Podcast appearances and mentions of hannah pittard

Notes and Links to Wright Thompson's Work       Widely regarded as one of the nation's leading sports journalists, Wright Thompson is a senior writer for ESPN, an Emmy Award-winning reporter, and the executive producer of the TV show TrueSouth. He is the author of several bestselling books including Pappyland, about the storied whiskey distillery, and, most recently, The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi, a New York Times bestseller that confronts the haunting legacy of Emmett Till's killing.    A Mississippi native, Thompson is at heart a southern storyteller who believes that understanding the place one lives is both an obligation and an act of love. By exploring foodways, beliefs, identities, and histories—both remembered and forgotten—he seeks to reveal the truths of the region he calls home.   Buy The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi   Wright Thompson's Website   Book Review for The Barn from Washington Post   At about 1:45, Wright talks about the paperback release of The Barn and feedback on the book as “resonat[ing] with readers” in an “urgent” way At about 4:10, Wright responds back to Pete's questions about what connections he sees between the events of The Barn and contemporary politics and culture At about 7:00, The two reflect on and Wright highlights the open-casket funeral  At about 8:10, Wright responds to Pete's questions about the biased/blind books that he was exposed to in his Mississippi schooling; he also highlights North Towards Home and Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom as his favorite book of all-time   the accusation is always the confession At about 10:30, Wright asks Pete about books/writers that his guests have consistently hailed as the best; Pete is unsure, but thinks right away of Toni Morrison At about 11:50, Wright shouts out Ian Toll as a favorite writer At about 12:10, Wright speaks on the best barbecue, highlighting Scott's-Parker in Lexington, TN At about 14:30, Pete notes the myriad connections between Mississippi/Southern/cotton economy and so many disparate parts of the country and world; Wright expands upon international connections and the need to “go back across the ocean” to fully understand the events of the book and so much more history At about 17:30, the two discuss the “incredible” Gloria Dickerson and her incredible work in Drew, MS, a “stripped” town ruined by economic chains At about 19:15, Pete notes his close connection to Christopher Rufo, and Wright envisions a conversation with him and others railing against “Wokeism” about differences in Black history and CRT  At about 21:55, Wright discusses the “entry point” for The Barn, an article  At about 23:00, Wright discusses an incredible connection between Avery Bradley and Chamillionaire and highlights  At about 24:00, Wright talks of his reverence for Sam Anderson, especially his work regarding Weird Al Yankovic  At about 25:05, Wright responds to Pete's question regarding Frank DeFord, Bill Naack, Ric Telander, Gary Smith, Tom Junod, Michael Paternitti The Long Fall of Flight 111  At about 26:10, Pete stans Wright's wonderful collection, The Cost of These Dreams, an incredible anthology focusing on top-tier athletes At about 27:05, Pete traces the book's beginning, with Willie Reed seeing Emmett Till in his killers' truck and Pete asks Wright about the titular barn and its standing as a living being in 2025 At about 29:50, Wright responds to Pete's questions about the impunity with which white people terrorized Black people in Mississippi; he talks about a “moral test”  At about 33:35, Wright highlights family members who passed and failed the aforementioned “moral test” and ideas of all Mississippians being bound together  At about 35:30, Wright talks about history as being weaponized in recent years, versus something to be analyzed/examined with its “disparate datapoints” At about 36:40, Wright points to connections between Chicago and the Mississippi Delta At about 37:25, Wright talks about tracing the intimate last days of Emmett Till, and Keith Beauchamp's and Jerry Mitchell's intrepid work that inspired and lifted his own At about 40:40, Wright responds to Pete's question about ideas  At about 42:40, Wright discusses the “death penalty” that Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam suffered after their killing of Emmett Till At about 43:45, Pete wonders about the short-term and long-term  At about 44:20, Wright connects “The Lost Cause” of the past and the Mississippi and MAGA movement of today At about 46:35, Wright traces the land history of the grid and lawmaking that led to The Barn becoming the place where Emmett Till was killed At about 49:05, Wright reflects on his attendance at a special White House commemoration  At about 50:15, Wright reflects on Emmett “Bobo” Till and how he is “not a symbol” to those eight-12 people still alive who remember him as he was  At about 51:45, Wright highlights how Mamie Till “rose to the occasion” and was such an incredible civil-rights icon and hero      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Hannah Pittard, a recent guest, is up at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of flawed characters, protagonists who are too real in their actions, and horror and noir as being where so much good and realistic writing takes place. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.     This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 296 with Ursula Villarreal-Moura, the author of Math for the Self-Crippling (2022), selected by Zinzi Clemmons as the Gold Line Press fiction contest winner, and Like Happiness, named a Best Book of 2024 by NPR    Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

Notes and Links to Andrew Porter's Work     Andrew Porter is the author of four books, including the short story collection The Theory of Light and Matter (Vintage/Penguin Random House), which won the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction, the novel In Between Days (Knopf), which was a Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writers”  selection, an IndieBound “Indie Next” selection, and the San Antonio Express News's “Fictional Work of the Year,” the short story collection The Disappeared (Knopf), which was longlisted for The Story Prize and the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, and the novel The Imagined Life, which was published by Knopf in April 2025. Porter's books have been published in foreign editions in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand and translated into numerous languages, including French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Bulgarian, and Korean. In addition to winning the Flannery O'Connor Award, his collection, The Theory of Light and Matter,  received Foreword Magazine's “Book of the Year” Award for Short  Fiction, was a finalist for The Steven Turner Award, The Paterson Prize  and The WLT Book Award, was shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, and was selected by both The Kansas City Star and The San Antonio Express-News  as one of the “Best Books of the Year.” The recipient of a Pushcart Prize and fellowships from the James Michener-Copernicus Foundation, the W.K. Rose Foundation,  and the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation,  Porter's  short stories have appeared in The Best American Short Stories, One Story, Ploughshares, The Southern Review, The Threepenny Review, The Missouri Review, American Short Fiction, Narrative Magazine, Epoch, Story, The Colorado Review, Electric Literature, and Texas Monthly, among others. He has had his work read on NPR's Selected Shorts and numerous times selected as one of the Distinguished Stories of the Year by Best American Short Stories.  A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Porter is currently a Professor of English and Director of the Creative Writing Program at Trinity University in San Antonio.   Buy The Imagined Life   Andrew's Website   Andrew's Wikipedia Page   Book Review for The Imagined Life from New York Times   At about 1:30, Pete makes a clumsy but heartfelt comparison between The Imagined Life and Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea and Andrew shares feedback from readers of his novel At about 3:10, Andrew responds to Pete's question about the book's seeds and talks about “tinker[ing]” with the book's opening for years At about 4:45, Pete remarks on the book's first-person account, and Andrew and Pete discuss the book's opening and ideas of naivete and fallible parents At about 6:45, Pete asks Andrew, who expands about structuring the book and its connection to revision  At about 8:45, Pete compares the setting of the book, 1983 Fullerton, CA, to The Smashing Pumpkins' “1979,” and Andrew discusses similarities  At about 10:30, Pete reflects on the importance of the age given to the book's narrator and the two characterize the book's “father” and Andrew talks about using a 70s/early 80s atmosphere through the young narrator's lens At about 15:30, Pete summarizes an important character introduction and Andrew talks about the importance of an embarrassing faux pas by the narrator's father that might have "professional ramifications” At about 17:30, Andrew responds to Pete's question about the visits that Steven takes to speak with his father's former colleagues in the present-day At about 21:20, Andrew explains connections between Proust (“Proo-st”) and the father, who is obsessed in some ways with Proust's work; Andrew notes personal parallels between the father and Proust At about 24:10, Andrew gives background on Uncle Julian's connection to his brother and his family  At about 25:40, Andrew responds to Pete's questions about the importance of the book's cabana and complicated coupling  At about 27:40, Andrew reflects on Chau's relationship with Steven and the connection as a shared “escape from their home lives” At about 31:00, Andrew responds to Pete's questions about fleeting beautiful moments between father and son At about 32:25, Pete wonders about how Andrew picks character names At about 34:10, Andrew discusses the narrator's son, Finn, and his acting out in school as a function of his parents' marital shakiness  At about 35:30, Pete asks Andrew about a pivotal party and any “ruptures” in relationships that may have followed   At about 38:00, Andrew reflects on possible foreshadowing through letters and notes left behind by Steven's father  At about 40:40, Andrew discusses his mindset in writing an important and off-the-wall culminating scene At about 43:35, The two reflect on ideas of traumas and cycles and anger, especially with regard to Steven's recognition of same  At about 46:30, Pete compliments the ending of the book, ideas of legacy and wonderful book timing At about 47:30, Andrew reflects on his book's setting as key in exploring contrasts between Steven's life then and now, as well as with the world as a whole At about 48:30, Swatch Watch discourse! and vague Bel Biv Devoe reference!      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Hannah Pittard, a recent guest, is up at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of flawed characters, protagonists who are too real in their actions, and horror and noir as being where so much good and realistic writing takes place. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.     This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 295 with Wright Thompson, a senior writer for ESPN, contributing writer to the Atlantic, and the New York Times bestselling author of Pappylandand The Cost of These Dreams. The Barn, a captivating story of the tragedy of Emmett Till's racist murder, is out in paperback on the day the episode airs, today, September 9.    Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.  

