Where Readers Meet Writers. Conversations on books and ideas, Fridays at 11 a.m.
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Nov 13, 2026 · 1:09:16
Colson Whitehead defies definition. The two-time Pulitzer-Prize winner writes across genres, using everything from zombie thrillers to magical realism to explore America's…
Nov 6, 2026 · 1:39:01
Emily St. John Mandel is a master at speculative fiction — and at times oddly prescient. Her novel “ Station Eleven ,” follows a nomadic troupe of actors and musicians two…
Oct 30, 2026 · 50:30
In the author’s note of her new book, “ Pirate Queen ,” author Ariel Lawhon asks, "What if the story of your life was written by the people who despised you, who wanted nothing…
Oct 23, 2026 · 49:00
Barbara Kingsolver is a lauded writer. But the art doesn’t stop there. She’s also a pianist. Like Livia, the main character in her new novel, “ Partia ,” Kingsolver also left her…
Oct 16, 2026 · 1:26:31
Min Jin Lee was disappointed she didn’t get to come to Talking Volumes in 2017 to talk about her novel “ Pachinko .” She says that’s probably because it struggled initially. Her…
Oct 9, 2026 · 51:47
To mark the fall member drive, Kerri Miller dips back into three conversations she’s had this year with authors who write about nature — and thus, wrestle with what they see…
Oct 2, 2026 · 1:08:44
Miss Marple rides again in Lucy Foley ’s new novel, “ Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel .” This time, the beloved spinster sleuth finds herself on holiday, at a glamorous and…
Sep 29, 2026 · 1:05:44
Carol Anderson has been sounding the alarm for years. As a historian at Emory University, she is intimately acquainted with America’s legacy when it comes to voting access. Her…
Sep 25, 2026 · 52:05
Have Americans given up a sense of virtue in their political leaders? What does character mean when so-called “authenticity” is prized over moral goodness? As publisher of The…
Sep 18, 2026 · 1:18:52
Marlon James new novel, “ The Disappearers ,” was published just 18 days ago, and already, this deeply personal novel about gay men in Jamaica has been declared “ the novel of…
Sep 11, 2026 · 57:59
In December of 2017, Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat was a mall in south Florida when a loud gunshot broke through the holiday shopping chatter. Believing that a mass…
Sep 4, 2026 · 48:54
If you remember the first time you left your family to go to summer camp, you probably remember how that time marked you. You leave as a child, but after spending a week or two…
Aug 28, 2026 · 43:34
If you’ve been near a boat landing in Minnesota this summer, you’ve probably seen dire warnings about zebra mussels. The Department of Natural Resources says about five percent…
Aug 21, 2026 · 50:19
There’s a before and an after to Paul Yoon’s writing life, and at the center is Oscar — a floppy, gentle, food-loving, 70-pound yellow Lab. Yoon didn’t grow up with dogs, so it…
Aug 14, 2026 · 49:24
Minnesotans have long debated the meaning of “Up North.” Is it everything north of Duluth, or north of Mille Lacs? Are pine trees and lakes a prerequisite? What about loons? Or…
Aug 7, 2026 · 52:33
Every fall, thousands of bird lovers stand far above Lake Superior, on Duluth’s Hawk Ridge, and watch as thousands of raptors soar overhead on their way south. But for all of…
Jul 31, 2026 · 50:51
When Sarah Kendzior packed up her family for a road trip across America, she made sure her kids kept their eyes wide open. She wanted them to see this country’s wonders and its…
Jul 24, 2026 · 52:02
Lauren Hough has worn many hats. She’s been an Air Force airman, a bartender, a bouncer, a construction laborer, a driver, a barista and a cable guy. But through it all, she’s…
Jul 21, 2026 · 46:02
When was the last time you read a book or magazine, or listened to an audiobook? Overall, Americans are reading less. A study last year from the University of Florida and…
Jul 17, 2026 · 52:20
