The Virtual Memories Show

Episode 574 - Elizabeth Flock

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With her incredible new book, THE FURIES: Women, Vengeance, & Justice (Harper), journalist Elizabeth Flock explores the lives of three women who respo...

Episode 573 - David Thomson

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hey! Anything good on TV? No? Then listen to legendary film critic David Thomson as we discuss his amazing new book, REMOTELY: Travels in the Binge of...

Episode 572 - Sammy Harkham

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With his graphic novel, BLOOD OF THE VIRGIN (Pantheon), Sammy Harkham tells a story of personal and professional disintegration, against the backdrop ...

Episode 571 - Ed Subitzky

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The great cartoonist and humorist Ed Subitzky gets his long-delayed due with the new collection, POOR HELPLESS COMICS! (New York Review Comics). We ta...

Episode 570 - Chris Silverman

02 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Did you make a 2024 resolution to put down your phone? This week's guest might make you rethink that! Chris Silverman has been making gorgeous, weird,...

Episode 569 - Silence

28 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our host, Gil Roth, closes out 2023 with the story of a week of transformations! This one's got a Yom Kippur fast gone trippy, and a bathroom-door-ind...

Episode 568 - The Guest List 2023

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Seventeen of this year's Virtual Memories Show guests tell us about the favorite books they read in 2023 and the books they hope to get to in 2024! Gu...

Episode 567 - Jarrett Earnest

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For the last guest-episode of 2023, art critic Jarrett Earnest joins me to celebrate his beautiful new book, VALID UNTIL SUNSET (Matte Editions), whic...

Episode 566 - Christian Wiman

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With his new book, ZERO AT THE BONE: Fifty Entries Against Despair (FSG), Christian Wiman fuses essay, poem, memoir and anthology in a singular work t...

Episode 565 - Danny Fingeroth

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the 60th anniversary of the assassinations of JFK & Lee Harvey Oswald, Danny Fingeroth brings us the new biography, JACK RUBY: The Many Faces of ...

Episode 564 - Matt Bors

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With The Nib, cartoonist & editor Matt Bors helped build an online (and print!) venue for political satire, graphic journalism and non-fiction comics ...

Episode 563 - Phillip Lopate

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With his new collection, A YEAR AND A DAY: AN EXPERIMENT IN ESSAYS (NYRB), master essayist Phillip Lopate explores the world & himself through the mod...

Episode 562 - Leslie Stein

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With her wonderful, hilarious & heartfelt new graphic novel, Brooklyn's Last Secret (Drawn & Quarterly), cartoonist Leslie Stein brings us the story o...

Episode 561 - Josh Bayer

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With his new graphic novel/memoir, UNENDED (Uncivilized Books), cartoonist Josh Bayer explores family trauma, memory, art, and more. We get into how J...

Episode 560 - Adam Sisman

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With The Secret Life of John le Carré (Harper), Adam Sisman reveals the secrets he couldn't publish in 2015's John le Carré: The Biography, and expl...

Episode 559 - Lisa Morton

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Let's celebrate spooky season with The Art of the Zombie Movie (Applause Books)! Author Lisa Morton & I talk about her new book and the fun of researc...

Episode 558 - Daniel Clowes

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With MONICA (Fantagraphics), legendary cartoonist Daniel Clowes has pushed the limits of his storytelling and art to make one of the great graphic nov...

Episode 557 - Rachel Shteir

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With her fantastic new biography, Betty Friedan: Magnificent Disrupter (Yale University Press), Rachel Shteir sheds light on a key figure in the women...

Episode 556 - Patrick McDonnell

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What's it like to put out books with Jack Kirby and the Dalai Lama in the same year? Legendary cartoonist & artist Patrick McDonnell rejoins the show ...

Episode 555 - Keith Knight

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How did the writers' strike get Keith Knight to finish his long-awaited graphic memoir, I WAS A TEENAGE MICHAEL JACKSON IMPERSONATOR (Keith Knight Pre...

