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Hannah Coulter is Wendell Berry's seventh novel and his first to employ the voice of a woman character in its telling. Hannah, the now-elderly narrator, recounts the love she has for the land and for her community. She remembers each of her two husbands, and all places and community connections threatened by twentieth-century technologies.

Lacey Keigley is a mother, writer, educator and the author of her memoir: Nevertheless: Essays on Divorce, Single Parenting & Hope in which Lacey bends her trademark wit and style to the uncommon commonalities of daily life in a new normal, flinging back the curtains and inviting readers to witness the chaos, blessings, burdens, and hilarity of her world.

At the heart of each lyrical essay is one harrowing question.

When life doesn't turn out as planned-what then?

You can find her on Facebook and on Instagram @SoEveryDay, and on substack: substack.com/@soeveryday

We sipped on a sweet tea during this episode as a tribute to Wendell Berry, his southern roots, as well as our own!

Every book has two stories: the one it tells, and the one it hides.

If you ’re enjoying our show we think you might like the Secret Life of Books — a weekly podcast by Sophie Gee and Jonty Claypole that uncovers the hidden stories behind classic books: Who made it? What were their motives, their scandals? And, above all, what secrets lie behind the iconic books you thought you knew? And if you need some reading motivation, they have a Book Club for Secret Life of Books members that offers exclusive bonus episodes, reading notes, and helpful yet hilarious comments, as they chapter by chapter. Their next Book Club read is Charles Dickens’ Bleak House! So go and check out the Secret Life of Books. The first episode in their Book Club is out now, and you can listen wherever you get your podcasts!

Transcendent Kingdom is a 2020 novel by Yaa Gyasi that follows Gifty, a Ghanaian-American neuroscience PhD candidate at Stanford, as she studies addiction and depression in mice while grappling with her family's history of trauma, addiction, and faith. The story explores the tension between science and religion, memory, and the search for meaning after her brother's opioid overdose and her mother's severe depression, all while reflecting on her upbringing in Alabama.

Deanna Allbrittin is the main evening anchor and Development and Engagement Manager at WRIC - 8News. That means she leads station community engagement initiatives and special projects, while mentoring early-career journalists in investigative and community-centered reporting. In addition to wearing all those hats, Deanna has earned regional Murrow, Emmy and Associated Press awards. You may have also seen her moderating nationally televised debates for Virginia's closely watched U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races.

Also, Deanna hosts the podcast All About Books which is a video podcast AND we recorded this episode, so head over there if you want to see the episode as we recorded it here at my home studio in Richmond! Thank you also to videographer Nikita for help make that happen!

Sobolo Tea Recipe - Sobolo is a traditional Hibiscus tea served at Ghanaian parties and picnics. Deanna was kind enough to make and share it for us to sip during the episode. Incredible! This is her modified recipe, originally from Black Foodie

Sobolo

Ingredients

• 1 Pineapple
• 2 Large thumbs of ginger, peeled (about 1/3 cup)
• 15 Grains of selim
• 7 African nutmeg
• 2 1/2 tbsp Cloves
• 1 tbsp Black peppercorn
• 1 tsp Grains of paradise
• 1 cup Dates, pitted
• 16 cups Water
• 2 cups Hisbiscus flowers, dried (sorrel)
• Sugar, to taste
• White vinegar
• 2 Cinnamon sticks

DIRECTIONS (Adapted)

1: Clean the pineapple by soaking in a water and vinegar solution for 10-15 minutes. Lightly brush with a produce brush to fully clean extra dirt from the skin.

2: While the pineapple is soaking, soak the dates in warm water then drain when nice and soft.

3: Pluck several leaves from the pineapple crown and peel the pineapple. Cut it into 2-inch chunks, making sure that the core is removed.

4: In a blender, blend the pineapple fruit with the ginger and dates till smooth.

5: In a pot, add the pineapple leaves, skin, blended mixture, and spices with 10 cups of water and bring to a boil. Do not cover the pot otherwise it will splash.

6: Once the water has come to a boil, add the hibiscus leaves/sorrel and bring the heat down to allow the mixture to steep at a rolling boil.

7: Let the mixture steep for 30-45 minutes, then turn the stove to simmer.

8: Add sugar to taste. I added ~ 1 cup of brown sugar, a quarter of a cup at a time until it was just slightly less sweet than I wanted. Allow it to continue to simmer for 5-10 additional minutes, then turn the stove off.

9: Let the mixture cool till the drink is room temperature. Then, strain the sobolo with a fine mesh strainer, pour it into a bottle and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to enjoy it!

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Set in a totalitarian superstate, George Orwell's 1984 follows Winston Smith, an official tasked with rewriting history to align with state propaganda. Driven by a desperate yearning for truth and individuality, Winston rebels against the regime by keeping a forbidden diary and pursuing a secret love affair. Ultimately, he is captured by the Thought Police, subjected to brutal psychological torture, and brainwashed into unquestioning submission.

My guest this week is the 2025-26 President of the American Library Association, Sam Helmick! They work as a Community and Access Services Coordinator at the Iowa City Public Library. Sam has served as a member of the ALA Executive Board and as president of the Iowa Library Association. They previously served as chair-elect of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table and chair of the Iowa Governor’s Commission of Libraries. They have served on many committees within the American Library Association and have held leadership roles at multiple levels. Sam is a 2016 Emerging Leader, as well as an author, consultant, and instructor in social media marketing and graphic design.

Sam and I had this conversation over a Smokey Whiskey, which felt like some of the moments in the book, held in smokey bars and back rooms. My exact recommendation is the Bourbon & Spire Oak and Eden, forever one of my favorites!