Finding the Throughline: Conversations about the Creative Process invites you into the minds of writers and other creatives as they open up about their process, their doubts, and what kinds of changes they’re thinking about making. The questions are mildly invasive, honestly, and the answers are unvarnished…and so refreshing! Whether your creative work is writing, painting, making music, parenting, or simply living, Finding the Throughline can help you get—and stay—inspired. Invigorated, eve ...
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[Hannah Selinger, practical matters]: The reality of making a living as a freelance writer + shifting from articles to books + the death of a tortoise Ep 1167
25:27
This week my guest is Hannah Selinger, a James Beard Award-nominated lifestyle journalist who is also a Certified Sommelier. Hannah's work has appeared in a long list of prestigious places, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, Wine Enthusiast, Al Jazeera, and more. Her boo…
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[Antonia Angress: What’s coming up]: “I aspire to get to a place where I can be a hermit and let my work stand on its own” Ep 1166
18:28
In this final part of my interview with Antonia Angress, author of "Sirens & Muses," we peek at what’s coming around the bend for her and I get her answers to my fast five questions. (Note–this episode is a replay. We’ll be back to new episodes next week, yay!) We talked about: - The novels about motherhood Antonia is reading to prepare for when he…
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[Antonia Angress, inner stuff]: Throwing away the work that isn’t working + adapting to the public speaking side of being a writer Ep 1165
21:52
n this episode I'm talking with Antonia Angress, author of “Sirens & Muses” and a 2024 NEA Creative Writing Fellow about the squishier side of creativity–the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you're not fully conscious of it. (Note–this episode is a replay. We’ll be back to new episodes next week, yay!) - The part of the…
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[Antonia Angress, Practical Matters]: The self-doubt that never goes away, and how to keep writing despite it Ep 1164
23:15
This week I am talking to writer Antonia Angress. Antonia is the author of "Sirens & Muses," which starts off as a campus novel set at a New England art school, but then blooms into an exploration of the intersection of home and belonging versus individualism and seeking to stand out, set in the New York City art scene during the Occupy Wall Street…
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[Nada Samih-Rotondo, part 3]: The joy of going down a research wormhole, a preview of her second memoir ) + matcha latte mustaches Ep 1163
22:35
In this final part of my interview with Palestinian-American, award-nominated memoirist, Nada Samih-Rotondo, we covered: - A preview of her second memoir, which has a central theme of earthquakes, both the geological variety and the personal kind (it sounds amazing I cannot wait) - The allure of folk tales and fairy tales - The joy of going down a …
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[Nada Samih-Rotondo, part 2]: Reader feedback as creative rocketfuel, being the only Arab-American kid around + astrology talk! Ep 1162
20:33
In this episode I'm talking with Nada about what I call inner stuff, the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you're not fully conscious of it, including: - How her least favorite part of writing (sharing her work) becoming her most favorite part - The type of reader feedback that fills her heart and lights her up and fuels…
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[Nada Samih-Rotondo, part 1]: Writing by feeling vs. knowing, pandemic productivity, + the importance of getting out of the house Ep 1161
21:22
My guest this week is Nada Samih-Rotondo, a multi-genre Palestinian-American writer, teacher, and mother, who recently published her first book, a memoir called All Water Has Perfect Memory, which has been shortlisted for the 2024 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. Born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents, Nada immigrated to the U.S. at …
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[Paulette Perhach, what’s coming up]: Letting go of steady client work to focus on your own writing and offerings Ep 1160
18:32
Warning–there’s at least one swear word in today’s episode and it’s coming up quick. If you’re listening with sensitive ears--either yours or someone else’s--within earshot, this is your heads up. My guest this week is award-winning journalist and author, Paulette Perhach. Paulette has written two essays that have gone viral, including “A Story of …
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[Paulette Perhach, inner stuff]: Motivating yourself with self-love vs. self-flagellation + writing with ADHD Ep 1159
25:07
My guest this week is award-winning journalist and author of the book “Welcome to the Writer’s Life,” Paulette Perhach. Paulett’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Elle, and Slate, among many other places. She also hosts a virtual writing salon called A Very Important Meeting, teaches many online writing classes, and works with folks one-on-…
