Chicago Writers Podcast

Jessica Keller drops by the podcast to discuss the short story 'Nocturnal Creatures' by Saïd Sayrafiezadeh.  storystudiochicago.org https://chireviewofbooks.com/ 

Author Anna Sortino stops by the podcast to discuss Ted Chiang's 'Story of Your Life.'  https://annasortino.com/ https://chireviewofbooks.com/ https://www.storystudiochicago.org/ 

Megan Stielstra and Sara Cutia join the pod to discuss Megan's essay 'Here is My Heart' from THE WRONG WAY TO SAVE YOUR LIFE.  https://bsky.app/profile/chicagowriterspod.bsky.social https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

Jen Coffeen drops by the podcast to discuss the prologue and chapter 1 of BUSMAN'S HONEYMOON by Dorothy Sayers and all the complex romance hidden in this classic detective series.  https://www.storystudiochicago.org/ https://chireviewofbooks.com/  

Rachel's Recommendations Favorite 2024: What's Not Mine by Nora Decter Non-2024 book: Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez 2024 book no one read: Dead in Long Beach, California by Venita Blackburn Most anticipated 2025 by a Chicago author: Original Sins by Eve L. Ewing Most anticipated by an author with a long gap since last book: Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Small press titles: The Gloomy Girl Variety Show by Freda Epum Leave: A Postpartum Account by Shayne Terry No Offense: A Memoir in Essays by Jackie Domenus Friends might think you're nuts but sorry not sorry: The Harder I Fight the More I Love You by Neko Case   Greg's Recommendations Favorite 2024: There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension, by Hanif Abdurraqib Non-2024 Book: Bunny, by Mona Awad 2024 Book No One Read: Familiaris, by David Wroblewski Most Anticipated Chicago: All the Water in the World, by Eiren Caffall Most Anticipated after long gap: Dream Count, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Most Anticipated Small Press: A Forty-Year Kiss, by Nickolas Butler Friends Might Think I'm Nuts: Great Big Beautiful Life, by Emily Henry ... Mark Twain, by Ron Chernow   Mike's Recommendations Street Fight by Anne Morrissy The Overstory by Richard Powers Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism by Eve L. Ewing People of Means by Nancy Johnson Vanishing Daughters by Cynthia Pelayo True Failure by Alex Higley All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall The El by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr The Antidote by Karen Russell Stag Dance by Torrey Peters Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity by Sarah Schulman Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls: Margaret C. Anderson, Book Bans, and the Fight to Modernize Literature by Adam Morgan Waterline by Aram Mrjoian

Sara Cutaia joins us to discuss a story from A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD by Jennifer Egan.  https://www.storystudiochicago.org/ https://chireviewofbooks.com/  https://arcturus.chireviewofbooks.com/ 

YA author James Klise joins the first episode of season two to discuss the first chapter of THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE.  https://www.storystudiochicago.org/ https://chireviewofbooks.com/ 

It's a mid-year check in with the Chicago Review of Books!  Rachel: Shayla Lawson's How To Live Free in a Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir Lindsay Hunter's Hot Springs Drive Nora Decter's What's Not Mine Ananda Lima's Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil Kaveh Akbar's Martyr! Gianni Washington's Flowers From the Void   Greg: Martyr!, by Kaveh Akbar Hello, Beautiful, by Ann Napolitano Perris, California, by Rachel Stark Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil, by Ananda Lima There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension, by Hanif Abdurraqib The Rich People Have Gone Away, by Regina Porter The City and Its Uncertain Walls, by Haruki Murakami The Forty-Year Kiss, by Nickolas Butler   Mike: You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue Termush by Sven Holm Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward Blood and Lightning: Becoming a Tattooer by Dustin Kiskaddon Street Fight: The Chicago Taxi Wars of the 1920s by Anne Morrissy Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima The Divorcees by Rowan Beaird The Material by Camille Bordas Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer  

In this episode, author Claire Lombardo discusses throughlines, visualizing a story, outlining after drafting, pacing, working on multiple projects, and how the second book is the hardest you'll write.   https://www.clairelombardo.com/   https://www.storystudiochicago.org/ 

