Hank Garner's Blog, page 12

Author Stories Podcast Episode 769 | Lindsay McCrae Interview

Today’s author interview guest is Lindsay McCrae, author of My Penguin Year: Life Among the Emperors.

[image error]

A “remarkable memoir” ( Nature ) of life with an emperor penguin colony, gorgeously illustrated with 32 pages of exclusive photography 

For 337 days, award-winning wildlife cameraman Lindsay McCrae intimately followed 11,000 emperor penguins amid the singular beauty of Antarctica. This is his masterful chronicle of one penguin colony’s astonishing journey of life, death, and rebirth—and of the extraordinary human experience of living amongst them in the planet’s harshest environment.

A miracle occurs each winter in Antarctica. As temperatures plummet 60° below zero and the sea around the remote southern continent freezes, emperors—the largest of all penguins—begin marching up to 100 miles over solid ice to reach their breeding grounds. They are the only animals to breed in the depths of this, the worst winter on the planet; and in an unusual role reversal, the males incubate the eggs, fasting for over 100 days to ensure they introduce their chicks safely into their new frozen world.

My Penguin Year recounts McCrae’s remarkable adventure to the end of the Earth. He observed every aspect of a breeding emperor’s life, facing the inevitable sacrifices that came with living his childhood dream, and grappling with the personal obstacles that, being over 15,000km away from the comforts of home, almost proved too much. Out of that experience, he has written an unprecedented portrait of Antarctica’s most extraordinary residents.

Lindsay McCrae is an award winning television wildlife camera operator and photographer.

Lindsay’s passion for wildlife began at an early age. Growing up in the rural Lake District in the north of England, Lindsay has been captivated by all aspects of the natural world since he can remember. At school he built wildlife ponds and gardens, while mornings, evenings and even lunchtimes were spent exploring any green space he could find.

During Lindsays early teens, a family of badgers near his home became the main focus, and camped out every night just metres from their sett entrance hidden under camouflage Lindsay would be surrounded by cubs frolicking in carpets of bluebells. Watching wildlife became an obsession.

His passion soon turned into a need to capture what he was seeing on film. He took out a loan from his mother and invested in his own camera at the age of 15 and never looked back.

Lindsay has been filming wildlife professionally for over 10 years and has travelled all over the UK and across the world filming everything from wolves in deep Alaska, to orangutans in the Indonesian jungle. In 2017 for almost an entire year, Lindsay lived in Antarctica isolated from the rest of the world, documenting the lives of a colony of emperor penguins.

When not abroad observing or photographing the natural world, Lindsays other obsessions include road cycling, fly fishing and bread making. Living with his wife Becky and two boys, a pair of extremely energetic cocker spaniels, Willow and Ivy, keep him busy when back at home.

Author Stories Podcast Episode 768 | Jon Waterman Interview

Today’s author interview guest is Jon Waterman, author of National Geographic Atlas of the National Parks.

[image error] The first book of its kind, this stunning atlas showcases America’s spectacular park system from coast to coast, richly illustrated with an inspiring and informative collection of maps, graphics, and photographs.

From the white sand beaches of Dry Tortugas to the snowy peaks of Denali, this captivating book combines authoritative park maps with hundreds of graphics and photographs to tell the stories of America’s sixty one beloved national parks. Former ranger and author Jonathan Waterman introduces readers to the country’s scenic reserves and highlights the extraordinary features that distinguish each: magnificent landmarks, thriving ecosystems, representative wildlife, fascinating histories, and more. With striking imagery and state-of-the-art graphics reflecting details of wildlife, climate, culture, archaeology, recreation, and more, this lush reference provides an up-close look at what makes these lands so special–and so uniquely American. A heartfelt foreword from National Geographic CEO Gary Knell reminds us how important these lands are to our lives and our national pride.

Jon Waterman is an award-winning author, filmmaker and adventurer who has received three grants from the National Geographic Society Expeditions Council. In addition to exploring and documenting various parts of the United States, he is a former ranger for the National Park Service and a longtime wilderness guide. His writing has appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, Adventure, Outside and Backpacker and his books include “Running Dry,” “In the Shadow of Denali,” “Where Mountains Are Nameless” and “Arctic Crossing,” among others.

