Best Evil Annie Podcasts (2025)

1
Heather Christle's In the Rhododendrons A Memoir with Appearances by Virginia Woolf 17:40

8d ago17:40

17:40

In this episode, Peter Biello and Orlando Montoya dive into In the Rhododendrons: A Memoir with Appearances by Virginia Woolf by Heather Christle. The memoir blends personal trauma, family history, and literary obsession, as Christle explores her past through the lens of Virginia Woolf’s life and work. The hosts discuss Christle’s emotional journey…

1
The Way You Want To Be Loved by Aruni Kashyap 14:17

22d ago14:17

14:17

Peter Biello and Orlando Montoya explore The Way You Want to Be Loved by Aruni Kashyap, a short story collection that tackles identity, displacement, and resilience. Through conversations about folklore, campus life, and queer love, the episode highlights how Kashyap’s writing confronts cultural blind spots with depth and sensitivity.…

1
The Stained Glass Window by David Levering Lewis 17:09

1M ago17:09

17:09

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Levering Lewis turns his lens inward in The Stained Glass Window, tracing his family's journey from slavery to the Great Migration and beyond. Hosts Peter Biello and Orlando Montoya explore how personal history and public record intertwine to reveal the deeper currents of the American story.…

1
Love Sick Century by Elly Bookman 19:17

2M ago19:17

19:17

In this episode, Peter Biello and Orlando Montoya explore Love Sick Century, a poetry collection by Atlanta writer Elly Bookman that finds meaning in life’s everyday contrasts. Through poems that blend the personal and political, the hosts reflect on how Bookman’s work captures both the beauty and complexity of being human.…

1
The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander by Denny S. Bryce 17:58

2M ago17:58

17:58

Inspired by a real-life scandal that was shocking even for the tumultuous Roaring Twenties, this captivating novel tells the story of a pioneering Black journalist, a secret interracial marriage among the New York elite, and the sensational divorce case that ignited an explosive battle over race and class. Join Peter and Orlando as they dive into t…

1
Blue Ray by Tony Whedon 20:13

3M ago20:13

20:13

Inspired by painting, poetry, and jazz, poet Tony Whedon says he "can't wait to get to that computer every morning to see what's going to happen." Join Peter and Orlando as they explore Blue Ray, a collection of poems by Tony Whedon of Darien, Ga.

1
Evil in Me by Brom 20:28

3M ago20:28

20:28

Aspiring musician Ruby Tucker has had enough of her small rural town and dysfunctional family. But a falling out with her best friend and bandmate has killed her dreams of escaping and making it big in the Atlanta punk scene. Evil in Me is bestselling author Brom's novel of possession, damnation, and rock-n-roll where one woman must get the world s…

1
BONUS - After Annie: A Novel by Anna Quindlen 56:16

3M ago56:16

56:16

When Annie Brown dies suddenly, her husband, her children, and her closest friend are left to find a way forward without the woman who has been the lynchpin of all their lives. Recorded live at the Savannah Book Festival, this special bonus episode of Narrative Edge features Peter Biello's full conversation with author Anna Quindlen.…

1
Somewhere Toward Freedom: Sherman's March and the Story of America's Largest Emancipation By Bennett Parten 14:24

4M ago14:24

14:24

A groundbreaking account of Sherman’s march to the Sea — the critical Civil War campaign that destroyed the Confederacy — told for the first time from the perspective of the tens of thousands of enslaved people who fled to the Union lines and transformed Sherman’s march into the biggest liberation event in American history.…

1
The Name of This Band Is R.E.M. by Peter Ames Carlin 18:51

4M ago18:51

18:51

Peter and Orlando explore this rich, intimate biography, from critically acclaimed author Peter Ames Carlin. This book looks beyond the sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll to open a window into the fascinating lives of four college friends — Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry — who stuck together at any cost, until the end.…

