Podcasts about will podcast

Notes and Links to Vanessa Saunders' Work       Vanessa Saunders is a writer living in New Orleans. She teaches as a Professor of Practice at Loyola University New Orleans. She was the editor-in-chief of Helium Journal from 2013 to 2016. Her writing has appeared in Writer's Digest, Writer's Chronicle, Seneca Review, Sycamore Review, Los Angeles Review,  Nat. Brut, Entropy, PANK, Passages North, Stockholm Review of Literature and other journals.​​ She is at work on a novel of magical realism about whiteness and a book-length prose poem about the ethics of authorship.  Buy The Flat Woman   Vanessa's Website At about 1:45, Vanessa recommends places to buy her book, including Baldwin Books At about 2:55, Vanessa responds to Pete's question about her expectations for the Pub Day and beyond versus the realities At about 5:20, the two discuss Kafka's Metamorphosis and his parables and connections to Vanessa's The Flat Woman, as well as absurdities and allegory At about 9:30, Vanessa gives background on her early reading and writing, including her grandfather's and Sylvia Plath's influences, and Anne Carson's influence on The Flat Woman At about 13:30, Vanessa explains the unique British library system At about 15:25, Vanessa responds to Pete's questions about At about 16:35, Vanessa mentions Kelly Link, Sarah Rose Etter, Aimee Bender, and Hadriana in my Dreams as contemporary writers and writing that inspires him At about 18:20, Pete and Vanessa shout out the generosity and greatness of Aimee Bender, and Vanessa talks about meetings with inspiring writers At about 19:20, Pete shouts out Antonya Nelson's “In the Land of Men” for the 1,987,231 time in Chills at Will history At about 19:55, The two discuss the book's epigraph and seeds for the book At about 22:40, Vanessa expands upon stewardship and community and the environment in the formulation of her book At about 24:20, Pete wonders about Vanessa's decision to avoid naming her characters At about 26:40, Pete asks Vanessa  At about 29:10, the two discuss the lengthy “setups” that are chapter titles, or “headlines” At about 32:20, “leaky boundaries” and the family dynamic, including the absent father, are discussed At about 33:35, “Terrorism” and government cover-up in the book and its couching is discussed; Vanessa talks about birds as “indicator species,” as she learned from a group of “elite ornithologists” (!!!) with whom she lived At about 36:40, Vanessa talks about perpetual archetypes and storylines for “female villainy” At about 37:40, Bird grief and research and animals as stand-ins for humans as discussed in the book is explored by Vanessa At about 41:10, Vanessa, in explaining her views of animals and things and dominion, references a wonderful Louise Gluck line  At about 42:35, Pete and Vanessa discuss Bay Area history, anthropology. and its effects on their mindsets and writing At about 44:00, The two talk about the “patriarch[al]” POPS Cola, and the protagonist's early life after her mother is arrested and convicted  At about 45:45, Vanessa expands on the patriarchal society and the 2024 election's connections to the systemic misogyny on display in the book At about  49:50, The protagonist, depicted 10 years as “The woman,” and Part II are described, as well as the “chaotic aunt” and more ugly realities that confront the woman At about 51:45, Vanessa cites inspiration from an interview with Toni Morrison regarding family alienation  At about 53:10, Vanessa explores connections between humor and speculative fiction At about 54:10, The woman's earliest interactions with and attractions to the man are discussed At about 55:10, Vanessa responds to Pete's question about the man being drawn to Elvis, with a trip down memory lane of a San Francisco that may no longer exist  At about 59:20, Vanessa talks about setting the woman as working at the very company that has imprisoned her mother  At about 1:01:25, Vanessa responds to Pete's question about the grisly displays of hurt and dead animals, and the two discuss ideas of entertainment and willful (or not) ignorance about the brutality in Gaza and climate change At about 1:05:00, Pete complements Vanessa for humor on the page and asks if the man has “discovered the manosphere”  At about 1:08:35, Vanessa talks about social justice being “commodified” At about 1:10:40, Vanessa talks about initial hesitat[ion] in depicting the man as having some assorted wisdom, along with many horrible traits At about 1:11:40, Vanessa discusses a famous writer, who is not related to her :(  At about 1:13:00, Another Maurice Carlos Ruffin shoutout At about 1:14:20, Movie actors for the book's characters! At about 1:16:10, “You are hearing me talk”-Al Gore You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 270 guest Jason De León is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 285 with The Philharmonik, Episode 58 guest, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, lyricist, music producer and genre defining artist. Recently, he has been nationally and globally recognized after winning the 2023 American Song writer contest and NPR's 2024 Tiny Desk Contest for his song “What's It All Mean?” The episode marks the one-year anniversary of his NPR Tiny Desk Contest win. This will be released on May 16.  

  Notes and Links to Jason Bailey's Work        Jason Bailey is a film critic, author, and podcaster. His work has appeared in The Playlist, The New York Times, Vulture, Vice, Rolling Stone, and Slate, among others. He is the editor-in-chief of Crooked Marquee, the former film editor at Flavorwire, and the author of six books-the most recent is Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend. He lives in the Bronx with his wife and two daughters. Buy Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend   Jason's Website   NPR Interview Re: Gandolfini     At about 2:25, Jason talks about book events and good places to buy his book, included Matt Zoller Seitz's dynamic website  At about 4:00, Jason talks about the incomparable Edoardo Ballerini as his audiobook narrator At about 7:05, Jason talks about his cinematic and reading influences since childhood; he tells a story of seeing “At the Movies” and becoming a cinephile and movie criticism fan At about 12:10, Jason responds to Pete's question about career thoughts in his adolescent years revolving around moviemaking/writing about movies At about 15:10, Jason talks about his approach in watching movies and whether or not he can watch a movie while “cleansing his mind” and not watching for “work” At about 16:40, Pete asks Jason about him going to movie theaters often At about 19:15, Jason responds to Pete's question about favorite movie(s)/movies that explain his aesthetic, and the two discuss The Godfather Part I and Part II (and Part III!) At about 23:35, Jason talks about being “sympathetic and empathetic and complex” in his depiction of James Gandolfini At about 27:30, Jason shares feedback he received from Sopranos crew members and Drea DeMatteo in particular about James Gandolfini's complicated legacy At about 29:50, Jason talks about how his moviemaking history makes him more sympathetic in reviewing movies   At about 33:45, Jason explains his background as a fan of James Gandolfini in connection to his earlier roles and his Sopranos role At about 38:50, Jason and Pete talk about post-Sopranos roles for James Gandolfini, typecasting, and delivery for iconic and moving lines At about 40:35, Jason gives background on James Gandolfini's view of the acting life and the importance of actors At about 43:30, Jason responds to Pete's questions about James Gandolfini's Italian identity At about 44:40, Pete and Jason discuss James Gandolfini's real-life and lack of real-life organized crime connections and Tony Soprano-esque accent At about 46:10, Jason tells an interesting, seemingly untold, story about James Gandolfini and dropping out of a Mafia movie At about 47:50, Pete shares a Sammy “The Bull” Gravano story and Jason talks about James Gandolfini choosing roles to “put the last nail in that Tony Soprano coffin” At about 50:15, The two discuss the haunting of James Gandolfini balanced with the great role of Tony Soprano At about 53:20, Pete uses a supposed “jump the shark” moment to ask Jason about James Gandolfini being incredibly hard on himself  At about 55:25, Jason comments on the dichotomy between James Gandolfini's incredibly selfless, and sometimes selfish, behavior At about 58:00, The two reflect on a sense of seeming-contentment and fading health At about 1:00:00, Jason responds to Pete's questions about “treading lightly” regarding revelations and sympathetic coverage of such a beloved figure At about 1:02:00, The two discuss revisiting The Sopranos dream scenes and the famous last scene after James Gandolfini's death At about 1:03:00, the two discuss the last scene(s) shot for The Sopranos At about 1:04:00, Enough Said and its poignancy is discussed in terms of the potential of James Gandolfini's acting range At about 1:07:15, Jason describes the “gift” that is the final quote in the book, from Robert Iler At about 1:08:00, Jason shares contact info and buying info for his book, from Abrams Books        You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he's @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where 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 the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Episode 270 guest Jason De León is up on the website this week. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting his one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran.    Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 284 with Vanessa Saunders, a Professor of Practice at Loyola University New Orleans. Her writing has appeared in Sycamore Review, Los Angeles Review, Stockholm Review of Literature and other journals. Her novel, The Flat Woman, won FC2's Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Prize.    The episode airs on May 6.

Notes and Links to Emely Rumble's Work          Emely Rumble, LCSW, is a distinguished licensed clinical social worker, school social worker, and seasoned biblio/psychotherapist with over 14 years of professional experience. Committed to making mental health services more accessible, Emely specializes in the transformative practice of bibliotherapy. Passionate about advocating for the integration of creative arts in psychotherapy, mental well-being, and self-improvement, Emely champions the social model of disability and embraces a neurodiversity-affirming therapeutic approach. A distinguished member of The National Association of Poetry Therapy, Emely's work has been featured in respected publications such as Parents Magazine, ‘School Library Journal', Bold Journey Magazine, BronxNet News, and The Bronx Is Reading. Emely shares her expertise beyond traditional avenues through @Literapy_NYC, her dedicated platform on Instagram, TikTok, and Podia, where she provides valuable educational content. Having earned her undergraduate degree from Mount Holyoke College and completed her social work degree at Smith College School for Social Work, Emely resides in the Bronx with her husband, two children, and her psychiatric service dog, Montana. She embodies a holistic and compassionate approach to mental health and well-being. Buy Bibliotherapy in the Bronx   Emely's Website     At about 2:10, Emely talks about the work and process involved as the book is about to be published At about 3:20, Emely talks about early feedback and her dynamic audiobook At about 4:35, Emely gives a brief summary of the book and talks about where to buy the book and where to find her online At about 10:30, Emely talks about “escapism” and “realism” and  At about 13:50, Emely responds to Pete's question about her reading of the Bible and connections to her grandmother as a healer and a Christian At about 17:15, Maya Angelou, Sister Souljah are among those Emely shouts out as formative and transformative writers, especially in her “adultified” youth At about 20:30, The two fanboy/girl about Maya Angelou and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings At about 21:30, bell hooks, Audre Lorde, Alexis Gumbs are cited as some inspiring writers for Emely At about 24:40, Emely responds to Pete's questions about the pivotal reading from her grandmother's funeral and seeds for the book; she also shouts out a great editor in Nirmala Nataraj At about 29:25, Natalie Gutierrez and her foreword are discussed-books as “communal medicine” At about 30:30, Emely responds to Pete's questions about bibliotherapy and the intellect and the heart in concert At about 32:35, Emely responds to Pete's questions about what she learned from her aunt's schizophrenia and the ways in which she was treated and ideas of community and racism  At about 38:20, Emely gives background on early days of implementing bibliotherapy with patients and more connections to her aunt At about 44:20, Ned Ashton and Sonny Corinthos shout outs! At about 45:15, Pete asks Emely to define/describe bibliotherapy At about 45:50, The two discuss the great Ms. Parkins and Strega Nona and fairy tales and how “childish” books can work so well with adults  At about 50:30, Making a Godfather II reference (obvi), Pete asks about Emely's view on fiction and nonfiction and narratives in prescribing her books; Emely cites an interesting mindset of books as “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors,” as posited by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop At about 57:10, Emely responds to Pete's question about what a successful nonfiction prescription  At about 1:00:50, Emely talks about intake for bibliotherapy  At about 1:01:40, The two discuss Andrew Carnegie and problematic authors  At about 1:05:35, Mayte and her story that involves emotional resonance and intersectionality is discussed  At about 1:07:40, Emely expands on ideas of learning and empathy that happen with therapists and clients At about 1:13:00, Dr. Sadie P. Delaney is shouted out by Emely Rumble as a hero whom she learned about in her book research-The “Godmother of Bibliotherapy”    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he's @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he's @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Episode 270 guest Jason De León is up on the website this week. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting his one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 283 with Jason Bailey, a film critic, author, and podcaster whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Vulture, Vice, Rolling Stone, and Slate, among others. He is the editor-in-chief of Crooked Marquee, and the author of five books. The episode goes live this evening, April 29, which is also Pub Day for his exciting new book, Gandolfini, about the legendary actor, James Gandolfini.  

FIVEAA BREAKFAST with David & Will - Podcast - 24th April 2025 News Headlines, Sport with Tom Rehn, Lucy's movie review, Weather, SAPOL, Mylee Hogan in the US, Anton Covino, Timmy G, Matt Abraham, Breaking @ 8 with Bob Day, Jack Lukosius, The Tasting of the Democracy Sausage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Notes and Links to Alexander Chee's Work          Alexander Chee is the bestselling author of the novels Edinburgh and The Queen of the Night, and the essay collection How To Write An Autobiographical Novel, all from Mariner Books. A contributing editor at The New Republic and an editor at large at VQR, his essays and stories have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, T Magazine, The Sewanee Review, and the 2016 and 2019 Best American Essays. He was guest-editor for The Best American Essays of 2022.    He is a 2021 United States Artists Fellow, a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow in Nonfiction, and the recipient of a Whiting Award, a NEA Fellowship, an MCCA Fellowship, the Randy Shilts Prize in gay nonfiction, the Paul Engle Prize, the Lambda Editor's Choice Prize, and residency fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, the VCCA, Leidig House, Civitella Ranieri and Amtrak.    He is a full professor of English and Creative Writing at Dartmouth College and lives in Vermont. Buy How To Write an Autobiographical Novel   Alexander's Website   Book Review for How To Write an Autobiographical Novel from The New York Times   At about 2:00, Alexander details his Amtrak residency, later written about in The New Yorker At about 6:00, Alexander outlines some interesting characters that he met during his Amtrak residency  At about 12:00, Alexander reflects on a book project inspired by an interesting encounter with a former detective and British and American sensibilities  At about 16:30, Pete shares his own Amtrak story, possible fodder for essays and short stories, as Alexander remarks on “immediate friendship”  At about 18:50, Alexander talks about upcoming novel and short story projects and the process of picking a title; he recounts how he arrived at his essay collection's title, through a Buzzfeed publication  At about 26:30, Alexander highlights Kirkus Review naming How to Write an Autobiographical Novel one  At about 27:35, Alexander gives background on his essay collection's cover photo At about 34:10, Alexander talks about the composition of the previous essay collection and his upcoming one, with regards to placement and focuses on his “rose garden”- “The Rosary”-essay's development At about 39:00, Alexander responds to Pete's questions about the order of the essays in the collections and any throughlines-Garnette Cadogan and Naomi Gibbs are shouted out At about 43:40, Alexander talks about a manuscript that he has been working At about 44:45, Pete is complimentary of Alexander's “The Rosary” essay, and Alexander tells a story of an interested and poignant conversation with   At about 48:00, Pete shouts  At about 49:00, Pete and Alexander talk about the essay collection's first piece, and Alexander talks about being “Alejandro from Oaxaca” for a short time-he references Yiyun Li's powerful essay, “To Speak is to Blunder” At about 55:10, Pete compliments Alexander's powerful advocacy work and asks him about perspective and time, and how Alexander looks back at the essays from the collection so many years later (for some of the essays) At about 1:02:00, In talking about modern protest and activist culture, mutual aid, etc., Alexander shouts out Sarah Thankam Mathews' powerful All This Could Be Different At about 1:04:30, Alexander discusses a dynamic class that he has mentored at Dartmouth At about 1:05:30, Alexander responds to Pete's questions about what fiction allows him to do with his writing At about 1:06:30, Alexander reflects on ideas of catharsis in his writing      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Episode 270 guest Jason De León is up on the website this week. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 282 with Emely Rumble, a licensed clinical social worker, school social worker, and seasoned biblio/psychotherapist who specializes in bibliotherapy, the use of literature and expressive writing to heal. Pub Day and episode air day are April 29 for her wonderful book, Bibliotherapy in The Bronx.

