Podcast appearances and mentions of Steve Almond

Steve Almond, bestselling author on ‘failing' for decades, finding flow, finding success in Hollywood, overcoming writer's block and telling the stories only you can tell with truth and mercy.*ABOUT STEVE ALMOND Steve Almond is the award-winning author of twelve books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football and Which Brings Me To You (turned into a Netflix show).For four years, Steve hosted the New York Times Dear Sugars podcast with his pal Cheryl Strayed. He also publishes crazy, DIY books. His latest book is Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow.*RESOURCES & LINKS

Christopher Gorham performs "A Happy Dream" by Steve Almond. Gethin Anthony performs "Crazy Glue" by Etgar Keret. Jason Isaacs and Gina Bellman perform "Happy Endings" by Margaret Atwood. ★ Support this podcast ★

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

One of the questions I often get this time of year is who were my favorite interviews and what were my favorite books? This year, the question prompted me to begin digging through my 25+ hours of recordings to find the gems from 2024. I decided to edit some of them together and share them here. Of course, this is just a small sampling and doesn't include Barbara's many treasures. One of my New Year's resolutions is to try doing more reading and less watching. So if you're in that boat too and looking for some good places to start, maybe this episode will help you out. All the complete interviews can be found in our archives at www.writersonwriting.com. Here's a quick list of the authors and books mentioned in this episode: Steve Almond's Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow, Kevin Barry's The Heart in Winter, Bonnie Jo Campbell's The Waters, Kristin Hannah's The Women, Jonathan Lethem's Brooklyn Crime Novel, Hisham Matar's My Friends, Joyce Maynard's How the Light Gets In, Alice McDermott's Absolution, Ben Shattuck's The History of Sound, Curtis Sittenfeld's Romantic Comedy, and Elizabeth Strout's Tell Me Everything. For more information on Writers on Writing and to become a supporter, visit our Patreon page. For a one-time donation, visit Ko-fi. Listen to past interviews on our website. If you'd like to support the show and indie bookstores, consider buying books at our bookstore on bookshop.org. We've stocked it with titles from our guests, as well as some of our personal favorites. And on Spotify, you'll find to an album's worth of typewriter music like what you hear on the show. Look for the artist, Just My Type. Email the show at writersonwritingpodcast@gmail.com. We love to hear from our listeners! Host: Barbara DeMarco-BarrettHost: Marrie StoneMusic: Travis Barrett (Stream his music on Spotify, Apple Music, Etc.)

In this year-end episode, we look back at some of the most memorable moments from the show, featuring intimate discussions with some of the literary world's most fascinating voices. You'll hear the writing origin stories of JA Jance, Joyce Maynard, and Richard Osman, how Kristin Hannah overcomes her fear of failure, writing through writer's block with Steve Almond, the best writing advice linguist Valerie Fridland ever received, Todd Boyd on the global appeal of hip hop, and how Molly Roden Winter endured 50 rejections of her manuscript before getting a yes. To listen to the interviews in full, click the links below.  JA Jance Joyce Maynard Kristin Hannah Richard Osman Steve Almond Valerie Fridland Todd Boyd Molly Roden Winter Support the show by subscribing to the Small Talk substack @ https://jonsmalltalk.substack.com/    

This week on "BETA," award-winning actor and director David Duchovny on learning from failure. Plus, a look at the long-awaited solo album from music legend T Bone Burnett and a crash course on writing from author, Steve Almond.

Meg Wolitzerpresents a show of stories about replacements and stand-ins.  While we tend to crave the original, sometimes a substitute can bring more happiness than the “real” thing.  In Steve Almond's “A Happy Dream,” read by Phil LaMarr, a young man assumes a new identity in pursuit of love.  In “A Brief Note on the Translation of Winter Women, Written by the Collective Dead, Translated by Amal Ruth,” a writer speaks for those who have passed.  The “real” author is Rivers Solomon, and the reader is TL Thompson.  In “Saying Goodbye to Yang,” by Alexander Weinstein, a robot child and its human family learn about love all at once. The reader is Tony Hale.

