Podcasts about The Loft Literary Center

Send us a textJennifer's S. Brown's debut novel, Modern Girls, was a USA Today bestseller, a Massachusetts Book Award “Must Read,” and a 2016 Goodreads Choice semifinalist for Historical Fiction. She teaches writing, both in-person in the Boston area and online through the Loft Literary Center. She holds a BFA in film and television from NYU and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Washington. The Whisper Sister is her second novel. Highlights:How Jennifer's background in film influences her approach to writing fiction.The significance of cultural and familial traditions in storytelling.Why research is one of her favorite parts of the writing process.The importance of being honest about what you don't enjoy in a book.A book flight of historical fiction novels set in the 1920sConnect with Jennifer:FacebookInstagramWebsiteBooks and authors mentioned:Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne FowlerHomegoing by Yaa GyasiHarriet the Spy by Louise FitzhughEp. 73 with Huda Al-MarashiAnne of Green Gables by L.M. MontgomeryRemarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van PeltIona Iverson's Guide to Commuting by Clare PooleyShark Heart by Emily HabeckYear of Wonders by Geraldine BrooksMatrix by Lauren GroffThe Liar's Gospel by Naomi AldermanAt the Wolf's Table by Rosella PostorinoThe Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street by Susan Jane GillmanWinesburg, Ohio by Sherwood AndersonThe Love Songs of W.E.B. Dubois by Honore Fanonne JeffersThe Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan KamaliBook FlightThe Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Rules of Civility by Amor TowlesReady for a monthly literary adventure? We now have the BFF Book Club. Join us each month to explore a new book. After reading, connect with fellow book lovers and meet the author in a live interview! Can't make it live? Don't worry—we'll send you the recording. You can find all our upcoming book club selections HERE. Support the showBe sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening! Instagram Facebook Website

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what's exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above. Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.Time-traveling puppets and Cherokee futurismOogie Push is a Minneapolis-based actor and playwright. She wants people to know about Z Puppets Rosenschnoz's upcoming performances of “Tales of ᏓᎦᏏ Dagsi Turtle & ᏥᏍᏚ Jisdu Wabbit,” a time-traveling, Cherokee-language-learning puppetry adventure for ages 5 and up. Shows are Saturday, April 19 at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at Open Eye Theatre in Minneapolis. There are also upcoming performances at two libraries: April 26 at 10:30 a.m. at East Side Freedom Library in St. Paul and April 29 at 5:30 p.m. at Hosmer Library in Minneapolis. The show runs 45 minutes.Oogie Push described the show: It's a musical adventure that goes into Cherokee futurism, and it's just a really fun sort of sci-fi adventure. Dagsi Turtle and Jisdu Wabbit are racing through time and space to save Grandmother Turtle. So they hop aboard their Turtle Ship and travel across space and time. I find it amazing that they find a way to get to historical, important events in Cherokee history. So you visit Sequoyah and Ayoka when they are coming up with the Cherokee syllabary, for example.Chris Griffith, who is Cherokee and part of Z puppets Rosenshnoz, was an adult language learner of the Cherokee language, and so the language came to him in the form of song. And so he thought, How can I incorporate this into a puppet theater? And so he just started envisioning futurism, sci-fi, fantasy and just sort of like this hero's journey.— Oogie PushLaughter, identity and healing at the OrdwayTerri Thao of St. Paul loves the Funny Asian Women Kollective (FAWK), and she booked her tickets early to see The FAWK Hmong (+ Friends) Super Show this Saturday at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Thao remembers when FAWK was packing the house at Indigenous Roots Studio in East St. Paul, and she's looking forward to a night of laughter as a mix of familiar FAWK members, stars and some local newbies bring their comedy to the Ordway stage. Thao said: When they came together, I just thought this, this is a great idea. You know, Asian American women can be funny! My understanding about comedy is a lot of people talk about real life, right? They're making observations about things happening.And I think so many times in communities, you know, refugee communities, there's been a lot of strife but at the same time, we've used humor to cope with so much. I just think they're able to just offer a lens into that experience with some humor. Seeing people on stage who look like you matters.— Terri ThaoHonoring Minnesota's poetic legacyJoshua Preston grew up in Montevideo, Minn., and he's proud of western Minnesota's poetry heritage, including the work of Minnesota's first poet laureate, Robert Bly (1926-2021). Preston's looking forward to the launch of Mark Gustafson's new book “Sowing Seeds: The Minnesota Literary Renaissance & Robert Bly, 1958-1980.” The book explores how Minnesota became the literary hub it is today. Mark Gustafson will discuss his new book with poets Jim Lenfestey and Nor Hall at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis this Saturday, April 19 at 6 p.m. People are encouraged to pre-register here. Preston says people who arrive early can see a slide show of The Loft through the years. Preston shared why this history matters to him: I believe Robert Bly is one of the most consequential poets of the 20th century. And I'm not just saying that as a Minnesotan from western Minnesota who's very proud of our literary tradition, but I'm saying this as someone who has had the immense fortune of being able to grow up in a state that takes its arts and culture seriously. How do you get to a point in a state's culture to where that is seen as a civic good? It begins with poets. It begins with our creatives. And “Sowing Seeds'” is about the influence of one individual, by no means the only, famous writer from Minnesota, but from someone who is very intentional of wanting to go out and set a new course for American poetry.— Joshua Preston

Climate scientist and policy expert Anna Farro Henderson embarks on a remarkable narrative journey in Core Samples: A Climate Scientist's Experiments in Politics and Motherhood (U Minnesota Press, 2025), exploring how science is done, discussed, legislated, and imagined. Through stories both raucous and poignant--of far-flung expeditions, finding artistic inspiration in research, and traversing the systemic barriers women and mothers face in science and politics--she brings readers into the daily rhythms and intimacies of scientific research and political negotiation. Grounded in her experiences as a climate scientist, an environmental policy advisor to Minnesota Senator Al Franken and Governor Mark Dayton, and a constant juggler of the many roles and responsibilities of professional moms, Henderson's eclectic, unconventional essays range from observations, confessions, and meditations on lab and fieldwork to a packing list for a trip to the State Capitol and a lactation diary. Readers are invited on voyages as far afield as the Trinity nuclear test site in New Mexico, the Juneau Icefield in Alaska, and a meteor crater in Ghana--and as close to home as a town hall meeting in America's corn belt. A love letter to science and a bracing (and sometimes hilarious) portrait of the many obstacles women, mothers, and people digging for truth navigate, Core Samples illuminates the messy, contradictory humanity of our scientific and political institutions. Bringing us behind the closed doors of discovery and debate, Henderson exposes the flaws in research institutions, the halls of government, and the role of science in policy, yet she shows how each crack is also an invitation for camaraderie, creativity, and change. Dr. Anna Farro Henderson is a Canadian American paleo-ecologist/climate scientist and writer. She was an environmental policy adviser to the Minnesota Senator Al Franken and Governor Mark Dayton. She is a fellow at the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota. She is on the faculty at the Mitchell Hamline Law School. She has also worked as a consultant and climate advocate. She is a creative writing instructor at the Loft Literary Center, and as a renowned author she has a number of articles published in well know environmental and literary publications, such as: Orion, Terrain and The Common. She has a long list of and writing awards and Literary Fellowships to her name. She now lives with her family in Minnesota, where she makes daily visits to the Mississippi River. Michael Simpson has been actively working, researching and teaching in the watershed management and wetlands fields for over forty years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

Climate scientist and policy expert Anna Farro Henderson embarks on a remarkable narrative journey in Core Samples: A Climate Scientist's Experiments in Politics and Motherhood (U Minnesota Press, 2025), exploring how science is done, discussed, legislated, and imagined. Through stories both raucous and poignant--of far-flung expeditions, finding artistic inspiration in research, and traversing the systemic barriers women and mothers face in science and politics--she brings readers into the daily rhythms and intimacies of scientific research and political negotiation. Grounded in her experiences as a climate scientist, an environmental policy advisor to Minnesota Senator Al Franken and Governor Mark Dayton, and a constant juggler of the many roles and responsibilities of professional moms, Henderson's eclectic, unconventional essays range from observations, confessions, and meditations on lab and fieldwork to a packing list for a trip to the State Capitol and a lactation diary. Readers are invited on voyages as far afield as the Trinity nuclear test site in New Mexico, the Juneau Icefield in Alaska, and a meteor crater in Ghana--and as close to home as a town hall meeting in America's corn belt. A love letter to science and a bracing (and sometimes hilarious) portrait of the many obstacles women, mothers, and people digging for truth navigate, Core Samples illuminates the messy, contradictory humanity of our scientific and political institutions. Bringing us behind the closed doors of discovery and debate, Henderson exposes the flaws in research institutions, the halls of government, and the role of science in policy, yet she shows how each crack is also an invitation for camaraderie, creativity, and change. Dr. Anna Farro Henderson is a Canadian American paleo-ecologist/climate scientist and writer. She was an environmental policy adviser to the Minnesota Senator Al Franken and Governor Mark Dayton. She is a fellow at the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota. She is on the faculty at the Mitchell Hamline Law School. She has also worked as a consultant and climate advocate. She is a creative writing instructor at the Loft Literary Center, and as a renowned author she has a number of articles published in well know environmental and literary publications, such as: Orion, Terrain and The Common. She has a long list of and writing awards and Literary Fellowships to her name. She now lives with her family in Minnesota, where she makes daily visits to the Mississippi River. Michael Simpson has been actively working, researching and teaching in the watershed management and wetlands fields for over forty years. 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

Climate scientist and policy expert Anna Farro Henderson embarks on a remarkable narrative journey in Core Samples: A Climate Scientist's Experiments in Politics and Motherhood (U Minnesota Press, 2025), exploring how science is done, discussed, legislated, and imagined. Through stories both raucous and poignant--of far-flung expeditions, finding artistic inspiration in research, and traversing the systemic barriers women and mothers face in science and politics--she brings readers into the daily rhythms and intimacies of scientific research and political negotiation. Grounded in her experiences as a climate scientist, an environmental policy advisor to Minnesota Senator Al Franken and Governor Mark Dayton, and a constant juggler of the many roles and responsibilities of professional moms, Henderson's eclectic, unconventional essays range from observations, confessions, and meditations on lab and fieldwork to a packing list for a trip to the State Capitol and a lactation diary. Readers are invited on voyages as far afield as the Trinity nuclear test site in New Mexico, the Juneau Icefield in Alaska, and a meteor crater in Ghana--and as close to home as a town hall meeting in America's corn belt. A love letter to science and a bracing (and sometimes hilarious) portrait of the many obstacles women, mothers, and people digging for truth navigate, Core Samples illuminates the messy, contradictory humanity of our scientific and political institutions. Bringing us behind the closed doors of discovery and debate, Henderson exposes the flaws in research institutions, the halls of government, and the role of science in policy, yet she shows how each crack is also an invitation for camaraderie, creativity, and change. Dr. Anna Farro Henderson is a Canadian American paleo-ecologist/climate scientist and writer. She was an environmental policy adviser to the Minnesota Senator Al Franken and Governor Mark Dayton. She is a fellow at the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota. She is on the faculty at the Mitchell Hamline Law School. She has also worked as a consultant and climate advocate. She is a creative writing instructor at the Loft Literary Center, and as a renowned author she has a number of articles published in well know environmental and literary publications, such as: Orion, Terrain and The Common. She has a long list of and writing awards and Literary Fellowships to her name. She now lives with her family in Minnesota, where she makes daily visits to the Mississippi River. Michael Simpson has been actively working, researching and teaching in the watershed management and wetlands fields for over forty years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies

Climate scientist and policy expert Anna Farro Henderson embarks on a remarkable narrative journey in Core Samples: A Climate Scientist's Experiments in Politics and Motherhood (U Minnesota Press, 2025), exploring how science is done, discussed, legislated, and imagined. Through stories both raucous and poignant--of far-flung expeditions, finding artistic inspiration in research, and traversing the systemic barriers women and mothers face in science and politics--she brings readers into the daily rhythms and intimacies of scientific research and political negotiation. Grounded in her experiences as a climate scientist, an environmental policy advisor to Minnesota Senator Al Franken and Governor Mark Dayton, and a constant juggler of the many roles and responsibilities of professional moms, Henderson's eclectic, unconventional essays range from observations, confessions, and meditations on lab and fieldwork to a packing list for a trip to the State Capitol and a lactation diary. Readers are invited on voyages as far afield as the Trinity nuclear test site in New Mexico, the Juneau Icefield in Alaska, and a meteor crater in Ghana--and as close to home as a town hall meeting in America's corn belt. A love letter to science and a bracing (and sometimes hilarious) portrait of the many obstacles women, mothers, and people digging for truth navigate, Core Samples illuminates the messy, contradictory humanity of our scientific and political institutions. Bringing us behind the closed doors of discovery and debate, Henderson exposes the flaws in research institutions, the halls of government, and the role of science in policy, yet she shows how each crack is also an invitation for camaraderie, creativity, and change. Dr. Anna Farro Henderson is a Canadian American paleo-ecologist/climate scientist and writer. She was an environmental policy adviser to the Minnesota Senator Al Franken and Governor Mark Dayton. She is a fellow at the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota. She is on the faculty at the Mitchell Hamline Law School. She has also worked as a consultant and climate advocate. She is a creative writing instructor at the Loft Literary Center, and as a renowned author she has a number of articles published in well know environmental and literary publications, such as: Orion, Terrain and The Common. She has a long list of and writing awards and Literary Fellowships to her name. She now lives with her family in Minnesota, where she makes daily visits to the Mississippi River. Michael Simpson has been actively working, researching and teaching in the watershed management and wetlands fields for over forty years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

Policy expert and climate scientist Anna Farro Henderson explores how science is done, discussed, legislated, and imagined in her new book, Core Samples: A Climate Scientist's Experiments in Politics and Motherhood. Grounded in her experience as an environmental policy advisor to Minnesota Senator Al Franken and Governor Mark Dayton, Henderson brings readers behind the closed doors of discovery and debate—and illuminates the messy, contradictory humanity of our scientific and political institutions. Here, Henderson is joined in conversation with Tenzin Dolkar and Roberta Downing on getting your voice heard in politics.Anna Farro Henderson is an award-winning writer, PhD scientist, and environmental policy expert. She is a fellow at the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota, teaches at the Loft Literary Center, and works in climate advocacy. She lives with her family in St. Paul, where she makes daily visits to the Mississippi River.Tenzin Dolkar has more than 15 years of experience in policy development, advocacy, community organizing, and management with state and local governments. Dolkar is a council member on the Metropolitan Council, and has previously served as the State of Minnesota's Rail Director and as a policy advisor on transportation, agriculture, and rural issues for Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton.Roberta Downing is a public policy professional with more than 20 years of experience. Downing held a congressional fellowship administered by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and served on the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions under Senator Edward M. Kennedy; has held several academic and policy-focused positions, including for the offices of US Senator Sherrod Brown and DC Mayor Muriel E. Bowser; and is principal and co-founder of Harper Downing LLC, a Minnesota-based government affairs consulting firm.Praise for the book:“Honest and immersive, this book offers a behind-the-scenes look at how culture (and who crafts it) shapes everything from the sediment the narrator studies to the policies that define climate action today.”—Elizabeth Rush, author of The Quickening“Anna Farro Henderson's deep encounters with Big Science and Big Bureaucracy will help you understand why progress on matters of life and death can be so maddeningly slow; her encounters with herself may help you figure out how to live your own life.”—Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature“With fierce intelligence and wild exuberance, Anna Farro Henderson throws herself headlong into the biggest challenges of our time: how to love fully, create abundantly, and stop the ruin of the precious ecosystems that sustain us.”—Lia Purpura, author of All the Fierce Tethers“Some books are so good I want to shout about them to the rooftops. Core Samples is one of those.”—Vick Mickunas, Dayton Daily NewsCore Samples: A Climate Scientist's Experiments in Politics and Motherhood by Anna Farro Henderson is available from University of Minnesota Press.

Breaking the Silence with host Dr. Gregory Williams With Guest, Award-winning writer, author of Water Music a Cape Cod Story, Marcia Peck This week's Special Guest will be Marcia Peck. "Marica is the author of Water Music: A Cape Cod Story." She is an award-winning writer and has received many awards. Her articles have appeared in Musical America, Strad Magazine, Strings Magazine, and Senza Sordino. Her work has been supported by The Minnesota State Arts Board, The Loft Literary Center, Ragdale Foundation and Hambidge Center. Guest, Marcia Peck's book, Water Music, The bridge at Sagamore was closed when we got there that summer of 1956. We had to cross the canal at Buzzards Bay over the only other roadway that tethered Cape Cod to the mainland. Thus twelve-year-old Lily Grainger, while safe from ‘communists and the Pope', finds her family suddenly adrift. That was the summer the Andrea Doria sank, pilot whales stranded, and Lily's father built a house he couldn't afford. Target practice on a nearby decommissioned Liberty Ship echoed not only the rancor in her parents' marriage, a rancor stoked by Lily's competitive uncle, but also Lily's troubles with her sister, her cousins, and especially with her mother. In her increasingly desperate efforts to salvage her parents' marriage, Lily discovers betrayals beyond her understanding as well as the small ways in which people try to rescue each other. She draws on her music lessons and her love of Cape Cod—from Sagamore and Monomoy to Nauset Spit and Wellfleet Dunes, seeking safe passage from the limited world of her salt marsh to the larger, open ocean.

