Reading, radio…and Robin

By Donna Montalbano
For The Woman’s Page

Robin Kall's beloved mom loved to read. Robin's grandmother recalled how Robin's mom would disappear with a Nancy Drew book and a piece of fruit and not reappear until both were devoured…

Robin inherited her mother's love of books. Some of her happiest times as a child were spent at the local library, curled up in a comfy leather chair in some sequestered nook…or at the school library, dominion of the Library Lady, whose name Robin still fondly recalls: Virginia DeWeese, who encouraged her reading and even let her shelve books on rainy lunch hours.

Robin and her friends competed with one another over who could read the fastest and who could read the most. The town library sponsored summer reading programs and participants filled a card with stickers indicating how many books they'd read. Robin saved the cards as a reminder of the rewards of reading.

Judy Blume was her first author infatuation. Robin's favorite "Blume" was Are You There, G-d, It's Me, Margaret. As she got older, Rebecca, Wuthering Heights, and Gone With The Wind became treasured favorites. More recently, Robin added The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, to her top ten list. She had the thrill, later on, of having dinner with the author.

Robin got married right after college and moved to Rhode Island from Long Island eighteen years ago. Those were happy, busy years, making a home and raising two children; not easy to find time to read as she once did, but there was always a book on the bedside table. Robin and her mom were a reading circle of two…making recommendations, swapping favorites, debating and discussing, sharing their love of books.

The radio was always on at Robin's house. She believed, still does, that good music and thought-provoking conversation are better nourishment for the mind and soul than the fare served up on television nowadays.

Robin's favorite station--especially when it began airing the syndicated Don Imus show--was WHJJ AM 920 out of Providence. She enjoyed the whole colorful HJJ lineup, especially John DePetro and Arlene Violet. A frequent caller, Robin developed a great rapport with John, and DePetro, in turn, admired her "sophisticated humor," "interesting observations," and her gift for verbal volleying.

One day, DePetro invited her to fill in for him on air. Robin fit into the HJJ family as if she were born to it. They liked her savvy, her moxie, her natural ease at the microphone.

So when Robin approached the station brass with her idea of hosting a radio show about books, they were all ears.
"Reading with Robin" debuted on November 23rd of 2002. It was a dream come true for Robin Kall: a forum that allowed her to combine her love of books with her love of radio. Most importantly, perhaps, the show presented a unique opportunity to spread the joy of reading.

Two sponsors believed in "Reading With Robin" from the early days, when it was still just a gleam in Robin's eye: College Hill Bookstore and Moon Mountain Publishing. Now, nearly a year later, they are still with her, and with the runaway success of "Reading With Robin," other advertisers have jumped on too.
The program tends to be author-driven rather than topic-driven. However, there are exceptions, most notably the show Robin did on the West Warwick nightclub tragedy. After she decided to do the show on the Station fire, she looked for an author to address the topic and found Brooke Noel, who wrote I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye. It turned out to be one of her most well-received programs
Robin Kall is an author's advocate.

"I don't read the book and then decide to have on the author, I book the author (based on instinct and personal impressions) then read the book.

If something strikes a chord, I go with it…"
Robin believes in using her on-air voice to showcase local talent-- authors and illustrators--even though she can and does snag celebrity authors for her show all the time, such as Jennifer Weiner (Good in Bed) David Baldacci (Wish You Well) and most recently, Mike Stanton, who wrote the runaway bestseller Prince of Providence, about former Providence Mayor Buddy Cianci.
Imagine putting Anita Shreve or Alice Hoffman on the back burner to make time for an unknown local author!

That's Robin.

She also uses her air time and her growing influence to promote literacy programs such as Reading Across Rhode Island, a statewide book club for readers 12 years old and up; Adult Literacy and Reach Out and Read. Robin is also involved in a new project called Rhode Island Center for the Book, still in the start-up stage, which is affiliated with The Library of Congress's National Association for The Book.

Reading is Robin's passion. Encouraging people to read is her mission.
"People tell me that I make a book sound interesting or I remind them that reading is fun…that's a service," she says. "Reading enhances quality of life…and if you read, your kids will read and it all begins there."