Notes and Links to Désirée Zamorano's Work      Born and raised in Los Angeles, Désirée Zamorano is the previous author of novels like The Amado Women and Human Cargo. Zamorano heavily focuses on the issues of invisibility, injustice and inequity in her books while also teaching linguistic and cultural diversity at Cal State Long Beach.     Buy Dispossessed   Désirée's Website   Article about Dispossessed for Pasadena Weekly At about 3:10, Desiree gives ordering information for The Dispossessed and her social media and contact information   At about 4:30, Desiree talks about an exciting 2026 publication    At about 5:10, Desiree gives background on her early reading and language life, and how her identity has been shaped throughout the years, influenced by family and larger societal forces   At about 8:40, Pete and Desiree discuss connections between American racism in different times and the events that inspired her own book   At about 10:00, Desiree provides feedback on seeds for her book   At about 12:30, Desiree talks about formative and informative books and writers from her childhood and adolescence    At about 13:35, Desiree shouts out Kate Atkinson and David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas and other contemporary favorites   At about 14:35, the two explore the book's opening note, and Desiree shares stunning (or not stats) about Mexican and Mexican-American “repatriation” in the 1930s and 1940s    At about 16:00, Desiree talks about Manzanar and Japanese incarceration and coalitions who have fought to have the ugly history of the incarceration shared   At about 17:25, The two discuss the book's opening scene at the beach and the book's inciting incidents   At about 18:40, Desiree gives background on her reasoning for making the book's opening so action-packed and connections to a chilling quote   At about 19:50, Pete and Desiree chart Manuel's first years after his parents are taken, and characters and situations that govern Manuel's life   At about 23:15, Desiree responds to Pete's questions about Manuel's surrogate mother, Amparo and depictions of Christianity with connections to Desiree's own family   At about 26:00, The two discuss reasons as to why Manuel decides to leave high school    At about 28:10, Desiree gives background on sundown towns and talks about misconceptions of racism in our country's history and all needing to “do the work” to understand    At about 31:15, Pete recounts a stunning (or not so stunning) fact about racism in CA and Rodney King   At about 31:55, Desiree responds to Pete's questions about depictions of Latino soldiers, particularly in WWII   At about 33:25, Pete and Desiree discuss Manuel's early work experience, and Desiree expands upon union histories, especially in LA   At about 36:00, Decade of Betrayal, Anything but Mexican and Whitewashed Adobe are discussed as thorough and key research used by Desiree for the book   At about 37:30, Pete asks Desiree about important touches in the book, and she provides important histories of whiteness in American and how birth certificates were filled out   At about 41:00, The two discuss the impending razing of Chavez Ravine in the book, and hope and hopelessness for Manuel-Desiree references another great book with great research, From Out of the Shadows by Vicki Ruiz    At about 44:30, Desiree responds to Pete's question about crafting a emotional and good man in Manuel    At about 47:00, Pete is highly complimentary of the ways that Desiree uses light touches and writes about fatherhood and motherhood so honestly   At about 50:00, Pete asks Desiree how she knew the book was finished     You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 270 guest Jason De León is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran.    Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 281 with Alexander Chee, who is the bestselling author of the novels Edinburgh and The Queen of the Night, and the essay collection How To Write An Autobiographical Novel. He was the 2021 US Artists Fellow and Guggenheim Fellow in Nonfiction, and he is full professor of English and Creative Writing at Dartmouth.     The episode airs on April 22.

Notes and Links to Kevin Nguyen's Work       Kevin Nguyen is the features editor at The Verge, previous senior editor at GQ; has written for New York Magazine, The New York Times, The Paris Review and elsewhere the author of New Waves and the novel Mỹ Documents, which has today, April 8, as Pub Day. Buy My Documents   Kevin Nguyen's Website Book Review for My Documents in Los Angeles Times   At about 1:20, Kevin talks about his mindset and feedback around My Documents as the book nears Pub Day At about 3:00, Kevin provides info on his publishing company, places to buy his book, and book launch events, as well as social media/contact info At about 6:15, Kevin gives background on his language and reading history  At about 9:50, Kevin charts the reading and writers who put him on the path to becoming a writer himself  At about 13:15-Tracy O'Neill and Alexander Chee shout outs! At about 14:55, Kevin shouts out some beloved contemporary writers like Vauhini Vara, Jon Hickey, Darrell Campbell,  At about 17:25, Kevin gives a summary of the book and describes seeds for his book, with “echoes” of Japanese incarceration during WWII, among other catalysts  At about 19:05, Kevin responds to Pete's questions about John McCain's connections to the book and its epigraph At about 21:35, The two trace the book's exposition and the narrator's grandmother's choices in emigrating from Vietnam At about 24:20, Kevin talks about Ursula's experiences in the book and connections to second-generations from immigrant families and passing down family stories  At about 26:05, Kevin waxes poetic on Babe: Pig in the City, and its connections to the book At about 30:00, Kevin talks about building characters who are well-rounded At about 31:10, the two trace Jen and Alvin and formative experiences in the book, including Alvin's being pushed into learning more Asian-American history At about 34:20, Kevin responds to Pete's questions about expectations subverted   You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he's @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he's @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Episode 265 guest Carvell Wallace is up on the website this week. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 279 with Jon Hickey, a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Chippewa Indians, whose short stories have appeared in numerous journals such as Virginia Quarterly Review and the Massachusetts Review, among others. His highly-anticipated novel, Big Chief, is out today, April 8.  The episode airs today, April 8.  

Notes and Links to Jon Hickey's Work        Jon Hickey is a writer from Minnesota. He earned an MFA from Cornell University and was a Stegner Fellow in fiction at Stanford University. His short stories have appeared in numerous journals such as Virginia Quarterly Review, Gulf Coast, and the Massachusetts Review, among other places. He is a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Chippewa Indians (Anishinaabe). He lives in San Francisco with his wife and two sons. Buy Big Chief   Jon Hickey's Website   Book Review for Big Chief in San Francisco Chronicle   At about 1:35, Jon talks about his mindset and early feedback for his novel as Pub Day approaches  At about 3:25, Jon gives out social media and contact info and talks about book events that are upcoming  At about 5:15, “Midwest/Minnesota Nice” is discussed  At about 8:45, Jon mentions exciting advance praise for Big Chief At about 9:45, Jon gives background on language loss in his family, as his grandparents were the “boarding school generation” At about 11:30, Jon talks about how Anishinaabe functions as a language, and how it is both in his DNA and “mysterious”  At about 13:15, John traces his childhood reading, including Stephen King as a transformative writer At about 17:20, John chronicles inspiring and thrilling writers and works and the wonderful writing programs he was part of At about 18:20, Jon charts the huge imprint that Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man has left on him At about 22:00, Kyle Edwards and his Small Ceremonies, as well as Kate Folk and her Sky Daddy , are mentioned as contemporary works/writers who thrill and challenge Jon At about 24:20, Pete lays out some of Big Chief's exposition At about 25:55, Jon responds to Pete asking about how Jon pictures the book's narrator and protagonist At about 29:00, Mack, the tribal president in the book, is described At about 30:00, Jon responds to Pete wondering about motivations for Mitch related to bullying and feelings of being an outsider from his childhood At about 32:15, Ideas of power in politics are discussed At about 34:10, Ideas of authenticity and genuineness and morality are discussed, in connection to politics and voting in the book and beyond, especially regarding Joe Beck At about 35:40, Jon riffs on what he kept in mind while writing the book, with regard to moralizing as an author At about 39:00, Jon responds to Pete's question about blood quantum and similar ideas and how the discourses have changed or not At about 42:40, Jon talks about tropes and irony and “outward signs” of being indigenous, and how that is reflected in his book's cover and in society at large At about 43:40, The title and its inspiration is discussed   At about 45:50, Jon reads a representative excerpt that speaks of themes of belonging, and Pete and Jon further discuss ideas of childhood's impacts on adulthood At about 47:15, Jon discusses the significance of Mack's protection of Mitch, and Mitch's self-esteem and power's connection to cynicism At about 51:10, Mack and his bearing and his motivations are discussed At about 52:00, a pivotal and tragic event-Mitch's mother's death-and the subsequent fire vigil is discussed  At about 55:45, The book's upcoming election and sabotage and Gloria are discussed, with a tip of the cat to Harvey Keitel in calling Mitch a “fixer” At about 1:00:20, Mitch and his cynicism and his work on the campaign are explored, with connections to current political climates  At about 1:02:15, the platforms of the two candidates and ideas of banishment from the tribe are considered  At about 1:05:50, Pete wonders if Mack is a Trump-ish figure, and Jon reflects on how he has tried to write about identity through tribal politics  At about 1:10:00, Pete and Jon ponder the “void” within Mitch and talk about the local political and larger political world collide  At about 1:12:05, Pete compliments the “beautiful” ending, and the two discuss the Sopranos ending, and Jon discusses his mindset in crafting his book's ending At about 1:14:40, Jon outlines changes in the book's previous permutations  At about 1:16:40, Jon defines what is what for him a “work of art” You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he's @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he's @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Episode 270 guest Jason De León is up on the website this week. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 280 with Jahmal Mayfield, who writes gritty crime novels that touch on large social issues. His stellar SMOKE KINGS was inspired by Kimberly Jones' passionate viral video, “How can we win?” The episode airs on April 15.  

Notes and Links to Douglas J. Weatherford's Work       Doug was born in Salt Lake City but grew up in Statesboro, Georgia, where his father taught German at Georgia Southern University. Doug loves to read, travel, and ride bicycles and motorcycles. He graduated from BYU in 1988 (BA Spanish) and the Pennsylvania State University in 1997 (PhD Latin American Literature). He has been a professor at BYU since 1995. Doug's research and teaching emphases include Latin American literature and film, representations of the period of Discovery and Conquest, and Mexico at mid-Century (1920–1968, with particular focus on Rosario Castellanos and Juan Rulfo). His latest are new translations of Pedro Páramo and The Burning Plain.   Buy Pedro Páramo (English Translation)   Buy Pedro Páramo (En Español)    Doug's BYU Webpage   New York Times Book Review of Pedro Páramo by Valeria Luiselli   At about 2:15, Doug talks about his “journey” to becoming a professor of Latin-American Literature and Film, with regard to his early language and reading backgrounds At about 6:00, Doug talks about his main focus in teaching over the years At about 7:15, The two discuss linguistics classes At about 8:30, Doug responds to Pete's questions about texts and writers who have resonated with his students  At about 10:30, Doug reflects on Jorge Luis Borges' work and potential for teachability  At about 11:35, The two talk about translations of Rulfo's titles At about 13:30, Doug gives a primer on the collection El Llano en llamas and its various translations  At about 16:40, Doug emphasizes the need to “follow in Rulfo's footsteps” in translating the famous story “No Oyes Ladrar los Perros” At about 20:15, Doug responds to Pete's question about Juan Rulfo's evolving reputation/legacy in Mexico At about 24:15, Pete shares compliments and blurbs for Doug's Pedro Páramo translation and Pete and Doug talk about Gabriel Garcia Marquez's important Foreword  At about 27:20, Doug gives background on screenplays done for Rulfo's work by Marquez and towering respect for Rulfo's work, especially Pedro Páramo  At about 28:20, The two talk about Pedro Páramo's movie adaptations and challenges in adapting the work with connection to older characters  At about 31:55, Pete and Doug reflect on key archetypes and connections featured in the first line of  Pedro Páramo  At about 35:00, Doug gives background on his decision-making that affected his translations, including the laser-focus on the book's first line At about 41:00, The two discuss the book's exposition, such as it in a chronologically-unique book, including the book's first narrator's role At about 42:55, Doug discusses the connections in the book: Citizen Kane and Pedro Páramo, as well as Hernán Cortes and Pedro Páramo  At about 46:30, Doug talks about La Lllorona and Malinche and Páramo connections At about 49:30, Doug gives background on Pedro's son, Miguel and Father Renteria and ideas of betrayal and Biblical archetypes At about 52:35, Themes of sin and afterlife, including purgatory, are discussed, as Doug gives background on Rulfo's “conflicted” views regarding Catholicism  At about 55:30, Doug goes into greater depth about the links between Citizen Kane and Pedro Páramo At about 59:45, Doug responds to Pete's question about  At about 1:02:00, Doug responds to Pete's question about Rulfo's treatment of Mexican “Indians” At about 1:04:20, Hope and misogyny as a theme in the novel are discussed, and Doug discusses the 2024 Rodrigo Prieto Pedro Páramo film At about 1:09:40, Doug “puts a spin” on the novel's ending At about 1:15:45, Doug gives book buying information for his translations of Rulfo's work   You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. My conversation with Episode 270 guest Jason De León is up on the website this week. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 278 with Kevin Nguyen, features editor at The Verge, previous senior editor at GQ. He has written for New York Magazine, The New York Times, The Paris Review and elsewhere, and is the author of New Waves and the novel Mỹ Documents, which has April 8, the same day the episode airs, as its Pub Day.