What would you do when all you've known disappeared? When the construct of your spiritual life was removed? Well, what Tony Jones did was enter wild places. In it, he found a new connection to God, to his dogs, to nature, and the world that is teeming with life. In this conversation, Tony shares about the ups and downs of ministry and family life and recalibrating his identity as he moved out of the vocational role as a pastor and into wild places. Join us as we discover the God who sees us and is with us even in creation Tony Jones speaks, writes and podcasts from Minnesota, where he lives with his spouse, dogs, and kids.Tony Jones is the author of The God of Wild Places and contributing writer to several outdoors periodicals. He's written a dozen books, including Did God Kill Jesus? and The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life, developed the iPhone app, hosts the Reverend Hunter Podcast, and teaches at Fuller Theological Seminary and The Loft Literary Center. He writes a weekly newsletter on Substack.Tony is a sought after speaker and consultant in the areas of emerging church, postmodernism, and Christian spirituality, writing, and the outdoors. He served as a consultant on the television show, The Path, and he owns an event planning company, Crucible Creative. Tony's Book:The God of Wild PlacesTony's Recommendation:The SparrowJoin Our Patreon for Early Access and More: PatreonConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Threads at www.facebook.com/shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/shiftingculturepodcast/https://twitter.com/shiftingcultur2https://www.threads.net/@shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@shiftingculturepodcastConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link belowSend us a Text Message.Support the Show.

Rebecca Frost, CMT, MSMT, MFA  (she / her) After her career as a modern dancer, she's moved into life as a multi-disciplinary artist, writer, somatic therapist, educator and activist.Rebecca earned a BA in Theater and an MFA in Writing and is certified in a number of modalities. As an adjunct faculty member, Rebecca taught Body-Mind Centering in the University of Minnesota Dance and Theater Department. She  created the course, Writing and Emotional Currency at The Loft Literary Center, taught experiential anatomy to UMN Medical students and at the Mpls Yoga Center, and body-sourced writing at Shakopee Women's Prison's recovery program for inmates. She recently served on the Board of Directors of the International Somatic Movement Education & Therapy Association (ISMETA), serving on the Government Relations, Research and Publication, and Equity, Justice and Accessibility committees. Through ISMETA, Rebecca is registered as a Master Somatic Movement Therapist. Her poetry and fiction have been published in journals and anthologies. Her MFA thesis was a novel, and she is intermittently at work on a creative nonfiction manuscript. She co-founded the popular "Dancers Who Write" reading series (with Linda Shapiro), won the Verve Spoken Word grant, and co-created The Women's Performance Project (convened by Diane Elliot) which received two McKnight Fellowships in Choreography. The groundbreaking work of The Women's Performance Project is described in a textbook, Dancing Female, lives and issues of women in contemporary dance in a chapter entitled Fire and Ice: Female Archetypes in American Modern Dance (pg. 117), published by Harwood Academic through Swarthmore College, editors Sharon E. Friedler and S. B. Glazer. A few of the performance projects Rebecca has contributed creatively to in the past decade include: Angry Black Woman and Well Intentioned White Girl (at Intermedia Arts and touring), a hilarious and necessary play by Amoke Kubat; The Revolution Will Not Be Culturally Competent (for the National Evaluator's Conference, and in collaboration with Pangea Theater), conceived and directed by Vidhya Shanker; and in residence as the writer for Waterlines (at the Gremlin Theater) by Summer Hills-Bonczyk, a ritual performance piece with 3,000 pounds of clay on stage which transformed through the evening, culminating a group intensive week of yoga-informed healing.Rebecca helps people become the best version of themselves. She is is an advocate for all things related to human development, consciousness, and how we express it. As a Somatic Therapist, her passion lies in helping each person take his/her/their next step, providing support for that exhilarating reach beyond one's own edge. In her private practice she works with you to assist in identifying and moving through your personal growing edges, to enhance performance of all kinds, to overcome fears, to heal. She is particularly skilled at working with dancers and other performers, including rehab from injuries, moving through trauma, expanding your range, embodying your whole self in all the settings. Rebecca is one of half a dozen certified teachers of LearningMethods / Anatomy of Wholeness in North America (created by David Gorman) which brings sharp focus to human structure, function and use, and how we bring our awareness to any given problem!Rebecca has provided Circle Keeping to Urban League High School, taught mediators at the Mpls Conflict Resolution Center and University of MN Law School, served on Restorative Justice panels for the prison diversion program of Hennepin County, and been hired to facilitate conflict in a variety of settings. Rebecca prioritizes racial justice and LGBTQIA liberation in the work she chooses, works with humans of all ages (pre-birth to elders), and welcomes everyone. Find out more: www.embodiedarts.com

We sat down with Bookshop.org's Director of Bookstore Partnerships to discuss the indie bookstore landscape in recent years and how authors and readers can further engage with their local indies.Steph Opitz (she/her) is the Director of Bookstore Partnerships at Bookshop.org. Formerly, she was the founding director of Wordplay at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and a visiting instructor at the University of Minnesota. She serves on committees for the National Book Foundation, the Authors Guild, PEN America, and LitNet. She has curated literary events and festivals around the country—as the literary director of the Texas Book Festival, the fiction co-chair of the Brooklyn Book Festival, and on the programs team for the PEN World Voices Festival— and was the books reviewer for Marie Claire magazine. Learn more at bookshop.org.Discover more about Smith Publicity at www.smithpublicity.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, & LinkedIn.

Bao Phi is a highly acclaimed poet and author who's never forgotten his roots. Last week, he won the Kay-Sexton Award for his contributions to the literary arts community in Minnesota. He worked at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis for over two decades, and his leadership opened doors into the literary scene for over 500 writers and artists, many of whom are Black, Indigenous or people of color (BIPOC).One of his most successful projects is Equilibrium, a spoken word series that invites nationally recognized BIPOC artists to share the stage with their local counterparts. Phi joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to share some of the stories and influences that brought him to where he is today.

I have been friends with Tony Jones for a long time. For over 12 years, he has been working on his memoir, and it was worth the wait. The God of Wild Places: Rediscovering the Divine in the Untamed Outdoors is now out in the world and we got to sit down in his living to record this conversation about it. Longtime listeners will be familiar with Tony since he has been on the podcast over 30 times in the last 16 years, but this visit is different. You will hear a vulnerable conversation between two friends, including challenging stories, laughter, and reflection on faith in life's darkest moments.   If you aren't following our new podcast, Emerged: an Oral History of the Emerging Church Movement, you won't want to miss the latest episode. In it, we are joined by Nadia Boltz-Weber, Brian McLaren, and Doug Pagitt as we dig into all the backlash the emerging church movement generated. We laughed quite a bit while creating it :) Tony Jones is the author of The God of Wild Places and contributing writer to several outdoors periodicals. He's written a dozen books, including Did God Kill Jesus? and The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life, hosts the Reverend Hunter Podcast, and teaches at Fuller Theological Seminary and The Loft Literary Center. He writes a weekly newsletter on Substack. Previous Episodes with Tony Jones Homebrewed Christianity's 15th Birthday Party  Pete Enns & Tony Jones Love Baseball Camp Games & a Little Theology The Future of Evangelicalism is (NOT) David Brooks the Post-Emergent Church Tony Jones & Peter Rollins on #TheGreatDebacle Devilpalooza There are tons… you can scroll them here JOIN our next class, GOD AFTER DECONSTRUCTION with Thomas Jay Oord Come to THEOLOGY BEER CAMP. Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matty Dalrymple talks with Mary Carroll Moore about PERFECTING YOUR STORY'S TRAJECTORY, including the value of having a visual map of your story's structure; the importance of understanding the triggering event that generates the crisis and the turn from outer to inner crisis; the power of considering how the question posed at the beginning of the story maps to the answer given at the end of the story; adjusting a plot to meet genre tropes; the often overlooked arc of setting and avoiding setting cliches; and using a storyboard to check for cause and effect. Links, summary, and transcript at https://www.theindyauthor.com/222---perfecting-your-storys-trajectory.html If you find the information in this video useful, please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Mary Carroll Moore is the author of 14 books in 3 genres, including the Amazon bestselling novel and Hot New Release, A WOMAN'S GUIDE TO SEARCH & RESCUE, and in fact, I met Mary when I interviewed her about that book as part of my WHAT I LEARNED video series. She's also the author of the PEN-Faulkner nominated novel QUALITIES OF LIGHT. She has taught storyboarding and writing craft for two decades at writing schools around the U.S., including Grub Street in Boston and the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she's learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in "Writer's Digest" magazine. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

In this holiday re-broadcast of an episode from April 23, 2020, acclaimed poet Danez Smith discusses the role friendship plays in their most recent collection of poetry, Homie. Smith talks to Fiction/Non/Fiction podcast co-hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell about the isolating effect COVID-19 has had on black communities, using space on the page inventively, and writing about money. This episode is presented in conjunction with the Loft Literary Center's literary festival, Wordplay, which in 2020 was a virtual event.   To hear the full episode, subscribe to the Fiction/Non/Fiction podcast through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below.   This episode was produced by Andrea Tudhope.   Guests: ●     Danez Smith Selected readings for the episode: ●     Danez Smith ○     Homie ○     Don't Call Us Dead ○     TwoPoems ○     what was said on the bus stop: a new poem by Danez Smith ○     my president ○     VS podcast, from the Poetry Foundation, hosted by Danez Smith and Franny Choi ●     Others ○     Corona Correspondences: #28 by Danielle Evans (The Sewanee Review) ○     Review: ‘Homie,' a Book of Poems That Produces Shocking New Vibrations by Pahrul Sehgal ○     Frank O'Hara ○     As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner ○     Angel Nafis ○     Hieu Minh Nguyen ○     Douglas Kearney ○     1977: Poem for Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer by June Jordan ○     Recordings of June Jordan from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University Digitized recordings and more digitized recordings ○     ‘Feet' and ‘Spoon' from Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude by Ross Gay ○     Mirrors: Stories of Almost Everyone by Eduardo Galeano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time, the City of Minneapolis has its own poet laureate. Heid Erdrich was announced Tuesday morning as the first person to fill the role. She takes the position next year and will hold it through 2024, after which laureates' terms will last two years. On top of being an award-winning writer of six poetry collections, Erdrich is a curator, editor and teacher. She is Ojibwe and an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band in North Dakota. The city's arts commission and the Loft Literary Center oversee the award and a group of community members chose Erdrich out of 24 nominees. Poets Junauda Petrus, Miss Mari, Chavonn Williams Shen, and Raymond Luczak were also finalists.

On episode 447 of The Nurse Keith Show nursing and healthcare career podcast, Keith interviews Jeremy Norton, an author and firefighter who has served the diverse communities of Minneapolis since the year 2000. In the course of their conversation, Keith and Jeremy discuss his new book, Trauma Sponges: Dispatches from the Scarred Heart of Emergency Response, which is a remarkable and brilliantly written memoir that examines the toll that the work of emergency response takes on those who embrace such a career. In Trauma Sponges, Norton also decries the sexism, racism, homophobia, misogyny, and toxic masculinity of the "old guard" of the firefighting world. He also describes in excruciating detail the death, suffering, pain, and heartbreak that he and his colleagues witness on a daily basis as they respond to the homes and streets of Minneapolis when citizens who dial 911 are having what is often the worst days of their lives amidst what Norton calls the "twin malignancies" of denial and despair. Norton also recounts his role in the attempt to resuscitate George Floyd following his brutal treatment by officers of the Minneapolis Police Department. He shares his observations of the societal patterns that continue to haunt our country and the Black men who are all too often on the receiving end of egregious, and often deadly, treatment at the hands of the police. A proud native of Washington, D.C., Jeremy Norton has lived in the Colorado mountains, the Tennessee mountains, and the Minnesota not-mountains. He taught middle- and high-school literature and has also taught at Minneapolis' Loft Literary Center. He has a strong stomach and a grim, capacious sense of humor. Connect with Jeremy Norton: JeremyNorton.info Instagram "Trauma Sponges" on Amazon ----------- Did you know that you can now earn CEUs from listening to podcasts? That's right — over at RNegade.pro, they're building a library of nursing podcasts offering continuing education credits, including episodes of The Nurse Keith Show! So just head over to RNegade.pro, log into the portal, select Nurse Keith (or any other Content Creator) from the Content Creator dropdown, and get CEs for any content on the platform! Nurse Keith is a holistic career coach for nurses, professional podcaster, published author, award-winning blogger, inspiring keynote speaker, and successful nurse entrepreneur. Connect with Nurse Keith at NurseKeith.com, and on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Nurse Keith lives in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico with his lovely fiancée, Shada McKenzie, a highly gifted traditional astrologer and reader of the tarot. You can find Shada at The Circle and the Dot. The Nurse Keith Show is a proud member of The Health Podcast Network, one of the largest and fastest-growing collections of authoritative, high-quality podcasts taking on the tough topics in health and care with empathy, expertise, and a commitment to excellence. The podcast is adroitly produced by Rob Johnston of 520R Podcasting, and Mark Capispisan is our stalwart social media ringmaster and newsletter wrangler.

Ellen Hart is the author of thirty five crime novels. She has won numerous awards, including the Lambda Literary award for Best Lesbian Mystery and the GCLS Trailblazer Award for lifetime achievement in the field of lesbian literature. She taught writing for 17 years through the Loft Literary Center, the largest independent writing community in the nation. In 2017, Ellen was named a Grand Master by Mystery Writers of America. This award was established to acknowledge important contributions to the genre, as well as for a body of work that is both significant and of consistent high quality.Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/ellen.hart.54www.ellenhart.comNotes from conversation: 2010 Publishing Summit Report https://www.sistersincrime.org/page/SummitReportsThe Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma by Mustafa Suleyman*****************About SinCSisters in Crime was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers. Through advocacy, programming and leadership, SinC empowers and supports all crime writers regardless of genre or place on their career trajectory.www.SistersinCrime.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sincnational/Twitter: https://twitter.com/SINCnationalFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/sistersincrimeThe SinC Writers' Podcast is produced by Julian Crocamo https://www.juliancrocamo.com/

Do you know what it's really like to be a first responder? Tune in Monday, October 23rd at 3pm PT, 6pm ET, for an inspiring discussion with Jeremy Norton on his new #book Trauma Sponges: Dispatches from the Scarred Heart of Emergency Response. #MomentsWithMarianne with host Marianne Pestana airs in the Southern California area on KMET1490AM & 98.1 FM, an ABC Talk News Radio affiliate. Jeremy Norton has been a firefighter/EMT with the Minneapolis Fire Department since 2000; he was promoted to captain in 2007 and heads Station 17 in south Minneapolis. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., he received a bachelor's degree from Tufts University and a master's degree in creative writing from Boston University. After teaching high school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Norton moved to Minneapolis, where he taught creative writing at the Loft Literary Center before joining the MFD. https://www.jeremynorton.info For more show information visit: www.MariannePestana.com#bookclub #JeremyNorton #firstresponder #emergency #emergencyresponder #author #authorinterview #mustread #kmet1490am #trauma #healingtrauma #firefighter #firstresponders #hero #healing #healingjourney #PTSD #selfcare #TraumaSponges

My guest this week is Nigar Alam. You can find her website here: Nigar Alam (nigaralamwrites.com) Nigar's book can be preordered here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720000/under-the-tamarind-tree-by-nigar-alam/  The literary programmes we discuss: The Loft Literary Center - https://loft.org/ Madeleine Milburn Mentorship Programme - https://www.madeleinemilburn.co.uk/mentorship/ The books we discuss: Craft Book - Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book On Novel Writing You'll Ever Need by Jessica Brody - https://www.jessicabrody.com/2020/11/how-to-write-your-novel-using-the-save-the-cat-beat-sheet/  Finding me - Viola Davis https://www.waterstones.com/book/finding-me/viola-davis/9781399704038 The bookshop we discuss: Cream & Amber Bookshop, Minnesota https://www.creamandamber.com/ 

From his first days as a rookie firefighter and emergency medical technician to his command of a company as a twenty-year veteran, Jeremy Norton has made regular, direct encounters with the sick, the dying, and the dead. In his memoir, Trauma Sponges: Dispatches from the Scarred Heart of Emergency Response, Norton documents the life of an emergency responder in Minneapolis, revealing the stark realities of humanity at its finest and its worst. Here, Norton is joined in conversation with colleagues: Captain Ricardo Anaya, Captain Shana York, and retired Captain Bridget Bender.Jeremy Norton has been a firefighter/EMT with the Minneapolis Fire Department since 2000. He was born and raised in Washington, DC, and was a high school teacher in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He taught creative writing at the Loft Literary Center before joining the MFD.Bridget Bender is a recently retired captain with the Minneapolis Fire Department.Ricardo Anaya is a captain with the Minneapolis Fire Department and has been a Minneapolis firefighter since 2015.Shana York is a longtime firefighter and captain with the Minneapolis Fire Department.Trauma Sponges is available from University of Minnesota Press."While many bear witness to injustice and decide that silence best serves their privilege, some use their privilege to dismantle the inequities that created the disparities in the first place. Jeremy Norton is the latter."—Dr. Michele Harper, author of The Beauty in Breaking"Trauma Sponges is a powerful book, by turns tender, brutal, and incisive, full of wisdom and wonder."—Sam Lipsyte, author of No One Left to Come Looking for You and The Ask"Norton is the Poet Laureate of Emergency Services, a writer whose talent and heart spark and crackle on every page, devastating and dazzling with equal measure. He sorts through the wreckage of the lives he's saved and those that were lost, presenting us with what remains: our raw humanity and, somehow, hope."—Nora McInerny, founder of the Terrible, Thanks for Asking podcast and best-selling author of Bad Vibes Only"With clarity and sensitivity, Jeremy Norton has written an eye-opening book that shows us what firefighting is often about: encountering medical emergencies more often than fires, helping strangers through the trauma of death and loss, and witnessing the ways that racism, poverty, and violence singe our society. Theirs is a particular courage that we must all celebrate."—Dr. Sunita Puri, author of That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour

Allison Vincent is a performer, director, writer, and teacher known for devised work, physical theatre, and gender-bending performances. She has been honored to collaborate with companies and theaters across the Twin Cities, including The History Theater, Jon Ferguson Theater, WLDRNSS, Theater Forever, The Four Humors, Mainly Me, The Illusion, The Guthrie, Frank Theatre, Sod House, Strike Theatre, Transatlantic Love Affair, the University of Minnesota, and Walking Shadow. Allison has received two Ivey Awards for her work creating performance in ensembles and three Golden Lanyard Awards from the MN Fringe as a director.  In addition to performing, Allison is a co-artistic director and founding member of Transatlantic Love Affair, a teaching artist at the Guthrie Theater and Loft Literary Center, and has collaborated as a writer on over twenty produced scripts. In 2022 Allison wrote and performed a solo storytelling show about caretaking for her father succumbing to dementia as a Pillsbury House + Theatre's Naked Stages Fellow. Recently she's had her scripts published in The Empty Room, Rejection Letters, Dirty Girls Come Clean, and Roi Fainéant Press. She teaches at the University of Minnesota in the Writing Studies Department's First Year Writing Program. LinkedIn   Taja Will (they/them) is a non-binary, chronically ill, queer, Latinx (Chilean) adoptee. They are a performer, choreographer, somatic therapist, consultant and Healing Justice practitioner based in Mni Sota Makoce, on the ancestral lands of the Dakota and Anishinaabe. Taja's approach integrates improvisation, somatic modalities, text and vocals in contemporary performance. Their aesthetic is one of spontaneity, bold choice making, sonic and kinetic partnership and the ability to move in relationship to risk and intimacy. Will's artistic work explores visceral connections to current socio-cultural realities through a blend of ritual, dense multi-layered worldbuilding and everyday magic. Taja initiates solo projects and teaching ventures and is a recent recipient of the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship, in the dance field, awarded in 2021. Their work has been presented throughout the Twin Cities and across the United States. Including local performances at the Walker Art Center Choreographer's Evening, the Red Eye Theater's New Works 4 Weeks, the Radical Recess series, Right Here Showcase and the Candy Box Dance Festival. They were the recipient of a 2018-'19 McKnight Choreography Fellowship, administered by the Cowles Center and funded by The McKnight Foundation. Will has recently received support from the National Association of Latinx Arts & Culture, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. Website Link

Join Julia and Philip Live Monday Night on Horsefly Chronicle's Radio as We Welcome Special Guest Natalie Zett on The United Public Radio Network. Don't forget to get into chat so we can give you a shout out and also answer all of you're Questions

Join Julia and Philip Live Monday Night on Horsefly Chronicle's Radio as We Welcome Special Guest Natalie Zett on The United Public Radio Network. Don't forget to get into chat so we can give you a shout out and also answer all of you're Questions

Melanie Figg has been writing poetry since college. Since then, her poems, essays, and reviews have been published in more than 70 print and online literary journals. Her poetry chapbook 'Hurry, Love', was published in standard & fine arts editions, and her full-length collection of poems 'Trace', won the Many Voices Project competition, and Kirkus Reviews not only gave it a prestigious Kirkus-starred review but also named it one of the Best Indie Books of 2020. She also has received six awards for Excellence in Teaching from The Loft Literary Center, the University of Utah, and the Jerome Foundation, and she currently teaches workshops at The Writer's Center, Hugo House, The Loft Literary Center, as well as at regional book festivals and in private homes in the DC area. You can learn more about her classes and workshops here: https://www.melaniefigg.net/classes--workshops.html In this interview, Figgs talks about what inspired her to start writing and creating stories, what makes a good teacher, how she balances her work, finding time to write, how students find her and how she determines who she works with, why she likes being a coach and dealing with people's inner critic and procrastination. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we're giving away 100,000 copies this year. It's based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

The stories included in Steve Fox's new collection “traverse a tapestry of tenderness, dissonance, indifference, dystopia, and charm.” They frequently feature Midwest settings, along with motifs centering trauma, loss, class, and politics. The collection, titled Sometimes Creek, was published earlier this year by Cornerstone Press, and won the 2022 Zona Gale Award for Short Fiction from the Wisconsin Writers Awards.Incoming Madison Book Beat host Cole Erickson sits down with Steve Fox for more about his collection, his process, and what's next.About the guest: Steve Fox is a Wisconsin writer. His debut collection Sometimes Creek (Cornerstone Press, 2023) is the winner of the 2022 Zona Gale Award for Short Fiction from the Wisconsin Writers Awards. Steve studies creative writing at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, and lives in Wisconsin with his wife, three boys, and one dog. You can follow his work at his website, stevefoxwrites.com, or follow him on Twitter or Instagram. 

Episode 190 Notes and Links to Ellen Birkett Morris' Work      On Episode 190 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ellen Birkett Morris, and the two discuss, among other things, her early relationship with the written word and Southern gothic writers, her increased confidence in world building that led to her embracing writing as a profession, writers whose work thrills her, her upcoming award-winning novel, promoting her Lost Girls story collection during the onset of Covid, pertinent themes from her collection, such as misogyny, the innocence of youth, aging and its attendant repercussions, connections/intimacy, and death, as well as her mindset in writing emotional and wrenching pieces.       Ellen Birkett Morris is an award-winning, multi-genre writer, teacher, and editor based in Louisville, Kentucky. Morris is the author of SURRENDER (Finishing Line Press). Her poetry has appeared in Thin Air Magazine, The Clackamas Literary Review, Juked, Alimentum, Gastronomica, 3Elements Review and Inscape, among other journals.  Morris won top prize in the 2008 Binnacle Ultra-Short Edition and was a semi-finalist for the 2009 Rita Dove Poetry Prize. Her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.    Her fiction has appeared in Shenandoah, Antioch Review, Notre Dame Review, South Carolina Review, Sliver of Stone, Great Jones Street, Santa Fe Literary Review, and Upstreet, among other journals. She is the 2015 winner of the Bevel Summers Prize for her story “May Apples” and won the Betty Gabehart Prize for Fiction.      Morris's plays have appeared in Mud City Journal, Monologue Bank, and Plays, The Drama Magazine for Young People. Her ten-minute play, “Lost Girls,” was a finalist for the 2008 Heideman Award given by Actors Theatre. “Lost Girls' received a staged reading at Cincinnati's Arnoff Center.    Her essays can be found in trade paperback books including NESTING: IT'S A CHICK THING, THE WRITING GROUP BOOK, THE GIRLS' BOOK OF LOVE, and THE GIRLS' BOOK OF FRIENDSHIP, in journals including Brevity blog, The Common, The Butter, The Fem and South Loop Review, and on National Public Radio.    Morris teaches creative writing at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington, Kentucky.       Buy Lost Girls   Ellen's Website   Review of Lost Girls by Yvette Benavides for Texas Public Radio   At about 3:20, Ellen describes her relationship with the written word, including the impact of the Southern Gothic she often was read   At about 4:45, Ellen talks about initial nervousness and small successes that “catapulted [her] into writing”   At about 5:40, Ellen keys in on what improvements she made in worldbuilding and “the magic of populating” her writing   At about 7:00, Ellen highlights Bobbie Ann Mason, Barbara Kingsolver, Ernest Hemingway and Elizabeth Berg as writers who have shaped her own work, as well as how her jour; Elizabeth Strout, George Saunders, and Rebecca Makkai are cited as beloved contemporary writers   At about 8:15, Pete remarks on the book's economy of language, and Ellen adds how her pacing propels her work and how her journalism career has aided her later writing   At about 10:55, Ellen shouts out Rebecca Kuang's Yellowface as a must-read   At about 12:40, Pete remarks on Ellen's fabulous variety of work and asks her about muses and how she writes in different mediums; she provides an anecdote involving her father that illustrates her philosophy   At about 13:55, Ellen talks about how workshop help from Erin Flanagan provided the catalyst for her upcoming novel At about 15:10, Ellen shares exciting news regarding her upcoming novel winning the Donald L. Jordan Award At about 18:05, Ellen discusses the difficulties in the promoting and release of Lost Girls in June 2020 At about 19:30, Ellen calls the book a “loosely-linked collection of stories” and its connections to “Winesberg, Ohio" by Sherwood Anderson At about 20:40, The two discuss the title story and the real-life backstory that inspired Ellen's desire to center women in her story collection At about 22:00, Ellen explains how she complicates the title story At about 24:00, The two discuss the story of “Inheritance” and Ellen discusses “sin-eating,” themes of oppression and cycles of poverty and trauma and death and the story's resonant title At about 28:15, Ellen calls the story's ending the most “raw, heart wrenching” she's written At about 28:55, The story “Religion” is discussed, including its emphasis on intimacy and social groups, and Ellen underlines the story's humor At about 30:30, The two talk about “Harvest” and themes of vitality and ageism and misogyny At about 33:20, Pete fanboys over the story “The Afterlife” and the two discuss the grief and complicated mourning that takes place At about 35:20, Ellen discusses advice received about complicating characters to create more compelling work At about 37:10, Pete asks Ellen how emotionally-taxing this story was for her At about 38:55, Pete compares the story to Alice Elliott Dark's “In the Gloaming" At about 39:40, The two discuss “fresh starts” as a theme and “After the Fall” and its connections to the Biblical story, its telling opening line, and its “metaphorical weight” At about 42:05, The two discuss human connection as a throughline in the collection At about 44:00, Tony, a repeated character, is highlighted, along with ideas of connections and unrequited love At about 46:10, Through discussing “Neverland,” the two discuss its pertinent themes of connection and childhood traumas after Pete reads a story excerpt At about 47:35, Ellen talks about the juxtaposition of youth and aging and complicity fits in the story At about 48:55, Pete cites the innocence of youth as successfully-rendered by Ellen, including in the story “Kodachrome” At about 51:45, Ellen responds to Pete's question about how she ordered the story collection-she cites Lee Martin's advice At about 53:55, Ellen gives out publishing info for his work, including Carmichael's in Louisville; she also gives contact info/social media

in which writer Lora Robinson and i talk the joy of residencies, poetic empathy, and the myth that bad mental health equals good art -programing note- apologizes for the soft/warbly audio; my internet was being wonky where to find Lora: An Essential Melancholy - https://akinogapress.com/books/anessentialmelancholy instagram - @theblondeprive Cobra Milk - https://www.cobra-milk.com/ other things referenced: The League of Minnesota Poets - https://www.mnpoets.org/ Loft Literary Center - https://loft.org/ Graywolf Press - https://www.graywolfpress.org/ Milkweed Editions - https://milkweed.org/ Button Poetry - https://buttonpoetry.com/ Dorothea Lasky - https://www.dorothealasky.com/ Mark Rothko - https://www.markrothko.org/ Wassily Kandinsky - https://www.wassilykandinsky.net/

Science fiction and fantasy author Anthony W. Eichenlaub joins me in an in-depth discussion on the writing craft and writing life in Sonitotum with Matthew Wayne Selznick episode 081. Anthony W. Eichenlaub is the author of a wide range of science fiction and fantasy. His novels are a hodgepodge of cyberpunk westerns, space opera, and technothrillers. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications, including Daily Science Fiction, Little Blue Marble, and On-Spec Magazine. Anthony is a member and volunteer with SFWA, a member of the Rochester Writers Group, and a teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center. In his spare time, he enjoys landscaping, woodworking, and long walks with his lazy dog. Anthony has been writing for nearly twenty years, and he brings that expertise and experience to our conversation as we discuss... Beginning writing as an adult The influence of role playing games on fiction Story structure and "the dreaded middle" Marketing, goals, and planning Teaching Growing and developing as a writer and author ...and a whole lot more. This episode was recorded on April 26th, 2023. The conversation with Anthony W. Eichenlaub was recorded on January 24th, 2023. Links and Topics Mentioned in This Episode My day job? I'm a creative services provider helping authors, podcasters and other creators. How can I help you? My first novel, Brave Men Run, comes up as an example of a first book performing better than later works. I mention one of my favorite James Baldwin quotes. I recommend The Sparrow and Children of God by Mary Doria Russell. Anthony makes pens! There are pen-making kits you can use with a bit of woodturning / woodworking skill. Anthony was inspired to write fiction after leading fantasy role playing gaming sessions. He's far from the first author similarly driven! Books2Read is a service for authors that provides a "links page" to various online marketplaces. BookFunnel is an author marketing service that connects readers to authors via mailing list newsletter exchanges, among other methods. Humble Bundle offers collections of books, games, software, and other goodies for greatly reduced prices, with a portion of sales going to charity. Story Bundle is similar to Humble Bundle, with a focus on collections of books curated by authors, editors, and publishers. You probably know about Patreon -- it's what I use to run my Multiversalists member community -- but did you know co-founder Jack Conte and his partner Nataly Dawn have a cool band called Pomplamoose? When this episode was recorded, Anthony was working on a noir book, and so he was reading classic noir fiction authors like Raymond Chandler. Similarly, when I was preparing to write my literary fantasy novel Light of the Outsider, I read Theodore Sturgeon, Philip Roth, and Ursula K. Le Guin to get a particular tone and lyricism in my head. Maybe you would like to be a future guest on Sonitotum with Matthew Wayne Selznick? Learn more! Big thanks to my Multiversalists patron community, including Amelia Bowen, Ted Leonhardt, Chuck Anderson, and J. C. Hutchins! This episode took thirteen hours and forty-nine minutes to record, edit, produce, and publish, so I'm incredibly grateful for the support of my patrons. If Sonitotum with Matthew Wayne Selznick brings you joy, become a patron! The Multiversalists patron member community receives the uncut, unedited version of every episode. For this episode, patrons get almost forty five minutes of additional content! Want in on that? Become a patron for at least $5.00 per month (cancel any time) and get a bunch of other perks and special access, too. Every month the member community has at least twenty members, I will donate 10% of net patron revenue to 826 National in support of literacy and creative writing advocacy for children. Let's go! Love Sonitotum with Matthew Wayne Selznick and have the desire and means to make a one-time donation in support of the show? Donate via PayPal or leave a tip via Ko-Fi, with my grateful thanks.