Author Stories Podcast Episode 767 | Mark Kenyon Interview

Today’s author interview guest is Mark Kenyon, author of That Wild Country: An Epic Journey through the Past, Present, and Future of America’s Public Lands.

[image error] From prominent outdoorsman and nature writer Mark Kenyon comes an engrossing reflection on the past and future battles over our most revered landscapes—America’s public lands.

Every American is a public-land owner, inheritor to the largest public-land trust in the world. These vast expanses provide a home to wildlife populations, a vital source of clean air and water, and a haven for recreation.

Since its inception, however, America’s public land system has been embroiled in controversy—caught in the push and pull between the desire to develop the valuable resources the land holds or conserve them. Alarmed by rising tensions over the use of these lands, hunter, angler, and outdoor enthusiast Mark Kenyon set out to explore the spaces involved in this heated debate, and learn firsthand how they came to be and what their future might hold.

Part travelogue and part historical examination, That Wild Country invites readers on an intimate tour of the wondrous wild and public places that are a uniquely profound and endangered part of the American landscape.

Mark Kenyon was born outside of Detroit, Michigan, and raised in Grand Rapids. Introduced to the outdoors at a young age by his family, he grew up hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping. After college, he worked for Google and started the blog and podcast Wired to Hunt. His writing has appeared in Outdoor Life and Field & Stream. A member of the lifestyle company MeatEater Inc., he has hiked, camped, rafted, hunted, fished, and peak-bagged his way across public lands in Montana, Wyoming, Michigan, California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, North Dakota, and elsewhere.

Author Stories Podcast Episode 766 | Jenny Colgan Interview

Today Jenny Colgan returns to the show to talk about her new book Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop.

[image error]Fans of Debbie Macomber and Jojo Moyes will love this warm, funny, moving holiday tale from the New York Times bestselling author of Christmas at the Cupcake Café and Little Beach Street Bakery.

It’s a white Christmas in England, and Rosie Hopkins is feeling festive: Her sweetshop is festooned with striped candy canes, luscious chocolate boxes, and happy, sticky children, and she and her boyfriend are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their families.

But when a tragedy strikes at the heart of their charming town, all of Rosie’s plans for the future seem to be blown apart. Can she and her loved ones see their way through the difficult times?

Sweet and soulful, heartbreaking and heartwarming, this is the perfect novel for the holidays (or any time of year).

Jenny Colgan (born 1972 in Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland) is a writer of romantic comedy fiction, sci-fi and has written for the Dr Who line of stories. She writes under her own name and using the pseudonyms Jane Beaton and J. T. Colgan.

Author Stories Podcast Episode 765 | John L. Monk Interview

Today’s author interview guest is John L. Monk, author of Mythian: A LitRPG and GameLit Fantasy Series (Chronicles of Ethan Book 1.

[image error]Retirement means immortality. Immortality means adventure. Life begins at seventy.

Running on the world’s fastest quantum computer is a very special game: one where retirees leave their flesh-and-blood lives in search of endless adventure. Weapons, spells, gold, experience points… These are the marks by which life is now measured.

Ethan Crane wants none of it. In fact, he never wanted to retire at all, let alone play a game for all eternity. But now he’s on a mission to find his wife—a wife he just discovered is still alive and inside the game.

Nothing will stop him from reaching her. Not even himself.

John L. Monk lives in Virginia, USA, with his wife, Dorothy. A writer with a degree in cultural anthropology, he boldly does the dishes, roots out evil wherever it lurks, and writes his own stunts.

Author Stories Podcast Episode 764 | Taja Sevelle Interview

Today’s author interview guest is Taja Sevelle, author of From The Root: A Memoir and A Philosophy for Balance in Our World.

