An episode so good I’m re-airing it!

If you have listened to the podcast for awhile, you have probably heard me reference the book Here For it: Or, How To Save Your Soul in America by R. Eric Thomas. It is a favorite of mine and had a big impact on me when I read it the first time in June of 2020, so I was SO excited when my friend and returning guest Izzie Call read it, loved it as well, and wanted to come on and talk about it with me.

My guest this week is the always delightful Izzie Call. Izzie works as a museum educator for the VMFA coordinating projects related to the permanent collections and special exhibition displays including digital components, labels, and web resources. Izzie is a lifelong, passionate educator and feels most at home speaking about art with those who have an interest in learning.

Also, thank you to Eric Thomas for sharing his favorite drink with me when in a moment of bravado (delusion?) I reached out to him on IG. It is a Cosmopolitan and he said he is bringing it back as a recession indicator!

Cosmo Recipe

1 oz cranberry juice

0.5 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice

1 oz triple sec (I use Cointreau)

1.5-2 oz vodka

Shake hard with ice, pour into martini glass, garnish with orange or lime, and enjoy!

The Only Good Indians is a 2020 horror novel by Stephen Graham Jones about four Blackfeet men haunted by a disturbing, deadly event that took place in their youth. Years later, they find themselves tracked by an entity bent on revenge, totally helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way. The companion book to this novel, Off the Reservation, is coming out October 13, 2026 - don’t miss it!

Becky Spratford is a Librarian in Illinois specializing in serving patrons ages 13 and up. She trains library staff all over the world on how to match books with readers through the local public library. She runs the critically acclaimed RA training blog RA for All and RA Horror for All, writes reviews for Booklist and a Horror review column for Library Journal. Becky has been an elected Library Trustee and a former Board member for both the Reaching Across Illinois Library System and the Illinois Library Association. Known for her work with Horror readers. Becky is the author of three text books for library workers and the editor of the Bram Stoker Award winning Why I Love Horror. Becky was named one of the Chicago Tribune’s Chicagoans of the Year in 2025. She is on the Shirley Jackson Award Advisory Board and is a proud member of the Horror Writers Association, currently serving as the Association’s Secretary and Co-Chair of their Libraries Committee. You can follow Becky on Bluesky @raforall.bsky.social.

We paired this book with a bottle of Coors beer to reflect the opening scene in a bar in the Midwest!

Tickets are on sale for the Urban Librarians Unite Gala on Wednesday October 14th - which I will be MCing in Brooklyn, NY! I hope to see you there in a night to support libraries and our staff.

Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series follows a fiercely independent Victorian lepidopterist who finds herself entangled in murder, mystery, and adventure in 19th-century England. Alongside her enigmatic partner, natural historian Stoker, Veronica uses her sharp wit, scientific knowledge, and unconventional methods to solve dangerous crimes.

Carmela Dutra is a writer from the San Francisco Bay Area who loves food trucks, family, and cozy mysteries. She is the author of the Food Truck Mysteries, including A Murder Most Fowl and Hot Wings and Homicide. Her series has been praised by Kirkus Reviews, which called her debut “a serious set of crimes leavened by plenty of amusing moments,” and by Library Journal, which noted that Hot Wings and Homicide “is perfect for foodies.” Criminal Element highlighted the “juicy reasoning behind the sabotage that was almost as shocking as the murder itself,” and New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams described the books as “the perfect escapist read, brimming with banter and an extra helping of fun.” Carmela has also been featured in CrimeReads Magazine.

A lover of humor, quirky characters, and all things geeky, Carmela spends her days sketching, sipping far too much coffee, and over-cuddling her allergy-inducing cats and dog. She lives with her husband and two dinosaur-obsessed sons, drawing inspiration from rainy afternoons, bustling farmers’ markets, and the unexpected moments that make life memorable.

Tickets are on sale for the Urban Librarians Unite Gala on Wednesday October 14th - which I will be MCing in Brooklyn, NY! I hope to see you there in a night to support libraries and our staff.

Our drink this week was a Whiskey Sour, Whiskey is a favorite of Carmela’s and Veronica, and the little kick reflects Veronica’s spicy nature.

Whiskey Sour

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon or whiskey
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 oz simple syrup
• Ice
• Optional: 1 egg white
• Lemon slice or cocktail cherry for garnish
• 
  

Directions

1. Add whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. If using egg white, add it and shake without ice first.
2. Add ice and shake vigorously until chilled.
3. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.

• 4. Garnish with a lemon slice or cocktail cherry.