Volunteer readers sought
Radio Talking Book is seeking volunteers to record books and periodicals for broadcast. This a fun and rewarding volunteer opportunity. Contact Roberta Kitlinski at 651-539-1423 or [email protected] to learn more.
Listeners are also encouraged to contact the office if they want a specific book read.
Use an app to hear programs
Radio Talking Book is not just for listeners with visual disabilities. It can be an asset for people whose disabilities limit hand movements, making it difficult to read a book.
Enjoy programming anytime and anywhere on a hand-held mobile device, for either iOS or Android. Visit the Apple App Store for iOS, or Google Play for Android, and download the Minnesota Radio Talking Book app. It provides a convenient way to tune in wherever and whenever.
Books broadcast on the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network are available for loan through the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault. The catalog is at www.mnbtbl.org, click on the link Search the Library Catalog. Call the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library at 800-722-0550, Mon-Fri, 9 am – 4 pm CST for details.
Persons living outside of Minnesota may obtain copies of books via an inter-library loan by contacting their home state’s Network Library for the National Library Service.
The sampling published monthly in Access Press doesn’t represent the full array of programming. More programs and books are available.
Audio information about the daily book listings is also on the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) Newsline. Register for the NFB Newsline by calling 651-539-1424.
The NFB-NEWSLINE service provides access to more than 500 magazines and newspapers, plus information on COVID-19 in the “Breaking News” section. To learn more, visit www.nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-newsline.
Donate to the State Services for the Blind at mn.gov/deed/ssbdonate
Listen to RTB’s live or archived programs online at www.mnssb.org/rtb
Chautauqua*Monday – Friday 6 a.m.
Brolliology (re-broadcast), nonfiction by Marion Rankine, 2017. The humble umbrella has played a critical role in world history—and not just by keeping us dry. Read by Diane Ladenson. Four broadcasts; begins Tue, June 7.
Rationality, nonfiction by Steven Pinker, 2021. Today humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding—and also appears to be losing its mind. How can a species that developed vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, medical quackery and conspiracy theorizing? Read by Stevie Ray. 15 broadcasts; begins Mon, June 13.
Past is Prologue*Monday – Friday 11 a.m.
Prince: The Last Interview (rebroadcast), nonfiction by various writers. 2019. The very first, the very last and the very best interviews with music legend Prince across his nearly 40-year career. Read by Michelle Juntunen. Three broadcasts; begins Mon, June 6. – L
Prince Albert: The Man Who Saved the Monarchy, nonfiction by A. N. Wilson, 2019. Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert exerted a major influence on the modernization of British society and restoration of the crown’s prestige. Read by Jeffrey Weihe. 18 broadcasts; begins Thu, June 9.
Bookworm*Monday – Friday 12 p.m.
A Calling For Charlie Barnes, fiction by Joshua Ferris, 2021. A profound and tender portrait of a man whose desperate need to be loved is his downfall, and a brutally funny account of how that love is ultimately earned. Read by Greg Olson. 11 broadcasts; begins Wed, June 1.
Ivory Shoals, fiction by John Brandon, 2021. Twelve-year-old Gussie Dwyer undertakes to trek across the sumptuous yet perilous peninsula of post-Civil War Florida in search of his father. Will he survive his quest, and at what cost? Read by Paul Kelly. 11 broadcasts; begins Thu, June 16.
The Writer’s Voice*Monday – Friday 1 p.m.
Levon, nonfiction by Sandra B. Tooze, 2020. Levon Helm’s story is told through sweeping research and interviews with close friends and fellow musicians. Read by Jack Rossman. 14 broadcasts; begins Thu, June 2. – L
I Keep Trying to Catch His Eye, nonfiction by Ivan Maisel, 2021. In this deeply emotional memoir, a longtime ESPN writer reflects on the suicide of his son Max and delves into how their complicated relationship led him to see grief as love. Read by John Beal. Eight broadcasts; begins Wed, June 22.
Choice Reading*Monday – Friday 2 p.m.
Stray (rebroadcast), fiction by Nancy J. Hedin, 2019. Lorraine Tyler stays in the small town of Bend, MN out of family loyalty. But she confronts prejudice and violence and regains her path in life. Read by Holly Sylvester. Seven broadcasts; begins Wed, June 1. – L
Our Country Friends, fiction by Gary Shteyngart, 2021. Eight friends, one country house, four romances, and six months in isolation—a story about love, friendship, family, and betrayal that reads like Chekhov on the Hudson. Read by Dan Sadoff. 14 broadcasts; begins Mon, June 13. – S, L
Afternoon Report*Monday – Friday 4 p.m.