Episode 554 - Brett Martin

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ten years can be a lifetime (or two or three): Brett Martin returns to the show to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his book DIFFICULT MEN: Behind th...

Episode 553 - Peter Rostovsky

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How did a hangover in 2015 lead to an award-winning debut graphic novel in 2023? Find out as Peter Rostovsky joins the show to celebrate the release o...

Episode 552 - Bill Griffith

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Legendary cartoonist Bill Griffith returns to celebrate his fantastic new book, THREE ROCKS: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller, The Man Who Created NANCY ...

Episode 551 - Jerome Charyn

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"The word is far more real than the world": Jerome Charyn rejoins the show to celebrate his new novel, RAVAGE & SON (Bellevue Literary Press), a fant...

Episode 550 - Ron Rosenbaum

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the release of IN DEFENSE OF LOVE: An Argument (Doubleday), Ron Rosenbaum offers up a series of essays to save love from scientizers, extremists,...

Episode 549 - Karl Stevens

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With MOTHER NATURE (Titan Comics), artist Karl Stevens adapts a graphic novel from an eco-horror screenplay by Oscar™-winner Jamie Lee Curtis & Russ...

Episode 548 - Howard Fishman

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Writer, musician and composer Howard Fishman joins the show to celebrate his amazing new book, TO ANYONE WHO EVER ASKS: The Life, Music and Mystery of...

Episode 547 - Christopher Brown

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

During Readercon weekend, Christopher Brown rejoined the show for our first conversation since the 2020 release of his novel Failed State. We talk abo...

Episode 546 - Rian Hughes

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Writer, graphic designer, typographer, illustrator, comics writer/artist, and photographer Rian Hughes rejoins the show to celebrate the US release of...

Episode 545 - Eddie Campbell

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the publication of The Second Fake Death of Eddie Campbell (Top Shelf), the great cartoonist Eddie Campbell brings his decades-long autobiographi...

Bonus Episode - Remembering Michael Denneny

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

No show this week, but here's a bonus episode with my impromptu speech at the remembrance/memorial for the late Michael Denneny, recorded June 19, 202...

Episode 544 - Mitchell Prothero

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Investigative journalist & longtime pal Mitchell Prothero joins the show to talk about his new podcast, GATEWAY: Cocaine, Murder, and Dirty Money in E...

Episode 543 - Joseph Monninger

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With his new memoir, GOODBYE TO CLOCKS TICKING: How We Live While Dying (Steerforth), writer and professor Joseph Monninger writes through the experie...

Episode 542 - Andrew Porter

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With his new story collection, The Disappeared (Knopf), Andrew Porter explores the intricacies of loss in day-to-day life, and all that vanishes as we...

Episode 541 - Jonathan Papernick

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Author Jonathan Papernick joins the show to celebrate his fantastic new short story collection, Gallery of the Disappeared Men, and new novel, I am my...

Episode 540 - Scott Samuelson

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Let's visit the Eternal City! Scott Samuelson joins the show to discuss his wondrous new book, ROME AS A GUIDE TO THE GOOD LIFE: A Philosophical Grand...

Episode 539 - Brian Dillon

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With AFFINITIES: On Art & Fascination (NYRB), Brian Dillon completes a "loose trilogy" of books revolving around his connections to art, writing & the...

Episode 538 - John Kropf

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With his new book, COLOR CAPITAL OF THE WORLD (U of Akron Press), John W. Kropf explores the history of the American Crayon Co., Sandusky, OH, and his...

Episode 537 - John Wray

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With his fantastic new novel, GONE TO THE WOLVES (FSG), John Wray explores the metal scene of the 1990s, from Gulf Coast Florida to LA to the wilds of...

Episode 536 - Ho Che Anderson

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With GODHEAD Vol. 2 (Fantagraphics), Ho Che Anderson has fulfilled a graphic novel science fiction adventure 20 years in the making. He rejoins the sh...