[image error]Recording Artist, Taja Sevelle, who signed her first record deal with the legendary artist, Prince, outlines a courageous plan for bringing the world into balance, and shares the reasons she put her music career on the “back burner” to start the nonprofit organization Urban Farming®. Her blueprint for balance includes recapturing trillions of dollars of wasted capital, and reallocating it into areas that will better serve both our economically challenged communities as well as our economically vibrant communities. With chronicles of risk-taking vision, extensive research, and rare personal experiences, Taja offers a formula for integrity in business, personal, social, and political relationships, as well as world affairs. She shares how fundamental “root” principles are essential for the restoration and balance of mental, physical, and spiritual health within our global family. While recording her third CD for Sony Records in Detroit, Taja saw widespread poverty and vast stretches of unused land—a memory she would not forget. With three community gardens and a global vision to “Create an Abundance of Food for All in Our Generation,” Taja started Urban Farming, which went on to ignite a global gardening movement. Within six years, there were over 56,000 gardens within the Urban Farming Global Food Chain® Urban Farming has been featured in over 30,000 media stories including The Ellen Show, Good Morning America, The Montel Williams Show, the BBC, CNN, FOX, NPR, The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. From The Root vibrates with the inspiration, innovation, and perseverance of a brilliant and passionate artist who put her first love—music—on hold to address some tough global issues.

Author Stories Podcast Episode 763 | Bernard Cornwell Returns With Sword Of Kings

On today’s show, Bernard Cornwell returns to the show to talk about the new book Sword of Kings: A Novel (Saxon Tales Book 12).

[image error]The twelfth installment of Bernard Cornwell’s New York Times bestselling series chronicling the epic saga of the making of England—”superior entertainment that is both engaging and enlightening” (Washington Post), and  the basis for The Last Kingdom, the hit Netflix series.

It is a time of political turmoil once more as the fading King Edward begins to lose control over his successors and their supporters. There are two potential heirs—possibly more—and doubt over whether the once separate states of Wessex and Mercia will hold together . Despite attempts at pulling him into the political fray, Uhtred of Bebbanburg cares solely about his beloved Northumbria and its continuing independence from southern control.

But an oath is a strong, almost sacred commitment and such a promise had been exchanged between Uhtred and Aethelstan, his onetime companion in arms and now a potential king. Uhtred was tempted to ignore the demands of the oath and stay in his northern fastness, leaving the quarrelling Anglo-Saxons to sort out their own issues.  But an attack on him by a leading supporter of one of the candidates and an unexpected appeal for help from another, drives Uhtred with a small band of warriors south, into the battle for kingship—and England’s fate.

Bernard Cornwell is the author of the acclaimed New York Times bestsellers Waterloo, 1356, Agincourt, and The Fort; the bestselling Saxon Tales, which include The Last Kingdom, The Pale Horseman, Lords of the North, Sword Song, The Burning Land, Death of Kings, The Pagan Lord, The Empty Throne, Warriors of the Storm, The Flame Bearer, War of the Wolf and Sword of Kings; and the Richard Sharpe novels, among many others. His Saxon series books have been produced into a popular and highly acclaimed series on Netflix. He lives with his wife on Cape Cod and in Charleston, South Carolina. Visit him on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bernard.cornwell; Website: www.bernardcornwell.net

Author Stories Podcast Episode 762 | David Baldacci Returns With A Minute To Midnight

On today’s show David Baldacci returns to talk about the brand new book A Minute to Midnight (An Atlee Pine Thriller Book 2).

Catch David’s other visits to Author Stories here (Episode 617), here (Episode 617), and here (Episode 684).

[image error]FBI Agent Atlee Pine returns to her Georgia hometown to investigate her twin sister’s abduction, only to encounter a serial killer in this page-turning thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author.

FBI Agent Atlee Pine’s life was never the same after her twin sister Mercy was kidnapped–and likely killed–thirty years ago. After a lifetime of torturous uncertainty, Atlee’s unresolved anger finally gets the better of her on the job, and she finds she has to deal with the demons of her past if she wants to remain with the FBI.

Atlee and her assistant Carol Blum head back to Atlee’s rural hometown in Georgia to see what they can uncover about the traumatic night Mercy was taken and Pine was almost killed. But soon after Atlee begins her investigation, a local woman is found ritualistically murdered, her face covered with a wedding veil–and the first killing is quickly followed by a second bizarre murder.

Atlee is determined to continue her search for answers, but now she must also set her sights on finding a potential serial killer before another victim is claimed. But in a small town full of secrets–some of which could answer the questions that have plagued Atlee her entire life–digging deeper into the past could be more dangerous than she realizes . . .

DAVID BALDACCI is a global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world’s favorite storytellers. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with over 130 million worldwide sales. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Author Stories Podcast Episode 761 | Susan Goldberg Interview

Today’s author interview guest is Susan Goldberg, Editor in Chief of National Geographic. Susan joins me today to talk about their new book Women: The National Geographic Image Collection.

