Talk Radio
Cover art by Jim Root.Please enjoy Chapters 1 & 2 Talk Radio
Vivien Kindler, on impulse, gets a job hosting a local phone-in radio show. She has an unusual idea: she thinks that all her callers have worth, are interesting, and if they’ll just stay on the line and talk with her, everyone else will think so too.
The "regulars" serve up a fun tapestry woven on the sturdy warp of the coastal Maine landscape: a delivery guy who reads Vivien poems written on his route; a lady broken by the long-ago death of a child; a retired, one-legged gardener who once built Navy ships. Others remind her that she is “from away” and will never belong.
Is Vivien’s gentle radio counsel really doing anything—or is it all just talk?
In Talk Radio, Ham Martin deftly imbeds a surprising story in the live dialogue spoken over the air. Tune in to WNWT, Frost Pound, Maine. This Vivien is surely something special.
What People are saying about Talk Radio
FORWARD
Review, 5 out of 5 rating
A heartwarming novel about the residents of a quaint Maine fishing village, Talk Radio celebrates the joys of human connection.
KIRKUS
Martin’s debut novel offers an amusing portrait of a small town in Maine from the perspective of a local radio host. The prose is concise and sharp-witted, and the dialogue is strong throughout. Between the poetry and friendly banter, there’s something here for everyone.
Allen Adams, The Maine Edge
You don’t often read books so obviously heartfelt as “Talk Radio.” There’s something extremely engaging about reading something so sincere in its affections. This is a book written about people and places that are loved, warts and all; the author’s personal connection to all of it is splashed across every page... Anyone who has ever lived in a small town – in Maine or otherwise – is going to recognize a lot of what pops up in the pages of “Talk Radio.” It is a warm and funny book, sweet and sincere without ever becoming saccharine, engaging its small-town cast of characters with a respect they don’t always get in fiction. So tune in to “Talk Radio” – it’s worth a listen.
Ilana Masad: Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram:
In a small town in Maine, the radio fosters deeper connection... a heartwarming and life-affirming depiction of how community can work – both on the air and off.
R.J. Heller
In his debut novel, Talk Radio, author Ham Martin brings a daily radio program — station prompts, quirky commercials, theme music and all — to life… Presented along a storyline that is both unique and unpredictable — just like radio can be — this book was a pure joy to read.
R.J. Heller reviews books for: Quoddy Tides, Machias Valley News Observer, The Calais Advertiser, Bangor Daily News.
Creative Maine Magazine
“Mr. Rogers for grown-ups,” that’s what Jim Root fired off in an e-mail to his Round Pond neighbor when he finished, Talk Radio, Ham Martin’s debut novel…
Listen to interviews with Ham at
Dr. Jeff Barkin and Steve Woods on their WGAN weekly program, A Healthy Conversation. The discussion, featuring Ham’s novel Talk Radio, can be heard HERE. (the 1st and 2nd segments)
Albert J. Wisner Library - Authors OutLoud.
North Country Public Radio
How to purchase Talk Radio
Talk Radio by Ham Martin can be purchased from its publisher's website, Black Rose Writing, from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and best of all, from your local independent bookstore. If you have read Talk Radio and enjoyed it, you can ask the bricks and mortar bookstore where you trade to stock it. They will get it at a normal discount through the large distributor, Ingram.
