An Interview with David Laskin, author of The Children's Blizzard, and Rene Steinke, author of Holy Skirts

Welcome to episode 2 of the Harper Perennial Podcast, a show about the life of books.

In this episode, we feature two historical books, with two very different approaches to history:

Holy Skirts, by Rene Steinke -- a novel based on the life of Baroness Elsa von Freitag-Loringhoven. The Baroness was an outrageous and legendary figure in art and poetry circles in the early 1900's. A woman unafraid to sew tinfoil to her clothing, shave her head, and paint it purple -- long, long before punk rock culture existed. Marcel Duchamp once said of this woman, "She is not a futurist. She is the future."

The Children's Blizzard, by David Laskin -- a narrative account of a sweeping disaster: the massive blizzard of January 12, 1888. This book intertwines the stories of dozens of American prairie families who stood against the storm, and a fascinating account of how a blizzard of this magnitude forms. Although this is a tragic story in many ways, it's also an inspiring narrative of ordinary people in the face of extraordinary events.

Both books are available at bookstores and online retailers now.

Also, be sure to visit HarperPerennial.com, and the Harper Perennial blog, OliveReader.com.

All content and audio copyright HarperCollins Publishers.

Here's where to find the music you heard in this podcast:

A Cool Day, by Russ Bryant Trio
www.russbryant.com

From Atop Corcovado, by Elika
www.elikamusic.com

White and Cold, by Alive and Living
www.myspace.com/aliveandliving

Hearts And Minds, by Dig Trio
www.digtrio.com

All music is copyright by author, and used with permission.

About the producers:
Diane Gilleland produces podcasts including CraftyPod and Spinsterspin. She teaches blogging, podcasting, and zine-making classes in Portland, and organizes creative community groups.

Ken Lyman has a background as a disc jockey, radio news caster, radio actor, is a and producer of radio commercials and books on tape. He is an avid reader and also enjoys community theater, travel, and an occassional attempt at writing fiction.