Jonah Raskin – August 5, 2018

November 29, 2025

Janet Kintner and Tina Davidson on A Novel Idea

In this episode, Suzanne Lang talks with Janet Kintner, who was appointed judge at the age of 31 and at a time when few women were even on the bench, let alone young and pregnant. Kintner’s memoir is A Judges Tale, A Trailblazer Fights for Her Place on the Bench. We also visit composer Tina…

November 15, 2025

Janet Burroway and Joan Frank on A Novel Idea

Simone in Pieces is a tour de force in fiction writing by literary powerhouse Janet Burroway, who joins Suzanne Lang in conversation. Also featured is the ever-fascinating Joan Frank with her works Late Work, A Literary Autobiography of Love, Loss, and What I Was Reading and the novel Juniper…

November 01, 2025

Christine Walker and Reyna Marder Gentin on A Novel Idea

Christine Walker joins Suzanne Lang in conversation on her century spanning novel, Tap Dancing at the Bluebird. Also featured is Reyna Marder Gentin on her book Jessica Harmon Has Stepped Away, a mother/daughter story including literary prizes, road trips, and ultimately, independence. It’s A Novel…

October 18, 2025

Stan Lai and Souleymane Bachir Diagne on A Novel Idea

Taiwanese theater artist Stan Lai joins Suzanne Lang in conversation about his book CreativtRy: Asia’s Iconic Playwright Reveals the Art of Creativity, a best seller in Chinese which Lai completely rewrote in English and maps out the creative process which can contribute to any life endeavor.…

October 05, 2025

K.L. Murphy and Samuel W. Gailey on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang talks with mystery writer K.L. Murphy on her historical fiction, The Great Forgotten, centered around the 1918 train crash in Nashville Tennessee, while WWI rages, women struggle for the vote, train robbers plot, and Jim Crow affects the lives of African-Americans. Suzanne also talks…

September 21, 2025

James Janko and Diane Botnick on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang talks with James Janko, whose remarkable novel is the Wire Walker, the story of a Palestinian Circus Girl, her friendship with a Jewish Israeli Juggler, and the realities of their lives in the current climate. Also featured is Diane Botnick with her novel Becoming Sarah, a human story…

Sep 07, 2025

Shelley Blanton-Stroud and Marilyn J. Zimmerman on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang talks with author Shelley Blanton-Stroud on the craft of writing and her latest novel, An Unlikely Prospect, set in the San Francisco…

Aug 31, 2025

Laurel Munson Boyers and Stanley A. Rice on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang talks with Laurel Munson Boyers on her book Across Yosemite’s Wilderness, a Trailblazing Woman’s Career Protecting the Park’s…

Aug 17, 2025

Stephen P. Huyler and Olive Senior on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang talks with artist Stephen P. Huyler, who has traveled India for just about half a century and through photographs and capturing material…

Aug 03, 2025

Tik Maynard and Rossana D’Antonio on A Novel Idea

At midlife, equestrian Tik Maynard embarks on a life journey when he prepares to compete in “Road to the Horse”, a competition to start an untamed…

Jul 20, 2025

Honorée Fanonne Jeffers and L. Annette Binder on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang talks with Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, author of Oprah Book Club read The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois, on her latest book of family,…

Jul 06, 2025

Emely Rumble and Susan Church-Downer on A Novel Idea

Literature and reading as healers. Suzanne Lang talks with Bibliotherapist Emely Rumble, LCSW, about this practice and her book Bibliotherapy In The…

Jun 29, 2025

Mark B. Perry and Beth Hahn on A Novel Idea

Mid Century LA with Suzanne Lang as she talks with Emmy winning writer & producer Mark B. Perry on his novel depicting the squelching of authenticity…

Jun 15, 2025

Gerald Warburg and Larry Tye on A Novel Idea

The Point Reyes National Seashore remains in the forefront of preservation and controversy. Suzanne Lang talks with Gerald Warburg on his book Saving…

Jun 01, 2025

Lizzie Wade and Manjula Martin on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang traverses history with journalist Lizzie Wade on her book Apocalypse, How Catastrophe Transformed Our World and Can Forge New Futures, a…

May 18, 2025

Maria Foscarinis and Chris Cabral on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang is joined by trailblazing housing advocate Maria Foscarinis in conversation on her book And Housing for All: The Fight to End…

May 04, 2025

Ian leslie and Arnold Levine on A Novel Idea

John and Paul, a Love Story in Songs is Leslie's remarkable book on the creative and personal friendship of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Join…

Apr 06, 2025

Jean Shinoda Bolen, plus Bremond Berry MacDougall and Lisa Cooper on A Novel Idea

Suzanne M Lang talks with Jean Shinoda Bolen, an internationally renowned Jungian analyst, speaker, activist for women’s empowerment, and prolific…

Mar 30, 2025

Terri Lewis and Janet Constantino on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang talks with author Terri Lewis on her historical novel set in the early 13th century in England, when King John abducts and marries the…

Mar 13, 2025

Samantha Rose and Remembering Susan Swartz on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang talks with best-selling author Samantha Rose on her memoir Giving Up the Ghost, a Daughter’s Memoir. Samantha is the daughter of author…