Notes and Links to Melissa Lozada-Oliva's Work      Melissa Lozada-Oliva is a Guatemalan-Colombian-American writer. Her chapbook peluda (Button Poetry 2017) explores the intersections of Latina identity and hair removal. In her novel-in-verse Dreaming of You (2021, Astra House), a poet brings Selena back to life through a seance and deals with disastrous consequences. Candelaria (Astra House, 2023) follows a Guatemalan grandmother at the end of the world and her three lost American granddaughters who started it. Candelaria was named one of the best books of 2023 by VOGUE and USA Today. Her collection of short stories BEYOND ALL REASONABLE DOUBT, JESUS IS ALIVE! will be released on September 2 through Astra House. Her newsletter READING SUCKS tracks the books she's read and the distractions she had while reading them, while interviewing authors about their relationship to reading.  She is currently adapting Dreaming of You into a film and working on a new novel. Melissa has done brand work with Facebook, Instagram, Google, Armani, and Topo Chico Hard Seltzer. Melissa's work balances the line between horror and humor. Her work has been featured or is forthcoming in NPR, VOGUE, REMEZCLA, PAPER, The Guardian, BreakBeat Poets, Kenyon Review, Vulture, Bustle, Glamour Magazine, The Huffington Post, Muzzle Magazine, The Adroit Journal, and BBC Mundo. She teaches fiction and poetry at the Center for Fiction and the Red Hook Public Library.   Buy Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, JESUS IS ALIVE   Melissa's Website   Review of Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, JESUS IS ALIVE from Kirkus Reviews At about 0:55, Melissa talks about her mindset in the runup to publication and gives purchasing info and info about book events At about 3:35, Melissa responds to Pete's questions about formative reading and writing from her childhood At about 5:40, Pete and Melissa talk "Usted" and "Tu" and "Vos" and writing in Spanish At about 7:10, Melissa talks about the “real-time satisfaction” of seeing/hearing her work “resonate” with people as a catalyst for her writing career At about 8:20, Melissa expands on what Button Poetry is and how she worked with the organization-here's one of her viral videos At about 9:45, Melissa talks about the difference in performing writing and then writing in a more solitary way At about 10:50, Melissa talks about writers who have inspired and thrilled her, including Sandra Cisneros, Jhumpa Lahiri, Kelly Link, Julia Alvarez, and Octavia Butler At about 12:50, Melissa shouts some Kelly Link writing to start with in exploring her great work At about 13:15, Melissa responds to Pete's questions about throughlines in the story collection and any seeds for the writing At about 14:35, The two discuss the epigraph's importance, with another Kelly Link shoutout, and discussion of “nothingness”  At about 16:40, Pete traces the collection's opening and asks Melissa about her usage of second-person At about 18:20, Pete makes a Soulja Boy/Spanish joke…does it hit? At about 18:45, Melissa replies to Pete's questions about the idolized teacher in the first story At about 20:45, Melissa reflects on ideas of “cancel culture” as seen in the world and in her collection At about 22:00, Pete wonders about the inspiration for the collection's title and the titular story At about 26:05, “Pobrecito” is discussed as a “curdled short king story” and Melissa responds to Pete's questions about the storyteller as trustworthy At about 29:10, “Heads” and the story collection's “absurd humor” and privilege are discussed, especially through ideas of admiration and connection At about 32:15, Pete compliments Melissa flashback work At about 33:00, Melissa talks about inspiration from Joyce Carol Oates' “Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?” for her poolhouse story At about 35:15, The body horror story “Tails” is discussed, with its themes of misogyny and competition among women brought on by this systemic misogyny At about 38:40, Melissa expands on Lucas as a restricted, though incredibly nice, character At about 39:30, Melissa responds to Pete's questions about music's role in “Tails” and in Melissa's writing life At about 40:50, Pete highlights some hilarious lines and scenes from the collection At about 42:00, The two discuss the story “Listening” and Melissa expands on the process that is a family thing and a ritual  At about 45:30, “But I'm Still the King,” a story dealing with a family return to their Guatemalan homeland, and ideas of change and tradition and faith and authenticity  At about 51:00, “Community Hole,” the collection's novella, is discussed, as Pete lays out the exposition, including a vague “cancellation” of the narrator  At about 53:00, Melissa recounts the beginning of narrator, Farah's, music career At about 56:55, Melissa responds to Pete's questions about the novella's all-important “hole” At about 59:30, Melissa reflects on Pete's quoting a writer friend about horror and noir and their shining on light on the world of 2025 At about 1:01:20, Pete references “Shawn of the Dead” At about 1:02:00, Melissa, in response to Pete's questions, casts for “Community Hole”      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Hannah Pittard, a recent guest, is up at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of flawed characters, protagonists who are too real in their actions, and horror and noir as being where so much good and realistic writing takes place. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.     This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 294 with Wright Thompson, a senior writer for ESPN, contributing writer to the Atlantic, and the New York Times bestselling author of Pappyland The Cost of These Dreams. The Barn, a captivating story of the tragedy of Emmett Till's racist murder, is out in paperback on the day the episode airs, September 9.    Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

Notes and Links to Ruben Reyes, Jr.'s Work     Ruben Reyes Jr. is the son of two Salvadoran immigrants. He completed his MFA in fiction at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. He is a graduate of Harvard College where he studied History and Literature and Latinx Studies. His writing has appeared in The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, AGNI, BOMB Magazine, Lightspeed Magazine, LitHub, and other publications. His debut story collection, There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, was a finalist for The Story Prize, and longlisted for the the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the Carnegie Medal for Excellence, the Aspen Words Literary Prize, and the New American Voices Award. Archive of Unknown Universes is his first novel. Originally from Southern California, he lives in Queens.   Buy Archive of Unknown Universes   Ruben's Website   Book Review for Archive of Unknown Universes from Washington Post, by Bilal Qureshi   At about 1:45, Ruben describes the experience of having his first novel out in the world At about 3:30, Ruben talks about feedback he's received about the novel At about 4:35, Ruben shares publishing information and shouts out “local indies” and Bookshop.org as good places to buy the book, and he shares a story about his book tour for his story collection At about 6:10, Ruben talks about his writing timeline and how he wrote his novel and his story collection at around the same time, allowing him flexibility and variety  At about 9:00, Ruben responds to Pete's questions about how feedback and the writing community worked during the pandemic At about 11:00, Ruben reflects on seeds for his novel, particularly the “turning point” that was his 2018 research trip to El Salvador At about 12:30, Ruben talks about the importance of oral histories he did on this 2018 research trip At about 13:25, Pete asks Ruben about the book's dedication and how he viewed the specific and universal  At about 16:15, Pete shares the book's profound epigraphs, and shares the book's exposition; Ruben responds to Pete's questions about the book's structure and his rationale in starting the book with a letter At about 19:25, Ruben reflects on writers and their views on a “perfect novel” At about 20:45, Ruben and Pete describe the book's pivotal machine, The Defractor, and fun with different “Interlocutors” for the machine  At about 23:40, Pete provides background information on Ana and Luis, important characters in the books At about 25:20, Ruben and Pete discuss the importance of Archbishop Oscar Romero and his coverage in the novel At about 28:00, Ruben reflects on how the “What if?” question is so resonant in literature and outside At about 28:50, Ruben and Pete talk about setting the tone for the start of the relationship between Rafael and Neto and an early scene at Havana's Malecon  At about 30:40, Pete reflects on traumas so understatedly and profoundly rendered  At about 32:00, Ruben talks about Ana's and Luis' relationship  At about 33:40, Pete wonders about an important decision made by Neto, and Ruben expands on research he did that showed how youth was largely in control during the Salvadoran Civil War At about 35:50, Ruben expands on what demands and hopes the revolutionaries/guerrillas had in the Salvadoran Civil War At about 39:05, The two discuss the book's parallel storyline At about 41:55, Ruben and Pete reflect on the fiery passions of youth and what makes relationships works and connections At about 44:15, The two discuss similarities and differences between Neto and Rafael  At about 46:10, Ruben homes in on how queerness was seen/embraced in the 70s, as shown through Rafael and Neto At about 47:30, Pete highlights a profound quote as he and Ruben talk about “grasping the lost threads of history” and how Ruben's book connects to ideas of silences and traumas and "reclaiming history” At about 49:40, Ruben shouts out Leisy Abrego's “On Silences” and its argument about silences as “intergenerational” in the Salvadoran diaspora        You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he's @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he's @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Episode 286 guest Hannah Pittard is up on the website this week. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of noir, horror, and crime fiction, as some of the best ways to match the zeitgeist and crazy timeline that is 2025. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 292 with Joan Silber, a novelist and short story writer. She won the 2017 National Book Critics Circle Award in Fiction and the 2018 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for her novel Improvement. Her latest novel, Mercy, is her 10th book of fiction. This episode drops today, September 2, Pub Day for Mercy. Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

