Page Count
Episodes
Rediscovering Andre Norton with Dr. Jeff Karem
21 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Andre Norton is one of the pivotal figures in the history of science fiction and fantasy and remains eminently relevant for modern readers. She was a ...
Ghost Hunting Overnight at the Thurber House
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this supernatural spectacular, Laura is joined by her spouse, Peter, for an overnight ghost-hunting expedition at the Thurber House in Columbus. Do...
AWP 2026 Recap
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Laura sits down with Tiffany Graham Charkosky, Director of Arts and Culture at Cleveland Public Library, to recap the 2026 Association of Writers &...
Literary Screening: Heated Rivalry with Sonia Feldman
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Grab your ginger ale, your hockey pucks, and your intense sense of longing, because we’re heading to the cottage. Cleveland author Sonia Feldman joi...
Horror & Hoodoo with Tracy Cross
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the dark world of horror author Tracy Cross! In this episode, Cross discusses her Conjure series trilogy, which follows a young girl develo...
Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the year of Toni Morrison! Our friends at Literary Cleveland, in partnership with Ohio Humanities, are leading a yearlong, statewide celebratio...
Cross-Cultural Character Exploration with Daniel Tam-Claiborne
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel Tam-Claiborne recently appeared at Mac’s Backs Books in Cleveland to discuss his debut novel, Transplants, which surrounds a Chinese college ...
The Art of Sports Journalism with Christine Brennan
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sportswriter Christine Brennan discusses her latest book, On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women’s Sports, including how she came to...
Bloopers!
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re leaving 2025 on a note of failure, mishaps, and shame. That’s right: we have bloopers! Listen in to discover that Laura is incapable of sayi...
NO NO NO NO NO NO: The Rejection Show
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s December, it gets dark in the afternoon, and it’s freezing here in Ohio…what better time to dive into the cheery topic of rejection? Better...
Holiday Gift Recommendations from Little Professor
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve just been handed a rectangular-shaped gift with the telltale heft and size of a book. Who knows what worlds might be contained in that one li...
Publishing a Debut Memoir with Tiffany Graham Charkosky
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Debut memoirist Tiffany Graham Charkosky discusses the story behind LIVING PROOF: How Love Defied Genetic Legacy, from the medical journey she embarke...
Illuminating the Origins of the Tiffany Lamps with Sandra Nickel
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In her new picture book, Sandra Nickel reveals the true genius behind the iconic Tiffany stained glass lamp designs: Clara Driscoll, an Ohio-born arti...
Deliciously Creepy: Celebrating 100 Episodes with Dan Chaon
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For our 100th episode, we’re traveling back in time: to 1915, the setting of Dan Chaon’s latest novel, One of Us, and to September 13, 2025, when ...
Literary Screening: The Wild Robot with Tricia Springstubb
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cleveland-based children’s book author Tricia Springstubb takes listeners on an adventure through the wilderness via The Wild Robot—how her grandd...
Speculative Fiction at the Columbus Book Festival
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listeners, you’re about to slip through a portal to arrive at the 2025 Columbus Book Festival, where Megan Giddings, Ruben Reyes Jr., and Edward Und...
The Art of Editing with The Cincinnati Review
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lisa Ampleman, Managing Editor of The Cincinnati Review, offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into a literary magazine’s submission review process. By...
Celebrating Virginia Hamilton with Julie K. Rubini
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Julie K. Rubini discusses her biography for young readers, Virginia Hamilton: America’s Storyteller, which surrounds one of the most honored America...
Exploring Cuyahoga Valley National Park through Poetry
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode celebrates poetry, local voices, parks, biodiversity, and the art of paying attention to the natural world around us. Carrie George and C...
From Taylor Swift to Roller Skating at the Ohioana Book Festival
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the songs of Taylor Swift to the skate parks of the Midwest, not to mention pep talks for writers and a guide to Columbus hot spots, this episode...
Touring the Paul Laurence Dunbar House
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for an audio tour of the Paul Laurence Dunbar House in Dayton, Ohio. Ryan Qualls, Chief of Interpretation and Site Manager, walks listeners th...
Librarians are Superheroes with Karen Henry Clark
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Forget actors, rock stars, and elite athletes—on Page Count, the real celebrities are librarians. Karen Henry Clark, the author of the picture book ...
Literary Screening: Entering the Twilight Zone with Dr. Kim Kiehl
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listeners, welcome to the fifth dimension. We’re joined by Dr. Kim Kiehl, Executive Director of the Ohioana Library Association, to discuss The Twil...
Clicking Our Heels Three Times with Dr. Taylor Byas
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Poet and editor Dr. Taylor Byas is here to discuss her award-winning debut poetry collection, I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times. Along the way, she ...
