Off The Page

Episode 45 | Collecting the stories of climate change with Devi Lockwood by Crystal Sarakas

In 1944, a B-24 Liberator bomber known as Getaway Gertie vanished during a snowstorm over upstate New York. The plane and its crew have never been recovered. In his book, Vanishing Point, journalist Tom Wilber takes us back to the night the Gertie - and her crew of eight - was lost. He also takes us into the complicated world of searching for lost wrecks like this one. Hosted by Crystal Sarakas. Produced by WSKG Public Media.

Award-winning science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer joins us to talk about his latest book, The Oppenheimer Alternative, where the group of scientists who created the atom bomb must now work together to save the world. Hosted by Crystal Sarakas. Produced by WSKG Public Media.

Author Azzedine T Downes is the president of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and also spent many years working with the Peace Corps in places like Morocco, Yemen, Bulgaria and more. In his delightful memoir, The Couscous Chronicles, he shares stories from his time abroad. Hosted by Crystal Sarakas. Produced by WSKG Public Media.

Sierra DeMulder is a two-time National Poetry Slam champion, a five-time published author, and the co-host of Just Break Up, a globally popular advice podcast that has been downloaded more than 4 million times. She talks about how poetry helps her move through loss, and reads from her new collection, EPHEMERA. Hosted by Crystal Sarakas. Produced by WSKG Public Media.

Marjorie Hudson's new book is Indigo Field. Set in a small town in North Carolina, it’s a sweeping southern epic of family, betrayals, death and ghosts - both literal and metaphorical. The writing is lush, with almost poem-like descriptions of the natural world, and a host of characters that are drawn to each other through forces they don’t understand. Hosted by Crystal Sarakas. Produced by WSKG Public Media.

Science fiction grandmaster Connie Willis talks about her new book, THE ROAD TO ROSWELL. Plus, her favorite conspiracy theories, the mysteriously vagrant Monument Valley, and the Titanic. Hosted by Crystal Sarakas. Produced by WSKG Public Media.

On the next episode of Off the Page, we visit the Elephants of Thula Thula. Francoise Malby-Anthony’s new book takes us on a journey to the Thula Thula Game Reserve in Zululand, South Africa. She talks about the emotional language of elephants, the challenges of running a game reserve, and the ongoing fight against poachers. Hosted by Crystal Sarakas. Produced by WSKG Public Media.

Author Erica Bauermeister talks about her latest novel, NO TWO PERSONS. It’s the story of how one book can change lives and bring strangers together. Hosted by Crystal Sarakas. Produced by WSKG Public Media.

The effects of climate change go far beyond the weather. On the next Off the Page, we talk about how climate change already affects housing prices and mental health. Journalist Jake Bittle joins us to talk about his book, THE GREAT DISPLACEMENT: CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE NEXT AMERICAN MIGRATION. Hosted by Crystal Sarakas, produced by WSKG Public Media.

Jennifer Savran Kelly's new book is Endpapers, set in 2003 in post 9/11 New York. It’s a story about a bookbinder who is struggling to understand her own queer identity when she comes across a love letter hidden in the endpapers of a book she’s restoring. What follows is an exploration of what it means to love both yourself and others, complex relationships, and about what it’s like to find connections and acceptance within your own community.

Ruthanna Emrys is the author of several short story collections and novels, including the award-nominated book Winter Tide. Her latest book, A HALF-BUILT GARDEN, is a delightful and hopeful story of first contact with aliens, living in a post-climate change world, motherhood and family, and the role that individuals play in repairing the world around them.

FOR LAMB is the story of one Black family living in the Jim Crow south, and the injustices and horrors they face every day. Author Lesa Cline-Ransome talks about what that story means to her, how the truth can be dangerous, but also sets us free.

Episode 32 - Forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden by Crystal Sarakas

Author Jasmine Brown talks about the challenges that Black women physicians have faced over the past 100 years. Produced by WSKG Public Media.

On the next Off the Page, we talk with science writer Leila Philip about her new book, BEAVERLAND: HOW ONE WEIRD RODENT MADE AMERICA. It’s a fascinating look at the role the beaver has played in American history, and how it may play an even bigger role in climate change mitigation.

Author Kate Heartfield talks about her book, THE EMBROIDERED BOOK, a historical fantasy that tells the story of Marie Antoinette and her sister, Maria Caroline, Queen of Naples.

Ithaca, NY poet Mary Gilliland's new collection, THE DEVIL’S FOOLS, is an exploration of myths and nature, and of the ways that mundane life becomes holy. On this episode, she talks about her process and shares some of her work with us.

Rossie Anastopoulo's new book, SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY: A HISTORY OF AMERICAN IN 11 PIES, is a delicious and sometimes bittersweet look at eleven different pies and how they connect to different parts of our history. Plus, there are recipes!

Cuban-American author Jose Pablo Iriarte talks about writing about complicated relationships, finding the emotion in storytelling, and about his recent nomination for the Hugo Award for Best Short Story.