Notes and Links to Joan Silber's Work    Joan Silber was raised in New Jersey and received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, where she studied writing with Grace Paley. She moved to New York after college and has made it her home ever since. She holds an M.A. from New York University. She's written ten books of fiction--most recently, Mercy, out in fall 2025.  Secrets of Happiness was a Washington Post Best Book of the year and a Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction of the Year.  Improvement won The National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award.  She also received the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story.  Her other works of fiction include Fools, longlisted for the National Book Award and finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, The Size of the World, finalist for the Los Angeles Times Prize in Fiction, and Ideas of Heaven, finalist for the National Book Award and the Story Prize.  She's also written Lucky Us, In My Other Life, and In the City (to be reissued by Hagfish in 2026), and her first book, Household Words, won the PEN/Hemingway Award. She's the author of The Art of Time in Fiction, which looks at how fiction is shaped and determined by time, with examples from world writers.  Her short fiction has been chosen for the O. Henry Prize, Best American Short Stories, and the Pushcart Prize.  Stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Tin House, The Southern Review, Ploughshares, Zyzzyva, and other magazines. She's been the recipient of an Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. For many years Joan taught fiction writing at Sarah Lawrence College and in the Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers.  Joan lives on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, with Jolie, her rescued street dog from Taiwan, and she travels as often as she can, with a particular interest in Asia. Buy Mercy   Joan Silber's Website   Joan Silber's Wikipedia Page   Boston Globe Review of Mercy   At about 2:55, Joan talks about responses about her new novel and how uncertainty is always  At about 3:45, Joan talks about places to buy her new novel and upcoming book events At about 5:05, Joan traces her early relationship with reading and writing and talks about early inspirations like Louisa May Alcott At about 6:55, Joan responds to Pete's question about the catalysts for her writing career, and she references the wonderful Grace Paley and her generative teaching methods At about 8:35, Joan talks about contemporary writers and influences like Charles Baxter, Andrea Barrett, and Margo Livesy At about 9:50, Pete bumbles through a vague comparison in complimenting Joan on her depiction of New York in the 1970s and gives some exposition of the book, especially regarding the book's main protagonist, Ivan  At about 11:25, Joan reflects on Ivan and Eddie as “intellectuallizing” their drug adventures  At about 12:35, Joan responds to Pete asking about Eddie and his mindset and personality  At about 14:45, the two trace the book's inciting incident, involving Eddie and Ivan indulging in drugs to an extreme  At about 17:30, Joan expands on her initial thoughts for the book, and on the secret that Ivan keeps to himself, as well as how she views Ivan in a “complicated” way At about 18:45, Joan responds to Pete's question about whether or not she “sit[s] in judgment of [her] characters” At about 20:20, Pete highlights Ivan and asks Joan's about Eddie “hav[ing] his own kingdom” in Ivan's life, especially with regard to his atonement for Alcoholics Anonymous At about 21:50, Pete traces Astrid/Ginger's career arc, as Ivan sees her rise and connects to Eddie, and Joan expands on why her film being done in Malaysia is connected to real-life regulations in China At about 23:30, Pete asks Joan about how she gets into the mindset to write about “What if?” At about 24:50, Chapter Two is discussed, with a new narrator in Astrid, and her tragedies and triumphs At about 26:10, Joan talks about the movie that takes place in the book, with Astrid as a star; Joan expands upon the “circle” of heroin/opioids in the novel At about 28:30, Joan discusses the “echo in the title” about heroin as the “drug of mercy” At about 29:00, Joan gives background on her choice in including Cara as a character who is a “bystander” to Eddie's abandonment  At about 30:15, Joan and Pete discuss the whys of Cara leaving and getting on the road At about 31:40, Joan talks about Chapter Three as a previously-published chapter/standalone, and how she likes “getting her characters in trouble” At about 32:00, Joan explains how she “follows” Nini into the next chapter, based on a previous quote, and how Joan's own travels influenced her writing about the Iu Mien of Thailand and Laos At about 35:00, Joan describes how Nini's injury in Southeast Asia serves as a vessel for a description of opium's uses/the way it's viewed in a variety of ways around the world  At about 36:15, Pete and Joan discuss the roles of anthropologists and their roles At about 38:30, Cara's chapter is highlighted, with Cara's relationship with her previously-absent father discussed   At about 41:00, Pete asks Joan to discuss the book's title-its genesis and connections to the book's events and characters  At about 42:30, Joan differentiates between mercy and forgiveness  At about 43:00, Pete compliments Joan's work in tracing a long but coherent storyline and her depiction of New York At about 44:10, Joan discusses an exciting upcoming project  At about 45:20, Pete and Joan discuss youth and innocence and aging as key parts    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Hannah Pittard, a recent guest, is up at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of flawed characters, protagonists who are too real in their actions, and horror and noir as being where so much good and realistic writing takes place. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.     This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 293 with Melissa Lozada-Oliva, a Guatemalan-Colombian-American writer. Her chapbook peluda explores the intersections of Latina identity and hair removal. In her novel-in-verse Dreaming of You (2021, Astra House), a poet brings Selena back to life through a seance and deals with disastrous consequences. Candelaria was named one of the best books of 2023 by VOGUE and USA Today. Her collection of short stories is BEYOND ALL REASONABLE DOUBT, JESUS IS ALIVE! The episode airs on September 2, today, Pub Day.    This episode airs today, September 2, Pub Day.    Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

Notes and Links to Adnan Virk's Work       Adnan Virk is an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster who is currently a host on MLB Network, NHL Network, and Amazon Prime Canada. Virk has been on television since September 2002 and worked almost nine years at ESPN, where he was a host primarily on their baseball and college football coverage, while also filling in on ESPN Radio. Virk's podcast Cinephile ran for eight years, totaling 336 episodes from 2016 to 2024. A graduate of Ryerson University and a Toronto native, Adnan lives with his wife Eamon and their four boys, Yusuf, Adeen, Shazz, and Maaz, in New Jersey. Buy Cinephile   Adnan's Instagram   Cinephile Podcast   At about 2:30, Adnan provides background on working with Mango Publishing and the process of seeing the book to publication At about 4:50, Adnan and Pete reminisce over their struggles and triumphs in high school and college intramurals At about 5:50, Adnan shares exciting feedback from readers, while sharing some favorite stories of his and talking about  At about 7:00, Adnan shares how his son's middle name is “Scorsese” and talks about an important “informal quiz” that Adnan's future took to solidify the relationship  At about 9:00, The two reflect on the death of McCluskey in The Godfather  At about 9:30, The two fanboy over the wondrous Dekalog movie series At about 13:20, Adnan traces the iconic night where he announced the Best Picture mixup at the 2017 Oscars At about 16:40, Adnan discusses his interview with Monica Bellucci At about 18:15, Pete and Adnan share their thoughts on the  At about 19:00, Adnan responds to Pete's leading question about Scorcese's Silence and reflects on the “special” movie and unique moviegoing experience   At about 21:50, the two reflect on Mahershala Ali's profound quote on “experiencing” a movie At about 22:35, Adnan responds to Pete's questions about formative moviegoing experiences At about 25:10, the two discuss the wondrous Raging Bull At about 26:40, Pete asks Adnan what movie he can quote at will  At about 28:00, Adnan reflects on movies he enjoyed when he first saw them and then later changed his opinion At about 28:50, Adnan mentions Hoffa in riffing on underrated/underappreciated movies  At about 30:00, Adnan talks about his fun in writing a sort of miscellaneous last chapter of Cinephile  At about 31:15, Adnan talks about Big Night and Raging Bull as great “brother” movies    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Hannah Pittard, a recent guest, is up at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of flawed characters, protagonists who are too real in their actions, and horror and noir as being where so much good and realistic writing takes place.    Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.     This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 291 with second time guest Ruben Reyes, Jr. His debut story collection, There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, was a finalist for The Story Prize. Archive of Unknown Universes is his first novel, an inventive and original one, and it was published in July 2025.    This episode airs on August 29.    Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

Notes and Links to Jahmal Mayfield's Work      Jahmal Mayfield writes gritty crime novels that touch on large social issues. He was born in Virginia but currently resides in New Jersey. In addition to writing, he serves as the director of a nonprofit program that provides employment support to people with disabilities. Mayfield is a husband and father of two young adults who are both embarrassed by his frequent forays down the rabbit holes of YouTube to view old 90s hip hop videos. SMOKE KINGS was inspired by Kimberly Jones' passionate viral video, “How can we win?”    Buy Smoke Kings   Jahmal's Website   Book Review for Smoke Kings from Washington Post, by E.A. Aymar   At about 2:00, Pete and Jahmal fanboy over Nas and talk “classic” hip hop At about 3:40, Jahmal talks about “three phases” of his reading and writing life At about 4:45, Jahmal talks about being “a reader first, and a writer second,” and responds to Pete's question about what he has gotten from his favorite writers At about 6:00, Jahmal responds to Pete's musings about At about 7:40, Jahmal expands upon “lean[ing]” into a certain character to use him as a caricature and the reasoning behind the choice At about 8:25, Jahmal and Pete discuss the wonderful crime fiction community  At about 10:25, The two reflect on Kimberly Jones' viral video and profound speech and righteous rage At about 12:30, The two share much about the book's exposition and dynamic opening scene At about 13:25, Jahmal gives background on Jackson Keeler's wonderful editing and how the opening came about At about 14:45, Jahmal shares how he referenced real historical racist tragedies that informed the racist crimes referenced in the book At about 15:45, Jahmal provides background on the book's main characters and their rationale in seeking revenge  At about 17:10, the two discuss the character of Mason, the PI and his arc and treatment At about 19:30, Jahmal explains how he aimed to have two characters serve as “counterweights” to Mason At about 20:55, Jahmal and Pete reflect scene  At about 23:15, Jahmal responds to Pete's question about the book's title, also riffing on the evolution of the title and how he tried to “honor the spirit of Kimberly Jones” At about 25:00, The two discuss the book's parallel storylines and Jahmal talks about how the book's structure came late in the process At about 27:50, Pete wonders about Mason and how he views his job At about 29:15, The two discuss the escalating levels of violence within the Smoke Kings and the different ways they view their mission At about 31:20, Jahmal responds to Pete's comments on Joshua, the brother of the murdered Darius, as taking a step back; Jahmal remarks on how/why he “kinda sidelined" him At about 33:00, Jahmal gives background on Elizabeth and her character as representative   At about 35:35, Jahmal talks about the significance of the names of the white supremacist characters and their characteristics  At about 37:55, Jahmal reflects on a tagline for the book, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves At about 39:45, The two reflect on Colin Kaepernick's protests and how it connects to ideas of racial justice At about 43:10, Jahmal responds to Pete's questions about the systematic versus the individual, in connection to the book At about 46:30, Jahmal gives some previews of his future writing path    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Episode 287's Hannah Pittard is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of flawed characters, protagonists who are too real in their actions, and horror and noir as being where so much good and realistic writing takes place. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 290 with second time guest Ruben Reyes, Jr. His debut story collection, There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, was a finalist for The Story Prize. Archive of Unknown Universes is his first novel, an inventive and original one, and it was published in July 2025.    The episode airs today, August 26.    Please demand action from your local congressperson in seeking a ceasefire in Gaza by going to https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin. 