Mar 02, 2025

CJ Cook on A Novel Idea

CJ Cook is an art collector, historian, publisher, rescuer of lost artists, and lover of the South Pacific. Suzanne Lang talks with CJ Cook on Edithe…

Feb 16, 2025

Daniel Kraus and Elizabeth Reed Aden on A Novel Idea

George Romero, creator of Night of the Living Dead, has a new book out. He himself has been dead since 2017, but with the help of best-selling author…

Feb 02, 2025

Elaine Neil Orr and Rosemary Manchester on A Novel Idea

Africa in the early 1960’s was a place of transitions, political and personal. Suzanne Lang talks with Elaine Neil Orr on her novel, Dancing Woman,…

Jan 19, 2025

Alice Rothchild and Susan Muaddi Darraj on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang talks with activist and author Alice Rothchild, whose own feminist enlightenment was gained by persevering through a male dominated…

Jan 05, 2025

Eiren Caffall and Amory Patrick Blaine on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang talks with Eiren Caffall, a writer who also has a hereditary illness. She writes of the environment’s wounds that affect the life and…

Dec 29, 2024

Brian H Williams and Candi Milo on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang brings you her conversation with trauma surgeon and policy advisor Brian H Williams about his intense and eye-opening revelations in his…

Dec 15, 2024

David Tereshchuk and Stephen Most on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang welcomes internationally acclaimed journalist and PBS & NPR commentator David Tereshchuk to talk about his memoir A Question of…

Dec 01, 2024

Bill Amatneek and Jessi Haley on A Novel Idea

Discovering Tony Rice is the biography of the virtuosic and enigmatic bluegrass guitarist, Tony Rice. Suzanne Lang talks with its author, Bill…

Nov 17, 2024

Poets Pelumi Olatinpo, Naomi Ko, and Cade Palmer on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang talks with Pelumi Olatinpo -poet, activist, and entrepreneur, who has created a poetic form called the Soneta. Six lines on a page. Ten…

Nov 03, 2024

Sheri T. Joseph and Barbara L. Baer on A Novel Idea

Sheri T. Joseph joins Suzanne Lang in conversation on her award winning novel, Edge of the Known World, set in the near future where geopolitics only…

Oct 20, 2024

Iris Jamal Dunkle on A Novel Idea

Voices of writers, voices of creative, accomplished women have gotten lost in the fog of other people’s fame, and mostly by the conventions and…

Oct 03, 2024

Matthew Ferrence and Amanda Jones on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang talks with Matthew Ferrence, who ran for the Pennsylvania State Legislature (and lost) in a gerrymandered red area that is deemed…

Sep 29, 2024

Jillian Haslam and Andrei Codrescu on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang talks with philanthropist, motivational speaker, and author Jillian Haslam on her memoir A Voice Out of Poverty. Haslam grew up in India…

Sep 15, 2024

Aurelie Thiele and Brian Belefant on A Novel Idea

The German occupation of Paris during World War II was a time of shifting and uncertain alliances, and life for Parisians required a bit of careful…

Sep 01, 2024

Aaron P. Dworkin and Alicia M. Rodriguez on A Novel Idea

Becoming who we are. Suzanne M. Lang talks with thought leader, McArthur Fellow, and founder of the Sphinx Project, Aaron P. Dworkin on his book…

Aug 18, 2024

Cynthia Reeves and Andrea Pitzer on A Novel Idea

A Novel Idea goes polar with Cynthia Reeves and her novel of love, loss, and survival at the top of the world, THE LAST WHALER. Also featured is…

Aug 04, 2024

Fred Waitzkin and Susan Sisko Carter on A Novel Idea

Fred Waitzkin, best-selling author of Searching for Bobby Fischer, joins Suzanne Lang in conversation on his writing and latest work addressing…

Jul 21, 2024

Larry Tye and Carl Unegbu on A Novel Idea

From Jim Crow to Civil Rights, it was tenacious and savvy black musicians who paved the way. Suzanne Lang talks with Larry Tye whose book is The…

Jun 30, 2024

Susan Muaddi Darraj and Rex Ogle on A Novel Idea

Suzanne Lang talks with award winning author of books for kids and adults, Susan Muaddi Darraj, whose novel is BEHIND YOU IS THE SEA. This story of…

Jun 16, 2024

Erin Zimmerman and Manjula Martin on A Novel Idea

The importance of gathered botanical and ecological knowledge to our survival as human beings in a changing landscape is explored. Suzanne Lang talks…

Jun 02, 2024

Anastasia Zadeik and Julie Chavez get a grip on A Novel Idea

Depression, panic attacks, mania are all forms of mental dis-order. Therapy, medication, and strong support systems can help restore a bit of…

May 19, 2024

Elizabeth Reed Aden and Nell Freudenberger on A Novel Idea

When fiction is grounded in scientific fact, our world opens up. Suzanne Lang talks with novelist Elizabeth Reed Aden on her medical thriller The…

May 05, 2024

Tim Palmer and Julene Bair on A Novel Idea

It’s all about water. Suzanne Lang talks with author, photographer, and conservationist Tim Palmer on his book Seek Higher Ground, the Natural…

Apr 21, 2024

Mimi Zieman and Cathryn J. Prince on A Novel Idea

A dancer on Everest and a queen of high climbing mountaineers are featured. Suzanne Lang talks with Mimi Zieman, doctor and author of “The Post Roe…

