Past Event Recordings

A Journey into the Hidden World of Tropical Bats with Scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Presented by Smithsonian Scientists Dr. Rachel Page, Dr. Dina Dechmann, and Dr. Teague O’Mara
Wednesday, October 2nd 2024 at 11:00 AM PDT

"Here One Moment" with Liane Moriarty
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Big Little Lies, The Husband’s Secret, and Apples Never Fall
Saturday, September 21st 2024 at 4:00 PM PDT

Open-minded Living in a Distracted and Divided World with Nate Klemp, PhD
New York Times Bestselling Co-Author of Start Here: Master the Lifelong Skill of Well-Being
Wednesday, September 18th 2024 at 11:00 AM PDT

Capturing the Human Drama of 9/11 and D-Day Through Oral History with Garrett Graff
New York Times Bestselling Author and Pulitzer Prize Finalist
Tuesday, September 10th 2024 at 11:00 AM PDT

An Exploration of Friendship, Reckoning, and Hope with Novelist Shelby Van Pelt
Author of the Instant New York Times bestseller Remarkably Bright Creatures
Wednesday, August 21st 2024 at 4:00 PM PDT

The Golden Ticket to College Admissions Is Not What You Think: Redefining Success for Parents of Teens with Irena Smith, PhD
Story Circle Network’s Gilda Award-Winner and Former Lecturer and Stanford Admissions Officer
Thursday, August 15th 2024 at 11:00 AM PDT

Behind the Scenes at the Space Station with Smithsonian Curator Dr. Jennifer Levasseur
A Library Speakers Consortium and Smithsonian Institution Collaboration
Wednesday, August 7th 2024 at 11:00 AM PDT

Graphic Novels are Life! Telling Your Story in a Graphic Novel with Dan Santat (5th-8th Grade)
Caldecott Medal Winner, National Book Award Winner, and New York Times Bestselling Author and Illustrator of Over 100 Books
Tuesday, July 30th 2024 at 11:00 AM PDT

Learn the Power of Poetry with Bestselling Author Elizabeth Acevedo (9th-12th)
National Book Award Winner and New York Times Bestselling Author of The Poet X and Clap When you Land
Tuesday, July 23rd 2024 at 11:00 AM PDT

Surviving the Summer with The Last Kids on Earth and Max Brallier (3rd-6th Grade)
New York Times Bestselling Author of More Than 50 Books for Children Under Both This Name and the Pen Name Jack Chabert
Tuesday, July 16th 2024 at 11:00 AM PDT

A Visit to Deckawoo Drive with Mercy Watson and Kate DiCamillo (PreK-2nd Grade)
Newbery Medal Winner for The Tale of Despereaux and New York Times bestselling author of over 30 books for children
Tuesday, July 9th 2024 at 11:00 AM PDT

Unpacking a History of Systemic Racism in the American Education System with Tiffany Jewell
New York Times Bestselling Author of This Book is Anti-Racist and Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School
Thursday, June 20th 2024 at 11:00 AM PDT

Psychological Thrillers and the Queen of Twists – An Author Talk with Freida McFadden
New York Times Bestselling Author of The Housemaid, The Housemaid’s Secret and The Housemaid Is Watching
Thursday, June 13th 2024 at 5:00 PM PDT

For the Love of Mars: A Human History of the Red Planet with Smithsonian Curator Matt Shindell
A Library Speakers Consortium and Smithsonian Institution Collaboration
Monday, June 3rd 2024 at 11:00 AM PDT

Asian American Representation in Literature with Rebecca F. Kuang
New York Times Bestselling Author of Yellowface, Babel, and the Poppy War Trilogy
Tuesday, May 21st 2024 at 4:00 PM PDT

A Murder Mystery, Family Story, & Love Letter to Strong Women Everywhere with Nina Simon
Author of New York Times Bestseller and Reese’s Book Club Pick: Mother-Daughter Murder Night
Wednesday, May 8th 2024 at 4:00 PM PDT

Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War with Douglas Brunt
New York Times Bestselling Author of The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel and Ghosts of Manhattan
Wednesday, May 1st 2024 at 12:00 PM PDT