Our Own Worst Enemy, nonfiction by Tom Nichols, 2021. Over the past three decades, citizens of democracies who claim to value freedom, tolerance, and the rule of law have increasingly embraced illiberal politicians and platforms. Who is to blame? Read by Roger Sheldon. 11 broadcasts; begins Mon, June 13.
Cheap Speech, nonfiction by Richard L. Hasen, 2021. A practical road map for controlling disinformation, embracing free speech, saving American elections, and protecting democracy. Read by Dan Sadoff. 11 broadcasts; begins Tue, June 28.
Night Journey*Monday – Friday 7 p.m.
The Current (rebroadcast) Fiction by Tim Johnston, 2019. Two Iowa college friends set out for a trip to MN on a winter night. After a dangerous encounter at a gas station, their car goes off the road and into a river. Read by Gary Rodgers. 15 broadcasts; begins Wed, June 1. – V
The Survivors, fiction by Alex Schulman, 2021. A dangerous current now vibrates between three brothers who grew up in a volatile home as they examine what really happened that summer day when everything was blown to pieces. Read by John Schmidt. Seven broadcasts; begins Wed, June 22.
Off the Shelf*Monday – Friday 8 p.m.
Devil House, fiction by John Darnielle, 2022. A true crime writer moves into a house where a pair of briefly notorious murders occurred during the Satanic Panic of the ‘80s, leading him into a puzzle he never expected. Read by Tom Speich. 13 broadcasts; begins Wed, June 1.
The Torqued Man, fiction by Peter Mann, 2022. Set in wartime Berlin, this novel is propelled by two very different but equally mesmerizing voices: a German spy handler and his Irish secret agent, neither of whom are quite what they seem. Read by Robb Empson. 12 broadcasts; begins Mon, June 20
Potpourri*Monday – Friday 9 p.m.
A Taste of Poison, nonfiction by Neil Bradbury, 2021. This book reveals how eleven notorious poisons affect the body—through the murders in which they were used. Read by Carol McPherson. 10 broadcasts; begins Wed, June 1.
Fuzz, nonfiction by Mary Roach, 2021. 300 years ago, animals that broke the law would be assigned legal representation and put on trial. These days, the answers are best found in science. Read by Holly Sylvester. 11 broadcasts; begins Thu, June 16.
Good Night Owl*Monday – Friday 10 p.m.
The Shakespeare Requirement (rebroadcast) Fiction by Julie Schumacher, 2018. An English professor deals with bureaucratic and personal indignities, including the possible closure of his department. Read by Judy Woodward. 10 broadcasts; begins Thu, June 2.
Godspeed – Fiction by Nickolas Butler, 2021. Why is it being built here, and why so quickly? These are the questions the builders ask themselves when they are hired to finish a project for a mysteriously wealthy homeowner. Read by Jim Gregorich. 11 broadcasts; begins Thursday, June 16.
RTB After Hours*Monday – Friday 11 p.m.
The Secret Language of Stones (rebroadcast) Fiction by M. J. Rose, 2016. As WWI rages, a young jewelry maker discovers love, passion, and her own healing powers. Read by Judith Johannessen. 12 broadcasts; begins Mon, June 6.
Noor, fiction by Nnedi Okorafor, 2021. AO is on the run with a Fulani herdsman named DNA, racing against time across the deserts of Northern Nigeria. A fast-paced journey of tribe, destiny, body, and the wonderland of technology. Read by Karen Ray. Eight broadcasts; begins Wed, June 22. – S, L
Weekend Program Books
Your Personal World, 1 p.m. Sat, presents On Freedom by Maggie Nelson, read by Beverly Burchett – L
Rated R, 11 p.m. Sat, presents Suicide Woods by Benjamin Percy, read by David Zierott – L, V
For the Younger Set, 11 a.m. Sun, presents The Museum of Us by Tara Wilson Redd, read by Esme Evans, followed by The Mighty Dynamo by Kieran Crowley, read by Pat Muir
Poetic Reflections, noon Sun, presents Such Color by Tracy K. Smith, read by Cintra Godfrey.
The Great North, 4 p.m. Sun, presents Wild and Rare by Adam Regn Arvidson, read by Andrea Bell, followed by Minnesota’s Geologist by Sue Leaf, read by Tony Lopez.
All times listed are Central Standard Time.