Bonus Episode - After Michael

23 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last week I talked about finding Michael Denneny dead at his apartment when I showed up for our podcast session. This bonus episode covers the week si...

Episode 535 - Finding Michael Denneny

16 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's guest, gay author and editor Michael Denneny, was found dead when I arrived at his apartment to record our session. This episode consists ...

Episode 534 - Noah Van Sciver

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Live from MoCCA Fest 2023, it's an Artist's Spotlight feat. Noah Van Sciver! I host a live session with Noah (with audience Q&A) to talk about his car...

Episode 533 - Stevan M Weine

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Stevan M. Weine joins the show to talk about his amazing, illuminating and important new book, BEST MINDS: How Allen Ginsberg Made Revolutionary P...

Episode 532 - Priscilla Gilman

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With her new memoir, The Critic's Daughter (Norton), Priscilla Gilman explores her relationship with her father, Theater Critic and Yale Drama profess...

Episode 531 - Timothy Goodman

19 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Artist (& SO much more) Timothy Goodman joins the show to talk about his gorgeous new graphic memoir: I ALWAYS THINK IT'S FOREVER: A Love Story Set in...

Episode 530 - Christopher Bollen

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Author, journalist and interviewer Christopher Bollen returns to the show to celebrate his thrilling new crime novel, The Lost Americans (Harper). We ...

Episode 529 - Dean Haspiel

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Artist, writer, cartoonist, playwright, director etc. Dean Haspiel rejoins the show to talk why he's launched his first Kickstarter (open through 3/30...

Episode 528 - Willard Spiegelman

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Author, critic, professor and now biographer Willard Spiegelman rejoins the show to talk about his amazing new book, NOTHING STAYS PUT: The Life and P...

Episode 527 - Matt Ruff

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Ruff rejoins the show to celebrate his fantastic new book, THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS: A Return To Lovecraft Country (Harper). We talk about his rea...

Episode 526 - James McMullan

14 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Legendary artist and illustrator James McMullan joins the show to celebrate his new book, HELLO WORLD: The Body Speaks in the Drawings of Men (Pointed...

Episode 525 - Paul B Rainey

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With his fantastic new graphic novel, Why Don't You Love Me? (Drawn & Quarterly), cartoonist Paul B. Rainey has crafted a deeply human story out of a ...

Episode 524 - Thomas Woodruff

31 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Artist and illustrator Thomas Woodruff joins the show to celebrate his amazing new graphic opera, Francis Rothbart! The Tale of a Fastidious Feral (Fa...

Episode 523 - Dawn Raffel

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Author Dawn Raffel rejoins the show to celebrate her wonderful new book, Boundless As The Sky (Sagging Meniscus Press), a gorgeous series of stories &...

Episode 522 - Ross Benjamin

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Acclaimed translator Ross Benjamin returns to the show to celebrate the publication of The Diaries of Franz Kafka (Schocken Books). We get into the tw...

Episode 521 - Sara Lippmann

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Author Sara Lippmann returns to The Virtual Memories Show after almost a decade to celebrate her debut novel, LECH (Tortoise Books). We talk about ho...

Episode 520 - Gil Roth and Aaron Finkelstein

02 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Let's kick off 2023 with . . . me! I My long-time pal Aaron Finkelstein returns to interview me for what we've decided to make an annual Virtual Memor...

Episode 519 - The Guest List 2022

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Twenty-two of this year's Virtual Memories Show guests tell us about the favorite books they read in 2022 and the books they hope to get to in 2023! G...

Episode 518 - Dmitry Samarov

13 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Artist & author Dmitry Samarov rejoins the show to talk about his new book, PAINT BY NUMBERS, the disastrous experience he had trying to profile a pai...

Episode 517 - Steven Heller

06 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Author, design guru, blogger, instructor, graphic designer and treasure Steven Heller rejoins the show to celebrate his wonderful new book, Growing Up...