Debra J. Stone's poetry, essays and fiction can be found in Brooklyn Review, Under the Gum Tree, Random Sample Review, Green Mountains Review (GMR), About Place Journal, Saint Paul Almanac, Wild Age Press, Gyroscope, Tidal Basin, and forthcoming in other literary journals. She's received residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, Callaloo, The Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, New York Mills Arts Residency and is a Kimbilio Fellow. Sundress Publishers nominated her essay, Grandma Essie's Vanilla Poundcake, Best of the Net, judged by Hanif Abdurraquib in 2019 and in 2021 her poem, year-of- staying–in place, was nominated Best of Net and Pushcart nominated. www.debrajeannestone.com Anna Farro Henderson is a scientist and artist. She served as an environmental policy advisor to Minnesota Senator Al Franken and Governor Mark Dayton. Her publications have appeared in Kenyon Review, River Teeth, The Rumpus, The Common, The Doctor T.J. Eckleburg Review, Seneca Review, Water-Stone Review, Cleaver Magazine, Punctuate, The Normal School, Bellingham Review, and Identity Theory. She is a recipient of a Minnesota State Art Board grant, a Nan Snow Emerging Artist Award, an Excellence in Teaching Fellowship at the Madeline Island School of the Arts, and a Loft Literary Center Mentor Award. She founded The Nature Library art installation that was up in the Landmark Center in Saint Paul for several months in 2019. She teaches creative process at the Loft Literary Center. www.eafarro.com

Episode 19: The Journey to Embodiment In this episode, your host, Eric Pothen, chats with Ellie Roscher, author of “The Embodied Path”, about the journey to embodiment: returning home to our bodies. We talk about the importance of honoring our body's experience and the story it has to tell. We spend some time talking about Ellie's book, how we can honor our body's experience, and the importance of doing “the work.” Ellie leaves listeners with some prompts to think about how they can begin this journey toward embodiment.  About Ellie Roscher:   Ellie Roscher is the author of The Embodied Path, 12 Tiny Things, Play Like a Girl and How Coffee Saved My Life. Her writing appears in the Baltimore Review, Inscape Magazine, Bearings and elsewhere. Ellie also founded and facilitates Plum, a supportive online community for folks journeying toward deeper embodiment together. She teaches writing at The Loft Literary Center and The Minnesota Writing Project and yoga at Up and Blooma. Through curious inquiry, her work accompanies people to a more centered, whole, and embodied self. Ellie holds an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and an MA in Theology from Luther Seminary.  Follow Ellie at @ellieroscher on Instagram and find out more at plumwellness.us and ellieroscher.com. Follow Eric on Instagram for more content and podcast updates! Personal: @epothen Embrace Wear: @embracewearco 

When Alan Page was a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court he didn't decorate his chamber with Vikings memorabilia. Instead, there was an old railroad sign on the wall that said “Colored Waiting Room.”  It was a constant and jarring reminder of Jim Crow era segregation. That sign is in the private collection of the Page family, along with thousands of other pieces of art and artifacts of slavery and segregation. Together, the objects tell the story of Black history — the ugly and the beautiful.  Justice Page and his late wife Diane Sims Page collected pieces for decades.  Many pieces are hateful, including an iron collar that locked slaves in bondage and a branding iron that marked human beings as someone's property. Other items are inspiring, like the painting of a jazz trio and a poster of Black runners competing in the 1972 Olympics.  In 2018, part of the collection was shared with the public in the exhibition “Testify: Americana from Slavery to Today.” Now the exhibit is returning to the Cargill Gallery at the Minneapolis Central Library, opening on February 1, along with a series of programs and events. MPR News Host Angela Davis talks with former Justice Alan Page and his daughter Georgi Page-Smith about how they hope the exhibit will spark conversations about America's painful racist history and how we can address it. Guests: Alan Page was a star defensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings in the 1970s who went on to serve 22 years as a justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Georgi Page-Smith is Alan Page's daughter and a marketing and communications professional based in Brooklyn. She's also director of the Diane and Alan Page Collection and has been deeply involved in bringing the “Testify” exhibit back to the public.Here are six key moments from the conversation.The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Click the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.What do you remember about the beginning of the art collection?Alan Page: My late wife Diane is the heart and soul of it. She's the one that began it. She's the one that collected most of it. I got to go along for the ride. She had an incredible eye for the art and artifacts from our history. She started with an item here and an item there and started going to antique shops. We ended up finding things all over the country. In the beginning, there was no design or reason or rhyme to it all, but my wife would collect artifacts that struck her, that spoke to her sense of justice, fairness or unfairness.I opened the collection to the public because we live in a time when social justice and racial justice are at the forefront. We thought it was important for people to understand and see where we've come from.Georgi Page-Smith: In the beginning, I was not pleased, I was uncomfortable. I think the pieces are uncomfortable for a lot of people, but then it's important to go beyond that. It took me a while to see that important part of my context and our story. We had a very open floor plan for a modern home. I loved it, it was very contemporary. Then at some point, little things started appearing like figurines and tchotchkes. That's how I viewed it then. There's always another layer to the story and I wasn't seeing it because I didn't want to be part of that conversation.Tell us about the return of the exhibit in MinnesotaGeorgi Page-Smith: It's identical to the exhibit that we did in 2018, there have been some discoveries since then. It is free and there is a pop-up version that will be displayed in the Main St. Cloud Library in St. Cloud, Minn. and then within that regional library system, they're going to travel it around. However, the main exhibit will be located at the Cargill Gallery at the Minneapolis Central Library. It is the perfect location, it's very accessible and open to the public. You enter the gallery, and you'll see a greeting from our family. Then you'll see the White House brick that was made by enslaved people as part of the construction of the White House. Then you'll come in and you'll see the Lincoln banner, and then at some point, you'll come to a wall with a Jim Crow era sign on it. We decided to give people the opportunity to experience that moment of segregation and separation. As it continues, there's a section devoted to labor, and a section devoted to home. There are objects of oppression and objects of expression. These are fundamental pieces of our country and its history.Alan Page: The Abraham Lincoln banner is made of fabric, it is maybe two and a half feet wide by roughly three feet tall on a pole, with what he calls a pig oil lamp on top. We were told that it was from the funeral in 1865, but it may have been from 1864 as part of his campaign for reelection. On one side, it says “Uncle Abe, we will not forget you” and on the other side, it says, “our country shall be one country”. That saying for me sets out the hope that there was at the time of the Civil War. It's the hope that we haven't fulfilled today. This object is from that time period and when you are in its presence it is palpable.Your collection has a lot of signs from the Jim Crow era of segregation. What does it represent to you?Alan Page: I had a number of them there. We also had a fantastic picture of a scene from the entrance of a bus. Looking at the back of the bus, you could see that the white people were allowed to sit and the African Americans were required to sit. It made it clear to me that the law has not always been fair, and those artifacts were a constant reminder that my obligation to serve on the court was to ensure fairness for everyone. No matter who they were, their circumstances, the color of their skin, their gender, their preferences, or what part of the state they came from, everyone was entitled to a just result.What was the response to the exhibition from people in 2018? Georgi Page-Smith: It was overwhelming. We had no idea how great the response would be, or how many people would turn out. It was a record-breaking success for the Cargill gallery. But more than that, people were moved. We had a book made by a Hasidic bookbinder in New York that was open for people to write their reflections. We got so many great stories, some of which ended up online. But also, as we watched people go through the exhibit, we saw a lot of people shaking their heads in disbelief. We've heard about these things in our history books and in school, but it's a much different thing to actually be in the realm and be in the presence of a shackle that was actually placed around a child's neck.Alan Page: Part of our hope in doing the exhibit back in 2018 was to generate conversation, and to move people to action. From almost the very beginning, on the days that Diane was down in the gallery, people would come up and talk about their memories. A lot of people who grew up in Minnesota had heard about many of these things but never experienced them. Having found themselves in the room with objects from that era, gave them a new understanding, and the sense that they had a role to play in. The name of the exhibit is Testify, and this was a place where people could testify in real-time, as they were viewing the exhibit.Why was ‘testify' chosen as the appropriate name for the exhibit? Georgi Page-Smith: Originally, the exhibit had a different location, and they were still looking for a name. I suggested different things, but then at one point, I had been listening to the song “Testify” by Common, and that word really stuck in my head. As we developed the thoughts about the exhibit, I suggested we call it “testify” because of both of my dad's time on the court and also thinking about the black church. I've been lucky enough to attend the church over the course of years, and you see and feel the power of someone testifying and telling their story and how they came through. I also thought it was a way to invite everyone into the conversation.Tell us about the upcoming series of community events with the exhibitionGeorgi Page-Smith: We're calling it “Testify Tuesdays” and it's a series of workshops in partnership with a local group called Change Narrative. Josthna Harris is an amazing facilitator, who has worked on a national level and we've brought her on board along with the ACLU of Minnesota and the Loft Literary Center. They are all going to be facilitating these workshops every week. Seven out of the eight weeks will be at the library and one of the weeks will be virtual because there was a scheduling conflict.These will be workshops to coach and support people in developing their stories in the service of advocacy. For whatever purpose or initiative or cause that they feel is relevant to them. We want to help them develop their voice and tell their story to elected officials. There will be a group facilitating the workshop, then every individual who participates in the workshop will be given some prompts, and then the workshop facilitators will help them come up with some prompts that might tell their story.Alan Page: At the end of the day, it's giving people a voice to testify and to express themselves. In the courtroom, for instance, you come in, you're sworn in, and you tell your story. This is the same thing only it helps people learn how to tell their story in whatever context they want to tell it. One thing we should be very clear about, there is no particular agenda to this, the subject matter is individual.Your stories related to raceListeners called into the show and shared their stories. Here are a couple of them.Grandmother and grandsons aim to discover family historyI was at the 2018 showing and I couldn't believe some of the pieces that were there. It really showed the brutality and the inhumanity. I look forward to going through the exhibit again so I can see other parts that may be that hope. It was horrific and shocking but I'm so grateful that there is a collection for us to see. I've been raising three grandsons who are reaching young adulthood, who are Black, and I would love this next time to be able to take them to see it. I believe there's a very good chance that there was slavery in their history, we haven't found a way to find that out yet. Our family came from the south and I'm just wondering how they got there.— Brenda from WoodburyMan remembers a racist experience in South VA.My whole family was raised in Milwaukee, Wis. During that period, we weren't aware of what was happening. Then my dad got transferred down to Southern Virginia. I was three years old. When my grandma came down to visit, she wanted to take me back home on the train, while sitting in the train station I still vividly remember a lit-up sign above a doorway of a separate room. I kept asking my grandma: What's that word say? because at age three you don't know how to read, and she kept trying to avoid it. She finally just yelled out: “it just says colored”, and I said: “well, what's colored?” Because I thought colored meant to take your crayons and color something. But then she said: “hush-hush, just hush”. I don't think she wanted to tell me the real reason at that young age, and I'm glad she didn't.— Terry from St. Louis ParkSubscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS. 

Our dear friend Ellie Roscher just launched her new book, The Embodied Path, which is all about our bodies and the amazing, sometimes harrowing, stories they tell. It's a book that will widen your compassion, deepen your understanding, spark your curiosity, and strengthen the empathy you have for others, as well as strengthen your love for yourself and your own body.Ellie is here on the podcast today, as our last podcast interviewee of 2022, to share all about The Embodied Path!About EllieEllie Roscher is the author of The Embodied Path, 12 Tiny Things, Play Like a Girl and How Coffee Saved My Life. Her writing also appears in The Baltimore Review, Inscape Magazine, Bookology Magazine and elsewhere.Ellie hosts the Unlikely Conversations podcast and is a certified yoga instructor. She teaches writing at The Loft Literary Center and the Minnesota Writing Project. Through curious inquiry, commitment to the sacred ordinary and artistic collaboration, her work accompanies people to a more centered, whole, and embodied self.Ellie holds an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and an MA in Theology from Luther Seminary. She lives in Minneapolis with her spouse and sons.Connect with us!Sign up to receive a little Gospel in your inbox every Monday Morning with our weekly devotional.Check out our website for great resources, previous blog posts, and more.Get some Lady Preacher Podcast swag!Connect with us on Instagram and Facebook

BIO: Natalie Zett is a writer, actor, photographer, and musician and has worked as a freelance journalist for magazines and papers since her late teens. Her favorite writing job was working for an award-winning community newspaper in Saint Paul, “The Park Bugle”. Natalie also taught others how to write for community newspapers at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, MN. And, during the last few years, she became a family historian. Natalie is a proud graduate of Ursuline College, Pepper Pike, OH where she majored in business administration. She also graduated from Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, MN, where she received an M.A. in Systematic Theology. BOOKS: Flower in the River: A Family Tale, Finally Told WEBSITE/LINKS: www.flowerintheriver.com Follow Typical skeptic on other platforms: www.youtube.com/@UCu93zN6Q_ygmzRcIa8e... www.anchor.fm/typical-skeptic www.rokfin.fm/typicalskeptic www.rumble.com/typicalskeptic To donate to the typicalskeptic podcast: buymeacoffee.com/typicalskeptic #spirt #psi #spirituality #entity #ghost #podcast #typical_skeptic #seance #gypsy #psychictarot Affiliates: Book a reading with Debra Moffit Intuitive readings: Use Code TSP2023 https://www.debramoffitt.com?cc=STP2023 Natural Shilajit and Monoatomic Gold from Healthy Nutrition LLC. use code: ROB And my affiliate link to share: https://glnk.io/77v6/3 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/typical-skeptic/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/typical-skeptic/support

Creating Wellness From Within is a podcast devoted to empowering you to live your best life by taking accountability for your own personal wellness … brought to you in part by Integrated Health Systems located in Denver, CO. Women in particular have a tendency to take care of everyone else around them first, while putting their own self care and wellness on the back burner. This podcast is designed to give you actionable advice and tools to help you power up your own wellness journey, and live the best life possible!I am your host, Amy Zellmer. I am editor-in-chief of MN YOGA + Life magazine & The Brain Health Magazine, and author of several books. Additionally I am passionate about yoga, photography, wellness, and all things glittery! You can find out more about me at www.creatingwellnessfromwithin.comFollow me on: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter         Today's guest is:  Ellie RoscherEllie Roscher is the author of The Embodied Path, 12 Tiny Things, Play Like a Girl and How Coffee Saved My Life. She teaches yoga at Up Yoga and teaches writing at The Loft Literary Center and the Minnesota Writing Project. Ellie holds an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and an MA in Theology from Luther Seminary. Follow her at @ellieroscher and find out more at ellieroscher.com.ENJOYING THIS PODCAST?Consider supporting the podcast for $5 a month through Patreon.Support the show

Natalie Zett joins the Afterlife Chronicles on Thursday, October 20th at 6p/8c/9e.   Where to Watch: http://www.wltkdb.com FB|YouTube|Twitter: @wltkdb The Afterlife Chronicles Show   Natalie Zett wrote a book where the main character is not a person, but a tragedy that few have heard of: The Eastland Disaster of 1915. But what happens when you're innocently investigating your family's history, and the supernatural intervenes? That happened without my seeking or wanting this, and I file that under the “unintended consequences” category. Some things I learned from my book writing adventures—when you awaken the dead, expect the unexpected. www.flowerintheriver.com   ~~About Natalie~~ Natalie Zett is a writer, actor, photographer, and musician and has worked as a freelance journalist for magazines and papers since her late teens. Her favorite writing job was working for an award-winning community newspaper in Saint Paul, “The Park Bugle”. Natalie also taught others how to write for community newspapers at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, MN. And, during the last few years, she became a family historian. Natalie is a proud graduate of Ursuline College, Pepper Pike, OH where she majored in business administration. She also graduated from Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, MN, where she received an M.A. in Systematic Theology. Natalie is drawn to misplaced and forgotten stories because they're more compelling than the world would let us believe.   http://www.authornicolestrickland.com http://www.sandiegoparanormalresearch.com   http://www.facebook.com/nicoledstrickland Twitter: @sdprsnicole Instagram: @authornicolestrickland      

Episode #766 Genealogy and the Paranormal   Richard speaks with a writer, actor, and photographer about her book, The Eastland Disaster of 1915,k which the main character is not a person, but a tragedy of which few have heard.  But what happens when you're innocently investigating your family's history, and the supernatural intervenes? That happened without her seeking or wanting this, and she filed that under the “unintended consequences” category. Some things she learned from her book writing adventures—when you awaken the dead, expect the unexpected.   Guest:  Natalie Zett is a writer, actor, photographer, and musician and has worked as a freelance journalist for magazines and papers since her late teens. Her favourite writing job was working for an award-winning community newspaper in Saint Paul, “The Park Bugle”.  Natalie also taught others how to write for community newspapers at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, MN. And, during the last few years, she became a family historian. Natalie is a proud graduate of Ursuline College, Pepper Pike, OH where she majored in business administration. She also graduated from Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, MN, where she received an M.A. in Systematic Theology.     BOOKS: Flower in the River: A Family Tale, Finally Told

Tonight live The Outer Realm welcomes Natalie Zett. Natalie Zett is a writer, actor, photographer, and musician and has worked as a freelance journalist for magazines and papers since her late teens. Her favorite writing job was working for an award-winning community newspaper in Saint Paul, “The Park Bugle”. Natalie also taught others how to write for community newspapers at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, MN. And, during the last few years, she became a family historian. Natalie is a proud graduate of Ursuline College, Pepper Pike, OH where she majored in business administration. She also graduated from Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, MN, where she received an M.A. in Systematic Theology. Natalie is drawn to misplaced and forgotten stories because they're more compelling than the world would let us believe. WEBSITE: http://www.flowerintheriver.com/ BOOKS: Flower in the River: A Family Tale, Finally Told If you enjoy the content on the channel, please support us by subscribing: Thank you All A formal disclosure: The opinions and information presented or expressed by guests on The Outer Realm Radio are not necessarily those of the TOR Hosts, Sponsors, or the United Public Radio Network and its producers. We will however always be respectful and courteous to all involved. Thank you, we appreciate you all!

Tonight live The Outer Realm welcomes Natalie Zett. Natalie Zett is a writer, actor, photographer, and musician and has worked as a freelance journalist for magazines and papers since her late teens. Her favorite writing job was working for an award-winning community newspaper in Saint Paul, “The Park Bugle”. Natalie also taught others how to write for community newspapers at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, MN. And, during the last few years, she became a family historian. Natalie is a proud graduate of Ursuline College, Pepper Pike, OH where she majored in business administration. She also graduated from Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, MN, where she received an M.A. in Systematic Theology. Natalie is drawn to misplaced and forgotten stories because they're more compelling than the world would let us believe. WEBSITE: http://www.flowerintheriver.com/ BOOKS: Flower in the River: A Family Tale, Finally Told If you enjoy the content on the channel, please support us by subscribing: Thank you All A formal disclosure: The opinions and information presented or expressed by guests on The Outer Realm Radio are not necessarily those of the TOR Hosts, Sponsors, or the United Public Radio Network and its producers. We will however always be respectful and courteous to all involved. Thank you, we appreciate you all!

My guest today is Rachael Hanel. She's a writer and also an associate professor of Mass Communication at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Raechel also teaches narrative nonfiction and memoir at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. She has a master's degree in history and a Ph.D. in creative writing. She has an interesting book coming out, which we discuss in our conversation. It's called Not the Camilla We Knew: One Woman's Life from Small-town America to the Symbionese Liberation Army, and is due for release this fall. She was a really great guest: knew what she was talking about, enthusiastic, but also able to speak clearly to complicated or nuanced issues. We compared Minnesota and Canadian accents before we started recording, and then got right into it. Please listen.

