Nashville author Mary Laura Philpott is a delightful person. Back in March 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, she offered to be the internet's mom, doling out her "Big Mom Energy" to anyone freaking out. She knows a thing or two about disaster, as evidenced in her new book of essays, Bomb Shelter: Love, Time and Other Explosives. Philpott has the rare ability to write about heavy themes while remaining surprisingly buoyant. She's also a hype woman for other authors, especially local ones, and she has an excellent newsletter in which she recommends a book, a link, a song and a picture. Sheer delight.
Philpott was the first guest on local podcast Ladyland, hosted and produced by Kim Baldwin (who contributes to the Scene), and she's the inaugural guest in the podcast's video series. In it, she talks about Bomb Shelter, her desk situation, her wild-turtle friend Frank and much more — and she introduces us to her dogs, Eleanor Roosevelt and Woodstock. Watch the episode above.Â
You can learn more about Ladyland in our Pod Goals series. On each episode, Baldwin interviews a woman or nonbinary person about their life and work. It's fun, thought-provoking and intimate. With each episode, you feel like you've really gotten to know her subject. Guests include locals Ciona Rouse, Destiny O. Birdsong, Odessa Kelly and Scene contributor Betsy Phillips. Plus, she interviewed the great Samantha Irby! Check out the podcast at ladyland.show or wherever app you use. Stay tuned for more videos by following Ladyland on Instagram (@ladyland_podcast).
