The Literary Life

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A weekly micro-podcast hosted by author Amy Hassinger on all things writing and literature-related, featuring excerpts from published work by Midwestern authors. Think Garrison Keillor's "A Writer's Almanac," with a regional focus and a personal touch. Po


    • Apr 11, 2017 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 5m AVG DURATION
    • 31 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Literary Life

    Episode 46 - Nina Mukerjee Fursteneau

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2017 6:27


    Drawing connections; an reading from Fursteneau's book BITING THROUGH THE SKIN; and a farewell

    Episode 45 - Nancy McCabe

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2017 5:46


    An introduction to Nancy McCabe, and a reading from her novel FOLLOWING DISASTERS

    Episode 44 - Sonya Huber

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2017 7:28


    An introduction to essayist Sonya Huber, and a reading from her collection PAIN WOMAN TAKES YOUR KEYS AND OTHER ESSAYS FROM A NERVOUS SYSTEM

    sonya huber
    Episode 43 - Patricia Hruby Powell

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2017 5:28


    A reading from Patricia Hruby Powell's new documentary novel, LOVING VS. VIRGINIA

    Episode 42 - Andy Douglas

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2017 6:30


    A brief introduction to spiritual memoir, and a reading from Andy Douglas' memoir, THE CURVE OF THE WORLD: INTO THE SPIRITUAL HEART OF YOGA

    Episode 41 - Stephen R. Roberts

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2017 5:00


    An introduction to Shari Wagner's website, Through the Sycamores, and to the poet Stephen R. Roberts, and a reading of his poem, "Down in Mechanicsburg"

    Episode 40 - Allison Adelle Hedge Coke

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2017 6:31


    Poetry and song; Allison Adelle Hedge Coke; a reading of "America, I Sing You Back"

    Episode 39 - Julie Price Pinkerton

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2017 4:41


    A brief introduction to poet Julie Price Pinkerton and a reading of her poem "Why I Opted for the More Expensive Oil at Jiffy Lube"

    Episode 38 - Steve Davenport

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2017 3:49


    An introduction to poet Steve Davenport and a reading of his poem, "Real Simple (1)."

    Episode 37 - Janice Harrington

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2017 4:48


    A brief introduction to Janice Harrington and a reading of her poem, "Picture of the Poet and Horace H. Pippin Before the Perigee"

    Episode 36 - Karen Shoemaker

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2017 5:04


    An introduction to Karen Gettert Shoemaker's novel, THE MEANING OF NAMES, and a reading of the opening.

    Episode 35 - Shari Wagner

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2017 4:14


    Writing from the body; Shari Wagner, and a reading of her poem, "These Rocks"

    Episode 34 - Daniel Borzutzky

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2017 6:35


    An introduction to poet Daniel Borzutzky; Chicago's Homan Square; and a reading of his poem "Lake Michigan Merges into the Bay of Valparaiso, Chile"

    Episode 33 - Lee Ann Roripaugh

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2016 6:07


    An introduction to Lee Ann Roripaugh, the poet laureate of South Dakota, and a reading of her poem, "The Planet of Dandar"

    Episode 32 - Peter Orner

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2016 6:50


    An introduction to author Peter Orner and a reading from his new book AM I ALONE HERE?: NOTES ON LIVING TO READ AND READING TO LIVE, published by Catapult.

    Episode 31 - Juliet Patterson

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2016 4:03


    Literature as call and response; Paul Celan; a reading of Juliet Patterson's "Draft of a Landscape"

    Episode 30 - A Letter to My Children After the Election

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2016 7:30


    A letter I wrote to my children after the 2016 election.

    Episode 29 - Tara Betts

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2016 5:05


    Episode 29 - Tara Betts by Podcast produced by Amy Hassinger

    Episode 28 - Carol Spindel

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2016 5:36


    A reflection about connectedness and the essay, and a reading from Carol Spindel's essay "A Line Through the Heart of Paris, the French Prime Meridian"

    Episode 27 - Audrey Petty

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2016 7:00


    A brief introduction and a reading from HIGH RISE STORIES, compiled and edited by Audrey Petty

    Episode 26 - Vu Tran

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2016 6:24


    A brief introduction to Vu Tran, and a reading from his novel DRAGONFISH.

    Episode 25 - Scott Russell Sanders

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2016 6:33


    A brief discussion of publishing and self-publishing, and a reading from Scott Russell Sanders' novel DIVINE ANIMAL

    Episode 24 - Miles Waggener

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2016 6:31


    A brief discussion of Federico Garcia Lorca and a reading of Miles Waggener's poem, "Lorquiana"

    Episode 23 - Letitia Moffitt

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2016 5:59


    A brief introduction to Letitia Moffitt's Traceworld series, and a reading from her novel VIBE/SYNC.

    Episode 22 - Mary McCormack Deka

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2016 4:16


    A brief introduction and a reading of Mary McCormack Deka's poem, "Here."

    Episode 21 - Amy Quan Barry

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2016 4:33


    A brief introduction to Amy Quan Barry and a reading of her poem, "If dy/dx = (〖4x〗^3+ x^2-12)/√(2x^2-9), Then"

    Episode 20 - Liz Kay

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2016 5:46


    A brief introduction and a reading from Liz Kay's debut novel, MONSTERS: A LOVE STORY.

    Episode 19 - Tribute to James Alan McPherson

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2016 5:30


    A short, personal tribute to writer and teacher James Alan McPherson, who passed away July 27, 2016.

    Episode 18 - William Trowbridge

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2016 4:37


    A brief discussion of "metrophobia" and a reading of Bill Trowbridge's poem, "Old Guy, Superhero, Counterterrorist"

    Episode 17 - Kwame Dawes

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2016 5:55


    An introduction to Kwame Dawes and a reading of his poem, "Fire"

    Episode 16 - Steven Kuehn and Sarah Wisseman

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2016 6:07


    A reading of excerpts from Steven Kuehn's novel "Sunken Dreams" and Sarah Wisseman's novel "Burnt Siena"

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