Like a lot of people, I first became aware of Jeff Zentner when The Serpent King came out in 2016. I'm sure he doesn't remember this, but at that time, I was hosting a regular Twitter Chat (remember those?) with my friend Jennifer Northrup called #2JennsBookClub. I could write an entire post on how Twitter (and social media more generally) has changed since then, but I'll stick to the fact that when The Serpent King came out, Jenn and I asked Jeff if he would join our little chat to discuss his book, and not only did he say yes, but he was also the MOST gracious participant: talking books, music and more, with our nerdy little collection of readers, for long after the official chat ended. I promised myself, then and there, that whenever Jeff Zentner published a book, I would read it. Luckily for me, he writes incredible books - all of which have made that promise very easy to keep. That said, those of you who have been listening to The Reader's Heart since the beginning know, (until now!), I've focused entirely on authors and illustrators of children's literature. As I make the shift toward including the creators of books written for young adults, I knew there was only one choice for my first YA guest. Once again, I am so glad that Jeff said yes.
PS: Why is David Bowie in that picture of me with Jeff? You'll have to listen to the episode to find out!
ABOUT THIS WEEK'S GUEST
Y'all. I'm giving away 2 signed copies of the two books Jeff and I talked about during this episode. If you listened to the episode, you know that I am the official president of the Rayne and Delilah's Midnite Matinee Fan Clubâ˘ď¸, so I am delighted to share that one with the world. Sunrise Nights is Jeff's latest book, which he wrote with Brittany Cavallaro. Both are wonderful. Big thanks to Jeff for signing a couple of copies for me. Find me on instagram to enter!
ABOUT THIS WEEK'S GUEST
Jeff Zentner is the author of New York Times Notable Books The Serpent King and In the Wild Light, as well as Goodbye Days, Rayne & Delilahâs Midnite Matinee, and his forthcoming debut for the adult market, Colton Gentryâs Third Act. Among other honors, he has won the ALAâs William C. Morris Award, the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award twice, the Muriel Becker Award, the International Literacy Association Award, and been longlisted twice for the Carnegie Medal. Heâs a two-time Southern Book Prize finalist; and was a finalist for the Indies Choice Award. He was selected as a Publishers Weekly Flying Start and an Indies Introduce pick. His books, which have received 20 starred reviews, have been translated into fifteen languages and been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and in Vanity Fair and People Magazine. Before becoming a writer, he was a musician who recorded with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, and Debbie Harry. He lives in Nashville.Â
He became interested in writing for young adults after volunteering at the Tennessee Teen Rock Camp and Southern Girls Rock Camp. As a kid, his parents would take him to the library and drop him off, where he would read until closing time. He worked at various bookstores through high school and college.
He speaks fluent Portuguese, having lived in the Amazon region of Brazil for two years.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Note: episode transcripts are generated by AI and are likely imperfect. Still, I hope you find them useful.
RESOURCES & LINKSÂ
Connect with Jeff
MORE ABOUT THE READERâS HEARTÂ
Rooted in the belief that our world needs the magic of childrenâs literature now more than ever, the Readerâs Heart podcast captures conversations with authors and illustrators about children's literature as a vehicle for empathy and joy in a dark world. I'm so excited about this project and it's my wish that it brings you as much light and hope as it has brought me.
Special thanks to Corinna Luyken for creating the beautiful illustration that will serve as the show's logo. I've always found Corinna's art so moving and she perfectly captured the spirit of what I am trying to do, which is to put warmth and love into the world during a time when so many are working to limit kids' access to the warmth and love inherent in children's literature.
Weekly episodes will drop on Tuesdays. Once you've had a chance to listen, I hope you will consider leaving The Reader's Heart a âď¸âď¸âď¸âď¸âď¸ review! Podcast reviews are one of the best ways to support your favorite shows and help others find these conversations.
WHERE TO LISTEN:
Wherever you listen to podcasts!
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