19: The Kneeling Man by Leta McCollough Seletzky

19: The Kneeling Man by Leta McCollough Seletzky

Author: Jennifer Taub & Politicon LLC April 2, 2023 Duration: 1:05:15
This week, Jen’s guest is Leta McCollough Seletzky. Leta is a former litigator who left the law to become a literary sensation. She is a National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellow.

If you don’t already know her name, you will soon. Leta is the author of a beautiful new memoir that will be published this coming Tuesday, April 4th. It’s called The Kneeling Man: My Father’s Life as a Black Spy Who Witnessed the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.  

Get comfortable, because when you start reading you will not be able to put this book down. THE KNEELING MAN is a spellbinding account of a daughter piecing together her father’s mysterious role present there in an iconic photograph on the balcony of the Lorraine Hotel, kneeling beside MLK pressing a white towel to his forehead and pointing across the parking lot in the direction of the assassin. With gorgeous prose and emotional honesty, Leta brings us on her journey to uncover deeply hidden family secrets to better understand our own.

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For anyone who’s ever finished a great book and immediately wanted to dissect it with a smart friend, Booked Up with Jen Taub is that conversation. Hosted by author and legal commentator Jennifer Taub, this podcast digs into the ideas, arguments, and narratives shaping our world, all through the lens of what we’re reading. It’s less a formal book review and more a lively, critical exploration. Episodes weave together themes from politics, culture, and current events, treating books as vital source material for understanding the bigger picture. You’ll hear Taub’s insightful commentary and analysis, often drawing connections between an author’s work and the real-world issues it illuminates. The discussion feels urgent and relevant, whether tackling a new release or a classic with renewed significance. Listening to this podcast is like joining a book club where the conversation is always sharp, informed, and unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom. It’s for readers, thinkers, and anyone curious about the power of stories to explain our complicated present.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 59

Booked Up with Jen Taub
Podcast Episodes
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58: Norman Lear: Even This I Get to Experience [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Duration: 1:02:47
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55: Chuck Collins on ALTAR TO AN ERUPTING SUN [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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54: Orly Lobel on THE EQUALITY MACHINE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:26
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Duration: 1:03:12
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52: Taylor Lorenz is EXTREMELY ONLINE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:40
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51: Andrea Chalupa on DICTATORSHIP IS EASY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:23
Today Jen’s guest is journalist, filmmaker, author, and activist Andrea Chalupa. You know Andrea from her award-winning podcast Gaslit Nation that she founded with Sarah Kendzior. Fake populism. Demonizing the press. Sca…
50: Illeana Douglas on CONNECTICUT IN THE MOVIES [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:01
Film star Illeana Douglas is Jen’s guest today. Ileana is the author of the gorgeous new book: Connecticut in the Movies: From Dream Houses to Dark Suburbia. This spans around 100 years from the silent film era up throug…