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Life, the Universe & Everything Else explores the intersection of science and society.
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THE BOOK I HAD TO WRITE features interview with critically-acclaimed writers about the stories they just HAD to get out in the world. Listen to stories about the stuff that gets in the way of showing up; or about craft challenges; or just how to navigate the changing landscape of publishing. "A killer interview podcast" -- Sarah Fay from Writers at Work. bookiwanttowrite.substack.com
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren to conclude their discussion of the situation in historic Palestine. Laura describes barriers to access food and water imposed by the government of Israel on both Gaza and the West Bank. Gem contrasts popular working definitions of antisemitism and e…
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In today’s episode I talk with author and creativity coach Courtney Maum of Before and After the Book Deal about what it means to write and publish memoir in 2024. She describes her own unconventional route into publishing, highlighting the importance of hard work and persistence over connections. She also shares insights into the craft of memoir, …
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In today’s episode I talk with author and cultural journalist Melissa Petro about her new book, Shame On: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification. The book explores how, in a patriarchal society, shame is often weaponized against women, keeping them small and lessening their impact. Petro weaves in her own personal story, which included an ea…
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura in the first part of a two part discussion of the history and current situation in historic Palestine. Gem provides an overview of the October 7th attacks and the Israeli military response, Ashlyn summarizes the history of settlement in the region, a…
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Book coach Joelle Hann: There's a big gap between the dream and the published book (Re-release)
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Book coach Joelle Hann—aka “The Brooklyn Book Doctor”—joins me to discuss the journey from book idea to finished product. Joelle delves into common obstacles for first-time authors, the transformative nature of writing, and the importance of mindset and resilience. She also shares insights from her Book Proposal Academy and highlights trends happen…
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In today’s episode, I’m joined by Joan Leegant to discuss her new short story collection, Displaced Persons. Joan shares insights into her writing process, including how she often begins stories with no preset idea and allows stories to emerge from a first sentence. Many of Joan’s stories are set among immigrants and Americans living in Israel. And…
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, the crew discusses common misconceptions: Gem corrects cardiac confusion, Ashlyn advocates for accommodations, and Lauren lambasts linguistic prescriptivism. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Heart Conditions: Cardiac Arre…
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Matthew Specktor on hybrid memoir, Hollywood failure & that time Marlon Brando left a voicemail
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In this episode, I talk with author and novelist about his recent hybrid memoir and cultural exploration, Always Crashing in the Same Car. We discuss his fascination with figures who faced creative crises in Hollywood, from F. Scott Fitzgerald, filmmaker Hal Ashby or musician Warren Zevon to more overlooked but similarly brilliant figures like Caro…
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Today’s guest is the writer and poet Evan Dalton Smith. His first book, part personal story and part cultural study, is called Looking for Andy Griffith: A Father’s Journey. We talk about the power of nostalgia, finding personal resilience, and pursuing meaningful storytelling. We also discuss the nearly decade-long journey of taking an 8,200-word …
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura discuss some summer-themed nonsense and Gem entertains the panel with an obscure patent that may just fix policing. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. NatPat: NATPAT Health and Wellness Patches Ref…
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How Jennifer Lang turned a "boring" 90K-word book into a 14K-word gem...& got her groove back
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Today’s episode features my interview with Jennifer Lang. Her memoir, Places We Left Behind, is a marvel of brevity and form. It’s the story of how one woman, a hybrid of American-French-Israeli identities, navigates cultural and religious differences with her husband over the course of three decades, as her family searches for what it means to fin…
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Originally published 22 February 2021. On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Laura, Gem, and Lauren discuss soup’s history as a religious conversion tool, the science of bone broth, and the discredited claim that bat soup was responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, then everyone attempts (and fails!) to define what, exactl…
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Originally published 13 January 2020. On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Laura leads Ashlyn, Lauren, and Gem in a discussion of the history and science of sandwiches, then everyone attempts (and fails!) to define what, exactly, makes something a sandwich. On this episode: Ashlyn maintains that open-faced sandwiches do not exis…
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On this special bonus episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn Noble and Lauren Bailey share Gem’s valedictory address to the University of Manitoba Medicine Class of 2024 and discuss the fallout thereof. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Contact Us: Email | Twitt…
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Ashlyn, and Laura discuss the impact of large language models and other forms of generative AI on culture and scientific endeavours. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Note: Content warning for discussion of di…
