Enjoy recent author events, interviews, and bookseller series. Visit our website to learn more: www.skylightbooks.com
Episodes
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
SKYLIT: Tommy Orange, WANDERING STARS
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
It's a sneak peek special! Skylight's own Elodie sits down with the incredible Tommy Orange (There, There) to talk about his new novel Wandering Stars (Feb. 27)...listen in for a reading of an excerpt, Tommy's thoughts on Native American representation and why he's hopeful for the future.
To pre-order Wandering Stars: https://www.skylightbooks.com/book/9780593318256
Edited by Mick Kowaleski
Music by Duck the Piano Wire
Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
SKYLIT: Will Harris, SURELY YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS
Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.
Resident film buff Tyler Austin sits down with Will Harris, pop culture journalist, to discuss the interviews that comprise Surely You Can't Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane! Together, they discuss some of Will's favorite interviews and some truly great behind-the-scenes scoops from one of the greatest comedies of all time.
------------------------------------------------------------
Produced by Tyler Austin and Mick Kowaleski.
Music by Duck, the Piano Wire.
Thursday Dec 07, 2023
SKYLIT: Rosecrans Baldwin, EVERYTHING NOW
Thursday Dec 07, 2023
Thursday Dec 07, 2023
Skylight royalty Rosecrans Baldwin joins Elodie to talk about his Los Angeles classic Everything Now. He talks about what makes L.A. a city-state, what makes it such a beautiful and conflicting place to be, and his three quintessential L.A. reads! (Spoilers below!)
----------------------------------------------------------------
Produced by Elodie Saint-Louis and Mick Kowaleski
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band
Rosecrans's Three L.A. Reads:
Thursday Nov 23, 2023
SKYLIT: Charles Bramesco, COLORS OF FILM: THE STORY OF CINEMA IN 50 PALETTES
Thursday Nov 23, 2023
Thursday Nov 23, 2023
Hello listeners! On this episode Tyler talks to film and television critic Charles Bramesco about his book, "Colors of Film: The Story of Cinema in 50 Palettes"
Produced by Tyler Austin & Alena Saunders
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band
Thursday Oct 12, 2023
SKYLIT: James Park, CHILI CRISP
Thursday Oct 12, 2023
Thursday Oct 12, 2023
Hello listeners! On this episode Tyler talks to James Park, food writer and author of the new cookbook "Chili Crisp: 50+ Recipes to Satisfy Your Spicy, Crunchy, Garlicky Cravings" about all things-- you guessed it-- chili crisp.
Produced by Tyler Austin & Alena Saunders
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band
Thursday Sep 28, 2023
Thursday Sep 28, 2023
It's spooky season, and our LITTLE GREY CELLS are HAUNTED! Former Skylight booksellers Natalie Freeman and Allison Miriam Smith return to the store to join Allan, Tyler, and Justin for the Better Than the Movie crew's most rambunctious (and, let's admit it, CHAOTIC) episode yet.
This fulsome fivesome discuss Kenneth Branagh's third movie outing as detective Hercule Poirot, A HAUNTING IN VENICE, and its credited source material, HALLOWE'EN PARTY by Agatha Christie, which is a completely different story. It's a SPOILERS-HEAVY discussion, full of digressions and talking over each other. Lots of laughter and fun.
Produced by Justin Remer and Mick Kowaleski.
Opening music: "Rumination: If I Should Die (Slowed / Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
Better Than the Movie, Ep. 6: MISERY w/ Mark Rennie
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
She's his number one fan. The hilarious and well-read Mark Rennie (TWO OLD QUEENS podcast) joins a reduced BTTM crew to discuss MISERY, the Stephen King novel and the Oscar-winning film from screenwriter William Goldman and director Rob Reiner. (And cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld!!) With a new documentary about King adaptations out in theaters, KING ON SCREEN, the fellas also discuss some other King faves on page and screen.
Produced by Justin Remer and Mick Kowaleski.
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band
Thursday Aug 10, 2023
SKYLIT: Elliott Kalan, MANIAC OF NEW YORK
Thursday Aug 10, 2023
Thursday Aug 10, 2023
Hello listeners! In this episode, Tyler chats with Elliott Kalan, co-host of wildly successful bad movie podcast The Flop House, Emmy Award winning head writer of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and the creative force behind the comics MANIAC OF NEW YORK and MANIAC OF NEW YORK: THE BRONX IS BURNING.
Elliott discusses his earliest inspirations for Maniac Harry, a masked and immortal killer, whose murderous rampages become a semi-regular occurrence/nuisance to New Yorkers, his rules of satire and thoughts on storytelling as a vehicle for social messaging, plus why THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 is his favorite film and a glorious portrait of '70s New York. Lastly, Elliott gives some insight into the ongoing writer's strike and how to support those most impacted by it.
Links to MANIAC OF NEW YORK and MANIAC OF NEW YORK: THE BRONX IS BURNING
https://www.skylightbooks.com/book/9781949028713
https://www.skylightbooks.com/book/9781956731040
Link to the Entertainment Community Relief Fund:
https://entertainmentcommunity.org/
Produced by Tyler Austin, Mick Kowaleski, & Alena Saunders
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band
The Better Than the Movie guys will be at the American Cinematheque's FRIEND OF THE FEST! They'll be hosting a screening of Sally Potter's ORLANDO (1992) on Sunday, August 27th, at the Los Feliz 3. It's right next door to Skylight, come hang out and watch a movie with the BTTM gang!