Notes and Links to Donna Minkowitz's Work         Donna Minkowitz is a writer of fiction and memoir who author Mary Gaitskill has celebrated as “original, energetic, witty, and meaty.” Andrew Solomon dubbed her “utterly entrancing… a writer with breathtakingly fluent language.” She is also the author of the fantasy-influenced memoir Growing Up Golem and the memoir Ferocious Romance, about being an openly lesbian reporter covering the Christian right undercover. Growing Up Golem was a finalist for both a Lambda Literary Award and for the Publishing Triangle's Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award, and Ferocious Romance won a Lambda Literary Award. Donna, a former columnist for the Village Voice and The Advocate, has also written for the New York Times Book Review, The Nation, Salon, Slate, and New York magazine.    DONNAVILLE, her first novel and third book, was recently published by Indolent Books. Buy Donnaville   Donna's Website   Book Review for Donnaville from Kirkus Reviews   At about 2:05, Donna provides background on her formative reading and writing years  At about 3:40, Pete and Donna talk about the benefits of reading works a bit too old for them At about 5:05, Donna responds to Pete's questions about the Torah and how its stories affected her writing At about 6:30, Donna talks about formative and transformative writers, including poets and Greek mythology At about 8:05, Donna responds to Pete's questions about representation in discussing the significance of Sappho's work At about 10:25, Donna discusses the nuances of the word “queer” and generational usages  At about 14:00, Pete and Donna stan Honor Thy Father by Gay Talese, which receives a shout out in Donnaville At about 17:20, Donna expands on writers who inspired her as a high school and college student; she talks about the complicated legacy and work of Tolkien  At about 21:30, Pete asks Donna and how the detail shown in Donnaville connects to her work as an esteemed journalist  At about 23:40, Donna talks about her undercover journalism work, including a memorable white nationalism conference and purported former Olympic hopeful At about 26:40, Donna talks about the book's opening scene and connections to her real life, with regard to therapy and therapists and ways of finding growth At about 31:55, Pete describes the book's exposition and compliments Donna's  At about 34:05, Donna cites Denise Levertov's and Delmore Schwartz's (“Narcissus”) work as inspiration for her book featuring a city inside her mind; Pete cites another wonderful Schwartz text, “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities” At about 36:40, Donna talks about Foucault and resistance in connection to an evocative line from her book At about 37:20, Donna expands upon how there are two characters in the book who are not pieces of her, and she explains the significance of Harlequin in the book At about 41:45, Donna responds to Pete's question about the lying nature of Harlequin  At about 44:15, Donna and Pete explore ideas of connection and confusion between abusers and their young victims At about 47:50, Donna talks about early “action” that Donna in the book is urged to take At about 49:40, Pete highlights a beautiful quote regarding the “sacred divine” and Donna talks about expectations of hurt At about 50:30, The two discuss the contradictions of the book's jailer, and Donna further discusses ideas of shame At about 53:25, Donna expands on how she sees parts of her life and family in certain characters in the book At about 54:40, Pete shouts out a story, William Carlos Willams' “The Use of Force,” that explores ideas of sadism in similar ways as Donnaville  At about 55:50, Donna muses over ideas of self-care, emotional regulation, and structure in our lives featured in the book At about 57:35, Pete gives details about the book's main focus, and Donna responds to his observations about Donnaville as “a happily queer book” as she also expands upon pleasures found in the book At about 1:02:05, Pete cites traumas alluded to in the book and a deep quote about traumas emerging in people's lives At about 1:04:10, Donna ponders Pete's question about a nurturing group of older people and connects the book to Joseph Campbell's “Hero's Journey” At about 1:07:30, Pete and Donna discuss a possible animated movie based on the book and possible voice actors At about 1:09:25, Donna shouts out as bookstores to buy her book, such as The Bureau of General Services, Queer Division, Stanza Books and Binnacle Books        You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 255 guest Chris Knapp is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran.    I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 277 with Jahmal Mayfield, who writes gritty crime novels that touch on large social issues. His stellar SMOKE KINGS was inspired by Kimberly Jones' passionate viral video, “How can we win?”    The episode airs on March 25.  

Notes and Links to Deborah Taffa-Jackson's Work          Deborah Jackson Taffa is a citizen of the (Quatzahn) Quechan (Yuma) Nation and Laguna Pueblo. She earned her MFA at the Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa and is the Director of the MFA in Creative Writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Named Top 10 Book of the Year by Atlantic Magazine, and Top 10 Nonfiction Book by Time Magazine. Buy Whiskey Tender   Deborah's Website   Book Review for Whiskey Tender from Washington Post   At about 1:30, Deborah reflects on and expands on her experience in being a finalist for The National Book Award  At about 5:30, Pete shares some laudatory feedback for her memoir and Deborah shouts out Birchbark Books, Collected Works, Left Bank Books, as some great places to buy her book  At about 7:30, Deborah shares some wonderful invitations she's received to discuss her book and her art At about 9:05, Deborah explains how she “reverse-engineered” the book with regard to research and personal stories  At about 10:20, Deborah responds to Pete's questions about her early reading and language life and how her formal and informal education was affected by her family's histories  At about 15:45, Deborah gives background on her “autodidactic,” transformative learning, study, reading, and traveling that helped her   At about 19:00, Deborah traces the throughlines of colonization in seemingly-disparate groups At about 22:20, Deborah discusses the significance of her epigraph on “ceremony” At about 26:25, Billy Ray Belcourt is cited as Pete and Deborah talk about the speculative and aspirational writing  At about 27:55, Pete and Deborah reflect on ideas of indigenous invisibility as evidenced in a memorable scene from Whiskey Tender At about 29:40, Deborah cites a “shocking” study n her college textbook that speaks to how many Americans view Native American women, and how it provided fodder and stimulus for her memoir At about 31:25, the two discuss a flashback scene that begins the book and the idea of “mirages” as discussed in the opening scene At about 35:20, Pete asks Deborah to expand upon a resonant line from her book about meaningful childhood experiences  At about 37:35, Deborah talks about historical silences in her family and in others  At about 39:40, Deborah talks about the intensive historical research done in the last year before the book was published At about 40:55, The two discuss similarities regarding generation gaps in indigenous groups and immigrant and traditionally-marginalized groups  At about 42:40, Deborah talks about the lore of Sarah Winnemucca in her family and “her savvi[ness] and revisionist history At about 46:25, Pete and Deborah talk about the “flattening” of American Indian stories and pivotal government treaties and reneging on deals by the American government   At about 48:00, Pete and Deborah reflect on contemporary connections to previous American policies At about 50:20, The two discuss a representative story about “lateral violence” and belonging and ostracism that affected Deborah at a young age At about 53:00, Counternarratives to myths about indigenous peoples and movement are discussed  At about 57:20,  At about 59:40, Pete is highly complimentary of Deborah's writing about her grandmother's genuine and wonderful nature, and Deborah expands on her grandmother's cancer diagnosis and outlook and lasting influence  At about 1:02:30, Pete highlights a wonderful closing scene about time and place and home      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 255 guest Chris Knapp is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!     This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 276 with Donna Minkowitz, a writer of fantasy, memoir, and journalism lauded by Lilith Magazine for her “fierce imagination and compelling prose.” Her first book, Ferocious Romance, won a Lambda Literary Award for Best Book On Religion/Spirituality, and her most recent memoir was Growing Up Golem, a finalist for both a Lambda Literary Award and Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award. She is also the author of the novel DONNAVILLE, published in 2024.     The episode airs on March 18.  

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

Notes and Links to Raúl Perez's Work   Raul Pérez is an Associate Professor of Sociology at University of La Verne. He is also the author of The Souls of White Jokes: How Racist Humor Fuels White Supremacy (Stanford University Press, 2022).    Buy The Souls of White Jokes   Raul Perez's University of LaVerne Website   Book Review from Oxford Review: The Souls of White Jokes     At about 1:50, Raúl talks about his early language and reading journeys At about 5:15, Raúl notes the greatness and importance and multi-generational pull of LAUSD's coffee cake for the Perez family At about 6:40, Raúl details his high school academic journey and some early inspiring reads-shout out, Mr. Taylor!  At about 9:05, Raúl talks about how college social scene readings and class discussions and formative and transformative professors changed his mindset  At about 12:45, Raúl shouts out Netflix's Mo as a really “engaging…springboard for discussion” At about 16:45, Raúl responds to Pete's questions about how humor and its study made its way into his reading and scholarship At about 23:00, Raúl talks about seeds for his writing about humor and race and graduate school goals At about 24:45, Raúl responds to Pete's question about being able to watch comedy without analyzing it At about 25:50, Raúl recounts stories of his experience taking an ethnography class of humor/standup comedy, including the ways in which race and racism affects standup comedy   At about 27:50, Pete asks Raúl what he might do if he had a few minutes to do standup, and Raúl talks about racialized humor foisted upon him and others in a previous standup class At about 32:00, Raúl reflects on comedians who successfully put in the work and “exercis[e] the funny bone” and “find the funny in everything” At about 33:50, The two reflect on Dave Chappelle's work and he and Bill Burr and others and how they deal with difficult/traumatic “material” At about 38:00, Raúl and Pete talk about terminology n hs book and Raúl expands on his choice to avoid using the infamous hateful epithet  At about 40:50, Raúl talks about racism “behind-the-scenes” among police officers, sometimes with officers of color targeting Black officers At about 42:15, Raúl talks about Latinos and Mexicans and conversations about anti-Blackness and Afro-Latinos role in these discussions  At about 44:35, Raúl talks about “cancelled” humor and skits on Saturday Night Live, including a legendary skit with Richard Pryor and Chevy Chase, and a pendulum effect with racial and racist humor At about 49:00, Raúl segues into talking about Tom Metzger and WAR's racist cartoons and Raúl's book censoring racist language  At about 50:40, Pete outlines the book's chapter titles and asks Raúl about licensing of racist cartoons used in his book; Raúl expands on Metzger's and others usage  At about 54:40, Raúl details a controversial NY Post cartoon that depicted President Barack Obama At about 56:15, Raúl responds to Pete's question about connections between the racist humor towards President Obama and “whitelash” from recent years to the early years of the United States as a country, with President Trump a natural consequence  At about 1:04:25, Pete notes Raúl's coined term of “amused contempt” and states his thesis of racist humor and its “social power” At about 1:05:30, Raúl discusses the significance of the book's title and connections to W.E. DuBois' famous The Souls of White Folk At about 1:10:10, Raúl reflects on the significance of minstrel and its racist legacy and ideas of shared humor at the “expensive of the racialized group” At about 1:12:20, Pete recounts the book's opening with the story of Cleon Brown and compliments Raúl's tracing such a long history with the book At about 1:15:00, Raúl talks about how sees Trump's upcoming presidency and its connections to racist “humor” and how he is an avatar for those who have tired of “wokeism” At about 1:17:00, Raúl expands on Trump 2.0 and those like Elon Musk who use meme culture and racist/”anti-PC” culture to ”weaponize humor” At about 1:21:10, Raúl gives background on the study of “disparagement humor” and its effects, as studied by Thomas E. Ford  At about 1:24:00, Raúl talks about future writing subjects, including the “weaponization of humor in warfare,” like with the IDF in Gaza    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 265 guest Carvell Wallace is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 274 with Annell López, winner of Louise Meriwether First Book Prize and the author of the short story collection I'LL GIVE YOU A REASON. She is a Peter Taylor Fellow at Kenyon Review Writers Workshops, and her work has appeared in American Short Fiction, Michigan Quarterly Review, and Refinery29, among others. The episode airs on March 4.

Notes and Links to Lamya H's Work        Lamya H (she/they) is a queer Muslim writer and organizer living in New York City. Their memoir HIJAB BUTCH BLUES (February, 2023 from Dial Press/Penguin Randomhouse) won the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize and a Stonewall Non-fiction Book Award, and was a finalist for Lambda Literary and Publishing Triangle Awards. Lamya's work has appeared in Los Angeles Review of Books, Salon, Autostraddle, Vice, and others. She has received fellowships from Lambda Literary and Queer|Arts.      Lamya's organizing work centers around creating spaces for LGBTQ+ Muslims, fighting Islamophobia, Palestine and prison abolition. In her free time, she eats lots of desserts baked by her partner, plays board games with whoever she can corral, and works on her goal of traveling to every subway stop in the city. She has never run a marathon.    Find her on Twitter and IG: @lamyaisangry Buy Hijab Butch Blues   Lamya H's Website   Book Review for Hijab Butch Blues from NPR   At about 2:20: Lamya shouts out Dominion as a top-tier board game and talks about flickering hopes of running a marathon  At about 5:35, Lamya talks about reading and writing and speaking in multiple languages growing up, as well as reading a lot of colonial texts from the British Empire At about 7:30, Lamya talks about beijing “flabbergasted” by the great White Teeth at age 15  At about 9:30, Lamya uses the evocative image of “fish not understanding that they're in water” in responding to Pete's questions about how she recognized representation and colonial tropes in lit At about 11:10, Lamya cites formative and transformative texts and authors in her adolescent year  At about 13:55, Lamya discusses early sparks for activism through a friend's introduction of Audre Lorde, Angela Davis, and more At about 15:15, Lamya responds to Pete's questions about her current reading, including her love for Huda F's work At about 18:45, Lamya responds to Pete's questions about her usage of “queer” and the titular “butch” At about 22:30, The two discuss a meaningful Quranic verse that starts off the book-Lamya explains ideas of “faith in flux” At about 25:00, Lamya gives background on surahs and a significant part of her book discussing Maryam's life and trials At about 26:45, Lamya discusses boredom in the high school years and how she felt connections to Maryam At about 29:45, Lamya responds to Pete's questions about feeling like life “is out of your control” as a teenager/high schooler At about 30:45, Lamya explains feelings of internalizing queerness upon experiencing a crush at age 14 At about 34:50, Lamya describes the importance of Quranic verses involving Maryam and “intentionality” and taqwa At about 38:00, Lamya responds to Pete's questions about the “Arab hierarchy” that she experienced as a kid, and the ways in which she and her family were targets of racism At about 41:40, Lamya details many meanings of “jinn” and describes its usage in her memoir At about 43:40, Lamya describes a friend “jumpstarting” a repudiation of internalized racism  At about 45:15, Lamya gives background on Allah and ideas of “transcending” gender  At about 49:00, The two discuss “rigid gender roles” as featured in the memoir, as well as connections to the Biblical Adam At about 50:00, Lamya outlines a offbeat “outing” experience  At about 51:30, Pete describe Musa's connections to Lamya's “coming out slowly process” and asks Lamya to comment-she talks about “reframing the negative” At about 53:45, Lamya cites “inviting in” as a way of reframing the “coming out” trope At about 55:35, Pete shouts out Christina Cooke's quote of queerness as “divine” At about 56:25, The two discuss empathetic and sensitive friends  At about 57:10, The Prophet Muhammed and connections to fealty and openness of fath and individuality are discussed At about 59:50, The two discuss “being “comfortable” in one's own skin and finding community At about 1:00:45, Lamya responds to Pete's questions about Asiya and those who encourage and perpetuate victimizers, including about ideas of citizenship in a country that has so often victimized  At about 1:03:40, Pete shouts out great “plot” in the book and a dizzying scene painted so well by Lamya At about 1:05:30: Lamya talks about hopes that her book and story can be universal while it is quite specific   At about 1:07:00, Lamya encourages people to “buy local”          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.       I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, my conversation with Episode 265 guest Carvell Wallace is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran.    I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of 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 273 with Raúl Perez. He is an Associate Professor of Sociology at University of La Verne and the author of The Souls of White Jokes: How Racist Humor Fuels White Supremacy. His work has been published in American Behavioral Scientist, Discourse and Society, Ethnicities, and Sociological Perspectives, and featured in Time, The Grio, Latino Rebels, and Zócalo Public Square.    The episode airs on February 25.