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[Paulette Perhach, practical matters]: Setting deadlines for yourself that you’ll actually honor + continuing to dream bigger as a writer Ep 1158
27:03
My guest this week is award-winning journalist and author, Paulette Perhach. Paulett’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Elle, and Slate, among other places, and she’s written two essays that have gone viral, including “A Story of a Fuck-Off Fund,” which was included in the anthology Freshman Year of Life. Paulette helps others make their wa…
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[Kenneth C. Davis: what’s coming up]: Amazing story of how learning something new can profoundly change your life Ep 1157
27:18
Welcome to the final installment of my talk with historian Kenneth C. Davis, New York Times bestselling author of “America’s Hidden History,” “Don’t Know Much About History,” a whole series of “Don’t Know Much About” books. As part of his mission to get more people to read more books, Kenneth has just published THE WORLD IN BOOKS: 52 Works of Great…
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[Kenneth C. Davis, inner stuff]: A chills-inducing pep talk for reading + taking aim at American exceptionalism Ep 1156
27:19
Welcome to part 2 of my interview with Kenneth C. Davis, author of the brand new book THE WORLD IN BOOKS: 52 Works of Great Short Nonfiction – a curated journey through fifty-two of the most significant short nonfiction works ever penned, from ancient times to the present day. Kenneth is also the author of Don’t Know Much About® History, which spen…
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[Kenneth C. Davis, practical matters]: How to make history come alive + an incredible pick-up line (that worked!) Ep 1155
24:10
Today my guest is historian Kenneth C. Davis, New York Times bestselling author of “America’s Hidden History,” “Don’t Know Much About History,” and a whole series of “Don’t Know Much About” books, proving that Americans don’t hate history — they just hate the dull version they slept through in class. As part of his mission to get more people to rea…
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[Jeremy Dauber: What’s coming up]: How to save the humanities (or at least try) + why he’s obsessed with the 80s Ep 1154
18:39
Welcome back to part 3 of my interview with Jeremey Dauber, a processor of Jewish literature and American studies at Columbia University and the author of the new book "American Scary: A History of Horror, from Salem to Stephen King and Beyond,” which chronicles the rise and enduring grip of fear and horror throughout American culture and American …
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[Jeremy Dauber, Inner stuff]: Taking aim at the myth of the difficult genius + frank talk about how fatherhood impacts productivity Ep 1153
23:47
Welcome back to my interview with cultural historian and Columbia professor Jeremy Dauber, author of the newly released book "American Scary: A History of Horror, from Salem to Stephen King and Beyond." As “J.A. Dauber,” he is also the author of the YA novel "Mayhem and Madness: Chronicles of a Teenaged Supervillain," and a new middle grade novel, …
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[Jeremy Dauber, Practical matters]: Reframing failure as a lack of success + career advice from the former head of DC comics Ep 1152
24:48
Jeremy Dauber, author of the newly released book "American Scary: A History of Horror, from Salem to Stephen King and Beyond” and professor of Jewish literature and American studies at Columbia University. As “J.A. Dauber,” he is also the author of the YA novel "Mayhem and Madness: Chronicles of a Teenaged Supervillain," and his new middle grade no…
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[Vanessa Lillie: What’s coming up]: So many great recs for books, shows, and movies by Indigenous creators + a recipe for bomster scallops Ep 1151
19:44
Welcome back to the Finding the Throughline interview with Vanessa Lillie, whose books include “Little Voices”, “For the Best,” and her newest book “Blood Sisters” and co-author Young Rich Widows as well as its sequel which is coming out next year, Desperate Deadly Widows. In this final installment of our interview, we talk about where her current …
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[Vanessa Lillie, inner stuff]: The thrill–and total fear of getting it wrong–that comes from writing about your cultural history Ep 1150
20:23
Welcome back to Finding the Throughline: Conversations about the Creative Process where today’s guest is thriller author Vanessa Lillie, whose books include “Little Voices”, “For the Best,” and her newest book “Blood Sisters,” a thriller about two missing Indigenous women and the Cherokee archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs who is searchi…
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[Vanessa Lillie, practical matters]: Basically a masterclass in how to evolve your mindset (seriously, don’t miss this!) Ep 1149
