Rare Bird Radio

Rare Bird Books and Unnamed Press have teamed up to offer an exclusive companion vinyl audiobook to the Unnamed hardcover release of Story of a Poem: A Memoir by Matthew Zapruder. "Story of a Poem is the luminous, lyrical meditation on wringing beauty from suffering and air, threaded with a singular, moving story about parenting an atypical child. I read it in a single gulp, and you will too.” —Mary Karr, Bestselling author of The Liars' Club and Cherry Matthew Zapruder had an idea: to write a poem as slowly and intentionally as possible, to preserve its drafts, and record the painstaking, elusively transcendent stuff of its construction. It would be the end cap to a new collection of poetry, and a means to process modern American life in a time of political turmoil, mega fires, and sobriety. What Zapruder didn’t anticipate was that this literary project would reveal a deeply personal aspect as well: a way to resolve the unexplored pain and unexpected joys he was confronting in the wake of his son’s diagnos

In Double Talkin’ Jive, legendary drummer Matt Sorum takes music lovers behind the scenes of a remarkable life in rock. Sorum, whose albums have sold tens of millions of copies around the world, provides an honest, engaging account of the highs and lows of superstardom. Sorum recounts his childhood years idolizing Ringo Starr and surviving an abusive stepfather. After leaving high school, Sorum sold pot to get by. Over time, his drug dealing escalated to smuggling large quantities of cocaine, a career that came to a halt following a dramatic shoot-out. Sorum fled his old life and settled in Hollywood, where he’d enjoy a rapid ascension to rock ’n’ roll immortality. He caught his big break drumming for the Cult, and only a year later was invited to join Guns N’ Roses, with whom he’d record two of rock’s most iconic albums: Use Your Illusion 1 and 2. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Award–winning Sorum opens up with forthright honesty, sharing anecdotes from his time touring the globe, battling

In Double Talkin’ Jive, legendary drummer Matt Sorum takes music lovers behind the scenes of a remarkable life in rock. Sorum, whose albums have sold tens of millions of copies around the world, provides an honest, engaging account of the highs and lows of superstardom. Sorum recounts his childhood years idolizing Ringo Starr and surviving an abusive stepfather. After leaving high school, Sorum sold pot to get by. Over time, his drug dealing escalated to smuggling large quantities of cocaine, a career that came to a halt following a dramatic shoot-out. Sorum fled his old life and settled in Hollywood, where he’d enjoy a rapid ascension to rock ’n’ roll immortality. He caught his big break drumming for the Cult, and only a year later was invited to join Guns N’ Roses, with whom he’d record two of rock’s most iconic albums: Use Your Illusion 1 and 2. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Award–winning Sorum opens up with forthright honesty, sharing anecdotes from his time touring the globe, battling

In Double Talkin’ Jive, legendary drummer Matt Sorum takes music lovers behind the scenes of a remarkable life in rock. Sorum, whose albums have sold tens of millions of copies around the world, provides an honest, engaging account of the highs and lows of superstardom. Sorum recounts his childhood years idolizing Ringo Starr and surviving an abusive stepfather. After leaving high school, Sorum sold pot to get by. Over time, his drug dealing escalated to smuggling large quantities of cocaine, a career that came to a halt following a dramatic shoot-out. Sorum fled his old life and settled in Hollywood, where he’d enjoy a rapid ascension to rock ’n’ roll immortality. He caught his big break drumming for the Cult, and only a year later was invited to join Guns N’ Roses, with whom he’d record two of rock’s most iconic albums: Use Your Illusion 1 and 2. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Award–winning Sorum opens up with forthright honesty, sharing anecdotes from his time touring the globe, battling

In Double Talkin’ Jive, legendary drummer Matt Sorum takes music lovers behind the scenes of a remarkable life in rock. Sorum, whose albums have sold tens of millions of copies around the world, provides an honest, engaging account of the highs and lows of superstardom. Sorum recounts his childhood years idolizing Ringo Starr and surviving an abusive stepfather. After leaving high school, Sorum sold pot to get by. Over time, his drug dealing escalated to smuggling large quantities of cocaine, a career that came to a halt following a dramatic shoot-out. Sorum fled his old life and settled in Hollywood, where he’d enjoy a rapid ascension to rock ’n’ roll immortality. He caught his big break drumming for the Cult, and only a year later was invited to join Guns N’ Roses, with whom he’d record two of rock’s most iconic albums: Use Your Illusion 1 and 2. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Award–winning Sorum opens up with forthright honesty, sharing anecdotes from his time touring the globe, battling

