national writers series

Peter Heller is a writer of literary nonfiction and novels, including his bestseller “The Dog Stars.”  His latest novel, “The River,” is a thriller that draws from some of Peter’s own experiences canoeing wild rivers. Peter Heller talks this hour with fellow author Peter Robertson. 

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.

Nicholas Kristof and Cheryl WuDunn are both Pulitzer Prize winning journalists. They’re also a married couple who have written several books together, including “Half the Sky” and “A Path Appears.” Their latest book is “Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope.” It focuses on the decline of the American working class, from the perspective of Nicholas’s childhood hometown, Yamhill, Oregon. Nicholas and Cheryl talk this hour with Nate Payne, editor for the Traverse City Record-Eagle. Nate asked Cheryl how she and Nicholas balance their writing and married life.

America has a long, complicated history with race relations. In 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a “separate but equal” policy that encouraged segregation in the country for the next 60 years.

Steve Luxenberg says we have to come to grips with that controversial history.

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.

Benjamin Busch is best known for his acting career. He played the character of officer Tony Colicchio in the HBO series “The Wire.” But Ben is active in many creative pursuits, including writing, filmmaking, photography, and stonemasonry. He’s written many poems and essays for various collections and periodicals. Ben is also a veteran officer of the U.S. Marine Corps and served two tours in Iraq. His memoir “Dust to Dust” came out in 2012. That year, Ben talked with Doug Stanton on the stage of the City Opera House in Traverse City. Doug asked him what made him want to write a memoir.

Paula McLain is best known as the author of “The Paris Wife,” which is a work of historical fiction telling the story of Ernest Hemingway’s first marriage. Her latest book, “Love and Ruin,” is about Hemingway’s third marriage, to war correspondent Martha Gellhorn. Paula visited Traverse City in 2015 and talked with fellow author Benjamin Busch on the stage of the City Opera House. At that time, Paula’s book “Circling the Sun,” about aviator Beryl Markham, had recently come out. Before becoming a novelist, Paula published two collections of poetry.

Blaine Harden is an author and journalist, writing for the Washington Post, The New York Times, Frontline on PBS, and others. He’s written five books, three of them about the Korean peninsula. Blaine’s book “Escape from Camp 14” tells the story of Shin Don-hyuk, the only known person born in a North Korean labor camp who has escaped. His most recent book is “King of Spies,” about a rogue American spy in Korea. Blaine visited Traverse City in 2013 and talked with former U.S. State Department official Jack Segal on the stage of the City Opera House.

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.

Bryce Hoffman is an author, speaker, and consultant. He wrote about the Ford Motor Company and the auto industry bailout in his book, “American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save the Ford Motor Company.” A.J. Baime is a journalist who wrote "Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War." Bryce and A.J. visited Traverse City in 2014 and talked with auto industry writer Jean Jennings on the stage of the City Opera House. Jean asked A.J. to start off the evening talking about his 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.

Humorist, journalist and author Roy Blount Jr. has written over two dozen books, as well as many articles for various periodicals. He’s also a frequent panelist on National Public Radio’s “Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me” program. Roy’s most recent book is “Save Room for Pie: Food Songs and Chewy Ruminations.” Roy visited Traverse City in 2011 and talked with Doug Stanton on the stage of the City Opera House. At that time, Roy’s book “Alphabetter Juice” had recently been released.

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.”

"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.

Lee Child is best known for his Jack Reacher thriller series. The series has been adapted into two films starring Tom Cruise as the title character. Lee’s 24th book in the series, Blue Moon, came out in 2019. Lee visited Traverse City in 2012 and talked with Doug Stanton on the stage of the City Opera House. Doug asked Lee to take him through a typical day of writing.

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.

Journalist and author Tom Brokaw anchored the NBC Nightly News for 22 years. He’s been working in the news for over 50 years, and he’s also published ten books. Tom’s best-known book is his first one from 1998, “The Greatest Generation,” about those who fought in World War II and helped out on the home front. His most recent book, which came out in 2019, is “The Fall of Richard Nixon: A Reporter Remembers Watergate.” Tom visited Traverse City in 2010 and talked with Doug Stanton on the stage of the City Opera House.

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.

Temple Grandin is an advocate for people with autism, professor of animal science at Colorado State University, and a prolific author of books and research publications. Her most recent book is “Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like An Inventor.” Temple was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016. In 2010, a movie based on her life, starring Claire Danes as Temple, was released by HBO films. Temple visited Traverse City in 2013 and talked with editor and media consultant Laura Hohnhold on the stage of the City Opera House.

Thomas Lynch has been a funeral director in Milford, Michigan since 1974. But he’s better known for his poetry and essays, which are often inspired by his profession. His book “The Undertaking” was the basis of an episode of Frontline on PBS and a BBC documentary. Thomas’s most recent book is “Whence and Whither: On Lives and Living.” And a new book, “The Depositions,” is coming out in November 2019. Thomas visited Traverse City in 2010 and talked with author Jerry Dennis on the stage of the City Opera House.

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.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is an activist, scholar, former politician, and author. She’s known for her vocal criticism of Islam. Ayaan’s most recent book is “Heretic: Why Islam Needs A Reformation Now.” Her book “Prey” is coming out in 2020. Ayaan visited Traverse City in 2012 and talked with lecturer, columnist, and former diplomat Jack Segal on the stage of the City Opera House. Jack asked Ayaan to talk about her journey from Somalia to the United States.

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 20th 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.

Douglas Brinkley is an author, professor, commentator and historian. He’s written and co-authored dozens of books, on topics as diverse as Rosa Parks, Jimmy Carter, Walter Cronkite and Hunter S. Thompson. Doug’s latest book is “American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race.” He talks this hour with author John Bacon. John asked Doug how growing up in Perrysburg, Ohio made him feel connected to the first moon landing.