32:32
This week I’m talking with the author of numerous thrillers, Vanessa Lilly, whose books include “Little Voices,” “For the Best,” and her newest book “Blood Sisters,” a thriller about two missing Indigenous women and the Cherokee archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs who is searching for them, which was a Good Morning America buzz pick and a…
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[A.J. Jacobs, what’s coming up]: The benefit of sharing your ideas with people while you’re still working on them + baking for democracy Ep 1148
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Welcome to the final installment of my interview with A.J. Jacobs, who is a multiple New York Times bestselling author of books that chronicle his attempts to live differently and share what he's learned from his experiments. A.J.'s latest book is “The Year of Living Constitutionally,” where he attempts to understand our country better by adopting …
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[A.J. Jacobs, inner stuff]: Replacing the pursuit of success with something more meaningful–and more doable + a great reframe for problems he learned from Quincy Jones Ep 1147
24:54
In part two of my interview with writer, podcaster, multiple New York Times bestselling author, and human guinea pig, A.J. Jacobs, we talk about the thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes that go into writing. As a reminder, A.J.'s books include “The Year of Living Biblically,” “Drop Dead Healthy,” “Thanks a Thousand,” and his most recent, “The Year of L…
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[A.J. Jacobs, practical matters]: Is it possible to schedule when you’ll get your next ideas? Multiple bestselling author A.J. Jacobs says yes Ep 1146
26:14
This week I’m talking with the hilarious and sweet writer, podcaster, multiple New York Times-bestselling author, and human guinea pig, A.J. Jacobs. A.J.'s books are a mix of memoir, science, humor, with a smidge of self-help. They include “The Year of Living Constitutionally,” “The Year of Living Biblically,” “Drop Dead Healthy,” and “The Know-It-…
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[Jacquelyn Mitchard, what's next]: Owning your jealousy of other writers + gobs of amazing book recommendations Ep 1145
20:42
In part three of my conversation with multiple New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of "A Very Inconvenient Scandal" and "The Deep End of the Ocean," among many other titles, we talk about how having writer friends is so important, even if you "jealous them", the vision of the future that's fueling her to keep writing, and t…
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[Jacquelyn Mitchard, inner stuff]: Cultivating the relationship between author and reader when "every sentence is a struggle" Ep 1144
24:43
In this second part of my interview with the brilliant and hilarious Jacquelyn Mitchard, we talk about the squishier side of creativity–the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you're not fully conscious of it, including: - The specific reader Jacquelyn imagines as she writes - Why she's devoted to social media, and why she…
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[Jacquelyn Mitchard, practical matters]: On deleting Oprah Winfrey's VMs + writing a book, one sentence at a time Ep 1143
24:49
This week I am thrilled to be talking with Jacquelyn Mitchard, the New York Times bestselling author of 23 novels for adults and teenagers. Her newest novel is "A Very Inconvenient Scandal," and her first novel, "The Deep End of the Ocean" was the first selection of the Oprah Winfrey book club and has sold more than 3 million copies and been transl…
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[Christopher Brown: What’s coming up]: Seeking the intersection of “nature’s cosmic majesty and the banality of everyday life” + several recommendations of recent books that play with form Ep 1142
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In this final installment of my interview with Christopher Brown, author of “A Natural History of Empty Lots”--a blend of nature writing, memoir and literary nonfiction that's also a manifesto for rewilding our cities and ourselves–we talk about what’s getting his creative ears perked up these days, where his throughline is leading him next, and hi…
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[Christopher Brown, inner stuff]: Making sure your writing “bites into the copper wire” of your story–despite not knowing how to do that, exactly Ep 1141
24:16
Welcome to Part 2 of my talk with Christopher Brown, author of the brand new book, “A Natural History of Empty Lots,” as well as the science fiction novel, “Tropic of Kansas” and the legal thrillers “Rule of Capture” and “Failed State.” - How there were “not a lot of huggers” in his family, and how that relates to his desire to get better at engagi…
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[Christopher Brown, practical matters]: Resisting “society’s pressure to specialize” + why retirement is for suckers + an ingenious hack for creating the time to write + stopping to notice the places where ...
