PODCAST · arts
Desideratum
by Theresa Bakken
For audiobook lovers searching for your next listen, Desideratum features compelling scenes from audiobooks in all genres and sincere chats with the authors, narrators and industry geniuses making the immersive magic of audio storytelling happen.
Episodes
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In Search of the Blonde Tigress, the Untold Story of Eleanor Jarmon
This is the incredible true story of Eleanor Jarman, dubbed "the most dangerous woman alive" by 1930s newspapers — but was she really?In 1933, Eleanor was sentenced to 199 years as an accomplice to murder during a Chicago robbery gone wrong. The press sensationalized her as "The Blonde Tigress,"...
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Starman After Midnight: A Conversation with Scott Semegran and Brian P. Craig
Join host Theresa Bakken for a captivating conversation with Austin-based author Scott Semegran and Brooklyn-born narrator Brian P. Craig about their latest collaboration, Starman After Midnight. This literary fiction novel explores unlikely friendships, neighborhood mysteries, and the power of...
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Just Emilia with Jennifer Oko
In this episode of Desideratum, host Theresa Bakken sits down with author Jennifer Oko to discuss her latest novel, "Just Emilia." Set in a Washington, DC elevator, the story brings together three women (ages 17, 47, and 77) at pivotal moments in their lives, forcing them to confront a shared...
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The Cure for Women with Lydia Reeder and Sara Sheckells
In this episode, we explore the remarkable story behind "The Cure for Women: Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi and the Challenge to Victorian Medicine that Changed Women’s Lives Forever." Host Theresa Bakken is joined by author Lydia Reeder and audiobook narrator Sara Sheckells to discuss the life and…
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SHARP 14 Simple Ways to Improve Your Life with Brain Science
This is a story about getting focused and creative. It's a non-fiction handbook and guidebook to your brain and what current brain science tells us about how to thrive, relax and even work better with others. The author is a cognitive scientist intent on turning good science into good life...
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Annie Bot with Sierra Greer and Jennifer Jill Araya
This is a story about a robot. Annie Bot was created to be the perfect companion and girlfriend for her human owner Doug. She's designed to adapt and learn to get better at serving and meeting his needs. It's a story about what and how she learns. You follow her to her tune up appointments with...
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Sideline Confidential with Brooke Bentley and Julia Whelan
Empathy, Dreams, and Breaking Barriers: The Story Behind 'Sideline Confidential' In this episode, author Brooke Bentley and renowned narrator Julia Whelan talk about their collaboration on the audiobook 'Sideline Confidential.' Brooke shares how her real-life experiences as a sports reporter for...
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Party Planning Can Be Murder by Kerry Ann King and Kerry Schafer
This is a story about a young woman, a small town wedding party planner, whose curiosity and gut instincts lead to some amateur sleuthing and some shenanigans. We're talking about the audio book Party Planning Can Be Murder, and our conversation, like the book, starts off talking about funerals....
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Discipline by Debra Spark
This is a story full of secrets and surprises and suspense. In one of the first scenes, it's 2018, and you are stumbling through a snowstorm with an art appraiser who might just be freezing to death. You're not sure. Again and again, author Debra Spark caught me off guard and drew me in. She…
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No Place to Bury the Dead with narrator Maria McCann
This is a story set in an inhospitable land, where the characters are struggling to find a home for the living and a place to bury their dead. We're talking about the novel No Place to Bury the Dead with audiobook narrator Maria McCann. Maria is a Los Angeles native, a graduate of the UCLA School...
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When the World Fell Silent with Donna Alward
Step into the world of 1917 with author Donna Alward's debut historical fiction, "When the World Fell Silent." This gripping tale explores the lives of two distinct women, Nora and Charlotte, against the backdrop of the Halifax explosion—an event that reshaped a city and its people. Known for her...
