio’s “Stateside.” In the second half, Dwight Garner is an essayist, editor, and book critic for the New York Times. His latest book, “Garner’s Quotations: A Modern Miscellany,” is a collection of his favorite sentences from a wide range of written works. Doug Stanton talked with Dwight at a virtual National Writers Series event.

Imbolo Mbue was born and grew up in Cameroon. She moved to the United States for college and now lives in New York City. Imbolo has written two novels: her first was “Behold the Dreamers,” and her latest is called “How Beautiful We Were.” It tells the story of people living in a fictional village in Africa. Their land and way of life is being destroyed by an American oil company, and the people decide to fight back. Imbolo appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event and spoke with fellow author Rochelle Riley, director of arts and culture for the city of Detroit. 
In the second half of the program, we hear from Alan Lightman. He's a physicist, professor, and an author of non-fiction books and novels, including “Einstein’s Dreams.” His latest book, “Three Flames,” takes place in Cambodia, a place where Alan has traveled extensively. Alan appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event and spoke with filmmaker Kalyanee Mam.

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a writer, scientist, and member of the Citizen Potawatami Nation. Her latest book is “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.” Robin appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event and spoke with professor and tribal judge Matthew Fletcher. 
In the second half of the program, a discussion with Mary Doria Russell. Her latest novel is set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula during the early 20^th century mining boom. “The Women of the Copper Country” is a novel based on the life of real historical figures during a copper mine strike—most notably that of strike leader Annie Clements. Mary appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event and spoke with Interlochen Public Radio’s Kendra Carr. 

This program is a forum on Afghanistan, in partnership with the International Affairs Forum. The forum features four panelists, three of which appeared live on stage at the City Opera House in Traverse City. Jack Segal is a retired diplomat who advised NATO generals and civilian policy makers during the Afghanistan conflict. Shannon Spann DeBruyn is a lawyer and former intelligence officer with experience in counter-terrorism. Edris Fana is an Afghan native who studied at Northwestern Michigan College and became its first non-American Student Government Association President. Rahela Sidiqi joined by video from her home in the U.K. She’s a women’s rights activist, doing work at both the grassroots and governmental policy levels in Afghanistan. Doug Stanton moderated the panel and started by reading a translation of a poem by Rahela Sidiqi.

Mary Roach has been called “America’s funniest science writer.” She’s written seven popular science books, including “Stiff,” “Gulp,” “Grunt,” and her latest, “Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law.” It’s about using science to tackle the problems that arise in interactions between humans and wildlife. Mary appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event and spoke with Kendra Carr of Interlochen Public Radio. 

Most people have no idea who the woman behind the pseudonym “Jane Roe,” was in the landmark court case that legalized abortion in the U.S., Roe v. Wade. Her name was Norma McCorvey. Norma’s life was full of complications and contradictions that are explored for the first time in a new book by journalist and author Joshua Prager, called “The Family Roe: An American Story.” Joshua spent hundreds of hours talking to Norma and gained access to her personal papers, which turned out to be a valuable trove of information about her complex life. Joshua appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event and spoke with April Baer, host of Michigan Radio’s “Stateside.” 

“Firekeeper’s Daughter” is Angeline Boulley’s first book. It’s a young adult thriller about a Native teen girl who gets involved in an FBI drug investigation. It was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller for YA fiction, and is set to be adapted for Netflix by Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company, Higher Ground. Angeline appeared at a National Writers Series event that took place at the City Opera House in Traverse City. She spoke with attorney and community activist Holly T. Bird.

Television writer and producer Michael Schur has had a major role in helping create some of the funniest TV shows from the past decade and a half. Those include The Office, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place, and his latest, Rutherford Falls. Now he’s written his first book, called “How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question.” It’s a humorous guide to living an ethical life, drawing inspiration from philosophical thought across the centuries. Michael appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event and spoke with his friend Ed Helms, who’s an actor, writer and comedian known for his work on TV shows like The Office and The Hangover movie trilogy. 

Ellen Airgood grew up on a farm in Michigan’s thumb. In her twenties, she moved to the Upper Peninsula and has lived there ever since, running a diner in Grand Marais with her husband. She’s written four books, including her latest, Tin Camp Road, which takes place in her adopted home of the U.P. Ellen appeared at a National Writers Series event that took place in March at the City Opera House in Traverse City. She spoke with teacher and columnist Susan Odgers.

Joy Harjo is a member of the Muskogee Creek Nation has been the U.S. poet laureate since 2019. She’s written nine volumes of poetry, several plays and children’s books, and two memoirs. Joy is also a musician and has released seven albums. Her most recent collection of poems is “An American Sunrise.” She appeared at a virtual National Writers Series event and spoke with attorney and community activist Holly T. Bird.

Daniel Bergner is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine and has written six books of nonfiction, including “Sing for Your Life” and “In the Land of Magic Soldiers.” His latest is called “The Mind and the Moon.” It tells the story of three people’s experiences with mental illness, including his own brother, David. Daniel appeared at a National Writers Series event that took place at the City Opera House in Traverse City. He spoke with Rick Coates, radio host and executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Grand Traverse.

Dr. Benjamin Gilmer is a family physician and professor, but he’s best known for his work bringing attention to the injustice of mass incarceration of people with mental illness. In 2013, This American Life radio producer Sarah Koenig collaborated with Benjamin on a story called “Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde,” based on his experience with another physician who has mental illness and committed a crime, and who also happens to share the last name Gilmer. It became one of the most popular episodes the show ever produced. Now, Benjamin has a new book called “The Other Dr. Gilmer: Two Men, A Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice.” Benjamin appeared at a National Writers Series event that took place at the City Opera House in Traverse City. He spoke with April Baer, host of Michigan Radio’s Stateside.

Fredrik Backman is a Swedish author best known in the U.S. for his novel “A Man Called Ove,” which was made into a movie of the same name. It’s also currently being made into an English-language film starring Tom Hanks, named “A Man Called Otto.” Fredrik has written a number of other novels, including “Beartown,” “Britt-Marie Was Here,” and “Anxious People.” His latest book is called “The Winners.” Fredrik spoke with Doug Stanton at a National Writers Series event that took place at Lars Hockstad Auditorium in Traverse City.

Stephanie Foo is known for her work on public radio programs such as “Snap Judgment” and “This American Life.” She’s also a columnist, and has now written a book, called “What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma.” Stephanie appeared at a virtual National Writers Series to talk about her book, and also about disability activist Alice Wong, and her memoir “Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life.” She spoke with teacher, columnist, and disability advocate Susan Odgers.

At the 1998 Winter Olympics games in Nagano, Japan, the U.S. Women’s Hockey team surprised the world by winning the gold medal against the favored team, Canada. Journalists Keith Gave and Tim Rappleye have written a book about that event, called “A Miracle of Their Own: A Team, A Stunning Gold Medal and Newfound Dreams for American Girls.” Keith and Tim joined U.S. Olympian Lisa Brown-Miller on stage at the City Opera House in Traverse City to talk about the book and that historic game. 

Alvin Hall is a financial advisor who has published 21 books on monetary matters, from mortgages, to pensions, mutual funds, the stock market and more. His latest book is a departure from that. It’s called “Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance.” In it, he takes his own journey to some of the places that Black people went while traveling during the era of Jim Crow laws. Those laws enforced racial segregation, making it difficult for Black travelers to find places to eat, sleep, and get gas and auto repairs. The Green Book was an annual guidebook to places that were friendly to Black travelers. Alvin spoke with WDET News Director Jerome Vaughn at the City Opera House in Traverse City. 

Jeannette Walls started her writing career as a columnist covering celebrity news. Later she became the bestselling author of the memoir “The Glass Castle,” which was made into a film starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts. Her latest book is a novel called “Hang the Moon,” which takes place in a small Virginia town during Prohibition. Jeannette spoke with columnist and teacher Susan Odgers at the City Opera House in Traverse City.

Bonnie Garmus worked as a copywriter and creative director for many years. In 2022, at the age of 65, she published her first novel, “Lessons in Chemistry.” It’s about a female scientist in the 1960s who hosts a cooking show to educate housewives on scientific topics. ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ became a number one New York Times bestseller and is now being adapted into a series for Apple TV+ starring Brie Larson. Bonnie spoke with Cynthia Canty, former host of Michigan Radio’s ‘Stateside,’ at Lars Hockstad Auditorium in Traverse City. 

Ann Patchett is the author of 14 books, including the novels “Commonwealth,” “Bel Canto,” “The Patron Saint of Liars,” and her latest, “Tom Lake.” It tells the story of a northern Michigan family that owns a cherry orchard. While sheltering in place during the pandemic, the three daughters ask their mother about her youthful love affair with a now-famous actor. Ann talked with her friend and charitable giving specialist Erin Anderson Whiting at the City Opera House in Traverse City.

Ed Yong is a popular science journalist—you may have seen some of his writing on Covid-19, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize. He’s also the author of two books: “I Contain Multitudes,” and his latest, “An Immense World,” in which he explores the diverse sensory world of animals. Ed Yong spoke at the City Opera House in Traverse City with Interlochen Public Radio’s news director, Ed Ronco.

Heather Cox Richardson is a historian, an educator at Boston College, and the author of seven books, as well as a popular newsletter. Her latest book is called “Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America.” In it, she takes a concerned yet optimistic view of this country’s history of democracy and its future. Heather talked with Detroit Free Press columnist Neal Rubin at Lars Hockstad Auditorium in Traverse City. 

Ken Follett is one of the world’s most popular writers and has been writing bestselling thrillers and historical novels since the 1970s. He’s the author of 36 books, including “Eye of the Needle” and “The Pillars of the Earth.” Ken’s latest novel is called “The Armor of Light,” which is the fifth book in his Kingsbridge series. He spoke with Up North Live news director Pat Livingston, who was at the Alluvion in Traverse City, as Ken joined by video from his home in England. Pat asked Ken to describe where he was speaking to him from.