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Laura talk about people who were disbelieved but were eventually vindicated. Topics include pilot David Steeves’ missing airplane, singer Sinéad O’Connor public denunciation of the Catholic Church, neurologist Stanley Prusiner’s discovery of prions, and neuropathologi…
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Laura, and Lauren discuss the history of the show, comment on some of their favourite segments from episodes past, and finally get around to introducing themselves properly. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. G…
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Last year, I came across an essay called “Book Publishing is Broken” by today’s podcast guest, Kathleen Schmidt . Using her decades of experience in book PR & strategy, Kathleen laid out several reasons why traditional publishing fails writers. (If you haven’t already read that post, you’ll get to hear Kathleen’s reasons in our interview). And the …
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Lauren, Ashlyn, Laura, and Gem discuss paranormal events and other mysteries that have recently been explained by science, including the Dyatlov Pass Incident, the Blood Rain of Kerala, the Bermuda Triangle, and how the Romans managed to make such excellent concrete. Life, the Universe & Ever…
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In this converation with memoirist Abigail Thomas, we discuss the backstory of writing Safekeeping, and that now-classic memoir was initially turned down by all the editors the book was sent, except for one. We talk about how crafting a memoir-in-fragments like Safekeeping allows a writer to depict memories in a way a more conventional structure do…
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In this episode, I talk with author, musician and audio producer Chérie Newman about her humorous experiences pet-sitting unruly critters during the pandemic. The need to turn this one-time side hustle into a fulltime gig coincided with a more sobering reality: the way that wealthy out-of-state residents reshaped her hometown of Bozeman, Montana. N…
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In this episode, I talk with author, professor, journalist, and rabbi Jay Michaelson. After publishing nine other books of nonfiction and poetry, and hundreds of stories for publications like Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, and New York magazine, Michaelson has just come out with his first work of fiction, The Secret That's Not a Secret. We discuss…
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Last fall, administrators at Gettysburg College announced the shuttering of the prestigious Gettysburg Review. This just seemed like the latest in a long string of magazines and journals that have closed the past few years. Curious about what’s going on, I called Travis Kurowski, a leading expert on literary magazines, to help me understand what wa…
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On this special bonus episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem Newman discusses the scientific evidence in favour of allowing trans youth to socially transition and the concrete steps that parents and teachers can take to support trans kids. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and …
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Why would anyone want to jumpstart their memoir? For one thing, you’re tasked with plumbing your memory for sometimes difficult material. Added to that is the burden of turning out writing that often feels underwhelming—so much less than we know we can do. For recovering perfectionists, the combination can be daunting. In today’s episode of The Boo…
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Lauren, and Laura discuss sex and gender from a scientific and historical perspective, with a focus on the health and wellbeing of trans folks. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Content Warning: This episode i…
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In this week’s episode of The Book I Had to Write, I talk with Margo Steines, the author of Brutalities: A Love Story. This memoir-in-essays documents her journey through a series of extreme experiences including her time as a pro dom, a welder on a high-rise crew, her addictions to exercise, her interest in MMA fighting, and more. We talk about he…
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In the Season 3 launch, Jeannine Ouellette, author of the memoir The Part That Burns and creator of the Writing in the Dark newsletter, shares insights into her writing process, her extraordinary year on Substack, and the unique blend of craft, wisdom, and kindness that makes her a beloved teacher of creative writing. Key Takeaways * Writing around…
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For this final post of 2023, here’s one from the archives — perhaps the most popular episode of The Book I Had to Write podcast. In this segment, I talk with Sari Botton, the author of the memoir/essay collection …And You May Find Yourself, and the founder of Oldster magazine. Back around 2010, Sari started an interview series at The Rumpus called …
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and special guest Dave Bonwick discuss Eric Hovind’s “Night at the Creation Museum”, a short film promoting Young Earth Creationism: the view that the universe and everything in it was created by the Christian God a little over 6000 years ago. Life, the Universe & …
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, it’s another cryptid spectacular! Gem relates the story of the Mothman of West Virginia, Ashlyn tells the tale of a naturalist lost at sea, Lauren explains why driving while exhausted isn’t such a good idea, and Laura introduces everyone to the most pitiful cryptid of all. Life, the Universe …
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Laura are joined by Marissa McCool to discuss some of the ways science and society have changed in the last two decades. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Taste Buds: The Taste Map of the Tongue Yo…
