Podcasts about deesha philyaw

It's June, time to celebrate Pride privately and publicly. Host Meg Wolitzer presents four works that celebrate the complexities of love family and belonging. Ivan E. Coyote's “No Bikini,” read by Becca Blackwell, offers one child's act of quiet rebellion. Lovers drift together, and apart, in Michael Cunningham's “Sleepless,” read by Mike Doyle. A newish couple faces harsh weather in Deesha Philyaw's “Snowfall,” read by Michelle Beck, and poet Kay Ulanday Barrett shares their “Song for the Kicked Out.”

Notes and Links to Annell Lopez's Work          Annell López is the winner of the Louise Meriwether First Book Prize and the author of the short story collection I'LL GIVE YOU A REASON from the Feminist Press. A Peter Taylor Fellow at the Kenyon Review Writers Workshops, her work has also received support from Tin House and has appeared in Guernica, American Short Fiction, Michigan Quarterly Review, Brooklyn Rail, The Common, Refinery29 and elsewhere. López received her MFA from the University of New Orleans. She is working on a novel. Buy I'll Give You a Reason   Annell Lopez's Instagram   For The Rumpus: “There's Always a Little Light, a Glimmer of Hope: A Conversation with Annell López” At about 2:05, Annell talks about her early relationship with bilingualism,  At about 4:50, Annell shouts ut the “great place” that is Newark, NJ, and recounts early memories after her immigration  At about 6:25, Annell talks about how learning English helped her develop her already burgeoning writing ability  At about 8:25, Annell highlights Garcia Marquez's work in Spanish  At about 9:35, Annell lists books and writers that were formative and transformative for her At about 13:25, Deesha Philyaw, Carlos Maurice Ruffin, Danielle Evans, and Chris Stuck, are referenced as inspiring contemporary writers At about 14:40, Annell talks about seeds for her short story collection and its makeup At about 16:10, the two discuss the collection's first story and the title character's anxiety around possible deportation   At about 19:05, Annell reflects on the dynamics of older sibling and young sibling and mother-daughter relationships, as evidenced in the “Dark Vader” At about 20:30, Annell responds to Pete's questions about colorism as shown in some of her stories  At about 22:35, from “Dark Vader,” a “problematic” Mateo is discussed, along with power dynamics, and Vanessa's reluctance to pass her GED  At about 27:00, Annell talks about a character's unnamed bipolar condition, and his son's motivations in being angry towards his father  At about 30:30, Pete asks about online news madness as referenced in the story collection   At about 32:35, Pete links two stories and the two talk about gentrification and its treatment in the collection, and Pete is complimentary of Annell's plot structure and what is “left unsaid” At about 34:35, “Love gone stale” as a theme of the book is lauded and discussed At about 37:00, Grief and depression and the bird and beautiful “Bear Hunting Season” are discussed At about 41:30, Annell talks about how her teaching did and did not inform the treatment of teachers in her collection  At about 44:30, Trauma in its many forms in the collection is discussed  At about 45:45, The two explore the title story and its focus on emotional response At about 47:50, Pete highlights a story that focuses on objectification and racism and Annell's apt second-person usage and diction; she focuses on the story's universality and realism  At about 50:05, “The Other Carmen” is explored, including ideas of body shaming, body positivity  At about 52:40, Annell explains some “Easter eggs” and “crossover characters” and Pete is complimentary of story endings At about 53:40, Pete asks Annell about the importance of staged photoshoots in a story in the collection At about 55:55, Annell talks about the importance of titles after Pete cites her prowess with same At about 57:45, Pete fanboys about the collection's last story At about 59:30, Annell responds to Pete's question about significance of the collection  At about 1:00:45, Annell gives social media and other contact info You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His latest conversation, with Episode 265 guest Carvell Wallace, is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 275 with Deborah Jackson-Taffa, whose 2024 memoir Whiskey Tender was a finalist for the 2024 National Book Award for Nonfiction; earned a MFA in nonfiction writing from the Univ of IA; director of the MFA creative writing program at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM     The episode airs on March 11.

Notes and Links to Jessica Whipple's Work      Jessica Whipple writes for adults and children from her home in Eastern PA. Her poetry has been published recently in Funicular, Door Is a Jar, and Green Ink Poetry, and online at Whale Road Review, Anti-Heroin Chic, and Pine Hills Review. Her poem "Broken Strings" has been nominated for a 2023 Pushcart Prize in poetry.    She has published two children's picture books in 2023: Enough Is… (Tilbury House, illustrated by Nicole Wong) and I Think I Think a Lot (Free Spirit Publishing, illustrated by Josée Bisaillon). (Josay Bisay-yohn)    To read more of Jessica's work or to learn about her books, including praise and reviews, peruse her website or follow her on Twitter/X/Instagram @JessicaWhippl17. Buy I Think I Think a Lot   Interview with WESA/NPR, Regarding I Think I Think a Lot   Jessica Whipple's Website At about 2:20, Jessica gives background information on places to buy her books At about 4:40, Jessica speaks to how her reading life is and was At about 7:00, Jessca traces where her writing life kicked in and how her writing life was “reinvigorated”  At about 10:00, Julie Fogliano and other inspiring and beloved children's authors are given kudos At about 12:20, Jessica reads “This is What I'm Thinking at the Container Store” At about 15:50, Jessica expands on the universality and specificity of her poem, talking about OCD as a “spectrum” At about 19:00, The two reflect on some stellar and vivid lines from the poem At about 21:00, Jessica breaks down the different mechanisms of OCD and focuses on the compulsions and obsessions in their mental and outward forms At about 23:35, Jessica introduces and reads her poem, “ Sometimes I Google You” At about 26:25, Jessica explains how she is “speaking to the memory” depicted in the poem At about 29:30, Jessica provides a nice way to think of haiku, thanks to Tim Green  At about 32:45, Pete highlights the beautiful security given in Jessica's work and other standout work At about 33:40, Pete asks about the “Enough” from the title of Enough Is… and Jessica expands upon the “sense of importance” given to the word  At about 35:20, Jessica responds to Pete's questions about using symbolism and analogy in books for kids  At about 37:00, Pete wonders about seeds for the book, I Think I Think a Lot At about 40:15, Pete likens the apologies in the book to a Seinfeld episode At about 41:20, Jessica talks about how the illustrator works off her writing At about 42:45, Pete highlights the ways in which Jessica use nuance and asks Jessica about writing to engender empathy in kids  At about 44:40, Jessica reads and discusses “To My Husband Now a Father”  At about 48:20, Pete asks Jessica about writing about personal things and catharsis At about 50:20, Lauren details exciting upcoming projects           You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.       I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 260 with Lauren Markham, whose writing regularly appears in outlets like Harper's, Lithub, The New York Times Magazine and VQR. She is the author of The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life, the winner of the 2018 Ridenhour Book Prize and a CA Book Award Silver Prize. Her most recent book, A Map of Future Ruins: On Borders and Belonging, is out in 2024 to acclaim. The episode airs on November 5. Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