Notes and Links to Camille Adams' Work          CAMILLE U. ADAMS, Ph.D. was born and raised in beautiful Trinidad and Tobago. She is the author of the explosive memoir How To Be Unmothered: a Trinidadian memoir, finalist in the Restless Books Prize in New Immigrant Writing 2023.    Camille is a memoirist, a poet, and a nature writer. She has been awarded Best of The Net—nonfiction 2024. She has received five Pushcart Prize nominations and three Best of the Net nominations for her memoir writing. Camille's work has also received recognition as a notable essay in Best American Essays 2022. Her writing has been long-listed in the Graywolf Creative nonfiction Prize 2022 and selected as a finalist for The 2021 Orison Anthology Award in Nonfiction.    Her other honours include an awarded fellowship as an inaugural Tin House Reading Fellow, an inaugural Granta nature writing workshop fellowship, an inaugural Anaphora Arts Italy Writing Retreat Fellowship, a McKnight Doctoral Fellowship, a Community of Writers Fellowship, A VONA scholarship, and a Roots Wounds Words Fellowship.    A Tin House Summer Workshop alum, Camille has served as a juried reader for Tin House for two consecutive years and as a moderator for two author panels. She has also received support from Kenyon Writers Workshop, Grubstreet, and others.   In addition, Camille has been an associate CNF editor at Variant Lit and an assistant memoir editor at Split Lip Magazine and at The Account. She has long taught English and creative writing, emphasising the importance of strong craft, beautiful prose, and ugly truths.   Having earned her MFA in Poetry from City College CUNY and her Ph.D. in Creative Nonfiction from FSU, Camille currently teaches creative writing and literature in New York City. She is at work on her second memoir. Buy How to Be Unmothered: A Trinidadian Memoir   Camille U. Adams' Website    Excerpt from How to Be Unmothered     At about 2:55, Camille talks about her ideal writing environments and she and Pete bond over Pete's  At about 5:00, Camille responds to Pete's question about what books and stories resonate with her students-she references Javier Zamora and Derek Walcott and Jamaica Kincaid At about 8:00, the two discuss purchasing details for How to Be Unmothered At about 9:15, Camille shares great early feedback for the memoir  At about 11:35, Camille responds to Pete's question about her early reading loves At about 14:30, Pete cites Jamaica Kincaid's masterful work and Camille shouts out George Lanning, Samuel Selvon, Paul Keyes Douglas, and other masterful Caribbean writers At about 16:50, Camille responds to Pete's questions about the “push-and-pull” of colonialist language and history in Trinidad At about 21:00, Camille highlights Daniel José Older's brilliant work as the two discuss evocative language  At about 22:25, Camille cites calypso and its performances as a keen example of the dynamic nature of language   At about 24:05, Camille and Pete discuss the book's dedication and epigraph (eek-Pete first calls it an “epitath”), with Camille sharing an insightful story on an idea's generative appearance in her head At about 28:40, Camille responds to Pete's question about the significance of her memoir's chapter titles as different trees At about 31:05, Pete and Camille set out the exposition for the memoir, especially the pivotal opening scene; Camille expounds on the long drive recounted and how it serves as a sort of cultural and historical tour of Trinidad At about 35:00, Camille talks about her  At about 36:25, Camille talks about the Trinidian term “hotfoot,” as the two discuss double standards for men and women At about 38:20, No spoilers! as Pete highlights an evocative and creative section about rum At about 40:55, Camille reflects on an “initiation” and on ideas of dominion over nature At about 44:00, Camille examines ideas of being a child and expectations and tropes around parent-child alienations At about 46:50, The two discuss an evocative series of scenes and ideas of intimacy and forced burdens At about 49:40, Camille responds to Pete's musings about the somatic sensations depicted in the book, including introducing the wise, apt saying: “there is no past tense in the body” At about 54:00, Camille describes traumatic experiences heaped on children in general and on herself, as she reflects on ideas of “property” and a lack of agency At about 58:00, Camille talks about why she can't and won't live with “unlove” At about 1:00:00, Camille discusses ideas of joy and resilience and vulnerability and “strip[ping] words of meaning and connections to political and psychological consciousness  At about 1:04:50, Camille highlights a meaningful song, The Journey” by Chris “Tambu” Herbert  At about 1:07:40, Camille teases her second book      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Hannah Pittard, a recent guest, is up at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of flawed characters, protagonists who are too real in their actions, and horror and noir as being where so much good and realistic writing takes place.    Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.     This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 289 with Jahmal Mayfield, who writes gritty crime novels that touch on large social issues. His stellar SMOKE KINGS was inspired by Kimberly Jones' passionate viral video, “How can we win?”    This episode airs on August 26.    Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 7, 2025) – Fiction has long offered writers a veil—an opportunity to tell deeply personal stories while maintaining a layer of narrative distance. But what happens when that veil is intentionally thin? When the boundaries between memory and imagination, fact and fiction, are not just blurred but teased and twisted? That's the space explored in If You Love It, Let It Kill You, the latest novel from Hannah Pittard, acclaimed author and professor in the University of Kentucky's Department of English. Drawing from autobiographical threads, Pittard uses fiction to explore truths that might feel too complex—or too personal—for straightforward memoir.  On this episode of Behind the Blue, Pittard talks about the freedom and risk of writing autobiographical fiction, the influence of teaching and mentorship on her work, and the role that humor and discomfort play in crafting emotionally resonant stories. ‘Behind the Blue' is available via a variety of podcast providers, including iTunes and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.  Behind the Blue is a joint production of the University of Kentucky and UK HealthCare. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page.   To discover how the University of Kentucky is advancing our Commonwealth, click here.

Notes and Links to Jordan Harper's Work           Jordan Harper is the Edgar-Award winning author of THE LAST KING OF CALIFORNIA, EVERYBODY KNOWS, SHE RIDES SHOTGUN and LOVE AND OTHER WOUNDS. Born and educated in Missouri, he now lives in Los Angeles, where he works as a writer and producer for television. Buy She Rides Shotgun   Jordan Harper's Author Page for Goodreads   She Rides Shotgun Review from Kirkus Reviews   Buy Tickets for She Rides Shotgun At about 3:30, Jordan talks about wanting a bullet wound of a main character to be a visceral and realistic for the reader  At about 4:30, Pete shares a perhaps apocryphal story of a damning way that Sicilian Mafiosi would kill At about 5:20, Jordan further explains a piece of the book that explains an interesting connection to gun violence At about 6:00, Pete references Mario Puzo and his research for his Mafia writing in asking Jordan about his own research for She Rides Shotgun At about 8:25, Jordan shares interesting insights into ways to jumpstart research through using RICO files At about 10:50, Jordan describes his philosophy on realism, and gives credit to Chuck Palahnuik's approach and advice At about 13:10, Jordan specifies Slab Town in his book as an example of a possibly unrealistic place that is provided evidence of realism and describes his view on violence in his writing At about 14:40, Jordan riffs on John Wick and the “ziplessness of the violence”  At about 16:00, Pete quotes a wise writer friend about noir and horror, etc., and how they are the venues for so much important and brilliant contemporary writing; he also means to shout out Jordan's incredible recent short story, “My Savage Year” At about 18:00, Jordan talks about “A Violent Masterpiece” as a title of a future book, and its genesis, as well as connections to escapism   At about 21:20, Jordan talks about a shift in subject manner in his latest work, in a more macro-/government At about 22:55, Jordan replies to Pete asking about what it's like to see the movie version of She Rides Shotgun in the theater; he quotes Jill Ciment in describing the wonder of having your writing adapted to the big screen  At about 24:50, Jordan provides a summary of She Rides Shotgun At about 27:00, Jordan talks about the book's protagonist, Polly, and the ways in which she's been “oppressed” At about 29:00, Jordan talks about ideas of hate, oppression, intolerance, fascism, and free speech as connected to Nazism and hate At about 30:40, Pete compliments the “fish out of water” balance that Jordan uses with Polly, and Jordan responds to Pete's question about the idea of “gunfighter eyes”-attributed to Polly in the novel At about 32:40, Pete and Jordan provides a little exposition for the novel, particularly with regard to the father and daughter relationship, or lack thereof At about 33:40, Pete connects a flashback scene into the novel to a great and intense story by William Carlos Williams, “The Use of Force” At about 34:20, Jordan responds to Pete asking about what keeps Polly with her father, even when she is-especially at the beginning-scared of him/by him At about 35:40, Jordan reflects on a mindset towards pain, and how this mindset manifests in the book At about 37:40, Pete and Jordan reflect on the book's time lapses and standout flashforward and time compression At about 39:10, Jordan highlights both the book and the idea of The Lie that Tells the Truth, and an important bear makes a cameo At about 41:00, Jordan talks about "complicating the machismo” by making the bear an important part of the novel's storyline At about 43:50, Pete reflects on the bear's significance and connection to the high school world; Jordan reflects on seeing himself in Polly, and how readers' comments made him reflect  At about 46:00, Jordan recounts how a change in POV in the drafts of the book changed the book's effects At about 48:55, Pete and Jordan reflect on the traumas in Polly's short life At about 52:15, Pete lauds Jordan's epic opening to the book- he reads the part about “Crazy Craig” and Jordan responds to Pete's questions about the deified Craig and some chill-inducing lines At about 53:45, Jordan references great friend and great writer S.A. Cosby in talking about “Old Testament”/ “New Testament” writing  At about 56:10, Pete and Jordan reflect on Detective Park's “buzz” from the life of an investigator; Jordan cites ridealongs with LAPD or LASD as writing fodder  At about 59:20, Jordan talks about the nuances of creating a “complex character” and dispenses some valuable writing advice  At about 1:04:25, Jordan responds to Pete's question about what it is like to see his words acted out on the big screen in the hands of skilled actors  At about 1:06:25- Pete reminds listeners to get their tickets to see She Rides Shotgun on the big screen          You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Hannah Pittard, a recent guest, will be up in the next week or two at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!     This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of flawed characters, protagonists who are too real in their actions, and horror and noir as being where so much good and realistic writing takes place.     Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.     This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 288 with Camille Adams, who was born and raised in beautiful Trinidad and Tobago. Camille is a memoirist, a poet, and a nature writer, and the author of the explosive memoir How To Be Unmothered: a Trinidadian Memoir. The book was a finalist in the Restless Books Prize in New Immigrant Writing 2023, and it is out on August 19, the same day the episode drops.     Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

