About Bob Batchelor

Bob Batchelor is a critically-acclaimed cultural historian and biographer. He has published books on Stan Lee, Bob Dylan, The Great Gatsby, Mad Men, and John Updike. His latest books are Stan Lee: A Life; Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel, Young Adult Edition; and Roadhouse Blues: Morrison, the Doors, and the Death Days of the Sixties. Rookwood: The Rediscovery and Revival of an American Icon, An Illustrated History won the 2021 Independent Book Award in Fine Arts. The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition’s Evil Genius won the 2020 Independent Book Award for Historical Biography. Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel was a finalist for the 2018 Ohioana Book Award for Nonfiction. Bob’s books have been translated into a dozen languages and his work has appeared in Time, the New York Times, Cincinnati Enquirer, and Los Angeles Times. Bob is also the creator and host of the podcast John Updike: American Writer, American Life. He has appeared as an on-air commentator for The National Geographic Channel, PBS NewsHour, and NPR. Bob hosted “TriState True Crime” on WCPO’s Cincy Lifestyle television show. Bob earned his doctorate in American Literature from the University of South Florida. He has taught at universities in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as Vienna, Austria. Bob lives in Raleigh with his wife Suzette and their teenage daughters.

Bob Batchelor is an award-winning cultural historian and biographer. His latest books are Roadhouse Blues: Morrison, the Doors, and the Death Days of the Sixties and Stan Lee: A Life. Visit him on the web at www.bobbatchelor.com or email at bob@bobbatchelor.com

Bob's website

NBN Episodes hosted by Bob:

Jerome Charyn, "Ravage & Son" (Bellevue Literary Press, 2023)

August 31, 2023

Ravage & Son

Jerome Charyn
Hosted by Bob Batchelor

Ravage & Son (Bellevue Literary Press, 2023) by Jerome Charyn is a novel set in the Lower East Side of New York City in the early years of the twentie…

Deep Cuts: Classic Rock and Hair Metal with Professor and Guitarist Jesse Kavadlo

February 5, 2023

Classic Rock and Hair Metal with Professor and Guitarist Jesse Kavadlo

Jesse Kavadlo
Hosted by Bob Batchelor

Jesse Kavadlo is the classic “renaissance man” – literature and humanities professor, author of acclaimed books and articles, President of the Don DeL…