While we're on season break with Reckon True Stories, here's a sneak preview from Season Three of Ursa Short Fiction, Deesha's other podcast with author (and True Stories producer!) Dawnie Walton. Show notes: Follow Season Three in your favorite podcast app. Support the show with a membership or one-time contribution, and get access to bonus episodes: ursastory.com/join Read more about Dawnie Walton's next novel! Contact us via email: hello@ursastory.com Produced by: Dawnie Walton, Deesha Philyaw, and Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Show Notes and Links to Porochista Khanpour's Work   For Episode 258, Pete welcomes Porochista Khakpour, and the two discuss, among other topics, her harrowing departure from Iran to the US at a young age, her voracious reading and writing and storytelling, amazing life experiences that have fed her writing, her love of contemporary stan culture and KPop, how her latest book's release is different, seeds for Tehrangeles, modern wellness and conspiracy theory cultures, her experiences with the real Tehrangeles, the role of the outsider as a writer, and so much about themes and topics related to her novel, like celebrity worship, assimilation, cancel culture, and racism.      Porochista Khakpour was born in Tehran and raised in the greater Los Angeles area. She is the critically acclaimed author of two previous novels, Sons and Other Flammable Objects and The Last Illusion; a memoir, Sick; and a collection of essays, Brown Album. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bookforum, Elle, and many other publications. Her latest book is Tehrangeles. She lives in New York City.   Buy Tehrangeles  Porochista's Official Website Porochista's Wikipedia Page “Writing Iranian America…”-2020 Interview from Columbia Journal   At about 1:45: Pete gets the wrong vegetable in remembering his first exposure to Porochista's excellent work   At about 2:45, Porochista talks about the year in publishing and the ways in which this year's tragedies have been in juxtaposition to careful and affectionate feedback for her novel   At about 7:30, Porochista and Pete discuss some politicians' cowardice and Porochsta's book as a “weird distraction”   At about 10:20, Pete asks Porochista about writing satire in an increasingly off-its-hinges world   At about 13:20, Porochista talks about the 1%, richest of the richest, and how “this sort of madness of wealthy people during the beginning of the pandemic”   At about 15:10, Porochsta gives background on the acquisition of her novel    At about 17:25, The two highlight Danzy Senna's great work   At about 18:20, Porochista cites examples of “dark humor” that at times run through Persian cultures    At about 20:10, Porochista reflects on the idea of “perpetual outsiders” and the effect on writing   At about 21:40, Porochista details her family's fleeing Iran and the traumas and memories that came with her odyssey to arriving in the US   At about 24:30, Porochista traces the way that Iran was often viewed by Americans at the time in which her family arrived in the US   At about 25:15, Porochista responds to Pete's questions about her early reading and writing and language life, both in English and Persian    At about 31:45,    At about 32:50, Porochista talks about she's been described as a “maximalist” and the connection to Persian as her first language   At about 34:35, Porochista talks about representation in the texts she read growing up and her early love of particular works that allowed her to learn about the Western canon in order to enjoy it and resist it   At about 37:30, Porochista charts her reading journey from Faulkner to Morrison to Sartre to the Beat Poets and describes her self-designed silent book reading “retreat”   At about 40:20, Porochista describes her reading and writing as responses to her life experiences and her identity revolving around writing   At about 41:35, Porochista describes transformative and formative texts and mentors and her time at Sarah Lawrence College and Oxford   At about 43:50, Porochista talks about the ways in which her reading was affected by how women writers are often limited, and how this connects to her seeking out adventure and life experience in living as a writer, including her going to William Faulkner Country   At about 49:45, The two make appreciations of James Joyce's work    At about 50:55, Porochista makes a case for contemporary writing as comprising a “golden era”   At about 52:00, Pete wonders if and how Porochsta has been influenced by Bret Easton Ellis and David Foster Wallace   At about 54:45, Porochista talks about ways in which Less than Zero and American Psycho and Donna Tartt's work have affected the sensibility of Tehrangeles and especially its ending   At about 59:15, Porochista talks about “dream” casting in case the novel becomes a movie, including Tara Yummy   At about 1:01:00, Porochista talks about the “twisted logic” found on many of the chat rooms/forums she spent time in for book research    At about 1:04:15, Porochista talks about how Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and Alcott's experience informed the writing of Tehrangeles   At about 1:07:55, The two discuss how Shahs of Sunset affected the novel   At about 1:10:00, Porochista explains her rationale in making the book's reality show producers a collective   At about 1:10:45, Porochista responds to Pete's question about the book's epitaphs     At about 1:13:55, Porochista talks about the book's untranslated Persian section and “progress” in people's understanding   At about 1:15:20, Pete cites and quotes the book's opening litany and the exposition of Book I   At about 1:16:20, Porochista describes a raucous scene where Roxana, a main character, goes through a “zodiac reassignment”   At about 1:17:50, Porochista digs into Roxana's “Secret”   At about 1:19:10, The two lament Kanye West's horrible recent behavior and other misogynists and abusers, in connection with the setting of the book   At about 1:22:30, The two discuss the world of influencers and their effect on younger generations in line with the characters of the book   At about 1:24:20, Pete recounts the Milani family members and their views of the    At about 1:26:00, Porochista recounts inspiration for Violet's sweets diet from an interview with Momofuku's Christina Tosi and Porochista's time at Sarah Lawrence   At about 1:28:00, The two discuss Violet's experience with a racist and demeaning model shoot that plays on her Iranian heritage    At about 1:29:30, Porochista reflects on Tehrangeles culture and its connection to religion    At about 1:30:35, Porochista discusses KPop and “stan culture” and how Mina “found her voice” through these online forums    At about 1:34:20, Porochista talks about purposely focusing on realistic and empathetic portrayals of gender identity    At about 1:38:30, The two discuss Hailey as representative of the intersections between Covid conspiracy theories and racism and “hidden” CA racism and wellness culture   At about 1:40:00, Porochista talks about her own experiences with the “dark wu wu” of the wellness cultures during her own fragile    At about 1:44:00, The two discuss Ali (Al) and his leaving Iran behind and how he seeks Americanization and how he makes his fortune   At about 1:46:15, Porochista likens events of the book, “The World of Al” to the DJ Khaled song    At about 1:48:05, The two discuss Roxana's desire to have a blowout early Covid-era party and how the physical “wings” of the house connect to the sisters' different growing pains and goals and ethics   At about 1:50:40, The two riff on some beautifully absurd scenes in the book, including a pet psychic's appearance    At about 1:51:50, Porochista gives background on deciding to do untranslated Persian in the book and about Homa and the ways she doesn't want to be part of Tehrangeles; also Editor Maria Goldberg Love   At about 1:55:10, Pete asks about the rationale and background for the book's ending using stream of consciousness   At about 1:57:15, Porochista shouts out Golden Hour Books and City of Asylum Books, and other places to buy her book, including Shawnee, Kansas' Seven Stories, run by 17 yr old Halley Vincent   At about 1:59:45, Porochista shouts out the stellar Deep Vellum and Verso and writers like   At about 2:01:05, Porochista talks about exciting upcoming projects    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.       I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 259 with Jessica Whipple. Jessica writes for adults and children, and her poetry has been published recently in Funicular, Door Is a Jar, and many more. She has published two children's picture books in 2023: Enough Is… and I Think I Think a Lot.  The episode will air on October 29. Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Mirin Fader's Work      For Episode 257, Pete welcomes Mirin Fader for her second Chills at Will visit, and the two discuss, among other topics, her love of contemporary fiction, how her second book's release is different than that of her first, seeds for her latest book-Dream, about the great Hakeem Olajuwon-coming from her previous blockbuster about Giannis Antetokounmpo, her finding stories within stories while researching the book, and the wonders and legends of Hakeem Olajuwon, from his start in handball and soccer to the ignorant and racist ways he was often viewed, to the role that discipline, creativity, and his faith play in his daily life.       Mirin Fader is a senior staff writer for The Ringer. Her first book, Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA Champion, was a New York Times Bestseller, Los Angeles Times Bestseller, Wall Street Journal Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, Publishers Weekly Bestseller. She has profiled some of the NBA's biggest stars, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, DeMar DeRozan, and LaMelo Ball, telling the backstories that have shaped some of our most complex, most dominant, heroes. Fader wrote for Bleacher Report from 2017 to 2020 and the Orange County Register from 2013 to 2017. Her work has been featured in the “Best American Sports Writing” series and honored by the Pro Basketball Writers Association, the Associated Press Sports Editors, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, the Football Writers Association of America, and the Los Angeles Press Club.    Buy Dream   Mirin Fader's Website   See Mirin on Tour!   At about 2:50, Mirin discusses her love of fiction and beloved contemporary texts, including Tommy Orange's latest, and Sudanese writer, Rania Mamoun's latest At about 4:40, Mirin responds to Pete's question about any sort of competitiveness within writers in Mirin's cohort, and Pete and Mirin stan Wright Thompson  At about 6:30, Pete highlights Demar Derozan's recent book and Mirin's profile of him for The Ringer At about 9:45, Mirin gives background on her profile of Bronny James and what “lane” she focused on for the piece At about 12:30, Some all-time NBA rankings! At about 14:45, Pete cites the book about Giannis and its lasting greatness At about 15:05, Pete asks Mirin about the run-up to her second book and feedback At about 16:10, Mirin mentions the nostalgia associated with Hakeem Olajuwon At about 17:30, Mirin talks about the “unheralded” nature of Hakeem, as well as the emergence of international basketball players, particularly with African players, for which he was a “prequel” At about 19:25, Mirin gives background on Ben Okri's quote for her epigraph and its connection to Hakeem and devotion and creativity At about 20:10, The two discuss the book's Prologue and LeBron James famous trip to train with Hakeem in 2011 At about 22:40, Henri Yranndo and his importance to Hakeem and his spiritual resurgence is referenced At about 24:00, Mirin discusses her wonderful experiences in going to Hakeem's mosque in Houston At about 25:00, Pete asks Mirin to expand on Hakeem as a “hidden one,” and connections to a hadith quoted from the Koran At about 26:30, The two discuss the book's beginning, and Mirin talks about the bustling city of Lagos, Hakeem's childhood (and later American media racism in describing his youth), and how his father taught him to be proud of his size At about 29:10, Mirin talks about Hakeem's early athletic feats outside of basketball, and how he was “recruited” to finally give in and play basketball At about 31:20, Pete and Mirin reflect on the sad fact that so many interviewees for the book have died recently and how this affects her urgency to get stories on paper At about 32:35, Mirin responds to Pete's wondering about how Hakeem's 1980 Nigerian National Team appearance affected his growth At about 34:10, The “Dream Shake” and Yomi Sangodeyi's greatness and tutoring are explored At about 35:00, Christopher Pond and the supposed origin story of Hakeem's Univ. of Houston landing, as well as problematic parts of the story are probed At about 38:50, Mirin talks about Hakeem's time in Houston and the city's growing Nigerian population  At about 40:10, Mirin expands upon the ignorant and racist ways in which Hakeem was written about, especially in his earlier years, and she shares the story of how him “changing his name” Was emblematic of his humble nature At about 42:55, Mirin highlights how Hakeem was never seen as a draft mistake, even though he was drafted over Michael Jordan, and Pete cites Frank Guidry's book on Houston and how the Forde Center helped Hakeem improve greatly as a Rocket At about 44:15, Pete cites Hakeem's moving letter referenced in the book, and how Mirin charts his rediscovering his faith through some amazing and makes it clear that he never “converted” to Islam At about 46:45, The two reflect on and express the amazement and respect for Hakeem's Ramadan fasting during his playing days At about 47:45, Pete and Mirin stan Hakeem's unforgettable series against David Robinson  At about 48:45, Mirin talks about how Hakeem's faith calls for him to not display iconography and show humility and how the book's cover satisfied the requirements of being respectful  At about 50:45, Mirin shouts out Brazos Bookstore and Skylight Books as good places to buy her book, and shouts out her first tour        You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.       I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 258 with Porochista Khakpour, the critically acclaimed author of two previous novels, Sons and Other Flammable Objects and The Last Illusion; a memoir, Sick; and a collection of essays, Brown Album. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bookforum, Elle, and many other publications. Her latest book, a chaotic and satirical stellar work, is Tehrangeles. This episode will air on October 22. Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Andrew Maraniss' Work      For Episode 256, Pete welcomes Andrew Maraniss, and the two discuss, among other topics, carefree days of baseball card trading, formative writers and social justice activists, seeds for his latest series on inspiring contemporary athletes and their fights for justice, “writing” versus “sportswriting,” Glenn Burke and his singular fight for equality, how Andrew views writing about social issues in ways that young people can understand, and the restorative and challenging power that books hold.      Andrew Maraniss is the New York Times-bestselling author of narrative nonfiction; his first book, Strong Inside, about Perry Wallace, the first African-American basketball player in the SEC, won the 2015 Lillian Smith Book Award. He has recently launched a series of early chapter books for young readers, BEYOND THE GAME: Athletes Change the World, which highlights athletes who have done meaningful work outside of sports to help other people.     Buy Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke   Andrew Maraniss' Website   Buy Andrew's Books   At about 1:30, Andrew talks about his family legacy of writing, and his early writing and reading At about 4:40, Andrew talks about his baseball love and love of other sports At about 5:50, the two discuss spreading baseball love in their families  At about 7:15, Andrew responds to Pete's questions about formative sportswriters and how Andrew sees “sportswriting” versus “writing” At about 10:25, Pete and Andrew lament missed opportunities with valuable sports memorabilia  At about 13:10, The two begin to discuss Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke  and highlight Dusty Baker's key role  At about 14:10, Pete highlights the bold and moving way that Andrew starts th book in 1977, with Glenn struggling on the streets of San Francisco's Tenderloin  At about 18:30, Pete asks Andrew about the “double life” he writes about with regard to Glenn's minor league and major league careers  At about 21:50, Andrew recounts the story of the purported first high-five and Dusty Baker and Glenn Burke's roles At about 25:50, the two discuss Al Campanis' offer to Glenn and Glenn's last days as a Dodger At about 30:50, Andrew discusses the homophobic reactions that led to the shunning by the A's of Glenn At about 32:45, Pete compares Glenn's behaviors to that of a later career Jackie Robinson and Andrew talks about how Glenn had a tenuous amount of agency At about 34:00, Andrew details Glenn's time with Bay Area softball, and up and downs in his life, and how life in the Castro District in SF turned horrendous  At about 36:00, Andrew cites Dusty Baker as a great interview and a great guy At about 37:05, Andrew responds to Pete's questions about moments of joy in Glenn's painful last years and reflects on Glenn Burke's legacy At about 38:50, Andrew talks about Tommy Lasorda, Jr., and connections to Glenn's story; Pete and Andrew both cite an engrossing article by Peter Richmond At about 41:10, Pete is highly complimentary of Andrew's work and its progressive nature and   At about 42:00, Pete asks Andrew about seeds for his Athletes Change the World series, and Andrew cites book bans and hopes for his Glenn Burke book to be more widely-read; Andrew also details his books and connections to social issues At about 45:20, Andrew riffs on his books on LeBron James and Maya Moore and an upcoming book on Pat Tillman At about 47:00, Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone is discussed, in connection with murdered indigenous women and Andrew's book about her At about 48:10, Pete highlights a philosophy that Andrew uses in his books and his calls to action At about 49:15-LeBron love! Andrew details what he learned about LBJ through his book At about 52:40, Pete compliments the “surrounding infrastructure” of Andrew's work and asks him about difficulty in writing fewer words and for children with serious topics At about 56:30, Andrew details an imminent YA/adult book on the first Special Olympics At about 58:30, Andrew shouts out contact info, places to buy his books, and social media info            You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.       I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 257 with Mirin Fader, a senior staff writer for The Ringer. I was honored to talk to her for Episode 76, about her first book, Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA Champion, which was a New York Times Bestseller. Her newest book Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon is out on this day, October 15, when the episode drops.    Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Notes and Links to Chris Knapp's Work      For Episode 255, Pete welcomes Chris Knapp, and the two discuss, among other topics, a fascination with Elena Ferrante, James Joyce, and other dynamic writers, the interplay between journalism and fiction writing, seeds for his debut novel, the significance of its title, the drawbacks and benefits of writing about such recent times, and salient themes and issues in his novel like colonialism, marital alienation and connection, ennui, and the creep of dystopian mores.      Christopher Knapp's work has appeared in print in the Paris Review and the New England Review, and online at Granta and n+1, among others. He's been a work-study scholar at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and earned an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Virginia. His novel, States of Emergency, was published on September 3 by Unnamed Press. He lives in Paris with my wife, and teaches in the journalism program at the Sorbonne.     Buy States of Emergency   Chris Knapp's Website   At about 2:50, Chris talks about what it's been like in the run-up to publication  At about 4:00, Chris describes his early literary life and battles with spoilers At about 7:10, Pete and Chris discuss and cite the greatness of Faulkner and Joyce's work At about 9:30, Pete highlights a wonderfully Joycean sentence (one of many) from Chris' novel At about 10:25, Chris shouts out inspiring and thrilling writers, including Rachel Cusk, Don DeLillo, and Sebald, and Elena Ferrante At about 14:10, The two discuss Paris and Naples and prices and experiences At about 16:30, Chris responds to Pete's questions about the interplay between his journalistic background and his fiction writing At about 19:45, Pete and Chris reflect on the interesting ways in which the book's narrator functions in the book and connects to  At about 21:15, Chris speaks about seeds for his novel  At about 22:20, The two discuss Chris deciding to start the book with a heat wave and political and cultural  At about 24;45, Chris talks about the fertility procedures that run throughout much of the book and the way waiting relates At about 27:00, Chris delineates between hope and optimism and how these two qualities characterize the narrator and his wife Ella At about 29:20, The two discuss ideas of sympathy and empathy and comfort and shared pain At about 31:50, Chris responds to Pete's questions about the narrator's writing and charting his and Ella's experiences  At about 32:45, Chris reflects on the narrator's writing and the way that Ella sees him and his writing; he references Raven Leilani and writing on grief At about 34:45, The two discuss the ways in which French colonialism and racism is seen (or not) in the book and in the world At about 36:40, Pete highlights the dark humor of the book, and Chris expands on some of the humor and how it flows for him At about 39:35, The two discuss the “carnality” of a climatic scene in Ella and the narrator's relationship  At about 42:20, Chris charts the importance of a getaway for Ella in Skopje At about 44:20, Pete cites a period of separation between the two main characters and asks Chris about the significance of the book's title At about 49:00, Chris responds to Pete's questions about the drawbacks and benefits and vagaries of perspective in the novel At about 55:25, Chris reflects on narrative and its connections to history and to the novel At about 57:00, Pete compliments two anecdotes/scenes from the book, compares Ella's story of the French and Algerians to Wolff's “In the Garden of the North American Martyrs,” and Chris expands on the views of the narrator's family At about 1:02:50, Chris gives contact information, book purchasing info, and social media info At about 1:04:20, Chris talks about what he's working on and wants to write about in the future          You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.       I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 256 with Andrew Maraniss, a New York Times-bestselling author of narrative nonfiction. His first book, Strong Inside, about Perry Wallace, the first African-American basketball player in the SEC, won the 2015 Lillian Smith Book Award. Andrew recently launched a series of early chapter books for young readers, BEYOND THE GAME: Athletes Change the World, which highlights athletes who have done meaningful work outside of sports to help other people.    The episode will air on October 1.    Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with author, Deesha Philyaw, her short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, which was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award.