Hannah Pittard is the author of the novel If You Love It, Let It Kill You, available from Henry Holt & Co. Pittard is the author of the novels Listen to Me and The Fates Will Find Their Way. She is a winner of the Amanda Davis Highwire Fiction Award, a MacDowell fellow, and the Guy M. Davenport Professor in English at the University of Kentucky. She lives with her boyfriend and stepdaughter in Lexington. Much of her family lives nearby. *** ⁠⁠Otherppl with Brad Listi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a weekly podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, etc. Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brad Listi's email newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the show on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is an ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠affiliate partner of Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Notes and Links to Hannah Pittard's Work        Hannah Pittard is the author of six books, including the memoir WE ARE TOO MANY and the novel out as of today, IF YOU LOVE IT, LET IT KILL YOU. She is a winner of the Amanda Davis Highwire Fiction Award, a MacDowell fellow, and a professor of English at the University of Kentucky. She lives with her boyfriend and stepdaughter in Lexington. Much of her family lives nearby. Buy If You Love It, Let It Kill You   Hannah Pittard's Website   If You Love It, Let It Kill You Excerpt with Recommendation from Maggie Smith for Electric Literature   “Two Writers Fell in Love, Married, Then Divorced. Who Gets the Story?” from The New York Times At about 1:50, Hannah describes the evolution of her last name's pronunciation  At about 3:00, Hannah talks about the cover for If You Love It, Let it Kill You and describes her mindset in the leadup to her book's publication  At about 4:50, Pete shouts out Rachel Yoder's Nightbitch, both the book and movie, and asks Hannah to cast a possible future movie for If You Love It, Let it Kill You At about 7:20, Pete compliments the “snappy dialogue” of the book in asking Hannah about her family background and early intellectual life At about 8:45, Hannah discusses the book as “100% fiction” while talking about her sister and family as “muses” At about 9:55, Public urination is discussed, both within the book, and without  At about 10:50, Hannah traces her early reading life and how she “fell in love with books” and shouts out Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, and Tim O'Brien (In the Lake of Woods) At about 14:30, Pete brings up James Frey in discussing the fine line between fiction and nonfiction, as discussed by Hannah with regard to In the Lake of the Woods' brilliance At about 15:30, Ann Beattie, Grace Paley, Alice Munro, are referenced as big influences on Hannah's writing and reading in college and right after, as she traces her semi-accidental foray into MFA At about 17:20, Hannah talks about updating her contemporary reading as she entered MFA, including her early reading of Infinite Jest!  At about 19:15, Alice Munro's “upsetting” story is discussed as is Claire Deder's Monsters, in the larger discussion about problematic and damaging authors  At about 22:50, Hannah discusses her current reading, including Honor Jones' Sleep, and Lynn Stever Strong's , and the series Storybook ND At about 25:40, Hannah shouts out the book's publisher and places to buy the book, including Good Neighbor Books in upstate NY and Exile in Bookville in Chicago  At about 27:40, the two discuss Margaret Atwood's “cameo” in the book and Atwood's epigraph At about 28:55, Pete takes another opportunity to shout out Jess Walter, Beautiful Ruins, and Edoardo Ballerini At about 33:00, Hannah shouts out “Dog Heaven” by Stephanie Vaughn in a beautiful audio form read by Tobias Wolff, and the two fanboy/girl about Wolff's “Bullet in the Brain” At about 34:40, Pete lays out the book's opening and Hannah replies to Pete's question about her original and full chapter titles At about 36:35, The two discuss the book's exposition and plotline and how “Today I am restless” sets the scene for the book's ethos At about 40:00, Hannah shares some funny real-life stories from which she took pieces for her book's characters At about 41:55, Pete playfully laments the incredible veracity of Hannah's writing  At about 44:40, The two lay out a sort of “existential crisis” and an anxiety about contentment at the book's beginning; Hannah notes the protagonist's “place of privilege” At about 47:10, Pete remarks on the book's subtlety and Hannah on the protagonist's “distanc[ing]” based on a past trauma  At about 49:35, Hannah responds to Pete's asking about the vagaries of memory and its connections to the protagonist's actions and busy thoughts At about 52:05, The two discuss the protagonist's ennui  At about 53:15, Hannah responds to Pete's questions about the book's choral/allegorical nature At about 58:55, Hannah talks about the dynamic between the protagonist and her students, and Hannah's own evolution in teaching more flexibly  At about 1:02:05, Hannah responds to Pete's wonderings and musings of “The Irishman” and the character's implications  At about 1:07:00, Hannah reflects on various iterations of scenes involving a threatening student  At about 1:09:10, Pete cites Jess Walter's ending for Beautiful Ruins, in raving about Hannah's wonderful last line and skill in bringing the storyline full circle You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Hannah will be up in the next week or two at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of writing projects that got away, as Pete discusses a particular writing project that had so much potential but is now unfinishable-at least he thinks so. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 287 with Jordan Harper, whose 2017 novel She Rides Shotgun is being adapted and released through Lionsgate Studios on August 1, which is also when the episode airs.