Notes and Links to Alejandro Heredia's Work          Alejandro Heredia is a queer Afro-Dominican writer from The Bronx. His debut novel LOCA is out today (February 11) from Simon and Schuster. He has received fellowships from Lambda Literary, VONA, the Dominican Studies Institute, Kenyon Review, and Trinity College. In 2019, he was selected by Myriam Gurba as the winner of the Gold Line Press Fiction Chapbook Contest. His chapbook of short stories, You're the Only Friend I Need (2021), explores themes of queer transnationalism, friendship, and (un)belonging in the African Diaspora. Heredia's work has been featured in Teen Vogue, Lambda Literary Review, The Offing, and elsewhere. He received an MFA in fiction from Hunter College.    Heredia currently serves as Black Mountain Institute's Shearing Fellow at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Buy Loca   Alejandro Heredia's Website   Book Review for Loca   At about 2:40, Alejandro shares his feelings as the book's Pub Day approaches, as well as feedback that he hasn't gotten on the novel At about 4:40, Alejandro talks about his bilingualism, growing up in The Bronx and The Dominican Republic, and what led him towards writing  At about 7:10, Alejandro talks about how being bilingual helps him to become a better writer/thinker and how his Spanglish has developed  At about 9:25, Alejandro gives some background on a specific Dominican word At about 10:25, Alejandro responds to Pete's questions about what he was reading that served as foundational for him and he expands upon “writing across difference” At about 13:10, Alejandro cites contemporary fiction that inspires and challenges, including Gina Chung's work At about 14:10, Alejandro outlines ideas of how he sees the use of the word “queer” At about 16:00, Alejandro expands upon seeds and stimulating ideas for his book, especially wth regard to the “Author's Note” At about 19:10, Alejandro expands on his Author's Note reference to fiction's “capaciousness” and how fiction's constructs helped him write about loss and grief in Loca At about 21:10, Alejandro talks about the significance of his two epigraphs and ideas of “home” and friendship  At about 23:40, Pete and Alejandro talks about the book's exposition and an early inciting incident  At about 24:30, Pete asks Alejandro about main character Charo's domesticity and her visceral negative reaction At about 26:05, The two discuss ideas of community and Y2K and the importance of the “queer space” at The Shade Room in a Dominican and Puerto Rican community At about 28:20, Alejandro talks about intersectionality and his qualms about its usage in early reviews of the novel At about 30:55, Pete and Alejandro discuss Vance and Sal's first meeting and budding relationship and ideas of “identity politics and language” At about 32:25, The two discuss important familial and friend characters  At about 33:55, Yadiel is discussed as a proud queer character and Aljandrro expands upon a moment in which Sal and Yadiel  At about 36:15, Alejandro responds to Pete's questions about a “moment in time” and a “utpian moment,” and expands upon the good and bad of life “at the margins” At about 39:35, Alejandro replies to Pete's question about the ways in which he deals wth sexual abuse and its effects and the abuse as “foundational” and “inform[ing]” Sal's adolescence and beyond At about 42:45, Vance and his likability and Ren are described  At about 43:55, Anacaona and her history are discussed in connection to an important flashback in the book At about 46:00, Alejandro expands upon ideas of “erasing Blackness” that come as unintentional (?) effects of the portrayal of the Taino peoples  At about 49:15, Robert and his sympathetic nature and his usage of a homophobic slur are discussed, as Alejandro discusses the “reclaiming” of the word in the queer Dominican community At about 50:40, Don Julio, Sal's roommate, and his emblematic background are discussed, along with the benefits and drawbacks of “normalizing” a reclaimed word At about 53:00, Alejandro talks about being a “writer of images” after Pete compliments one of many resonant scenes At about 54:55, Pete and Alejandro tiptoe around any spoilers At about 55:50, Sal and Kiko and their minor triumphs and Sal's success as a teacher are discussed  At about 57:00, Pete wonders about Lena, an eccentric character in the book, and Alejandro talks about some ambiguities  At about 59:00, Robert and Charo's relationship and ideas of repression, personal choice, and guilt throughout the book are discussed  At about 1:03:25, Pete and Alejandro discuss generational differences in the ways in which Sal and Vance interact and see progressive movements  At about 1:07:40, Alejandro discusses social media contact info and points listeners towards his upcoming tour dates      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with previous guest Carvell Wallace will be up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran.    I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 272 with Lamya H. Lamya is a queer Muslim writer and organizer living in New York City whose 2023 memoir HIJAB BUTCH BLUES won the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize and a Stonewall Non-fiction Book Award, and was also a finalist for Lambda Literary and Publishing Triangle Awards. Lamya's organizing work centers around creating spaces for LGBTQ+ Muslims, fighting Islamophobia, Palestine, and prison abolition.    The episode airs on February 18.

Notes and Links to Jason De León's Work   Jason De León is Director of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, Loyd E. Cotsen Endowed Chair of Archaeology, Professor of Anthropology and Chicana/o and Central American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.    De León is Executive Director of the Undocumented Migration Project (UMP) Inc. a 501(c)(3) research, arts, and education collective that seeks to raise awareness about migration issues globally.    He is the author of two award winning books: “The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail” (featuring photos by Michael Wells) and “Soldiers and Kings.” Soldiers and Kings won the 2024 National Book Award for Nonfiction. De León is 2017 MacArthur Foundation Fellow.    In addition to his scholarly pursuits, Jason is an active musician who sang and played guitar with the Long Beach based hardcore-punk-reggae band Youth in Asia in the mid to late 1990's and the Americana band The Wilcox Hotel based out of State College, PA between 2005 and 2008. He currently plays bass in  The War Pigs and is involved in various musical projects including periodic reunions with The Wilcox Hotel.   Buy Jason's Books   Jason Website   Jason's National Book Award Receipt: Video   Book Review: Soldiers and Kings New York Times Review    Jason on CBS Sunday Morning: Video   At about 2:50, Jason helps Pete get over some Lakers/Kings traumas At about 6:15, Jason talks about the experience of winning the National Book Award At about 8:45, Jason shouts out indie bookstores like Literati, Village Well, Powell's as places to buy his book At about 10:05, Jason gives background on his early relationship with language and story, and how this reading was shaped by his childhood At about 11:10, Jason talks about ups and downs of reading and writing for joy, and how “story” has been an interest  At about 13:20, Jason talks about how multilingualism was part of his childhood and the ways in which speaking foreign languages  At about 14:50, Jason responds to Pete's question about writers who challenge and inspire him, including Ernest Gaines, Lus Alberto Urrea, Willie Vaultin, and Jesmyn Ward At about 17:00, Jason cites songwriters like John Prine, Jason Isbell, and Bruce Springsteen as inspirational At about 19:20, Jason gives background on the protocol and timing and embedding done in his research for Soldiers and Kings  At about 20:30, Pete is highly complimentary of Jason's balance of first person and third person and his skilled objectivity; Jason responds to Pete's questions about any “vertigo” that came with intense fieldwork and academia and family life  At about 24:15, Jason speaks to the significance of the book's epigraph from Jason Isbell At about 27:50, Jason discusses the difference between “smuggling” and “trafficking” and their implications in the book and beyond At about 29:15, Jason and Pete reflect on the titles for the people represented on the book, and Jason responds to Pete's question about how he wrote to avoid generalization   At about 32:30, Jason recounts a story from his first book that is emblematic of fully-drawn characters At about 34:30, Pete asks about ethical concerns in research for the book At about 36:05, Jason outlines how childhood experiences and exposure to violence may have helped him connect more with the main characters of the book At about 38:50, Jason reflects on how he proved himself trustworthy in his research and how and why the characters are “good judges of characters” At about 41:00, The two discuss Honduras and its importance in migration in the last decade or so, as well as how its emblematic of the global and natural forces  At about 45:45, the two reflect on youth and its importance in the book and how privilege, or lack thereof, connect to ideas of redemption and traumas At about 49:35, Pete cites a telling quote from Father Greg Boyle in reference to the high number of adverse experiences that so many migrants have had to carry; Jason discusses ideas of hope  At about 52:15, Pete highlights a resonant poem by Warsan Shire that leads Jason to talk about the “sharks” that put people on the migrant route At about 55:25, Jason responds to Pete's question about the infamous “La Bestia” At about 57:20, Jason explains the term “clavo” and its implications to “stateless” people    At about 58:55, Pete notes that the book deals so successfully with  At about 1:01:00, “The Future Belongs to Those Who Dream,” a chapter title, and its implications for optimism and hope is discussed  At about 1:04:55, Pete cites the book's wondrous last page, as well as the book's long future “shelf life”   You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 264 guest Maggie Sheffer is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the classic Gabriel Garcia Marquez short story, “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World.” I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 271 with Alejandro Heredia, a queer Afro-Dominican writer from The Bronx and winner of the Gold Line Press Fiction Chapbook Contest. His writing has been featured in Teen Vogue, Lambda Literary Review, and elsewhere; His resonant debut novel LOCA has its Pub Day on Feb 11, the day on which the episode airs.  

Notes and Links to David Ebenbach's Work   David Ebenbach writes. He's been writing ever since he was a kid, when he kept his whole family awake by banging away on an enormous manual typewriter, and he's never wanted to stop.    In fact, David's now the author of ten books of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, and his work has picked up awards along the way: the Drue Heinz Literature Prize, the Juniper Prize, the Patricia Bibby Award, and more.    Born and raised in the great city of Philadelphia, these days David does most of his writing in Washington, DC, where he lives with his family—because he uses a laptop now, he doesn't keep them awake with his typing—and where he works at Georgetown University, promoting inclusive, student-centered teaching at the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship, and teaching creative writing and literature at the Center for Jewish Civilization and creativity through the Master's in Learning, Design, and Technology Program.   Buy David's Books   David Ebenbach's Website   Book Review: LitPick about Possible Happiness     At about 2:15, David talks about the cool cover design for Possible Happiness At about 3:00, David discusses a recent reading in which his students were able to hear/see his work At about 4:00, David highlights wonderful contributions from Carol Nehez, his inspirational high school teacher  At about 5:55, David details pivotal reading and writers from his adolescence  At about 7:30, Pete and David discuss connections between his book and West Philly's own Will Smith At about 8:15, David responds to Pete's questions about Philadelphia's deep writing tradition and pivotal events in 1980s Philadelphia; he cites John Wideman and Mat Johnson At about 11:00, David cites Ted Chang, Charles Yu as a few contemporary writers he enjoys At about 12:25, David explains the webs involved with his books and genre and publishing  At about 13:55, David speaks about teaching informs his writing and vice versa-featuring shouts out to Asha Thanki and Kate Brody At about 16:15, David lists some favorite texts of his classmates, including work by Jewish writers from the Global South, like Esther David and others like Nathan Englander and Robert Levy-Samuels At about 18:40, David gives out information about buying Possible Happiness and shares how he finds joy on social media-specifically Facebook At about 21:00, David responds to Pete's questions about inhabiting the persona/headspace of the teens represented in Possible Happiness At about 23:55, David gives background on Jacob, the protagonist's, mindset and book's exposition  At about 27:00, Pete and David discuss Jacob's “inertia” and how depression and how the book's common phrase of “howling like a coyote” relate  At about 28:15, David talks about the term “depression” and both capacious and maybe “limiting” At about 29:10, David and Pete discuss Jacob's mother's living with depression and  At about 30:20, David reflects on the significance of a literal collective howl in the book At about 31:55, Pete compliments David's usage of a “moment in time,” and David cites Raymond Carver's “Cathedral” and Miranda July's work as examples of authors manipulating time At about 34:40, Pete has a bone to pick over Full House's treatment in the novel! At about 35:10, The two discuss the awesome (in the truest sense of the word) pacing in Tobas Wolff's “Bullet in the Brain” At about 36:10, the machinations of the social groups at the book's high school are discussed, as well as the “quaint” ways of home phones pre-cell phones At about 37:55, Pete thanks David for dropping info on Philadelphia's metro At about 39:00, David discusses the ways in which clubs that accepted people under 21 and the culture that brought Jacob ways to release anger/angst At about 40:00, The two discuss the pop culture references from the late 80s/early 90s featured in the book  At about 41:30, Pete details information about Jacob's happy days and days dealing with depression and connections to his social life At about 42:10, The religiosity of Jacob's family and his uncle's family are discussed, and David reflects on the ways that Jacob's Judaism is represented  At about 44:15, The two discuss the real-life parallels between identity and race and class in the book At about 47:00, Jacob's trip to Chicago to meet his father and ideas of neglecting to talk about depression are discussed  At about 49:20, David responds to Pete's question about the source(s) of Jacob's resentment towards his father At about 50:30, Pete compliments the subtle and nuanced ways in which David writes about depression and teen life  At about 51:35, David cites some benefits of writing about the pre-cell phone days At about 53:00, David gives some hints about his exciting upcoming projects You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 264 guest Maggie Sheffer is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 270 with Lamya H. Lamya is a queer Muslim writer and organizer living in New York City whose 2023 memoir HIJAB BUTCH BLUES won the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize and a Stonewall Non-fiction Book Award, and was also a finalist for Lambda Literary and Publishing Triangle Awards. Lamya's organizing work centers around creating spaces for LGBTQ+ Muslims, fighting Islamophobia, Palestine, and prison abolition.    The episode airs on February 4.