Apr 07, 2024

Alfred J. Lakritz, Katrin Ciaffa, and Peter Bromberg on A Novel Idea

Stories from the devastating times in Europe during World War II, —told to us by the people who lived through them, speak loudly to us in our current…

Mar 29, 2024

Tessa Hill and Marianna Leuschel & Josie Iselin on A Novel Idea

We go above and below, at every depth. Tessa Hill joins Suzanne Lang in conversation on At Every Depth, Our Growing Knowledge of the Changing Oceans,…

Mar 17, 2024

Jennifer Manocherian and Jude Berman on A Novel Idea

Jennifer Manocherian’s book is Alpha Bette, sort of the opposite of a coming of age story. It takes place over the course of a single day and is…

Mar 03, 2024

Terence Ward and Eugenio Volpe on A Novel Idea

For the past four hundred years, the groundbreaking Italian artist, Caravaggio, has challenged, intrigued, and transformed us. Suzanne Lang talks…

Feb 16, 2024

Novelists who write inside of their calling on A Novel Idea (Aired: February 18, 2024)

Novelists who write inside of their calling. D.J. Green is a geologist and writer who brings her love of the planet into a drama that ranges from the…

Feb 02, 2024

Parisa Akhbari, Naomi Ko, Cade Palmer, Maxine Flasher-Düzgüneş, and Jennie Orvino on A Novel Idea (Aired: February 4, 2024)

Poetry communicates, teaches, and binds us together. Parisa Akhbari (@authorparisa) a mental health therapist and writer from Seattle, Washington…

Jan 18, 2024

Marilyn Dear Nelson and her husband Chris Nelson on A Novel Idea (Aired: January 21, 2024)

When Marilyn Dear Nelson and her husband Chris Nelson started digging into her ancestry and the life of great grandfather, JW Dear, they discovered a…

Jan 09, 2024

C.J. Cook joins Suzanne Lang on A Novel Idea (Aired: January 7, 2024)

The South Pacific has inspired artists and writers since the 19th century and Ralph Burke Tyree was among them. Historian and art collector C.J. Cook…

Dec 15, 2023

Brian H. Williams and Jody Gelb on A Novel Idea (Aired: December 17, 2023)

Suzanne Lang talks with Brian H. Williams - trauma surgeon, policy advisor, and current candidate for US Congress, who brings us his intense and…

Nov 30, 2023

Shelley Blanton-Stroud and Bob Burnett on A Novel Idea (Aired: December 3, 2023)

Sometimes authors use conventional forms of fiction to explore larger issues of history, gender, love, and success. Called the “Raymond Chandler for…

Nov 17, 2023

Eliot Pattison on A Novel Idea (Aired: November 19, 2023)

Eliot Pattison is the author of gritty mysteries set in the historic past and joins Suzanne Lang for an hour of conversation. His latest novel is…

Nov 03, 2023

Julia Bricklin and Carolyn Hays on A Novel Idea (Aired: November 5, 2023)

Award winning writer and historian Julia Bricklin joins Suzanne Lang to talk about her most recent book Red Sapphire: The Woman Who Beat the…

Oct 26, 2023

Esmeralda Santiago and Corky Parker on A Novel Idea (Aired: October 29, 2023)

Esmeralda Santiago, a prolific Puerto Rican author of a series of memoirs, along with nonfiction works, and works for young people joins Suzanne Lang…

Sep 29, 2023

Frances Rivetti, Samantha Downing, and A.J. Wich on A Novel Idea (Aired: October 1, 2023)

Writers at different stages and phases of their craft. Suzanne Lang features three novelists at varying stages in their craft. Longtime journalist…

Sep 14, 2023

Laura Maylene Walter and Ivy Anderson & Devon Angus on A Novel Idea (Aired: September 17, 2023)

Marked Women is the focus this time on A Novel Idea. First, Suzanne Lang talks with Laura Maylene Walter on her award-winning novel Body of Stars.…

Aug 31, 2023

Maddalena Bearzi and Greg Sarris on A Novel Idea (Aired: September 3, 2023)

Marine mammal researcher and co-founder of the Ocean Conservation Society, Maddalena Bearzi, like many of us, had her work curtailed during the…

Aug 17, 2023

Daniel Stashower on A Novel Idea (Aired: August 20, 2023)

True crime and bestselling author Daniel Stashower’s American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America’s Jack the Ripper probes the depression era…

Aug 03, 2023

Andy Dolich and Dale Tafoya on A Novel Idea (Aired: August 6, 2023)

A tale of two cities. Suzanne Lang talks with sports executive and author Andy Dolich, who along with journalist Dave Newhouse, authored the book…

Jul 28, 2023

Chuck Collins and Katrin Ciaffa on A Novel Idea (Aired: July 30, 2023)

Long time activist for economic and environmental justice, Chuck Collins, brings us his provocative novel of the near future, Altar to an Erupting…

Jul 13, 2023

Ginny Kubitz Moyer and Robert McKean on A Novel Idea (Aired: July 16, 2023)

Suzanne Lang talks with novelists Ginny Kubitz Moyer on her historical novel, The Seeing Garden, set in 1910 on the San Francisco Peninsula. Also on…