1
Kill Your Masters: Run The Jewels and the World That Made Them by Jaap van der Doelen 19:08

4M ago19:08

19:08

Killer Mike, a Black man from Atlanta, Ga., and El-P, a white man from Brooklyn, N.Y., have transformed what should have been the twilight of their careers as rappers into their biggest spotlight yet. Known as the hip-hop duo Run The Jewels, they have headlined festivals worldwide, become action figures and Marvel comic book characters, spearheaded…

1
The Art of Her Life by Cynthia Newberry Martin 17:02

5M ago17:02

17:02

At nine years old, on her first visit to a museum, Emily fell in love with Breakfast, a painting by Henri Matisse. Now a single mother, she lives in the world of art and can barely find time for her two daughters, much less for Mark, the man she loves. Her days are a jumble—she’s lost the thread of her life—but a contest at the museum where she’s t…

1
Come By Here: A Memoir in Essays from Georgia’s Geechee Coast by Neesha Powell-Ingabire 14:40

5M ago14:40

14:40

Peter and Orlando discuss this powerful memoir from Neesha Powell-Ingabire. In it, she chips away at coastal Georgia’s facade of beaches and golden marshes to recover under-told Black history alongside personal and family stories.

1
UnStuck: Rebirth of an American Icon By Stephanie Stuckey 17:53

6M ago17:53

17:53

Unstuck is the inspiring firsthand account of Stephanie Stuckey’s rise to CEO upon suddenly acquiring her family’s beloved yet struggling brand, which had become a fading memory for most Americans. Peter and Orlando discuss this captivating and inspiring memoir of the beloved, Georgia-based roadside icon.…

1
Norman Maclean: A Life of Letters and Rivers by Rebecca McCarthy 13:11

6M ago13:11

13:11

Athens resident Rebecca McCarthy creates an intimate portrait of Norman Maclean, drawing on her long friendship with the author from when she became a student at the University of Chicago through the rest of his life. Norman Maclean: A Life of Letters and Rivers is a well-researched glimpse into the life of a compelling author that benefits from th…

1
"John Lewis: A Life" by David Greenberg 22:03

7M ago22:03

22:03

In this episode, Peter and Orlando explore the comprehensive, authoritative biography of civil rights icon John Lewis, “The Conscience of the Congress.” The 700-page volume draws on interviews with Lewis and approximately 275 others who knew him at various stages of his life and never-before-used FBI files and documents.…

1
Girl at the End of the World by Erin Carlyle 15:39

7M ago15:39

15:39

Peter and Orlando discuss Erin Carlyle’s Girl at the End of the World, a collection of poetry that considers the complex grief of a parent lost to Opioids. In the book, the speaker works through her father's death with a sharp focus on place, expanding into the realms of science fiction and mythmaking.…

1
Broken Things by Lori Duff 13:58

8M ago13:58

13:58

Lori Duff is a two-time winner of the Georgia Bar Journal's fiction competition and a popular humor Blogger. Her humorous essays have won multiple awards, including the Foreword Indies Gold Medal for humor, and first place in the National Society for Newspaper Columnists in the humor category. She also writes fiction. Her novella, Broken Things, wa…

1
Flight of the Wild Swan by Melissa Pritchard 14:21

8M ago14:21

14:21

In this episode of Narrative Edge, hosts Peter Biello and Orlando Montoya explore Flight of the Wild Swan by Melissa Pritchard, a novelization of Florence Nightingale’s life. They discuss Nightingale's pioneering role in nursing, her complex personal journey, and the challenges she faced during the Crimean War. The hosts delve into her groundbreaki…

1
Red Clay Suzie By Jeffrey Dale Lofton 17:16

9M ago17:16

17:16

The coming-of-age story of Philbet, gay and living with a disability, battles bullying, ignorance, and disdain as he makes his way in life as an outsider in the Deep South—before finding acceptance in unlikely places. Fueled by tomato sandwiches and green milkshakes, and obsessed with cars, Philbet struggles with life and love as a gay boy in rural…