Road trips are often marked by spontaneity. They offer side quests, junk food, hotel pools and a chance to see the country with fresh eyes. But no road trip is quite as…
Jul 10, 2026 · 52:29
The United States was feeling bleak in 1933. People were still staggering from the economic fallout of the Great Depression. Drought and extreme heat baked much of the country,…
Jul 3, 2026 · 58:53
When asked about the Declaration of Independence, most Americans quote memorable phrases from the preamble . “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created…
Jun 26, 2026 · 50:35
Last month, the Wall Street Journal declared this summer to be the era of the “man band .” Those would be boy bands who’ve grown up — think New Kids on the Block, Boys II Men and…
Jun 19, 2026 · 49:35
Between death and emigration, Ireland lost almost a quarter of its population in the mid 1800s to the Great Hunger . Entire villages starved to death after potato blight wiped…
Jun 12, 2026 · 54:47
When novelist Ann Patchett is on Big Books and Bold Ideas, watch out. She and host Kerri Miller trade quips, stories, theories and book recommendations like two longtime friends.…
Jun 5, 2026 · 52:01
Has mythology given Medea a bad rap? Has her story been distorted because it was more appealing to portray her as a lusty, vengeful, violent woman married to a golden-boy hero?…
May 29, 2026 · 50:51
Kate Bowler is officially over being grateful. Not because gratitude doesn’t matter. But because it’s been pushed as the latest iteration in a long series of self-help projects…
May 22, 2026 · 51:48
On the surface, the main characters in Kelly Yang’s new novel, “ The Take ,” have little in common. Ingrid Parker is a rich, white, female movie producer who has paid her dues…
May 15, 2026 · 48:32
Hans Christian Anderson hoped to find a household straight out of a Charles Dickens novel when he visited the Dickens family at their country home in the summer of 1857. Instead,…
May 8, 2026 · 51:59
The theme for this spring member drive show is family. We mine the Big Books and Bold Ideas archives for the best conversations with authors who’ve used their own histories as…
May 1, 2026 · 51:31
When Tara Menon describes the underwater world that surrounds an island off the coast of Thailand, her language is both restrained and lush. “The reef is busy with color,” she…
Apr 24, 2026 · 54:34
On the day the Sharafs bury their 18-year-old daughter, the girl’s mother is so bereaved, she can barely stand. The father is so anguished, he nearly climbs into the grave…
Apr 17, 2026 · 59:54
Abby Jimenez is a powerhouse. Originally known for starting Nadia Cakes out of her home kitchen, these days she’s known more for her books than her bakery. Her latest rom-com, “…
Apr 10, 2026 · 52:38
After “ An American Marriage ,” her wildly successful 2018 novel, Tayari Jones signed a contract for her next book to be about a woman grappling with gentrification in modern…
Apr 10, 2026 · 54:53
Kerri Miller hosted a community conversation with presidential historian and author Jeffrey Engel in Red Wing on Wednesday night, April 8. Engel was brought in by the Duff…
Apr 3, 2026 · 51:46
This week, the Supreme Court heard arguments on the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s executive order that would undo birthright citizenship. That long-established…
Mar 27, 2026 · 56:12
A new book by Minnesota author Louise Erdrich is always reason to celebrate. The acclaimed writer, already graced with a Pulitzer and a National Book Award, returns this month…
Mar 20, 2026 · 52:24
What does it mean to live richly, even radiantly, while facing the impending darkness of climate change? How do we stand in awe at the planet we see around us even as we doubt…
Mar 13, 2026 · 51:35
When it comes to megaliths — massive stones set in place by prehistoric people — Americans are probably most familiar with Stonehenge. But the U.K.’s landscape is punctuated with…
Mar 6, 2026 · 51:31
Daniyal Mueenuddin grew up in two vastly different worlds. As a child, he lived with his paternal relatives in Lahore, Pakistan. As a teenager, he spent summers on his maternal…