Notes and Links to Dan Gutman's Work        New York Times best-selling and award-winning author Dan Gutman has written more than 190 books for readers from kindergarten through middle school. Dan's My Weird School series includes 100+ titles, and has sold more than 35 million copies globally over the past 20 years. Dan also is the author of the best-selling Genius Files series, the Baseball Card Adventure series, and many more.    Dan's books have been named Junior Library Guild Selections and Bank Street College's Best Children's Books of the Year, and have been awarded numerous state book awards, including: The California Young Reader Medal, the Massachusetts Children's Book Award, and the Iowa Children's Choice Award, among others.     When he's not writing books, Dan loves to ride his bike, play pickleball, throw Frisbees, and explore New York City where he lives with his wife Nina. To find out more, follow Dan on Facebook, BlueSky, and Instagram. Buy Dan's Books   Dan Gutman's Website   Book Review: The Genius Files   At about 0:45, Audrey nails the biographical reading of Dan Gutman's info At about 2:25, Dan responds to Pete asking if “it gets old” after writing 190+ books At about 3:15, Pete talks about the baseball bug hitting the family At about 3:40, Audrey gives background on the family's connection with Satchel Paige, and Chris gives backstory involving Shoeless Joe Jackson At about 5:45, Dan expands on the legend of Shoeless Joe and talks about the popularity of baseball with young people  At about 6:40, Dan and the Riehls discuss the famous Honus Wagner baseball card and some facts about him, the star of one of Dan's books At about 8:50, Dan responds to Audrey's question about his inspirations for the baseball series through giving background on his writing for kids and connecting to baseball At about 11:10, Dan traces his journey in initially getting his work published  At about 13:20, Chris recommends a baseball player for Dan's new book At about 13:50, Dan reflects on why he chose the baseball players he did for his books  At about 15:15, Dan replies to Audrey's question about his own baseball career, and shares a cool Easter egg At about 16:15, The  At about 16:40, Chris recounts two family card collecting stories similar to The Sandlot-the second dealing with a Michael Jordan rookie card At about 19:10, Dan discusses the research needed for his writing, and how he balances fantasy/fiction with nonfiction  At about 21:10, Pete shares his experience reading about larger cultural events and historical events through sports books like those about Jackie Robisnon  At about 22:35, Dan shares his experiences in writing about Jackie Robinson and Joe DiMaggio  At about 23:35, Dan responds to Pete's questions about books and genres that inspired his love of reading, and how reading about baseball was a huge catalyst  At about 25:50, Dan shares wonderful feedback and compliments shared by eager readers of his work and their parents and teachers  At about 27:10, Pete and Dan discuss The Genius Files series and its ethos, and Dan gives background on the series' genesis  At about 30:25, Dan talks about writing for different ages and in different genres, and his mindset in doing so At about 31:55, Dan responds to Pete asking about his “beta readers” and getting reading feedback  At about 33:00, Dan shouts out some favorite writers for young people  At about 34:30, Dan talks about the ways in which visual arts and photography are balanced with his words  At about 36:50, Dan reflects on what his books have in common and ideas of the “muse” as he mentions some exciting upcoming projects  At about 41:00, Dan gives contact and social media info, as well as book ordering information      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 255 guest Chris Knapp is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran.    I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 269 with David Ebenbach. He is the author of ten books of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, and his work has picked up awards along the way: the Drue Heinz Literature Prize, the Juniper Prize, the Patricia Bibby Award, and more. He works at Georgetown University, promoting inclusive, student-centered teaching at the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship, and he teaches creative writing and literature at the Center for Jewish Civilization and creativity through the Master's in Learning, Design, and Technology Program.    The episode airs on January 14.    Please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Keith O'Brien's Work        Keith O'Brien is a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist. He has written four books, been a finalist for the PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sportswriting, been longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, and has contributed to multiple publications over the years.    O'Brien's work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, and on National Public Radio. His radio stories have aired on All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and Weekend Edition, as well as Marketplace and This American Life.    The Wall Street Journal calls his latest book, CHARLIE HUSTLE, "compulsively readable and wholly terrific." Publishers Weekly calls it "definitive and elegantly told, this is a home run," and Kirkus Reviews hails CHARLIE HUSTLE as a "masterpiece of a sports biography."    A midwesterner by birth, O'Brien grew up in Cincinnati and graduated from Northwestern University. He now lives in New Hampshire with his wife, two children, two dogs and two cats. Buy Charlie Hustle   Keith O'Brien's Website   New York Times Review of Charlie Hustle At about 2:00, Pete asks Keith about the medium of radio, and Keith talks about how he loves radio and how it works different “muscles” At about 3:40, Keith traces his early reading and writing life and his love of sports stories, Sports Illustrated, and more, including David Halberstam's stellar work At about 5:45, Pete and Keith fanboy over great work from The Best American Sports Writing of the Century At about 7:05, Keith shouts out Mirin Fader and Andrew Maraniss and Jonathan Eig, among others, as writing inspirations At about 8:55, Keith talks about how work in Japan helped to ignite his love of and skill for writing At about 10:45 (13:50), Keith discusses how he views storytelling, showing/telling, as well as objectivity in writing, as well as expectations for readers At about 14:50, Pete quotes a meaningful excerpt from the beginning of Charlie Hustle, and Keith expands upon how “stunned” he was by the crying and emotional responses from those talking about Pete Rose's impact in their lives At about 17:20, Pete alludes to the Author's Note, and asks Keith about his childhood outlook on Pete Rose and the Reds as a native Cincinnatian At about 21:05, Pete gives some exposition from the book and summarizes the “high point” from the Introduction  At about 22:00, Keith paints a picture of Pete Rose's childhood growing up on the Westside of Cincinnati, and talks about “Big Pete” Rose and his legendary exploits, including a  At about 26:40, Keith explains the significance of two events in the summer of 1956 and how it shaped Pete At about 29:15, Keith recounts an emblematic story involving Pete Rose and boxing At about 30:45, Pete picks up on the aforementioned story and asks Keith if he sees the same mindset in Pete Rose in denying his betting later in life; Keith talks about a lack of vulnerability for Pete Rose At about 32:45, Keith charts the importance of Pete Rose's Uncle Buddy in jumpstarting Pete's career  At about 37:15, Keith gives background on Pete Rose's iconic nickname and its “mythology” At about 39:55, The two reflect on the “juxtaposition” between those who gave Pete Rose his nickname and Pete Rose At about 41:10, Keith talks about racism and the treatment of Black players in the Major Leagues, as well as how Pete viewed/spoke about race  At about 44:35, Keith expands on the ways in which Pete was seen as a “white, working-class hero” in the media and among fans  At about 48:15, Keith reflects on the echoing importance of Pete Rose's collision with Ray Fosse At about 52:15, Keith responds to Pete's questions about how Pete Rose's upbringing may or may not have been “seeds” for his later gambling and vice At about 56:35, Decree Rule 21(d) and its ubiquity in baseball clubhouses is discussed  At about 57:10, Pete talks about how skillfully Keith shows Pete Rose's impending fall at the end of Part III At about 58:35, Keith responds to Pete's questions about Pete Rose and whether he felt remorse over the way he treated women and his children At about 1:00:20, Keith reflects on how the same qualities that made Pete Rose great also were his downfall At about 1:01:40, The two discuss “credible allegations that Pete Rose had had a relationship with an underage girl in the 1970s and its impact on his baseball analyst job At about 1:03:20, Keith responds to Pete's questions about the importance of a homecoming in 1986 to Cincinnati At about 1:06:50, Keith expands upon the inextricable links between Bart Giamatti and Pete Rose At about 1:09:10, The two discuss Pete Rose's last years and prodigious autograph signing and the ways in which his fans continued to be moved by meeting him and talking to him; Keith shares his personal experiences in being amazed by the awe of the fans he witnessed in person At about 1:11:45, Keith reflects on the “crucial” and “poigna[nt]” ending of the book, an ending that Pete is highly complimentary of  At about 1:13:30, Keith discusses how he felt upon learning of Pete's death and the sadness associated with Pete “being defined by his greatest mistakes” At about 1:15:00, Pete and Keith reflect on connections between Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull and Pete Rose and the “fleeting” nature of fame At about 1:16:15, shoutout to Ellen Adar for the audiobook At about 1:17:10, Keith shouts out places to buy the book, including Waterstreet Books in NH, and gives 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 Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 255 guest Chris Knapp is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran.    I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 268 with Dax-Devlon Ross, who is the author of six books. His journalism has been featured in Time, The Guardian, The New York Times, and other national publications, and he won the National Association of Black Journalists' Investigative Reporting Award for coverage of jury exclusion in North Carolina courts. His most recent book, Letters to My White Male Friends, is a call to action and a reflection on race.    The episode airs on December 31.    Please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Lydia Kiesling's Work      Lydia Kiesling is a novelist and culture writer. Her first novel, The Golden State, was a 2018 National Book Foundation “5 under 35” honoree and a finalist for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Her second novel, Mobility, a national bestseller, was named a best book of 2023 by Vulture, Time, and NPR, among others. It was longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize and a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. Her essays and nonfiction have been published in outlets including The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker online, and The Cut. Contact her at lydiakiesling@gmail.com. Buy Mobility   Lydia Kiesling's Website   Lydia's Wikipedia Page Alta Online Book Review for Mobility   At about 1:35, Lydia gives out contact information and social media information, as well as places  At about 4:10, “Return of the Mack” as an “eternal jam” is highlighted in the book At about 5:40, Lydia talks about her reading life and how it connected to her “cusp generation” and her time as a “foreign service brat” At about 9:50, Lydia talks about her experience reading Joyce Carol Oates, for whom an award is named that Lydia was longlisted for, and Pete compares the narrator, Bunny, and her situation in Mobility to iconic characters from “Where are you going, Where have you been?” and “In the Land of Men” At about 11:30, Lydia recounts interesting parts of her life in boarding school and how it shaped her At about 15:20, Lydia discusses the reading life fostered through memorable English classes in boarding school At about 21:15, Lydia highlights the ways in which her life as a writer developed, including early work in the blog era and a great opportunity from The Millions At about 26:00, Lydia shouts out contemporary writers who thrill and inspire, including Jenny Erpenbeck and Bruna Dantas Lobato At about 30:55, Lyda responds to Pete's questions about the ways in which Lydia's history as a “diplomat brat” has affected her view of the US At about 34:45, The two discuss seeds for the book and the importance of the book's concise epigraph  At about 37:25, Lydia highlights The Oil and the Glory as inspiration for the book At about 40:45, Pete lays out part of the book's exposition and underscores the importance of the book's first scene and use of oil prices to mark each year  At about 42:30, Lydia responds to Pete asking about the draw of Eddie and Charlie and the older men/boys At about 43:55, Pete quotes Mario Puzo in relating to “men doing what they do when they're away from home” and Lyda builds on it when talking about Baku and the things and people that came with oil drilling At about 45:00, Lydia gives background of the soap opera referenced in the book as she and Pete further discuss important early characters At about 47:40, Lydia explains the background and significance of a ring that Bunny covets that says “I respond to whoever touches me” At about 51:00, Pete recounts some of the plot involving Bunny's return to the US and Texas and asks Lydia about the intentions of her mentor, Phil At about 53:20, Lydia expands on the “weird current” that comes with being a young woman/woman in a male-dominated world At about 54:40, Pete and Lydia discuss the manner in which Bunny and so many in our society choose to look away when faced with the evils of capitalism, oil, war, etc.  At about 58:15, Lydia emphasizes the ways in which story and narrative govern so much of the way politics and business work At about 59:40, The two discuss Bunny as a nominal liberal  At about 1:01:15, Lydia responds to Pete's question about any reasons for optimism in response to climate change At about 1:04:00, The idea of “geologic time” as a negative and positive is discussed with regards to the environment and oil and positive change       You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 255 guest Chris Knapp is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!   This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran.    I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 267 with Keith O'Brien. He is a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist who has written four books, been longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, and contributed to multiple publications over the years, including the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic, and NPR. Kirkus Reviews hails his latest, Charlie Hustle, as a "masterpiece of a sports biography."    The episode airs on December 24.    Please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Carvell Wallace's Work        Carvell Wallace is a writer and podcaster who has contributed to The New Yorker, GQ, New York Times Magazine, Pitchfork, MTV News, and Al Jazeera. His debut memoir, Another Word For Love (MCD, 2024), explores his life, identity, and love through stories of family, friendship, and culture and is a 2024 Kirkus Finalist in Nonfiction. He was a 2019 Peabody Award nominee, a 2022 National Magazine Award Finalist, a 2023 winner of the Mosaic Prize in Journalism, and a 2025 UCross Fellow. He lives in Oakland.  Buy Another Word for Love   Carvell Wallace's Website   New York Times Review of Another Word for Love   “Carvell Wallace on What Writing Taught Him About His Life” for LitHub At about 2:25, Carvell describes his “active” reading youth during his youth, including interest in Edgar Allan Poe and fables and fairy tales, and how creative pursuits in college paused and started his writing life  At about 6:25, Carvell shouts out a teacher who exposed him to great literary works and “treated [him] like a real writer” At about 7:45, Carvell talks about being an artist “getting off the academic train” and academic “tracking” At about 9:20, Carvell and Pete discuss “math people” and implications around embracing the label or not At about 10:40, Carvell lists Song of Solomon, Judy Blume, Grapes of Wrath as “formative” texts and writers, and he details how imitation works in his writing,  At about 14:00-Ayn Rand and Jordan Peterson talk! At about 15:50, Carvell discusses his take on expectations of literary and pop culture “representation” growing up, as well as how he “goes to reading to find [himself]”  At about 19:15, Pete asks Carvell about his wide level of interest and knowledge and “muses,” and Carvell describes the “throughline” for his varied work as “people” At about 22:50, Carvell and Pete discuss the definitive answer to the pronunciation of “gif” and highlight meaningful gifs of JR Smith and Andre Iguoadala At about 25:15, Carvell responds to Pete's question about writers and creators who inspire, including the film podcast You Must Remember This and Tricia Hersey's We Will Rest At about 28:20, Pete tiptoes into asking about Frankenstein's monster At about 29:05, Pete highlights stirring parts of Another Word for Love and shares gushing blurbs At about 30:40, Pete asks about the structuring of the book and links that Catrvell envisioned and put into practice; Carvell explains his rationale for structuring around recovery At about 33:05, Carvell connects Choose Your Own Adventure to the ways in which he tried to avoid “prescriptive” writing  At about 34:05, Carvell replies to Pete's question about “killing [his] darlings”  At about 36:10, Carvell gives background on his June Jordan epigraph and talks about her revolutionary ways At about 40:00, Carvell muses profoundly on the “contradiction(s)” of the United States At about 42:05, Carvell responds to Pete's asking about the “encroaching shadows” and loneliness that govern the book's opening scene; Carvell also reflects on the “unreliability of memory”   At about 46:00, The two reflect on a pivotal early chapter about a literal and figurative “fog” and unorthodox lessons learned from the experience  At about 48:45, Carvell explains the importance of descriptions in the books about seeking intimacy with his mother and flipping tropes At about 50:20, Carvell talks about writers and dishonesty and remembrance with regard to a possibly apocryphal story regarding kids forced to take care of themselves At about 54:40, Carvell talks about nomenclature for sexual assault and reflections on ideas of culpability and masculinity  At about 58:20, Carvell reflects on healing through writing the book and his ethic in writing it At about 1:01:05, Pete recounts important parts of Carvell's childhood daydreaming  At about 1:02:20, Carvell points out a “theory of recovery” as seen in a metanarrative and ideas of “endless beautiful things in the world” At about 1:03:30, Carvell muses on connections between hip hop and Shakespeare that especally At about 1:05:20, The two discuss “The Finger” and racism shown by a white man and its larger implications  At about 1:08:40, Pete asks Carvell about links between “overwrit[ing] reality” and racist violence towards him At about 1:10:00, The two reflect on change and the birth scene of his child; Carvell reflects on humility as illustrated in the scene   At about 1:12:45, Pete recounts important scenes that end Part I and govern Part II and asks Carvell about “re-union” and healing At about 1:14:10, Pete gushes honestly over the book's greatness, evocative nature, and resonant nature  At about 1:15:30, Carvell talks about the book's end and its lack of an end  At about 1:16:20, Carvell shares contact info, social media info, and places to buy his book, including great Bay Area bookstores like Harold's Books       You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 255 guest Chris Knapp is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 266 with Lydia Kiesling. She is a novelist and culture writer whose first novel, The Golden State, was a 2018 National Book Foundation “5 under 35” honoree and a finalist for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Her second novel, Mobility, a national bestseller, was named a best book of 2023 by Time and NPR, among others. The episode airs on December 17. Please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Maggie Sheffer's Work           Marguerite (Maggie) Sheffer is a writer who lives in New Orleans. She is a Professor of Practice at Tulane University, where she teaches courses in design thinking and speculative fiction as tools for social change. Formerly, she taught English at the East Oakland School of the Arts, Castlemont High School, Life Academy, and GW Carver High School.    Her debut short story collection, The Man in the Banana Trees, was selected by judge Jamil Jan Kochai for the Iowa Short Fiction Award, was published in Fall 2024.     Maggie is a founding member of Third Lantern Lit, a local writing collective, and the Nautilus and Wildcat Writing Groups. She received her MFA from Randolph College. She was a 2023 Veasna So Scholar in Fiction at The Adroit Journal, and was selected as a top-twenty-five finalist for Glimmer Train's Short Story Award for New Writers.  Her story “Tiger on My Roof” was a finalist for the 2024 Chautauqua Janus Prize, which awards emerging writers' short fiction with “daring formal and aesthetic innovations that upset and reorder readers' imaginations.”    Her position on semicolons (for) is noted in an Australian grammar textbook (pg. 16). Buy The Man in the Banana Trees     Maggie's Website   From LitHub: "Marguerite Sheffer on Crafting a Collection of Century-Spanning Speculative Fiction"   "Marguerite Sheffer: These Stories Are an Intimate Map of What Scares Me" from Writer's Digest At about 0:45, Maggie shares a fun story about being published with George Bernard Shaw At about 2:15, Maggie talks about her early reading life At about 3:20, The two reflect on the evolving reputation of Star Wars and Star Wars fans At about 4:45, Maggie shares how wine bottles led to writing an early and pivotal short story  At about 5:40, Maggie describes a gap in “actively writing” while teaching and interacting differently with writing At about 6:50, Maggie lists texts and writers that helped her “reorder [her] brain” At about 8:55, Pete and Maggie stan Tillie Olsen's “I Stand Here ironing”   At about 10:45, Pete recounts a story about how he happened upon the great story by Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery” At about 11:30, Maggie responds to Pete asking about what drew and draws her to science and speculative fiction At about 12:30, Maggie highlights past guest Jamil Jan Kochai, Ken Liu, E. Lily Yu, Sofia Samatar, Clare Beams, Maurice Carlos Ruffin, the book The Safekeep, and others as contemporary writers who thrill and inspire At about 13:45, Pete asks Maggie how teaching has inspired her writing At about 15:25, Maggie cites Octavia Butler's and Sandra Cisneros' work and The Things They Carried and other texts that were favorites of her students  At about 16:50, The two discuss the epigraph and seeds for the short story collection  At about 18:30, The two discuss the collection's first story and connection to Tillie Olsen's idea of being “imprisoned in his own difference” and students being “othered” At about 22:40, Maggie reflects on an important truth of fiction At about 23:20, Maggie discusses famous unicorn tapestries that inspire a story of hers At about 24:40, Pete compliments Maggie's “delightfully weird” stories and “soft endings” and she responds to his questions about allegory/plot and “cool stories” At about 26:20, Maggie talks about realizing the throughlines in her collections At about 27:50, Maggie responds to Pete's questions about writing in Covid times At about 28:20, Pete cites examples of misogyny in the collection and asks about Joycleyn Bell and Maggie expands upon the story “The Observer's Cage”-its genesis and connections to Jocelyn Bell Burnell At about 31:00, Pete notes the use of animals as stand-ins for humanity and Maggie expands on deas of resistance as seen in the collection At about 32:00, The two discuss ideas of redress and reclaiming the past through stories in the collection, especially “The Observer's Cage” At about 34:40, the two discuss a story with ghosts and ideas of “unfinished business” and capturing past natural greatness At about 36:40, Maggie talks about sadly learning that an idea that she thought was original was not, as the two discuss a few stories about commercialism, dystopia, and climate change At about 40:20, the two discuss middens, and themes of reclaiming what has been lost  At about 42:30, Pete notes an interesting story that deals with memory and AI, and Maggie talks about writing from a interesting-placed narrator  At about 44:20, Pete draws connections between a title character, Miriam Ackerman, and Truman Capote's wonderful “A Christmas Memory”, while Maggie discusses the relationship between the title character and the narrator  At about 47:10, The two discuss violence and parental lack of control, especially in “Tiger on the Roof” and its memorable ending and creative plot  At about 50:25, Pete highlights the poignant and resonant closing line for the above story and connects the ending to Alice Elliott Dark's classic, “In the Gloaming” At about 52:00, The two discuss the collection's title story and Maggie discuses inspiration from Carmen Maria Machado At about 53:00, The two discuss the way the above story is “gutting” in its portrayal of the “banality of loss” At about 56:10, Maggie reminds that the book is not just a “downer!” At about 56:50, Maggie reads from “En Plein Aire” At about 1:00:30, Maggie gives information on places to buy her book and social media and contact information At about 1:01:20, Maggie shares information on some exciting new projects         You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.       