Sexuopharmaceuticals. Yes, we had to sound it out too. But behind the tongue-twister is a study that confirms what many couples already know: vaginal dryness + erectile dysfunction = not exactly a recipe for romance. But is that pill really the answer? We unpack the not-so-sexy science that says that sexuopharmaceuticals like Viagra are putting some men out of sync with their female partners. And, C-sections are on the rise—and Amelia, Jessie and Mia have thoughts. Is it a medical trend, a feminist power move, or just the new default setting for birth? Plus, gossip alert: Jennifer Aniston’s rumoured new boyfriend has people talking, Bec Judd’s spilling the tea on her cosmetic tweaks, and Mia throws a surprise question at Jessie and Amelia that stops them in their tracks. And finally, are we witnessing the slow death of university? Parents are being told to stop pushing uni on their kids but what does that mean for jobs, knowledge, expertise? We discuss. Support independent women's media What To Listen To Next: Listen to our latest episode: WTF is Going On In America Right Now? Listen: Please Remove Me From Your Micro Drama Listen: BONUS: Our Honest Thoughts About 'And Just Like That' Season Three Listen: You're A Bitch And That's Why We Lack Community Listen: When Your Family Is the Problem Listen: A Child Care Worker, An Arrest & The Backlash Against Male Educators Listen: The Leaderboard Of Cool Listen: The Bezos Wedding Was A Very Rich Text Parenting Out Loud: Dr Becky's DFK Theory & The Great Trampoline Debate Connect your subscription to Apple Podcasts Watch Mamamia Out Loud: Mamamia Out Loud on YouTube What to read: Preparing for a C-section? These are the 5 things you'll want to plan for. DIARY OF A BIRTH: Eliza went in for a routine c-section. She felt everything. 'I gave birth via emergency c-section. A comment from my mother-in-law afterwards infuriated me.' 'I made over $800,000 last year. I still refuse to pay my daughter's university education.' ‘I’d been a cleaner, I’d driven trucks. At 43, I enrolled in university for the first time.' Viagra for women is a thing and nobody's talking about it. For a brief moment, the internet was convinced Barack Obama and Jennifer Aniston were having an affair. BEC JUDD: 'I posted about my neck. I woke up to my face plastered on a US magazine.' Are you fighting with someone you love? Maybe it’s your partner or your sibling or your best friend? Mamamia’s new therapy-based series is looking for a range of pairs who are interested in receiving qualified psychotherapy to help them repair their relationship before it’s too late. We are looking for real people, with real problems, who want real therapy. If this is you, apply here. THE END BITS: The information discussed in this podcast is general in nature and is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and should not be relied upon as such. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay seeking it because of something you’ve heard in this podcast. Check out our merch at MamamiaOutLoud.com Mamamia studios are styled with furniture from Fenton and Fenton GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening. Send us an email at outloud@mamamia.com.au Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message. Join our Facebook group Mamamia Outlouders to talk about the show. Follow us on Instagram @mamamiaoutloud and on Tiktok @mamamiaoutloud Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button.   This week we have Sam Miller, manager at Carmichael's Bookstore in Louisville, with us to chat about books readers might want to consider for their summer reading. It is always fun to hear what is new and notable from Sam.    This is our last episode of the season.  We will be back in July after our summer hiatus with all new episodes. Happy Reading!   Books Mentioned in this Episode:   1- The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebowitz   2- Northern Spy by Flynn Berry   3- Big Girl Small Town by Michelle Gallen   4- Factory Girls by Michelle Gallen   5- Cat's People by Tanya Guerrero   6- The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani   7- Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani   8- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid   9- Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter   10- So Far Gone by Jess Walter   11- A Language of Limbs by Dylin Hardcastle   12- A Lesser Light by Peter Geye   13- Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippmann   14- El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott   15- Big Bad Wool by Leonie Swann   16- Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann   17- First Gentleman by Bill Clinton and James Patterson   18- King of Ashes by SA Cosby   19- Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE Schwab   20- Katabasis by RF Kuang   21- Country Under Heaven by Frederic Durbin   22- A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna   23- Isabella Nag and the Pot of Basil by Oliver Darkshire   24- The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar   25- Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs   26- Plato and the Tyrant by James Romm   27- Turning to Birds by Lili Taylor   28- Is A River Alive? by Robert McFarlane   29- Mark Twain by Ron Chernow   30- Charlottesville by Deborah Baker   31- Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser   32- Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser   33- Fulfillment by Lee Cole   34- If You Love It, Let it Kill You by Hannah Pittard   35- The Fire Concerto by Sarah Landenwich   36- Black Cohosh by Eagle Valiant Brosi   37- Big Swiss by Jen Beagin   38- I Am the Arrow: The Life and Art of Sylvia Plath in Six Poems by Sarah Ruden   39- Red Comet by Heather Clark   40- Bad Badger : A Love Story by Maryrose Wood   Media mentioned--   1- Derry Girls (Netflix, 2018-2022)   2- Christoph Waltz on Jimmy Fallon --https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0jr-HQeT74   3- Floyd Collins Broadway show--https://floydcollinsbroadway.com  

Notes and Links to The Philharmonik's Work          The Philharmonik, who was an Episode 58 guest, is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, lyricist, music producer and genre defining artist. Recently, he has been nationally and globally recognized after winning the 2023 American Song writer contest and NPR's 2024 Tiny Desk Contest for his song “What's It All Mean?”  NPR Announcement of Tiny Desk Winner: “What's It All Mean?”   The Philharmonik's Website   NPR Tiny Desk Concert   “What's It All Mean?” Video   The Philharmonik on Spotify At about 1:35, Christian talks about the year since he won NPR's Tiny Desk Contest, and his “shift[ing] perspective”  At about 2:50, Christian discusses the importance of his victory in the American Songwriters' Contest, and the important “domino effect” At about 5:50, Christian talks about his vision board and manifesting for his NPR victory At about 7:30, Christian talked about the waiting period between submission for NPR and his victory, and “starting to lose faith” At about 9:30, Christian talks about his views on competition  At about 10:30, Usher: “Watch this!” At about 11:10, Christian shares his memories-he mentions being “in disbelief”-of getting the call  At about 13:40, Christian talks about his initial entry in Tiny Desk in 2018 and his philosophy in entering At about 15:00, Christian responds to Pete's questions about the logistics and vision for the video for “What's It All Mean?” At about 17:40, Pete asks Christian about his interest in music videos and expressing himself through the videos At about 19:00, The two discuss Office Space, The Office, and other parallels to the working world and Christian's video At about 20:00, Chrsitian expands on his band/video mates as “the final piece” At about 21:45, Christian shouts out the venue and benefactors for his video shoot-shout out the Machados and All-City Homes in Oak Park, Sacramento At about 23:20, Christian talks about the wonderful feedback from fans At about 24:00, Pete shares praise from NPR about the song and video At about 24:50, Christian expands upon the truly “tiny” Tiny Desk and the logistics of the Tiny Desk Concert itself  At about 27:15, Christian discusses the post Tiny Desk Concert tour arranged by NPR At about 29:10, Christian breaks down “in the pocket” and “dry[ing] out the mix” as he gets his music professor on At about 30:05, Christian calls Stevie Wonder “the godfather” of “What's It All Mean” and expands on how he likes the ways Beatles used guitars and connections to amps and reverb At about 31:50, Christian responds to Pete's questions about the arrangement of the winning song, especially the opening crescendo At about 34:10, Christian answers Pete's question about how the winning song's meaning ahs evolved over time At about 36:00, Pete homes in on some meaningful lines from the winning song as the two reflect on the unknowns of life  At about 38:40, Pete mentions Severance and “No Surprises” by Radiohead as reminiscent of the winning song At about 40:20, Christian reflects on the “ups and downs of the creative process” and the (mostly) special time “in the lab” At about 41:30, Christian talks about listener data and questioning his music career at times At about 43:30, Christian shares the exciting news about his upcoming world tour   You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 270 guest Jason De León is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 286 with Hannah Pittard, winner of the Amanda Davis Highwire Fiction Award and a MacDowell fellow. She is the author of six books, including the memoir WE ARE TOO MANY and the forthcoming novel IF YOU LOVE IT, LET IT KILL YOU, whose Pub Day is July 15, the day this episode drops.

A quick Sunday episode wherein I share some exciting news: Later this year, I will be launching a new company called DeepDive, which specializes in the creation of long-form educational audio. The debut course from DeepDive will be 'How to Write a Novel,' and it will feature more than 50 hours of never-before-heard conversations with dozens of today's leading writers, including Emily St. John Mandel, Porochista Khakpour, Melissa Broder, Steve Almond, V.V. Ganeshananthan, Lynn Steger Strong, Vauhini Vara, Lydia Kiesling, Madelaine Lucas, Matt Bell, Jerry Stahl, Hannah Pittard, Kimberly King Parsons, Gina Frangello, Stephen Graham Jones, and many more. The official DeepDive website is www.deepdive.audio. And please follow DeepDive on Instagram and on BlueSky. You can sign up for the official DeepDive newsletter right here. And you can read my Substack announcement here. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch Twitter Instagram  TikTok Bluesky Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4a0p0POShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Now there's more! Subscribe to Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books on Acast+ and get ad-free episodes. https://plus.acast.com/s/moms-dont-have-time-to-read-books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when you come of age in mid-life? Why is so challenging to figure out your own past? Can you find the permission to be weird? (And can you be happy if you don't?) Memoirist and English professor Hannah Pittard joins us to explore: If the personal is ever too personal. What is a collective memory. The imperfect way we perceive our own experiences. Taking risks in writing and in life. The memoir We Are Too Many. Today's book is: We Are Too Many, a memoir about a marriage-ending affair between award-winning author Hannah Pittard's husband and her best friend. An innovative and genre-bending look at a marriage and friendship gone wrong, Professor Pittard recalls a decade's worth of conversations that are fast-paced, intimate, and reveal the vulnerabilities inherent in any friendship or marriage. She takes stock not only of her own past and future but also of the larger, more universal experiences they connect with—from the depths of female rage to the ways we outgrow certain people. We Are Too Many examines the unfiltered parts of the female experience, as well as the possibilities in starting life over after a catastrophe. Our guest is: Professor Hannah Pittard, who is the author Visible Empire, Reunion, Listen to Me, The Fates Will Find Their Way, and the memoir We Are Too Many. She is a professor of English at the University of Kentucky. Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, who is a historian. Listeners to this episode may also be interested in: Becoming the Writer You Already Are, by Michelle R. Boyd Story Genius, by Lisa Cron Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg Revise, by Pamela Haag Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott Academic Life episode with Professor Morgan Talty about Night of the Living Rez Academic Life episode with novelist Erica Bauermeister, who left academia Academic Life episode with Nancy Thayer, an English professor who left academia to write full time Academic Life episode on writing memoir with Dr. Rebekah Tausig Academic Life episode on Shoutin in the Fire with Dante Stewart Welcome to The Academic Life! Join us here each week to learn from today's experts inside and outside the academy, and embrace the broad definition of what it truly means to live an academic life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

