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"The Witch of Matongé": a noir thriller from Madison Smartt Bell

Madison Smartt Bell is an award-winning writer and biographer who has authored more than a dozen novels. A native of Tennessee, Bell currently lives in Baltimore and teaches creative writing at Goucher College in Towson, MD
Madison Smartt Bell is an award-winning writer and biographer who has authored more than a dozen novels. A native of Tennessee, Bell lives today in Baltimore, Maryland, and teaches creative writing at Goucher College in Towson.

Tom's guest today is the novelist and nonfiction author Madison Smartt Bell. He’s written 13 novels, including a trilogy of historical tales about Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian Revolution, one of which, All Souls Rising, was a 1995 finalist for the National Book Award. He’s also written three collections of short stories and two biographies.

His latest book is a novel set in the gritty, turbulent quartiers of Paris. It includes a large cast of memorable and fascinating characters, and it explores power dynamics, zealotry, inequity and racism, in a series of events that unfold under the watchful eye of a mystical Roma woman named in the book's title: The Witch of Matongé

Madison Smartt Bell and Tom Hall talked about the book in January. Because their conversation is recorded, we aren’t able to take any calls or emails today.
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Bell's new book is published by the Concord Free Press, which gives all of its publications away for free, online, and through a network of independent bookstores that includes the Ivy Bookshop in North Baltimore.

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Host, Midday (M-F 12:00-1:00)
Teria is a Supervising Producer on Midday.
Rob is a contributing producer for Midday.