The Last Word: Conversations with Writers

Jane Buyers

Twenty-five years ago, Jane Buyers held a critical banking position with J.P. Morgan Chase in Lower Manhattan and witnessed the horrific attacks on the World Trade Center. Her intimate and gripping memoir, Eight Septembers: A Woman on Wall Street from 9/11 to Lehman, chronicles not only that day’s events but how she and her team-all in shock-helped to secure the worldwide banking system in the subsequent weeks and months. Seven years later, she rode the wave of the banking collapse leading to the biggest recession since the 1930s. A must listen show to understand and honor those who gave their lives and risked their livelihoods in the early part of the new century.  janebuyers.com

don Miguel Ruiz Jr.

Is there really a difference between actual physical fear and everyday irrational fears?  Our body may not recognize any difference and prepares to defend itself in the same ways. So surmises Toltec Nagual, don Miguel Ruiz Jr. in his new book The Poisoned Arrow: A Toltec Guide to Overcoming Fear, a small and very readable guide largely based on his own personal experiences and those of his beloved family. don Miguel Jr. will be speaking in Albuquerque at the Unity Spiritual Center, 9800 Candelaria NE at 7:00 pm on Friday, June 12. miguelruizjr.com

Stacia Raymond

A gorgeous show today exploring the life and music of the brilliant Henry Mancini. Santa Fe author Stacia Raymond takes us on a journey with The Pink Panther, Peter Gunn and gracefully along Moon River in her delicious biography, Grace Notes, a novel based on the life of Henry Mancini. Known as Hank to all his many friends, he was a many-layered man not just of rare musical talent but of integrity, humbleness and kindness. Explore mentorisproject.org for Grace Notes and learn how our society has been influenced by many gifted Italian women and men.

Andrew Guthrie Ferguson

Pay close attention listeners because Your Data Will Be Used Against You. That’s the alarming title of George Washington University Law School Professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson’s extremely timely new book. With the subtitle, Policing in The Age of Self-Surveillance, we explore the growing dangers and opportunities, rights (and wrongs) in this age of personal devices that we enjoy to track our lives and habits. Not just the GPS in our vehicles and on smart phones that may place us at the scene of a crime, but what about your Ring Doorbell, that FitBit on your wrist, etc. etc. can they be used as evidence against us. Or for us?  And why isn't Congress enacting stronger legislation to protect our rights as citizens?  Meet Andrew in person and bring your own questions to Collected Works at 6:00 pm on Monday, May 11.

Hafeez Lakhani

Make sure you have some tasty food to look forward to when you listen to today’s interview with noted author Hafeez Lakhani.  His new novel, Abundance, is in many ways an honoring of all the hard-working immigrant families who form the backbone of our cities and towns and contribute to our rich cultural milieu with their traditions, beliefs, music and food. A multi-layered story for our time written with sensitivity by the author, originally from Hyderabad, India. Hafeez Lakhani will be speaking at Collected Works at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, April 29 and at our main library at 2:00 pm on June 6.  More at hafeezlakhani.com [https://www.hafeezlakhani.com/]