Join an international crew of guests as they discuss Jerry Griswold’s new “Behind Children’s Books” — Everything is different this year. My new Behind Children’s Books is available from Amazon as a paperback ($9.95; 148 pp) or can downloaded as an e-book ($7.95). But what about a book launch, now that bookstores are shuttered? …

May 15, 2020. Jerry Griswold’s new book offers “Backstories & Revelations” about classic and contemporary children’s stories — How were Ronald Reagan’s political views shaped by his favorite childhood books? What does Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch of the West) say is the very heart of “The Wizard of Oz”? And what explains the preponderance of bears in children’s books and flying in African-American stories?

Backstories & Revelations by Jerry Griswold — “Great stay-at-home reading” — Kate Bernheimer How were Ronald Reagan’s political views shaped by his favorite childhood books? What does Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch of the West) say is the very heart of “The Wizard of Oz”? And what explains the preponderance of bears in children’s books and flying…

“Japan” for American writers, Zen & kids’ books, my Tokyo interview with Marcia Brown, Miyazaki, Banana Yoshimoto, Zen lit crit, more The “Japan” of Recent American Writers Dharma Bums, Then and Now (from the Los Angeles Times Book Review)medium.com Zen & Kids’ Books Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki repeatedly encouraged his students to acquire “Beginner’s Mind”medium.com Marcia Brown: The Tokyo Interview “We need the stranger to understand ourselves”medium.com