Podcast appearances and mentions of Francesca Lia Block

Send us a textAuthor and educator Francesca Lia Block discusses how writing can be healing, the ways to channel the past into story, and why that means you should pursue your creative ideas.▬Visit Francesca's website:https://francescaliablock.com/Get a copy of her books:https://francescaliablock.com/booksCheck out Francesca on her socials:https://www.instagram.com/francescaliablock/ http://www.twitter.com/francescablockhttps://www.facebook.com/francescaliablock/

Francesca Lia Block is the author of House of Hearts and many other books. We discuss love and heartbreak, her moment with David Byrne. LA punk rock and how The […]

What if the stories inside you could help heal your deepest wounds? In this episode, I host a renowned author, Francesca Lia Block, who takes us through the magical connection between storytelling and healing. With a blend of poetry, symbolism, and magic realism, Francesca shares how creative writing can be a powerful tool for processing emotions, healing, self-discovery, personal growth, and navigating personal experiences.  In this podcast episode, Francesca Lia Block shares: - The body-mind connection in storytelling. - The 12-question framework to combining craft and personal healing. - The importance of community in the creative process. - Balancing craft and raw expression: how to navigate, allowing your authentic voice to emerge. - Overcoming fear and vulnerability and finding the courage to share through writing. - The healing power of fiction. - Writing as a somatic practice: incorporating movement and body awareness. - The evolutionary aspect of storytelling. - Practical tips for aspiring writers. - The importance of ongoing projects for maintaining momentum and emotional balance. And so much more! Francesca Lia Block, M.F.A., is the author of more than thirty books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories, and poetry and has written screenplay adaptations of her work. She received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award, and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association and from the New York Times Book Review, School Library Journal, and Publisher's Weekly. Her work has been translated into Italian, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Portuguese. Francesca has also published stories, poems, essays, and interviews in The Los Angeles Times, The L.A. Review of Books, Spin, Nylon, Black Clock, The Fairy Tale Review, and Rattle, among others. In addition to writing, Francesca edits the Lit Angels online journal on Substack and teaches fiction at various places, including UCLA Extension, Antioch University, and privately in Los Angeles, where she was born and raised. Learn more and reach out: francesca.block@gmail.com https://www.francescaliablock.com/about --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aimee322/support

Francesca Lia Block is the wildly prolific author of over 25 books, including her newest novel House of Hearts, and her writing memoir, The Thorn Necklace, and the YA classic Weetzie Bat. We discuss how writing is a source of healing, her parallel career as an MFA instructor, and her position as editor of Lit Angels, an online literary journal. SHELF TALKERS is a podcast from Village Well Books & Coffee in downtown Culver City, CA, where we interview authors on their books, writing process, and what they are themselves reading. We release bi-weekly. The hosts are Village Well booksellers Julia Elizabeth Evans and Jared Kassebaum. Village Well Books & Coffee is an independent book- and coffee-shop in the heart of downtown Culver City. Come through, grab a drink, and read a book! Check out our events! Mentioned by Francesca Lia Block in the episode: Lit Angels Invisible Man Their Eyes Were Watching God Beloved House of the Spirits One Hundred Years of Solitude Mentioned by Abby as our bookseller staff recommendation: Birnam Wood

This week we read Weetzie Bat and Witch Baby by Francesca Lia Block (both can also be found in the anthologized book Dangerous Angels). These books were massively popular with off-beat teens in the 90s and have a huge following. Will they still manage to charm jaded 30-somethings in the 2020s? Content warnings for the books: some dark themes including sexual assault and addiction. Also some really egregious cultural appropriation and outright stereotyping/tokenizing. If you want to read along with The Bookstore Challenge 2023, you can find Instagram graphics for your story or grid in this Google Drive folder. You can also join us on The StoryGraph to see what others are reading for each month and get ideas for your TBR: The Bookstore Challenge 2023. Get two audiobook credits for the price of one at Libro.fm when you sign up using the code BOOKSTOREPOD. Website | Patreon

Becca's DNF book pick for June's prompt is The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. The novel is Lahiri's follow-up to her Pulitzer Prize-winning story collection, The Interpreter of Maladies.  Our next book is actually two books, Weetzie Bat and Witch Baby by Francesca Lia Block. Find it at your local bookstore or library (it's on Hoopla!) and read along with us. Content warnings: near-death experience, (possible) sexual assault If you want to read along with The Bookstore Challenge 2023, you can find Instagram graphics for your story or grid in this Google Drive folder. You can also join us on The StoryGraph to see what others are reading for each month and get ideas for your TBR: The Bookstore Challenge 2023. Get two audiobook credits for the price of one at Libro.fm when you sign up using the code BOOKSTOREPOD. Website | Patreon

This week, Ayana is joined by Francesca Lia Block in a heartfelt conversation recognizing the search for self and love through magic, literature, and deeply-felt presence. Francesca brings listeners into her writing practices as she navigates centering beauty in a world of intensity. Moving through the depths of empathy, pleasure, and presence, Francesca considers passion as a practice of gratitude to the world around us. As she discusses her most recent book House of Hearts, with Ayana, she emphasizes the healing and growth that comes from examining ourselves and our passions deeply. As we journey through life, what mentors, books, and practices give us the inspiration we need to keep moving forward? Francesca Lia Block, M.F.A., is the author of more than twenty-five books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry, and has written screenplay adaptations of her work. She received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association and from the New York Times Book Review, School Library Journal and Publisher's Weekly.Music by 40 Million Feet, India Blue, and Ariana Saraha & Flight Behavior. Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show

The stakes are high!! In part two of a yet-to-be-determined number of parts, Smack and Gabi are at it again, going toe-to-toe to see who had the better reading experience during this year's Mysterious Galaxy Summer Bingo. By the end of this episode there are some tough calls and a surprising number of ties, but one of us has pulled ahead at the halfway mark (you'll have to listen to find out who!). Will our friendship survive another twelve PvP fights?? Only time will tell... The books competing in this segment are: Get Your Book Selling Wide: Get the Basics of Publishing in Print, Ebook, Audiobook, Translations, Apps, and More (Book Sales Supercharged #1) by Monica Leonelle v. A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot, #1) by Becky Chambers The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold by Francesca Lia Block v. Jade City (Green Bone Saga #1) by Fonda Lee A Safe Girl to Love by Casey Plett v. A Spindle Splintered (Fractured Fables, #1) by Alix E. Harrow Starfang: Rise of the Clan by Joyce Chng v. Recognize Fascism edited by Crystal M. Huff Let the Mountains Be My Grave by Francesa Tacchi v. Never Home Alone: From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees, the Natural History of Where We Live by Rob Dunn Summoned (Sundance, #2) by C.P. Rider v. If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

In the spotlight is Francesca Lia Block, author of more than 25 books of fiction, nonfiction, short stories and poetry. Her award-winning work has been translated into Italian, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese and other languages. We discuss: >> Los Angeles sensibilities >> Fiction versus nonfiction writing >> Sylvia Path, Shirley Jackson and Patti Smith >> Autofiction >> The author as character >> Obsession and anxiety >> Her writing and teaching methods >> Etc.  Our guest also reads an excerpt from one of her novels. To learn more about Francesca Lia Block, go here: https://www.francescaliablock.com/ Novelist Spotlight is produced and hosted by Mike Consol, author of “Family Recipes: A Novel About Italian Culture, Catholic Guilt and the Culinary Crime of the Century,” “Hardwood: A Novel About College Basketball and Other Games Young Men Play,” and two yet-to-be-published manuscripts, “Lolita Firestone: A Supernatural Novel,” and the short story collection “Love American Style.” Write to him at novelistspotlight@gmail.com. We hope you will subscribe and share the link with any family, friends or colleagues who might benefit from this program.

On Episode 181, Alli and her guests explore Francesca Lia Block's I Was a Teenage Fairy. They discuss everything from fairy tales and beautiful writing to trauma and masculinity. They also examine what the book is saying about sexuality, size, empathy, and more. TW: child sexual abuse, sexual assaultEmma Gray and Claire Fallon are co-hosts of Love to See It with Emma and Claire and co-authors of Rich Text. Follow them on Instagram (@claireandemmapod) and Twitter (@lovetoseeitpod). Emma Gray is the author of A Girl's Guide to Joining the Resistance. Her work, which focuses on gender, culture, and politics, can also be found in Cosmopolitan, The Washington Post, NYLON, and HuffPost. Follow her on Instagram (@emmaladyrose) and Twitter (@emmaladyrose). Claire Fallon is a books and culture writer. Previously a staff writer at HuffPost, her work can also be found in Vice and Cosmopolitan. Follow her on Instagram (@claireefallon) and Twitter (@ClaireEFallon).

Social yet Distanced: Poet & Author Alise Versella : Wolves To Birds Now... Sit!!! Good Wolf. Alise Versella_Poet & Author Alise Versella is a Pushcart-nominated contributing writer for Rebelle Society whose work has also been published in COG Magazine, Entropy, Enclave, The Opiate, Ultraviolet Tribe, What Rough Beast, and Elephant Journal, among others. Versella has worked with author Francesca Lia Block and Women's Spiritual Poetry, whose latest anthology, Goddess: When She Rules, raised money for the Malala Fund. Kirkus has called her “…[A] boundlessly energetic and promising technician [who] crafts a unique blend of the symbolist and the confessional; a talented, promising newcomer.” She performs at local coffeehouses in Southern New Jersey and has taught poetry workshops at local libraries and schools. Check this out... http://ow.ly/bYPg50FecY3 When Wolves Become Birds Alise Versella --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/socialyetdistanced/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/socialyetdistanced/support

Lovers and friends, a deliciously inspiring episode awaits you today. On this week's podcast episode, Toska sits down in conversation with the magical and illustrious author, Francesca Lia Block. We talk about how magic weaves into storytelling, her book, “The Thorn Necklace: Healing Through Writing”, Venus rituals, exploring alt-identities through crafting characters, etymology, love spells, the magnetism of Los Angeles, sipping strawberry “Rita-Hayworth”s, the power of sharing our stories with the collective, and SO much more. It was such an honor to have Francesca on the show. Cozy up and tune in. Francesca Lia Block is the bestselling author of more than twenty-five books of stories, nonfiction, and fiction, including the Weetzie Bat books, her series of magical-realism novels. She has received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award, and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association, the New York Times Book Review, and Publisher's Weekly. Francesca's Links & Socials https://www.francescaliablock.com https://www.instagram.com/francescaliablock/ https://twitter.com/francescablock https://www.facebook.com/francescaliablock/ Purchase Francesca's Book - The Thorn Necklace Links & Socials Stay in touch ~ www.sexmagicsociety.com Access our online courses ~ https://sex-magic-podcast-s-school.teachable.com/courses (use code SCORPIOSZN for 20% off!) Join our community ~ www.patreon.com/sexmagicpodcast Connect on social media ~ www.instagram.com/sexmagicpodcast --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sex-magic-podcast/support

It's October, and you know what that means, fuckbuddies--time to get spoOoOoOky with Jen + Lillian! We have some thrilling stories just for you--but in this calm before the storm, enjoy the last beautiful, ethereal installment of Francesca Lia Block's NECKLACE OF KISSES. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allthefucks/message

We know we've been missing in action for a hot minute, so this episode we let you know what's been going on in our lives and check in about what media has been ✨sparking joy✨. We've been doing everything from playing video games, to reading Webtoons and (gasp!) actual books, to (of course) watching KDramas. This episode has a little something for everyone! All the lit discussed this episode: star-crossed by Kacey Musgraves (https://www.kaceymusgraves.com/) Destiny 2 (https://www.bungie.net/) (and Antibaar, https://masseffect.fandom.com/wiki/Antibaar) Monthly Magazine Home (https://www.viki.com/tv/37882c-monthly-magazine-home) Because This Is My First Life (https://www.netflix.com/title/81167119) The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin (https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/n-k-jemisin/the-city-we-became/9780316509855/) Clawshot! by Ayme Sotuyo (https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/clawshot/list?title_no=621465&page=1) My Giant Nerd Boyfriend by Fishball (https://www.webtoons.com/en/slice-of-life/my-giant-nerd-boyfriend/list?title_no=958&page=1) Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block (https://www.francescaliablock.com/books/weetzie-bat) Lovestruck in the City (https://www.netflix.com/title/81340910) Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @SexLoveLit.

