In this edition of Madison Book Beat, host Lisa Malawski talks with Robin and Joan Rolfs about their book Hearthstone: America’s Electrical National Treasure. Joan and Rob have been enthralled with Hearthstone since the 1970’s when they moved to the Fox Cities. Joan developed a successful Interior Design program at Fox Valley Technical College in 1…

Director Heath Cullens joins the gang to talk Dante, It’s Always Sunny, and the importance of opening shots. Goldy gives Alec the “you’re fine” speech again. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Family Guy writer, Mike Desilets talks about growing up in Massachusetts, his road into the writers room, and almost dying on the (softball) mound. Also, the gang reviews Brats. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

In her fourth collection, Driftless Area-based poet Nikki Wallschlaeger further proves herself as a singular poet of astonishing emotional depth and formal range. Hold Your Own is a steadfast search for peace, self-acceptance, and pleasure in a world that makes those basic rights an everyday challenge for Black women. It was published in May 2024 b…

Throwback episode from August 2022: Goldie basks in the glow of his recent acting triumph, and the gang talk to genius comic Pete Holmes. Almost everyone cries. Cry with your friends, Family Guy's Alec Sulkin, Julius "Goldy" Sharpe & Janice Cruz Brooks. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.c…

Now guestless, and with nothing to lose before a week-long break, the gang delves deep into the scariest realm: themselves. Goldy and Alec achieve gift dètente. JC forces the new "Speedround" segment onto the guys. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

In this edition of Madison Book Beat, host Lisa Malawski talks with Richard Sweitzer about his book ODE The Scion of Nerikan. Richard is award-winning author and longtime morning radio host. He received his Master’s of Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Richard is the author and publisher of ODE The Scion of…

The gang opens Pandora's Box by inviting JC's husband and bassist/music producer extraordinaire, Stu Brooks, onto the pod for a Brooks Family takeover episode. Alec gets knocked off the top of a particular mountain, Goldy tries to pick a fight w Alec’s dad & JC introduces a new segment. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California…

Family Guy writer Artie Johann joins the gang to talk about baseball, pizza, and a near-invite to Vegas. Goldy goes all out for a Toyota. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Richard Scott Larson's debut The Long Hallway (University of Wisconsin Press, April 2024) is a lyrical memoir that expresses a boy’s search for identity while navigating the darkness and isolation of a deeply private inner world. Growing up queer, closeted, and afraid, Richard Scott Larson found expression for his interior life in horror films, esp…

Tonight Show writer Jon Rineman joins the gang for Johnny Jokes, and talks about a phone call with Jay Leno that changed his life. Goldy hopes his friends don’t get along. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this edition of Madison Book Beat, host Andrew Thomas speaks with Priti Srivastava about their novel The Nagini Anarchy, self-published in 2023. Priti Srivastava lives in Madison, Wisconsin with their best friends working to create inclusive spaces so that one day everyone will feel as though they belong. When Priti isn’t working or doing chores…

Natural host, Craig Kilborn returns to the show to talk about entrée etiquette, his happy childhood, and his beloved Timberwolves. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this edition of Madison Book Beat, host Lisa Malawski talks with Rachel Werner about her children’s book, Moving and Grooving to Fillmore’s Beat and her cookbook, Macro Cooking Made Simple. Rachel is a model, an author, a poet, a book reviewer, the founder of The Little Book Project, a freelance writer and digital medical consultant, teaching ar…

Simpsons showrunner Matt Selman’s incredible luck finally runs out as he finds himself a guest on the podcast to talk Boston, Seinfeld, and the bitter Simpsons/Family Guy feud. Goldy wants to see your bank account. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

Legitimate star and good person, Kate Walsh, joins the gang to talk Broadway, Arizona, and Grey’s Anatomy. Goldy beta-tests GTA VI. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Madison author Beth Nguyen’s latest book Owner of a Lonely Heart (Scribner, July 2023) is a memoir about parenthood, absence, and the condition of being a refugee: the story of Beth’s relationship with her mother. At the end of the Vietnam War, when Beth Nguyen was eight months old, she and her family fled Saigon for America. Only Beth’s mother sta…

Family Guy writer Travis Bowe joins the gang to talk baseball, push-ups, and rice. Goldy has his “flu game”. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this edition of Madison Book Beat, host Andrew Thomas speaks with poet Daniel Khalastchi about hist new collection The Story of Your Obstinate Survival (2024, University of Wisconsin Press). The Story of Your Obstinate Survival is a propulsive collection. It’s very funny, uncannily mundane and starkly surreal. The poems are a collision of juxtap…

Lew Schneider returns to the show for Johnny Jokes, Top 5, and more stories from his long career. Goldy and Alec have an 11am lunch in Vegas. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Writer/performer Arthur Meyer joins the gang to talk about his time on The Tonight Show, and why he’s so comfortable being naked. Tom Gammill makes a big career move. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this edition of Madison Book Beat, host Lisa Malawski talks with Angela Trudell Vasquez, who until recently, was the City of Madison Poet Laureate. Trudell Vasquez is a poet, writer, performer, and activist. Her most recent chapbook, My People Redux (2022, Finishing Line Press) honors her heritage, contending with generational hardships immigran…

JC invites the gang back to The Breakfast Club. Surely, these three Gen X’ers will be on the same page about this 80’s classic, right?! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cynthia Marie Hoffman’s latest book of prose poetry, Exploding Head (Persea Books, February 2024) is described as an OCD memoir in prose poems. It chronicles her childhood onset and adult journey through obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which manifests in fearful obsessions and counting compulsions that impact her relationship to motherhood, re…

