Skylight Books Podcast Series

SKYLIT: Paul Tremblay, ”THE PALLBEARERS CLUB”

What if the coolest girl you’ve ever met decided to be your friend?

Art Barbara was so not cool. He was a seventeen-year-old high school loner in the late 1980s who listened to hair metal, had to wear a monstrous back-brace at night for his scoliosis, and started an extracurricular club for volunteer pallbearers at poorly attended funerals. But his new friend thought the Pallbearers Club was cool. And she brought along her Polaroid camera to take pictures of the corpses.

Okay, that part was a little weird.

So was her obsessive knowledge of a notorious bit of New England folklore that involved digging up the dead. And there were other strange things – terrifying things – that happened when she was around, usually at night. But she was his friend, so it was okay, right?

Decades later, Art tries to make sense of it all by writing The Pallbearers Club: A Memoir. But somehow this friend got her hands on the manuscript and, well, she has some issues with it. And now she’s making cuts.

Seamlessly blurring the lines between fiction and memory, the supernatural and the mundane, The Pallbearers Club is an immersive, suspenseful portrait of an unusual and disconcerting relationship.

 

Author Paul Tremblay is in conversation with Halley Perry.

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Produced by Nat Freeman, Lance Morgan, & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

SKYLIT: Becky Chambers, ”A PRAYER FOR THE CROWN-SHY”

After touring the rural areas of Panga, Sibling Dex (a Tea Monk of some renown) and Mosscap (a robot sent on a quest to determine what humanity really needs) turn their attention to the villages and cities of the little moon they call home.

They hope to find the answers they seek, while making new friends, learning new concepts, and experiencing the entropic nature of the universe.

Becky Chambers's new Monk & Robot series continues to ask: in a world where people have what they want, does having more even matter?

 

Chambers discusses her new entry in the series, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, with Nat Freeman.

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Produced by Nat Freeman, Lance Morgan, & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

SKYLIT: Ross Melnick, ”HOLLYWOOD’S EMBASSIES”

Beginning in the 1920s, audiences around the globe were seduced not only by Hollywood films but also by lavish movie theaters that were owned and operated by the major American film companies. These theaters aimed to provide a quintessentially "American" experience. Outfitted with American technology and accoutrements, they allowed local audiences to watch American films in an American-owned cinema in a distinctly American way.

 

In Hollywood's Embassies, a history that stretches from Buenos Aires and Tokyo to Johannesburg and Cairo, Ross Melnick considers these movie houses as cultural embassies. He examines how the exhibition of Hollywood films became a constant flow of political and consumerist messaging, selling American ideas, products, and power, especially during fractious eras. Melnick demonstrates that while Hollywood's marketing of luxury and consumption often struck a chord with local audiences, it was also frequently tone-deaf to new social, cultural, racial, and political movements. He argues that the story of Hollywood's global cinemas is not a simple narrative of cultural and industrial indoctrination and colonization. Instead, it is one of negotiation, booms and busts, successes and failures, adoptions and rejections, and a precursor to later conflicts over the spread of American consumer culture. A truly global account, Hollywood's Embassies shows how the entanglement of worldwide movie theaters with American empire offers a new way of understanding film history and the history of U.S. soft power.

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Produced by Nat Freeman, Lance Morgan, & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

LIT ANGELES, Ep. 3: ”THE REVOLT OF THE COCKROACH PEOPLE” w/ Sesshu Foster & Arturo Romo

Emily and Alena take a break from the glitz of Hollywood to explore Oscar Zeta Acosta's Los Angeles in The Revolt of the Cockroach People. Acosta, a friend and contemporary of Hunter S. Thompson, takes us behind the front lines of the militant Chicano movement of the late sixties and early seventies, a movement he served both in the courtroom and on the barricades.

 

Emily and Alena discuss the Chicano/Anglo conflict and have an illuminating conversation with Sesshu Foster and Arturo Ernesto Romo, authors of Eladatl: A History of the East Los Angeles Dirigible Air Transport Lines, about Acosta's mysterious disappearance and lasting legacy.

 

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Produced by Emily VanKoughnett, Alena Saunders & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

SKYLIT: Sina Grace, ”ROCKSTAR & SOFTBOY”

Sina Grace returns to writing and drawing for the first time in five years to deliver a frenzied story about two best friends and their antics in Hollyweird, CA.