1
A Devil Went Down to Georgia: Race, Power, Privilege, and the Murder of Lita McClinton by Deb Miller Landau 13:40

9M ago13:40

13:40

The 1987 murder of Lita McClinton Sullivan sent shockwaves through the affluent Atlanta suburb of Buckhead. The neighborhood, with its stately mansions and top-tier schools, was not the kind of place where women were gunned down in cold blood in broad daylight. In A Devil Went Down to Georgia, author Deb Miller Landau details the shocking events th…

1
Savannah Sideways by Jessica Leigh Lebos 15:44

10M ago15:44

15:44

Jessica Leigh Lebos describes herself as a writer, adopted Southerner, anti-socialite and Camellia Thief. On this episode of Narrative Edge, Orlando introduces Peter to the award-winning local columnist and community builder who has published two popular books, Savannah Sideways and The Camellia Thief & Other Tales.…

1
Inside the Mirror by Parul Kapur 11:38

10M ago11:38

11:38

Winner of the AWP Prize for the Novel, Parul Kapur’s "Inside the Mirror" is set in the aftermath of colonialism, as an impoverished India struggles to remake itself into a modern state. Jaya’s story encompasses art, history, political revolt, love, and women’s ambition to seize their own power. In this episode, Peter and Orlando discuss this relata…

1
One Blood by Denene Millner 17:58

11M ago17:58

17:58

In this epic novel, New York Times bestselling author Denene Millner explores the lives of three generations of women tied together by love, hope, dreams, ambition — and family secrets. Potent, poetic, powerful, told with deep love, and spanning from the Great Migration to the civil unrest of the 1960s to the quest for women’s equality in the early…

1
The Curators by Maggie Nye 12:52

11M ago12:52

12:52

Violence haunts 1915 Atlanta and so does the golem a group of girls creates. A dark, lyrical blend of historical fiction and magical realism, "The Curators" examines an underexplored event in American history through unlikely eyes. All of Atlanta is obsessed with the two-year-long trial and subsequent lynching of Jewish factory superintendent Leo F…

1
Fortune and Folly: The Weird and Wonderful Life of the South's Most Eccentric Millionaire by Sara Butler 19:33

11M ago19:33

19:33

Join hosts Orlando Montoya and Peter Biello as they dive into the fascinating life of Asa 'Buddy' Candler Jr., the eccentric son of Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler, in this episode of Narrative Edge. Discover the bizarre yet captivating story of Buddy Candler, whose life of inherited wealth led to a series of spectacular ventures and notorious failur…

1
Bomb Island by Stephen Hundley 14:44

12M ago14:44

14:44

Part coming-of-age romance, part thriller, "Bomb Island" is a funny and fast-paced Southern summer novel exploring sub-culture communities, survival, and found family set on an island near an unexploded atomic bomb. Join Peter and Orlando as they discuss this journey through the weirds and wilds of Coastal Georgia.…

1
Josh Green's Secrets of Ash: A Novel of War, Brotherhood, and Going Home Again 16:28

1y ago16:28

16:28

Secrets of Ash is a riveting, fast-paced, and suspenseful novel of fraternal love and dark memories, told from the alternating points of view of two brothers who cross a lifetime, and a rugged mountain, to come to terms with themselves and each other. Peter and Orlando discuss the characters, the struggles, and a surprising ending with Georgia Auth…

1
Carson McCullers: A Life by Mary V. Dearborn 16:46

1y ago16:46

16:46

In this episode, Orlando and Peter explore the life and legacy of celebrated Southern writer Carson McCullers. Drawing from the new biography "Carson McCullers: A Life" by Mary Dearborn, they discuss McCullers' journey from Columbus, Georgia, to literary fame in New York City, her groundbreaking works like "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter," and delve …

1
Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom 14:05

1y ago14:05

14:05

In this episode, we unravel the complex story of Alvin Ridley, the "Zenith Man," a television repairman from a small town in Georgia who was accused of murdering his wife in 1997. Despite his eccentric behavior and a town's suspicion, the truth revealed a different narrative. Join Orlando Montoya and Peter Biello as they discuss the new book, "Zeni…

