On Friday’s Afternoon Shift we take a hard look at the coming weekend. It’s pretty book-heavy in Chicago this weekend with the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference. We talk with Paul Harding, an author who unexpectedly added the title “Pulitzer Prize winner” to his resume in 2010. Then it’s onto one of the most contentious titles around: Mother in Law. The show is bookended with a discussion on reading with authors in town for AWP.

Paul Harding:  Author Paul Harding is in Chicago for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) conference. We talk with Harding about his Pulitzer Prize-winning work Tinkers,  and his other writing.

Mothers in Law:  “My wife said: ‘Can my mother come down for the weekend?’ So I said: ‘Why?’ and she said: ‘Well, she’s been up on the roof two weeks already’.  But seriously folks…. Judith Kampfner joins us for a lively conversation about the most difficult relationship in many marriages:  The one with the Mother in Law. We’ll unpack the myths and realities.

Weekender:  WBEZ’s Alison Cuddy gives us the insider scoop on how to have a wonderful weekend.

Munoz/Brown:  WBEZ’s Sam Hudzik takes us inside the race for the Clerk of Cook County. 

Rewind:  WWDTM’s Peter Sagal and columnist/author Carol Felsenthal dive into their favorite news stories of the week. 

Writers on Reading:  Writers Esmeralda Santiago and Thomas Sayers Ellis about what works of literature have shaped them as writers. How have those influences infused their work? What is their favorite work of literature?