In this episode, Ian Endsley talks writing for video games, player choice, dialogue, constraints, examples of great writing in games, and the feeling of space.   Turnfollow's Games  https://www.turnfollow.site/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

In this episode Ananda Lima joins us to discuss poetry, framing short stories, what is horror, great editors, the texture of magical elements, finding a project that fits, and having fun.   https://www.anandalima.com/   https://www.storystudiochicago.org/ 

In this episode, author Cyn Vargas discusses emotion, the novella, discovering the length of a story, trusting the process, family dynamics in fiction, young perspective, providing for the reader, residencies, finishing your story, and finding what is not being said between characters.   https://www.cynvargas.com/   https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

In this episode, Rowan Beaird discusses having two agents at once, the debut novel, revision, reducing character count, copyedits, timelines, a scene's purpose, elements of great short stories, and the importance of community.   https://www.rowanbeaird.com/   https://www.storystudiochicago.org/ 

In this episode, YA and middle grade author Kat Falls discusses worldbuilding, reading aloud, what first person POV can do for your story, how screenplay writing connects to middle grade, loving your genre, and the power of awe.   https://www.katfalls.net/

In this episode, Dionna Griffin-Irons discusses improv, curiosity, how we're all characters, being comfortable with the unknown, and finding truth.   Dionna Griffin-Irons http://dionnagriffinirons.com/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

Rachel I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times by Taylor Byas (and here's the interview I mentioned: https://chireviewofbooks.com/2023/08/24/navigating-form-and-structure-in-i-done-clicked-my-heels-three-times/) Brother & Sister Enter the Forest by Richard Mirabella (and here's the essay I mentioned: https://chireviewofbooks.com/2023/03/29/writing-my-novel-wasnt-therapy/) Solito by Javier Zamora A Country You Can Leave by Asale Angel-Ajani The In-Betweens by Davon Loeb Company by Shannon Sanders I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (and here's the interview I mentioned: https://chireviewofbooks.com/2023/03/02/getting-into-the-gray-area-in-i-have-some-questions-for-you/)   Michael Who is the City For? By Blair Kamin I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times by Taylor Byas Open Throat by Henry Hoke The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty Enough to Lose by R.S. Deeren The Quail Who Wears the Shirt by Jeremy T. Wilson Veniss Underground by Jeff VanderMeer I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai And then a few I didn't get to talk about but want to throw out there: Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward Dr. No By Percival Everett The New Naturals by Gabriel Bump   Greg Wellness, by Nathan Hill I Could Live Here Forever, by Hannah Halperin Bliss Montage, by Ling Ma Sun House, by David James Duncan From Dust To Stardust, by Kathleen Rooney Here are two more Chicago novels I loved this year: Good Night, Irene, by Luis Alberto Urrea Hot Springs Drive, by Lindsay Hunter

Signups are open for the Novelist's Toolkit online class with Rebecca Makkai! Check it out at https://www.storystudiochicago.org/classes/classes/the-novelists-toolkit-six-lessons-on-craft-structure-and-tenacity-with-rebecca-makkai/   Rebecca Makkai https://rebeccamakkai.com/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

In this episode, author Idra Novey discusses inspiration through imagery, asking what you don't know, translation, deciding what becomes a novel, subtext, taking risks, and allowing for monstrosity.   Idra Novey https://www.idranovey.com/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

In this episode, Grant Faulkner, author and Executive Director of NaNoWriMo, discusses 100 word stories, what is National Novel Writing Month, writing as running, making creativity a priority, writing on your phone, and time confetti.   Find Grant online at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/ 

In this episode, Maxine Rae discusses embracing YA, what comes after the agent, publication timelines, spacing errors, and what the teens are saying these days.   Maxine Rae https://northstareditions.com/product/cold-girls/ https://www.instagram.com/maxinerae_author/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

In this episode, Juan Martinez discusses growing up with horror, Vegas inspiration, revision through cutting, sensations versus story, writing by hand, and cutting your story in half.   Juan Martinez http://www.fulmerford.com/about   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