[image error]

This powerful photography collection, drawn from the celebrated National Geographic archive, reveals the lives of women from around the globe, accompanied by revelatory new interviews and portraits of contemporary trailblazers including Oprah Winfrey, Jane Goodall, and Christiane Amanpour.

#MeToo. #GirlBoss. Time’s Up. From Silicon Valley to politics and beyond, women are reshaping our world. Now, in anticipation of the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, this bold and inspiring book from National Geographic mines 130 years of photography to showcase their past, their present, and their future. With 400+ stunning images from more than 50 countries, each page of this glorious book offers compelling testimony about what it means to be female, from historic suffragettes to the haunting, green-eyed “Afghan girl.”

Organized around chapter themes like grit, love, and joy, the book features brand-new commentary from a wide swath of luminaries including Laura Bush, Gloria Allred, Roxane Gay, Melinda Gates, New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, and the founders of the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements. Each is accompanied by a bold new portrait, shot by acclaimed NG photographer Erika Larsen. The ultimate coffee table book, this iconic collection provides definitive proof that the future is female.

Susan Goldberg is editorial director of National Geographic Partners and editor-in-chief of National Geographic. She is the 10th editor — and the first female editor — of the magazine, which published its first issue in October 1888. Under her leadership, National Geographic magazine has been honored with five National Magazine Awards, including the top prize for General Excellence in 2019, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 2019 and for Explanatory Reporting in 2017. Before National Geographic, Goldberg was executive editor for federal, state and local government coverage at Bloomberg News. In 2013, she was named by Washingtonian magazine as one of Washington’s 11 most influential women in media. Goldberg lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband.

Author Stories Podcast Episode 760 | Jodie Adams Kirshner Interview

Today’s author interview guest is Jodie Adams Kirshner, author of Broke: Hardship and Resilience in a City of Broken Promises.

[image error]“Essential…in showcasing people who are persistent, clever, flawed, loving, struggling and full of contradictions, Broke affirms why it’s worth solving the hardest problems in our most challenging cities in the first place. ” ―Anna Clark, The New York Times

“Through in-depth reporting of structural inequality as it affects real people in Detroit, Jodie Adams Kirshner’s Broke examines one side of the economic divide in America” ―Salon

“What Broke really tells us is how systems of government, law and finance can crush even the hardiest of boot-strap pullers.” ―Brian Alexander, author of Glass House



A galvanizing, narrative account of a city’s bankruptcy and its aftermath told through the lives of seven valiantly struggling Detroiters

Bankruptcy and the austerity it represents have become a common “solution” for struggling American cities. What do the spending cuts and limited resources do to the lives of city residents? In Broke, Jodie Adams Kirshner follows seven Detroiters as they navigate life during and after their city’s bankruptcy. Reggie loses his savings trying to make a habitable home for his family. Cindy fights drug use, prostitution, and dumping on her block. Lola commutes two hours a day to her suburban job. For them, financial issues are mired within the larger ramifications of poor urban policies, restorative negligence on the state and federal level and―even before the decision to declare Detroit bankrupt in 2013―the root causes of a city’s fiscal demise.

Like Matthew Desmond’s Evicted, Broke looks at what municipal distress means, not just on paper but in practical―and personal―terms. More than 40 percent of Detroit’s 700,000 residents fall below the poverty line. Post-bankruptcy, they struggle with a broken real estate market, school system, and job market―and their lives have not improved.

Detroit is emblematic. Kirshner makes a powerful argument that cities―the economic engine of America―are never quite given the aid that they need by either the state or federal government for their residents to survive, not to mention flourish. Success for all America’s citizens depends on equity of opportunity.

Jodie Adams Kirshner is a research professor at New York University. Previously a law professor at Cambridge University, where she also served as the deputy director of the Cambridge LLM program, the deputy director of the Cambridge Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law, and as a fellow of Peterhouse College, Cambridge, Kirshner also teaches bankruptcy law at Columbia Law School. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute, past term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a technical advisor to the Bank for International Settlements. She received a prestigious multi-year grant from the Kresge Foundation to research BROKE.

Kirshner received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and graduate degrees in law and in journalism from Columbia University. She lives in New York City.