Feb 27, 2026 · 52:03
Rock climbing is risky. But so is life. And friendship. And following your dreams. Nothing is promised. Success is not assured. In Gabriel Tallent’s new novel, “ Crux ,” two…
Feb 20, 2026 · 54:45
When Tracy K. Smith was named U.S. Poet Laureate in 2017, the country was in a fragile place. In her new book, Smith writes that, by then, “we’d come to find ourselves in a…
Feb 13, 2026 · 48:32
Change is inevitable. But that doesn’t stop us from fearing it. We fear the uncertainty. We fear the pain. We fear who we might become. But cognitive scientist Maya Shankar says…
Feb 6, 2026 · 53:48
It takes courage to reimagine a classic. Xiaolu Guo was drawn to Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick,” from the first time she read it in her native Chinese. The writing was lyrical —…
Jan 30, 2026 · 52:27
“You have a good life,” her aunt said. “You don’t want to ruin it with the past.” Those words were deeply unsettling to journalist Christine Kuehn. She always suspected there was…
Jan 23, 2026 · 56:46
When an aspiring novelist moves into an apartment above a famous author, the younger writer thinks it’s a sign that literary stardom is right around the corner. He’s partly…
Jan 16, 2026 · 53:00
When MPR News host Kerri Miller travels to small towns around Minnesota for her Rural Voice series, she hears over and over again about the crisis of loneliness and social…
Jan 9, 2026 · 53:34
Only one day after Jen Hatmaker discovered her husband of 26 years was having an affair, her intuition lead her to dissolution, not restoration. In an early chapter of hew new…
Jan 2, 2026 · 51:34
Big Books and Bold Ideas host Kerri Miller interviews a lot of authors over the course of a year. But some conversations stand out for being especially fascinating, delightfully…
Dec 26, 2025 · 50:30
Big Books and Bold Ideas host Kerri Miller interviews a lot of authors over the course of a year. But some conversations stand out for being especially fascinating, delightfully…
Dec 19, 2025 · 50:40
Dictionary.com’s word of the year isn’t really a word — it’s a number that went viral on TikTok. The selection caused a ruckus among lexicographers. But editors argued that…
Dec 12, 2025 · 51:02
Bad omens abound. But it’s not enough to dissuade 13 tourists on a luxury cruise to Antarctica — including protagonist Striker, a Black film scout on the ship to search for a…
Dec 5, 2025 · 54:04
In Catherine Newman’s bestselling novel, “ Sandwich ,” main character Rachel (nicknamed Rocky), her unflappable husband and newly adult kids decamp to a ramshackle cottage in…
Nov 28, 2025 · 51:02
For 17 years, Mary Lucia was the voice of The Current, MPR’s music-first radio station. Her afternoon drive shifts were beloved for their rock-and-roll vibes, unpredictable humor…
Nov 21, 2025 · 1:13:38
Kate Baer wore sequins to Talking Volumes. It was a fitting close to the 2025 season — and not-so-subtle reminder that today is all we are promised. Might as well wear the…
Nov 14, 2025 · 51:06
Curses have long animated literature. Cassandra labors under a curse in “The Iliad.” Although her prophecies are true, she is never believed. Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”…
Nov 7, 2025 · 54:40
“ Nuremberg ” opens in the spring of 1945. Hitler is dead. Many of his henchmen have died by suicide, have been arrested or have fled. The world is just beginning to grapple with…
Oct 31, 2025 · 1:42:59
The Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul was packed with John Grisham fans on Thursday, Oct. 23, when the prolific author made his debut at Talking Volumes. Host Kerri Miller started…
Oct 24, 2025 · 53:46
The two women at the center of Anna North’s new novel, “Bog Queen,” are separated by time but inexorably bound. One is a druid who lived during the Iron Age. The other is the…
Oct 17, 2025 · 1:24:56
Even before Misty Copeland became the first Black woman to be named a principal dancer at the illustrious American Ballet Theatre, she electrified the world of ballet. A prodigy…