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The Codger And The Sparrow
The Codger And The Sparrow is a story about an old man, a teenage boy and the trouble they get into. It's a friendship that at first you will not quite understand and yet totally be cheering for! Author Scott Semegran shares the inspiration behind the novel, which stemmed from a vivid image he…
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All the Flowers of the Mountain with Christina Holbrook
In this episode, we delve into a poignant summer romance that transcends time and societal boundaries. Join us as we explore the intricate layers of "All the Flowers of the Mountain" with author Christina Holbrook. Set against the backdrop of a picturesque lake, this story follows the love…
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Across Seward Park with Gail Lehrman
This is a story about a family on the Lower East Side of Manhattan a hundred years ago. Their lives in the densely populated tenements offer a glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of immigrant life in early 20th-century America. We’re talking to author Gail Lehrman about her novel Across…
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Emergency Contact with Lauren Layne and Anthony LeDonne
Ever wondered what makes a story both romantic and riotously funny? This episode invites you into the minds of a creative couple who turned a series of "what ifs" into a comedic and heartfelt narrative. Learn how they intertwined their personal experiences with a fictional couple's chaotic…
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The First Bright Thing with JR Dawson and Petrea Burchard
This is a mystical story about a magical circus. Not the kind of magic that involves pulling rabbits out of hats, but the kind where individuals' inner talents manifest into genuine magical abilities—known as sparks. These sparks choose to use their gifts not for conquest but to inspire and bring...
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The Duke in Question
This is a story about a woman using all her abilities to complete a spy mission and also get exactly what she wants. We’re talking to Helen Day about the sexy and determined characters she narrated as Hedra Knight for the Regency Romance The Duke in Question by Amalie Howard. I loved learning how...
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The Wrong Woman with Leanne Kale Sparks and Erin deWard
This is a thriller. It’s the story of an FBI agent and a homicide detective working together to catch a serial killer with a chilling perspective on killing. You'll hear narrator Erin deWard bringing all the chills and characters to life in your ear. We'll talk about why and how she does it, and...
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An American Beauty with Shana Abè
This is a story about a beautiful, powerful woman who captured the imagination of historical fiction author Shana Abè. We’re talking about Arabella Huntington, the intriguing woman at the heart of An American Beauty: A Novel of the Gilded Age Inspired by the True Story of Arabella Huntington Who...
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Double the Lies with Patricia Raybon
This is a murder mystery. It's the second book in a 1920s series starring the prim, poor but clever, Annalee Spain - a fan of Sherlock Holmes - who solves murder and crime in Colorado's dangerous Klan era. We’re talking with Colorado author Patricia Raybon about race and faith, why we love a good...
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Cheap Land Colorado with Ted Conover
This is a real life story set in a vast land, the San Luis Valley of Colorado. It’s a huge flat prairie flanked by mountains, and it's far off the beaten path. Author Ted Conover takes us there in this Desideratum. A desideratum is an essential thing and this story got me thinking about lots of...
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A Light in the Forest with Melissa Payne
This is a story about a young woman running away and finding her home. It begins with the moment she decides to run, when she faces a painful truth about her boyfriend. We’re talking about A LIGHT IN THE FOREST - a Colorado Book Award Finalist - on this Desideratum. A Desideratum is an essential...
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Leigh Howard, the Ghosts, and Shawn Warner
Have you heard the story about the author who was in a grocery store, set up with a little table and a folding chair, selling his books one book at a time... when something life changing happened. We’re talking about the crazy experience author Shawn Warner is having with his debut novel Leigh...
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A historical and timely story, Linda Rosen's The Emerald Necklace
This is a story about a group of women in the late 1960’s. Their shared love of art and some unusual coincidences bring them together. Author Linda Rosen decided to anchor her fiction to a real event in New York City in 1970 that ended up being more relevant today than she first imagined. From...
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Camelot & Vine, slipping through time with Petrea Burchard
This is a story about a woman who slips through time.. It's the day before Casey's 40th birthday, and her acting career and personal life are a disaster. Frantic to escape her own emptiness, she hops a plane to England and heads to the countryside to hide. That’s when a lightning strike, a…
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The Writing Retreat with Julia Bartz
This is a story about a struggling writer who gets invited to a writing retreat. She's thrilled because it's a once in a lifetime opportunity with a famous horror novelist. The retreat takes place at a remote estate, where even the house has a dark and storied past. We’re talking about the NY…
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What Remains with Wendy Walker
This is a story about a detective, a cold case forensics expert named Elise. But this isn’t just a cold case, crime solving detective story. This story begins with our detective caught in the middle of an active crime scene. She fires her weapon for the first time. She takes a man’s life to save...
