I spoke with Deborah Edelman and Adina Merenlender, two of the co-authors of the California Naturalist Handbook.This new second edition is significant as a resource for science-based information about California's ecosystems, the role of Citizen Scientists, and the California Naturalist Certification course given each year across the state.Deborah will give an in-person talk at Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah on Thursday November 6th, 5:30 pm; and Adina will be at Gallery Bookshop in Mendocino Village on November 13, at 6:00. Contact the bookstores directly for information about the author events or to purchase copies of the book! Mendocino Book Co, 707-468-5940; Gallery Bookshop, 707-937-2665. Statewide California Naturalist Course information, https://ucanr.edu/program/uc-environmental-stewards/become-certified-naturalist-or-climate-steward

In 1979, Susanna and a companion spent four months traveling through South America. In the days before GPS and the Internet, not to mention rolling luggage, every day was an adventure. This book is both a travelogue and a personal memoir, and Susanna's storytelling skills and love of adventure make for a fun read - and an excellent conversation! More about the book can be found at susannajanssen.com, and comments about the show are welcome at TurningPagesKZYX@gmail.com.

A lively and wide-ranging hour-long conversation with author Cynthia Reeves about her book The Last Whaler, set in Svalbard before and after World War II. For more information about this book and Cynthia's other projects, see her website, cynthiareeveswriter.com (A shorter version of this interview aired on August 6, and can be found on the Jukebox for that date at 3:30 pm). Comments and questions about the show are welcome at TurningPagesKZYX@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

This episode features Toni's conversation with Theresa Whitehill ~ Ukiah poet, graphic designer and contributor to a two-volume series, Cascadian Zen. The books bring together nonfiction, poetry, interviews, translations, and artwork that explore expressions of Zen within the Cascadian bioregion.

Kristana Arp's "Terrible Beauty" is a new collection of short stories that explore the lighter (and darker) side of human nature, through a philosophical lens. Seven stories - some humorous, some contemplative, and some cautionary - call to mind classic Twilight Zone episodes.

In honor of National Poetry Month, Toni spoke with Melissa Eleftherion Carr about poetry happenings here in Mendocino County. Melissa is a past Poet Laureate of Ukiah, and is one of the coordinators of the 2025 Ukiah Haiku Festival taking place on April 27 (event information is at ukiahaiku.org). Feedback about the program is welcome at TurningPagesKZYX@gmail.com.

I spoke with Jesse and Matt about the early days of the Internet, the setting of their two-volume graphic novel series Incredible Doom. Questions and comments are always welcome at TurningPagesKZYX@gmail.com

I talked to Karen Rifkin talk about her recently published book, The History of Ukiah's Palace Hotel. So much local lore!Karen will also be giving two in-person talks about the book, at the Ukiah Library on February 8 (at 3:00 pm) and at Grace Hudson Museum on March 22, 2025.

The first episode of Turning Pages for 2025 is a conversation with the delightful Jody Gehrman about writing fiction and plays, and the wonderful things she's doing at Mendocino College. As always, comments and questions are welcome at TurningPagesKZYX@gmail.comHappy New Year!

In this episode I review three recently published memoirs: Did I Ever Tell You, by Genevieve Kingston; My Beloved Monster, by Caleb Carr; and You Could Make This Place Beautiful, by Maggie Smith. I share a brief review of an upcoming novel: Black Woods Blue Sky, by Alaska based author Eowyn Ivey. And I revisit my September interview with Calvin Crosby, bookseller and literacy advocate in Salt Lake City, Utah. Happy reading and Happy Holidays!