Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast

Jed Doherty
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Books
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to CT Book Festivals! We’re here to celebrate the vibrant stories, unforgettable characters, and brilliant authors who call Connecticut home. Whether you're a lifelong Connecticut resident or just love discovering great books, this is the place for you! Get ready to meet the incredible writers behind your next favorite read, explore the magic of storytelling, and uncover the treasures of Connecticut’s literary scene. Let’s turn the page together – it’s time for CT Book Festivals!

  1. 4d ago

    Celebrating Hanukkah and Childhood Play with Adina Oberman

    In this warm and thoughtful episode, Jed welcomes back Adina Oberman to celebrate her new board book, H Is for Hanukkah: A Festival of Lights, an ABC primer that introduces little ones to Hanukkah traditions and diverse Jewish cultures from around the world. Adina shares how she first joined the show as a blogger with Big Books for Little Hands and later became part of the Familius publishing team, where her passion for early childhood and representation shines through. Adina explains how H Is for Hanukkah highlights not only familiar Ashkenazic traditions, but also Sephardic and other Jewish cultures—like “B is for biscochos,” a cookie from Spanish-speaking Jewish communities—so more children can see themselves in the pages of a book. Jed and Adina reflect on the power of books as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors, helping kids understand themselves, their neighbors, and the wider world. They also talk about why seemingly “simple” board books can take years to create. With a small, dedicated team at Familius, every word and illustration is carefully considered to support babies’ and toddlers’ early learning, fine motor skills, and social-emotional growth. Adina offers an accessible explanation of Hanukkah’s history, the miracle of the oil, and why the holiday is celebrated for eight nights in many parts of the world. The conversation closes with a passionate defense of play as the true work of early childhood, and encouragement for families to put down their phones, get on the floor, and learn together through reading, play, and connection.

    Celebrating Hanukkah and Childhood Play with Adina Oberman

  2. Aug 10

    Breaking Free from a Malignant Manager: Cathy Alfandre’s Guide to Taking Back Your Career

    On this episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast, host Jed Doherty welcomes career coach and author Cathy Alfandre, whose new book is “Breaking Free from a Malignant Manager: Strategies to Reclaim Your Confidence and Career.” Cathy explains that the book grew out of years of coaching mid‑career professionals who were stuck with truly harmful bosses—managers who stole credit, created gossip-filled, suspicious workplaces, or pushed people so hard they became physically ill and started doubting their own competence. She realized how common these experiences are, and wanted readers to know two things: you’re not alone, and you’re not powerless. Cathy and Jed talk about why malignant managers are so prevalent: people promoted without training, cutthroat cultures that reward bad behavior, performance systems that care only about results, and deeply insecure leaders who hoard credit and control. From there, Kathy walks listeners through the three big themes of her book: what to do when you can’t quit yet, how to plan and execute a healthy move when you’re ready to leave, and how to avoid landing with another toxic boss in the future. She shares practical tools like writing achievement stories (using the CAR method: Challenge, Action, Result) to rebuild confidence and prepare for resumes and interviews, and she underscores the lifelong value of networking—not just when you’re desperate to get out. Cathy also discusses when, and when not, to confront a boss or go to HR, and why careful judgment is essential. She closes by inviting listeners to learn more at Cathyalfandre.com and connect with her on LinkedIn.

    Breaking Free from a Malignant Manager: Cathy Alfandre’s Guide to Taking Back Your Career