Jun 29, 2023

Christy Warren and Susan Farren on A Novel Idea (Aired: July 2, 2023)

Fire Captain Christy Warren was born to deal with crisis situations and rescuing others. She was tough and decisive under pressure, but when she…

Jun 16, 2023

Tina Davidson and Francesco Lecce-Chong on A Novel Idea (Aired: June 18, 2023)

Tina Davidson is a composer whose music is autobiographical, so her memoir is of course, musical. Suzanne Lang talks with composer Tina Davidson, on…

Jun 02, 2023

Mary Jo McConahay and Kate McElwee on A Novel Idea (Aired: June 4, 2023)

Suzanne Lang talks with prize-winning journalist Mary Jo McConahay on her book Playing God, American Catholic Bishops and the Far Right, which…

May 07, 2023

Dale Tafoya and Mark Shrager join Suzanne on A Novel Idea (Aired: May 7, 2023)

Baseball and horseracing are two sports that have been with us since before the Civil War and we still enjoy them in one way or another today.…

Apr 27, 2023

Beth Ann Mathews and Skye Blaine on A Novel Idea (Aired: April 30th, 2023)

Suzanne M. Lang is joined by Beth Ann Mathews, Marine biologist and author of Deep Waters, A Memoir of Loss, Alaska Adventure, and Love Rekindled.…

Mar 30, 2023

Author Joan Frank on A Novel Idea (Aired: April 2, 2023)

Joan Frank is simply a master of language and expression, and she has two new books to prove it: a novel, Juniper Street, and a book of essays, Late…

Mar 03, 2023

Donnaldson Brown and Samuel W. Gailey on A Novel Idea (Aired: March 5, 2023)

Absorbing literary fiction comes from Donnaldson Brown with her decades spanning epic novel Because I Loved You and Samuel W. Gailey with Come Away…

Feb 03, 2023

Candi Milo and Loren Niemi on A Novel Idea (Aired: February 5, 2023)

Actor, singer, and Warner Brothers voice artist for many animated characters, Candi Milo, tells the story of her unusual upbringing in her memoir…

Jan 27, 2023

Marylee MacDonald and Elisa Stancil Levine on A Novel Idea (Aired: January 29, 2023)

What happens in our youth ripples through our entire lives. Authors Marylee MacDonald and Elisa Stancil Levine join Suzanne M. Lang in conversation…

Jan 01, 2023

Shugri Salh and Hemu Aggarwal on A Novel Idea (Aired: Sunday, January 1, 2022)

Shugri Salh was born in the Somalia desert and lived with her grandmother as a desert nomad herding goats before landing in an orphanage and the…

Dec 05, 2022

Brennan Matthews and Brad Herzog on A Novel Idea (Aired: December 4, 2022) (2)

Road trips seem to be uniquely American and Suzanne Lang talks with two authors about their unique takes on traveling the country. Miles to Go, an…

Nov 04, 2022

Lissa Bachner and Amy Turner on A Novel Idea (Aired: November 6th, 2022)

Suzanne Lang talks with equestrian Lissa Bachner. When Lissa became blind, it was the healing partnership with her horse Milo that physically guided…

Oct 28, 2022

A Novel Idea goes Way out West (Aired: October 30, 2022)

Way out West. Biographer of scrappy women, Theresa Kaminski talks about her book Queen of the West, The Life and Times of Dale Evans. Then, author…

Oct 07, 2022

Jori Lewis and Judith Berlowitz on A Novel Idea (Aired: October 2, 2022)

Jori Lewis visits with her book Slaves for Peanuts, A Story of Conquest, Liberation, and a Crop that Changed History, a lyrical revelation that…

Sep 02, 2022

Keri Blankenship and Dr. Dianna Grayer on A Novel Idea (Aired: September 4, 2022)

Keri Blankenship did not let her worst moments define her. Her book is Corrections in Ink, a Memoir, a candid self-portrait of her journey to elite…

Aug 04, 2022

Marston Hefner and Schuyler M. Wood on A Novel Idea (Aired: August 7, 2022)

Marston Hefner is a young writer who plays with language and sentiment, with some of his pieces having a sort of absurdity that upon closer reading…

Jul 29, 2022

Jillian Haslam on A Novel Idea with Suzanne Lang (Aired: July 31, 2022)

Jillian Haslam grew up destitute and malnourished in the slums of Calcutta. She survived to climb out of poverty, achieve a successful career in…

Jul 01, 2022

Amy Edelstein and Kathleen C. Stone on A Novel Idea (Aired: July 3, 2022)

Inner strength and agency over our lives is what we explore with Amy Edelstein, whose book is Adventure in Zanskar, a young woman’s solitary journey…

Jun 03, 2022

Barbara Graham and Caitlin Hamilton Summie on A Novel Idea (Aired: June 5, 2020)

Best-selling nonfiction author Barbara Graham and award winner Caitlin Hamilton Summie join Suzanne M. Lang in conversation on their novels. Both…

May 27, 2022

Neal Thompson and Connie Hertzberg Mayo on A Novel Idea (Aired: May 29, 2022)

The Late 19th Century tells us as much about ourselves as looking in the mirror. Two writers explore the late 19th century, though one writes fiction…

