Hello everyone and welcome to Talk Nerdy. Today is Monday, December 16th, 2024, and I'm the host of the show, Dr. Kara Santa Maria. And as always, before we dive into

this week's episode, I want to thank those of you who make Talk Nerdy possible. Remember,

this show is and will always be 100% free to download as long as I am able to keep making it.

And the way that I keep going is by relying on support from individuals just like you.

If you're interested in pledging your support, at least for the time being on an episodic basis,

all you've got to do is visit patreon.com slash talk nerdy to learn more.

This week's top patrons include Anu Badovaj, Daniel Lang,

David J.E. Smith, Mary Neva, Brian Holden, David Compton, Gabriel F. Haramio, Joe Wilkinson,

Joseph Lemore, Pasquale Jalati, Rika Maharaj, and Ulrika Hagman.

This also is going to be the last episode of the year.

As you may remember, I do 50 episodes a year.

I take two weeks of hiatus around the holidays,

just to breathe a little bit.

So there will be no episode next week or the week after,

but we will return on January 6th. Remember the show comes out every Monday. That will be the

next episode after this one. What do we have on deck for you today? Well, I had the opportunity

to chat with author, writer, and biographer Stephanie Gorton.

She is the recipient of multiple fellowships and prizes. You may have read her work in different

outlets like the New Yorker, Smithsonian, and Paris Review Daily. And her previous book, Citizen Reporters,

is now available on paperback.

But she has a new book out.

It's called The Icon and the Idealist,

...