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and Gem continue their discussion of modern evangelical crusaders, with a focus on Billy Graham and Youth with a Mission. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Youth with a Mission (YWAM): YWAM King’s Ki…
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I’ve just wrapped up season 2 of The Book I Had to Write, and I hope you’ve enjoyed the show. I’ll be back in the fall with a new season that I hope you’ll love. But before I do that, I have a big favor to ask... I’ve created a short survey and would love for you to fill it out. In a world of many podcasts, including many books podcasts, I want to …
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About this Episode Back in the 1990s, Leah Eichler, then a young reporter, interviewed her grandmother extensively about her experiences as an Auschwitz survivor. In this episode, Leah discusses her book-development journey working with coach & TBIHTW host Paul Zakrzewski. If you’ve been overwhelmed by a book you want to write – but aren’t sure whe…
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"There's a big gap between the dream and the published book--what's happening there?" asks book coach Joelle Hann (aka the Brooklyn Book Doctor). Joelle joins host Paul Zakrzewski to talk about why writers face resistance when they start their books, the sense of power that happens when you finish, & the big shifts happening in Big 5 publishing rig…
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem is joined by Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and returning guest Kyle Joseph to discuss Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, some of the very worst televangelists. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Pat Robertson: Pat Robertson (Wik…
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Paul interviews writer, scholar, and archival expert Julija Šukys, author of Siberian Exile: Blood, War, and a Granddaughter’s Reckoning. Part way through this project, Šukys received documents that pointed to her grandfather’s possible complicity in Holocaust-era war crimes. Their conversation traces this major discovery and how it changed her wor…
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Paul interviews author and cultural critic Stephen Marche about his new book On Writing and Failure. We delve into the challenges faced by writers in the digital age, and the evolving landscape of publishing, and discuss the inherent failures that are part of writing process, and the struggle to bridge the gap between intention and reception. Discu…
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren continue their discussion of products marketed to podcast listeners. On part two, Lauren does some composting with Lomi and Ashlyn discusses Noom’s approach to weight-loss. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of scien…
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About this Episode In Canada, essayist Susan Olding is well-known as the author of smart, beautifully crafted essays on topics like parenting, illness, our changing relationship to reading & more. In this episode, Susan discusses her journey as an essayist, and her newest essay collection Big Reader. She also discusses the power of writing essays, …
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Overview In this episode of "The Book I Had to Write" podcast, Paul interviews Josh Lambert, author of The Literary Mafia: Jews, Publishing, and Postwar American Literature. Josh shares the story of how the term 'Jewish literary mafia' came about in the 1950s and 1960s. They delve into the problems of gatekeeping and publishing's lack of diversity,…
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Laura, Ashlyn, and Lauren discuss some of the products marketed to our listeners through ads on (other) podcasts. In part one, Gem subjects the panel to MUD\WTR and Laura tosses back some AG1 by Athletic Greens. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersec…
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Paul is back with a new season of The Book I Had to Write! This time around, the show explores nonfiction writers and stories from Canada. Upcoming interviews will be published every other Tuesday starting on May 9, 2023. Highlights include: Josh Lambert (The Literary Mafia: Jews, Publishing, and Postwar American Literature) on the story of Jewish …
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and Dave watch C Me Dance, 2009’s hit Christian film about a ballerina with cancer who gets magic powers. Then Gem answers some questions about AI. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. C Me Dance: …
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Lauren, Ashlyn, Laura, and Gem are skeptical about historical claims large and small. Was there really a secret Roman emperor named Sponsianus? Did the Dutch really go wild for tulips in the seventeenth century? Are you in a black hole right now? Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podc…
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Ashlyn, Lauren, Gem, and Laura talk about more scams and scam artists, featuring a famous surgeon, a wine counterfeiter, a Canadian investment fund, and of course that Republican politician everyone’s talking about. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersect…
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem, Lauren, Ashlyn, and Laura discuss the most important news of the twelve months. Who died? What were tech companies up to? And most importantly: Who brought snacks? Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Update: Shortly aft…
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, it’s cancel or be cancelled! Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, Gem, and special guest Kyle Joseph discuss a few people who really deserve a good cancelling. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Wednesday Night Wallop Podcast: Wednesday …
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On this episode of Life, the Universe & Everything Else, Gem subjects Ashlyn, Lauren, Laura, and Dave to a documentary of questionable quality. Life, the Universe & Everything Else is a podcast that explores the intersection of science and society. Links: Sasquatch Unearthed: The Ridge – The Sinister Truth Revealed (YouTube) Contact Us: Email | Twi…
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