1
Godfall by Van Jensen 13:40

1y ago13:40

13:40

When a massive asteroid hurtles toward Earth, humanity braces for annihilation—but the end doesn’t come. In fact, it isn’t an asteroid but a three-mile-tall alien that drops down, seemingly dead, outside Little Springs, Nebraska. Dubbed “the giant,” its arrival transforms the red-state farm town into a top-secret government research site and major …

1
Rahad Abir's Bengal Hound: A Novel 14:33

1y ago14:33

14:33

A city is hellbent on revolution. Passionate and impetuous, Shelley is a university student at a time of political discord in Dhaka in the late 1960s. Frustrated by the oppression of West Pakistani rulers, the Bengali people are rising up, taking Shelley with them. As he is forced to navigate the chaos of an uprising, where his every choice and act…

1
The Book of James: The Power, Politics, and Passion of LeBron by Valerie Babb 14:57

1y ago14:57

14:57

One of the world's greatest basketball players is the hero in two very American tales: one, a success story the nation loves; the other, the latest installment in an ongoing chronicle of American antiblackness. Author Valerie Babb joins Peter and Orlando to discuss the power, politics, and passion of LeBron James.…

1
Michael Thurmond's James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia: A Founder’s Journey from Slave Trader to Abolitionist 15:59

1y ago15:59

15:59

Utilizing more than two decades of meticulous research, fresh historical analysis, and compelling storytelling, Michael L. Thurmond rewrites the prehistory of abolitionism and adds an important new chapter to Georgia’s origin story. Can he change the hearts and minds of those who were taught Georgia history years ago? Can he change the hearts and m…

1
Benjamin Herold's Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America's Suburbs 14:47

1+ y ago14:47

14:47

For generations, upwardly mobile white families have extracted opportunity from the nation’s heavily subsidized suburbs, then moved on before the bills for maintenance and repair came due, leaving the mostly Black and Brown families who followed to clean up the ensuing mess. Peter and Orlando are joined by author Benjamin Herold to discover the vic…

1
Flannery O'Connor's Why Do the Heathen Rage? A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress by Jessica Hooten Wilson 16:34

1+ y ago16:34

16:34

When celebrated American novelist and short story writer Flannery O’Connor died at the age of 39 in 1964, she left behind an unfinished third novel titled "Why Do the Heathen Rage?" Scholarly experts uncovered and studied the material, deeming it unpublishable. It stayed that way for 40 years. Until now. Join Peter and Orlando as they explore, alon…

1
Dan Sinykin: Big Fiction 16:32

1+ y ago16:32

16:32

Dan Sinykin details how changes in the publishing industry have affected fiction and literary form, and reveals how conglomeration has shaped what kinds of books and writers are published. Peter and Orlando explore a conversation with the author and discuss underrated and "weird" books from nonprofit publishing houses.…

1
Kathy Bradley's Sifting Artifacts: Essays 17:42

1+ y ago17:42

17:42

In her third book of essays, Georgia Author of the Year Award winner Kathy Bradley continues to ask important questions about humanity, community, and stewardship. In this episode, Peter and Orlando discuss this "rare gem" of a book, the difficulties and art of writing against a deadline, and finding meaning and metaphor in the simplest things.…

1
Johnny Smith's Jumpman: The Making and Meaning of Michael Jordan 15:56

1+ y ago15:56

15:56

Michael Jordan's path to greatness was shaped by race, politics, and the consequences of fame. To become the most revered basketball player in America, it wasn't enough for Michael Jordan to merely excel on the court. He also had to become something he never intended: a hero. In this episode, Peter and Orlando delve into a conversation about His Ai…

1
John Blake: More Than I Imagined 18:05

1+ y ago18:05

18:05

Award-winning CNN journalist John Blake grew up a self-described “closeted biracial person,” hostile toward white people while hiding the truth of his mother’s race. In this episode of Narrative Edge, Peter and Orlando explore a powerful conversation with Blake about racial reconciliation, acceptance, and empathy.…

