In this episode of Librarians with Lattes, Amanda Lowe sits down with two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning horror author Robert P. Ottone to talk about his latest novel, Amityville Awakens, his writing journey, and his love of all things horror.

Ottone is the author of the Bram Stoker Award-winning The Triangle and There's Something Sinister in Centerfield, as well as The Vile Thing We Created, Nocturnal Creatures, and the short fiction collection Tear Me Open: Fears Unwrapped. His latest novel, Amityville Awakens, offers a fresh and terrifying take on one of horror's most infamous locations, imagining what happens when the legendary Amityville Horror House is demolished and the evil within is unleashed.

Together, Amanda and Robert explore the inspiration behind his work, the challenges and creative possibilities of writing horror, the genre's enduring appeal, and what makes a story truly unsettling. Along the way, they discuss his creative process, his influences, and the stories that have shaped him as both a writer and a lifelong horror fan.

Whether you're a seasoned horror reader or just dipping your toes into the genre, grab your favorite beverage and join us for a conversation about haunted houses, storytelling, and the things that go bump in the night!

Music credit: Bensound.com, Artist: FoePound

What happens when your comic ends up on a banned books list?

In this episode of Librarians with Lattes, Amanda Lowe and librarian Kaci Wilson sit down with comic book writer Jeremy Whitley, creator of Princeless and writer of titles including The Unstoppable Wasp and My Little Pony, to talk comics, creativity, censorship, and the freedom to read.

Jeremy shares his journey into comics, what goes into writing stories for readers of different ages, and his experience seeing his own work challenged. The conversation digs into why comics and graphic novels so frequently become targets of book challenges, what happens when a single panel or image is pulled out of context, and why representation and access to stories matter.

Plus, there’s plenty of talk about the comics Jeremy loves, the wonderfully weird business of being a writer, what everyone is sipping on, and—because we couldn’t let him escape without it—a lightning round.

Grab your beverage of choice and join us for a conversation about comics, challenged books, and telling stories worth fighting for.

Music: bensounds.com

Summer of Horror continues on Librarians with Lattes! In this special episode, Amanda sits down with horror authors Sam Rebelein (Edenville) and Chris Panatier (The Phlebotomist) for a wide-ranging conversation about writing horror, crafting unforgettable plots, balancing dread with humanity, and why the genre continues to resonate with readers. They also discuss their creative processes, the books that haunt them, and what makes horror such a uniquely powerful form of storytelling. Whether you're a lifelong horror fan or horror-curious, pour yourself a cup of coffee and join us for this delightfully spooky conversation.

Music I use: Bensound.com

License code: J56T4Q0T6HQVZNOQ

Artist: : FoePound

In this special, completely student-led and hosted episode of Librarians with Lattes, student library ambassadors Navid and Daniel take the mic for a fascinating conversation with two UAlbany professors, Dr. Sean Rafferty and Dr. Christopher Wolff. Together, they dive into monsters, academic publishing, and teaching a monsters class, and more.

Grab your favorite beverage and settle in for a thoughtful, engaging discussion!

Music credit: BenSounds

Host Amanda Lowe, Outreach & Marketing Librarian at the University at Albany, sits down with horror authors Clay McLeod Chapman (Wake Up and Open Your Eyes) and Dennis Mahoney (Our Winter Monster) for a spine-tingling conversation straight out of this year’s Summer of Horror Book Club.

From the thrills and chills of the horror genre to the nuts-and-bolts of their writing processes, Clay and Dennis share insights into what makes a story truly terrifying. Of course, it’s not all blood and shadows. We also veer off into action figure nostalgia, debate hydration strategies (decaf coffee counts… right?), and laugh our way through the lighter side of horror storytelling.

If you’re a fan of scary stories, creative process deep-dives, or just want to hear two horror masters having fun with a librarian host, this episode is for you.

Learn more about our guests:

• Clay McLeod Chapman → https://claymcleodchapman.com/

• Dennis Mahoney → https://www.equinoxsociety.com/

Grab your (decaf?) coffee and settle in for some horror-filled fun!

