Jim Foster: Conversations On The Coast

Diane Johnson, author of "Flyover Lives: A Memoir," talks about how genealogy is becoming more widely accepted and how enlightening it was for her in writing this memoir.  The full interview from a 2014 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

Terry Jastrow, author of "The Trial of Prisoner 043," and Anne Archer, wife, actress, and human rights advocate, talk about the importance of keeping the events of the Iraq war at the forefront of the minds of Americans and the world in order to make things better in the future and avoid mistakes of the past.  The full interview from a 2017 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: Robert Costa.

Alan Jacobson, author of "The 7th Victim," talks about the research he did for the novel and discusses how FBI profilers aren't always well-received by the law enforcement community.  The full interview from a 2008 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: https://alanjacobson.com/.

Albert Jack, author of "What Caesar Did for My Salad," talks about how the hot dog ended up with it's well-known name due to a trouble with spelling.  The full interview from a 2011 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: https://albertjack.com/.

Pico Iyer, author of "The Man Within My Head," talks about how he went back and forth multiple times each year in between his father's house in California and a fifteenth century boarding school in England, and his quest to discover why he always felt a closeness with English writer Graham Greene.  The full interview from a 2012 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: https://picoiyer.com/.

John Irving, author of "Last Night in Twisted River," talks about how one of the main characters is also a writer and how he uses his imagination to get through the challenges of a difficult life.  The full interview from a 2009 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: https://john-irving.com/.

Gregg Hurwitz, author of "The Crime Writer," talks about how the main character tries to use his skills as a writer in order to figure out whether he murdered his fiancée, a crime he has no recollection of.  The full interview from a 2007 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: https://gregghurwitz.net/.

Rachel Howard, author of "The Lost Night: A Daughter's Search for the Truth of Her Father's Murder," talks about how she came to terms with the investigation of her father's murder that happened when she was a young girl, and about reconnecting with her father's family.  The full interview from a 2006 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: https://rachelhoward.com/.

Ann Hood, author of "The Knitting Circle," talks about how a tragic loss in her own life became part of the story in the novel for the main character, Mary Baxter, and how friendship with a group of women through knitting helped her pull through.  The full interview from a 2007 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: https://www.annhood.us/ 

Tess Uriza Holthe, author of "The Five-Forty-Five to Cannes," talks about how one of the characters in the book of short stories re-married several times without divorcing his previous wife.  The full interview from a 2007 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

Hannah Holmes, author of "The Well-Dressed Ape: A Natural History of Myself," talks about the one thing that makes human beings unique and stand apart from every other animal.  The full interview from a 2009 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: geekrealtyblog.com.

Tad Hills, author & illustrator of "Duck, Duck, Goose," talks with host Jim Foster about the conversation in the book in which Duck, Goose, & Thistle wonder which of them can fall asleep the fastest.  The full interview from a 2007 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: tadhills.com.

Joanna Hershon, author of "A Dual Inheritance," reads an excerpt from the book that takes place in Ethiopia in the year 1963 where a man is assisting a film shoot with his anthropological filmmaker mentor.  The full interview from a 2013 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: facebook.com/JoannaHershonAuthor/

Joshua Henkin, author of "The World Without You," reads an excerpt from the novel in which the widow of a journalist returns to the family summer home in Massachusetts for the first time since his death.  The full interview from a 2012 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: joshuahenkin.com.

Paul Heavenridge, the Executive Director of Literacy Works, talks about how money and buying a home can be great motivators for adults trying to achieve a higher degree of literacy.  The full interview from a 2007 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: literacyworks.org.

Noah Hawley, author of "The Good Father," reads an excerpt from his novel in which a doctor pontificates about how his son strayed down an unthinkable dark path.  The full interview from a 2012 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. 

Adam Haslett, author of "Union Atlantic," talks about how he illustrated in the novel the role corruption in the banking world has on people everywhere and not just those directly involved.  The full interview from a 2010 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: adamhaslett.net.

Seth Harwood, author of "Jack Wakes Up," talks about how the main character in the book, Jack, is looking for new adventures and ways to earn income after a low point in his life.  The full interview from a 2009 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: sethharwood.com.

Paul Harding, author of "Enon," talks about how the novel looks at the subject of grief in a deep way without being done clinically, through the eyes of the main character Charlie Crosby as he tries to survive the tragedy of losing his daughter.  The full interview from a 2013 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: paulhardingauthor.com.

Gabrielle Hamilton, author of "Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef," talks about the annual lamb roast at her familial home that her parents held every year.  The full interview from a 2011 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. 

Stephen S. Hall, author of "Wisdom: From Philosophy to Neuroscience," talks about the ability we have to change the activity in our brain by exercising it like a muscle.  The full interview from a 2010 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. 

Roya Hakakian, author of "Journey from the Land of No: A Girlhood Caught in Revolutionary Iran," talks about what it was like to live through the Iran revolution, how everything changed later on, and how difficult it was for her father to leave everything behind in coming to America.  The full interview from a 2004 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. Photo: royahakakian.com.

Jennifer Haigh, author of "The Condition," talks about how a woman named Gwen with Turner's syndrome overcomes unusual obstacles that come along with the diagnosis, and how her mother and father struggle to protect and raise their daughter.  The full interview from a 2008 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. Photo: jennifer-haigh.com.

Lev Grossman, author of "The Magicians," talks about the difference between Quentin Coldwater, the main character in his novel, from that of Harry Potter.  The full interview from a 2009 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. Photo: levgrossman.com.