Robin divides her hour-long show on Saturday mornings (WHJJ 920 AM, from 7 to 8 a.m.) into four segments she calls "chapters." She begins with announcements about local authors and events and books in the news, then introduces her guests and reveals the fun trivia questions of the day (the right answer wins the caller an autographed book from the guest author.) She likes structure so her shows are carefully plotted, nonetheless she keeps the format loose enough to make good radio. She always leaves room for a joke or a quip, a surprise revelation, or for those times when a caller's comment turns the discussion in a whole new direction.

The first Saturday of each month Robin announces the pick of the month, and the last Saturday is reserved for the roundtable critique (after all, this IS an on-air book club, too!) of the last month's selection. The "Round Robin Readers" are culled from local independent booksellers, and listeners (everybody is eligible to be a Round Robin reader.) The discussion is lively, opinionated, and occasionally, hilarious.

"Reading With Robin's" theme music is, as you might expect, "Rockin' Robin," but throughout the show are musical sound bites, snatches of popular songs that relate to the topic or to the book: sometimes obvious choices, sometimes obscure references that only Robin "gets." Her musical picks are a source of delight to listeners, who like to email her with their suggestions.
Robin's week, leading up to her Saturday morning program, includes a lot of prep work, such as chatting with authors and sponsors, attending book events, and designing and planning the way the show will go with her producer, Laura Robert, who is not merely Robin's indispensable right-hand lady, but also a close friend.

Robin has never forgotten how books enriched her own childhood, and that's why writers and illustrators of children's literature are always welcome on "Reading With Robin." In an upcoming show, children's authors Betty Brown and Linda Brennan will be on together.

And Robin, mindful of those cards and stickers still tucked away from long-ago reading competitions at the Smithtown, Long Island library, recently launched her first annual children's "Splash! Into Summer Reading" program. This summer's winners are posted now on the readingwithrobin.com website.

Future guests include David Baldacci, who also visited the program back in March, and Sarah Stewart Taylor (O Artful Death.)

In October, to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Robin's guest will be Barbara Delinsky, the New York Times bestselling author, who will talk about her book Uplift…Secrets from the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors.
On Sunday, October 19th, the American Cancer Society is sponsoring a charity walk "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" at Roger Williams Park in Providence. Robin is forming her own group: "Walking With Robin." Participants are growing by leaps and bounds, but as Robin says, "the more the merrier!" If you would like to walk with Robin, go to readingwithrobin.com for more details on how to register, or how to make a much-appreciated donation. This year alone, the American Cancer Society has given $11 million to New England universities and hospitals for breast cancer research.

And what's next for "Reading with Robin?" Although Robin does not discount the possibility of a time change in the future, she believes the early Saturday morning slot suits her subject matter. Listeners tell her they tune in while jogging, walking the dog, driving the kids to soccer, or sipping their morning cup of coffee. (In fact, to enrich the listening experience, Robin is coming out with her own "Reading With Robin" coffee blend!) And, since the show is over by eight a.m., it gives her the whole rest of the weekend to relax and spend time with her family. Robin's husband Burt, her son David, 15, and her daughter Emily, 12, have been supportive and active contributors to the success of "Reading With Robin." Even the family dog, Ari, drops his bone to listen in.

Very soon, Robin hopes to expand her show to two hours. Her fan base is growing, and she wants to grow it more. Syndication, every talk show host's dream, is definitely a goal down the road.

For now, Robin is busy booking authors, great and small, and above all, thinking up ways to get people reading…for fun, for learning…for life.
So much in Robin's life has come full circle. Years ago, her mom was part of her temple's book club. Years later, to honor her mother, Robin started a book group at her temple. The book circle, the radio show, the children's programs and her commitment to promoting literacy, are Robin's way of "paying forward" the gift of reading her mother gave to her.

Go to readingwithrobin.com for program notes about upcoming guests and events--not to mention a finger-popping rendition of "Rockin' Robin!" And when you're out and about in Rhode Island, pick up a "Kall-ing Kard" (the complimentary "Reading With Robin" bookmark) to be found on store counters instate and beyond….a friendly and useful reminder to turn your radio dial to WHJJ AM 920 on Saturday mornings from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m…and tune into the rewards of reading…with Robin.

Note: Writer Donna Montalbano is the author of a newly published novel about a haunted house on the East Side of Providence, entitled The House on Benefit Street. For more information go to donnamontalbano.com