Episode 121 Notes and Links to Michael Torres' Work          On Episode 121 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Michael Torres, and the two discuss, among other topics, his growing up in Pomona, CA, and his childhood and adolescence influences on his work, the speaker as poet and vice versa, his early reading prompted by a generous older sister, works and writers that have thrilled him and impelled him to write, his poetry collection's themes of identity and masculinity, and the real-life background of his dynamite lines and strong images.       Michael Torres is a VONA distinguished alum and CantoMundo fellow. In 2016 he received his MFA in creative writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato, was a winner of the Loft Mentor Series, received an Individual Artist Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, and was awarded a Jerome Foundation Research and Travel Grant to visit the pueblo in Jalisco, Mexico where his father grew up. In 2019 he received fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and The Loft Literary Center for the Mirrors & Windows Program. A former Artist-in-Residence at the Camargo Foundation in Cassis, France as well as a McKnight Writing Fellow, he is currently a 2021-22 Jerome Hill Artist Fellow.     His first collection of poems, AN INCOMPLETE LIST OF NAMES, (Beacon Press, 2020) was selected by Raquel Salas Rivera for the National Poetry Series, named one of NPR's Best Books of 2020, and was featured on the podcast Code Switch.     His writing has been featured or is forthcoming in Best New Poets 2020, The New Yorker, POETRY, Ploughshares, Smartish Pace, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Georgia Review, The Sun, Water~Stone Review, Southern Indiana Review, Ninth Letter, Poetry Northwest, Copper Nickel, Fifth Wednesday Journal, Tinderbox Poetry Journal, The McNeese Review, MIRAMAR, Green Mountains Review, Forklift, Ohio, Hot Metal Bridge, The Boiler Journal, Paper Darts, River Teeth, The Acentos Review, Okey-Panky, Sycamore Review, SALT, Huizache, online as The Missouri Review's Poem of the Week, on The Slowdown with Tracy K. Smith.     Michael was born and brought up in Pomona, CA, where he spent his adolescence as a graffiti artist. Currently, he teaches in the MFA program at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and through the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop.     Michael Torres' Website   Buy An Incomplete List of Names   Michael's Appearance on NPR's Code Switch   "In The Field: Conversations With Our Contributors–Michael Torres" At about 3:20, Michael talks about growing up in Pomona, CA, and his relationship with language and literature   At about 6:00, Michael highlights his older sister's contributions in introducing him to great literature, and Michael details being immediately intrigued by Luis Rodriguez's Always Running   At about 10:00, Pete connects Luis Rodriguez and getting attention through his nickname and Michael's views of tagging and identity    At about 13:50, Michael responds to Pete's questions about connections between peer pressure and growing up, including how Michael's “Down” was inspired by Kendrick Lamar's “The Art of Peer Pressure”   At about 18:00, Pete flits from A Bronx Tale to a phenomenon with students' writing their full names in past years as the two “discuss the “desire to leave something behind”   At about 20:10, Pete cites profound and interesting lines from An Incomplete List of Names that deal with identity, and Pete asks about “Michael” and the delineation between his name and “Remek”   At about 22:00, Michael discusses what reading and writers inspired and thrilled him as he got into late high school and college, including 2Pac and The Rose that Grew From Concrete, Charles Bukowski, Gary Soto's The Elements of San Joaquin, and Albert Camus' The Stranger   At about 26:40, Michael further explains hip-hop's influence on him, including from groups like Dilated Peoples, A Tribe Called Quest, Pharcyde, Jurassic 5   At about 30:00, Michael lays out events and people who helped him find his writing voice and skill and community    At about 32:00, Michael highlights moments that convinced him of his love for poetry    At about 34:00, Michael highlights John Bramingham and others who helped him learn about the publication process   At about 35:30, A Mic and Dim Lights is highlighted as a open mic spot that fostered Michael's skills and confidence   At about 37:00, Pete asks about the transition from student to teacher/mentor for Michael, as Michael shouts out UC Riverside and Freddy Lopez   At about 40:10, Pete asks Michael about “Stop Looking My Name Like That” and ideas of the speaker as the poet   At about 42:40, Michael describes “writing in resistance” to conversations had at a conference he attended   At about 44:30, Pete talks about his favorite scene in moviedom, and its connections to innocence and nostalgia and Michael's writing   At about 45:30, Pete quotes some dynamite lines and asks Michael about ideas of identity   At about 49:30, Michael analyzes a profound line and connects it to memory and nostalgia    At about 51:00, Michael discusses community and connections to a “transaction” and the moving (no pun intended) poem “Push”   At about 52:10, Michael gives background on his father and perspectives on his dad's background and its connection to their relationship   At about 54:15, ideas of masculinity are explored through standout lines, including “Down” and its three iterations    At about 56:45, Michael talks about “masks” and tough exteriors and acting tough as ways of getting by and not getting “clowned”   At about 58:45, Michael gives background on an interesting and fitting phrase he uses in his poetry   At about 1:00:25, Pete and Michael discuss a tender line from “Down/II” as Michael gives background on the line as a mix of moments in his life   At about 1:03:30, Michael discusses ideas of youth valuing themselves as touched upon in his work   At about 1:05:20, Pete highlights a line from the collection that is representative of the whole   At about 1:07:00, Pete asks about Michael's community of writers and who moves him in 2022; Michael cites Willie Perdomo, Mary Szybist and “Incarnadine,” Patricia Smith, Paul Tran, Dustin Pearson, Emily Yoon, Chris McCormick, Eduardo Corral, and Chen Chen   At about 1:09:10, Michael reads from “Down/I”   At about 1:15:00, Michael reads Part VI and X of “Elegy Roll Call”   At about 1:17:00, Michael details upcoming projects   At about 1:21:00, Michael gives out social media/contact info     You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.      This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form. The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 122 with Sonora Reyes, the author of the forthcoming contemporary young adult novel, THE LESBIANA'S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL. They write fiction full of queer and Latinx characters in a variety of genres, with current projects in both kidlit and adult categories. Sonora is also the creator and host of the Twitter chat #QPOCChat, a monthly community-building chat for queer writers of color.     The episode will air on May 10.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Judith F. Brenner is the author of The Moments Between Dreams, a novel. She's a former journalist, an editor, and publisher of Sharpeners Report, a national publication with paid circulation in a professional service and repair industry. Her personal essays have been published in literary magazines and parent magazines. She completed the Iowa University Mini-MFA program in 2019. Judith is a member of the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, and the national Professional Editor's Network, the Chicago Writers Network, and the Women's Fiction Writing Association.  ABOUT THE BOOK:  The Moments Between Dreams, A Novel Carol misses red flags about Joe's need for control before she marries him, dashing her dreams for herself and her family. Trouble escalates after their daughter Ellie is paralyzed by the polio virus and Joe returns from WWII. Carol realizes how brutal waking life can be, and she conceals bruises and protects her children the best she can. The Moments Between Dreams is a captivating story of a 1940s housewife who conforms to the rulebook of society until Joe pushes her too far. His constant intimidation shrinks Carol's confidence while she tries to boost Ellie's. Church-going neighbors in Carol's tight-knit Polish community are complacent, but Sam, a handsome reporter, stirs up Carol's zest for life. Despite impossible circumstances, Carol plans a secret escape. Along a risky path, she empowers her daughter to know no limits and teaches her son to stop the cycle of violence and gender discrimination.

We are so happy to welcome Savannah Brooks, agent at Jennifer DiChiara Literary Agency, to the podcast! In this episode, we discuss what's normal to ask your agent, how is the industry becoming more transparent—and what happens after a book doesn't sell. We also discuss the odds of selling books at agent stage, working on books that are personal for us, and self-publishing in new and creative ways. Savannah Brooks joined the Jennifer De Chiara team in 2018 as an associate literary agent after interning for a year and a half. She earned her MFA, focused in creative nonfiction, from Hamline University and her BS in marketing management from Virginia Tech. As well as agenting, she works as a publishing professor at the University of Minnesota, a teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center, and a boxing instructor. She lives in Minneapolis and can regularly be found at one of Minnesota's 11,842 lakes—yes, even in winter. Want to meet with Savannah? Book a consultation with her here: http://manuscriptacademy.com/savannah-brooks

Jack El-Hai is an award-winning medical writer who coaches and leads workshops for physicians interested in reaping the benefits of writing creatively. We discuss the benefits during the interview, as well as how to get started on ten minutes per day or less, how to get those creative juices flowing and how that annoying clicking sound my partner makes when he drinks his tea can be used as inspiration. He also defines “creative writing,” and it is a lot more encompassing than I thought.   El-Hai has led writing workshops through the Center for Humanities in Medicine at the Mayo Clinic, continuing education programs at the University of Minnesota, and the Loft Literary Center, as well as coaching physicians one-on-one in creative writing. He is the author of award-winning books on the history of medicine and a contributor of more than 600 articles and essays to The Atlantic, Smithsonian, Wired, GQ, The Washington Post Magazine, and many other publications. He holds an MFA in creative writing from Bennington College and taught in the MFA creative writing program at Augsburg University. He can be found at El-Hai.com. 

We loved talking with Mary Cummings about so many things—how slush piles looked in the days of paper, how the submission process is like Miracle on 34th Street (and often as divisive as pineapple on pizza), and—more extensively—what you should ask an agent, when given the chance. Tune in also for mentions of opera, Slush Cats, Editorial Boards, and more. * “Great River Literary" was the clear name choice for the new agency established by Mary Cummings in 2021, after thirteen years as an agent for books for children and teens at Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises. Except in the depths of winter, nearly every evening Mary goes down to the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Paul to see the passing scene of trees and birds, barges and boats, kids and lovers - and always the play of light on the flowing water. Mary finds great joy in helping her clients polish their stories to stand out for editors and to become books that will make a difference in kids' lives. Before becoming a literary agent, Mary was Education Director at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis where, among other accomplishments, she curated an annual festival of children's literature and selected judges for the McKnight Award from leading editors in children's publishing. Learn more about Mary here: https://www.greatriverliterary.com/

After experiencing a stillbirth at 41 1/2 weeks, author Shannon Gibney found the silence around the experience an added source of trauma after an already devastating experience. As writers so often do, she turned to the literature and found that most of what was written was by white women or did not reflect her truth. So, she and author Kao Kalia Yang, who had suffered a pregnancy loss at 19 weeks, set out to elevate the voices of Indigenous women and women of color who have experienced miscarriage and infant loss.   Gibney joins Mom Enough to discuss What God is Honored Here? Writings on Miscarriage and Infant Loss By and For Native Women and Women of Color, which she co-edited with Kao Kalia Yang. Tune in to hear her story, excerpts from the book, and how we can all challenge the silence and dominant narratives around pregnancy loss.   WHAT CAN YOU DO TO CHALLENGE EXISTING NARRATIVES AROUND MISCARRIAGE AND INFANT LOSS? Have you or someone you know experienced a miscarriage or infant loss? In what ways did you or your loved one find comfort or silence in the stories you heard about others' experiences or losses? What might you do differently in the future to support a friend or family member after a miscarriage or infant loss?   WANT TO LEARN MORE MISCARRIAGE AND INFANT LOSS? ❉ HELPING PARENTS HEAL AFTER MISCARRIAGE, STILLBIRTH OR A PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS OF A LIFE-THREATENING CONDITION. For many of us, pregnancy is a time of excitement, joy and anticipation of who this baby will be. But when anticipation turns to loss through miscarriage, a devastating prenatal diagnosis or stillbirth, grief engulfs mom, dad and other family members. Too often these heartbreaking experiences are suffered in silence – or perhaps dismissed by well-meaning friends who say, “You'll be able to have another baby.” Tune in as Delta Larkey and Alyssa Wright discuss helping families navigate these losses and find strength and healing through rituals that are responsive to each family's unique needs and strengths.   ❉ MOTHERHOOD & WORDS: GIVING VOICE TO MOTHERS' LOVE, LOSS AND LAUGHTER. Being a mom can evoke the highest and lowest of emotions, sometimes all at once! Minneapolis author and writing teacher Kate Hopper brings writers to Motherhood & Words at The Loft Literary Center to read from their latest works about their lives as mothers. Listen to three authors, including Kao Kalia Yang, who reads a powerful new piece about losing her first son in a very late miscarriage.   ❉ HAVE YOU OR SOMEONE CLOSE TO YOU LOST A CHILD? The loss of a child is surely the most devastating thing a parent can experience. Dr. Joann O'Leary and Dr. Jane Warland, both experts in parenting after loss, bring rich insights and useful tips for moving forward (or helping someone you know move forward) after loss in this episode of Mom Enough.

Cynthia wants to introduce you to Ellie Roscher, the author of 12 Tiny Things among other books that reveal her faith and interest in all things health and wellness.  What are some of the small things you implement intentionally into your day, your week, or even your year, that can make all the difference in your health and mindset? Ellie Roscher is the author of 12 Tiny Things, Play Like a Girl and How Coffee Saved My Life. Her writing also appears in the Baltimore Review, Inscape Magazine, Bookology Magazine, Church Anew and elsewhere. Ellie hosts the Unlikely Conversations podcast, teaches yoga at Up Yoga and teaches writing at The Loft Literary Center and the Minnesota Writing Project. Ellie holds an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and an MA in Theology from Luther Seminary. Follow her at @ellieroscher and find out more at ellieroscher.com. Is it time to make some changes in your life? Do you want to stop the madness and get on track with your health? Maybe coaching is right for you. I've helped many people gain their health back over the years, and would love to talk with you. Just reach out with the link below to get on my schedule. From time to time I have openings for new clients and accept them on a first come first serve basis. Book a Discovery Call

On this episode my guest is Dr. Raechel Anne Jolie, author of the critically-acclaimed memoir Rust Belt Femme, which was the winner of the Independent Publisher Book Award in LGBTQ Nonfiction, an NPR Favorite Book of 2020, and a runner-up for the Heartland Bookseller's Award. Our conversation centers around this book, but also branches into feminist and queer theory, political activism, the complicated ways that identity categories intersect, the role that music plays in politics and identity construction, contemporary witchcraft practices, and MORE (really!). Jolie's work explores radical social movements, theories of and toward liberation, queerness, class, pop culture, healing justice, and more. Their essays, criticism, and reporting have appeared in The Baffler, Bitch Magazine, In These Times, Ravishly, Mask Magazine, Teen Vogue, Scarleteen, among others. She has been published in a variety of academic journals, and has presented at numerous national conferences. During an awarded residency stay at The Future Minneapolis, she co-wrote, edited, and published The Prison Arcana Tarot Zine. The zine was created in collaboration with the incarcerated writer c.l. Young and incarcerated artist Jamie Diaz. Jolie has been a featured keynote speaker at conferences and symposia at The University of Kentucky, Bloomsburg University, Western Oregon University, and Whitman College. She has been a faculty member at Merrimack College, Tufts University, and Normandale College, and taught writing at The Loft Literary Center. They hold a PhD from the University of Minnesota and an MA and BA from DePaul University. They live in Cleveland Heights, Ohio on Erie and Mississauga land. References(!): Rust Belt Femme Feminist Killjoys, PhD Radical Love Letters (newsletter) Adrianne Lenker Indigo De Souza Okkervil River Waxahatchee Minnie Riperton The Ophelias Wednesday Slauson Malone

Nicole Kronzer is an author of young adult novels, a high school teacher, and a former actor. Her first novel, Unscripted, was named a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association. Show notes: Nicole Kronzer (https://www.nicolekronzer.com) Unscripted (https://www.nicolekronzer.com/unscripted) The Loft Literary Center (https://loft.org) Nina Lacour, Yerba Buena (https://www.ninalacour.com) Brandy Colbert, The Only Black Girls in Town, The Voting Booth (https://www.brandycolbert.com) Learn more about Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview), and check out the ebook Take Control of Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/store). If you like the podcast, please follow it in Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/write-now-with-scrivener/id1568550068) or your favorite podcast app. Leave a rating or review, and tell your friends. And check out past episodes of Write Now with Scrivener (https://podcast.scrivenerapp.com).