What happens when you come of age in mid-life? Why is so challenging to figure out your own past? Can you find the permission to be weird? (And can you be happy if you don't?) Memoirist and English professor Hannah Pittard joins us to explore: If the personal is ever too personal. What is a collective memory. The imperfect way we perceive our own experiences. Taking risks in writing and in life. The memoir We Are Too Many. Today's book is: We Are Too Many, a memoir about a marriage-ending affair between award-winning author Hannah Pittard's husband and her best friend. An innovative and genre-bending look at a marriage and friendship gone wrong, Professor Pittard recalls a decade's worth of conversations that are fast-paced, intimate, and reveal the vulnerabilities inherent in any friendship or marriage. She takes stock not only of her own past and future but also of the larger, more universal experiences they connect with—from the depths of female rage to the ways we outgrow certain people. We Are Too Many examines the unfiltered parts of the female experience, as well as the possibilities in starting life over after a catastrophe. Our guest is: Professor Hannah Pittard, who is the author Visible Empire, Reunion, Listen to Me, The Fates Will Find Their Way, and the memoir We Are Too Many. She is a professor of English at the University of Kentucky. Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, who is a historian. Listeners to this episode may also be interested in: Becoming the Writer You Already Are, by Michelle R. Boyd Story Genius, by Lisa Cron Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg Revise, by Pamela Haag Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott Academic Life episode with Professor Morgan Talty about Night of the Living Rez Academic Life episode with novelist Erica Bauermeister, who left academia Academic Life episode with Nancy Thayer, an English professor who left academia to write full time Academic Life episode on writing memoir with Dr. Rebekah Tausig Academic Life episode on Shoutin in the Fire with Dante Stewart Welcome to The Academic Life! Join us here each week to learn from today's experts inside and outside the academy, and embrace the broad definition of what it truly means to live an academic life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

What happens when you come of age in mid-life? Why is so challenging to figure out your own past? Can you find the permission to be weird? (And can you be happy if you don't?) Memoirist and English professor Hannah Pittard joins us to explore: If the personal is ever too personal. What is a collective memory. The imperfect way we perceive our own experiences. Taking risks in writing and in life. The memoir We Are Too Many. Today's book is: We Are Too Many, a memoir about a marriage-ending affair between award-winning author Hannah Pittard's husband and her best friend. An innovative and genre-bending look at a marriage and friendship gone wrong, Professor Pittard recalls a decade's worth of conversations that are fast-paced, intimate, and reveal the vulnerabilities inherent in any friendship or marriage. She takes stock not only of her own past and future but also of the larger, more universal experiences they connect with—from the depths of female rage to the ways we outgrow certain people. We Are Too Many examines the unfiltered parts of the female experience, as well as the possibilities in starting life over after a catastrophe. Our guest is: Professor Hannah Pittard, who is the author Visible Empire, Reunion, Listen to Me, The Fates Will Find Their Way, and the memoir We Are Too Many. She is a professor of English at the University of Kentucky. Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, who is a historian. Listeners to this episode may also be interested in: Becoming the Writer You Already Are, by Michelle R. Boyd Story Genius, by Lisa Cron Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg Revise, by Pamela Haag Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott Academic Life episode with Professor Morgan Talty about Night of the Living Rez Academic Life episode with novelist Erica Bauermeister, who left academia Academic Life episode with Nancy Thayer, an English professor who left academia to write full time Academic Life episode on writing memoir with Dr. Rebekah Tausig Academic Life episode on Shoutin in the Fire with Dante Stewart Welcome to The Academic Life! Join us here each week to learn from today's experts inside and outside the academy, and embrace the broad definition of what it truly means to live an academic life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

What happens when you come of age in mid-life? Why is so challenging to figure out your own past? Can you find the permission to be weird? (And can you be happy if you don't?) Memoirist and English professor Hannah Pittard joins us to explore: If the personal is ever too personal. What is a collective memory. The imperfect way we perceive our own experiences. Taking risks in writing and in life. The memoir We Are Too Many. Today's book is: We Are Too Many, a memoir about a marriage-ending affair between award-winning author Hannah Pittard's husband and her best friend. An innovative and genre-bending look at a marriage and friendship gone wrong, Professor Pittard recalls a decade's worth of conversations that are fast-paced, intimate, and reveal the vulnerabilities inherent in any friendship or marriage. She takes stock not only of her own past and future but also of the larger, more universal experiences they connect with—from the depths of female rage to the ways we outgrow certain people. We Are Too Many examines the unfiltered parts of the female experience, as well as the possibilities in starting life over after a catastrophe. Our guest is: Professor Hannah Pittard, who is the author Visible Empire, Reunion, Listen to Me, The Fates Will Find Their Way, and the memoir We Are Too Many. She is a professor of English at the University of Kentucky. Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, who is a historian. Listeners to this episode may also be interested in: Becoming the Writer You Already Are, by Michelle R. Boyd Story Genius, by Lisa Cron Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg Revise, by Pamela Haag Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott Academic Life episode with Professor Morgan Talty about Night of the Living Rez Academic Life episode with novelist Erica Bauermeister, who left academia Academic Life episode with Nancy Thayer, an English professor who left academia to write full time Academic Life episode on writing memoir with Dr. Rebekah Tausig Academic Life episode on Shoutin in the Fire with Dante Stewart Welcome to The Academic Life! Join us here each week to learn from today's experts inside and outside the academy, and embrace the broad definition of what it truly means to live an academic life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

What happens when you come of age in mid-life? Why is so challenging to figure out your own past? Can you find the permission to be weird? (And can you be happy if you don't?) Memoirist and English professor Hannah Pittard joins us to explore: If the personal is ever too personal. What is a collective memory. The imperfect way we perceive our own experiences. Taking risks in writing and in life. The memoir We Are Too Many. Today's book is: We Are Too Many, a memoir about a marriage-ending affair between award-winning author Hannah Pittard's husband and her best friend. An innovative and genre-bending look at a marriage and friendship gone wrong, Professor Pittard recalls a decade's worth of conversations that are fast-paced, intimate, and reveal the vulnerabilities inherent in any friendship or marriage. She takes stock not only of her own past and future but also of the larger, more universal experiences they connect with—from the depths of female rage to the ways we outgrow certain people. We Are Too Many examines the unfiltered parts of the female experience, as well as the possibilities in starting life over after a catastrophe. Our guest is: Professor Hannah Pittard, who is the author Visible Empire, Reunion, Listen to Me, The Fates Will Find Their Way, and the memoir We Are Too Many. She is a professor of English at the University of Kentucky. Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, who is a historian. Listeners to this episode may also be interested in: Becoming the Writer You Already Are, by Michelle R. Boyd Story Genius, by Lisa Cron Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg Revise, by Pamela Haag Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott Academic Life episode with Professor Morgan Talty about Night of the Living Rez Academic Life episode with novelist Erica Bauermeister, who left academia Academic Life episode with Nancy Thayer, an English professor who left academia to write full time Academic Life episode on writing memoir with Dr. Rebekah Tausig Academic Life episode on Shoutin in the Fire with Dante Stewart Welcome to The Academic Life! Join us here each week to learn from today's experts inside and outside the academy, and embrace the broad definition of what it truly means to live an academic life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/academic-life

In this episode, I chat with Hannah Pittard about her new book, We Are Too Many, styles of writing, divorce, and teaching.Hannah Pittard is the author of four novels and a forthcoming memoir.  Her books have been recommended by the New York Times; Chicago Tribune; O, The Oprah Magazine; Time; The Guardian; The Washington Post; Belletrist; Powell's Indie subscription club; The Indie Next List; and the signed First Edition Club at Harvard Bookstore. She is a winner of the Amanda Davis Highwire Fiction Award, a MacDowell Colony Fellow, and a graduate of Deerfield Academy, the University of Chicago, and the University of Virginia. She also spent some time at St. John's College in Annapolis. She is a Professor of English at the University of Kentucky and lives in Lexington with her boyfriend and stepdaughter. Support the showThe Bookshop PodcastMandy Jackson-BeverlySocial Media Links

Sam is feeling good about himself, having made some customers happy with recommendations in the Shop this past weekend, and maybe even fueled some important TikToks. Unfortunately, he mistakes Vice and Vox, and thinks Vulture is going out of business, but isn't. Regardless, check out Bookshop.org. And our Events page. Oh, and Elliot Bostwick Davis was at the Met, in addition to the MFA, where Sam dropped a bunch of acid. You should come see her speak at Hastings House on May 25 in the Farms. Nevermind about the history of "Labor-in-Vain" as an Ipswich street — it's old. Also, hear about "TransElectric" from Cidny Bullens, "Warrior Girl Unearthed" from Angeline Boulley (the follow-up to "Firekeeper's Daughter," which was awesome), "Dead Man's Wake" from Paul Doiron (Maine mystery!), "We Are Too Many" from Hannah Pittard (a "kind of" memoir about her husband sleeping with her best friend), and, finally, "Updike" from Adam Begley, which Sam is about halfway through, but is scandalous, in general. Did you hear about the plaque dedication? More to come on that. 

We're getting excited about summer reading.  We've got lists of books coming out this summer that we're looking forward to reading. Which of these books are you looking forward to? The Bookmark is your place to find your next great book. Each week, join regular readers Miranda Ericsson, Chris Blocker and Autumn Friedli along with other librarians as they discuss all the books you'll want to add to your reading list.