Apr 28, 2022

Poet/novelists Andrei Codrescu and Barbara Quick on A Novel Idea (

Long-time NPR commentator, editor of Exquisite Corpse, novelist, and poet Andrei Codrescu joins Suzanne Lang in conversation on his life, writing,…

Apr 01, 2022

Greg Sarris and Julene Bair on A Novel Idea (Aired: April 3, 2022)

Story, memory, place, and water converges with our two guests. Suzanne Lang is joined by Greg Sarris, author, educator and Tribal Chairman of the…

Mar 04, 2022

Ruthie Marlenee and Meredith Hall join Suzanne on A Novel Idea (Aired: March 6, 2022)

Characters seem to tell their authors where the story is going, and that is part of the alchemy of writing novels. Suzanne Lang talks with Ruthie…

Feb 04, 2022

Ann Vileisis talks about abalone's uncertain future on A Novel Idea (Aired: February 6, 2022)

Environmental historian Ann Vileisis goes deep and pulls together a fascinating story in Abalone, the Remarkable History and Uncertain Future of…

Jan 28, 2022

Daniel Coshnear and Beth Kirschner on A Novel Idea (Aired: January 30, 2022)

Good fiction invites us to be less alone, to question our own thoughts and perceptions, to laugh at ourselves and cry about what hurts. Join Suzanne…

Dec 31, 2021

Rosemary Manchester shares her autobiography on A Novel Idea (Aired: January 2, 2022)

A young couple with four little children experienced a calling to the missionary life and found themselves living in the crisis time of independence…

Nov 05, 2021

Two young new literary voices on A Novel Idea (Aired: November 7, 2021)

It’s two young new literary voices on this edition on KRCB’s A Novel Idea with Suzanne Lang. Kendra Atleework’s book is Miracle Country, a Memoir of…

Oct 28, 2021

Peri Chickering and Carolyn Lee Arnold on A Novel Idea (Aired: October 31, 2021)

Over the years it seems that many of the authors we’ve featured have been published by Berkeley based She Writes Press, including our featured…

Oct 04, 2021

Joanna FitzPatrick and Jeanne Baker Guy on A Novel Idea (Aired: October 3, 2021)  

Nonfiction that reads like a novel, and a novel steeped in modern California history are approached by Suzanne M Lang in conversation with Joanna…

May 02, 2021

On the Road Again: Journalist Brad Herzog Joins Suzanne Lang on A Novel Idea (Aired: May 2, 2021)

Suzanne Lang is on the road and her guest, journalist Brad Herzog, brings us his own travelogue in Detour 2020, a Cross-country Drive through…

Apr 09, 2021

Award-Winning Author L. Annette Binder on A Novel Idea (Aired: April 11, 2021)

Award-winning author L. Annette Binder has created a moving and intimate portrait of an ordinary German family affected by war in the waning days of…

Mar 07, 2021

Richard Alther Discusses His New Novel Bedside Matters on A Novel Idea (Aired: March 7, 2021)

There is the promise of life, even at its end. Richard Alther’s novel Bedside Matters explores the ultimate question: what matters most? Alther,…

Feb 05, 2021

Bohemians West: Free Love, Family, and Radicals in Twentieth-Century America on A Novel Idea (Aired: February 7, 2021)

Bohemians West — Free Love, Family, and Radicals in Twentieth-Century America is the story of free love and the radical movement of the early…

Jan 01, 2021

Historian Lynn Downey Joins Suzanne Lang on A Novel Idea (Aired: January 3, 2021)

Lynn Downey is a historian of the American West, longtime archivist with Levi Strauss & Co, and has two new books worth talking about, whether you’re…

Dec 07, 2020

Join Suzanne M Lang in Conversation with Brandon J McDermott on A Novel Idea (Aired: December 6, 2020)

“Radio saved me.” Brandon J McDermott grew up pretending to be a baseball announcer and ranking all the songs he knew said just this about himself:…

Nov 30, 2020

Joan Frank joins Suzanne M. Lang on A Novel Idea (Aired: November 29, 2020)

Northern California writer Joan Frank is a woman who quotes Dorothy Parker with ease and whose conversations are as good as her books. Joan’s…

Nov 01, 2020

David Stebenne Joins Suzanne Lang for A Novel Idea (Aired: November 1, 2020)

David Stebenne unwraps how the middle class was created but then could not hold in his book Promised Land, How the Rise of the Middle Class…

Oct 02, 2020

Charmian Kittredge London Biographer Iris Jamahl Dunkle on A Novel Idea (Aired: October 4, 2020)

Charmian Kittredge London was a great American writer, Jack London’s second wife, and is the subject of Iris Jamahl Dunkle’s biography Charmian…

Sep 04, 2020

Flying Free with Cecilia Aragon on KRCB’s A Novel Idea (Aired: September 6, 2020)

Aerobatic flying, as described and practiced by Cecilia Aragon, a world champion aerobatic pilot, is a dance in the sky, with spins and turns and…

Aug 28, 2020

Obi Kaufmann on A Novel Idea (Aired: August 30, 2020)

A Novel Idea comes from 9000 ft above sea level in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains of California, where Suzanne M. Lang brings you her…

Aug 02, 2020

Chana Porter on A Novel Idea (Aired: August 2, 2020)