In Double Talkin’ Jive, legendary drummer Matt Sorum takes music lovers behind the scenes of a remarkable life in rock. Sorum, whose albums have sold tens of millions of copies around the world, provides an honest, engaging account of the highs and lows of superstardom. Sorum recounts his childhood years idolizing Ringo Starr and surviving an abusive stepfather. After leaving high school, Sorum sold pot to get by. Over time, his drug dealing escalated to smuggling large quantities of cocaine, a career that came to a halt following a dramatic shoot-out. Sorum fled his old life and settled in Hollywood, where he’d enjoy a rapid ascension to rock ’n’ roll immortality. He caught his big break drumming for the Cult, and only a year later was invited to join Guns N’ Roses, with whom he’d record two of rock’s most iconic albums: Use Your Illusion 1 and 2. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Award–winning Sorum opens up with forthright honesty, sharing anecdotes from his time touring the globe, battling

In Double Talkin’ Jive, legendary drummer Matt Sorum takes music lovers behind the scenes of a remarkable life in rock. Sorum, whose albums have sold tens of millions of copies around the world, provides an honest, engaging account of the highs and lows of superstardom. Sorum recounts his childhood years idolizing Ringo Starr and surviving an abusive stepfather. After leaving high school, Sorum sold pot to get by. Over time, his drug dealing escalated to smuggling large quantities of cocaine, a career that came to a halt following a dramatic shoot-out. Sorum fled his old life and settled in Hollywood, where he’d enjoy a rapid ascension to rock ’n’ roll immortality. He caught his big break drumming for the Cult, and only a year later was invited to join Guns N’ Roses, with whom he’d record two of rock’s most iconic albums: Use Your Illusion 1 and 2. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Award–winning Sorum opens up with forthright honesty, sharing anecdotes from his time touring the globe, battling

In Double Talkin’ Jive, legendary drummer Matt Sorum takes music lovers behind the scenes of a remarkable life in rock. Sorum, whose albums have sold tens of millions of copies around the world, provides an honest, engaging account of the highs and lows of superstardom. Sorum recounts his childhood years idolizing Ringo Starr and surviving an abusive stepfather. After leaving high school, Sorum sold pot to get by. Over time, his drug dealing escalated to smuggling large quantities of cocaine, a career that came to a halt following a dramatic shoot-out. Sorum fled his old life and settled in Hollywood, where he’d enjoy a rapid ascension to rock ’n’ roll immortality. He caught his big break drumming for the Cult, and only a year later was invited to join Guns N’ Roses, with whom he’d record two of rock’s most iconic albums: Use Your Illusion 1 and 2. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Award–winning Sorum opens up with forthright honesty, sharing anecdotes from his time touring the globe, battling

In Double Talkin’ Jive, legendary drummer Matt Sorum takes music lovers behind the scenes of a remarkable life in rock. Sorum, whose albums have sold tens of millions of copies around the world, provides an honest, engaging account of the highs and lows of superstardom. Sorum recounts his childhood years idolizing Ringo Starr and surviving an abusive stepfather. After leaving high school, Sorum sold pot to get by. Over time, his drug dealing escalated to smuggling large quantities of cocaine, a career that came to a halt following a dramatic shoot-out. Sorum fled his old life and settled in Hollywood, where he’d enjoy a rapid ascension to rock ’n’ roll immortality. He caught his big break drumming for the Cult, and only a year later was invited to join Guns N’ Roses, with whom he’d record two of rock’s most iconic albums: Use Your Illusion 1 and 2. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Award–winning Sorum opens up with forthright honesty, sharing anecdotes from his time touring the globe, battling

The first full-length collaboration between Mark Lanegan and Joe Cardamone—as Dark Mark vs. Skeleton Joe—will release later next year as a co-release between Rare Bird and Kitten Robot. However, in the meantime, preorders are available now for a very special limited edition 12" single featuring "Dark Mark Theme" b/w "Skeleton Joe Manifesto." This is a sample download link from the record. Mark LaneganJoe CardamoneScreaming The Icarus LineQueens of the Stone Age

The first full-length collaboration between Mark Lanegan and Joe Cardamone—as Dark Mark vs. Skeleton Joe—will release later next year as a co-release between Rare Bird and Kitten Robot. However, in the meantime, preorders are available now for a very special limited edition 12" single featuring "Dark Mark Theme" b/w "Skeleton Joe Manifesto." This is a sample download link from the record.

World champion wrestler and author of Wrestling with Angels, John Hanrahan talks with hall of fame wrestler and seven time world wrestling champion Lee Kemp, author of Winning Gold! Join them as they talk wrestling, getting through the tough times, and what they're up to now! Get John's book anywhere you buy books and Lee's book at leekemp.com.