Notes and Links to Jami Attenberg's Work        For Episode 254, Pete welcomes Jami Attenberg, and the two discuss, among other topics, seeds for her newest novel, the significance of its title, research and its connection to continuity, and salient themes and issues in her novel like grief and intergenerational traumas, the rapid development of digital technology and its ever-changing effects on society, conventional and unconventional family bonds, and guilt.      Jami Attenberg is the New York Times bestselling author of nine books, including The Middlesteins, All Grown Up and a memoir, I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home. She is also the creator of the annual online group writing accountability project #1000wordsofsummer, which inspired the recently published USA Today bestseller 1000 Words:A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round. Jami has also written for The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, the Sunday Times, The Guardian, and others. Her work has been published in sixteen languages.    Her debut collection of stories, Instant Love, was published in 2006, followed by the novels The Kept Man and The Melting Season. Her fourth book, The Middlesteins, was published in October 2012. It appeared on The New York Times bestseller list, and was published in ten countries in 2013. It was also a finalist for both the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction and the St. Francis College Literary Prize. Her fifth book, Saint Mazie, was described by The New York Times Book Review as, “full of love and drink and dirty sex and nobility.” Her sixth book, All Grown Up, was a national bestseller, appearing on numerous year-end lists. Her most recent novel, All This Could Be Yours, for which Kirkus dubbed her, “poet laureate of difficult families,” also appeared on a number of year-end lists. In 2022 she published a memoir, I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home, which USA Today called, “a fierce memoir of personal transformation.”    In January 2024 she published the creativity book, 1000 Words:A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round which was praised on The Today Show, NPR, and elsewhere. In September 2024 she will also publish a new novel, A Reason to See You Again.    She lives in New Orleans, LA.     Buy A Reason to See You Again   New York Times Review of A Reason to See You Again   Excerpt of A Reason to See You Again from People Magazine   Jami Attenberg Website   At about 3:20: Jami describes her mindset as her 10th book is set to be published within the week At about 4:40, Jami details her exciting book tour, including a cool stop in Ireland for a book festival At about 8:00, Jami describes which books of her own and of others are “in conversation” with her latest  At about 11:10, Pete and Jami share a few interesting and complimentary and funny reviews  At about 12:10, Jami responds to Pete's wondering about seeds for the book At about 13:40, Pete cites the book's first scene and its focus on a pre-Internet world; Jami expands upon her mindset in showing the changes in technology in the book's 46 year-arc At about 16:00, Jami remarks on the ways in which she wanted to have work and technology as background and not at the forefront, and how it is and isn't a “work novel” At about 17:30, The two laugh over a labeling of the book as “historical fiction” At about 18:10, Pete highlights Jami's trendsetting abilities involving “demure” At about 19:15, Pete notes the interesting ways in which Jami structures her dialogue At about 20:45, Jami responds to Pete's questions about how she maintained continuity in writing the book chronologically or not  At about 23:25, Pete asks Jami about the background of the evocative first line of the novel At about 25:55, The two discuss Rudy, the “hero” of the members of the Cohen family, and the ways in which Jami sees him  At about 28:15, Jami discusses Frieda and what she may have been missing in her life At about 30:00, Jami reflects on the balance and relationship between Shelley and Nancy, the sisters At about 33:30, Jami responds to Pete's questions about familial connections over generations At about 36:00, Frieda and her resignation towards her daughters and Robby and Nancy's relationship is discussed At about 39:10, Generational traumas and guilt are discussed At about 42:40, Jami shouts out helpful feedback from helpful writer friends in expanding parts of the novel At about 43:35, Pete and Jami reflect on two interesting pairs and family dynamics  At about 47:25, Jami details how her current novel title happened, and the importance of this title  At about 49:25, Jami shouts out some favorite bookstores to buy her novel          You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.       I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 255 with Chris Knapp, whose work has appeared in print in the Paris Review and the New England Review, among other publications. His novel, States of Emergency, from Unnamed Press, has Sept 17 as its Pub Day and has been widely-acclaimed, including by the masterful Brandon Taylor.  The episode will air on September 27. Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Notes and Links to Akshaj Mehta's Work      For Episode 253, Pete welcomes Akshaj Mehta, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early experiences with bilingualism, formative and transformative writers and writing, beautiful trips with his mother to the library, his interest in representation of multidimensional and diverse characters and stories, a paradigm shift in reading Steph Cha, his evolving writing and salient themes and issues in his work like multiculturalism, subtlety, and unbiased writing.      Akshaj Mehta, who has been writing since he was four years old, is currently studying political science at UCLA as a second year student. Akshaj is an author with five published books, the most recent titled The Butterfly Effect, which was created in collaboration with the non-profit KidsFirst Roseville. He has also written for the N Magazine and Sacramento School Beat.   Buy The Butterfly Effect   Akshaj's 2019 Article for The Sacramento Bee: “The ‘transforming' power of a name: Learning to embrace the unique name I was given   Akshaj's Story, “The Tragedy of Antonio Solaris” At about 1:40: Akshaj talks about college life as an incoming sophomore  At about 2:20, Akshaj At about 4:10, Akshaj talks about sparks for his love of reading-shout out to mothers who bring kids to libraries At about 6:20, Akshaj expands on the plot of his first novel, Super Mouse At about 7:10, Akshaj responds to Pete's questions about an important writing assignment about the power of his name At about 9:20, Akshaj reads the opening of the article mentioned above At about 10:25, Akshaj responds to Pete asking about the experience of writing about his name and if the writing of it was “cathartic” At about 11:35, Akshaj reflects on how he looks back at the topics of the article and how he sees his experiences now At about 13:10, Akshaj replies to Pete's question about books that have inspired and challenged him-he shouts out Steph Cha's Your House Will Pay At about 14:20, Pete follows up on how Akshaj might see Cha's book differently after a few years and spending time in LA; Akshaj also talks about how an assignment in English class based on the novel brought him back into fiction At about 18:00, Pete and Akshaj read from and discuss Akshaj's story written in English class, “The Tragedy of Antonio Solaris” At about 19:00, Akshaj talks about the variety of articles he has written for UCLA publications At about 20:25, Akshaj's view of journalism and heavy topics and philosophies are discussed  At about 24:00, Akshaj shares an interesting idea about mitigating bias in journalistic work At about 24:40, Akshaj's talks about his school senior project and connections to ideas of representation and his book for children, The Butterfly Effect At about 26:35, Akshaj's pinpoints how he and illustrator Alexa Bandala approached the art for his children's book At about 30:00, Akshaj's reflects on lessons learned from reading stories with diverse representation to young kids At about 32:40, Akshaj shares his experience in mock trial and how having to be persuasive has informed and changed his writing At about 36:10, Pete wonders if/how Akshaj's reading is different now that he is a published author, and Akshaj's expands on how his writing has evolved   At about 39:15, Akshaj talks about his initial reading and later views of Krakauer's Into the Wild At about 41:00, Akshaj talks about exciting future projects  At about          You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.       I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 254 with Jami Attenberg, the New York Times bestselling author of nine books, including The Middlesteins, All Grown Up and a memoir, I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home. Her work has been published in sixteen languages; her novel, A Reason to See You Again is set to be published September 24, which is when her episode will also drop.    Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Byron Graves' Work      For Episode 252, Pete welcomes Byron Graves, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early experiences with Ojibwe and English and bilingualism, formative and transformative writers and writing (X-Men!), both past and present, representation of multidimensional indigenous characters, Byron's basketball career and its influence on his writing and world view, and salient themes and issues in her work like grief and traumas, personal and collective triumphs, family bonds, community, inevitable change, and biculturalism.      Byron Graves is Ojibwe and was born and raised on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota, where he played high school basketball. When he isn't writing, he can be found playing retro video games, spending time with his family, or cheering on his beloved Minnesota Timberwolves. Rez Ball is his debut novel.    Buy Rez Ball   1999 Article with Journalist Covering Byron's High School Basketball Season   Review by Amanda MacGregor for Teen Librarian Toolbox   Byron's Website with Harper Collins   At about 1:25, Byron lays out his quandary regarding two NBA teams At about 2:55, Byron talks about his language great grandparents and the fluency of family members in the Ojibwe language, and the ways in which language preservation has been done in his family and on his reservation At about 5:15, Byron characterizes the Ojibwe language and shares an evocative favorite phrase At about 6:20, Byron describes his childhood loves of comic books (particularly X-Men), video games, and more At about 9:15, Byron expands on writers and writing that ignited his love for reading, including Lord Byron and a special family memento involving Lord Byron At about 12:00, Byron talks about how representation has evolved and changed, particularly with regards to indigenous writers-a “beautiful renaissance” At about 15:05, Byron responds to Pete's questions about usage of different terminologies describing “indigenous” peoples At about 17:05, Byron talks about the 1992 US Basketball “Dream Team” and the team sparking his interest in basketball At about 20:00, Byron describes his game with a personal “scouting report” At about 21:55, Byron talks about how lessons learned on the basketball have informed so much of his later life At about 23:15, Byron talks how Frank Clancy' 1999 news stories affected Byron's own desire to write a book At about 29:30, a high-tension basketball game that begins the book is discussed, as well as the staggering loss of narrator's brother, Jaxon  At about 31:00, Byron discusses his rationale in including deep loss in the book, involving Tre's brother Jaxon  At about 34:05, The two fanboy over “Batman: The Animated Series” At about 34:30,  Byron expands upon the “beautiful chaos” of “rez ball”  At about 38:15, Pete gives some background on main characters in the book, as well as the documentation of Tre's season At about 39:40, Byron traces the idea of the basketball player as celebrity, and the ways this has changed since he was playing high school basketball in the late 90s At about 42:20, the ways in which Tre feels pressure/pride in representing his brother's legacy are explored At about 43:10, Khiana and Tre's friendship as a way of allowing Tre to be himself is included At about 45:20, the ways in which Tre's parents and Tre's teammates treat him after Jaxon's death, and how peer pressure comes into play for Tre going to parties and considering drinking are discussed At about 48:10, Pete and Byron recount some of the social and basketball-related growing pains that come in to play as Jaxon starts excelling on the basketball court, and sees his time consumed by basketball At about 51:50, Byron describes the “amalgamations” that inform the way he wrote conflicts between small town and city basketball teams, and about racism and ugly histories At about 55:00, Pete compliments a “heavy” and “profound scene” involving police misconduct and racism  At about 55:40, Byron responds to Pete's question about what drew Slam Magazine to interview and follow around Tre and his team At about 57:55, Pete “flags” (hehe) Cooper Flagg and Chet Holmgren as archetypes in the book At about 58:30, Byron reflects on a wistful statement made by Tre's teammate as Pete inquires about sympathies felt toward a character  At about 1:02:55, Byron talks about exciting future projects At about 1:04:10, Byron gives out contact and social media info         You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.       I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 253 with Akshaj Mehta, who has been writing since he was 4 years old. He is a former student of mine, and he is currently studying political science at UCLA as a second year student. Akshaj is an author with five published books, the most recent titled The Butterfly Effect, which was created in collaboration with the non-profit KidsFirst Roseville. He has also written for the N Magazine and Sacramento School Beat. The episode will go live on September 10.  Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon chat with the hilarious and multitalented Samantha Irby, author of multiple wickedly funny essay collections, as well as writer for multiple television series. Samantha talks about her own confidence and how she's able to write guiltless memoir pieces. She distinguishes between the experiences of watching what she's written versus reading what she's written. Has she bougie-ed out of her past? And, of course, what are the ins and outs of comedy-writing? Can it be taught? What are the industry-wide issues with gatekeeping? And who do you write to?  Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned bitches gotta eat! (Samantha Irby blog) “My Mother, My Daughter” (Samantha Irby, The Rumpus 2012) We Are Never Meeting In Real Life (Samantha Irby) Meaty (Samantha Irby) New Year, Same Trash (Samantha Irby) Wow, No Thank You (Samantha Irby) Quietly Hostile (Samantha Irby) Watch List: Shrill And Just Like That: Sex and the City Tuca and Bertie Atlanta Mea Culpa Paul Mooney Mike Epps Mo'Nique Shirley Hemphill Nell Carter Listening List: “Upgrade U” (Beyoncé) More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Notes and Links to Alexandra Alessandri's Work      For Episode 251, Pete welcomes Alexandra Alessandri, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early experiences with Spanish and English and bilingualism, formative and transformative writers and writing (Marquez! Allende! Santiago!), both past and present, representation in children's lit and beyond, muses and the Las Musas Collective that spurs on her writing, soccer fanaticism, and salient themes and issues in her work like reassurance for children in a scary world, family bonds, community, inevitable change, and biculturalism.      Alexandra Alessandri is the author of several books for children, including Feliz New Year, Ava Gabriela! (2020), Isabel and Her Colores Go to School (2021), The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía (2023), Our World Colombia (2024), Lupita's Hurricane Palomitas (2024), and Grow Up, Luchy Zapata (2024), which is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. Her short story “Kaleidoscope” is forthcoming in the YA verse anthology All The Love Under the Vast Sky (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025). Her books have gone on to receive numerous distinctions, including the Florida Book Award, International Latino Book Award, Américas Award Commendable Title, and the ILA 2022 Children's and Young Adults' Book Award in Primary Fiction.    The daughter of Colombian immigrants, Alexandra is a former Associate Professor of English at Broward College, where she currently teaches as an adjunct, and an instructor at UCLA Extension's Writers' Program. She is also a writer for Curriculum Associates and a poet, with some of her work appearing in The Acentos Review, Rio Grande Review, Atlanta Review, and Young Adult Review Network. She received her BA and MA degrees in English from Florida International University and a Certificate in Fiction Writing from UCLA Extension.    Alexandra's experience growing up straddling both cultures often influences her children's fiction and poetry. When not writing or teaching, Alexandra spends her time planning the next great adventure with her husband and son, with whom she lives in South Florida.    Buy Grow Up, Luchy Zapata   Review by Amanda MacGregor for Teen Librarian Toolbox   Alexandra's Website   At about 2:30, Alexandra talks about an exciting 2024 At about 3:15, Alexandra describes her multifaceted language background At about 4:30, Alexandra outlines the memorable “atmosphere” and the reading nooks of the libraries of her childhood, as well as what series and books she was into At about 6:10, Alexandra reflects on how she didn't always see herself reflected in what she read growing up, and how that has informed her own writing journey At about 7:30, Reading nook discussion! At about 8:15, Alexandra talks about a pivotal moment in her reading and representation as she wanted to do her masters thesis  At about 9:20, Gabo fan girling and boying, as Pete again shouts out “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” and “Someone Has Been Disarranging These Roses”  At about 11:00, Alexandra talks about writers who made her want to become a writer herself-transformational writers like Isabel Allende and Esmeralda Santiago  At about 12:30, Alexandra shouts out Adriana Cuevas, Rebecca Balcárcel and other contemporaries who thrill and inspire her, including Las Musas, a collective  At about 14:20, Alexandra responds to Pete's questions about genres and where she places herself At about 15:30, Alexandra responds to Pete's questions about if/how she reads differently as an author At about 16:30, Pete cites the greatness of Ingrid Rojas Contreras At about 16:55, Pete asks about Alexandra's muses within her own family, and the two discuss the vagaries of middle school and its changes At about 19:40, Pete recounts Luchy Zapata's first line and dedication and some of the book's exposition At about 22:00, Cami is analyzed as “the perfect Colombian,” as is Nucita brand At about 23:45, Alexandra discusses makeup as a “rite of passage,” in relation to Luchy's thoughts in the book At about 25:50, Alexandra breaks down a hurtful comment from the book At about 26:50, Pete asks Alexandra about the character of Melissa and ideas of “reinventing” oneself  At about 27:55, Awkwardness between good friends is discussed, as is a meaningful scrapbook At about 29:25, Luchy and his father's relationship, especially through soccer's importance, is explored At about 31:55, Luchy's short foray into being more like Cami and ideas of “being true to yourself” are discussed At about 34:45, Alexandra discusses insecurity and confusion involving Luchy's views on her heritage At about 36:00, Pete highlights the book's greatness in its hyperspecificity and also its universal issues/themes; Alexandra cites her history and her son's history in crafting Luchy's character At about 38:20, Alexandra expands on the various uses of “gringita” in Colombia  At about 39:35, Mateo and his friendship and his family troubles are discussed At about 40:45, Pete asks Alexandra about how her book was informed by the immediacy of adolescent issues At about 43:10, The discussion of Lupita's Hurricane Palomitas begins, as the two talk about various meanings of “palomitas”-shoutout to AC Quintero! At about 44:15, Alexandra talks about what it's like living in a hurricane zone At about 45:40, Alexandra reflects on ideas of communities coming together after disasters, as plays out in her children's book At about 46:40, Pete cites Levar Burton's The Rhino Who Swallowed the Storm and Lupita and books that bring comfort and reassurance to kids, and Pete discusses an early story he wrote gone wrong At about 49:40, Alexandra shares exciting new projects, including a personal piece coming out in January  At about 51:15, Alexandra gives contact info, social media info, and places to buy her book, including the great Books and Books    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 252 with Byron Graves. He is an Ojibwe writer born and raised on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota, where he played high school basketball. When he isn't writing, he can be found playing retro video games, spending time with his family, or cheering on his beloved Minnesota Timberwolves. Rez Ball is his debut novel. The episode will go live on September 10.  Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon dig into a classic essay by Toni Morrison, “The Work You Do, the Person You Are,” published in The New Yorker in May 2017. They talk about labor and self-identity — how our feelings of worth can become so closely tied to the work we do, in ways that can become unhealthy, both in the corporate world and in the art we create.  Kiese Laymon: “Without labor and work, I don't know who I am. And I think that's terrifying.”  Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned “The Work You Do, the Person You Are” Toni Morrison (The New Yorker, 2017) Daddy Was a Number Runner (Louise Meriwether, 1970) “On Writing and the Business of Writing” (Carmen Maria Machado, 2022) Playing in the Dark (Toni Morrison, 1992) "The Cask of Amontillado" (Edgar Allan Poe, 1846) More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) City Summer, Country Summer (Kiese Laymon & Alexis Franklin) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw & Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

