Episode 67: Independent Bookstore Day 2026

Episode 70: Writers' Groups

In this week's episode of The Watchung Booksellers Podcast [https://watchungbooksellers.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1a322bab6ebf6f3417b344b35&id=c914c93593&e=018a6b27a0], authors Judith Lindbergh and Stephanie Cowell discuss their decades long writers' group, the importance of writing with other writers, and how to find your own writing community. Judith Lindbergh’s award-winning new novel, Akmaral [https://judithlindbergh.com/wp/books/#pasture], about a nomad woman warrior on the ancient Central Asian steppes, was called “crackling” by Publishers Weekly and “a gripping saga” by Christina Baker Kline. Her debut, The Thrall’s Tale [https://judithlindbergh.com/books/], about women in Viking Age Greenland, was an IndieBound Pick praised by Pulitzer Prize winners Geraldine Brooks and Robert Olen Butler. She has published with the Smithsonian and provided expert commentary for History Channel documentaries. Judith received a 2024 Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. She is the Founder/Director of The Writers Circle [https://writerscircleworkshops.com/], a creative writing center based in New Jersey. Stephanie Cowell has been an opera singer, balladeer, founder of Strawberry Opera and other arts venues including a Renaissance festival in NYC. She is the author of seven novels, including Marrying Mozart, Claude & Camille: a novel of Monet, The Boy in the Rain, and The Man in the Stone Cottage: a novel of the Brontë sisters. Her work has been translated into several languages and adapted into an opera. Stephanie is the recipient of an American Book Award. She has lived in NYC all her life. Resources: Writers Circle Workshop [https://writerscircleworkshops.com/] Casey Kelly [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0446252/] Montclair Literary Festival [ https://succeed2gether.org/may2-mlf/] Books: A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/the-podcast]. Register for Upcoming Events [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/events]. The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/] in Montclair, NJ.  The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share [https://wbpodcast.buzzsprout.com]! Stay in touch! Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.com Social: @watchungbooksellers Sign up for our newsletter [https://watchungbooksellers.us8.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=1a322bab6ebf6f3417b344b35&id=e3aedc9d13] to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

Episode 69: Featured Event with Colm Tóibín and Garth Risk Hallberg

In this episode, we feature an event with Colm Tóibín in conversation with Garth Risk Hallberg, held at the Montclair Literary Festival [https://succeed2gether.org/montclair-literary-festival/] for the launch of Toibin's latest book, The News from Dublin. Colm Tóibín is the author of eleven novels, including Long Island, an Oprah’s Book Club Pick; The Magician, winner of the Rathbones Folio Prize; The Master, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; Brooklyn, winner of the Costa Book Award; and Nora Webster, winner of the Hawthornden Prize, as well as three story collections and several books of criticism. He is the Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor of the Humanities at Columbia University and was named the 2022–2024 Laureate for Irish Fiction by the Arts Council of Ireland. In 2021, he was awarded the David Cohen Prize for Literature. Garth Risk Hallberg's first novel, City on Fire, was a New York Times and international bestseller and was selected as one of the best books of 2015 by The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Vogue. It was the basis for the Apple TV+ series of the same name. His second novel, The Second Coming, about a troubled teen whose father is a recovering addict, was released in 2024 and is in paperback now. He is also the author of the novella A Field Guide to the North American Family. In 2017, Granta named him one of the Best of Young American Novelists. His work has been translated into seventeen languages. Resources: Seamus Heaney 1995 Nobel Prize Speech ( Poetry in Conflict quote) [https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1995/heaney/lecture/] Thomas Mann’s Brother Hitler Essay [https://iamyouasheisme.wordpress.com/2016/11/05/brother-hitler/] Books: A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/the-podcast]. Register for Upcoming Events [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/events]. The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/] in Montclair, NJ.  The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share [https://wbpodcast.buzzsprout.com]! Stay in touch! Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.com Social: @watchungbooksellers Sign up for our newsletter [https://watchungbooksellers.us8.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=1a322bab6ebf6f3417b344b35&id=e3aedc9d13] to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

