Carrie and I have a very special guest today. Alix Harrow is a Hugo award-winning writer of historical fantasy fiction who also happens to be a fellow Kentuckian. Her debut novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, has been called by Kirkus Reviews a ‘A love letter to imagination, adventure, the written word,’ and NPR books says it is one that should go on your Favorites Shelf. It has been on the Los Angeles Times Bestsellers List. She is a rising star in the burgeoning female revolution taking place in the science fiction and fantasy genres

Our guest today, Amy Miller, is the executive director of Louisville Literary Arts, an organization whose mission is to offer writers support in whatever stage they are in; whether that be before any words are put on a page or to an already published author. And while the Writer’s Block Festival is their biggest event, Louisville Literary Arts provides numerous other programs, many of them free, all year round.

Do you love a good Broadway show? So does Michael Drury, the producing artistic director of Pandora Productions, a theater company solely dedicated to telling the stories of the LGBTQ Plus community. And this passion made him tenacious in pursuing the rights to produce Fun Home, a Broadway musical based on the critically acclaimed 2007 graphic memoir of the same name by Alison Bechdel, who is best known for her comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For. The play adaptation won the Tony award for Best Musical and Best Original Score. Pandora’s production will be the regional premiere of this play.

Our guest today, Kim Colette Ballard, has hit the booknerd jackpot. She is a book buyer for Riot Book Cellar, a new independent bookstore and wine bar in the small town of Bardstown Kentucky, a place known for its bourbon distilleries and being at the heart of the Bourbon Trail. She helped the manager and owner develop the book bar concept in this quaint tourist town about 45 minutes outside of Louisville KY.

Amy and Carrie talk about some bookish events they have attended lately such as a storytelling festival, Southern Festival of the Book, author talks, and private bookstore recommendations.

Tony Dingman is an actor, historical educator, playwright, and creator of the Frazier History Museum’s annual event An Evening with Poe, which is a celebration of everything dark and macabre about this great American author. For 10 years he and the other actors at the Frazier have been adapting and creatively performing such classics as The Raven, The Bells, and the Tell-Tale Heart but they also include the lesser known works of Edgar Allan Poe each Halloween season.

Today’s guest, Hannah Rae Montgomery, is Actor’s theater’s dramaturg. Don’t know what a dramaturg is? Neither did we until we talked with Hannah Rae. A dramaturg is basically a literary editor on the staff of a theater who helps the directors interpret and research texts for their productions. She tells us what is new and fresh about the roles for women in this year’s Dracula, why people come to see it year after year, and how Bram Stoker’s book differs from the play adaptation. It’s close to Halloween and time to talk literature’s favorite vampire.

Today’s guest Bob Thompson, professionally known as Colonel Bob, is a master storyteller and producer of the Corn Island Storytelling Festival happening on October 19 at Blackacre State Nature Preserve just outside of Louisville. He is also the author of 2 short story collections and hosts a radio Show, Kentucky Homefront, featuring regional music and storytellers on WFPK 91.9 on Saturdays at 8 am. Bob Thompson is one busy colonel !

Today’s guest has an multi-faceted story to tell. Fadhia Mohamud is a member of a women of color bookclub that meets monthly to discuss a wide range of books; from romantic comedies to thrillers. But she is also a Somali immigrant herself who has taken her experience growing up in multiple countries feeling a little bit out of place and using that knowledge to help her students face many of those same challenges.

When you think about taking English classes in college, do you envision heavy dusty textbooks written by old dead guys, like Thoreau, Chaucer, and Dickens? Well perhaps that was true 20 years ago, but colleges now have changed a bit and we have a real live English professor with us today to talk about how teaching university English has changed and what things have stayed the same. Dr. Jon Blandford is an associate professor of English at Bellarmine University and also leads their Honors Program.