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Madness at the Movies with Golden Voice Narrator Grover Gardner
This is a story about movies - classic films - that a psychology professor at Yale University adored, explored and built a long standing popular college course around. Author and Professor Dr. James Charney brings you the Yale course that explores the portrayal of mental illness in films in his...
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Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca with narrator Andrè Santana
This is a scary story. A classic horror story - with a haunted house, a monster, and unflinching violence. But, there’s something else here too… we’re talking about Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca with narrator Andrè Santana. This episode is sponsored by Dreamscape Media, an...
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Kantika by Elizabeth Graver, narrated by Gail Shalan
This is a story about a life - a beautiful life - lived across 4 countries, with struggle, multiple languages and loves. We’re talking about Elizabeth Graver’s new novel Kantika and we begin with home recordings she made decades ago with her grandmother Rebecca. You’ll also hear some of narrator...
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The Good Time Girls, Wild-Willed Women of The West by KT Blakemore
This is a story set in the Wild West in the early 1900’s. The story centers around a woman named Ruby who is living a mostly quiet and mostly lawful life… when out of the blue her past comes hustling into town and takes her and us on a journey filled with missteps and mayhem. We’re talking about…
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The Confidante, The Untold Story of the Woman Who Helped Win WWII and Shape Modern America, by Christopher C. Gorham
This is a story about a remarkable woman. She was trusted by American presidents and generals. Her impact on our nation can still be felt today. But, you’ve probably never heard of her, and you might never have if not for a high school history teacher. We’re talking about the first biography...
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In the Time of Our History by Susanne Pari narrated by Mozhan Marnò
This is a story about a family. It is a close up look at a father and daughter, at two sisters, at a husband and wife. But, it’s also this huge story about tradition and patriarchy and freedom. It felt like poetry to me at times.. and this conversation about it was so rich. We’re talking about In...
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Marriage : From the Feminine Perspective, Ten Classic Stories curated, annotated, and narrated by Christine Mascott
This is a collection of 10 classic short stories written over a hundred years ago, brought together in a carefully curated anthology. Each story gives a feminine perspective on marriage - its role in society and the personal beauty and pain that can be found within its bonds. We’re talking about...
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The View From Half Dome by Jill Caugherty narrated by Theresa Bakken
This is a story about a girl growing up in San Francisco in the 1930’s - her family suffers one tragedy after another and she decides to escape the city and head to Yosemite… Where she crosses paths with a real person in history - a Park Ranger named Enid Michael. We’re talking about the…
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Red Clay Suzie by Jeffrey Dale Lofton narrated by Pete Cross
This is a story about a young boy named Philbet. He’s growing up in the deep south in the 1960’s and ‘70’s. He loves cars and his grandaddy’s garden and an older boy named Knox. In this story, you see how Philbet hides himself and then finds himself. We’re talking about Red Clay Suzie, a...
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The Perfect Neighborhood with Liz Alterman
This is a story set in what looks like a perfect neighborhood - rocking chairs on covered porches, manicured lawns and families looking out for each other. But in this story, the illusion of perfect families and close friendships fractures when a child goes missing. We’re talking about the novel...
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Death by a Honeybee to Death by Greed, the Josiah Reynolds Series with author Abigail Keam
This is a story set firmly in Kentucky bluegrass - a story swirling around a retired history professor who finds herself in one murder mystery after another. We’re talking with the author of the Josiah Reynolds cozy mystery series Abigail Keam, and we begin our conversation with something she has...
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Code Gray narrated by Champ Westwood
This is a story about a string of murders - assassinations - of media pundits. They were extreme peddlers of their party's agendas, and their murders feel politically motivated. Assigned to the case is a group of grizzled and green FBI detectives. We're talking about the crime novel Code Gray…
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Narrator by Landon Beach performed by Scott Brick
Narrator by Landon Beach is a mystery thriller that will have you asking - what just happened and whodunnit?! Listen as Landon describes how he got inside the head of this hot mess of a main character - an audiobook narrator. And, find out how Landon first met his real life narrator the legendary...
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Gradle Bird by J.C. Sasser
(00:00) Introduction with scratchy recording from a lone singer who inspired the novel Gradle Bird by JC Sasser (02:52) Oral storytelling and walking around with a tape recorder gathering stories (04:18) Setting in small town feels timeless (05:35) Rooted in reality to distill the truth looking...
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Such A Pretty Girl with T. Greenwood
(00:00) Introduction this is Such A Pretty Girl by T Greenwood (02:15) Words are powerful and 1970's advertising cringe (04:52) Me too movement lens and two time lines give characters a reason to revisit their past (06:42) Child narrator storytelling give out of the mouth of babes moments (08:27)...
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Folly Park by Heidi Hackford E66
Folly Park is a story about history, race, identity, and friendship. At its heart is a woman named Temple Preston and her old, crumbling, ancestral plantation in Virginia. With the discovery of long hidden, disturbing family secrets, Temple gets wrapped up in exposing these family secrets as a…
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Beasts of the Earth by James Wade E65
This is a story about a quiet, thoughtful man named Harlan Leblanc. The story is about how and why Leblanc gets tangled up in a murder investigation. You'll hear from author James Wade about the action and the allegory he created, and about the ways he tried to mirror and balance the darkness and...
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Double Exposure with Jeannée Sacken and Nicole Swanson - E64
This is a story about a seasoned war photojournalist named Annie Green. The timeline is 2015 and Annie is headed back to Afghanistan on assignment. She’s struggling through PTSD from the last time she was there - when a girls school she was working at exploded killing her closest friend. She’s…
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Improbably Yours by Kerry Anne King
This is a story that author Kerry Anne King says began with a house: a house that won't stay painted, whose shingles won't stay on, and the lawn won't stay mowed. It's in a constant state of falling apart. Like it's grieving, or possessed by ghosts. Kerry's new novel IMPROBABLY YOURS is her 13th,...
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9 Days - A Dee Rommel Mystery by Jule Selbo
Her new crime mystery 9 Days got us talking about tarot card readings and wondering if how the stars aligned at the time of our birth could shape or guide us... That's because author Jule Selbo's new murder mystery 9 Days opens with a world famous astrologist confessing to murder. When the...
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The Deception by Kim Taylor Blakemore
The Deception is about life and death and the delicate veil between the two. The story spirals around an Illusionist running from her past, and a Medium whose past fame and spirit guide have abandoned her. The pliable Maud (the Medium known as the Maid of Light) and the clever Clementine (a…
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Slade by Robert Grindstaff, Ep60
Imagine a character waking you up with his story… that’s how Robb Grindstaff describes writing his new novel SLADE. For me - talking to Robb about writing SLADE was a meta moment - interviewing an author about his life and his book that is about interviewing an author about his book and his life....
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The Lost Girls of Willowbrook - Ellen Marie Wiseman, Ep59
Ellen Marie Wiseman is drawn to the dark corners of history, where rumors and mystery shroud the truth. It's where she finds and develops characters who shine. Listen as she shares how her own history led her to write about hidden truths and social injustices. We're talking about her new novel…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
For audiobook lovers searching for your next listen, Desideratum features compelling scenes from audiobooks in all genres and sincere chats with the authors, narrators and industry geniuses making the immersive magic of audio storytelling happen.
HOSTED BY
Theresa Bakken
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Desideratum have?
Desideratum currently has 114 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Desideratum about?
For audiobook lovers searching for your next listen, Desideratum features compelling scenes from audiobooks in all genres and sincere chats with the authors, narrators and industry geniuses making the immersive magic of audio storytelling happen.
How often does Desideratum release new episodes?
Desideratum publishes regularly with 114 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Desideratum?
You can listen to Desideratum on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Desideratum?
Desideratum is created and hosted by Theresa Bakken.
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