Episode 68: WB Podcast Book Club Live: The Lost Daughter

In this episode of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, authors Alice Elliot Dark and Dagmara Domińczyk reunite to lead a discussion of The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante. Recorded live from The Kids' Room, the two dive into the book as well as the Academy Award-nominated film adaptation, which featured an amazing performance by Dagmara. Alice Elliott Dark is the author of the novels Fellowship Point and Think of England, and two collections of short stories, In The Gloaming and Naked to the Waist. A new novel, Wherever You Are, will be published in May 2027. She is the director of the Rutgers-Newark MFA program. Dagmara Dominczyk is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, and has starred in films, television, and on/off Broadway plays for the past twenty years. Dag was a series regular on the HBO hits Succession and We Own This City. She is the author of The Lullaby of Polish Girls and her essays have appeared in Huffington Post and in the book, Pretty Bitches. She is currently working on her memoir, which centers around the life of her father and his sudden death. Dag can be seen in the upcoming series The Savant opposite Jessica Chastain. She is an avid reader and fierce library supporter, and lives in Montclair with her husband and two teenage sons. Resources: The Lost Daughter Film [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9100054/?ref_=fn_t_1] Normal People [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9059760/?ref_=fn_t_1] Priscilla  [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22041854/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_t_7] Higher Ground [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1562568/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_t_33] The Deuce [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4998350/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_c_20] Books: A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/the-podcast]. Register for Upcoming Events [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/events]. The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/] in Montclair, NJ.  The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share [https://wbpodcast.buzzsprout.com]! Stay in touch! Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.com Social: @watchungbooksellers Sign up for our newsletter [https://watchungbooksellers.us8.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=1a322bab6ebf6f3417b344b35&id=e3aedc9d13] to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

Episode 67: Independent Bookstore Day 2026

In this episode of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, we opened the mic to our wonderful customers to read haikus on Independent Bookstore Day! Some read published works and some came up with their own on the spot! Enjoy this short episode from these loyal independent bookstore fans!  Books: A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/the-podcast]. Register for Upcoming Events [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/events]. The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/] in Montclair, NJ.  The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share [https://wbpodcast.buzzsprout.com]! Stay in touch! Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.com Social: @watchungbooksellers Sign up for our newsletter [https://watchungbooksellers.us8.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=1a322bab6ebf6f3417b344b35&id=e3aedc9d13] to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

On Repeat: Episode 57: From Page to Screen

In this repeat episode of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, authors Tom Perrotta and Warren Zanes discuss the process of adapting their books into film and television.  Tom Perrotta is the author of eleven works of fiction, including Election [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/item/yAI84AP0TNy7cY__cZS0gA] and Little Children [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/item/jnbMcsy5hY8vAnO6GSJqLg], both of which were made into Oscar-nominated films [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126886/?ref_=nm_knf_c_4], and The Leftovers [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/item/jnbMcsy5hY-cLteNqDwtIA] and Mrs. Fletcher [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/item/ULpFLNJxI5YaSHjuf43Law], which were adapted into acclaimed HBO series. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8304608/] His new novel is Ghost Town. [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/item/gQpiPqSJBXiqkzy1G3pgpQ] Warren Zanes is the NY Times bestselling author of Petty: The Biography [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/item/Il6kMAbOMSdQbuvNTnvihQ]. He holds a PhD in visual and cultural studies from the University of Rochester and presently teaches at NYU. He is a Grammy-nominated producer and he has served as a vice president at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [https://rockhall.com/]. His latest work is Deliver Me From Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska [https://watchungbooksellers.com/item/DayRjyMnwHkE7me9tfH2VA], which was made into a feature film. Resources: The Montclair Literary Festival [https://succeed2gether.org/mlf26/] PW Bookstore of the Year [https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/awards-and-prizes/article/100156-pw-bookstore-of-the-year-2026-watchung-booksellers.html] Election [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126886/?ref_=nm_knf_c_4] Little Children [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0404203/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_LITTLE%2520CHI] Mrs. Fletcher  [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8304608/?ref_=fn_t_1] The Leftovers [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2699128/?ref_=fn_t_1] Deliver Me From Nowhere [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31923069/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_deliver] Soundbreaking  [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5359830/] 20 Feet from Stardom [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2396566/] Shine a Light [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0893382/] Crazy Heart [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1263670/] A Complete Unknown [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11563598/] The Remains of The Day [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107943/] Books: A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/the-podcast]. Register for Upcoming Events [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/events]. The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Watchung Booksellers [https://www.watchungbooksellers.com/] in Montclair, NJ.  The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids’ Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share [https://wbpodcast.buzzsprout.com]! Stay in touch! Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.com Social: @watchungbooksellers Sign up for our newsletter [https://watchungbooksellers.us8.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=1a322bab6ebf6f3417b344b35&id=e3aedc9d13] to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!