Notes and Links to Ben Tanzer's Work      For Episode 250, Pete welcomes Ben Tanzer, and the two discuss, among other topics, his childhood love of books, formative and transformative writers and writing, bothy past and present, muses, Jim Carroll and his powerful and pivotal work, Ben's podcast and motivations for living the creative life, and salient themes and issues in his novel like sacrifice, family bonds, parenthood, small towns, the unknown, and awe.      Ben Tanzer is an Emmy-award winning coach, creative strategist, podcaster, writer, teacher and social worker who has been helping nonprofits, publishers, authors, small business and career changers tell their stories for 20 plus years. He serves as a Lecturer (and part-time faculty) at Lake Forest College, where he teaches LOOP 202: 21st Century Development and Liberal Arts and The Workplace. He produces and hosts This Podcast Will Change Your Life (300+ episodes and counting), which was launched in February 2010, focuses on authors and changemakers from around the country and the world, and was named by Elephant Journal as one of "The 10 Best Podcasts to Help you Change your Life. His written work includes the short story collection UPSTATE, the science fiction novel Orphans and the essay collections Lost in Space and Be Cool. I'm a storySouth and Pushcart nominee, a finalist for the Annual National Indie Excellence and Eric Hoffer Book Awards, a winner of the Devil's Kitchen Literary Festival Nonfiction Prose Award and a Midwest Book Award.   Buy The Missing   A Conversation with Ben in The Chicago Review   Ben Tanzer's Website   At about 2:15, Ben gives background on the “creative life” and his day-to-day and “hustle” At about 5:30, Ben describes the importance of an “awesomely discouraging” tax person when one lives the creative life At about 6:45, Ben shouts out Columbia College in Chicago At about 7:45, Ben discusses his early relationship with reading and the written word At about 10:00, Ben talks about meaningful feedback in a writing class and how he started his writing career  At about 11:10, Ben cites Jim Carroll's Basketball Diaries, DeGrazia's American Skin, and other formative texts, like Catcher in the Rye, Will Allison and Joe Mino,  At about 14:10, Ben reflects on the importance of cross country and wrestling in his life At about 15:10, Ben shouts out Wendy C. Ortiz's Excavation, Gina Frangello, Donald Quist, Joe Meno, Sara Lippman, Alice Kaltman, Gionna Cromley, Lee Matthew Goldberg, and Lisa Cross Smith as writers and writing that thrills and inspires and “crush[es]” him At about 17:30, Pete cites the thrill of meeting standout writers, and Ben expands upon ideas of the brain being “profoundly affected” by meeting literary heroes At about 20:10, Ben talks about his podcast and its roots and philosophy  At about 22:30, Ben responds to Pete's question about Ben's viewpoint on the “muse,” in both his writing and his podcasting-shout out to SpiderMeka! At about 27:15, Pete and Ben lay out the book's exposition and Ben discusses the book's seeds At about 29:45, Ben gives background on a stimulating idea provided by his agent At about 31:45, The two discuss the aging and maturing or not of the central characters of the book At about 36:00, The two discuss how Ben writes about “what could have been” in using “speculative flashbacks” and ideas of the sexualization of young girls, especially in missing children cases; Ben shouts out Emily Schultz's Little Threats At about 40:35, Ben reflects on playing with the idea of having a kid who would dare date someone with a bad haircut, etc. At about 42:25, The two discuss unprocessed traumas and Hannah and Gabriel's mindsets and an awe-inspiring scene involving trains At about 47:00-Bobby Baccala and the trains-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! At about 47:45, Ben responds to Pete's comments about Gabriel being referenced in the book as a “good father and a bad husband” At about 51:45, Pete wonders about Krista's reasons for leaving, and Ben talks about the unknown and his rationale in using a lot of unknown, as well as how many real-life parallels he's seen to the book's events At about 55:35, A key question about living one's best life is explored At about 56:15, Casting choices abound! and Ben expands on his interest in Officer John At about 57:35, Ed, father of Hannah, is explored as a victim and a great listener, and Gabriel's mother as an “enabler” is expanded upon At about 1:01:05, Ben gives contact info and social media information At about 1:03:10, Pete and Ben discuss the buying domain business    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 251 with Alexandra Alessandri. She is the author of several books for children, including Isabel and Her Colores Go to School (2021), and Grow Up, Luchy Zapata (2024), a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection; her books have received numerous distinctions, including the International Latino Book Award    The episode will go live on September 3.     Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

On the latest episode of Reckon True Stories, Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon are joined by MacArthur Genius and National Book Award Winner Dr. Imani Perry to discuss genre, personal stories and the ethical commitment to those we write about, the utilization of craft to bring the reader close to the experience and the body, the body as political, Black women and silence, mobility, music, and mothering.  They ask the question of what we owe of ourselves as writers — and particularly Black writers— to our audience, and they explore what it looks like to maintain boundaries, to self-preserve, and to rest. In Kiese's words, he calls it learning “the art of not just no, but not now.” Kiese praises Dr. Perry on how she has never written the same kind of book twice, and in this episode, she talks about her inspirations, how she chooses what to write towards, and what questions she is consistently leaning into in her work. Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned South to America (Imani Perry) Breathe: A Letter To My Sons (Imani Perry) Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop (Imani Perry) Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry (Imani Perry) May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem (Imani Perry) Percival Everett A Dangerously High Threshold for Pain (Imani Perry) Alice Walker Nikky Finney “She Changed Black Literature Forever. Then She Disappeared.” (Imani Perry, New York Times 2021) “‘Palmares' Is An Example Of What Grows When Black Women Choose Silence” (Deesha Philyaw, Electric Literature 2021) Palmares (Gayl Jones) Robert Stepto Hazel Carby Zora Neale Hurston Katherine Dunham Moms Mabley 1000 Words (Jami Attenberg) Lessons for Survival: Mothering Against “The Apocalypse” (Emily Raboteau) How To Live Free In A Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir (Shayla Lawson) A Mercy (Toni Morrison) Listening List: Nina Simone Miles Davis “Nobody's Supposed To Be Here” (Deborah Cox) More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) City Summer, Country Summer (Kiese Laymon & Alexis Franklin) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw & Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