Episode 516 - Drew Friedman

29 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Artist Drew Friedman rejoins the show to celebrate his wonderful new book, Maverix and Lunatix: Icons of Underground Comix (Fantagraphics). We talk ab...

Episode 515 - David Sax

22 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Writer, journalist and speaker David Sax joins the show to celebrate his new book, THE FUTURE IS ANALOG: How to Create a More Human World (Public Affa...

Episode 514 - Jim Ottaviani

19 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Writer Jim Ottaviani rejoins the show to celebrate his new graphic biography, EINSTEIN (First Second)! We get into his collaboration with artist Jerel...

Episode 513 - Peter Stothard

15 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Classicist, editor, and writer Peter Stothard joins the show to celebrate the publication of his amazing new book, CRASSUS: The First Tycoon, the firs...

Episode 512 - Michael Lesy

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Photographic historian & writer Michael Lesy joins the show to celebrate his amazing new book, WALKER EVANS: LAST PHOTOGRAPHS & LIFE STORIES (Blast Bo...

Episode 511 - Marina Warner

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, writer, professor & critic Marina Warner joins the show to talk about her new book about her parents, Esmond and Ilia: An Unreliable Memoir...

Episode 510 - Jerry Saltz

01 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Jerry Saltz joins the show to celebrate his new collection, ART IS LIFE: Icons and Iconoclasts, Visionaries and Vigi...

Episode 509 - Darryl Pinckney

25 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Literary & cultural critic Darryl Pinckney rejoins the show to celebrate his new memoir/memorial, Come Back In September: A Literary Education on West...

Episode 508 - Tom Gauld

18 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cartoonist and illustrator Tom Gauld rejoins the show to celebrate the publication of his new book, Revenge of the Librarians (Drawn & Quarterly), a c...

Episode 507 - W David Marx

04 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With his new book, STATUS AND CULTURE: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change (Viking), W. David Ma...

Episode 506 - George Prochnik

27 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

George Prochnik rejoins the show to celebrate his new book, I Dream With Open Eyes: A Memoir About Reimagining Home (Counterpoint Press). We get into ...

Episode 505 - Richard Butner

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Author Richard Butner joins the show to celebrate his marvelous first book, The Adventurists and Other Stories (Small Beer Press). We get into the F&S...

Episode 504 - Eva Hagberg

13 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Author & architecture critic Eva Hagberg rejoins the show to celebrate her new book, WHEN EERO MET HIS MATCH: Aline Louchheim Saarinen and the Making ...

Episode 503 - Jonathan Ames

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Author & showrunner Jonathan Ames returns to the show to celebrate his new novel, The Wheel Of Doll (Mulholland Books)! We get into how Lee Child inad...

Episode 502 - Jerome Charyn

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Author, critic and film scholar Jerome Charyn rejoins the show to celebrate his new book, BIG RED: A Novel Starring Rita Hayworth & Orson Welles (Live...

Episode 501 - William Deresiewicz

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Author & critic William Deresiewicz joins the show to celebrate his new book, THE END OF SOLITUDE: Selected Essays on Culture and Society (Holt). We g...

Episode 500 - ALL The Guests

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

FIVE-HUNDRED EPISODES of The Virtual Memories Show?! Let's celebrate this milestone episode with tributes, remembrances, jokes, congrats, non-sequitur...

Episode 499 - Hayley Campbell

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Author, broadcaster, and journalist Hayley Campbell returns to the show to celebrate her fantastic new book, ALL THE LIVING AND THE DEAD: From Embalme...

Episode 498 - Jonah Kinigstein

09 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

At 99 years old, unrepentant artist Jonah Kinigstein rejoins the show to celebrate his new book, Unrepentant Artist (Fantagraphics Underground)! We ta...

Episode 497 - Dave McKean

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What is art? Who (or what) is an artist? What is creativity, and can it be captured in a machine? Dave McKean's amazing new book, PROMPT: Conversation...

Episode 496 - Noah Van Sciver

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cartoonist Noah Van Sciver joins the show to celebrate the release of two fantastic new books, Joseph Smith And The Mormons (Abrams ComicArts) and As ...

Episode 495 - Ruth Scurr

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With her wonderful new biography, Napoleon: A Life Told In Gardens And Shadows (Liveright Books), Ruth Scurr offers up a new approach to Napoleon and ...

Episode 494 - Brian Doherty

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Author Brian Doherty joins the show to celebrate his fantastic & important new book, Dirty Pictures: How an Underground Network of Nerds, Feminists, M...

Episode 493 - Joe Ciardiello

05 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's our first live episode since The Before Time! The great illustrator Joe Ciardiello rejoins the show for a conversation at ArtYard in Frenchtown, ...

Episode 492 - Howard Chaykin

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Legendary comics creator Howard Chaykin rejoins the show to celebrate the conclusion of his Time2 opus, soon to be released in The Time2 Omnibus (Imag...

Episode 491 - Andrew Jamieson

21 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Psychotherapist Andrew Jamieson joins the show to talk about his new book, MIDLIFE: Humanity's Secret Weapon (Notting Hill Editions/NYRB). We get into...

Episode 490 - Alexandra Lange

14 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With her fantastic new book, Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of The Mall (Bloomsbury USA), architecture critic Alexandra Lange explores a s...

Episode 489 - Ira Nadel

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Professor & biographer Ira Nadel joins the show to talk about PHILIP ROTH: A Counterlife (Oxford University Press). We get into Ira's approach to lite...

Episode 488 - Andreas Kilcher and Judith Butler

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

To celebrate the publication of the groundbreaking book, FRANZ KAFKA: THE DRAWINGS (Yale University Press), contributors Andreas Kilcher & Judith But...

Episode 487 - Alvin Eng

23 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Playwright, performer and acoustic punk raconteur Alvin Eng joins the show to celebrate his new memoir, Our Laundry, Our Town: My Chinese American Lif...

Episode 486 - Charlie Porter

16 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Fashion critic, journalist and author Charlie Porter joins the show to celebrate the US publication of WHAT ARTISTS WEAR (WW Norton). We talk about th...

Episode 485 - Kathe Koja

10 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kathe Koja rejoins the show to celebrate the launch of her new project, Dark Factory (Meerkat Press)! We talk about how Dark Factory combines a novel ...

Episode 484 - Julie Phillips

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Author & biographer Julie Phillips joins the show to celebrate her amazing new book, The Baby on the Fire Escape: Creativity, Motherhood, and the Mind...

Episode 483 - Celia Paul

26 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Painter Celia Paul rejoins the show for the US debut of her new book, Letters To Gwen John (NYRB). We talk about how Celia found herself through corre...

Episode 482 - John Crowley

19 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Legendary author John Crowley rejoins the show to celebrate his new novel, Flint And Mirror (Tor Books), as well as his just-before-the-pandemic colle...

Episode 481 - Anneli Furmark

12 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Swedish cartoonist (okay: serietecknare) Anneli Furmark joins the show to celebrate the publication of her wonderful graphic novel Walk Me To The Corn...

Episode 480 - Nicholas Delbanco

05 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Author & MFA teacher Nicholas Delbanco rejoins the show to celebrate Why Writing Matters (Yale University Press). We get into the notion of literary g...

Episode 479 - Sebastian Smee

28 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Sebastian Smee joins the show to talk about his career and the notions of artistic rivalry, influence and love, and ...

Episode 478 - Rebecca Mead

21 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Rebecca Mead joins the show to celebrate her amazing new memoir, Home/Land (Knopf)! We talk about the adventure of making a midlife leap — her depar...

Episode 477 - Anna Della Subin

15 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With her fantastic new book, Accidental Gods: On Men Unwittingly Turned Divine (Metropolitan Books), Anna Della Subin explores how deification has bee...