Maintaining the Narrative Spell with Hilary Plum
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hilary Plum discusses her new novel, State Champ, which surrounds an abortion clinic employee who goes on a hunger strike to protest her boss’s impr...
Honoring Linda Anne Eastman, a Pioneering Librarian
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As part of Cleveland Public Library’s celebrations surrounding the 100th anniversary of Main Library, Page Count honors Linda Anne Eastman, the firs...
Literary Screening: The Tender Bar with RW Franklin
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Next up in our Literary Screening series is the 2021 film The Tender Bar, an adaptation of J.R. Moehringer’s 2005 memoir. RW Franklin, a writer and ...
Literary Screening: American Fiction with Literary Cleveland
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the first episode of Literary Screening, a new series that invites Page Count guests to discuss films or television shows with a literary c...
Season 4 Trailer
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Page Count’s fourth season kicks off on April 8, 2025! Listen to snippets from just a few of our upcoming episodes featuring the following guests: ...
Page Count Turns Three!
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Laura and Don celebrate Page Count’s third anniversary by discussing some of their favorite episodes from Season 3, touching on everything from MacA...
Experimental Fiction with Mary Grimm
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Grimm leads listeners through the tunnels, dreams, purgatories, and ghost towns that appear in her new story collection, Transubstantiation. Alon...
Celebrating James Baldwin with Quartez Harris
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Quartez Harris is here to discuss his new picture book, Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a Writer, which illuminates Baldwin’s childhood and lit...
Defending Goals & Breaking Barriers with Kelcey Ervick
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kelcey Ervick, author of the graphic memoir The Keeper: Soccer, Me, and the Law that Changed Women’s Lives, is here to discuss soccer, women’s spo...
Page Count Live: Writing Toward Peace with Loung Ung
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a special episode recorded before a live audience at the Inkubator writing conference, Laura interviews Loung Ung, whose bestselling memoirs detail...
New Year’s Resolutions for Writers
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re wrapping up 2024 by offering New Year’s resolutions for writers inspired by advice offered this year by some of Page Count’s guest authors...
Literary Cleveland Presents: Ruth Awad & Maggie Smith
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a virtual panel hosted by Literary Cleveland during the 2024 Inkubator writing conference, Ohio poets Ruth Awad and Maggie Smith consider how poetr...
The Art of Audiobook Narration
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever wondered about the process of turning your book into an audiobook, or what it takes to work as an audiobook narrator, then this episo...
Holiday Gift Recommendations from Gathering Volumes
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Denise Phillips, the owner of Gathering Volumes, an independent bookstore in Perrysburg, Ohio, offers holiday gift recommendations for readers of all ...
Making Light with Julia Kuo
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Author and illustrator Julia Kuo discusses her picture book Luminous: Living Things That Light Up the Night, which won the 2024 Floyd’s Pick Book Aw...
Among the Graves in Ohio's Cemeteries
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Halloween is right around the corner, so grab your pumpkin spice lattes and join us as we explore Ohio’s cemeteries with Ian Adams, Randall Lee Schi...
Be a Cockroach at the Columbus Book Festival
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Page Count hit the road in July to record a panel interview with authors and podcasters Rob Harvilla, Libby Kay, and Alex Rowland in front of a live a...
40 Years of Poetry with David Hassler
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University, David Hassler, the Bob and Walt Wick Executive Director...
Settling Ohio with Timothy G. Anderson & Brian Schoen
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Schoen, Ph.D., and Timothy G. Anderson, Ph.D., the editors of Settling Ohio: First Peoples and Beyond, discuss Ohio’s history, the inspiration...
Carving a Story with Chiquita Mullins Lee & Carmella Van Vleet
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chiquita Mullins Lee and Carmella Van Vleet, authors of the picture book You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce!, discuss the life, art, and significance of Elijah...
Exploring the Myth of Annie Oakley with Sara Moore Wagner
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Poet Sara Moore Wagner takes listeners on a deep dive into the life and legend of Ohio-born sharpshooter Annie Oakley. As the subject of Wagner’s la...
Touring the Thurber House
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What do ghosts, unicorns, The New Yorker, and wild wallpaper patterns have in common? James Thurber, of course. Laura and Don take Page Count on the r...
At the Sewanee Writers’ Conference with Leah Stewart
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s summertime, and writers, you know what that means: it’s conference season! To celebrate, we’re speaking with Leah Stewart, the director of ...
The Center for the Book Is a State of Mind
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Straight from “the mothership of all libraries,” Guy Lamolinara, head of the Library of Congress Center for the Book, joins Laura and Don to discu...
100 Years of Writer’s Digest
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Writer’s Digest Editor-in-Chief Amy Jones opens the magazine’s archives to take us back to a time when typewriters were king, paying markets for s...