  3. Aug 3

    Furtive Activity: Faith, Family, and Thrills with Author Michael Ignatius

    In this episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast, Jed welcomes Michael Ignatius, Connecticut-based author of the new thriller Furtive Activity. Set in Bolton, Putnam, and the Boston College area, the novel follows Mickey Ryback, a respected Catholic elementary school principal, devoted husband and father of seven, and former Navy cyber intelligence specialist who secretly works as an analyst for the CIA. Michael shares how Mickey juggles his double life—school leader and covert operative—while quietly battling alcoholism and overwhelming guilt. As Mickey navigates cartel threats, Hezbollah connections, Boston safe houses, and sensitive cyber data, his drinking begins to erode every part of his life, from his covert missions to his family relationships. Michael also introduces Margaret Giangelino, Mickey’s tough, highly skilled CIA handler and Navy SEAL trainer, who adds both strength and heart to the story. Drawing on his own background in the Navy, technology, theology, teaching, school leadership, and youth ministry, Michael explains how much of the book is autobiographical fiction, grounded in real places and experiences. He and Jed talk about the subtle but powerful role of faith, redemption, and spiritual struggle in the novel, including Mickey’s connection with a bishop and his journey through AA. Michael also touches on the use of AI in the story and in his own life, and teases future projects, including a possible series featuring Margaret and a teen-focused spinoff about Mickey’s daughter.

    Furtive Activity: Faith, Family, and Thrills with Author Michael Ignatius

  4. Jul 20

    From Greenhaven to Jordan’s Bitter Pill: The Evolving Worlds of Luca Di Matteo

    Luca Di Matteo returns to the Connecticut Book Festivals podcast to celebrate his new novel, Jordan’s Bitter Pill, and to share the inspiring story behind the fast-growing Connecticut Book Festivals community. Luca introduces Jordan’s Bitter Pill as a contemporary novel about Jordan, a young doctor from a sheltered, middle-class background who chooses an inner-city residency. There, she meets patients forced to choose between healthcare and basic needs, a reality that reshapes her values and career path. Instead of taking a lucrative job, Jordan opens a practice in the neighborhood—but because she’s an outsider, trust doesn’t come easily. Her creative attempts to help patients skirt the medical–legal line a bit too closely, attracting an ambitious prosecutor and putting her on trial. The heart of the story, Luca explains, isn’t just healthcare—it’s community, family, and doing what’s right, even when it’s risky. Jed and Luca talk about authenticity in storytelling, Luca’s years in medical practice, and how readers are seeing themselves in his characters—proof, for him, that he got it right. The conversation then shifts to Connecticut Book Festivals, which has exploded from a handful of authors to nearly 600 Connecticut writers, offering free membership and growing opportunities. Luca also shares the vision behind Shattered Ceiling Press, a new publishing venture focused on keeping more money and rights in authors’ hands. Throughout the episode, Jed and Luca highlight their shared mission: lifting up authors, building community, and helping readers discover their next favorite read—often right in their own backyard.

    From Greenhaven to Jordan’s Bitter Pill: The Evolving Worlds of Luca Di Matteo

  5. Jul 13

    A Saga of Bad Choices and Big Hearts: Lis Blanchard’s Sutton’s Home

    In this warm and engaging episode, Jed welcomes debut novelist Lis Blanchard to celebrate her first book, “Sutton’s Home.” Lis introduces listeners to Sutton, a deeply flawed but lovable young woman who seems destined to make every wrong choice—and yet, readers can’t help but root for her as tragedy follows tragedy. Lis shares how she came to writing just five years ago, not through a lifelong dream of being an author, but as a way to cope with the emotional weight she carries from the people around her. After losing a dear friend to suicide during the pandemic, Lis discovered that transforming her feelings into fiction helped her heal, even though Sutton’s Home is not based on her friend’s life. Jed and Lis talk about the therapeutic power of storytelling—for both writers and readers—and Lis describes her “pantser” process: getting all the words out first, then shaping the story later with the help of a trusted critique group. She also opens up about her work in adult education, helping immigrants learn English and adults earn their high school diplomas. Listeners will also enjoy a lighter side of Lis: her tongue-in-cheek burger blog, born from serious food allergies and a dislike of burgers, and yet she reviews them everywhere she goes. The episode closes with where to find Lis online, how to get a copy of Sutton’s Home, and a hint of her next, more uplifting “road trip romance,” “The Penny Ride.”