 

Rockstar plans the greatest house party ever as a means of lifting roommate Softboy's spirits, but things take a gnarly turn when the dreaded PARTY ANIMAL shows up to make a mess of things... and dredge up long held secrets between two BFFs who seemingly share everything

 

Join us for this conversation with Grace on Rockstar & Softboy, hosted by Lance Morgan.
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Produced by Nat Freeman, Lance Morgan, & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

SKYLIT: Angeline Jackson, ”FUNNY GYAL”

When Angeline Jackson was a child, she wondered if there was something wrong with her for wanting to kiss the other girls. But as her sexuality blossomed in her teens, she knew she wouldn't "grow out of it" and that her attraction to girls wasn't against God. In fact, she discovered that same-sex relationships were depicted in the Bible, which she read devoutly, even if the tight-knit evangelical Christian community she grew up in believed any sexual relationship outside of marriage between a man and woman was a sin, and her society, Jamaica, criminalized homosexual sex.

Angeline's story begins with her traumatic experience of "corrective rape" when she is lured by an online predator, then traces her childhood through her sexual and spiritual awakening as a teen -- falling in love, breaking up, coming out, and then being forced into conversion therapy.

Sometimes dark, always threadbare and honest, Funny Gyal chronicles how Angeline's faith deepens as a teenager, despite her parents' conservative values and the strict Christian Jamaican society in which she lives, giving her the courage to challenge gender violence, rape culture, and oppression.

 

Join us for this conversation, hosted by Lance Morgan.
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Produced by Nat Freeman, Lance Morgan, & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

Lit Angeles, Ep. 2: ”L.A. WOMAN” w/ Molly Lambert

For the second episode of Lit Angeles, Emily and Alena dive deep into the the City of Angels painted by Eve Babitz in her 1982 classic L.A. Woman. They discuss what makes the novel so special from a stylistic standpoint. Later, they're joined by Molly Lambert, writer and host of the new podcast HeidiWorld, to talk how writing about L.A.'s party culture from a woman's perspective makes a huge difference, the cultural peculiarities of Los Angeles, and most importantly: what is an L.A. Woman??? 

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Produced by Emily VanKoughnett, Alena Saunders & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

LIVE ON CROWDCAST: Paul Tran, ”ALL THE FLOWERS KNEELING” w/ Hieu Minh Nguyen & Fatimah Asghar

Visceral and astonishing, Paul Tran's debut poetry collection All the Flowers Kneeling investigates intergenerational trauma, sexual violence, and U.S. imperialism in order to radically alter our understanding of freedom, power, and control. In poems of desire, gender, bodies, legacies, and imagined futures, Tran’s poems elucidate the complex and harrowing processes of reckoning and recovery, enhanced by innovative poetic forms that mirror the nonlinear emotional and psychological experiences of trauma survivors. At once grand and intimate, commanding and deeply vulnerable, All the Flowers Kneeling revels in rediscovering and reconfiguring the self, and ultimately becomes an essential testament to the human capacity for resilience, endurance, and love.

 

Join us for this conversation between Tran and fellow poets Hieu Minh Nguyen and Fatimah Asghar, recorded live on our Crowdcast on February 24, 2022.

 

Moderated by Halley Parry.

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Produced by Nat Freeman, Lance Morgan, & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

Visit https://www.skylightbooks.com/event for future offerings from the Skylight Books Events team.

LIVE ON CROWDCAST: Robbie Couch, ”BLAINE FOR THE WIN” w/ Margot Wood

In Blaine for the Win, high school junior Blaine Bowers has it all—the perfect boyfriend, a pretty sweet gig as a muralist for local Windy City businesses, a loving family, and awesome, talented friends. And he is absolutely, 100% positive that aforementioned perfect boyfriend—senior student council president and Mr. Popular of Wicker West High School, Joey—is going to invite Blaine to spend spring break with his family in beautiful, sunny Cabo San Lucas.

Except Joey breaks up with him instead. In public. On their one-year anniversary.

Because, according to Joey, Blaine is too goofy, too flighty, too…unserious. And if Joey wants to go far in life, he needs to start dating more serious guys. Guys like Zach Chesterton.

Determined to prove that Blaine can be what Joey wants, Blaine decides to enter the running to become his successor (and beat out Joey’s new boyfriend, Zach) as senior student council president.

But is he willing to sacrifice everything he loves about himself to do it?