In this episode, author Gayle Brandeis discusses knowing what we're doing, writing when you can, listening to your body, breathing, engaging with emotionally difficult material, and drafting for yourself, revising for others.   Gayle Brandeis https://gaylebrandeis.com/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

In this episode, author Michael Leali discusses middle grade novels, low-residency MFAs, resonating with young readers, using notecards for developmental edits, tackling big topics in books for kids, staying true to the voice of young people, the importance of humor, what young readers are interested in, how to battle book bans and protect communities, and valuing your own story.   Michael Leali https://michaelleali.com/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

In this episode, Julia Fine, author, discusses getting started, research, following the call of your work, preparing your concept, revisions, developmental edits, working on projects over the course of multiple years, taking breaks, writing as the reward, and making choices through a goal.   Julia Fine https://www.julia-fine.com/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

In this episode, Sarah Terez Rosenblum, author, discusses using teaching to learn craft, developmental editors, figuring out when to share work, listening, giving yourself permission to say 'I don't know,' the right reasons to take a class, and why you should always wear black when teaching.   Sarah Terez Rosenblum https://www.sarahterezrosenblum.com/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

In this episode, we talk with Rebecca George, co-owner of Volumes Bookcafe, about running a bookstore, the staying power of physical books, crunching the numbers, backlist sales, Tik Tok's influence on a book's success, how to be a better sales ally as a writer, why short books rock, and why authors shouldn't call a bookstore on a weekend.   Volumes https://www.volumesbooks.com/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

Recommendations for your TBR pile:   Greg's Picks Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe Mount Chicago by Adam Levin Groundskeeping by Lee Cole I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai   Michael's Picks Book of Extraordinary Tragedies by Joe Meno Beyond Measure by James Vincent How to Build a Home for the End of the World by Keely Shinners Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel From Dusk to Stardust by Kathleen Rooney   Rachel's Picks All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews Bliss Montage by Ling Ma Consolation by Deborah Shapiro Nobody's Magic by Destiny O. Birdsong Exalted by Anna Dorn Jerks by Sara Lippmann   StoryStudioChicago.org

Jeremy Owens, writer and performer, on live lit, putting together a show, newsletters, and the chaos that is trying to hold onto an online writing community in this day and age.   Find Jeremy online at https://linktr.ee/JeremyAshleyOwens   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

In this episode, Jen and Fraser Coffeen, hosts of the Creepy History Podcast, stop by to talk about all things scary stories - telling them, lessons writers can take from them, and what keeps us up at night.   Creepy History Podcast https://creepyhistory.buzzsprout.com/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

In this episode, Lindsay Hunter, author, discusses flash fiction, accepting your voice, making the most of your time, making reasonable writing goals, spreadsheets for editing, community as motivation, if you should go to grad school, and what makes Chicago special.   Lindsay Hunter https://lindsayhunter.tumblr.com/   I'm a Writer But Podcast https://lindsayhunter.tumblr.com/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

In this episode, James Klise, author, discusses opening pages, writing for teens, leaving behind a manuscript, reading strategies, revealing character through action, and using cause and effect to build a plot.   James Klise https://jamesklise.com/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

We talk with Emily Maloney, author, about making beautiful sentences, the personal essay, building a better essay collection pitch, swamp driver vs polishing diamonds, how writing needs time, maintaining 2 notebooks - one for the draft, one for feelings about the draft, working by hand, and going to therapy to be a better writer.    Emily Maloney http://www.emilymaloney.net/   Stories Matter Foundation/StoryStudio Chicago https://www.storystudiochicago.org/ Find us at https://chicagowriterspodcast.libsyn.com/

In this episode, Steve Almond, author, on building plot, writing the social novel, placing a story in time, giving the reader the information they need, finding the right amount of research, and scorpions.   Steve Almond https://stevealmondjoy.org/   Chicago Writers Podcast https://chicagowriterspodcast.libsyn.com/   Stories Matter Foundation and StoryStudio Chicago https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