Today, we hear from listeners Lesley Téllez, Kathy Tully, and Elaine Durbach for the last of this summer's “Listener Roundups.” We hear about what they've learned from the past few episodes, what ideas they consider the most important, what questions or confusions they have, and their own advice and/or experience in dealing with the same issues. REMINDER OF OUR SPECIAL ZOOM EVENT on September 23. This is a chance for seven lucky listeners to have the first page of a piece of prose workshopped by myself as well as the authors Nancy Johnson, Aaron Hamburger, and Pulitzer Prize winner Jayne Anne Phillips. It's also a great chance for everyone who registers to learn about what makes a first page work and strategies for how to improve their own. All those who register will receive a full recording of the event. We'll also be hearing from Charles Coe, Gish Jen, Rishi Reddi, Julia Rold, and Daphne Kalotay about how writers can “Use Your Words” in the upcoming election cycle and more. The event is entirely free but we're running it support of what we hope will be our first female president, Kamala Harris. Find out more at writersforblue.com.  Watch a recording here. This audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above or on your favorite podcast platform.Mentioned in this episode: Philip Gerard's essay “Architecture of Light: Structuring the Novel and Story Collection” from Checkoway's Creating Fiction, Story Press, 1999. Steve Almond's “How to Write Sex Scenes Without Shame” from his craft book Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow, Zando, 2023.To find books by our authors, visit our Bookshop page. Looking for a writing community? Join our Facebook page. Lesley Téllez, a writer based in Mexico City, is a former journalist, food writer, and cookbook author, now working on a novel about Mexican food and assimilation.Kathy Shiels Tully is a freelance writer in the Boston area who, despite an insidious case of Imposter Syndrome, has written about people, food, travel, business, plus essays, in publications including: The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, The Christian Science Monitor, The Writer, the Erma Bombeck Writing Workshop, and recently, her own “Tiny Love Story” in The New York Times. Elaine Durbach, the Zimbabwean-born, New Jersey- based author of two non-fiction books and three self-published novels, was a fact-obsessed journalist for 45 years before discovering the joys of making it all up. Photo by Sammie Chaffin on Unsplash This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 7amnovelist.substack.com

Today we get to hear from Steve Almond, whose latest book on the process of writing, TRUTH IS THE ARROW, MERCY IS THE BOW, was released in April. Steve and I will be talking about writer's block, how to convey a character's inner life, and what that heavy word, ART, might really mean.Watch a recording here. The audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above or on your favorite podcast platform.To find Almond's new book and many books by our authors, visit our Bookshop page. Looking for a writing community? Join our Facebook page. Steve Almond is the author of twelve books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football. His recent books include the novel All the Secrets of the World, which has been optioned for television by 20th Century Fox, and his first novel, co-written with Julianna Baggott, WHICH BRINGS ME TO YOU, is now a major motion picture, filmed with actress Lucy Hale. For four years, Steve hosted the New York Times Dear Sugars podcast with his pal Cheryl Strayed. He is the recipient of a 2022 NEA grant in fiction, and his short stories have been anthologized in the Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize, Best American Erotica, and Best American Mysteries series. He also publishes crazy, DIY books. Photo by Jill Heyer on Unsplash This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 7amnovelist.substack.com

Steve Almond is the author of eleven books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football. His essays and reviews have been published in venues ranging from the New York Times Magazine to Ploughshares to Poets & Writers, and his short fiction has appeared in Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize, Best American Mysteries, and Best American Erotica. Almond is the recipient of grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Steve cohosted the Dear Sugars podcast with his pal Cheryl Strayed for four years, and teaches Creative Writing at the Neiman Fellowship at Harvard and Wesleyan. He lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, with his family and his anxiety.

Steve Almond joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about the ambivalence memoirists often experience when writing about others, the story underneath the story we are telling, disrupting the negative feedback loop of writer's block, dialing the ego down, questions of inner life, his contribution to Dear Sugars podcast, generosity and mercy in our work, performing versus storytelling, how our failures are actually are teachers, and his new book on writing, Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow.   Also in this episode: -the contract we make with the reader -the surrender involved in writing -holding other people in our stories    Books mentioned in this episode: Wild by Cheryl Strayed Memorial Drive by Natasha Tretheway Easy Beauty by Chloe Cooper Jones The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Truth and Beauty by Anne Patchett We Learn Nothing by Tim Kreider Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley Duke of Deception by Geoffrey Wolff Pieces of My Mother by Melissa Cistero Work by Nora Ephron and Joan Didion Steve Almond is the author of a dozen books, including the NYT Bestsellers “Candyfreak” and “Against Football.” His novel, “All the Secrets of the World” has been optioned for TV by 20th Century Fox. His new book, “Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow” and his stories and essays have appeared in venues ranging from the New York Times Magazine to Best American Short Stories, Best American Mysteries, and Best American Erotica. He teaches at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism and lives outside Boston with his family.   Connect with Steve: Website: www.stevealmondjoy.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevealmondjoy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steve.almond.33 Steve's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Arrow-Mercy-Bow-Construction/dp/1638931305   — Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories. She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and lives in Seattle with her family where she teaches memoir workshops and is working on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com   Sign up for monthly podcast and writing updates: https://bit.ly/33nyTKd   Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://twitter.com/RonitPlank https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Bill welcomes bestselling author Steve Almond to the show. Steve Almond is the author of eleven books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football. His essays and reviews have been published in venues ranging from the New York Times Magazine to Ploughshares to Poets & Writers, and his short fiction has appeared in Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize, Best American Mysteries, and Best American Erotica. Almond is the recipient of grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. He cohosted the Dear Sugars podcast with his pal Cheryl Strayed for four years, and teaches Creative Writing at the Neiman Fellowship at Harvard and Wesleyan. He lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, with his family and his anxiety.

