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Prompt to Page with Christopher McCurry

A JCPL librarian interviews published writers about their favorite writing prompts. These exercises can help inspire, focus, and improve your creative writing.

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, a novelist, essayist, or poet, you’ll find motivation to keep writing. 

Brought to you in partnership with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.

Listen to Episode 45

 "A teacher giving a prompt is the same as the world nudging you to write something," says poet and educator Christopher McCurry.

On this episode, Christoper shares two prompts that will inspire you and help build your writing skills. Consider them a nudge to create something new.

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Beam Me Up a Good Sci-Fi Novel

Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 102

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

We're wrapping up the 2025 Winter-Spring Books & Bites Bingo reading challenge with science fiction!

Our picks include a prequel from a popular YA dystopian series; a novella for fans of Star Trek: First Contact; and a bittersweet comic novel about an alien sent to Earth to learn about humans.

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Prompt to Page with Wes Blake

A JCPL librarian interviews published writers about their favorite writing prompts. These exercises can help inspire, focus, and improve your creative writing.

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, a novelist, essayist, or poet, you’ll find motivation to keep writing. 

Brought to you in partnership with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.

Listen to Episode 44

 For author Wes Blake, a former West Jessamine High School English teacher, writing about his obsessions helped him find his subject matter.

"When you write about what obsesses you," he says, "it guides you towards things that are important to you, maybe in some way that you don't fully understand."

more: Prompt to Page with Wes Blake

Prompt to Page with Lynnell Edwards

A JCPL librarian interviews published writers about their favorite writing prompts. These exercises can help inspire, focus, and improve your creative writing.

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, a novelist, essayist, or poet, you’ll find motivation to keep writing. 

Brought to you in partnership with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.

Listen to Episode 43

Poet Lynnell Edwards enjoys using what she calls "external prompts" from other authors. But she believes that "ultimately as writers, we've got to have sort of internal prompts."

On this episode, Lynnell shares questions that will help you create your own personalized writing prompts. Learn how to generate a series of poems, essays, or linked short stories based on what you've already written. Listen below!

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Celebrate Poetry and Books & Bites

Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 100

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

We're in a celebratory mood this April. Not only is it National Poetry Month, it's also our 100th episode! Whether you're a new or longtime listener, we appreciate you tuning in to our podcast.

This episode, we discuss books of poetry and novels in verse, a prompt on the Winter-Spring Books & Bites Bingo reading challenge. Our picks include a book by a former Kentucky poet laureate, an updated translation of a classic epic poem, and a middle-grade novel in verse.

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Prompt to Page with Tammy Oberhausen

A JCPL librarian interviews published writers about their favorite writing prompts—exercises that can help inspire, focus, and improve your creative writing.

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, a novelist, essayist, or poet, you’ll find ideas and advice to motivate you to keep writing. 

Brought to you in partnership with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.

Listen to Episode 42

When novelist Tammy Oberhausen feels "stuck or uninspired," she tends "to wallow around with it for a while and feel bad." Writing prompts help her ideas flow again. "Don't wallow too much," she says. "Get the prompt and go with it."

On this episode, Tammy shares how to use your dreams—which she says are like "personalized prompts"—in your writing. Listen below!

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Reading “Rednecks” by Taylor Brown

Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 99

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

Join our discussion of Rednecks by Taylor Brown, winner of the 2025 Southern Book Prize! On this episode, Michael Cunningham, Carrie Green, and guest John David Hurley share their thoughts on this novel about the West Virginia Mine Wars of 1920-1921.

Want to talk with other book lovers about the book? Register for our in-person book club discussion of Rednecks, which will take place on Tuesday, March 18 at 6:30 pm.

If you're participating in Winter-Spring Books & Bites Bingo, you can earn another free square by reading the book and either listening to this episode or attending the book club.

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Getting Started with African American Genealogy

Celebrate Black History Month by researching your African American family history!

To research your African American roots back to 1870, the process will be the same as anyone else's.

Genealogy is a little like detective work. You have to piece together information about your family, working backwards through time and using resources such as interviews with family members, birth certificates, family Bibles, obituaries, and other records.

more: Getting Started with African American Genealogy