What did you turn to for solace during the pandemic? Cooking and baking? Reconnecting with nature, your inner athlete or the bookworm you were while growing up?   Courtesy of publisher The new anthology “A 21st Century Plague: Poetry from a Pandemic” The poets among us turned to language, and they wrote. Some of that outpouring has been gathered into an anthology called “A 21st Century Plague: Poetry from a Pandemic.” Four of Minnesota's beloved poets are included in the book, and they joined host Angela Davis on Wednesday to talk about writing their way through the stress and pain of the pandemic.  Guests: Sandra Larson has published three chapbooks in addition to “Ode to Beautiful,” which was published in 2016.  John Krumberger has published a volume of poems: chapbook “The Language of Rain and Wind,” “In a Jar Somewhere” and poetry collection “Because Autumn.” He is a psychologist in St. Paul. Thomas Smith teaches at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. His poetry collection, “Storm Island,” appeared in 2020. He has also published a prose book, “Poetry on the Side of Nature: Writing the Nature Poem as an Act of Survival.” Miriam Weinstein has published poetry in several anthologies including “Reflections on Home: The Heart of All That Is,” “A Little Book of Abundance” and “Broken Atoms in Our Hands,” plus a chapbook called “Twenty Ways of Looking.”  Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

"The overall point in sharing information is that you're giving people something that they can be able to relate to, and you're doing it in a way that they can understand." Nathan Perez Regardless of your profession or where you are in your career progression, the importance of networking can not be overlooked. When done right, networking can bring tremendous benefits both professionally and personally. For some people, networking may feel uncomfortable, but our guest today, Nathan Perez, insists that networking is not as complex as it has been portrayed and involves exchanging information. Besides being a genuine and hardworking introvert, Nathan Perez is also an award-winning author, a national speaker, and an executive and job search career coach at career innovation. He comes from unusually unique and diverse professional backgrounds himself and has a rare viewpoint on networking and how that relates to job search and career development. Nathan is a formerly trained actor with a bachelor's degree in fine arts and theatre. His 20-year career in the arts was supported by simultaneously developing a business career, which involved an inordinate amount of resumes, networking meetings, and interviews in multiple businesses and industries. Utilizing that background, Nathan ties together his deep live audience experience with almost 15 years in the executive search industry, delivering dozens of webinars, seminars, and guest speaking engagements each year on the topics of networking, job search, and career development. Before his work as an executive career coach, Nathan held the title of Vice President of Research in the retained search industry, where he was responsible for the first step of the executive recruitment process, devising strategies of "where and how to find" qualified candidates for all national and global search engagements. Consequently, networking was and continues to be a day-to-day function of his job. As a result, and because of his combined professional expertise, Nathan regularly works with professionals from different backgrounds and experience levels. This includes everyone from Hollywood movie stars and producers to sound engineers, fashion designers, new college grads, non-profit and civic leaders, veterans, and senior global executives. He has been cited by The Huffington Post as one of the most connected people on LinkedIn worldwide. He is a member of the Actors Equity Association union (AEA); a voting union member of The Screen-Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA); the Author's Guild; and served as Vice Chair at The Loft Literary Center, the nation's largest literary and writing organization. He is an Honorary Commander with the 934th Airlift Wing, U.S. Air Force Reserve, home of the Global Vikings. In today's episode, our guest will talk about why networking is the most important skill you need for career development. He will also provide us with insightful tips on how to get the best out of networking meetings. Listen in! Social Media https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanperez/   https://www.linkedin.com/company/cipress   https://www.facebook.com/Career-Innovations-Press-100479695381379/ I'm a professional speaker, an executive career coach, and I've been doing that for about eight years. [3:44] Before that, I was in the executive retained search industry, where I found the executive candidates for the executive recruiters to go and recruit, so networking was a major function of my overall job. [3:49] Before that, I spent 20 years in the entertainment industry as a professional actor and writer, formally trained in BFA Theatre Arts. [4:22] In 2012, the last firm that I had joined, I met my co-author for the book, "20 Minute Networking Meeting," which eventually turned into three more editions. [4:41] A combination of her experience in the retained executive search industry and my experience in the retained executive search industry combined with the entertainment industry, networking was a topic that she had brought up as a bucket list idea for a book, and we jumped all over it. [4:53] All this has led to all the professional speaking in the workshops I do, where I give around 70 webinars and workshops per year. [5:12] Most of my speaking is geared around networking, not just job search, but networking for anything, including sales, business development, marketing, whatever it may be. [5:21] Currently, I work with universities, the military particularly the veterans, senior executives, and corporations, both for the corporations themselves and internally on building relationships. [5:33] Sometimes we call it networking, but at the heart of networking is relationship building, and I work with them one-on-one and in groups. [5:48] Networking is essential to just about everything, and I don't think we necessarily think about what we're doing to be [6:37] The word networking has gained sort of this negative connotation because of the behaviors that have been associated with it over time. [6:48] Networking is just the obtainment and exchange of information, and so we are doing it every day in every discussion that we ever have. [7:10] When doing an elevator pitch, you can have something general for someone you don't know anything about. [11:45] If you're intentional about your networking, you've hopefully researched someone and talk about your background in a way that's relevant to that person you're speaking to. [11:55] The overall point in sharing information is that you're giving people something that they can relate to, and you're doing it in a way that they can understand. [13:36] Commercial break. [15:08] Networking is just about the obtainment of information. [16:47] When it comes to running a meeting, there are five steps to it based on the 20-minute networking meeting. [17:06] The first step is just a great first impression of you in the meeting. This could be over the phone or virtual, but basically, it's just a Hello. [17:23] The next step is a 30-60 second snapshot of your background or your professional experience. [17:45] Step number three is the great discussion and is the bulk of your meeting. This is about 12 to 15 minutes long, and it's comprised of five key questions. [18:11] The first three questions are very specifically formulated for your contact from the research that you've done on your contact beforehand. [18:33] Question number four is about expanding your network where you ask for more names because people want to help and because they said yes to your meeting, more often than not, people will give up those names. [19:24] Question number five is the kind that takes your contact by surprise but in the best possible way. That question is, "how can I help you?" [20:15] Step number four is wrapping up the meeting. [21:32] Step number five is following up afterward, which can be immediate or ongoing follow-up. Ongoing follow-up is about keeping your network alive with time. [21:38] Every little piece of information that we exchange eventually kind of adds up into a big pile, and that big pile can be reserved for a continued discussion with that person, or that bigger pile could be informing other little piles that inform other discussions with other [24:31] There is never bad information, just what you do with it. [24:49] Understand that this networking thing is just the obtainment and exchange of information, and we're doing it all the time. [25:55] If you can look at it this way, then every discussion you're having is networking, and if you do something with the information, you will carve out a path for you wherever you want to go. [26:10] …..….……………… Thank you to our January sponsor!  KukuaBiz can provide dedicated and affordable talent from Kenya to help you grow and scale your business. Virtual employees are skilled in administrative functions, sales, podcast management, video editing, marketing, social media marketing, website design and management, and more. Learn more: https://www.kukuabiz.com  

The Streel -Published May 12th 2020 by Univ Of Minnesota PressWhen I was fifteen and my brother Seamus sixteen, we attended our own wake. Our family was in mourning, forced to send us off to America.The year is 1880, and of all the places Brigid Reardon and her brother might have dreamed of when escaping Ireland's potato famine by moving to America, Deadwood, South Dakota, was not one of them. But Deadwood, in the grip of gold fever, is where Seamus lands and where Brigid joins him after eluding the unwanted attentions of the son of her rich employer in St. Paul—or so she hopes. But the morning after her arrival, a grisly tragedy occurs; Seamus, suspected of the crime, flees, and Brigid is left to clear his name and to manage his mining claim, which suddenly looks more valuable and complicated than he and his partners supposed.Mary Logue, author of the popular Claire Watkins mysteries, brings her signature brio and nerve to this story of a young Irish woman turned reluctant sleuth as she tries to make her way in a strange and often dangerous new world. From the famine-stricken city of Galway to the bustling New York harbor, to the mansions of Summit Avenue in St. Paul, and finally to the raucous hustle of boomtown Deadwood, Logue's new thriller conjures the romance and the perils, and the tricky everyday realities, of a young immigrant surviving by her wits and grace in nineteenth-century America."I would have wanted to be a writer when I was a child if I had known it was possible. When I could only read two words: "you" and "I," I went through a wholebook and circled them. I knew reading was the key to the rest of the world. I wrote my first mystery when I was in sixth grade—it was about a mysterious trail around a pond. I continue to write about mysterious trails around Lake Pepin in my Claire Watkins mystery series. Some things never change.Poetry, however, is the foundation of my work. I have written four books of poetry, my latest is Hand Work, which came out in 2009. This book was the result of an experiment to write a poem a day for a year. I have also published a young adult novel, Dancing with an Alien, and the Bloodwater mysteries with Pete Hautman. My non-fiction books include a biography of my grandmother, Halfway Home, and a book on Minnesota courthouses, both published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press.She was an editor at the Village Voice, Graywolf Press, and The Creative Company. She published articles in the Village Voice, the New York Times and the Hungry Mind Review. For many year she taught at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. Currently, she on faculty in the low-residency Children's Literature MFA program at Hamline University in St. Paul.She is a bi-riverbank, living on both sides of the Mississippi, with writer Pete Hautman in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

We are thrilled to introduce today's guest, Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson. Jacque is the founder of Heartwood Healing and the creator of the Heartwood Self-Mastery Programs. She's an award-winning author and motivational speaker who has offered individual mastery, mindfulness, and resilience training and coaching to thousands of people through her work with organizations including Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, UnitedHealth Group, OptumHealth, Weight Watchers, Senior Care Communities, the Carver College of Medicine, and many more. She is the co-creator and host of the Healing Words television show and a founding faculty member of the Creative Writing at the Bedside program, both administered by the Lavins Center for Humanities in Medicine at Mayo Clinic. Jacque is the award-winning author of 14 books including Dear Body, Love Me. Her work has received an iParenting Media Excellence Award, and was a Gold Recipient of a Mom's Choice Award. Her advice has been featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chicago Tribune, Experience Life magazine, The Huffington Post, LifetimeTV.com, OmTimes Magazine, Macleans, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota Parent magazine, Newsday, PsychologyToday.com, St. Paul Pioneer Press, and the Washington Post. She began training in self-mastery and mindfulness techniques more than 20 years ago when she lost 100 pounds that she's kept off for two decades. Her love of understanding human behavior won her a yearlong fellowship from the Minnesota Psychoanalytic Society to study with a team of therapists. She's a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner and Great Story Coach. Jacque graduated with degrees in English and Women's Studies from Wellesley College and holds an M.F.A. in Writing and Publishing from Emerson College. She's a member of the Women's Health Leadership TRUST and her company, Heartwood Healing, is a network organization on the National Academy of Medicine's Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience. She recently served as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Loft Literary Center. Find out more about her work at HeartwoodHealing.com. During today's conversation Jacque shares her inspirational story about how she lost 100 lbs in her twenties which lead her on the path to live an intentional and happier life.    She talks about her book, Dear Body, Love Me and how it is an apology letter to her body and a manifesto of self-acceptance and self-love. We encourage you to listen to Jacque read the book aloud on YouTube. She also talks about how to achieve hard goals and how to reignite passion and purpose and she offers many tips and suggestions along the way. We hear about her breast cancer journey during the Coronavirus pandemic and how she handled the year with humor. And finally, we learn all about Jacque's self-mastery program which she developed to help people get comfortable with their bodies, feel vibrant and have tools to face challenging things. You will not want to miss this powerful conversation. Resources Jacque mentions: The Choice, by Dr. Edith Eva Eger You can find Jacque on: IG: @jacquefletcherjohnson FB: https://www.facebook.com/@jacquelynfj/ Her newsletter: www.heartwoodhealing.com/subscribe Special offer: Look for our Instagram giveaway to win her book Dear Body, Love Me. Thanks to our amazing sponsors:This episode is brought to you by Appetite for Change, a non-profit in North Minneapolis that uses food as a tool for health, wealth, and social change. To learn more about AFC, listen to Episode 31 of our podcast with one of their co-founders Michelle Horovitz, as well as our bonus episodes with co-founder Princess Haley. For more information or to donate head on over to https://appetiteforchangemn.org/impact/ or visit them on instagram and facebook @appetiteforchange.   This episode is also brought to you by Chisel Architecture, a unique firm in the Twin Cities whose trademarked design approach, called Pattern of Life, is a game changer for homeowners.  Co-Founders, Sara and Marcy focus on functionality for your home environment and believe that your overall well-being should be in the mix.  Chisel architecture has a special offer for our listeners.  Simply email hello@chiselarch.com and mention this podcast to receive $50 off your two-hour consultation.  Consultations must be booked by June 30th to take advantage of this offer.  ------------------------------------------------------------ Upcoming programs and events: The Art of Living Well Summertime Tribe - 60 Day Program.  Don't let your health take a backseat this summer. How would you like to enjoy summer without letting your health, energy and mood take a back seat? We've listened and relate to so many of you over the past few years comment about how your food and exercise regime is completely thrown off track during the summer leaving you feeling less than fabulous come Labor Day. Please join us we embark on a summer of feeling great, being mindful and enjoying ourselves. June 7th - August 15th - $199 For more information and sign-up here --------------------------------------------------------------Relax, Stretch and Sip: Yoga and clean-crafted wine tasting with Michelle Olson Join us for a fun night of yoga and clean-crafted wine.   June 16th 7 PM in Minnetonka. Sign-up here. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Day Functional Medicine Detox Sign-up now $155 - July 11th, 2021 group start   Save the dates for in person summer yoga events in the Mpls area:June 16th and July 22nd ----------------------------------------------------------- 10 Ways to Create a Healthy Relationship with Sugar - Online Workshop: Are you ready to change your relationship with sugar? Take our online sugar workshop and be on your way to having a healthy relationship with sugar in no time. Purchase this 1 hour workshop here. SPECIAL OFFER FOR OUR LISTENERS: Download our Free  "At Home" workout guide! --------------------------------------------------------- Rate and Review Us!  Please head over to Apple Podcasts and give the Art of Living Well Podcast a rating and review. We would so appreciate it and it helps our podcast get found in searches. Thank you! Don't forget to Subscribe to our podcast The Art of Living Well Podcast so that you can uncover strategies, tips and resources from a variety of experts and our own banks of knowledge as you progress on your journey to living well.  Please share this podcast with a friend or anyone who you think could benefit from this information.  Join our private Art of Living Well Podcast Facebook Community: This is a community where you can directly interact with us and ask us questions and suggest topics for future episodes. Shop our Favorite Products:   https://www.theartoflivingwell.us/products Shop Clean-crafted wines! Instagram: @theartofliving_well FB: theartoflivingwell Sign-up for our Art of Living Well Podcast email list. (We promise not to bombard you with email). Marnie Dachis Marmet's Website (Zenful Life Coaching) Stephanie May Potter's Website 

Heid E. Erdrich is the author of seven collections of poetry. Her writing has won fellowships and awards from the National Poetry Series, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, Bush Foundation, Loft Literary Center, First People’s Fund, and other honors. Erdrich has twice won a Minnesota Book Award for poetry. Heid edited the 2018 anthology New Poets of Native Nations from Graywolf Press. Her forthcoming poetry collection is Little Big Bully, Penguin Editions, out Oct. 6th, 2020. Heid grew up in Wahpeton, North Dakota and is Ojibwe enrolled at Turtle Mountain. Read along with the poems below as you listen to the episode.

Poets Joseph Ross and Michael Torres read from and discuss their new books. Joseph Ross is the author of four books of poetry: Raising King (2020), Ache (2017), Gospel of Dust (2013), and Meeting Bone Man (2012). His poems appear in many places including The New York Times Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Poet Lore, Xavier Review, Southern Quarterly, and Drumvoices Revue. He has received multiple Pushcart Prize nominations and won the 2012 Pratt Library / Little Patuxent Review Poetry Prize. He recently served as the 23rd Poet-in-Residence for the Howard County Poetry and Literature Society in Howard County, Maryland. He teaches English and Creative Writing at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., and writes regularly at www.JosephRoss.net. Michael Torres was born and brought up in Pomona, California, where he spent his adolescence as a graffiti artist. His debut collection of poems, An Incomplete List of Names (Beacon Press, 2020), was selected by Raquel Salas Rivera for the National Poetry Series. His honors include awards and support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the McKnight Foundation, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, CantoMundo, VONA Voices, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Jerome Foundation, the Camargo Foundation, and the Loft Literary Center. Currently he’s an Assistant Professor in the MFA program at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and a teaching artist with the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop. Visit him at: michaeltorreswriter.com. Read "On John Coltrane's 'After the Rain'" by Joseph Ross. Read "Stop Looking at My Last Name Like That" by Michael Torres. Recorded On: Wednesday, March 10, 2021

How did a Black woman from Texas become one of the most well-known civil right activists in Minnesota? After seven decades of speaking up and standing up, of fighting for fairness in voting, housing, education, and employment, Dr. Josie Johnson has finally written her memoir. "Hope in the Struggle" gives us an opportunity to not only learn about her, but to learn from her. Dr. Johnson's story began in segregated Texas, where her father organized against the Poll Tax, launching her on a lifetime of activism which brought her to the 2008 Democratic National Convention, where she cast her vote for Barack Obama for president. Her memoir offers a close-up picture of what that struggle has entailed, whether working as a community organizer for the Minneapolis Urban League or lobbying for fair housing and employment laws, investigating civil rights abuses or co-chairing the Minnesota delegation to the March on Washington, becoming the first African American to serve on the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents or creating the university's Office of the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs with a focus on minority affairs and diversity. An intimate view of civil rights history in the making, "Hope in the Struggle" is a uniquely inspiring life story for these current dark and divisive times, a testament to how one determined soul can make the world a better place. ESFL and RCHS are pleased to present Dr. Johnson in conversation with an activist from a younger generation, Tish Jones. A poet, organizer, and educator from St. Paul, Ms. Jones is Founder & Executive Director of TruArtSpeaks, and she has had an impact on artist-activists from coast to coast. She has performed at The Walker Art Center, Intermedia Arts, The Cedar Cultural Center and more. Ms. Jones' work can be found in the Minnesota Humanities Center' anthology, Blues Vision: African American Writing from Minnesota (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2015), the 2011 and 2013 Saint Paul Almanac, the Loft Literary Center's Nation of Immigrants audio CD highlighting the voices of their longstanding Equilibrium Spoken Word Series, and many more spaces. To view the video: https://youtu.be/RIqfdd_0aBI