Steve Almond is the author of twelve books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football. His recent books include the novel All the Secrets of the World and WilliamStoner and the Battle for the Inner Life. For four years, Steve hosted the New York Times Dear Sugar podcast with Cheryl Strayed. He is the recipient of a 2022 NEA grant in fiction, and his short stories have been anthologized in the Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize, Best American Erotica, and Best American Mysteries series.  His new book is Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow: A DIY Manual for the Construction of Stories. We talk about craft in creative writing and creative nonfiction, managing conflict in stories, bringing emotion and urgency into writing about the human experience, obsession, plot and causation, and clove cigarettes and the novel Stoner.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on "BETA," award-winning actor and director David Duchovny on learning from failure. Plus, a look at the long-awaited solo album from music legend T Bone Burnett and a crash course on writing from author, Steve Almond.

It's a special edition of "John Updike's Ghost," recorded live from the Newburyport Literary Festival, with special guests Jami Attenberg and Steve Almond, veteran authors who have both penned great new books about writing. Steve's "Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow," is an instruction manual that allows for failure along the way; Jami's "1000 Words," an outgrowth of the writing community Jami has built largely on Twitter, offers encouragement and advice on moving forward. But how does being in the writing community affect how you read? Jami and Steve both have great thoughts about how that works and tons of titles to discuss. If you're looking for a big discussion of cultural mores, deconstructionism, separating the art from the artist, hate-reading, working with young writers, the joy of children's books, capitalism getting into the ears of writers, and so much more. If you're looking for a wide-ranging and heady literary discussion, this is it!

Zibby is joined by author Steve Almond to discuss his wonderfully wise, irreverent, and inspiring new book for writers, TRUTH IS THE ARROW, MERCY IS THE BOW. Steve touches on the technical aspects of storytelling (like plot and character development) and then delves into the roots of storytelling, inspiration, and the importance of confronting inner demons, vulnerabilities, and societal expectations in the writing process. He also shares anecdotes and advice for those experiencing writer's block, self-doubt, rejection, vulnerability, and, ultimately, creative breakthroughs.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3Uw6rNYShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Now there's more! Subscribe to Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books on Acast+ and get ad-free episodes. https://plus.acast.com/s/moms-dont-have-time-to-read-books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his latest book, Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow, Steve Almond explores the trials and myths that influence our writing lives.

A new 'Craftwork' episode, about how to write good stories. My guest is Steve Almond, author of a new book on writing called Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow, available from Zando. Almond is the author of a dozen books of fiction and nonfiction, including All The Secrets of The World and the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football. His essays and reviews have been published in venues ranging from the New York Times Magazine to Ploughshares to Poets & Writers, and his short fiction has appeared in Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize, Best American Mysteries, and Best American Erotica. Almond is the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and co-hosted the Dear Sugars podcast with Cheryl Strayed for four years. He teaches at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism, and lives outside Boston with his family, his debt, and his anxiety. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly literary podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch Twitter Instagram  TikTok Bluesky Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Almond is the author of twelve books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football. You can check those out here. His recent books include the novel All the Secrets of the World, which has been optioned for television by 20th Century Fox, and William Stoner and the Battle for the Inner Life. For four years, Steve hosted the New York Times Dear Sugars podcast with his pal Cheryl Strayed. He is the recipient of a 2022 NEA grant in fiction, and his short stories have been anthologized in the Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize, Best American Erotica, and Best American Mysteries series. He also publishes crazy, DIY books. His latest is Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow: A DIY Manual for the Construction of Stories. He joins Marrie Stone to talk about it, including what this book adds to the conversation of craft. Steve also shares several of the books he's found useful in his own creative endeavors including A Burning by Megha Majumdar, The Wife by Meg Wolitzer, Wild by Cheryl Strayed and Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey. They talk about why childhood experiences consistently provide writers their material, and how to recognize when you're being authentically true to your story versus performing for your audience. They also discuss elements of plot, character, managing time in fiction, writers block, and more. For more information on Writers on Writing and extra writing perks, visit our Patreon page. To listen to past interviews, visit our website. Support the show by buying books at our bookstore on bookshop.org. We've stocked it with titles from our guests, as well as some of our personal favorites. You'll support independent bookstores and our show by purchasing through the store. Finally, on Spotify listen to an album's worth of typewriter music like what you hear on the show. Look for the artist, Just My Type. Email the show at writersonwritingpodcast@gmail.com. We love to hear from our listeners. (Recorded on April 1, 2024) Host: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Host: Marrie Stone Music and sound editing: Travis Barrett (Stream his music on Spotify, Apple Music, Etc.)