Notes and Links to Katya Apekina's Work      For Episode 248, Pete welcomes Katya Apekina, and the two discuss, among other topics, her language abilities and her extensive cross-cultural readings; motherhood, the loss of loved ones, and other catalysts for Mother Doll, and salient themes and issues in her collection like intergenerational traumas, women's agency, fatalism, guilt, and redemption.      Katya Apekina is a novelist, screenwriter and translator. Her novel, The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish, was named a Best Book of 2018 by Kirkus, Buzzfeed, LitHub and others, was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize and has been translated into Spanish, Catalan, French, German and Italian. She has published stories in various literary magazines and translated poetry and prose for Night Wraps the Sky: Writings by and about Mayakovsky (FSG, 2008), short-listed for the Best Translated Book Award. She co-wrote the screenplay for the feature film New Orleans, Mon Amour, which premiered at SXSW in 2008. She is the recipient of an Elizabeth George grant, an Olin Fellowship, the Alena Wilson prize and a 3rd Year Fiction Fellowship from Washington University in St. Louis where she did her MFA. She has done residencies at VCCA, Playa, Ucross, Art Omi: Writing and Fondation Jan Michalski in Switzerland. Born in Moscow, she grew up in Boston, and currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter and dog. Buy Mother Doll   “Katya Apekina's ‘Mother Doll' isn't your ordinary ghost story” in The Los Angeles Times   Katya's Website   At about 2:40, Katya talks about her early experiences in being bilingual and how her early language learning has affected her reading and writing and ways of seeing the world  At about 6:05, Katya talks about ways in which Russian writing manifests itself At about 8:00, Katya catalogs formative and informative writers and writing upon which she draws inspiration  At about 9:45, Katya details a Holden Caulfield-esque action she took in high school At about 10:45, The two discuss cool craft techniques of Chekhov At about 11:25, Katya outlines the beginnings of her formal writing life after pivoting from photography, including the power of Charles Simic and Roberto Bolaño  At about 14:45, Katya highlights contemporary writers who inspire and thrill her, including Sasha Vasilyuk and Ruth Madievsky, and Alexandra Tanner At about 17:35, Pete shares the wonderful reviews for the book, including Lauren Groff's At about 18:20, Katya shares seeds for the book, especially with regards to intergenerational traumas  At about 21:45, Katya recounts some plot summary and real-life inspirations and parallels  At about 22:50, Pete quotes the book's first line-a “banger”-and Katya gives background on the book's sequencing  At about 25:25, Pete sets some of the book's exposition and asks Katya about the “chorus” and her visual idea of this chorus At about 27:20, Irina is introduced and the two discuss her wanting to relieve her burdens, and Katya describes what Zhenia might see in Anton/Ben At about 30:10, Katya responds to Pete's questions about why Zhenia decides to help translate for Paul, the medium, regarding her great-grandmother At about 33:00, Katya expands upon Paul's reasons for getting into the medium space, as well as how some people are many “permeable” to messaging from beyond At about 35:10, Pete traces some early flashbacks from Irina and her early leanings towards revolution At about 36:15, Katya responds to Pete's asking about Hanna and other characters and their motivations and possible naivete At about 39:00, Pete and Katya discuss the changing and convoluted factions and connections that characterized the Russian Revolution, and the differing visions of change At about 41:50, Katya talks about how Zhenia thinks of her grandmother's death and funeral At about 43:30, Pete asks about parallels in the book, both on the micro and macro levels; Katya speaks about “iterations” of history At about 46:30, Pete alludes to “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros in asking Katya to speak to the significance of the book's title At about 48:40, The two discuss fatalism as a common theme in Russian diasporic literature in general, and this book in particular At about 51:00, Katya talks about exciting upcoming projects At about 52:00, Katya gives contact info and social media information      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 249 with Jesse Katz, whose writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, Rolling Stone, Details, Texas Monthly, Food & Wine, Men's Health, and many other publications. His work has been anthologized in Best American Magazine Writing and Best American Crime Writing; his latest book is the critically-acclaimed The Rent Collectors, about the reverberations of a tragic murder in LA's MacArthur Park area.    The episode airs later today, August 20.    Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon discuss the “manosphere,” — specifically how Black men show up in the space of it, and how Black women respond to it. Deesha talks about a “de-centering of romance” and recognition that women have come to see that their lives are full and beautiful without being partnered with a man who does not listen to or respect them.  They are interested in the deconstruction of the notions of masculinity, of repair and accountability, and of the homosociality/eroticism of the manosphere, as well as the pulling away of intimacy between cishet men. And they discuss what the work might look like. Therapy, radical change, deconstructing notions of masculinity, and possibly even retiring the terms “masculinity” and “femininity” altogether. Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned “My Brush with the Black Manosphere” (Nicole Young, Elle 2022) Warsan Shire Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man (Steve Harvey) bell hooks Audrey Lorde “Men are lost. Here's a map out of the wilderness.” (Christine Emba, The Washington Post 2023) “How To Be A Better Man Right Now” (Jeff Gordinier, Esquire 2024) Listening List: Jokes On You (podcast hosted by Mel Mitchell and Talle) “The disappearance of men” (Christine Emba, YouTube 2024) Instagram Reel by Ari Jai More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw & Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon sit down with Minda Honey to discuss her recently published memoir, The Heartbreak Years, and the role that Honey's own experiences, and the stories told to her by family, have had on shaping her work.  With her debut, Honey — who also edits Black Joy at Reckon — was praised for her ability to linger in the body and the desires of a Black woman while also seamlessly moving through not just place, but time. As Kiese Laymon says, “I actually thought what Minda was doing was like a new kind of travel writing. And so I was just so excited when everybody got to read it.” Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned The Heartbreak Years (Minda Honey) “The Reality of Dating All Men When You're Black” (Minda Honey, Gawker 2014) “Woman of Color in Wide Open Spaces” (Minda Honey, Longreads 2017) Black Joy at Reckon Cheryl Strayed's Dear Sugar Sari Botton Sweet Valley High Series (Francine Pascal) Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Mildred D. Taylor) Milk Blood Heat (Dantiel Moniz) “On Being Black in Kentucky and Charles Booker's Historic Run for Senate” (Minda Honey, Salon 2020) Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghost (Crystal Wilkinson) Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston) “Writing for the Bad Faith Reader” (Susie Dumond, Melissa Febos, BookRiot 2023) Danielle Buckingham  “A Farewell to Fuckboys in the Age of Consent Culture” (Minda Honey, Longreads 2018) Listening List: “Doo Wop (That Thing)” (Lauryn Hill) More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw & Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

Notes and Links to Shannon Sanders' Work      For Episode 245, Pete welcomes Shannon Sanders, and the two discuss, among other topics, her childhood love of books, Toni Morrison and her powerful and pivotal work, Shannon's writing for her job as a lawyer, rocking sneakers at a prize-winning, and salient themes and issues in her collection like generational differences, sacrifice, family bonds, motherhood, the title's connection to guests and hosts(esses), and racism and sexism and the ways in which they work on the characters' pasts and presents.      Shannon Sanders is the author of the linked short story collection Company, which won the 2024 Los Angeles Times Book Prize's Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, was named a Publishers Weekly and Debutiful Best Book of 2023, and was shortlisted for the 2024 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. Her short fiction has appeared in One Story, Sewanee Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Electric Literature, and elsewhere, and received a PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. She lives in Silver Spring with her husband and three sons.   Buy Company   Review of Company in Washington Post   Shannon Sanders' Website   At about 1:35, Pete shouts out Shannon's stellar Twitter presence  At about 3:00, Shannon charts her childhood reading journey, and how she became an active writer from high school on At about 5:40, Shannon talks about chill-inducing writing and writers, including Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, Stephen King, and VC Andrews, with modern writers like Lisa Taddeo, Deesha Philyaw, Danielle Evans,  At about 9:15, Shannon responds to Pete's questions about representation in what she has read, and she shouts out Toni Morrison (including Jazz) and Octavia Butler, to whom she was introduced in Vicki Adamson's high school class At about 11:55, Shannon talks about the writing in her lawyerly life and how it informs her fiction At about 13:50, Shannon details the wonderful experience of winning her prize at the LA Times Book Festival and her unique footwear At about 16:10, Shannon talks about Company's genre and the links between stories At about 17:30, Shannon outlines the background and rationale for using a family tree at the beginning of the book At about 19:15, Pete highlights a Sebastian Maniscalco skit that has to do with the shift in the last few decades in having “company” at home, and Shannon explains her collection's stories' connections to the idea of hosts(esses) and guests At about 21:00, Pete gives background on “The Good, Good Men,” the collection's first story, and alludes to Antonya Nelson's “In the Land of Men” At about 23:30, Birds of paradise as a story and the birds themselves are discussed as Pete asks about debts and generational expectations for all women and for Black women At about 27:35, Shannon talks about a story where you uses second person, its inspirations in Jamaica Kincaid's legendary “Girl” and others, and birth order and generational differences At about 30:50, The two discuss the theme of sacrifice through a flashback story At about 34:35, Pete highlights a story based on flashback and incredible selflessness and the ways in which the collection felt “finished” At about 38:00, Ideas of “old money” and treasured memories and empathy are discussed  At about 39:15, Shannon talks about the story “Rioja” and traces the family's machinations and subtleties At about 41:35, “La Belle Hottentot” is discussed, including the sordid and tragic history, and how it is one of two stories that are different perspectives from the  At about 44:00, Opal, the family matriarch is analyzed through a pivotal story in the collection At about 47:45, Shannon responds to Pete's questions about maintaining continuity in her story collection At about 50:50, Shannon answers Pete's questions about how much she herself shows up in the collection's characters  At about 53:00, Pete quotes Ruth Madievsky about the ways in which different writers write and edit, and Shannon discusses her own style(s) At about 54:55, The two explore ghosts and their significance in the collection At about 56:00, Shannon gives interesting background on the character Lucy and her childhood friend and the storyline At about 57:30, a “literal” ghost story is probed At about 1:01:15, Shannon talks about exciting new projects and whether characters from Company will be expanded upon At about 1:02:50, Shannon gives contact info and info for buying her book      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Deesha Philyaw, Luis Alberto Urrea, Chris Stuck, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 246 with Ruben Reyes, Jr. He is the son of two Salvadoran immigrants, completed his MFA in fiction at the Iowa Writers' Workshop; and is a graduate of Harvard College. His writing has appeared in Audible Originals, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The Acentos Review, Strange Horizons, Poynter, and other publications. His debut story collection, There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, is out as of today, August 6, along with our wonderful conversation. Happy Pub Day, Ruben! Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon chat with writer Alexander Chee, author of Edinburgh, The Queen of the Night, and How to Write an Autobiographical Novel. The three writers talk about their journeys in the publishing industry, and what success has meant to each of them, specifically in regards to money. They discuss Chee's essay, “My Inheritance Was My Father's Last Lesson To Me,” where he writes about his relationship to money, how it changes over time, and what the relationship between anxiety, money, and body looks like.  Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays (Alexander Chee) “How to Unlearn Everything” (Alexander Chee, Vulture 2019) Edinburgh (Alexander Chee) The Queen of the Night (Alexander Chee) Other Peoples' Husbands (forthcoming by Alexander Chee) “When Horror is the Truth-Teller” (Alexander Chee, Guernica 2023) “My Inheritance Was My Father's Last Lesson To Me, And I Am Still Learning It” (Alexander Chee, Buzzfeed 2018) Damon Young “Storycraft: Point of Telling” (Junot Diaz, StoryWorlds 2023) Jesus' Son (Denis Johnson) The Children's Hospital (Chris Adrian) The War: A Memoir (Marguerite Duras) Sarah Schulman The Book of Love (Kelly Link) Enter Ghost (Isabella Hammad) Notes from an Island (Tove Jansson) The Moomins and the Great Flood (Tove Jansson) Same Bed Different Dreams (Ed Park) Listening List: Luther Vandross Favorite Albums of Each Year (Hanif Abdurraqib, Medium, 2016 - 2023) CCFX Lil Nas X Yeah Yeah Yeahs Omar Apollo Billie Eilish Nicki Minaj Japanese Breakfast Angel Olsen U.S. Girls Wet Leg More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw & Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon discuss the complicated process of writing about family — specifically parents. They talk about the ways parents fail, how they disappoint, but why it is important, and necessary when writing about family and those we love, to give them grace, and allow them the room to make mistakes. They ask the question, What do we owe to those we write about? And they call for writers to be guided, first and foremost, by love.  Deesha and Kiese talk about their own relationships with their parents, the processing and tending to those relationships, and how they moved through feelings of shame and anger while working through layers of grief.  Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned Heavy (Kiese Laymon) “Snap” (Deesha Philyaw, Pipe Wrench Magazine 2021) “How Can You Be Mad At Someone Who's Dying Of Cancer?” (Deesha Philyaw, Full Grown People 2015) “Whiting” (Deesha Philyaw, Short Reads 2023) “These Are Your Memories” (Kiese's mother's letter, 2018)  “If We Can Soar: What Birmingham Roller Pigeons Offer the Men of South Central” (Shanna B. Tiayon, Pipe Wrench Magazine 2021) More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw & Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