"In a culture that says bigger is better, it is subversive work to take tiny, lasting steps toward learning and growth."Ellie Roscher is here to talk to us about her new book, 12 Tiny Things: Simple Ways to Live a More Intentional Life, which she co-authored with Heidi Barr. It is not a self-help book, but a guide for curating small, simple spiritual practices that ground our spirits in love.To learn more about 12 Tiny Things, be sure to visit their website, where they have incredible resources including study guides for church or book groups, or check out their 12 Tiny Things community on Facebook. ...Ellie Roscher is the author of 12 Tiny Things, Play Like a Girl and How Coffee Saved My Life. Her writing also appears in the Baltimore Review, Inscape Magazine, Bookology Magazine and elsewhere. Ellie hosts the Unlikely Conversations podcast, teaches yoga at Up Yoga and teaches writing at The Loft Literary Center and the Minnesota Writing Project. Through curious inquiry, commitment to the sacred ordinary and artistic collaboration, her work accompanies people to a more centered, whole, and embodied self. Ellie holds an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and an MA in Theology from Luther Seminary. Follow her at @ellieroscher and find out more at ellieroscher.com.12 Tiny Things: https://12tinythings.com/Church Resource: https://12tinythings.com/resources/tiny-holy-thingsRecent blog post: https://churchanew.org/blog/posts/ellie-roscher-bound-by-love-not-social-isolation?rq=Ellie%20Roscher

Heid E. Erdrich is the author of seven collections of poetry. Her writing has won fellowships and awards from the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Bush Foundation, the Loft Literary Center, and First People's Fund, and she has twice won a Minnesota Book Award for poetry. She was also the editor of the 2018 anthology New Poets of Native Nations, which was the recipient of an American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation and a Midwest Booksellers Choice Award. Erdrich works as a visual arts curator and collaborator, and as an educator. She teaches in the low-residency MFA creative writing program of Augsburg University and is the 2019 distinguished visiting professor in the liberal arts at the University of Minnesota, Morris. Erdrich grew up in Wahpeton, North Dakota, and is Ojibwe enrolled at Turtle Mountain. She lives in Minneapolis. Her latest book is Little Big Bully. How Do You Write Podcast: Explore the processes of working writers with bestselling author Rachael Herron. Want tips on how to write the book you long to finish? Here you'll gain insight from other writers on how to get in the chair, tricks to stay in it, and inspiration to get your own words flowing. Join Rachael's Slack channel, Onward Writers! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chavonn Williams Shen is a poet, artist, educator, and activist from Minneapolis. ​ Winner of the Still I Rise grant, first runner-up for the Los Angeles Review Flash Fiction Contest, and Best of the Net Award finalist, Chavonn is also a Pushcart Prize nominee, winner of the Mentor Series in Poetry and Creative Prose through the Loft Literary Center, and fellow through the Givens Foundation for African American Literature.  As a Tin House and VONA workshop alum, Chavonn’s poetry and prose have appeared in Yemassee, the Los Angeles Review, Permafrost Magazine, and Cosmonauts Avenue.    Chavonn uses art as a practice of resilience and resistance. By using and teaching poetry, writing becomes an act of healing.  When not teaching with the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop, Chavonn’s time is spent obsessing over house plants. Topics Discussed:  Faith Forms Identity: One foot in the north, one in the deep south as a storyteller Ancient Text: Remix, adapt, and make stories more malleable Career Path: Cognitive science and psychology versus English and writing Fellowships: Apply for what you want - to be on stage, reading, and writing Poetry and Therapy: Way to help people protest and heal from trauma People’s Hands: Words and colors capture who they are and what they do Reclaim Language: Carve out composition space without marginalized writers Writing Exercises: Name everything and everyone around you that is true  Book of Prayer Poems: Writing poetry is spiritual practice for well-being What does rest look like? Meditation and resistance  Links and Resources:  Chavonn Williams ShenChavonn Williams Shen on FacebookChavonn Williams Shenn on TwitterMinnesota Prison Writing Workshop (MPWW)The Nap Ministry - Rest as ResistanceQ Christian Fellowship Virtual Conference (Code: Queerology2021 for $10 off)Queerology Podcast on InstagramQueerology Podcast on Twitter Beyond Shame by Matthias RobertsMatthias Roberts on Patreon

In this week's episode, Robert chats with author Brenda Lyne, whose debut novel, Charlie's Mirror, releases on December 8, 2020. Brenda and Robert discuss her writing influences, the juicy details of Charlie's Mirror, and their most and least favorite books! You can purchase Charlie's Mirror here: https://citylimitspublishing.com/books/charlies-mirror/About Charlie's Mirror:It’s 2019, and Sara Sullivan, thirty-five and deeply scarred by a troubled childhood, is finally feeling pretty good about life in her new house with Bat, her beloved black cat and only companion. That is until she investigates the abandoned house next door and mysteriously wakes up as a 19-year-old college student in 1989 -- the only person who can stop a deadly campus bombing.Sara learns quickly that connecting with people -- not her strong suit -- will be the key to discovering the bomber’s identity and preventing the tragedy. Along the way, lonely outcast Charlie Anderson develops complicated feelings for Sara and has a run of bad luck with the campus bully – which put him on a deadly path to revenge.Sara and Charlie gradually find themselves on a collision course toward a horrific event that will rock a vibrant Midwestern city to its core and leave a legacy of death and destruction. Is their tenuous friendship enough to save the people who finally taught Sara to trust? Or will she fall victim to tragedy in the past, forever altering the future?About Brenda Lyne:I've been writing for as long as I can remember. Instead of following my dream of becoming a fiction novelist in college, I elected a more "practical" career path. I earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin and promptly embarked on a successful 20-year corporate marketing and communications career. My writing has been published in countless brochures, flyers, trade magazines, newspapers, websites, newsletters, and other media across several industries. But that little voice in my head, the one that knew best what I truly wanted to be when I grew up, never let me lose sight of my passion. And the ideas never stopped coming.I've attended creative writing classes, conferences, and writers' workshops periodically over the years, at institutions including the Minnesota Writer's Workshop, The Loft Literary Center, the University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and North Hennepin Community College (from which I earned a Certificate in Creative Writing in 2004). I am an affiliate member of Mystery Writers of America.I live just outside Minneapolis, Minnesota, with my two busy kids, two cats, two fish, and probably a partridge in a pear tree. Influences include Stephen King (my hero), Peter Straub, John Sandford, and P.J. Tracy. My first novel, CHARLIE'S MIRROR, will be available on December 8, 2020, and I am working on my second novel, TITLE TBD. I believe that it is never too late to follow your dreams.

In this episode, we talked about going virtual for events with our friend Rachel Werner. Rachel is faculty for Hugo House and The Loft Literary Center. She has contributed print, photography, and video content to Fabulous Wisconsin, BLK+GRN, BRAVA, Madison Magazine, and Entrepreneurial Chef. As we all know, not everything goes well virtually. Rachel explained three factors to consider before you do so: understand who's your audience, what's your purpose, and what results you are expecting from the event. Some industries are better-suited and equipped to go virtual than others. As for how to keep your audience engaged, Rachel's suggestion is: you have to be entertaining to capture people's attention. Tim asked about the time, marketing, and cost difference for a virtual event compared with an in-person one. To sum it up, you have to give it a try and adapt to the current situation. After all, we can't become what we want by remaining what we are.

“Times when I feel most accomplished are when I see former students accomplishing their goals.” Irene talks with Tish Jones about making decisions, getting inspired, standing inside integrity, and finding joy. Founder & Executive Director of TruArtSpeaks, Tish Jones is a poet, performer, educator and organizer from Saint Paul, Minnesota. She has performed at CBGB, Kaplan Theater, The Walker Art Center, Intermedia Arts, The Cedar Cultural Center and more. Her work can be found in the Minnesota Humanities Center’s anthology entitled, Blues Vision: African American Writing from Minnesota (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2015), the 2011 and 2013 Saint Paul Almanac, and the Loft Literary Center’s Nation of Immigrants audio CD.  One of Springboard for the Arts’ 20/20 Artist Fellows and graduate fellow of the inaugural Intercultural Leadership Institute, Jones has always had a passion for bridging arts & culture, civic engagement and youth development. Senior Field Building Strategist for Youth Speaks and Co-Director of Brave New Voices, her work explores the ways in which art can function as a tool for social transformation, liberation and education. For more on her personal praxis in this arena, see Jones’ TEDxMinneapolis Talk on Spoken Word as a Radical Practice of Freedom.

Esteemed poets Heid E. Erdrich and Eric Gansworth join visual artist Andrea Carlson in conversation to celebrate the release of Heid E. Erdrich’s latest, Little Big Bully (Penguin Group, 2020), and Eric Gansworth’s Apple: (skin to the Core) (Levine Querido, 2020), both out on October 6th, 2020. The longtime friends talk procrastination, expectations to act as cultural informants, and much more.Interspersed throughout the discussion are readings from Little Big Bully and Apple: (skin to the Core).**Heid E. Erdrich is the author of seven collections of poetry. Her writing has won fellowships and awards from the National Poetry Series, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, Bush Foundation, Loft Literary Center, First People’s Fund, and other honors. She has twice won a Minnesota Book Award for poetry. Heid edited the 2018 anthology New Poets of Native Nations from Graywolf Press (2018). Heid grew up in Wahpeton, North Dakota and is Ojibwe enrolled at Turtle Mountain. Eric Gansworth,  Sˑha-weñ na-saeˀ, (Onondaga, Eel Clan) is a writer and visual artist, born and raised at Tuscarora Nation. The author of twelve books, he has been widely published and has had numerous solo and group exhibitions. Lowery Writer-in-Residence at Canisius College, he has also been an NEH Distinguished Visiting Professor at Colgate University. Winner of a PEN Oakland Award and American Book Award, he is currently Longlisted for the National Book Award. Gansworth’s work has been also supported by the Library of Congress, the Saltonstall and Lannan Foundations, the Arne Nixon Center, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and the Seaside Institute. Andrea Carlson is a visual artist currently living in Chicago, Illinois. Through painting and drawing, Carlson cites entangled cultural narratives and institutional authority relating to objects based on the merit of possession and display. Current research activities include Indigenous Futurism and assimilation metaphors in film. Her work has been acquired by institutions such as the British Museum, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the National Gallery of Canada. Carlson was a 2008 McKnight Fellow and a 2017 Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors grant recipient. 

Peter Geye is the author of the award winning novels, Safe from the Sea, The Lighthouse Road, and Wintering, winner of the Minnesota Book Award. He currently teaches the year-long Novel Writing Project at the Loft Literary Center. Born and raised in Minneapolis, he continues to live there with his family. His new novel is called Northernmost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep:047 Often called the LGBTQ’s “answer to Agatha Christie,” Ellen Hart is the author of thirty-five crime novels in two different series. She is a six-time winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Mystery, a four-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award for Best Popular Fiction, a three-time winner of the Golden Crown Literary Award, a recipient of the Alice B Medal, and was made a laureate of the Saint at the Saints & Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans in 2005. In 2010, Ellen received the GCLS Trailblazer Award for lifetime achievement in the field of lesbian literature. In 2017, she became the first openly LGBTQ author to be named a Grand Master by Mystery Writers of America, an award that represents the pinnacle of achievement in mystery writing, one that was established to acknowledge important contributions to the genre as well as for a body of work that is both significant and of consistent high quality. (Other recipients have included Agatha Christie, Stephen King, Sara Paretsky, Alfred Hitchcock, Graham Greene, Walter Mosley, Ellery Queen, Evelyn Waugh, Elmore Leonard, and Sue Grafton.)Since the publication of her first work in 1989, Ellen has spoken at conventions, conferences, libraries, bookstores, colleges, and writer’s workshops all over the country. She taught creative writing for sixteen years through the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, the largest independent (not associated with a college or university) writing community in the nation. Her most recent mystery, In A Midnight Wood, was published in September of 2020. Ellen lives in Minnesota with her partner of 42 years.Transcripts Available on Websitegaymysterypodcast.comEllen Hart's WebsiteMacmillan Website for In A Midnight WoodEllen's Facebook PageFadeout by Joseph HansonMurder and Mayhem by Matt Lubbers-MooreBrad's Website: https://bradshreve.com/requeeredtales.comInstagram: @gaymysterypodcastFacebook: Gay Mystery-Thriller-Suspense Fiction GroupQuestions or comments can be emailed to info@gaymysterypodcast.com

I love poetry. It reminds me of music, in away that it has its own deep language and it has the power to move you like music does. When I came across poet Camisha L. Jones’ work, I was immediately moved and struck by its power and heart. I knew that I had to invite her on Painiac to share more of her art and her story. I hope you enjoy this conversation, and I know you’ll enjoy her poetry. Accessibility: to read a transcript of this episode, please go to: https://bit.ly/3kiPeTd ----- Camisha L. Jones is the author of the poetry chapbook Flare (Finishing Line Press, 2017) and a recipient of a 2017 Spoken Word Immersion Fellowship from The Loft Literary Center. Through both, she breaks silence around issues of disability as someone living with hearing loss and chronic pain. Her poems can be found at The New York Times, Poets.org, Button Poetry, The Deaf Poets Society, Beltway Poetry Quarterly, Typo, Rogue Agent, pluck!, Unfolding the Soul of Black Deaf Expressions, and The Quarry, Split This Rock’s social justice poetry database. She is also published in Let’s Get Real: What People of Color Can’t Say and Whites Won’t Ask about Racism, Class Lives: Stories from Across Our Economic Divide, and The Day Tajon Got Shot. A fellow of The Watering Hole and a representative of Slam Richmond at the 2013 National Poetry Slam, Camisha is Managing Director at Split This Rock, a national non-profit in DC that cultivates, teaches, and celebrates poetry that bears witness to injustice and provokes social change. Find her on Facebook as Poet Camisha Jones and on Twitter and Instagram as 1Camisha.  We talk about: The intersection between chronic pain and social justice Living with a chronically ill body and the grief that comes with learning how to live with a body that’s no longer like what it used to be.  Writing as form of release and catharsis and pain management Enjoy the episode!

In this episode, acclaimed poet Danez Smith discusses the role friendship plays in their most recent collection of poetry, Homie. Smith talks to Fiction/Non/Fiction podcast co-hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell about the isolating effect COVID-19 has had on black communities, using space on the page inventively, and writing about money. This episode is presented in conjunction with the Loft Literary Center's literary festival, Wordplay, which this year is a virtual event. To hear the full episode, subscribe to the Fiction/Non/Fiction podcast through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. This episode was produced by Andrea Tudhope. This week's sponsor is the University of Colorado's Master of Arts in Journalism Entrepreneurship program. Learn more at ce.colorado.edu/tellthestory to invent your future in journalism today.  Poetry, Blackness, and Friendship: Danez Smith on Language, Connection, and ‘Homie' from The Virtual Book Channel on Vimeo. Guests: Danez Smith Selected readings for the episode: Danez Smith Homie Don't Call Us Dead Two Poems what was said on the bus stop: a new poem by Danez Smith my president VS podcast, from the Poetry Foundation, hosted by Danez Smith and Franny Choi Others  Corona Correspondences: #28 by Danielle Evans (The Sewanee Review) Review: ‘Homie,' a Book of Poems That Produces Shocking New Vibrations by Pahrul Sehgal Frank O'Hara As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner Angel Nafis Hieu Minh Nguyen Douglas Kearney 1977: Poem for Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer by June Jordan Recordings of June Jordan from Harvard Library Digitized recordings and more digitized recordings ‘Feet' and ‘Spoon' from Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude by Ross Gay Mirrors: Stories of Almost Everyone by Eduardo Galeano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An interview with Crime Fiction author Allen Eskens about his new best-seller, NOTHING MORE DANGEROUS. About Allen: Allen grew up in the wooded hills of Missouri and, after high school, migrated north to pursue his education. He acquired a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Minnesota, and a Juris Doctorate from Hamline University School of Law. He honed his creative writing skills in the M.F.A. program at Minnesota State University and took classes at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival and the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. ABOUT THE BOOK:In a small Southern town where loyalty to family and to "your people" carries the weight of a sacred oath, defying those unspoken rules can be a deadly proposition. After fifteen years of growing up in the Ozark hills with his widowed mother, high-school freshman Boady Sanden is beyond ready to move on. He dreams of glass towers and cityscapes, driven by his desire to be anywhere other than Jessup, Missouri. The new kid at St. Ignatius High School, if he isn't being pushed around, he is being completely ignored. Even his beloved woods, his playground as a child and his sanctuary as he grew older, seem to be closing in on him, suffocating him. Then Thomas Elgin moves in across the road, and Boady's life begins to twist and turn. Coming to know the Elgins -- a black family settling into a community where notions of "us" and "them" carry the weight of history -- forces Boady to rethink his understanding of the world he's taken for granted. Secrets hidden in plain sight begin to unfold: the mother who wraps herself in the loss of her husband, the neighbor who carries the wounds of a mysterious past that he holds close, the quiet boss who is fighting his own hidden battle. But the biggest secret of all is the disappearance of Lida Poe, the African-American woman who keeps the books at the local plastics factory. Word has it that Ms. Poe left town, along with a hundred thousand dollars of company money. Although Boady has never met the missing woman, he discovers that the threads of her life are woven into the deepest fabric of his world. As the mystery of her fate plays out, Boady begins to see the stark lines of race and class that both bind and divide this small town -- and he will be forced to choose sides. https://www.libbyhellmann.com/

In this special episode, J. Drew Lanham, author of The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature, speaks with guest-host poet and essayist, Michael Kleber-Diggs. The interview was recorded at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis in 2017. Lanham is an American author, poet and wildlife biologist. Raised in Edgefield, South Carolina, Lanham studied zoology and ecology at Clemson University, where he earned a PhD  and where he currently holds an endowed chair as an Alumni Distinguished Professor. The Home Place is the Winner of the 2017 Southern Book Prize and Winner of the Reed Award from the Southern Environmental Law Center. Kleber-Diggs' work has appeared in numerous publications, including McSweeney's Humor Anthology. He is a past winner of the Loft Mentor Series in Poetry and a past Fellow with the Givens Foundation for African American Literature. He lives in Saint Paul and teaches Creative Writing in prisons.