Jen + Lillian whisk you back to pink smoggy Los Angeles to continue Francesca Lia Block's NECKLACE OF KISSES. But before we do, can we just talk about horror comedy and why it is the perfect genre? Unrelated, currently seeking looms in gently used condition. Inquire within! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allthefucks/message

Jen + Lillian return to magical, mythical Los Angeles in Francesca Lia Block's Necklace of Kisses--but not before we dive into our most bingeworthy series, smoothies for every mood, and the merits of erotic cake sitting. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allthefucks/message

Lost Children is a collection of dark adult fairy tales that play fast and loose with some upsetting metaphors.Read the full review.The Sketching Details store is open with the new Halloween collection. Buy my books at Ko-fi or sign up for a monthly membership for exclusive articles and stories. Join the Fanhouse for free with code SDTESTING for exclusive photos, videos, and behind the scenes content.Shop Books-A-Million. Shop boohooMAN. Follow.★ Support this podcast ★

Join Jen + Lillian in the ultimate fairy garden—a gossamer pink shining oasis where punk rock lives, mermaids splash, and kisses are pure magic. Today, we are joined by our muse and hero, Francesca Lia Block—author of the Weetzie Bat books and countless other stories of girls finding their spark in Los Angeles. (Yes, this is a dream come true, and no, we are not okay.) — Find her fables and fairy tales wherever you buy your books, and for more information on her workshops and classes, please visit her here. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allthefucks/message

In preparation for next week's Very Special Guest, Jen + Lillian once again venture into the punk rock fairy dreamscape of Weetzie Bat with Francesca Lia Block's follow-up novel, NECKLACE OF KISSES. We revisit Weetzie older, now a mother of two grown girls, and how she finds her magic again when all feels lost. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allthefucks/message

It was our distinct pleasure sharing with Alise. We grew. You will too. Now.. Sit!!! Good Wolf. __Alise Versella__ Poet & Author Alise Versella is a Pushcart-nominated contributing writer for Rebelle Society whose work has also been published in COG Magazine, Entropy, Enclave, The Opiate, Ultraviolet Tribe, What Rough Beast, and Elephant Journal, among others. Versella has worked with author Francesca Lia Block and Women's Spiritual Poetry, whose latest anthology, Goddess: When She Rules, raised money for the Malala Fund. Kirkus has called her “…[A] boundlessly energetic and promising technician [who] crafts a unique blend of the symbolist and the confessional; a talented, promising newcomer.” She performs at local coffeehouses in Southern New Jersey and has taught poetry workshops at local libraries and schools. Check this out... http://ow.ly/bYPg50FecY3 When Wolves Become Birds >< Alise Versella --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/socialyetdistanced/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/socialyetdistanced/support

In part two of our two part series on Bluebeard, special guest Kailey Bray talks more about this story.In this episode the trio dives deep into the history that inspired the story, and the affects it has on audiences today.SourcesGeneral Story info:Storyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebeardhttps://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/68/fairy-tales-and-other-traditional-stories/4858/blue-beard/Charles Perrault, The Complete Fairy Tales, A new translation by Christopher Betts (Oxford World Classics)History:Perrault and his “daughters”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89lisabeth_Charlotte_d%27Orl%C3%A9anshttps://anecdota.princeton.edu/archives/500#footnotehttps://www.encyclopedia.com/children/academic-and-educational-journals/charles-perraulthttps://www.themorgan.org/literary-historical/232724https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_PerraultConomor the Accursedhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conomorhttps://www.boneandsickle.com/category/conomor-the-accursed/https://bonjourfrombrittany.wordpress.com/2020/06/28/the-breton-bluebeard-and-his-bride/Gilles de Raishttps://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/gilles-de-rais-bluebeardhttp://gillesderaiswasinnocent.blogspot.com/Gilles de Rais by Jean BenedettiJames Watsonhttps://www.sfgate.com/sfhistory/article/james-bluebeard-watson-serial-killer-14490554.phphttps://www.inlander.com/Bloglander/archives/2014/02/15/unsolved-secrets-of-lost-spokane-episode-2-bluebeardhttps://heathermonroe.medium.com/the-prolific-murders-and-marriages-of-james-p-watson-afb8216b83e7Helmuth Schmidthttp://alenereaugh.com/passion-flower/synopsis/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmuth_SchmidtAnalysis:The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales, edited by Jack ZipesSecrets Beyond the Door: The Story of Bluebeard and his Wives by Maria Tatarhttps://blog.pshares.org/women-who-open-doors-bluebeard-and-horror/https://theattic.jezebel.com/something-is-wrong-in-this-house-how-bluebeard-became-1829596691https://www.terriwindling.com/blog/2019/07/bluebeard.htmlFrom the Beast to the Blonde: Fairy Tales and Their Tellers by Marina WarnerClassic Fairy Tales by Maria Tatarhttps://www.grunge.com/238435/the-legend-of-bluebeard-finally-explained/Mother Goose Refigured, A critical translation of Charles Perrault's Fairy Tales by Christine A. JonesPop Culture:Magpie Gameshttps://magpiegames.com/bluebeards-bride/"Bones" by Francesca Lia Block (from The Rose and the Beast)

We bring in special guest Kailey Bray to talk to you about the legendary fairytale, Bluebeard.In the first of our two part series on this figure, Rowan, Tracey, and Kailey talk about the history of Bluebeard and his author Charles Perrault.SourcesGeneral Story info:Storyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebeardhttps://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/68/fairy-tales-and-other-traditional-stories/4858/blue-beard/Charles Perrault, The Complete Fairy Tales, A new translation by Christopher Betts (Oxford World Classics)History:Perrault and his “daughters”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89lisabeth_Charlotte_d%27Orl%C3%A9anshttps://anecdota.princeton.edu/archives/500#footnotehttps://www.encyclopedia.com/children/academic-and-educational-journals/charles-perraulthttps://www.themorgan.org/literary-historical/232724https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_PerraultConomor the Accursedhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conomorhttps://www.boneandsickle.com/category/conomor-the-accursed/https://bonjourfrombrittany.wordpress.com/2020/06/28/the-breton-bluebeard-and-his-bride/Gilles de Raishttps://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/gilles-de-rais-bluebeardhttp://gillesderaiswasinnocent.blogspot.com/Gilles de Rais by Jean BenedettiJames Watsonhttps://www.sfgate.com/sfhistory/article/james-bluebeard-watson-serial-killer-14490554.phphttps://www.inlander.com/Bloglander/archives/2014/02/15/unsolved-secrets-of-lost-spokane-episode-2-bluebeardhttps://heathermonroe.medium.com/the-prolific-murders-and-marriages-of-james-p-watson-afb8216b83e7Helmuth Schmidthttp://alenereaugh.com/passion-flower/synopsis/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmuth_SchmidtAnalysis:The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales, edited by Jack ZipesSecrets Beyond the Door: The Story of Bluebeard and his Wives by Maria Tatarhttps://blog.pshares.org/women-who-open-doors-bluebeard-and-horror/https://theattic.jezebel.com/something-is-wrong-in-this-house-how-bluebeard-became-1829596691https://www.terriwindling.com/blog/2019/07/bluebeard.htmlFrom the Beast to the Blonde: Fairy Tales and Their Tellers by Marina WarnerClassic Fairy Tales by Maria Tatarhttps://www.grunge.com/238435/the-legend-of-bluebeard-finally-explained/Mother Goose Refigured, A critical translation of Charles Perrault’s Fairy Tales by Christine A. JonesPop Culture:Magpie Gameshttps://magpiegames.com/bluebeards-bride/"Bones" by Francesca Lia Block (from The Rose and the Beast)

Host Lisa Locascio chats with writer Francesca Lia Block about her latest novel House of Hearts, her long, successful career in writing, going back to school to get her MFA, what she loves about teaching creative writing, the long afterlife of books, and themes in her writing like climate change, self-harm, eating disorders, and delicious food.  This episode was produced and mastered by Barbara Platts with graphic design by Lisa Croce.

In this Episode of Wild Love I had the pleasure to interview my favorite author and extraordinary woman, Francesca Lia Block. Francesca has published over 25 books of fiction, non-fiction, poetry as well as creating written screenplay adaptations of her work. We dive into the importance of staying connected to Feminine creativity and magic, what it was like being a writer during a Pandemic, tips to move through writer’s block, and tuning into the sacred beauty of your daily life. Plus, the announcement of some amazing creations coming soon.This time together was memorable and such a delight. I am forever grateful. Connect with Francesca:@FrancescaLiaBlockwww.instagram.com/FrancescaLiaBlockwww.FrancescaLiaBlock.comWords of the Heart Workshop, www.linktree.com/courtneyadevia

This week, we’re catching up again and reading Francesca Lia Block’s cult classic, Weetzie Bat. This book was a wild ride, and some things we loved and others we weren’t too thrilled about.

It's our first short story collection ever, fam! Put on your Bush tapes and break out the Delia's, because it's 1996 in the world of Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Lia Block. Jess and Josh discuss the finer points of zine culture, cool California teens (like actually cool, not Sweet Valley cool), and getting dressed for the Rock Show in this, an episode unlike any other. This time, the book might actually be...good?? The issues might be relevant to the real, modern world?! It's strange new territory for us, folks. Next episode, join us for Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu (now a Netflix movie!). You can follow us on Instagram @areyoutherepod or email us at areyoutherepodcast@gmail.com. We want your stories, question, corrections, suggestions, hate mail-—we just want to hear from you! If you have time, please rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks to Producer Blake for our theme music. His band is at moreofthat.bandcamp.com and wherever you stream music. Are You There, Pod? is brought to you by the AUX podcast network. If you'd like to support us, join our Discord chat, and get some cool bonus content, you can do so at the AUX Patreon. (It's the only place to download the full version of our theme song!)

It's our first short story collection ever, fam! Put on your Bush tapes and break out the Delia's, because it's 1996 in the world of Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Lia Block. Jess and Josh discuss the finer points of zine culture, cool California teens (like actually cool, not Sweet Valley cool), and getting dressed for the Rock Show in this, an episode unlike any other. This time, the book might actually be...good?? The issues might be relevant to the real, modern world?! It's strange new territory for us, folks. Next episode, join us for Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu (now a Netflix movie!). You can follow us on Instagram @areyoutherepod or email us at areyoutherepodcast@gmail.com. We want your stories, question, corrections, suggestions, hate mail-—we just want to hear from you! If you have time, please rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks to Producer Blake for our theme music. His band is at [moreofthat.bandcamp.com](http://moreofthat.bandcamp.com) and wherever you stream music. Are You There, Pod? is brought to you by the [AUX podcast network](http://aux-network.podiant.co). If you'd like to support us, join our Discord chat, and get some cool bonus content, you can do so at the [AUX Patreon](http://patreon.com/auxaudio). (It's the only place to download the full version of our theme song!)

It's our most rockin' episode ever, fam! But we can't discuss Francess Lin Lantz's Good Rockin' Tonight without a real-life rock and roll musician, so Josh Head (of the More Of That Presents: Discographology podcast) joins us. We all get punk rock name changes, ponder 1980s teens with no musical knowledge beyond 1969, and our guest even performs a surprise original(ish) song. Also, let's see if this helps our SEO: Elvis Presley, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez, The Beatles, Carl Perkins, Johnny Rotten. Next episode, join us for Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Lia Block. Song interpretation by Josh Head. You can follow us on Instagram @areyoutherepod or email us at areyoutherepodcast@gmail.com. We want your stories, question, corrections, suggestions, hate mail-—we just want to hear from you! If you have time, please rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks to Producer Blake for our theme music. His band is at [moreofthat.bandcamp.com](http://moreofthat.bandcamp.com) and wherever you stream music. Are You There, Pod? is brought to you by the [AUX podcast network](http://aux-network.podiant.co). If you'd like to support us, join our Discord chat, and get some cool bonus content, you can do so at the [AUX Patreon](http://patreon.com/auxaudio). (It's the only place to download the full version of our theme song!)

It's our most rockin' episode ever, fam! But we can't discuss Francess Lin Lantz's Good Rockin' Tonight without a real-life rock and roll musician, so Josh Head (of the More Of That Presents: Discographology podcast) joins us. We all get punk rock name changes, ponder 1980s teens with no musical knowledge beyond 1969, and our guest even performs a surprise original(ish) song. Also, let's see if this helps our SEO: Elvis Presley, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez, The Beatles, Carl Perkins, Johnny Rotten. Next episode, join us for Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Lia Block. Song interpretation by Josh Head. You can follow us on Instagram @areyoutherepod or email us at areyoutherepodcast@gmail.com. We want your stories, question, corrections, suggestions, hate mail-—we just want to hear from you! If you have time, please rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks to Producer Blake for our theme music. His band is at moreofthat.bandcamp.com and wherever you stream music. Are You There, Pod? is brought to you by the AUX podcast network. If you'd like to support us, join our Discord chat, and get some cool bonus content, you can do so at the AUX Patreon. (It's the only place to download the full version of our theme song!)

First Draft Episode #281: David Levithan David Levithan is editorial director at Scholastic and the author of many young adult novels, including Boy Meets Boy, Every Day, and co-author with Rachel Cohn of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares. Sips By is the only mutl-brand, personalized monthly tea subscription box, which makes discovering tea fun and affordable! Use the code “firstdraft” for 50% off your first Sips By box at www.sipsby.com. On the Remember Reading podcast, discover the tales behind these beloved children’s book classics. Hear from award-winning authors like Meg Cabot, Katherine Paterson, and Tiffany Jackson, and guests as they uncover the unique story behind each story. Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode The Babysitters Club series by Anne M. Martin David launched PUSH, the Scholastic imprint still there today Jean Feiwel, Senior Vice President and Publisher, Feiwel & Friends, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, Swoon Reads, Square Fish Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Dan Ehrenhaft, author of The Last Dog on Earth, Friend is Not a Verb, and That’s Life, Samara Brooks Sarah Mlynowski, author of Just a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe, I See London, I See France, and co-author of Upside-Down Magic The New York City Teen Author Festival Nancy Garden, author of Annie on My Mind, The Year They Burned the Books, and Endgame. Francesca Lia Block, Francesca Lia Block, author of more than 25 books, including seminal YA novel WEETZIE BAT, talks about her most recent book, THE THORN NECKLACE, a memoir-driven guide to healing through the craft of writing. (listen to her First Draft interview here) Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award and Newberry Honor winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming, Another Brooklyn, Miracle’s Boys and many more Brent Hartinger’s Geography Club Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of of several YA novels, including 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Suite Scarlett, The Name of the Star, and Truly Devious: A Mystery. She has also done collaborative works, such as Let It Snow (with John Green and Lauren Myracle), and The Bane Chronicles (with Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan). (Listen to my interview with Maureen Johnson here) Lauren Myracle’s Kissing Kate Alex Sanchez’s The Rainbow Boys series Sara Ryan’s Empress of the World David edits Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games David edits Garth Nix, author of the Sabriel series, Angel Mage, and many more Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (movie) Bill Clegg, a literary agent formerly with WME and now at The Clegg Agency Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn Will Grayson, Will Grayson which David co-wrote with John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars and Looking For Alaska You Know Me Well with Nina LaCour (listen to her First Draft episodes here and here) Maggie Stiefvater, author of the The Raven Boys series, Shiver, and The Scorpio Races Alex Gino’s Stonewall Award-winning George I want to hear from you! Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998 or send an email to mailbag @ firstdraftpod dot com! Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jason Reynolds; Leigh Bardugo, author of Ninth House and the Grishaverse series; Creator of Sex and the City Candace Bushnell; YouTube empresario and author Hank Green; Actors, comedians and screenwriters Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham; author and host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast Linda Holmes; Bestselling authors and co-hosts of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast, Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow; Michael Dante  DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish and co-host of the Sciptnotes podcast; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works. Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Track Changes If you’re looking for more information on how to get published, or the traditional publishing industry, check out the Track Changes podcast series, and sign up for the Track Changes weekly newsletter. Support the Show Love the show? Make a monthly or one-time donation at Paypal.me/FirstDraft. Rate, Review, and Recommend Take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you! Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post! Thanks again!

In this episode, we talk about Francesca Lia Block’s magical erotic short story collection, Nymph: “As in her other works, Block weaves together themes of subtle magic, youthful hopes, modern urban decay, and deep emotion, told with lyrical storybook language. The stories in NYMPH bear all the hallmarks of classic Francesca Lia Block—punk spirited characters who celebrate love, life, and art—with one important different: this time the author carries her vision through the full range of emotion and erotic interaction that her mature audience appreciates.An interconnected series of stories, NYMPH is a special journey through the lives and loves of characters like Plum, a Crayon-haired girl who has a gift: if she makes love with a person, that person will then meet their true love, or Tom, a burned out surfer whose luck changes when he is rescued by a mysterious, wheelchair-bound woman, or Sylvie, a chronically depressed poet who finds beauty in unexpected places. Block's erotic explorations of these smoky, kaleidoscopic fables are anything but conventional; these are stories of love, loss, and life, about the healing power of sex and bonding.”This episode definitely became something of an FLB lovefest, and a retrospective of her influence on both of us over the years. We talk about growing up wanting to be a “Weetzie Bat Girl,” how FLB’s books are the real reason we both live in California, and our enduring love for Venice Beach. And of course, we delve into what makes all FLB books so sexy, who the hottest FLB characters are, and much more!(CW: This episode also contains a frank discussion about incest.)Other FLB books mentioned in this episode (so you can continue your education):I Was a Teenage FairyWeetzie Bat seriesWitch BabyEchoThe Hanged ManViolet & ClaireThe Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales RetoldWastelandJoin us next month when we talk about The Deal by Elle Kennedy.Follow us or send your questions and comments to:Twitter: https://twitter.com/SexyBooksPodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sexybookspodcast_/Gmail: SexyBooksPodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, we talk about Vanessa North’s F/F romance, Roller Girl: “Recently divorced Tina Durham is trying to be self-sufficient, but her personal-training career is floundering, her closest friends are swept up in new relationships, and her washing machine has just flooded her kitchen. It’s enough to make a girl cry. Instead, she calls a plumbing service, and Joanne “Joe Mama” Delario comes to the rescue. Joe is sweet, funny, and good at fixing things. She also sees something special in Tina and invites her to try out for the roller derby team she coaches.Derby offers Tina an outlet for her frustrations, a chance to excel, and the female friendships she’s never had before. And as Tina starts to thrive at derby, the tension between her and Joe cranks up. Despite their player/coach relationship, they give in to their mutual attraction. Sex in secret is hot, but Tina can’t help but want more. With work still on the rocks and her relationship in the closet, Tina is forced to reevaluate her life. Can she be content with a secret lover? Or with being dependent on someone else again? It’s time for Tina to tackle her fears, both on and off the track.”You’ll have to listen to the episode to find out what roller derby names we chose for ourselves! We also get deep on the benefits of dirty talk, the comforting qualities of boobs, and why communication is a vital sexual skill.Join us next month when we talk about Nymph by Francesca Lia Block.Follow us or send your questions and comments to:Twitter: https://twitter.com/SexyBooksPodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sexybookspodcast_/Gmail: SexyBooksPodcast@gmail.com

Well, hello from our homes to your homes! Since everything is literally on fire for the foreseeable future, and entertaining is what we do best, that's exactly what we're here to bring you during this frightening time. Quaranteeny will be an addition to our regular feed, stories and laughs and cringes on the daily from quarantine. We're bringing you a special treat today--we take turns reading Francesca Lia Block's beloved WEETZIE BAT, painting the perfect picture of an '80s Los Angeles fever dream, rife with pink glitter, lush flora, and punky magic fairy love. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/allthefucks/message

In this episode we talk about the Six of Cups, innocent pleasures, nostalgia for times past, and staying present in this delicious moment. We get INTO IT with one of our favorite literary heroes, Francesca Lia Block author of more than 25 books, from her first book Weetzie Bat to her latest The Thorn Necklace, we know you’re going to love what she has to say, so join us!**********************************Find out more about our special guest, writer Francesca Lia Block......take one of her classes or order her books at: https://www.francescaliablock.com/Grab a copy of The Thorn Necklace here.You can also follow her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter by clicking these links.**********************************To order Amanda's book, "Initiated: Memoir of a Witch" CLICK HERE.Amanda's References This Episode Include:“A Feminist Tarot: A Guide To Intrapersonal Communication” by Sally Gearhart with a little help from Susan Rennie“Modern Tarot” by Michelle Tea“Keywords for the Crowley Tarot” by Hajo Banzhaf and Brigitte Theler“Tarot as a Way of Life” by Karen Hamaker-Zondag“What is Nostalgia Good For? Quite Bit, Research Shows.” NYT article by John Tierney**********************************EMPEROR WORKSHOP INFORMATIONSign Up for Our "The Emperor in 2020 Workshop: Making Daddy Work For You" here -- or become a Jupiter-realm subscriber and get it as part of your membership (which will soon include an online forum to connect with other witches and witch-curious folx). In the workshop:You’ll learn to calculate your card of the year and your soul card numerology. And you’ll find out how the Emperor year will affect your soul card and your card of the year in particular.We’ve got exercises on how to locate your places of powerExercises to develop your intuitionA step-by-step how to on making your own Emperor altarRituals you can do to harness the power of the emperor year to build stamina, confidence and focus in 2020Invocations, songs, and gestures you can use to call in the Emperor (these are a BTW addition to our workshops and we think you’re going to find they’re REALLY special)A live call with Amanda to answer all your questions and help you get the most out of this year that is really calling us to claim our vision and share it with the worldAnd more!TO SIGN UP FOR THE WORKSHOP OR FIND OUT MORE, CLICK HERE**********************************Original MUSIC by Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs.This episode includes a clip of the band, Hole covering Nirvana's Pennyroyal Tea. **********************************Get in touch with sponsorship inquiries for Between the Worlds at betweentheworldspodcast@gmail.com.Or, contact Amanda to book a session, or Carolyn just to find out more, below:*****Amanda Yates Garcia (art witch, healer, writer):www.oracleoflosangeles.comTo sign up for Amanda's newsletter, CLICK HERE.To order Amanda's book, "Initiated: Memoir of a Witch" CLICK HERE.Amanda's InstagramAmanda's Facebook**Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs (musician, artist, producer):www.carolynpennypackerriggs.comCarolyn's Instagram**CONTRIBUTORS:Amanda Yates Garcia (host) & Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs (producer) & Francesca Lia Block (special guest). With editing help from Jiha Lee. The BTW image was created by Marian Minnis (tinyparsnip.com / instagram.com/tinyparsnip ) with text designed by Leah Hayes. 

First Draft Episode Re-release: Libba Bray (Eps (#18 and 19) Libba Bray, author of New York Times best-selling series A Great and Terrible Beauty, Printz award-winner Going Bovine, and genuinely terrifying historical paranormal The Diviners, among others, joins me to talk about having her rock collection stolen as a kid, that one time Wes Anderson helped stage a play she wrote, and how growing up in Texas set her head at a certain tilt. The episode originally released on Nov 3, 2014, and Nov 6, 2014. Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode Seven Samurai, directed by Akira Kurosawa Citizen Kane Christopher ‘Kit’ Marlowe Aaron Sorkin worked at the concessions at the theater for years and only heard dialogue for years and that influenced him Harold Pinter is a writer who knows when to take a pause in dialogue The Thin Man, Bringing Up Baby, The Marx brothers influenced her sense of comedy Neil Simon plays (Odd Couple, Barefoot in the Park: A Comedy in Three Acts, and The Odd Couple: A Comedy in Three Acts) Singin’ In The Rain Peter Marks, theater critic of the New York Times and the Washington Post New York International Film Festival Mawkish Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (and Tiger Beat has a song called “Holden Caufield is Not an Asshole”), A Separate Peace by John Knowles, and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath were the only examples of “YA” that Libba had growing up Laurie Halse Anderson, David Levithan, Rachel Cohn, Francesca Lia Block (listen to her First Draft interview here), and Angela Johnson were some of the writers that Libba discovered when she dove into YA fiction Aaron Zimmerman, who runs the non-profit New York Writers Coalition Ann Brashares (author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants), Melissa Sinnet, and Cecily von Ziegesar (author of Gossip Girl) were Libba’s editors at Alloy Book Publishing Sweet Sixteen Holly Black, Newberry Honoree and New York Times bestselling author the Spiderwick Chronicles, The Curse Workers, Magesterium, and her most recent series, Folk of Air (listen to her First Draft interview here) “Miles and Miles of No Man’s Land,” Libba Bray’s post about depression Stephanie Perkins‘ blog post about depression (hear Stephanie and me on a panel together in this First Draft episode) Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry Carrie by Stephen King I want to hear from you! Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998. Subscribe To First Draft with Sarah Enni Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; Linda Holmes, author and host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast; Jonny Sun, internet superstar, illustrator of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Gmorning, Gnight! and author and illustrator of Everyone’s an Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too;  Michael Dante  DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish, Charlie’s Angels, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works. Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. It’s free! Rate, Review, and Recommend How do you like the show? Please take a moment to rate and review First Draft with Sarah Enni in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Your honest and positive review helps others discover the show -- so thank you! Is there someone you think would love this podcast as much as you do? Please share this episode on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or via carrier pigeon (maybe try a text or e-mail, come to think of it). Just click the Share button at the bottom of this post! Thanks again!

The guys talk about the television they’ve been watching so far this summer, including American Ninja Warrior on NBC, FX’s Pose, American Masters: Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life on PBS, Grand Hotel on ABC, Good Trouble on Freeform and What/If on Netflix. Jeff reviews In Case You Forgot by Frederick Smith & Chaz Lamar. Jeff interviews Roan Parrish about Raze, the latest book in the Riven series. They talk about the research she did for the series, including going on tour with a band, as well as the eclectic music she enjoys. The origin of Roan’s collaboration with Avon Gale is also discussed along with what got Roan started with writing gay romance. Complete shownotes for episode 196 along with a transcript of the interview are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Interview Transcript - Roan Parrish This transcript was made possible by our community on Patreon. You can get information on how to join them at patreon.com/biggayfictionpodcast. Jeff: Welcome, Roan, to the podcast. It is so great to finally have you here. Roan: Thank you. I'm so happy to be here. Jeff: And it's a perfect opportunity because just last week, you released raise "Raze," just the third book in the "Riven" series. And for those who don't know, tell us about the series and, of course, this latest installment. Roan: Sure. So "Riven" starts out with the book, "Riven," also the series title. And it's kind of an anti-rock star romance. It's about Theo, who's the lead singer of the band, Riven. And they've suddenly hit it big and are super famous. And everyone in the band loves being famous and their success. And Theo hates it. He hates being famous. He hates being the center of attention. He hates, like, people knowing things about him or looking at him when he leaves the house. So he loves the music, but he finds fame, like, the worst thing ever. And so he's about to go off on a new leg of the tour and is sort of, like, wandering the streets of New York, feeling a little bit sorry for himself. When he hears this song coming from a bar, like, someone just strumming guitar, and it's one of the most beautiful things he's ever heard. So he goes in the bar to see who's playing this or what the song is. And he meets Caleb, who is the one playing the music. And Caleb, we learn later, has been a musician for a long time, a working musician, but has sort of gone away from the scene and hidden himself away in his uncle's house out of town because he's had some addiction issues, and he's trying to stay clean by staying away from everything that reminded him of the scene, including music. So they start to talk to each other and they bond over music. And then little by little, they fall in love. The problem being, of course, that for Theo being in the scene and being public is kind of part of his thing. And for Caleb, everything about that just brings back a lot of bad memories. So they have to sort of work together to figure out how that's gonna impact their relationship and if they can get through it. And then it kind of takes a hard left, I feel like this is the thing that I should say for people who haven't read the series, is that the series really does hang together. It has the same secondary characters. It deals with a lot of the same themes, like, the themes of ending up someplace that you never thought you would be. But then in book two, we met Reese, or we've met Reese in book one, but we have a book about Reese who was Caleb's best friend and Reese's husband, Matt. And Matt has nothing to do with the music scene. And the book is told from his perspective. So for people who go in expecting that the whole series is about music, it is in some ways, like, music as a through line. And certainly, this idea of fame and this idea of struggling with fame is a through line. But book one is sort of anti-rock star. And then book two is like working musician and person who's not involved with music at all. So I feel like that's the thing I should say. Jeff: Well, they it does hang together because you've got the working musician. Roan: Yeah, totally. And Reese, who is the working musician is someone who toured with Caleb when Caleb was still playing music. So the characters all hang together and the series hangs together, but it's not a kind of musician book, if that make sense. Jeff: Yeah, that makes sense. Roan: And then "Raze," which is book three, it also hangs together. "Raze," it's similarly about characters ending up someplace that they never thought they would be. And in this book we meet Huey, who was in the first two books, and has been a sort of a little bit of a shadowy figure who we never knew his backstory, we didn't know who he is, he just pops in and dispenses wisdom, and pops out again, he doesn't say much else. And so he was Caleb's sponsor in Narcotics Anonymous. And he's still been working as a sponsor. And he is so used to taking care of everyone else being a sponsor, helping people work through their own addiction issues, dealing with his own, that he doesn't really ever focus on his own life. He's built up this kind of wall of focusing on everyone else, so he never has to think about himself. And we meet Felix, who is doing the same thing, taking care of everyone else but him himself, but through his family instead of through NA. So he grew up and help take care of his younger brothers and sisters, and always helped his sister get whatever she wanted, and has now found himself as his sister goes off to do her music thing, found himself kind of like, "What the hell am I doing with my life? Who am I? I kind of forgot to ever notice what I wanted." And so the two of them come together. And two people who are so used to looking out for everyone except themselves, as you can imagine, when it comes down to trying to make a relationship, they kind of don't know how to do it. They don't know how to ask for what they want. They don't even know what they want from each other. And so feelings kinda bubble up and nobody knows what to do with them. And then it ends really happily. Jeff: As all romance must. Roan: That's a must. And there's even a kitten. So, yeah. Jeff: What attracted you to writing this series? Roan: I think that there's themes that go together. I love music. And I've always been a huge music fan. And one of the things that I've always thought was interesting is that music is so personal, to me, anyway. And I know for many other people, like, each of us, listens to music and feels something - has associations that are deeply personal. And something about the weirdness of something so personal, experienced on a large scale of fame has always struck me as really odd. So you can be at a concert with the band and have thousands and thousands of people there. And each person has been hit with his music in a really personal way. And yet, we're all there together in a super public space, having kind of a personal experience, like, smooshed up together with each other. And I've just always found that really strange. And I know for people who make music, the process of making music is really personal. And it's really different than the process of performing music. And so I think I was interested in what would it feel like to do something really personal in front of a lot of people and then watch as this thing that you've made gets loose on the world, and you no longer have any control over it or what people think of it. And to me being famous seems like absolutely the worst thing I can imagine outside of, like, actual torture. And I know that for some people, that's not the case. But, yeah. So I was interested in writing, like, the genre of rock star romance is a thing. And I was interested in looking at it from the perspective of what would a rock star romance look like, if instead of rock star being a desirable thing, it was a terrible thing or a thing that caused a lot of problems for the rock star. Jeff: What was the process around some of the research, because, like, you talk about this very personal thing. How do you research that? And then how do you try to read and put it in a book so everybody else gets it? Roan: You know, I mean, I don't know. I can't really claim that I did it correctly. I've never been a musician. I like singing karaoke to Paula Abdul once with five other people very drunk in college. And that's about my performance level. But my sister-in-law, my sister's wife is a musician. And she's very personal and writes very personal music and then performs it. And, you know, I've been to many of her shows, obviously. And I went on tour with her in Europe once, like, carrying her stuff and hanging on for the ride. And one thing that struck me was, like, people would come up to her after the show and tell her like, "Your music has meant so much to me. I was going through such a hard time and your music spoke to me in these really hard moments." And so I would see that and I know that people are having these personal responses and have personal relationships with the music. And I know that my sister-in-law does as well. And then, like, the moment that the two of them would be having together would be personal. But there was still this whole performance element that I kinda…yeah, just seems like a very strange crucible of the personal and the public smooshed together, and maybe the performativity of that, in some way, like, hides the personalness…or not hides necessarily, but, like, you need a little bit of distance, like, the lights and the smoke machine, and the darkness, and the space between the stage and the crowd to insulate you a little bit in order to take something that's so personal and project it out in public. Jeff: I love how you kinda had the personal research going on there that you actually went on this tour and got to see all of it kinda go down about as close to it as you could without being the actual performer. Roan: Yeah, yeah, which is awesome. And I mean, like, I've had many friends who do music. So I knew that if I had, like, specific questions, you know, I had some questions about, like, the studio stuff and how you laid out tracks that I was able to ask friends about. But I really do think it's, like, the feeling of performing that I was trying to capture and the sense of what it felt like to have something that was yours, like, the music, and then watch other people make it theirs. And although I've never been a performer in any way, I mean, that's a little bit, like, what happens with books is that I sit at home in my pajamas, like, with cat hair all over me, and I write these books. And then when they're published, it's not mine anymore, it belongs to the people who read it. And I don't really have any control over it. So that part was easy to kind of understand. Jeff: Of course, you mentioned your love of music. And your bio actually mentioned that you listen to torch songs and melodic death metal. Now, I get eccentricity because my playlists are, like, wildly, you know, strangely hooked together in some way. But these two seem very different. What attracts you to these two individual styles? Roan: I think I was trying to write my bio in a way that was, you know, like on dating sites, you wanna say the two things that seem most opposed. So you can be like, "Listen, this is what you're getting as a human being who is essentially at odds with himself," maybe that's just me. Anyway, yeah, I love both of those genres. I think they're both simultaneously really raw and really beautiful. Like, torch songs, I love because they are heartbroken, and tender, and they tell a story, and they're so vulnerable, and beautiful. And melodic death metal is like, doing the same thing, only it can't be vulnerable, or, like, it needs a really harsh bass riff, and loud guitar, and loud drums in order to do something that's that tender and that personal. And I find not like screamy death metal, but yeah, melodic death metal. I find it like one of those puppies that growls at you until you get a little bit closer, and then little by little it sorta lets you pet it. And then by the time you're petting it, it's like, "Oh, no, I really do love this. Please don't ever stop petting me," but then, like, someone else walks in the room and they're all growly again. Jeff: I love that analogy. So awesome. Jeff: Now, speaking of music, with the "Riven" series seems such an obvious thing to perhaps you write to music if you're a writer who does that. Was there a particular playlist that sort of pushed you along in the writing of the series? Roan: You know, I actually didn't listen to music at all writing the series, which is sort of strange when you say it like that. I go through phases of whether I like to write with music on or not. And there have been books that I've written where I listened to the same music over and over. Like, when I wrote...what book was it? Oh, "Out of Nowhere," which is the second book "In the Middle of Somewhere" series, I listened like obsessively to "The Civil Wars" just over, and over, and over. And for some reason, the mood of those albums was, like, exactly the mood that I needed to be in to write that book. But with the "Riven" series, I didn't listen to music at all. Jeff: Interesting. Okay. Roan: Yeah. And none of the music in the books is real. Like, I made up all the band names and all of the music. And I wonder if maybe part of it was like, I didn't want real music in my head because I was making it up. Jeff: That would make sense. Yeah. If you're having to write any kind of song lyrics or anything inside the book, I could see where you would wanna, like, accidentally just pick up something. Roan: Right. Well, it was super adorable actually because one of my best friends who reads all my stuff first is, like, she likes music a lot, but she's like a top 40 radio kind of tastes music person. And so she thought that all of the musical references in my books in the "Riven" series were real, because she knows that I like lots of different kinds of music, and she just didn't know that they were fake at all, which is totally adorable. Jeff: Oh, that's awesome. So you could have an extra career then as a songwriter if you're writing lyrics. Roan: Maybe a band-namer. I like the band names more. Jeff: So I have to ask for the audio book then that you've got song lyrics - does that mean your narrator is actually singing the lyrics? Did you make Iggy sing and Chris sing? Roan: No. And, you know, I don't think that I have a chunk of lyrics long enough to be sung. They're like a couple snippets. But I didn't even think about the fact that I could have written a song of it for the audio book. That would have been awesome. Too late. Jeff: Something to think about maybe for a future book or another installment in the series. Roan: Yeah, yeah. I could do it as like an extra or something, I guess. Jeff: And speaking of the series, is there more to come in this series? Roan: There's not. Like, The Good Place that we were talking about earlier, I have decided that book three is the end. Jeff: Okay. Time to wrap up that universe. Roan: Yeah. And, you know, I say that and obviously maybe I would go back in the future and write another one. But I think the fact that the last book is about a character whose story we've kinda been wondering about for the whole series, it felt like a good place to stop because it's sort of the wrap up of, like, solving the last interpersonal mystery. So that felt like the right place to stop. And there are definitely tendrils. Like, people who've read a bunch of my books will notice that Riven, the band, is mentioned in another book, and that some characters from the "Middle of Somewhere" series are briefly alluded to in "Riven." So there's, like, little Easter eggs for people who have read all the books because I sort of think of everything as being connected in that way. So it'll pop back up, I'm sure. Jeff: I love that. I love the broad interconnected universe thing. Roan: Yeah, yeah. Secretly in my head, all of the books are connected in lots of ways that I don't necessarily put on the page. But, like, I like to get a couple in there. Jeff: Nice. Now, you also co-write with Avon Gale. What got that collaboration going? Roan: You know, that collaboration happened completely by accident, or on a whim, I should say. And I'm so glad it did. So I was living in New Orleans a couple years ago. And Avon and I were friends on the internet. And she offered when I was moving back from New Orleans to Philadelphia, she was like, "I love a road trip. What if I fly to New Orleans and drive with you," because it's a many day drive and you have a cat. I had like my truck and then I had my car hitched to the back of the truck, and it was a whole big thing. So I was like, "Oh, great. This will be fun." So we started driving from Louisiana to Pennsylvania. And it was, like, a torrential downpour. And we couldn't hear the radio. We couldn't do anything. And so Avon was like, "Okay. Well, I'll just tell you about this book that I've been working on. And I am really stuck on it. I can't get the plot right." So I was like, "Okay." And I'm pretty introverted and Avon is very extroverted. And we going in... Jeff: And it's very true, she is. Roan: Yes. And, you know, I really just love a clear communicator, so I loved it. She was like, "Basically, I talk constantly. And if you want me to stop, you have to tell me to stop." And I was like, "Oh, that's amazing. I run out of steam socially in approximately two-and-a-half hours, and I'm still listening to you, but I won't respond." And she was like, "Okay, great." And thus, it was. And so she basically narrated to me the entire plot of this book that she was trying to write, and she was having trouble with it. And I kept doing this probably obnoxious thing where I was like, "Oh, what if you did this?" Or, "What if you did that?" Or, "Oh, my gosh, it's so funny, because if that were me, I would totally do this." And she, instead of being annoyed, was like, "Well, you should obviously write this book with me." And that book was what it turned into "Heart of the Steal," which is the first book we wrote together. And it was so fun because then as we were driving, we just plotted the whole book. And she had her little, like, computer that she was typing on while we drove. And I drove the truck the whole way. And so I would like yammer at her and she would take notes, and then in the hotel rooms at night, we would kinda hash it out. And so it happened on a total whim, and then turned out to be really fun. And so we planned it on that trip. And then I went and visited her months later, I guess. Yeah, some months later, and we actually wrote "Thrall," which was the second book that we co-wrote together, like, in the same place. So we wrote it, like, together, even though we don't live in the same place. So it was two very different writing experiences, but both equally awesome. Jeff: That's fantastic. And I have to imagine it's a nice way to kill the time in a road trip to just write a book. Roan: Oh, yeah, totally. And it's really fun because I don't know about you or about other writers in general, but, like, I find that traveling is one of the best, like, brain, what do you call it? Like, catalyzers, brain catalyzers, something about moving through space constantly, whether it's, like, on a train or just walking or whatever. It's, like, the rhythm of moving through space makes my brain also work in a forward rhythm. And I find myself, excuse me, getting so many ideas when I'm just, like, walking a long distance, or on a train, or on a bus, or something. And so something about driving and plotting the thing together was, like, super, some word… Jeff: Awesome. Roan: Yeah, awesome. Jeff: Probably better than awesome, but awesome was the first thing that popped into my head. Roan: Yeah, yeah. Jeff: And then I totally get what you're talking about there, too, because I've done a lot of plotting and some writing on planes. Because it's like, yeah, there's something about just that that just you've got the time, and, like, the brain is working, so use it. Roan: Yeah. And it's, like, looking out the window of something moving through that kinda space with everything passing so quickly, it almost feels like it changes the rhythm of thoughts or something. Jeff: Yeah. And kudos to Avon for being able to type in a moving vehicle because I don't know that I could do that. Roan: Oh, my God, she has, like, motion sickness proof. I swear to God. Jeff: That's just crazy. Roan: Oh, I know. Jeff: But we definitely got to talk a little bit about "Thrall." I reviewed it back in Episode 157. I was just blown away by it. For folks who don't know, tell us about what that book is and what in fact does make it so special? Roan: So "Thrall" is our modern "Dracula" retelling, basically. And for anyone who's read "Dracula," you'll remember that "Dracula," it's an epistolary novel, so it's told through letters, and diary entries, and, like, newspaper clippings, telegram, stuff like that. And so we did "Thrall" in the same way, we made it an epistolary novel. But since ours was modern, and that one was 19th century, instead of letters and journal entries, and stuff like that, we have emails, and g-chats, and tweets, and podcast descriptions, and stuff like that. So the whole thing is written in that way, this combination of different print media. So we have the main characters that people will recognize from "Dracula." And Mina, and Lucy, who are the two characters that people will know from "Dracula," in our version, have a podcast, a true crime podcast in New Orleans. And they get caught up in basically trying to solve the mystery of Lucy's brother who seems to have disappeared. And so in getting caught up in that mystery, they stumble upon this a role-playing game kind of thing, where they use an app, and they go to different places, and they try to solve clues, hoping that it will take them to Lucy's brother. And so in addition to it being an epistolary form in general for the whole book, then kind of within that epistolary form, there's this mystery that they're trying to solve on a computer, I mean, on a phone app. So it's like a game inside an epistolary novel that's an adaptation of another epistolary novel. Jeff: And epistolary just not something you see very much. At least I don't, especially in the romance genre that I tend to read in general. What was it like as a writer, and just plotting to take on such a different narrative format? Roan: Yeah, it was awesome. It was really, really cool. I love form, like, I'm super interested in what different things you can do with form. And one of the things that, like, when I'm reading other things I'm always interested in is what form did this author choose, whether it's something simple, like, short chapters, or long chapters, or, like, flashbacks versus telling everything in order, all of that stuff, I think, has such an impact on the way the story gets delivered. And so I was really excited to play with the form. And I think that with the genre of romance, one of the reasons why we don't see epistolary stuff so often is that it's, like, an additional level of remove between the two characters. And romance seems, to me, to be all about intimacy and connection. And sure, it can be really romantic or sexy to write a love letter or love email, I guess, in 2019. But there's still something where you're not in the moment. There's no, like, tracking a touch as it happens, or a kiss, or whatever it is. And so I think that going into "Thrall," we were like, "How the hell do we make a romance happen when the characters essentially are never in the same scene?" Like, in order to be texting each other, they probably aren't together. In order to be chatting each other, they're probably not together. And so any evidence of an encounter, which is all we could show, also demonstrated their distance. So that was a challenge. And we got around it in a couple of different ways, including characters literally writing out sex scenes that they wished would happen like fantasies, having chats that were more intimate. But yeah, the romance part, I think, was actually the hardest to portray via the epistolary form because it introduces that necessary distance, which is sort of the anti-romance. It was much easier, for example, for the mystery, or the suspense parts because those things can be portrayed that way no problem. But, yeah, the romance part was tricky. Jeff: Well, as I said the review, I think you guys pulled it off so amazingly. If people have not read "Thrall," they should really pick it up and give it a try. Roan: Oh, thanks. Jeff: Because maybe a little much to call it a breath of fresh air, but it's certainly gonna be something very different than what I think most people tend to read. Roan: Yeah, it definitely is different. And it's one of those books that Avon and I knew going in, but it's not everyone's cup of tea. It's an adaptation. It's an adaptation of "Dracula." It's an adaptation of "Dracula" without vampires. It's a romance where you don't ever see the characters touch necessarily. But like, I feel, like, for people who are interested in form for people who are interested in Dracula or interested in suspense, and all that stuff, we were really excited to just do something totally new for us. Jeff: Yeah. It was super cool. Please do more of that sometime. Roan: I would love too. Jeff: So laying a little bit of your origin story, how did you get involved in writing M/M romance? Roan: You know, at the risk of making, it sound completely accidental, it was kind of accidental. My good friend from graduate school, got a job in Phoenix, and didn't know very many people. She didn't have many friends. And she and I both started reading both young adult and M/M mysteries in grad school. And so I went to go visit her and she was having a hard time. Like, I said she didn't know very many people, didn't have any friends, and she just wanted like, escape reading. And we were, like, in the kitchen cooking dinner or something, and she was saying that she just wished that there was, like, a romance novel that she could read about someone who was in her situation. So someone who was a new professor in a new place, didn't know very many people and was kind of struggling to fit in. And because she's my friend and I wanted to make it all better, I was like, "Oh, no worries, I'll write you a story. Everything is gonna be okay." So on the plane home from Arizona, I wrote the first chapter of what would eventually be "In the Middle of Somewhere," my first book, thinking that, like, I would send it to my friend, and she would read it and be like, "You are such a nerd. I can't believe you actually wrote me this story. I was just complaining. You're weird." But instead, she read it and wrote back and was like, "Oh, a story. Oh, my gosh. What happens next?" And, of course, I didn't know what happened next because there was no next. I thought that it was going to be a little one-off thing. But then I wrote the next chapter and I emailed it to her, and she wrote back and was like, "What happens next?" And I actually wrote the whole first half of the book that way just chunking out a chapter, emailing it to my friend, and I was really writing it for her. I never thought I would show it to anyone. I never intended to send it to a publisher. I didn't even have a plot, I just was writing these little sections. And around halfway through the book, I suddenly realized that, like, it was getting kinda long, and I should probably figure out how it was gonna end. Otherwise, I would just end up writing this, like, email missive to my friend forever, which was really fun. But also, I thought she would get sick of it eventually. And then when I finished the book, I thought that was gonna be the end of it. And it was my friend who was like, "No, you should totally try to publish it." And I owe it all to her, I never occurred to me to send it to anyone. And I would never have done it if she hadn't made me. Jeff: Well, kudos to her for making that happen. And that's the best accident story ever. I mean, just amazing. Were you writing before that at all? Or was this just really like, "Hey, I could write. I'll write you something. No worries." Roan: Well, you know, I've always written different things. I was a poetry major in college of all the super useful things to pursue. And so I wrote poetry or some short fiction. And then I did my PhD in literature. So, you know, I wrote a dissertation, I wrote nonfiction for years, and years, and years. But I've always loved to write. And I love reading novels. And so sitting down to write a novel, I think it actually helps that I wasn't thinking of it as writing a novel. I just thought of it as writing the story for my friend. So I didn't have any of the self-consciousness or like that internal editorial voice that I'm sure if I had planned to send it out, would have like, killed me as I was trying to start. And in terms of, like, as we get back to your original question, which I don't know that I actually answered in terms of, like, why M/M romance specifically. I hate misogyny, and sexism, and can't deal with stories where I read female characters and feel intensely alienated from them. And I find often in romance, not all by any means, there are some amazing, amazing, like, revolutionary really amazing people writing romance with women, but I've often found that reading romance novels that are, like, heterosexual romance stories make me feel alienated, and angry, and the opposite of anything that I associate with romantic. And so, yeah. Jeff: Who are sort of your author influences? Roan: Oh, man. Well, you know, growing up, I read everything. I'm a real, like, moody reader. So I go through phases. And when I'm in that phase, that's all I read. So, like, when I was in elementary school, I was obsessed with S. E. Hinton Hinton, "The Outsiders" and "Rumble Fish," those books. And she writes with this very kind of, like, spare style, but lots of sensory detail. And I think that that's definitely something that I've always really admired was the ability to evoke feeling even while being very spare. And then when I was in middle school, I was obsessed with Anne Rice, obviously, because middle school. And I read her books over, and over, and over. And I think that she is like the master of the kind of Baroque sentence structure that when you're deep in, reading one of her books, you don't notice that she's, like, in a strange Yoda way, like, flipping a subject and predicate to make things sound, more flourishy and purple prosy. You don't notice it because you're so deep in it that, like, of course, that character would talk that way. But if you go and you read another author or another book, you realize suddenly what she was doing. And so I think from her, I got just, like, I really respected this immersive detail-rich all the senses engaged kind of writing. Also, I really love long books, and the ability to sustain a story over 800 pages, and keep going with this level of detail. I mean, I know it's not everyone's bag, like, some people really like a short one and done, but I mean, I will read a series that goes on forever if I'm still engaged. And I just think that she does that incredibly well. Then, oh, gosh, I'm taking you on a tour. I don't know if this is actually answering your question, but I do think... Jeff: It is actually. Yeah. Roan: Oh, okay, good. The real answer is, like, I learned things from every single author I read. And sometimes, it's things that I don't ever wanna do. And sometimes, it's things that my mind is blown because I'm like, "Holy crap, I didn't even know you could do that." Sometimes it's like I feel like I'm weak in one area at a moment. And so I wanna go read someone who I think does something really well and try to learn it. Oh, Francesca Lia Block was a huge influence when I was a teenager. She writes this kind of magical realism that is, like, very urban set - in LA, deals with real world problems, but has this, like, pink fog over the entire thing. And I was really, really taken by that. That way of combining urbanity with fantasy, and so that's definitely something that I took from her. I went through a really deep, like, epic historical fiction kick, which maybe is that same kind of, like, very immersive detail, huge cast of characters, all that stuff. And, oh, gosh, I'm totally blanking on her. Oh, Sharon Kay Penman is her name. Okay. Sorry, this is maybe a tangent. But this story blows my mind and is, like, one of the more impressive things I've ever heard in my life, if you'll indulge me for a moment. Jeff: Of course. Roan: So Sharon Kay Penman writes these, like, hugely epic, 1,000-page long, British Isles historical fiction. And she wrote this book called "The Sunne in Splendour," in, like, I wanna say the early 80s, maybe mid-80s. And the book is epically long, and just detail, and hundreds and hundreds of characters, and like tons of things translated into Welsh. It's about Welsh civil wars, or wars with England. Anyway, she wrote the book and, like, on a typewriter, and had it in one of those, you know, the boxes that reams of paper come in…you would put your manuscript in this box. So she was going to drive her book to her publisher. And she stopped at the bank to, like, deposit a check or something. And when she came back out, her car had been stolen with the copy of the book inside, the only copy of the book, which I don't even know how that happens. So the car stolen, she's just sure she's never gonna get it back. And whereas, like, I don't know, I would probably immediately go home and, like, order seven pizzas, and you wouldn't see me for a month. She drove home and started writing the book again. Jeff: Wow. I would have done the seven-pizza thing and then walked away for, like, at least a week. Roan: Yeah. Like, I would have told every single person who would listen that my life's work had been ripped from me. And it was the worst thing that ever happened to me and which, you know, I think that's actually speaking pretty well of my life that that would be the worst thing. But, yeah, I just, like, that level of tenacity and dedication to a project, it just blows my mind. Anyway, she's amazing. Jeff: Yeah, that's awesome. And just, like, I can't even imagine, it speaks so well to these days where we're like, "Did you back that up on Dropbox?" Roan: Yeah, at least someone's like, "Oh, man, I just spent, like, 20 minutes writing that email and it got wiped." And I'm like, "Sharon Kay Penman." Jeff: So what's coming up next for you? What's yet to come this year? Roan: Well, do wanna be the first person to know because I actually just found out yesterday? Jeff: Oh, breaking news. Roan: Breaking News. Yeah, I just sold a new book, which I'm pretty excited about. Okay. The concept is, there is a guy who has a bunch of animals. He's like, kind of antisocial, kind of pissed off at the world for reasons that I will not divulge yet. And he likes animals better than people. So he has all these rescue dogs and a bunch of cats that hang around. And basically, all he wants to do is take his dogs on these long rambling walks and think about how fucked up his life has gotten. It's the only thing keeping him sane, it's just, like, rambling walks with these dogs. And one night he is walking with the dogs and one of them starts chasing something. And he starts chasing the dog and falls down a hill and breaks his ankle. So all of a sudden, he can't do the one thing that he's liked, which is walk his dogs. So he goes online, and he finds this app that, like, match makes pet owners with people who wanna hang out with animals, but can't have pets of their own, because he's looking for someone who could help him walk his dogs, since he can't do it anymore. Then you have this other character, who's super shy lives with his grandma is, like, husband saving up to try to, like, get a new apartment so that he could have a dog. And then his grandfather dies, he has to move in with his grandmother, and he can't have an animal because she's desperately allergic. So he goes on the matchmaker app, and gets matched with this dude who needs someone to walk his dogs. And so the Meet Cute is a dog walking app, and a grouchy meets a shy guy, and lots of animals, and love. Jeff: Well, this sounds awesome. When do we get to see this? I'm guessing 2020 sometime? Roan: I think so. I don't have a date on it. I'll start working on it soon. But, yeah, I think it's gonna be, like, cute-ish in tone. And I don't know, I keep, like, accidentally writing animals into every single one of my books. And I don't even mean too. And this time. I was like, "Well, I mean, I keep doing it by accident. Maybe this time, I'll just, like, actually do it on purpose." Jeff: And what's the best way people can keep up with you online and find out when this next thing comes out? Roan: Well, they can check out my website, roanparrish.com, where I post all things that exist. And then in terms of social media, I've been very active on Instagram stories lately. I just bought a house, my first house, like the first non-one-bedroom apartment that I've been living in. And I've been doing all these, like, garden planting, and baking, and projects, and stuff. So I've been really liking Instagram stories. So people should follow me there and tell me all the things that I'm doing wrong in my garden. Jeff: They may not think you're doing wrong. Roan: I mean, it's my first time and I feel, like, I'm doing everything wrong. But we'll see, it might grow. Jeff: I bet it does. And congratulations on the first house. That's such a huge thing. Roan: Oh, thank you. I really went, like, in the space of one month from a person who thought that they would always live in one-bedroom apartments to a person who bought a house. And so it was very shocking for me. I keep wandering to the extra room and being, like, "What's gonna go in here? I don't know." Jeff: It's part of the fun of home-ownership. Roan: Yeah. Mostly, it's like my cat goes in there. And that's what happened. So I mean, I'm on all the social media things. I'm everywhere as Roan Parrish and people can find me. But Instagram stories is totally the most fun. And for people who, like, wanna know about when books are coming out, but don't dig the social media vibe, BookBub is a great place to find me because they'll just get emails when I have books coming out or on sale. Jeff: Fantastic. Well, we will link up to everything we talked about in the show notes. We wish you the best of luck with the release of "Raze." And thanks so much for hanging out with us. Roan: Oh, thanks so much. It was a blast. Book Reviews Here's the text of this week's book reviews: In Case You Forgot by Frederick Smith and Chaz Lamar. Reviewed by Jeff Frederick Smith and Chaz Lamar are new to me authors and I loved reading their first collaboration, In Case You Forgot. Frederic and Chaz are two black gay men writing about two black gay men living in West Hollywood. This year in the life story left me wanting sequels because I want to read even more about these two interesting characters. Zaire James and Kenny Kane are in similar positions. Coming up on his 30th birthday, Zaire decided it was time to separate from his husband, even though a lot of his family and his friends thought Mario was perfect for him. Kenny, approaching 40, was dumped by Brandon-Malik via text as he was en route to his mother’s funeral. Both of these guys need a reboot. For Zaire that means moving into WeHo--it happens that he moves in across the street from Kenny. He’s got a new job at a social media firm and he’s looking for what comes next. He’s got a family that wants him to find it too--the James Gang siblings--brother Harlem and sisters Langston and Savannah--are always on him to get his life together and find his happy. Kenny, on the other hand, is working on getting his consulting business off the ground since he’s recently finished his doctorate. He’s trying to mostly focus on the business, but he also wants to find Mr. Right. Kenny also carries the weight of having watched his first boyfriend, Jeremy, die after a stabbing. He’s working on his life with some therapy. So what happens in this book? Life. Kenny and Zaire, at times together and at others separate, look for a good date that may lead to more, celebrate birthdays, experience success and failures. The last line of the book’s description captures this perfectly: “...they hope new opportunities, energy, mindsets, and connection will reinvigorate what is missing in their lives--drama and all.” That’s exactly what I liked about In Cast Your Forgot, the slice of life feel. It’s happy, sad, angry, messy and full of great triumph and really bad mistakes. It takes a lot to make this kind of loose plot work, especially since the two lead characters aren’t always together as the year progresses. Frederick and Chaz made it work though. One of the reasons it works is the cast of supporting characters from family, friends, roommates and co-workers. Among my favorite parts of the book was the use of social media to plan their lives and sometimes even to stalk their exes, at times to the chagrin of the friends trying to help them move on. There’s also a Labor Day trip to Palm Springs that was one of my favorite parts of the book because of the realness of how it unfolded and how it tweaked Kenny and Zaire’s relationships. The characters reminded me of Noah’s Arc, a show I loved that ran on Logo in 2005 and then was a movie in 2008. The show focused on queer men of color in various states of life and relationships. Kenny and Zaire would fit right in there. I do want to set some expectations around this book. As you may have figured out, it’s not a romance. It’s categorized that way on the Bold Strokes Books site as well as at retailers. I think that’s wrong. It doesn’t have any of the typical romantic story beats and, most importantly while Kenny and Zaire date for a bit in the middle of the book they don’t get an HEA or HFN as a couple….although the book does end with both characters in good places. If you want a great look at a year-in-the-life of some terrific characters who are trying to get their lives together, I highly recommend In Case You Forgot. And I’d love to see sequels to this book. Frederick, Chaz, please write romances for these guys...

Published in 1989, Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat is the story of an LA native named Weetzie Bat who finds and creates family on her own terms, alongside her best friend Dirk and their partners Duck and Secret Agent Lover Man (these names!). The book explores themes of identity, sexuality, addiction, and suicide, and is ultimately a celebration of transcendent love, acceptance, and inclusivity. On this episode, we discuss the book's queer themes, the beauty of found family, the problems with “cancel culture,” and the lessons that Weetzie Bat can teach all of us about how to be a good friend and ally. And don't even get us started on how beautiful the writing is!Thanks so much to author and illustrator Maia Kobabe for guesting on Episode 49! Maia identifies as nonbinary and queer, and eir first full-length book Gender Queer: A Memoir is now available from Lion Forge. Follow Maia on Instagram (@redgoldsparks) and Tumblr (@redgoldsparks), and learn more about eir work on Patreon.

Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood and its forthcoming sequel, as well as Tales from the Hinterlands, talks about stuffing her debut book with secret book recommendations, the borderlessness of being a young reader, and loving angry girls in fiction.   Melissa Albert Show Notes Vera Nabokov The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin Lolita Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Anger The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner Wise Child by Monica Furlong Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie Hook (movie) Charles de Lint Helen Oyeyemi Philip Pullman’s Grimm Brothers translation Roshani Chokshi’s forthcoming trio of novellas Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado Kelly Link Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo (listen to her First Draft episodes here and here) Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs (listen to his First Draft interview here) Flannery O’Connor Time Out Chicago A Spark of Light (Barnes & Noble exclusive edition) Barnes & Noble YA Blog The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell Feed by M. T. Anderson Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (listen to her First Draft interview here) Francesca Lia Block (listen to her First Draft interview here) His Hideous Heart by Dahlia Adler Working Partners (work for hire book company in England) George Saunders essay about what writers really do when they write Sadie by Courtney Summers (listen to her First Draft interview here) The Cruel Prince by Holly Black The Twilight Zone (TV show) Radiance by Catherynne Valente The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien Romeo + Juliet (movie) Love Lists, a blog post by Stephanie Perkins Emma Chastain, writer The North Texas Teen Book Festival Welcome to Night Vale (podcast) The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke Ira Glass A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (listen to her First Draft interviews here and here)

A live recording of the 1888 Center Podcast with Francesca Lia Block and guest host, Samantha Dunn. Francesca Lia Block is the Lifetime Achievement Award winning author of over thirty acclaimed and widely translated books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry. She has also written a screenplay for Fox Searchlight and contributed essays, interviews and reviews to many publications including The Los Angeles Times, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Nylon and Spin. Francesca teaches at Antioch University, Los Angeles and UCLA Extension. Samantha Dunn is an editor at Coast Magazine. Her debut novel, Failing Paris, was a finalist for the PEN Center Fiction Award. Her memoir, Not By Accident: Reconstructing a Careless Life rose to bestseller lists in Los Angeles and San Francisco and her second memoir, Faith in Carlos Gomez, has been in production at  Lifetime Television. Sam’s work is widely anthologized, including the short story collection, Women on the Edge: Writing from Los Angeles, which she co-edited. Her essays have appeared in numerous national publications such as O (Oprah) Magazine, Ms., and Salon. She teaches in the UCLA Extension Writers Program and at the Idyllwild Arts Academy.     1888 Center programs are recorded and archived as a free educational resource on our website or with your favorite podcast app including Apple and Spotify. Each episode is designed to provide a unique platform for industry innovators to share stories about art, literature, music, history, science, or technology. Produced in partnership with Brew Sessions. Producers: Jon-Barrett Ingels and Kevin Staniec Manager: Sarah Becker Host: Samantha Dunn Guest: Francesca Lia Block Audio: Brew Sessions Live 1888 Center Podcast music composed and performed by Dan Reckard

Jessie talks with Francesca Lia Block about her recently published book on the craft of writing,The Thorn Necklace: Healing Through Writing and the Creative Process. Francesca Lia Block is the bestselling author of more than twenty-five books, including the award-winning Weetzie Bat series. Her writing has been called "transcendent" by The New York Times, and her books have been included in "best of" lists compiled by Time magazine and NPR. In this long-anticipated guide, Block offers an intimate glimpse of an artist at work and a detailed guide to help readers channel their own experiences and creative energy. Sharing visceral insights and powerful exercises, she gently guides us down the write-to-heal path, revealing at each turn the intrinsic value of channeling our experiences onto the page. Paul talks with K.J. Howe about her newest Kidnap-and-Ransom Thriller Skyjack. She is a Thriller and Barry Award nominee, and she has won several writing awards, including three Daphne du Maurier Awards for Excellent in Mystery and Suspense. While honing her fiction skills, KJ worked as a medical, health, and fitness writer. She then became involved with the International Thriller Writers as the Executive Director of ThrillerFest, the organization’s annual conference held every July in New York City. In preparation for writing The Freedom Broker series, which focuses on elite kidnap negotiator Thea Paris, KJ spent extensive time researching the dark world of kidnapping. She has interviewed former hostages, negotiators, hostage reintegration experts, special forces operatives, and K&R insurance executives.

Francesca Lia Block, author of more than 25 books, including seminal YA novel Weetzie Bat, talks about her most recent book, THE THORN NECKLACE, a memoir-driven guide to healing through the craft of writing. Francesca talks about meshing her life with that of her most favorite character, shares some incredibly useful writing exercises, and talks about *when* to do research.   Francesca Lia Block Show Notes Joni Mitchell Harry Houdini Linda Venis, former head of the UCLA extension Writers Program H.D., “Sea Rose” The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Jill Alexander Essbaum Fairies in the Kitchen: The Weetzie Bat Cookbook by Carmen Staton and Francesca Lia Block The Midnight Disease by Alice W. Flaherty Hypergraphia Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives by Louise DeSalvo Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

This week, Em and Destiny go into some movies, answer some questions, and then go deep on what they were like during high school. Spoiler alert: They were kind of embarrassing!Send us emails at podcast@abnormalmapping.com! Topics discussed: Deep Space 9 episode “Profit and Lace”, Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, Cocaine and Rhinestones, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Mamma Mia, Before Night Falls, History Boys, Childish Gambino’s new video, Thor: Ragnarok, Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block, Toby’s Lie by Daniel VilmureWe're a Patreon supported show! You can help keep us fed and keep the podcasts coming with a variety of reward tiers by going to patreon.com/abnormalmapping and pledging as little as $1 a month!Our featured song is "Siddhartha" by Dingotek Street Band, available under a Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License.

Eichler Sessions are a series of conversations with creative pioneers hosted in historic Eichler homes. Today we welcome special guest, and author of more than twenty-five books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry, Francesca Lia Block. Francesca Lia Block is the author of more than twenty-five books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry, (many of which have been translated into other languages) as well as having written essays for various publications. She received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, among others. In addition to writing, she teaches fiction workshops at UCLA Extension, Antioch University, and privately in Los Angeles where she was born, raised and currently still lives.  She was recently chosen as the Pasadena City College Writer-in-Residence. Produced in conjunction with Jeffrey Crussell Fine Properties, Tru Bru Organic Coffee, and Creative Noodle. Click here to view photos from the program. For information on upcoming Eichler Sessions click here. Producer: Jon-Barrett Ingels and Kevin Staniec Manager: Sarah Becker Host: Jon-Barrett Ingels Guest: Francesca Lia Block

In this episode we discuss American Street by Ibi Zoboi. Tiffany Crawford joins us to provide some background on Haiti and the practice of Vodou. Kim suggests In The Country that We Love by Diane Guerrero. Nathan suggests Beloved by Toni Morrison, and records by J Dilla (especially Donuts). Molly suggests The Posionwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and books by Francesca Lia Block. Lindsey suggests The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, and sparks a conversation about In Darkness by Nick Lake (we discuss representation and authenticity). So, maybe not a recommendation? Read it and tell us what you think: isitteenenoughforyounow@gmail.com

In this episode we discuss Away We Go by Emil Ostrovski. Cash Money suggests the Lars von Trier film Melancholia and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Nate suggests More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera. Kim suggests Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Nathan suggests Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis and Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block. Lindsey suggests The Stranger by Camus. Molly suggests John Green and Andrew Smith.

With the launch of her first young adult novel, Diana Wagman along with Francesca Lia Block will discuss crossover between the YA genre and adult fiction. Extraordinary October (Ig Publishing) October is an ordinary girl. From her plain looks to her average grades, there seems to be nothing special about her. Then, three days before her eighteenth birthday, she develops a strange itch that won t go away, and her life is turned upside down. Suddenly, she can hear dogs talk, make crows fly, and two new and very handsome boys at school are vying for her affections. After she starts transplanting herself through solid rock, October learns that she is not ordinary at all, but the daughter of a troll princess and a fairy prince, and a pawn in a deadly war between the trolls and the fairies. Now October will have to use all of her growing powers to save her family, and stop a mysterious evil that threatens to destroy the fairy world.  In the fantastical vein of authors such as Julie Kagawa and Holly Black, Extraordinary October takes us on a magical journey from the streets of Los Angeles to the beautiful and mythical underground fairy kingdom.  Praise for Extraordinary October "In an auspicious debut for teens, adult author Wagman proves particularly adept at mixing genres and maintains a terrific balance between fantastical (and occasional macabre) happenings and genuine teen perceptions."--Kirkus Review Extraordinary October is author Diana Wagman’s first novel for Young Adults. She has written five novels for adults, most recently Life #6.  Her stories and essays have been published in The LA Times, Conjunctions, The Colorado Review and elsewhere and included in the anthologies LA Noir and MFA vs. NYC.   The Elementals (Griffin) From a star YA writer Francesca Lia Block, author of the Weetzie Bat books, comes an adult novel about a student, haunted by the disappearance of a friend, who must face the truth The Elementals is on one level a contemporary story about a young woman, Ariel Silverman, facing the challenges of her first years away at college in Berkeley, California, while her mother battles cancer at home in Los Angeles. But the book takes on deeper, stranger meanings when we contend with Ariel's obsession with the disappearance of her best friend, Jeni, who vanished without a trace a few years before. Her emptiness of spirit seems finally to find some healing with three mysterious, beautiful and seductive young people living in a strange old house in the Berkeley hills. But at what price?  Praise for The Elementals “The uniqueness of Ariel as a character as well as the mystery that unravels during the course of the book will make [The Elementals] appealing to both teen and adult readers… An engaging portrait.” – BUST Magazine   "The late great Diana Wynne Jones would approve of Lia Block's The Elementals, a hypnotic account of a girl's first years in college following the disappearance of her best friend on a school trip and the diagnosis of her mother's cancer. As a portrait of a troubled and impressionable girl, Ariel Silverman shimmers in the very air between page and eyelashes. Tam Lin meets the tabloids." —Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked and Out of Oz Francesca Lia Block is the author of more than twenty-five books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry. She received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association and from the New York Times Book Review, School Library Journal and Publisher’s Weekly. She was named Writer-in-Residence at Pasadena City College in 2014. Her work has been translated into Italian, French, German Japanese, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Portuguese. Francesca has also published stories, poems, essays and interviews in The Los Angeles Times, The L.A. Review of Books, Spin, Nylon, Black Clock and Rattle among others. In addition to writing, she teaches fiction workshops at UCLA Extension, Antioch University,  and privately in Los Angeles where she was born, raised and currently still lives.

The Guests: Rommel Wood listen to Ear Hammer, Thursday evenings 8-10 pm EST, archive here: radiofreebrooklyn.com/show/ear-hammer/ rommelwood.com Ksenyia Yarosh, co-host of Bonnie and Maude, creator of “I Love Bad Movies” and co-organizer of The Brooklyn Zine Festival. www.kseniyayarosh.com Become a Part of the RFB Community: radiofreebrookyn.com/pledge The Books: “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown, Tomi Ungerer, “The Grief Recovery Handbook” by John W James and Russell Friedman, “Clan of the Cave Bear” by Jean M Auel, “Game of Thrones” By George R R Martin, “Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky, “M Train” by Patti Smith, “Gallapagos” by Kurt Vonnegut, “Cat’s Cradle” by Kurt Vonnegut, “Breakfast of Champions” by Kurt Vonnegut, “Olivia” by Ian Falconner, “The Boss Baby” by Marla Frazee, Cozy Classics for Kids, “Thunder and Lightning” and “Century Girl” by Lauren Redniss, “The Good Bones” by Margaret Atwood (Rommel’s favorite is “The Log”), “Color Me Good James Franco” by Mel Elliott, “Little House on the Prairie” by Laura Ingalls Wilder, “Nancy Drew” by Carolyn Keene, “Sherlock Holmes” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “On Writing” by Stephen King, “Delores Claiborne” by Steven King, “The Virgin Suicides” and “Middlesex” by Jeffery Eugenides, “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy, “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville, “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy, “Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens, John Grisham, “Edible Woman” by Margaret Atwood, Douglas Coupland, T C Boyle The Music: “Five Years” by David Bowie at the Beeb, “Space Oddity” by Seu George Actionable Takeaway: Make a zine! Put it on paper, print the paper, fold the paper, staple the paper. Films/TV Shows: Tomi Ungerer documentary on Netflix: “Far Out Isn’t Far Enough,” The Sesame Street Episode about death: “We all feel sad, Big Bird” talked about the passing of Mr. Hooper, Fresh Off the Boat “Louis Gives Eddie The Talk,” “Weetzie Bat” by Francesca Lia Block, “Forever” by Judy Blume, “Amy” Bookriot.com/2015/12/15/2016-book-riot-read-harder-challenge/ #ReadHarder #inkandworm #rfb #technicaldifficulties #childrensbooks #childrensbooksarepoems #childrensbooksaresongs #WORD #HousingWorks #bannedbooks #tomiungerer #uglyanimals #death #sex #parentsexplain #thetalk #sexscenesinbooks #sexybooksyoureadasateen #griefandboners #itchangedme #strongwoman #dogearsexscenes #kidsbooksareforeveryone #distil #lennythecat #droolingcats #margaretatwood #atwoodjunkies #literarytimecapsule #atwoodpoetry #bookriot #readharderbooks2016 #regencyromance #moodreading #moodmusic #jennorthrup #adultcoloringbooks #bubbletuesday #nylife #adultplayground #paperdolls #dannydevitopaperdoll #theresapaperdollforit #zines #patsyclinezines #fanzines #genresofzines #fig1andfig2 #hobbyzines #dontstopdrawing #deloresclaiborneminute #discoverbooksonIG #judgeabookbyitscover #humanrelations #obviouschildathumanrelations #molassesbooks

Francesca Lia Block is the author of Weetzie Bat a YA novel that is an absolute cult sensation and the ultimate punk rock fairy tale. Since writing that story when she was a student at UCLA, Francesca has published more than 25 books. She also teaches writing online and in LA and she's always collaborating with other creatives to create cool new projects. I love how Francesca's books weave magic into the fabric of everyday life and they all speak to the healing powers of art an love. I've read Weetzie Bat and the other Dangerous Angels books more times than I can count. Reading her stories growing up had such a profound impact on me. They shaped my personal style and my desire to cultivate a beautiful, adventurous, magical life. It was so exciting to interview her and she offered so many interesting insights to dig into.

On this week's show, I talk to the novelist Francesca Lia Block, Photo by Nicolas Sage Plus I share Alise Hamilton's essay about Francesca (originally from Ep. 7) TEXTS DISCUSSED Empathy, Love and the LGBT Characters in my Books by Francesca Lia Block  NOTES Posthumous novels by J. D. Salinger are forthcoming, possibly, maybe. Seamus Heaney has died. Special thanks to Doug Nevel!

On this weeks show, I interview the ever-fabulous Francesca Lia Block, Plus Lillian-Yvonne Bertram reads her poem, "You Can't Outdrink The Moon, O Sestina, Sestina Who Has Been Drinking." Texts Discussed The Elementals" style="color: #990000; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.8; text-decoration: none;"> But a Storm is Blowing From Paradise" style="color: #990000; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.8; text-decoration: none;"> Crazy Clown Time" style="color: #990000; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.8; text-decoration: none;"> Notes On January 6th, Ashley Inguanta will perform her debut collection, The Way Home, with musicians Mandy Burgan and Benoit Glazer, and with dancer Christin Carlow.  Find out more here. The greatest new trend in libraries. Matt Taibbi's Readers' list of 10 most pretentious moments in history. James Franco is, umm, a poet. [Guardian] [The New York Times]

On Episode 7 of The Drunken Odyssey, John talks to Lisa Roney and Jaroslav Kalfař, plus Alise Hamilton discusses Francesca Lia Block's Dangerous Angels, and John answers mail.

Los Angeles Review of Books Podcast #5: LARB Senior Editor Clarissa Romano talks to Francesca Lia Block about the "Weetzie Bat" series. Producer/Engineer: Oliver Wang

This episode is sponsored by Circlet Press. "Mer" was written by Francesca Lia Block and is read for us by Thomas Roche. It was originally published in the single-author collection "Nymph."

It's our most rockin' episode ever, fam! But we can't discuss Francess Lin Lantz's Good Rockin' Tonight without a real-life rock and roll musician, so Josh Head (of the More Of That Presents: Discographology podcast) joins us. We all get punk rock name changes, ponder 1980s teens with no musical knowledge beyond 1969, and our guest even performs a surprise original(ish) song. Also, let's see if this helps our SEO: Elvis Presley, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez, The Beatles, Carl Perkins, Johnny Rotten. Next episode, join us for Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Lia Block. Song interpretation by Josh Head. You can follow us on Instagram @areyoutherepod or email us at areyoutherepodcast@gmail.com. We want your stories, question, corrections, suggestions, hate mail-—we just want to hear from you! If you have time, please rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks to Producer Blake for our theme music. His band is at [moreofthat.bandcamp.com](http://moreofthat.bandcamp.com) and wherever you stream music. Are You There, Pod? is brought to you by the [AUX podcast network](http://aux-network.podiant.co). If you'd like to support us, join our Discord chat, and get some cool bonus content, you can do so at the [AUX Patreon](http://patreon.com/auxaudio). (It's the only place to download the full version of our theme song!)

It's our first short story collection ever, fam! Put on your Bush tapes and break out the Delia's, because it's 1996 in the world of Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Lia Block. Jess and Josh discuss the finer points of zine culture, cool California teens (like actually cool, not Sweet Valley cool), and getting dressed for the Rock Show in this, an episode unlike any other. This time, the book might actually be...good?? The issues might be relevant to the real, modern world?! It's strange new territory for us, folks. Next episode, join us for Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu (now a Netflix movie!). You can follow us on Instagram @areyoutherepod or email us at areyoutherepodcast@gmail.com. We want your stories, question, corrections, suggestions, hate mail-—we just want to hear from you! If you have time, please rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks to Producer Blake for our theme music. His band is at [moreofthat.bandcamp.com](http://moreofthat.bandcamp.com) and wherever you stream music. Are You There, Pod? is brought to you by the [AUX podcast network](http://aux-network.podiant.co). If you'd like to support us, join our Discord chat, and get some cool bonus content, you can do so at the [AUX Patreon](http://patreon.com/auxaudio). (It's the only place to download the full version of our theme song!)