Linda Greenlaw, author of "Seaworthy: A Swordboat Captain Returns to the Sea," reads an expert from the book illustrating her relationship with swordfish and what they are all about.  The full interview from a 2010 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. Photo: lindagreenlawbooks.com.

Amy Greene, author of "Bloodroot," reads several short excerpts from the novel set on remote Bloodroot Mountain within the eastern Tennessee mountains.  The full interview from a 2010 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

Peter Greenberg, author of "Hotel Secrets from the Travel Detective: Insider Tips on Getting the Best Value, Service, and Security in Accomodations from Bed-and-Breakfasts to Five-Star Resorts," talks about how a traveler can find the best deal for a hotel room by calling hotels directly.  The full interview from a 2005 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. 

Joe Gores, author of "Glass Tiger," discusses an excerpt of the novel in which an assassination was attempted on a newly-elected President, and how American politics changed over the years in how many elected officials stay in public office for their entire lives.  The full interview from a 2006 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. 

Linda Gordon, American Historian and Author of "Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits," talks about how photographer Dorothea Lange helped show that documentary photography could also be art and about Lange's unique ability to capture her subject's natural state.  The full interview from a 2009 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

Allegra Goodman, author of the novel "Intuition," talks about the pressure that scientists in the book face in order to fund their important research projects at their independent science labs.  The full interview from a 2006 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: allegragoodman.com.

Paul Goldstein, law professor and author of the novel "Errors and Omissions," talks about the struggle that the main character has with alcohol and about the twist in the book where Wall Street was behind the Hollywood blacklisting era.  The full interview from a 2006 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

Jane Laura Goldsmith, author of the novel "Indian Winter," reads an excerpt from the book when a surprising discovery is revealed, and also talks about the unique relationship between the main character, fourteen-year-old Winona, and a Native American named Bell whom she finds herself attracted to.  The full interview from a 2013 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

Kathi Kamen Goldmark, author of the novel "And My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You," talks about what it was like to finish her first novel and the challenges of writing books while keeping other steady work at the same time.  The full interview from a 2006 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

Robin Preiss Glasser, illustrator of "Tea for Ruby," talks about what happens when the main character, Ruby, visits grandma's house to learn how to transform from the person she is to the person she hopes to be.  The book was written by Sarah Ferguson The Duchess of York, and the full interview from a 2008 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

Julia Glass, author of "And the Dark Sacred Night," reads an excerpt from the novel that gives context from the perspective of the main character's single teenage mother as he tries later in life to search for the identity of his biological father.  The full interview from a 2014 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: Robert Costa.

Carol Gilligan, psychologist and author of the novel "Kyra," talks about how the main character in the novel redefines the 'structure' in her therapy in order to get to the real truth behind events in her life.  The full interview from a 2008 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia," talks about the importance of pleasure and devotion in life and the need for a steady balance to keep them strong.  The full interview from a 2007 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: elizabethgilbert.com.

Nora Gallagher, author of "Changing Light," talks about her love of New Mexico and the wide variety of cultures who lived in Los Alamos during the creation of the first atomic bomb.  The full interview from a 2007 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: noragallagher.org.

Alan Furst, author of "Dark Voyage," talks about what it meant for those aboard a Dutch ship who suddenly found themselves aboard a "tramp freighter" when it was taken over by Britain on the eve of World War 2.  The full interview from a 2004 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.

Dr. Joan A. Friedman, psychotherapist, twin, and author of "The Same but Different: How Twins Can Live, Love, and Learn to Be Individuals," talks about how it is possible that love and resentment can happen at the same time between twins.  The full interview from a 2015 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: joanafriedmanphd.com.  

Tom Franklin, author of "Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter," reads an excerpt from the book when one of the main characters finds a body in land where he used to walk as a kid growing up.  The full interview from a 2011 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. 

Jamie Ford, author of "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet," reads a short excerpt from his book which illustrates the horror that took place in Seattle for Japanese-American citizens during World War 2.  The full interview from a 2009 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: Robert Costa.

Gillian Flynn, author of "Dark Places," talks about why she thought it was important to write about a different type of woman than the ones often portrayed on many novels.  The full interview from a 2009 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: gillian-flynn.com.

Doug Fine, author of "Farewell, My Subaru: An Epic Adventure in Local Living," talks about how he exchanged his Subaru for a 'roat' and the surprising smell that came from the exhaust of the new vehicle.  The full interview from a 2008 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: dougfine.com. 

Marie Lawson Fiala, author of "Letters from a Distant Shore," talks about how a prayer group was formed organically after all medical solutions had been exhausted in an effort to help her young son Jeremy recover from a sudden medical event.  The full interview from a 2010 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. 

Jared Farmer, author of "Trees in Paradise: A California History," talks about why eucalyptus and palm trees became such a large part of the California landscape and what has changed in recent decades.  The full interview from a 2013 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: Robert Costa.

James Fallows, author of "China Airborne," talks about who the Klapmeier brothers are and how China came to own their revolutionary aircraft manufacturing company.  The full interview from a 2012 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  

Harold Evans, the late author of "They Made America: From the Steam Engine to the Search Engine: Two Centuries of Innovators," talks about how A.P. Giannini helped change the banking industry by expanding services to the middle-class, and also speaks on what he did for the San Francisco Bay Area.  The full interview from a 2004 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  

T.J. English, author of "Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba and Then Lost It to the Revolution," talks about the entertainment scene in 1950s Cuba and the revolution that destroyed it toward the end of the decade.  The full interview from a 2008 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: tj-english.com.

James Ellroy, author of "Blood's a Rover," talks about what makes the way he writes about American History so unique.  The full interview from a 2009 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts.  Photo: jamesellroy.net.