With the inimitable, incorrigible, ingenious Steve Almond, discussing his new craft book, Truth Is The Arrow, Mercy Is The Bow: A DIY Manual For The Construction Of Stories. We covered: obsession as the engine for literature; the aims and importance of opening paragraphs; and how one of the ultimate goals of literature is a magnification the inner life, so we might all better understand and forgive one another. Pre-order Mark Cecil's upcoming novel Bunyan & Henry. All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm.

If you happen to be one of Steve Almond's children, you already know about the Dad Compactor. Because Steve isn't just a best-selling author (Candyfreak, All the Secrets in the World) and beloved podcast host, he's a household appliance. Steve won't stand for wasted food, you see, and so the Dad Compactor reuses and reinvents foodstuffs in ways you never thought possible or even wise. Doze off while he tells you all about it. You might become a Compactor too.Preorder your copy of Steve Almond's new book, Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow: A DIY Manual for Constructing Stories, wherever books are sold. Learn more about Steve and his other books by visiting his website, www.SteveAlmondJoy.org.Hey Sleepy Heads, is there anyone whose voice you'd like to drift off to, or do you have suggestions on things we could do to aid your slumber?Email us at:  sleepwithcelebs@maximumfun.org.Follow the Show on:Instagram @sleepwcelebsTwitter @SleepWithCelebsTikTok @SleepWithCelebsJohn is on Twitter @johnmoe.John's acclaimed, best-selling memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is now available in paperback.Join | Maximum FunIf you like one or more shows on MaxFun, and you value independent artists being able to do their thing, you're the perfect person to become a MaxFun monthly member.

Cheryl Strayed is a writer (Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, Tiny Beautiful Things, Torch) whose best-selling works have been adapted to an Oscar-nominated film and, most recently, as an acclaimed Hulu series. Strayed's other books are the critically acclaimed novel, Torch, and the bestselling collection Brave Enough. Her books have sold more than 5 million copies around the world and have been translated into forty languages. Strayed has also made two hit podcasts, Dear Sugars, which she co-hosted with Steve Almond, and Sugar Calling. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Cheryl and Alexa sat down at The Angler in Los Angeles to dine on spicy tuna, cheesy bread and scallops. Cheryl tells Over Dinner Tonight about how she faced fears while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and writing, the surreal experience of adapting her life story to the screen, and what she would write Dear Sugar for advice about today. Plus, what it's like inside the Tiny Beautiful Things writer's room. Note: This conversation was recorded before the WGA Writers Strike. Follow Over Dinner Tonight on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Fresh episodes hit your podcast feed every Tuesday. Cheryl Strayed: @cherylstrayed The Angler Los Angeles: @anglerlosangeles Over Dinner Tonight: @overdinnertonight

Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.About the guest author:Bestselling collaborative writer Jodi Lipper was a former fiction editor at Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, where she worked on numerous #1 New York Times best sellers. She has since become a six-time New York Times bestselling author herself who partners with high profile experts and celebrities to translate their experiences and expertise into highly effective and marketable books. In addition to Steve Madden and his memoir The Cobbler, she's worked with Dave Asprey, the “father of biohacking” and the creator of Bulletproof Coffee, Fran Hauser, whose book The Myth of the Nice Girl was named the Best Business Book of 2018 by Audible and was listed by Amazon as One of the Best Business and Leadership Books of the Year. Jodi has also worked with Jacqueline Brassy from the McKinsey Health Institute on the book Deliberate Calm: How to Learn and Lead in a Volatile World, which was also co-authored by Aaron De Smet, and Michiel Kruyt and published by Harper Business last year, and most recently Jodi worked with Emily Morse, sexologist and host of the top rated podcast Sex with Emily who's book Smart Sex: How to Boost Your Sex IQ and Own Your Pleasure will be published by Park Row (HarperCollins) in June.About the host:Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players. Hear past episodes.If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime. The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community! Be well and keep reading.~Holly~Shoutouts to our sponsor:This episode is brought to you by the learning platform, Five things I've Learned. As a writing coach and former professor of creative writing, I am an ardent supporter of lifelong learning. So Five Things I've Learned is something I really like, and – full disclosure, it's something created by folks I know. Now in the middle of their third year, my friends at Five Things I've Learned make it super easy for artists, writers, musicians, and the thinkers they admire to offer live, online classes that share the essential ideas and experiences of a lifetime. This entire thing was conceived during the pandemic and it's brilliant.There are almost 100 Five Things I've Learned unique sessions already available online –from all sorts of disciplines. The best part: they're always live and you can check out the archive for classes you've missed. And of course, there are so many great classes by writers. And they have an impressive list of master storytellers!New York Times best-selling writer Meg Wolitzer just did a class about the “Five Things She's Learned about Writing about Family.” The amazing Steve Almond just did a class on what he's learned about “Where Stories Come From.” There are many more two-hour classes and workshops, from award winning authors like Isabel Allende and the wonderful travel writer Pico Iyer, and even from my friend, the writer and publisher Brooke Warner – and a whole lot more. You can view these and many other great classes on-demand any time so I hope you check out myfivethings.com right now and get to experience one of these live workshops yourself. I might see you there and teach a class soon—about the first page of a book. 

We're celebrating Valentine's Day with a micro fiction sampler of love stories. They're not your grandma's love stories, however. These are of the literary variety. There's some sweetness and humor inside, of course - but you'll find some edgy and weird stuff in their, too. Featuring stories by Steve Almond and Pamela Painter, and the 11 contest-winning entries. Read by Alison Fraser, Barrett Leddy, Suzanne Savoy, Meg Sewell and Jon DiSavino.Support the show

Melissa Chadburn's debut novel, A Tiny Upward Shove, is part serial killer thriller, part magical realism folklore, part love story, part coming of age story, and fully riveting. Its narrator is an aswang—otherwise known as a Philippine shapeshifter, a ghoul, a spinstress, a vampire, a soul-sucker with a proboscis. Over a decade in the making, Chadburn's novel contains beautifully unique prose and haunting imagery. She joins Marrie to talk about it. Along the way, they talk about how Chadburn struggled with structure, and how real-life serial killer William Pickton provided it. They talk about the different shapes novels can take, including Jane Allison's Meander, Spiral, Explode and Ursula Le Guin's The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction. They talk about the power of lists in fiction, how to engage in the writerly art of witnessing, and Lynda Barry's What It Is. They discuss writing sex and violence, including the best advice Chadburn received from former guest and Tin House editor Steve Almond. And they discuss how being a good literary citizen may have made a difference in marketing this novel, and what it means to be a good literary citizen. Melissa and Marrie are both fans of Tin House, their workshops, and their craft lectures. To discover some of those craft essays, click here. For the Tin House collection on love and sex, click here.For more information on Writers on Writing and additional writing tips, visit our Patreon page. To listen to past interviews, visit our website. (Recorded in December 2022)  Host: Barbara DeMarco-BarrettCo-Host: Marrie StoneMusic and sound design: Travis Barrett

We welcomed author and former collegiate runner, Emily Pifer, to the podcast this week. Emily shares more about her new memoir, The Running Body, which is her story of addiction, image, and healing, through the lens of a long-distance runner. In her book, Emily describes how, during her time as a collegiate distance runner, she began to run more while eating less. Many around her, including her coaches, praised her for these practices. But as she became faster, and as her body began to resemble the bodies that she had seen across start-lines and on the covers of running magazines, her bones began to fracture. Emily tells her story alongside the stories of her teammates, competitors, and others as they all face trouble regarding their bodies. The Running Body was selected by Steve Almond as the winner of the 2021 Autumn House Nonfiction Prize. Emily, who is currently pursuing her PhD at Syracuse University, can be found on Instagram at @emilydpifer. We absolutely loved this meaningful conversation! Interested in signing up for coaching with us? Email us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com and/or find us on all social media platforms. Thanks for listening! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/runfartherandfaster/message

