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PODCAST

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in Aviation

Liz Booker - Pilot, Writer, Aviation Diversity Advocate

Join Liz Booker as she interviews authors whose books feature women in aviation from across genres, historical periods, and types of flying, and be inspired by the tenacity, adventure, and courage of our sisters in the air.*Liz not only promotes books featuring women in aviation, but also provides the tools and information for other women to tell their stories. Check out Writers" Room interviews for in-depth discussions on writing, publishing, and book promotion.*Liz is a retired Coast Guard

leisure aviation

All Episodes

50:03

Astronaut Karen Nyberg and children's author Ann...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2026/09/05

Send us Fan Mail What happens when an astronaut takes a needle and thread to space? In this episode, I talk with astronaut, engineer, and textile artist Karen Nyberg and author Ann McCallum Staats about their gorgeous new picture book, A Quilt of Stars: Karen Nyberg Stitches a Dream. Buy the book: https://literaryaviatrix.com/book/a-quilt-of-stars/ Karen began dreaming of becoming an astronaut when she was eight years old, growing up in a tiny Minnesota town. That seemingly impossible drea...

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62:17

The Fearless Harriet Quimby: The Aviation Pioneer...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2026/08/29

Send us Fan Mail A decade before Amelia Earhart became a household name, Harriet Quimby made aviation history. In 1911, Quimby became the first woman in the United States to earn a pilot’s license. The following year, she became the first woman to fly solo across the English Channel—a dangerous and extraordinary achievement at a time when aviation itself was still in its infancy. And then history largely forgot her. In this episode I talk with longtime television journalist and author Don Dah...

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64:05

Retired Airline Captain Michelle Huntington talks...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2026/07/16

Send us Fan Mail In her memoir, Lady MacGyver, Michelle Huntington shares everything from ferry flights across oceans to surviving a lightning strike over Australia's Snowy Mountains, building an airline career after being told women couldn't be pilots, motherhood, breast cancer, and the mindset that carried her through it all. Our discussion explores those experiences, along with her writing process, her philosophy of "keep going until you can't," and even a friendly debate about the word av...

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102:12

Author Laurie Gwen Shapiro on the real mystery of...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2026/06/19

Send us Fan Mail Few figures loom larger in aviation history than Amelia Earhart. Yet after hundreds of books, countless documentaries, and nearly a century of speculation, how much do we actually know about the woman behind the legend? In this episode, Laurie Gwen Shapiro talks about her bestselling book, The Aviator and the Showman. Drawing on newly digitized interviews, archival discoveries, and years of research, Laurie argues that the real mystery of Amelia Earhart isn't what happened to...

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39:56

Author Cindy Weigand on how a family scrapbook...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2026/05/29

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a family scrapbook opens a door into a forgotten chapter of aviation history? Author Cindy Weigand never intended to become a historian of women in aviation. While sorting through her late mother's belongings, she discovered scrapbooks and newspaper clippings connected to her great-uncle Jack, a barnstormer of the 1920s. What began as a family history project soon became a deep dive into the remarkable women pilots who shared the skies during aviation's Gold...

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61:13

Self-Publishing Without Losing Control: A...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2026/04/12

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever wondered whether self-publishing is the right path—or how to do it without getting overwhelmed or taken advantage of—this conversation is for you. In this episode, I talk with publishing consultant Polly Letofsky, founder of My Word Publishing, to walk through what self-publishing actually looks like behind the scenes. From maintaining your rights to building the right editorial team, Polly breaks down the process with honesty, clarity, and a few hard-earned l...

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61:30

Airline Captain Heidi A. Porch talks about her memoir...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2026/02/27

Send a text Heidi Porch was 540 miles east-northeast of Hawaii when her engine began losing oil pressure. She was 500 feet above the Pacific when she turned off the master switch and prepared to ditch. In this episode, Heidi joins me to talk about Ditching the Sky, her gripping memoir of ferrying single-engine Cessnas across the Pacific in the 1980s—and the day her engine quit over open ocean. We talk about: Growing up with a dream of becoming an airline pilotBuilding time as a glider pilot a...

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66:44

Flying Around Australia: Author and general aviation...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2026/02/19

Send a text Australian private pilot and author Fran West joins me to talk about her remarkable three-month journey flying around the coastline of Australia in a Cessna 172—an adventure she later captured in her photo-rich journal, Plane Reflections. What began as inspiration from the 1978 aerial circumnavigation known as “Pelican’s Progress” became Aus Flight ’99—a meticulously planned, shoestring-budget flight completed with grit, humility, and hard-earned wisdom. Fran shares what it really...

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92:53

Caroline Paul’s Why Fly—open-cockpit flight, awe from...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2026/02/07

Send us a text Caroline Paul—former San Francisco firefighter, lifelong adventurer, and pilot—joins me for a wide-ranging conversation about her new book, Why Fly (launching February 24). We talk gyrocopters, paragliding, trikes, the “rat-tat-tat” rhythm of humor and terror in pilot stories, and the way aviation can become both refuge and mirror when relationships shift and life asks us to find our footing again. 📚 Pre-order Why Fly through my website here:

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21:36

Aviatrix Writers' Room - Children's Author Kirsten W....

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2026/01/22

Send us a text In this Aviatrix Writers’ Room conversation, former NASA public affairs specialist and author of four nonfiction picture books, Kirsten W. Larson talks about writing true stories for young readers. We dig into how she learned the craft, the communities and organizations that helped her grow, and the realities of traditional publishing timelines (especially for illustrated nonfiction). Kirsten shares a clear-eyed look at writing “school and library” work-for-hire books, what th...

