KELLY J. FORD revised and sharpened her debut novel, COTTONMOUTHS, in Grub Street’s Novel Incubator program with our second guest, MICHELLE HOOVER. She and James talk about crappy drafts, depression, the woods vs. the forest, coming out narratives, and tents full of mannequin parts. She also describes her process, including using formulas and borrowing the scaffolding of other narratives. Then James asks Michelle about novel writing and workshopping.

Kelly J. Ford

Kelly and James discuss: 

Daniel Woodrell (intro)

Sarah Waters (intro)

“Hanging Judge” Parker

Flannery O’Connor

Paula Abdul

FINGERHUT MAGAZINE

Solid Gold Dancers

Lisa Borders

E.B. Moore

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Laura van den Berg

Chip Cheek

Cam Terwilliger

Diane Johnson

THE END OF CALIFORNIA by Steve Yarbrough

FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley

RE JANE by Patricia Park

THE MIDDLESTEINS by Jamie Attenberg

DARK PLACES by Gillian Flynn

LITTLE CHILDREN by Tom Perrotta

WRITTEN ON THE BODY by Jeanette Winterson

THE PASSION by Jeanette Winterson

THE AWAKENING by Kate Chopin

Maya Angelou

Sam Cooke

HUNGER by Roxanne Gay

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Michelle Hoover

Michelle and James Discuss:

Jay Neugeboren

Noy Holland

BOTTOMLAND by Michelle Hoover

Ian Stansel

Brian Evenson

THRILL ME by Benjamin Percy

HALF IN LOVE WITH DEATH by Emily Ross

Rachel Barenbaum

IDYLL THREATS by Stephanie Gayle

IDYLL FEARS by Stephanie Gayle