2008 National Book Festival Podcast

Crime novelist Peter Robinson talks about how his character Inspector Banks has evolved over 21 years; shares writing tips that he teaches in his classes; and reminiscences about the writers who influenced him, including his tutor who became a world renowned author.

"Credit is evil," says author and financial expert Michelle Singletary. She explains why credit has been abused by individuals, corporations and the federal government; tells how Americans can survive the current economic crisis; and highlights the spending differences between men and women.

Geraldine Brooks explains why she must first find the voice in her stories and talks about her latest book, "People of the Book."

After garnering international fame as a singer, five Grammy Awards and 60 charted hits, music legend Dionne Warwick says she is still reaching for her dream. She reveals why she wrote a children’s book instead of an autobiography of her life; discusses her global humanitarian efforts; and explains the genesis of her mantra: If you can think it, you can do it.

Emmy Award-winning journalist Cokie Roberts has become an expert on the nation’s founding mothers. She dispels some of the misconceptions about them and shares insight into her early years spent in the halls of Congress.

"I have always been word obsessed," says Marisa de los Santos. She talks about the music of language; shares little-known details about her third book; and reveals why learning about the human side of Clara Barton, Joan of Arc and Helen Keller inspired her.

"Every novel is just a big, fat lie trying to masquerade as the truth," says novelist Brad Meltzer. He talks about the genesis of his new book, the real story behind the creation of the comic book character Superman, and why the biblical interpretation of Cain and Abel is wrong.

Journalist and author Walter Isaacson discusses what made Albert Einstein unique; reveals the lesson that he always includes in his biographies; and explains how the Aspen Institute is helping to create a middle-class in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories.

Broadcast news legend Bob Schieffer shares his extraordinary experience covering John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963; describes how the Web has become the "unfettered Wild West" for news; and explains why some of the best news stories come out of the Pentagon.

Louis Bayard says that writing is its own insanity and feels compelled to do it. He discusses the craft of writing detective fiction and how he rides the line between staying true to facts and allowing his imagination to shape his stories.