 

Join us for this conversation between Robbie Couch and Margot Wood, recorded live on our Crowdcast on April 13, 2022.

 

Moderated by Nat Freeman.

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Produced by Nat Freeman, Lance Morgan, & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

Visit https://www.skylightbooks.com/event for future offerings from the Skylight Books Events team.

THE HANDSELL: Philly AIDS Thrift at Giovanni’s Room

Join us for a conversation with Will Clark and Katharine Milon, co-managers of Philly AIDS Thrift at Giovanni's Room, the self-described "Oldest and Very Best LGBTQ and Feminist Bookstore in the Country." 

 

Hosted by Lance Morgan.
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Produced by Nat Freeman, Lance Morgan, & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

ARTS ANNEX SPOTLIGHT: Liam Campbell, ”ELSKA MAGAZINE”

In this special edition of our Arts Annex series, we speak to Elska Magazine's editor and chief photographer, Liam Campbell, about working with his subjects and what it means to run a magazine by and for gay men.

 

Elska Magazine is a photography, culture and travel publication featuring images and stories from local men, giving a glimpse at the real lives of gay men.

 

Hosted by Lance Morgan.
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Produced by Nat Freeman, Lance Morgan, & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

Lit Angeles, Ep. 1: ”THE BIG SLEEP” w/ Jonathan Ames

Join us for a brand new series in the Skylight arsenal, Lit Angeles! In this soon-to-be-regular segment, our hosts Emily VanKoughnett and Alena Saunders take a deep dive into Angeleno's rich literary history, one book at a time, exploring select titles that they believe illustrate the City of Angels with depth and texture. 

In the first episode, they tackle Raymond Chandler's proto-noir detective classic, The Big Sleep, in particular Chandler's timeless anti-authoritarian streak and his all-time protagonist, Phillip Marlowe. They're joined by esteemed author and screenwriter Jonathan Ames (A Man Named Doll, You Were Never Really Here), who talks about his connection to Chandler's work and the future of the noir tradition.

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Produced by Emily VanKoughnett, Alena Saunders & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

LIVE ON CROWDCAST: H. Melt, ”THERE ARE TRANS PEOPLE HERE” w/ Kemi Alabi

There are trans people here in the past, the present, and the future. H. Melt's writing centers the deep care, love, and joy within trans communities. This poetry collection describes moments of resistance in queer and trans history as catalysts for movements today. It honors trans ancestors and contemporary activists, artists, and writers fighting for trans liberation. There Are Trans People Here is a testament to the healing power of community and the beauty of trans people, history, and culture.

 

Join us for this conversation between Melt and Against Heaven author Kemi Alabi, recorded live on our Crowdcast on April 8, 2022.

 

Moderated by Yves Nuno.

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Produced by Nat Freeman, Lance Morgan, & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

Visit https://www.skylightbooks.com/event for future offerings from the Skylight Books Events team.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tommy Pico

Join us for an amazing conversation with poet, podcaster, and TV writer Tommy Pico, as he discusses his career and the delineating differences between his different creative pursuits.

 

Hosted by Lance Morgan.
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Produced by Nat Freeman, Lance Morgan, & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.

SKYLIT: Sequoia Maner, ”33 1/3 KENDRICK LAMAR’S TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY”

Breaking the global record for streams in a single day, nearly 10 million people around the world tuned in to hear Kendrick Lamar's sophomore album in the hours after its release. To Pimp a Butterfly was widely hailed as an instant classic, garnering laudatory album reviews, many awards, and even a canonized place in Harvard's W. E. B. Du Bois archive. Why did this strangely compelling record stimulate the emotions and imaginations of listeners?

This book takes a deep dive into the sounds, images, and lyrics of To Pimp a Butterfly to suggest that Kendrick appeals to the psyche of a nation in crisis and embraces the development of a radical political conscience. Kendrick breathes fresh life into the Black musical protest tradition and cultivates a platform for loving resistance. Combining funk, jazz, and spoken word, To Pimp a Butterfly's expansive sonic and lyrical geography brings a high level of innovation to rap music. More importantly, Kendrick's introspective and philosophical songs compel us to believe in a future where, perhaps, we gon' be alright.

 

Join us for this conversation with author Sequoia Maner, hosted by Lance Morgan.
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Produced by Nat Freeman, Lance Morgan, & Michael Kowaleski.

Theme: "I Love All My Friends," an unreleased demo by Fragile Gang.