Seattle's own "action figure librarian" and best-selling author Nancy Pearl sits down each month with top writers from around the country for conversations about books and the process and art of writing. There's no one better qualified than Nancy to discuss books and writing, bringing an informed reader's perspective to lively conversation and in-depth dialogs about all things literary. Book Lust with Nancy Pearl is filmed monthly at the University Bookstore in Seattle. The Seattle Channel 3032602 On Book Lust with Nancy Pearl, author and journalist Anthony DePalma discusses "On This Ground: Hardship and Hope at the Toughest Prep School in America," a story he describes as “a school that refused to die in a city that nearly did.” In the conversation, DePalma explores how Saint Benedict’s Prep in Newark endured social upheaval and decline through the steadfast commitment of Benedictine monks who stayed loyal to their community and believed in redemption, accountability, and the idea that education is shaped not just in the classroom, but in the people students become.

]]> 3/26/2026 artZone/BL_depalma_3032602.mp4 25:07 http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2026/BL_depalma_3032602web.jpg http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2026/BL_depalma_3032602web.jpg The Seattle Channel 3032601 On Book Lust, host Nancy Pearl talks with journalist Howard Bryant about his book, "Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America." The conversation explores Bryant’s research into the complicated legacies of two towering civil rights figures, baseball legend Jackie Robinson and musician, actor, athlete, and activist Paul Robeson. Bryant examines how their Cold War–era divide shaped the civil rights movement and forced difficult choices on Black leaders in a deeply divided America. The result is a gripping look at power, protest, patriotism, and what history chooses to remember or forget.

]]> 2/26/2026 artZone/BL_bryant_3032601.mp4 24:32 http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2026/BL_bryant_3032601web.jpg http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2026/BL_bryant_3032601web.jpg The Seattle Channel 3032510 Cartoonist and writer Mimi Pond jokes that her obsession with the Mitford Sisters nearly sank her marriage. That fascination became her new graphic biography, "Do Admit! The Mitford Sisters and Me." In a one-on-one conversation with Book Lust host Nancy Pearl, Pond shares why these wildly influential sisters, who moved in circles ranging from Churchill to Hitler to the Black Panthers, still captivate her today.

]]> 12/11/2025 artZone/BL_pond_3032510.mp4 18:02 http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_pond_3032510web.jpg http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_pond_3032510web.jpg The Seattle Channel 3032509 In the last episode of Book Lust, Susan Straight talks with Nancy Pearl about "Sacrament," her novel about three women nurses fighting through the first year of COVID. Straight reflects on how the pandemic reshaped her storytelling and stirred memories of loss, caregiving, and resilience. She also revisits "In the Country of Women," exploring the generations of women—from her Swiss mother to her Mississippi-born mother-in-law—whose overlooked histories shaped her life and work.

]]> 11/20/2025 artZone/BL_straight_3032509.mp4 23:28 http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_straight_3032509web.jpg http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_straight_3032509web.jpg The Seattle Channel 3032508 In a conversation with Book Lust host Nancy Pearl, popular young adult author Maggie Stiefvater discusses her first novel written for adults, "The Listeners," a captivating tale inspired by true events and set against the backdrop of World War II. In the interview, Stiefvater explores mythic storytelling, historical research, and the courage to change when life seems settled.

]]> 10/16/2025 artZone/BL_stiefvater_3032508.mp4 23:24 http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_stiefvater_3032508web.jpg http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_stiefvater_3032508web.jpg The Seattle Channel 3032507 On Book Lust with Nancy Pearl, Kira Jane Buxton talks about weaving humor into her storytelling, including her latest novel "Tartufo," set in a fading Italian village full of unforgettable characters. She shares how the idea was sparked by her time living in a small Italian town, walks through her writing process, and reflects on her affection for every character she creates...even the most complex and temperamental ones.

]]> 9/16/2025 artZone/BL_buxton_3032507.mp4 23:23 http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_buxton_3032507web.jpg http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_buxton_3032507web.jpg The Seattle Channel 3032506 On a new episode of Book Lust, longtime Seattle Times arts critic Moira Macdonald joins Nancy Pearl to talk about her debut novel, “Storybook Ending.” Inspired by a piece of ephemera discovered in a book at her favorite Seattle bookstore, Macdonald’s first novel is a tale of friendship, community, and the quiet magic of bookstores. She also shares how her years as a journalist and book critic shaped her fiction writing; and why, in her eyes, all of life intersects at the bookstore.

]]> 7/31/2025 artZone/BL_macdonald_3032506.mp4 27:00 http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_macdonald_3032506web.jpg http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_macdonald_3032506web.jpg The Seattle Channel 3032506 This month’s guest on Book Lust with Nancy Pearl is Brad Craft, a long-time bookseller at Seattle’s University Book Store. The two reminisce about how much book publishing and bookselling have changed since Craft started selling books in the 1980s. Spoiler: it’s a lot. But, while a lot has changed, the fundamental relationship between books and readers hasn’t. The two talk about genres and how booksellers connect readers to their next favorite book. Craft tells Nancy about “Brad’s Big Fat Book Club,” the online book club he organizes that meets monthly to collectively tackle really long books, making 600-page books less intimidating.

]]> 6/26/2025 artZone/BL_craft_3032505.mp4 26:10 http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_craft_2web.jpg http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_craft_2web.jpg The Seattle Channel 3032504 Local author Thomas Kohnstamm said his latest novel, "Supersonic," is a book of place, specifically, Seattle. He told Book Lust host Nancy Pearl "Seattle isn't the Space Needle or the Fremont Troll," but rather the interactions between neighbors, the waves of people entering the city, and the constant process of building. The novel tells the stories of four families over 150 years of Seattle history, and delves into what Kohnstamm calls the mythology of the city in a way only a book written by someone born and raised here could.

]]> 5/21/2025 artZone/BL_kohnstamm_3032504.mp4 27:17 http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_Kohnstamm_coverweb.jpg http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_Kohnstamm_coverweb.jpg The Seattle Channel 3032503 Nancy Pearl talks with legal scholar and author Michelle Adams about her new book "The Containment: Detroit, the Supreme Court, and the Battle for Racial Justice in the North." Adams' book dives into the landmark Milliken v. Bradley case, which halted efforts to desegregate Detroit schools in 1974. "The Containment" is a gripping legal and historical drama about policies that shaped a city—and a nation—with a few unexpected heroes along the way.

]]> 4/15/2025 artZone/BL_adams_3032503.mp4 23:27 http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_adams_3032503web.jpg http://www.seattlechannel.org/images//images/seattlechannel/videos/2025/BL_adams_3032503web.jpg