Music credit: bensounds

Guess who finally hit “record” again? That’s right—Librarians with Lattes is back after a totally intentional year-long break (oops). Host Amanda Lowe returns, dusts off the mic, and sits down with returning favorite Melody Palmer and first-time guest Melissa McMullen, UAlbany’s Research Archivist. Recorded back in March 2025 (we swear we meant to publish it sooner), this episode dives into Melissa’s winding path to the archives, thoughts on AI, and all the delightful tangents in between. It’s caffeinated chaos in the best way—join us!

Music: bensounds

Check out the UAlbany Archives

Mentioned books:

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

Cosumed by Aja Barber

The Shepherd King Duology by Rachel Gillig

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

In this episode of Librarians with Lattes, we're joined by returning guest Melody Palmer, library ambassador, and newcomer Stephanie Burt, Professor of English at Harvard University and author of We Are Mermaids: Poems. Tune in as we chat about transgender identity, D&D, poetry, Taylor Swift, and more!

*This interview was recorded in March 2024*

Music Credit: bensounds.com

Discussion links

From From by Monica Youn: https://bit.ly/4dcnQT1

She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan: https://bit.ly/3w2cuAq

First Trans Poem by Amy Marvin: https://bit.ly/3WieAXE

We Are Mermaids - Poems by Stephanie Burt: https://bit.ly/44g6mkq

My Words to Victor Frankenstein Above the Village of Chamounix: Performing Transgender Rage by Susan Stryker: https://bit.ly/3QmuXOP

Don't Read Poetry: A Book About How to Read Poems by Stephanie Burt https://bit.ly/44j6ShN

Dimension 20: https://bit.ly/3UBJ9G8

Magpie Games Discord: https://bit.ly/4bdHxrA

The New Mutants: Superheroes and the Radical Imagination of American Comics by Ramzi Fawaz https://bit.ly/3xMhGZt

Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men: https://www.xplainthexmen.com/

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White https://bit.ly/3UAwymM

The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter & Andrew F. Sullivan https://bit.ly/49XI5B3

Amanda is joined by returning guests, Emily Kilcer, Scholarly Communications Librarian, and Jesús Alonso-Regalado, Subject Librarian for History, Latin American Studies, & Romance Languages, to discussion on LACLI (Latin American, Caribbean, U.S. Latinx, and Iberian Free Online Resources) and open access.

*This episode was recorded in November 2023

Resources:

https://lacli.info/

https://github.com/esilberberg/lacli

Music credit: bensounds.com

Join host, Amanda Lowe, as she sits down with UAlbany professor, P.D. Magnus, and Scholarly Communication Librarian, Emily Kilcer to talk about open access.

Links:

• forall x: An Introduction to Formal Logic https://www.fecundity.com/logic/
• A Philosophy of Cover Songs https://www.fecundity.com/job/coversongs.php
• UAlbany Scholars Archive: https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/
• UAlbany Scholarly Communication Services: https://library.albany.edu/services/scholarly-communications
• Open Access by Peter Suber: https://bit.ly/49exyCf
• Authors Alliance: https://www.authorsalliance.org/
• Creative Commons: https://creativecommons.org/
• Human Nature & Conduct by John Dewey: https://bit.ly/3QcfNLb
• You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith: https://bit.ly/3QzGpqT
• Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig: https://bit.ly/46LCcGs

Music I use: Bensound.com 

License code: DH1GPY54NHGC0CFN 

Join Amanda Lowe as she sits down with Library Ambassador, Fiona Hernandez, and Dr. Christina Thyssen, from UAlbany's English Department, to talk about National Life Writing Month and the art of the memoir. 

Music credit: bensounds.com 

Join Amanda as she sits down with Dr. Rae Muhlstock to discuss the upcoming Outer Space Film Festival and the space genre in film, TV, and books! 

Music: bensounds.com

SFX: Free Sounds Library & MixKit