Oct 10, 2025 · 41:06
Twenty-five years ago this fall, a generation of readers met 10-year-old India Opal Buloni and her loveable, scruffy dog, Winn-Dixie — so named because Opal found the canine…
Oct 3, 2025 · 1:27:01
When Patricia Lockwood contracted COVID-19 in the spring of 2020, she lost touch with reality. For months, she floated through her days, dealing with constant migraines and…
Sep 26, 2025 · 55:42
The fictional Bonhomie, Ohio, where Patrick Ryan’s new novel, “ Buckeye ,” is set, will be familiar to anyone who grew up in a small town. Children ride their bikes freely.…
Sep 25, 2025 · 1:35:49
The final ballots were still being counted in the presidential election last fall when David French recorded a podcast with fellow opinion writer Patrick Healy. The theme? “ It’s…
Sep 19, 2025 · 51:11
When the Wilder Foundation set out on a cool night in October of 2023 to count how many people in Minnesota were without shelter, the number came in at more than 10,000 . Even…
Sep 12, 2025 · 1:03:36
The Fitzgerald Theater was filled to the rafters Wednesday night for the season launch of Talking Volumes. Activist and novelist Stacey Abrams joined Kerri Miller on stage and…
Sep 6, 2025 · 1:04:27
When the next pandemic hits, will we be ready? That’s the question at the center of University of Minnesota epidemiologist Mike Osterholm’s new book, “ The Big One .” And his…
Aug 29, 2025 · 1:01:30
Stephen Grant was laid off from his job at a boutique marketing agency in March 2020, right when COVID took the world hostage. Newly diagnosed with cancer, he needed health…
Aug 22, 2025 · 53:24
In the seas off Madagascar, Nova Scotia and even Connecticut, the siren call of buried riches has lured treasure hunters and adventurers over many a century. Many seek the wealth…
Aug 15, 2025 · 54:54
Maralyn and Maurice Bailey were always a little unconventional. Maurice was a loner, precise. Maralyn was extroverted and energetic. But when they married in the 1960s, they both…
Aug 8, 2025 · 57:36
If you’re a romance reader, you won’t be surprised to hear that romance is the biggest genre in publishing. Nearly 40 million romance novels were sold in 2024. Books range from…
Aug 1, 2025 · 51:33
Is loneliness something that happens when you’re not looking? And if so, could meaningful connection be found in a simple but purposeful café, where the lonesome are paired with…
Jul 25, 2025 · 51:22
The setting for Dwyer Murphy’s new book, “ The House on Buzzards Bay ,” is classic New England noir: A large and ancient house along the coast is inherited by protagonist Jim,…
Jul 18, 2025 · 49:53
Honoring the dead by washing the body is a ritual nearly as old as humankind. Jews observe taharah, rooting the practice in Ecclesiastes: “As we come forth, so we shall return.”…
Jul 11, 2025 · 50:45
When Sarah Kendzior packs up her family for a road trip across America, she makes sure her kids keep their eyes wide open. She wants them to see this country’s wonders and its…
Jul 4, 2025 · 51:32
To mark Independence Day, Big Books and Bold Ideas is airing an encore presentation of Kerri Miller’s conversation with historian Patrick O’Donnell about his 2024 book, “The…
Jun 27, 2025 · 55:25
Joy Womack made history when she became the first American to join Russia’s famed Bolshoi Ballet Theater. But getting there was a journey that took a grueling physical and…
Jun 20, 2025 · 50:48
Honor Jones’ debut novel, “ Sleep ,” begins in the damp undergrowth of a blackberry bush, where main character Margaret is playing a game. It’s a quintessential childhood moment…
Jun 13, 2025 · 51:34
If you’ve spent time this week doomscrolling on your phone — even though you know it’s not good for you , that it ramps up anxiety and you’d be better off taking a walk or just…
Jun 6, 2025 · 51:18
Amanda Nguyen was aiming for the stars when she was accepted as a student at Harvard. She dreamed of becoming an astronaut. But in her senior year of college, she was raped. That…
May 30, 2025 · 51:51