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This week I am talking with Christopher Brown, author of the brand new book, “A Natural History of Empty Lots: Field Notes from Urban Edgelands, Back Alleys, and Other Wild Places,” a blend of nature writing, literary nonfiction, and memoir that is also a manifesto for rewilding our urban spaces as well as ourselves. Christopher’s other books inclu…
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[Christine Chitnis: What’s coming up]: Visualizing ways to make more money AND take more time off, and how she’s making the visions come true Ep 1139
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In the final installment of my conversation with Christine Chitnis, travel writer, photographer, and author of the books, East Coasting, Patterns of Portugal and Patterns of India, we get a sneak peek at what’s up to next and hear about the big-picture ideas that are guiding her work these days. And she answers my fast final five questions about fa…
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[Christine Chitnis, inner stuff]: Dealing with the fear of aging out of your career + getting over mom guilt Ep 1138
27:40
In this second part of my conversation with Christine Chitnis, bestselling author of “East Coasting,” “Patterns of Portugal,” and “Patterns of India”, photographer, and travel writer, we get in to the squishier side of writing–the thoughts and beliefs that go into creating and sharing work. We talked about: - How to get more comfortable with sharin…
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[Christine Chitnis, practical matters]: Marrying business and creativity + when the only routine thing about your morning is chaos Ep 1137
25:48
This week I am talking with Christine Chitnis, bestselling author of “East Coasting,” “Patterns of Portugal,” and “Patterns of India.” Her travel writing has appeared in publications including “The New York Times,” “Vogue,” and “Travel and Leisure.” Christine also helps other writers create winning book proposals and book marketing strategies. And …
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[Leigh Medeiros, what's next]: Expanding your capacity + the podcasts and social media accounts giving Leigh life Ep 1136
27:08
In this final installment with Leigh Medeiros--who is like a personified pep talk for pursuing your creative work--we talk about her most delightful visions for the future and exactly what happens in her cacao ceremonies, as well as: - Why Leigh finds many social media videos incredibly inspirational (reframing what you might otherwise consider 'mi…
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[Leigh Medeiros, inner stuff]: A hilarious--and relatable--story about second-guessing your work + the pep talk for making art I didn't know I needed Ep1135
24:07
In this second part of my interview with "The One-Minute Writer" author and screenwriter Leigh Medeiros, we dive in to the squishier parts of writing and being creating, including: - Why it's crucial that you share your work without disclaiming it - The screen play she almost gave up on because her inner critic was going bananas--a hilarious and so…
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[Leigh Medeiros, practical matters]: The power of figuring out your own Venn diagram of interests + some pretty awesome focus hacks Ep1134
25:13
Leigh Medeiros is an award-winning screenwriter, author, and all-around creative who, when she isn't making her own work, is help others make theirs. Leigh is the author of "The One-Minute Writer: 396 Micro Prompts to Spark Creativity and Recharge Your Writing." She also write a column for Script Magazine called "The Climate Screenwriter," is the c…
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[Katy Bowman: What’s coming up]: Can clearing clutter create space for creative work? + moving into covering new topics Ep 1133
20:32
In this third and final part of my interview with Katy Bowman, a biomechanist and leader of the “movement” movement, we get a peek at her next project, the life changes she’s envisioning, and what she learns from birds. - A sneak peek at her next project, which involves a lot of psychology - The author who inspired Katy to think about living life d…
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[Katy Bowman, inner stuff]: The similarities between non-constructive feedback and farts + the impact of age on her creative drive Ep 1132
25:08
This week’s guest, biomechanist Katie Bowman, is the author of 11 books on movement, including the bestselling “Move Your DNA” and her most recent book, “My Perfect Movement Plan.” Katy is also the founder of Uphill Press, an independent publishing company that has sold more than 300 ,000 copies of its books and had them published in 16 languages. …
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[Katy Bowman, practical matters]: Finding the kind of writing that feels like a downhill flow instead of an uphill slog + making writing less sedentary Ep 1131
27:20
This week my guest is biomechanist Katy Bowman, author of eleven–count ‘em, eleven–books that explore how to improve health and boost well-being through movement, including the best-selling “Move Your DNA,” as well as her newest, “My Perfect Movement Plan.” Her back catalog includes “Rethink Your Position,” “Movement Matters,” “Dynamic Aging,” “Gro…
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[Chelsey Goodan, part 3: Owning your weird self as a way to find your people and your path] Ep 1130
17:30
In this final installment of my talk with Chelsey Goodan,* author of Underestimated: The Wisdom and Power of Teenage Girls, we talk a lot about the many, many perks of embracing your particular brand of weirdness, as well as: - The power of friends to keep you inspired - What teens AND adults can do to find their people and make meaningful friendsh…
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[Chelsey Goodan, part 2: Balancing ambition with knowing you’re already enough + a super helpful skill-assessment tool] Ep 1129
18:58
In part 2 of my interview with Chelsey Goodan, author of Underestimated: The Wisdom and Power of Teenage Girls, we really break down the inner parts of writing, including how to be OK with the fact that people may misunderstand you. (If this sounds familiar, it’s because this week’s episodes are replays–I figured, since it’s back to school season r…