1
Anita Gail Jones: The Peach Seed 15:11

1+ y ago15:11

15:11

An indelible portrait of a family, The Peach Seed explores how kin pass down legacies of sorrow, joy, and strength. And it is a parable of how a glimmer of hope as small as a seed can ripple across generations. Peter and Orlando explore a conversation with author Anita Gail Jones and learn about the Civil Rights movement in Albany, GA along the way…

1
Alan Paul's Brothers and Sisters: The Allman Brothers Band and the Inside Story of the Album That Defined the '70s 14:08

1+ y ago14:08

14:08

The Allman Brothers Band's "Brothers and Sisters" is iconic. In this episode, Peter and Orlando discuss Alan Paul's deep dive into the time before and after the 1973 album. It was not only the band’s best-selling album, at over seven million copies sold, but it was also a powerfully influential release, both musically and culturally. And this book …

1
Mary Louise Kelly: It. Goes. So. Fast. The Year of No Do-Overs 14:04

1+ y ago14:04

14:04

Famed NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly comes to grips with the reality every parent faces: childhood has a definite expiration date. Peter and Orlando share their thoughts and opinions of Mary Louise Kelly's chronicle of her eldest child’s final year at home. Plus, we'll hear from Mary Louise herself.

1
Wanda Morris: Anywhere You Run 14:37

1+ y ago14:37

14:37

It’s the summer of 1964 and three innocent men are brutally murdered for trying to help Black Mississippians secure the right to vote. Against this backdrop, twenty-one-year-old Violet Richards finds herself in more trouble than she’s ever been. Peter and Orlando dive into Anywhere You Run in this episode and talk with Atlanta-based author Wanda Mo…

1
Sally Sierer Bethea: Keeping the Chattahoochee 10:08

1+ y ago10:08

10:08

Sally Sierer Bethea was one of the first women in America to become a “riverkeeper”—a vocal defender of a specific waterway who holds polluters accountable. In Keeping the Chattahoochee, she tells stories that range from joyous and funny to frustrating—even alarming—to illustrate what it takes to save an endangered river. In this episode, Peter and…

1
Matthew Dallek's Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right 13:33

1+ y ago13:33

13:33

At the height of the John Birch Society’s activity in the 1960s, critics dismissed its members as a paranoid fringe. After all, “Birchers” believed that a vast communist conspiracy existed in America and posed an existential threat to Christianity, capitalism, and freedom. But as historian Matthew Dallek reveals, the Birch Society’s extremism remad…

1
Joe Coscarelli's Rap Capital: An Atlanta Story 10:37

1+ y ago10:37

10:37

LISTEN: Some of the most popular music in the world has roots in Atlanta. In "Rap Capital: An Atlanta Story," author Joe Coscarelli chronicles what it's like to be a rapper in Atlanta today and puts on spotlight on artists such as Migos and Lil Baby. After a discussion with Coscarelli, Peter and Orlando share some of their thoughts and insights on …

1
Jonathan Eig's King: A Life 15:41

2y ago15:41

15:41

"King: A Life" by Jonathan Eig, the first major biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in decades, is a generational book filled with new information and perspectives from living witnesses, declassified documents, and unheard audio recordings. After a discussion with Jonathan Eig, Peter and Orlando share some of their thoughts and insights on "Kin…

1
Julia Franks: The Say So 11:14

2y ago11:14

11:14

Award-winning author Julia Franks' latest novel is the story of two young women contending with unplanned pregnancies in different eras. After a discussion with Julia Franks, Peter and Orlando share some of their thoughts and insights on "The Say So."

1
Ilyon Woo: Master Slave Husband Wife 12:36

2y ago12:36

12:36

"Master Slave Husband Wife" by Ilyon Woo is the true story of two enslaved people from Macon, William and Ellen Craft, who escaped to freedom in 1848. Their escape was not at night or by the Underground Railroad but in plain sight. In this episode, Peter and Orlando break down this remarkable story.This podcast from Georgia Public Broadcasting high…

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