What Kerri's Reading

"Last Night in Twisted River," by John Irving

Broadcast, Midmorning
Monday, November 9, 10 a.m. CST

In a story spanning five decades, Last Night in Twisted River -- John Irving's twelfth novel -- depicts the recent half-century in the United States as "a living replica of Coos County, where lethal hatreds were generally permitted to run their course."

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Upcoming Conversations

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Talking Volumes

Upcoming selections

"Blood's A Rover"

By James Ellroy, Wednesday, October 7th at 7:00 p.m

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This autumn, James Ellroy releases the sprawling "Blood's A Rover," his first novel since 2001. The story is set in 1968, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy are dead. The assassination conspiracies have begun to unravel. A dirty-tricks squad is getting ready to deploy at the Democratic Convention in Chicago. Black militants are warring in southside L.A. The Feds are concocting draconian countermeasures. And fate has placed three men at the vortex of History.

Ellroy's past books have been both critically acclaimed and wildly popular. His L.A. Quartet novels "The Black Dahlia", "The Big Nowhere", "L.A. Confidential", and "White Jazz" were international best sellers. His novel "American Tabloid" was Time magazine's Best Book of 1995; his memoir, "My Dark Places", was a Time Best Book of the Year and a New York Times Notable Book for 1996. His last novel "The Cold Six Thousand" was a New York Times Notable Book and a Los Angeles Times Best Book for 2001.

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"The Lacuna"

By Barbara Kingsolver, Wednesday, November 11th at 7:00 p.m.

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Beloved and acclaimed novelist Barbara Kingsolver joins Kerri Miller to discuss her new novel, "The Lacuna." Set in Mexico and the U.S. during the 1930s, '40s and '50s, the novel tells the story of Harrison William Shepherd, a man caught between two worlds. Shepherd is an unforgettable protagonist whose search for identity will take readers to the heart of the twentieth century's most tumultuous events. "The Lacuna" includes real-life historical figures like Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Leon Trotsky.

Kingsolver's first book, "The Bean Trees" sold mainly by word of mouth. In the 20 years since then, it has been adopted into the curriculum at colleges and high schools across the country. Her next 11 subsequent books include the bestsellers "The Poisonwood Bible" and a work of non-fiction from last year, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year in Food."

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"Under the Dome"

by Stephen King, Wednesday, November 18th at 7:00 p.m.

"Her Fearful Symmetry"

by Audrey Niffenegger

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Two writers and friends, Stephen King and Audrey Niffenegger, join Kerri Miller to discuss their new novels, King's "Under the Dome" and Niffenegger's "Her Fearful Symmetry." Stephen King is one of the most prolific writers of our time and has sold over 300 million books. Niffenegger's first novel, "The Time Traveler's Wife," was a bestseller and her new novel has been eagerly anticipated. Niffenegger is also an artist and graphic novelist.

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"In the Kitchen"

By Monica Ali, Wednesday, May 18th, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.

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Kerri Miller welcomes author Monica Ali to the stage of the Fitzgerald Theater to talk about her latest novel "In the Kitchen." Ali is the daughter of English and Bangladeshi parents. She moved to England at age three. Her first novel, "Brick Lane," is an epic saga about a Bangladeshi family living in the UK, and explores the British immigrant experience. It was shortlisted for the 2003 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, and made into a film, released in 2007. Monica Ali lives in London and was named in 2003 by Granta magazine as one of twenty 'Best of Young British Novelists'.

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Previous selections

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  "Sonata Mulattica"

  By Rita Dove

  Pulitzer Prize winning poet Rita Dove will discuss her most recent publication, Sonata Mulattica. The book-length lyric narrative was inspired by history and imagination. It re-creates the life of a nineteenth-century mixed-race virtuoso violinist, George Polgreen Bridgetower. He travels to Vienna to meet Ludwig van Beethoven. The great composer's subsequent sonata is originally dedicated to the young mulatto, but George, exuberant with acclaim, offends Beethoven over a woman. From this crucial encounter evolves a grandiose yet melancholy poetic tale.

  Appearance: Monday, May 11th, 2009

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  "The House on Mango Street"

  By Sandra Cisneros

  Sandra Cisneros celebrates the 25th anniversary of "The House on Mango Street," her acclaimed novella of a young girl growing up in the Latino section of Chicago. The book is a standard in high schools and colleges across the country. She is working on several projects, including a collection of fiction titled "Infinito" and "Writing in My Pajamas," a book on how she teaches writing.

  Midmorning: Friday, April 24, 2009

  Washburn High School, Minneapolis
  Cisneros will talked about the 25th anniversary of her novella, and her new projects with Kerri Miller.

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  "Hurry Down Sunshine"

  By Michael Greenberg

  Michael Greenberg's acclaimed memoir "Hurry Down Sunshine" captures his 15-year old daughter's fight with depression. Greenberg artfully details the medications, therapy and family interventions required to keep her disease at bay. Greenberg is a columnist for the Times Literary Supplement, where his essays have been appearing since 2003. His fiction, criticism, and travel pieces have been published widely.

  Midmorning: Monday, March 2, 2009

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  "Bicycle"

  By Nikki Giovanni

  Renowned poet Nikki Giovanni will share her to-be-released collection, "Bicycle" (on sale January 17, 2009). The collected poems serve as a companion to her 1997 Love Poems. In the years that followed Love Poems' release, Giovanni experienced losses both public and private: her mother's and sister's passing and the massacre at Virginia Tech, where she teaches. Just when it seemed life was spinning out of control, Giovanni rediscovered love — what she calls the antidote.

  Midmorning: Monday, January 26, 2009

  Grammy nominated poet Nikki Giovanni talked about her just-released collection called "Bicycles," a companion to her 1997 "Love Poems." Recorded live at the Fitzgerald Theater.

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  "The Hour I First Believed"

  By Wally Lamb

  Kerri Miller talks to Wally Lamb about his first novel in 10 years, The Hour I First Believed. Lamb's two previous novels, She's Come Undone and I Know This Much is True, topped the New York Times fiction charts. Lamb lead a writing workshop at the Connecticut women's prison for the past eight years, and his work with those inmates influenced the plot of his eagerly anticipated new book.

  Midmorning: Wednesday, November 26th, 2008

  Lamb talked about his new book with Kerri Miller and took questions from the audience.
  Listen to program

  Additional Audio - Listen to Wally Lamb read an excerpt from his new novel.

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  "Nobody's Fool"

  By Richard Russo

  Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Richard Russo joins Kerri Miller for Talking Volumes. His book Nobody's Fool was made into film starring Paul Newman. Russo's latest novel, Bridge of Sighs, will be out in paperback in the fall. Like many of his tales, it takes place in a deteriorating blue-collar town in the Northeastern United States. Publisher's Weekly says the book is "is large-hearted, vividly populated and filled with life from America's recent, still vanishing, past."

  Midmorning: October 9, 2008

  Russo spoke about his new book with Kerri Miller and took questions from the audience.

  Listen to program

Find out more on the Talking Volumes page.