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[Chelsey Goodan, part 1: What teens really need from adults + keeping track of inspired ideas + the most delightful way to meditate] Ep 1128
21:54
This week I’m talking with Chelsey Goodan, keynote speaker, screenwriter, and author of Underestimated: The Wisdom and Power of Teenage Girls. As the mom of a 16-year-old girl, I just didn’t even think twice about inviting Chelsey on to Finding the Throughline. I literally read the title of her book and was like YES. This week’s episodes are replay…
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[Kimothy Joy: what’s coming up]: Drawing inspiration from the stories of women who were “not afraid to fail out loud” + dreaming up a new chapter Ep 1127
23:19
By the end of this final installment of my interview with Kimothy Joy, author of “Extraordinary Wing Women: True Stories of Life-Altering, World-Changing Sisterhood,” “Focus Pocus: A 90-Day Guided Journal,” and “That's What She Said: Wise Words from Influential Women,” my cheeks were hurting from smiling. So many exciting ideas in here! We talked a…
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[Kimothy Joy, inner stuff]: Getting over people pleasing and how to honor your own internal rhythms of productivity and creativity Ep 1126
26:31
In this second part of my interview with Kimothy Joy, author of “Extraordinary Wing Women: True Stories of Life-Altering, World-Changing Sisterhood,” “Focus Pocus: A 90-Day Guided Journal,” and “That's What She Said: Wise Words from Influential Women,” I asked about the mindset side of writing and how Kimothy’s thoughts and beliefs impact her work …
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[Kimothy Joy, practical matters]: How being creative is like brushing your teeth + untying your sense of self-worth from how much you produce Ep 1125
23:57
This week I am talking with Kimothy Joy, the author of “Extraordinary Wing Women: True Stories of Life-Altering, World-Changing Sisterhood,” “Focus Pocus: A 90-Day Guided Journal,” and “That's What She Said: Wise Words from Influential Women.” A Denver-based artist and author who combines watercolor and hand lettering to create artwork that uplifts…
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[Lisa See, what’s coming up]: Dealing with the upset of putting your characters through tough times + an awesome mini class on tea Ep 1124
20:37
In this final installment of my talk with Lisa See–bestselling author of so! many! beloved books, including “Lady Tan's Circle of Women” and “The Island of Sea Women’’--we find out what Lisa is currently working on bringing into existence and what she knows at this moment about where her personal through line is leading her next. Plus my final fast…
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[Lisa See, inner stuff]: “When I get edits back from my editor, it’s just like, ‘Please kill me now’” Ep 1123
24:25
In the second part of my conversation with hugely successful and popular (and oh my God, did this really happen??) Lisa See, author of Lady Tan's Circle of Women, The Island of Sea Women, and more, we talked about the interior side of writing–things like dealing with your inner critic and dealing with the parts you would really rather not do, thank…
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[Lisa See, practical matters]: The fun little family research project that turned into a “New York Times” notable book + telling stories that have been hidden Ep 1122
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I'm talking with Lisa See, the New York Times bestselling author of so many beloved books, including Lady Tan's Circle of Women, The Island of Sea Women, Snow Flower and the Secret Ban, Shanghai Girls, and Dreams of Joy. Lisa's books often center the experience of women across time and cultures, particularly stories that have been lost, forgotten, …
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[Minda Honey, what's next]: Embracing the strengths of being a Black writer + braided essays + MANY awesome book and music recs Ep 1121
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(Note, this episode is a replay that originally aired in February.) In this final installment of my talk with author and essayist Minda Honey, we cover: * The insights–on double consciousness, omniscience, and overlapping timelines–she got at a recent conference * How Andre 3000’s new flute album is cracking open possibilities in her mind * The con…
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[Minda Honey, inner stuff]: Avoiding “self-exploitation” + countering the voices, external and internal, that criticize your work Ep 1120
20:17
In part 2 of my interview with essayist and author of the memoir "The Heartbreak Years," Minda Honey, we really break down the inner parts of writing, including how to stay focused on the impact your work is having when all some people want to do is complain. (Note, this episode is a replay that originally aired in February.) Other things we cover:…
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[Minda Honey, practical matters]: Answering the call to write + the right beverages are everything Ep 1119
21:01
Minda Honey is the author of "The Heartbreak Years," a hilarious and intimate memoir of a Black woman finding who she is and who she wants to be, one bad date at a time. Minda's essays on politics and relationships have appeared in all kinds of amazing places, including Harper's Bazaar, the Los Angeles Review of Books, The Washington Post, The Guar…
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[Lucas Mann, what’s coming up]: Which reality TV show he gladly gives up sleep to watch + book recommendations galore Ep 1118
18:48
In this final installment of my conversation with author and bookstore co-owner Lucas Mann, we talk about the books, writers, TV shows, music, and even dinners that are getting his wheels turning, including: The book he recently read with his book club that got him excited about writing in new ways and that he couldn’t stop talking about Why a long…
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