Authors on the Air: Willie Nelson, Unwrapped; Tim Green’s Football Genius; Nam Lee’s Debut
by Diane Patrick -- Publishers Weekly, 6/18/2008
Today on The Bob Edwards Show, Joe Nick Patoski discussed Willie Nelson: An Epic Life (Little, Brown, $27.99). PW gave it a starred review: “This impressive, entertaining chronicle of Willie Nelson's life is replete with exactly what you'd expect–honky-tonk, long nights on the open road, whiskey, womanizing and weed–but Patoski looks beyond country music trappings to find the funny, talented, determined man who became an unlikely icon. Writing with an affectionate country twang, Patoski gives his subject the consideration he deserves in a fine, fluid piece of storytelling that any Nelson fan will appreciate.”
The Todayshow consulted psychologist Dr. Dawn Huebner, whose latest is What to Do When You Dread Your Bed: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Problems With Sleep (Magination Press, $14).
Authors on today’s Leonard Lopate Show:
Former Atlanta Falcon Tim Green tossed around his young adult novel Football Genius (HarperCollins, $16.99). PW declared “Green delivers a satisfying YA debut, using his own NFL experience to bring readers behind the scenes. Non-sports fans will root for underdog Troy and enthusiasts will thrill to the firsthand knowledge Green brings to the novel.”
Pushcart Prize winner Nam Lee with his debut novel The Boat (Knopf, $22.95). From PW’s starred review: “From a Colombian slum to the streets of Tehran, seven characters in seven stories struggle with very particular Swords of Damocles in Lee's accomplished debut. Taken together, the stories cover a vast geographic territory and are filled with exquisitely painful and raw moments of revelation, captured in an economical style as deft as it is sure.”
Former Economist editor-in-chief Bill Emmott introduced Rivals: How the Power Struggle Between China, India and Japan Will Shape Our Next Decade (Harcourt, $26). PW wrote “This serious and stimulating book will be indispensable to anyone interested in where these countries are headed—and where they might take us.”
Authors on The Book Report:
Deirdre McNamer, author of Red Rover (Viking, $24.95), which PW’s starred review called “a haunting novel of love, friendship and faith set in a world where none of those values triumphs. McNamer's insight into her damaged cast generates a deep emotional response that builds toward a reunion and revelation that bring satisfaction, if not peace.”
Robert Olmstead with Coal Black Horse (Algonquin, $13.95). PW found it “a convulsive, bloody Civil War tale that tracks a boy's search for his father on the battlefield at Gettysburg. His return home and his testimony to what he saw forms a powerful, redemptive narrative.”
On The Diane Rehm Show, award-winning Amanda Ripley considered The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes--And Why (Crown, $24.95; RH Audio abridged CD, $34.95). PW said “Ripley offers a compelling look at instinct and disaster response as she explores the psychology of fear and how it can save or destroy us. Ripley's in-depth look at the psychology of disaster response, alongside survivors' accounts, makes for gripping reading, sure to raise debate as well as our awareness of a life-and-death issue.”
This evening, Junot Diaz visits The Colbert Report with The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Riverhead, $24.95; Penguin Audio unabridged CD, $39.95). In a PW Signature Review, Matthew Sharpe wrote “this fierce, funny, tragic book is just what a reader would have hoped for in a novel by Junot Diaz.”
Tonight, Tavis Smiley spars with six-time world boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya, author of American Son: My Story (HarperEntertainment, $25.95).
Due to the nature of live programming, scheduling is subject to change.
Booksellers can order these titles through Ingram at ipage.
For information about author appearances on these shows and others as well as listings of book mentions and book reviews, visit TitleSmart at www.titlesmart.com.
Authors on the Air is compiled by Diane Patrick. To be included in this compilation, email author appearance information to DPatrickPW@aol.com (at least TWO days in advance, please).