Risky authors play with form and defy easy description, and this is the case with two authors who through their radical storytelling

Jul 05, 2020

A Celebration of Food and Family with Two Award-Winning Authors on A Novel Idea (Aired: July 5, 2020)

Food and family sustain us, especially during trying times. We celebrate this with two award-winning authors in

Jun 07, 2020

Caitlin Hamilton Summie Explains Why Our Stories Are Important on A Novel Idea – June 7, 2020

Our stories are important. It is our stories that connect us. So says Caitlin Hamilton Summie, author of

Jun 01, 2020

Suzanne Lang Talks with J. Chester Johnson – May 31, 2020

White people kill black people. Despite Emancipation, despite the Civil Rights movement of now over fifty years ago, white people

May 03, 2020

Barbara L. Baer Talks About Her Latest Novel, The Ice Palace Waltz on A Novel Idea (Aired: May, 3, 2020)

Suzanne M. Lang welcomes Barbara L. Baer in conversation on her latest novel, The Ice Palace Waltz, the multi-generational

Apr 05, 2020

Namwali Serpell & Martin Puchner on A Novel Idea – April 5, 2020

Namwali Serpell is an Associate Professor at UC Berkeley and a well-published cultural critic who has now

Apr 01, 2020

Margaret Wilkerson Sexton and Jessica Winters Mireles (Aired: March 29, 2020)

Suzanne M. Lang talks with two authors whose novels reflect on gender and family, race and ethnicity, and the effects

Mar 01, 2020

Joan Frank – Try to Get Lost, Essays on Travel and Place on A Novel Idea – March 1, 2020

Try to Get Lost! We continue celebrating the work ofJoan Frank. We recently featured her book of four novellas, Where You’reAll

Feb 02, 2020

Joan Frank Shares Her Wit and Insight on A Novel Idea – February 1, 2020

This week on A Novel Idea, richly drawn characters, vivid language, and compelling pace and story create the most satisfying

Jan 05, 2020

Journalist and Author Susan Swartz Joins Suzanne on A Novel Idea – January 5, 2020

Death and dementia aren’t all that funny, but really,sometimes they are, especially when we open

Dec 29, 2019

Two Favorites from 2019 This Month on A Novel Idea (Aired: December 29, 2019)

On this final week of this last month of the decade, webring you two favorite conversations of this past year. Both

Dec 01, 2019

Peter Mehlman Takes on Gender Politics in his New Book #MeAsWell on A Novel Idea – December 1, 2019

#MeAsWell , a novel by Peter Mehlman takes on genderpolitics, race, and the ubiquitous control of Social Media on our

Nov 03, 2019

Roberto Tejada, Plus Russian River Poet Pat Nolan Join Suzanne M. Lang for A Novel Idea – November 3, 2019

Roberto Tejada’s Still Nowhere in an Empty Vastness is expansive in its range: from accounts

Oct 06, 2019

Author and Musician Amy Edwards on A Novel Idea – October 6, 2019

ReInvention! Amy Edwards does it, again and again. FromAustin, Texas, Edwards is a musician, hosts

Sep 29, 2019

Jonah Raskin Joins Suzanne Lang – September 29, 2019

Dark Day, Dark Night is Jonah Raskin’s sequel to Dark Land,Dark Mirror, where we were

Sep 01, 2019

The transHuman Code and Grandmother Power on A Novel Idea – September 1, 2019

The Fourth Industrial Revolution.Heard of it? Maybe not, but I guarantee, you’re living in it. Technology and artificialintelligence, genomics and…

Aug 04, 2019

Teacher, Author, and Poet Deborah Tobola on A Novel Idea – August 4, 2019

Hummingbird in Underworld, Teaching in a Men’s Prison ispoet Deborah Tobola’s memoir of working in

Jul 07, 2019

Eliot Pattison in Conversation with Suzanne Lang on A Novel Idea – July 7, 2019

Bones of the Earth is the tenth installment in the Inspector Shan mystery series by award winning

Jun 30, 2019

Bo Kearns and Frank Strausser Join Suzanne M. Lang on A Novel Idea – June 30, 2019

Bo Kearns and Frank Strausser join Suzanne M. Lang in conversation. Each has published a first novel after years of writing in other forms: Kearns as…

Jun 02, 2019

The Guest Book Author Sarah Blake, and Author Laurie Ann Doyle – June 2, 2019

The Guest Book follows three generations of a powerfulAmerican family as their wealth declines, examining “not just a privilegedAmerican family,

May 21, 2019

Suzanne Lang has World Traveler Dena Moes and Journalist Jo Geise on A Novel Idea – May 5, 2019

Mothers always take their children somewhere in life and on the planet. Dena Moes traveled with

Apr 07, 2019

Brian Fies and R. L. Rotary – April 7, 2019

Suzanne M. Lang visits with two Sonoma County writers who bring us their stories of moving beyond adversity. Journalist, blogger,

Mar 03, 2019

Michael Morey – March 3, 2019

Author and independent historian Michael Morey’s book, Fagen: An African American Renegade in the Philippine-American War, unpacks American…

Feb 03, 2019

Carol Rosenberger’s Memoir of Musical Survival – February 3, 2019

At age twenty-one, while studying music abroad, Carol Rosenberger was struck with polio resulting in paralysis of the very muscles she needed to play…