Vincent Francone, author and editor, discusses different Chicagos, organizing a collection, Windy City cliches, the deep dish myth, live lit, submitting work to anthologies, and parking in Wrigleyville.   Find Vincent online at: http://www.vincentfrancone.com/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/   Chicago Writers Podcast https://twitter.com/ChiWriPodcast

In this episode, we're talking all things mystery with Sisters in Crime Chicago! Michelle Falkoff, Mia P. Manansala, and Jen Collins Moore all join us to discuss what makes a great whodunit.   Michelle Falkoff http://michellefalkoff.com/   Mia P. Manansala www.miapmanansala.com   Jen Collins Moore https://www.jennifercollinsmoore.com/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/   Chicago Writers Podcast https://chicagowriterspodcast.libsyn.com/ https://twitter.com/ChiWriPodcast

In this episode, author Christie Tate discusses discovering non-fiction, writing groups, saying thank you in a query, going deeper with memoir, inoculation against shame, making boundaries after publishing, and sharing a risqué scene you wrote with your therapy group.   Christie Tate https://christietate.com/   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/   Chicago Writers Podcast https://chicagowriterspodcast.libsyn.com/ https://twitter.com/ChiWriPodcast

In this episode, author Kathleen Rooney discusses writing in multiple genres, the start of Poems While You Wait, contemporary sources for historical fiction, finding the perspective of an animal character, outlining before writing, giving a manuscript time, breaking revision into manageable tasks, and big new developments in the Cher Ami community.   Kathleen Rooney http://kathleenrooney.com/ https://twitter.com/KathleenMRooney   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/   Chicago Writers Podcast https://chicagowriterspodcast.libsyn.com/ https://twitter.com/ChiWriPodcast

Grab hold of your heat levels and check how open those doors are, because it's time for the Romance Roundtable with authors  Chandra Blumberg, Sonali Dev, Melonie Johnson, and Kate Meader, hosted by Jennifer Coffeen. We talk everything the publishing process to how many sex scenes a story might need.   Chandra Blumberg https://chandrablumberg.com/ https://twitter.com/chandrablumberg   Sonali Dev https://sonalidev.com/ https://twitter.com/Sonali_Dev   Melonie Johnson https://meloniejohnson.com/ohabout-meright/ https://twitter.com/MelonieJohnson   Kate Meader https://www.katemeader.com/ https://twitter.com/KittyMeader   Jennifer Coffeen https://twitter.com/jencoffeen

For the last episode of 2021, Adam Morgan and Sara Cutaia talk about all things Chicago literature, past and present, plus, for some reason, You Got Mail.   Partial list of books and authors mentioned: The Wrong Way to Save Your Life by Megan Steilstra The Upstairs House by Julia Fine Mitchell S. Jackson Electric Arches by Eve L Ewing The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai  The Coast of Chicago by Stuart Dybek Selected Poems by Gwendolyn Brooks The Jungle by Upton Sinclair The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros Native Son by Richard Wright The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser Building Stories by Chris Ware Chicago: City on the Make by Nelson Algren Carl Sandberg's Chicago Poems The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger The South Side by Natalie Y. Moore 1919 by Eve L. Ewing Chicago Renaissance by Lisa Olson   chicagoliteraryarchive.org Adam Morgan Twitter @AdamM0rgan Sara Cutaia Twitter @sncutaia   StoryStudio and Stories Matter StoryStudioChicago.org

In this episode, Kenyatta Rogers discusses the puzzle of poetry, doing the work, finding inspiration, seeking out places to send work, the difference between poetry and narrative, playing with constraints, reading work out loud, patience, starting with couplets, and writing at the supermarket.   ChicagoWritersPodcast.com Find us on Twitter at @chiwripodcast   Stories Matter Foundation StoryStudioChicago.Org

Joseph Scapellato, author, on placing a novel in Chicago, following a work's intentions, making a sentence do more than one thing, emotional grounding and escalation, finding humor outside dialogue, and having your mom fill in the blanks.   You can find Joe online at https://www.josephscapellato.com/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Joe_Scapellato   Stories Matter Foundation https://www.storystudiochicago.org/ Chicago Writers Podcast can be found at https://chicagowriterspodcast.libsyn.com/ and at https://twitter.com/ChiWriPodcast