Emily Pifer is the author of the award-winning debut memoir The Running Body, available from Autumn House Press. Pifer received her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of Wyoming and is now a PhD candidate in composition and cultural rhetoric at Syracuse University, where she holds a research fellowship and has taught courses in creative nonfiction and critical research and writing. Her work has appeared in The Fiddlehead, Brevity's Nonfiction Blog, Women's Health, Esquire, and elsewhere. The Running Body was chosen by Steve Almond as the winner of the 2021 Autumn House Press Nonfiction Prize. Emily is from West Virginia and Ohio, and she currently lives in Laramie, Wyoming.  *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly literary podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Launched in 2011. Books. Literature. Writing. Publishing. Authors. Screenwriters. Etc. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch @otherppl Instagram  YouTube Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're diving into ego this week—including, yes, its benefits. All writers, after all, are ego-invested in their work. They want what they're writing to be good, to have an impact, to be well received. In this week's episode Grant and Brooke speak with Steve Almond about how his ego got in the way of the work he wanted to do, and also the way that we must contend with our egos when we write. There's so much to unpack here—and Steve's honest take on his own journey is as refreshing as it is inspiring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Steve Almond (All the Secrets of the World) talks to us about scorpions, taking three decades to finish his first novel, how he came to write a “social novel,” writing from the perspective of a teenaged Latina, Nancy Reagan, and a man who lusts after teenaged girls while maintaining the book's authenticity, and more!  Steve Almond is the author of eleven books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football. His essays and reviews have been published in venues ranging from the New York Times Magazine to Ploughshares to Poets & Writers, and his short fiction has appeared in Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize, Best American Mysteries, and Best American Erotica. Almond is the recipient of grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. He cohosted the Dear Sugars podcast with his pal Cheryl Strayed for four years, and teaches Creative Writing at the Neiman Fellowship at Harvard and Wesleyan. He lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, with his family and his anxiety.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writers Steve Almond and Kate Racculia discuss observer vs. participant characters, being too nice to your character, the role of the narrator, and the dreaded Author/Narrator/Character merge.Steve Almond of a dozen books, including “Candyfreak” and “Against Football,” which were NYT Bestsellers for about four seconds. His new novel, All the Secrets of the World, has been optioned by 20th Century Fox. He's the recipient of an NEA grant for 2022 and teaches at Harvard and Wesleyan. His work has been published in the Best American Short Stories, the Best American Mysteries, and the New York Times Magazine.Kate Racculia is a novelist living in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She is the author of the novels This Must Be the Place and Bellweather Rhapsody, winner of the American Library Association's Alex Award. Her third novel, Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts, was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in October 2019. She is currently a communications writer in the development office at Lehigh University and sings in the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, the oldest Bach choir in America.Here is Steve Almond's essay on narrators: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/magazine/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-person-who-said-once-upon-a-time.htmlAnd Frederick Reiken's essay “The Author-Narrator-Character Merge: Why Many First-Time Novelists Wind up with Flat, Uninteresting Protagonists” can be found here if you're an AWP member (sorry if not!): https://www.awpwriter.org/magazine_media/writers_chronicle_issues/february_2005Reiken's essay is also part of this excellent collection of craft essays: https://bookshop.org/books/a-kite-in-the-wind-fiction-writers-on-their-craft/9781595340726Novel's mentioned during our discussion: The Great Gatsby, James McBride's Deacon King Kong, and The Royal Physician's Visit by Per Olov EnqvistAnd check out Brandon Taylor's amazing SubStack Channel sweater weather where he discusses the narrator voice musings about his characters internal world (something that Taylor always resisted): https://blgtylr.substack.com/p/the-underdark-a-modified-craftalk This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 7amnovelist.substack.com

Comedian Frankie Quiñones talks about his hilarious comedy series, 'This Fool.' Also, novelist Sandra Newman, author of 'The Men,' takes us inside a world in which all males have suddenly disappeared. And writer Steve Almond shares his BETA thought experiment of a Marxist Football League.

With his play, Visions, Rotary member Lo Bue has turned his addiction into art and provided new roles for former addicts. Story by Steve Almond. Narrated by award-winning broadcast journalist Linda Yu.