Deesha and Kiese welcome acclaimed writer, poet, and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib, author of There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension. They talk about music—the significance of music to their youth and their lives now, their listening practices, and Abdurraqib's process of creating playlists. They also discuss basketball and what is so special, so singular, about Columbus in terms of high school basketball. Deesha admits how she's had to challenge her own notions of Ohio in regards to sports and to politics, and Abdurraqib talks about the joys and the frustrations of place, of community, and of notions of home. Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned Hanif Abdurraqib Yona Harvey Brian Broome Hanif Abdurraqib Blog (Medium) There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension (Hanif Abdurraqib) “Nicki Minaj's ‘Pink Friday' Sequel is Pure Spectacle” (Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker 2023) Diane Seuss Greg Tate Wanda Coleman Terrance Hayes Listening List: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (Nirvana) “Funkytown” (Lipps Inc.) “Nothing from Nothing” (Billy Preston) “Kung Fu Fighting” (Carl Douglas) Parliament Funkadelic Hot Buttered Soul (Isaac Hayes) Celia Cruz Miriam Makeba Whitney Houston “Basketball” (Kurtis Blow) “Shoot Pass Slam” (Shaquille O'Neal) “(I Know I Got) Skillz” (Shaquille O'Neal) “Soul in the Hole” (3rd Bass) (7L & Esoteric, The Handle ft. Sadat X) “Hit ‘em High” (Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J, Method Man) “Let's Go Crazy” (Prince & The Revolution) “Human Made” (Kid Cudi) “The Pink Seashell” (Fall Out Boy, Ethan Hawke) African-American Sound Recordings BLK ODYSSY “Yellow Brick Road” (Lo Village) Flood City Trax (Nondi) Black Rainbows (Corinne Bailey Rae) Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? (McKinley Dixon) Pink Friday 2 (Nicki Minaj) Allison Russell Read more from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw & Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

This week on Black & Published we're introducing you to a new show that we love, Reckon True Stories hosted by acclaimed authors Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon. Guests for Season One include writers Roxane Gay, Imani Perry, Alexander Chee, Minda Honey, Hanif Abdurraqib, and Samantha Irby. Reckon True Stories is a celebration of new and classic nonfiction – the essays, journalism, and memoirs that inspire us, that change the world, and help us connect with each other. Show credits: Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark ArmstrongAssociate producer: Marina LeighEpisode editor: Kelly ArajaProduced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon News. Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. NaveUrsa Executive Producers: Dawnie Walton, Deesha Philyaw, and Mark ArmstrongSupport the Show.Follow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

Acclaimed author Roxane Gay joins Deesha and Kiese for a wide-ranging conversation about her writing journey, bringing your whole self to the page, the pressures of social media, and the value of criticism.  Gay talks about her forthcoming book on writing advice, How to Be Heard, and Deesha and Kiese ask about her current pop culture influences—what she's watching and who she's listening to—and Deesha gets another hint about Roxane Gay's nemesis. Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned Ayiti (Roxane Gay) An Untamed State (Roxane Gay) Bad Feminist (Roxane Gay) Difficult Women (Roxane Gay) Hunger (Roxane Gay) Black Panther: World of Wakanda (Ta-Nehisi Coates, Roxane Gay, et. al)  The Audacity  Opinions (Roxane Gay) “Why People Are So Awful Online” (Roxane Gay, The New York Times 2021) Donna Tartt James Hadley Chase Tayari Jones “A Conversation with Kiese Laymon” (Roxane Gay, The Nation 2013) Roxane Gay Reviews On Goodreads “What Fullness Is” (Roxane Gay, Medium 2018) How to be Heard (Roxane Gay) Sonia Sanchez “Work Friend” column (Roxane Gay, The New York Times) Choire Sicha “i cannot stop thinking about true detective: cold lesbians” (Samantha Irby, bitches gotta eat! 2024) Watch List: ReesaTeesa on TikTok True Detective : Night Country Expats The Farewell Listening List: American Requiem (Beyoncé)  The Roxane Gay Agenda podcast  Brooks & Dunn More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton) Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

In the premiere episode of Reckon True Stories, co-hosts and acclaimed authors Deesha Philyaw (The Secret Lives of Church Ladies) and Kiese Laymon (Heavy, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, Long Division) come together to kick off a season where nonfiction takes the spotlight. They talk about their own journeys to writing nonfiction, the distinctions they make between their essay writing and fiction writing, as well as how they came to collaborate and work together in the publishing industry.  Deesha and Kiese discuss writing on their own terms, revising their own ideas of what an essay is “supposed” to do or look like, and putting themselves back into the writing, while also exploring what makes for a compelling essay — calling for the writer to not lose the storytelling aspect in their nonfiction work. Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned Robert Jones Jr. The Fire This Time (Jesmyn Ward) Becoming (Michelle Obama) Damon Young Emma Carmichael “The Girl Is Mine” (Deesha Philyaw, Literary Mama 2004) Co-Parenting 101: Helping Your Kids Thrive in Two Households After Divorce  Song of Solomon (Toni Morrison) “The Charge of the Light Brigade” (Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Poetry Foundation) “Annabel Lee” (Edgar Allan Poe, Poetry Foundation) Yusef Komunyakaa  How to Sit (Tyrese Coleman) “Water Come Back To You: On Trying To Write About Love” (Deesha Philyaw, Split Lip Mag 2021) “Whiting” (Deesha Philyaw, Short Reads 2023) “The 13 Guys You'll Meet On A Dating App” (Deesha Philyaw, Medium 2019) “If He Hollers Let Him Go” (Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah, The Believer 2013) “The Case for Reparations” (Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Atlantic 2014) “I Called Out American Dirt's Racism. I Won't Be Silenced.” (Myriam Gurba, Vox 2020) Creep: Accusations and Confessions (Myriam Gurba) “On No Longer Being A Hysterical Woman” (Nafissa Thompson-Spires, The Paris Review 2020) Oldster (Sari Botton) “Feral” (Staci Greason, Oldster 2023) Memoir Monday Electric Literature More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon:  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Heavy (Kiese Laymon) Long Division (Kiese Laymon) How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon) Ursa Short Fiction podcast Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon.  Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Associate Producer: Marina Leigh Episode Editor: Kelly Araja Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. Nave Reckon Deputy Editor: Michelle Zenarosa Audience Director: Katie Johnston Creative Strategist: Abbey Crain Sr. Social Producer: Sid Espinosa

Dawnie Walton and Deesha Philyaw introduce us to Reckon True Stories, a brand new podcast hosted by Deesha and acclaimed author Kiese Laymon, dedicated to all things nonfiction. Listen, then follow the show in your favorite podcast so you don't miss an episode: https://link.chtbl.com/truestories Guests for Season One include writers Roxane Gay, Imani Perry, Alexander Chee, Minda Honey, Hanif Abdurraqib, and Samantha Irby. Produced in partnership with Reckon. We'll also have more episodes of Ursa Short Fiction coming this fall! Sign up for email updates: https://ursastory.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://ursastory.com/join

This week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Deesha Philyaw, author of “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies,” and Kiese Laymon, author of books including “Heavy” and “Long Division.” They're teaming up for a new podcast on nonfiction writing, and they have lots of thoughts about it.

Reckon and Ursa Story Company are proud to present Reckon True Stories, a new podcast hosted by acclaimed authors Deesha Philyaw (The Secret Lives of Church Ladies) and Kiese Laymon (Heavy, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, Long Division), all about the stories we tell and how they impact our culture.  Guests for Season One include writers Roxane Gay, Imani Perry, Alexander Chee, Minda Honey, Hanif Abdurraqib, and Samantha Irby.  Reckon True Stories is a celebration of new and classic nonfiction – the essays, journalism, and memoirs that inspire us, that change the world, and help us connect with each other.

Purity Culture is largely embedded within White social and political systems intended to dominate and control bodies through a hyper-moralistic, anti-sex landscape.   However, in this last week of Black History month, it's imperative that we talk about the ways that Purity Culture has impacted Black communities.   To help us, we are sharing our interview with Deesha Philyaw (@deeshaphilyaw), author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, about how the values of Purity Culture have infiltrated Black churches and informed sexual relationships and expectations within the Black community. We talk about: Purity Culture within Cultural Contexts Values  How Sexual Misinformation Informs the Writing Process The Lack of Conversation  Divorce within the Church Fiction and Sexual Health  Suffering in Silence  “Daddy Issues''  Grief  Working Through Self-Hate Through Fiction  Sexism within Black Churches  Check out Episode 59: Banned Books: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, with Deesha Philyaw on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Please give us a five star review as well!   Show notes and transcript are found on the Sexvangelicals website.

Deesha Philyaw is a writer whose debut short story collection, "The Secret Lives of Church Ladies," was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award. Her works touch on themes of race, sex, gender and pop culture. Philyaw shares her Brief But Spectacular take on Black women, sex and the Black church. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Deesha Philyaw is a writer whose debut short story collection, "The Secret Lives of Church Ladies," was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award. Her works touch on themes of race, sex, gender and pop culture. Philyaw shares her Brief But Spectacular take on Black women, sex and the Black church. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

We are all the way LIVE…But Make it Books! Join Niccara, Brandon, and Deesha Philyaw, author of a Finalist for the National Book Award for The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, as they discuss how the church fashions young Black women, the importance of intergenerational representation, Deesha's writing process, and share light discourse about Greenleaf. This episode marks our first live event and we hope you can join us at the next one!   Books Discussed: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw   Special Thanks: Baltimore Center Stage Hopscotch Bottle Shop Love More Bmore Naomi Rivers, author of THIS: A Simple, Complex Love Story Sacred Touch Xander and Olive Jewelry   Follow us on Instagram: @butmakeitbookspod  Get any books discussed here: www.charmcitybooks.com   Thank you for listening and sharing!

