Elaine's Literary Salon

This week at Elaine’s Literary Salon we meet the author of Courage to Thrive: Finding Joy and Hope in the Midst of Mental Health Struggles, Rev. Dr. Robert D. Flanagan, also known as Father Bob. About the author: An esteemed Episcopal priest and author, Father Bob has dedicated his life to spiritual transformation and caring for others. With a profound connection to his faith and an unwavering commitment to helping those in need, he has touched countless lives through hisClick here to listen to the podcast!

“In this dark, twisted tale of sex, drugs, and murder, in the book, Tom compellingly exposes the intrigue behind every locked door, our secret desires and fears, the what-ifs, and the meandering paths we take to find the truth,” explains I.S. Berry, an Edgar Award-winning author of The Peacock and the Sparrow, of Tom Milani’s new novel, “The Places that are Gone.” About the book: For Bennett Wilder, every day is the same-head to work, do his job, and comeClick here to listen to the podcast!

This week at Elaine’s Literary Salon we meet Glenn Cook, an Alexandria, VA-based writer and photojournalist whose work has appeared in national magazines and in newspapers across the U.S. He talks today with our show host Jefferey James Higgins about his book, Keep Your Distance: Walking Through the First Year of COVID. A photography book that examines events in four cities — Alexandria and Richmond, Va., Washington, D.C., and New York City — the photojournalist walked almost 4,000 miles from MarchClick here to listen to the podcast!

Welcome to Elaine’s Literary Salon: Today we meet the award winning author of historical young adult fiction, Christine Kessides, who wrote her debut novel set in the WWI era about German immigrants in Pittsburgh  — MAGDA, STANDING (published by Bold Story Press in June 2023). And now, under the name Christine Kessides, she has released her first children’s book, A TAIL TALE (published by Atmosphere Press on January 7, 2025). On today’s episode of Elaine’s: Host Jeffery James Higgins asksClick here to listen to the podcast!

May 2025: In “Street Whys,” the newest novel by award-winning noir author Christopher Chambers, we again meet Washington, DC’s notorious detective, former street denizen Dickie Cornish, who faces off with bloodthirsty cops and the justice department. Underground detective Dickie Cornish faces a vindictive murder rap from his past if he doesn’t agree to help prove that the fentanyl ravaging the streets of DC is bankrolled by shadowy donors of a certain former president. Broke and desperate, Cornish soon finds himselfClick here to listen to the podcast!

Today at Elaine’s Literary Salon, meet Dr. Mark Bailey, who writes about the intersection between artificial intelligence, complexity, and national security. He is an Associate Professor at the National Intelligence University, where he is the Department Chair for Cyber Intelligence and Data Science, as well as the Director of the Data Science Intelligence Center. His new book is Unknowable Minds: Philosophical Insights on AI and Autonomous Weapons. “Imagine that in the cold heart of a secret military facility, a newClick here to listen to the podcast!

March 15, 2025 — Today at Elaine’s Literary Salon in Alexandria, VA meet author Bill Rapp, who began his professional life as an academic, teaching European History at Iowa State University. A graduate of Notre Dame (B.A.), The University of Toronto (M.A.) and Vanderbilt (Ph. D.), Bill has always been particularly intrigued by German history, but the last 35 years working for the U. S. Government has broadened his perspective to all of Europe and much of the Middle East.Click here to listen to the podcast!

When does the killing of political leaders become morally justifiable? Killing the Hitlers, Stalins and Pol Pots of the world is easy to justify. Murderous tyrants need to be killed. But what if our leaders are merely idiots, or perhaps corrupt, petty tyrants who aren’t in the same league as Hitler, Stalin or Pol Pot? How much damage can we allow them to do, how many of our rights can we allow them to take away, before killing them becomesClick here to listen to the podcast!

February 15, 2025: Meet Mike Henrich is a career educator who taught a variety of subjects to a variety of learners in his Southeast Virginia hometown, in the South Pacific, and in the DC area. He has been in the classroom for over 40 years as a student and teacher and keeps pointing to the splendor and potential of education even while kids, society, and he changes. His powerful 2023 book, Teacher Boy, is a collection of personal anecdotes fromClick here to listen to the podcast!