1. Pod Squad Qs about co-parenting after infidelity, setting boundaries with friends, and reconciling an estranged parent relationship. 2. How to know when it's time to leave, and whether your partner deserves to be free of you.  3. Why every problem Cheryl's ever had has been solved by a list–and how to use her strategy.  4. Ways to be a better advice-giver, and how to keep “floating in the direction of your own life.” 5. How to gather the courage to know a truth thing–and to live by it. About Cheryl Cheryl Strayed is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Wild, as well as the bestsellers Tiny Beautiful Things, Brave Enough, and Torch. Wild was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern. Tiny Beautiful Things is currently being adapted for a TV show for Hulu and will star Kathryn Hahn. In addition to writing her widely acclaimed essays, stories and scripts, Strayed has hosted two hit podcasts for the New York Times — Sugar Calling and Dear Sugars, which she co-hosted with Steve Almond. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband Brian Lindstrom and their two teenagers. TW: @CherylStrayed IG: @cherylstrayed To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1. Why Cheryl chose Strayed as her last name – the only one not given to her by a man.   2. How she ruined her life when her mom died, and how we can bear the unbearable. 3. Cheryl's greatest lesson from her 3-month hike of the PCT, and her mom's advice she uses everyday.  4. How to make peace with our ITS – “inner terrible someone” – who lives in each of us.  5. Why and how Cheryl is now exploring: “Can I be happy if my kids aren't?” About Cheryl: Cheryl Strayed is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Wild, as well as the bestsellers Tiny Beautiful Things, Brave Enough, and Torch.  Wild was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern.  Tiny Beautiful Things is currently being adapted for a TV show for Hulu and will star Kathryn Hahn.  In addition to writing her widely acclaimed essays, stories and scripts, Strayed has hosted two hit podcasts for the New York Times — Sugar Calling and Dear Sugars, which she co-hosted with Steve Almond.  She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband Brian Lindstrom and their two teenagers. TW: @CherylStrayed IG: @cherylstrayed To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's storyteller Steven Ho grew up in a strict Vietnamese-American household where the stakes were always high. He felt an overwhelming pressure to walk the straight line set before him — a line of overachieving and excellence. As Steven grew up, he encountered places and circumstances that catapulted him into a deep curiosity and affection for the world around him. Steven began to wonder if there might be more than he could have ever expected, waiting for him outside the lines.Listen to Steve Almond's episode of Meditative Story, "My roads diverging": http://listen.meditativestory.com/SteveAlmond_WWLearn more about Steven: https://linktr.ee/steveioeFind Steven on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveioeFind Steven on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/steveioeFind Steven on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@steveioeEach episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story at: www.meditativestory.comSign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gyDGgDSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

[REBROADCAST FROM MAY 25, 2022] Author and former Dear Sugars host Steve Almond has written non-fiction and short stories, but never a novel... until now. His debut, All the Secrets of the World, tells the story of two best friends who are torn apart when one's father is accused of killing the other's brother. Almond joins us to discuss the novel as part of our series, 2022 Debuts.

In this episode, Steve Almond, author, on building plot, writing the social novel, placing a story in time, giving the reader the information they need, finding the right amount of research, and scorpions.   Steve Almond https://stevealmondjoy.org/   Chicago Writers Podcast https://chicagowriterspodcast.libsyn.com/   Stories Matter Foundation and StoryStudio Chicago https://www.storystudiochicago.org/

Steve Almond, author of All the Secrets of the World (Zando, 2022) joins Barbara DeMarco-Barrett to discuss his new novel and why he wanted to write a social novel, how it took him five tries to get it right, and much more on the process of writing. Steve is the author of twelve books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football. His recent books include William Stoner and the Battle for the Inner Life, which is about reading and writing and the struggle to pay attention to our lives, and Bad Stories, a literary investigation of the 2016 election. For four years, Steve hosted the New York Times Dear Sugars podcast with Cheryl Strayed. His short stories have been anthologized widely, in the Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize, Best American Erotica, and Best American Mysteries series. His new book is a novel called All the Secrets of the World. Download audio. (Recorded on May 27, 2022, via Zoom audio) Music and sound design by Travis Barrett Check out his typewriter compositions at Just My Type on SpotifyBarbara DeMarco-Barrett: www.penonfire.com Marrie Stone: www.marriestone.com Travis Barrett: https://travisbarrett.mykajabi.comFind us on Patreon.com/writersonwriting

