Episodes

  • Unsolicited book review Tuesday: Conversation with Colin Scharf: Less Than Zero (Bret Easton Ellis)
    Nov 27 2024

    Unsolicited book review Tuesday... except it's not on a Tuesday.


    Today's installment: Conversation with Colin Scharf about Bret Eason Ellis' Less Than Zero Unlike most episodes, this time I sit down with my friend, fellow writer, musician, cinematographer, music producer, and all around great guy, Colin Scharf. He chose the book we both read--Less Than Zero--and we sit down to talk about the book, teaching, the 80s, being a musician, and why he chose this particular book for us to chat about. You can catch Colin at the Holiday Classic (December 20 and 21), buy tickets now: ⁠https://www.simpletix.com/e/the-holiday-classic-2024-tickets-190495⁠ Enjoy some footage from last year's Holiday Classic: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-jmAbp1dpw⁠ Or, his bands: Silver Summer: ⁠https://silversummerlovers.bandcamp.com/⁠ Good Night Gold Dust: ⁠https://goodnightgolddust.bandcamp.com/⁠ His recording studio: Gold Mine Studios: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/goldmine.studios/⁠ His record label: Precious Metals Records: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/preciousmetalsrecords/⁠ His wife's band: Given Names: ⁠https://givennamesmn.bandcamp.com/⁠ And, of course, grab a copy of the book so you can see what you think: ⁠https://amzn.to/4fGL5W2⁠ Thanks for listening and/or watching! Your friendly intensely curious author and indie publisher! ⁠http://www.michaelmacbride.com⁠

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    40 mins
  • Unsolicited Book Reviews: Mailbag episode!
    Sep 11 2024

    Hey hey! Quick mailbag episode to answer a couple questions!

    Thanks for listening and/or watching! Your friendly intensely curious author and indie publisher! http://www.michaelmacbride.com

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    7 mins
  • Conversation with Christopher Field about Emil Ferris' My Favorite Thing Is Monsters (Book 2, but also Book1)
    Aug 29 2024

    Unlike most episodes, this time I sit down with my friend, fellow writer, and professor Christopher Field. He chose the book we both read--Book 2 of My Favorite Thing Is Monsters by Emil Ferris)⁠⁠--and we sit down to talk about the book, teaching, literature in general, and why he chose this particular book for us to chat about. Book 1: https://amzn.to/4dFg3Ng

    Book 2: https://amzn.to/4dFDdTG Thanks for listening and/or watching! Your friendly intensely curious author and indie publisher! http://www.michaelmacbride.com

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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Conversation with Anthony about The Beatles Couldn't Read Music?⁠ from the ⁠Wait! What? series⁠, by Dan Gutman and illustrated by Allison Steinfeld
    Jun 11 2024

    Unlike most episodes, this time I sit down with my friend Anthony to talk about a book he chose: The Beatles Couldn't Read Music? from the Wait! What? series, by Dan Gutman and illustrated by Allison Steinfeld.

    You can grab a copy here: https://amzn.to/4bRC0rN

    Thanks for listening!

    Your friendly intensely curious author and indie publisher!

    http://www.michaelmacbride.com

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    31 mins
  • Conversation with Leslie Ritenour/Babybeanlettuce: illustrator and artist for Who Gives a Duck?!
    Jun 4 2024

    Unlike most episodes, this time I sit down with Leslie Ritenour (aka: Babybeanlettuce) who is the artist and illustrator and artist for Who Gives a Duck?! We chat about her background, influences, how she approached this project, and a variety of other topics.

    You can find Leslie online:

    https://babybeanlettuceartllc.com/
    https://www.instagram.com/babybeanlettuce/
    https://www.tiktok.com/@babybeanlettuce
    https://www.facebook.com/BabyBeanLettuce/ You can pick up a copy of Who Gives a Duck?! right now, at: https://www.saltybookspub.com/shop

    Thanks for listening!

    Your friendly intensely curious author and indie publisher!

    http://www.michaelmacbride.com

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    33 mins
  • Kate Murphy, Sue Black, Tommy Orange, Bill Hammack, and Ben Goldfarb walk into a bar...
    May 28 2024

    Kate Murphy, Sue Black, Tommy Orange, Bill Hammack, and Ben Goldfarb walk into a bar... and I review their books: You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters; Written in Bone: Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind; Wandering Stars and There There; The Things We Make: The Unknown History of Invention from Cathedrals to Soda Cans; and Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet.

    What can you expect? Quick unsolicited book reviews of whatever Michael David MacBride is reading and has enjoyed recently. Typically 3-5 minutes per review, and typically 3-5 reviews per episode.

    Michael's webpage: ⁠⁠https://www.michaelmacbride.com/⁠⁠

    Links to the books:

    Kate Murphy's You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters (https://amzn.to/4azHiXn)

    Sue Black's Written in Bone: Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind (https://amzn.to/45cuc1j)

    Tommy Orange's Wandering Stars (https://amzn.to/4azpUBO) and There There (https://amzn.to/3KdGD39)

    Bill Hammack's The Things We Make: The Unknown History of Invention from Cathedrals to Soda Cans (https://amzn.to/3USHkUp)

    Ben Goldfarb's Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet (https://amzn.to/3UPzbA2)

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    20 mins
  • Jake Berman, John E. Morris, Paul Murray, George Saunders, and Temple Grandin walk into a bar...
    May 21 2024

    Jake Berman, John E. Morris, Paul Murray, George Saunders, and Temple Grandin walk into a bar... and I review their books: The Lost Subways of North America; Subway; The Bee Sting; A Swim in a Pond in the Rain; and Visual Thinking.

    What can you expect? Quick unsolicited book reviews of whatever Michael David MacBride is reading and has enjoyed recently. Typically 3-5 minutes per review, and typically 3-5 reviews per episode.

    Michael's webpage: ⁠⁠https://www.michaelmacbride.com/⁠⁠

    Links to the books:

    • Jake Berman The Lost Subways of North America: A Cartographic Guide to the Past, Present, and What Might Have Been--https://amzn.to/4bbc3mv
    • John E. Morris Subway: The Curiosities, Secrets, and Unofficial History of the New York City Transit System--https://amzn.to/4b7rdJr
    • Paul Murray The Bee Sting--https://amzn.to/4a38Yna
    • George Saunders A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life--https://amzn.to/3JQtflh
    • Temple Grandin Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions--https://amzn.to/4dsV3JU
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    26 mins
  • Hannah Ritchie, Patrick Radden Keefe, Anya Davidson, David Hu, and Gene Smith walk into a bar...
    May 14 2024

    Hannah Ritchie, Patrick Radden Keefe, Anya Davidson, David Hu, and Gene Smith walk into a bar... and I review their books: Not the End of the World; Say Nothing; Band for Life; How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls; and When the Cheering Stopped.

    What can you expect? Quick unsolicited book reviews of whatever Michael David MacBride is reading and has enjoyed recently. Typically 3-5 minutes per review, and typically 3-5 reviews per episode.

    Michael's webpage: ⁠⁠https://www.michaelmacbride.com/⁠⁠

    Links to the books:

    • Hannah Ritchie Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet--https://amzn.to/4dwqTWc
    • Patrick Radden Keefe Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland--https://amzn.to/3y8FOWw
    • Anya Davidson Band for Life--https://amzn.to/44uOy5f
    • David Hu How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls--https://amzn.to/4a4JK7P
    • Gene Smith When the Cheering Stopped: The Last Years of Woodrow Wilson--https://amzn.to/3WBY5p8
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    25 mins