I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Jeff Pearlman, Matt Bell, F. Douglas Brown, Jorge Lacera, Jean Guererro, Rachel Yoder, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writers who have inspired their own work.    I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 265 with Carvell Wallace. He is a writer and podcaster who has contributed to GQ, New York Times Magazine, Pitchfork, MTV News, and Al Jazeera, among others. His debut memoir, Another Word For Love, is a 2024 Kirkus Finalist in Nonfiction, and one of Pete's all-time favorite memoirs.    The episode airs on December 10.    Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Fernanda Trías' Work    Fernanda Trías was born in Uruguay and is the award-winning author of three novels, two of which have been published in English. She is also the author of the short story collection No soñarás flores and the chapbook El regreso. A writer and instructor of creative writing, she holds an MFA in creative writing from New York University. She was awarded the National Uruguayan Literature Prize, The Critics' Choice Award Bartolomé Hidalgo, and the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz International Prize in Mexico for her novel Pink Slime. Both The Rooftop and Pink Slime were awarded the British PEN Translates Award, and Pink Slime was chosen by The New York Times in Spanish as one of the ten best books of 2020. Translation rights for her work have been sold in fifteen languages. She currently lives in Bogotá, Colombia, where she is a teacher at the creative writing MFA program of Instituto Caro y Cuervo. In 2017, she was selected as Writer-in-Residence at the Casa de Velázquez in Madrid, where she started writing her latest novel, Pink Slime. Buy Pink Slime   Fernanda Trias' Publisher Page for Simon and Schuster   Review of Pink Slime from Reactor Mag At about 2:00, Pete and Fernanda discuss the book's Spanish and English titles and different subtleties of each; Fernanda details how she decided to title the book as she dd At about 3:20, Annie McDermott, Episode 91 and Mario Levrero shout outs! At about 4:00, Fernanda discusses her reading life growing up, the ways in which better translations slowly came to Uruguay, and reading  At about 6:45, Fernanda talks about respect for Garcia Marquez, though not being a huge fan, and cites Juan Rulfo as “perfección” At about 8:15, Pete expands on a Rulfo favorite of his, “No Oyes Ladrar los Perros,” and Fernanda expands on her love of Rulfo's Pedro Paramo  At about 10:05, Fernanda talks about favorite contemporary authors, like Herta Muller and Olga Tokarczuk  At about 12:00, Pete shouts out Jennifer Croft, and Fernanda responds to Pete's questions about why there is such a affinity for Eastern European writing in Latin América, and she specifies the Río Plata region as connected  At about 14:55, Fernanda describes her familial connections to Europe-particularly Italy and Spain At about 17:15, Fernanda responds to Pete's question about seeds for her writing life At about 19:05, Fernanda references The Stranger and El Lugar by Levrero as chill-inducing books At about 21:30, Pete is complimentary of Fernanda's worldbuilding, and she expands on what she loves about it At about 23:00, Pete and Fernanda discuss translation in her book, especially of colloquialisms like “ni fu ni fa” At about 26:25, Fernanda responds to Pete's question about climate change and other stimuli for Mugre Rosa/Pink Slime At about 28:50, Pete mentions the book's interesting dialogues that complement the action, and Fernanda expands on the evolving dialogues   At about 30:50, Fernanda talks about the book's opening and the “first image” in her mind of a foggy port that creates an ambience for the book At about 33:45, Pete shares laudatory blurbs for the book, especially about the book's “envelop[ing]” world built by Fernanda At about 34:25, Fernanda describes the book's opening, including a pivotal scene involving a possible last fish At about 37:05, Pete wonders about nostalgia, and Fernanda talks about her interest and lack of interest in certain ideas of what has been lost  At about 39:40, Fernanda discusses the relationship between the narrator and Max and its significance in the novel, especially in charting changes in the narrator as the book continues At about 44:20, Pete points out a funny saying/joke from the book and Fernanda outlines her conversations with Heather Cleary in the translating of the joke At about 46:05, The two discuss “surrendering and letting go” and connections to the novel and specifically, the narrator and Max's relationship  At about 47:30, Pete lays out some basics on the relationships between the narrator and her mother, as well as her work situation with Mauro; Fernanda talks about how Covid's social dynamics have mirrored so many parts of her novel and the ways in which the rich were able to move to safety    At about 51:45, the two discuss the differing relationships between the narrator's two mother figure-Fernanda talks about the key questions of “What is a mother?” At about 55:50, Fernanda and Pete discuss Mauro and his health condition and his memories of the time outlined in the book At about 58:00, Pete and Fernanda reflect on ideas of community and if there is optimism/hope that comes with the book  At about 1:01:50, The two discuss ideas of systems and individuals' culpability  At about 1:04:00, Fernanda gives social media info, and places to buy her book      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.       I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Jeff Pearlman, Matt Bell, F. Douglas Brown, Jorge Lacera, Jean Guererro, Rachel Yoder, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writers who have inspired their own work. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 264 with Maggie Sheffer. She is Professor of Practice at Tulane University, where she teaches courses in design thinking and speculative fiction as tools for social change. She is a founding member of Third Lantern Lit, a local writing collective, and her debut short story collection, The Man in the Banana Trees, was selected by judge Jamil Jan Kochai for the Iowa Short Fiction Award, and is published as of November 5.    The episode airs on December 3.    Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Rus Bradburd's Work        Rus Bradburd's latest book is the satirical novel, “Big Time.”  Rus attended Chicago Public Schools for eleven years before graduating from North Park College. After coaching basketball for fourteen seasons at UTEP and New Mexico State University, he left the game to study with Robert Boswell and Antonya Nelson—and pursue a life in writing. His five books focus on the intersections of sport, social progress, politics, and race. Rus has remained connected to the game through his acclaimed Basketball in the Barrio summer program in El Paso, as well as serving as NMSU's television “color analyst.”  He was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to return to Ireland to work on his next book about refugees in Belfast, “Almost Like Belonging.” An accomplished fiddle player, he lives in Chicago, Belfast, and New Mexico. Buy Big Time   Rus Bradburd's Website At about 2:00, Rus gives background on his fiddle playing and his time as color commentator for New México State University  At about 3:40, Rus talks about Big Time as his first work of fiction, as well as its nice timing, and he details how he worked on the book for many years At about 5:40, Rus outlines some of the book's exposition and plot, and talks about the current Colorado Football connections At about 6:40, Rus talks about Univ of Chicago's 1939 dropping of football and other stimuli for the book's genesis, including Rick Russo's work, and Dave Meggyesy's book  At about 8:40, Rus talks about satire and fiction and ideas of how fiction often gets at truth so well At about 10:00, Rus gives more background on committee workloads and how the proliferation of committees and on particular example worked their ways into his book  At about 12:25, Rus talks about normalization of budget imbalance in universities  At about 13:30, Pete and Rus discuss the book's epigraph, and Ruis talks about how the book satirizes college athletics, while he's “knee-deep” in sports still At about 15:30, Pete details a compare and contrast lesson that he teaches  At about 17:00, Rus responds to Pete's question about the book's opening and main characters Mooney and Braverman, history professors, working concessions at football games  At about 18:40, Rus gives background on “pop poet” Layla, and the ways in which she and the two history professors work together; Rus connects today's conversations around student protests and protests in the book At about 20:30, Rus talks about the downfall of the Coors State English Department in the book At about 22:00, Rus cites the Missouri Football protest in fodder for a similar situation in his book At about 23:00, Rus speaks about rich owners often asking taxpayers to finance big building projects  At about 24:20, Pete asks Rus about any inspirations for Layla, and he expands upon how the character evolved in his writing At about 27:50, Pete charts the roles and importance of some characters in the book At about 28:35, Rus discusses the financial costs and gains of big sport universities, and argues that the sporting program is taking away from education and educators At about 33:00, Rus talks about a flawed system that puts so much work and so little compensation for adjunct instructors and showcases much hypocrisy At about 35:00, Pete points out links between Braverman and Mooney's activism and civil rights movements, and Rus connects to the push and pull that governs his own thoughts with regards to activism  At about 38:00, Rus talks about how the book's events are in many ways reminiscent of fractures on the political Left At about 40:25, Pete and Rus talk about NlL and how it relates to topics covered n the book, and whether/how NIL affected Rus' writing  At about 44:00, Rus cites Dagoberto Gilb as an example of a writer who is successful while not being preachy, and how through satire, one can be a “little more message-heavy” At about 45:50, Rus responds to Pete's questions about satire and hyperbole and highlights how his writing the book made him love his characters  At about 48:45, Pete asks Rus about doing dystopia in The Age of Trump, and Rus cites David Shields and a tantalizing book idea that is now obsolete  At about 51:10, Pete wonders about Rus' thoughts on the frenzied rise of legalized sports gambling, and Rus talks about further normalization of formerly-”sacreligious” things like beer sales at college games At about 53:20, Rus cites Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk as an influence on his book and talks about using a real beer company's name At about 54:45, Pete compliments Rus' use of stream of consciousness  At about 56:30, Rus shares out information on readings and book events coming up, including one with Beto O'Rourke, and contact and book buying information You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.       I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Jeff Pearlman, Matt Bell, F. Douglas Brown, Jorge Lacera, Jean Guererro, Rachel Yoder, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writers who have inspired their own work. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 263 with Fernanda Trías, award-winning author of three novels and the short story collection No soñarás flores; awarded the National Uruguayan Literary Prize, The Critics' Choice Award Bartolomé Hidalgo, and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz International Prize in Mexico for Pink Slime/Mugre Rosa. The episode goes live on November 26. Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Notes and Links to Greg Mania's Work         Greg Mania's words have been published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, HuffPost, Oprah Daily, PAPER, among other international online and print platforms. He is also a contributing editor to BOMB Magazine, he hosts The Rumpus's #ShowUsYourDesk on Instagram Live, and co-hosts Empty Trash, a reading series in Los Angeles. His debut memoir, Born to Be Public, is out now from CLASH Books.    He lives in Los Angeles, where he spends his days writing and hanging out with his boyfriend, the poet and TV writer Tommy Pico, whose commitment to the bit rivals his own.       Buy Born to Be Public   Greg Mania's Website   Lambda Literary Review of Born to Be Public   “How Born to Be Public Author Greg Mania Lived a Double Life Before Coming Out” for Oprah Daily At about 2:10, Greg talks about growing up in Central New Jersey, and his cultural life and the ways in which New York City held a special magnetism for him At about 5:35, Greg describes the different parts of New Jersey and its immortal malls  At about 6:45, Greg responds to Pete's questions about growing up speaking Polish and whether his writing in English has parallels in Polish  At about 8:15, Greg explains how he's a “word nerd” and how this and his family affects his joke creation  At about 9:40, Greg talks about how he and Ruth Madievsky vibe for me many reasons, including a shared affinity for dark humor At about 12:30, Greg notes that Born to Be Public has been **translated into Polish** At about 13:20, Greg gives background on Poland and its evolving conservatism and liberalism  At about 14:15, Greg shows his Beverly Cleary-related tattoo and shouts out his love of Garfield and other dark/weird humor in growing up; Phyllis Diller gets stanned  At about 16:30, n expanding upon his love for Pee Wee Herman, Greg talks about his love for and interest in persona  At about 17:40, Phyllis Diller gets stanned more as Greg notes an incredible sign from Phyllis/the universe At about 19:25, Greg discusses the litany of publications with which he works, and being a “freelance” writer in a year of transformation At about 21:20, Greg responds to Pete's question about his writing routine At about 24:50, Greg gives information on his upcoming novel project  At about 27:15, Greg answers Pete's question about how taking his nonfiction to fiction is “freeing” At about 30:10, Greg lists Ruth Madievsky, Samantha Irby, Emily Austin, Rufi Thorpe, Kristen Arnett, Chantal Johnson, Kimberly King Parsons as some of the writers who thrill and challenge her At about 32:40, Greg responds to Pete's asking about how one is funny on the page At about 34:25, Greg makes a startling Friends'-related admission At about 35:15, Pete and Greg discuss the interplay between the humor and heaviness in his book At about 39:20, Sand art! At about 40:30, Greg talks about advice from a writer about how he ended up writing a book that has resonated with so many  At about 41:30, Greg reflects on childhood fears and the ways in which he has worked through these fears and compulsions  At about 43:45, The two discuss fixations with death At about 44:40, Greg gives background on his childhood fascination with chimneys and diesel trains, and his dad's selflessness At about 47:30, Greg talks about the ways in which his parents' generosity and love was counterbalanced by homophobia and migraines and anxiety  At about 51:00, Greg details some harmful words from a childhood doctor  At about 53:15, Greg responds to Pete's question about his mindset in retorting to bullies and he mentions the “power” that came with quips  At about 55:15, Pete connects Greg's humor to a Tillie Olsen line and wonders about Greg's feelings at the time  At about 57:45, Greg details how his friend Rachel brought him so much confidence and helped him build his humor At about 1:00:00, Greg talks about the “no inhibitions” that govern his relationships with his boyfriend Tommy in the same way as with Rachel At about 1:01:15, Greg charts how educating himself on his fears has been helpful, particularly with regards to “fight or flight”   At about 1:05:15, Pete notes a “LOL” moment that sums up a classic college trope  At about 1:07:30, Greg speaks to the idea of “identity as never neat” At about 1:09:00, Greg talks about the links between his first friends in New York and Lady Gaga and the ways in which “Greg Mania” (MAYN-ee-uh) grew to fit him At about 1:10:10, Greg discusses how his writing mentors in high school and college helped him on his way to professional writing  At about 1:13:20, Greg talks about the book as A memoir, and how it's him “pars[ing] the different parts of [him]” At about 1:15:50, Greg responds to Pete's questions about his days at “Magic Mondays” and its connection to the worlds of publishing At about 1:19:00, Greg talks about his “majestic” hair (Pete's words) and the ways in which it was his calling card in his clubbing days At about 1:20:40, Greg answers Pete's questions about what comedy writing “satisfies” for him, and Greg expands on the “sacred[ness]” of joke writing At about 1:23:00, Greg details the “reward” in writing jokes and talking humor with his boyfriend At about 1:24:40, Greg talks about the difference between memoir/memoirs and how his book applies to the former        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.        I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Jeff Pearlman, Matt Bell, F. Douglas Brown, Jorge Lacera, Jean Guererro, Rachel Yoder, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writers who have inspired their own work. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 262 with Rus Bradburd, who teaches writing classes in New Mexico State University's MFA program and coached basketball at UTEP and New Mexico State for fourteen seasons. His work has appeared in The Southern Review, Colorado Review, Puerto del Sol, SLAM Magazine, Bounce, Los Angeles Times, and many others. Rus is a two-time guest spoke about 2018 nonfiction book, All the Dreams We've Dreamed: A Story of Hoops and Handguns on Chicago's West Side on Chills at Will Episode 15. November 19 is Pub Day for Big Time, his fourth book and second novel. The episode airs on Pub Day. Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Notes and Links to Lauren Markham's Work       Lauren Markham is a writer based in northern California. She is the author of the recent A Map of Future Ruins: On Borders and Belonging (Riverhead, 2024) which The New Yorker listed as one of “The Best Books We've Read in 2024 So Far” and which Kirkus reviews called “a remarkable, unnerving, and cautionary portrait of a global immigration crisis.” A fiction writer, essayist and journalist, her work most often concerns issues related to youth, migration, the environment and her home state of California. Markham's first book, The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life (Crown, 2017) was the winner of the 2018 Ridenhour Book Prize, the Northern California Book Award, and a California Book Award Silver Prize. It was named a Barnes & Noble Discover Selection, a New York Times Book Critics' Top Book of 2017, and was shortlisted for the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize and the L.A. Times Book Award and longlisted for a Pen America Literary Award in Biography.  Markham has reported from the border regions of Greece and Mexico and Thailand and Texas; from arctic Norway; from gang-controlled regions of El Salvador; from depopulating towns in rural Sardinia and rural Guatemala, too; from home school havens in southern California; from imperiled forests in Oregon and Washington; from the offices of overwhelmed immigration attorneys in L.A. and Tijuana; from the upscale haunts of women scammed on the Upper East Side.  Her writing has appeared in outlets such as VQR (where she is a contributing editor), Harper's, The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, The New York Review of Books, The New Republic, Guernica, Freeman's, Mother Jones, Orion, The Atlantic, Lit Hub, California Sunday, Zyzzyva, The Georgia Review, The Best American Travel Writing 2019, and on This American Life. She has been awarded fellowships from The Mesa Refuge, UC Berkeley, Middlebury College, the McGraw Center, the French American Foundation, the Society for Environmental Journalists, the Silvers Prize, the de Groot Foundation, and the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference.  In addition to writing, Markham has spent fifteen years working at the intersection of education and immigration. She regularly teaches writing in various community writing centers as well as at the Ashland University MFA in Writing Program, the University of San Francisco and St. Mary's MFA in Writing Program. Her third book, Immemorial, will be published by Transit Books in 2025.       Buy A Map of Future Ruins   Lauren's Website   Los Angeles Review of Books' Review of A Map of Future Ruins   At about 4:00, Lauren makes the case that not all young reading has to be high-brow as she discusses formative works as a kid and adolescent, which included Nancy Drew and Milan Kundera At about 6:50, Lauren responds to Pete's question about how she thinks and writes in diverse genres, and how her reading of varied writers informs her own work At about 10:40, Lauren shouts out Vauhini Vara, Hernan Diaz, Nathan Heller, Jia Tolentino, and other treasured contemporary writers At about 12:45, Lauren talks about how writing informs her teaching, and vice versa At about 15:25, Pete asks Lauren about seeds for A Map of Future Ruins and how her work with many undocumented and refugee students has affected her writing At about 19:00, Lauren and Pete discuss ideas of belonging and exclusion and pride and heritage in connection to Lauren's Greek heritage and reporting trips there At about 23:10, Ideas of “insiders” and “outsiders” and the challenges of immigration paperwork are discussed At about 26:05, Pete and Lauren reflect on a powerful quote from Warsan Shire regarding people being impelled to emigrate At about 26:55, Lauren gives background on the conditions that made Moria on the Greek slang of Lesbos a “purgatory” At about 31:20, Demetrios, a representative Greek from the book, and his views on immigration and “speak[ing] bird” is discussed  At about 36:05, Lauren expands upon how Greece as the “starting point of democracy” has been corrupted and co-opted and points to a stellar expose on truth from Kwame Anthony Appiah At about 41:50, The two discuss the arbitrary nature of “The West” and Greece and its ideals and ideas of a “Western lineage At about 43:55, Lauren expands upon the ideas of “proximity to Whiteness” with particular historical relevance for Greeks, Italians, and Southern Europeans At about 44:55, Pete and Lauren reference the horrific images of the Syrian refugee whose death galvanized support, as well as Ali Sayed's story, traced in her book At about 46:40, Lauren explains terminology and methods of doing business by Turkish and other smugglers At about 48:10, Turkish and Greek relations and how they affected the lack of patrols is highlighted  At about 49:20, “The Moria Six” and Ali's story and trials are discussed in relation to the fire referenced at the beginning of the book At about 52:00, The impositions of maps and Empire are reflected upon  At about 53:05, “Whiteness” and its imposition on “classical form” and racist science are explored, as written about in the book At about 54:55, The two trace the initial and later welcome for refugees to Greek islands and ideas of the original meaning of “asylum”; Lauren also highlights many incredible people helping refugees to this day, as well as ideas of “invaders” and scapegoats At about 58:40, Discussion of Greek austerity and true issues of difficulty for are referenced  At about 59:50, The two discuss Lauren's section in the book regarding Darien Gap and connections to Lauren's family's own emigration/immigration story At about 1:02:00, The two highlight ideas of community among refugees, and Pete asks Lauren about pessimism and optimism and the book's title At about 1:03:25, Ali's unfinished story is referenced  At about 1:04:05-Laser Round Questions! East Bay Booksellers, Point Reyes Books and Green Apple are shouted out as good places to buy her books At about 1:05:05, Immemorial, Lauren's 2025 release, is described  What a pleasure it has been to speak with Lauren. Continued good luck to her with her future writing and important work. Thank you for listening to this episode of The Chills at Will Podcast.    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.       I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Jeff Pearlman, F. Douglas Brown, Matt Bell, Rachel Yoder, Jorge Lacera, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writing and writers that have inspired their own work.    I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 261 with Greg Mania, who is a writer, comedian, and award-winning screenwriter. He's also author of the debut memoir, Born to Be Public, which was an NPR Best Book of 2020 and an O, Oprah Magazine Best LGBTQ Book of 2020. Greg's work has appeared in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Oprah Daily, PAPER, among other international online and print platforms. This episode will air on November 12. Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.      

