PW Insider Publishers Weekly

Hosts Nicole Cooke & David Lankes talk with Tamara King, director of community relations at the Richland (SC) Public Library about the changing nature of community engagement in a time of pandemic, Black Lives Matter, & economic recession. Learn how the Richland Public Library’s “Let’s Talk” program has brought county residents together to have hard, serious conversations about race. And why it's important for libraries to support community efforts that are based in library values.

In this short explainer, co-host R. David Lankes talks about the genesis of The Skillset Podcast, what the podcast seeks to add to the conversation around the future of libraries, and why the current crises transforming libraries is also an opportunity.

PW’s new poetry editor Maya Popa recently spoke with several poets about the impact of social media on their work, audience, and sense of community. Here, she shares insights from Eduardo C. Corral, Rupi Kaur, Rachel McKibbens, Paisley Rekdal, and Danez Smith about the opportunities and challenges that poets face online.

James Donovan, author of 'Shoot for the Moon: The Space Race and the Extraordinary Voyage of Apollo 11,' describes the dramatic experience of the first moon landing and discusses the rising interest in space travel.

As we prepare to close our 'Norse Code' feature on Scandinavian mysteries, PW’s senior editor and resident mystery expert Peter Cannon talks about the upcoming books he’s been reading, including a metafictional mystery by English novelist and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz.

The outgoing president of the National Book Critics Circle gives a recap of this year's awards ceremony, which celebrated writers, readers, and critics with an emphasis this year on community. Bonus track: An excerpt of Zadie Smith's acceptance speech for her book 'Feel Free,' which won the prize for Criticisim.