In this episode, Melissa Febos talks about creative non-fiction, learning to love memoir, following curiosity, the most common fear among non-fiction writers, listening to your own standards as a reader, protecting yourself when publishing, letting your art take its own time, and to learning trust your psyche.   Check out Melissa Febos at https://www.melissafebos.com/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/melissafebos   Find us at https://chicagowriterspodcast.libsyn.com/ and Stories Matter Foundation at https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

In this episode, Ines Bellina, author and storyteller, discusses all things networking, including how to be a human being, where to start, being a good literary citizen, conferences, and not being weird on social media.   Check out Ines' newsletter at https://crankyguide.substack.com/ and find her on Twitter @ibwrites   Find us at  https://chicagowriterspodcast.libsyn.com/ https://www.storystudiochicago.org/  

Sheree L. Greer, author, discusses writing mom an apology poem, MFA programs, becoming a writer, Chicago winters, building a community, the personal essay, journaling, going outside your comfort zone, writing for art instead of function, and starting out with submissions.   You can find Sheree online at https://www.shereelgreer.com/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/shereelgreer   Follow us at ChicagoWritersPodcast.com and at https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

Megan Stielstra, Author, discusses finding courage with oral storytelling, discovering a theme, inviting people to your practice, exercises for generating personal essay material, asking books specific questions, and disregarding MLA style.   You can find Megan Stielstra online at https://www.meganstielstra.com/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/meganstielstra   Follow us at ChicagoWritersPodcast.com and at https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

In this episode, Sahar Mustafah discusses her journey to becoming an author, being a pandemic debut, the querying process, writing at 4am, novel vs short story revisions, advice for authors leading workshops for the first time, working on mutliple projects, and taking risks like a teenager.   saharmustafah.com Story Studio Summer Youth Programs at https://www.storystudiochicago.org/youth-creative-writing-summer-camps/   ChicagoWritersPodcast.com Twitter @ChiWriPodcast

In this episode, Jill Pollack, founder of the Stories Matter Foundation, talks about the creation of StoryStudio Chicago, how to build your own writing community, balancing business and creativity, teaching writing, and keeping your own counsel.   Jill Pollack can be found online at https://instorymode.com/ https://www.storystudiochicago.org/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jill_pollack   Find the Chicago Writers Podcast online at chicagowriterspodcast.com and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/chiwripodcast

In this episode of the Chicago Writers Podcast, Julie Halpern, author, and Matthew Cordell, author and illustrator, discuss meeting via zines, creating great picture books, writing a novel through letters, seeking inspiration from childhood, and winning a Caldecott.   Find Julie Halpern and Matthew Cordell online at: https://www.juliehalpern.com/  https://www.matthewcordell.com/   Find the Chicago Writers Podcast on Twitter at @chiwripodcast and online at chicagowriterspodcast.com 

In this episode of the Chicago Writers Podcast, author Dipika Mukherjee discusses research, dealing with controversial topics, universal stories, avoiding preachiness, starting with character, Southeast Asian literature, and writing on a dare. Website: https://www.dipikamukherjee.com/ Twitter: @DearDipika Find us at chicagowriterspodcast.com and on Twitter at @chiwripodcast

In this episode, author Jac Jemc discusses her path to publication, writing short stories, working in bookstores, picking a small press, taking risks with short form pieces, finding a schedule, and the importance of reading.   Jac Jemc Website http://www.jacjemc.com/ Twitter @jacjemc False Bingo https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780374538354   Check out the Chicago Writers Podcast on Twitter at @chiwripodcast

Adam Morgan, Founder of the Chicago Review of Books, and Todd Van Luling, Incoming Editor-in-Chief, on writing great book reviews, bylines, getting started with cultural criticism, and how good can be better than perfect.   Chicago Review of Books https://chireviewofbooks.com/ Adam Morgan on Twitter https://twitter.com/adamm0rgan Todd Van Luling on Twitter https://twitter.com/toddvanluling   ChicagoWritersPodcast.com