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notes and Links to Jesse Katz's Work      For Episode 249, Pete welcomes Jesse Katz, and the two discuss, among other topics, his childhood love of baseball, formative and transformative books and writers, lessons learned from early writing, LA and MacArthur Park lore, and salient themes and issues in the book like poverty and the punitive nature of powerful interests, grief, and various forms of violence, as well as larger narratives about the immigration system, family units, and traumas and silences.      Jesse Katz is a former Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Magazine writer whose honors include the James Beard Foundation's M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award, PEN Center USA's Literary Journalism Award, a National Magazine Award nomination, and two shared Pulitzer Prizes. As a volunteer with InsideOUT Writers, he has mentored incarcerated teenagers at Central Juvenile Hall and the former California Youth Authority.    Buy The Rent Collectors   Jesse Katz's Website   New York Times Review of The Rent Collectors   At about 2:00, the two discuss Jesse's recent book launch at Skylight Books, which Pete was lucky to attend At about 4:10, Jesse talks about generous feedback, including from those featured in the book At about 6:30, Jesse discusses the experience of recording the audio for his book At about 9:45, Jesse gives background on his relationship with language growing up At about 12:15, The two share memories of reading formative works on Jackie Robinson At about 14:30, Jesse describes takeaways from his adolescent readings of Hemingway, Kerouac, and immersive writers, and college reading that “flipped the switch,” including Joe McGinniss and Hunter Thompson At about 18:15, Jesse talks about his relationship with his alma mater, Bennington College, and Bret Easton Ellis and other standout alumni At about 19:55, Jesse highlights Matthew Desmond and Susan Orlean as contemporary writers (especially Orlean with her The Library Book and Desmond with his Poverty by América, an inspiration for The Rent Collectors) who inspire and thrill At about 22:55, Pete makes a connection between American Psycho and The Rent Collectors, especially with regards to litanies, and Jesse expands on “the cost of being poor” At about 24:50, Pete and Jesse talk about Jesse's book, The Opposite Field, and connections to the great Luis J. Rodriguez At about 27:50, Jesse responds to Pete's questions about how he sees the book now, speaking about The Opposite Field At about 29:00, Pete highlights a generous blurb from hector Tobar, and Jesse outlines how Hector's support propelled Jesse to get to work on realizing the book's finish At about 32:00, Jesse cites Giovanni's (Macedo, the book's protagonist) own healing and his generosity in sharing his story At about 34:00, Pete and Jesse discuss the book's opening, and why Jesse decided to start the book in the middle of the story with Giovanni “rising from the dead” At about 38:50, Jesse gives background on Giovanni's backstory, especially with regard to his father, and not knowing the reason for his father's death At about 42:10, Jesse expands upon the setting of MacArthur Park, the focus of the book's Chapter Two, and its denseness and uniqueness in LA At about 43:30, The two discuss Giovanni's early forays into gang life and some members of the clique featured in the book At about 45:30, Jesse speaks about Reyna, Giovanni's mother, and how she felt powerless in keeping her son from gangs At about 47:40, Jesse speaks to the staying power of gangs and how they “[fill] a void,” and Pete quotes Father Greg Boyle and his thoughts on hopelessness  At about 49:45, Jesse replies to Pete's question about Francisco Clemente, who survived the targeted shooting by Giovanni and how he stood up against the rent collectors At about 51:20, Jesse describes the “older, savvier gang members” who were sought out by Giovanni At about 54:30, Pete and Jesse talk about how he sets the scene in the book for the horrendous events perpetuated by the gang and Giovanni; Jesse also details how he used court transcripts and written correspondence with Giovanni to piece together Giovanni's thoughts before and after the shooting At about 58:30, The backlash and early investigations about the homicide are discussed At about 1:00:45, Pete charts Giovanni's life in the immediate aftermath of the murder, and Jesse responds to a question about his a key decision  At about 1:04:10, Jesse speaks to the naivete of Giovanni's dialogue with Holmes, the investigator  At about 1:05:40, The two discuss sentencing for Giovanni and his reflection on his crimes and aftermath At about 1:07:00, Jesse talks about Daniela, the mother of Luis Angel, and how he tried and failed to find her to speak with for the book, and why it was maybe for the good that she didn't have to relive the trauma At about 1:09:45, Jesse ruminates on Giovanni's future At about 1:11:15, Jesse reflects on how the book may help him with his parole At about 1:13:00, Pete and Jesse trade quotes and meditate on the book's hopeful lessons At about 1:14:50, Jesse gives contact info and book buying information       You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.     I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 249 with Ben Tanzer. He is an Emmy-award winning coach, creative strategist, podcaster, writer, teacher and social worker who has been helping nonprofits, publishers, authors, small business and career changers tell their stories for 20 plus years.     He produces and hosts This Podcast Will Change Your Life, which was launched in February 2010, focuses on authors and changemakers from around the country and the world, and was named by Elephant Journal as one of "The 10 Best Podcasts to Help you Change your Life.”    His written work includes the short story collection UPSTATE, the science fiction novel Orphans and the essay collections Lost in Space and Be Cool. His most recent novel is The Missing.    The episode will go live on August 27.    Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