Tickets found here: https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/the-skylight-books-podcast-presents-orlando-8-27-23/
Thursday Jul 13, 2023
SKYLIT: Artem Mozgovoy, SPRING IN SIBERIA
Thursday Jul 13, 2023
Thursday Jul 13, 2023
Artem Mozgovoy discusses his debut novel, Spring in Siberia, with the managing editor of Red Hen Press, Dr. Kate Gale. The work has been praised by Publishers Weekly as a "superb debut", "touching and well written, genuinely compelling and convincing" by Sir Stephen Fry, and "a capacious work of vision, courage, and thoroughness" by Ocean Vuong.
Artem takes Kate through his childhood in central Siberia, his career starting as a cadet reporter at 16 and the editor-in-chief by 26, and, eventually, his shift into creative writing.
Produced by Tyler Austin and Mick Kowaleski
Music by Duck the Piano Wire
Thursday Jul 06, 2023
SKYLIT: Millie De Chirico & Quatoyiah Murray, TCM UNDERGROUND
Thursday Jul 06, 2023
Thursday Jul 06, 2023
Cinephiles, tune in! In this episode, Tyler Austin hosts Millie De Chirico and Quatoyiah Murray, co-writers of TCM Underground, a movie-lover's guide to 50 of the most campy, kitschy, shocking, and weirdly wonderful cult films you need to see.
Millie and Quatoyiah take the Ty-Guy through the cult classics of the Turner Classic Movie series, and discuss everything from writing with a partner to buying Salo DVDs from the Italian Dark Web.
Produced by Tyler Austin and Mick Kowaleski
Music by Duck the Piano Wire.
Thursday Jun 29, 2023
SKYLIT: Charles Ardai of Hard Case Crime
Thursday Jun 29, 2023
Thursday Jun 29, 2023
Listen here, gumshoes and femme fatales, we’re gonna give you the straight story on the QT and very hush hush. Skylight’s own torpedo, Tyler, tangles with Charles Ardai, mystery writer and founder of Hard Case Crime, a publishing imprint re-releasing classics of the pulp underworld and modern takes on the time-tested genre. Charles spills the beans about his journey into the publishing world, what it’s like to meet and work with your literary heroes, how he writes his own fiction, and when he knew the whole endeavor would not only survive but thrive. Over nearly two decades, the beautifully hand-painted covers of Hard Case Crime paperbacks have become synonymous with a mark of quality and a stamp of approval for readers around the world. This is the inside scoop on how it all came to be.
____________________________________________________________________
Produced by Mick Kowaleski and Tyler Austin
Music by Duck, the Piano Wire
Friday May 26, 2023
SKYLIT: Alex Pappademas, QUANTUM CRIMINALS
Friday May 26, 2023
Friday May 26, 2023
Fire in the hole! Any major dude will tell you that this podcast is a hit. Were you thinking of skipping? Only a fool would say that! That's pretzel logic.
On this episode, we host king of the world Alex Pappademas as he discusses his new Steely Dan book QUANTUM CRIMINALS with the razor boy himself, Tyler Austin. Hop in your midnite cruiser, turn that heartbeat over again, and hang with Alex as he discusses doing the dirty work with illustrator Joan Lemay and everything and anything Steely! Then do it again, night by night.
If you like this episode, make sure you stop by Skylight Books on May 31st to see Alex live and in person!
Produced by Mick Kowaleski.
Music by Duck the Piano Wire.
Thursday May 18, 2023
Better Than the Movie, Ep.4: ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET
Thursday May 18, 2023
Thursday May 18, 2023
It's Three Men and a Little Lady! Allan, Justin, and Tyler tackle the long-delayed feature film adaptation of the iconic "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" by legendary children's author Judy Blume. The flick has got a great creative team, including director Kelly Fremon Craig ("The Edge of Seventeen") and Oscar-winning producer James L. Brooks ("Terms of Endearment"). The BTTM fellas talk coming-of-age stories, Rachel McAdams's Oscar chances, Benny Safdie's unexpected suavity, Kathy Bates's Jewish grandmother qualities, and much more. (BTW the movie Justin can't remember around the 10-minute mark is a French-Canadian film called "Slut in a Good Way." Check it out, it's fun!)
______________________________________________________________________
Produced by Justin Remer and Mick Kowaleski
Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire
Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band
Thursday May 11, 2023
SKYLIT: Kristen Lopez, ”But Have You Read the Book?”
Thursday May 11, 2023
Thursday May 11, 2023
One-third of the Better Than the Movie gang, Tyler Austin, sits down with Kristen Lopez to talk about her book of 52 essential page-to-film adaptations. In But Have You Read the Book?, presented by Turner Classic Movies, Lopez explores just what makes these works classics of both the page and screen, and why each made for an exceptional adaptation—whether faithful to the book or exemplifying cinematic creative license.
Produced by Mick Kowaleski and Tyler Austin
Music by Duck the Piano Wire.
Thursday Apr 20, 2023
Better Than the Movie, Ep. 3: THE SISTERS BROTHERS w/ Alena Saunders
Thursday Apr 20, 2023
Thursday Apr 20, 2023
It's Guest O'Clock, pardners! Skylight's own Alena Saunders (of LIT ANGELES fame) drops in to the back room to talk about one of her favorite books, The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt, and its 2018 film adaptation directed by Jacques Audiard. The conversation gets heated in this one...Conflict between the BTTM Boys?? Say it ain't so!
______________________________________________________________________
Produced by Mick Kowaleski and Justin Remer
Music by Duck the Piano Wire.