Bookmarks: Authors on Their Life-Changing Encounters With Books

If you could ask Margaret Atwood one question, what would it be? We came up with a good one. In fact, we asked Atwood, Tommy Orange, Lidia Yuknavitch, Jericho Brown and many more writers and creators the same question – “What book have you read that you’d consider personally life-changing, and why?” Their answers are the subject of “Bookmarks,” a new podcast from Wisconsin Public Radio and the producers of “To The Best Of Our Knowledge.”

“Great writers are great readers. And boy do they have stories to tell. Not just about the books they write, but about the books they read,” said Charles Monroe-Kane, senior producer of “To The Best Of Our Knowledge” and “Bookmarks.” “We’ve been asking authors for years to tell a story about that one book that left a mark. And oh my God, they’re so good. Funny, sexy, surprising, poignant. So now, we’re sharing them with listeners in this special bite-sized podcast. The lineup is incredible: Alice Walker, Phillip Pullman, Anne Lamott, Orhan Pamuk, even Werner Herzog. In the end, maybe the book that marked one of these authors just might leave a mark on you. It’s about three minutes every week of awesome.”

About "To The Best Of Our Knowledge" (TTBOOK)

TTBOOK is a nationally syndicated, Peabody award-winning radio show where long-form interviews lead us to dive headlong into the deeper end of ideas. We have conversations with novelists and poets, scientists and software engineers, journalists and historians, filmmakers and philosophers, artists and activists—anyone with a big idea and a passion to have a creative and engaging conversation about it.

About Wisconsin Public Radio 

For over 100 years, Wisconsin Public Radio has served the people of Wisconsin with quality news, music, talk and entertainment. On air, online and in the community - we work for Wisconsin. WPR is a service of the Educational Communications Board and University of Wisconsin-Madison. Listen, learn more and donate at www.wpr.org. 

Catch up on previous episodes

"Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace

David Foster Wallace wrote memorably about AA in his famous novel "Infinite Jest." Writer Marshall Boswell reads one of his favorite passages.

Environmentalist Jennifer Jacquet recommends "Last Chance to See" by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine.

The Fencing Master

Nick Bantock bookmarks "The Fencing Master" by Arturo Perez-Reverte.

"Conversation in the Cathedral."

Diplomat and writer Emily Parker say by Peruvian Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa uses fiction to uniquely depict what it actually looks like living day-to-day under a authoritarian regime.

Stoner

Author Steve Almond recommends "Stoner" by John Williams.

"The King Must Die"

Vikram Chandra reviews “The King Must Die” by Mary Renault.

"The Earthsea Trilogy" by Ursula LeGuin
The Nazi and the Barber
'The Search For Delicious' By Natalie Babbitt
Oxford World Atlas
Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
"I Will Bear Witness" by Victor Klemperer
'Prayers for the Stolen'
Kamikaze Diaries