Karen Stefano is the author of "What A Body Remembers: A Memoir of Sexual Assault And Its Aftermath" (Rare Bird Books 2019). She is also the author of the short story collection "The Secret Games of Words" (1GlimpsePress 2015) and the how-to business writing guide, "Before Hitting Send" (Dearborn 2011). Paul Alan Ruben’s fiction and non-fiction has appeared in print and online publications, including The Washington Post, Connotation Press, The Good Men Project and AudioFile Magazine. As an audiobook producer/director, he has received two Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word. His debut short story collection, Terms of Engagement: Stories of the Father and Son, was published in November, 2018. Paul lives in Brooklyn, NY

On this last episode of "The Publicist Speaks", Jessica hosts JJ Anselmi to discuss his new book "DOOMED TO FAIL: THE INCREDIBLY LOUD HISTORY OF DOOM, SLUDGE, & POST-METAL". Jessica and JJ share their experiences with metal and the completely opposite ways they have experienced this massive genre of music. By the end of this episode, both Jessica & JJ decide that they are both one of the doomed.

J.J. Anselmi is the author of Doomed to Fail: The Incredibly Loud History of Doom, Sludge, and Post-metal; and Heavy: A Memoir of Wyoming, BMX, and Heavy Fucking Music. He’s played drums in several heavy bands, including In the Company of Serpents and Former Worlds. He’s currently the drummer of Drainage, a sludgy metalcore band from Long Beach, California. Lou Brutus, for lack of a better term, is a Professional Music Fan. He’s lives the dream of millions by traveling the Earth attending concerts and interviewing rock stars. He’s spent his life blasting tunes on the radio, becoming the first to play all your favorite bands, and gaining access to literally thousands of music events. He has severe hearing damage. Lou has smoked weed with Hunter S. Thompson and Snoop Dogg, chugged ale with Spinal Tap’s “Stonehenge” dwarfs, been in a tour bus that ran over a guy on the NJ Turnpike, and puked on the floor of many of the world’s most prestigious concert venues. He also sings in a couple of crazy bands, one of whi

Today's episode explores the life and influence of Joan Didion. From New York to California, Joan Didion left her mark across the generations. Steffie Nelson, editor of SLOUCHING TOWARDS LOS ANGELES, joins our host Jessica to talk about what it is like to be a woman in a man's world.

J.J. Anselmi is the author of Doomed to Fail: The Incredibly Loud History of Doom, Sludge, and Post-metal; and Heavy: A Memoir of Wyoming, BMX, and Heavy Fucking Music. He’s played drums in several heavy bands, including In the Company of Serpents and Former Worlds. He’s currently the drummer of Drainage, a sludgy metalcore band from Long Beach, California. Sam McPheeters was born in Ohio and raised in upstate New York. In 1981, at age twelve, he co-authored Travelers Tales: Rumors and Legends of the Albany-Saratoga Region. Starting in 1989, he sang for Born Against, Men's Recovery Project, and Wrangler Brutes, touring seventeen times across North America, Europe, and Japan. Since 2009, he has written for Criterion, Vice, and The Village Voice, among others. He currently lives in Pomona, CA, with his wife.

Karen Stefano is the author of the memoir, What A Body Remembers: A Memoir of Sexual Assault And Its Aftermath (Rare Bird, 2019). She is also the author of the short story collection The Secret Games of Words (1GlimpsePress, 2015) and the how-to business writing guide, Before Hitting Send (Dearborn, 2011). Her work has appeared in Ms. Magazine, The Rumpus, Psychology Today, California Lawyer, The South Carolina Review, Tampa Review, Epiphany, Volume 1 Brooklyn, and many other journals and magazines. Laura Bogart is the author of Don't You Know I Love You (Dzanc, 2020). She is a featured writer at The Week, and a contributing editor to DAME magazine. She was a featured writer at Salon, where her essays about body image, dating, politics, and violence went viral.

Jessica the podcast guru and John DeSimone, author of THE ROAD TO DELANO, discuss the things that influenced John and his writing. John tells our host about secondhand bookstores, his research into migrant worker conditions & so much more on his 'road to this novel'.

L.A.-based writer and editor Steffie Nelson recently edited the essay collection, Slouching Towards Los Angeles: Living and Writing by Joan Didion’s Light, published in February 2020 by Rare Bird Books. She also co-authored Judson: Innovation in Stained Glass, coming in March 2020 from Angel City Press. Throughout her career as a style and culture journalist, Steffie has contributed to The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, L.A. Review of Books, W Magazine and many others, bringing a curious mind and a refined eye to her subjects. Stacie Stukin is a journalist and essayist who was born and raised in Los Angeles. Her byline has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, W Magazine, and Architectural Digest. She is currently working on a novel.