A Literary Examination of Power, Love, and Art with Xochitl Gonzalez
New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming and Anita de Monte Laughs Last
Wednesday, April 17th 2024 at 5:00 PM PDT

The Foods, People, and Innovations That Feed Us: A Sweeping History of Food and Culture with Smithsonian Curator Paula J. Johnson
A Library Speakers Consortium and Smithsonian Institution Collaboration
Tuesday, April 2nd 2024 at 11:00 AM PDT

Retelling Greek Classics: An Exploration of Modern Epics with Madeline Miller
New York Times Bestselling Author of The Song of Achilles and Circe
Thursday, March 21st 2024 at 4:00 PM PDT

The World of Eragon and Dragon-Riding Fantasy with International Bestselling Author Christopher Paolini
International Bestselling Author of Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance
Thursday, March 14th 2024 at 1:00 PM PDT

A 50-Year Friendship with RBG with NPR Correspondent Nina Totenberg
NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent and New York Times Bestselling Author
Wednesday, March 6th 2024 at 1:00 PM PST

Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity: An Author (Pep) Talk with Kim Scott
New York Times Bestselling Author of Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity and Radical Respect: How to Work Together Better
Wednesday, February 28th 2024 at 11:00 AM PST

Exploring Identity, Love, and Being Black in America in Fiction Writing: A Conversation with Award-Winning Author Jason Mott
New York Times Bestselling Author and 2021 National Book Award Winner
Tuesday, February 20th 2024 at 1:00 PM PST

Spice, Spirit, and Swoon—A Guaranteed Happily Ever After with Rom-Com Author Tessa Bailey
#1 New York Times bestselling author of It Happened One Summer and Hook, Line, and Sinker
Thursday, February 8th 2024 at 5:00 PM PST

The Lure and Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine with Dr. Robert Lustig
Physician and New York Times Bestselling Author of Fat Chance
Tuesday, January 30th 2024 at 11:00 AM PST

Your Retirement: Dream or Disaster? How to Avoid the Hidden Traps in Retirement Planning Advice
Rajiv Nagaich, Expert in U.S. Elder Law and Host of Two Popular Public Television Shows
Tuesday, January 23rd 2024 at 11:00 AM PST

Embrace Love in the New Year: A Heartfelt Conversation with Rebecca Serle
New York Times Bestselling Author of One Italian Summer, In Five Years, and The Dinner List
Wednesday, January 10th 2024 at 5:00 PM PST

Let's Talk Worldbuilding with YA Fantasy Fiction Superstar Author Victoria Aveyard
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of the Red Queen Series and the Realm Breaker Series
Tuesday, December 5th 2023 at 4:00 PM PST

The Power of Women in Science Fiction: Naomi Alderman on Writing Dystopian Worlds
International Bestselling Author of The Power and Creator of Zombies, Run!
Thursday, November 30th 2023 at 12:00 PM PST

A Conversation with Joy Harjo, Internationally Renowned Performer, Writer, and Poet of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation
The 23rd United States Poet Laureate and 2023 Winner of Yale’s Bollingen Prize for American Poetry
Thursday, November 16th 2023 at 1:00 PM PST

Money Advice & Achieving Financial Success with Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche
New York Times Bestselling Author and Award-Winning Podcast Host of Brown Ambition
Thursday, November 9th 2023 at 11:00 AM PST

Hollywood, Home, Heart, and Healing: A Conversation with Actor John Stamos
Three-time Emmy Nominee and Full House Star
Wednesday, November 1st 2023 at 5:00 PM PDT

A Lifetime of Writing: A Conversation with International Bestselling Author John Irving
New York Times Bestselling Author of A Prayer for Owen Meany and The Cider House Rules
Thursday, October 26th 2023 at 4:00 PM PDT

Master of Suspense: An Author Talk with Ruth Ware
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The It Girl and The Woman in Cabin 10
Wednesday, October 18th 2023 at 11:00 AM PDT

European Travel Tips and Tools with Guidebook Author Rick Steves
Popular Public Television Host and Best-Selling Guidebook Author
Tuesday, October 10th 2023 at 1:00 PM PDT

How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most – Author Talk with Adam Alter
New York Times Bestselling Author of Drunk Tank Pink and Irresistible
Wednesday, September 20th 2023 at 11:00 AM PDT

My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family, and Food – Author Talk with Lidia Bastianich
Emmy award-winning public television host, a best‐selling cookbook author, restaurateur, and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business
Thursday, September 7th 2023 at 4:00 PM PDT

Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions – Author Talk with Jeff Selingo
New York Times Bestselling Author of There is Life After College and College (Un)Bound
Wednesday, August 30th 2023 at 11:00 AM PDT

Chain of Thorns – Author Talk with Cassandra Clare
#1 New York Times bestselling author of The Mortal Instruments Series, The Infernal Devices Series, and The Last Hours Series
Wednesday, August 23rd 2023 at 5:00 PM PDT

The Prophets – Author Talk with New York Times bestselling author Robert Jones, Jr.
2022 Publishing Triangle Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction and 2021 National Book Award for Fiction
Tuesday, August 15th 2023 at 1:00 PM PDT

Crying in the Bathroom: A Memoir: An Author Talk with Erika L. Sánchez
New York Times Bestselling Author of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
Tuesday, July 25th 2023 at 1:00 PM PDT

The Endless Vessel – Author Talk with Daredevil & She-Hulk author Charles Soule
Bestselling Author of Death of Wolverine and The Oracle Year
Saturday, July 15th 2023 at 11:00 AM PDT

The Wishing Pool and Other Stories – Author Talk with Black Panther contributing author Tananarive Due
Award-Winning and Bestselling Author of 16 Books Including the Blood Colony, The Living Blood, The Good House, Joplin’s Ghost, and Devil’s Wake
Wednesday, June 28th 2023 at 5:00 PM PDT

An American In Provence – Author Talk with Award-Winning Photographer Jamie Beck
New York Times Bestselling Author of An American in Provence
Thursday, June 15th 2023 at 11:00 AM PDT

The Fun Habit – Author Talk with Mike Rucker, Ph.D.
Organizational psychologist and charter member of the International Positive Psychology Association
Wednesday, June 7th 2023 at 1:00 PM PDT

I'm the Girl – Author Talk with Bestselling YA Author Courtney Summers
Edgar and Odyssey Award-Winning Author and NYT Bestselling Author of Sadie
Saturday, May 20th 2023 at 11:00 AM PDT

Not Funny – Author Talk with Academy Award–Nominated Jena Friedman
Comedian, Filmmaker, and Creator of AMC’s Indefensible and Soft Focus with Jena Friedman on Adult Swim
Wednesday, May 10th 2023 at 5:00 PM PDT

Fox Creek – Author Talk with William Kent Krueger
#1 Bestselling Author of More Than 20 Books Including This Tender Land and Lightning Strike
Thursday, April 27th 2023 at 5:00 PM PDT

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands – Author Talk with Kate Beaton
NYT Bestselling Cartoonist of Hark! A Vagrant! and Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands
Tuesday, April 4th 2023 at 4:00 PM PDT

Code Name Sapphire – Author Talk with Pam Jenoff, bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris
New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale and The Lost Girls of Paris
Tuesday, March 28th 2023 at 4:00 PM PDT

Southern Inspired: More Than 100 Delicious Dishes from My American Table to Yours – Author Talk with Celebrity Chef Jernard A. Wells
Award-Winning TV Host, Celebrity Chef, and Bestselling Cookbook Author of Southern Modified and Southern Inspired
Tuesday, March 21st 2023 at 1:00 PM PDT

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World – Author Talk with David Epstein
New York Times Bestselling Author of Range and The Sports Gene
Monday, March 13th 2023 at 10:00 AM PDT

The House of Eve: Author Talk with Sadeqa Johnson, Award-Winning Author of Yellow Wife
Recipient of the National Book Club Award, the Phillis Wheatley Book Award, and the USA Best Book Award for Best Fiction
Tuesday, February 28th 2023 at 1:00 PM PST

Tastes Like War: Author Talk with Grace M. Cho
2021 National Book Award Finalist and TIME and NPR Best Book of the Year
Thursday, February 16th 2023 at 10:00 AM PST

Back in a Spell: Author Talk with Lana Harper
New York Times bestselling author of Payback’s a Witch and From Bad to Cursed
Thursday, February 9th 2023 at 4:00 PM PST

xkcd Webcomic and What if? Series Creator: Author Talk with Randall Munroe
New York Times bestselling author of What If?, How To, and the hugely popular webcomic xkcd
Tuesday, January 31st 2023 at 11:00 AM PST

Decluttering to Start Your New Year: Author Talk with Dana K. White
Bestselling Author of Organizing for the Rest of Us and Decluttering at the Speed of Life
Tuesday, January 17th 2023 at 11:00 AM PST

The Gilded Ones Series: Author Talk with Namina Forna
New York Times Bestselling Author of The Gilded Ones and The Merciless Ones
Saturday, January 7th 2023 at 11:00 AM PST

A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America: Author Talk with Nicole Eustace
Nicole Eustace – Pulitzer Prize–Winning Historian
Wednesday, December 14th 2022 at 9:00 AM PST

Author Talk with Fredrik Backman: Bestselling Author of A Man Called Ove
#1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, and Anxious People
Saturday, December 10th 2022 at 11:00 AM PST

Author Talk with Geraldine Brooks
Geraldine Brooks – New York Times Bestselling and Pulitzer Prize Winning Author of March, People of the Book, and The Secret Chord
Tuesday, December 6th 2022 at 4:00 PM PST

How to Have Difficult Conversations About Race: Practical Tools for Necessary Change in the Workplace and Beyond with Kwame Christian
Bestselling Author and Founder of the American Negotiation Institute
Tuesday, November 15th 2022 at 9:00 AM PST

Lessons in Chemistry: Author Talk with Bonnie Garmus
Bonnie Garmus - New York Times Bestselling Author
Thursday, November 10th 2022 at 11:00 AM PST

The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR: Author Talk with Lisa Napoli
Virtual Chat with Acclaimed Writer, Journalist, Broadcaster, and Speaker
Wednesday, November 2nd 2022 at 1:00 PM PDT

The Diamond Eye: Author Talk with Kate Quinn
Kate Quinn – Acclaimed Bestselling Author
Tuesday, October 25th 2022 at 4:00 PM PDT

Where The Children Take Us: Author Talk with Zain E. Asher
Zain E. Asher – CNN International Anchor and Memoirist
Tuesday, October 18th 2022 at 4:00 PM PDT

Not Nice: Stop People Pleasing, Staying Silent, & Feeling Guilty – Author Talk with Dr. Aziz Gazipura
Dr. Aziz Gazipura – Bestselling Author and Leading Expert on Social Confidence
Thursday, October 13th 2022 at 1:00 PM PDT

Author Talk with Simon Winchester
Simon Winchester – New York Times Bestselling Author
Tuesday, September 20th 2022 at 11:00 AM PDT

Raising Thrivers: Parenting Tips & Tools to Help Kids Thrive in an Uncertain World – Author Talk with Dr. Michele Borba
Bestselling Author and Internationally Renowned Educational Psychologist
Thursday, September 8th 2022 at 11:00 AM PDT

Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact – Author Talk with Liz Wiseman
New York Times Bestselling Author
Thursday, August 25th 2022 at 9:00 AM PDT

The Beauty in Breaking: Author Talk with Michele Harper
Michele Harper – NYT Bestselling Author and NYT Notable Book
Monday, August 22nd 2022 at 6:00 PM PDT

Long Bright River: Author Talk with Liz Moore
Liz Moore – NYT Bestselling Author and NPR Best Book of 2020
Tuesday, August 9th 2022 at 6:00 PM PDT

Author Talk with Historian and Pulitzer Prize Winner, Dr. Marcia Chatelain
Marcia Chatelain – Author of Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America
Wednesday, August 3rd 2022 at 11:00 AM PDT

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity – Author Talk with David Allen
David Allen – NYT Bestselling Author and World's Leading Expert on Stress-Free Productivity
Thursday, July 14th 2022 at 9:00 AM PDT

The Henna Artist: Author Talk with Alka Joshi
Alka Joshi – NYT Bestselling Author and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Thursday, July 7th 2022 at 6:00 PM PDT