Amanda Montell (Cultish) and Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (Catalina) LIVE panel @ The Texas Book Festival
Recorded live at the 2024 Texas Book Festival in Austin, this episode features authors Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (The Undocumented Americans, Catalina) and Amanda Montell (Cultish, The Age of Magical Overthinking). The authors discuss narrating their own audiobooks, touching on everything from incorporating humor and emotion to the challenges of audiobook production. They also offer advice for first-time narrators, discuss the nuances of audiobooks compared to print, and reflect on how their distinct styles shape the listening experience.
Watch the live video recording here
Read the full transcript:
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.
About Karla:
Karla Cornejo Villavicencio is an Ecuadorian-American writer and the author of The Undocumented Americans and Catalina. Her work, which focuses on race, culture, and immigration, has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vogue, Elle, Interview, and on NPR.
About Amanda:
Amanda Montell is an American writer and the author of Wordslut and Cultish. Her work, which focuses on language, linguistics, and pop culture, has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Wired, and on NPR.
Get Karla's books:
Catalina
The Undocumented Americans
Get Amanda’s books:
Cultish
Wordslut
The Age of Magical Overthinking
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Percival Everett on ‘James’, Writing, Art, and the Magic of Language
In this episode, we chat with acclaimed author, poet, and painter Percival Everett to discuss his award-winning novel James— the 2024 National Book Award winner and Libro.fm’s Audiobook of the Year. Percival shares his thoughts on the magic of language, the role of place in storytelling, and the whirlwind experience of his recent book tour. He also reflects on balancing his many creative passions, his journey as a writer, and the profound power of literature.
READ TRANSCRIPT
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.
About Percival:
Percival Everett is a celebrated American writer and a Distinguished Professor of English at USC whose 2024 novel James won the National Book Award. His work has earned numerous honors, including the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award, the NBCC Ivan Sandrof Life Achievement Award, and the Windham-Campbell Prize. In 2023, his novel Erasure was adapted into the feature film American Fiction.
Get Percival’s books:
James
The Trees
Erasure
Books discussed on today’s episode:
The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler
Dvorak's Prophecy by Joseph Horowitz
Last Room On The Left by Leah Konen
The Snow Killer by Ross Greenwood
We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin
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Karla Cornejo Villavicencio on Identity, Belonging, and the Power of Stories
In this episode, we sit down with Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, author of The Undocumented Americans and Catalina, which was longlisted for the 2024 National Book Awards. Cornejo Villavicencio opens up about her experience with meeting readers for the first time and how the unpredictability of the publishing world has shaped her perspective. She also discusses the process of recording Catalina’s audiobook and how it led to her connecting with the novel in a deeper, more personal way.
READ TRANSCRIPT
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.
About Karla:
Karla Cornejo Villavicencio is an Ecuadorian-American writer and the author of The Undocumented Americans and Catalina. Catalina was longlisted for the 2024 National Book Award for Fiction. Her work, which focuses on race, culture, and immigration, has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vogue, Elle, Interview, and on NPR.
Get Karla's books:
Catalina
The Undocumented Americans
Books discussed on today’s episode:
Model Home by Rivers Solomon
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
The Drowned and the Saved by Primo Levi
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Adrian Bliss on TikTok, Humor, and Writing His First Book
In this episode, hosts Karen Farmer and Craig Silva chat with comedian, actor, and debut author Adrian Bliss. Adrian shares his journey from creating online comedy sketches to writing The Greatest Nobodies of History, which explores humorous and mostly factual stories of overlooked historical figures, such as Leonardo da Vinci’s ferret and Henry VIII’s Groom of the Stool. Adrian reflects on the shift from immediate online feedback to the publishing process and discusses creating an audiobook, collaborating with voice actors, and transitioning from short-form content to long-form storytelling. Plus, he shares his love for history, photography, and his favorite historical tidbits.
READ TRANSCRIPT
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.
About Adrian:
Adrian Bliss is a British comedian, writer, and filmmaker known for his quirky and imaginative humor, often shared through viral sketches on social media. He gained popularity with his humorous historical and literary videos, blending absurdity with a touch of educational satire.
Get Adrian's new book: The Greatest Nobodies of History
Books discussed on today’s episode:
William by Mason Coile
Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang
The River of Doubt by Candice Millard
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Banned Books Week: Philomena Polefrone and the ABA's fight to Protect Free Expression
In this episode, Philomena Polefrone, PhD discusses her role in advocating for intellectual freedom through the ABA. The conversation touches on book bans, censorship, and the role of bookstores as spaces for activism. The discussion covers the history of book bans, grassroots organizing, and the legal challenges involved in defending diverse literature.
READ TRANSCRIPT
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you’ll have three from the start.
About Philomena:
Philomena Polefrone is the Advocacy Associate Manager at the American Booksellers Association, where she champions intellectual freedom and free expression. With a background in bookselling and a decade in academia, Philomena brings a unique perspective to her work, blending literature and activism. She leads initiatives like the Set Books Free Project, aimed at combating book bans and promoting access to diverse, often censored literature. Her passion for defending the right to read makes her a key advocate in the fight against censorship.
Books discussed on today’s episode:
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson & Peter Parnell
The 1619 Project by Caitlin Roper, Ilena Silverman & Jake Silverstein
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Temple Folk by Aaliyah Bilal
Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
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