Feb 03, 2019

Carol Rosenberger’s Memoir of Musical Survival – February 3, 2019

At age twenty-one, while studying music abroad, Carol Rosenberger was struck with polio resulting in paralysis of the very muscles she needed to play…

Jan 06, 2019

Barbara L. Baer & Hilary Moore – January 6, 2019

Barbara L. Baer, publisher of Floreant Press and author of two previous novels joins Suzanne M. Lang in conversation on her latest book set in the…

Dec 29, 2018

Samira Ahmed & Robin Whitten – December 30, 2018

Love, Hate, & Other Filters is Samira Ahmed’s novel of a young Muslim American woman finding her way through contemporary cultural challenges. Samira…

Dec 02, 2018

Thomas E. Cochrane – December 2, 2018

Oil makes the world go round and geologist Thomas E. Cochrane delivers candid and lively remembrances of his life and experience in the American…

Nov 04, 2018

Barbara van Driel, Andrew Shaffer – November 5, 2018

This moment in history, in culture, in our election cycle demands truth and craves heroes. We cover both with Suzanne Lang on KRCB’s A Novel…

Oct 24, 2018

Susan Hand Shetterly – October 7, 2018

Seaweed. It plays a vital role in ocean ecology, and also in our health and diet, and in our local and global economies. Seaweed Chronicles: A World…

Sep 30, 2018

Gregory Couch – October 1, 2018

Gregory Crouch joins Suzanne M. Lang in conversation on his epic western history of California wealth and the Comstock Lode, bringing focus to one of…

Sep 02, 2018

Cynthia Lim, Susan Avery Stewart – September 2, 2018

Suzanne Lang speaks with author Cynthia Lim, whose book Wherever You Are, A Memoir of Love, Marriage, and Brain Injury is an odyssey through loss and…

Jul 29, 2018

Bruce Holbert – July 30, 2018

San Francisco’s City Lights Bookstore, the landmark independent bookstore founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin, recently…

Jul 01, 2018

Brad Herzog – July 1, 2018

A timely encore presentation of Rosemary Manchester in conversation with Brad Herzog, collaborator on Carolyn Goodman’s memoir, My Mantelpiece: a…

Jun 10, 2018

Martin Puchner, Alexandra Chasin – June 10, 2018

From Homer to Harry Potter, literary critic and philosopher Martin Puchner takes the reader on an epic journey through the history of literature, and…

May 06, 2018

Adam Federman, Elaine Khosrova – May 6, 2018

It’s all about food. Suzanne Lang talks with Adam Federman on his book Fasting and Feasting, the Life of Visionary Food Writer Patience Gray. Gray…

Apr 01, 2018

Bruce Holbert – April 1, 2018

To celebrate the release of Bruce Holbert’s third novel, Whiskey, here is a reprise of two previous conversations between Bruce and Suzanne M Lang on…

Mar 04, 2018

Sy Montgomery, Elizabeth Marshall Thomas – March 5, 2018

Tamed and Untamed, Close Encounters with the Animal Kind. Suzanne Lang talks with two of the world’s most celebrated animal writers, Sy Montgomery…

Feb 04, 2018

Berbara Ridley, Laurie Ann Doyle – February 4, 2018

Two California writers who both had long non-literary careers before publishing these heralded first works join Suzanne M. Lang in conversation on…

Jan 07, 2018

Jaime B. Hansen, Rand Ertll – January 7, 2018

Emerging from the economic consulting and the tech sector, Jaime B. Hansen aims to inspire and empower women through videos, speaking and speaking…

Dec 31, 2017

Val Bodurtha, Barbara Baer – December 31, 2017

History, culture, and strong women are at the core of the two novels: The History Makers by Val Bodurtha and The Ballet Lover by Barbara Baer. You’ll…

Dec 03, 2017

Gin Phillips, Rachel Khong – December 3, 2017

Featured on KRCB’s A Novel Idea, two novelists whose books hit big this year. Fierce Kingdom is a thriller of a book by Gin Phillips, which takes…

Nov 13, 2017

Kermit Roosevelt, Larry Hendricks – January 3, 2016

This episode of KRCB’s A Novel Idea features Suzanne Lang in conversation with Kermit Roosevelt on his latest novel, Allegiance, an historical…

Nov 13, 2017

Jeffrey Miller – January 31, 2016

This episode of KRCB’s A Novel Idea is an “encore” presentation of a favorite broadcast, originally broadcast in 2010, featuring Andre Codrescu and…

Nov 13, 2017

Richard Michael Levine, Lucille Lang Day – February 7, 2016

This month’s A Novel Idea features authors Richard Michael Levine and Lucille Lang Day. Levine has just published a short story collection, The Man…

Nov 13, 2017

Eva Rutland – March 6, 2016

To honor Black History Month and International Women’s Day (March 8th) we present Rosemary Manchester with an encore presentation of a show featuring…

Nov 13, 2017

Abby Geni, Lewis deSoto – April 3, 2016

Big Nature, Big California The Farallon Islands, remote and mysterious, is the setting of Abby Geni’s novel of nature and mystery, The Lightkeepers.…

Nov 13, 2017

Elizabeth Marshall Thomas – May 1, 2016

Suzanne Lang speaks with Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, who has spent a lifetime observing other creatures and other cultures, from her own backyard to…

