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Author News & Interviews

Interview: Benjamin Barson, author of Brassroots Democracy: Maroon Ecologies and the Jazz Commons

Oct 10, 2024

Benjamin Barson is a historian, a baritone saxophonist, a political activist and an assistant professor of music at Bucknell University. His newly released book, BRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY, recasts the birth of jazz, unearthing vibrant narratives of New Orleans musicians to reveal how early jazz was inextricably tied to the mass mobilization of freedpeople during Reconstruction and the decades that followed. In this interview conducted by Michael Barson, Senior Publicity Executive at Melville House (and Benjamin’s father), Benjamin talks about his inspiration for the book, a thrilling discovery he made while researching this fascinating subject, and his next project, which is somewhat of a sequel to BRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY.

Author Talk: Irene Daria, Ph.D., author of I Didn't Believe Him

Sep 19, 2024

Irene Daria is a cognitive developmental psychologist who specializes in teaching children how to read, including those of Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett, and Tom Brady and Bridget Moynahan. At the time of her memoir, I DIDN’T BELIEVE HIM, she was thrilled that her son had been accepted to one of the most esteemed public schools in Manhattan. Believing that he was on the path to a venerable education, she did not listen when her five-year-old told her that he --- like millions of other children --- was not being taught how to read in school. An entire, very painful school year passed before Eric got her to realize he was right. Follow along as Daria begins a perplexing but ultimately empowering journey to save his academic life, which she talks about in this insightful and eye-opening interview.

Interview: Mike Maden, author of Clive Cussler Ghost Soldier: A Novel of the Oregon Files

Sep 5, 2024

In CLIVE CUSSLER GHOST SOLDIER: A Novel of the Oregon Files, the pulse-pounding new adventure in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon have finally met their match. In this interview conducted by Michael Barson, Senior Publicity Executive at Melville House and Clive Cussler’s primary publicist at G.P. Putnam’s Sons from 1999 to 2015, Mike Maden talks about taking on the Oregon Files series for Cussler's estate and the feedback he has received from fans of these explosive thrillers. He also explains why he thinks some aspects of modern technology are having a negative impact on the publishing industry and, in particular, emerging writers.

Interview: Joshua Perry, author of Seraphim

Jul 25, 2024

SERAPHIM, former New Orleans public defender Joshua Perry’s debut novel, is a gritty and thrilling interrogation of crime, violence and the limits of justice in the chaotic times after Hurricane Katrina. In this interview conducted by Michael Barson, Senior Publicity Executive at Melville House, Perry talks about his decision to write a work of fiction featuring a public defender as the main character and mentions two novels that served as models for the book. He also looks back on his legal career and explains what he misses (and doesn’t miss) about being a public defender.

Interview: Larry Tye, author of The Jazzmen: How Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie Transformed America

Jul 11, 2024

Larry Tye’s THE JAZZMEN is a sweeping and spellbinding portrait of the longtime kings of jazz --- Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Count Basie --- who, born within a few years of one another, overcame racist exclusion and violence to become the most popular entertainers on the planet. In this interview conducted by Michael Barson, Senior Publicity Executive at Melville House, Tye explains why he chose these three iconic figures as the subjects of his book, how he approached the process of doing original research into their lives and times, and why he believes that jazz is here to stay.