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37:43

Kirsten W. Larson on Wonder Woman, aircraft designer...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2026/01/22

Send us a text I’m joined by Kirsten W. Larson, former NASA public affairs specialist and author of four nonfiction picture books—including Wood, Wire, Wings, the story of pioneering airplane designer E. Lillian (Emma) Todd, and A True Wonder, a biography of Wonder Woman as a cultural icon shaped by women’s history. We talk about how Kirsten became a children’s nonfiction author, why the back matter matters, and what drew her to stories that put overlooked women back into the historical reco...

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23:47

Breaking formation – U2 Pilot Merryl Tengesdal on...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2026/01/14

Send us a text In this interview, Merryl Tengesdal, Col USAF (ret.) returns to talk about Shatter the Sky: Tales of Dragon Lady 788— a comic designed to bring confidence, critical thinking, and leadership lessons to younger readers. We discuss why comic books and graphic novels matter, how real-world aviation experiences shaped this story, and why kids (and adults) need to listen to their inner voices and speak up when something doesn’t feel right. This conversation moves from the cockpit to ...

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221:47

Aviatrix Classics: Pioneer Ruth Nichols’ Wings for...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2025/12/31

Send us a text In this deeply immersive Literary Aviatrix Classics conversation Dr. Jacque Boyd, Captain Jenny Beatty and I discuss Wings for Life, the extraordinary memoir of pioneering aviatrix Ruth Nichols. Nichols’ life reads like myth—altitude, speed, and distance records; repeated catastrophic crashes; unrelenting physical pain; and a relentless return to the cockpit. Beneath the headlines lies a story of discipline, preparation, spiritual conviction, and resilience shaped by mentorship...

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95:04

Captain Lynn Rippelmeyer — From TWA Stewardess to...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2025/12/22

Send us a text Pioneering airline pilot Lynn Rippelmeyer reflects on her extraordinary journey from being hired as a TWA stewardess in the early 1970s to becoming one of the first women to fly the Boeing 747, and later retiring from United Airlines after a career shaped both by deregulation, mergers, and furloughs, and by generosity, unexpected opportunities, and adventure. We talk about her two-part memoir, beginning with Life Takes Wings, which traces her path from the cabin to the flight d...

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82:05

Tracey Curtis-Taylor — Bird: Flying the Spirit of...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2025/10/31

Send us a text If you love daring women, vintage airplanes, and real-world adventure, you’re going to love this one. Pilot and author Tracey Curtis-Taylor shares her journey from a $15 introductory flight in Canada to flying her restored 1942 Stearman across Africa, from UK to Australia, and across the United States. We talk about her inspirations — Lady Mary Heath, Amy Johnson, Out of Africa — and her experiences confronting backlash in modern aviation. Did you know you can support y...

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146:09

Literary Aviatrix Classics: Aviatrix by Elinor Smith...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2025/10/20

Send us a text Hold on to your flight goggles — this episode might be our juiciest Literary Aviatrix Classics yet. In this roundtable, Dr. Jacque Boyd, Captain Jenny Beatty, and I dive into Aviatrix: The Story of Elinor Smith, the 1981 memoir of the teenage pilot who took the 1920s aviation world by storm. Elinor Smith — “The Flying Flapper of Freeport” — was famous for flying under New York’s East River bridges at just seventeen, setting endurance and altitude records, and standing toe-to-to...

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66:35

Finding Myself in Aviation | Mary Build’s Inspiring...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2025/09/27

Send us a text At age 47, Mary Build took her very first flight lesson. What followed was a remarkable 30-year career in aviation—flying seaplanes, running her own seaplane base in Maine, flying to Alaska, competing in the Air Race Classic, and serving as a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE). In this interview, Mary shares her powerful journey from overcoming personal challenges to becoming a respected leader in aviation. We talk about her memoir Finding Myself in Aviation, the courage it takes ...

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64:11

Captain Tammie Jo Shults — Southwest Airlines Pilot...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2025/09/16

Send us a text In this episode, I sit down with Captain Tammie Jo Shults — one of the first women to fly Navy tactical jets, longtime Southwest Airlines captain, and author of Nerves of Steel. Tammie Jo is best known for her extraordinary leadership on Southwest Flight 1380, but as she shares in this conversation, her story is about much more than one day in the cockpit. It’s about the obstacles she faced along the way, the resilience she built, and the way her faith, perseverance, and prepar...

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50:08

Captain Patty Bear Book Launch: Air Force KC-135...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2025/09/04

Send us a text This is my first in-person interview, recorded at Patty Bear’s home in a medieval village in Provence. Her new book, Captain Patty’s Wisdom Hacks, launches September 9 and is available for preorder now. We bridge the years after her memoir From Plain to Plane—from USAF KC-135 pilot (Desert Shield/Desert Storm) to nearly 30 years at United Airlines, parenting, coaching, and building a life between the U.S. and France. In this episode: Pay Yourself First (money, health, time, ene...

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34:05

Bestselling author Tracey Enerson Wood on her...

Literary Aviatrix: The Power of Story - Women in... ·

2025/08/24

Send us a text This June, I sat down with bestselling author Tracey Enerson Wood to talk about her newest historical novel, Katharine, the Wright Sister: A Novel (2024). The book shines a spotlight on Katharine Wright, the often-overlooked sister of Wilbur and Orville Wright—whose contributions were vital to the invention and promotion of the airplane. Tracey and I talk about her path from registered nurse to novelist, her love of writing about “hidden women in history,” and her other wo...

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227 results

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