Rediscovering Dawn Powell
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hemingway called her his favorite novelist. Gore Vidal directed attention back to her work after her death. Even Rory Gilmore was spotted reading her ...
Page Count Live with Hanif Abdurraqib & Jacqueline Woodson
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a special episode recorded before a live audience at the 2024 Ohioana Book Festival, Jacqueline Woodson and Hanif Abdurraqib discuss their latest b...
Season 3 Trailer
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Page Count’s third season kicks off on May 21! Listen to snippets from just a few of our upcoming episodes featuring the following authors and exper...
Page Count Turns Two!
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Laura and Don celebrate Page Count’s second anniversary by sharing some of their favorite episodes along with a few fun facts. For example, did you ...
2024 Ohioana Book Festival Preview
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
David Weaver, executive director of the Ohioana Library Association, makes his second appearance on the podcast to discuss the upcoming Ohioana Book F...
Alchemy of Writing with Claire McMillan
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In celebration of the paperback release of her latest novel, Alchemy of a Blackbird, Claire McMillan discusses the art and life of Remedios Varo, hist...
Writers Unplugged Presents: Susan Petrone
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re pleased to share this Writers Unplugged event featuring Cleveland author Susan Petrone. Jen Jumba of Cleveland Public Library conducted this i...
Cringe & Controversy with Brian Broome
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Broome, author of the debut memoir Punch Me Up to the Gods, discusses growing up in rural Ohio, how he was discovered by a literary agent at a s...
Touring the Toni Morrison Reading Room
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Toni Morrison Day on February 18, Page Count took a field trip to Lorain Public Library to tour the Toni Morrison Reading Room. Cheri Camp...
Finding Magic: In Memory of Echo Brown
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re honored to share this episode of Wild Precious Life, a Cleveland-based podcast hosted by Annmarie Kelly, to remember the life and work of Echo...
Book Club Fiction with Jessica Strawser
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Author and Writer’s Digest editor-at-large Jessica Strawser answers publishing questions from Page Count listeners, defines “book club fiction,”...
Trash & Delight with Ross Gay & Alison Stine
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a live episode recorded at the Lit Youngstown Fall Literary Festival, Ross Gay and Alison Stine discuss joy, trash, the art of writing quickly and ...
Index for Continuance Presents: Sarah Rose Etter on Running a Reading Series
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re excited to share this excellent interview about the art of running a reading series from Index for Continuance, which is produced by the CSU P...
Holiday Gift Ideas from Mac’s Backs & Downbound Books
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Searching for the perfect books to fill out your holiday shopping list? We’ve got you covered with recommendations from the owners of two independen...
Something to Say with Lake Erie Ink
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode celebrates youth writing, art, editing, and publication. Laura is joined by Alex Ashbrook, a teaching artist with the nonprofit Lake Erie...
Literary Magic with Elissa Washuta
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this special live episode, Laura Maylene Walter interviews Elissa Washuta, author of the essay collection WHITE MAGIC. Their wide-ranging conversat...
Mystery & Memory with Katharine Beutner
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Author Katharine Beutner takes a trip down memory lane with Laura to discuss their shared experience as editors of their high school literary magazine...
Navigating Loneliness with Athena Dixon
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re releasing this episode a day early in honor of Athena Dixon appearing at Literary Cleveland’s debut Plum City Reading event! This reading ta...
The Asterisk Presents: Tiya Miles
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of the upcoming 2023 Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards ceremony, we’re proud to share this Asterisk interview with historian, author, and Ohio nat...
Superman’s Origin Story with Dr. Valentino Zullo
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Superman’s 85th birthday this year, Dr. Valentino Zullo explores the Cleveland-created superhero’s origin story. Dr. Zullo and Laura d...
Storytelling in Appalachian Ohio with Madeline ffitch
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Madeline ffitch, author of the novel Stay and Fight, discusses living and writing in Appalachian Ohio; the realities of homesteading; writing in multi...
Taking a Hike with Michelle Houts & Erica Magnus
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Michelle Houts, the author of the picture book When Grandma Gatewood Took a Hike, and Erica Magnus, the book’s illustrator, discuss the life and adv...
Cleveland Noir with Michael Ruhlman & Miesha Wilson Headen
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s launch day for Cleveland Noir, an anthology offering a twisty, duplicitous, and sometimes murderous view of Cleveland. Anthology editors Michae...
Into the Sewer with Jay B. Kalagayan
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Journey into the sewer with Jay B. Kalagayan, the creator, writer, and publisher of MeSseD, a comic series inspired by the nickname for the Metropolit...
Revising Nancy Drew with Jennifer Fisher
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jennifer Fisher, a Nancy Drew expert, author, collector, and historian, sheds light on the life and work of Mildred Wirt Benson, the original ghostwri...