“Dads” and “Making History” exec, Samata Narra joins the gang to talk TV, soccer, and growing up in Kentucky. JC, Goldy, and Alec feel some kinda way about Caitlin Clark. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do you make change at organizations that resemble hard granite, and aren’t designed to bend? Only by patiently and persistently nudging them forward day-by-day, one improvement at a time, according to the authors of Bending Granite: 30+ true stories of leading change (Acta Publications, 2022). It’s a compilation of stories from leaders, mostly …

Alec and Goldy spend an hour debating the state of comedy today. Fortunately, JC has some actual information. Plus, Tom Gammill’s epic return as Morty and Tom Gammill. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kimmel head writer Danny Ricker joins the gang to talk about late night, knowing your role, and the email that changed his life. Alec learns what’s in a name. Goldy fits right in at the happiest place on earth. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

Actor, musician, and Community Auditions runner-up, Scott Grimes sits down with the gang to talk about Oppenheimer, Orville, and Ted. Tom Gammill’s agent checks in with his slightly-too-late Oscar picks. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

In this edition of Madison Book Beat, host Lisa Malawski talks with local Madison author Ann Garvin. Ann Garvin became an author at age fifty. She has now written five books. Ann Garvin is a nurse, a professor, and USA Today Bestselling Author. She thinks everything is funny and a little bit sad. Ann writes stories about women with a good sense of …

The gang recaps the Oscars. Goldy reveals a parenting weakness. Alec finds himself in a comedy conundrum. JC teaches us “the pirate”. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hallie Linden yearns to write for the New York Times. At the moment, she’s stuck at a daily newspaper in tiny Green Meadow, Indiana, a town known for its amusement park and nothing else. It’s 1989, and juicy reporting jobs are hard to find. She resolves to work hard, win a few awards, and then welcome the job offers. In this edition of Madison Book…

Chris “Shaba” Sheridan joins the gang to talk about Family Guy, Resident Alien, and what makes a good PA. JC is the belle of the Beefsteak Ball. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this edition of Madison Book Beat, host Andrew Thomas speaks with journalists Shibani Mahtani and Timothy McLaughlin for a conversation on their book Among the Braves: Hope, Struggle, and Exile in the Battle for Hong Kong and the Future of Global Democracy (2023, Hachette Books). Among the Braves is a narrative history of the 2019 pro-democracy …

The New York Times best-selling author of “Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs” and the screenwriter of the upcoming biopic on Reality Winner patiently teaches the gang how to write. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

In this edition of Madison Book Beat, host Lisa Malawski talks with prolific author Jacquelyn Mitchard. Mitchard is now a frequent lecturer and professor of fiction and creative nonfiction at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpellier. She once worked as a journalist at several Wisconsin newspapers, including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and…

Seth Meyers writer and comedian Matt Goldich joins the gang to talk about late night, daytime, and his new special “No Questions Asked”. Goldy’s mind creates personalized horror films. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

Musician, composer and Fall Out Boy frontman, Patrick Stump details his shocking fall from lead singer of one of the world’s biggest bands to working with Alec, Goldy, and JC. JC gets granular with We Are The World, Goldy sacks Brock Purdy again, and Alec continues his colonoscopy crusade. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Califor…

For more than a decade, Greg Mickells led the Madison Public Library. He's responsible for a significant transformation of the Madison library system. His tenure as Director took him to three continents, and to the White House in 2016, when Madison Public Library was recognized with a National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Additional awards…

Goldy leads the charge as the gang turns nothing into something. Clear eyes, empty buttholes, can’t lose. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this edition of Madison Book Beat, host Andrew Thomas speaks with Peter Coviello on his book of essays Is There God After Prince? Dispatches from an Age of Last Things (2023, University of Chicago Press). Exuberant, effusive, rye, and incisive, this collection of essays analyze a wide range of cultural objects in order to shore up some modicum o…

The gang dives into the greatest Sopranos episode of all time. Goldy lets future writers know that it’s already over. Alec prepares for a colonoscopy, and JC offers to pick him up afterwards for some reason. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

In this edition of Madison Book Beat, host Lisa Malawski talks with local poet Shoshauna Shy. Shoshauna Shy has been involved in local poetry and literary events for decades. She founded the Poetry Jumps Off the Shelf program in 2004, a project with the mission of placing poetry in public places where it isn't expected. She's previously worked for …

Alec, Goldy and JC vacillate between feeling like idiots and geniuses after watching the “Frasier” pilot and “Maestro.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this edition of Madison BookBeat, host Cole Erickson interviews Heather Swan about her latest book Dandelion, a collection of poetry which explores our uniquely human relationship with this natural world, not only in its wondrous beauty, but also in its devastation and fragility. About the guest: Heather Swan is a poet, non-fiction writer, and e…

“Freaky” screenwriter Michael Kennedy talks with the gang about his success, his time on Family Guy, and the delights of downtown Cleveland. Goldy deals with the media crush from his Golden Globes monologue. JC notices that Alec says “lead-ed”. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privac…

“Ted” showrunners Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh join the gang to talk about “Modern Family”, “Ted”, and growing up in Rhode Island. Alec has a growth spurt. Goldy dazzles with his own Golden Globes monologue. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

In this edition of Madison Book Beat, host David Ahrens talks with with Thomas Pearson. Thomas Pearson is a professor of anthropology at UW-Stout, where he also leads the social science department. As a cultural anthropologist, he understands and appreciates the diversity of cultures and expressions of a common humanity. After the birth of his daug…

The gang talks about a couple of good new movies, Goldy gets in touch with the feminine side of his family, and JC spreads goodwill and germs around the globe. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Family Guy cast member and YouTube sensation Arif Zahir joins the gang to talk about his incredible rise to fame. Alec gets a phone call from… Seth? Brian Atene is redeemed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…