  6. Jul 6

    Storytelling, Folklore, and the Power of Place with Kelly Jarvis

    In this warm and engaging episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals podcast, Jed Doherty welcomes back author and folklorist Kelly Jarvis to celebrate her new gothic historical romance, Sea and Stars. Kelly begins by sharing the real-life “fairy tale” behind her own Belle-inspired library, a promise made by her high school boyfriend—now husband—that beautifully echoes the romance at the heart of her work. From there, the conversation flows into the power of books in our lives. Jed recalls a Reading With Your Kids conversation about how books in the home are a top predictor of a child’s future success, and Kelly, who teaches children’s literature at Central Connecticut State University, reinforces how simply surrounding kids with books can transform their literacy skills. Kelly then opens the door to the world of Sea and Stars, a Beauty and the Beast retelling set in 1847, beginning on the wild, mystical Isle of Skye and crossing the ocean to Mystic, Connecticut. Listeners meet Arabella Porter, a courageous healer gifted with a touch of fairy magic, and James Alden, a wealthy, secretive shipyard owner whose metaphorical “beastliness” comes from a dark past at sea. Jed and Kelly talk about folklore, landscape as character, and the courage it takes to leave home, as well as Kelly’s deep belief that storytelling is what makes us human, even in an age of AI. She also hints at more fairy tale–inspired romances to come and invites listeners to learn more at KellyJarvisWriter.com.

    Storytelling, Folklore, and the Power of Place with Kelly Jarvis

  7. Jun 29

    The Eternality Of Love

    In this warm episode of The Ct Book Festivals Podcast Jed welcomes Dr. Dale Atkins. Dr Dale joins us to celebrate her touching picture book The Turquoise Butterfly. Inspired by her late mother Sylvia, whose favorite color was turquoise and who was fondly associated with butterflies, the story explores what Dr. Dale calls the “eternality of love.” Through the relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter, the book shows how memories, stories, and shared experiences help children carry a loved one’s spirit forward, even after death. Dr. Dale and Jed talk about the profound benefits of intergenerational relationships—emotional, physical, spiritual—and how grandparents and elders give children a sense of belonging, legacy, and resilience in a disconnected world.

    The Eternality Of Love

  8. Jun 22

    What Makes a Human Human: Understanding That Everyone Belongs

    In this powerful episode of the Connecticut Book Festivals Podcast, Jed welcomes back Mary Keating, lawyer, poet, and author of Recalibrating Gravity, to celebrate Disability Pride Month and reflect on the legacy—and limits—of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Mary shares the story of the car accident at age 15 that left her a paraplegic and completely changed her life in a single moment. With warmth and candor, she recalls how her “can‑do” family refused to sideline her, including her mom’s memorable insistence that she still come downstairs and set the table—an early lesson that she was expected to contribute, not retreat. Jed and Mary dig into the everyday realities of an inaccessible world: housing that can’t be entered, events held up flights of stairs, and public systems designed as if disabled people don’t exist. They highlight how many mainstream conveniences—like curb cuts, captions, touchscreens, and voice control—originated from accessibility innovations that benefit everyone. Mary reads two deeply moving poems from Recalibrating Gravity: “Happily Ever After,” which captures the loneliness and isolation of disability, and “What Makes a Human Human,” written after a dehumanizing moment in a Yale Law classroom. Both pieces illuminate how architecture, policy, and casual language can either erase or affirm someone’s humanity. Throughout the conversation, Mary and Jed return to a hopeful challenge: we can all be “architects of change” by noticing who’s missing, speaking up, and insisting that disabled people are not afterthoughts but full participants in our communities and stories.

    What Makes a Human Human: Understanding That Everyone Belongs
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to CT Book Festivals! We’re here to celebrate the vibrant stories, unforgettable characters, and brilliant authors who call Connecticut home. Whether you're a lifelong Connecticut resident or just love discovering great books, this is the place for you! Get ready to meet the incredible writers behind your next favorite read, explore the magic of storytelling, and uncover the treasures of Connecticut’s literary scene. Let’s turn the page together – it’s time for CT Book Festivals!

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