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Most of what shapes a life isn’t explained or fully understood. This newsletter returns to the moments that shaped us and stays with them long enough to see what was actually at work.
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From January 2020 until March 2021 I had a podcast called Bookable. I loved doing it. I just didn’t love the executive producer who was a garbage monster.
One of my greatest joys is arts programming. For 15 years, I ran a music and literary event series called Happy Ending. I launched it in a small chinatown bar called — you guessed it — Happy Ending. It seated 40 people. A few years later, I moved it to Joe’s Pub and later to Symphony Space, which accommodated nearly 1000 people.
Choosing the authors, the theme, the artists, and the musicians filled me with unimaginable joy. But doing it alone, without any financial support from an organization or institution for 15 years was unsustainable.
Two years after publishing my memoir Little Panic, I was hired to host, produce and program, a book podcast (that I also got to name). I hosted 38 authors and recorded 31 episodes. Among them: Mira Jacob, Roxane Gay, Alexander Chee, Gary Shteyngart, Rebecca Solnit, Etgar Keret, Jennifer Egan, Susan Choi, and the late Ursula Hegi.
I recently got word that the garbage monster is looking to relaunch Bookable with a new host and team.
So I thought before it vanished from the internet, I’d introduce it to you.
Without further ado, here are some of my favorite episodes…
BOOKABLE PODCAST TRAILER
FAVORITE EPISODES
Claudia Rankine Episode
Book From the Episode:
Claudia’s new book is Triage:
Shawn Stewart Ruff Episode
Book From the Episode:
Shawn Stewart Ruff’s new book is Days Running
Lydia Millet Episode
Book From the Episode:
Lydia Millet’s new book is Fair Ones. Pre-Order it here.
Oyinkan Braithwaite Episode
Book From the Episode:
Oyinkan Braithwaite’s New Book Is Cursed Daughters:
Julie Orringer Episode
Book From the Episode:
Julie Orringer’s New Book is Luna, Phoenix, Queen. Pre-Order it Here:
Raven Leilani Episode
Book From the Episode
Until next week, I will remain…
Amanda
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