Mystery/Thriller Writer ALLEN ESKENS!Allen Eskens is the bestselling author of The Life We Bury, The Guise of Another, The Heavens May Fall, The Deep Dark Descending, The Shadows We Hide, and Nothing More Dangerous.He is the recipient of the Barry Award, Minnesota Book Award, Rosebud Award (Left Coast Crime), and Silver Falchion Award and has been a finalist for the Edgar Award, Thriller Award, and Anthony Award. His books have been translated into 26 languages and his novel, The Life We Bury is in development for a feature film.Allen has a journalism degree from the University of Minnesota and a law degree from Hamline University. After law school, he studied creative writing in the M.F.A. program at Minnesota State University-Mankato, as well as the Loft Literary Center and the Iowa Summer Writer’s Festival. Allen grew up on the hills of central Missouri. He now lives with his wife, Joely, in greater Minnesota where he recently retired after practicing criminal law for 25 years.

After finishing her manuscript for Motherland, author Elissa Altman posted a hard truth about the writer's life on Instagram: doing this work can take a physical toll on your body. Our conversation explores this important topic, including how she's putting her body back together again after finding it left in shards from the emotional writing process. ELISSA ALTMAN is the critically acclaimed author of Poor Man's Feast: A Love Story of Comfort, Desire, and the Art of Simple Cooking and the James Beard Award-winning blog of the same name and Treyf: My Life as an Unorthodox Outlaw. Her work has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The New York Times, Tin House, The Rumpus, Dame Magazine, LitHub, Saveur, and The Washington Post, where her column, Feeding My Mother, ran for a year. She has been anthologized in Best Food Writing six times. A finalist for the Frank McCourt Memoir Prize, Altman has taught the craft of memoir at The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, The Loft Literary Center, 1440 Multiversity, Ireland's Literature and Larder Program, and has appeared live on stage at TEDx and The Public, on Heritage Radio, and NPR. She lives in Connecticut with her family. ElissaAltman.com Instagram: @elissa_altman Facebook Twitter: @ElissaAltman Books: Motherland, Treyf, Poor Man's Feast EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Elissa's technique for using journal entries to create scenes How a 10-year stint in the publishing industry ignited her creative spirit The Instagram post that launched a conversation about the physical toll of book writing Why writing is romanticized, but hardly romantic The concept of negative space and silences in our writing A self-care plan to prep for book publication How writing is like an obstacle course Who owns the right to tell a story? LINKABLE MENTIONS Memoirist Kathryn Harrison's book The Kiss Humorist and writer David Rakoff The Instagram post that launched a conversation about writing and self-care Elissa's TED talk about how senior citizens are absent from the American food conversation Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown The drunken lives of writers

On this episode, Lissa sits down with civil rights icon Dr. Josie R. Johnson and her co-authors Carolyn Holbrook and Arleta Little to discuss Johnson's memoir Hope in the Struggle. Dr. Josie R. Johnson has been an educator, activist, and public servant for more than seven decades. Along with her work for the Urban League and the University of Minnesota, she has been office manager, campaign manager, and chief of staff for multiple political campaigns and public officials, including campaign manager for the first African American lieutenant governor of Colorado, and co-chair of the African American DFL Caucus in Minnesota. She holds degrees in sociology, education, and education administration. She lives in Minneapolis and continues to serve her community, advocating for equal rights and social justice. Carolyn Holbrook is a writer, educator, and former program director of the Loft Literary Center. She teaches creative writing at Hamline University and is author of Ordinary People, Extraordinary Journeys, which profiles twenty community leaders and programs made possible by Leadership Initiatives in Neighborhoods. In 2010 she received the prestigious Kay Sexton Award presented by Friends of the St. Paul Public Library. Arleta Little is director of Artist Fellowships for the McKnight Foundation. Prior to working in philanthropy, she was executive director of the Givens Foundation for African American Literature.  

Kathryn Kysar is the author of two books of poetry, Dark Lake and Pretend the World, and she edited Riding Shotgun: Women Write About Their Mothers. She has received fellowships from Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. Kysar recently served on the board of directors for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs and teaches at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and the Loft Literary Center and lives with her family in St. Paul   LINKS http://www.kathrynkysar.com/ https://twitter.com/darklake https://sonoglyphcollective.com/   Upcoming Events: Kathryn is reading at the St. Paul Irish Fair of Minnesota on August 10th. Time: 12:00 pm. Address: Eóin McKiernan Speaker’s Tent, Harriet Island. Kathryn is performing as part of the Minnesota Fringe Festival at 5:30 pm on August 10th at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She will be joined by Marie Cooney and musician Kevin Kern among others. Laura is appearing at the Startled by JOY 2019 poetry reading and open mic on August 11th. The event goes from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Eggroll Queen Café, 1579 Hamline Avenue North, Falcon Heights, Minnesota Laura is appearing at the Startled by JOY 2019 poetry reading and open mic on October 6th. The event goes from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Troubadour Wine Bar, 2827 Hennepin Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota   Kathryn’s Readings: Escape from Paradise, Iowa – 10:09 Things I Learned from my Grandmother – 20:05 German – 22:16 Returning to Lake Superior – 42:11   Michael’s Beer Pairings Hamm’s, Hamm’s Brewing Company (paired to Escape from Paradise, Iowa) – 8:48 Fort Road Helles, August Schell Brewing Company (paired to Things I Learned from my Grandmother and German) – 18:13 Ring of Fire, Bad Weather Brewing (paired to Returning to Lake Superior) – 39:00   Interview Highlights: Kathryn’s Background – 13:11 Kathryn’s Craft; Finding Inspiration and Writing Process – 14:42 Why Poetry? – 16:21 Title and Cover of book, Pretend the World – 25:09 Organizing a Book of Poetry; Finding the Themes – 30:29 Kathryn speaks on her grandmother and the advice of yesterday and today – 33:20 Mixing music and poetry – 45:31 The future of poetry in the era of self-publishing – 51:02   COMING NEXT MONTH: Tekkan, local poet of the Everyday Mind series   Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.  

Minnesota-based writer Debra J. Stone sits down with Lissa Jones for a wide-ranging conversation about writing the stories she wants to read, her upbringing in the Rondo Neighborhood and the Northside, and what it means to be a black woman who loves to bike and camp. Stone’s poetry, short-fiction and essays have appeared in many publications and literary journals including About Place, Wild Age Press, and Random Sample Review. Stone co-founded and co-facilitates the Northside Writers Group, and is currently a fellow at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. She has received grants from Intermedia Arts, Beyond the Pure Fellowship, Jerome Foundation for Emerging Writers and the Minnesota State Arts Board. Currently, Debra serves as Board Member and Engagement Committee Chair for the non-profit independent publisher Graywolf Press.

Even if you’re not a writer — or even in a sort of work where you create — you’ll find wisdom and inspiration in Andrea's life lessons she's learned from writing. And because I wrote about podcasts I’m currently into, in this chat I’m talking about the beauty and necessity of silence — why we all need it more than ever in our information-overloaded culture, and how the science backs me up on this. Related Posts: Andrea's writing lessons 8 great podcasts by Tsh Links From This Episode: Andrea on Instagram Andrea's website Tsh on Twitter & Instagram Episode 142: A Magazine Editor Under the Wide and Starry Sky, by Nancy Horan Shawn Smucker Ep. 177, where we mention Seinfeld's chain method The Loft Literary Center, University of Minnesota Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo At Home in the World, by Tsh Oxenreider Laity Lodge Daily Rituals, by Mason Currey Highly Sensitive Person quiz The Nature Fix, by Florence Williams The Power of Silence for Highly Sensitive People How to Find Inspiration When You're Uninspired Stephanie on Instagram Wonderling Family Antigua, Guatemala - Lake Atitlan Costa Rica Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico: Merida; Valladolid San Miguel Allende London; countryside UK Iceland Thailand Cambodia (Siem Reap) Japan Munich/Bavaria Kindly leave a review Become a patron Sign up for 5 Quick Things, the weekly email Like Your Life is open! For any links and codes from our lovely sponsors, head here Download this episode's transcript

Join Kelly Van Sant, literary agent at Red Sofa Literary, to analyze ten random queries in her inbox. Along the way, learn how she decides when to say yes, when to say no, and when to decide later--how common it is that people don't even get her name right--and why a query doesn't have to be perfect (but does have to be great) to get a yes. You can book time to go over YOUR query at http://manuscriptacademy.com/kelly-van-sant/. Kelly Van Sant has a decade of experience in the publishing industry. She cut her teeth in New York working at esteemed literary agencies such as Writers House and Harold Ober Associates. After relocating to Minnesota, Kelly joined Llewellyn Worldwide as their Contracts Manager across all three imprints and then moved to Quarto Publishing Group USA where she led the contract department. She has worked as a freelance editor and is a teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center. She also blogs about writing and the publishing industry at Pub(lishing) Crawl and co-hosts their weekly podcast. Kelly's career came full circle when she realized that her true passion was advocating on behalf of authors. She is now an agent at Red Sofa Literary and actively building a client list. You can learn more about her and what she's looking for on her website www.penandparsley.com

Since 2007, author and writing teacher, Kate Hopper, has invited a select group of women writers to read from their work at her annual Motherhood & Words Reading at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. Kate’s mission is, in her own words, “to highlight the amazing writing out there by women about motherhood.”   As in years past, Mom Enough is proud to bring you this year’s event, featuring: Erin O. White, writing instructor and author of Given Up for You: A Memoir of Love, Belonging and Belief; Kaethe Schwehn, recipient of a Minnesota Book Award, writing teacher and author of The Rending and the Nest, Tailings: A Memoir, and Tanka & Me; and Sophfronia Scott, former writer and editor for Time and People, author of Love’s Long Line and Unforgivable Love: A Retelling of Dangerous Liaisons and co-author of This Child of Faith. Have a cup of tea, kick back and prepare to be amazed by these talented writers and mothers.   For Kate’s website, click here. For Erin's website, click here. For Kaethe's website, click here. For Sophfronia's website, click here. For Motherhood & Words, click here.

Allen Eskens is a USA Today-bestselling author and recipient of the Barry Award, Minnesota Book Award, Rosebud Award, and the Silver Falchion Award and has been a finalist for the Edgar® Award, Thriller Award, and Anthony Award. His debut novel, The Life We Bury, has been published in 16 languages and is being developed for a feature film. His latest novel is The Deep Dark Decesending.  Allen has a journalism degree from the University of Minnesota and a law degree from Hamline University. After law school, he studied creative writing in the M.F.A. program at Minnesota State University-Mankato, as well as the Loft Literary Center and the Iowa Summer Writer’s Festival. He is represented by Amy Cloughley of Kimberley Cameron and Associates Literary Agency, and published by Seventh Street Books. He lives with his wife, Joely, in Minnesota where he has recently retired from his law practice to devote the entirety of his energy to writing novels. Host Matt Coyle is the Anthony Award-winning author of the Rick Cahill crime series. His fourth book, BLOOD TRUTH, comes out this December. Matt lives with his dog, Angus, in the city he loves and writes about, San Diego, where he is busy writing the 5th Rick Cahill novel. This is a trademarked copyrighted podcast solely owned by the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network LLC.  

In This Episode:  Welcome our Guest, Jacquelyn Fletcher. Jacquelyn has struggled through her entire career to figure out how to direct her business and life by leading with her heart. As a lifelong people pleaser it’s been challenging for her to find her own voice and trust it. We discuss the challenge of speaking your truth when it contradicts an expert’s or person of authority’s opinion. Learn 3 actions that will help you become a recovering people pleaser. Gain Insight on the importance of positive self talk as a way to find your voice and trust it. Resources: Jacquelyn B. Fletcher is an award-winning author and speaker. She’s co-creator and host of the Healing Words television show and a founding faculty member of the Creative Writing at the Bedside program, both administered by the Mayo Clinic Dolores Jean Lavins Center for Humanities in Medicine. She serves as Chair of the Board of Directors at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. Her books include Dear Body, Love Me; Dear You: Messages From Your Heart; Dear You: It’s Time for a leap of Faith, and many more. Find out more at JacquelynFletcher.com. “Dear You…” Jacquelyn Fletcher products JacquelynFletcher.com.   Traci DeForge Produce Your Podcast Here

Author and writing teacher Kate Hopper invited a select group of women writers to read from their work at her 11th Annual Motherhood & Words Reading at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. Kate’s mission is, in her own words, “to highlight the amazing writing out there by women about motherhood.”   As in years past, Mom Enough is proud to bring you this recording of this year’s event, featuring: Shannon Gibney, educator, activist and author of See No Color, winner of the 2016 Minnesota Book Award in Young People’s Literature; Judy Batalion, New York-based comedian and author of White Walls: A Memoir about Motherhood, Daughterhood and the Mess in Between; and Susan Ito, Bay Area performer, author of The Mouse Room and co-editor of A Ghost at Heart’s Edge: Stories & Poems of Adoption. Make yourself a cup of tea and sit back and enjoy the work of these outstanding writers!   What stood out for you in the readings in the 11th Annual Motherhood & Words Reading? Were there issues or experiences in these authors’ work that resonated with your own experience as a mother? What made you think in new ways about the lives of mothers of different backgrounds and life circumstances than yours?   For Kate’s website, click here. For Shannon’s website, click here. For Judy’s website, click here. To learn more about Susan, click here. For Motherhood & Words, click here.

“I definitely knew there was going to be a life time of switching this way and moving that way.” On this episode, Heid Erdrich talks about being a person of color in rooms when everyone assumes there are no people of color present. She talks about how cultural appropriation, how her native cultural traditions were illegal when she was a child and what “passing” means to her. Heid E. Erdrich’s writing has won awards and honors from the Loft Literary Center, Bush Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, The First Peoples Fund and other organizations.  She teaches writing and is a frequent speaker on Native American subjects. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, kids, and a feisty Jack Russell terrier.  Thanks for listening to Not About You. For more information about cultural appropriation go to http://nativeappropriations.com/ I’ve set up a voicemail line, 612-361-9261, where you can share comments, suggestions and personal stories of your own that may be used in future episodes of the podcast. If you tell me which episode you’re responding to, that will help me make follow up episodes with voicemail responses. Call 612-361-9261 with your questions, comments or stories. The social media hashtag is #NAYpod

We speak with our own Ian Graham Leask about his new novel House of Large Sizes, which has been garnering rave reviews.  He is also the author of The Wounded: And Other Stories About Sons and Fathers. He has taught at the University of Minnesota and the Loft Literary Center, and has been a literary consultant for many years. Recently, he helped form the publishing company Calumet Editions. We then talk with our own Steve McEllistrem about his newest science fiction effort The Devereaux Deity. He is the author of the acclaimed novels The Devereaux Dilemma, The Devereaux Disaster and The Devereaux Decision, which was a finalist for a Minnesota Book Award, a Midwest Book Award and an International Book Award.

This week Justin, David Wood, and Ryan Span sit down to chat about small presses and what the first year of Space City Con was like. We hope you enjoy the show! And please check out our sponsor, the Loft Literary Center at Loft.org

Although she's had an active and fulfilling life, Betty Liedtke found herself questioning her worth and value in the marketplace when, in her mid-50s, she tried--and failed--to identify her own special and unique qualities. She became doubly frustrated as she attempted to make the transition from popular Toastmasters speaker to paid professional speaker, and from weekly newspaper columnist to author of a full-length motivational memoir. Her two-year quest to find her own special gifts and unique qualifications led to the discovery that what is most special and unique about each of are gifts and talents we don’t even realize we have. They feel so common and ordinary to us that we don’t recognize their existence or value. Betty now helps other people find their buried treasure and use their gifts to enrich themselves and the world. Shortly after her second child was born, Betty Liedtke developed breast cancer, followed by severe heart damage from chemotherapy. These experiences taught her firsthand the importance of attitude, determination, and a sense of humor in dealing with anything life throws at us. Betty is a writer, professional speaker, and Certified Dream Coach®. She is a Distinguished Toastmaster, a member of eWomenNetwork, and a graduate of the prestigious Loft MasterTrack program from the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. She is also the founder and CEO of “Find Your Buried Treasure,” a company whose mission is to help people discover their strength, stretch beyond their ability, and achieve their greatest dreams. One of her strongest convictions is that nothing is impossible if we want it badly enough and are willing to do the work to achieve it.