"And I had to actually give up and say, Okay, maybe I'll go to the grave not having written a novel, and I don't have to carry around shame about that. I can just do the kind of writing that I'm maybe better at or that it is my calling to do, and the moment I stopped putting so much pressure on myself and stopped making it a big ego drama about me, that actually opened up space in my creative life for me to enter the hearts and minds of all these characters who were all keeping secrets from one another.” Steve Almond—bestselling author, co-host of The Dear Sugars podcast, writing teacher—has just published his first novel, All the Secrets of the World, and he joins us on the show to talk about revisiting California in the 80s, keeping empathy for all of his characters, his literary influences (including Kurt Vonnegut, George Saunders and Lorrie Moore), share some great writing advice, and much more with Poured Over's host, Miwa Messer. And we end this episode with TBR Topoff book recommendations from Margie and Marc.   Featured Books: All the Secrets of the World by Steve Almond William Stoner and the Battle for Inner Life by Steve Almond Stoner by John Williams   Poured Over is produced and hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. Follow us here for new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays).   A full transcript of this episode is available here.

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan is joined by Steve Almond to discuss his latest book, All the Secrets of the World, out now from Zando. ________________________________ Subscribe now to The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you find your podcasts! Steve Almond is the author of ten books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football. He teaches Creative Writing at the Neiman Fellowship at Harvard and Wesleyan, as well as Hugo House, Grub Street, and numerous literary conferences. His essays and reviews have been widely published in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, GQ, The Wall Street Journal, Poets & Writers, Tin House, and Ploughshares. His journalism has received numerous awards including the top national prize for feature writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. His short stories have been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories, Best American Mysteries, Best American Erotica, and The Pushcart Prize. He serves as a literary correspondent for WBUR and appears on numerous podcasts. He lives in Arlington, Massachusetts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and former Dear Sugars host Steve Almond has written non-fiction and short stories, but never a novel... until now. His debut, All the Secrets of the World, tells the story of two best friends who are torn apart when one's father is accused of killing the other's brother. Almond joins us to discuss the novel as part of our series, 2022 Debuts.

Brad Listi is the author of the novel Be Brief and Tell Them Everything, available from Ig. Listi was born in Milwaukee. His other books include the novel Attention. Deficit. Disorder., an LA Times bestseller, and Board, a work of nonfiction collage, co-authored with Justin Benton. He is the founding editor of The Nervous Breakdown, an online literary magazine, and in 2011 he launched the Otherppl podcast, which features in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. He lives in Los Angeles.  Today's interview is conducted by guest host Steve Almond. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly literary podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Launched in 2011. Books. Literature. Writing. Publishing. Authors. Screenwriters. Etc. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch @otherppl Instagram  YouTube Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Saint John Mandel on her latest novel, 'Sea of Tranquility,' which spans almost 500 years. Also, documentary director Gorman Bechard shares the untold story of former Wilco musician Jay Bennett. And Steve Almond talks about his debut novel, 'All the Secrets of the World.'

A draft Supreme Court opinion was leaked and published this week without a key part of the record: the dissenting opinion. Kathryn Kolbert, a women's rights attorney who argued the Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood v. Casey in the '90s that reaffirmed Roe, joins us. And, author Steve Almond about his novel "All the Secrets of the World." Set during the Reagan era, the book tells the story of how the pairing of two girls for a class project leads to a disappearance and an accusation of murder.

Steve Almond is the author of the debut novel All the Secrets of the World, available from Zando. Almond is the author of ten books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football. He teaches Creative Writing at the Neiman Fellowship at Harvard and Wesleyan, as well as Hugo House, Grub Street, and numerous literary conferences. His essays and reviews have been widely published in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, GQ, The Wall Street Journal, Poets & Writers, Tin House, and Ploughshares. His journalism has received numerous awards including the top national prize for feature writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. His short stories have been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories, Best American Mysteries, Best American Erotica, and The Pushcart Prize. He serves as a literary correspondent for WBUR and appears on numerous podcasts. He lives in Arlington, Massachusetts. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly literary podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Launched in 2011. Books. Literature. Writing. Publishing. Authors. Screenwriters. Etc. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch @otherppl Instagram  YouTube Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heidi and Ellen talk to Keriann and Michelle. Keriann started working for herself during the pandemic.  While she loves the freedom and creativity of self-employment, she worries about money and her financial future. She wonders how long it will take for this new venture to truly blossom. Michelle finds herself in a constant cyclical work state. The moment she starts to master what she is doing, she has a deep desire to shift gears into something else. She wants advice on how to soften into the present moment. Ellen and Heidi also talk about two shows on HBO Max: 'Schmigadoon' and the new documentary ‘Obama: In Pursuit of a New Perfect Union'. They also talk about old episodes from the wonderful podcast ‘Dear Sugar' with Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond.  

Steve Almond on recognizing bad stories To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices