We take a look at the case of Hache Carrillo, who lied about his ethnicity, and put it in context with his contributions to the communities he worked in. We talk to former colleagues Luis Bayard and Lisa Page, and Bethanne reveals her first-hand experience working with Hache on the board of the PEN Faulkner Foundation. Website: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/missing-pages/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xe_qmLMDvI Transcript:...

We cover the story behind Bad Art Friend. In this episode, we plan to observe how the publishing industry is built on trust and investigate what happens when that trust is broken. We speak with Rebecca Meacham, a fiction writer who wrote about literary theft and its consequences, and Becky Tuch, a former member of the now-infamous Chunky Monkeys writing group. Website: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/missing-pages/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xe_qmLMDvI Transcript:...

We’ve been talking a lot about ghost writing, because ghosting – that’s the industry term – is BIG business. This is a bonus episode of our series about ghostwriting. In this episode, you’ll hear from Madeleine Morel who is an agent for ghostwriters and Andrew Crofts, a successful ghostwriter. Website: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/missing-pages/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xe_qmLMDvI Transcript: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/missing-pages/ Insta:...

How does a ghostwriter capture the subject’s voice when writing a cookbook? And for the ghostwriters behind the stories, how does ghostwriting cookbooks differ from non-fiction? We talk to JJ Goode, a Brooklyn-based food writer, to get inside the mind of a cookbook ghostwriter. Website: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/missing-pages/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xe_qmLMDvI Transcript: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/missing-pages/ Insta:...

We explore what ghostwriting looks like for fiction. For genres like spy novels and fantasy, how does book publishing capitalize on ghostwriters to unlock lucrative IP extensions on streaming? We talk to Jeff Rovin, who has written Tom Clancy novels, and Andrew Crofts, who wrote the memoir Confessions of a Ghostwriter, to get the scoop. Website: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/missing-pages/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xe_qmLMDvI Transcript:...

In this episode of Missing Pages we examine the lucrative culture of non-fiction ghostwriting and all its thorny edges, with a focus on what the elusive and often secretive practice means for a publishing industry ever on the brink of combustion. We talk to ghostwriting veterans like Daniel Paisner, Jon Sternfeld, Daniel Gerstein as well as cookbook author JJ Goode to get insight into how the world of ghostwriting for non-fiction. Website:...

We look into the results of censorship in extreme cases, using Salman Rushdie as a case study. Does extreme censorship of books lead to violence? We spoke with Gaby Wood, the Chief Executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, to find out more. Website: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/missing-pages/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xe_qmLMDvI Transcript: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/missing-pages/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/missingpagespod/ X:...

If you listened to our episodes about the rise of book banning, you heard about the efforts around the U.S. to censor books on sexual or racial grounds. However it seems there's a lot more going on than that. One of the guests that we spoke with – NYTs Bestselling author Jodi Picoult – has firsthand experience with book banning. Picoult's book, 19 Minutes, has been banned in school boards across 24 states, and she was kind enough to join us for an interview. While only some of it made it into...

In episode 1 of this series, we looked at the history of banned books in America. Today, we look at its current state. Is there more nuance to book censorship than is at the surface? We speak with two people on opposite sides of the spectrum: A parent, who seeks to explain why she wants more control over the stories her children are exposed to, and best selling author Jodi Picoult, who has written many books that have been banned across the country. We also speak with a librarian and a parent...

When it comes to books, America has had the same cultural arguments since its founding. One group perpetually focused on the moral ramifications and societal threats a story poses, while another group argues that questioning morals and societal norms makes for a healthier individual, and democracy. Today, however, local has become national. Historically, what's taught in public schools has been by and large a local issue, not a crusade. But our current moment is impacting people at a grand...

With Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House barred from merging, are publishers losing substantial power as gatekeepers to the industry? What is the current state of publishers, and did this decision take into account the readers or the authors? Website: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/missing-pages/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xe_qmLMDvI Transcript:...

As an extension of our last episode on the paradigm shifts in the fanfiction community, we take a look at the complicated history of Dungeons and Dragons and how the game’s creators have had a rocky relationship with the game’s fans. We talk to Ben Riggs, author of Slaying the Dragon, about Dungeons and Dragons’ sordid fan history. Website: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/missing-pages/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVfvZyKUuko Transcript:...

Are fanfiction communities becoming stronger than traditional publishers? In this episode, we’ll look at how fans, publishers, and creators are (or aren’t) working together, examining a fanfiction lawsuit between former fanfic writers Zoey Ellis and Addison Cain. We speak with Elizabeth Minkel, co-host of the Fansplaining podcast. Did we mention the fanfiction is about the highly specific subgenre of... wolfkink? Website: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/missing-pages/ YouTube:...

Colleen Hoover created a book empire through self-publishing, in part due to the power of social media. Is her career a sign of a changing landscape where publishing gatekeepers are losing power while readers are gaining power? We speak with Laura Miller, Books and Culture columnist at Slate, Jim Milliot, Co-Editorial Director at Publishers Weekly, and Jennie Young, an Associate Professor of Humanities at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, to find out. Website:...

Book bans are on the rise across America. With the rise of social media, book publishers are losing their power as the industry gatekeepers. More and more celebrities and influencers are publishing books with ghostwriters. Writing communities are splintering because members are at cross purposes about their mission. An all-new season of the investigative podcast hosted by world-renowned literary critic and publishing insider Bethanne Patrick. Season 2 of Missing Pages premieres on October...

To get a better sense of the book world Caroline Calloway found herself in, we talked to Constance Grady, a senior correspondent and culture critic for Vox, who covers film, TV, and of course, book publishing. In this bonus episode, previously only available in our premium feed on Apple Podcasts, "Missing Pages Unabridged," Constance shares her wisdom about books, the publishing industry, and how she wound up writing the most-referenced explainer there is on Caroline Calloway. Learn more...

In Kaavya Viswanathan: The Full Package, we looked back into "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life," and the plagiarism scandal that brought everything down. As we unearthed new details about the fiasco, we thought it was important to talk to Viswanathan herself to find out what really happened. In this extended interview, previously only available in our premium feed on Apple Podcasts, "Missing Pages Unabridged," and Viswanathan's first about the YA novel in 15 years, we talk...

Introducing YE GODS from award-winning producer-playwright Scott Carter.  We all know that faith and ethics are recurring themes in literature from Greek mythology to Shakespeare, to the great Russian novels, Charles Dickens, Emily Dickinson and everything between and after. In this new podcast series, YE GODS WITH SCOTT CARTER takes us on a pilgrimage of sorts, each week he’ll be talking to celebrity guests like historian Ken Burns, actor Susie Essman from HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm,...