Deesha and Dawnie chat with Denne Michele Norris, editor-in-chief of Electric Literature and author of the forthcoming debut novel, When The Harvest Comes (Random House). She is also the first Black, openly trans woman to helm a major literary publication. Norris discusses her approaches to both writing and editing, sharing insights for writers on working with editors. She also talks about the ways different genres — from fiction to essay to memoir — all require their own approaches. Norris asks questions of herself and of the work, aiming to edit “ethically and responsibly and [tell] a beautiful story.” Support our show by becoming an Ursa Member: ursastory.com/join Reading List: Stories and Writers Mentioned Denne Michele Norris McSweeney's 62: The Queer Fiction Issue Food 4 Thot Podcast "An Almanac of Bones" (Dantiel W. Moniz) The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison) Everyday People: The Color of Life Anthology (edited by Jennifer Baker)  "Daddy's Boy" (Denne Michele Norris) Jade Jones Going To Meet The Man (James Baldwin) Friday Black (Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah) Milk Blood Heat (Dantiel W. Moniz) The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) What It Means When A Man Falls From The Sky (Lesley Nneka Arimah) Difficult Women (Roxane Gay) About the Author  Denne Michele Norris is the editor-in-chief of Electric Literature, winner of the 2022 Whiting Digital Literary Magazine Prize, where she is the first Black, openly trans woman to helm a major literary publication. A 2021 Out100 Honoree, her writing has been supported by MacDowell, Tin House, VCCA, and the Kimbilio Center for African American Fiction, and appears in McSweeney's, American Short Fiction, and ZORA. She co-hosts the critically acclaimed podcast Food 4 Thot, and mentors emerging writers of color with The Periplus Collective. Her debut novel, When The Harvest Comes, is forthcoming from Random House.  More from Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (Dawnie Walton) *** Associate producer: Marina Leigh Episode editor: Kelly Araja Executive producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Author photo: Hilary Leichter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://ursastory.com/join

This week we're excited to share a very special episode of Ursa Short Fiction — a Member Exclusive where Dawnie Walton chats with Deesha Philyaw about this week's big news: Deesha has just signed a seven-figure book deal with Mariner Books for a new novel, THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF FIRST LADY FREEMAN, and short story collection, GIRL, LOOK. The novel is due out in 2025.  Enjoy this free teaser from our Member Exclusive episode. To access the full episode, become an Ursa Member: ursastory.com/join.   Links Author Deesha Philyaw has a 7-figure deal for her next two books (Associated Press)  “Back Then” (Mike Jones) Peach Pit: Sixteen Stories of Unsavory Women (anthology edited by Molly Llewellyn and Kristel Buckley) Mariner Books Rakia Clark Punch Me Up to the Gods (Brian Broome)  More from Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (Dawnie Walton) Produced & edited by Mark Armstrong Associate producer: Marina Leigh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://ursastory.com/join

Watch the Interview Here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebarandthebookcaseEmail: thebarandthebookcase@gmail.comJaylen's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebarandthebookcase/Reading the Room Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readingtheroom.podcast/Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/64819771-jaylenTikTok: tiktok.com/@thebarandthebookcase

Get ready for your TBR pile to actually topple over as we discuss a truly abundant season of publishing and books. The fall publishing calendar has a lot of hype-worthy titles, and in today's episode you'll hear our pared down lists (it was a struggle!) of excellent fall fiction due to hit shelves soon. This includes big books from BIG authors, intriguing titles from small indie presses, and a smattering of assorted fiction and non-fiction we think you'll love. Plus, each title we preview in today's episode is perfectly paired with a backlist book for your consideration, giving us the option to explore additional titles while we wait for our library holds and pre-orders to come in. If you love the work of public scholarship and the mission of Novel Pairings, we'd love for you to take a moment and share a review of the show over on Apple Podcasts. These reviews greatly help our shows visibility, and mean that other readers and lifelong learners have the opportunity to join our community. Novel Pairings also offers bonus content, classes, and a virtual book club through Patreon and we'd love to have you join. Tiers start at just $5 a month, and a 10% discount on annual subscriptions is available. Head over to patreon.com/novelpairings to sign up today!    Books Mentioned:    The Fraud by Zadie Smith Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff  Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, American captivity narratives Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward Jubilee by Margaret Walker America Fantastica by Tim O'Brien In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien Absolution by Alice McDermott The Mountains Sing by Ngyuen Phan Que Mai Peach Pit: Sixteen Stories of Unsavory Women, edited by Molly Llewellyn & Kristel Buckely, ft. Deesha Philyaw, Lauren Groff, & more (Dzanc Books)  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite Company by Shannon Sanders  The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw Bluebeard's Castle by Anna Biller (Verso)  Rebecca and Jane Eyre North Woods by Daniel Mason  Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell Every Duke Has His Day by Suzanne Enoch  Bringing Up Baby (1938) When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin People Collide by Isle McElroy  Orlando by Virginia Woolf Starling House by Alix E. Harrow  Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia One Woman Show by Christine Coulson  From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler The New Naturals by Gabriel Bump  This Other Eden by Paul Harding Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation by Tiya Miles  End of the Rope: Mountains, Marriage, and Motherhood by Jan Redford The Loneliness Files by Athena Dixon  Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino  

Deesha and Dawnie introduce “What Got Into Us,” a short story by Jacob Guajardo, performed by Vicki Valdeon. The story is a candid look into queer adolescence, first loves, recklessness, and unbridled vulnerability. It was originally published in Passages North, and featured in The Best American Short Stories 2018. Listen to the story, then stay tuned at the end for Guajardo in his own words, sharing how the story came together, and how he approaches the writing process. Support our show and help fund future episodes: https://ursastory.com/join/ Reading List: Stories and Writers Mentioned The Best American Short Stories 2018 (edited by Roxane Gay) “I Only Did What Anyone Would Have Done” (Jacob Guajardo) “Moonmilk” (Jacob Guajardo) “Widowers” (Jacob Guajardo) “Good News Is Coming” (Jacob Guajardo) “The Seminar” (Jacob Guajardo) “Two Queens Walk Out Of A Bar” (Jacob Guajardo) Amy Hempel Ocean Vuong Garth Greenwell About the Author Jacob Guajardo lives and writes in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His fiction appears in The Best American Short Stories 2018 and Small Odysseys: Selected Shorts Presents 35 New Stories, among other publications. He is the recipient of the 2020 Robert Maxwell Fellowship from MacDowell. He works from home as a Narrative Designer. More from Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (Dawnie Walton) *** Performed by Vicki Valdeon Associate producers: Marina Leigh, Ashawnta Jackson Executive producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://ursastory.com/join

Jes and Sarah are taking us back to middle school this month! They're talking about some of their favorite books from when they were in middle school and giving you some readalikes for those books today!   Show Notes   Middle School Books and Readalikes   Weetzie Bat, by Francesca Lia Block One Last Stop, by Casey McQuiston Stray City, by Chelsey Johnson   Shadow Children series, by Margaret Peterson Haddix How Beautiful We Were, by Imbolo Mbue War Girls, by Tochi Onyebuchi   Fear Street series, by R.L. Stine My Heart is a Chainsaw, by Stephen Graham Jones Camp Damascus, by Chuck Tingle   Island series, by Gordon Korman Into the Jungle, by Erica Ferencik The River, by Peter Heller   The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline B. Cooney Dear Child, by Romy Hausmann A Girl Named Anna, by Lizzy Barber   From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg Where'd You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by C. Alan Bradley   What We're Reading The Wallflower Wager, by Tessa Dare Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon, by Melissa L. Sevigny How Can I Help You, by Laura Sims Thornhedge, by T. Kingfisher The Forest Brims Over, by Maru Ayase; translated by Haydn Trowell   First Dibs A Bold Return to Giving a Damn: One Farm, Six Generations, and the Future of Food, by Will Harris Say You'll Be Mine, by Naina Kumar   Best Bets Fight Night, by Miriam Toews The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, by Deesha Philyaw

Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton go in-depth with Rubén Degollado, author of the novel The Family Izquierdo, which started out as a short story collection about a single family. Degollado's story “The Seven Songs” was featured on last week's episode, and he discusses his journey to writing and publishing the book, as well as how he navigated his writing journey alongside his career as an educator. He first started writing the Izquierdo family stories in the late '90s, eventually developing the family curse and tensions, and playing with point of view to inhabit the lives of the many family members. Support Ursa Short Fiction! Become a Member: https://ursastory.com/join/ Degollado aims to represent his own family, experiences, and community through The Family Izquierdo, and he quotes Toni Morrison, who said “if there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” “A lot of the stories I read were about immigrants, and I think those are great stories. I love immigrant stories, but that's not what I wanted to write. I wanted to write about what happens after. What happens post immigration.”If you haven't already, be sure to listen to last week's episode featuring Degollado's story, “The Seven Songs.” Reading List "The Seven Songs" by Rubén Degollado (Ursa Short Fiction, Season Two, Episode 15) The Family Izquierdo (W. W. Norton) The Family Izquierdo audiobook (Blackstone Publishing / Downpour.com) The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison) Throw (Rubén Degollado) "A Temporary Matter" (Jhumpa Lahiri) Drinking Coffee Elsewhere (ZZ Packer) Interpreter of Maladies (Jhumpa Lahiri) Sabrina & Corina: Stories (Kali Fajardo-Anstine) The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) The World Doesn't Require You (Rion Amilcar Scott) Brownsville (Oscar Casares) Maurice Carlos Ruffin About the Author Rubén Degollado's work has recently appeared in Literary Hub, CRAFT, The Common, and elsewhere. His novel Throw won the Texas Institute of Letters Best Young Adult book for 2020. His debut literary novel The Family Izquierdo is a long list title for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award. Rubén lives and writes along the southern border, in the Río Grande Valley of Texas. More from Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (Dawnie Walton) *** Episode editor: Kelly Araja Associate producer: Marina Leigh Producer: Mark Armstrong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://ursastory.com/join

This week we're thrilled to feature “The Seven Songs,” by Rubén Degollado, from his novel, The Family Izquierdo. The story is performed by Carolina Hoyos and is excerpted from The Family Izquierdo audiobook, produced by Blackstone Publishing. Our thanks to them for sharing this story with Ursa listeners. In “The Seven Songs,” Dina, the daughter of Izquierdo family patriarch Octavio, tells her daughters about her encounter with a neighbor, Contreras, who put a curse on the Izquierdo family.  Dina notes the strength, not just of God, but of all the women in the family, in myths, and in music that guide and encourage her to face the enemy. The Family Izquierdo follows what binds the generations together in the family — the love as well as the curse — and in “The Seven Songs” Dina seeks out Contreras to free her family and herself from the family curse. “No, I did not go to church, mis hijas. I had to go into the enemy's camp. The place of evil and idolatry. Of greed and charlatans. That den of vipers where I knew I would find the brujo contreras. We went to the flea market.”Listen to the story, then come back next week for Deesha and Dawnie's conversation with Rubén Degollado. Support our work by becoming an Ursa Member: https://ursastory.com/join/ Reading List The Family Izquierdo (Rubén Degollado) The Family Izquierdo audiobook (Downpour.com) Throw (Rubén Degollado) More Rubén Degollado short stories About the Author Rubén Degollado's work has recently appeared in Literary Hub, CRAFT, The Common, and elsewhere. His novel Throw won the Texas Institute of Letters Best Young Adult book for 2020. His debut literary novel The Family Izquierdo is a long list title for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award. Rubén lives and writes along the southern border, in the Río Grande Valley of Texas. More from Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (Dawnie Walton) *** Episode editor: Kelly Araja Associate producer: Marina Leigh Audio excerpted courtesy Blackstone Publishing from THE FAMILY IZQUIERDO by Rubén Degollado, excerpt read by Carolina Hoyos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://ursastory.com/join

Sari Botton is the author of memoir, And You May Find Yourself: Confessions of a Late-Blooming Gen X Weirdo. Sari is the editor-in-chief of the beloved publication, Oldster Magazine, which publishes such luminaries as Cheryl Strayed, Deesha Philyaw, Maggie Smith, and Lauri Stone. Sari and Gabe compare Gen X notes about growing up as feral children in the 70's. They discuss the challenges Sari overcame in writing her memoir. They chat about Sari's lifelong sense of being a misfit and how through writing and telling the truth she found her people. They discuss her fascination with aging and and why she feels that who she is today is the realest version of herself. They also discuss her editorial vision and what the word “oldster” means to her. Follow Sari Botton on Twitter and Instagram Buy Sari's memoir Read Sari's magazines Oldster and Memoir Land and Adventures in Journalism Read an excerpt from Sari's memoir in LitHub Read Sari's Hurricane Tim story that we discuss in this episode Take Sari's Skillshare class on writing memoir Visit Sari's website Jude Brewer was executive producer and editor for this episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton go deep with Nafissa Thompson-Spires, author of the beloved 2018 collection Heads of the Colored People, to discuss Heads' origin, the texts and other media that influenced Thompson-Spires, inspirations for her stories and characters in the collection, and their shared love for the Notes app. Thompson-Spires is candid about her upbringing in California and her own family, and how those experiences have shaped her work in terms of characters, autobiographical-leaning-but-fictionalized events, and even her ideas of place and the ways that racism persists in different ways in different parts of the country. Support this show by becoming an Ursa Member: https://ursastory.com/join/ Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned Heads of the Colored People (Nafissa Thompson-Spires) Mat Johnson The Guardian Interview with Nafissa Thompson-Spires Mark Anthony Neal Victor LaValle Paul Beatty Shirley Jackson Flannery O'Connor George Schuyler Ishmael Reed James McCune Smith Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Solmaz Sharif Sandeep Parmar Charles Dickens Hacks Reservation Dogs Lot (Bryan Washington) Milk Blood Heat (Dantiel W. Moniz) The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) Seeking Fortune Elsewhere (Sindya Bhanoo) Mary Tyler Moore Theme Song 'Alright' (Kendrick Lamar) Denne Michele Norris About the Author Nafissa Thompson-Spires wrote Heads of the Colored People, which won the PEN Open Book Award, the Hurston/Wright Award for Fiction, and the Los Angeles Times's Art Siedenbaum Award for First Fiction. Her collection was longlisted for the National Book Award, the PEN/ Robert W. Bingham Award, and several other prizes. She also won a 2019 Whiting Award. She earned a PhD in English from ­­­­Vanderbilt University and an MFA in Creative Writing from ­­­­­­the University of Illinois. Her work has appeared in The Paris Review Daily, The Cut, The Root, Ploughshares, 400 Souls, and The 1619 Project, among other publications. New writing is forthcoming in Fourteen Days, edited by Margaret Atwood. She's currently the Richards Family Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Cornell University. More from Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (Dawnie Walton) *** Episode editor: Kelly Araja Associate producer: Marina Leigh Producer: Mark Armstrong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://ursastory.com/join

Deesha and Dawnie chat with Jonathan Escoffery, author of last week's audio story, "Under the Ackee Tree," from his acclaimed collection and audiobook, If I Survive You. The linked stories follow Trelawny, a second generation Jamaican American, as he struggles through family tensions, cultural and historical loss and reclamation, and exploration of identity.  Escoffery talks about his collection and how it came to be—the process of developing characters, tensions, and narrative threads, as well as constructing a complicated family with conflicting generational perspectives on agency, culture, and legacy.  Support Ursa Short Fiction by becoming a member: https://ursastory.com/join/ Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books Mentioned "Under the Ackee Tree" (Ursa Short Fiction, Season Two, Episode 12) If I Survive You (Jonathan Escoffery) If I Survive You audiobook (Audible) Jesus' Son (Denis Johnson) We the Animals (Justin Torres) About the Author Jonathan Escoffery is the author of the linked story collection, If I Survive You, a New York Times  and Booklist Editor's Choice, an IndieNext Pick, and a National Bestseller. If I Survive You was longlisted for the National Book Award, the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award, the PEN/ Robert W. Bingham Prize For Debut Short Story Collection, the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence, the Aspen Words Literary Prize, and the Story Prize, and was shortlisted for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle's John Leonard Prize. It was named a ‘best' book by The New Yorker, The New York Times, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, People, TIME, Oprah Daily, GQ, and elsewhere. In 2020, Jonathan received the Paris Review's Plimpton Prize for Fiction and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. He was a 2021-2023 Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. More from Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (Dawnie Walton) *** Episode editor: Kelly Araja Associate producer: Marina Leigh Producer: Mark Armstrong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://ursastory.com/join

Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton introduce “Under the Ackee Tree,” a story by Jonathan Escoffery from his acclaimed 2022 collection, If I Survive You. The story is performed by Torian Brackett, and it comes from the collection's audiobook, produced by Macmillan Audio. Our thanks to Macmillan for sharing the story with Ursa's listeners. This story follows Topper, a Jamaican immigrant who has fled the political violence in Kingston and moved his family to Miami to raise his two sons. “Under the Ackee Tree” is a narrative of leaving and of loss, of destruction and rebuilding, and of the ways we disappoint as partners, as parents, and as children.  Support our show by becoming an Ursa Member: https://ursastory.com/join/ Reading List If I Survive You, by Jonathan Escoffery (MCD) If I Survive You audiobook (Audible) Jonathan Escoffery Publications Jonathan Escoffery Interviews About the Author  Jonathan Escoffery is the author of the linked story collection, If I Survive You, a New York Times and Booklist Editor's Choice, an IndieNext Pick, and a National Bestseller. If I Survive You was longlisted for the National Book Award, the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award, the PEN/ Robert W. Bingham Prize For Debut Short Story Collection, the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence, the Aspen Words Literary Prize, and the Story Prize, and was shortlisted for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle's John Leonard Prize. It was named a ‘best' book by The New Yorker, The New York Times, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, People, TIME, Oprah Daily, GQ, and elsewhere. In 2020, Jonathan received the Paris Review's Plimpton Prize for Fiction and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. He was a 2021-2023 Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. More from Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw) The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (Dawnie Walton) *** Performed by Torian Brackett Episode editor: Kelly Araja Associate producer: Marina Leigh Music: “Biosphere” by Yotam Agam Audio excerpt courtesy Macmillan Audio, from IF I SURVIVE YOU by Jonathan Escoffery, read by Torian Brackett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://ursastory.com/join

It's June, time to celebrate Pride privately and publicly.  Host Meg Wolitzer presents four works that delve into the complexities of love, family and belonging. Ivan E. Coyote's “No Bikini,” read by Becca Blackwell, offers one child's act of quiet rebellion. Lovers drift together, and apart, in Michael Cunningham's “Sleepless,” read by Mike Doyle.  A newish couple faces harsh weather in Deesha Philyaw's “Snowfall,” read by Michelle Beck, and poet Kay Ulanday Barrett shares their “Song for the Kicked Out.”

On how we heal; trusting that you know what you need to heal, to thrive, to rest and to rewrite your story. 4:00 Journaling journey; Writing to heal, writing to get clear, writing to get kind and writing to get to know myself. 7:00 Giving young people the tools to to grow in emotional awareness. Healing by example. 9:00 Starting from scratch; Peach cobbler story – The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw 12:10 Some people just are who they are and can't necessarily show up as we expect them to; Allow the adversity in your life to show you just how much you are learning. 15:00 Beginning to journal about trauma and baby steps to get started; It's never easy, but it's always worth it. 18:55 Writing about people in a potentially negative way with grace; Holding grudges keeping us from being free; Blaming our younger selves for the actions of our parents. 23:10 Pain Can Feel Like…, Healing Can Feel Like…, Both Can Feel Like…; Reclaiming your power 26:00 Finding therapy sessions, prayers, meditations, etc. not enough to sustain the healing work, and needing more support; Learning to trust I know what I need; Faith without works is dead. 29:00 Our healing is an act of community service. It is not just for us, but for everyone we come in contact with. The healed version of me recognizes the unhealed version of you. 31:15 Rewriting your narrative: Taking ownership over who you are and what you want to be; Making space for joy. 34:00 Nurturing your inner child. Pain that relates to pain from the past. Beginning to think new thoughts of joy and thriving. I am releasing to receive and I am open to what is for me. 37:00 Compassion and connection are essential to this work. Practicing and exercising our compassion, grace, joy, etc. 39:20 Healing is an active process; Choosing to walk away from titles as a reclamation of self. Writing the book I want to write, not the book people want to see from me. 43:05 Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity's Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism by Vanessa Machada de Oliveira 45:10 Things that bring me joy help me heal. We know that physically in our bodies there are endorphins and other things signaled when we laugh and smile. Writing came into her life by way of therapy and the exploration of healing through journaling and mindfulness. The intention behind Alex's work is to build community & healing practices through literature & language. Alex teaches workshops, courses, and retreats to assist others in finding their voices and create clarity in their lives & relationships.  alexelle.com

Episode 181 Notes and Links to Ramona Reeves' Work       On Episode 181 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ramona Reeves, and the two discuss, among other things, Ramona's early reading and literary likes and inspiring works and writers, her journey to MFA and her stellar collection, Mobile, Alabama's impact on her work, and issues and themes of class, old versus new, loss and trauma, racism, and regrowth in her story collection, as well as reflections on pessimism/optimism in her work. Ramona is a native of Mobile, Alabama. Her linked short story collection It Falls Gently All Around and Other Stories won the 2022 Drue Heinz Literature Prize and was published by University of Pittsburgh Press last fall.  She spent a decade in the Northeastern U.S. where she wrote freelance articles, proofread for a men's fashion weekly, and performed production roles for Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure, and Esquire before moving into technical editing and writing. She eventually moved to Texas for several years before leaving to pursue her MFA in fiction. She has since returned and is nearing completion on a novel. Ramona has served as a board member for A Room of Her Own (AROHO), moderated and appeared on panels at conferences, taught college-level writing courses, and served as an associate fiction editor for Kallisto Gaia Press. Her stories and essays have appeared in The Southampton Review, Pembroke, Bayou Magazine, New South, Superstition Review, Texas Highways and other publications. She's won the Nancy D. Hargrove Editors' Prize, been a resident at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, and is a Community of Writers alum.   Buy It Falls Gently All Around   Ramona Reeves' Website   Interview for Chicago Review of Books Regarding Her Collection     At about 2:05, Ramona discusses that night's Sergio Troncoso Award she'll be receiving    At about 3:00, Ramona describes her experience working as a writer   At about 5:00, Ramona gives background on her reading life, including how her grandmother influenced her writing and literary life; she shouts out Beverly Cleary and the Bible as formative    At about 7:45, Pete wonders about Ramona's connections to Southern writers and Mobile's cultures   At about 10:05, Ramona responds to Pete's questions about any influence she received from Flannery O'Connor   At about 11:30, Ramona shouts out ZZ Packer, Jesmyn Ward, and Tim Gatreaux as current writers    At about 13:30, Ramona recounts the journey to her becoming a writer; she highlights Antonya Nelson's huge contribution in guiding her to New Mexico State; Pete shouts out Antonya Nelson's In the Land of Men, and Ramona, Female Trouble    At about 16:25, Pete asks about thematically-linked short stories and seeds for Ramona's collection, as well as if/how the book followed Ramona's life; she cites a class given by Robert Boswell   At about 19:00, Pete shouts shouts a challenging high school teacher and reading list   At about 20:15, Ramona responds to Pete's question about charting time in a short story collection and the “spaces” in between   At about 22:20, Pete outlines the first story of the collection and the two characterize Babbie and Rowan individually and in their relationship    At about 25:50, Pete lays out the plot and characters, mainly Donnie, from the collection's second story, and Ramona expands on his encounter with a physic     At about 28:35, Ramona speaks to the influences that yoga had on her writing of the book   At about 30:10, Pete and Ramona discuss ideas of lineage, class, and history that are at the heart of the book   At about 32:10, Ramona cites Mobile's history with Mardi Gras and “mystic societies”   At about 34:15, The two talk about the role race and racism play in the cultures and places described in the story collection; Ramona highlights Ramona Brown's Descendant, a documentary that comments on the previously-mentioned topics   At about 35:00, Ideas of trauma and loss and miscarriage are discussed; Pete compliments a scene from the story, moving in its depiction of multiple generations experiencing and processing loss, and Ramona responds to this by connecting class and loss   At about 38:55, Ideas of class and decorum are discussed, including Donnie's uncomfortable laughs throughout the book, and Pete and Ramona share their experiences with this type of laughing    At about 42:00, The two discuss religion and ways   At about 43:15, The two analyze an important scene and the ways in which racism was covered in the collection    At about 45:30, The two talk about themes of rebirth, recovery, and growth, and the baptismal as new birth/new life   At about 46:20, Pete cites Fay as a sympathetic character and an interesting one; Ramona talks about her writing towards happy endings   At about 48:30, Ramona gives kudos for Deesha Philyaw's work with happy endings    At about 49:05, Ramona ruminates on Pete's asking if this collection is an optimistic one   At about 50:30, Ramona discusses her exciting new novel project   At about 51:30, Pete and Ramona shout out former guest Rus Bradburd      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.   Please tune in for Episode 182 with Talia Lakshmi Kolluri, the author of What We Fed to the Manticore, which was a finalist for the 2023 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction and longlisted for the 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, the 2023 Aspen Words Literary Prize, and the 2023 Pen/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection.   The episode airs on May 12.

What a pleasure to catch up with my old friend, Longreads founder and journalist Mark Armstrong who is now helming the short fiction podcast project Ursa where he works with authors Dawnie Walton and Deesha Philyaw to bring you short fiction stories from underrepresented voices. Mark and I met when we carpooled to a wedding shortly after I moved to New York and were fast friends for a number of years and then lost touch. Our conversation touched on the last time we talked, playing in bands, my sloppy New York years, founding Longreads, what he learned about crowdfunding, leaving New York, digital media, live streaming, various platforms, gen x, parenting, burnout and so much more. We also did a round of Just Me Or Everyone and HGFY. Products I Use/Recommend/Love: http://amazon.com/shop/alisonrosen Check us out on Patreon: http://patreon.com/alisonrosen Buy Alison's Book: Tropical Attire Encouraged (and Other Phrases That Scare Me)  https://amzn.to/2JuOqcd You probably need to buy the HGFY ringtone! https://www.alisonrosen.com/store/