On this season of the Books Connect Us podcast, join your new hosts Alyssa Adler and Carolina Meurkens in conversation with authors—including Joanne Lee Molinaro, Chrissy King, Haley Jakobson, and Emily Henry—speaking about their diverse lived experiences and how they translate them onto the page. Books Connect Us brings you the inside scoop on “the story behind the story,” and discusses how identity impacts writing, the inspiration behind books, and how storytelling can change the world.
Books Connect Us first launched in the spring of 2020 as a way to contend with the challenges of social distancing. These twenty- to thirty-minute remote conversations delved into an author’s latest book, offered unique perspectives on the challenges of prolonged isolation, and explored how books acted as important connective tissue during a difficult time. Since then, Books Connect Us has produced 110 episodes, featuring notable guests such as Taylor Jenkins Reid, Emma Straub, Brit Bennett, Jodi Picoult, and Isabel Allende.
Staying true to the podcast’s original goal of sharing the stories of authors who inspire us, the revamp of Books Connect Us also looks at the journey that a story takes from concept to hardcover. With your new hosts Carolina and Alyssa guiding you through the season, you can listen in on creative deep dives and inquiries like: Where does inspiration come from? How do authors incorporate themselves into their work—or keep themselves at arm’s length? What forces surround a book and how do authors maintain and navigate their identities throughout the process?
The spring 2023 season touches upon origin and identity and talks with authors about how their cultural heritage plays a role in the stories they tell. The episodes look at writers’ origins as storytellers and the seeds that sprouted into the books we now know and love. They also touch upon immigration, racial/ethnic identity, sexuality and queerness, family legacy, motherhood, and individuality.
Our guests of honor include:
- Joanne Lee Molinaro, author of THE KOREAN VEGAN, who charts her journey from lawyer to full-time creator and published author, and talks about the importance of representation and how family stories seep into our writing.
- Eleanor Shearer, author of RIVER SING ME HOME, who chats about finding time for creative writing (especially within the confines of a day job), traveling to the Caribbean for her novel, and unraveling the complicated tapestries of our identities, homes, and families.
- Szilvia Molnar, author of THE NURSERY, in conversation with Lisa Lucas, SVP and Publisher of Pantheon Books. The two share a thought-provoking conversation about the rawness and realness of becoming a mother and ask the question: Does the world make space for new moms?
- Chrissy King, author of THE BODY LIBERATION PROJECT, who talks about how she landed a book deal and how she cultivated her online platform. Chrissy also talks us through the concept of “body liberation,” the way our intersecting identities impact our body image, how and why beauty standards are rooted in racism, and how to overcome it all.
Tune in to the season finale with Emily Henry, where she and Alyssa discuss creating complex, imperfect love interests whom readers can’t help but fall for, the ways art informs life (and vice versa), and the secret to writing great banter. Thanks for listening!