A neighborhood bar is a peculiar thing. The people who frequent it develop a rapport, a kind of familiarity that makes them feel ownership. But time rolls on, and no place is…
May 22, 2025 · 55:15
How do you carry someone else’s memory — both in body and in mind? The prairie witch in Karen Russell’s fantastical new novel, “ The Antidote ,” describes it as a pressure and a…
May 16, 2025 · 37:00
For many people, a good life is a stable life — a life that’s predictable and filled with purpose. For others, happiness the point. They embrace moments of bliss and…
May 8, 2025 · 1:29:16
“ A Lesser Light ” is Minnesota writer Peter Geye ’s sixth novel, and he says he couldn’t have written it earlier in life. The story revolves around a cold and often hostile…
May 2, 2025 · 52:57
We could learn a lot from the good boys (and girls) in our life. That’s the main thesis of philosopher Mark Rowlands new book, “ The Word of Dog .” He says out loud what many dog…
Apr 25, 2025 · 51:45
Rules are good. Discretion is better. So argues philosophy professor Barry Lam in his new book, “ Fewer Rules, Better People .” While Lam acknowledges law as the backbone of…
Apr 18, 2025 · 53:40
“The story of America in the 21st century is the story of chosen scarcities.” So begins “ Abundance ,” the new book by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson that has politicos abuzz . In…
Apr 11, 2025 · 51:23
Can one decision be the fulcrum of a life? Or is destiny really millions of tiny choices swirled with events out of our control? That’s one of the many questions at the heart of…
Apr 4, 2025 · 52:10
For more than 20 years, author Chris Bohjalian carried the seed of a Civil War story in his imagination. It was inspired by the true story of a Southern woman who nursed a Union…
Mar 28, 2025 · 57:43
When superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc on Eiren Caffall’s childhood home of New York City, her first thought was: What about the museums? That distressing question provoked her…
Mar 21, 2025 · 1:00:49
Lauren Francis-Sharma was a young law student interning in Johannesburg in 1996 when she was given the opportunity to observe portions of the Truth and Reconciliation Amnesty…
Mar 14, 2025 · 51:15
When historian Martha Jones began excavating the history of her own family, she found a remarkable story of what she calls the trouble with color. But that might not mean what…
Mar 7, 2025 · 54:12
Why do some people view winter as a magical season when others see it as something to dread? The secret is in the mindset, according to health psychologist Kari Leibowitz. She…
Feb 28, 2025 · 50:51
Grief didn’t come easily to novelist Geraldine Brooks. When her husband, journalist and author Tony Horowitz, died of a cardiac event on a Washington, D.C., sidewalk, she was…
Feb 21, 2025 · 53:07
Lindsay Chervinsky knew other historians had written extensively about America’s second president, John Adams. But none of those books were written before January 6, 2021, when…
Feb 14, 2025 · 53:30
It’s Valentine’s Day! To mark the occasion, Big Books and Bold Ideas is dipping into the archives to focus on love — and not just romantic love. This show highlights love of all…
Feb 7, 2025 · 53:47
At what cost revolution? In Fabienne Josaphat’s new novel, “ Kingdom of No Tomorrow ,” 20-year-old Nettie Boileau trades the turmoil of Duvalier’s Haiti for the tumult of 1960s…
Jan 31, 2025 · 52:37
Sarah Hoover knows her new memoir, “ The Motherload ,” isn’t flattering. She’s made peace with the fact that “people will judge me on the internet,” as she says on this week’s…
Jan 24, 2025 · 57:32
David Wright Faladé didn’t learn the truth about his lineage until he was 16. That’s when his mother told him that his biological father was a West African student she initially…
Jan 17, 2025 · 51:31
President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated for a second term on Monday, Jan. 20. So this week, Big Books and Bold Ideas asked two historians who’ve written about America’s…
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