Panelists Weigh In: Applying for an OAC Grant, Part 2
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As past panelists for the Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Awards, Traci Brimhall, Melissa Faliveno, and Tanya Rey share what it was like to re...
Applying for an OAC Grant, Part 1: Chaz O’Neil
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chaz O’Neil, the Individual Artist Programs & Percent for Art Coordinator for the Ohio Arts Council, offers behind-the-scenes tips for Ohio writers ...
Page Count Live: Turning Points in a Writing Career
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was recorded before a live audience at the 2023 Ohioana Book Festival at the Columbus Metropolitan Library on April 22, 2023. A panel of ...
Nonfiction Critiques with Kristen Elias Rowley
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kristen Elias Rowley, the editor in chief of The Ohio State University Press and its literary imprint, Mad Creek Books, sheds light on the nonfiction ...
Writing Collaboratively with Huda Al-Marashi
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To celebrate the publication of Grounded, a new middle-grade novel surrounding four kids searching for a lost cat in an airport, Huda Al-Marashi discu...
Season 2 Trailer
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Page Count’s second season kicks off on May 9! Listen to snippets from just a few of our upcoming episodes featuring the following authors and exper...
April Hiatus
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You know what they say: an April hiatus brings May . . . episodes? In any case, Page Count is taking a break from full-length episodes in April. But d...
Bonus Episode: Ohioana Book Festival Preview
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This bonus episode celebrates the return of an in-person Ohioana Book Festival on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s M...
Global Weirding with Allegra Hyde
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To celebrate the publication of her new story collection, The Last Catastrophe, Allegra Hyde discusses climate fiction, the concept of “global weird...
Poetry Critiques with Mid-American Review
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mid-American Review (MAR) Editor-in-Chief Abigail Cloud and Poetry Editor Megan Borocki shed light on the literary magazine landscape, especially for ...
Prose and Protest with Prince Shakur
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Prince Shakur discusses his debut memoir, When They Tell You to Be Good, a political and personal exploration of his coming of age as a writer and act...
Anatomy of a Love Poem with Teri Ellen Cross Davis
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Valentine’s Day, poet Teri Ellen Cross Davis discusses the challenges and joys of writing love poems while sharing the creative process ...
The Secret Life of Zane Grey
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To celebrate the 150th birthday of Ohio author Zane Grey, Laura is joined by Lucas Fralick from the Wyoming Center for the Book and Don Boozer from Cl...
The Great Environmental Awakening with Douglas Brinkley
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Don Boozer, the Literature Department Manager and Ohio Center for the Book Coordinator at Cleveland Public Library, steps in as Page Count’s guest h...
Cleveland Reads Kickoff
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode, join us behind the scenes at the kickoff event for Cleveland Reads, the citywide reading challenge that tasks Clevelanders with...
Query Critiques with Erin Hosier
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Literary agent, author, and podcaster Erin Hosier discusses the current publishing landscape, challenges and opportunities in the industry, the author...
Writing Advice from Page Count Authors
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re wrapping up 2022 with a compilation of writing advice from some of the authors who appeared on the pod this year. From writing routines to per...
Podcasting for Writers with Jill Grunenwald
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re taking a meta dive into the world of podcasting with Jill Grunenwald, an author, librarian, and the cohost of OverDrive’s Professional Book ...
10 Tips for Drafting a Novel
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This mini episode offers 10 tips for writers working on their first novels. Host Laura Maylene Walter draws on her experience as a novelist to discuss...
First Pages with Kirsten Reach
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kirsten Reach, founder of Jonquil Editorial and former Kenyon Review fiction editor and Melville House book editor, critiques opening pages from Ohio ...
Advice for the Career-Minded Writer with Liz Breazeale
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this special live episode, Laura Maylene Walter interviews Liz Breazeale, an award-winning author and NEA Fellow, to offer listeners practical advi...
Escaping the Drawer with Sammy and Annisha
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A fun discussion about puppets, children’s literature, libraries, and the age-old cat vs. dog debate? Toucan play at that game—namely, our two spe...
Acts of Imagination with Will Hillenbrand
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Children’s book author and illustrator Will Hillenbrand discusses his origins as a young artist; why “instant art” is a myth; his attempt to kis...
Write Sober, Edit Sober with Negesti Kaudo
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Negesti Kaudo, author of the debut essay collection RIPE, discusses the art of writing nonfiction; her development as a writer; exploring race, privil...
Making History Personal with Derf Backderf
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrated graphic novelist Derf Backderf discusses his latest book, KENT STATE: FOUR DEAD IN OHIO, which documents the fatal May 4, 1970 shooting at ...
Friendship and Snails with Tracy Subisak
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Children’s book illustrator and author Tracy Subisak discusses JENNY MEI IS SAD, a picture book about the support friends can offer in times of sadn...