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

Notes and Links to Christina Cooke's Work      For Episode 247, Pete welcomes Christina Cooke, and the two discuss, among other topics, her childhood love of books, formative and transformative books and writers, contemporaries and fellow debut writers with whom her books are in conversation, the outsized influence of Mamá Lou, and salient themes and issues in her book like diaspora, notions of “home,” queerness and divinity, brotherly and sisterly relationships, and religiosity vs. spirituality.      Christina Cooke's writing has appeared in or is forthcoming from The Caribbean Writer, PRISM International, Prairie Schooner, Apogee, Epiphany, Michigan Quarterly Review, Lambda Literary Review, and others. A MacDowell Fellow and Journey Prize winner, she holds a Master of Arts from the University of New Brunswick and a Master of Fine Arts from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Christina was born in Jamaica and is now a Canadian citizen who lives and writes in New York City. BROUGHTUPSY is her debut novel.   Buy Broughtupsy   Christina Cooke's Website   Article in Vogue about Broughtupsy At about 1:40, Pete and Christina talk about a top-notch fruit mentioned in her book At about 4:00, Pete highlights an amazing version of the book that he received  At about 5:15, Christina talks about her rich childhood reading life At about 8:20, Christina shouts out Mrs. Dooley, an inspiring teacher At about 11:30, Christina cites books that made a huge impact on how she writes, including Handmaid's Tale At about 13:20, Pete wonders which books and writers “are in conversation” with Christina and her work, and she mentions Ruben Reyes, Jr., Santiago José Sánchez, Melissa Mogollon, Emma Copley, Lisa Ko, Annie Liontas, Miss Lou, Zadie Smith, and Erna Brodber At about 17:00, Christina talks about why she calls Jamaican patois a language, and its distinctive nature, and she tells about a fun difference between #3/#6 mango At about 18:45, Christina dissects the meanings of the book's title At about 19:45, The two discuss a Jamaican original word At about 20:40, Christina discusses seeds for the book and its iterations  At about 23:50, The two discuss the book's epigraph and Christina describes its provenance/significance  At about 28:00, Pete lays out the book's exposition and Christina gives background on sickle cell anemia, which is deadly to Bryson At about 30:30, Christina discusses Bryson's memories and wise maturity in his last days At about 33:25, Christina remarks on the “fable” told to reassure Bryson that his sister Tamika would be visiting-she cites “the complicated ways that we love” At about 35:10, Christina talks about a possibly-doomed relationship At about 37:20, Christina details how the book complicates religiosity and queerness' connections At about 40:35, Christina describes Akua “spiraling” in making a trip back home to Jamaica  At about 42:30, Akua and her “Americanness” in Jamaica is discussed, and Christina talks about parallels in her own life At about 45:40, An uncomfortable visit and questions between the sisters is discussed At about 46:30, Cod liver oil and a scene involving its destruction is recounted by Christina as she discusses its connection to Jamaican parenting in a certain time period At about 49:10, Christina responds to Pete's question about why Akua carries her brother's urn At about 51:40, Christina talks about Jamaicans being “culturally Anglican” and its complexities At about 53:20-Lady Saw and her legendaries and an early encounter with Akua and a woman in Kingston is recounted At about 57:20, Christina talks about “lyme” and its usage in the book and in Jamaica  At about 1:00:10, Christina charts the importance of The Miss Lou “Happy Birthday Song” in the book and in Jamaica and the Jamaican diaspora At about 1:01:45, Christina responds to Pete's questions about the ways in which Akua's father treats her and her homosexuality-Christina speaks to the idea of “infantilizing”  At about 1:06:00, Café con Libros, Word Up, and Bookshop.org are shouted out as good places to buy her book and she gives contact information/social media information At about 1:06:55, Christina shares wonderful feedback from readers      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This 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 248 with Katya Apekina, a novelist, screenwriter and translator; her novel, The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish, was named a Best Book of 2018 by Buzzfeed, LitHub, and more and finalist for the LA Times Book Prize; Mother Doll, was named a Best Book So Far of 2024 by Vogue    The episode will go live on August 16.    Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Notes and Links to Ruben Reyes' Work      For Episode 246, Pete welcomes Ruben Reyes, and the two discuss, among other topics, his childhood love of sci fi and fantasy, his family's diverse language history, formative and transformative books and writers, lessons learned from early writing, and salient themes and issues in his collection like agency, power dynamics, notions of “home,” grief, and various forms of violence, as well as larger narratives about the immigration system, family units, and traumas and silences.      Ruben Reyes Jr. is the son of two Salvadoran immigrants. He completed his MFA in fiction at the Iowa Writers' Workshop.    He is a graduate of Harvard College where he studied History and Literature and Latinx Studies. His writing has appeared in Audible Originals, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The Florida Review Online, Business Insider, The Acentos Review, Strange Horizons, Poynter, and other publications.    His debut story collection, There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, is forthcoming from Mariner Books. Originally from Southern California, he lives in Brooklyn.   Buy There is a Rio Grande in Heaven   Ruben Reyes' Website   At about 1:45, Harvard and secret clubs and “annoying social clubs” are discussed   At about 3:00, Ruben details the “chaotic” and exciting leadup to the August 6 publication date of his collection At about 3:45, Ruben shares “generous feedback” from blurbists and other early readers At about 5:50, Ruben shouts out upcoming book events-Brooklyn with Greenlight and Bryant Park, and Libro Mobile in Santa Ana At about 6:50, Ruben talks about growing up in Diamond Bar and how it's emblematic or not of LA and California At about 8:00, Ruben expands upon his language history and that of his family, and he also talks about growing up on fantasy books and Michael Crichton and other “conceptual sci-fi” works At about 10:35, Pete and Ruben strategize on how to get JK Rowling off Twitter and her “misguided” diatribes At about 12:30, Ruben talks about formative writers and writing from his high school and college days At about 14:15, Ruben discusses early writing and lessons learned from the work At about 16:30, Mad appreciation for Borges and how his work was against the “conventional craft” At about 18:30-Ruben highlights the influence of magical realism and its limits and strengths At about 20:00, The two discuss the evocative epigraphs for the story collection, from Roque Dalton and Ray Bradbury At about 23:35, The two discuss the opening short from the collection and the multiple stories that feature “Alternate Histories”; Ruben highlights Jamel Brinkley's guidance  At about 26:45, Ruben explains why he thinks the story has two starting points, and the two discuss the second story, “He Eats His Own” with its mangoes, ritual, and power dynamics and immigrant sagas At about 29:10, Ruben responds to Pete's questions between the balance and relationships between allegory and plot At about 31:00, Pete wonders if Ruben “stands in judgment of [his] characters” At about 33:50, Pete asks Ruben about the ramifications of the relationship between Steven and Tomás, a Salvadoran immigrant who has experienced a lot of grief; Ruben expands on his interest in “escape valves” for characters At about 36:35, The two discuss “Self-Made Man” and its connection to the complexities of immigration  At about 38:40, Ruben discusses “baselines” and the ways in which he resolved to write “three-dimensional characters” and focused on systems and reasons for traumas  At about 40:30, Agency as a theme in the story is discussed through “Quiero Perrear…” and its dynamic characters At about 42:00, Pete and Ruben delight in the opening line of “Quiero Perrear…” and its connections to Kafka's Metamorphosis At about 44:20, Pete is highly complimentary of “My Abuela, the Puppet,” and Ruben explains the story's genesis and connections to real-life At about 47:20, “Salvadoran Slice of Mars” as a way of showing inadequacies of the immigration system is discussed At about 48:55, The themes of “do-overs” and mourning and grief and the ways in which we view those who have passed are discussed in connection with a particularly meaningful story At about 52:20, Ruben discusses the historical fiction involving El Salvador's 1932 Matanza of a story in the collection that is one of the “alternate histories” At about 53:45, the two discuss the incredible work of Roberto Lovato and ideas of “unforgetting” and silences and trauma At about 55:50, Ruben responds to Pete's question about a story that lays out an alternate history of Selena as Ruben brings up systems and fame and the ways that celebrities are treated after their deaths At about 58:40, Ruben details how immigrants often think of “What if” so often  At about 59:40, “Variations on Your Migrant's Life” is explored, and Ruben talks about its inspirations  At about 1:04:15, Valeria and Oscar Ramirez Martinez (graphic picture discussed is not featured in article) and their story, fictionalized in a gutting final story, is discussed  At about 1:07:15, Ruben shouts out places to buy his book and gives his contact info/social media info      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This 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 245 with Shannon Sanders, who is a Black writer, attorney, and author of the linked story collection Company, which was winner of the 2023 LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction. Additionally, her short fiction was the recipient of a 2020 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers.  Please tune in for Episode 247 with Christina Cooke. Her writing has appeared in/is forthcoming from The Caribbean Writer, PRISM International, Prairie Schooner, and Lambda Literary Review, among others. A MacDowell Fellow and Journey Prize winner, her critically-acclaimed Broughtupsy, her debut novel, is out as of January 2024. The episode will go live on August 13. Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

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

Notes and Links to Annie Liontas' Work        For Episode 244, Pete welcomes Annie Liontas, and the two discuss, among other topics, their childhood love of books after early years of learning English as a second language, their teaching life, formative and transformative books and writers, the hot literary scene in Philly, and salient themes and issues in her memoir like writing emotionally-charged material, “invisible disability,” traumatic brain injuries and their personal history, as well as larger narratives about TBI in the carceral system, NFL, and beyond.      Annie Liontas is the genderqueer author of the memoir Sex with a Brain Injury: On Concussion and Recovery, which was featured on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross and selected as SELF Magazine's Book of the Month. Their debut novel, Let Me Explain You, was selected as New York Times Editors Choice. They co-edited the anthology A Manner of Being: Writers on their Mentors, and their work has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Gay Magazine, NPR, Electric Literature, BOMB, Lithub, The Believer, Guernica, McSweeney's, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. A graduate of Syracuse University's MFA program, they are a professor of writing at George Washington University. Annie has served as a mentor for Pen City's incarcerated writers and helped secure a Mellon Foundation grant on Disability Justice to bring storytelling to communities in the criminal justice system. They co-host the literary podcast LitFriends and live in Philadelphia.   Buy Sex with a Brain Injury   Annie's George Washington University Bio   NPR's Fresh Air Interview with Annie   Emma Copley Eisenberg Writes about Sex with a Brain Injury for Electric Lit   LitFriends Podcast with Annie and Lito Velazquez   At about 1:40, Annie talks about their experience with the legendary Terri Gross At about 3:45, Annie talks about their upbringing and Greek family lineage At about 5:20, Annie homes in on their early days in frustration in transmitting ideas in English  At about 6:20, Annie responds to Pete's questions about how Greek affects their English writing and reading  At about 8:30, Annie discusses their early love of reading At about 11:30, Annie and Pete discuss pleasurable reading and the idea of “favorite books” At about 12:15, Annie and Pete nerd out over Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Pete recommends “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” At about 13:40, Annie speaks to ideas of representation in what they have read  At about 15:20, Annie talks about “wonderful” professors in their time at Syracuse At about 16:20, Annie highlights Justin Torres, Yiyun Li, and other writers whose work is favorited by their students At about 17:50, Annie highlights Philadelphia's huge amount of talent-writers like Marie Helene Bertino, Emma Eisenberg, and Liz Moore At about 20:15, Pete and Annie talks about Annie's memoir's exposition and opening lines; Annie expounds upon seeds for the book At about 23:00, Pete shouts out Ingrid Rojas Contreras' The Man Who Could Move Clouds At about 23:50, The two discuss the ways in which Annie uses second person and tropes about concussions in the memoir At about 26:40, Pete wonders about Annie's decisions in summarizing three main injuries and compliments the draw of the structure; Annie talks about suspense and withholding and shares a resonant quote from George Saunders At about 29:30, Annie discusses “the longitudinal experience” that goes into “I will have my life” that ends the second chapter At about 31:05, Annie responds to Pete's questions about writing emotionally-charged material about beloved people At about 33:05, Annie talks about people doubting the severity of their injuries and a “five-year plan” At about 36:10, Annie shares interesting history about the rail industry and its “bonkers” track record-pun intended-in connection to injuries and “faking” At about 38:30, Pete asks Annie about effects of the brain injury At about 41:05, Pete's got jokes! and Annie talks about the physical effects of their brain injuries At about 42:25, Henry VIII's possible brain traumas are discussed, as are Harriet Tubman's At about 45:15, “Lying as a social act” is discussed in context of Annie's injury and subsequent ill effects At about 48:20, Annie discusses their mother's life and connections between addiction and brain trauma, including Marchell Taylor's moving fight for better care for TBI victims in the carceral system  At about 54:00, Pete highlights a resonant excerpt from the book, Page 67, revolving around queerness At about 57:15, Pete and Annie cite examples from the sporting world and the ways in which women's health concerns are not treated equally  At about 58:30, the NFL and concussions are discussed  At about 1:01:55, Pete and Annie discuss Q&A's with Annie's wife, and Pete wonders about the choice to use redacted parts  At about 1:04:30, Annie juxtaposes the different ways in which Tig Notaro and Ernest Shackleton dealt with trauma At about 1:08:50, Annie highlights the greatness of and beautiful relationship with Ursula von Ridingsvard At about 1:12:00, Annie shouts out their publisher and places to buy the book, as well as how to contact them and find them online; they give background information on her podcast        You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I'm looking forward to the partnership!     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This 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 245 with Shannon Sanders, who is a Black writer, attorney, and author of the linked story collection Company, which was winner of the 2023 LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction. Additionally, her short fiction was the recipient of a 2020 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers.     The episode will go live on July 31.     Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.  

Notes and Links to Kathleen Rooney's Work          For Episode 243, Pete welcomes Kathleen Rooney, and the two discuss, among other topics, her childhood love of story and her later connections to Chicago and Chicagoland, her devotion to words and sentences and poetry, her fascination with Colleen Moore and her Fairy Castle, seeds for From Dust to Stardust, and salient themes and issues in her book like stereotyping, early Hollywood, the burdens carried by young women and all women in Hollywood, and the power of cinema.       Kathleen Rooney is a founding editor of Rose Metal Press, a nonprofit publisher of literary work in hybrid genres, and a founding member of Poems While You Wait, a team of poets and their typewriters who compose commissioned poetry on demand. She is the author of the novels Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk and Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey, and her latest poetry collection Where Are the Snows, winner of the XJ Kennedy Prize, was released in Fall of 2022 by Texas Review Press. Her latest novel, From Dust to Stardust, came out in September 2023. She lives in Chicago and teaches at DePaul.   Buy From Dust to Stardust   Kathleen's DePaul University Bio   “Checking out Historical Chicago: Kathleen Rooney's From Dust to Stardust” From Chicago Review of Books At about 2:00, Kathlen talks about her early years in various parts of the country and her love of cities  At about 3:35, Kathleen talks about her great love of the written word, and always wanting to “tell stories” At about 5:30, Kathleen gives background on Chicagoland  At about 8:10, Various parts of IL and connections to David Foster Wallace are discussed  At about 9:30, Kathleen discusses formative writers, including “classic” poetry and how she is “attracted to words” At about 14:00, Kathleen cites music influences like Bob Dylan, a “fellow word pervert” and B96 in Chicago and 90s hip hop At about 15:50, Kathleen talks about how her Irish heritage has influenced her writing, and how her protagonist was limited by Irish tropes At about 18:00, Kathleen gives some background on “thin places” from Gaelic yore, its connections to the book's epigraph, and some plot summary/exposition for the book At about 22:15, Kathleen builds on earlier discussion of the early history of Hollywood and various locations for shooting movies, after Pete and she reflect on the beautiful Cinema Paradiso and ideas of the magic of cinema At about 24:05, Kathleen details her interest in Colleen Moore, and also gives seeds for the book At about 26:15, Kathleen describes Chicago's incredible Fairy Castle of Colleen Moore  At about 28:20, Pete and Kathleen talk about other vanity/aspirational projects of the 1920s and on, Hearst, etc. At about 29:20, Pete gives background on the book's main character's, Eileen's, early fascination with movies At about 30:15, Kathleen outlines the Eileen's family and various backstories and influences on Eileen At about 32:50, Pete asks Kathleen about her book's structure-flashbacks and flashforward, and how the memories are narrated/formatted  At about 36:50, Kathleen remarks on how she used flashbacks a little differently than some other popular movies At about 37:45, Pivotal early scenes that lead Eileen to Hollywood are recounted, and Kathleen expands on the insular environment of early Holywood At about 41:00, The two discuss the infamous D.W. Griffith and his connections to the book At about 42:00, Kathleen discusses the ways in which casting and life affect women, especially young women, and their choices At about 44:40, Kathleen talks about the various iterations of A Star is Born and its significance in Hollywood history At about 46:00, Marion Davies and her unfair/incomplete reputation are explained At about 47:30, Pete notes the ways in which Doreen is her own biggest fan and supporter and her agency and hard work At about 48:40, Kathleen shares her connections to Edna Ferber, the real-life writer referenced in the book At about 51:30, Kathleen responds to Pete's questions about typecasting in early Hollywood, and what research Kathleen used for the parts of the silent film era At about 54:30, Pete wonders about redemptive actions and motives for Eileen's father and his help with the Fairy Castle At about 57:20, Kathleen shouts out a few Chicagoland bookstores and other places to buy her book, and also gives social media//contact info At about 58:25, Kathleen talks about the magic of Poems While You Wait      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    I am very excited about having one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I'm looking forward to the partnership!    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!       This 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 244 with Alexandra Alessandri. She is the author of several books for children, including Isabel and Her Colores Go to School (2021), and Grow Up, Luchy Zapata (2024), a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection; her books have received numerous distinctions, including the International Latino Book Award The episode will go live on July 23.  Lastly, please go to https://ceasefiretoday.com/, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.