Hannah Pittard is the author of the memoir We Are Too Many, available from Henry Holt & Co. Pittard is the author of four novels. She is a winner of the Amanda Davis Highwire Fiction Award, a MacDowell Colony fellow, and a graduate of Deerfield Academy, the University of Chicago, and the University of Virginia. She also spent some time at St. John's College in Annapolis. She is a professor of English at the University of Kentucky and lives in Lexington with her boyfriend and stepdaughter. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly literary podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Launched in 2011. Books. Literature. Writing. Publishing. Authors. Screenwriters. Etc. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch @otherppl Instagram  YouTube TikTok Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frank Reiss and Emmy Carmichael from A Cappella Books in Atlanta stopped by On Second Thought to share their recommendations for our Southern Reading List. It's our series of authors and readers sharing books that define and reflect the South. Carmichael recommends Caleb Johnson's Treeborne and Hannah Pittard's Visible Empire. Reiss recommends Anne Gisleson's The Futilitarians: Our Year of Thinking, Drinking, Grieving, and Reading and Michael Farris Smith's The Fighter. The shop also sponsors events with authors. On Second Thought host Virginia Prescott will host two events sponsored by them next week. The first event is with podcast host and journalist, Malcolm Gladwell . Gladwell is the man who introduced "the tipping point" to the lexicon and discusses his new book Talking to Strangers. He will be at the Ferst Center Thursday, Oct. 10. The next event is with MSNBC host Rachel Maddow . Maddow will talk about her book blowout about the oil and gas industry, and how the industry is

A random sign for free dogs inspired Mary Miller to drop a manuscript she'd been researching and create the character of Louis McDonald, Jr. for her hilarious and heartbreaking novel, BILOXI. She tells James about feeling indebted to her characters, teaching herself to write, looking in holes with her dog, needing to find joy, and reading with John Grisham. And bologna. And feet licking. Plus a chat with Bennet Johnson from Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor, MI.  - Mary Miller: http://www.maryumiller.net/ BUY BILOXI: Buy BILOXI from an Indie Bookseller ALSO BY: BIG WORLD, THE LAST DAYS OF CALIFORNIA, ALWAYS HAPPY HOUR  Mary and James discuss:  Frederick Barthelme Jerry Seinfeld  THE MOTEL LIFE by Willy Vlautin  THE OFFICE  THE MOVIEGOER by Walker Percy  THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt  Books-A-Million ZOETROPE ON WRITING by Stephen King  BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott  Elizabeth Ellen  Aaron Burch  Square Books  Lemuria Book Store  Bennet Johnson  Literati Bookstore Parnassus Books John Evans  Richard Howorth Lisa Howorth  Grisham Writers in Residence  John and Renee Grisham  Michener Center for Writers  Ann Patchett  Ole Miss  Mississippi State  Claudia Smith Chen Kevin Sampsell  REM  Elizabeth Spencer  Tom Franklin  Beth Ann Fennelly  W. W. Norton & Company  Charlie Day  IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA - Bennet Johnson  Literati Bookstore: https://www.literatibookstore.com/ Literati Cultura: https://www.literatibookstore.com/literati-cultura-collectors-club Bennet and James Discuss:  Mike & Hilary Gustafson  SING, UNBURIED, SING by Jesmyn Ward  ON EARTH WE'RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS by Ocean Vuong  YOU KNOW YOU WANT THIS by Kristen Roupenian  OHIO by Stephen Markley  MIDWEST LITERARY WALK PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee  HAWKING by Jim Ottaviani  "Boys Town" by Jim Shepard  Calvin Trillin  Amy Hempel  Mary Ruefle  Kevin Wilson  Hannah Pittard  Lorrie Moore  Ernest Hemingway  Literati Book Store Presents  John U. Bacon  Randall Munroe Sister Helen Prejean  Salman Rushdie  Jonathan Safran Foer  - http://tkpod.com / tkwithjs@gmail.com / Twitter: @JamesScottTK Instagram: tkwithjs / Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tkwithjs/

Listen to full program By segment One On June 3, 1962, a chartered Air France jet crashed on takeoff from Orly Airport in Paris. 106 of Atlanta's civic and arts leaders perished in the crash. Novelist Hannah Pittard, Director of the University of Kentucky's MFA Program in Creative Writing, discusses her historical fiction "Visible Empire," about the dynamics that play out in a community in the aftermath of such a catastrophe. LISTEN Two Lexington is among Scott Shapiro’s "University Cities.” What makes them special and what cautionary tales should they heed? We're joined by the Chief Innovation Officer in the administration of Lexington Mayor Jim Gray who was tasked with establishing a benchmark for Lexington’s future as home to a pair of universities within walking distance of its downtown. LISTEN Three The science behind "you are what you eat" (and what your mom and dad ate; and your grandparents.) A conversation with Alltech nutrigenomics research scientist Kirstin Brennan. LISTEN

Listen to full program By segment One On June 3, 1962, a chartered Air France jet crashed on takeoff from Orly Airport in Paris. 106 of Atlanta's civic and arts leaders perished in the crash. Novelist Hannah Pittard, Director of the University of Kentucky's MFA Program in Creative Writing, discusses her historical fiction "Visible Empire," about the dynamics that play out in a community in the aftermath of such a catastrophe. LISTEN Two Lexington is among Scott Shapiro’s "University Cities.” What makes them special and what cautionary tales should they heed? We're joined by the Chief Innovation Officer in the administration of Lexington Mayor Jim Gray who was tasked with establishing a benchmark for Lexington’s future as home to a pair of universities within walking distance of its downtown. LISTEN Three The science behind "you are what you eat" (and what your mom and dad ate; and your grandparents.) A conversation with Alltech nutrigenomics research scientist Kirstin Brennan. LISTEN

Originally aired on August 23rd 2018.

First Draft interview with Hannah Pittard

Hannah Pittard is the author of four novels. Her most recent, Visible Empire,was an Amazon Editors' Pick for Summer Fiction, an IndieNext List Pick, a New York Times "New and Noteworthy" Selection, an O Magazine Book of Summer, and one of Southern Living's Best New Books of Summer. Her previous novels include Listen to me, The Fates will Find Their Way and Reunion. She directs the MFA program in creative writing at the University of Kentucky. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hannah Pittard, an American novelist and author of short stories, talks about her new book, "Visible Empire." The novel is based on true events-of wealth, race, grief, and love, charting one sweltering summer in Atlanta...

Host Bill Goodman is joined by local bookstore owner, Jay McCoy. Brier Books is located in Lexington but also provides a number of pop-up shops throughout the state. Jay shares with us the latest summer reads by Kentucky authors, including works by Silas House, Hannah Pittard, Tiffany Reisz, and Andrew Shaffer. To purchase books, sign up for workshops, and learn about upcoming events, you can visit www.brierbooks.com.

Hannah Pittard is the head of the creative writing program at the University of Kentucky. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Oxford American, McSweeney's among many others. She is the winner of the 2006 Amanda Davis Highwire Fiction Award. Her novels are, Reunion, The Fates, Listen to Me, and in this episode, we talk about her fourth published novel, Visible Empire, available from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It's the story of grieving, greed, and racial oppression in Atlanta in the aftermath of Airfrance Flight 007 which crashed in Paris and killed over 100 of the richest white Atlantans of the early 1960s.

Hannah Pittard drops back into the Damn Library after writing and editing and publishing an entire new novel called Visible Empire! While drinking a cocktail featuring guava and egg white, she and the guys get way into 1962, how you need to make sure your ex knows where you got your ideas from, and how you should always kill the dog, amongst other topics. They also all discuss Ralph Ellison's classic novel Invisible Man, and how the speeches are excellent, it's devastating, but there's also nice parts.  contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb for drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.com music: Disaster Magic - Get Raining (https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Bill Goodman is joined by author Hannah Pittard. She is an associate professor of English at the University of Kentucky and is the director of creative writing in the MFA program. Pittard has written four novels, including "Listen to Me" (a New York Times Editors' Choice) and the forthcoming "Visible Empire" which will be available this June.

Hannah Pittard stops by the Damn Library to drink a classic cocktail bastardized by a substituted ingredient and discuss her book "Listen to Me" and Iain Reid's "I'm Thinking of Ending Things." Dread is discussed, as well as what makes for a good thriller, and Hannah explains why none of anything matters at all! Other fun revelations too! 15 seconds of a song - "Willow Weep for Me" by Muzzy Marcellino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the latest episode of Office Hours, creative writers Andrew Ewell and Hannah Pittard join us to discuss their work, marriage, and teaching at the University of Kentucky. Join us as we grab our notebooks and coffee cups to have a nice discussion about creativity.

Hannah Pittard is the guest. Her new novel is called Reunion, and it is available now from Grand Central Publishing.  Emily St. John Mandel calls it "A nuanced and intriguing study of family and love, money and debt, failure and success, starring one of the most likeable flawed narrators to come along in some time." And Publishers Weekly calls it "Emotionally astute...When this family of sorts gathers in Atlanta for the funeral, there is tension, pain, comedy, and finally, some healing and resolution. Kate is a winning narrator, whose insights into herself and her family keep the pages turning." Monologue topics:  wheat, internet holes, movies, Birdman, Gone Girl.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Department of English is excited to welcome Assistant Professor Hannah Pittard to its faculty! Pittard's work focuses on creative writing, ranging from writing novels to short stories and essays. In this podcast, Pittard discusses themes found within her work, her goals as a University of Kentucky faculty member, and the aspects of the University that drew her here. This podcast is part of a series highlighting the new faculty members who joined the College of Arts and Sciences in the fall 2014 semester.