Nov 13, 2017

Linda Hervieux, Jeane Slone – June 5, 2016

Black lives matter. Suzanne Lang explores the injustices of Jim Crow American and the valor of an all-Black battalion whose D-Day contributions have…

Nov 13, 2017

Wendy E. Simmons – July 4, 2016

Wendy E. Simmons is a world traveler. Not a novice. Not a pushover. Her trip to North Korea challenged every bit of her perceptions of herself and…

Nov 13, 2017

Kenneth Wishnia – August 7, 2016

Mystery writer Kenneth Wishnia joins Suzanne Lang in conversation on his latest novel, The Fifth Servant, which is set in 1592 Prague, where a young…

Nov 13, 2017

William Luvaas – September 4, 2016

William Luvaas, NEA grant recipient who has been recognized for his short stories and novels alike, joins Suzanne Lang in conversation on his third…

Nov 13, 2017

Meg Waite Clayton – October 2, 2016

New York Time’s bestselling author Meg Waite Clayton joins Suzanne M. Lang in conversation about The Race for Paris, Clayton’s compelling novel of…

Nov 13, 2017

Fred Euphrat, Donna Richardson Robbins – October 30, 2016

California forests and the rich natural history of Sonoma County are brought to light with Fred Euphrat, forester and author of Sonoma Mandala, a…

Nov 13, 2017

Kimball Taylor, Emma Blad Smith – December 4, 2016

A Novel Idea, with Suzanne M. Lang, takes a look at California’s borders: the immigrants traveling over our Southern border rolling in on bicycles,…

Nov 13, 2017

Elaine Khosrova, Barbara Doud Wright – January 1, 2017

This edition A Novel Idea with Suzanne Lang features two authors who go deep into our cultural histories and help us understand where we’ve come from…

Nov 13, 2017

Jonah Raskin, Alison Owings, Elena Ferrante – January 29, 2017

This encore presentation features Rosemary Manchester in conversation with Jonah Raskin on his book James McGrath: The Life and Times of an…

Nov 13, 2017

Paul H.B. Shin, Wendy E. Simmons – February 5, 2017

Elite North Koreans struggle to protect themselves and their families in the face of a paraonoid, tyrannical regime in award winning journalist, Paul…

Nov 13, 2017

Paul H.B. Shin, Wendy E. Simmons – February 5, 2017

Elite North Koreans struggle to protect themselves and their families in the face of a paraonoid, tyrannical regime in award winning journalist, Paul…

Nov 13, 2017

Jessica Teich, Cathy Wild – March 5, 2017

A Novel Idea with Suzanne M. Lang features Jessica Teich with her memoir The Future Tense of Joy. A Rhodes Scholar, Teich happens upon an obituary of…

Nov 13, 2017

Heather Lyn Mann – April 3, 2017

15,000 nautical miles, six years, and a world of insight ….Heather Lyn Mann joins Suzanne Lang in conversation about Heather’s journey as expressed…

Nov 13, 2017

Jonah Raskin, Thomas E Cochrane – April 30, 2017

Prolific author and curious man, Jonah Raskin joins Suzanne M. Lang in conversation on his book A Terrible Beauty: the Wilderness of American…

Nov 13, 2017

Gary Soto, Gerald Haslam – May 7, 2017

Encore presentation of a 2013 broadcast features Suzanne Lang in conversation with author and poet Gary Soto and Rosemary Manchester talking with…

Nov 13, 2017

Shanti Sekaran, Shelby Londyn-Heath – June 4, 2017

A Novel Idea features two novelists, whose books couldn’t be more different. Both write about the challenges of difference, of motherhood, and of…

Nov 13, 2017

Daniel Pyne, Stephan Mack Jones – July 2, 2017

Neo-noir and crime fiction with Suzanne Lang in conversation with Daniel Pyne, screenwriter, show runner of Amazon’s hit drama Bosch, and author of…

Nov 13, 2017

Thais Nye Derich, Cathy Langlois – July 30, 2017

Suzanne M. Lang talks with Thais Nye Derich about her path of self-examination and learning to discover that she, like many other women, was a victim…

Nov 13, 2017

Susan Sherman, David Boling – September 3, 2017

Historical fiction radiates into the present with two novels featured on A Novel Idea. Join Suzanne M. Lang in conversations with Susan Sherman on…

Nov 13, 2017

Peter Afrasiabi – October 1, 2017

Top intellectual property and entertainment lawyer Peter Afrasiabi joins Suzanne Lang in conversation on his recent book Burning Bridges, America’s…

Nov 13, 2017

J. Jaye Gold – October 29, 2017

J. Jaye Gold has been a hustler and gambler in his life, but sought a new way of being in his that lead him on a journey around the globe, and

Nov 05, 2017

Joan Frank, Richard Alther – November 5, 2017

On KRCB’s A Novel Idea, two authors at the top of their form —Joan Frank, with her novel All the News I Need, and Richard Alther and his book Roxie…

Dec 12, 2016

Gayle Forman, Silas Dent Zobal – November 6, 2016

Suzanne Lang talks with Gayle Forman, a literary star in the Young Adult genre, who has recently released a novel, as she says, starring adults and…